Doctor Who 6x12: Closing Time
Oct. 2nd, 2011 02:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kerravonsenInstead of rushing on to see "The Wedding of River Song", I shall be disciplined and write my reactions to "Closing Time".
I re-watched "The Lodger" before watching "Closing Time" to refresh myself with Craig's character. I know some people can't stand Craig, but I rather like him.
Loved the "No, you are not going to save them!" talking to himself that the Doctor was doing.
Of course, the Doctor pwns Craig again.
"I speak Baby."
"Everyone loves you."
"If only that were the case..." (Doctor referring to the Silence wanting to kill him, I assume.)
And the Doctor feeling all guilty when Craig says that the safest place to be is near the Doctor... because by Craig's lights, that is true, since his previous experience of the Doctor was basically that a lot of innocent people were killed before the Doctor got there.
I'm puzzled as to why the Doctor was puzzled about the behaviour of the Cybermen; surely it was obvious that they were badly damaged and trying to repair themselves, that's why they were stealing power and doing so badly.
Like in The Lodger, Craig saves the day with his love; this time his love for Alfie rather than his love for Sophie, but it's all good.
Of course, I am still irritated by the nu!Cybermen heads exploding when they get contaminated by emotion. Give me back the Cybermen who got incapacitated by gold in their breathing vents, I say!
Alfie's first word is "Doctor"! Ha!
Oh, and the lovely bit where Amy and Rory are in the store, and the little girl asks for Amy's autograph, and then we see on the wall the huge image of Amy with "Petrichor: for the girl who doesn't want to wait". Not something I would have thought Amy would do, but I guess one of the themes is "you can do anything" so if you want to launch a line of perfumes, I guess you can.
I do like the multiple meanings of "Closing Time" -- that it refers to the closing time of the store, when people were killed, and also the "closing time" of the Doctor, which leads us to...
...all the tie-ins with "The Impossible Astronaut"...
The blue envelopes, the Stetson.
And River Song.
"Who are they?"
"Your owners."
...when River Song kills the Doctor. (shivers)
So it looks as if the death of the Doctor was set up with the Impossible Astronaut... because he was killed by an Impossible Astronaut. In other words, there's no reason except that everyone already knew that was the way it happened.Closed loop.
Presumably River kills the Doctor in the space suit because (a) she's still programmed to do so - they never really let her go; and/or (b) the suit is remote controlled.
We shall find out next episode, I assume.
I expect the next episode will answer some questions well, some questions badly, and leave yet still others unanswered, because there are far too many questions to be able to answer them properly in one episode.
Questions I expect not to be answered:
* Why did the TARDIS blow up in Season 5?
* Why are there inconsistencies in River's history between Silence in the Library and in Season 6?
Questions I expect to be answered:
* Why do the Silence want the Doctor dead?
* What is The Question?
* Who killed the Doctor? (well, we basically know that already)
* How are they going to get around the Doctor's death?
I re-watched "The Lodger" before watching "Closing Time" to refresh myself with Craig's character. I know some people can't stand Craig, but I rather like him.
Loved the "No, you are not going to save them!" talking to himself that the Doctor was doing.
Of course, the Doctor pwns Craig again.
"I speak Baby."
"Everyone loves you."
"If only that were the case..." (Doctor referring to the Silence wanting to kill him, I assume.)
And the Doctor feeling all guilty when Craig says that the safest place to be is near the Doctor... because by Craig's lights, that is true, since his previous experience of the Doctor was basically that a lot of innocent people were killed before the Doctor got there.
I'm puzzled as to why the Doctor was puzzled about the behaviour of the Cybermen; surely it was obvious that they were badly damaged and trying to repair themselves, that's why they were stealing power and doing so badly.
Like in The Lodger, Craig saves the day with his love; this time his love for Alfie rather than his love for Sophie, but it's all good.
Of course, I am still irritated by the nu!Cybermen heads exploding when they get contaminated by emotion. Give me back the Cybermen who got incapacitated by gold in their breathing vents, I say!
Alfie's first word is "Doctor"! Ha!
Oh, and the lovely bit where Amy and Rory are in the store, and the little girl asks for Amy's autograph, and then we see on the wall the huge image of Amy with "Petrichor: for the girl who doesn't want to wait". Not something I would have thought Amy would do, but I guess one of the themes is "you can do anything" so if you want to launch a line of perfumes, I guess you can.
I do like the multiple meanings of "Closing Time" -- that it refers to the closing time of the store, when people were killed, and also the "closing time" of the Doctor, which leads us to...
...all the tie-ins with "The Impossible Astronaut"...
The blue envelopes, the Stetson.
And River Song.
"Who are they?"
"Your owners."
...when River Song kills the Doctor. (shivers)
So it looks as if the death of the Doctor was set up with the Impossible Astronaut... because he was killed by an Impossible Astronaut. In other words, there's no reason except that everyone already knew that was the way it happened.Closed loop.
Presumably River kills the Doctor in the space suit because (a) she's still programmed to do so - they never really let her go; and/or (b) the suit is remote controlled.
We shall find out next episode, I assume.
I expect the next episode will answer some questions well, some questions badly, and leave yet still others unanswered, because there are far too many questions to be able to answer them properly in one episode.
Questions I expect not to be answered:
* Why did the TARDIS blow up in Season 5?
* Why are there inconsistencies in River's history between Silence in the Library and in Season 6?
Questions I expect to be answered:
* Why do the Silence want the Doctor dead?
* What is The Question?
* Who killed the Doctor? (well, we basically know that already)
* How are they going to get around the Doctor's death?
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no subject
Date: 2011-10-02 08:48 am (UTC)What do you see as being the main inconsistencies?
no subject
Date: 2011-10-02 08:59 am (UTC)(scratches head)
I know someone else came up with some good inconsistencies, but I can't remember exactly what they were now.
no subject
Date: 2011-10-02 08:46 pm (UTC)That wasn't from 'Silence in the Library', a bit later, I think.
But it's perfectly compatible with her seeing other incarnations - after all, she met 11 without breaking that rule. (though I think it won't apply from now on, it was just the events leading towards her death - I expect their time lines to mix up a bit more now and maybe even run in parallel a little)
no subject
Date: 2011-10-02 08:10 am (UTC)I'm puzzled as to why the Doctor was puzzled about the behaviour of the Cybermen; surely it was obvious that they were badly damaged and trying to repair themselves, that's why they were stealing power and doing so badly.
It wasn't obvious to me, but then the Doctor is supposed to be a lot cleverer than me. :) But the Cybermen were really only there because there had to be a Monster of the Week. They were almost incidental to the real story. (Rather like the van Gogh episode.)
I liked the way they showed that Amy wasn't just moping after being "dumped" by the Doctor, but was clearly getting on with her life very successfully.
no subject
Date: 2011-10-02 01:56 pm (UTC)I love the idea of him and Alfie becoming Companions, although in actuality I'm sure it would get really difficult to keep coming up with plausible storylines while traveling about with a baby, but I hope someone will write some one-shot fanfics in which this happens.
Because Craig, the Doctor and baby Alfie are just too wonderful for words.
And I know now why I love Craig so much: He's Sam Gamgee. He just won't give up or turn back, even though he's just a
hobbitordinary person.no subject
Date: 2011-10-02 10:24 pm (UTC)hobbitordinary person.Oh, now that's an interesting comparison.
no subject
Date: 2011-10-02 03:18 pm (UTC)Not to mention riffing on the word Companion being an old fashioned euphemism for Partner! Adds a whole new meaning to the Regency ladies who are spinsters with hired companions! :¬D
So we have Doctor Gay! fic too!
In fact oddly enough it sort of comes across as a fanfic too.
I didn't like Craig, but that is more to do with the actor. There are certain people who creep me out on a instinctive level and he is one of them.
no subject
Date: 2011-10-02 10:26 pm (UTC)LOL!