Review: The Angels Take Manhattan (DW)
Short Squeeling Review for "The Angels Take Manhattan" behind the cut.
I won't lie. I hate the Weeping Angels. They creep me the freck out, and they're almost unbeatable. Saw "Blink." Saw the two Series Five episodes with River and Amy. Still. Don't. Like. Them.
But, we all know this episode was not about the plot (which was pretty timey-wimey, wibbly-wobbly to begin with). It was about the Big Goodbye to Rory and Amy. I've heard people loving it, and I've heard people hating it. I suppose your reaction depends on your opinion about Rory, Amy, River, and the Doctor, and what their relationship is. Personally, I thought it was a wonderful sendoff for the Ponds. It showed their relationship finally mature and strong, and confirmed what needed to be said all along--that Rory and Amy belonged together.
Now some would scream, WHO WOULD CHOSE A BORING MARRIED LIFE OVER TRAVELING WITH THE DOCTOR?? Well, someone who knew and understood the realities of traveling with the Doctor for one. Eventually, Amy would not be able to continue traveling with him. She would age, and he would not (for all intents and purposes). It would be a slow goodbye instead of a quick one, and that slow goodbye would cost Amy her husband and (probably) her friendship with the Doctor.
So Amy, finally, did the mature, smart thing. She made a choice and she chose correctly. Her last exchange with River was heartbreaking ("You be a good girl.") and motherly. I haven't always loved Amy, but I loved her in that moment. I loved her when she made the choice to be as mature and sensible as her husband, to do the right thing, and to make the right decision about her future. I loved her because she knew it was tough love, that the Doctor would suffer, but that inevitably it was the best choice for him. Amy has gone from child to wise woman in the course of three series, and it's a beautiful and fitting goodbye for her.
As for Rory, he reached perfection ages ago and hasn't slowed down yet. I always preferred him to Amy, and he did not disappoint in this episode. Some of his one-off lines were brilliant ("What if you don't come back to life?" "Don't I always?"), and he played his part in this drama with a beautiful blend of stoicism and resignation. I'm so glad we've gotten to meet his father this series, because I see so much of the family resemblance there. I realized today that Rory was not a Tin Dog companion. Instead, Rory (like Harry Sullivan before him) was a Designated Grown-up. He saw things like they were and stuck around because, well, someone had to have some sense about them.
And then there's River Song. Ah, River. Ice water in her veins, but hiding a vulnerability so deep it's heart-breaking River. If Big Finish doesn't do a series of Melody Malone Mystery Audiobooks, I will be very disappointed. But I digress. The relationship between River and the Doctor simply gets more complex and nuanced every time we see them. I can't say enough how much I love this character, and not just because Alex Kingston is smoking hot. I fall squarely into the River is the Best Thing That Ever Happened to the Doctor camp. She keeps him honest, at a huge cost to herself. She loves him, but she is perfectly willing and able to slap some sense into him when necessary. He hurts her so much, but she is stronger than he is and fully capable of bearing the burden of loving a mad god. River is what the Doctor will never be, and could never be--a grown-up Time Lady who understands the ramifications of her actions and does them anyway. It's like she stands for fallen Gallifrey, the one control the Doctor has left available to him. Without the sometimes restrictive hand of Gallifrey keeping him in check, the Doctor has grown reckless and maniacal, a kinder, gentler version of the Master's insanity. He's got unchecked power and all the time in the universe to muck about. River is the only one who can begin to check him in any real way. While his Companions keep him morally grounded, River can actually stop him on a physical and technical level from getting too far out of control. And she pays for it, badly. She lost her childhood, her family, and her freedom. She lost her regenerations, and she knows she's going to lose him in the end. But she does it, because she's Melody Pond, Superhero, damn it. And that's why she's so damned amazing.
Finally, the Doctor himself. Dark! Doctor seems to be unraveling before us, and I'm thinking by the time Matt Smith makes his exit from this character, he is going to have to have a spiritual rebirth. He can't go much darker without losing his true essence. He's alone and near-immortal, with only River and his Companions to check his increasing power and influence. He's taken on a millennium of pain, regret, and sorrow, but still seems to have only an adolescent ability to deal with those things. He throws tantrums, and makes stupid decisions, and becomes increasingly similar to those old child-gods we saw on Star Trek. Under Moffat's pen, he's ratcheting his way up to a breaking-point where he will either fall completely or break through to something much more than he's ever been before. The Doctor has shown this season that he's losing his morals--he seems to have no problem seeing the death of an enemy and even causing it. He's not the man who agonized on ancient Skaro over whether or not he had the right to destroy the Dalek race. This Doctor would have no trouble touching those wires, and that is a dangerous, dangerous path he's one.
So where is the story going from here? I've heard good and bad reactions on Oswin Osgood. If they let Clara continue as Oswin, I'm feeling pretty good about it. The Doctor can no longer afford lightweight companions. There is no more room in his TARDIS for little girls who cannot stand up to him and who are not able to call him on his shit. Oswin had a brain, creativity, and a powerful personal drive. I think she will be able to keep him from unraveling--especially since Moffat's left the door open for River Song to return.
So, my review of the episode? Five stars (even with a few plot-holes) and several hankies. I'm looking forward to Christmas!
I won't lie. I hate the Weeping Angels. They creep me the freck out, and they're almost unbeatable. Saw "Blink." Saw the two Series Five episodes with River and Amy. Still. Don't. Like. Them.
But, we all know this episode was not about the plot (which was pretty timey-wimey, wibbly-wobbly to begin with). It was about the Big Goodbye to Rory and Amy. I've heard people loving it, and I've heard people hating it. I suppose your reaction depends on your opinion about Rory, Amy, River, and the Doctor, and what their relationship is. Personally, I thought it was a wonderful sendoff for the Ponds. It showed their relationship finally mature and strong, and confirmed what needed to be said all along--that Rory and Amy belonged together.
Now some would scream, WHO WOULD CHOSE A BORING MARRIED LIFE OVER TRAVELING WITH THE DOCTOR?? Well, someone who knew and understood the realities of traveling with the Doctor for one. Eventually, Amy would not be able to continue traveling with him. She would age, and he would not (for all intents and purposes). It would be a slow goodbye instead of a quick one, and that slow goodbye would cost Amy her husband and (probably) her friendship with the Doctor.
So Amy, finally, did the mature, smart thing. She made a choice and she chose correctly. Her last exchange with River was heartbreaking ("You be a good girl.") and motherly. I haven't always loved Amy, but I loved her in that moment. I loved her when she made the choice to be as mature and sensible as her husband, to do the right thing, and to make the right decision about her future. I loved her because she knew it was tough love, that the Doctor would suffer, but that inevitably it was the best choice for him. Amy has gone from child to wise woman in the course of three series, and it's a beautiful and fitting goodbye for her.
As for Rory, he reached perfection ages ago and hasn't slowed down yet. I always preferred him to Amy, and he did not disappoint in this episode. Some of his one-off lines were brilliant ("What if you don't come back to life?" "Don't I always?"), and he played his part in this drama with a beautiful blend of stoicism and resignation. I'm so glad we've gotten to meet his father this series, because I see so much of the family resemblance there. I realized today that Rory was not a Tin Dog companion. Instead, Rory (like Harry Sullivan before him) was a Designated Grown-up. He saw things like they were and stuck around because, well, someone had to have some sense about them.
And then there's River Song. Ah, River. Ice water in her veins, but hiding a vulnerability so deep it's heart-breaking River. If Big Finish doesn't do a series of Melody Malone Mystery Audiobooks, I will be very disappointed. But I digress. The relationship between River and the Doctor simply gets more complex and nuanced every time we see them. I can't say enough how much I love this character, and not just because Alex Kingston is smoking hot. I fall squarely into the River is the Best Thing That Ever Happened to the Doctor camp. She keeps him honest, at a huge cost to herself. She loves him, but she is perfectly willing and able to slap some sense into him when necessary. He hurts her so much, but she is stronger than he is and fully capable of bearing the burden of loving a mad god. River is what the Doctor will never be, and could never be--a grown-up Time Lady who understands the ramifications of her actions and does them anyway. It's like she stands for fallen Gallifrey, the one control the Doctor has left available to him. Without the sometimes restrictive hand of Gallifrey keeping him in check, the Doctor has grown reckless and maniacal, a kinder, gentler version of the Master's insanity. He's got unchecked power and all the time in the universe to muck about. River is the only one who can begin to check him in any real way. While his Companions keep him morally grounded, River can actually stop him on a physical and technical level from getting too far out of control. And she pays for it, badly. She lost her childhood, her family, and her freedom. She lost her regenerations, and she knows she's going to lose him in the end. But she does it, because she's Melody Pond, Superhero, damn it. And that's why she's so damned amazing.
Finally, the Doctor himself. Dark! Doctor seems to be unraveling before us, and I'm thinking by the time Matt Smith makes his exit from this character, he is going to have to have a spiritual rebirth. He can't go much darker without losing his true essence. He's alone and near-immortal, with only River and his Companions to check his increasing power and influence. He's taken on a millennium of pain, regret, and sorrow, but still seems to have only an adolescent ability to deal with those things. He throws tantrums, and makes stupid decisions, and becomes increasingly similar to those old child-gods we saw on Star Trek. Under Moffat's pen, he's ratcheting his way up to a breaking-point where he will either fall completely or break through to something much more than he's ever been before. The Doctor has shown this season that he's losing his morals--he seems to have no problem seeing the death of an enemy and even causing it. He's not the man who agonized on ancient Skaro over whether or not he had the right to destroy the Dalek race. This Doctor would have no trouble touching those wires, and that is a dangerous, dangerous path he's one.
So where is the story going from here? I've heard good and bad reactions on Oswin Osgood. If they let Clara continue as Oswin, I'm feeling pretty good about it. The Doctor can no longer afford lightweight companions. There is no more room in his TARDIS for little girls who cannot stand up to him and who are not able to call him on his shit. Oswin had a brain, creativity, and a powerful personal drive. I think she will be able to keep him from unraveling--especially since Moffat's left the door open for River Song to return.
So, my review of the episode? Five stars (even with a few plot-holes) and several hankies. I'm looking forward to Christmas!