I can just imagine your reaction when Moffat does go and your reaction if the person who replaces him is even worse, lol
]]>Well, to start with and as I predicted, the Doctor has kept his Sonic Sunglasses, despite having a new Sonic Screwdriver, but for me, they are much more tolerable now they’re not the only sonic device he has.
I felt that King Hydroflax was quite a generic Doctor Who villain, who was composed of traits that we’ve seen from a number of other enemies. Matt Lucas was entertaining for what he was, but his was a generic filler character that was only there for comedic effect and I’ve already forgotten his name twice.
For me, though, the episode was all about the dynamic between River Song and the 12th Doctor. This was the feature I was looking forward to the most and AT FIRST, I thought I was going to be disappointed. Although River Song has always been spirited, particularly before she took that name, the way she was behaving was not only uncomfortable for me, but also clearly for the Doctor. As the episode went on, though, it became clear that this was the intention and the River Song we saw in the last 10-15 minutes of the episode was the one I recognised.
I’m definitely a fan of River Song. Her character has grown a lot over the last five series, I like who she has become and how well Alex Kingston always plays her. Finally, we came to the Towers of Durilliam. We caught a glimpse of this moment in one of Matt Smith’s online bonus scenes, but it turns out he actually avoided the moment and instead arrived as the 12th Doctor.
This moment was always going to be emotional and since I’m quite a sentimental person, I probably enjoyed those last 10 to 15 minutes of the episode the most. It was beautiful, in its own way, and so once again I find myself complimenting a Steven Moffat episode. How can that possibly happen?
In closing, I’d just like to say that I felt that River Song brought out the character of The Doctor in the 12th incarnation more than Clara managed to do in Series 8 and 9 combined. He was comedically jealous, joked about his previous incarnation’s chin and cracked up laughing with River at the absurdity of being threatened by a head in a bag. That was the Doctor I knew and loved. I think he will inevitably return to the dark, uncaring (on the surface) man he was before, but just for that episode, he was The Doctor I recognised and I can appreciate that.
]]>The plot wasn’t great, but it didn’t matter. The story was really about the Doctor and River’s relationship. I loved the moment when the Doctor said “Hello, sweetie” and the balcony scene at the very end was beautiful. River got some dignity in this story, she wasn’t portrayed as the needy psycho, she was seen to have a fulfilling life of her own when the Doctor’s not around. I think it was pretty clear to her at the end that the Doctor does actually love her, and I take the “And they lived happily ever after” at the end to mean that the Doctor was going to stay with River for the 24 year night. I’m sure part of that would involve popping off in the TARDIS from time to time and extending their last night even further.
It would be nice to see River with 12 one more time, before Peter Capaldi leaves (never thought I’d ever say that) but she didn’t irritate me in The Husbands Of River Song and I think her pairing with 12 is the best yet. Felt all warm and fuzzy at the end, which is what I expect from the Christmas Special. 9/10 from me.
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