Story #223 - Closing Time (2011)

Sarah -

Well, that was fun.

Harry -

Rewatching this felt like rediscovering a forgotten gem. Maybe because it was buried deep down the schedule right before the season finale, maybe because it was a “Ponds Lite” story, maybe because it was a different kind of one-off. Whatever the reason it was nice to see this one again.

Sarah -

It’s lovely to see the Ponds but it's heartbreaking when the Doctor has to stay away from them.

Harry -

Good to see that had the Doctor never returned, the Ponds would have done well.

I also remember back when this one was first broadcast, the excitement to see a Cybermat again. Although the Cybermats of the 60s did not have biological mouths and fangs, which was new.

Sarah -

Cybermats are cool!

Matt Smith and James Corden have great chemistry. I love that the Doctor and Craig get to have another adventure and this time with a baby! Alfie, aka Stormageddon, Dark Lord of All, is adorable and an excellent addition to the team.

Harry -

From the awkward social calls to solving the Cyber-mystery, it was a neat little adventure. Meeting Stormageddon seemed to put the Doctor into an introspective mood. Thinking about his age and the passage of time, and the coming silence that is to fall. Matt Smith did "tired" very well.

Sarah - 

I appreciate that the Doctor talks to kids like adults and adults like kids. 

Harry -

So many times we've seen someone's life thrown into chaos or worse when they meet the Doctor. Craig's was certainly thrown into chaos, but he came out of it stronger for it, and with Stormy's newfound approval.

Sarah - 

Babies know what’s what. I’m glad the lads have a deeper understanding after this event. 

Harry -

The coda of the story reminds us that the Doctor's fate is about to finally collide with that of Melody Pond/River Song. The season-long story arc is about to conclude.

Best Line - "I speak baby." An iconic line for sure.

Favourite Moment - The Doctor and Craig investigating at the shoppe.

Lasting Image - Stormageddon!

8/10

Sarah -

Best Line: 

DOCTOR: See, I do come back.

CRAIG: How did you?

DOCTOR: Time machine. But even with time travel, getting glaziers on a Sunday. Tricky.

Favorite Moment: The Doctor in the toys department

Lasting Image: adorbs Stormageddon!

8/10

Our marathon continues with Story #224: The Wedding of River Song...

Story #222 - The God Complex (2011)

Harry -

This one felt like a story of two halves. There was the half I liked, and the half I didn't like.

Great opening set up with a nod to The Shining. The pre-credits sequence shows a disoriented police constable wandering the corridors of a horror hotel. The TARDIS arrives and the team encounter a group of people on edge. Are they victims, prisoners, bait? An array of photos on the walls suggests that the place is a trap. It's a puzzling and disorienting place, the atmosphere heightened by some fantastic camera work, plenty of jarring angles and anxious close ups.

Sarah -

I had completely forgotten this story, so it felt brand new. Every room contains the biggest fear of someone at the hotel, with a minotaur feeding off their faith. The most concerning room was Amy’s, which was not the Weeping Angel, but that she was waiting for the Doctor at the door of her childhood home. Amy had so much faith in the Doctor that he had to break her down to save her. Meanwhile, Rory all his faith in the Doctor and wanted to go home.

Harry -

Oh the obligatory (and foreshadowy) Weeping Angel.

We might as well pivot to the half of the story that I didn't like. That was the minotaur. After being menaced for a few scenes, the group face the big hairy thing, a cousin of the Nimon as pointed out by the Doctor. For a creature that feeds off its victims' faith, I would expect something less earthy and more elevated. A creature of light and spirit. Something shimmery, floating in the air. The minotaur looks like it would prefer to eat people's flesh. So the divergence of the creature from its modus operandi didn't work for me.

Sarah - 

As irritating as the minotaur was, Rita was brilliant! She would be a great companion, until she started saying, “Praise Him.” I quite liked her.

Harry - 

We have also seen previous instances of the Doctor forcing a friend to lose their faith in him - Sarah Jane and Ace come to mind. Seeing it happen to Amy was not all that unique.

I did love the horror hotel though, right down to the ugly carpeting. It was a great set up, but the payoff was disappointing.

David Walliams' Gibbis was an amusing addition to the aliens of the Whoniverse. Meek on the outside, conniving on the inside.

Sarah - 

Walliams irritates me, even when he is in costume.

Harry - 

At the end, the Doctor bids an emotional goodbye to Amy. For the air of permanence they gave this scene, we know it's not really goodbye. Just another weak note to the episode overall.

Sarah -

Watching "The God Complex" the first time, we thought we were saying goodbye forever…but I’m glad we have a little more time. 

Harry -

Best Line:

The Doctor: "This is a cup of tea."

Rita: "Of course, I'm British, it's how we cope with trauma. That and tutting."

Favourite Moment: entering the room with the creepy ventriloquist dummies, an all-too-brief moment

Lasting Image: the portraits on the hotel walls

5/10

Sarah - 

Best Line: 

RITA: Why is it up to you to save us? That's quite a God complex you have there.

Favorite Moment: The final moment when Amy telling Rory the Doctor saved them

Lasting Image: Amy at the door

7/10

Our marathon continues with Story # 223: Closing Time...