Rate & Discuss: The Doctor’s Wife

May 14th, 2011
Warning! This article and its comments may contain spoilers...

The Doctor receives a distress signal from an old friend. Could there really be another living Time Lord out there? Hopes raised, he follows the signal to a junkyard planet sitting  a mysterious asteroid in a Bubble universe, populated by a very strange family. As the Doctor investigates, he puts his friends in the gravest danger.

In one of the most anticipated episodes of the new series so far, the Doctor, Amy and Rory faced shocks, scares and Ood – and we were with them for every step of the way!

As the first Doctor Who episode to be penned by acclaimed fantasy and sci-fi writer Neil Gaiman, it was always going to be one to go down in history. Of course, the fact that it’s called ‘The Doctor’s Wife’ adds to the overall intrigue factor, and ever since the title was revealed back in March, our brains have been racing with all kinds of outlandish theories and questions. The answers were finally revealed tonight, along with some surprises…

As well as the mysteries surrounding the beautiful and insane Idris, we were also given an all access pass to the TARDIS, which came hand in hand with its very own array of secrets. Along the way, there were blasts from the past and insights into the future, but was the episode worth all the hype that preceded it? Did it exceed your expectations?

The Doctor’s Wife has been described as “a real love letter” to the fans, but was it a love letter worth reading? Were you left delighted or disappointed? You can let us know what you thought about tonight’s epic adventure in the comments section. Happy discussing!

Rate this episode
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(66 Votes, Average: 4.53/5)
159 comments on this article
  1. PRB
    May 15th, 2011 at 4.14pm | #1

    @L.
    I agree; that was my problem with it. The TARDIS has always been alive and the Doctor and the TARDIS have understood each other perfectly for nearly 50 years! It didn’t need a voice that we could hear; just one the Doctor knew was in there.

    Oh, and re: shawn. Surely the story from the past 48 years is the story of the Doctor and the TARDIS…? But I agree that it was a great excuse to explore!

  2. shawn
    May 15th, 2011 at 4.16pm | #2

    @PRB
    i agree on that as well lol

  3. Kevling
    May 15th, 2011 at 4.25pm | #3

    Enjoyed the episode but the main annoyance for me was the whole “pull to open” conversation. That sign is for the panel containing the police phone, not the police box door itself. It even (pulls) open on the toys…
    Pedant ends…

  4. JC
    May 15th, 2011 at 4.44pm | #4

    @Kevling
    Very good point about the phone part of the box opening outwards, I didn’t think about that

  5. Ben Black
    May 15th, 2011 at 5.09pm | #5

    A lesser episode. Even the pirate ep from last week was better.

  6. Friar
    May 15th, 2011 at 5.35pm | #6

    @Ben Black
    What do you mean “EVEN the pirate episode… was better”? Last weeks episode was pretty awesome. And so was this weeks.

  7. TWWL
    May 15th, 2011 at 5.43pm | #7

    Lesser episode? Not at all! For me, this goes on the top tier of New-Who, where it’s shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Blink, Dalek and Girl in The Fireplace.

  8. TWWL
    May 15th, 2011 at 5.46pm | #8

    @L.
    We’ve all always known The Tardis was sentient, alive, that wasn’t supposed to be new information. We’ve known since the third ever TV story back in the sixties. But what we got here was the extent of its sentience, and of it’s relationship with the Doctor and the show itself.

  9. TWWL
    May 15th, 2011 at 6.00pm | #9

    As for the merits of this episode compared to last weeks, look how quickly, in less than a day, this ones comments section has outstripped last week! People want to talk about this one more, it seems, than the Pirate’s ep.

  10. shawn
    May 15th, 2011 at 6.05pm | #10

    i thought it was very interesting when she said her piece about not taking u were u want to go but to were u need to be i thought that as really good as it now makes sience when the TARDIS malfuctions and takes the doctor somewere else and the TARDIS stole the doctor and the doctor stole the TARDIS at the same time they stole each other

  11. Sam
    May 15th, 2011 at 6.23pm | #11

    It was a good and interesting episodes, but most of it bored me. They sure like killing Rory in every episode don’t they? It was nice to see the Ood back though, even though it didn’t have a major role.

  12. shawn
    May 15th, 2011 at 6.43pm | #12

    @Sam
    that rory thing is utter rubbish now that hes been killed so much its unbelievable for the story he was even dead in the TARDIS corridor for all of 2 mins with amy crying over him then realized it was a trick but its ridiculess now the amount of times hes been killed i agre with u they should either kill him of permenitly r keep him alive without dieing again

  13. Rassilon’s Rod
    May 15th, 2011 at 7.00pm | #13

    @shawn
    Completely agree – kill him off permanently I say!

    Gaiman for showrunner!

  14. shawn
    May 15th, 2011 at 7.13pm | #14

    @Rassilon’s Rod
    ya i agree Gaiman for showrunner

  15. L.
    May 15th, 2011 at 8.11pm | #15

    @TWWL
    Yeah, as I said – I’ve never believed their relationship to be anything less. I mean, his reaction when the Master turned her into a Paradox Machine? Or in “The Impossible Planet” when he jumped into that hole, ’cause he hoped to find her… And well, if it wasn’t that straightforward, I kinda preferred the mystery. Okay, there’s still a lot to be explained – or not – but I just liked it better before ; )

  16. Emilyy x
    May 15th, 2011 at 8.13pm | #16

    what a cracker of an episode… I really enjoyed it … the tardis that they made was created by a blue peter viewer… awesome hu.

  17. Abi
    May 15th, 2011 at 8.37pm | #17

    i really liked it! i loved the little witty arguments that the doctor and the tardis woman had. the one thing i didnt like was the tardi’s corridors! they looked wierd and out of place. i feel really sorry for aurthur thought, almost every episode he is being killed! it was good the first few times but they are over doing i abit now. also i wonder what colour eyes the odd will have next time!!!

  18. shawn
    May 15th, 2011 at 8.47pm | #18

    @Abi
    i thought the TARDIS corridoors were a bit of as well with the style of the TARDIS didnt really match but then again nothing has to in doctor who lol

  19. vaguely
    May 15th, 2011 at 9.03pm | #19

    @Sam
    Gosh. Do you think the many deaths of Rory might just be a plot point? A clue, even?

  20. Jay
    May 15th, 2011 at 9.12pm | #20

    I really enjoyed this episode – from my point of view, one of the strongest of Moffatt’s tenure so far. Lovely moments and genuinely heartfelt, especially when the Doctor was saying farewell (or “hello”) to the TARDIS as Idris was dying.

    Please could someone answer a random question re. Murray Gold’s incidental music that was playing at the end of the episode, when the Doctor is preparing for the TARDIS to set off once again – i.e. the rather beautiful, melodic and curiously upbeat tune… I know this isn’t the first time it has been used but does anyone know if it (a) has a title and (b) whether I can download it anywhere? Would it be available on the Series 5 soundtrack? Can’t recall if this particular music was used in the last series. Any help greatly appreciated!!

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