WATCH ALONG | DOCTOR WHO | 7x8 | The Rings of Akhaten
Added 2023-03-24 14:02:53 +0000 UTCA Few Notes:
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*****
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Comments
This episode has its problems, with subpar direction and a script that is structurally a bit of a mess. Everything is very slow-paced, and the critical moment when Merry's song is disrupted is badly mishandled, totally failing to explain whether it happened by accident (due to her making a mistake), or whether the sleeping god somehow caused it (as the Doctor later guesses). At the start, the story bumbles around aimlessly for almost ten minutes before the plot actually gets going. All the stuff with the vampire creature threatening to escape its cage becomes redundant when it turns out to just be an "alarm clock" for the real sleeping god. The first part of the climax falls flat when the creature manages to absorb the Doctor's memories with no apparent effect on him. And the way the ending is in such a hurry to forget about Akhaten and get back to Earth (without so much as a brief goodbye scene) is irritating. But it has such an unusual lyrical feel (it's not so much an adventure as a fable about the importance of memories and stories) that it's still very much worth watching. The profusion of different creature designs is eye-catching (even if they end up being nothing more than background local color). Jenna Coleman continues to shine as Clara, the young actor playing Merry is really good, and Matt's performance during the big speech (coupled with one of Murray Gold's best pieces of music ever composed for the show) is a wonderful moment.
Steven Cooper
2023-03-25 18:37:07 +0000 UTCA consistent theme of Clara in these first 2 episodes is that she is excellent with children. She's a governess in Bells of Saint John, and I love her interactions with Merry. And even Victorian Clara was beloved by the family she was governess for. She has an ability to inspire kids, a quality she shares with The Doctor.
MattyIce777
2023-03-25 07:07:27 +0000 UTCI agree, there didn't seem to be any kind of consequence of the confrontation for the Doctor. But if nothing else, all of his love and loss provided scale to how important the most inconspicuous of things--a single leaf--can be. To me, it's a reminder of how precious every single moment truly is.
David Blau
2023-03-25 05:33:06 +0000 UTCI totally LOVE this episode, it's in my top 20 of New Who for sure. I feel like the part with Clara coming in to save the day and the stuff with her leaf makes a lot more sense after finishing series 7. With this episode I'd recommend rewatching after the series 7 finale. I was unsure at first like you are, but now I absolutely love it. As for The Doctor not losing his memories, the parasite/god doesn't erase people's memories. It just feeds off the sentiment behind the memories, it feeds off the pain and the happiness and the loss and the hope. That's why the local aliens give sentimental offerings to the god, they don't forget about the items once they're gone but the god gets the sentiments behind the objects. The Doctor has been through SO much and has lived a long life and his memories are more amazing and more painful than anyone elses, so that's why The Doctor thought that his memories would be enough to feed the god but they weren't. Whereas the leaf representing the sentiment behind all the days not lived by Clara's mum suddenly passing away was more than enough for the god, and you'll see why after the series 7 finale and you'll see why Clara stepping in after The Doctor had tried does make sense. π
Siobhan Linehan
2023-03-25 04:12:37 +0000 UTCUnless... there is a second granddaughter somewhere out there... (I have no idea, by the way).
Steve Combs
2023-03-24 18:05:11 +0000 UTCYou're spot on in your comments at the end; that is to say - they completely match with mine :) We have this magnificent speech from the Doctor (brilliantly delivered by Matt Smith),which appears to be some sort of a game-changer....and then nothing. It has no effect. In the end it is Clara and her leaf which end up saving the day. Weird, and deflating. Yes,the Grandaughter is Susan. It's a deliberate callback and/or reminder. Don't forget that (as per the date of this broadcast - 2013) we are now in the 50th year of Dr Who, so......
Ian Smith
2023-03-24 15:31:12 +0000 UTC
