S06E04 - The Doctor's Wife

Two words, just two: Neil Gaiman. Oh, how my love and respect of that man has upped within the last day. The excitement and spoilers towards the Doctor’s Wife had already greatened my opinion of the critically acclaimed (posh, eh?) writer, and let me just say… the man delivers! As mentioned in last week’s review, this was one of the highest most anticipated episodes of the sixth series, along with the opening two parter at number one and the Curse at number three, and let me tell you, the moment the title of this episode was released to the media, theories were flying! Heck, even I had my own theories as seen only just a few weeks ago on this very blog! But come on, let’s face it; there’s only one true wife of the Doctor’s and that HAS to be the TARDIS, and this episode delivers that very message.

Of course, Wife isn’t the first time the fans have got off their trolleys in both hope and fear over the TARDIS gaining a physical form. Indeed, back in 2006’s Voyage of the Damned did fans believe Kylie Minogue’s characters, Astrid, to be the humanoid incarnation of the Time/Space machine herself, but alas that was not to be true, but that doesn’t mean that Suranne Jones didn’t do well. Indeed, her Helena Bonam Carter-like looks and movement made the for perfect madcap TARDIS that only Carter herself could have been able to achieve, and let’s face it, Helena wouldn’t appear in Who anytime soon, so Jones makes, and indeed made, a perfectly perfect version of the TARDIS.

And of course, the plot that leads to the TARDIS to have her—quite literal—out of body experience, was ever so perfectly constructed, with the being known only as House (let us not get confused with Hugh Laurie’s famous character ‘Doctor Gregory House’, though) and seen as a sentient planet-like asteroid in the bubble-but-not-a-bubble outside the universe, clinging onto life through the devouring of other TARDISes. Such a sorrowful encounter for the Doctor though, especially when he believed there to be a handful of surviving Timelords around and to discover it was only their messages, lost forever. Now here’s an interesting factoid for those Whovians not in the know; those psychic message containers were indeed first and last seen in the second Doctor serial, the War Games, something I wanted to watch before this episode but completely forgot. Whoops!

Finally we get a reference to someone old yet entirely new; the Timelord referred to as the Corsair, and thoughts get answers towards the Timelord regeneration process, or at least in the regards to the Corsair, where by Timelords can regenerate into Timeladies, something in theory could and would be able to work if said Lord or Lady wished to, basically, swap. Talk about a quick sex change! Okay, I’ll shut up now… sorry. Junkyards! Yes, you heard me, Totters Lane, although not as we’ve ever seen it and definitely not on Earth, makes a somewhat reappearance as the surface of House along with its residence, Idris (established above now as the TARDIS), Uncle and Aunty, not to mention the Ood, Nephew—better than Sigma now, I suppose…

What interesting… things Aunty and Uncle were though, Patchwork People, made from other bits and pieces, mostly Timelord (an interesting theory I’d have loved but would have been too complicated and messy would be for one, or both of them, to regenerate, since they have enough Timelord about them) especially Corsair, as seen from Auntie’s arm. A specific reference, any Whovian who’s seen said episode, to the Brain of Morbius, where another Timelord, this one a terrible criminal, had his brain kept in a jar while a body was constructed out of bits and pieces of dead travellers. In fact the whole setting of the TARDIS Graveyard, and bits and pieces of the house on House, was a rather quirky reminder to said Fourth Doctor episode.

What else is there to mention? Oh yes: TARDIS! NOT the one you’re thinking about, although one you should consider. Now, back in 2009, soon after Matt Smith was revealed as number Eleven and when I still watched a bit of children’s television, Blue Peter, the ever association to Who in the CBBC world, started a competition to design what was believed to become the next TARDIS console. A nine year old girl won it, with some help from Matt Smith in the final decision. Yet her specific designs seemed to be lacking in the Eleventh Hour and I for one felt a little hard done by. The poor fan had spent ages coming up with the design, colouring, writing specific information with little arrows and yet nothing had come of it. Well, finally her time to shine beckoned, for that makeshift TARDIS, made from dead scraps of others, was HER design, although seen for the best of ten minutes and latterly deleted by House, it was a design finally come to life. Better than the Absorbaloff anyway…

On a related topic of TARDISes: FINALLY! Finally we get to see the interior of the machine, and although all rather classic-Who corridors (seriously loved the hint of the classics there); it was wonderful to see the use of space and adaptability. One can tell that a lot of serious money had been put into this episode, not to mention those before in series six, and quite rightly so! And how clever to mess with Amy’s head, House that is! Her deep affection for Rory can only get more complicated after the images of both old-Rory and dead-angry-Rory will remain forever in her noggin. Speaking of noggin, another brilliant part of the episode: the TARDIS personally communicating with Rory, getting him and Amy back to the old control room—another interesting factoid, Idris-TARDIS mentioned have thirty models sored in its archive yet the Doctor has only used, according to the Big Man himself, around twelve… so that’s a few more control rooms to come! (Squeee!!!)

Now the interesting thought arrives by the means of the fact that the old control room set has been completely demolished, so did they really go to all the trouble of rebuilding the set or did they go to one already prepared for them, in let’s say the Doctor Who Experience? Now, watching Confidential didn’t exactly help, so if there’s anyone in the ‘know’ out there, please don’t hesitate to inform me for I shall be most interested in your response!

What an emotional ride for the Doctor though, this episode has definitely started a new chapter in his bond with the TARDIS, not to mention such history reveled and a future revelation revealed: The only water in the forest is the river. An obvious connection to River Song it must be said, not to mention an immediate though to ‘FOREST of the Dead’, the Tenth Doctor adventure and River’s final one with the man himself, but could it be that the clue is just a little too obvious? Again, thoughts would be appreciated, am sure there are a few cleverly constructed theories out there!

As ever, am sure there has been a tonne seemingly missed out, and if there are questions regarding the episode, a suggestion of re-watching it wouldn’t go amiss, but in the meantime:

• Doctor = 10/10 – Matt Smith is just the being of perfection, just so fantastic and dare I say it, quirky.
• Amy = 10/10 – She was the heart and soul of the episode as ever; joining the dots when her boys simply couldn’t.
• Rory = 10/10 – He’s getting braver every episode, and Arthur Darvill’s acting: Just astounding!
• Idris (TARDIS) = 9.5/10 – No matter what some people may say (you know who you are), Suranne was just wonderful in the role, adding just the right madness to the role of an ancient being that basically is the universe in a box.
• Plot = 9/10 – Could have involved a few more aspects, and the Ood was just a little pointless if more mind games could have been played on the married couple, but nothing better in Who than a mad chase down a corridor while being pursued by a killer with tentacles.

Overall Episode Rating: 9/10 – Despite some subtle dodgy moments and constant changes in the running flow of the episode, it was simply fantastic. Some amazing acting, loads of new-past references, thoughts towards what the Timelord race could have been should the good ones had run the place, and not to mention some brilliant CGI aspects. A perfectly constructed episode, something you HAVE to have with Gaiman at the helm.

Well, now that the must-see, most talked about episodes are finally locked in the Matrix memory of thousands of fans, it has to be a wonder what the Rebel Flesh has to offer, and one has to look on in sadness, for although there is two parts to this series, part one will soon be at a close as there really are only three more episodes to go already!

Now on a completely different topic, and just as a reminder to readers, there is a competition going towards the Who Review’s first birthday, all of which details can be viewed here, pictures can be included too, but might me edited to fit and suit, but you have SIX days left, so get typing! It is, after all, the perfect opportunity to let your creativity simply flow…