By Brent McKnight | 8 years ago

Series 7 of Doctor Who is, in some ways, a countdown to the departure of the Doctor’s most recent companions Rory (Arthur Darvill) and Amy Pond (Karen Gillan). We’ve known the duo would be leaving the show this year for quite some time, though the actors knew from the beginning. Constant change and evolution are just hard facts of life in the universe of the Time Lord.

Digital Spy caught up with some of the key players, including Gillan and Darvill, current Doctor Matt Smith, and show runner/writer Steven Moffat to get their reactions the impending change.

Moffat jokes, “I found writing the script quite easy,” when asked about the process of how he crafted the end. Part way through, he made massive changes to the story, altering the entire set up. He continues, “I completely changed the ending as I was writing it, thinking ‘No, I’ve got it wrong. I’m on the wrong emphasis’—but it’s a good one and it’s properly emotional.”

The actors all had strong reactions when the read the final version. Smith says, “I was very moved, very moved indeed, because not only is it two characters that I love, it’s two actors that I love working with. To see them go—and I think go so beautifully. It’s moving.”

Darvill says, “It was like getting the last chapter of the best book you’ve ever read and being really surprised by the ending.”

Gillan, however, put off reading the script for as long as possible. When she finally gave in, her reaction was to immediately phone Smith, “crying and laughing hysterically, because it’s so good.” She says she’ll remain a fan of the show, though watching without knowing what is going to happen will be a big change, and provide a new perspective.

Since change is a part of life on Doctor Who, this series will also welcome a new companion, played by Jenna-Louise Coleman. It will be interesting to see the impact the new presence has on the good Doctor, as they discuss in this video, the various companions have such a huge impact on the protagonist’s character.