Image Credit: BBCThe bucolic scenes that kicked off this week’s Doctor Who episode were deceiving on many levels. “Amy’s Choice” found the Doctor, Amy, and Rory alternating between two distinct “realities” — a quaint English village in which a pregnant Amy and Rory had settled down among a pack of alien-infested elderly folks, and a broken-down TARDIS careening toward a deadly Cold Star. Yikes!
Real or not, I loved the way Amy immediately understood that the Doctor hadn’t scheduled his visit (“You came here by mistake, didn’t you?”) and how she faked a contraction to prove that her Earth-bound life was anything but boring. Even funnier was the way the duo simultaneously finished his dangling question: “What do you do around here to stave off the…” (Amy: “Boredom?” The Doctor: “Self-harm?”) But really, while Amy ultimately held the power to decide which reality was real reality — die in the dream, and you’re okay; die in reality, and you’re dead (or so they were told) — the crux of this episode boiled down to the conflicted conscience deep within the last remaining Time Lord.
As we discovered, the beastly, combative Dream Lord (perfectly played by Toby Jones) was really just the personification of the Doctor’s own darkest thoughts, brought to life by some psychic pollen that had made its way onto the TARDIS. Interestingly enough, our titular hero apparently doesn’t fully embrace his own eccentricities. “If you had any more tawdry quirks, you could open up a tawdry-quirks shop,” snapped the Dream Lord. “The madcap vehicle, the cockamamie hair, the clothes designed by a first-year fashion student. I’m surprised you haven’t got a little purple space-dog just to ram home what an intergalactic wag you are!”
Even more damning, though, was the way the “Dream Lord” zeroed in on the Doctor’s relationships with the people whose paths he crosses. “Friends? Is that the right word for the people you acquire?” he snipped. The way the elderly residents of Amy and Rory’s town fed off the energy of the young was perhaps eerily parallel to the way the centuries-old Doctor maintains key relationships with his youthful human companions. Bonus points for the image of that old lady wielding a lawn-mower above her head, and for the collection of blue-haired baddies converging outside a meat locker with a menacing green glow flowing from their mouths.
On the companion front, Amy was once again forced to confront whether she truly wanted a simple kind of life with Rory, or a thrilling life of space travel with the Doctor. “Why would we give up all this?” she asked Rory while pointing out they could postpone the night before their wedding indefinitely. But faced with the choice of losing her soul-mate forever, she ultimately chose her human man over her space companion. Then again, who says true love and intergalactic adventure are mutually exclusive for today’s modern woman? Can’t she have it all? Now before I hand this recap over to you all down in the comments section, let’s review my three favorite quotes of the week:
“Oh, a poncho! The biggest crime against fashion since lederhosen!” –Rory
“Loves a redhead, our naughty Doctor. Has he told you about Elizabeth the First? Well, at least she thought she was the first!” –Dream Lord
“I have to be this size! I’m having a baby!” –Amy, taking offense to the Doctor’s comment about the elephant in the room
What did you all think of “Amy’s Choice”? Seven episodes in, how are you feeling about the Matt Smith-Karen Gillan partnership? Sound off in the comments, and as always, if you’re across the pond and have seen the next few Whos, please keep your spoilers to yourself! Your American counterparts thank you!
I enjoyed this ep, even though it had some of the worst fake fainting I have seen this side of community theater.
I was a bit let down when they introduced the dumbo-boyfriend routine after they did the same thing with Mickey(sp?) just a few years ago. This episode made that inclusion a bit more bearable.
I still really enjoy Matt and Karen.
This has not been a perfect season by any measurement, but I think it is better than the horrible final specials with Tennant, yet still below Tennant’s best work.
They need to figure a way of getting Toby Jones back as a regular. Him as the villain in a bigger story would be amazing.
I mean, who could be a better foible for the Doctor than an evil version of himself? They introduced that idea in the final eps before the show went on hiatus in the 8o’s- I just watched them recently- and I really enjoyed them.
Keep the Doctor Who love coming!
Amy: I’m pregnant. I’m pregnant, Doctor. Doctor, I’m pregnant. That would be because I’m pregnant.
Doctor: Amy…are you pregnant?
Just want to comment that someone down-thread thoroughly spoils the next several episodes. I’m assuming the post can’t be deleted so read at your own risk.
Yes, stay away from “jj”.
Thanks for the heads-up, FLD! xoxo
I’m from across the pond (no puns please) and I hadn’t enjoyed an episode of Doctor Who so much since Blink. Witty dialogue, action, emotion and a superb central performance from Toby Jones. Just be warned though – the true significance of this episode won’t hit home until you’ve caught up with us Brits! I’ll say no more.
Very good episode, with some great depth of detail if you noticed. I liked that the Dream Lord was wearing various things from the Doctor. The bow tie at first, later he had a hat that looked like the 5th Doctor’s (might have been the 7th, but I’m pretty sure it was the 5th.) I had thought that it was because he was mocking the Doctor. Makes even more sense that he WAS the Doctor.
i know exactly the significance you mean Michael. All I will say is I think I know exactly how you feel. I can’t stand that I can’t discuss what happens with anyone else because noone knows what’s gonna happen!!!
I know !!! And given the fact that the series has gone in a whole new direction, it sucks majorly that I cant discuss any of it for another couple of weeks!
Well I know what will happen in the next episodes, so I will say if anyone thought this was the best episode you are in for a surprise. The next few episodes, especially the one just aired over in the UK, is fantastic. Anyways, I still do not buy totally into tyhe Rory/Amy relationship. I really,really like Rory but I don’t think Amy suits him very well. Amy/11 on the other hand…never going to be the end-game, but that doesn’t make me stop wishing it would. They have an amazing chemistry, not in terms of 10/Donna, moreso Rose/10 but with a bit more spirit. They have this child-like wonder yet are very aware of the seriousness of a situation. They complement each other remarkably well. Amy’s obviously molded after Rose, but she sees far more headstrong and determined to choose her own path. She’s becoming my favorite companion, as is Matt Smith becoming my favorite Doctor. He plays the part brilliantly and with great timing. Overall great ep, but there are better to come.
Oh God, shippers! [eyes] I really don’t know what more Amy’s Choice could have done to get it into their teenybopper brains that Moffat is going to have nothing to do with creating another nauseating Rose/Doctor relationship. What part of “I just want him” is difficult to understand? The actors ‘chemistry’ has nothing to do with it.
Moffet hated the Rose/Doctor relationship. he said so in interviews and he has promised not to bring Rose back. Trust me, he’s not recreating it.
You didn’t like the Doctor and Rose’s relationship? Wow. And you say you’re a Doctor Who fan?
I clicked back on here on accident, good thing I did because I have every right to an opinion. A teenybopper? You obviously do not know my age.
Forgive me for not sharing your view but do not dare to diminish mine.
Let me add something because this is extremely frustrating. I am annoyed that any opinion I have is bashed by others on this site. Not disagreed upon, rather ridiculed. Not once did I claim to be “right” and I specifically said that the whole Amy/11 is not “the end-game” (aka not going to happen) of the series. I was only stating a desire- a desire, you utter moron. So let me “[eyes]” your idiotic reply. You have a right to your opinion but understand I have a right to mine. Do not antagonize me.
I loved Rose and the Doctor (both 9 and 10), but Amy and the Doctor have failed to click. Out of all his companions, Rose is the only one that the Doctor was truly in love with. And he gets to be with her in the parallel world, sort of.
Amy is kind of an idiot, so she sort of deserves Rory. The Doctor should stay single because he can never love anyone else as much as Rose.
Rose was THE worst companion of the new Doctor Who’s. I was overjoyed when she left and peeved everytime they brought her back.
Rose was the best. She was awesome. I miss her. Donna came a close second. I think Martha and her Doctor crush ruined my liking of her. Amy is ok.
I totally agree with you Rion, Moffatt is an idiot if he could not understand the complexities of that relationship, and all the Doctor did to be with Rose and Rose with him. Any of you who do not see this or just choose not to are blind, they were in love, and it was something that crossed parallel worlds, it was not more obvious then when he burned up a Supernova to say goodbye to her, and also she was the last person, the very last person he chose to see when he was regenerating…that alone speaks wonder. And you do not have to be a teenybopper to enjoy a couple in love, be them from different worlds (Who/Rose) or families (Romeo/Juliet). It is sad that those that do not enjoy this cannot see the love there was there.
You know, Doctor Who was on for a very long time before Rose, and there is more to the show than the “twoo love” that was forced down viewers’ throats. Most classic series fans want nothing to do with any sort of Doctor/companion relationship, and yes, we are still loyal fans. I was overjoyed when Rose left, annoyed beyond belief with the number of times she was brought back, and so so happy when Moffat said he wasn’t going to do any of that. IMO, Rose is just one companion among many who loved the Doctor, and THOUGHT he loved her back. But he didn’t, because he DOESN’T do relationships. Never has, never will.
I just want to point out to all who may be up to date with the show through whatever means (like me) have plenty of forums to go chat. Other may not but I always find it slightly obnoxious to drop even baby hints in what’s basically a no spoiler thread. Even something like gee, the wait til you see next week” is kind of irritating.
It really is true though, the Doctor discards his “friends” and companions…and seems to not have much remorse. ROSE! …Only to move on to the next. I love Amy, Rory is annoying, and Matt is a good Doctor, but this whole crack in the universe needs to manifest itself better. It’s certainly no Bad Wolf or Doctor/Donna buildup for a season.
IT IS you stupid fool!!!
rory will die on episode 9 will be taken by the CRACK then will return on the 11th ep untill the season finale! you better believe it!
Please don’t do that. Those of us in the United States that have been watching the show on BBC America, and just finished “Amy’s Choice” haven’t seen “Cold Blood” and do not want to be spoiled. So when you write these posts please include a spoiler warning.
JJ you idiot! Frack off and stop spoiling it for everyone else!
You really are a arse-hole…
There’s no need for the spoilers at all it’s very selfish and petty.
We’ve only seen up to episode 10 so the Rory comments, re episodes 11 – 13 may just be something this rude person has made up to annoy the American viewers.
EW really should have a system where we can request posts like this be removed.
Best of this season’s episodes so far, but that isn’t saying much, is it? I wish they’d have reintroduced the Valeyard instead of this Dream Lord character.
True, it isn’t saying much. This season has been a letdown. The problem has been the writing, and not the acting. I have seen up to episode 10, and it’s been a bland series so far. I haven’t been inpressed with Steven Moffat’s work as head writer. It seems like Russell T Davies may have had more to do with the superiority of Moffat’s previous work on DW than it appeared.
I wholeheartedly agree! Matt and Karen are quite good but the writing has been so disappointing. Perhaps I should just stick to Torchwood and the Sarah Jane Adventures for my Whoniverse fix.
I agree Lois. I mean, it’s not bad… but I do really miss Davies’ writing. The actors are great, the material is not there.
Totes agree. I think there are some fun sci-fi concepts going this season, and I’m excited to see how they pan out, but there’s heart missing in the writing. Most scenes feel rushed and stuffed with dialogue, and each episode comes out a like a package crammed with plot. The Family of Blood aired on PBS last week; I really miss the depth of eps like that. So far I think The Beast Below is the best of this season.
SERIOUSLY!!!
I agree. Where is the fun? I loved hanging with Dickens and Shakespeare, then traveling to the end of the universe, watching the sun die, then watching Capt Jack and Rose dance during WWII. Even Donna’s Chiswick was more fun.
Soooo agree! Moffat has to get over his ego and rose hate and realise hes not all that. he even managed to ruin the best baddies he created, the stone angels. that ep could have been amazing but wasn’t…
“If we’re going to die, let’s die looking like a peruvian folk band…”
Easily the best quote of the episode. I also loved some of the comments made by the Dream Lord that show some of the Doctor’s self-loathing— the character takes on an interesting connotation when you realize that he’s actually saying these things about himself.
I totally agree – loved that line (even after rewinding the DVR because my friend didn’t hear it the first time)!!! While Tennant will always be “my Doctor”, I have to say I am liking the new Matt Smith version. With that said, I don’t know that I would like him as much without the introduction with Amy as a foil – she is easily my favorite part of this season!
Hands down the best quote! This was the first episode of this season that truly felt like a Who episode. As I was watching it I was thinking only Dr Who can turn a bunch of OAP’s into a scary villain! The Doctor is growing on me. Amy is not.
Okay, I may be going nuts or maybe I’m just in withdrawal, but I swear David Tennant was the guy in the van that Matt Smith took over. They were careful to keep the actor in profile, but I’m almost positive that it was him. Slezak, please use your powers to confirm or deny. It will drive me to distraction until I know one way or another. Cheers.
Matt Smith is rapidly pulling off an impossible trick – being the best Doctor of all! When David Tennant pulled ahead of Tom Baker in my Favorite Doctor list, I was genuinely surprised. Could not imagine anyone doing a better job. Then along comes this gangly, quirky, brilliant, conflicted Doctor – Matt somehow lets the age, wisdom and pain of the Doctor shine through his seemingly youthful facade. He’s just extraordinary!
Matt Smith is very good, but he has a lot to do before being called extraordinary. He needs some better scripts that will give him the change to show his range as an actor, and the complexities of The Doctor. I’ve seem Matt Smith in other things, and he is a terrific actor. Now Steven Moffat needs to give Smith better scripts.
I’m liking Matt Smith, despite a couple of fairly weak episodes. I think he does the arrogant bit as well as any Doctor since Colin Baker. But he’s a long way from being called “extraordinary”
I agree. He looks so young, but feels so old. Great acting. And I hate not loving the scripts, so I’ll shut up about them after this.
This was my favortite episode so far. I’ve always been fascinated with dream episodes, and I thought Toby Jones was perfect. I also wonder if the Dream Lord is foreshadowing of the Valeyard coming back. The Dream Lord’s character, and his control of reality, reminded me of the Valeyard using the Matrix against the Doctor in “Trial of a Time Lord”.
I really liked this episode despite some pretty lame falling asleep bits. It was real good to see all that inner darkness the Doctor carrys around with him come out in the fantastic Toby Jones. He was brilliant- I hope they can find a way to work him in again. I also really like that Amy realized she loves Rory. They may be a bizarre couple, but they are better together than Amy and the Doctor. This has not been a great season by any standard, but this episode really was quite good. Matt Smith is coming together, he is nowhere near as good as Tennant, but I think next season he might start breaking through. I have already seen the next few episodes, and next weeks is another really good piece of work.
Confession – This was the first time EVER that I’ve watched “Dr. Who”. Seriously. I have friends and family who adore it, so I have no excuse. But I finally watched it (both episodes last night) and am oficially hooked. Any show that has a line about dying looking like a Peruvian folk band is for me.
Yeah, this was the first time I’ve ever watched it too. Thank god that marathon was on Monday, because now I can actually get the whole Tennant vs. Smith thing. I highly suggest you watch earlier episodes. They’re pretty frackin fantastic.
One thing I will give Matt Smith–he does the quick, throw-away one-liners really, really well. However, I am just not buying Amy and Rory at all. I like both of them separately as companions, but I’m not seeing them as a couple, and I really didn’t buy that Amy was unconcerned with the fact that she was carrying Rory’s child when she got in the van at the end. Although Matt Smith has exceeded my expectations, I think this new series lacks the emotional veritas of the previous seasons.
You see the problem is Russell T. Davies weened newcomers to the show into thinking it was a soap opera. It isn’t. Moffat is slowly but surely, getting it back to it’s sci-fi/fantasy roots. Will that make it more popular? Probably not. Will it make it a better show? Absolutely!
I actually think Moffat is doing less sci-fi and fantasy. It has been annoying me all season.
I never saw RTD making DW a soap opera. He made it a drama set in a sci-fi universe. It had a depth and resonance that went beyond the original concept of DW as a children’s show. (It is like what they did with the new BSG, taking it from a campy show to a fully realized drama.)
Will Steven Moffat make DW a better show? He hasn’t so far. He’s done the opposite. Moffat’s version of DW is very superficial; full of ideas without developing them fully.
Karen Gillan is doing what she can with Amy, but the character is written so erratically. After having seen 10 episodes I still don’t get what makes Amy tick. That’s because of the shallowness of the writing.
I have a better idea of what The Doctor is about, but that’s because of the decades of DW, not so much the writing now. The Dream Lord’s dialogue only had meaning because of what went on in the previous series, not because of this year. Matt Smith makes a fine Doctor, but he deserves better scripts.
“full of ideas without developing them fully”–that’s exactly it! I was wondering how to put it– thank you. It bothers me that the shows start off great, or embrace ideas, then they sit there and fizzle.
And Amy is not a complete character. She is a plot device. That’s irritating too. I don’t understand the Amy hate on some of these comments. I don’t think she’s enough of a character to like or dislike. I was hoping to know her better by now.
It’s a far, far poorer show. Worse sci-fi and fantasy, terrible ideas, poorly realised and a tiny amount of good ideas even more poorly realised. The RTD Dr. Who had drama and improved the show no end because of it.
There’s the foul stench of elitism here; that insulting old idea that just because something is popular it cannot be good. So the decrease in ratings is nothing to do with a decrease in quality, it’s just become so good that the masses can’t take it in.
Rubbish it’s poorly written and poorly directed and they need to sort it out quick or Dr Who will be cancelled. What’s worse is, hardly anyone will care. At the rate of decline in viewers we’ve seen so far (in Britain) there could be as few as half as many people watching come season’s end in 3 weeks as there were at the start; that should tell you something, and it aint that the show is now too clever for the masses and you know it.
Again I’m more than willing to debate if you can explain why all of the shody plot holes and mistakes and just poor story telling are in fact Shakespearian works of art so subtle as to decieve the unthinking viewer.
I totally agree. After Moffats story contributions during RTD’s era, I think I expected better stories this season. Hopefully Moffat is just suffering from trying to run a show. He turned in some of the best scripts of the first four seasons, but as show runner has overseen a number of the worst. I like the new Doctor and Amy, but the story lines are very disappointing so far. I will this, one of the best episodes of the season is coming. Episode 10 is IMO the best of the season and the first one to move me like RTD era Who moved me. Stick with it.
You hit the nail there. Given the quality of his stories in the past it just boggles the mind how the extra responsabilities have hit his work, and how he hasn’t been able to stop the other writers from turning in sub par scripts.
I know the BBC make a fortune out of the DVDs and merchandise but you have to wonder how many more British viewers the show can afford to lose before the ~BBC pull the plug. They’ve lost 3m – 4m in a matter of weeks so things are not good.
He’s been a show runner before. He was very successful on Coupling. Then later Jekyll was an interesting show. I don’t know why his work is not inspiring, fun or even very twisty–which is his forte. Perhaps RTD set the bar too high.
Y’know, I really don’t care what The Doctors’ relationship with Rose or any companion is as long as it is interesting…BUT, I believe Tennant left the show not “because I wanted to leave before it became a job,” but because Davies left and the quality of the writing left with him. It’s still better than 90% of what’s on the telly, but I’m not enjoying it nearly as much as the Eccelston and Tennant Doctors. As for Amy, I like her. The new Doctor, eh. I reserve judgment.
I find this new series to be pretty awful…7 episodes in and it just hasn’t clicked with me like the Russell T Davies era. The Doctor’s relationships with Rose and Martha were great. The stories were imaginative. But unfortunately, Moffatt’s take on the character is awful. I never enjoyed his episodes during the RTD era and I’m not enjoying the way he runs this show. He’s ruining a good thing.
I will say, this is one of the better episodes, but not the best. I’m up to episode 10 (I like to stick to the BBC schedule, not BBC America)… and, I dunno. I like Matt Smith, I really do. BUT THIS IS A TERRIBLE SEASON. The Van Gogh episode (3 eps away on BBC-A) is a real bore and definitely one of the worst eps to date (though not as HORRIBLE as the Daleks-reboot episode. That one is by far the worst hour in Doctor Who history.) I’ll say it again, Moffet, got too pompous talking sh*t about the Davies’ years. Amy is the most annoying companion. I rate her above Astrid Perth but below Martha (Rose being numba 1, and Donna coming in at a close numba 2.)
Got to disagree on the Van Gogh episode. I adored it. I thought it was absolutely charming, even if the monster was a bit on the silly side. I really liked the Silurian two-parter and Vincent and the Doctor. I thought they were both a nice rebound after a couple of weaker episodes (and yeah, I include Amy’s Choice in there. Maybe it was the buildup, but I really expected it to be on par with “Father’s Day” in terms of emotion and drama, and it was nowhere near).
I LOVED Vincent and the Doctor. This episode showed true emotional depth that some of the other episodes lack, and it provided subtle commentary on the previous episodes. I think that Vincent and the Doctor is one of the most elegant stories presented throughout the entire run of the show.
The Van Gogh episode was not very good, but better than the awful Churchill & the Daleks episode.
I’ve got to side with the pro- “Vincent and the Doctor” people. I loved that episode (maybe my favorite of the season)! I thought it was full of heart, excitement, and it referenced the past episode in such a dynamic way. I also really enjoyed “Amy’s Choice” so that may say something about my preferences.
Vincent and the Doctor is a great episode. Pay no attention to the poster behind the curtain above.
why, i might disagree about the van gough epp but eveything else is accurate. wtf, the rainbow of skittles daleks and the terrible cheesy new opening animation??
It was pretty dull. Vincent was good, and yes, he did have a lot of emotional scenes, which were well played, but the story was not very good at all. Poor writng this year has really left us cold and it took us nearly 2 weeks to bother watching that episode, and no, it was nothing to do with the World cup. We simply didn’t care.