Amy's Choice

There is a phrase (more like a string of adjs) I only use to describe a good Doctor Who episode, that is: cozy pleasant clever creepiness. No more no less. This style of sci-fi, to this day, only a good Doctor Who could deliver. Now the time is 2021, I am rewatching all the good NuWho episodes, and really hope the NuWho can get rid of its current season 4 CW Flash/Supergirl/Arrow style, and come back to this standard of story telling.

After the unimaginative Vampires of Venice, they hit back big time with Amy's Choice, a rather surreal story. Slightly of the 'Turn left' ilk, a kind of what if story, rather then an actual adventure.

In brief, Amy and Rory are living seemingly in domestic bliss, married, house, a baby on the way, but by the tweeting of birds they escape to a different reality, all on board the TARDIS in a more realistic reality. In the first reality they are attacked by old people, and in the second the TARDIS is hurtling towards an Icy demise, as the TARDIS hurtles towards a Cold star. The miscreant of their foes is The Dreamlord, a powerful malicious individual who knows all about the Doctor and co, The Doctor has an idea who he is. The Dreamlord gives them the chance to live by deciding which is reality and which is the dream.

I really liked this episode, I loved the utter originality of it. The concept was a clever one, one reality seemingly more obscure then the other. Some nice touches of humour. I love the Dreamlord character and his manipulation of Amy and treatment of the Doctor.

Toby Jones is very good at doing the villainous roles, he can make you despise him. He puts in a very good performance.

It could have been a classic, not quite, but it is still a very good episode.

An underatted story, Toby Jones as the Villain is really cool, he's got that charm but some mystery about him that works effortlessly as he's so funny and charismatic in the role, because he's showing his presence on-screen as a mysterious figuire, that also seems abit loud and likes his one-liners. He could've done abit more, but his character really works a treat.

And the dream sequences are really cool, because we get to see are characters bond in the future, and they have some progressive arcs in this story. Amy's choice was a clever idea and her dreams and her ideologies were fantastic to see.

Rory and the Doctor, she will always choose her boyfriend Rory. But the episode adds the stakes and raises them to 11 when they see a star that's frozen in time, it even had the Tardis getting colder and colder. And the story as it progressed through, showed how it was getting cooler because of the icey patches, and the characters even almost dying of hyperthermia. So yes, it's the funniest of the series, possibly the whole show, and even the stakes are high.

The village and the old towns folks seemed cool and appealing. And it was, but I wish it'd of done more to build the other characters, because they were also pretty cool to see, and I do like backstory. But regardless, this story was amazingly written, the dialogue is heavy on crisp and sharp witty jokes, and the story has characters with interesting motivations, a great concept, and genuinely just a really Entertaining Tardis venture.

The Dream Lord probably should return, I'd love to know more about his race and existence, like where his mysterious nature comes from. But I had a fun time, and the pacing and the effects are mostly fine on the whole, the effects are slightly outdated for 2010's standard, but that's really it, a great fun time. I'd give it a 9 out of 10 with ease.

An early example of Moffat being a bit too timey-wimey for his own good, and thinking that everyone who watches the show is a Dr Who obsessive, who will appreciate every little detail.

It does improve on repeated viewing, but I wouldn't recommend it.

I prefer the format where just the doctor and his companion go through their adventures. It's cool with people coming from the companions life, but then leaving. I for one don't like that Amy's boyfriend is always there. I thought Rose's (I really miss Rose) and Mickey's relationship was done better.