THE PANDORICA OPENS (Part 1)
THE BIG BANG (Part 2)
Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Toby Haynes
“The universe is big. It’s vast and complicated and…ridiculous…and sometimes, very rarely, impossible things just happen and we call them miracles…and that’s the theory. Nine hundred years, never seen one yet. But this would do me.”
It was a different series finale.
On paper, it looks mad. A weird fusion of ideas, explored in other finales - namely Last of the Time Lords and Journey’s End. A villainous cast of thousands…time hopping shennangians…pithy use of time travel…
On paper, none of this should work…mainly because it isn’t really a plot. It’s a puzzle…a mood…a mission statement…and those things don’t necessarily make good television in their own right.
But this season finale is different. We don’t get a substantial “big bad”. We don’t get a firm resolution to the mystery of the cracks and the TARDIS exploding. We don’t get any more insight into River Song or her relationship with the Doctor.
What we DO get is the ultimate set up. These two episodes aren’t about conclusions and climaxes…it’s about new beginnings, and the beginning of an entirely new adventure.
The 10th Doctor’s era had been about building up the Doctor’s adventures - to say nothing of his reputation - as something mythic, legendary, and immense. But now we’re on a new playing field. The 11th Doctor has established a new universe…a universe of folklore and fairy tales. A universe where magic exists (even little Amelia questions this in the museum)…where the Doctor becomes the good wizard that River Song predicts. A universe where time has once again become a malleable force, where questions remain un-answered, and mysteries threaten to be resolved at the most unexpected moments.
It’s also about a little princess, slowly being eroded out of time, piece by piece…until the magical wizard shows up, because he can’t resist the girl who doesn’t make sense. Aided and abetted by the princess’ heroic version of Lancelot (in all of Rory’s bumbling, beautiful glory), we end up with a finale to the season that isn’t about the cosmic events that act as window dressing. It’s an ending about life and love, about memory and mysticism, wrapped up as a pocket-sized epic. It’s about that wonderful speech the Doctor gives at little Amelia’s bed side…where we get the deepest of looks into his ancient, loving, tormented soul. It’s about something old, new, borrowed, and ever so blue…all of Doctor Who, classic, revived, resurrected, remembered. Merlin himself couldn’t conjure up anything better.
Oh, there are plot holes, make no mistake. Deus ex machina is taken for one hell of a ride, reset buttons are laughed at and deconstructed to the point of not making any sense whatsoever, and perhaps a vortex manipulator and a sonic screwdriver become a bit too multi-purpose in the fight against the forces of timey-wimey-ness. It’s creaking with ambition, and the weight of it all threatens to collapse on top of both episodes with a mighty thud. Those cosmic cracks could be a metaphor for the straining muscles of the episodes themselves.
“When you wake up you’ll have a Mum and Dad. And you won’t remember me. Well, you’ll remember me a little. I’ll be a story in your head. That’s OK…we’re all stories in the end. Just make it a good one. Cause it was, you know. It was the best. A daft old man who stole a magic box and ran away. Did I ever tell you that I stole it? Well, borrowed it…I was always gonna give it back someday. Oh, that box, Amy. You’ll dream about that box. It’ll never leave you. Big and little at the same time. Brand new and ancient…and the bluest blue ever. And the times we had…woulda had…never had. In your dreams they’ll still be there. The Doctor and Amy Pond…and the days that never came.”
But in the end…it doesn’t collapse. It all holds together with Atlas-like integrity…and a bit of that Amy Pond level of faith. We finish a season-long arc designed for one purpose: the reaffirmation of the Doctor Who universe as a place of magic, charm, unexpected adventure, and undying loyalty. We have the first multiple TARDIS crew since the 1980s, the hints of adventures and conflicts yet to come…and the happiest of happy endings, complete with top hat, tails, and Matt Smith dancing to Queen, as if he were on the Time Lord equivalent of crack…complete with squeeing, pre-teen girl entourage!
It’s the end of a very unique season…and the beginning of something even more amazing…I’m certain of it. Christmas will no doubt be very interesting indeed…
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