DW 6x12 - Closing Time

[caz963]

I've been looking forward to this one since I heard that James Corden was returning to DW to reprise his role as Craig. I thought The Lodger was one of the best episodes of S5 and I've enjoyed Gareth Roberts' work on both DW and SJA, so I was predisposed to like Closing Time anyway.

And like it I did.



Matt Smith and James Corden have great chemistry and as before, their interactions were a delight, and some - such as the "are you going to kiss me?" scene - were hilarious. Also, there was some nice "circular" continuity as we learn just where Eleven got the stetson and the dark blue envelopes he used to send out his invitations.

Other good bits:

Eleven trying desperately to talk himself out of staying to investigate the power fluctuations

Stormageddon

Craig owing that the Doctor ALWAYS needs someone, but doesn't like to admit it

"I'm the Doctor, I work in a shop now. I'm Here to Help." - and the showing of the badge!

Eleven talking to baby Alfie about his own childhood and showing him the stars - he, at the end of his life, and Alfie at the beginning of his

Cybermen!


As for the rest...

Although the Cybermen are on my "good things" list, because I'm always pleased to see them - that part of the plot did feel a bit flimsy. But then I suppose there had to be something nefarious going on for the Doctor to investigate and something to place Craig in peril, so I can live with it. Although it has to be said, the concept of Craig being able to fight off the conversion and destroy the Cybermen through the power of luuurve was dreadfully cheesy.

I'm a bit uneasy about the whole "I'm bad for my companions so I must send them away" thing that's going on - not because I don't like the angstyness or it, or because it's not true, but because I'm not sure how much further they can take it. The Doctor has always known that - long before Ten decided he was going to travel alone - and yet he's taken lots of them along with him anyway. As far as I can see, the Doctor has two options: travel solo or accept that his companions (for the most part) choose to go with him of their own free will and allow them to make that decision for themselves.

And finally, a scene at the end to set up next week's finale. Kovarian and the Silence pay a visit to the newly qualified Doctor Song and stick her in a spacesuit in the middle of a lake. (I think we all knew it was River or some version of her in the suit, right?). Given her reaction to the appearance of her "owners", it's obvious that this River is the one we saw at the end of LKH - the one who, having tried to kill the Doctor, decided to save him (I still can't fathom what occasioned that turnaround).

My eldest was shrieking at the end that she couldn't wait a week to find out what happens, but I have to admit to a degree of apprehension. From the trailer, and the set of 20+ publicity photos I saw the other day, I think that the finale is going to be as much of a mess as LKH because it looks as though there's just too much to pack in.

So... I liked Closing Time although I didn't think it was as good as The Lodger.

Comments

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

I liked The Lodger more but then The Lodger is one of my favourite episodes in all of Dr Who. I liked the bromance in this one. I SHIP IT A BIT YES.

No surprises re: River.

[caz963.livejournal.com]

No surprises re: River.

No. Although weren't we told in DotM that it was the little girl in the suit? I don't think I'd have been able to remember if the series had run straight through, but spreading the series over six months has made it even harder to remember what happened earlier on!

[time-converges.livejournal.com]

I liked it a lot - especially Alfie/Stormageddon. Cute baby is very cute, and I love Eleven with the baby, showing him the stars.

and yeah, I suspected it was River in the suit, so not really a surprise, but I am curious how they'll get out of this one.

[caz963.livejournal.com]

The thing about the suit is - weren't we told in TIA/DotM that the little girl was in te suit? This is the problem with something this complicated. It would have been difficult to remember everything even in the series had run straight through, but with the break in the middle, unless we've got DVDs to hand, it's hard to remember the-story-so-far.

[time-converges.livejournal.com]

I thought the girl in the suit at that time was Melody (young) - so it's timey wimey I guess, or a different suit, or...I don't know.

[topaz-eyes.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen the episode yet, but it sounds like a good one! (I have to wait until tomorrow, so everyone can watch together.) Edit: Seen it now. :-) The last few episodes have done wonders for S6.

I'm a bit uneasy about the whole "I'm bad for my companions so I must send them away" thing that's going on - not because I don't like the angstyness or it, or because it's not true, but because I'm not sure how much further they can take it.

After 4 different permutations of it, I think that idea's well played out now. Killing the Doctor "for realz" is actually not a bad way to settle it: if the end of S5 rebooted the universe, the end of S6 will reboot the Doctor. A "replacement" Doctor would likely have a clean emotional slate; if the "same" Doctor somehow arises anew, he would have come to terms with himself over those 200 years.

And finally, a scene at the end to set up next week's finale.

Edit: Hmmm. Was River still gung-ho on killing the Doctor in that final scene? If she was, then I think her decision to save the Doctor was only due to Amy's intervention, i.e. the power of love briefly overcomes years of programming. And if she wasn't, then that'll be really interesting to watch.

Now I've seen it: what a lovely parallel of River overcoming her programming to kill the Doctor via Amy, with Craig's love for Alfie overcoming the Cybermen programming!

I think that the finale is going to be as much of a mess as LKH because it looks as though there's just too much to pack in.

I read a review of an advance screening of the finale which pretty much implied the same thing, so make of that what you will. *g*

(Sheesh, I'm opinionated for someone who has yet to watch the episode...)

[caz963.livejournal.com]

I think the last few episodes have saved S6 from lodging in my memory as possibly the worst series of nu-Who ever. Instead I'll remember it as "worst series of nu-Who with good episodes by Gaiman, Gatiss, Whithouse and Roberts in!"

what a lovely parallel of River overcoming her programming to kill the Doctor via Amy, with Craig's love for Alfie overcoming the Cybermen programming!

I admit, I hadn't thought of that. I don't think I'm paying as much attention as I used to :(

TBB last year was a real let down IMO. I have the feeling that TWORS will emgender a similar reaction, although I've now given up waiting to be impressed by Moff's DW. It used to be something I looked forward to watching all week, and now it's more like "oh, Doctor Who is on."

[lemony69.livejournal.com]

I thoroughly enjoyed the last 4 episodes and especially in the last one I liked Eleven very much. For me those stand-alone episodes just work so much better than the daily-soap-drama aka story-arc. ;) Craig and the baby should sign up as companions for the next series.

I think that the finale is going to be as much of a mess as LKH because it looks as though there's just too much to pack in.

Yep, my thoughts exactly.
There will be much hullabaloo and everybody and their mother will turn up (including the kitchen sink ;) and in the end it will turn out that everything we saw this series was timey-wimey wibbly-wobbly and the Ponds get baby Melody back and live happily ever after. Just my speculation of course. ;)

[caz963.livejournal.com]

I've enjoyed the last four as well - I said after LKH that I'd more or less given up expecting to be able to enjoy the arc episodes and would depend on these to restore my faith in DW!

It seems to me that there's way too much to pack in to one 45 minute episode next week, so I dno't have high hopes.

SM has said that S7 will be less arc-centered, and I hope that's true - which is a shame, because I normally enjoy overarching stories. I love Fringe and I was a big fan of Babylon 5, both of which manage to sustain multi-season arcs very well. Perhaps the different production methods and constraints of DW aren't conducive to that approach,