A Good (?) Man Goes to War
Curse you, Moffat. I'd read speculation on that very topic and told myself, "No, that would never happen. That's too lame/tidy/weird."
AND HE DID IT. HE WENT THERE.
I actually really enjoyed the episode and admit I pretty much knew it was coming from the first scene with Rory and River (which, incidentally, I LOVED and so so well played by Alex Kingston) River has been very hit and miss for me, she grates on me with the smugness and "banter" (I can practically hear Moffat screaming "ISN'T SHE AWESOME, GUYS?!?), but in moments like this, the quiet sadness when she's actually allowed to be a person rather than an embodiment of better-than-the-Doctor-at-life, I really enjoy her.
I can live with her being Rory and Amy's daughter, but the Doctor's reaction when he found out? Squick. Mountains of squick. The only way I can bring myself to accept that he held her and smelled her as a baby is that was flesh!Melody, but still - squick. Twilight imprinting levels of squick. Moffat really has a thing about the Doctor meeting young girls and them being obsessed with him for the rest of their lives, doesn't he? It is slightly disturbing.
I think the only thing that will make this better for me is if the Doctor never sees the real baby Melody and never meets River until she's older. The one thing, however, I am really looking forward to is eventally sitting down and watching all of River's episodes in order of River's timeline (if it could even be figured out!) I think the fact that she goes by the name River Song and not Melody Pond probably points to her being raised by the baddies and not "found" until she is older. I can live with that (although, poor Amy and Rory!) And I did like the way they handled Melody Pond/River Song although I could have done without the bluntness of "I'm your daughter." We get it Moffat - just seeing the name on the prayer shawl was better and more powerful.
Glad Rory's been given something to do, finally and loved the re-apearance of the Last Centurian (I really want to write Rory-fic, now). He has become one of my favourite companions and while it has taken me a while to warm to Amy, I think they play off one another beautifully. I also hope Amy also gets a bit more to do - her loss of trust in the Doctor is interesting and I hope they play that a bit more.
Regarding the title: I've heard someone theorise that based on the Doctor's essential admission that he's not a good man, the Good Man who Goes to War is actually Rory - I like that thinking. Although it was also noted that River kills a "good man" (or is it "the best man she's ever known?" I can't remember) Either way, I wouldn't put it past Moffat to have River be raised to be evil and then unknowingly kill her own father. I hope not, though - Rory's died enough already!
I don't think I can sit through this hiatus.