Doctor Who - Episodes 6.01/6.02 - The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon - Recap

We’re two weeks in and it’s fair to say I may have one or two questions after this rather marvellous opening two parter. I’m writing this as a whole because it feels like it was meant to be watched that way. As ever, if you haven’t watched it, don’t read further than this point otherwise you had better hope there’s a Silent nearby to wipe your memory!

Where to begin? In such a timey-wimey world I suppose it’s best to start at the beginning, whatever that may actually be. So, a mysterious summons bring the Doctor, the Legs, the Nose and Mrs Robinson back together just in time for a spaceman to come out of a lake and shoot the Doctor. Three times. A lake, a River and a Pond all together… think about it. Then of course the Doctor shows up again, a little younger and everybody knows that Moffat is concocting a delightfully complex little adventure.

After a lot of setup and character reintroduction for the uninitiated we’re essentially halfway through the ep and then we find out about the spaceman, the little girl, Canton and Nixon. River’s relationship with the Doctor has stepped up a notch with both of them being more open to a little (read a lot) of flirting and of course she shows the Doctor exactly what it is to fly that wonderful blue box.

We see one or two Silents along the way (or do we) and then there’s that scene in the bathroom. Ever since that moment I’ve questioned anything any one of our heroes says just in case they’ve been told to say it by the faceless ones.

Then we take a hop over to Florida, find some resting(?) Silents, see the Tardis (or a similar version) from the Lodger and get a wonderful little moment of heartbreak from River as she unlocks a door.

Amy is pregnant. This is obviously going to be a big deal but the time travel stuff and the involvement of course the little girl in the spacesuit suggest that trying to figure it all out is going to fry your brain. Twice. And then Amy shoots the spaceman.

Three months later. The three of them have been drawing on themselves and then they all end up dead whilst the Doctor is once again cooped up in a cube of inescapableness (yes that’s a real word) and Canton is to blame.

Canton and the swimming pool save the day and the Doctor fuses some red glowing lights to their palms and Canton fixes the Doctor’s bowtie.

Then there’s the orphanage, man with the fried brain and a whole lot more of the creepy faceless wonders. There’s a woman with an eye patch who I’m pretty sure we’ll be seeing again. But you’ll be two busy wondering about the photo of Amy and the baby to really remember that.

Amy’s kidnapped and there’s some tender stuff with Rory and a flashing red light that reminds him of her. The Doctor fiddles with a spaceship and Canton gets a confession from a dying Silent and Amy really does love Rory.

When we see Amy in the Lodger-a-like Tardis there’s some heavy implication that her part in the “Silence will fall” arc is yet to play out and this will likely have some brilliantly dark repercussions. Then there’s the moon landing, a subliminal message, a shootout and the final scenes.

“The moon is far enough for now.” River’s heartbreaking Stormcage moment. Amy, the Doctor and Rory’s “just how pregnant is she” moment and then an unlikely regeneration.

And then, instead of trying to figure any of this out, they decide to go and play with pirates! They certainly know how to get my attention.

Favourite Scene:
TIA: That scene in the Tardis where the Doctor questions his companions. It’s so amazingly dark and serious and I think a glimpse into the future of the series, and frankly, I cannot wait. (I’d also like to give a quick nod to the Future Doctor and his little speech in the diner about how he’s been running knowing what is about to happen.)

DotM: I was going to say the heartbreak of the Stormcage and River knowing that it was the last time she would kiss the Doctor. However, then I remembered the extremely well done scene of Amy in the orphanage. First everything’s fine. Then her hand is flashing. Then she has markings on her arm. Her face. Look up!

Favourite Quote:
TIA: Because it felt like such a grand statement “That most certainly is the Doctor and he is most certainly dead!”

DotM: “I don’t want to tell Rory that it might have three heads or a time head or something.” – because whilst it seems flippant what if, I mean really what if, that is what has happened. Moffat himself said we’ll go back to the Eleventh Hour and wonder how he got away with putting something in it so why not in later episodes too.

I’ve got to say you can really tell this is a Moffat script, it’s so funny and witty and dark and just brilliant all in one go.

Any Other Business? I’ve really enjoyed the Doctor again, Matt Smith really does just get better and better and the companions and all their relationships have come along nicely. It is such a tantalising episode (that should definitely be viewed as a whole episode) and leaves a lot open for what will hopefully be an even more tantalising mid season cliffhanger. Top notch.

I’m guessing we haven’t “heard” the last from the Silents/Silence.

I have one or two questions which go a little something like this…
Why does River say “course not” when she cannot shoot the Spaceman?
Silence will fall?
Who was in the spacesuit?
Why did the Doctor go willingly to his death?
River Song, Amy Pond, a lake?
Who was the little girl?
Who was the eyepatch lady?
Just who is River Song?
Is/was/will Amy be/ever be pregnant?
Is Rory/the Doctor/The Tardis/President Nixon the father?
Regenerating little orphans?
Have you run out of breath yet?
What the Dickens is going?

These and several other questions will likely be left unanswered in next weeks instalment!