Just a couple things I keep seeing get talked about/debated/whatever that I'mma just post about now so I don't write the same comment fifty times:
Man a few hours after I first saw it and I've already rewatched most scenes at least once. OH SHOW, I FORGOT HOW NICE IT IS TO ENJOY YOU.
Anyway, I've also been reading things/reactions on The Interwebs, and:
1. Rory has no faith and that's terrible!
I disagree. It's not just generic "I believe in ___", it's faith in a controlling and/or benevolent force in the universe, borderline religious faith. Eleven says:
It's not really that weird for me to imagine Rory doesn't fall into this category. As the Doctor says, he's not religious or superstitious, and he (rightly) doesn't share Amy's faith in the Doctor. I'm sure Rory has faith in Amy, but not the same kind of faith, the borderline-sacred external-force-guiding-me faith. As an atheist I would say I don't really have that kind of faith in an external force. When you rewatch the episode, you see every character but Rory (and Joe, since when we meet him he's far gone) mention the thing they believe in.
2. This totally feeds into TIA, that's why the Ponds weren't with the Doctor at the beginning of 6x01
I wondered this for a second, but Amy mentions Melody, clearly knowing that a) they had a baby b) the baby is River, so this doesn't make sense because Amy in TIA doesn't know any of these things. Also, the sets aren't the same; there are houses across the street in TIA and in TGC there's an empty park across the way, and TIA has a white front door with a big glass window while TGC has a solid door painted TARDIS blue.
3. "Amy Williams", o rly?
I did give this a bit of side-eye, but I'm not really outraged. I think it can be associated to some problematic things and sort of harkens back to the potentially-problematic ending I had been expecting for s5 (ie Amy Pond grows up by ...getting married!). But I think it's more just symbolic of the idea that she needs to stop being "Amelia Pond, The Girl Who Waited". She's not grown up because she took Rory's name or married him, but because she needs to leave the fairytale behind, and Amelia Pond is like a name in a fairytale -- Amy Williams isn't.
4. What did the Doctor see?
TEAM "HE SAW HIMSELF" 4EVA. lol @ people being like OMG HE SAW ROSE or whatever, I don't think they quite get how this works. Unless the Doctor has developed a crippling fear of Rose.
5. What does the Doctor believe in?
TBH while watching I just mentally subbed in "Amy", I guess because I like to think the Doctor has faith in his companions. However, having rewatched and pulled out that particular description of faith as it applies in this circumstance, I'm not so sure. SO I am open to suggestions that work. IDK, like... time? A GODLESS UNIVERSE? None of that really fits.
ETA 6. THE DOCTOR IS FAKE
Apparently the Rubik's Cube (he said he hated them in Night Terrors I guess...? I do not remember because I do not remember anything about that episode) and the apple and possibly his jacket and bowtie are all POTENTIAL CLUES that he is A GANGER OR A FAKE DOCTOR OR some other thing I would not put past Steven Moffat tbh so I don't even know, running into these theories rn just makes me groan because NO MOFFAT YOU LEAVE MY CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT ALONE, DON'T YOU UNDO IT.
Also, a question: what was with the fish? Did Hans Moleman eat it? What?
Man a few hours after I first saw it and I've already rewatched most scenes at least once. OH SHOW, I FORGOT HOW NICE IT IS TO ENJOY YOU.
Anyway, I've also been reading things/reactions on The Interwebs, and:
1. Rory has no faith and that's terrible!
I disagree. It's not just generic "I believe in ___", it's faith in a controlling and/or benevolent force in the universe, borderline religious faith. Eleven says:
Not just religious faith, faith in something. Howard believed in conspiracy theories, that external forces controlled the world. Joe [...] was a gambler and gamblers believe in luck, an intangible force that helps them win or lose. [Hans Moleman] has rejected any personal autonomy and is waiting for the next batch of invaders to oppress him and tell him what to do. They all believe there's something guiding them, about to save them.
It's not really that weird for me to imagine Rory doesn't fall into this category. As the Doctor says, he's not religious or superstitious, and he (rightly) doesn't share Amy's faith in the Doctor. I'm sure Rory has faith in Amy, but not the same kind of faith, the borderline-sacred external-force-guiding-me faith. As an atheist I would say I don't really have that kind of faith in an external force. When you rewatch the episode, you see every character but Rory (and Joe, since when we meet him he's far gone) mention the thing they believe in.
2. This totally feeds into TIA, that's why the Ponds weren't with the Doctor at the beginning of 6x01
I wondered this for a second, but Amy mentions Melody, clearly knowing that a) they had a baby b) the baby is River, so this doesn't make sense because Amy in TIA doesn't know any of these things. Also, the sets aren't the same; there are houses across the street in TIA and in TGC there's an empty park across the way, and TIA has a white front door with a big glass window while TGC has a solid door painted TARDIS blue.
3. "Amy Williams", o rly?
I did give this a bit of side-eye, but I'm not really outraged. I think it can be associated to some problematic things and sort of harkens back to the potentially-problematic ending I had been expecting for s5 (ie Amy Pond grows up by ...getting married!). But I think it's more just symbolic of the idea that she needs to stop being "Amelia Pond, The Girl Who Waited". She's not grown up because she took Rory's name or married him, but because she needs to leave the fairytale behind, and Amelia Pond is like a name in a fairytale -- Amy Williams isn't.
4. What did the Doctor see?
TEAM "HE SAW HIMSELF" 4EVA. lol @ people being like OMG HE SAW ROSE or whatever, I don't think they quite get how this works. Unless the Doctor has developed a crippling fear of Rose.
5. What does the Doctor believe in?
TBH while watching I just mentally subbed in "Amy", I guess because I like to think the Doctor has faith in his companions. However, having rewatched and pulled out that particular description of faith as it applies in this circumstance, I'm not so sure. SO I am open to suggestions that work. IDK, like... time? A GODLESS UNIVERSE? None of that really fits.
ETA 6. THE DOCTOR IS FAKE
Apparently the Rubik's Cube (he said he hated them in Night Terrors I guess...? I do not remember because I do not remember anything about that episode) and the apple and possibly his jacket and bowtie are all POTENTIAL CLUES that he is A GANGER OR A FAKE DOCTOR OR some other thing I would not put past Steven Moffat tbh so I don't even know, running into these theories rn just makes me groan because NO MOFFAT YOU LEAVE MY CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT ALONE, DON'T YOU UNDO IT.
Also, a question: what was with the fish? Did Hans Moleman eat it? What?
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