The Rev View with Hullo Porro
Starburst Magazine's Blue Box Podcast's very own Reverend Captain Hullo
Porro* gives you his view of this years festive final fling for Doctor Who - The Time of the Doctor (BBC1 & BBC1 HD, Christmas Day, 7:30pm)
*Hullo Porro is an optional
contributor at discretion of the Blue Box Podcast Team, his views are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Top Geek
How wonderful and
warming to see the return of Amy Pond’s crack – a splendid and tidy opening to
this year’s festive offering. The
episode ended with an appearance of Amy Pond herself – ahhh ginger, the
sweetest of festive flavours topping a taste bud tingling multi layered cake. Exciting
and moving, complex and simple and sweet and savoury – those initial fish
fingers and custard moments of the eleventh hour setting off the Doctor on his
oxymoronic adventures recreated here in episodic form.
Time of the
Doctor sits well for a casual Christmas day viewer with laughs, giggles and “wasn’t
that her off of fools an horses – oh do you remember when Del Boy fell through
the bar dressed as Batman”. By casual
viewer of course I mean the viewer drifting in and out of sleep with a tissue
paper hat dribbling down their forehead, the snowball enthused Nan sucking
sweets made for chewing and the up and downy Dad who needs to keep leaving the
room for a variety of missions such as bladder emptying or a quick rummage in
the nut bag! I mean on one layer it’s
not too taxing, just right for Christmas day.
But a lot of
fans – the forum, DWM convention fans have put a lot of energy into this 50th
anniversary year. Sitting down to Doctor
Who is now a Festive tradition of dissection, damming and discussion. One
would have thought the episode managed to stuff these fan boys fit to burst with
a long list of ingredients and flavours which make a bumper gateaux of the
eleventh doctor’s tenure (and I am still calling him the 11th)
The crack in
time, the papal mainframe, silence will fall, trenzalore, Clara, Amy, the drunk
giraffe, Sontarons, fish fingers and custard.
In other areas of the internet however these fans seem unpleased and
disgruntled. To them I say this – you must
see this as act three of a play, a trilogy, a three parter if you like.
Along with Name
of the Doctor and Day of the Doctor (look guys, a pattern – the titles are a clue)the
three episodes show a journey and add to the mix – River, UNIT, the Paternoster gang, Doctors old and new,
Gallifrey, Timelords with big collars, zappy star wars stuff and deep Arthur C
Clarke stuff with a sprinkle of C.S.Lewis – all aspects of Doctor Who old and
new, Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Science catered for.
But Forum followers, those who
want to see the writer Moff Off - there is another bit that was just for you
and I’ll come back to that in a moment!
Time of the
Doctor itself is a metaphorical title – the episode summed up how the Doctor
spends his time – Helping the universe defend itself from monsters. This was a long haul for the Doctor – the oft
used Terrence Dicks style description that Matt is an Old man in a Young body
was lived out here with the Doctor aging, allowing Matt smith to really show
off the skills that have made him one of the most enigmatic Doctors to grace
the TARDIS.
Before I end I
must also mention Jenna Coleman – my downside to this episode was that she wasn’t
in it nearly enough – In her early scenes it was revealed she was dressed
hollographically and was actually naked – just the thought of Clara Oswin’s
Oswald the Owl was enough to bring a smile to my face! But Jenna was excellent – The scene of her
cold and holding the TARDIS after three hundred years in the time vortex was a
stunning image and shows how far these companions go for the Doctor.
Oh and forum
fans, Moffat bashers, Bessie back seats! Here’s the bit of the episode that was
for you – To paraphrase the Daleks as the aged Doctor makes his way up the
tower to meet his mortal enemies one last time - The rules on regeneration are clear. The Doctor is equally as clear in his
response – Never tell him the Rules.
So for all the
breath that’s been wasted on how complex the age old (well since 1977) question
on regeneration will be covered – its done,
as if Steven Moffat is throwing the words of the fan back into the
vortex of the forum and spreading his words like a Bad Wolf through Fan
wanak.
And thus we have a
blank rule free page set up for a new doctor, like a crazed cockerel on crack, Cappaldi
is here. How long will he stay, is he
the 12th, 14th or 1st Doctor, will Calra fancy
him, what happened to the Vallyard new questions and new stories to be told and
further exciting adventures ahead, and perhaps one day – we will find out just
who Prisoner Zero is!
Hullo Porro gives The Time of the Doctor four out of five Crazy Reindeers
