Series 7 Mini Review Con't - "The Power Of Three" *Do-Over*
~ THE POWER OF THREE ~
Mysterious cubes & a tribute to the trio (also, a Classic Who treat, the return of UNIT)
This episode was a time to look back, see how far the Ponds have come, & how far their relationship with the Doctor has come. The Doctor has been the kind of man that "can't stay still," that gets deathly bored by & yet envious of everyday human life, that is alone. And the Ponds sort of went along with all the craziness of time & space travel without batting much of an eye as the madness of it seemed to be intertwined in their entire lives. Amy had no parents, then always did, met the Doctor when she was seven then he reappeared 12 years later in the same clothes, grew up & became childhood friends with her future daughter who marries her "imaginary friend" the Doctor, and had many events in her life that she remembers but never happened because time was re-written. Rory died several times in several different contexts, was erased from history then revived as a plastic centurion in ancient Rome, and remembers living around a thousand years waiting for Amy. After all that, they're like, "okay, whatever," and go on with their bonkers Doctor (& timey-wimey son-in-law) on another dangerous adventure.
There was a strong blend of humor, heart-warmth, nostalgia, and sci-fi-y-ness in this episode that there wasn't quite as much of in the previous episodes in this series. The Doctor's reaction to domestic human life was quite funny. Matt was brilliant, again, in comedic form (even Karen & Arthur had their impressive moments in comedy & chemistry), but also Murray Gold in matching the music very well to every emotion that needed portraying in this episode. I think some of the best acting moments can be found in this episode with the well-written heart-to-heart conversations throughout. There were even some props cameo-ed (the cup the Doctor used to listen to the crack in the wall in "The Eleventh Hour") that hearkened back to previous episodes. I might have also been as intrigued in the cubes as the Doctor because of that incessant curiosity of the unknown that we can relate to as explorers/sci-fi lovers. Some people had issues about how the story resolved because there "wasn't enough time in the episode" or "it should have been a two-parter" but by now, I think I've gotten used to it. Plus, the main point of this episode wasn't necessarily about the cubes' origin, etc. There was enough about the sci-fi factor to satisfy me. It was one of the more creative concepts I've ever seen on Doctor Who.
[Extended Cut]
The Doctor has moments of rare reflection in this episode. He's given moments where he stops to feel. Such as, the moment he's made aware of the 10 years the Ponds have been with him and how they've "grown-up" (you can just see in his eyes how he still remembers Amy as little 7 year old Amelia). There are also little moments where I think I'll look back in longing, like when the three were sitting on the couch watching television eating fish fingers & custard. In this episode, by placing the three characters in everyday human life, like they've never done before, we were given a great opportunity to see & truly appreciate the Ponds. All the touching moments in this episode between & about the Doctor & the Ponds were both warming and at the same time underlying-ly ominous as to what's to come in the mid-series finale. The poignancy of this episode was a culmination of what all the Ponds have gone through with the Doctor & how they have made a difference to the Doctor.
I was again satisfied this series by the introduction of a new character, Kate Stewart, head of UNIT. (For those who don't know of UNIT & have never seen the Classic episodes, UNIT was the human, military controlled, organization that had a lot of dealings with the Doctor when there were "paranormal" or "extra-terrestrial" threats against the Earth. The Doctor never always saw eye-to-eye with them, being as they are military run but they had a bit of a symbiotic relationship for a while when the Doctor was "banished" to Earth.) Jemma Redgrave, who played Kate, was wonderfully like-able from the start and the character had a great sense of dignity, practicality, along with refreshing dry humor: "Yes, I've got officers trained in beheading. Also, Ravens of Death." There was also a touching nod to an old friend of the Doctor's, the Brigadier, from the UNIT years. Mark Williams, who plays Rory's dad, Brian, was back and spot-on, even furthering a deeper connection with the Doctor.
This episode gave me a lot in terms of characters, satisfying my sci-fi craving, and most successfully fitting the new format. The Ponds mean a lot to the Doctor and that was shown, written, and acted beautifully in this episode. Nearly perfect as a precursor to "The Angels Take Manhattan." I'm becoming a fan of Chris Chibnall's writing. Thank you Steven Moffat, Chris Chibnall, Douglas Mackinnon, Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, Mark Williams, and Jemma Redgrave.
