A Good Man Goes to War (4 Jun. 2011)

A member of The Doctor's team has been abducted and he will call in every favor and maybe even go to war to get him/her back.

Director:

Peter Hoar

Writers:

Steven Moffat, Kit Pedler (characters: "Cybermen"),

Stars:

Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Matt Smith	...	The Doctor
Karen Gillan	...	Amy Pond
Arthur Darvill	...	Rory Williams
Alex Kingston	...	River Song
Frances Barber	...	Madame Kovarian
Charlie Baker	...	Fat One
Dan Johnston	...	Thin One
Christina Chong	...	Lorna Bucket
Joshua Hayes	...	Lucas
Damian Kell	...	Dominicus
Neve McIntosh	...	Madame Vastra
Catrin Stewart	...	Jenny
Richard Trinder	...	Captain Harcourt
Annabel Cleare	...	Eleanor
Henry Wood	...	Arthur

Storyline

The Doctor, Amy and Rory face a terrifying battle to save not just the Earth, but the entire universe, as the battle of Demons Run begins. With the Silents in control of the TARDIS, and the Alliance in pursuit of the Doctor, it seems the Last of the Time Lords only has one choice - will he really give the life of his companion to save the world?

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Family | Sci-Fi

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 June 2011 (UK)

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Cymru Wales

Technical Specs

Runtime:

49 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Madame Vrasta exits her cab, she says "Thank you Parker, I won't be needing you again tonight", and the cab driver responds with "Yes, milady". This is right out of "Thunderbirds", where Lady Penelope would address her chauffeur, Parker.

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Quotes

[first lines]
["Demon's Run"]
Amy Pond: [to her baby] I wish I could tell you that you'll be loved, that you'll be safe, and cared for, and protected, but this isn't the time for lies. What you are going to be, Melody, is very, very brave.
Madame Kovarian: Two minutes.
Amy Pond: But not as brave as they all have to be, because there's somebody coming. I don't know where he is, or what he's doing, but trust me: he's on his way.
["Twenty Thousand Light Years Away"]
Amy Pond: [continuing, V.O] There's a man who's never going to let us down, and not...
[...]

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Soundtracks

"Doctor Who Theme"
(uncredited)
Written by Ron Grainer
Arranged by Murray Gold
Performed by BBC National Orchestra of Wales

User Reviews

A dark fantastical mini-epic masterpiece

Steven Moffat is a man with indeed a formidable imagination and with last weeks jaw-dropping reveal he was going to have his work cut out to match it. After the hype surrounding "A Good Man Goes to War" and the much vaunted revelation as to who River Song really is it could so easily blow up in his face. Generally though aside a few minor flaws and a slightly underwhelming "shock" conclusion Moffat pretty much overall delivers on his promise. AGMGTW for me personally has to rate the best episode of the sixth series so far and I don't care how many people love "The Doctor's Wife","The Impossible Astronaut" and "The Day of the Moon", for me this is the writer/executive producer at his very near best.

Given the dark epic nature of the trailer and It's assertion of an impending doom the episode itself is a credit to Moffat and director Peter Hoar that It's always felt. Opening with the Doctor and Rory gathering comrades across the universe to assist them in going to war against the people who have kidnapped a pregnant Amy. It's stylish flourishes with a cracking quick pace that really suck you in the story. And while the appearance of the Cybermen as witnessed in the thirty- second trailer is disappointingly short lived. It still never the less marks a bombastic, crowd pleasing, testosterone filled spectacle that will have you practically jumping out of your chair and cheering. Some may find it strange that the Doctor calls in favours from adversaries rather than former companions, but it does pose an interesting twist to circumstances and It's exploited deftly. The inclusion though however of a Lesbian human and Silurian doesn't entirely sit well with me as It's really a bit too ridiculous. That being said Madame Vastra and Jenny do make an intriguing and cohesive team pairing, a shame that Mr. Moffat seemed to have to add a sexual relationship between a human and lizard in to the equation.

What marks it in It's brilliance is much of the human drama and the moral ethics and dilemmas that permeate the story. Moffat knows how to press all the right buttons of out emotions and Hoar transfers all this with care and ease. The themes of religion and blind faith have never seemed to feel more relevant. While the eerie Order of the Headless Monks might resemble rejects from "The Lord of the Rings" they epitomise the dark hideous nature of fanatical devotion. Not forgetting the reveal of their headless visage is on par with classic Who's most terrifying moments as a policeman being revealed to be a Auton sent children cowering behind the living room couch. But parallel this with the Doctor and and his personal war. Moffat clearly understands the character arguably better than a lot of other writers. Is he any better than those who he is fighting against? A man on a mission to rescue his friend and her child while aided by another who wants to save his wife and daughter, you can't really ask for anything more dramatic than that. The moral ambiguity of the Doctor is really brought to the fore once again as a peace loving man is forced to become a warrior no matter how he may deny the fact. And in this battle he's prepared to use warriors to fight for him. The Doctor's own methods may not necessarily be the orthodox approach to fighting but fight he does. With a grim after thought before the eventual conclusion questions are never vocally asked but they are silently raised. A skill that the executive producer's most recent predecessor lacked. To my mind this allows Matt Smith to never be better and convincing than he has ever been before. We see a multi-faceted portrayal of the Time Lord. His fortitude, anguish, melancholy and a range of other emotions are displayed for all to see and the actor bridges the transition between each effortlessly. He is also at his most threatening and downright frightening, something I never thought I would witness. Rory in arguably the protagonists most well rounded depiction is finally cemented as coming out of his wife Amy's shadow. Arthur Darvill with the exception of Matt Smith steals every scene and is most likely my favourite companion of the new series to date. Amy too here is at her most vulnerable but simultaneously resilient and brave and Karen Gillan in a revelatory piece of acting manages to cope with conveying both emotions admirably. The supporting cast are also first rate with actress Frances Barber making a instant impression as latest villain Madame Kovarian. Although the antagonist is given little to do Barbers portrayal makes her a chillingly memorable presence. And It's great to see the return of actor Simon Fisher-Becker, reprising his role of lovable, camp rogue Dorium Maldovar who we only caught briefly in last years "The Big Bang".

A practical masterpiece and I don't say that lightly this is near the best you might see from a talented writer. I'm looking forward to see how the whole story arc involving River Song and the dynamic it presents will pan out. And with the heralding of the upcoming "Let's Kill Hitler" to follow in the Autumn coupled with a ominous post credits image I can't help but remain excited about what's to come. Roll on September!