As Sage once BRILLIANTLY pointed out to Matt Smith (another story for another blog entry), the reason most of us tune in to Doctor Who week after week is not for the epic Monster of the Week story, but for the relationship between the Doctor and his human companions. Honestly, the overarching plot of this week’s episode, The Power of Three, felt arbitrary. The slow invasion existed principally to give the Doctor (and the viewers) more time with the Ponds. And considering I teared up no less than three times in the episode, those emotional moments paid off in spades.

The pinnacle of the episode to me was the scene between The Doctor and Amy where they talked about how Amy and Rory are considering stopping traveling with The Doctor. The Doctor and Amy’s relationship has often been compared to that of Peter Pan and Wendy, and in this series we’ve seen Amy grow up and need her Raggedy Doctor less and less. And Matt and Karen have played that realization perfectly…every scene between them has been tinged with a bittersweet beauty (for both the characters and Matt and Karen as actors) and my heart breaks a little bit each time. And don’t even get me started on this line: “Because you were the first. The first face this face saw and you were seared onto my hearts, Amelia Pond. You always will be.” Fantastic writing. (Side note: that line also further solidified to me the bond between the Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler, as she was the first face that face ever saw. Nope…I’m never letting that flawless OTP go. NEVER.)

And then The Doctor continues, “I’m running to you and Rory before you fade from me.” There is a big theory circulating around the Doctor Who fandom that we are seeing this series through the eyes and timelines of the Ponds. That The Doctor we’ve seen in the past few episodes is a Doctor from the future. One who has already experienced what happens to Amy and Rory and who keeps coming back so he can have more time with them. This theory was strengthened this week when we saw the adventure with Henry VIII that The Doctor referenced last week in A Town Called Mercy. On rewatch of that episode, when The Doctor brings up the incident of Rory leaving his phone charger in Henry VIII’s ensuite, you see a look of confusion on Rory’s face…because THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED FOR HIM YET. And then we blatantly see Rory’s phone charger in this scene in The Power of Three. It’s not mentioned, it’s just THERE. Cue my head exploding. I don’t know how they will do it, but you cannot convince me otherwise that this theory is not true.

Some stray observations about the episode…

–There is a fob watch not unlike The Master’s on Amy and Rory’s dresser. Does that mean anything or is the prop department trolling us??
–I had flashes of Tennant’s “I’m beating out a samba!!” when Amy restarted The Doctor’s second heart.
–Nice moment of fan service with Rory in his pants. Arthur Darvill has always looked good, but he has taken it to a whole new level this series.
–“Through the looking glass, Amelia…” Ugh.  How flawless were their faces?
–THE RETURN OF FISH FINGERS AND CUSTARD.
–The scene where The Doctor told Brian about his other companions killed me. You saw his memories of all his past companions in his eyes. Well played, Matt Smith. He has been in top form all season.
–Speaking of Brian, my friend Jaime (@elspunko) texted me with a theory that Brian actually IS Rory. I don’t know how that would even work with the time paradox, but just thinking about it wrinkles my brain.
–Some of Amy’s scenes were clearly pick-ups, as she is in that terrible wig. I don’t know why they couldn’t just brush or pin Karen’s bangs aside, cause that wig is wretched.
–The final scene of the trio going into the TARDIS was the last thing that Matt,Karen and Arthur shot together. Tears.

I swear my heart stopped during the preview for The Angels Take Manhattan. As a New Yorker, the thought that the city is full of Weeping Angels terrifies me. And I am not at ALL emotionally ready to say goodbye to the Ponds next week. I only hope it is an exit worthy of them and what they have meant to this show. As it is, I am expecting Doomsday/Journey’s End levels of devasation.

–Kim

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As Sage once BRILLIANTLY pointed out to Matt Smith (another story for another blog entry), the reason most of us tune in to Doctor Who week after week is not for the epic Monster of the Week story, but for the relationship between the Doctor and his human companions. Honestly, the overarching plot of this week’s episode, The Power of Three, felt arbitrary. The slow invasion existed principally to give the Doctor (and the viewers) more time with the Ponds. And considering I teared up no less than three times in the episode, those emotional moments paid off in spades.

The pinnacle of the episode to me was the scene between The Doctor and Amy where they talked about how Amy and Rory are considering stopping traveling with The Doctor. The Doctor and Amy’s relationship has often been compared to that of Peter Pan and Wendy, and in this series we’ve seen Amy grow up and need her Raggedy Doctor less and less. And Matt and Karen have played that realization perfectly…every scene between them has been tinged with a bittersweet beauty (for both the characters and Matt and Karen as actors) and my heart breaks a little bit each time. And don’t even get me started on this line: “Because you were the first. The first face this face saw and you were seared onto my hearts, Amelia Pond. You always will be.” Fantastic writing. (Side note: that line also further solidified to me the bond between the Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler, as she was the first face that face ever saw. Nope…I’m never letting that flawless OTP go. NEVER.)

(more…)

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