Doctor Who Review - The Wedding of River Song (2011) - Trailer/Link

[TheUltimateMEH]

@MrTardisreviews I've been wondering why they didn't send the astronaut up without anyone inside it but I'm guessing if river was inside it was to stop the doctor from damaging the suit and running away, with river inside the doctor would be worried about hurting her while breaking the suit. I know it sounds stupid and I still think it could've been done better. :/

[mpinks97]

wait, if river could drain the weapns system, then why didn't she do that in the first place, meaning the doctors 'death' wouldn't have been that point?

[DragonShutterbug]

Ok. I now understand. The anger at Moffet is over a story line he didn't complete. That makes sense, now. Just to make another point. The 11th Doctor seems like he is the one that is destined to be emotionally put through the ringer. Matt is handleing it brillantly.

[DragonShutterbug]

Dear Mr. Tardis,

Are you saying that the only way this episode would have worked is that the Doctor would have had to die? I never want to put words in anyones mouth. So I would love an answer.

[Skeew1]

MrTardis,

I totally agree with all your comments about the silence. And when you think about it, Stephen Moffet has had this problem before. I think the weeping angels are brilliant, but they kind of dont make any sense! In blink, why is it that the angels are stone when only the camera and none of the characters are looking at them?

anyway, thanks for a great season of reviews, cant wait to see more!

[mpinks97]

i do think this is a great eipisode (for reasons i cba mentioning) but i think it would have been better if the doctors death went acording to plan and focused on the other charactors.

Then, near the end, the TARDIS arrives or something, and out steps the doctor revealing that the teselecta got shot instead of him. or something.

[SimonCHulse]

@mrtardisreviews you've put a lot on your plate to release all of the reviews at the end of the blip.tv vid in November, but good luck with that

[insanelyhappyme]

I've been curious, so if the River Song who refused to kill the Doctor was the younger River, then maybe that's why the Doctor had to convince her at all. The older River would never do that, she knows what is important to the Doctor, plus he's 200 years older, and knows the older River better. But will River stick for the series after Matt Smith? Would that work? I feel like, when the question was asked prompt was posed, that it meant River's death and knowledge of his name, would come up in 7.

[hothotheat3000]

You need a better mic to cut out the white noise when you're onscreen.

[DarthArachnious]

I really liked the speech River gives in the end about not dying till he knows he's loved. Because it's the exact opposite of the speech in 'A good man goes to war'. One told him to look at the enemies he's made, and one told him to look at all the people he's saved. And Alex Kingston sells it both times. All of the companions these past two series have told off the Doctor. It's more interesting than the others where they fawn over him, except Micky. But even he confront him directly.

[ILoveDalekXOXOXOXO]

If the tesselecta people know he's still alive and so does Amy, River, Dorium, and Rory, then how could the Universe not know he's not dead? What about Madame Kovarian? She said so herself that The Silence are River's masters. Why didn't they just have her in an astronaut suit and use the whole posy hypnotic suggestion to kill the Doctor, why have the suit do it for her. Why did she go to jail? Why didn't she plead innocent? So many unaswered questions/continuity errors.

[vegunited06]

I know you're busy, but you haven't forgotton Miracle day right?

[someone332]

@vegunited06 He's waiting for his DVD from 2Entertain.

[Swtgem423]

@vegunited06 Review for Miracle Day: "It sucked" /Review

[SiNapses77]

Really? No one honestly guessed the tesselecta twist? As soon as it appeared in let's Kill Hitler it was a massive Telegraphing of the finale. The only thing still unresolved is that there is clearly a Flesh Doctor running around thanks to the rubik's cube and Apple references.

[emmahouli]

The one line he gives is that "time dictates that I had to be there on that beach - so I dressed for the occasion"

[Coogs42]

MrTARDIS, one thing I'm wondering that I didn't see in your review was your thoughts on Amy killing Madam Kovarian in revenge for Kovarian kidnapping Amy's daughter

[LittleChocolateChip]

@Coogs42 yes exactly, because it was so good, even if it was just one line, to hear Amy say the words 'I'll never get my baby back' - showing us that the fact that her daughter was taken away from her has actually affected her, because she was really acting like it hadn't, as MrTARDIS had previously mentioned.

[Noj776]

The answer to your question about why River had to be in the suit is simple. The fixed point in time wasnt the Doctor's death, it was River killing the Doctor. River and the Doctor had to be at that spot at that precise time. That was the fixed point. The Doctor was able to cheat his way out of his death since he was still at the fixed point.

[alecsteven6]

I have a question. If the Tesselecta was wearing the eyepatch, why was the 'Doctor' in pain when the Silence electrocuted everybody?

[vccool72]

I agreed with most things you said. But I think about the Doctor's death being a fixed point was an idea, people think he's dead...noone is to know he survived apart from Amy, Rory, River, and the head...

[MrFitzonic]

1. It's pronouned "Gaytiss" not "Gahtiss"

2. His pseudonym is a reference to Rondo Hatton, to which his character's look is based on.

[Xenosool]

THANK YOU. Your review, as usual, pretty much mirrored my opinion, especially when you were saying how the ending managed to make the entire season pointless. I hope the next season is better than this one. I think it's safe to say you've earned your break, too. :)

[ScareMeSexy71]

great review, find your approach v amusing, like a uk nostalgia critic

[TboneWillsone]

2 different reviews for the same episode...?

[Xenosool]

@TboneWillsone His opinion probably changed, given time to sink in. I loved this episode's first 20 minutes as well, so yeah, I definitely know the feeling.

[DALEK86]

I think the reason for the Tessalecta being the one to die was because the Silence saw the Tessalecta being shot, and made that a fixed point, without ever realising that it wasn't the Doctor. Hence why he needs to go into hiding, to hide from the Silence, among other things.

[veinknamjenbi]

I'm curious. This review seems to be a lot more negative than one would presuppose from your initial reaction video. What changed?

[veinknamjenbi]

It's an easy enough boast to make post hoc, but I actually did suspect the Teselecta thing. I knew it had to be some kind of double, as doubles of people and things are a major recurring theme of the sixth series, and I thought the Gangers were too obvious an out for a writer like Moffatt. I hadn't considered that the Doctor himself might be inside pulling the strings, however.

[TheManayterReturn]

@someone332 I totally agree with everything you have just said :) He has gone into hiding :) Also, he never said he wanted to die, merely that he accepted. Going into hiding, pretending to die to everyone around him shows his fear of what the question can be :) While I disagree, good review MrTARDIS

[BackslideDan]

What if he'd just NEVER explained how he got out of dying? He just didn't die, and River Song eventually ran into him one last time and so knows he didn't. The Tessalecter wasn't involved, he just didn't die. And Moffat just never explains it.

"But, how did you escape?"

"Not saying."

"But, you were killed, and your body was burned and left in a lake."

"I got better."

"Bu- how did yo-"

"Oh come on, Dorian, you know THE Question now, don't get all greedy and try and know it all."

[piplup2009]

about the spacesuit maybe madame kovarian wanted river to watch her precious doctor to die for some srange reason and i'm guessing that the reason river went to prison was because amy killed kovarian and river has no one to defend her from going to prison (and maybe it's possible that the teselecta is jim he fish since no one there would turn river in for her to go to prison)

oh and when brigadier died the first thing i thought was "he can just go back in time and visit him"

[piplup2009]

i liked the fact that river teleported at the end of flesh and stone and arrived in present time with amy

[farshnuke]

You say series 6 is pointless but what it does is kill the Valeyard. By making the Doctor accept his death and the need for it, the Doctor rids himself of that horrible arrogance that he has done too much good to let himself die, that said the fact that he can accept death doesn't mean he has to die. It's like using a ducking stall to trial a witch then reviving the innocent once they've passed out. By accepting his death, the Doctor has avoided it.

[someone332]

Frankly, I disagreed with just about everything you said about the ending. I see where you're coming from, but I also see the Doctor's realization in his own existence. He knows that the world is in danger because of his fame, so his character development (while taking a slight step backwards) isn't really out of the question. Running -> Acceptance -> Fame. He realizes his fame is what makes him dangerous, not his life persay.

[Galaxia7]

Just a question : how would you have wanted the Doctor to get out of it? Because he HAD to get out of it. If the Doctor really died it would have mean the end of Doctor Who. For my part, I was satisfied with the ending.

[darkbatMori]

@Galaxia7 But Moffat set up that the Doctor would die with SUCH a huge build up that he really needed to pull something amazing out of the bag to make it pay off. MrTardis isn't saying that he wanted the Doctor to die, and to be honest no one could have believed that the Doctor actually would die because like you say that would mean the end of the show. I guess MrTardis just wanted a better conclusion to such a build up.

[Galaxia7]

@darkbatMori Yes I know. I found it great because I didn't see it coming. And also because Moffat didn't really mess up with the "fixed point in time" (well something of the Doctor did die even if it isn't him, it's better than saying "oh the fixed point, forget about it, it's not really fixed").

[Galaxia7]

(part2) But I know that many people could be disappointed by the ending. And that's why I asked how did he wanted the doctor to get out of the problem. I can't really think of a good ending that he could have done instead.

[Teridax01]

I understand where you're coming from, but i think your a bit too harsh on the episode. I'd give it a 7/10

[TipoBarra]

Dude, remember that in the first ep of the year, the girl was strong enough to escape it. that would give grounds for river (as she was that girl) to resist control of the suit. IF the fix point always meant the teselecta go shot, then the doctor himself getting shot would mean the fix point would be screwed up. In addition, why would dorian talk about the "fall of the eleventh" else where, if the dr was meant to die in Utah?

[guylfe]

@TipoBarra Dorian talked about the fall of the eleventh, because that whole question thing is what the silence was trying to prevent by creating the fixed point in time.

[TipoBarra]

@guylfe totally agree, but what the Silence wanted to happened failed! This raises the question of whether the Silence are protecting the universe, if asking the question, one which must never be answered = the end of time and the universe? It appears to to be linked with the Doctor in some form!

[kev0802]

The Silence blew up the Tardis in series 5. They used "The Lodger" Tardis to control it. In "The Lodger" we saw that it could affect the Tardis directly and nearly came close to blowing it up. Why did they blew it up ? Well it was an attempt at killing the Doctor. Also you're so wrong about the series being pointless. This series has been about the Doctor accepting his death. In the final episode he ACCEPTS his death. It doesn't mean he should let it happen if a way out presents itself.

[guylfe]

That said, I completely agree about the season 5 finale not being resolved. It ticks me off, they introduced the silence at the beginning of this season as if that solves everything. It doesn't. Also, Amy bringing The Doctor back from... never-having-existed-ville is never explained and I absolutely hate it. It's clear Moffat had no real direction when writing from series to series, as he rounded way too many corners.

[LittleChocolateChip]

@guylfe I always thought that the reason Amy, and only Amy, could bring the Doctor back was because it had been her memories that were used to create the Romans and the Pandorica and such (hence why Rory was brought back - through her memories) so thereby, by remembering the Doctor, she could bring him back :D - Makes sense to me. Sci-fi sense at least ;)

[guylfe]

@LittleChocolateChip But that way, shouldn't only what she knew about The Doctor come back? How can her memory bring back a whole person that she knew next to nothing about?

[LittleChocolateChip]

@guylfe Well she had been travelling with him for a while by that point - enough to know *him* even if she didn't know about his actual background or his history - I don't know technically how Amy remembering the Doctor brought him back into existence, but it worked with Rory - and that was just from a photograph of him dressed up like a centurion, so in that way, remembering the Doctor and remembering how much he means to her may have enough emotional pull to shoot him back into existence...

[LittleChocolateChip]

@guylfe Course it doesn't really make sense - but when has fanatsy ever really done that ;) Just go with it. Heh.

[JackChristmas2]

Some have suggested that the TARDIS blowing up in Series 5 can be explained as just one of The Silence's attempts to kill The Doctor. If true, then this means:

1. Despite being able to control the TARDIS remotely, they somehow didn't know that the TARDIS was being piloted by River, not The Doctor.

2. They had no idea that blowing up the TARDIS would destroy the universe, even though every Doctor Who baddie in history and Vincent van Gogh seemed to be aware of it.

How stupid can The Silence be?

[guylfe]

@JackChristmas2 Exactly, and also why would Amy remember the people who have become never existed (in Flesh and Stone - which I assume makes it so that people simply cease to remember them) but not remember The Silence after seeing them? What was the deal with the rifts? And why oh why has The Doctor been OK with dying and sacrificing himself so many times in the past, but now he suddenly has a problem with it (exploding the Senturian base over earth in series 4, for example)

[farshnuke]

@guylfe He wasn't sacrifising himself in series 4, he was convincing the kid to sacrifise himself, see Journey's End. The one thing that finle got right was showing the Doctor's manipulative nature to his friends/pawns.

[LittleChocolateChip]

@guylfe Heh, it's all a bit screwy that 'Time Crack' thing isn't it? She remembers the clerics because apparently she's a time-traveller and therefore can see what others can't, but doesn't remember Rory because 'it's her own personal timeline' ??? Hmm, how coincidental ;) I think though, that when it comes to the Silence - they're such an ancient race, hidden for so long - they have stronger powers than the memories of time-travellers. They can manipulate minds - any minds.

[LittleChocolateChip]

@JackChristmas2 Some argue that the blowing up of the TARDIS was the Silence punishing an assasin that had gone rogue - i.e: they fully knew that it was River piloting the ship - and they wanted her to suffer for her failure and betrayal. Just a theory.

[guylfe]

Some of the questions you posed as "unanswered" are just questions you didn't get the answer to. The series 6 plot points have been resolved (for the most part). Amy was kidnapped to make the flesh version of her, which was returned to the doctor while Amy was kidnapped and awaiting birth. They did say that whenever you look at the silence you remember everything you knew from past encounters about them. They described their looks to the audio, and their quality of erasing memory.

[MrTARDISreviews]

@guylfe Amy was kidnapped before the Silence got her at the end of DOTM (this was proven because she saw Kovarian opening the hatch in the orphanage). Also, the remembering the SIlence again once your seeing them still doesn't make any sense. Because Joy didn't recognise the Silence in the toilet in TIA despite already seeing it once before. She got a sense of deja-vu but she didn't recognise it.

[guylfe]

@MrTARDISreviews True, Joy was the exception. Watch the 2-part opener again, though, I'm positive it's mentioned there at some point.

[guylfe]

@MrTARDISreviews Pretty sure Amy started seeing Kovarian after she was kidnapped and returned at DotM. Not 100% sure though, I'll have to re-watch the episode for complete confirmation

[farshnuke]

@MrTARDISreviews Joy didn't remember it because the silence had already screwed with her mind.

[Swtgem423]

@MrTARDISreviews Joy had only seen it for a second and at the time she didn't react as if it seeing it was abnormal. The mind encounters a lot of stimuli throughout the day. Some things it registers as important and remembers some things fade into the background. If she saw it but thought it was some guy in a mask instead of (it's an alien- that she doesn't know exists) it makes sense that she would only have a vague recollection of seeing it before.

[aperson22222]

About your Matt Smith Moments, particularly the Brig tribute: The in-universe problem is that he can always visit the Brig in 1990 or 2000 or any point in time when he knows one of his past versions won't be there. The fact that he said he can visit young Rose emphasizes this: He's crossed Rose's time stream twice before, once in "Father's Day" and once in "The End of Time." The earlier one was problematic only because he brought Rose with her and the later was no problem at all.

[aperson22222]

@aperson22222 He's never crossed Jack's time stream, I don't believe, but going to all his parties would involve doing so. And of course he crosses River's time stream all the time. He can do it for any companion as long as he doesn't bring an earlier or later version of that companion along with him. So why can't he just pop back one year and make his farewells to Lethbridge-Stewart?

[izayoi2006]

@aperson22222 I think the SJA episode answers that question. The Doctor doesn't just go back to see his old companions, the only time he did it was when Ten was dying. That's like saying 10 shouldn't have been sad because he could always go back and see Rose/Donna any time he wanted. Plus even if he did it wouldn't change the fact that a close friend still died.

[DCMarvel2009]

ooh catchy new music

[Aweois]

The crew can remember the silence when they see them. Which is when they press the button or write on their hands.

[moviecrazy01]

I think it will be interesting to see how to doctor is going to 'lie low' next season. And I want to see him say good bye to River when she goes off to the Library

[RobGrayson28]

Would it have been cool if instead of finding out about the Brigadier (which was still very nice, don't get me wrong) the Doctor instead had found out about the passing away of Sarah Jane Smith?

Could also explain what has bothered me, why he only contacted Amy, River and Rory but not any of his other former companions who would still be alive at this time. Like Martha Jone, Mickey Smith, Jack Harkness, Joe Grant etc ...

[JackChristmas2]

@RobGrayson28 No, because The Brigadier doesn't have his own spin-off series that has episodes still to broadcast.

Imagine watching someone inform The Doctor of Sarah Jane's death in Doctor Who and then a week later seeing her alive and well in The Sarah Jane Adventures. That would be downright confusing and seriously undermine the show. It's up to SJA to acknowledge Elisabeth Sladen's passing if they choose to.

[cadaei123]

The tesselecter plot twist itself was brilliant! I loved it, however, as you mentioned, it completely brought my emotional journey with the characters into a painful slow motion of a plate crash crashing into a million pieces. You did end the review on a sad note though. You should be commending everyone's hard work, INCLUDING MOFFAT, throughout the series as it drew to a close.

[MrTARDISreviews]

@cadaei123 Don't worry, i'm not done with Series 6 quite yet. During December/Januaray i'm going to do a series of videos detailing Series 6 as a whole.

[MegaWho100]

@MrTARDISreviews I'm hoping to start a reviewing channel soon as you have inspired me, but I want to know- how do you get the footage?

[TheRedDal3k]

EPIC THEME TUNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[darkbatMori]

Also, re: your upcoming reviews- godammit! I was really psyched up for your Boom Town review for a sec there. Margaret is one of my favourite characters from season 1 and I love the way she and the Doctor interact in that episode. But then I realised it was going to involve more Rose Tyler bashing from you/Welshy. So...no thanks, I'll pass. My problem with the way you guys treat her is that if fictional characters didn't make mistakes, there would be no fiction. So let her make mistakes.

[queenoftheoutlands]

I agree with most of the things you said, especially about the intensity of the first half of the episode but, yeah, it does feel a little like Moffat is shooting himself in the foot here.

This episode certainally brings a whole new view on "The End of Time P1/2" for me though. "I don't wanna go" my foot. I could write an essay on the Doctor's approach to his own death since 2005.

I say write down all those questions and sent them to Moffat. See if he provides any answers.

[queenoftheoutlands]

@queenoftheoutlands I mean, at least by doing that it would remind him that we aren't stupid and there are things he still hasn't explained.

[darkbatMori]

This review was pretty much perfect. :D

Agreed with everything you said here, just a few things to add: I really hate that they keep alluding to the Doctor having a secret name ('Doctor Who?' being the ultimate question, River Song mentions it in Silence in the Library etc.) Do Timelords REALLY have secret names, other than the titles they choose for themselves? And if so, how can a name be a good reveal? I really hope they don't pursue that any more in the next series.

[izayoi2006]

@darkbatMori Like you said The Doctor is just a title. So of ours he needs to have a n actual name. It isn't just something for 11th since it was mentioned at least twice during 10th's run (at least with the witches episode it was a big thing as words were very important. Maybe is the same for Time Lords. During the whole run I don't think we have ever seen them just reveal their names. It is often titles and nicknames.

[darkbatMori]

@izayoi2006 But didn't the witches say 'there is no name' when they tried to attack him which is why they couldn't use it to harm him? I assumed the Timelords don't use names the same way humans do, maybe they don't have a name given to them but choose a title instead. I haven't seen any of the episodes from before the Russel T Davies era though so I might be wrong.

It just bothers me because I can't imagine the Doctor having another name, and it might be a huge let-down once we find it out.

[izayoi2006]

@darkbatMori Well he has at least another nickname, when he meets an old friend(4th Doctor) we find out that at one point he went be Theta Sigma(Thete). So he's had more than one title at least.

[TheMrOkamiden]

I actually think that the Tesalecta wtist and the question was a brillijant move.

FINALY!!!!The end of the Series one reviwes. For me. I find those last three episode with 9 the best of the 9th.

I didn't know you would revive Series 2 aswell,I thought you would move imediatly to Series 3?

[Flatliner678]

You obviously did not like the ending of this series, the solution for the doctors death, So how would you have liked it to end?

[TEHEmmie]

good review

i wish moffat would watch your reviews

i love the concept of the silence, but it isnt used to full potential

[Anonymous77513]

i was like wait the episode isn't after the opener then i clicked the link :p

[cybertardis99]

Great review. I'd do hope that The exploding tardis will explained series seven.

[IIFreddyPII]

9/10, favourite episode of this series.

[robberblood]

You are right about the space suite. If they established that the space suit needed a human occupant to act as a central nervous system, I could buy that, but they never did. Why would they need a half human, half timelord to operate it opposed to a just anybody?

[antony492]

What I don't get is the tessolector can mimic regeneration? Also, why did it take so long for him to pull River aside and say, im a robot its ok.

[MrTARDISreviews]

@antony492 In 'Let's Kill Hitler' the Teselecta was able to pull a 1940s German Motorcycle (quite literally) out of its arse. I'm sure it can make body parts glow gold for a short amount of time. As for the pulling River aside to explain part. Well...if he did that earlier then we wouldn't have a 45 minute episode.

[Alonsireviews]

what i think:

they wanted river to be in the suit so that she would get the blame. she killed the doctor and got her life sentance.i think that whoever sent her to prison did not know that the suit was controling her.

i also think that the doctor says "you probably won't remember this" to stop river thinking that she won't be able to live with herself even though he knows she will remember.

[dog2penguin]

Personally I don't want to find what the answer to Doctor Who? As it would ruin the whole of the show - they should tell us about it on the VERY last episode.

[Cowmoo83]

I totally agree with most of this review. BUT some of the description of the problems with the silence are incorrect...

People CAN remember the silence after they see them. They can remember everything about what they know about the silence when they see them. (Proof: Amy in the bathroom w/ the silence-TIA).

Unfortunately, they are still very flawed.....it's sad, too, because they'd be great if we understood them a bit better... (especially their motives).

[CongressManwithNuts]

I couldn't have said it better myself Trilbee. I very recently(lke n the past week or so) got my lttle brother into Doctor Who. I started him on series 5 because it's my personal favorite of the new ones. (He's going to go back and watch form the beginning after he gets to the end) Anyways, I was noticing all of the plot threads in series 5 that STILL aren't resolved by the end of series 6, and that made the finale all the more disappointing.

[mitchmazda6]

I am sorry Trilbee... You were half right, but htis episode was far better then LKH. IMO

[flamingSSJ4]

Sorry I have to disagree. I fully enjoyed this episode myself.

[Quixotic1018]

So.... a teselecta can mimic regeneration?

[midgetwars1]

@Quixotic1018 mimics light

[TrentGgrims]

@Quixotic1018 In Lets Kill Hitler, it could produce a number of different beams. With the Doctor at the controls, it is possible it could produce such beams.

[Strobertat]

@Quixotic1018 it could grow a working motor bike, I don't see how making yellow light shine out is a problem.

[Quixotic1018]

@Strobertat Good call. Totally forgot about that.

[darthdevious]

Ok, From what I have been hearing, Moffat is playing the long game on all this He has used the last 2 seasons to set up his vision of Who. Not all questions will be answered in a season. He is trying to do a Babylon 5 type multi-year arc. I am sure that between seies 7 and 8 leading up to the 50th, we will get all the answers we seek, including the big one...Doctor Who? lol

[RickeySnake]

@darthdevious

The answer to Doctor Who is

EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

[Aweois]

River Song was in the suit because it was HER to kill the doctor. A prophecy of some sort.

[bigfatcarp93]

Um... I can't run Blip on my computer... you're going to upload a YT review, right?

[TrentGgrims]

@bigfatcarp93 review was 27 mins long lol

[spugesdu]

Great review, summed up everything I loved and hated about this finale perfectly. Moffat really is taking the piss now.

[someone332]

Your review is 2/3rds the length of the episode. o.O

[joachoye]

first