Ok… That was good. I’m going to talk about several things in this review: Characters, Sets, Music, Plots and Continuity. It’s such a complex and developed episode, there’s so much stuff in it, it’s hard to keep control of what’s going on.
SPOILERS FOLLOW
Idris is incredible. Brilliantly acted, and the perfect character and the perfect personification of the Doctor’s time machine. The concept that she IS the TARDIS is incredible, well thought out and I can’t argue against it. And the idea of the TARDIS being “Pulled To Open” is very clever – because of course, you push to open. The episode uses ideas that have never been used before and yet have always been there. Idris personifies these ideas and the TARDIS amazingly. Brilliant.
The Doctor is on top form. Keeping a distance because he’s an alien, not getting TOO in touch with his emotions, and carrying through things this Doctor has done in the past that we haven’t seen for a while (e.g. him slapping himself). The Doctor is a comedy genius, telling Idris that she’s never been very reliable (I was hoping for a Metebelis 3 reference, but never mind). It was an excellent performance.
Amy was better than usual. Not over the top, and again playing the part of a PROPER companion. She’s actually starting to feel like a PROPER companion. Rory was amazing in this episode. He had lines, not silly lines, he had PROPER LINES to say and he felt like he earned his place. Neil Gaiman is the only one to have written Rory as he should be written. And when he was an old man, it scared me. It scared my friend as well. Arthur Darvill gave a SUPERB performance as an Old Rory – and the… it was just brilliant. Uncle and Auntie were awesome as well.
The sets were amazing. TARDIS CORRIDORS! WOOP! AT LAST! WOOP! They almost felt like they don’t fit with the new console room, or the old one (and it was brilliant to see that again), but who cares? It was fantastic to see them – and the writing on the wall sent a shiver down my spine. And the Totters Lane at the end of the universe was great too.
My only criticism is the music – when the junk TARDIS (also awesome) flew, the music sounded TOO 10th Doctor – like. But still, that’s my only criticism. The rest of the music was beautiful.
The plot was so clever and so complex. House was a brilliant concept, and the voice of House was truly chilling. To think of a plot, that special, that unique, was amazing. It’s something many of us have wondered without realising. It’s brilliant. 10/10 for the plot alone.
And the continuity references. The boxes from The War Games (pointed out on Twitter, I didn’t realise). And of course, THE EYE OF ORION! WOOP!
It was a truly brilliant episode, so clever, so visually brilliant, and it was excellent. It was brilliant. It has got Day of the Moon to compete against – but this was better. I can’t give it a 10/10. I just can’t.
9.8 – 9.9/10
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