The Pandorica Opens

This is the excellent first part of the two part story which forms the season finale of Matt Smith's first series as the Doctor and Steven Moffatt's first series as Showrunner. I am reviewing them separately because I have a lot to say about the second part, The Big Bang, which I find problematic. The Pandorica Opens episode though is great fun.

Moffatt wrote this two parter and both episodes include his strengths of exciting, interesting storytelling. Whilst I feel The Big Bang goes over the top and throws away some of the clever build up that doesn't detract from my feeling that The Pandorica Opens is a superb episode when viewed on its own merits. It has a LOT thrown into it and it is rather convoluted but there is so much fun, excitement and interest that make it really pleasurable to watch.

In the story we see (for reasons that are not revealed) the TARDIS is going to explode and the Doctor is led along a convoluted journey to find the Pandorica, a mythical 'prison cell' which appears to have some role in averting disaster. It turns out this is an even more convoluted trap set by many of the Doctor's enemies. Amy and her exposure to the crack in time turn out to have a large part in events.

Acting, script, action and effects are all very strong and the ambition of such a complex story is admirable. It is very thrilling, emotionally engaging, intriguing and epic. Having so many enemies and so many threads all coming together is impressive and the cliffhanger is superb.

My Rating: 9.5/10.

Some nice links back to the Series, Vincent, Liz ten etc find a painting which is intended for the Doctor. River pulls out all the stops to get hold of it. The Doctor tracks River back to an Ancient Roman settlement. The painting depicts a vision Vincent had, the destruction of the TARDIS. A date and map reference sends The Doctor, Amy and River to an ancient stone circle. Underneath lays the Pandorica, which is opening, and nobody knows what may lay inside. A secret underground opens and the three travel to an underground vault, where lays 'The Pandorica.'

First test for Steven Moffat, it's all about the finale, they had so far been a little hit and miss, The Stolen Earth was rather fantastic, The Master story a little off.

So many little elements are brought together, there is so much going on at the same time. Alien invasion pending, Romans, Pandora's box, Amy's ring, disembodied Cyberman, Amy's empty rooms.

We had been spoiled in previous finales with huge effects, but as I mentioned in my review for Vincent and the Doctor I've never needed to be overwhelmed with effects and stars, sometimes it's all about the story. I actually love the Pandorica opens, it just works, there is mystery, suspense, fear, tension and lots of surprises. The cliffhanger is totally amazing. The alliances at the end were a little dubious.

So many mentions of the show's mythology, talk of daleks, cybermen, sontarans, nestenes, attraxi, drahvin, zygons, slitheen, sycorax had me thinking we were in for something enormous!! It felt like they were building up for a huge finale.

They came from far and wide, all the guilty who had tried, to observe the boxes opening, so it could not be denied.

Came from past and present, there would not be a lament, to observe the boxes opening, to ensure that time was spent.

They came from future wars, in their hundreds and some more, to observe the boxes opening, the one thing that they all abhorred.

So there are romans that are very strange and all the characters that we have seen before. And they all want Doctor. I gonna review the season next time, but now just few thoughts to share. It is not that I do not like season 5 or new Doctor or Emilia/Amy. But whole season is a mess and this episode mirrors it. Everything feels scrambled and all the effort to hype up the finaly just do not work. Season 4 finale was amazing, I could feel the stake, moreover it was a close up of 4 seasons. Probably events of 2 last episodes of s5 should have been in s8 or so.... There are interesting moments but I do not feel scared, attached or anything. And I will expand my thoughts after next episode.

WOW I still can't gather my thoughts exactly... So let me start with that: human robots (I'm sorry I can't recall their exact names...) they are the worst villans so far, as in the most disturbing, and just bad. All of the emotions that they bring out to me it's just so wrong. And it made me think does the humanity really goes to that point to make us "great and indestructible"? OK that's it for philosophy.

Dr River Song oh how i love her character and her plotline so far! The actress made a brilliant job and I just can't but love her! Although her ending or the introduction wasn't the best... I understand it was the best way possible. (but that review should be at a previous episode) As for the episode: Just amazing! I love how details are important in every episode here, I love the characters coming back for little cameos, I'd love to see some major characters from first seasons, but there's a lot more seasons to see so I still have some hope.

And the ending! It's amazing how I get some little eureka moments, when it clicks and suddenly I understand what's going on!

The ending: such a cliffhanger, wow! It's as everything was falling into pieces and I obviously know it's going to end well it's still amazes me.