"The Angels Take Manhattan"
Sure as hell was better than the one with the Daleks. And definitely a whole lot more tear-jerking. Overall, I think it was the strongest episode of the new season, though I really liked "The Power of Three" as well.
I should have guessed from "Melody Malone" that the writer was River. Didn't put it together, which proves I'm slow at picking up Moffatisms. She makes a pretty good noir heroine, though.
To be honest, I've been somewhat disappointed by River's storyline. It just seems like we're covering the same ground with her that we covered with Rose as far as being in love with the Doctor goes. Humans wither and die, the Doctor hates goodbyes, etc. I'm not convinced River handles it any better than Rose did. Hiding a broken wrist isn't a healthy way of dealing with relationship angst.
Don't get me wrong, I like River, overall, but I feel like the character we met in "Silence in the Library" had more potential.
For Amy and Rory, it's been an interesting journey. The Doctor's covered hundreds of years while they've covered ten to fifteen years. They've tried to live in two separate worlds, maintaining a life and careers while also journeying with the Doctor. Sort of a more extreme version of Martha. And it couldn't last. Sooner or later, they'd die, either with the Doctor or in their own lives. The Doctor, I think, has been sensing their departure coming for a long time. That's why he spent linear time with them last episode. He knew his time with them was limited, and he was fighting it the way Ten fought the knowledge of his own death. I'm also convinced Ten sensed Rose's time with him was almost over. Perhaps he's sensed it with other companions as well.
This episode also put a new spin on fixed points. Once something in time is known by the Doctor or his companions, it can't be changed. This goes back to "Father's Day" in S1. Rose knew her father had died that day. Interfering with it caused a paradox that could only be healed by Pete's death. In the same way, the Doctor can't change Rory's fate without causing a paradox, once they'd witnessed it. Fortunately, in this case, causing a paradox was exactly what they wanted to do. I knew Amy would jump with Rory when it came down to it, too.
That, of course, foreshadowed her final decision. There was only one way she could be with the man she loved--the man she'd been married to for over a decade--and she took it. One last word to her daughter (and I loved that it was motherly admonition and advice) and to her Raggedy Man, and then back to the past and to Rory. New York in the '30s won't know what hit it.
(Incidentally, I've seen some criticism of "Amelia Williams" on the gravestone. Well, they did go back to the '30s, and they were a married couple. In that time period, it just wasn't Done for women not to take their husbands' names. They'll always be the Ponds to us and the Doctor, but, officially, they were the Williamses.)
River's muted reaction did make sense to me. One, Rory and Amy didn't raise her, so it wasn't like losing her parents would be for her like it would be for other people. Two, River's timeline is so wonky that she doesn't know but that she might well see them again. It's likely it'll be a gentler grief for her.
I'm sorry to see the Ponds go, as I really did become quite fond of them. I'm looking forward to meeting the new companion, though. In the preview, she was in period costume. I hope that means she's non-contemporary. That would be something we really haven't seen with the New Skool companions. So far, Jack's the only non-contemporary companion, and he was from the far future. From the past, though? I'd love to see that.
Final thought, overdue since they introduced Brian: Of course Rory's the lost Weasley! He's the non-redheaded stepchild.
I should have guessed from "Melody Malone" that the writer was River. Didn't put it together, which proves I'm slow at picking up Moffatisms. She makes a pretty good noir heroine, though.
To be honest, I've been somewhat disappointed by River's storyline. It just seems like we're covering the same ground with her that we covered with Rose as far as being in love with the Doctor goes. Humans wither and die, the Doctor hates goodbyes, etc. I'm not convinced River handles it any better than Rose did. Hiding a broken wrist isn't a healthy way of dealing with relationship angst.
Don't get me wrong, I like River, overall, but I feel like the character we met in "Silence in the Library" had more potential.
For Amy and Rory, it's been an interesting journey. The Doctor's covered hundreds of years while they've covered ten to fifteen years. They've tried to live in two separate worlds, maintaining a life and careers while also journeying with the Doctor. Sort of a more extreme version of Martha. And it couldn't last. Sooner or later, they'd die, either with the Doctor or in their own lives. The Doctor, I think, has been sensing their departure coming for a long time. That's why he spent linear time with them last episode. He knew his time with them was limited, and he was fighting it the way Ten fought the knowledge of his own death. I'm also convinced Ten sensed Rose's time with him was almost over. Perhaps he's sensed it with other companions as well.
This episode also put a new spin on fixed points. Once something in time is known by the Doctor or his companions, it can't be changed. This goes back to "Father's Day" in S1. Rose knew her father had died that day. Interfering with it caused a paradox that could only be healed by Pete's death. In the same way, the Doctor can't change Rory's fate without causing a paradox, once they'd witnessed it. Fortunately, in this case, causing a paradox was exactly what they wanted to do. I knew Amy would jump with Rory when it came down to it, too.
That, of course, foreshadowed her final decision. There was only one way she could be with the man she loved--the man she'd been married to for over a decade--and she took it. One last word to her daughter (and I loved that it was motherly admonition and advice) and to her Raggedy Man, and then back to the past and to Rory. New York in the '30s won't know what hit it.
(Incidentally, I've seen some criticism of "Amelia Williams" on the gravestone. Well, they did go back to the '30s, and they were a married couple. In that time period, it just wasn't Done for women not to take their husbands' names. They'll always be the Ponds to us and the Doctor, but, officially, they were the Williamses.)
River's muted reaction did make sense to me. One, Rory and Amy didn't raise her, so it wasn't like losing her parents would be for her like it would be for other people. Two, River's timeline is so wonky that she doesn't know but that she might well see them again. It's likely it'll be a gentler grief for her.
I'm sorry to see the Ponds go, as I really did become quite fond of them. I'm looking forward to meeting the new companion, though. In the preview, she was in period costume. I hope that means she's non-contemporary. That would be something we really haven't seen with the New Skool companions. So far, Jack's the only non-contemporary companion, and he was from the far future. From the past, though? I'd love to see that.
Final thought, overdue since they introduced Brian: Of course Rory's the lost Weasley! He's the non-redheaded stepchild.