Given that the Doctor saves the future of humanity every week, the rousing finale to Matt Smith’s first series was bound to be a biggie.
Last week saw our hero trapped for eternity in the safe-like Pandorica beneath Stonehenge, by an unlikely intergalactic coalition that included the Daleks, Cybermen and Sontarans - only the Liberal Democrats were missing. Amy was shot by an android Rory, devastated to have killed his true love, and only mildly surprised to find himself dressed as a Roman centurion.
As you could have guessed, the Doctor saved the day with some good old-fashioned time travel, dishing out instructions and sonic screwdrivers to his trusty companions, as necessary. The almost-expired Amy was placed in stasis in the Pandorica, to await resurrection by her living DNA - the child Amelia Pond, just 1,894 years later. Rory, meanwhile, lovingly stood guard, ready for some timely dalek disposal.
Tonight‘s conclusion tied up other loose ends - why did the child Amelia live alone in a huge house? Because her family had been devoured by the reality-chewing crack in her bedroom wall. Why does the Eleventh Doctor have such odd tastes in clothing? Well, ok, it didn’t answer that one. After all, Doctor Who is a Great British Institution, and open to reinvention.
While David Tennant was pretty much the indie girl’s answer to Daniel Craig’s bum, for others, Matt Smith is a welcome return to the quirkiness of earlier incarnations. With the enigmatic River Song looking set to ruffle the Doctor’s feathers in the next series, and nubile Amy safely hitched, the prospects for the Great Timeless One look as starry as ever.
