meta: The Memory of Snow: The Snowmen.

[lonewytch]

For me this was just a totally fantastic Christmas special. I don't have an awful lot to say about the actual plot involving the Great Intelligence, but there's a whole heap of stuff going on around the concepts of mirroring, memory, above/below, who Clara is and there's some links into the Pond era.

Comments

[xenaclone]

The Great Intelligence turned up in the Underground in 1967 [remember the tin], during Patrick Troughton's era and was [as hazy memory serves] working/manipulating the Yeti and causing humungous deadly webs throughout the railway system.

['Web of Death']

[lonewytch]

I'm not familiar with classic Who that much, but i had heard that the Great Intelligence was a foe from the old series. I wonder if we will see it again this season - it's an interesting one, for sure, a disembodied consciousness that gains form through mirroring. Thanks for reading. :)

[honeynoir]

So amazing! You make all the points, as usual. *flails*
I'd be absolutely convinced Clara was meant to be a relative if it wasn't for the flirting... *insert theory about her being Twelve/Thirteen/Romana/The Master*

[lonewytch]

Thank you sweetie! Glad you enjoyed it.

Yeah, she is so so similar to him, i think there is something going on related to the Timelords. Elisi has a theory that she's a Gallifreyan time egg that's become self aware (in the comments further up). All the egg imagery in 7a and the comment about the dream becoming self aware could relate to this. I hope it's something like this...there's so many possibilities of what she could be....

Moff's going to tease it out for as long as possible, no doubt! *excited*

[honeynoir]

That is a marvellous theory! I hope she has something to do with the TLs - so much potential, there!

I love that it's apparently spanning all his seasons and tying into all the arcs, as well -- I know that bit about ideas in Time of Angels was the first thing I thought about.

[fadingembers]

Love your meta as always. Glad you liked the special, as I've seen a lot of lukewarm reaction to it, but I really enjoyed this one. Related to

[lonewytch]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed! Yeah, i really really loved the special. It's a good point about him not really remembering the GI....Moffat has aged the Doctor a lot during his tenure as showrunner, and he's approaching the end of the standard number of regenerations...i wonder if this forgetfulness is him starting to show his age ? But you make a good point, he has has exposure to the Silence and we know how they can muddle your memories - especially if they are far back.

I hope we do see the Silence again actually, i'd like to see that thread continued leading up to the Fall of the Eleventh and Trenzalore.

[winged_kame]

Thanks for the analysis! Really interesting! I enjoyed this ep a lot and am really liking Clara and looking forward to seeing more of her.

I've seen most fans write off 'winter is coming' as a humorous nod to 'game of thrones', but it's interesting to consider it might be something else.

The memory worm was something that struck me that might make an appearance again in a less humorous situation. It could be quite scary, if played differently. I think the Doctor may have been hoping to scare Clara away with it, if not actually use it on her, the way it played out. But of course she was having none of that. I imagine it'd be handy if they want to bring past Doctors in for the 50th special and have them not remember it afterward.

[lonewytch]

You're welcome, and I'm glad you found it interesting. I really love Clara, I think she's got a fantastic energy with 11, she's certainly more than a match for him!

I love that it's a nod to Game of Thrones, but i wonder if it could be prophetic in some way. There's the fact that they're fighting and army of snowmen and a parallel to the White Walkers of Game of Thrones, which someone mentioned further up. But I wonder if some sort of metaphorical winter is coming for 11 in the anniversary year.

Yeah, the mind worm could be scary. It's like retcon in Torchwood in a lot of ways, lol! Yeah, i do wonde rif, like you said, it could be used in the anniversary specials in some way.

[vernzo]

I don't have anything to add, just letting you know I loved reading this. :)

[lonewytch]

Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it :D