NuWho Review: Season 5 Episode 12 "The Pandorica Opens"

By: Steven Moffat

**Spoilers**

If you have not yet seen this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.

            Moffat is going to have a REALLY hard time topping this one. The Pandorica Opens is the first part of the two-part finale to a season that, with the exception of a couple minor missteps, was probably the best since the revival of the show. Everything was tied together just enough to give it a sense of cohesion and yet the episodes were able to tell their own story as well. 

          THIS is the kind of epic, earth-shattering even that Russell T. Davies was always desperately trying to evoke with his Dalek invasions and people staring up in awe a la Independence Day and the choir of Murray screaming out their faux Latin trailer music. I became rather numb and annoyed by such finales about the time The Master trilogy came out (been there, done that, seen it, Martha's the only good part) and so I was quite apprehensive about this finale because the trailer just showed shot after shot of the Stonehenge Invasion. And I REALLY didn't want to see something like that again...even if the time was FINALLY taken from modern day London to something a bit more exotic. Thankfully though, with the help of timey-wimey jokes and Indiana Jones references, this managed to be the series finale everyone had been waiting for.

Favorite Moments & Random Thoughts:

- One of the reasons this finale works so well is that it brings back characters we've seen earlier in the series (Liz 10, River, Winston, Vincent, etc.) and ties them in to the story. This just gives it the feeling of being the grand finale (a curtain call, if you will) and makes sure that it is connected to the other stories. Even if the appearances are just for a short cameo, they fill this in perfectly.

- Now if you're not a River Song fan, I'll just warn you, this finale might be a bit hard to watch because there is a LOT of her River-Songing all over the place. Personally, though, I think it's hilarious that she graffiti'd the oldest cliff face in the universe because she KNEW The Doctor would show up there sooner or later.

- She also dresses up as Cleopatra. I'm not sure which is more funny, that or the title of Amy's paper about the Romans: Invasion of the Hot Italians. 

- Another thing that ties this episode in with the rest of the series and catches our attention as it starts in the mysterious painting. Vincent paints it, Winston examines it, and River steals it after Liz 10 looks at it...but we never actually see what it is until The Doctor does. This goes on just long enough to build up a mystery, but not so long that it becomes tiresome and melodramatic.

- The reveal of the painting is nicely done too. It was a real shocker to me the first time I saw it.

- I don't think they've ever actually blown up the TARDIS before on this show, so props to Moffat for originality. She's been crippled but never actually primed to explode. That fact alone makes it so we HAVE to watch the rest of the episode, just to find out how it happens.

- Honestly I don't know why Moffat kept drawing out the mystery of who River was. I knew she was The Doctor's wife. It was painfully obvious, given the clues we were handed in Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead. So why did he keep his cards so close to his chest and act like it was a big mystery?

- River is a lot of fun, though, so I'm willing to forgive that little issue with her writing. She's a good foil for The Doctor and I never found her smug and unbearable the way many of her detractors have complained about. I guess it always just seemed more like a self-protective move than anything else. And she was actually helpful too. She was an explorer and she brought information to the table that The Doctor would otherwise have had to improvise without or waste time looking for himself.

- I get a LOT of Indiana Jones vibes from this episode...right down to River spiking Dorium's drink to get what she wants. I really like the way they tied in Stonehenge to the legend of the Pandorica (bonus points for referencing Pandora) and said that Stonehenge's purpose was to remind someone where they buried the most valuable and feared thing in all the universe. 

- The legend of the Pandorica is just great to listen to. The first time you hear it you don't make the connection right away that The Doctor himself because we almost always see him portrayed in a sympathetic light. Even in The Waters of Mars he is portrayed as a bit of the victim instead of straight-up villain. But here we are given a look into how The Doctor looks to the rest of the universe. And it's terrifying.

- "Look at me, I'm a target!" Pretty much just sums up about 69% of The Doctor's career.

- And I have to say that that one dismembered Cyberman head is scarier than the real things have been since Doomsday. Clearly we need to pull them apart more often.

- The scene where it shows some kind of programmed sentience and spits out the blackened skull before trying to capture Amy's head is pure nightmare fuel...and that's before we see the rest of the suit waiting for a new insert. Creepy stuff! Especially whenever The Doctor gets electrocuted and, for all appearances, put down for the count.

- But, for me, the big highlight of this entire episode is the return of Rory who is probably my favorite companion of all time aside from Donna Noble. I identify with Donna more, but I think Rory is the companion we all aspire to be.

- "Rory. I don't want to be rude...but you died." "Yeah. I know. I was there."

- Scenes where Matt Smith and Arthur Darvill just have to play off of each other are always a lot of fun. Not only do they share a lot of chemistry on screen together, but their comedic timing is spot-on as well. I always say that every incarnation of The Doctor has one companion or set of companions that he really just clicks with. For 4 it was Sarah Jane, for 7 it was Ace, for 9 it was Rose and Jack, for 10 it was Donna, and for 11 it was definitely The Ponds. It's that moment of magic whenever a group of actors just work perfectly together and their characters blossom the more they interact.

- Roranicus Pondicus.

- The moment where Amy just looks right through Rory because she doesn't remember him hits me right in the heart.

- As does The Doctor sorrowfully explaining things to Rory and then giving him the ring to go and propose again. 

- I'm still not entirely sure how the Silence landing at Amy's house ties in with everything or how they created a Roman legion from her memories...or why they needed hers...but, to be honest, I don't care because that doesn't detract from the overall experience. Sometimes Moffat's plot-holes are too big to ignore, and sometimes he explains them enough that you can overlook them. This is the latter.

- It's an awful moment whenever the Autons activate and River is left screaming into the phone for The Doctor.

- Then it gets worse because you realize that, if the Romans are Autons, that means Rory is too. His struggle against his programming has to be one of the biggest character moments in all of Doctor Who. It's gut-wrenching, but it's also what I point to whenever people complain about Amy being utterly useless and uncaring. Uh. No. She started out at the beginning of the series as a 'mature' but still childish character and, though her travels with The Doctor, mellowed into a more grown-up and real version of herself. Real grown-up, not just putting on the façade with miniskirts and flirtations. The scene where she clings to Rory and tries desperately to help him retain his humanity is just beautifully sad.

- The climax of this episode is just perfect. Everything is hitting the fan all at once. Rory shoots Amy and screams out his horror and apologies while clutching her dying body, River is trapped in the TARDIS which is exploding and yet trying to protect her, and the biggest alliance of villains this show has ever seen in one place (there's even a couple Weevils and Blowfish from Torchwood) come together to seal The Doctor away forever in the Pandorica despite his pleas. And then it ends with the galaxies being destroyed and utter silence falling.

            This episode just feels HUGE. Unlike previous series finales that just became increasingly desperate and stale as time went on, this doesn't seem re-hashed, counter-intuitive, or claustrophobic. It has an ingenious set-up, great characters, a complicated but fascinating plot, and it ties together all of the elements and threads of the entire series together flawlessly while setting us up for the grand conclusion in The Big Bang. All of the actors do a great job and are clearly pushed to and past their limits with the wide range of intense emotions they have to go through for this. And they all blew past those limits to reach new heights. The Pandorica Opens really is the perfect series finale introduction and is, as a result, a SOLID 5/5.

What did you think? Do you agree with my rating? If not - what would you say differently?