So we come to the finale, The Big Bang. The Doctor is trapped, Rory is an Auton, Amy’s dead and River is in an exploding Tardis. That’s how we were left at the end of last week’s episode. I had put lots of thought in how the Doctor was going to escape from the box.
So once we get past the obligatory recap we find ourselves right back with an identical opening to episode one, which I had finished watching scant moments before the start of The Big Bang. However, things are slightly different, Amelia is not saved by the Doctor, but subjected to a session with a therapist because of a painting with stars in.
It was a nice twist to hear mention that the well known atheist, Richard Dawkins, was not the leader of a cult, believing in something that did not exist. The plot suddenly changes track when a fez wearing man puts something through Amelia’s door and we are led to the National Museum where we find the Pandorica, a mystery objects surrounded by nice other objects including Stone Daleks, Nile Penguins and the Pharaohs of the Himalayas. We are then given a nice twist as Amelia opens the Pandorica to find Amy inside and the credits come crashing in.
The plot for this story was very clever. I have described the opening scenes in quite some detail but don’t fully give it the justice that it deserves. Steven Moffatt takes all of the questions that we had going on answered them brilliant. The Doctor get’s himself out of the Pandorica by jumping back in time and getting Rory to open the box with his Sonic Screwdriver. Amy is nearly dead and so by putting her into the Pandorica she is revived.
It all could be so confusing, but the Doctor’s time jumping back and forth in a fez (and I’ll sign the petition to get him wearing one in season 2) is over pretty quickly and brings the opening act to a close with a dying Doctor appearing.
Steven Moffatt once described writing TV as, asking as many questions as you can and then answering them. It works for Lost and it worked here. We want to know how the Doctor ends up in that state and we soon find out, a Dalek, previously stone has been rejuvenated by the Pandorica. We have a chase around the museum and we discover the explosion of the Tardis.
We soon have a quick rescue of River from inside the Tardis. It has crossed my mind that all of these characters have been rescued so quickly from death, or life ending situations as a bit of a kop out. Russell T Davis did that when he rescued The Doctor, Martha and Captain Jack from the future so easily at the beginning of the Sound of Drums. But here it works. We don’t want complicated explanations, there is enough in the plot already.
The Doctor comes up with a plan and he is going to sacrifice himself and kick start the whole of the universe. It’s an emotional moment and Matt Smith and Karen Gillan play their final scene together beautfilly well. A tear was in the corner of my eye. The Doctor saves the universe and then wakes up with the line.
“I’ve escaped. I love it when I do that”
Brilliant. However the emotional rollercoaster carries on as the Doctor is soon heading back wards through his time line. He knows he needs to step behind the crack and leave the world forever and so he makes his goodbye to young Amelia and then he goes.
The concept of the Two Doctors running through the story has been mooted since episode 5 and we finally see its realisation here. This shows how much planning Steven Moffatt has put into the whole series and unlike the words that Russell T Davis we get a sense of relief as we realise what all of those different things that we hadn’t fully understood means.
So we get to Amy’s wedding and she remembers the most unforgettable man she’s ever met, the Doctor. With a big tease for Christmas, and the universe saved, were done.
So what did I think? I loved it. The plot is deceptively simple but brilliantly clever at the same time. The dialogue is on top form, comedic when needed, but retains the seriousness of the story.
Matt Smith, Arthur Darvill, Karen Gillan, and Alex Kingston were all on top performance and though I still feel that Alex Kingston was underused in this story she still gave a cracking performance. We are still no closer to understanding who River Song is; but yet we still like her. I don’t feel that she is the Doctor as has been touted.
The episode was wonderfully shot and the museum was a brilliant set. I don’t think I have anything bad to say about this episode. 10/10
And for both parts 10/10
Stay tuned to see what we review next.
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