The Girl Who Waited

[eve11]

I think that is my favorite of the series. Possibly of the WHOLE Eleventh Doctor series. I really appreciate that it was standalone. I loved the strange aesthetic and the sci-fi magnifying glass and the specs ("you handsome man!" lol). I loved the character moments, and the idea of a choice: "you can sit at their bedside for 24 hours and watch them die, or you can sit here and watch them live". And the exchange between Rory and the Doctor "Are they happy?" "Rory, trust you to think of that."

At any rate, it was definitely the most science fiction-y of all the stories yet, and I quite appreciated that. I loved older Amy, and although some may see her "death" as the easy way out, storytelling-wise, I think that in terms of the kind of story they wanted to tell here, that it was the right route to take. Farscape would have done it differently (DID do it differently) but think of the consequences AND of the audience for that show. In "...Different Destinations" they accidentally change history, for the worse. Everybody dies. It's harsh and hard and heartbreaking; it's the only story I can think of that does things that way, and I wouldn't change it. But I don't think it's a failing of this episode to soften the blow. Part of the story is Older Amy remembering not what she has had in the past 36 years, but what she lost, and what it was worth. And for those wondering about how oh, it's Rory's choice, etc., remember, Amy was the one who made the choice in the end. Amy told him, "Don't open that door." Or he would have.

Now of course, as with any show (even with Classic Who and all that), the mechanics of the world change to suit the needs of the storytelling. That's just how it goes. TV can have arcs yeah, but it is essentially sound byte short stories: the theme comes first, and the mechanics follow. So, forget for now that previously, Amy and Rory's lives reconciled themselves the last time history was rewritten. In fact they have a few childhoods rolling around their heads, the same way Kazran Sardick did. No, now, Old Amy says, she will never have existed and she will basically die. (At best, she'll be a door in Amy's head, that she keeps closed, because why would young Amy want to hate the Doctor?) Script-wise, it's a choice for the writer between messy and clean; and I suppose it's a matter of preference which one viewers would like. Messy is, try to integrate all of what's gone before into the mechanics of this story. That means more dialogue and more time needed to hash over everything, and then finding ways to motivate the characters past all those little continuities that, in this case, would be sticking points. In forty-five minutes. It's a book aesthetic I think, that generally doesn't work.

In TV, especially for standalone stories, you are telling THIS story, right now, and the choices that are made must be for THIS story first. I think that's also why they didn't let Old Amy live. That wasn't what THIS story was about. This story was about choices and lost opportunities: it set up the idea of choosing from the very beginning with the Doctor's comment "No, it's a kindness", and that was the main theme. Thinking about the difference between this story and Farscape and how they did it, well, in Farscape, they knew they would have literally the rest of the series to explore the Two Crichtons. (AND let's not forget that hey, it took them several episodes to do it, but in the end of that arc, there could be only one as well). So in this story, they could have said, "Paradox, Schmaradox" and kept Old Amy and sent her off on her own again. Which I think is still rather tragic, and is sacrificing the themes of the standalone story for a future story that may or may not be written. Different again from Jenny (the Doctor's daughter) who survived at the end because hers was not a timeline being erased. And logistically, it makes a lot more sense to say, "she was a cool character we'd love to see back as a guest star" for Jenny as for Old Amy, just in terms of the makeup alone, but also think of the KIND of story that you can tell with Jenny returning as with Old Amy returning. Again, it's "messy" vs. "clean".

So yes, this story. Very clean, tidied up at the end... except of course for the relationship between Amy, Rory and the Doctor. The Doctor lies, again. Rory explicitly says, "Then I don't want to travel with you!" Some would call it cruelty, that the Doctor leaves the choice to Rory at the end, but I like auntiemeesh's take on it that it's cruel but also honest; it's the Doctor laying out the choices and the consequences, and saying "you know my decision, but feel free to change it; it's up to you." So at some point Eleven ends up on his own again, and actually I think they are doing quite a good job of motivating why and how. Up til now, the only character that left on her own was Martha, and that was after getting royally f-ed over for an entire year. In this story we see the Doctor using the ends to justify the means; it's a dark streak in him that kind of reminds me of Seven's manipulations. In the end, there's Amy, safe, as he said, and it only took the most horrible moment of Rory's life (well, second most horrible after killing her I suppose). Mistakes are made, and when the Doctor makes them the consequences suck. It reminds me of the line from Flesh and Stone: "If I always told you the truth then I wouldn't need you to trust me."

I also like seeing the evolution of the Ponds; how they've grown up and rely on each other and are becoming a true team. I love the way Amy describes Rory to older Amy, and the way that their relationship basically was solidified by the idea that, at least on Amy's part, it takes a little bit of time to realize that you've fallen in love with your best friend, but once you do realize it, you understand that you wouldn't change it for the world. Or in this case, you would change the world for it.

That was rather rambling and contained far fewer lists than usual. But anyway, A+ on this ep from me. I thought it was perfect.

Comments

[jenlev.livejournal.com]

Ah, this is very very well said. You've made me think about what Amy said about the way we see the face of people we know and love. And how the process of choosing and recognizing the costs is vital to their story.

[westwindschild.livejournal.com]

I really liked this episode. There were so many thematic complexities, though, that I am going to have to watch it a few times before I can sort out all my thoughts on it. I loved both your and auntiemeesh's breakdowns. The only quibble I have is the use of the word "old". At 52, I'm starting to get sensitive to use of that word for people who are within a few years of my age, lol! "Older", certainly, but far from "old".

[eve11]

Ah quite right, sorry. I did not mean any offense; it was just a shorthand for "older".

Here via Who Daily

[agnes-bean.livejournal.com]

This post perfectly encapsulates what I love about this episode.

In the end, there's Amy, safe, as he said, and it only took the most horrible moment of Rory's life (well, second most horrible after killing her I suppose).
Yes. Very good point. I really loved everything about The Doctor and Rory's relationship this episode, and I think you're right that it's doing a good job setting up why Amy and Rory will (hopefully) leave him voluntarily.

[clocketpatch]

Amazing episode. I've given some random smatterings of my impressions of it here and there, but I think it'll take a few more viewings to solidify. I'm stuck between this and the Doctor's Wife for my favourite episode this season, which is odd, because the Doctor's Wife has the same nightmare happen in reverse - with being left alone while Amy tries to rescue him, Rory hating Amy for not rescuing him.

Except that never happened.

I find it interesting when it happened for real Amy was angry at Rory for not coming, but it was the Doctor she hated and Rory she still loved. They both lost their trust this time, though Amy at the end of the episode may not know it. Also, Rory!bot made me smile and cry.

Re: Here via Who Daily

[eve11]

Hi! Thanks for stopping by :)

I can't imagine that the Ponds will stay for too much longer; there's too much hurt there under the surface. I have a feeling it's going to blow up at an inopportune moment. Poor Eleventy :(

[eve11]

Yeah, this and the Doctor's Wife for me too, though they are very different kinds of episodes. I liked the Doctor's Wife much more for the Doctor/TARDIS study than the Amy/Rory one.

Interesting take on it: but she also knows that the Doctor is the one who is in control of the TARDIS and not Rory. The part where Older Amy said "They leave you; they get in the TARDIS and fly away" was so sad. That, and the way she thought about putting on lipstick for Rory and then put it away... D: too sad!