The Girl Who Waited

"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.

Series six of Doctor Who is perhaps one of my favourites and after the whole River Song business halfway through and the disappointment of 'Night Terrors', this simple stand alone episode of Doctor Who is definitely worth watching. It really shows how much Amy and Rory care about each other and the lengths that they are prepared to go to in order to save each other. The Doctor although absent from most of the physical stuff is certainly well used and it's also good to see how he watches on and is emotional to see how he has to lie and make bad choices that will allow good things to happen. For me, this is the most emotional episode of Series six and will always be one of the best episode in its history.

Though I am still wondering how Amy mastered Gallifreyan technology and made her own sonic probe.

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.

The Doctor takes Amy and Rory to Apalapucia for a well-earned rest. A short holiday becomes an eternity for Amy, who has to wait, and wait.

As of 2026, this is still one of the best.

The best scenes are between the two Amys. I disagree with the comments about Karen not giving enough emotion in her performance - rubbish! She's really good, and as those that have read my reviews will realise, I'm not Amy's greatest fan. The look on older Amy's face when Rory rescues her younger self is devastating.

Without a doubt this is one of my all-time favourite New Who episodes. It's truly original. I really liked the creation of the Handbots - they're very different - and the gardens of Apalapucia are so beautiful, almost fairy-tale-esque. The prosthetics used on Amy are brilliant; she really does look older, though a touch of grey hair would have been a nice addition.

It's the best performance from Karen Gillan for a good while, largely because she's written so much better here. The story is hugely interesting - how would Amy feel about being left behind, how would Rory cope meeting an older version of her, and what kind of decision would the Doctor make when two Amys exist? It's all handled superbly.

10/10.