Doctor Who s07be08 - The Name of the Doctor

The starting was OK. I'll grant you that. I think this episode is meant to celebrate the 50th anniversary. However, I'm not sure shoving a bunch of old clips together really does it for me. And they really are just screwing around with retconning everything these days. Sure, it's time travel, but you have to have limits.

Also, again with the Doctor's secrets. In the past he was mysterious, of course. However now it seems he is just being given loads of secrets, all of which act as plot devices. Like "Doctor who?. Oh haha! That joke got old very quickly. Now: Trenzalore. This place has just suddenly appeared, out of nowhere (I.e. ever since these stupid story arcs started). The doctor's grave. I mean, now you're deliberately setting up places, for future story-lines. The opposite of retconning. Well, too bad. Can't change it now. The doctor will die in battle. That's the ending, revealed before it happens. Great storytelling, people!

Oh, as if we hadn't had enough of the whole melody character. I mean sure, she's the Doctors wife, but come on. I have begun to associate her with bad stories. a pity. Besides, she died, in the Library. We've seen her die, and we know her beginnings. Her character should have been removed when they had the chance. Props to Alex Kingston for keeping the character going, though. Must be hard.

Physics problem: When the doctor turns off the "anti-gravs", that is not how the Tardis should have fallen. It should have steadily accelerated, according to the planets gravity. Also, It's indestructible, so should not have a cracked window. Also, the idea of the Tardis growing. What? Well, it has it's own physics, I shouldn't really complain.

Ah, the return of the great intelligence. It existed in the past classic series, and made a return this one. Less than spectacular, if you ask me. The Snowmen story was quite a god one for this character, but I'm not to keen on the way it was made. Something so powerful should surely know the consequences of meddling with the Doctor's time-line. Paradoxes are bad. Even evil beings know this. Although, I am not an expert on this character, so perhaps my judgement is unfounded.

Now, the way that it was shown, him being killed in the past. It makes no sense to me. If killed in one place, he should surely stop existing in other places too. And all of these changes would happen instantaneously, because they already had happened. There would be no time lag, as indicated in he show.

The ending was odd. The doctor not only gave Oswin a leaf, to find the way out, but then came and got her physically. The leaf would theoretically exist only in his mind's time-stream, so I'm not sure what it's significance was. And I'm not sure how he could converse with his other selves, either. Surely these were, as he said, ghosts, and... I'm not very good with metaphysical metaphors in TV shows like this one.

Something I found interesting in this episode: I had to actually fast-forward parts of , and just skip them entirely. I rarely have to do this, but I'm glad I was watching it pre-recorded. It just lost my attention entirely at points. Not exactly a good sign.

Good parts of the episode: Glasgow, the perfect place for a sontaran! Found to be one of the most violent places in the UK. Some good humour. And the terrible mention of

"I like the new desktop" - referring to the desk top in the dream state

Terrible, yet funny. Also, the idea of embedding the drugs into the paper of the letter.

Also, the way the doctor's journey was drawn, as a tear in time, was quite good. It is a 3-dimensional move, that changes, indicating the presence of a 4th dimension. It looks similar to the time-map used in the show "Primeval", and I like the way it was drawn out. I would also imagine that it would make a fitting monument for a Time lord's grave.

I really do hope this is the end of the story arc, and maybe even the River song arc(fat chance, though), and they can go back to being normal by-the-episode stories. With a few multi-part stories thrown in for a good mix. Seeing how John Hurt portrays a perhaps darker doctor will be interesting too, as long as the stories are good, which I really hope they are.

• Story: 2/10


• Execution: 4/10


• Bonus: none.


• This Episode: 6/25

So... What did you think of this story, the story arc, or this series in general?