The Name of the Doctor
Thoughts on The Name of the Doctor.
-I have mixed feelings about this episode.
-I liked the idea of Clara falling through the Doctor's timestream, popping in and out of Classic Who, but she didn't really seem to do much other than bang on windows and scream his name, which doesn't seem all that helpful. I guess if we assume that her very presence in the timeline forced the Great Intelligence out of it, that would make sense, but they never actually said anything to indicate that, so... aside from the Asylum and the Snowmen, how did she save his life?
-I didn't like the line, "I was born to save the Doctor." It wasn't accurate anyway. She chose to save the Doctor, she was completely ordinary before that, and I wish the show had emphasized that more.
-I did like the two random Gallifreyan technicians going, "Who'd want to steal a faulty TARDIS?" but I didn't really like that Clara was the one to point out which TARDIS to steal. The story in the Doctor's Wife about how the TARDIS was the one to choose the Doctor, not the other way around, was really beautiful, and having Clara there sort of undermines it. :/
-I don't care much for Vashtra/Jenny/Strax, and I think they'd be much more effective characters if we'd actually seen how they met the Doctor and somehow became his go-to taskforce. But I did feel a pang during the "Conference Call" when Jenny started talking about the door being unlocked and said, "I think I've been murdered." That was creepy and tragic.
-I wasn't expecting Trenzalore to be the place of the Doctor's grave, so that was cool, I guess. Although the idea of the Doctor leading an army is pretty foreign to me; we don't see a whole lot of epic battles on this show, and if we do the Doctor is usually on the sidelines, not in charge. (How long has he known that Trenzalore is where he's buried though? Just last season everyone thought he died next to a lake.)
-LOL at his tomb being a ginormous TARDIS though. I get that it was supposed to be poignant but... giant TARDIS. I can't take it seriously. I did like that there wasn't a body but rather the record of his timstream though. That was cool.
-River. Oh, River. The Doctor is a total, total... a word has yet to be invented for what he is, but he is one, and a total, total one at that. River has somehow perfected the art of astral projection from her database in the Library, the Doctor can see and hear and even touch her, and he chose to ignore her, for who knows how long. I'm sorry, but that is beyond cruel. And I don't even understand why he did it. He was afraid of getting hurt? She was dead. It's not like he could lose her anymore permanently than that. Unless he knew she was supposed to "fade" or whatever, in which case, what was the point of backing her up anyway? To say goodbye? Except he never actually took the opportunity, and instead let her live a half-life as a ghost! What kind of a reward is that? River's storyline is a mess, from birth to death, and for her sake I hope this was her last appearance on the show.
-The scene with Clara running into the Doctor's arms near the end and their epic hug was very sweet, but it would have meant a whole lot more to me if we'd actually seen that relationship develop significantly during the season rather than spending screentime on minor characters. Also it would have helped if Clara had had the entire season to herself, instead of having to split it with Amy and Rory. Not that I don't like Amy and Rory, but they should have made their exit at the end of season 6 (preferably by choice and not b/c they were snatched away by Angels, ugh).
-This episode did get one thing very right, however. "Look, my name, my real name, that is not the point. The name I chose is the Doctor." Thank you.
-I like the idea of John Hurt playing the Man Formerly Known as the Doctor... the idea that this regeneration chose to reject that identity and do something unthinkable instead. (For one thing if means there's no reason to change our numbering system, haha.) However, I'm not confident that the idea will be carried out in a satisfactory way, especially with Moffat at the helm. He tends to make big promises and then fail to deliver.
-As for what unthinkable thing the Man Formerly Known as the Doctor did, most people's minds jump to the end of the Time War, but that doesn't really make sense. It's supposed to be a big secret, but the Doctor has been angsting about how it's his fault the Time Lords are extinct for ages. If that's his secret he's not done a good job of keeping it. (However, if this incarnation is supposed to take place between Eight and Nine, that makes Nine the incarnation who chose to become the Doctor again, and it makes Rose not only his first companion since the Time War, but the one who gave him a reason to keep on being the Doctor. I can't say I mind that too much.)
-I have mixed feelings about this episode.
-I liked the idea of Clara falling through the Doctor's timestream, popping in and out of Classic Who, but she didn't really seem to do much other than bang on windows and scream his name, which doesn't seem all that helpful. I guess if we assume that her very presence in the timeline forced the Great Intelligence out of it, that would make sense, but they never actually said anything to indicate that, so... aside from the Asylum and the Snowmen, how did she save his life?
-I didn't like the line, "I was born to save the Doctor." It wasn't accurate anyway. She chose to save the Doctor, she was completely ordinary before that, and I wish the show had emphasized that more.
-I did like the two random Gallifreyan technicians going, "Who'd want to steal a faulty TARDIS?" but I didn't really like that Clara was the one to point out which TARDIS to steal. The story in the Doctor's Wife about how the TARDIS was the one to choose the Doctor, not the other way around, was really beautiful, and having Clara there sort of undermines it. :/
-I don't care much for Vashtra/Jenny/Strax, and I think they'd be much more effective characters if we'd actually seen how they met the Doctor and somehow became his go-to taskforce. But I did feel a pang during the "Conference Call" when Jenny started talking about the door being unlocked and said, "I think I've been murdered." That was creepy and tragic.
-I wasn't expecting Trenzalore to be the place of the Doctor's grave, so that was cool, I guess. Although the idea of the Doctor leading an army is pretty foreign to me; we don't see a whole lot of epic battles on this show, and if we do the Doctor is usually on the sidelines, not in charge. (How long has he known that Trenzalore is where he's buried though? Just last season everyone thought he died next to a lake.)
-LOL at his tomb being a ginormous TARDIS though. I get that it was supposed to be poignant but... giant TARDIS. I can't take it seriously. I did like that there wasn't a body but rather the record of his timstream though. That was cool.
-River. Oh, River. The Doctor is a total, total... a word has yet to be invented for what he is, but he is one, and a total, total one at that. River has somehow perfected the art of astral projection from her database in the Library, the Doctor can see and hear and even touch her, and he chose to ignore her, for who knows how long. I'm sorry, but that is beyond cruel. And I don't even understand why he did it. He was afraid of getting hurt? She was dead. It's not like he could lose her anymore permanently than that. Unless he knew she was supposed to "fade" or whatever, in which case, what was the point of backing her up anyway? To say goodbye? Except he never actually took the opportunity, and instead let her live a half-life as a ghost! What kind of a reward is that? River's storyline is a mess, from birth to death, and for her sake I hope this was her last appearance on the show.
-The scene with Clara running into the Doctor's arms near the end and their epic hug was very sweet, but it would have meant a whole lot more to me if we'd actually seen that relationship develop significantly during the season rather than spending screentime on minor characters. Also it would have helped if Clara had had the entire season to herself, instead of having to split it with Amy and Rory. Not that I don't like Amy and Rory, but they should have made their exit at the end of season 6 (preferably by choice and not b/c they were snatched away by Angels, ugh).
-This episode did get one thing very right, however. "Look, my name, my real name, that is not the point. The name I chose is the Doctor." Thank you.
-I like the idea of John Hurt playing the Man Formerly Known as the Doctor... the idea that this regeneration chose to reject that identity and do something unthinkable instead. (For one thing if means there's no reason to change our numbering system, haha.) However, I'm not confident that the idea will be carried out in a satisfactory way, especially with Moffat at the helm. He tends to make big promises and then fail to deliver.
-As for what unthinkable thing the Man Formerly Known as the Doctor did, most people's minds jump to the end of the Time War, but that doesn't really make sense. It's supposed to be a big secret, but the Doctor has been angsting about how it's his fault the Time Lords are extinct for ages. If that's his secret he's not done a good job of keeping it. (However, if this incarnation is supposed to take place between Eight and Nine, that makes Nine the incarnation who chose to become the Doctor again, and it makes Rose not only his first companion since the Time War, but the one who gave him a reason to keep on being the Doctor. I can't say I mind that too much.)