DW 604 The Doctor's Wife--Reaction Post

[amberfocus]

Wow, my f-list really seems to be split on this episode.  I almost feel guilty for enjoying it so much.  This episode finally felt like Doctor Who again to me.  Maybe not RTD Who, but definitely old time Who.  However, I really wish Eleven would stop saying things are impossible, because clearly they're not or they wouldn't keep happening.

I really enjoyed the TARDIS being put into a body, even though I don't like how the woman had to be murdered to house the TARDIS soul.  Even if it was done by the bad guy.  I liked how quirky and fun the human!TARDIS was.  I love that she considered the truth to be that she stole a Time Lord even if he thought he stole her.  Kindred spirits, those two, the Doctor and his TARDIS.  It did make me think a bit more about how much of Bad Wolf/Rose/TARDIS combination was TARDIS though.  I remember the first time I watched that I thought it was the TARDIS, even more than Rose, who wanted her Doctor to be safe.  Rose was simply the device used to save him.  On rewatches I tended to go a bit more shippy thinking it was more Rose than TARDIS.  But now it is all up in the air again.  Though I would like to know why Idris' body didn't start to burn up holding the TARDIS within it when Rose barely lasted ten minutes and that was starting with a healthy body.

I don't know, there's always so many holes to step around in any recent DW plot, so I kind of just...did that for this episode.  I loved the relationship between the Doctor and the TARDIS, seeing her able to talk and reciprocate feelings and shout back at him.  I loved how much emotion Eleven showed, how he was falling apart at the end.  It was nice to see that there was still a bit of Nine and Ten in there somewhere.  I felt more like he was the Doctor in this episode.  I think the last time I felt he was somewhere mid-season five and then it went away again.

House was very creepy though and I didn't like what he put Amy and Rory through.  I mean, I liked it, just not the emotional wringer they had.  And is every episode going to kill off Rory and bring him back?  I thought eye patch lady was going to be the new crack, but now I'm thinking maybe it's just killing Rory.

I adored that the TARDIS thought Rory was the pretty one instead of Amy!  That made me laugh out loud.  I thought it was hilarious that Amy and Rory asked that their new bedroom (ha! there are bedrooms on the TARDIS!) not have bunk beds.  And I liked Rory asking the Doctor if he had a bedroom.  Of course it wasn't answered, but I like that he asked it.  Also loved Eleven swinging on the cables under the console while he fixed things.  It was like his only way of being close to the TARDIS again.

All in all it was a fun, silly romp, and that's what I miss most in Moffat's Who.  I hope Neil Gaiman writes for Who again.  I'd only read his collaboration with Terry Pratchett, Good Omens, which I liked a lot and Neverwhere, which I enjoyed less, so I wasn't really sure what to expect.  I think maybe something darker than what we got.  I was glad for the lighthearted moments interspersed with House trying to kill Amy and Rory.  It was a good mix and I'd like to see it again.