Doctor Who 32x01, "The Impossible Astronaut"

[john_amend_all]

As usual, this isn't a review, more a set of random thoughts.

I would have written this last night, but I was watching Lewis. I spent most of my time trying to work out if they'd named the fifteen-year-old child prodigy Zoë as a deliberate shout-out; and, if so, where the matching Jamie was. I was nearly halfway through before I remembered that Sergeant Hathaway's first name is James.

Anyway, on to the main feature of the evening:

• I get the distinct impression that we've started in medias res — not only for the Doctor, who seems to have been doing... something or other... for the past two hundred years, but for Amy and Rory. Time seems to have elapsed since they last saw the Doctor, and they're living in domestic bliss somewhere or other.
• It seems Rory (or Steven Moffat) share with my father the view that women don't find Laurel and Hardy funny.
• So, off to America. As I said in a comment, there's a very definite feeling that we're not in Kansas Leadworth any more, and none of the old certainties apply.
• Particularly when the Doctor gets killed and his body burned. Logically, it follows that the Valeyard never existed and the whole Trial season never happened. Which is a pity, because I was halfway through watching it. Also, one slight problem with killing the Doctor and burning his body is that we've already seen the Master come back from that. Twice.
• We have the TARDIS landing silently (as in several First Doctor stories) and turning invisible (as in The Invasion). These look to me rather like useful abilities that we won't ever see again, except perhaps once or twice. See also: Remotely locking the TARDIS, opening the doors with a fingersnap, etc.
• I rather wonder why Amy, with her telephone in her hand and the Silent in front of her, didn't try calling the Doctor. In the other cases, it's quite reasonable for people to turn away before calling for help, because they don't know they'll forget. But Amy does know this vital factlet. Still, it was a stressful situation.
• Not sure what to make of River's heartfelt monologue about how she keeps meeting the Doctor in exact reverse order. If it were true, she wouldn't need to synchronise diaries with him; she'd know where they were in their shared timeline. I'm also not sure it exactly fits the rest of her timeline. Which Doctor, I wonder, gave her the trick sonic screwdriver? But then, she could just be making up a sob story for Rory's benefit. As the Doctor points out, she's not the most trustworthy person.
• I find myself wondering whether Amy's announcement of pregnancy has anything to do with the tummyache she and River seem to get after seeing the Silents face to face. Though the Doctor did say she'd put on weight, so it may be genuine. We haven't had a pregnant companion before (barring cases where the actress was pregnant, and a plotbunny of mine about why Victoria really left).

This entry was originally posted at http://john-amend-all.dreamwidth.org/31700.html. Feel free to comment there or here.

Comments

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

I watched Lewis too, and failed to make that very obvious connection... :D

Yes, I wondered about the obvious time gap at the start of the story too. And yes, that made me laugh, the Laurel and Hardy thing - I thought "And I bet the jokes were extra-funny when you'd finished explaining them all too..."

Yes, I'd be kind of surprised if the burning of the body turned out to be the end of it too. Just a guess!

What's this about Victoria?? Do tell!

[john_amend_all]

I'm sure the Lewis thing is only obvious to a Zoëmanic like me.

Agreed about Rory's explanations, too.

The Victoria idea was just: Suppose she left because she had 'danced' with Jamie, and then discovered she was pregnant? That would certainly explain why she felt she couldn't go back to her own time.

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

Ah, Rory. I do sympathise with the poor sap. I see a bit of myself in him, apart from his heroic qualities which, er...nah, I wouldn't be following River down any slime-coated, obviously alien-infested tunnels.

It would... Hmm, an intriguing thought, and one I wouldn't mind seeing you expand upon, really.

[john_amend_all]

I'll think about the Victoria thing, but I'm not sure I'm the right person to do it justice.

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

Well, it's something to keep in mind until you get a burst of inspiration, I guess. Or I suppose you could donate it to the stray bunnies comm.

[pedanther]

Not sure what to make of River's heartfelt monologue about how she keeps meeting the Doctor in exact reverse order. If it were true, she wouldn't need to synchronise diaries with him; she'd know where they were in their shared timeline.

What I make of it is an assumption that she didn't mean *exact* reverse order, just that there's a strong trend.