The Name of The Doctor

"What kind of idiot would want to steal a faulty TARDIS?"

Spoilers!

(In fact, this post is written specifically with those who have already viewed the episode in mind.)

By now, everyone should have had a chance to watch the Doctor Who season finale, The Name of The Doctor.

You were frozen and stupefied for a few moments at the end, too?

From the opening scenes in Gallifrey and the shots of Clara throughout time seeing the different Doctors, this episode began to deliver right away.

Can I just skip straight on to Strax now? HOW freaking hilarious was he this entire episode? I want Strax t-shirts like YESTERDAY. I love that we got to see that he had taken up fighting in Scotland.   "Prepare to die IN agony for the GLORY of the Saltaran Empire!!" I also love his inability to correctly identify human gender. "What is it girl?! (It was a boy.) Can't you see I'm about to crush the brains of this stinking primitive!?"I could go back and watch this episode a thousand times just for Strax quotes!!!

Next, I'd like to highlight the incredibly awesome "Conference Call". The nature of it is amazing because they communicate through time while dreaming; that was super cool. I particularly love that they made it seem so magical. I honestly would not have been as impressed with it if it was too clinically scientific or reliant on mechanics. Speaking of the Conference Call, it led us to another treasure trove of Strax moments. "OH NOO, not the one with GIGANTIC head??"

Not to give us cool stuff at the start and then cease to deliver, the episode didn't waste anytime getting back to giving us drops of information. Unbeknownst to us in our first viewing, we were given this HUGE explanation:

"Was your mum deep on puddings?"

Honestly, on first viewing, I just thought this was another moment to tie in to Asylum of the Daleks and show us how quirky Clara and her mum were. NOOOOPE. That right there was our explanation of The Impossible Girl. There was only one original DNA blueprint of Clara, i.e. the original Clara or "recipe",  who was traveling with the Doctor in the most recent episodes. Then, there have been the echoes of Clara: the varying versions in time coming from the original genetic recipe. This time, she really WAS the original Souffle Girl; the one who would soon step into a timeline that created The Impossible Girl.

Not to allow even the slightest hint of a dull moment, we were also quickly introduced to The Whisper Men.

FREAKING FREAKY LOOKING

Thank you, Doctor Who, for once again delivering BADASS amazing costumes and monsters that are REAL and NOT CGI. These guys are amazing. I love their look. LOOVE. While they are not as scary and menacing as the Weeping Angels or the Silence, they are certainly just as cool to look at.

Oh Doctor. You are so hilarious when being duped by those "little Daleks!!!" Ahem. Back to the Doctor. OH MY DOUBLE ALIEN HEARTS!!! When he heard what River said and the mention of Trenzalor, his face. HIS FACE. I have no words for that moment when we caught a glimpse of how deep his emotions and concience clearly run. I also don't have words for the instant INTRIGUE that induced. What? What is it exactly that is so deeply felt?

Now, we shall skip ahead to Trenzalore; where we learn about his grave. I love his reason for going. "I have to save Vastra and Strax. Jenny, too, if it's still possible. They were with me during the dark times. Never questioned me. Never judged me. They were just... kind." That's the definition of real friendship. This moment helped me really understand the importance of Vastra, Jenny, and Strax. We know the Doctor should never be alone. Now we know he has friends beyond the usual human companion; and they were there for him in the best way friends can be.

Of course, on Trenzalore, the Whisper Men caught up to them. Yet again, Strax stole the show when trying to fool the "enemy", "This place is surrounded! Lay down your weapons and your deaths will be merciful! This planet is now property of the Saltaran Empire! Surrender  your women and intellectuals!!", as well as with the way he spoke to Vastra, "Unhand me, you ridiculous reptile!!".

Now, regarding the Doctor's name. One theory is that when he said "Please!" he was shouting to River to let her know to open the doors. I'm not entirely sure that's the case. It is possible. I'm still inclined to believe she did on her own. This leads me to share an interesting thought I stumbled across on the interwebs:

Interesting thought. 

Now sure it can really apply to his actual name, 

since he knows his name before his entire timeline is written.

Ultimately, we won't know his name ever in this show until the very end. Maybe. 

With everything we learned about Timelord graves, and Clara's rescue of the Doctor, many of our questions were answered. Namely, we got to find out who Clara was and how she could be The Impossible Girl. She saved the Doctor. More than just the Eleventh, we come to find out. She literally saves THE Doctor. Entirely. We glimpsed this aspect of her nature in The Rings of Akhaten, "We never walk away." I also love that she was smart enough to figure out that, "This is what I've already done. You've already seen me do it." and jumped in to save the Doctor. Who's a clever girl!!? Clara. She's amazing. 

Regarding River, they may have said goodbye to each other, but we're not finished with her yet. At least, I hope not. I believe we'll still get to see how she learned his name. I hope. It was so good to see her again and to see them together, even if she was just an echo of sorts herself. 

This moment was too great. So good. Strax's face.

Was this the fall of the Eleventh when the question is asked? Doctor Who? Or was this a foreshadow of it? I couldn't tell. If this is his fall, it's not his death, just maybe an emotional fall. That would fit with my personal theory that this is not, in fact, the eleventh regeneration of the Doctor. I think that John Hurt's Doctor is actually the Ninth Doctor. However, because of whatever it was that he did, presumably the Great Time War in which he destroyed all the Timelords, the Doctor refuses to acknowledge him. Therefore, he sees himself as the Eleventh Doctor, even though he is actually the twelfth regeneration. John Hurt's doctor, therefore, does not rank among the Doctors; he is disavowed.

I can't wait to see where the next season takes us!! I'm learning now, that we should never speculate about Doctor Who. No one came even CLOSE to guessing what happened in this episode. 

I would love to hear from you. Tweet at me or comment below! We have until November 23rd to comfort ourselves and talk about the Doctor!!

Your Whovian Friend,

Heather