Harry -
Of all the seasons we have been rewatching over the course of this marathon, Sarah, this is the only one that has given me feelings of trepidation as it approached.
It's over a decade since I watched Series Six, Matt Smith's second season, in chronological order. My memories of it are of Steven Moffat gone wild. Comfortable in the showrunner's seat after delivering a fun and memorable first season, I think this is where he over-indulged himself. Plots that were too clever by half, stories overwhelmed by a complicated season arc, and very little that was memorable or "can't wait to watch that again". Those are the impressions I've carried to the present day, and here we are.
So I'm very keen to see if a pleasant surprise awaits, or if all those negative memories are justified.
Having just rewatched "The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon", I'm feeling a bit of both.
Sarah -
I’ve been looking forward to Series Six, which I remember as ambitious and perhaps not completely successful in the end. In any case, it will be fun to rewatch River’s origin story.
It felt like Doctor Who took a big step up in Series Six. BBC America was all in and the show became so much more popular in North America. It was weird seeing Doctor Who merchandise all over the place. And they filmed in Utah!
I had forgotten about the Amy voiceover, explaining her relationship with the Doctor.
Harry -
It's almost a "Moffat Thing" that characters in his version of Doctor Who scatter Easter Eggs and invitations to each other throughout history. First River, now the Doctor.
I remember the American setting was a sensational way to open the season, and there's our first glimpse of the soon-to-be iconic diner.
The picnic setting by the lake was also memorable, as we watch the Doctor being murdered by an astronaut who rose from the water, and then his remains are cremated in a boat. The images were as confounding as a Pink Floyd album cover.
The heavy drama continues as the Doctor confounds everyone by reappearing at the diner, a couple hundred years younger than the Doctor whose death his friends had just witnessed. Knowing how the season unfolds, the shock is not as profound (spoilers!) but still, what the hell, Doctor?
All of that in just the first five minutes. From there the story pivoted and Moffat unleashed a tale of sci-fi horror for the TARDIS team to work out.
Sarah -
For a chance of pace, River, Amy, and Rory know more than the Doctor does. He’s suspicious of the three of them and decides to trust them when Amy swears on something that matters – fish fingers and custard. We’re off to the White House in 1969. Introducing Nixon into the story is a risk, but Stuart Milligan makes it believable and not a cliché. We also meet Canton Delaware, whom we last met as an older man in Utah.
Harry -
Agreed, this Nixon was not an over-the-top parody. There were a few zingers that could only have pertained to the historical Nixon (the taping system, "say hello to David Frost"), but he was mostly a generic American President character.
Sarah -
After some hijinks, the President is convinced to give the Doctor a chance to solve the mystery of the phone calls Nixon is receiving from a child. Amy has a run in with a Silence and realizes she’s pregnant, but she can’t remember the important thing she is supposed to tell the Doctor.
Harry -
The slow reveal of first one, then another, then a nest of Silences was a great buildup. I forgot how terrifying their introduction was. Seeing them cosplayed still makes for a jarring moment. Those grotesque heads.
Sarah -
The Silence are particularly terrifying.
The TARDIS is off to Florida, with Delaware in tow, where they discover a large console and tunnels. Amy finally tells the Doctor she’s pregnant and the astronaut from Utah appears. Amy grabs Canton’s gun and shoots. Now there’s a cliffhanger!
Harry -
How many times has the Doctor sworn off altering history, and sworn off guns, but no one ever listens. Least of all his companions!
Sarah -
Or, file under “weaponized companions.”
Harry -
The second half of the story echoes the first, with the Doctor and friends split up and quickly reunited in slightly more violent fashion this time. Three months have elapsed and they have been monitoring the creatures. Turns out the Silence are everywhere on Earth, in hiding with the help of their forget-them-as-soon-as-you-look-away power, another brilliant Moffat idea.
Sarah -
This storyline is peak Moffat.
Harry -
My favourite part of the story is Amy and Canton visiting the orphanage in search of the child. Lots of haunted house thrills there, venturing into the surreal. I loved the random, unexplained moment where an opening appears in a wall and a woman looks in, then turns to say "No, she was just dreaming" to someone out of view, before the opening slides shut again. And that's it. No explanation, just puzzlement for Amy and for us.
Sarah -
Again, more Moffat-y storylines to come!
Harry -
The child is found by Amy, but then they both disappear. We learn that the Silence were caring for the child in their own terrifying way. The spacesuit was an enclosed life support system. The child is very important to them.
By the story's end, Amy has been saved, the Doctor has harnessed subliminal messaging planted in footage of the moon landing to annihilate the Silence from Earth (haven't we all?), and then it's time for some personal moments among the characters. Rory and Amy, Amy and the Doctor, the Doctor and River.
In this story, we received multiple reminders that the timelines of River and the Doctor are moving in opposite directions. Each time they meet, she encounters a Doctor who knows less and less about her. Is there any more heartbreaking moment than their first/last kiss?
Back aboard the TARDIS with Amy and Rory, the Doctor briefly considers pursuing the child further, then decides to go shooting off on a new adventure. Out of everyone's view, the TARDIS scanner goes mildly haywire, inconclusive whether or not Amy is pregnant.
Sarah -
While the child regenerates…
Harry -
We seem to have gotten through this one unscathed. It's still never going to be my favourite story, but I'm feeling encouraged to sail onwards. Anchors aweigh!
Sarah -
Best Line: I'm being extremely clever up here, and there's no one to stand around looking impressed! What's the point in having you all?
Favorite Moment: River and Rory discussing the Doctor when they are exploring the tunnels
Lasting Image: River slapping the Doctor
8/10
Harry -
Best Line:
DOCTOR: Be careful.
RIVER: Careful? I tried that once. Ever so dull.
Favourite Moment: the entire scary orphanage sequence
Lasting Image: The Silence killing a woman inside the White House
7/10
Our marathon continues with Story #215: The Curse of the Black Spot...
