jason stives looks at one of the last episodes of series 6 …
Last year’s comedic romp “The Lodger” has been met with very mixed feelings pertaining to its lack of importance to overall story arc of Series 5, while others have praised it for its humorous elements mainly the comradely between the Doctor and Craig Owens. I am a big supporter of this episode as it showcased the more human side of the Doctor, and the onscreen chemistry between Matt Smith and James Corden was absolutely delightful. So I never thought I would see Craig or his darling girlfriend Sophie again, at least not for awhile.
Cut to the penultimate episode of this season entitled “Closing Time,” Craig is back, married to Sophie (who is relatively absent from this story) and with a child, a little boy named Alfie (who apparently refers to himself as Stormageddon, according to the Doctor’s baby-speaking abilities). Considering the show’s pension for two-part finales, it was nice to see they have opted for a solo outing for the finale next week allowing for this rather enjoyable one off, and much like its predecessor “The Lodger,” it’s not heavily congruent to the season’s arc but serves enough purpose to be there in the first place.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0OBisCcRAM
The setup of Craig’s return runs with the Doctor wanting to make one last stop to see his friend as he finishes up, as he puts it, his farewell tour. The Doctor is from the start obviously aware of what is going to happen to him soon, and once again, Matt Smith pulls out those old eyes that executive producer Steven Moffat said he saw in Smith’s audition for the show. The Doctor is now 200 years older (this is according to the episode’s writer Gareth Roberts) and one can only imagine what he has done and seen in those 200 years. Craig, on the other hand, is not as manic and lazy as he was before, but still very worrisome and feels he is completely unfit to be a father. It’s here that the serious tone and the humorous underbelly of Robert’s writing meet in a beautiful way. Smith and Corden once again showcase a great one two punch as partners bringing about some very entertaining moments as they did in their previous outing.
The beauty of Doctor Who has always been to make logic out of something in a short amount of time. The idea that a lone Cyber ship crashed on earth only to not have enough power to restore itself until a department store is built on top of it is a classic example of the threat on Earth in the most convenient places. Gareth Roberts as a writer has a wonderful knack for these things as he showcased last season. It’s always possible that because of the humor and the story’s setting that one could have a hard time in taking the threat of the Cybermen seriously, but it plays out very well and reminded me greatly of a sixties Doctor Who story with a little 21st century flair.
To me, the Cybermen have always been the dark horse villains of Doctor Who. While the Daleks have unabashedly been featured in practically every season (for good or for worse) the Cybermen with all their heavy potential have appeared sporadically but the Moffat era seems to have gotten their menacing capabilities right, and while relegated to being a one off villain for this week, they were intimidating at best. Their appearance throughout the story in dark basement corridors with flickering lights made their shadowy presence the more creepy and terrifying. Keeping it to a minimum and having it only be a handful of Cybermen revitalizes their threat as the one Cyberman says to the Doctor six Cybermen is more than enough to conquer the Earth.
After being dormant for some 35 years, it was nice to see the rodent like Cybermats return to menace floors but with new devastating choppers. I still laugh as I did while watching them in their last original appearance in 1975’s “Revenge Of The Cybermen” when they leap off the floor at people, but considering the quirky and comical nature of this story, this was justified and still added a bit of a sinister subtext to their appearance.
The plot was never meant to be complex here, I assume, and more about delving into the themes of parenting as well as acceptance. The Doctor showcases the most humane elements here we have seen all season including that wonderful scene where he is talking to “Stormy” about the wonders of the universe and how he will be able to see them he hopes even if he won’t be around to see them. This is a Doctor who has finally excepted his fate, and unlike David Tennant’s Doctor, who towards the end of his time tried to run away from his fate, the Eleventh Doctor sees the guilt of his mortality and what his interference in the lives of others does. This isn’t intentionally done to make the Doctor seem like a beacon of danger by any means, but more about consequences. Thankfully, Craig is a nice balance for the Doctor as he sits there and tells the Timelord about why he feels safe around him even if death always seems to befall his presence on Earth, because without the Doctor who would clean up the mess?
Instead of being a completely slapstick like folly of an episode, the tone shifts greatly as the stakes become higher. The brief cameo by Rory and Amy in the department store (Amy is apparently some kind of model now) was wonderful as it showed the Doctor’s desire to say hi to them but opts not to considering where he left them last week, and you can just see the Doctor’s hearts breaking. But still it’s a Gareth Roberts creation so there is humor and when it happens it works. I quite enjoyed the scenes with the Doctor as a staff member at the department store and with his child like sense of wonder it’s only fitting that he be in charge of the toys department. These things are all well and good and then of course, there is the last five minutes.
If anyone still was skeptical in the setup, we know more than anything now that River is the impossible astronaut that strikes down and kills the Doctor. After being captured by her “owners” the Silence and Madam Kavarian we are treated to the eerie closing shot of River in the space suit clamped down at the bottom of Lake Silencio waiting for the Doctor to arrive. I loved that the events of the first episode were clearly set up here including the Doctor receiving his Stetson hat from Craig and using Sophie’s stationary to write and mail out the four invitations that will find their way into the hands of his past self and his companions.
“Closing Time” was a nice subtle sequel to The Lodger with a wonderful sense of peril and wittiness, but it achieved a little bit more in development than its predecessor. After several weeks of emotional spills and thrills, it was nice to have a story that brought the show back down to a more fanciful and witty format even if it doesn’t hold up to the action and high stakes choices that will no doubt come in next week’s season finale.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10 (very good)
All Photos Credit: BBC America
