Rate & Discuss: The Impossible Astronaut
The Doctor, Amy, Rory and River Song are reunited in the middle of the Utah desert, where a strange summons unveils a terrible secret that the Doctor’s friends must never reveal to him.
The last time we saw the Doctor, Amy and Rory (not including the Comic Relief special), they were decking the halls with boughs of holly on a festive quest to show lonely old miser Kazran the true meaning of Christmas. Now they’re back, and this time they’ve swapped the snow and ice of Sardicktown for the baking hot plains of the Utah desert!
The weather wasn’t the only thing heating up, as it didn’t take long for the drama to reach boiling point too! As our heroes were becoming reacquainted, they were thrown head first into yet another mystery, one which took them to the most powerful city on the planet, specifically to the desk of a Richard M. Nixon. You may have heard of him!
The President of the United States enlisted our time travelling heroes on a mission to save a terrified little girl from an impossible astronaut, and to help them along the way they were joined by the enigmatic Canton Everett Delaware the Third, a former FBI agent. Tensions soon began to rise in the TARDIS, as Amy, Rory and River discovered a terrible secret. With the Doctor left in the dark, he was forced to put his own life solely into the hands of his companions. But Amy Pond was harbouring another secret too, and as his friends all held heir tongues, the Doctor was about to encounter another Silence…
So, at long last the TARDIS has reopened its doors, but what did you make of its first Series 6 outing? Was it an American dream, or do you feel disappointed? Did the new monster send you shivering behind the sofa? Were you impressed by the story’s scale?
We now declare our first new series discussion officially open, so let us know what you thought of tonight’s opener in the comments! Tell us what you loved/hated about part one of the US adventure, and don’t forget to share anything you picked up on that might hold relevance to future episodes. The most important question: Are Stetsons cool!?
As with last year’s discussions, you can also give the episode a star rating out of five.
An interesting episode, seeing the Doctor actually killed, whatever the technicalities was really unnerving and showed just how vunerable the Doctor is to death.
I didn’t expect the other “Tardis” type thing to turn up again this early, but I liked River’s almost reference to Silence in The Library. Amy being pregnant or seemingly pregnant is a rumour that’s been around for quite a while, even so it was gratifying to have it confirmed.
I will say that it really does feel like Episode 1 of a two parter because I want much more and it’s gonna be really difficult waiting until next week.
3 simple words O M G
That was awesome!!!! Can’t wait for next week
A Slightly more interesting way to open a series than the one with the little fat baby things, wasn’t it?
Top notch Who, with a superb Smith.
Is it next Saturday yet?
Brilliant season opener, but still at the same time confusing. I may have to watch it again to understand it properly. Amy gets around a bit doesn’t she…but I agree with TWWL’s comment. The best series opener we’ve had for a long time.
Crikey!! What an opener!
If ever an episode needs rewatching before commenting properly it’s ‘The Impossible Astronaut’.
So much going on in there. Moffat really is spoiling us.
All four main actors were outstanding.
such a good ep
love river in this ep as well
conrats to doctor who for another great ep
If I have one complaint, it’s not with the episode itself, which really was superb, it’s with the pre-broadcast build up. We were promised someone would die, that it wasn’t a trick, it was proper. Well, obviously it is a trick! Unless they’re saying that this future version of Smith’s Doctor is really the end and no one else will play the character. Which obviously isn’t true. Somehow he will carry on past Smith, so it’s not a proper death. I assumed we would see the end of a future Rory or Amy, and that the rest of the series would build to that coming true.
Anyhoo. The episode itself was great.
[I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH. IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT, DON'T WATCH IT]
Ack. There’s so much to say. I’ll start with what I’ve worked out though.
Amy is pregnant. The Doctor dies. “The Impossible Astronaut”.
Basically, the girl in the space suit is Amy’s daughter. Amy names the child “River Song” after River Song.
The thing is, River Song is Amy’s daughter in the first place. Then, god knows how many years later (or earlier, depending or how you look at it), River Song gets into the space suit and kills the daughter.
“I killed a man, a great man, a hero to many”. Then she goes to prison. (At this point she hasn’t killed him yet (from our River’s point of view)).
That’s my theory.
In my opinion, this was the greatest series opener ever (out of the five i’ve seen).
I can’t for the life of me imagine what “Day of the Moon” might contain, but I have a feeling that it’ll answer a few questions.
The Silence are interesting. I’m just wondering how they know everything (Amy’s name and the fact that she has secrets from the Doctor).
In short: I have a feasible and far fetched theory, the Silence confuse me, Episode 2 is unpredictable and I just had a nerdgasm.
Edpisode Rating: 10/10
I won’t compare Tennant’s episodes to Smith’s episodes personally, I just don’t wish to.
The Doctor being killed was disturbing because you wonder what’s going to happen to mean it doesn’t come to that and yet despite knowing he’ll live on, there is a part of you that wonders if he isn’t going to.
I know what you mean though TWWL about the definite death turning out not to be, in which case, why bother saying it was a definite death?
Still, the doubt that exists in my mind about whether the Doctor still might die properly is still in my head, despite logic clearly thinking that there must be a way out for him.
Woah , pretty awesome, does anybody else think it just didnt feel very doctor who, it was amazing though didnt disappoint, not sure how i feel about the doctor and rivers little thing. Also the doctor death was very scary i almost thought i was going to cry but, i knew it couldnt have been permanent although in the first scene with the younger doctor i felt as if it wasnt the doctor, didnt trust him for a second, i dont know if im being sensitive or if this is significant to the story. Good episode cant wait for next week.
The thing is, after they’ve released these 3 pictures, it was pretty sure what was going to happen… I didn’t foresee the soap opera with Amy being pregnant, though.
If THAT is an insight to how good the entire series is gonna be, I think we are in for the best series yet!!!
RIGHT! im speechless :O i suspected Amy would be pregnant, im still sticking to my ‘river song-is-amy pond’ idea come on people there are loads of hints they are the same person i mean river felt sick the same time that Amy did River flirts with the doc just like amy does, she calls him HER doctor like Amy does! Amy also said that he’s her friend or something like that, obviously he means more to her than a friend AND she told the Doctor BEFORE Rory that she was pregnant!!!
to top it off I think that THE DOCTOR IS THE FATHER of Amy’s baby
I don’t think it was the BEST ever. Very intriguing to say the least, it ended badly in my opinion, then to see the little girl alive in the preview. Really?
Question for you is she really pregnant? She seems to have an imagination on her and not everyone who thinks they’re pregnant is. Symptoms? Her sickness- River said she felt sick. Only time will tell…
They have to rewrite time and change his death don’t they? Because if they don’t Matt Smith can’t leave.
But I really liked this episode and I can’t wait till next Saturday!
Steve as left one in the mix that we missed, the fez is seen again with L&H, It is really important to them because of the SONS OF THE DESERT and the seen being played out is from BEU HUNKS who join the foreign legion to forget things in this case the same women, for example River and Pond, the dancing is from WAY OUT WEST, where an important message needs to be delivered, they all have references to deserts, and Amy and Rory missed it.
@Rose Weasley
Maybe thats a good thing
@Bobin
But who’s to say the little girl is actually alive in Episode Two…?
Loved the Laurel & Hardy scene (big fan) Overall brilliant episode, really amazing stuff. Very dark tone to this series I think which is good, probably need to watch again though. Only thing, the so-called jaw-dropping cliffhanger, which to be honest didnt have me on the edge of my seat, other than that great episode!
Give it 4/5
@Ian Cunningham
Sorry to be a pain but the scene was from The Flying Deuces..