I brought them here. They’d say it was their choice, but offer a child a suitcase full of sweets and they’ll take it. Offer someone all of time and space and they’ll take that, too. Which is why you shouldn’t. Which is why grown-ups were invented.
Eleventh Doctor, Doctor Who, S06E11
‘The God Complex’
Every time I watch Series 6 I forget until I am actually watching it just how ‘timey-wimey’ and convoluted it is. Not all of it, but enough to be confusing. There is also a lot of episodes to do with River Song which I think definitely contributes to that. In saying this, I thoroughly enjoyed Series 6. Plus some of my all time favourite episodes for Matt Smith’s Doctor are in this series. I just may need a timeline to keep it all straight in my head.
Christmas Special: S06E00 ‘A Christmas Carol’
This episode probably isn’t one of my favourite Christmas specials, but in saying that, it really is a gosh darn wonderful episode. There are some great 11th Doctor moments, Amy and Rory in their Police Woman and Roman Centurion costumes respectively, that song Katherine Jenkins sings as Abigail at the end of the episode – Abigail’s Song (Silence is All You Know) – it makes me cry every time, and of course, the shark pulling the carriage through the clouds at the end.
I love how they managed to perfectly meld the story of A Christmas Carol into the Doctor Who world and not make it feel out of place. Aesthetically, this really is a beautiful episode. I love the contrast between the chaos of the crashing spaceship and the heartfelt, slow moving story of the Doctor, Kazran, and Abigail. I think this one has grown on me the more that I’ve rewatched it.
First Episode(s): S06E01/02 ‘The Impossible Astronaut’/‘Day of the Moon’
This was a really wild two episode story, with a convoluted and rather sad beginning, and a very creepy alien, but I enjoyed it all the same. The episodes mark the beginning of an arc that (you now realise) has been set up in Series 5, and continues with a reoccurring character (River Song) who was introduced in Series 4 – so an epic set up for these episodes (and the rest of the series) really.
The Silence are a wonderful creation, and my gosh are they creepy! You forget them the moment you look away, and they can influence you while you are looking at them so you won’t know why you’re doing something when you look away. They are such a clever creation, especially as one for a whole world threat.
The episodes also asked SO many questions which was both great and not so good. Mostly because it meant I was waiting each week for the next episode and making my own theories (it’s been that long now that I don’t know what these were), but also, this was Doctor Who so who knew if any of these questions would be answered.
Favourite Episode: S06E11 ‘The God Complex’
The concept for this episode is so gosh darn cool, it is also on my list of top episodes for me – of all time. A prison masquerading as a hotel that has fears in each room, all guarded by, as Amy calls it an ‘Alien Minotaur’, which is a recipient for both a very entertaining and very emotional episode of Doctor Who.
What I love about this episode I think is that there is such a wonderful collection of new characters. The characters really have to shine in a story like this, especially in such a contained setting. There is so little room to move (figuratively, that is – the characters are running around an ever expanding and changing hotel for the episode, so if anything they have too much room. Rita has to be a favourite of mine, she is a character I would love to see again (if it were possible).
There is so much to this story, I could honestly go on about it forever, but I won’t, as I have limited room here, and many more episodes to write about. I will say this though, I had quite a few quotes in the running for the one you see up the top there. There are so many beautiful lines in this episode (funny ones too), but I will finish this little piece with one from Rory which haunts my mind.
You know, Howie had been in speech therapy. He’d just got over this massive stammer. What an achievement. I mean, can you imagine? I’d forgotten not all victories are about saving the universe.
Most Emotional Episode: S06E10 ‘The Girl Who Waited’
This episode quite possibly put me into an emotional spiral the first time I watched it, a spiral which means that I need to choose wisely for when I rewatch this episode. Also, I can only do so with a box of tissues, some form of comfort food, and a blanket.
There is something so heartbreaking about Amy living for nearly forty years in the Two Streams facility on a distant planet not knowing when the Doctor and Rory would eventually come and save her. So much so that she started to believe that they wouldn’t come for her at all. The ending of this episode makes me sob every single time. It is beautiful and heartbreaking.
Special Mention: S06E07 ‘A Good Man Goes to War’
I cannot write about Series 6 without mentioning ‘A Good Man Goes to War’. There is so much packed into this episode that every time I watch it there is a fair amount of ‘mind boggling’ that goes on, and I love it. There is a lot that is revealed about the character of River Song that has been puzzled over since she was first introduced.
I did not expect the “River is Amy and Rory’s daughter” reveal, and I vividly remember watching it for the first time as I somehow didn’t get spoiled for the moment (thank goodness). I am pretty sure I was sitting there in a daze throughout the credits because of it. Especially with that piece of music playing at the time. River song was already a favourite character of mine, then she became so much more awesome.
Series Final: S06E13 ‘The Wedding of River Song’
This is another rather mind boggling and ‘timey-wimey’ episode. Time is converging after the events of the first episode were diverted by River. Now time is stuck and people aren’t who they’re meant to be, nor do they remember the correct version of time. Apart from Amy of course.
There is something wonderfully chaotic about this episode, especially the ending. The resetting of time is heartbreaking, but also hopeful in a classically Doctor Who way. Then is punctuated by another reveal, and so realisation that never fails to make me laugh (and then most likely cry).
In a word (well, two words) I would say that overall this series is just ‘mind-boggling’. There is a lot to keep track of, and a lot that is revealed about River Song that both answers questions, and asks more of them. Which is both a good and bad thing in my eyes.
What were your picks for the above? I’d love to know your thoughts! Thank you for reading!
Writing(s) by Anna 