This episode is another Steven Moffatt epic where he throws everything at it and it is undoubtedly exciting and fun. I realise this is super popular with a lot of fans but I see this as a mixed bag. I think it is good in many ways due to its plus points - production values, entertainment and acting, particularly Matt Smith, Arthur Darvill and Alex Kingston - but there are things which detract from its quality for me.
Moffatt does not seem to have 'less is more' or subtlety in his vocabulary and tends to 'over-egg the pudding' very frequently in my opinion. I still think we get a tasty 'pudding' but it leaves me feeling bloated afterwards from having too much haha!
Right from the start this is a big, brash space opera. Rory is back to his 'Last Centurion' persona despite being human and not the Auton-Rory who originally was given that superhuman characterisation. The Doctor is set up as the mythical God-like figure Moffatt wants him to be. River and Amy are given even more epic importance in the lore of the series than they had already been given. We have everything from Cybermen, Silurians, Sontarans, Headless Monks with lightsabers, an 'army of God', a host of returning characters and new characters who we are told have history with the Doctor and we have grandstanding speeches, unarmed face downs of entire armies etc. It can only be described as epic and I think it is a bit overblown really. Yes it is entertaining and thrilling a lot of the time but it is a bit too much thrown it at once I think. I would personally have cut a few characters and plot aspects and concentrated on main plot points more. That is my personal view.
I did not like the storyline of Amy being held captive throughout pregnancy and having her baby stolen. I find it unpleasant and distasteful and that is somewhat compounded by the fact this does not resolve that arc and instead we are left with the baby still captive.
The fact there is the revelation the baby is in fact River Song and that River has apparently known this all along just does not seem to make sense to me either: River's previous behaviour towards the Doctor, her previous behaviour when first meeting Amy and Rory and her motivations all seem dubious - Would River really have said and done everything in the way she did if she knew all this? I don't think so.
My main issue though is that I do not buy the plot of all this effort to kidnap a baby and raise it to kill the Doctor: How did the Silence/Madame Kovarian know Amy was pregnant?
How did they know the baby would be part Time Lord when even the Doctor does not think this is possible?
How do Timelords who have existed and travelled in time for many thousands of years not know this phenomenon could occur but the Silence do?
Why do they think a Time Lord baby will be the best weapon to beat the Doctor?
Why if they can duplicate Amy so convincingly would that false Amy not be a sufficient thing to use to kill the Doctor? Surely she could easily have shot or poisoned him.
Is raising a baby to kill someone remotely a believable method when it takes so long and has so much chance of failure?
Literally anyone could have been used to shoot the Doctor at Lake Silencio or to poison him. Stealing Amy's baby and raising her served no purpose!
Another question is does it even make sense that River/Melody being conceived on the TARDIS makes her part Time Lord with powers of regeneration etc? I guess in a sci fi concept you can throw this kind of thing in and it is not illogical but it just seems a bit of a weird idea. In theory, if you had lots of people being conceived aboard the TARDIS you could completely revive the Time Lord race! Strange. And the later storyline of the Timeless Child does not fit in with this idea at all. I wish both Moffatt and Chibnall had taken more care with their big lore additions.
On the plus side the acting is all very good, the effects are excellent, there is some good humour, good dialogue, there is exciting action and there is some interesting drama. Rory has a great episode especially.
I cannot say this is a bad episode at all in terms of entertainment value but I am not personally a fan of the plot or story arcs. We all have our own preferences and this doesn't really match up with mine. But it is fun to watch.
My Rating: 6/10.
Moffatt does not seem to have 'less is more' or subtlety in his vocabulary and tends to 'over-egg the pudding' very frequently in my opinion. I still think we get a tasty 'pudding' but it leaves me feeling bloated afterwards from having too much haha!
Right from the start this is a big, brash space opera. Rory is back to his 'Last Centurion' persona despite being human and not the Auton-Rory who originally was given that superhuman characterisation. The Doctor is set up as the mythical God-like figure Moffatt wants him to be. River and Amy are given even more epic importance in the lore of the series than they had already been given. We have everything from Cybermen, Silurians, Sontarans, Headless Monks with lightsabers, an 'army of God', a host of returning characters and new characters who we are told have history with the Doctor and we have grandstanding speeches, unarmed face downs of entire armies etc. It can only be described as epic and I think it is a bit overblown really. Yes it is entertaining and thrilling a lot of the time but it is a bit too much thrown it at once I think. I would personally have cut a few characters and plot aspects and concentrated on main plot points more. That is my personal view.
I did not like the storyline of Amy being held captive throughout pregnancy and having her baby stolen. I find it unpleasant and distasteful and that is somewhat compounded by the fact this does not resolve that arc and instead we are left with the baby still captive.
The fact there is the revelation the baby is in fact River Song and that River has apparently known this all along just does not seem to make sense to me either: River's previous behaviour towards the Doctor, her previous behaviour when first meeting Amy and Rory and her motivations all seem dubious - Would River really have said and done everything in the way she did if she knew all this? I don't think so.
My main issue though is that I do not buy the plot of all this effort to kidnap a baby and raise it to kill the Doctor: How did the Silence/Madame Kovarian know Amy was pregnant?
How did they know the baby would be part Time Lord when even the Doctor does not think this is possible?
How do Timelords who have existed and travelled in time for many thousands of years not know this phenomenon could occur but the Silence do?
Why do they think a Time Lord baby will be the best weapon to beat the Doctor?
Why if they can duplicate Amy so convincingly would that false Amy not be a sufficient thing to use to kill the Doctor? Surely she could easily have shot or poisoned him.
Is raising a baby to kill someone remotely a believable method when it takes so long and has so much chance of failure?
Literally anyone could have been used to shoot the Doctor at Lake Silencio or to poison him. Stealing Amy's baby and raising her served no purpose!
Another question is does it even make sense that River/Melody being conceived on the TARDIS makes her part Time Lord with powers of regeneration etc? I guess in a sci fi concept you can throw this kind of thing in and it is not illogical but it just seems a bit of a weird idea. In theory, if you had lots of people being conceived aboard the TARDIS you could completely revive the Time Lord race! Strange. And the later storyline of the Timeless Child does not fit in with this idea at all. I wish both Moffatt and Chibnall had taken more care with their big lore additions.
On the plus side the acting is all very good, the effects are excellent, there is some good humour, good dialogue, there is exciting action and there is some interesting drama. Rory has a great episode especially.
I cannot say this is a bad episode at all in terms of entertainment value but I am not personally a fan of the plot or story arcs. We all have our own preferences and this doesn't really match up with mine. But it is fun to watch.
My Rating: 6/10.