DW Series 6 Countdown: Day 8
Day 8
Amy and Eleven's Relationship in "The Beast Below" (S5, E2)
In bed above we’re deep asleep,
While greater love lies further deep.
This dream must end, this world must know,
We all depend on the beast below.
Amy's first trip in the TARDIS! Whoo!
(I *heart* the opening scene with Amy floating in space outside the TARDIS. It's something you'd only dream of. Lucky girl...)
"Doctor, you'd better not be looking up my nightie..."
I loved this episode just because of it's small sentimental value (and the BAWWW factor, but more on that later). It was the first time I got to see the TARDIS in action with a companion, since Series 5 was my first actual full series of DW I actually sat down and watched in it's entirety. And boy, is it fun.
I think Amy and the Doctor have a lot of chemistry in this episode. Why? Well, this is Amy's first trip in the TARDIS, so she gets to experience a whole new life traveling with the Doctor. (Kind of reminds me of Series 1 with "The End of the World" with Nine and Rose.) At one point she makes the mistake of erasing her memories of what she saw in the video room, and the Doctor tells her straight off that he's going to take her back home once this incident is over with. Despite looking very young, Matt Smith really does channel that 900+ years of wise Time Lord into his incarnation. You don't screw around with him.
Second, this is our second episode with Eleven. So now that we've got the post-regeneration episode out of the way, it's time for time travel-induced wimsey!
Oh, and what wimsey. Probably my fave silly scene was when they go through the drop shute to be fed to the Star Whale. Eleven's all having fun like a little kid, while Amy is just scared shitless.
The Doctor: Say 'Whee'!
Amy: AHHHHHHHHHHHH!
D:>
And when Eleven realizes they're in the Star Whale's mouth is just plain fun. He really is like a little kid getting all excited over the smallest things. (And then they get thrown up and covered in whale barf. Ew...)
Remember when I said you shouldn't screw around with Eleven? Here's why:
Liz 10: What are you doing?
The Doctor: [Adjusting machinery] The worst thing I’ll ever do. I’m going to pass a massive electrical charge through the Star Whale’s brain - should knock out its higher functions, leaving it a vegetable. The ship will still fly, but the whale won’t feel it.
Amy Pond: That’ll be like killing it.
The Doctor: Look, three options: One, I let the Star Whale continue, in unendurable agony for hundreds more years; Two, I kill everyone on this ship; Three, I murder a beautiful, innocent creature as painlessly as I can. And then, I… I find a new name, because I won’t be The Doctor anymore.
Liz 10: There must be something we can do, there must be another way…
The Doctor: Nobody talk to me. Nobody HUMAN has anything to say to me today!
When he just SNAPS and shouts at them: “Nobody human has anything to say to me today!” you can just see the pain he’s going through and the utter guilt he feels about having to kill this gentle creature who had saved this group of humans. The Doctor's watched and caused the deaths of so many people (and people that he was ever close to) and things and he knows he has to step in and has to stop the agony of this creature, even if that means essentially killing it.
I also loved how Amy realizes the truth about the Star Whale because of the Doctor. Both are very old, very kind and the very last of their species. She goes with her instincts and trusts in herself to save the Star Whale, and it pays off. She could have killed the whole ship. But she was brave, confident and knew that she was right.
Amy: Amazing though, don’t you think? The Star Whale. All that pain and misery. And loneliness.…And it just made it kind.
The Doctor: But you couldn’t have known how it would react.
Amy: You couldn’t. But I’ve seen it before. Very old and very kind. And the very, very last. Sound a bit familiar?
BAWWWWWWWWWWWW. MY FAVE AMY/ELEVEN SCENE EVER.