1) They were okay. A bit of a throw away, but no more than Queen Liz X or others from Season five. Actually, the idea that the Doctor has companions (for any length of time) who are from time periods/places that are not contemporary Britain is nice. I mean, from a Doylist perspective one can see why it is always contemporary Britain, but others are nice too. Plus, they gave Amy someone to interact with (which I approve of seeing as she seems rather like she reverts to a co-dependent child almost with Eleven), and also acted a good plot device. Amy can see that the Doctor has other "companions" (Like Sarah Jane was for Rose, only not so developed).
Though, it was a little strange that they let Nefertiti go to another time period. I know she disappears from historical records, but still...
2) This arrangement really, really bewilders me. The doctor has, if we can use Sarah Jane as a measuring stick, a really, really bad reputation of visiting/seeing his former companions after they have left. There are some exceptions, I suppose. The Brig (though he never travelled with him properly...), and Martha calls him back for emergencies. River Song he visits, but then she's doing time for him as a cover. What I'm trying to say is it is a really big departure, character-wise, for him to come back like that. Plus, from a story-telling perspective, it seems to weaken the characters departure from the show.
One would assume it is the next major adventure since the Asylum? Does the math add up? 8+14=22. About a year passes between the end of the Pond wedding and the start/end of season six (since they technically happened on the same day). Plus another two years is about twenty-five... And when obviously some time has to have passed since a divorce almost happened. Still seems strange for it be 30-31 for them now.... Kinda sad that Amy has been waiting, in one way or another, for about 20 years then....
3) One of my big complaints is we never see the Ponds' life outside the Doctor, so I liked Brain. It felt like there was history and that there must have been some level of strife between two suc different men at some point (though it felt mostly patched over even before the Doctor). Not as much character growth for Rory as a result of having his dad there though...but the actors sell it. I liked it.
4) Amy on her own and with her own companions seemed fine to me. First off, the Eleven/Amy dynamic has always had Amy doing her own thing more (The Beast Below, her first outing, has her on her own, and many others that follow). Plus, we always see the companion eventually able to lead in their own right. Actually, I found their plot more relevant and interesting. Sirilluian ark= interesting. Pointless Ocean-Engine= not so interesting.
Would've been interesting to see more of these one-off historical companions developed (I would have especially liked Nefertiti to have come along for ANY OTHER REASON than having a crush on the Doctor, as is implied though. So over the Doctor breaking all these historically-significant hearts. Tends to belittle the women's contributions to history)
5) Actually, I felt the plot hung together better than I thought it would. But then Dinosaurs-on-a-Spaceship sounded utterly crackish to me, so my expectations were low. Plus, the Ark idea was interesting. The Villain was not. Whether it was "worth" the money would probably depend on what else they might have spent that money on....
6) In New Who, the Doctor has been presented with doing Horrible Things before (Family Blood, Runaway Bride, The Parting of Ways and more). However. With the possible exception of The Parting of Ways (where, to be fair, the Doctor was expecting not just to kill the Daleks but also sacrifice himself. And he had all the Time War stuff he was dealing with too), the show specifically shows that these actions of the Doctor are not commendable. They are wrong. We don't see that here. The show presents Solomon's ending as just. Which...maybe. But it bothered me that the show did not present this action are Wrong or a Sign the Hero is in Descent.
What I'm trying to say is it is a really big departure, character-wise, for him to come back like that. Plus, from a story-telling perspective, it seems to weaken the characters departure from the show.
I agree. For one, we never see them have a conversation establishing their arrangement. It's just mentioned off-hand in this episode. So, poor writing IMO. For another, it directly contradicts what we saw earlier. In "The God Complex", he turfs them out of the TARDIS against Amy's wishes because he wants to keep them safe. So what gives? Why has he suddenly gone "well fuck that, any time something dangerous comes up I'll give 'em a call"?
Also, I just don't like the idea of their entire relationship being on his terms. Why not have it so that the Ponds call him and say "hey, we're kind of bored, we'd like to go somewhere"? Because it doesn't leave the same possibility for ~zany shenanigans where he takes Rory's dad by accident? At least in this episode they acknowledged how hard it would be to try and live a normal life if at any moment you might be materialized into the TARDIS. But that seems unfair to me and I'm not sure the story realizes it? At any rate the Doctor seems to not realize it, and to me it seems incredibly selfish of him. His relationship with Amy/Rory is now just like his relationship with River, in that he basically gets to take or leave them as he pleases. Why? Why doesn't Amy ever get a choice about any of this?
Huh, I'd never really thought about it, but it IS on his terms. At least with Martha she's the one who can call him (though, presumably he could call her too...or maybe only the latest TARDIS got a phone installed.) Maybe that's why her ending makes more sense to me in terms of the Doctor coming back or not coming back....
I'm not sure the story realizes how unfair it is either.
Oh absolutely, Martha's ending is great because it IS on her terms. The Doctor COULD call her up, but a) she's made it clear she doesn't want to travel and b) I just find it generally unlikely that Ten would've ever done that anyway. And that's also why I'm not keen on the fact that under Moffat it seems like everyone and their mom has the Doctor's phone number/can contact him at will whenever they want, it makes Martha less special. But... whatever I guess, within the context of her own era Martha is still unique.
And yet despite that we haven't ever seen the Ponds reaching out to the Doctor? Pond Life implies they have his number, but then it also gave us that weird scene where Amy says "we need you, Raggedy Man" but doesn't actually pick up the damn phone and call him, if she needs him so bad. And in this episode she seems upset that it's been ten months without hearing from him. Well, call him?
And in this episode Amy says she "can't stop waiting, even now", which is REALLY SAD. It could lead somewhere, but unfortunately I'm pretty sure the only reason Amy will ever stop waiting for the Doctor is because her hand will be forced through x/y/z plot machinations that mean she can no longer travel.
Though, it was a little strange that they let Nefertiti go to another time period. I know she disappears from historical records, but still...
2) This arrangement really, really bewilders me. The doctor has, if we can use Sarah Jane as a measuring stick, a really, really bad reputation of visiting/seeing his former companions after they have left. There are some exceptions, I suppose. The Brig (though he never travelled with him properly...), and Martha calls him back for emergencies. River Song he visits, but then she's doing time for him as a cover. What I'm trying to say is it is a really big departure, character-wise, for him to come back like that. Plus, from a story-telling perspective, it seems to weaken the characters departure from the show.
One would assume it is the next major adventure since the Asylum? Does the math add up? 8+14=22. About a year passes between the end of the Pond wedding and the start/end of season six (since they technically happened on the same day). Plus another two years is about twenty-five... And when obviously some time has to have passed since a divorce almost happened. Still seems strange for it be 30-31 for them now.... Kinda sad that Amy has been waiting, in one way or another, for about 20 years then....
3) One of my big complaints is we never see the Ponds' life outside the Doctor, so I liked Brain. It felt like there was history and that there must have been some level of strife between two suc different men at some point (though it felt mostly patched over even before the Doctor). Not as much character growth for Rory as a result of having his dad there though...but the actors sell it. I liked it.
4) Amy on her own and with her own companions seemed fine to me. First off, the Eleven/Amy dynamic has always had Amy doing her own thing more (The Beast Below, her first outing, has her on her own, and many others that follow). Plus, we always see the companion eventually able to lead in their own right. Actually, I found their plot more relevant and interesting. Sirilluian ark= interesting. Pointless Ocean-Engine= not so interesting.
Would've been interesting to see more of these one-off historical companions developed (I would have especially liked Nefertiti to have come along for ANY OTHER REASON than having a crush on the Doctor, as is implied though. So over the Doctor breaking all these historically-significant hearts. Tends to belittle the women's contributions to history)
5) Actually, I felt the plot hung together better than I thought it would. But then Dinosaurs-on-a-Spaceship sounded utterly crackish to me, so my expectations were low. Plus, the Ark idea was interesting. The Villain was not. Whether it was "worth" the money would probably depend on what else they might have spent that money on....
6) In New Who, the Doctor has been presented with doing Horrible Things before (Family Blood, Runaway Bride, The Parting of Ways and more). However. With the possible exception of The Parting of Ways (where, to be fair, the Doctor was expecting not just to kill the Daleks but also sacrifice himself. And he had all the Time War stuff he was dealing with too), the show specifically shows that these actions of the Doctor are not commendable. They are wrong. We don't see that here. The show presents Solomon's ending as just. Which...maybe. But it bothered me that the show did not present this action are Wrong or a Sign the Hero is in Descent.
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I agree. For one, we never see them have a conversation establishing their arrangement. It's just mentioned off-hand in this episode. So, poor writing IMO. For another, it directly contradicts what we saw earlier. In "The God Complex", he turfs them out of the TARDIS against Amy's wishes because he wants to keep them safe. So what gives? Why has he suddenly gone "well fuck that, any time something dangerous comes up I'll give 'em a call"?
Also, I just don't like the idea of their entire relationship being on his terms. Why not have it so that the Ponds call him and say "hey, we're kind of bored, we'd like to go somewhere"? Because it doesn't leave the same possibility for ~zany shenanigans where he takes Rory's dad by accident? At least in this episode they acknowledged how hard it would be to try and live a normal life if at any moment you might be materialized into the TARDIS. But that seems unfair to me and I'm not sure the story realizes it? At any rate the Doctor seems to not realize it, and to me it seems incredibly selfish of him. His relationship with Amy/Rory is now just like his relationship with River, in that he basically gets to take or leave them as he pleases. Why? Why doesn't Amy ever get a choice about any of this?
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I'm not sure the story realizes how unfair it is either.
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And yet despite that we haven't ever seen the Ponds reaching out to the Doctor? Pond Life implies they have his number, but then it also gave us that weird scene where Amy says "we need you, Raggedy Man" but doesn't actually pick up the damn phone and call him, if she needs him so bad. And in this episode she seems upset that it's been ten months without hearing from him. Well, call him?
And in this episode Amy says she "can't stop waiting, even now", which is REALLY SAD. It could lead somewhere, but unfortunately I'm pretty sure the only reason Amy will ever stop waiting for the Doctor is because her hand will be forced through x/y/z plot machinations that mean she can no longer travel.
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