Rate and Discuss 6.4: The Doctor's Wife

[SiHart]

In 1984 it was a JNT joke... this time it's for real!

What are you thoughts on The Doctor's Wife?

[Alex]

Well what a massive disappointment. I expected better from Gaiman but all we got was some shitty old...Ah, I can't do it, that was fan-frickin-tastic!

I have to confess to being a bit concerned with the first five minutes, as I wondered what the hell was going on, but then it became a rip-roaring adventure of the very best kind, filled with thrilling moments, some beautiful SFX, and of course The Tardis! Suranne Jones was astonishing I thought, she's an actress I've never had a huge amount of time for but she pulled off the role perfectly, whilst seeing Rory and Amy dashing around the corridors was fantastic too - I just wish we'd seen more of the individual rooms - but the part where Amy discovers the writing on the wall, and Rory's dead body...wow, that might just be my favourite part of the Moffat era yet!

And the ending was so moving too - and thank God Gaiman didn't have the Tardis express it's love for the Doctor - but having it say Hello, and the following speech, was perfect. As was the very final moments.

I can't give things 10/10 as I don't think anything can achieve perfection, but it gets 9.5 from me!

[Jason Thompson]

I really really enjoyed that. Only a couple of minor criticisms to get out of the way:

First, the shoehorned in arc elements again. Amy is still thinking about the Doctor dying. We can remember that bit without being reminded of it every flaming week, so just get on with the actual story. And isn't 'the only water in the forest is the river' a bit obvious when we have a prominent character in the series called River that we know will be back? The stuff running around the corridors was just padding, and I have to say when Amy discovered Rory's corpse all I thought was 'oh, he's died again'. Rory has become Kenny from South Park.

But as for the rest, wow. Brilliant stuff. The Ood being in it was more than just a rehash of an old costume, as the translator ball became an important element. Idris was great, and the Doctor was the most Doctor-ish ever. Nice to see the old control room again.

But the highlight, of course, after so many years, the TARDIS gets to talk to the Doctor! And those final moments, when it finally gets to say not goodbye but hello had me beaming from ear to ear. Just lovely. Not only the best this series so far, but the best Moffat-era episode and definitely one of the best since 2005.

[Larry]

9/10 . The Doctor's Wife, now seems such an obvious title and a wonderfull play on words as The Doctor and his TARDIS, have over the years become like an old married couple.for me a thoroughly brilliant episode spooky tense while at the same time some LOL moments - and what a wonderfull idea transfering the TARDIS, conscience into a living being and then both expressing their feelings towards each other. and TARDIS corridoors to top things off..

[stuartdg]

One word.....SUBLIME!

[egdcltd]

I had hoped that they would use one of the really old control rooms from the original series when it was mentioned that they were going to an old one, but I suppose it wouldn't be as recognisable to new fans. Nicely different episode I thought.

Who is Idris? The name is familiar but I can't place it.

Oh, and loved Amy's line to the Doctor, "Did you wish really hard?"

[Milky Tears]

One word.....SUBLIME!

Can't beat that.

[Dino]

Quite moving really. I prefered it to last weeks which I gave full marks, but I can't seem to pick a number to vote for. I picked the wrong week to hold back on voting to avoid giving it 10 each week...
My best line was the one about bunk beds.

[Andrew Curnow]

Excellent! The first episode I've really enjoyed of this season, and it was a real goodun!!

I agree with Jason about Rory & Amy being padding, and thought as he did when I saw Rory dead again, but it didn't annoy me like it did last week because the story was so engaging.

Many things to enjoy about this one, but my favourite is that Neil Gaiman managed to totally change the Doctor's story (ie, the TARDIS chose him, not the other way around) but in a way that perfectly fits everything that's gone before. Just lovely.

[Matthew T]

Did anyone else think the voice of the time lord in distress sounded like Paul McGann?

[Paul Clement]

Another one that I've really enjoyed.

[Andrew Curnow]

Did anyone else think the voice of the time lord in distress sounded like Paul McGann?

I didn't notice it, but that's EXACTLY what Zel said!!

[Zbigniev Hamson]

I'll give it a 6, it wasn't THAT good

Oh and maybe there's something wrong with my ears, but I found vast swathes of the dialogue unintelligible tonight, much more than usual. I don't know if it's the music drowning it out or people rushing through dialogue like they have only seconds to live, or a combination of both.

[Darren]

10 out of 10

With a title like that, The Doctor's Wife could have been an excruciatingly contrived 45 minute gimmick.
What a relief then, that The Doctor's Wife was the best episode of Doctor Who which has been produced since it's return in 2005. Neil Gaiman plunged us into a story more surreal, eccentric and otherworldly than anything before. And downright scary. The scenes in the TARDIS with Rory and Amy were possibly the most frightening yet.
So much intelligence, charm, and emotion squeezed into the script which oozed understated style. Watching tonight evoked memories of the very best of the original series and you got the sense that the writer understood the material and history he was working with. There were standout moments; the original (eighties style) console, the TARDIS corridors- finally, after 6 years!- they made me grin like an 8 year old.

Matt Smith gave his finest performance to date. His urge to find his surviving people fed by the guilt he still (and always) harbours; His understated fury at discovering the fates of the aforementioned Time Lords made the scene with Auntie and Uncle quite unsettling as he was genuinely menacing. His final scene with Idris was absolutely beautiful and natural.

Suranne Jones was superb as Idris, reminding me a lot of Helena Bonham Carter. She stole The Doctor - love it! She and the Doctor had amazing chemistry, and a real relationship blossomed naturally in the short space of time that existed (wonderful writing).
Amy and Rory were excellent. Their moments running down TARDIS corridors gave the character s the chance to shine away from the Doctor and really showed their closeness. Karen Gillan is impressing me very much this series.

House was a quite formidable enemy, conveying evil and darkness very well for a disembodied voice. I liked that his arrogance was his undoing in underestimating the Doctor's anger, leading him to where the Doctor wanted him.

"Go on Old Girl, finish him!"

[The456]

Gave it 8, another good one, this series is so much better than last years. Was anyone expecting Idris to say "Hello Sweety" at the end just before she popped her clogs ?

[duncan]

Excellent stuff. the best of the series so far.

[The456]

I think "house" sounded like Tom Baker

[Perry Vale]

I'll be writing more words on this episode later, but here's six to be going on with...

More Neil Gaiman next year, please.

[FlyingBeastie]

10/10

It was:

Beautiful

Imaginative

Breathtaking

Wonderful

I even welled up at the end.

FINALLY, an episode where my heartstrings were just all in, the pacing was amazing, I was intrigued without being annoyed because there was going to be a payoff-

and can I just say- Sir, permission to say BRAVO in an extremely loud and annoying voice for the performance from the actress who played Idris-

BRAVO!!!!!!

Matt Smith, FINALLY got to shine and bring out his Doctor out more (I just love how much of a child he is- the bunkbeds!!!!)


Again, I can't really articulate how much I loved this episode (they even had that wonderful theme from Midnight which shamelessly never got released!) but, if I could, I'd give it an 11 out of 10.

More from Gaiman, please

[chalkie]

I really really when Amy discovered Rory's corpse all I thought was 'oh, he's died again'. Rory has become Kenny from South Park.

OMG they killed rory!!! YOU B?TARDS!!!!!

[chalkie]

ok my opinion is highly subjective, and biased. i gave it a (9) i have had previous experience and enjoyment and appreciation of neil's work...for any last remaining people who have not...i point you in the direction of "good omens", "neverwhere" , "stardust" and the sandman comic series , for starters..anyhoooo, on twitter he was saying he hoped the ep was liked...and was not daring to go online, as he was worrrying about it. as for the ep it's self, a tardis and a tardis within a tardis...(sounds like a cue for a "yo doc...." comment ) last seen in the ep with the concords..i think..so much for that one being the last tardis, then, if one can be created. this gives new hope to my aspiration of an ep title as quoted in this forum

the seed of the tardis
the son of boe

actually being made....look, i can dream can't i?

[Paul Monk]

I thought it was a thing of wonder. I love Neil Gaiman but was really worried that it would be disappointing, but it wasn't.
There's very little I can add that everyone else hasn't said already but I will point out a few things.
Arthur Darvill needs to be given credit in this episode. I thought the bit when he was really old was fantastically acted, full of bitterness and resentment at Amy's ungratefulness. He was superb.
And secondly was there a slightly cryptic warning from Idris about River Song at the end? Anyone got any ideas what it might mean?

[Alex]

So come on, fess up, who gave it 1/10? I'd genuinely be interested in why you hated it so much...And to tell you why you're wrong to, as well!

[Junkyard]

One word....Brilliant!!!

[Jon Masters]

Need to watch it again really to pin down my thoughts - not really aware of Gaiman's work other than Good Omens with TP, so maybe I was expecting too much given the excitement of people who did like his work. Can't see me going more than 6/10 at the moment.

Quick question - how did the Ood get inside the TARDIS ?