Rate and Discuss: Amy's Choice

[SiHart]

Tonight Amy faces a choice and so do you... how do you rate Amy's Choice?

Si xx

[shada pavlova]

Who was he? Really?

Valeyard? Toymaker? The TARDIS itself? Who knows?

[Alex]

I thought they made it pretty clear that it was the dark side of the Doctor, bought out by psychic pollen-y stuff?

I really enjoyed the episode, the first fifteen minutes were a bit on the slow side, but then it really upped it's game and became one of the best of the new series. Toby Jones was superb as the Dream Lord (I especially loved his moment alone with Amy) and Rory's gone up in my opinion too.

I've not much else to say really - just that it was a very strong, very enjoyable episode and it gets 8/10 from me.

[Paul Clement]

I really enjoyed that one.

[shada pavlova]

I thought they made it pretty clear that it was the dark side of the Doctor, bought out by psychic pollen-y stuff?

Hmm...I wasn't aware that psychic pollen had that much financial influence over Time Lords...

but even if that was a typo, that still suggests the Valeyard.

[Logo Polish]

Well, the Valeyard and the Dreamlord were both described as being compositions of the bad side of the Doctor's nature, so in theory, yes, they might both be manifestations of the same thing.

[Dino]

7/10 for me. Really wanted to love it, and I suppose I'll watch it in a few months and like it more but I couldn't shake the "Was that it?" feeling?
Still the best drama we'll see this week of course, but by the standards set before by the show... not exactly premium Doctor Who.

EDIT: It's not that I can't handle weird Doctor Who episodes... it's that this episode just wasn't weird enough!

[Rob McCow]

Fantastically written, beautifully shot, excellent acting. Loved it.

[Awesome Wells]

I think that this one, unlike perhaps last week's, will improve with repeated viewings. As as been stated earlier, the first fifteen minutes was a bit slow - but when the pace picked up, it grew into something really rather good. Arthur Darvill as Rory was brilliant - proof to the naysayers that he's no ersatz Mickey Smith - and Toby Jones was creepily excellent.

Good special effects - the eye in the mouth thing was pretty horrible - and the moment where Amy realised Rory was dead, and that her love for him was far deeper than her crush on the Doctor, was brilliant. Their waking up together in the frozen TARDIS was brilliant.

The only thing I wasn't convinced about this week was Matt Smith's face. In close up, it looked oddly fat. I can't explain that any better. But that was my only gripe.

If I was rating this, I'd give it eight OAPs out of ten. But I got confused in the voting and only gave it seven. I'm going senile.

Hmm...I wasn't aware that psychic pollen had that much financial influence over Time Lords...

but even if that was a typo, that still suggests the Valeyard.

Whaaaaaaaaaat? Anybody under thirty who even know the Valeyard's name should go out and meet some girls; or boys. Or anything!

[Andrew Curnow]

Really enjoyable, and assuming that's the end of this brief 'Amy fancies the Doctor' story strand then I think Mr Moffat & Co have given us a sort of mini 'Rory & Amy arc'.

Greatly enjoyable episode, me & Claudia laughed a lot - we both really loved Rory whacking that old lady, and again when the Doctor knocked the one off the window. I was hoping for more OAPs to get smacked into by the camper van, but I guess that would have been a bit much for family viewing!!

Some great lines, but they didn't feel forced - my favourite was probably the Doctor saying, "I'm older than I look - don't let the cool clothes fool you." I also liked the Doctor getting irritable quite early on with his two companions, as well as the whole ponytail thing.

An all-round quality episode, nicely-played & directed, a tight little plot that (as far as I can see anyway) holds up, and some thrills & spills along the way!

[Logo Polish]

Whaaaaaaaaaat? Anybody under thirty who even know the Valeyard's name should go out and meet some girls; or boys. Or anything!

Surely nobody knows the Valeyard's name?

[Awesome Wells]

I always thought it might be Geoff.

[Darren]

8 out of ten

I really liked this episode. Each character shined and worked well together.

The possessed OAP's were great I bet grannies and grandad's well be treated extra nice next week.
I also loved the personification of the Doctor's dark side.

[Rob McCow]

Two things that struck me:

1. Violence on pensioners is an interesting angle for Doctor Who. "Old people are scary! Batter them!" I'll bet Stuart was cheering for the villains this time... but isn't it a bit, a tiny weeny bit dodgy? Roary needs an ASBO!

2. The Doctor says (roughly): "There's only one person in the universe who could hate me that much". Given who the Dream Lord turned out to be, that's a really intriguing comment. Does the Doctor hate himself? Or is it natural that anyone's darker side should hate them?

[Awesome Wells]

It's a very Virgin New Adventures idea, innit - the Doctor being so conflicted, with a dark interior that hates him for dumping/mistreating/leaving/sacrificing/upsetting his companions? Only instead of cranky old Sylvester, we have groovy young Matt Smith with his excitable, joie-de-vivre exterior. I think it's excellent.

[Darren]

Does the Doctor hate himself? Or is it natural that anyone's darker side should hate them?

I think he hates the darkness in himself, things he has done in the past. Maybe saving lives and planets helps him to suppress those memories, yet often creates new ones when his plans go wrong or he has to send people to their deaths. As Mr Wells says, it's very Seventh Doctorish.

[Larry]

2. The Doctor says (roughly): "There's only one person in the universe who could hate me that much". Given who the Dream Lord turned out to be, that's a really intriguing comment. Does the Doctor hate himself? Or is it natural that anyone's darker side should hate them?

when The Doctor, said that my first thought was The Master

, overall it was a pretty enjoyable episode as already said the Dream Lord, was briliantly played by Toby Jones, and I have to admitt every time he appearded I kept thinking he looks like Ian Hislop.

Matt and Karen continue to shine and I'm finding it impossible not to like Arthur Darvill, for me he is fast becoming my 2nd favourite male companion (after Ian) he comes over as bumbling and hapless but I get the feeling he will fight to save his friends.

w8/10

[Larry]

It's a very Virgin New Adventures idea, innit - the Doctor being so conflicted, with a dark interior that hates him for dumping/mistreating/leaving/sacrificing/upsetting his companions? Only instead of cranky old Sylvester, we have groovy young Matt Smith with his excitable, joie-de-vivre exterior. I think it's excellent.

if memory serves the New Adventures novel Conundrum was set in a dream/fantasy world and it has crossed my mind whether the idea for this episode was taken from the book.

[Perry Vale]

An all-round quality episode, nicely-played & directed, a tight little plot that (as far as I can see anyway) holds up, and some thrills & spills along the way!

I find it hard to disagree with any of that, although still find myself unable to rate it just yet. For the first time in many years, maybe ever, I need to rewatch it to make my mind up about it.

The plot resolve left a lot to be desired, but this might be down to preconceptions of what I expected.

Still not looking forward to a two-parter from the Chinball Wizard.

[SiHart]

That was, quite frankly, the best episode of the season so far and quite possibly one of my favourite Doctor Who's ever. I loved it. I loved the glimpses into the Doctor's psyche (as Dave says- very new Adventures) and the whole trying to work out which dream was real.

The scenes in Upper Leadworth with the evil pensioners were brilliant! They were really creepy. I think it was quite a brave move on the production team's part to make older people scary when we live in an aging popualtion!

And Amy's choice itself was fascinating. It's often true that it takes a big moment or decision or event to reveal how you feel about someone, and well, death is pretty damn huge really. I think she made the right choice, and hopefully now that'll be the end of all the Doctor/ companion snogging stuff for a while.

I loved the Doctor's reactions to her pregnancy (a pregnancy that was really well played by Karen Gillan, I thought), to the boredom of life in Upper Leadworth which rang completely true. I actually want tos ee it again soon so that I can see what other interesting things the Dream Lord pulls from his darker side. That was all rather intriguing.

Excellent stuff.

Si xx

[Awesome Wells]

if memory serves the New Adventures novel Conundrum was set in a dream/fantasy world and it has crossed my mind whether the idea for this episode was taken from the book.

Conundrum was set in the Land of Fiction - and I must admit, I thought initially that this was going to be somewhere similar and that the Dream Lord would turn out to the Master of said land.

The more I think about this episode, the more I regret giving it a mistaken seven... I even think that eight might not be enough. Was this really not as good as Vampires Of Croatia? Can my vote be changed by a mod or is my incompetence a permanent fixture of this poll?

[Andrew Curnow]

What I'm really enjoying about this episode is that, thinking about it today, there's a lot of 'depth' to it. If we assume the Doctor is still not sure until near the end which reality is, er, the real one, then when he gives Amy the keys he's effectively potentially giving up his life for her. That's actually rather moving, and it's not a big showy moment or anything, it's just deftly brought about by the script and kind of suggested by Matt's expression, especially when he looks at the Dream Lord.

And on the lighter side, I love the fact that in this episode the 'monsters' are lumbering not because that's what monsters do but rather because that's what old folk do!

[Martin Penny]

I think SiHart has described everything I loved about this episode, which is probably my favourite since the series came back.

One thing I'm really enjoying in this series is how much I find myself rooting for The Doctor, I love Matt Smith's portrayal, and always find myself cheering him on. Tennant got on my nerves to the point where I just wanted him to shut up, and for someone to bring him down a peg or two.

Also, thought the Dream Lord was the best villain of the new series by far. I spent most of the episode thinking (Could it be The Master? The Toymaker? Davros?), and wasn't at all disappointed when I found out what he really was.

[Perry Vale]

I've watched it a second time now, and agree with Andrew that there is much depth to be found within it. Little things here and there, such as "Rory's Choice" right at the end, I really liked.

I still don't know how to vote though, and don't want to regret the wrong choice () as Mr.Wells has. I'm hovering between an 8 and a 9. Still not sure about the resolution, and also felt it dropped it's pace a little when the Doctor started picking up villagers in the camper van. Overall, a brilliant atmosphere, and I loved the fairytale/Avengers feel of 'Upper Leadworth'.

Could anyone make out what was on the telly when Amy was in the kitchen at the start?

[Stuart Wallis]

Dave's incompetence pleases me greatly. It makes me look in control!

Two things that struck me:

I'm sorry about The Lads' behaviour. I'll ask them to stop.

1. Violence on pensioners is an interesting angle for Doctor Who. "Old people are scary! Batter them!" I'll bet Stuart was cheering for the villains this time...

but isn't it a bit, a tiny weeny bit dodgy? Roary needs an ASBO!

Now that bit was worrying!

2. The Doctor says (roughly): "There's only one person in the universe who could hate me that much". Given who the Dream Lord turned out to be, that's a really intriguing comment. Does the Doctor hate himself? Or is it natural that anyone's darker side should hate them?

I didn't think of the Valeyard or anything like that at the time - I wonder if Moffat's deliberately trying to flag that now to try and avoid a continuity error later - or is this part of his history can be changed spiel from two episodes ago, and allowing future producers to sweep the character under the carpet? Given the almost game-like element and the choice plot, I was thinking it might be the Toymaker or SJA's Trickster.

***

As for the episode in general. I didn't think I was going to like this episode as it was very derivative of quite a few other fantasy stories - Mort's vaguely similar, and we now know that Terry Pratchett watches... By the end, part of me did want to like it; but there was so much running hither and yon that plot seemed to vanish in the face of yet another sudden change of location. To be fair, that has at least given us a really decent look at the new console room, though it's possible that this is to offset the cost of building it in the first place and running off to Croatia. I wanted it to be good firstly because we now know where Amy and Rory stand with eachother; and secondly because I wanted a reason to come back next week. My heart's not been in this series, and I don't think I can come back next week, even for - well, spoilers and that...

I'm Going to give it 4/10, because I liked the moment Andrew mentioned, I liked Toby Jones, and I liked Amy's reaction to Rory's death.