I quite enjoyed this episode - a nice little comedy romp which sees the Twelfth Doctor encounter River Song. It's funny - I've never been the biggest River Song booster, but she worked better with the Twelfth Doctor than any of his predecessors.
I also liked seeing the Doctor have the advantage over her for once - knowing who she was without her recognizing him. Lots of funny lines between the pair of them.
I also liked the "planets-as-ornaments" segment in the opening credits.
Who was the "weird amalgam of Eric Cartman and Uncle Fester"? He was interesting-looking.
"There's something in his brain." "You could've fooled me."
I'm curious to see where the series will go from here.
Replies
I quite enjoyed this episode - a nice little comedy romp ...
I agree completely. Something light and (mostly) frivolous was just what I was in the mood for. Nice that even the Doctor couldn't help laughing at how ridiculous the situation was.
River still scored a few points -- not only does she confess to nicking the TARDIS from time to time, but she even has a secret stash there that he didn't know about. Of course, since he added back the roundels, how could she know where her stash was, but not recognize him? Did she steal the TARDIS, and then return it, while he wasn't around?
Doctor Hmmm? said:
That seems to be the conjecture that I've heard so far.
If River had pictures of the Doctor’s first 12 faces (including the “War Doctor”) and was aware of his 12 regeneration limit, why would she not have expected him to have regenerated again? Especially when he repeatedly told her, “I’m the Doctor”? One plus twelve is thirteen, you know, at least the way I count. (I know, Moffett counts differently.) I don’t see how she could have known “Ten” used up a regeneration without either a) knowing about the twelfth (thirteenth) or b) without knowing a twelfth (thirteenth) was possible. I supposed it doesn’t really matter (or pay to think about it too much), but I knew Moffett’s shenanigans at the 50th would lead to this.
I think River played so well with the Twelfth is because they are more age appropriate. She especially seemed to be robbing the cradle with Matt Smith. Right or wrong, I think it’s more culturally acceptable for the man to be older than the woman in a romantic relationship (I’m speaking appearance-wise, not Timelord-wise).
This month Big Finish released the first in "The Diary of River Song" series. I haven’t heard it yet (and don’t plan to for a while yet, anyway), but it’s possible she could meet some of the Doctor’s earlier selves. Of course they’d have to assure they explain why the Tenth Doctor didn’t recognize her when they first met in “Silence in the Library,” but that’s not an insurmountable problem. The Eighth Doctor, for example, is featured in one of the stories in the first set.
Well, if she knew about the War Doctor, she knew he'd had twelve faces, which means twelve lives. If she knew about the Tenth regenerating without changing, r=then she'd think he used up his thirteenth and then have no reason to suspect a fourteenth.
"Well, if she knew about the War Doctor, she knew he'd had twelve faces, which means twelve lives."
But twelve regenerations means thirteen lives, no?
"If she knew about the Tenth regenerating without changing..."
How would she know that?
I call residual shenanigans.
Really, I think that Moffat knew that we knew that, and didn't stop to think whether she would be likely to know that.
She is Moffat in a female body, after all.
PowerBook Pete, the Mad Mod said:
Now, there's an unappealing image!
I'd like a story featuring River Song and Susan Foreman, if not on TV then on CD. With Alex Kingston and Carole Ann Ford both recording for Big Finish (and River Song having her own series), it's possible.
The Doctor's Granddaughter's Step-Grandmother by Neil Gaiman