Right, 7x04 and 7x05...

[fogsblue]

Yep yep. I'm finally getting around to watch 'The Power of Three'. And then 'The Angels Take Manhattan'. Yes, both at once, cause I never got around to watching last weeks. Which probably says something. But nevermind that, the usual commentary has to happen...


Onwards to The Power of Three

• 2 month old milk? Maybe it's sentient? Amy's reaction suggests the yoghurt might be. Though real life and Doctor life fits. Choose though, cause that'll work... Though, why is Amy telling it as a story, is she telling it to someone?
• Brian Williams! Ohhh, I like him! Yes, I'm excited we're seeing him again. He's fun. I mean look he's guessing all sorts of things. And then what, the Doctor tells him to watch them... Rude.
• Who in their right mind would let the Doctor into the kitchen? And why is the Doctor surprised Rory has a job? Travel articles huh? Makes sense I guess.
• Oh look, military people. After the Doctor of course. Kate Stewart? I kind of like her. Don't know why. Just seems kind of fun. Hostile though? They're doing nothing.
• The Doctor can't sit still. He's a child with ADHD. That was obvious... Aww Brian, 4 days. Again, he's surprised by Rory considering his job important. If he's been picking them up on and off for years how has this never come up before?
• Oh look, Amy and Rory are growing up. Would have been nice if we'd gotten to see a little bit of it.
• Brian is emailing the results to UN IT? Really.... Yep, not saying anything.
• Oh look shiny cubes, that are changing their faces. Why did I have sudden flashbacks to The Empty Child?
• "No complications" Really? Why would the Doctor ever say that. It's like a guarantee something will go wrong.
• AND they just saw Henry VIII which according to A Town Called Mercy, is where Rory apparently left his phone charger. So, does that mean this is sort of a frame for the episodes that we've already seen?
• The other people that travelled with him, left him, left behind and some died. Not many. Well that would fit. Most are left behind aren't they? They don't die, but he's staying with them. Is this after he's misplaced them??
• And they're noticing! Yes Doctor, something is happening. It's nice to know Earth is still important to you. Did it just start absorbing the internet?
• The Tower of London. That has to be UNIT. Each cube behaves differently and I want that one playing the music to throw into the house of people who annoy me.
• Ohhh, Kate Stewart, should have paid more attention, daughter of the Brigadier (my defense, only seen him in SJA and read in fics). It's actually interesting to see the Doctor giving weight to an old friend and memory.
• The Doctor not running away? Seriously... That's a change. Anyone else remember "One of the ones that ran. I never stopped."
• "First face this face saw." Not sure how I feel about that comment... I mean, I can kind of understand Eleven having a soft spot for Amy given she (and Rory) has been his only long term companion(s).
• Cube disposal. And uh oh, Brian is in trouble. Not Brian! And there's Rory finding things out in true companion style, by stumbling into it without a thought.
• One heart. Wonder if he remembers that. Though, there's a line about the way to kill humans is through the heart. It's a surprisingly apt statement there.
• Now who hasn't wanted to shock the Doctor at least once? That;s a good way to do it.
• It's the Emperor from Star Wars!!! Right, he's something from a Time Lord myth. Out to stop humans from spreading across the universe... Good luck with that. Mind you, he's got a point, our fairytales include crossdressing animals.
• Rory misses the running. Gotta give Rory credit for that.
• Brian is awesome. Just sayin'.

Overall? I didn't hate the episode. Didn't love it either. Thought it was kind of an interesting idea with Kate Stewart, bringing back the daughter of an old companion, especially a companion even someone who's never seen classic!Who will know about. The slow invasion was an interesting idea, something that hasn't been seen very often. The moments of choice for Amy and Rory weren't handled too badly. And yes, I still love Rory's dad. Possibly because he reminds me of Wilf, I've realised.
  And who doesn't love Wilf??



Next up The Angels Take Manhattan...

• The accent seems odd again. That just me?
• But statues that move. Ok, so we knew the Weeping Angels were back... And was he going for that whole, whatsit, fhas a name, old style mystery movie?
• Wouldn't the 2 angels in the corridor have been looking at each other?
• Oh look, the Statue of Liberty. How'd the French (vague idea it was them) make a weeping angel, or did it just sneakily replace the original?
• Side note, the opening credits, why and what is happening there? But then with Moffat could be absolutely nothing.
• Is it wrong to be paranoid when the name Melody pops up? Cuse seriously... I don't know if I'm meant to have forgotten, but River = Melody. Yes different last name but still.
• The Doctor doesn't like that Amy is getting older. Still, impressed he noticed. Least Rory has some sense. By the way Doctor doesn't like endings either. Well, there's a surpise. I am shocked! Really (am I abusing sarcasm at this point?)
• Oh look, Rory has found moving statues. And now the book has turned into a story featuring River. And she called Rory dad? I mean I know he is, but wow that could be a first.
• So the book was in the Doctor's jacket. Yep, fairly sure I can see where that's going.
• Wait, time can't be rewritten if it's read? When did this rule come in, cause I'm pretty sure all those times that's never stopped Moffat the Doctor before. Least not in the past couple of seasons....
• Rory's grave huh? Unless it says he died at the age of 30 or something *shrug*
• Collector? Van Statten kind of thing?
• How are the weeping angels deadly?? They never kill anyone exactly. Since most seem to be sent out of time to live their natural life. It's inconsiderate, sure, but not exactly deadly unless you end up in the middle of Pompeii on volcano day or something.
• Husband? Really, the Doctor suddenly cares about how he looks for River... Riiiiiightio.
• Suddenly the man she killed never existed. Erased from every database? Really, suddenly it's all of them now? Ah huh... And there's that Doctor Who? thing again.
• Amelia's last Farewell. Saw that coming. And now the Doctor wants to change the future/time. Wasn't there rules about time?
• Interesting trick there with River's wrist. How's that work and why was it never done before?
• R. Williams. Ah look, there's old Rory. I imagine old Amy would be around somewhere. Or maybe died already. Though according to the Doctor, Amy wasn't around.
• The noise is giant footsteps yes? Though what are the odds there would be no one looking at the Statue of Liberty...
• Rory dies twice in one episode. I don't buy it. Though even Rory knows he's died more than once. That makes sense.
• Back where they belong (graveyard)? There's a catch... Paradox was solved? Uh huh.
• There it is. Rory, aged 82. Figured. Oh look, one more paradox (after numerous) would rip New York apart. And River is encouraging Amy. Hmmm.
• The afterword. Well, makes sense really. Should have known the mention of the last page meant something.

So, the Ponds are gone. I want to say I'm sad and heartbroken. But, I'm just not. And how was their ending bad? They got to live otu their lives together. To a nice old age. That's not bad. And to be honest, I don't care much either way. New companion could be a nice change, but sadly I'm not sure I hold much hope there either....
I mean it wasn't the worst episode, but not exactly particularly memorable. Especially given it was the farewell to Rory and Amy. Also, crying Doctor, not as heartbreaking as it would seem, seeing Ten with a single tear or Nine's look of heartache, much more effective. Least for me.

Might have more thoughts, but brain is broke needing sleep.

Though, other note - Why can't Moffat STOP throwing in that whole "Doctor Who?" thing, seriously... Why? He seems to be the only writer who does it. Like he's the only writer who uses River.
There could be a relationship between these 2 factors and why I tend to dislike his episodes.

Comments

[keep-counting.livejournal.com]

to be fair, the 'Doctor Who?' thing has been used in RTD's stuff - for example in the first Christmas special,when Jackie was all 'What do you mean the Doctor? Doctor who??' after his regeneration and stumbling out of the tardis, but it was much more subtle and not shoved into our faces and not the lamest plotpoint there ever was (lol sorry, got carried a bit away there *glares at season 6*)

It wasn't half as emotional as I thought it would be, and I really like the Ponds and will miss them. I had tears in my eyes, but no uncontrollable sobbing or anything. The pacing just felt off to me a lot of the time, and there were a lot of things that broke me out of the 'moment'. It might also have something to do with the fact that I have a massive cold right now, and its hard getting worked up over anything when all I want to do is sleep.

[country-who.livejournal.com]

Is it bad that the only real remorse I feel is that we might never get to see Brain again now that the Ponds are gone?

[kelkat9.livejournal.com]

Well on tumblr, someone said the using the regeneration energy to heal someone is in Classic Who but I don't ever remember seeing it. Honestly, I'll probably steal it for a fic someday.

I read that Moffat won't let anyone else write River's character so she will only ever appear in stuff he writes.

I did tear up at the end but mainly for the romantic sacrifice and for Amy choosing Rory. I cried far more in Father's Day, Doomsday and End of Time so this would not be rated super high on the "makes me cry" scale.

It had some good points and some bad points and all the typical Moffat holes that I've come to expect. Nothing really unexpected here. River does encourage chaos doesn't she? First, in The Marriage of River Song and then in encouraging paradox in this ep. I did like it when River slapped him. I am so confused as to where we are in River's timeline. I thought we were going backwards but this sounds like it's not too far from where she goes to the library.

Curious for the Christmas special. Of course, I am also contemplating a rewatch of Series 1.

[spicandspan89.livejournal.com]

WILF. ♥ Brian reminds me of him too!! Kate Stewart was made of win; would like to see more of her.

I found "The Power of Three" surprisingly enjoyable. I had flashbacks to "Army of Ghosts"! And yes the music cube could come in handy... muahaha.

GAH the Weeping Angels mythology is so inconsistent. I give up. And lol @ Rory admitting that he is the Kenny of Doctor Who.

Eleven ticked me off for acting like a selfish ass. Like AMY NO DON'T GO BACK TO YOUR HUSBAND STAY HERE WITH MEEEEE. Yuck. And WTF was up with River for getting pissed that Eleven healed her? Yeah that's right, it's wrong for your husband to care about you and try to make you feel better! Argh.

As for how their ending is bad, consider that they're in 1938 and have to live through WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, etc. Rory might have to serve in some of them. Also, he's a nurse and not a doctor - I like to think he's able to upgrade without too many problems though. And Amy's career options are much more limited and she will have to deal with far more sexism than ever.

At least they ended up somewhere with indoor plumbing, electricity, and decent medical care, lol.

[silverlunarstar.livejournal.com]

Oh my gods! I totally thought Emperor from Star Wars too!

Wilf is made of win and Brian is not too far behind.

*Urg* The Doctor suddenly caring what he looked like for River bothered me sooo much. And the whole husband/wife thing? What?

Yeah...River suddenly not being in prison didn't surprise me. Just Moffat rewriting his canon again.

River's wrist...annoying and wtf? moment. I'd love to think positive and say it's because she's part of the TARDIS or whatever, but her trying to hide it from the Doctor bothered me more, especially what she said.

Not the saddest ending by a long shot. Oh well. Here's hoping the next half will be better. Not. (I do wish, but hold no hope. How sad is that?)