Rate and Discuss: The Pandorica Opens

[SiHart]

What's in the box?


And more to the point, was it any good?

Si xx

[Larry]

looking forward to this one more than any other of the previous series finally's simple because it's written by Steven Moffat.

[Si Hunt]

It was rubbish!

Si.

[Martin Curnow]

It was rubbish!

Si.

3.23pm: timey-wimey?

[Larry]

3.23pm: timey-wimey?

maybe he's just getting the bad bits out of the way first...

[shada pavlova]

...

...




...

...GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!

Moffat has achieved the most EPICALLY BRILLIANT series finale ever! In fact, I'm actually thinking this could be the end of the series for ever!

One complaint - we didn't get to see any Drahvins, Draconians or Terileptils.

BUT IT WAS STILL AWESOME!

[Alex]

Wow...!

That was just outstanding, my favourite beginning to a series finale yet! It was just so dense, packed with so much going on, and I was gripped by all of it. There's just so much to mention, but, well, that ending left me with my jaw dropped in shock - I had to remind myself that the series is coming back next year, so it's not quite the end just yet!

Other highlights - hell, I could list every single thing which happened, and you've all just watched it, so that would be pointless! But everything in this episode just worked so well - Rory's return, River finally delivering on the promise her character's shown, the mystery slowly unravelling, and, of course, the return of so many enemies.

I can't rate it 10/10 as I don't personally believe anything can achieve perfection, but that was damn close, and gets 9.5/10 from me.

I just hope everything that took place in this episode isn't diminished by the finale - I mean, there's got to be a reset button in there somewhere as the universe has just been destroyed - but I hope whatever Mr Moffat does it's as satisfying as this episode was.

[Dino]

Not even the crap Cyberhead snake act can knock this one down from a 10!
Although if that's the last we see of Churchill and the Queen it won't make up for the crap endings episode two and three had?
Really heartbreaking cliffhanger. Did not see it coming.
It's probably a sci-fi cliche anyway but Rory saying he "Just woke up a Roman" reminded me of the third series of Lexx where cast members would die to wake up on another part of the planet. I'm glad Doctor Who has taken this idea further.
I'll stop whilst I'm ahead on this post! Really, really great episode.

[shada pavlova]

The amount of old monsters that came back made this the ultimate fanw*nk episode. However, it was also actually good.

Gary Russell, take note.

[Martin Penny]

I thought that was excellent. By far, the best series finale we have had since the series came back, and it was such a relief to have it set in something other than present day (if only so we were spared the annoying celebrity cameos!).

And although I knew bits and pieces (I had seen the photos of all the monsters standing together), there was loads of little bits and pieces that surprised me, the biggest being that all the Romans were Autons, and that Christopher Ryan was back playing a Sontaran Commander! (Very Kevin Lindsay)

Also, am I the only one who thought this was the best showing of the Cybermen yet? They actually came across as very sinister and threatening, even when they were destroyed. The white Supreme Dalek has grown on me as well, but I still thought the yellow/red Daleks looked rubbish.

Great cliffhanger as well, the music and slow motion style reminded of Lost though - no bad thing, I just found it strangely similar.

[egdcltd]

And it still looks like we haven't seen the ultimate enemy, the one who seized control of the TARDIS and destroyed the universe (top that Daleks!). Did any of the Doctor's old enemies want to destroy everything? Or is this a new one?

[Awesome Wells]

WOWZERS!

I'm almost afraid to give it 10/10 in case next week's episode tops it - unlike Spinal Tap's amps, the scores don't go up to eleven. Unless next week's scoreboard can be adjusted to compensate for this... *suggestion*


Up until the appearance of the Daleks and company in the Pandorica chamber, that was the best Doctor Who I've ever seen - a hyperspeed comicbook adventure in a fairytale and the darkest (literally) episode ever. After all the aliens appeared, it was only absolutely fantastic. So, that's alright, then.

The comic book styling was unmistakable: the pre-credit sequence was a sequence of frames from previous adventures, in exactly the style and colouring of Vincent And The Doctor, Victory Of The Daleks, etc, cutting with breathless speed from one to the next. The breakneck pace continued through River's escape and discovery of the picture, to the meeting with the Doctor and Amy. It was superfast but it didn't feel rushed. Right up until the moment the Daleks and co. appeared, it was perfectly paced: timeless, in fact. It felt just a tiny bit as if things slowed as the aliens gathered around and shoved the Doctor into the Pandorica, but that actually felt alright. As everything went pear-shaped and silence fell, that felt right. I think we could almost have done with an Earthshockish 'no music' closing credits, to go with the lack of a teaser for next week.

Its styling was as good as its speed - this was the best looking episode yet. From the technicolor sci-fi start through the reds and golds of "Cleopatra"'S Rome to the wintry colours of the trip to Stonehenge fading into the darkness of the chamber and the green and grey of the Pandorica itself... and then the alien ships above Stonehenge. Literally, a visual feast.

Great story, by the way - did I mention that? A massive gang of aliens with a genuinely unexpected reason for them all being there and a convincing plan for luring the Doctor in. Imagine the Daleks, the Cybermen, and everyone else working together for the good of the universe against the ultimate evil who will destroy the universe: the Doctor. Well, the TARDIS, anyway - because only the Doctor can pilot it... can't he?

All round excellent performances, by the way - particularly the understated "so, how have you been?" Doctor/Rory interaction, the Rory/Amy interaction as she cried out of happiness but didn't know why, and the Doctor standing on the rock and shouting at the ammassed alien hordes. Matt Smith is a hero. But my personal favourite was River Song exploring Amy's house in the darkness. Alex Kingston = genius. Not to mention thoroughly hot - even in a Princess-Leia-on-Hoth-fleece, let alone showing it off to prison guards in the 52nd century.

Even better, none of the season's conundra have been answered, the Doctor is locked in the Pandorica, Rory's an Auton, Amy's dead, and River is blowing up inside the TARDIS. Next week's episode isn't so much unmissable as unbelievable. I can't imagine it's going to be better than this and yet... I rather think it will be. Bollocks to it - if I was rating this story, I'd give it ten Stephens out of Moffat. A work of genius.

[Alex]

Not even the crap Cyberhead snake act can knock this one down from a 10!

I loved that bit, personally. I thought it made the cybermen scary for the first time since the series returned, especially when the old skull fell out and it attempted to assimulate Amy!

A few others have noticed how similar the music is to Lost, Martin, I guess Murray Gold's been watching too much of that show and has been unconsciously influenced by it. Well, that's the nice way of putting it, anyway.

[Awesome Wells]

I loved that bit, personally. I thought it made the cybermen scary for the first time since the series returned, especially when the old skull fell out and it attempted to assimulate Amy!

Agreed - I forgot that in the myriad of excellence: scary as hell. And, for added splendidity, no "DELETE!"

[Awesome Wells]

Oh, and also, more Pertwee: "Maybe I will - but I haven't yet."

[Si Hunt]

Points off for "You will be assimilated" though.

Si. :mobile

[Pip Madeley]

My review of tonight's episode if anyone wants to read it is here

[Dr Judson]

Oh. My. Gosh. What an episode. I thought that Rory might return (and I loved the moment where the Doctor's talking to Rory but he doesn't quite realise that Rory's actually there). Amy finally remembers Rory (yay!). Rory's an Auton (a genuine shock reaction from me). I thought that the Pandorica was going to be a Doctor Who equivalant of Pandora's Box and it pretty much is! Wonderful Highlight: The Doctor's speech to all of his old enemies gazing down at Stonehenge. Crowning Moment of Awesome: The Doctor Who Alien Alliance - I knew that the Cybermen would appear but I had no idea that everyone else would! (Back in 2006, I was disappointed when it turned out that the Daleks and Cybermen weren't working together, but I can gladly say that isn't the case this time!) How will the Doctor will get out of this one (and how will Amy?) A Pandorica-opening 10 out of 10 from me! (let's hope there's not a cop-out ending for this series finale).

[Zbigniev Hamson]

One complaint - we didn't get to see any Drahvins, Draconians or Terileptils.

I despair... I really do

[Awesome Wells]

My review of tonight's episode if anyone wants to read it is here

What - here?

[Pip Madeley]

No - here!

[Paul Monk]

WOW!

And creepiest cybermen since the 60's

[Milky Tears]

What - here?

CONTAINS FLASHING IMAGES!
ROFLMFAOFFSOMGSQUEEEEEE!!
CONTAINS FLASHING IMAGES!



Mr Monk speaks the truth.

[Larry]

as fantastic as this episode was and it was fantastic when Auton Rory, "killed" Amey, and then seein The Doctor sitting in the pandorica chair I couldn't help thinking "re-set switch" . Two gripes about the monsters/aliens not really sure as to why the Silurians were there and I would much prefered to of seen Cybermen from our universe other than that I can';t really add much more to what hasn't already been said.


9/10

[Dave Tudor]

How the hell are they all going to get out of that!?!?!?!?

Amazing stuff. 10 out of 10.