Doctor Who: "The Doctor's Wife"

Season 1, Episode 4

Wringing pathos out of an inanimate object

“I really don’t know what to do. That’s a new feeling.”

-The Doctor

This review will not be about Neil Gaiman. Though I have personally never read his any of his comic book work – as big of a nerd as I am, I’m not really into comic books, as I think it takes too much effort to collect them/keep track of all the alternate universes – I wouldn’t talk about this episode in those terms anyways. Not only is it disrespectful to the show itself – a whole lot of people had a hand in this besides Gaiman – but for me, this episode didn’t seem that different of any other episode of Doctor Who, and I would be hard pressed to point out anything that I saw tonight that seemed as if only one person could write it. I don’t mean this as a criticism – I quite enjoyed the episode because it stayed within the show’s range in order to give us a good story – but rather as a compliment to Gaiman; it can’t be easy writing for a show that you’re not normally a part of, even if you have watched it for years. (And I’m sure there are plenty of fan scripts on the internet that would prove this point.)

But there is one thing about Gaiman’s turn behind the pen (or typewriter or keyboard or whatever) that is worth noting: this only could have been written by a man. Okay, that’s a gross oversimplification of gender politics. What I mean is that tonight’s episode played off of that truism about men and their relationship with their cars. Though I’m sure that there are plenty of shows that played off of the relationship between man and ship (though the combination of Malcolm Reynolds & Serenity is the only one I can think of), there’s something so primal about the way that the Doctor talks to the TARDIS (calling her ‘girl’ and apparently ‘sexy’) that reminds me of how men (and I guess some women) talk to their cars.

And it’s a good thing that we’ve seen the Doctor talk to the TARDIS in this way (and to other inanimate objects generally) or else I’m not sure tonight’s episode would have worked. Though we know what the TARDIS means to the Doctor – it’s his home, and sometimes, I’m sure, the only one he can talk to – it’s still an inanimate object, and since they can’t talk, it’s a bit difficult to convince the audience to forge an emotional connection with the TARDIS. Luckily a lot of this weight was carried by Suranne Jones, who spent much of the episode matching the Doctor both in wit and the ability to jump from one random train of thought to another.

And it was that back-and-forth between the two of them – and her insistence that she stole the Doctor as much as he stole her – that really helped to solidify their relationship, and not the ending death scene. Though I get why her death would mean something to the Doctor – he really did enjoy talking to her in her human state – it’s effect was negated from me because a) it was made apparent early on in the episode and b) even though she’s not in human form anymore, and even though she made that big speech about how wonderful the word “alive” is, she’s not really gone. The TARDIS, and her spirit, live on, albeit in a form that doesn’t feel quite as alive to us.

The other drawback to the episode’s focus on the TARDIS (man, I’m getting really tired of having to capitalize that every time I type it) was that because it was so good, I’m afraid the other parts of the episode are going to get short-shifted in any discussion about this episode. And that’s a shame, because for me, the parts with Amy and Rory matched those of the Doctor and the TARDIS (I refuse to call her ‘Sexy’) in terms of quality. There’s something about those scenes of the two running around the TARDIS (or I guess technically the shell of the TARDIS), running through hallways unknown, being chased by the voice of House (Michael Sheen), that I found effectively creepy.

Disembodied voices, much like inanimate objects come to live, are another difficult thing to make effective, not necessarily because embodied voices are scarier, but rather because it’s a plot device that’s been used to so much (and many times badly) that it’s much harder to take it seriously these days. But luckily this episode made it worked, thanks in large part to the atmospheric lighting (green is an inherently creepy color, for some reason) and because the script eventually turned to the TARDIS’ shell and it’s abilities at time manipulation against Amy and Rory, as it came to serve as House’s new body.

The most effective example of this was the way that, thanks to the time jumps that Amy experienced (be they in her head or not, it doesn’t really matter), she got to see the darker side of her relationship with Rory. Though it’s been effectively established that the two of them love each other – and I know certain Doctor Who fans would rather the show just shut up about the whole thing – there’s got to be some sort of resentment on Rory’s part for all that he’s had to do for Amy, even if he’d never show it, and I’m sure Amy has some guilt for all that she’s put him through. So for a show to indulge in this darker aspect – especially one that’s essentially still a children’s program – is a bold step, and one that I personally could stand to see more of. (And did anybody else think of Star Trek when they saw the word “Hate” scrawled on the wall in what appeared to be blood?)

****

So as far as the TARDIS’ last words, “The only water in the forest in the river”, that’s got be with a capital ‘R,’ right? There totally setting up something with River, right? I’ve got to imagine, because it certainly sounded like a piece of season-long mythology. I mean, I wish there was more to this – or at least that the episode would have acknowledged it/one of the character have brought it up – because right now it’s so obvious that this is where the show is going that it feels a bit frustrating for them not to do more with this information. But that’s the drawback of this kind of storytelling. At least this week’s story was so fantastic that it doesn’t really bother me.

Next Week: Programmable Flesh. Ewww.

Quotes, Etc.:

“Biting’s excellent. It’s like kissing, only there’s a winner.”

“He’ll be fine; he’s a Time Lord.” “It’s just what they’re called. It’s doesn’t mean he knows what he’s doing.”

“I think you call me…Sexy.” “Only when are alone.”

“I’m really enjoying the sensation of you running around inside me.”

The Doctor always reads the directions.

Apparently the TARDIS thinks Rory is the pretty one.

“YES, IT’S SPACEY-WACEY.”

“No, bunk beds are cool. It’s a bed with a ladder. You can’t beat that.”