Doctor Who "The Big Bang" Talkback (Spoilers)

[HellCat]

Doctor Who Series 1
"The Big Bang"
By Steven Moffat
6:05pm, BBC One and BBC HD

A galactic alliance has trapped the Doctor, the TARDIS has ruptured and Amy has been mortally wounded. Can anything save the universe?



Previous talkbacks-
Episode 1: The Eleventh Hour (http://www.toonzone.net/forums/showthread.php?t=266486)
Episode 2: The Beast Below (http://www.toonzone.net/forums/showthread.php?t=266740)
Episode 3: Victory of the Daleks (http://www.toonzone.net/forums/showthread.php?t=267031)
Episode 4: The Time of Angels (http://www.toonzone.net/forums/showthread.php?t=267316)
Episode 5: Flesh & Stone (http://www.toonzone.net/forums/showthread.php?t=267588)
Episode 6: Vampires of Venice (http://www.toonzone.net/forums/showthread.php?t=267832)
Episode 7: Amy's Choice (http://www.toonzone.net/forums/showthread.php?t=268091)
Episode 8: The Hungry Earth (http://www.toonzone.net/forums/showthread.php?t=268354)
Episode 9: Cold Blood (http://www.toonzone.net/forums/showthread.php?t=268711)
Episode 10: Vincent and the Doctor (http://www.toonzone.net/forums/showthread.php?t=269024)
Episode 11: The Lodger (http://www.toonzone.net/forums/showthread.php?t=269357)
Episode 12: The Pandorica Opens (http://www.toonzone.net/forums/showthread.php?t=269686)

[MonkeyFunk]

Well, that was... odd. Good odd. Pretty clear attempt to move away from the action/melodrama-oriented finales of the other seasons ad towards something a bit more quirky.

Worked for the most part - not convinced by Amy remembering the Doctor back into existence (Davies was criticised quite a bit for pulling a similar stunt in Last of the Time Lords, so one wonders how Moffat doing the same thing on a larger scale will be received) and feeling a wee bit cheated that the evil voice is being saved for later - but an enjoyable conclusion. 4/5 I say.

[HellCat]

I never quite got that complaint about season 3. The Master is able to somewhat control humanity through a planet wide psychic network. The Doctor (established to come from a race with matured psychic powers) spends a year tuning himself into the network and its energy, linking him to humanity. Thus when all of humanity is unified in their desire to see his revival it empowers him. Simple as.

As for this finale- kooky fun. I love that Moffat is always happy to take advantage of a time travel series, not just 'Oh yeah, we have time travel so we can happily retcon'. This was a big expansive adventure that made true use of the time travel dynamic. I'd say that no one really died either but...Fez :crying:
The truely interesting part is that in fact we're only half way done, with 'Silence will fall' and River Song to ultimately explained next year. This is looking set to be a massive multi year story. One thing I do wonder- Matt said he's signed for 2 years. River will be half of next years arc and she warned that when that's resolved 'That's when everything changes'. Is 11 going to regenerate then?

[HellCat]

Watching this episode makes me wish that the BBC had allowed Moffat the opener he originally wanted. He wanted audiences go from The End of Time to Amy's prayer but the BBC made them add the whole 'TARDIS darting over London' as a more dramatic opening. It's not a bad scene but knowing this you can tell it was stuck on and it also removes alot of impact from Amy's very first meeting with the Doctor. A big dramatic reveal for a guy we've already seen trying to save his junk from Big Ben.

[Temple Fugate]

Moffat said in one or two interviews that a Doctor Who episode can be as small or as epic in scale as it can be...but it's the heart of the episode--the core human stories--that give them real meaning for the audience.

This two-parter, and the season in general, is a clear embodiment of that philosophy. The theme of the Doctor not being a crusader or a larger than life hero, but a fairy tale. Amy's entire conception of the Doctor is based on her eight-year-old encounter, and it shaped her life from that point on. She travels with him to finally live out her childhood fantasies.

Incorporating the fairy tale aspect in with the cracks and the end of the universe, where forgotten things are half-remembered as "fictions," takes the fairy tale full-circle. The Doctor, once a living being, now only a story in Amy's head, is given life again because she remembered his story.

I'm more in love with the concept than the storytelling, but the story is still great to watch. All the little bits were hilarious and cute. The Doctor putting the fez on young Amy, Amy and River destroying the fez, using bow ties and suspenders to remind Amy of the Doctor at the wedding reception, the Doctor teaching the kids his silly dance.

Rory evolved by leaps and bounds. His dedication and his love for Amy is unquestioned at this point. If "Amy's Choice" didn't seal the deal, now it's confirmed. These two have to be together. After all they suffered through, Rory and Amy unflinchingly decide to accompany the Doctor into the Christmas special. This is the life they both want, and it's a life they want to share with each other.

Arthur Darvill had better get his name in the opening next year.

Seriously, Amy and Rory are wonderful characters together. The show now has a nicely rounded triad that plays great off each other. Amy and Rory aren't amazing, super, extraordinary characters. They're normal people with quirks and dreams, and that's what makes them fun to watch. That's what makes a good companion on this show. Ordinary people experiencing the extraordinary. I don't want to watch season six just for more Doctor, I want to watch Amy and Rory having fun along with him. The ending sets up the promise of that wonderfully.

Moffat's use of time travel as a narrative device never ceases to amuse me. Time travel in his stories feels so natural, and surprisingly is rarely confusing. This is exactly how I'd expect the Doctor to live his adventures. It's no wonder he has fits of boredom when experiencing long stretches of linear time.

This is the first finale without a bittersweet ending. Season one saw the regeneration of Nine into Ten, season two trapped Rose in another universe, season three had Martha "getting out" of time traveling, season four erased Donna's memory of the Doctor, and "End of Time" showed Ten saying goodbye. This finale ENDED THE UNIVERSE, and somehow pulled a joyously happy ending with a wedding and the promise of more adventures.

I, for one, am excited at the prospect of carrying the villain over into season six. If he was introduced in just this last episode and then dispatched, it would have been Davies' Dalek syndrome all over again. This gives the villain some credibility. He came so close to achieving his goal, (assuming the silence WAS his true goal) he's clearly a threat to the Doctor. Let's not rush this.

I felt River was much better here than in "Time of Angels." She contributed to the episode without dominating it with her mystery and her boisterousness. I am, however, getting tired of her telling the Doctor how/when they'll meet again. Isn't she supposed to be all about spoilers? This is the second time in a row she's hinted at what happens in their next encounter. I won't mind seeing her next season, though. As opposed to my opinion of her after "Angels," I see now she can work well in a story. I'm finally interested in learning more about her.

There are some convoluted, cooincidental things in this two-parter, but whatever wasn't hand-waved I can easily live with. The testament of a good story is how much the audience is willing to suspend its disbelief, and in this instance I love the story so much I can ignore the small details. That's a far cry from how I felt in January about "End of Time Part Two."

Best season of the revived series, with the best finale.