The Girl Who Waited

I really loved the script, and it might be the first time in season 6, but Karen Gillan didn't keep the episode at the emotional level where it belongs. Talking about new doctor who, I'm a big fan of Donna Noble / Catherine Tate, I was surprised by Billie Piper and in the end I really enjoyed Martha Jones / Freema Agyeman. Karen Gillan is a beautiful woman, with the kind of beauty that makes you like her and think she's a funny mate: she's some material to work with, but she doesn't. As simple as it is. She didn't had many good scripts, this was one of that and she missed it, especially on the second part. Too bad.

I must say something about how the season is going on, because there's something Moffat (whom I adored as many of us with "Blink" and "The girl in the fireplace") needs to understand, or to remember. Science fiction is not science. In science fiction you can travel through the time line, in the real world probably not, for a long long time. And this is perfectly fine, but when you write science fiction you need to state some rules (your own rules of course) and respect them no matter what. Asimov stated the robot laws and there isn't a single robot in Asimov's literary universe who isn't bound to those rules. The Doctor of Moffat's era makes people see and speak with the older or younger versions of themselves, not mentioning the awful season 5 finale, where the Doctor goes back and forth and speaks to himself. When this kind of thing happens more than once I call it rubbish.

"Gillan also wore a padding which affected her movement and she spent hours in makeup" yet no-one considered she might have different hair? Hacked off for practicality which would have been in keeping with the character? Gone grey? No exactly the same hair, it's silly distraction in what was otherwise a pretty decent episode.

Amelia Pond chooses red over green. The effect is quite impacting, the affect leaves her unseen. In a world all on her own, like a self-imposed boycott. Except for the attentions of the unkind, kind Handbots.

Many years in just a day leaves her lost and a recluse. Thirty Six to be precise, the Doctor's fault, there's no excuse. But to relapse older Amy into what she used to be, raises issues for the lady and the world that she now sees.

Soon enough we have the parable of AP old and AP young. A paradox the TARDIS isn't keen the Doctor sprung. Suffice to say there's lots of chat with Rory and his wives. But only one can end the play, and go on to survive.

"The Girl Who waited" is one of my favorite episodes involving the eleventh doctor. The writing in this one is a perfect example of why so many people love this show. This was a rather self-contained episode that is very Amy-centric. It does not really appear to contribute to the ongoing story line, but it doesn't need to as it is quite brilliant and provides some insight into one of the main characters.

Karen Gillan made an excellent and compelling performance, and it was a joy to see a different side to her character.

This is one of the few episodes I actually went back and watched a second time. Some parts were a bit slow on the second go around, but the end more than makes up for it.

I find a lot of positives with this very solid quality episode: It is quite ambitious in showing some depth and thoughtful themes about Amy and Rory and their relationship as well as Amy's relationship with the Doctor. It mostly manages to achieve a good level of interest with dramatic and traumatic events for Amy. There is some decent humour on a few occasions too as well as a cute robot 'Rory'. It is also not getting involved in the convoluted Melody/River story arc and is instead basically a self contained story which is a positive for me.

I don't think it is a really top level episode but it is a good episode.

One negative for my taste is that the situation they find themselves in feels a bit unconvincing to me: The Doctor takes them to a leisure resort only to blunder into a quarantine situation and lets them get separated in a way I found a bit jarringly careless.

This leisure resort the Doctor rates so highly is a rubbish organisation. No warnings are given to prevent people getting trapped in quarantine. People in quarantine are left to wander around back rooms which look like empty factory units. Dangerous robots maraud about with no way of people controlling them. The setting looks a little unimpressive and unconvincing as well.

This isn't a major criticism though, it is just a minor grumble.

The impact of Amy's possible death is dramatic and is a positive for sure (albeit lessened a bit for me by constant fake deaths throughout series 5 and 6 which left me feeling cynical about her apparent mortal danger).

Writer Tom MacRae has done a good job overall on making an engaging and involving episode. The main positives are that the storyline is interesting, the dialogue is decent, the acting is very strong, there is a thoughtful study of how it feels for Amy to be left alone and separated for 36 years as well as to finally have to choose between changing the course of her life or endangering everyone by risking a paradox.

My Rating: 8/10.