“The
Doctor has a secret he will take to the grave. It is
discovered.”
While
the Doctor did have a secret it certainly wasn’t what we thought –
well those of us that managed to stay spoiler free after the Series 7
DVD’s were incorrectly shipped early. Spoilers drama aside there is
so much to say about this episode and I have absolutely no idea where
to start.
As the
episode begins with Clara – the impossible girl – let’s start
with her shall we. I haven’t been silent about my disappointment
with Clara’s characterisation and while this episode didn’t make
me fall in love with her it was definitely a satisfying conclusion to
the only mystery worth solving. The way they inserted Clara into past
Doctor Who
adventures could have been gimmicky yet somehow it was practically
flawless but that might be the nostalgia talking. So far, I have
re-watched that scene 7 times and I’m sure I’ll watch it again
before I finish writing this review; I’m in awe.
Then
there was the inclusion of my favourite occasional guests Strax,
Madam Vastra and her wife Jenny. And the fact that they interacted
with the always-brilliant River Song was icing on the cake. While
we’re on the topic of River Song, I have to say this is the first
time since Series 5 that I felt her character was done the justice
she deserves. Alex Kingston sizzles on screen and the chemistry
between her and Matt Smith is electric.
Other
notable aspects included the return of Richard E. Grant’s The Great
Intelligence, some seriously scary looking monsters that can
literally stop your heart and the fact that we never did learn the
Doctor’s name (thank goodness). Of course Clara saved the day, as
companions always do, and her sacrifice was actually rather emotional
but that had more to do with Jenna-Louise Coleman’s performance
than anything else. And I can’t praise Matt Smith enough because my
words are inadequate, that man can act.
This
episode was everything it needed to be, a fantastic final filled with
near death experiences, tear-jerking goodbyes and mind-blowing
revelations. It’s basically everything I wanted and it almost makes
up for the fact that the last two Series lost some of their heart in
order to set up this epic final, and the upcoming 50th
Anniversary Special.
We did
not learn the Doctor’s name but this episode reminded me why I fell
in love with this show in the first place. It’s somehow takes these
complicated crazy storylines and makes them relatable. So while I was
disappointed with this series as a whole – not that I hated it just
didn’t live up to pervious expectations – “The Name of the
Doctor” did enough to renew my excitement for not just the 50th
Anniversary Special but the next full series as well. Besides now
that Clara’s finished her life as a plot device she might actually
become a real person.
Well
that’s it for Series 7, there is not much else to do now except try
to survive the anticipation of Matt Smith and David Tennant teaming
up in the 50th
Anniversary Special.
Review
by Yvonne Popplewell
More of Yvonne’s work
can be found at her
blog.
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