Doctor Who S5e13 "The Big Bang" [Spoilers]

[CaptainChewbacca]

So... did they ever explain the ducks?

Also, I wanted to say that I'm putting this in my top 5 of the new series episodes. Its just so... FUN.

[Lost Soal]

So... did they ever explain the ducks?

Also, I wanted to say that I'm putting this in my top 5 of the new series episodes. Its just so... FUN.

Eaten by the crack, somehow, just like Amy's parents.

[PREDATOR490]

5

Superb episode and it was fun so it achieved it's goal.

River Song remembering the Doctor enough to give Amy the book in the first place ?
River Song being AT that time to give the book when logically she is from the future ?
The Doctor had to give her a Vortex manipulator so I presume she didnt use one to get to Amy's time and if River can remember him wouldnt that bring him back instead ?

The standoff with the Dalek seems extremely fore-shadowy for showing River isnt a 'noble' companion / ally of the Doctor.

'You wont kill me'
'I'm River Song'
'Mercy'

Hinting that even the Daleks know she is not someone to fuck with ?

Although we never saw her actually commit the deed so I wouldnt call it a certainty that she followed through.
Dalek deciding to back off because of who River Song really is... mmmm ?

They do seem to be intent on leaving her a mystery and after this episode. One would hope they can appropriately fufil the suspense with a suitable resolution.

Incidentally, I find it a shame Rory loses his Auton gun. Taking on a Dalek with it was pretty bad ass for him to do and I just want to see the Doctor's reaction to Rory have a weapon. Although, I wonder if they are going to follow through on the fact Rory has lived for over 1000 years and should have knowledge of Earth history through seeing it himself. This is the second time Doctor Who has created a companion that has lived for ages although Rory dosent have the 'immortality' bonus that Jack has.

[Jon]

Well, isnt rory at the end 'real' rory rather than the auto, will he have its memories?

[Drooling Iguana]

He had a plan, we knew he had a plan, and if it didn't work, he was going out in style, not crying that he didn't want to go.

Or at least he would've been going out in style if River hadn't destroyed his fez.

[Srelex]

So then, what do we think of the first non-RTD series?

[Drooling Iguana]

So then, what do we think of the first non-RTD series?

Writing is still hit-and-miss but averages a bit better than the last couple of RTD seasons. Amy was a bit bland as a companion, but she also wasn't actively annoying so that's a plus, and she did get a bit more interesting when she had Rory to play off of. The main story arc didn't quite fit together as well as it could, and suffered from the fact that some of its more significant developments occurred in "Cold Blood", the worst episode of the series by far. Still, it came together reasonably well in the end, and I'd say the finale is the best that the show's produced since coming back in 2005 (not that there's a lot of competition there.)

Matt Smith is great, though. Unlike Tennant, he's able to make even a bad script enjoyable (although even he wasn't able to save a completely horrible one like "Cold Blood." Here's hoping he gets a good long run in the role.

Particularly if he get a new fez at some point in the next series. Fezes are cool.

[TC Pilot]

This was the first good finale since Doomsday. It felt more like they were trying to solve a natural disaster than stop the evil-doers from destroying the universe, which, in my opinion, greatly mitigated the use of the reset button (which was inevitable anyway). I also liked that Rory was actually useful, and that they at least made an attempt to explain why Amy (as opposed to River) remembering the Doctor could bring him back.

Personally, I'm hoping that this overarching "Silence" villain is someone new, but I do hope for a return of the fez.

[Jade Falcon]

Anyone else notice when the museum was 'talking' about the Blitz that it was US Army Air Force B-17's they were showing, god knows there's enough stock footage of Luftwaffe bombers, so I wonder if that was significant.

[Big Orange]

It felt more like they were trying to solve a natural disaster than stop the evil-doers from destroying the universe, which, in my opinion, greatly mitigated the use of the reset button (which was inevitable anyway).

The TARDIS exploding the Universe was not really a natural disaster, it was intentional sabotage by as of yet unseen foe (although we do hear an evil disembodied voice hissing 'Silence will fall!'). It was a breath of fresh air that the requisite fleet/army of bad guys get mostly wiped out at the start of the second part, leaving the rest of the episode feel a lot more focused.

Steven Moffat's first season had a more consistant scripting quality, especially where the dialogue is concerned, and a cleaverer, more nuanced story arc. But while there is less cheese it lacks some of the confidence and drive of the RTD era, with some parts of the season coming off as a bit bland. Amy is a hot chick, certainly in the top 5 hottest companions, and could look after herself, but I didn't like her as much as Wilfred and Donna Noble; Rory is Micky Mk II, but as with Micky he got better as the series progressed. Matt Smith has done surprisingly well and his best moment was when was slumped inside the Pandorica, though I wouldn't say he is decisively better than David Tennant, just different in a good way.

Anyone else notice when the museum was 'talking' about the Blitz that it was US Army Air Force B-17's they were showing, god knows there's enough stock footage of Luftwaffe bombers, so I wonder if that was significant.

That was another side effect of the exploding TARDIS: it was fucking up Earth's timeline (like the Antarctic penguins in Egypt exhibit).

[Bounty]

Anyone else notice when the museum was 'talking' about the Blitz that it was US Army Air Force B-17's they were showing, god knows there's enough stock footage of Luftwaffe bombers, so I wonder if that was significant.

It's possible, but doubtful since the timeline's been reset anyway. I think they just went with generic WWII stock footage and made a small boo-boo.

[Big Orange]

No, you should see the episode again and look at the museam exhibits, there is a consistant pattern with the glaring errors and it's touched upon in Doctor Who: Confidential. Not only were there US Army bombers over London, but dinosaurs living on the icecaps.

[Ryushikaze]

Well, isnt rory at the end 'real' rory rather than the auto, will he have its memories?

It is the real Rory, but he remembers his time as an Auton. Like the Doctor said, they took an imprint from Amy and got more than they reckoned with, since the universe had been pouring into her head for her entire childhood until the crack sealed.

And that's actually why she had to remember the Doctor specifically, because it was the little bit of 'extra' of the universe in her head that let him make the return trip from beyond the cracks.

[Admiral Valdemar]

No, you should see the episode again and look at the museam exhibits, there is a consistant pattern with the glaring errors and it's touched upon in Doctor Who: Confidential. Not only were there US Army bombers over London, but dinosaurs living on the icecaps.

I noticed the bombers, but I thought it was a footage goof more than anything. It's not like we'd see the reality behind that timeline, since it's been done away with given it only existed as the TARDIS was exploding and taking out the universe around it. Would be interesting to see how that history unfolded though, and the star cult comment was intriguing.

It is the real Rory, but he remembers his time as an Auton. Like the Doctor said, they took an imprint from Amy and got more than they reckoned with, since the universe had been pouring into her head for her entire childhood until the crack sealed.

And that's actually why she had to remember the Doctor specifically, because it was the little bit of 'extra' of the universe in her head that let him make the return trip from beyond the cracks.

Plus, Rory makes the comment "How could we forget The Doctor?" just after the TARDIS appears and everyone realises Amy isn't quite so deluded. After she summons him back from the void, it no doubt unlocks or reimprints memories into those who were with him prior to the Pandorica incident.

[Darksider]

One bit that kind of confuses me.

An exploding TARDIS apparently destroys the entire universe right? During the Time War the Daleks fought the Time Lords to a standstill, and were assaulting galifrey itself, to the point where the TL's only plan to survive was to literally end time and ascend to a higher plane, so they must have taken out a TARDIS or two during the war, how did they avoid ending the universe in the process?

[Srelex]

Given the insano-tech prevelant in DW, they could have easily developed weapons to get around that.

[Admiral Valdemar]

One bit that kind of confuses me.

An exploding TARDIS apparently destroys the entire universe right? During the Time War the Daleks fought the Time Lords to a standstill, and were assaulting galifrey itself, to the point where the TL's only plan to survive was to literally end time and ascend to a higher plane, so they must have taken out a TARDIS or two during the war, how did they avoid ending the universe in the process?

It depends on what they do to the TARDIS. There's more to it than it just being blown up, I imagine. Else the Daleks in "The Parting Of The Ways" were being suicidal. The engines were likely configured to cause such an outcome using the time vortex.

[Stark]

Now that the season is over I have a question.

Assuming someone found River Song to be outrageously smug and irritatingly arrogant, will the next season be watchable with such an unlikeable character playing a major role?

[Admiral Valdemar]

I don't think she'll be playing a major roll, that is, she won't be in it so much. It seems whatever it is she was done for, we'll find out soon. She's clearly her own person, and both Ten and Eleven had issues with her being somewhat maverick in style, if quite cunning. I don't mind her when she's getting stuff done, but she does get a bit grating when she seemingly knows far more than she's letting on, and won't give hints.

I can think of worse people cropping up again. Donna, anyone?

[Bounty]

One bit that kind of confuses me.

An exploding TARDIS apparently destroys the entire universe right? During the Time War the Daleks fought the Time Lords to a standstill, and were assaulting galifrey itself, to the point where the TL's only plan to survive was to literally end time and ascend to a higher plane, so they must have taken out a TARDIS or two during the war, how did they avoid ending the universe in the process?

At a guess, the universe only ends when the TARDIS' engines overload, and the ship has failsafes to stop that from happening - the same failsafes that failed to work in Rive's case, so odds are whoever hijacked the TARDIS also messed with them.

[Stark]

I don't think she'll be playing a major roll, that is, she won't be in it so much. It seems whatever it is she was done for, we'll find out soon. She's clearly her own person, and both Ten and Eleven had issues with her being somewhat maverick in style, if quite cunning. I don't mind her when she's getting stuff done, but she does get a bit grating when she seemingly knows far more than she's letting on, and won't give hints.

I can think of worse people cropping up again. Donna, anyone?

She's not just an annoying person; she's an annoying person who we already knows is his fucking girlfriend or whatever. Sure, he's got bad taste, but honestly I wish she'd just fuck off. It makes me sad that they didn't use the lol of her not recognising 10 to relegate her to 'lost adventures' status.

[Admiral Valdemar]

I'm intrigued by her story, though. I want to know how the two got together, why she's in and out of his timeline like a demented ferret and what the big secret she has in that book is.

Otherwise, she can be overused. I'm hoping she's relegated to Capt. Jack status for the most part, rather than recurring as often as in this season.

[Stark]

Jack was funny and charismatic. River is just a pretentious git, and I am thoroughly uninterested in Finding Out More about the horrible woman. The only wrap up I consider a worthy payoff for her eye-rolling terribleness is that she tortured personal information out of the Doctor in his future and is just fucking with him.

[El Moose Monstero]

Now that the season is over I have a question.

Assuming someone found River Song to be outrageously smug and irritatingly arrogant, will the next season be watchable with such an unlikeable character playing a major role?

If she gets eaten, I won't complain, certainly. Quite why Moffat thinks she's such an awesome character to have around, I've no idea. I'd much rather have Jack Harkness back on scene, regardless of whether 'can't die and works for Spectrum' hampers dramatic tension or not. Which it doesn't.

My only hope is that River will piss off until Matt Smith gets bored with the role, which hopefully will be a couple of seasons yet - I'm assuming that she's going to be the means of regeneration, 'killing a good man' and all. It irritates me though that we're almost certainly going to get episodes of build up, cheeky smiles, 'hello sweeties' and 'spoilers' until we want to smash her head against the Tardis, only to have about 2 episodes of pay off, whereafter the doctor regenerates and she has to go to prison. Whatever.

[Admiral Valdemar]

And think that's why she's not really considered a companion by that Dalek who had a sudden change of heart in the museum. She is clearly quite happy to do whatever it takes to get what she wants, and since she spends most of her time reviewing the comforts of prison cells, I'm amazed The Doctor hasn't disowned her on that basis alone. Admittedly, since she's cropping up at significant events, he can't avoid her. But I bet he's wary of who she really is and won't be too happy about whatever her murder charge was for. Ten didn't particular take kindly to Jack working for Torchwood, even if not in a rebuild the empire jingoistic capacity.

I'll definitely second the pretentiousness. It can be off-putting when a character rubs your face in the fact that you don't have the full story, even when you're in mortal danger to boot.