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.
@Tom
You shouldn’t say that I’m an idiot. Its not nice at all. I bet you haven’t gotten a joke before that someone has said or typed plus you don’t know me so I would appreciate if you apologised to me for calling me one.
I thought when Amy said she was sick that she might be pregnant however River also said she was feeling sick…does that mean shes pregnant? Are her and Amy are linked? Or do the Silence just like impregnating women? xD
I think as an episode one it was a quite good episode and an interesting way to start the series. The story itself was quite thin to work out but was coherent enough to follow. Matt was amazing as the doctor (through his silly, daft moments as well as emotional moments). He really has come into his own as the doctor. Karen as Amy once again cemented why she is a fantastic companion (especially with her confrontation with the silence), I feel she gets better every episode. River Song was her usual flirtatious and fun self but slightly annoying because every time we see her, she is more cryptic. This revelation better be worth it
Why was Rory there??? I do not not understand his need to be in the series. He just felt like an add on, the series wouldnt suffer without him. The monster (im assuming was the silence) was the scariest monster so far and I love that they will be back. They were very dark creatures for a 6pm audience.
My only criticisms for the episode were that 1) the story was not that strong and it felt very confusing to watch and 2) Although the idea to open the new series with a 2 parter is an interesting idea I felt there was too much thrown in too soon, to start a new series. This should have been more of a episode 4 & 5 two parter which could carry on during the latter half of the series.
I was with them up until the Amy is pregnant revelation. It seems so forced and overly melodramatic for some reason. The second dcotor certainly seemed colder than usual and somewhat distant. Ihope that River isn’t just Amys child…it can’t be that boring; can it?
Really really good episode, but I don’t know if Amy’s really pregnant. She and River both felt sick after seeing the Silents and Amy knew she had to tell the Doctor something, but couldn’t remember what. It wouldn’t surprise me if the idea of her being pregnant was planted in her mind or if she’s subconsciously telling the Doctor a secret because she can’t remember the real secret (the Silents)
I also agree that a two-parter might not be the best way to open a series. Particularly in this one there are so many unanswered questions that it might turn off casual viewers. I know we all love the timey-wimey- scifi stuff but some people do like to watch it just for fun.
Excellent episode overall though!
It was OK.
…I actually rather enjoyed it, but it wasn’t the best series opener.
Everyone!!! On the ‘Fouth Dimension’ tab on the ep guide for 6.01 on the official site, the message “All the secrets you seek can be found on the web” is hidden!
START SEARCHING!
@TSG
Where is the Fourth Dimension tab?
@TSG I found it! On each paragraph, one word is in italics, if you put every word together, it makes that message!
Don’t worry I found it
and I got that myself as well Sam 
@TSG
Yeah! Except you forgot here, and the last word is actually webb.
It says: All the secrets you seek can be found here on the webb.
NOW start searching.
http://tinypic.com/r/28iz576/7
@Patrick
Ah, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t dead
@e.p
But the Silent in the toilets says “What he must know and what he must never know” which kind of suggests there are two secrets. One of them is obviously his death, the other being Amy’s pregnancy but the line between which is which is blurred.
@TE
But it doesn’t mean he is dead. Truth will out soon enough
@TE
Also remember rule one: The Doctor LIES as said by River in The Big Bang
Quant à Amy’s pregnancy… I’m baffled. Why on earth is it so important? I don’t believe it’s anyone’s child other than Rory’s, which (for me) rules out a hell of a lot of conspiracy theories. That kind of leads me down the path of wondering if the child itself is somehow important.
I’ve read the theory of the child being River… I’m not sure. Bearing in mind what River’s said about dreading the day when the Doctor doesn’t recognise her, wouldn’t she be slightly more affected by her parents not recognising her? And equally, would she not have recognised Rory in The Big Bang?
And quant à the Doctor’s death… It’s got to be rewritten. Time, I mean, not the script. Because otherwise Doctor Who ends when MS leaves. That said, I highly doubt that Amy’s killed the little girl in the spacesuit. River shot the spaceman several times at the beginning of the episode without having any effect. I would suggest those spacesuits have been modified so as to be bulletproof.
Anyway! Can’t wait for next week!
If you visit the official Doctor Who site, click on characters and then River Song, you will notice that in the information section about her, the words: he, her, she, him are all written in italics.
Currently investigating further, but maybe something could follow on from this? Another secret message, perhaps? Let me know!
Where is the future Doctors Tardis and why is he driving a car? Why does he appear trapped and force to try and catch Amy and Rory’s attention through showing up in paintings, history books or on television ( not unlike 10 in Blink) as opposed to just popping in to see them? How could someone send a letter to the Doctor and he have no idea whom it is from? Does the Diner remind anyone else of the Diner from Dreamland the animated area 51 series?
I don’t want to throw any wild theories out there – I think the Moff will blown us all out of the water with Day of the Moon – however, I will say this.
The scene in which the Doctor goes out to meet the astronaut before his death is eerily similar to the scene in Logopolis in which the 4th Doctor goes out to meet the Watcher (the Watcher is a future regeneration of the Doctor who helps Tom Baker through his difficult regeneration at the end of Logopolis). Both scenes have a distanced feel, as if the Doctor is in an otherworldly place and separate from everything around him. This kinda makes me speculate that the person in the astronaut suit is the Doctor himself – therefore the Doctor is the one who kills himself (for purposes unknown, but most likely something to do with the Silents). I also did a freezeframe of the shot where the astronaut is lifting his/her visor, and you can just about make out a chin and mouth similar to Matt Smith’s, although that could be wishful thinking.
@Lucy Grenville
Sadly, I think that’s just because of the text it’s in. Without the italics, it would be quite a confusing piece.