New Who: "The Pandorica Opens"

[lizbee]

So, yes, I loved pretty much everything about this. In fact, I can't think of a single thing I didn't love, except for the bit where AMY IS DEAD and RORY'S AN AUTON and THE DOCTOR IS IN THE PANDORICA and RIVER AND THE TARDIS HAVE EXPLODED.

I can only assume that next week will open with Romana emerging from E-space, going, "Huh. I'm sure there was a universe here when I left," and setting about fixing everything. Because I really can't think of anything else that will finish this.

Let's have a short list of everything I loved:

- Unexpected previous guest star cameos!
- "I'm the bloody queen!"
- That River is a cross between Indiana Jones and Sydney Bristow. It's a crime that she doesn't have her own spin-off, Torchwood-style. Only, you know, good.
- "Taken straight from the wrist of a handsome young Time Agent" = no wonder Jack was keeping the Doctor's hand around. Lose one once, you start to think a spare would come in handy.
- Graffiti on the oldest cliff in the universe. A possible shout-out to the alleged "You Are Not Alone" that RTD scribbled on the Eye of Orion. I lolled, anyway.
- CLEOPATRA
- ROMANS!
- ENTIRELY EXPECTED RORY!
- OH GOD I AM FORGETTING BITS LIKE THEY ARE BEING SUCKED INTO A CRACK AND ERASED FROM THE UNIVERSE!
- Let's talk about the parallels between River's lipstick and practical use of her kisses, and Amy's kissogram job.
- I think we all expected the Pandorica to open and the Doctor to be inside? And instead, it was the Daleks and everyone else proving they were paying attention all those times Seven manipulated them into their own end. Bless.
- So if Rory is an Auton, how does he remember his death? Is there something else going on there, or was it just written that way for maximum emotional impact?
- After this episode, here are some things I never want to read again: "Moff can't write emotion" / "Karen Gillan can't act" / "River Song is a smug arrogant..." Never mind, people will be saying that for as long as she persists in being unapologetically female.
- HOW ARE THEY GOING TO COME BACK FROM THIS ONE?
- "Invasion of the Hot Italians. Okay, I did lose some marks for the title."
- Pandora's Box! I ♥ Amy, because that was also one of my favourite stories when I was little. I may have written fic where Pandora and the embodiment of Hope become superheroes to fight the evil she inadvertently released from the box. Well, I thought about it.
- IS IT NEXT WEEK YET?

I am wondering if, somehow, all of the Doctor's interactions with Amy will be erased, so she'll grow up different, and then her relationship with the Doctor will have to begin again from scratch. Which would be interesting, but I don't want to lose what they already have!



Comments contain spoilers for next week's resolution!

Comments

[aria]

I am wondering if, somehow, all of the Doctor's interactions with Amy will be erased, so she'll grow up different, and then her relationship with the Doctor will have to begin again from scratch.

AHHHH. That is something I did not think of! I already sort of suspect that an alternate young Amelia will have to somehow save the universe (...I have not thought it through anymore than that) but I do not want it to erase everything that has already happened. I really want this to be a story where everything still happens, because even if time can be rewritten, the things that are remembered also still exist; and I want that story because it'd be a good story, although also because I have it up to here with anyone forgetting things they did with the Doctor.

[melengro]

I already sort of suspect that an alternate young Amelia will have to somehow save the universe (...I have not thought it through anymore than that)

...I thought that that was one of the few things about the finale that's actually known.

[aria]

I knew she was in it, but I did not know we were promised universe-saving! That is happymaking. :D

[melengro]

Well, she's 'the universe's only hope'. That's how they phrased it. I think that's pretty conclusive that she'll be the one to at least start setting things right, though.

[melengro]

- HOW ARE THEY GOING TO COME BACK FROM THIS ONE?

Through the power of ~*~AMELIA~*~, that's how.

My theory is that the universe goes boom, but Amelia is one of the pieces of 'shrapnel' that's all that exists any more and, being Amelia, manages to conjure the Doctor from her subconscious or memories or something? I don't know; I know that for a 'theory' this is somewhat vague, but it's all I can really think of.

- So if Rory is an Auton, how does he remember his death? Is there something else going on there, or was it just written that way for maximum emotional impact?

If he was created from Amy's (fragile and imperfect) memories of himself, shouldn't the fact that Amy remembers his death mean that he does as well?

[lizbee]

If he was created from Amy's (fragile and imperfect) memories of himself, shouldn't the fact that Amy remembers his death mean that he does as well?

Hey, yeah, that works. Carry on!

[violetisblue]

I'm starting now to seriously wonder if Rory, and all of Leadworth, ever actually existed at all except in Amy's mind. All that we see or that we seem...

[copracat]

Could you add that there are spoilers for the last episode in the comments? They may be very widely known but I'd managed not to know them until a thirty seconds ago.

But apart from that: AWESOME ELEVENTY! AUTONS! BAD GUYS IN AN ALLIANCE TO PROTECT THE UNIVERSE FROM THE DOCTOR! ROMANS! RORY! RIVER! SHEEREST EDGE OF THE SEAT EXCITEMENT!

[lizbee]

Oh, my apologies! I'll add that.

[jaythenerdkid]

After this episode, here are some things I never want to read again: "Moff can't write emotion" / "Karen Gillan can't act" / "River Song is a smug arrogant..."

I think Moffat's emotional punch in the gut re: Rory and Amy easily outstrips the tacky emotional payoffs of the RTD era. As for Karen, have you seen that "the one facial expression of Karen Gillan" picspam series where they capture all the amazing faces she makes? And River Song is...well, she's the goddamn River Song. I don't think I have ever seen a single character be that awesome in the space of a single episode.

That River is a cross between Indiana Jones and Sydney Bristow. It's a crime that she doesn't have her own spin-off, Torchwood-style. Only, you know, good.

*cough*

[tempestsarekind]

Ha, that picspam series is so awesome; I love it. Oh, Karen and her little face.

I've never understood this whole "Moffat can't do emotion" thing; "The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances" makes me cry like a baby.

[jaythenerdkid]

Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead had me wibbling in parts, as did the end of Girl in the Fireplace. Blink had me terrified and laughing and crying by turns.

[jesuswasbatman]

I thought that the oldest message in the universe was a shout-out to the "God's last message to creation" bit in Hitch-Hiker's.

[infiniteviking]

*seconds that* :D

[infiniteviking]

In fact, I can't think of a single thing I didn't love, except for the bit where AMY IS DEAD and RORY'S AN AUTON and THE DOCTOR IS IN THE PANDORICA and RIVER AND THE TARDIS HAVE EXPLODED.

What you said. *brb flailing*

"I'm the bloody queen!"

I just about jumped out of my seat when Liz X appeared, yes.<3 SHE CAN GO CRIMEFIGHTING WITH RIVER NAOW PLZ.

ENTIRELY EXPECTED RORY!

Must admit, I didn't expect him that way~!

I may have written fic where Pandora and the embodiment of Hope become superheroes to fight the evil she inadvertently released from the box.

You write it, I'll read it and possibly illustrate it.

[onomatopoetry]

I just watched it again and realized that at some point, Rory dressed up as a roman soldier (for a fancy dress party?), probably because he knew they were Amy's favourites. I want like six of him, damnit!