OK, so how do you top that? Since the return of Doctor Who the series finales have always come as an anti-climax after hugely intriguing and complex build up. I think the one exception to that was the Doomsday episode in series 2 in which a slow but clever build-up in the preceding episode had a wonderful climax and satisfying conclusion at the series end. Aside from that, I felt that Russell T Davies was very good at building up a big story without having any idea how he would resolve it. I wondered how Steven Moffat would tackle this and the answer is that he has upped the ante even further.
I needed a good bit of entertainment after the drawn-out torture of watching England "play" Algeria on Friday night. The Pandorica Opens delivered that in buckets but it is also notable how cleverly the various threads from the earlier episodes were drawn together - even before the opening credits. I have a feeling that Steven Moffat has read a lot of the same Sci Fi novels as I have as I could spot lots of Philip K Dick references as well as nods to Douglas Adams and the Star Wars and Indiana Jones films. He also managed to make a Cyberman some kind of credible threat - something that they haven't been in the new series, especially considering they scared me witless as a kid.
I think another element that must be making Russell T Davies consumed by envy is how many monsters and aliens they managed to get in one room at one time. Daleks, Cybermen, Silurians, Sycorax, Autons... talk about an unholy alliance and a rather fan-boyish moment as well. I bet you thought the Conservative-Liberal alliance was pushing the limits. But the cliff-hanger must be one of the most extreme ever. How do you get out of that - there are no clues either as there was, thankfully, no "Next Time" trailer.
I've always enjoyed Steven Moffat's writing. His episodes of Coupling were fantastically constructed, often with the big reveal on the very last line of dialogue, and even Jekyll, which I thought a bit ponderous at times, had a really satisfying ending that made the whole thing worth while. I have no idea how he is going to tie up this series of Doctor Who but I can't wait to find out.
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Certainly an exciting episode - if a bit confusing for someone like me who gets easily baffled. This is something to do with Amy's memories - but how can she remember Autons and Sontarons? I'm hearing lots of theories including that the Amy that has gone through this series was a replacement swapped as a little girl. Also, a couple of people have spotted the extra staircase in her house - alien spacecraft top floor?
ReplyDeleteIf this was an RTD, there would be a simple solution that didn't make any real sense. As a Moffat one, I expect more - only time will tell.