The Doctor's Wife (3204)

[SGalisa]

I haven't YET seen this episode -- gotta wait another few hours, but I *LOVE* reading the theories about what River might be in contrast to what is known about the TARDIS
(per this episode =)..

One of the very best episodes. Will post a further review when I'm over it.

'The only water in the forest is the River' . . .

hmmm.... interesting. A mild reference to River Song? She is water to the forest.
I thought maybe she had something to do with the very channel river of time-travel itself -- in a sense, unless the river is turbulent waters of time that the TARDIS ventures thru.

And speaking of water, we know River killed someone she now holds very near and dear to her heart, but the name of the prison she is in is the STORMCAGE, where it really rains outside.. but perhaps on an even deeper level, this is another descriptive way of describing water in its relationship to the rivers in the forests (form of describing branches) of (possible alterations to the storms of) time itself..??

This is getting a bit too complicated, even for (me being) a believer in the MASTER WEAVER poem -- which describes the amazing designs within the fabric of each thread woven into tapestry of life and time itself.

Well, it's finally happened, somebody finally wrote a "TARDIS as a living person" episode...

The cryptic warning about River got me thinking...does it relate to the present or the future...or/and the past? River's currently in a "forest" (the library datacore), perhaps the TARDIS knows how to get her out of one?

another very good and interesting thought.
I forgot about the Library being termed as a *forest*... Forest in the Library..
QUOTE ---- 'The only water in the forest is the River' ...
and guess who's stuck in there..? River Song.
*Verrrrrrrrrrrrrry* interesting, indeed.

It was brilliant. As the Doctor said the TARDIS's soul disappeared...

Her soul? Maybe its become embodied in or as "River Song"??

I guess all the theories about River being the TARDIS are blown out of the water though, can't see them doing the same basic story twice in a season.

Not necessary. I don't see the story being needed to be retold, but having River Song possibly being the TARDIS (or an external form of the TARDIS) proverbially blown "out of the water" so to speak -- what if she IS the water (life essence) that the river is composed of..?? and that's how she got her name "River Song"..?
---- The TARDIS knows the answer.
just an nagging thought. Love the poetic imagery there..

[Sealurk]

I too wish it had been a two parter, it would have been spectacular. Actually, part of me thinks a story this good could have made a good 'event' story, maybe some kind of television movie or special.

The TARDIS saying 'hello' at the end was brilliantly emotional and superbly acted by Matt Smith and Suranne Jones. We don't get to see his Doctor as that vulnerable that often (unlike Tennant...) but he does it so well it's even better when he does.

Slightly disappointed that the only new TARDIS interior we saw was a repetitive corridor, but loved the idea that the TARDIS archives all the control rooms.

I'm looking forward to the Series 6 soundtrack after watching this as well.

After this episode, I really hope Neil Gaiman has some part in the 50th anniversary special, or whatever Moffat has planned. Their styles seem to mesh nicely. I'm going to have to check out some of his non-Who stuff now!

[flobo]

In 1978, one of my favorite episode was The Invasion of Time .
For the first time, we saw what is inside the tardis.

In the 80s after that, we saw more and more room.

I really hope this episode is the start of something for the new show, i loved bit but i'm very sad we didn't get to see the swimming pool and zero room again after so many years.
Screw what's out there, let's spend the episode exploring the tardis, i'd find that much more interesting.

[Matt G]

1. Oh yeah...you have a new soul...wonderful...

2. Well the TARDIS would go insane if stuck in a human body.

3. House messing with Amy and Rory's heads...ugly.

4. Probably the most reckless I've seen the Dr.

Still very cool ep though!

[kcatlantis]

Definitely one of my favorite episodes, if only they could make the TARDIS talk all the time now.

[Billz]

I'll have to rewatch it tomorrow when my connection during iPlayer stream doesn't suck (very pixelated picture, had to stop and buffer a few times).

But great episode from what I could make out. Nephew (the Ood) was underused though.

(Missed it on TV as I didn't get back from work until 7:45pm)

[Jonzey]

It would have been so easy for the episode to disappoint with a title like that. With all the theories spinning around about Time Lords returning and River Song, if it turned out to be neither it could have felt like a cheat. It didn't. It was amazing, definitely one of my favourites now. The TARDIS (sexy) was brilliant as were her interactions with the Doctor. The TARDIS has always had a sort-of character but this episode took it to the next level, so much so that thinking back on Davies' season finales when the TARDIS is cannibalised/dropped into lava etc that much more heartbreaking. I'd imagine it's not easy writing a story involving the shows entire mythos since the very beginning, least of all making it all fit, which made this episode all the more impressive- that in season 32 you can still tell a brilliant story about something which has been there since the very beginning.

[P-90_177]

In terms of Idris being the TARDIS this was exactly what I expected. I always knew that the TARDIS would be just as dotty as the Doctor and the banter between them was wonderful.

Fantastic also to see that there were so many references to the old series. The fact that the Doctor stole his TARDIS, the telepathic thought boxes, the old tardis console and the fact that it can operate independantly from its shell when needed, even the fact that the hallways were those gleaming white walls and very retro loving.

I'm also hoping that we get to see House again at some stage. Like The Dreamlord he was highly menacing while also coming across as incredibly intelligent. Even if it did seem like he had been destroyed it would be a shame not to have such a wonderful adversary reused.

Additionally I have to say that any episode where we get to see the Doctor really quite angry is a treat. However I think in this one at the point where he realised he had been led into a trap, he wasn't just angry, he was on one big, seething, silent rage. Brilliant acting from Matt Smith there.

Although with a few people having commented on the acting of Matt Smith and Suranne Jones which I think goes without saying was magnificant, I'd like to make mention of Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill who played that scene with the older, bitter, angry Rory brilliantly. As was Amy's reaction to seeing the hallway with the 'Kill Amy' signs everywhere. Which also I think was a brilliant way to kill time until they got the instructions to go to the old control room.

Also nice to see the old control room again........................................Still prefer the new one.

[FennerMachine]

I have seen almost all bar about a dozen episodes of Doctor Who from William Hartnell onwards at least once.

This is one of THE best episodes ever!

[knowles2]

Best episode of the season by far.

I love Sexy (Tardis.)

Love seeing a bit more of the Tardis, hopefully now they started they will continue to show us new sets in the future.

I wish we saw more of the grave yard and may be some stuff about the other time lords there and certainly more tardis ships.
Would love to have seen more of Sexy and the Doctor building the Tardis or even better repairing one of those huge ships instead.

I thought the scenes in the Tardis and House and Rory and Pond were brilliant and dark, was the darkest Doctor who of the season, possible of the entire show, so far anyway.

I hope this episode has consequences for Sexy and the Doctor and is not pushed under the carpet from now on.

The only bit I did not like was the skipping over the bits of science in this episode, why cant the Tardis talk, it would have been nice to get an explanation. An why not just have this being a mini bubble universe instead of the doctor just trying to dumb it down and failing yet again, they have done the same thing several times over the past 2 seasons, and it getting boring and tiresome. This is Science fiction so why not give us some science every once in a while. Apart from that it was pretty much a perfect episode.

Hope we see House again.

[Nth Chevron]

You dont get much better than that in a Who episode tbh

We as fans traveled as far in what to speculate on now, as much as the Doctor and Sexy Idris travelled in their relationship

Words fail me on how good that episode was :'(

Oh and a little thing i thought up;

River-Water-Rain-Storm-The Doctor-Oncoming Storm

Song -TARDIS-played when the TARDIS possessed Idris for the last time, seemed a song not meant for that goodbye, a little out of place of you ask me.

So, does that mean River is either part TimeLord or part Gallifreyan?

or even part TARDIS, with the alternate timeine thing going on, is it not possible the TARDIS see's the future (as it is shown in this ep she sees the whole of time and space) finds River, see's his compatibility with the Doctor, the TARDIS killed House (Hugh Laurie cant be happy) which shows she has fighting will, River is a kick ass fighting machine at times with a tendency to threaten, the TARDIS concocts a series of events to bring River to life encompassing the TARDIS personality, but makes things a reverse timeline so the TARDIS will always see River and have a chance to bring about her and the Doctors partnership before its even happened

Like archiving things that havent happened yet

N.C

[MattSilver 3k]

That was beyond awesome. I think, despite the Doctor and Idris being the main stars here, that Rory deserves some props - I lol'd when the TARDIS called him the pretty one. Freaky, freaky stuff inside the TARDIS corridors too. I mean, wow, the scribblings on the walls by the dead Rory hallucination were really, really, creepy.

But still, the star of the episode was the Doctor/Idris interaction, and it was as awesome as everybody else here already went on. So I won't, but... It was just .

Also, "Fear me, I've killed hundreds of Time Lords." "Fear me, I've killed all of them." I loved that line in the trailer and loved it even more now.

[P-90_177]

Best episode of the season by far.

I love Sexy (Tardis.)

Love seeing a bit more of the Tardis, hopefully now they started they will continue to show us new sets in the future.

I wish we saw more of the grave yard and may be some stuff about the other time lords there and certainly more tardis ships.
Would love to have seen more of Sexy and the Doctor building the Tardis or even better repairing one of those huge ships instead.

I thought the scenes in the Tardis and House and Rory and Pond were brilliant and dark, was the darkest Doctor who of the season, possible of the entire show, so far anyway.

I hope this episode has consequences for Sexy and the Doctor and is not pushed under the carpet from now on.

The only bit I did not like was the skipping over the bits of science in this episode, why cant the Tardis talk, it would have been nice to get an explanation. An why not just have this being a mini bubble universe instead of the doctor just trying to dumb it down and failing yet again, they have done the same thing several times over the past 2 seasons, and it getting boring and tiresome. This is Science fiction so why not give us some science every once in a while. Apart from that it was pretty much a perfect episode. Hope we see House again.

The point in Doctor Who is that the science is too advanced for us mere earthlings to understand.

[Professor_S]

Holy mother of brilliant fantastic epic episodes!!!! My new favourite episode. Hands down.

I've never read any Neil Gaiman, but after this episode, I'm going to go out and find me some Sandman comics. The writing was just excellent!

[pbellosom]

I did laugh at the end though when it transpires that the Doctor makes Amy & Rory have bunk beds. I wonder who gets the top.

That was totally the best bit.

another very good and interesting thought.
I forgot about the Library being termed as a *forest*... Forest in the Library..
QUOTE ---- 'The only water in the forest is the River' ...
and guess who's stuck in there..? River Song.

Whenever forests and River are mentioned in the same sentence I always think of Flesh and Stone, perhaps River and forests are linked on a more thematic level than at first appears...