New Who Review: Closing Time

[puppetmaker]

Again I ask no spoilers for the final episode beyond what we have seen in the series not the ads. And, as usual, everything behind the cut and in the comments very well may have spoilers up to and including Closing Time

This was one of those episodes that you could have pretty much dropped any Doctor into and pretty much gotten the same result. Which is nice to have an episode that could be any Doctor rather than a specific incarnation of the character.

It was nice seeing Craig from The Lodger and see how he has gotten on with his life after having encounter with the Doctor.

Overall I enjoyed this episode even thought we were in yet another bottle episode but this one didn’t feel like a limited bottle episode.

I am grateful that this was the episode I saw before the finale.



Who’s a good little Stormageddon, Dark Lord of All? Who’s a good little Stormageddon, Dark Lord of All? You are. Yes, you are.

OK I loved the baby and the fact that the Doctor could speak baby so the baby had his own little character arc. And it was nice to see by the end of it all Alfie decided that he wanted to be Alfie and his dad was pretty cool.

Sure it was the Cybermen again but this was a different twist on the usual plot. Sort of like the last of the Daleks in some ways but we won’t hold that against the writer.

Then there is the multi-faceted use of the word “companion”. I did like seeing Craig and I thought the actor did a dynamite job with the role again.

Overall the story was well paced. We did have an Amy moment with a lovely not so cryptic message.

This episode is what a lot of the old Who use to be like. Doctor finds something strange decides to investigate and adventures ensue. Not much connecting the episodes to each other but it was a fun time.

And then there is the end with River being put into the suit and sent to the lake. We knew it was coming but I am expecting another pandorica flip-flop timey-whimey sort of explanation if we even get that.

So next week is the end of the season and it is anybody’s guess as to when we will see the Good Doctor again.

Comments

[gryphonrose.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed the entire episode--up until the last five minutes. Craig and Alfie and all that were great.

[caersidi.livejournal.com]

Idon't think there is official word from BBC about next year though Doctor Who magazine says Fall 2012 following the 2011 Christmas special.

[tiggerallyn.livejournal.com]

They've commissioned 14 more episodes, including this year's Christmas special (which has just begun filming). Six or seven of those episodes will be shown in the fall of 2012, with the balance shown in 2013. Here's more on the scheduling (http://www.aoltv.com/2011/09/22/new-season-of-doctor-who-travels/). The late start has to do with the Doctor Who studio move; after they finish with the Christmas special, the Who sets are moving to a new studio and won't be ready to use until February.

[hergrace.livejournal.com]

On the whole, I really enjoyed this episode (especially the baby/doctor interactions.) Craig was a pleasure and the setting was fun. I want to go to a toy department and find the Doctor demonstrating toys! Oh, and biting cybermats FTW!

There were only two things that bothered me about this
episode. The first was the continuing killing off of characters of color (and the only characters of color in this episode.) What, they didn't want the whiny white girl in ladies' lingerie?

The other was, why was Craig automatically chosen as the supreme cyberman? That wasn't clear, and it made the "love conquers all" climax seem a bit silly.

[puppetmaker40.livejournal.com]

Honestly it was almost a throw away line. The Cybermen reasoned that if he was the companion to the Doctor then he must be incredible smart and therefor worthy of being the Cybercontroller.