Doctor Who 7.1 reaction post. SPOILERS.
Overall, this was like an After School Special from the 80’s about why it’s important to communicate with your long-term partner. That made the out of left field subplot slightly more bearable than I thought it would be. That bit of the episode aside, the rest of the episode was actually really well done. The bit at the end will be fascinating to explore later as well. I liked the episode and I’m glad that I watched it, though it only makes me more nervous for “The Angels Take Manhattan” in terms of writing.
Beware of spoilers. Please keep in mind while reading the reaction post, I write it as I watch, so if something seems amiss, I was making assumptions that got answered later.
- I feel like this is some kind of parody of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001). The music kind of lends to it with the lady talking.
One Dalek to rule them all,
One Dalek to find them,
One Dalek to bring them all
and in the darkness exterminate them.
- I feel like I should know this actress.
- Well, that was a new one.
- This reminds me that I need to watch last night’s ANTM sometime.
- Also when they gave Karen Gillan the River hair man you could see kind of a resemblance between her and Alex Kingston though they’re not related.
- Also this eye makeup is ridiculously heavy but since it’s a photo shoot that makes more sense now.
- Rory’s voice. I’m gonna wib. I’m not sure what he said (that line before “Thought you were just pouting at the camera.” But the voice crack in it was just…. It’s very interesting).
- Flickering light. Must be demons.
- Or Daleks.
- So, if Rory gets on the bus with the divorce papers and then becomes acquired and by the end of the episode he and Amy end up just fine, doesn’t that technically render the divorce kind of needless elevated drama? I’m curious how this is going to play out admittedly now. If it will find a way to have a point to it.
- OMFG. The things Matt Smith can do with his face. (“Out of ten? Eleven.”)
- ”Make them remember you.” What? That’s an interesting technique.
- Well, that’s a new one. “Save us.”
- Oh good, the Doctor agrees with me that it’s new.
- Uh, interesting credits. Cheaper credits. Hard to read font at the end with the episode title.
- Hey, Ms. Coleman, how’s it shaking?
- Soufflé? Really? Also, is this Coleman’s real voice or is the BBC “And now on BBC one blah blah blah” narrating? Is there a radio? I think it must be Coleman’s voice.
- Oh it is her voice.
- I really like that she likes opera. It’s nice.
- Amy, I bet he can hear you.
- I wonder if Harriett Jones is their Prime Minister.
- Oh. Of course the oatmeal monster would be the prime minister.
- He’s probably about to use your hatred of the Daleks against you, Doctor.
- lol “What color?” Rory’s having a bad, bad day.
- Whoever’s transmitting it would be Coleman’s character and she probably knows the Doctor is the triangle player maybe?
- Oswin Oswald. Interesting name.
- Oh God, Doctor, you’re just walking into their plan.
- He’s clapping. He knows it too now.
- Don’t be so offended, Doctor, you are kind of predatory against the Daleks.
- It’s a StarGate only white and not so goopy frozen.
- It’s very telling that Amy calls out for Rory before the Doctor. Kind of makes you wonder.
- Oswin the Dalek. I think he’s standing on you, Oswin.
- Yup. Worst day of Rory’s life possibly.
Unless he’s the Master with one functional heart or something. - Don’t’ touch them. That never ends well.
- I think they’re dead, guys.
- Looks like it really has been probably a year then.
- Reminds me of Sherlock and the airplane.
- It’s like zombies but they’re Daleks.
- So, I guess this means Oswin is also dead and a secret Doctor?
- Or, Oswin is either Jenny or the spawn of Ten Clone and Rose. One of the two.
- Well, one of the three. I listed three options there. She’s one of them probably.
- lol “Are we going to do this now?”
- I really highly doubt that Oswin is a human who’s surviving. She’s either part Time Lord or she’s a Dalek.
- Ah, so that’s how Amy becomes a Dalek. Okay, that’s not so brain breaky as when I first accidentally happened upon the spoiler earlier.
- I like that Rory’s off by himself in this. It’s interesting to see everyone separated.
- I told you not to touch the Daleks.
- I am curious who went “What if those ball things were eggs on Daleks?” Because I’m sure that’s where the eggs bit came from.
- A bit Indiana Williams there? lol
- lol “I will definitely fall on you.” Oh, Amy.
- The shirt? I’m with Rory. Why?
- This is really kind of freaky. I’m glad I’m not a little kid watching this because the Dalek people sequence is really kind of partially freaking me out and I’m in my twenties.
- Are we sure they’re not people? Maybe we’re just meant to think they’re Daleks? I suppose this is one of those Schrödinger’s cat scenarios.
- Well, except for we know they’re all probably dead given the flight crew. But you know how do we know they’re Daleks or humans?
- Well, they just went explodey so hopefully Dalek.
- lol “Well, someone’s never been to Scotland.” Love Amy.
- Genius or [part] Time Lord or very good at hiding their Dalekness.
- Actually, I’m curious where she gets milk too.
- You know, I think I’d care more about this divorce thing if we’d had some kind of evidence in the actual show. Pond Life isn’t the show. When they rerun this on TV, that won’t rerun with it. It’s just so out of the blue. It’s so weird. I mean I know 80% of marriages fail when children die, but at the same time I mean…just…it’s a bit abrupt. I know that’s kind of the name of the game though with Doctor Who since time gets all weird and such, but still…I crave more of a back story than we’re getting. All we know is Amy’s very angry with Rory and started the divorce. We can also tell, through Darvill’s acting, that Rory is still in love with Amy. Actually, Amy seems to be very much still in love with Rory, which I know can happen in divorces yes. But it’s just so…weird. Too weird.
- So, if we’re to believe her that she’s never met the Doctor, then that leaves either actual Dalek person or Ten Clone and Rose’s child.
- ”Explodey-wodey.” lol
- Amy, were you not listening to him in the makeup chair? He was pretty upset about the whole divorce thing. Of course he thinks it’ll take longer with him.
- ”I love you more than you love me.” This is the most accurate description of their relationship yes.
- There’s too much hitting of ex-spouses.
- Because surrogacy isn’t an option? I mean…no. Wait. If I go into that you are going to get several paragraphs of science and you aren’t here for several paragraphs of science. Just if they removed her ovaries then yes, she can’t give him kids. If they didn’t, she has eggs and they can try to have a child together via surrogate. Or, you know, they could adopt a child. There are a lot of options here. She must have gotten so caught up in whatever her medical doctor told her that she didn’t think this through. I guess we can call this episode Moffat’s PSA about spousal communication.
- Yup. Definitely the worst day of Rory’s life. Not to say this isn’t also one of the worst days of Amy’s life but I mean just imagine being told the divorce is your fault because your partner can’t communicate.
- This is so…this is so…I’m not sure. It’s like a really good episode and a really awkward episode put together.
- Intensive care for Daleks. Kind of a weird concept.
- lol “Yeah, well, special visitor.”
- Kind of makes you wonder if Oswin lead him there on purpose.
- Oh, she’s try to open it so maybe not.
- So Daleks are Borg?
- Wait, if Amy and Rory are turning into Daleks, then wouldn’t the Doctor get deleted from their minds too?
- That’s an interesting looking Dalek. Nice chain hair.
- So I guess she’s a Dalek wins, but she had to originate from somewhere.
- It really sounds like they’re talking about Borg now.
- Yup, they’re using the Doctor’s hatred against him.
- Oh she was chained. It wasn’t some kind of hair.
- This is going to be fascinating how they explain what comes after Christmas.
- I see. I guess there is a point if you look at the divorce from an After School Special point of view. Hurray for remembering the 80’s?
- lol The Doctor when Amy and Rory are having the makeup makeout session.
- When the Doctor starts talking from the loudspeaker (sounds like a loudspeaker?) at the Daleks, anyone else thinking about The Sword in the Stone when Merlin turns himself into a germ?
- Doctor, did you forget that they all forgot you? Which to be honest is very interesting and I can’t wait to see how this all plays out especially since Oswin will remember him.
- lol “I can see you.”
- This whole exploration of what “Doctor who?” might means seems like such a Thirteenth Doctor plot.
- I guess this is the series where all the titles come from dialogue then?
