With reality on the line the Doctor must die as fated. Too bad for fate then that the Doctor’s friends disagree.
What They Say:
Episode 13: The Wedding of River Song
In this all-new episode, the Doctor makes his final journey to Lake Silencio, knowing only one thing can keep the universe safe – his own death. But has he reckoned on the love of a good woman?
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
It is 5:02 PM on April 22, 2011 and it looks to be a beautiful day as, outside only some solar flares and sunspots that are interrupting broadcast signals somewhat, everything seems to be running smoothly. The balloon carrying cars are operating normally, the picnickers are having a glorious meal (though the Pterodactyls are being a bit of a nuisance), Charles Dickens is promoting his new Christmas special on a talk show and the Holy Roman Emperor Winston Churchill has returned from abroad.
The Emperor seems to feel something amiss as the hour is always 5:02 and the date is always April 22, 2011. He calls for the soothsayer to be brought out of the tower as he suspects the man may have the answer to things. It turns out that the soothsayer is a very familiar if somewhat disheveled face who knows damn well what happened to time and he also knows the woman responsible very, very intimately. Since the request for a proper explanation comes from Caesar himself, it isn’t like the Doctor can refuse to give the man his answers.
The Doctor shares with Churchill the tale of his effort to track down the reasons that the Silence want him dead. The Doctor has decided death staring him in the face bothers him less than not knowing why it has chosen to make the appointment at that particular moment and place. On his path to find answers the Doctor will re-encounter a familiar spaceship in an unfamiliar guise as he looks for someone, anyone, who can provide him the answer he needs. It turns out that his answers are to be found with a man a bit ahead in the game who has left quite a bit behind and that the answer is the Silence want to prevent the Doctor from answering a simple question-a question whose implications will have dire consequences.
As the Doctor and Churchill talk they find that they seem to be a bit out of breath and look to be in a fight though they can’t seem to remember why-and the Doctor’s sense of dread only grows as the number of marks he notices on his arm increase, though he continues his tale anyway. With the realization of what the question is that must never be asked having been granted him and a final push for motivation as time starts to show how it has been stalking him in ways he can’t immediately recognize he decides that it is time for him to make his appointment with destiny. With his friends assembled and an astronaut coming out of the lake it looks like the events from the opening episode will now play out-but like hell everyone is going to go along with the Doctor’s desire to give in and accept fate.
This refusal to give in at a fixed point of time and attempting to change it has caused time to collapse upon itself and created all these strange effects as everything is happening at once. When the Doctor and Churchill find themselves surrounded they will have to rely on help-which as luck would have it a number of the Doctor’s friends are willing to provide, even if they aren’t necessarily sure why. Now the Doctor will have the hardest task of his life, convincing his dearest friends to let him save the universe one last time by meeting his date with destiny. Will this need to save the universe prove the end of the last of the Time Lords or is it just possible that the Doctor has figured out a way to cheat the framework of time and fate itself?
The episode isn’t perfect as the drifting of the Doctor’s attitude between morose and exuberant feels off as it just doesn’t play quite as naturally as one would expect as he just swings between extremes too fast. While part of this is nice as it gives Matt Smith a chance to show his range in a single episode it also comes across as a bit forced. When combined with a number of the other stories during the season it is hard to see exactly where the 200 year age differential between unless the season starting and ending Doctor come from much is spent in the locked time stream. If that is the case it still leaves the problem of all the adventures he and River compare notes on in The Impossible Astronaut and when they worked those out.
Overall the episode works as it presents some breathtaking visuals and a snappy pace that can keep one from dwelling on the minutia (like if a fixed point must always happen in the same place and way how did the previous Doctor not end time during The Waters of Mars?). Quibbles aside the mark of an episode is how it makes you feel when watching and it certainly carries with it a good deal of humor as well as an incredibly strong build up that just makes the climax one of the most powerful moments of the season, though it doesn’t manage to carry that emotion all the way to the finish line. Additionaly the groundwork laid for next season looks like it carries with it quite a possibility to provide a depth of drama, though the long wait for the season to arrive is going to be a bit difficult to deal with.
One final note deals with River Song- Ever since her first appearance in Silence of the Library River Song has been an enigmatic new addition to the Doctor Who universe and a rarity in that she was one of the first characters who could stand with him on an even footing-and sometimes even a step higher as she had information the Doctor didn’t. Finally in season 6 much of the plan for where she fits into things comes together and all the hints that had been dropped about the role she would play are revealed. In that respect it is pretty remarkable how well over three years worth of planning has paid off. Given though how much of her appeal lies in her being somewhat shadowy which is put at odds with frequent appearances and more being revealed about her it remains to be seen how her character will fit into the framework going forward.
In Summary:
The Wedding of River Song ties together the shocking events from the season premier as well as one major thread that was outstanding from the previous season that had been hanging out there, seemingly forgotten. The episode does a decent job of tying them all together (though it lacks the flourish of putting a bow on it) as it signals a new direction for the Doctor in the future…well, if he has one anyway.
