Rate & Discuss: The Pandorica Opens
The Doctor’s friends unite to send him a terrible warning; the Pandorica - which is said to contain the most feared being in all the cosmos - is opening. But what’s inside, and can the Doctor stop it?
As the end credits roll on the first part of this year’s spectacular series finale, you’re probably wondering how you’re going to cope with the week-long wait until its conclusion. While we can’t make time go faster, we can make the next 7 days a tad more bearable, as it’s over to you to scrutinize and speculate the remaining nights away!
Tonight, we saw the Doctor and Amy joining forces with River Song, as the various warnings and prophecies we’ve witnessed throughout the series came back to haunt them. As the dreaded Pandorica opened its doors to a world of unmistakable horror, the trio were faced with a dilemma they couldn’t even have imagined in their most terrifying of nightmares. But this is no dream, and as a host of familiar friends and foes returned, our heroes were thrown head first into their toughest challenge yet, caught up in a mind-boggling mystery buried deep beneath the soils of Stonehenge.
In what can only be described as an epic start to what looks set to be the finale to end all finales, there were surprises aplenty, but there’s plenty more to come, as its colossal cliffhanger leaves us twiddling our thumbs in anticipation for next week’s final curtain call. But what did YOU make of Episode 12, and what are your hopes for Episode 13? Share in the epic journey with your fellow fans by leaving a comment on this post. Please bear in mind that we won’t be monitoring the discussion for spoilers, so please don’t read any further if you haven’t yet seen the episode. You have been warned!
Series 5 concludes next Saturday, 26th June, with The Big Bang at 18:05 on BBC1/HD.
Epic! Really Great! Daleks, Cybermen! Every alien back! But whats going on with Amy? Apart from that.. 10/10!
Well, starting this post, I don’t really know what to say apart from, well………..Wow.
It was certainly an interesting episode, perhaps it was a great episode, my mind is still pondering that question………but this episode, rather than answering questions, created a lot more.
The Roman Soldiers and the Pandorica seeming to be linked to Amy’s mind, Rory linked to a photograph of Amy with a Roman Soldier who may or may not be Rory, the Doctor being locked in the Pandorica as the most feared and dangerous thing in the universe, the Tardis exploding with River Song in it, despite her dying with the 10th Doctor, this episode was very interesting indeed.
So many new questions, BUT if they’re all leading to a load of answers in Episode 13, then it is looking to be one hell of a Season Finale.
I knw wat u mean as soon as u think ov one question another pops in..one that keeps goin round in mine it might have been part ov the trap but lets try…we knw the doctor gonna stop this some how well if the pandorica is openin frm the inside do u think that the doctor is still alive in the pandorica and he escapes (wat might bring the meanin to it bein opened frm the inside) coz if its jst openin to put him in then the darleks ect… could jst have opened it frm outside n with the doctor escapin thats how he stops it all frm happenin goin back in time..jst a thought.
….. is amy really dead, i have my doubts it was AMAZING BRILLIANT FANTASTIC MATT SMITH IS FANTASMAGORIGAL AMY AND RORY WERE AMAZING AND RIVER SONG… WORDS FAIL ME!!!! CANT WAIT FOR THE FINAOLE BUT YHOW IS THE DOCTOR GETTING OUT OF THE PANDORICA????????????????????
Please keep comments on-topic.
Moffat has a great knack for the pre-credit sequences, doesn’t he?!
Really great ep, for some reason I didn’t really like seeing all those baddies together, but overall, it was a winner.
I forgot to mention something in my post, the Cyberman helmet opening and a decomposed skull falling out, VERY cool…….Cyberman helmet trying to eat Amy’s head, not so cool, it looked like some kind of crazed clam shell.
@JC
Oh, that whole bit was great, and reminded me of a certain bit in The Thing.
Loved it! Especially the Alliance: of all the villains to put together in an alliance, the Daleks, Cybermen and Sontarans are a perfect fit.
Amy dying was shocking, but the conclusion of that isn’t shocking given we know of Karen’s future on Doctor Who. But, I’m glad she remembered Rory and those missing memories before she “died”. Rory and the Roman Soldiers being Autons on the other hand: that was quite a brilliant idea given the inclusion of the Nestene in the list of villains.
To be honest, how brilliant must it be to have Steven Moffat’s brain? The imagination inside there is fantastic, and The Pandorica Opens alone is proof of that. The confrontation scene between the Doctor and the Alliance outside the Pandorica chamber (the bit with the Roman soldiers watching) was brilliant, as was the cliffhanger. You can tell The Big Bang will be a reset button-episode but, the way The Pandorica Opens set up the story, you can tell the reset won’t be as obvious as certain RTD finales (to be honest, though, I loved Last of the Time Lords despite that).
Also, I am so glad that Murray stayed on as composer: the composition for the cliffhanger from the slow motion footage of the Doctor being dragged into the Pandorica was stunning, as were most of the compositions throughout this episode, even those we’ve heard before.
If this episode fails to get high overnight ratings, then… who knows what the world’s coming to?
Absolutely amazing episode!
Everything about it was perfect and it was possibly the cleverest storyline I have ever seen. I love how almost every place the Doctor has been and every person he has met this series has some part in the story. It all fits together beautifully and the final revelation was just brilliant.
I absolutely cannot wait seven days! >___<
Fantastic episode!! just as epic as previous finales. I can sense a lot of infighting in episode 13 as there is no distinct leader of the alliance and with so many strong armies (daleks, genera staal, cybermen etc) it wont be long before there is dicension amongt the ranks.
Found amys death so moving and brilliantly written. The whole episode was just imaginative. DEFFO the longest pre title sequence ever in the new series.
I thought it was good of moffat to include not just classic monsters but also some that the RTD era created (Hoix, sycorax etc) which was a good nod.
one question though: Why were the Judoon involved?? Arent they meant to work for the shadow proclaimation
what happened anyone? i missed it :/
@pirko
The Juddon/Shadow proclomation obviously agree that it’s for the best that the Doctor is locked away.
This is the best episode since Doctor Who returned in 2005. Nothing touches it in any way. Makes the weaker stories in this season worth the watching. Very suspenseful…
Not sure about the “My Love” from River Song. Has to relate in some way to Susan!
The army of aliens at the end was breath taking! Only one enemy missing that should have been there! Ice Warriors!! Come on Moffat, plug ya finger out. The new Daleks looked very impressive in this story. Also, the Zygons were mentioned. These creatures are so overdue.
Brilliant build up to a fantastic episode ending and no next time titles….!
sumthin else keeps comin to mind that not many ppl have said about yet who was drivin the tardis apart frm river who was makin her land in 26-06-2010 and when she dose land why was there a big stone wall stoppin her frm gettin out and last one whos voice was it in the tardis?…
like to hear wat ya think….
sumthin else keeps comin to mind that not many ppl have said about yet who was drivin the tardis apart frm river who was makin her land in 26-06-2010 and when she dose land why was there a big stone wall stoppin her frm gettin out and last one whos voice was it in the tardis?…
like to hear wat ya think….
Loved this episode so damn much! Moffat at his very very best, it was such a clever episode. What a cliffhanger! Can’t wait until ‘The Big Bang’ next week, no matter how early it’s broadcast.
The more I think about it, the more upset I am about what happened to Rory. I hope that’s put right by part 2, will be sad if it isn’t. Other than that, WOW! What an amazing cliffie!
after this ep, matt smith is officially my favourite doctor!!!!!
when he was being dragged into the pandorica, u could tell the doctor was very scared.
but does any1 else think that the voice in the tardis (the 1 that said silence will fall) sounded alot like davros?
something jst came to me wen ever the doctor meets his friends for the first time he never fell frm the sky but…wen he met young amy for the first time he was crashin and didnt they say the worrior inside the pandorica one day it would just drop out of the sky and tear down your world…the way i see it he did drop out the sky and tear down amys world….