Amy’s Choice is rather a unique concept with some lovely performances from all the regular cast, alongside Toby Jones as the Dream Lord - a villain who, like the Valeyard from classic Who, is effectively the dark side of the Doctor. In retrospect we now know that Matt Smith was the 13th version of the Doctor, which makes the fan theory that the Valeyard and the Dream Lord are one and the same even more compelling.
Tonally the episode is a little bit mixed up with some quite dark moments (Amy chosing suicide in the Leadworth world, for example) up against some high jinx comedy, such as a series of alien infected old pensioners and Rory’s rather silly pony tail. But its an enjoyable, memorable, and original episode. 7/10
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Rory’s first story as a companion and he’s clearly terrified. Watching in hindsight, it’s lovely to think how the character developed and grew In confidence across later episodes. He’s a bag of nerves and insecurity in this one. The vampire fish deliver us some fairly standard vampiric cliché which, whilst fun, is a bit variable in tone when compared to something like ‘State of Decay’. Matt Smith is again outstanding - I’m enjoying him so much more now that he hasn’t come along just 3 months after David Tennant. A bit of a romp with fairly bland characters, but kind of fun and enjoyable 5/10
There’s absolutely loads going on in this first 2 parter from the Steven Moffat era - it’s the first time we see River Song since she errr… died back in a series 4 library, it’s the return of the Weeping Angels, and we get to see quite a bit more of Amy's incredibly creepy crack in time. The whole thing oozes with atmosphere, tension and intriguing ideas - some standout scenes for me include River’s ridiculously cheeky rescue at the hands of the Doctor by TARDIS at the very start, lovely innocent Angel Bob communicating from beyond the grave, Amy inadvertently counting down from 10, a team of soldiers one by one investigating the crack close up and in the process disappearing into non existence, and the moving death of Bishop Octavian ‘I wish I knew you better...I think you know me at my best’. Matt Smith snd Alex Kingston excel in this one. In hindsight it’s lovely to spot the moment where a Doctor travelling back through his own time steam from episode 13 pops up to reassure Amy and ask her to remember. 9/10
Watched in hindsight, the 'victory' of the title didn't quite pan out the way the producers intended - with the new look paradigm Daleks quickly pensioned off in favour of a return to the more popular 2005 brass design. Even if it was kind of explained in later episodes, one can't help feel that this little piece of canon was somewhat ignored rather than properly explained away. Nonetheless as a standalone, its a fun adventure with a nice twist on a Dalek acting as a war aid for Churchill, and a servant. 'Would you like some tea?' the Dalek croaks in a manner reminiscent of 1966's Power of the Daleks. Some nice guest starts in this one too - from Ian McNeice as Churchill and Bill Paterson as Edwin. Also, as with Episode 2, we get to see the rage of the Doctor once more (this time, in his frustration against the Dalek deception). This is a nice simple Dalek tale and its much better than most fans give it credit for - many of whom have a distaste for it based on the new look telly tubby Daleks alone. In fairness, they do look terrible (which is why we don't ever see them quite like that again), but that aside its a nice script, well realised. 7/10
Once again, Matt Smith is excellent in this, giving us a great range. Its an intriguing utopian concept - The entire population of the UK escaping an Earth ravaged by solar flares on the back of a space whale, and watched over by sinister smilers and Her Majesty Liz 10 - but all choosing to live in a kind of group-think and elected denial. The story allows for the relationship between the new Doctor and Amy Pond to develop further too. For a first journey into space with a new Doctor it doesn't give us the emotional punch of something like The End of the World (Rose Tyler's similar first journey into space), and also the plot probably doesn't make a huge amount of sense if examined too closely (really, everyone chooses to forget?) but it still stands up rather well as a simple and fun science fiction allegory. 5/10
The main thrust of the plot is that of a new Doctor meeting a new companion (in quite an unusual way) - with the crack in Amy's bedroom wall, and Prisoner Zero being somewhat of a side story. Everything looks and feels brand spanking new with a new cast, new TARDIS, new HD cameras, and new opening titles. Plus the tone is rather different from the RTD era with a setting of a village in Gloucestershire, rather than central London. Matt Smith really is excellent here, possibly the best first performance of a new Doctor ever. He's wild and eccentric and despite the actor's young years, easily convinces as a 900 year old alien. In my re-watch, 9 years on from its original broadcast, I found the whole thing to be a lot more emotional than I remembered. Amy is, even as an adult, a lost and abandoned little girl waiting for her raggedy man to come and save her - it makes her first entry into the TARDIS at in the final moments very more touching.
Apart from some dodgy Prisoner Zero CGI (which don't match well with the surroundings), this episode looks stunning with some great cinematography and a gorgeous colour pallette 9/10 |
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