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| Rory Williams brings a message from the Doctor. |
1 episode. Approx. 48 minutes. Written by: Steven Moffat. Directed by: Peter Hoar. Produced by: Marcus Wilson.
THE PLOT
Amy is being held captive by Madame Kovarian (Frances Barber), who is working with the Headless Monks and an army being paid to guard her. It's a trap for the Doctor, one that he's all too willing to walk into. But the Doctor has raised an army of his own, calling in favors from across all of time and space. With a semi-reformed Sontaran (Dan Starkey), Silurians, and the roguish Dorium Maldovar (Simon Fisher Becker), the Doctor is going to turn the tables on the opposing army and free Amy Pond. All without firing a single shot.
But he's playing someone else's game, and his every move only serves to advance their purpose. The Doctor may be winning this battle - but without even realizing it, he may be losing a much larger war.
CHARACTERS
The Doctor: As the Doctor appears to be winning during his storming of the space station, he is all confidence and bluster - but with an angry edge, furious that this army has tried to attack him through his friends. When Madame Kovarian makes a comment about how many rules good men like the Doctor have, the Doctor reveals that he does not consider himself a good man: "Good men don't need rules. Today is not the day to find out why I have so many." The end of the episode sees him realizing that he is now viewed as far more than just the wanderer he started out as. He is now a warrior, someone to be feared. It is fear of him that has caused this situation to come into being.
Amy: She trusts absolutely in the Doctor's promise to come for her, and warns the one sympathetic soldier (Christina Chong) to be on the right side when he does come. Gets some strong emotional scenes, ones which show Amy's maternal side once more.
Rory: I'd never really thought about it until Amy's opening monologue, but Rory does have a lot in common with the Doctor. He's centuries old in a young man's body. He has witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations, and has maintained an inherent decency throughout. And he becomes rather fierce in defense of those he loves. The teaser, in which he faces down a Cyberleader to press him for information, is a rare "hero" moment for the frequently-sidelined Rory. Yet the opening tough guy moments don't compromise his ability to be plain, decent Rory when he's reunited with Amy. Arthur Darvill remains terrific, and it's good to see him getting meatier material this season.
River Song: We finally learn exactly who she is. I'm not certain how well it fits with what we've seen before, but it might be interesting to go back and watch her Series Five appearances with her true identity in mind. She is sympathetic in her dealings with the Doctor, Amy, and Rory, but the softness in her voice makes it all the more devastating for the Doctor when she lays out for him what he may be turning into.
THOUGHTS
The choice to split Series Six into halves is used to good effect in this "mid-season finale," which ramps up the action and special effects to the level of a true finale. We get space stations, outer space combat, opposing armies of human and Silurian soldiers, and multiple big explosions. It plays very much like Doctor Who: Hollywood Action Movie. Except the action movie grandeur is subverted, of course, with the Doctor's triumph being snatched away from him by an enemy who has managed to outthink him while he's been busy playing Bruce Willis.
It's probably the one way in which that kind of pure action format could really work with Doctor Who. Our thinking man's hero becomes an emotional and angry action hero. He raises an army, attacks in force... only to end up being outthought. It's extremely clever - the term probably most used to describe most Steven Moffat scripts. And the "action film" trappings make for a tremendous amount of momentum and a handful of genuinely arresting visuals.
The part of this episode I most enjoyed, though, was the parade of guest characters. Strax (Dan Starkey), the Sontaran nurse who barks out medical advice like he's giving orders on the field of battle. The return of Dorium Maldovar, last seen in The Pandorica Opens, both smarter and funnier than in his first appearance. Vastra (Neve McIntosh) and Jenny (Catrin Stewart), a Victorian-era Silurian and her maid/lover, both of whom are accomplished martial artists. Vastra is a particularly strong character, the first to point out that the Doctor's anger may be leading him to make mistakes. The flirtatious banter between her and Jenny, combined with a more reflective side opposite the Doctor, make her a character I'd love to see again.
Though this is clearly all stage setting for later events, A Good Man Goes to War is breathtakingly entertaining, stuffed with clever plot flourishes and strong character scenes. It's not so much of a story in itself as it is one extended set piece, connecting the first half of the season to the second half. But viewed in that context, it is a thorough success. Big, fast, wonderfully dramatic, and a lot of fun to watch.
Rating: 9/10.
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