Doctor Who Series 6.13: "The Wedding of River Song' [SPOILERS] + Series wrap up

[Pedro The Hutt]

Just thought that this would interest those who think Moffat makes this stuff up as he goes along.

https://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.drwho/browse_thread/thread/7cd734f99a62ae98/c845f05e9b213df9?pli=1

Evidently he was having some thoughts on the series slightly in advance... BACK IN 1995.

EDIT Also this, https://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.drwho/browse_thread/thread/c5d105603a51785/2792a114c24c9d95#2792a114c24c9d95

Clearly Moffat had been thinking for a long time that the Doctor needed some action

Sadly that just makes him have no excuse at all for the past two series being so gosh darned awful.

 

[Thyunda]

I liked this episode. I didn't actually expect the Tessalector because I thought it'd be a little TOO obvious a cop-out. But they done did it.
To be honest, I got sick of Amy pretty quickly. Pretty to look at, but she was just a terrible companion. Rory, on the other hand, dull, boring Rory, has a real dynamic with the Doctor. The two of them just manage to compliment the other's personality...leaving Amy to act the third wheel, weirdly enough.
River Song is a silly character and I hate her. The whole plot surrounding her could have been pretty decent, but the character herself...she was clearly not mysterious. She was just incredibly absurd. And don't get me started on 'Mel'. Good God she needed to be shot. Where the hell would a teenage girl get an American sports car and a giant fucking pistol in a little English village? And on that note, if she was always Amy's daughter, why was she black in primary school? What did the Silence do to the baby to force her to regenerate that early?

On that note. The Silence. I cannot stress enough how much I love the Silence. They are by far the coolest villains to appear on TV for the past five years. I would make them the third staple villain race with the Daleks and the Cybermen. Maybe lose the eyepatch crew though. Just the tall, lanky, eerie presence of the Silence is enough....except when they hang from the ceiling. Then they look slightly silly.

As for the Doctor's name...perhaps it's to do with the Doctor as a character in-universe. Being known as the Doctor gave him an appeal that having a name would not do. He's become more of an idea than a person...appearing when he's needed, disappearing again straight afterwards. He never needs help, he never needs thanks, he's just some omnipotent figure that ensures things go swimmingly. Give him a name, and he becomes a person, with needs and wants and urges, and you can't trust a person. People lose faith in the Doctor, his work becomes less effective, and he actually becomes something that can be fought. Can't fight an idea, but you can fight a person.
The Time Lords, should they break out again, will have something to track down. The Daleks won't be so afraid. The Cybermen...hell, I don't think they even care.

Anyhow, that's just my thought. The Doctor's name cannot be known, because by all rights it should not exist, else everything the Doctor ever did is going to seem more like manipulation or will just unwind.



And one last thing. Don't give Doctor Who to the Americans. Look how Torchwood panned out. Americans cannot do a good sci-fi. At the end of the day, everything boils down to guns and car chases...and they completely rewrite the plot to big up their own character. Really. Immortal Rex? Yeah, that's a heap of dick.

 

[MrJKapowey]

it is time they took out of the hands of the Brits and gave it to some Americans who understand how sci-fi should work.

Speaking as a Brit about what has become a part of our national heritage the Americans can have this show when they can prize it from our cold, dead hands. There is no way we would ever let it go.

*Sits infront of the rights to Doctor Who in a rocking chair, holding a shotgun and muttering under my breath about Americans*

We're British, you should be sitting in an armchair, in a drawing room, with a cup of tea in one hand and one of the following in the other - Sten Gun, Webley revolver or Sonic Cane...

 

[RobCoxxy]

The foreshadowed "Fall of the Eleventh" is sounding mighty mysterious.
And again with the clearly visible Order's Omega symbols.

I WANT MAH SEASON SEVEN ALREADY.

I just hope they put as much effort in as they did with S6 part 1 and this episode, which felt a lot better from start to finish than the other recent episodes combined.

Also, the Doctor's sudden change of heart after hearing of the Brigadier's death made me sad.

 

[Gluzzbung]

Why the fuck is the doctor still alive?

I knew they'd pull something like this. I never watch doctor who anyway but I heard he was going to die so i watched it.

 

[Simalacrum]

Upon the "Doctor Who?" Question... I thought it was somewhere in Doctor Who mythology that dictated that the Doctor's name was so complex that it simply couldn't be pronounced in any human dialect?

 

[JaymesFogarty]

Okay, I usually never reply to messages on The Escapist, but after reading your post I thought that it would be horrible for you to give up on a show because you missed anything. Here's basically how I see it;

1. That was never said. The whole 'Silence Will Fall' tagline was always a hint at Series 6.
2. The Pandorica contained millions of atoms from the proper timeline. Like how tiny chromosomes in the human body carry enough genetic information for flawless replications, it's said that these atoms hold a rough equivalent. The atoms are sent by the Doctor into the heart of the Tardis explosion. It's been stated that every point in history is simultaneously falling through the cracks, so by sending the atoms into the explosion, they would be present at every point in history simultaneously. It's perhaps a little far-fetched, but it's centuries beyond the 'that button there' resolution.
3. I completely agree. What a terrible way to end a decent episode.

I appreciate your reply, and the explanation of the Pandorica. I admit to missing bits when that was being run through I had a bit of work to do and should have paid more attention. That was entirely my fault so thankyou for filling me in on that.

And you were right about the first part, I got it wrong. The actual line was "The Pandorica will open. Silence will fall" said by Prisoner Zero in the first episode.

http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Prisoner_Zero

It's in the second to last paragraph.

I do read up on bits but I did miss quite a few important parts it seems so I really do appreciate being corrected or filled in on parts I got wrong or missed.

Again, thankyou for breaking a habit and posting that for me, it is appreciated.

You're very welcome! Doctor Who is a show that I've watched for most of my life; it's sad but I've probably watched every episode of 'New Who' at least three times for clarification.

People seem to be missing the parallels though. Moffat's genius, much like the Silence, is in the things we don't notice at first. The parallels in both of Moffat's finales. River is merciless to the dalek, and Amy is ruthless to Kovarian. Rory the roman saves Amy from the Dalek, and Amy the secret agent saves Rory from the Silence. Amy and Rory are both shown to be people ruined by the Doctor's involvement in them.(Respectively, Amy aging 32 years in The Girl Who Waited' and Rory becoming insane in isolation and eventual death in 'The Doctor's Wife.') After that, still themes of reflection,(count the times in the Moffat series you see a mirror, water, or a reference to such. Seriously, it's everywhere!) Also the theme of family, starting of course with Amy, Rory and River, but continuing in 'The Curse of the Black Spot' with the pirate father and son, 'Night Terrors' with a father and son, and 'Closing Time' with a father and son. It's quite poetic if you think about it.

I think I'll stop now; adieu!

 

[Cpt Corallis]

My one major qualm that I have been having, pretty much just for this season was the whole,

"Human+Human, in a TARDIS = Timelord"

Complaint from fans.

NO ONE EVER SAID THAT IN THE SERIES.
What was suggested was Human + Human, While in flight through the TIME VORTEX, can screw up a Child's genes.
Then Madame Vastra suggested that Kovarian had been given a head start by this, and that they had had a while to make a Time Lord in Demons Run..


You know, The same way that Gallifreyans are turned into Time Lords through science. Or used to be anyway.
I know it's pedantic and not a massive difference and opens up other questions like how did Kovarian find out how to make a Time Lord anyway, but still. Irritating.

 

[wildpeaks]

I think it is time they took out of the hands of the Brits and gave it to some Americans who understand how sci-fi should work.

No. The Americans tried it once before and it didn't catch on. Look up the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie. It was decent, but it was too American and it failed. I mean, they were just clueless. They made the Doctor half-human and threw in a fucking car chase!

It's actually ironic how, in the commentary of that movie, the one thing the director (or writer ? I forgot) regretted is adding the kiss scene, yet in the new series they have those all the time and now even a wedding.

Also, 8th doctor/McGann rocked, I wished he had had a serie (his audiobooks were quite good).

 

[Idiocyyy]

So...what other plot holes have you spotted? Because I really can't think of any.

Let us count the ways (Roger Rabbit reference there for your entertainment).

"silence will fall" when "the Pandorica opens" ...... Sound familiar?

The Doctor uses the remaining atoms of the original universe inside the Pandorica to restore the universe to normal ...... wait, what? As plots go ... come on, even for Doctor Who thats as far fetched as a bucket of shit from China.

Just how many times will the "silence fall".

How did Amy manage to get "kidnapped" and replaced without anyone knowing (never explained).

I need to get the big one of my chest ... Fixed point in time, no matter what the incarnation of the Doctor has been it's always been a staple that a fixed point in time can't be altered or bad things happen, on that do we agree?

Now then, how did ye olde Doctor survive? And no, just no that would not work. He did not die therefore a fixed point in time has been altered. The whole universe/time line/fate would not be fooled by "but it was not me, t'was the robot with shrunken me in it". It was a cheap ending and quite insulting to the viewers intelligence. Also, massive plot hole.

While the episode last week wasn't "too" bad it left a big plot hole ... Cybermen destroyed by "love". Yes we've seen them destroyed with emotion before bu thats when their own emotion inhibitors have been destroyed NOT when a human has a show of emotion near them. So we are expected to believe that every time a cyber army has taken humans to be "assimilated" that none of them have shown upset and cried or love for a close friend/family member/child/goldfish. Again it was insulting to our intelligence and a massive insult to one of the Doctors more legendary foes.

Rory. Erased from time, brought back, became a robot centurion, became human but retained memories from being a robot centurion, became a soldier with no memory of ..... well ..... anything.

I think thats enough to be going on with for now.

Don't get me wrong though, I do really enjoy Doctor Who (why else would I watch it, i'm not a masochist who watches TV he hates) I just preferred it when it was family entertainment and didn't try too hard to do too much.

For instance, Sylvester McCoy is my favourite Doctor to date (mainly because I had a teenage crush on Ace ... she was nice).

The thing with the cybermen.
It affected them because they were making him a controller therefore linking him to them.

 

[ReservoirAngel]

I need to get the big one of my chest ... Fixed point in time, no matter what the incarnation of the Doctor has been it's always been a staple that a fixed point in time can't be altered or bad things happen, on that do we agree?

Now then, how did ye olde Doctor survive? And no, just no that would not work. He did not die therefore a fixed point in time has been altered. The whole universe/time line/fate would not be fooled by "but it was not me, t'was the robot with shrunken me in it". It was a cheap ending and quite insulting to the viewers intelligence. Also, massive plot hole.

I'll handle this one:

The Doctor was never meant to die. All along, from the very beginning, it was always the Teselecta meant to get shot on that beach. Even in the first episode of Series 6, it was the Teselecta on that lakeside, not the actual Doctor. So while the Silence, and everybody else, thought it was the Doctor, because of that thought the Doctor could use the Teselecta to go the beach and get shot in his place.

It's all very confusing. And I admit, it was kind of cheap how they revealed it, but in the context of time travel... it does make sense.

 

[Jake the Snake]

I really enjoyed the episode. I'm glad now that there have been more seasons, we don't need to have a big world ending finale every time. Sometimes it's good just to have a series devoted to what the Doctor does on a regular basis: Adventuring! Woo! Doctor Who!

 

[joemegson94]

Another thing: what's the deal with The Silence's TARDIS? That was never resolved.

As for this series overall, here are my episodes from best to worst.


Day of the Moon
The Impossible Astronaut
The Doctor's Wife
The Wedding of River Song
A Good Man Goes to War
The God Complex
Closing Time
The Girl Who Waited
Let's Kill Hitler
Night Terrors
Curse of the Black Spot
The Almost People
The Rebel Flesh

With the exception of a couple of mediocre episodes, this has been a great series IMO.

 

[Vault Citizen]

it is time they took out of the hands of the Brits and gave it to some Americans who understand how sci-fi should work.

Speaking as a Brit about what has become a part of our national heritage the Americans can have this show when they can prize it from our cold, dead hands. There is no way we would ever let it go.

*Sits infront of the rights to Doctor Who in a rocking chair, holding a shotgun and muttering under my breath about Americans*

We're British, you should be sitting in an armchair, in a drawing room, with a cup of tea in one hand and one of the following in the other - Sten Gun, Webley revolver or Sonic Cane...

I know but as I assumed my audience was American I wanted to deliver the message in an easy to understand point. I am happy to go with your suggestion (as it is better) but I absolutely insist I wear a posh, red bath robe.

 

[A Pious Cultist]

So many plot holes. The doctor's name is the "oldest" question?
A timelord's name can only be told during marriage and is apparently dangerous? What happened to Romana and Rasssillion and all the other named timelords?

Similiarly why does violated a "fixed point" now cause all of reality to end instead of triggering those reapers to eat everything?

Why does destroying an old Model 40 tardis end all reality even though millions of tardises, as well as millions of miscellanious time travellers such as Jack, the tesslector, and many of the daleks have all been destroyed and not causes any trouble?

The switch to The Adventures of Space Jesus weren't without issue.

 

[joemegson94]

it is time they took out of the hands of the Brits and gave it to some Americans who understand how sci-fi should work.

Speaking as a Brit about what has become a part of our national heritage the Americans can have this show when they can prize it from our cold, dead hands. There is no way we would ever let it go.

*Sits infront of the rights to Doctor Who in a rocking chair, holding a shotgun and muttering under my breath about Americans*

We're British, you should be sitting in an armchair, in a drawing room, with a cup of tea in one hand and one of the following in the other - Sten Gun, Webley revolver or Sonic Cane...

I know but as I assumed my audience was American I wanted to deliver the message in an easy to understand point. I am happy to go with your suggestion (as it is better) but I absolutely insist I wear a posh, red bath robe.

Here is absolute proof that Americans should not write Doctor Who:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA9eaLhxURs

 

[Pedro The Hutt]

My one major qualm that I have been having, pretty much just for this season was the whole,

"Human+Human, in a TARDIS = Timelord"

Complaint from fans.

NO ONE EVER SAID THAT IN THE SERIES.
What was suggested was Human + Human, While in flight through the TIME VORTEX, can screw up a Child's genes.
Then Madame Vastra suggested that Kovarian had been given a head start by this, and that they had had a while to make a Time Lord in Demons Run..


You know, The same way that Gallifreyans are turned into Time Lords through science. Or used to be anyway.
I know it's pedantic and not a massive difference and opens up other questions like how did Kovarian find out how to make a Time Lord anyway, but still. Irritating.

So Rory's sperm would magically repair itself the moment he gets out of the time vortex? How does that work? And considering Jack Harkness comes from a time where there's a whole time agency run by humans then how come there aren't bunches of regenerating kids running around in his time?

 

[Steven Biehler]

1. OK first thing office trains are not cool...THEY ARE F%$#ING AWESOME! who would not want an office train.

2. I loved the parts with all of history happening at once, i just wanted to see all of that stuff.

3. I did like that we now know what the question is in the fact we knew it all along.

4. Whats that no new season for about a year. RAGE!!!! (i know about Christmas special and potential Easter special calm down peoples)

5. IF YOU CUT 2012 SEASON by HALF YOU HAD BETTER HAVE A MULTI-DOCTOR STORY PLANNED FOR 50TH ANNIVERSARY. OR ELSE!! trust me I can sense us fans will go insane if there is not a multi-doctor story. so BE CAREFUL.

 

[Encurtidos]

I loved the episode, thought it was very clever how he excaped his death!! But the question, Doctor Who?? I hope they do not tell us his name because its supposed to be kept a secret, hence is why he is called the Doctor.

 

[Nostalgia Ripoff]

But... Wuh... Huh?! It was a robot, but... He was regenerating. How does a robot fake regenerating?

OT: It was an entertaining episode, if a bit hard to follow. Personally, I preferred The Big Bang's style of Timey-Wimeyness, but that's just me.