New Who Review: The Doctor's Wife

[puppetmaker]

As usual no spoilers before the cut but afterwards and in the comments, all bets are off.

This was an episode that moved around a bit. It could honestly be dropped in just about anywhere in the Doctor, Rory, and Amy saga with little re-jiggering. In fact I believe it was suppose to be for last season and came into this season and got moved around again.

It was also what is called a bottle episode. Not many sets or character and utilizing a lot of things that they had hanging around.

Also a small disclaimer, the author of the episode is a long time friend of Peter’s and mine. In fact he is what we call a mutual before friend meaning that we were friends with him before we got together.

Overall it was a love letter to the series. It was the kind of episode that fans could embrace without worrying that their fellow fans would look down on them. For me it felt more of a sort of “what if” episode. Also Old Who and New Who can join hands on this one and all feel good about it and the implications of it. Again it would have worked with just about any of the Doctors but better with each incarnation.

I enjoyed and enjoyed the implications of the episode going forward.

I am grateful that Neil finally got his shot to write Doctor Who.



I enjoyed the “who stole who” dynamic. Did the Doctor run off with the TARDIS or did the TARDIS run off with the Doctor? I also loved the banter and familiarity between the TARDIS and the Doctor. They are an old married couple in so many ways. (I was flashing back to Rose and Sarah Jane trading notes about the Doctor stroking bits of the TARDIS lovingly.)

Anthropomorphizing the TARDIS is a long used trope in Fanfic. I have to say even with the clever dialogue and lovely characterization, I had to remind myself that this was NOT fanfic but now part of cannon.

Suranne Jones did a wonderful job all through out the piece. It was like the TARDIS and the Doctor are of a mind. Some of the quirks that she displayed were those of the Doctor which when two “people” live together for such a long time is just going to happen.

I am betting that some of the Rory/Amy dialogue was not written by Neil but by Moffat and dropped in as it was needed. It was not as seamless as most of it. We got a few more clues about what is going on but it still is such that one will probably go back and watch the whole series to see where we are going (besides 200 years in the Doctor’s future with a blaster in it),

It was a fun episode and I enjoyed it a lot. It is nice to occasionally have a pause in the great arc.

I think Neil acquitted himself well with this episode.

Comments

[readinggeek451]

Okay, so that's +1 for me bothering to watch 6th series, once the DVDs come out. I've been not at all sure I would.

[sneezythesquid.livejournal.com]

It was an amazing episode, funny, touching, scary and heartbreaking all in a mix. Like the best of Neil's work. I hope he gets a chance to write another episode.

Smith had some of the best expressions and reactions in this episode, as when Idris said "You call me 'Sexy'", the look on his face when they look over all the "dead" TARDIS'...TARDISES...um anyway, or when he says "I have no idea what to do. That's a new feeling."

He was already in danger of becoming my favorite NewWho Doctor, and now he's going to be joining the constant duel between Baker and Pertwee for all-time best Doctor.

[sneezythesquid.livejournal.com]

I just wanted to say that I <3 your icon.

[theafaye.livejournal.com]

This beat all the other episodes so far (not that there are many) handsdown. I definitely hope he gets to write more if this is what he comes up with.

[querldox.livejournal.com]

Neil's written in a just posted blog entry that Moffat did rewrite some (unspecified) scenes after Neil hit the wall in terms of "I just can't rewrite this again". Also, it was planned as a bit less of a bottle show; several scenes/locations got cut due to budget issues.