Doctor Who Mid-Week Review: The Name of the Doctor

Doctor Who – The Name of the Doctor

So that’s it.  It’s been over a week, I’ve watched the episode a few times and the season is over.  As an aside, I LOATH these split season things that are all the rage these days, but I ESPECIALLY HATE them with 13 episode seasons.  And now it sounds like season 8 is going to be the same thing. Blah, blaaa, blah…. horrible, horrible decision, even if they do go with one of the rumors I have read.

ANYWAY this is supposed to be about the “season 7” (I should really look up what season it should really be counted as) finale, episode 13 “The Name of the Doctor”!  This was an exquisite episode.  Not perfect mind you, few episodes of anything ever are, but quite the entertainer none-the-less.  The writing was excellent, the acting and interacting of the characters was spot on with one minor exception.

The Battle Fields of Tranzalor

Many things were revealed.  I really like the resolution to the impossible girl.  Oh come off it, that wasn’t a spoiler.  While I appreciated the appearance of the ol’ gang of three, I am not sure they were used to the best of their ability.  Still, it all worked out.  Even River got in on the game again.  Man their timeline is really confusing…the initial premise was so simple, but that flew out the doors long ago.  And of course we have the “sorta big bad” of the second half of the season.  Really kinda disappointed there, but anything more would be too much said.

The Gang’s all here

As with the rest of the season the visuals are amazing.  Hats off to the team who worked to come up with some world class makeup, visual and computer effects.  With a series that is steeped in campy effects this was really a serious shift that really took hold this season.  Also the work to include historical Doctors into the episode were amazing.  Granted it was the same thing over and over, but still that was greatly appreciated by someone like myself.  As always the sound and audio effects are spot on, and while repetitive, the soundtrack mixed well.

Tranzalor

The resolution to the season sets up perfectly for the 50th anniversary, which presumably will set up season 8.  All in all I wish the rest of the season would have been up to this level, or at least close.  This, Nightmare and Journey were the highlights of the season, but Name was really the only exceptional one.  Even going back to the first half of the season, the only really good episode was Dinosaurs.  There was one other enjoyable episode, but even that was barely average.  So now the long wait to Nov 23 for the 50th Special.  Not sure when season 8 will start or if there will be a 2013 Christmas Episode.  Heck I don’t know if Matt could grow his hair back quick enough to do a Christmas Episode.  To all of you who will not venture into the spoilers section, I hope to see you back for the 50th Anniversary and season 8.  Otherwise

****SPOILERS SWEETIE******

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A new old Doctor

SO the big news, A hitherto unknown Doctor, or mayhaps not the Doctor but the man before the Doctor?  Though it is said of him that he is the one who broke the promise, so maybe he is actually #9 and Ecclison was #10.  This would mean that John Hurt Doctor was the one who fought the Time War and banished the Time Lords and almost destroyed the Daleks.  Or he is the zeroth Doctor?  Either way we now know Matt Smith is not the 11th Doctor, but the 12th which could mean only 1 regeneration left.  There is plenty going on that could contradict that so who knows.  It did not go unnoticed though that the crack that formed in the window on the TARDIS was still there on the future dying TARDIS.  Also the control room was the current desktop.  This could mean that the Doctor’s death is actually coming soon.  Or it could all just be tomfoolery.  I mean why wouldn’t the TARDIS be able to fix itself?  Why did the Doctor seem so upset about that crack?  And the desktop could just recognize this Doctor and set itself to try to avert further paradox.

She’ll save the Doctor

So the setup for the 50th is pretty easy, while trying to get out of his own timeline he accidentally stumbles out into David Tennant and Rose’s era.  Now how they get John Hurt’s Doctor into the equation is a better question, since it seems obvious at this point he will be there.  And what of season 8?  Who knows.  Will we see more of the old Doctors included in the 50th in the same way they were included for Name?  I wouldn’t mind that.  To only have Tennant and Smith (and new old Doctor) seems inadequate.

Great Intelligence

The resolution of the Great Intelligence was teh one weak point of the episode.  I get the feeling the GI was much further along in his relationship with the Doctor.  All this hatred over 2 interactions just seemed misplaced.  he played it up like they had been active enemies for centuries.  Granted it has been centuries since it first arrived on Earth so….  Which leads to our Clara resolution.  And the last word of  “Run you clever boy, and remember ‘me’ “.  So Clara goes into the timestream to fix the damage done by the GI, restoring the timeline by putting copies of herself all across time to guide the Doctor, even down to making sure he stole the correct TARDIS.  Each of these copies never fully knowing why they were doing it, just knowing that they must.  Finally Ghost River….options left open, but why was she dead now?  I dunno.

Ghost River

A new crack

Crack still there at his death

Well it was an excellent ending to a meh season, and leaves me wondering what is in store for the 50th.  I hope the next season is better, but even a bad ep of Doctor Who is better than most of what is on TV so see you all again in November.   Also, the theme of 23 continues.  And Nov 23 is at least on of her version’s birthday…..

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