Death in Heaven If you want time to fly, start a new season of Doctor Who. After what seems to have been no time at all, here we are at the finale of series 8! And what a finale it was. Watching Death in Heaven, the second installment of an epic two-parter, left me feeling like I had just run a marathon. First of all there were the Cybermen, which I have considered to be the most terrifying of the Doctor’s adversaries since Rise of the Cybermen in series 2. What is more horrifying than making a fleet of newly converted Cybermen explode simply by making them realize what they have become? Yes, the fact that they are basically unbeatable giant robots is scary enough, but their real terror is psychological, and there was no shortage of that in Death in Heaven. Watching Clara make the decision to inhibit Cyberman Danny’s emotions just so he could stop feeling his pain was gut-wrenching. Of course it also posed an ethical dilemma for the Doctor, the result of which surprised me. I couldn’t see the tenth or eleventh Doctor allowing this to happen, but he did. I understand choosing the need of the many over the need of the few, but it still surprised me considering that he did just the opposite of this in Kill the Moon. There is also the implication of every single person that has ever died becoming a Cyberman. Every single loved one that anyone has ever put to rest was converted, and then blown up. This is horrible enough without me pointing out that somewhere in New York, Cyber Amy and Cyber Rory blew up as well. I’ll just let that sink in for a moment. Of course the main attraction was not the Cybermen, but Missy, the Master regenerated into female form (as a side note, I’ve been saying this for weeks). And oh my stars, monuments should be erected in honor of Michelle Gomez’s flawless performance. I’ll be honest, I regard a female Master as a litmus test for one day having a female Doctor, and if Missy is any indication of how that would go, I say bring it on. I had absolutely no problem accepting that the Master was female, and except for a few excellent comedic moments (how about those intimacy settings…), her gender really didn’t change much. She was a woman, and she was totally terrifying and effective as the Mistress. It really seems a shame to see Michelle Gomez leave so soon. When the Master was first introduced in Jon Pertwee’s era, he was more of an anti-villain. He was the Doctor’s school rival, and a renegade Time Lord not unlike the Doctor himself. Not being purely evil or purely good is what makes heroes and villains work, and for a moment there I thought that Missy was a bit too insane for depth. By the end of the episode, however, I was very happily proven wrong. Missy needs the Doctor to see that he is not so unlike her, and he might not be, except for one key difference that the third Doctor pointed out to the Master long ago: “You’ll never understand. I want to see the universe, not to rule it.” In a series full of moral ambiguity over whether or not the Doctor is a good man, it seems that we have finally come to the consensus that he is an idiot with a box and a screwdriver, doing what he can to help, and making friends as he goes. In series that has lately been filled with enough twists, turns and reveals to make anyone’s head hurt, this is a refreshing reminder. Speaking of twists and turns, we got a surprise appearance of the Brig! Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, come back from the dead as a Cyberman, killed the Master. Just read that sentence again. Once more. Yeah, that actually happened. He also saved Kate, which was an intense relief for me. After Osgood’s abrupt death, I was going to write a strongly worded letter to the BBC is Kate really did die. Of course not everybody lives every day. Danny, who has been one of my favorite parts of this series, opted not to come back in one of the most intensely emotional goodbye’s since Bad Wolf Bay. Danny’s sacrifice for the boy that he killed has earned a place in my top ten NuWho moments. This is what it’s all about, isn’t it? Finding redemption, and doing the right thing even when it hurts. And oh my goodness, did that last scene between Clara and the Doctor hurt. A hug is just a way to hide your face, as Clara and the Doctor know all too well. Missy lied, and the Doctor cannot find Gallifrey. Danny did not come back. And yet Clara and the Doctor both lied to allow the other one to move on. Luckily, Santa is here to call them out. That’s another sentence that I think you should read again. Yes, Santa apparently has arrived on the TARDIS for the Christmas special, and I for one could not be more excited. Last Christmas we watched Matt Smith regenerate, which was amazing and everything, but I am a firm believer in a light hearted, uplifting Christmas special. Who knows what’s in store, but Santa showing up seems like a pretty good start to me. And now, the waiting game.

The Day of the Doctor After so much anticipation, it is hard to believe that the 50th anniversary has come and gone, but it has done just that, leaving stunned Whovians in its wake. This particular Whovian, dear (imaginary) readers, is not only stunned, but elated. I could not have asked for anything more from this episode. Right off the bat, the episode made no secret that it was a celebration of the 50th anniversary. Using the original opening, followed by the junkyard sign and Coal Hill School was a stroke of brilliance. There were lots of little vestiges from the past, which I thoroughly enjoyed, such as the references to The Three Doctors (“Three of them? I didn’t know when I was well off.”), two Doctors trying to reverse the polarity at once (though not of the neutron flow), Zygons (somewhat useless, but great comedic effect), and the return of the round things (I don’t know what they are either). I have to say that my excitement over the throwbacks was shortly followed by the fairly major disappointment of Billie Piper not actually playing Rose Tyler. I thought this was a bit unfair to do to fans who have been waiting months for the return of Rose, and another reunion with the Doctor. I do have to admit though, that we did already get two perfect endings for Rose, and for her to return yet again may have been excessive, and probably would not have made canonical sense. I also cannot complain about the lack of Rose Tyler, when the Moment was undoubtedly one of the cooler parts of the episode. True, technology so powerful that it becomes sentient is a bit of a tired trope at this point, but the Moment breathed new life into it. This was not a super computer set on taking over the world, or a hi-tech city turning against its makers. It was a weapon that not only developed consciousness, but a conscience. It knew what it was capable of doing, and opted to make people better instead. It was basically what the Doctor would be like if he were an all knowing machine. It doesn’t get much cooler and heartwarming than that. If I had any lingering negative feelings towards the episode after the reveal of Billie Piper’s identity, it was properly squelched by the chemistry between the three Doctors. I initially thought that John Hurt would be the Darker of the three, until it was revealed that he had not yet made the choice to destroy Gallifrey. It was refreshing to see a Doctor without that burden in the context of NuWho. It also gave Matt Smith and David Tennant a chance to do what their Doctors do best: Switch from an excited twelve year old to an ancient genocidal war hero in the blink of an eye. From screwdriver envy, to brainy specs, to regretting and forgetting, every moment between these three actors was like watching magic happen. And of course, the three Doctors together were able to make the choice that the Doctor alone could never make: Changing the fate of Gallifrey. This was an enormous game changer, without actually changing anything. The Doctor cannot remember that he did not destroy Gallifrey, and so past continuity remains intact. I was relieved by this, because for a moment I thought Moffat’s ego was going to get the better of him. To change the Doctor’s entire past since the end of the Time War would not have been extremely respectful to past writers, or to the audience who knows the continuity so well. This ending was a perfect balance between the mind blowing factor that the 50th anniversary needed, and respect for the show as it is. I have made it no secret that I think Moffat sometimes crosses this line (sending Clara all the way back to the Doctor’s first adventure, for example). Which brings us, of course, to my absolute favorite part of the whole affair: The surprise guest appearance. I didn’t dare to hope, but when I heard that voice, I knew it had to be him… Ladies and gentlemen, Tom Baker has entered the building, for a brief but magical moment. Although I was campaigning for an eleven Doctor episode (we sort of got thirteen while they were freezing Gallifrey—great forehead work, Capaldi), if it had to be one classic Doctor only, it is right that it was Tom Baker. I admit that I am not old enough to be properly nostalgic about his appearance, but I do know that he was the longest running Doctor, and many people’s favorite Doctor to this day. I can only imagine what it must have been like for older fans to see their Doctor return. At the suggestion of his previous (or perhaps future?) face, It seems that the eleventh Doctor, and soon to be the twelfth Doctor, is going to go searching for his lost home. It feels like we are on the eve of a very different Doctor, and a very different show. The Doctor is finally free of his guilt over the fate of Gallifrey, and has a brand new mission. I am extremely excited to see where this goes, and curious about the potential introduction of the Doctor’s fellow Time Lords. He never got on particularly well with them in the classics, but absence makes the heart grow fonder, as they say. And that, my imaginary friends, is that! We have about a month until the Christmas special, which the word on the street tells me will include the highly anticipated regeneration of Matt Smith into Peter Capaldi. I do hope that they manage to fit some Christmas cheer amidst all the excitement. For now, I leave you with these parting words: Never be cruel or cowardly. Never give up. Never give in. Always be the Doctor.

Lost Episodes FOUND! This just in: Nine missing Doctor Who episodes previously believed to be lost forever have been found! The Enemy of the World (with double the Patrick Troughton action) is now a complete serial! The Web of Fear (Featuring the dashing Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart) is now only missing episode three! This is indeed a glorious day in the fandom. Alright. Back on my hiatus.

To My Followers, With Love Ok. I feel that I owe you all an explanation. And by “you all” I mean whoever actually ever took the time to read this blog. So, like, at least maybe a few people? I know I’ve been on hiatus on and off since basically the creation of this blog, but this last hiatus is the worst yet, and I’m not sure when I’ll come out of it. Unfortunately, I have entered graduate school, and Doctor Who has fallen to the wayside. I don’t want it to be this way. If I had my druthers, I would watch and blog all day every day. Unfortunately in this little thing called life, we cannot always get what we want. For example, I wanted to watch all the classics by the 50th anniversary so that I could understand every reference, and everything that has led to this. Now it has become apparent that I cannot do this and blog at the same time. Blogging is time consuming. To be honest, I’m so far behind that I probably couldn’t do it even if I didn’t blog. I don’t want to disappear in silence, so here is a quick post to let the few who might wonder know what’s been going on. Will I blog again? I hope so. I want to. Will I watch Classic Doctor Who and not blog about it? I’m not sure. Something tells me that if I do watch it and I don’t blog about it, I will never go back and revisit it to finish this blog. So this is a decision that I still have to make. Either way, thank you to those who followed, and thank you to those who may have actually read. “I don’t want to go.”

Peter Capaldi I have been walking around all day saying “Peter Capaldi” at random intervals. When asked why by confused onlookers, I say “I have to see how it rolls off the tongue. I have a feeling I’ll be saying it a lot.” I admit that I have actually never heard of Peter Capaldi, though of course I saw him in The Fires of Pompeii (whoever cast that episode, by the way, should be given a raise, as this was also Karen Gillan’s Doctor Who premier). I do gather, however, that he is known for playing a character that curses a lot, which has spawned many the comical video in the past twenty-four hours. I’m really up in the air about whether or not I want to look at any of his previous work. I want to go in without any preconceived notions, but gosh is it tempting to watch everything he’s ever been in since the dawn of time. Though I have just admitted I know nothing about our newest addition to the Doctor Who family, I am unashamedly optimistic that I will love him. As I may or may not have stated in my previous blog post (who has time to go back and check these things?) I have yet to dislike a Doctor, and I don’t know why I would start now. He’s older, which I totally predicted he would be (go back and check, I’m not lying), and reminds me of a Jon Pertwee era Doctor. And in the immortal words of my brother (who uttered them yesterday), “He seems like he really gets it.” And I quite agree. As a lifelong Doctor Who fan (how great was that letter?), I’m sure he will do us all proud. Above anything, I am really, genuinely happy for him. Seeing him come out to reveal himself to a room full of Whovians (a dangerous move, to be sure) was like watching an adventure begin. I hope he knows that millions of fans probably went to sleep last night thinking Peter Capaldi… and wondering what’s in store. And lots of younger fans who may not even know that there is a new Doctor will get to watch him from behind their sofas, and make memories of their Doctor Who experience, and of their favorite aliens who gave them nightmares. And he may become their Doctor, and maybe one of these kids will grow up to be a future Doctor. And maybe fifty years from now, they’ll have another special to announce the next Doctor, and when celebrity guests are asked who their favorite is, they’ll say “Oh I loved Peter Capaldi. He was my Doctor.” And I hope he knows what he is getting into, and what this role will come to mean for millions of fans. Congratulations, Peter Capaldi, and may the Whovians welcome you with opened arms.

Doctor Who? We interrupt our highly irregularly scheduled programming for tonight’s big announcement: The identity of the twelfth Doctor will be revealed this Sunday! I spent most of today pondering what the expected big announcement could be, and while I think announcing a further announcement is sort of cheating, I am still plenty excited by this revelation. Excited enough, in fact, to come out of hiding and share my thoughts. As I never addressed the recent news that Matt Smith is leaving, I’ll start there. I love Matt Smith. I have loved him from the beginning, and I will surely love him until the end. Before the second half of series seven aired, I was banking on Matt staying for series eight before departing. Now that this most recent series is behind us, however, I do believe it is time. The eleventh Doctor shtick has gotten a little too shticky for my taste, and at times (dare I say it…) a bit boring. I think this is the result of both Matt and the writers reaching a point where they realize the magic is winding down. Although both parties are unquestionably talented, when it is time, it is time. I do, however, have full confidence that the 50th and the Christmas special will exceed all my wildest expectations, and that the eleventh Doctor’s regeneration scene will make me as thoroughly sad as “I don’t want to go.” Surely it can’t make me any sadder. That seems almost dangerous. Speaking of the regeneration, is Steven Moffat really going to ignore that Time Lords can only regenerate twelve times? Assuming that John Hurt is the Doctor that fought the Time War, the eleventh should be the last Doctor. It isn’t like I ever thought that he would stick to this limit, but I don’t believe he should blatantly disregard this rule either. It could be taken care of relatively simply. For example, they could offhandedly state that Time Lords limited the number of regenerations, and now that they are gone, the Doctor can regenerate as many times as he wants. Alternatively, they could say that the Doctor received all of River’s remaining regenerations when she saved his life in Let’s Kill Hitler. I don’t much care how they circumvent this bit of continuity, but I do think it would be rude to classic fans to not mention it at all. And now for the fun part: Predictions! I actually don’t have any, so maybe this won’t be so fun… As my brother hilariously put it earlier this evening, “I bet it’ll be a white male.” Obviously, I don’t care if he’s white, black, or green, as long as he’s the best man for the job. As for the possibility of the Doctor not being a man at all… I think that casting a woman would upset a lot of people, although the more I think about it, the more I wonder why it would be such a big deal. The Doctor completely changes his appearance and personality every few seasons. He is literally a different person. Would it really be so crazy if he were suddenly a woman? Is sex so important that, although Whovians have accepted eleven different men playing the Doctor, we couldn’t accept a woman? Anyway, I think it has great comedic potential. In all seriousness, my only real prediction is that this next Doctor will be older. I doubt the trend of younger and younger Doctor’s will be continued, as Matt is already the youngest in history. Although I’m talking about this impending regeneration as if I’m some kind of authority on the matter, I have to ashamedly remind you, dear readers, that I’ve never actually been around for a regeneration before. That is, I’ve never seen one as it aired. The first episode I ever saw was the first part of The End of Time, and it took another year before I started watching the show in earnest. I finished series one through five just as series six aired, which was when I started watching episodes in real time, and not on Netflix, one after another. This means that a new Doctor’s identity has never been a surprise before, so I’m not sure how I’ll feel on Sunday. I am confident, however, that I will love whoever was chosen. I love every Doctor I’ve seen thus far, and I can’t imagine this will change. I’m sure that I’ll need time to adjust, but I know that I will come to accept him (her, it?) as the Doctor without question. The only thing that I know for sure about what I want in a new Doctor is for him to not be someone extremely famous. I want to meet this Doctor without associations or preconceived notions. In the end, what I think we all want from the next Doctor was already summed up beautifully by Neil Gaiman: “I want to see The Doctor. I want to be taken by surprise. I want to squint at a photo of the person online and go ‘but how can that be The Doctor?’ Then I want to be amazingly, delightedly, completely proven wrong, and, six episodes in, I want to wonder how I could have been so blind. Because this is the Doctor. Of course it is.” The real question is… Will he be ginger?

Season 11, The Time Warrior: Episodes 356 - 359 The Time Warrior is a four episode story written by Robert Holmes, and contains an exciting number of Doctor Who firsts. The Doctor visits a high security scientific conference to investigate the disappearance of scientists and equipment. There, he meets a young journalist, Sarah Jane Smith, posing as a renowned scientist to get a good story. When the Doctor picks up a trace of time travel at the conference, he follows it in the TARDIS, unknowingly taking the curious Sarah along with him. He and Sarah land in medieval England, where a Sontaran, Linx, has crash landed. They discover that Linx has been transporting the missing scientists and equipment to this time in order repair his ship. He has taken refuge in a castle, home of the ruffian Irongron and his men. In exchange for his stay, Linx is providing Irongron with weapons far ahead of their time, which the Doctor fears will alter the progression of history. The Doctor offers to help Linx with his repairs in exchange for the safe return of the scientists, but he refuses. Taking matter into their own hands, Sarah sneaks into the kitchens and drugs the castle’s food with a sleeping concoction, giving the Doctor time to send the scientists home. The Doctor then frantically evacuates the castle’s occupants before Linx takes off in his newly repaired ship, which destroys the castle. As I said, this was a serial of firsts. There is new opening sequence accompanied by a new diamond shaped logo, designed once again by Bernard Lodge. Although the logo is a tad dated, I love it. It is a product of its time, as are the stories, costumes, and effects. This puts into perspective all the changes over fifty years, most of which must have been good for the show to still be running. It also puts me in the character of the episodes, and I can almost feel like I was alive in the 70s, witnessing history. As for the new opening, it’s looking more and more like a time vortex, so no complaints there. There is also a spiffy new alien menace, the Sontarans! As you can see up above, they are considerably more grotesque than the modern version, and not as outrightly comical. Even so, Linx did come out with some gems that would do Strax proud, such as his opinion of females: “You have a primary and secondary reproductive cycle. It is an inefficient system. You should change it.” Even more exciting than the introduction of a potato with legs is the first use of the name Gallifrey in reference to the Doctor’s home planet. This might sound a little nerdy (I’m writing a Doctor Who blog, what do you expect?), but I always get warm fuzzies when the Doctor says Gallifrey. I think this is because the first time I heard the name was in the series three episode, Gridlock, when the tenth Doctor describes his home to Martha (A description which matches Susan’s in the season one episode, The Sensorites). He regards his home planet with such reverence that I felt like I was hearing about a sacred, magical place. It was sad at the time knowing that the Doctor destroyed this planet, and it’s positively heartbreaking now that I know the Doctor basically hated Gallifrey in his younger days, yet remembers it so lovingly after it’s gone. Of course the most exciting first of the story is the introduction of the new companion, Sarah Jane Smith, played by Elisabeth Sladen! We will get into her legacy at a later date (As if you don’t know it), but I will say that she is known to many as the definitive companion. I am trying to go into the Sarah Jane episodes without preconceived notions, which is nearly impossible as I have already seen her in action alongside David Tennant in series two. Preconceived notions aside, I knew I would love her at first glance, and it seems that I’m not alone. In the special edition of Doctor Who magazine that was released following Sladen’s death, Jon Pertwee is quoted from a 1986 DWM issue, about meeting her for the first time: “I remember Barry saying to me, ‘Come along and meet Lis,’ and as they were casting for Katy’s replacement, I instinctively knew that this was the girl Barry had in mind. Anyway, he led me into his office and introduced us. We all stayed for coffee and some general conversation, and little did Lis know that every time her back was turned, I was making thumb-up signs to Barry, who, when given the opportunity, was frantically returning them to me!”

Season 10, The Green Death: Episodes 350 - 355 The Green Death is a six episode story, written by Robert Sloman, along with producer Barry Letts. Letts was inspired when he read an article stating that the world would end unless major environmental changes took place, and used this episode to spread the message. The Doctor and Jo visit Global Chemicals oil refinery in Llanfairfach, to investigate a fatal illness which leaves its victims green and glowing. While there, Jo becomes friendly with Nobel Prize winning environmentalist, Cliff Jones, who is convinced these deaths are linked to GC. The Doctor and Jo later discover giant maggots, the cause of the green death, living within the company’s mines. The Doctor infiltrates GC, and discovers that Stevens, the head of the company, is being controlled by a sentient computer called Biomorphic Organizational Systems Supervisor, or BOSS, who is behind the oil refining methods which creates the maggots. Jo meanwhile, is working with Cliff to find a cure for the green death, when she spills a vial of fungus onto Cliff’s work, serendipitously discovering the cure, and the maggot’s weakness. Upon Jo’s discovery, the Doctor and Sergeant Benton drive through maggot infested fields, throwing the fungus to the maggots in order to kill them. After this succeeds, the Doctor manages to break through BOSS’ hold on Stevens. Once free of his mind control, Stevens tampers with the computer to cause an explosion, and destroys himself, BOSS, and the GC headquarters. After a celebratory dinner hosted by Cliff and those in his environmentalist retreat, Jo reveals to the Doctor that she will not be returning to UNIT. She explains that Cliff is going to the Amazon in search of a fungus high in protein to use as a meat substitute, and she would like to go with him. Cliff then asks Jo to marry him, and she excitedly accepts his offer. The Doctor gives her a crystal from Metebelis III as a wedding gift, and returns to UNIT alone. This is one of my favorite companion departures thus far, my other favorites being Susan’s, Ian and Barbara’s, and Steven’s. All these companions left the Doctor on good terms, changed for the better, and ready to start their own adventures. Susan stayed behind to rebuild Earth after a Dalek invasion, Steven stayed to lead a planet after a revolution, and now Jo is also working for a cause that she believes in. I don’t mean to give myself away as too much of a vegan tree hugger, but Jo leaving the Doctor to join a hippie commune in search of a mushroom is something I can really get behind. I also appreciate how this departure was built up. Jo has been the Doctor’s companion for three seasons, and it would not have felt right for her to leave as suddenly as Liz Shaw before her. It is obvious she is leaving from the beginning of the episode, when she refuses to accompany the Doctor to Metebelis III (a running gag , as Metebelis III never goes quite as the Doctor plans), opting instead to go meet Professor Jones. She explains to the Doctor that the professor works for everything the Doctor believes in, and he reminds her of a younger version of the Doctor. In this way, Cliff is the perfect match for Jo. She left to continue doing what she was doing with the Doctor, and not simply to get married. She did, after all, turn down two previous proposals in favor of travelling with the Doctor. Katy Manning stated that she left Doctor Who to prove to herself that she could act in other things, although she enjoyed the role until the end. She speaks fondly of her years on the show, and of those that sh worked with. Over the years, she has shared numerous behind the scene stories from her time on the show, the most hilarious of which involve her famously poor eyesight, and her resulting injuries. After leaving, Manning went on to have a busy career in television, theatre, film, and voiceover work. She reprised the role of Jo thirty-seven years later, in The Sarah Jane Adventures. She has also recorded several Big Finish Production audio adventures, including The Companion Chronicles, and as the Time Lord Iris Wildthyme. She is currently living in England. I conclude this post, with a DWFF: Stewart Baven, who played Cliff Jones, was really dating Katy Manning at the time this was filmed.

The Name of the Doctor To the one and a half people that follow this blog, no, I did not die. I simply took a hiatus that got a little out of hand. Real life reared its ugly head, and demanded my attention. Graduate school planning, new car buying, etc., are not nearly as interesting as Doctor Who, but are necessary evils of adult life. I urge those of you who have not yet reached this point to avoid it as long as possible. The other reason for my hiatus is that I was beginning to feel that blogging was more of a chore than a recreational activity, and in the interest of not burning out, I gave myself some time to miss it. I return to you now with this overly long entry (with several more on the way), and beg your forgiveness. Here are my severely late in coming thoughts on The Name of the Doctor. What with all the hype preceding the finale, I was really starting to believe it could never live up to our expectations. Having now seen it, I can happily say that I was wrong. Not only did I absolutely love it, but I have tons to think about over the break until the 50th anniversary special. Although the series’ big mystery was solved, we now have an even bigger one to take its place. First of all, although it would have been impossible to guess all the specifics of Clara’s identity, I think most of us were on the right track. My favorite theory was that she was a creation of the great intelligence, sent to interact with the Doctor over the course of his life to get close to him. The reality is similar, but much cooler. In perhaps one of the ballsiest moves of WHO history, Moffat altered the cannon all the way back to the Doctor’s very first adventure. Given the nature of Clara’s revelation, this could arguably make her one of the most important companions of all time, and while I do like her a fair amount, I don’t think her character is really impressive enough to live up to this legacy. I loved her in The Asylum of the Daleks, but since then she has fallen a little flat for me. She has had some good lines, but I’ve found her character to be generally dull, and overshadowed by the mystery of her identity. The Impossible Girl is not nearly as interesting to me as, for example, The Girl Who Waited. I’m hoping that, now that the mystery is behind us, Clara can start to be an interesting character in her own right. Of course, as I stated earlier, Steven Moffat is constantly concluding one story, and immediately presenting us with one even more maddening. I am referring, of course, to the appearance of John Hurt. I always marvel at what can be jammed into the last minutes of a Doctor Who episode, and this takes the cake. The way I see it, there are two possibilities… My initial thought was that John Hurt is the final Doctor, who died in the battle that Simeon referred to as, “A minor skirmish by the Doctor’s blood soaked standards. Not exactly the time war, but enough to finish him.” This is in keeping with the Valeyard of classic WHO, a future, evil regeneration. It was then pointed out to me that the eleventh Doctor seems to know who this man is already, and exactly what he has done, implying that this is a past, rather than future regeneration. This leads me to my second, and at the moment my preferred theory, which is that this is the Doctor that fought the Time War. This is not by any means a new theory. I saw people speculating about reordering the Doctors months ago when it was first discovered that John Hurt was going to be in this finale. At the time, I dismissed this idea, because I thought it was too anti-cannon, and too well established that Matt Smith is playing the eleventh Doctor. Now that I’ve seen Hurt in action, however, I think I’m on board. It would not technically be reordering the Doctor’s, because the Hurt Doctor disregarded his name when he committed his heinous crime, possibly the genocide that ended the Time War. This is also why Clara, who has seen all the Doctors, does not know him. He is the same man, but he is not the Doctor, meaning that Matt Smith would still be the eleventh. Having said that this is the theory I currently prescribe to, I must say that I do not think that Steven Moffat is trying to write out the eight Doctor, or discredit the ninth, as some fear. I think it is entirely possible that the eighth Doctor regenerated into this new Doctor during the war, did what he had to do, and then regenerated into the ninth Doctor. Although there are an almost innumerable amount of things for me to be excited about in this episode, the return of River Song came out on top. I am unashamedly obsessed with this character, and mildly obsessed with the beautiful Alex Kingston who plays her. When I heard that we were going to see a post library River, I didn’t really know what to think, or where the Doctor was in her time line. Based on this latest appearance, it looks like she has been dead for some time, meaning that he has been having his nightly adventures with her, and has long since taken her to the singing towers. I’m a little peeved that we did not get to see more of River’s time with the Doctor, but it is sort of appropriate for their relationship. When the Doctor first met River, he was told, not shown, that she was someone important to him, just like we as viewers are largely told and not shown. For those of you who really don’t buy this and want more closure, however, there were five minisodes released on the series six box set that you can find online, collectively titled Night and the Doctor. The Doctor and River’s goodbye has the honor of being the only Doctor Who scene to actually bring me to tears. Imagine having said a premature goodbye to someone you love, only to be haunted by an echo of that person, knowing that you’ll eventually have to say goodbye again. Really, Moffat, have some mercy on my heart. I’ve wondered for a long time how River’s story will end, and I thought that when the end came, I wouldn’t be ready. Right now though, assuming that this scene is River’s conclusion, I’m pretty at peace with it. It is a heartbreaking but amazing scene, and I think bringing River back after this goodbye would be superfluous, although I’ll miss her terribly. Of course I am not without my complaints. Some things still do not quite add up. I like the twist that Trenzalore ended up being the Doctor’s grave, but this episode did not seem to have anything to do with Dorium’s description of it as a place where no one can bear false witness or refuse to answer. Sometimes I feel that Steven Moffat writes stories without a real idea as to where they are going, and so certain details don’t quite fit. I also find that I am bending over backwards to try to make them fit, and to pay attention to every last detail, just in case it sheds some light on the multitude of mysteries. I enjoy Moffat’s penchant for mind blowing antics, but sometimes I get so caught up in trying to make sense of things, that it detracts from my enjoyment of the show. I also have to say that I expected a more satisfying revelation that River knows the Doctor’s name. We know that he didn’t tell her this at their wedding like he pretended to, but we’ve known from River’s introduction that she learns it eventually. The only explanation we get, however, is River saying that she made him tell her, which doesn’t quite do justice to the buildup. There are also a number of plot holes hanging around, like the TARDIS exploding (No, I will not stop mentioning this), which I refuse to believe is an abandoned plot line. There is still the 50th to come, and so I am trying not to lose hope that all my questions will one day be answered. In the end, I really am extremely happy with this finale. I’m also starting to accept that there will not be an eleven doctor 50th anniversary, but we did get an eleven Doctor series finale after a fashion. True, footage from classic episodes, and brief glimpses of each Doctor isn’t quite as cool as bringing all the living Doctor actors back, but hey, maybe that was a pipe dream. If this is as close to an eleven Doctor episode as we’ll get, I’ll happily take it.