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.
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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