The Big Bang: which is where it get … COMPLICATED!!

*Spoilers*

You know, I think — think — I’m quite pleased with that … !

With, before you ask, The Big Bang, the finale for series five of Dr Who.

Which is a bit of a convoluted one, but … …

Hmmm …

You know, I’m trying to feel my way through, here …

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Let’s talk about tonights episode, shall we … ?

Yes, let’s!

The Big Bang starts where last weeks The Pandorica Opens leaves off.

Not directly, though: it opens with the young Amy, Amelia Pond (Caitlin Black) being the hinge point.

After all, The Pandorica Opens has ended with the complete deletion of the entire universe.

Apart from the Earth …

And in a twisted replay of The Eleventh Hour, sees the younger Amy receiving a leaflet from the (fictional) National Museum.

To find a series of mysterious clues, leading to the Museum’s chief exhibit: the Pandorica, itself.

Which opens to show us its inhabitant.

The older Amy Pond …

Which, as Amy say’s to her younger self, “… is where it get’s complicated, kid”.

And that’s just the pre-title sequence.

The main bulk of tonights’ story … ?

Sees Matt Smith’s 11th Doctor leaping back and forth between two different times.

After all, the first time we see the Doctor, tonight, is at 1st century Stonehenge, sparking erratically in and out of time, giving Auton Rory a set of instructions on how to heal the nearly dead Amy, by placing her in the Pandorica: the light from which has healing power over whatever’s put in.

Or shines on.

Which causes problems by shining gently on a fossilised Dalek, ALSO on display in the museum.

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Phew …

There’s twists, here, there really are.

Now, if you saw The Pandorica Opens, last week, you’d’ve seen that the stars were being extinguished.

That extinguishing has left a universe that consists of just the Earth, and its inhabitants.

And a Sun that’s not a sun, but an exploding Tardis.

And, as the Doctor reveals to Amy, Rory and River — fantastically played by Alex Kingston, there — the only way fix the universe is simple.

Is for the Doctor, himself, to drive the Pandorica into the heart of the exploding Tardis, in order to ‘rewind’ the Universe and triggered a second Big Bang.

As an anguished Dr Song explains to Rory and Amy, that’s an action that’ll fully restore the universe and everything in it.

With one exception.

That of the Doctor, himself.

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Not news that goes down well, it has to be said.

Understandably.

But news that leads to a series of scenes that sees the 11th Doctor’s adventures rewinding, until he arrives in Amelia’s bedroom, and emphasising that she should ‘remember’ the Tardis.

And seemingly sacrificing himself, to the Crack in the Wall, in order to finalise the healing of the Universe …

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Via a second big bang.

Now I’ll confess, I thought this was a great series finalé.

As I said to Movie Night Adrian, earlier — I just dropped off a batch of my notoriously hot chilli, minus the kidney beans* — Matt Smith puts in a bloody good performance.

Very much so, in fact.

The scenes where the Doctor’s time rewinds, I thought, was rather intense: especially where he finds himself in Young Amelia’s room.

In fact, I’m thinking The Big Bang is a great way to finish up what people have variously called Series 5, or Series 31: Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Stephen Moffat’s first series of Doctor Who, in other words.

Now, I know a few of my friends — Movie Night Adrian amongst them — didn’t exactly take to the Moffat/Smith/Gillan cut of Doctor Who. Adrian, in particular, found the season, so far, a touch too fluffy for his tastes.

I can agree that series 5 has certainly been fluffy.

Maybe that’s not the right word, though.

I think light is maybe the word, here …

And not in a bad way, either.

I’m thinking that the Moffat-era Dr Who is a lot lighter than the Russell T. Davies era.

That’s not a bad thing, either. Davies managed to re-acquaint us with a vary old friend, when he revived the series: and in doing so, showed us a darker side to the mythos that is the Dr Who universe.

Mr Moffat, on the other hand?

There’s still a trace of the darkness in series 5.

Vincent and The Doctor, for example, told us — in a family friendly way — of the anguish and pain that someone with serious mental illness can be faced with.

Victory of the Daleks told us of the desperate necessities that accompany a nation at war, as well as introduced the Doctor’s oldest foes to a new generation of viewers.

Cold Blood and The Hungry Earth, despite being something of a rehash of the 1970’s original, was an excellent update. Maybe not a stunningly original story, but certainly one that freshened up the original, brought it very much into the modern era.

Which I think is what this particular version of Dr Who is all about.

Actually, no, let me rephrase that.

Dr Who, as a series, has been one that’s had ups and downs throughout the years, but one thing has remained very constant: and very daring, when first done in 1966, when Patrick Troughton took over in the Role.

It’s had a capacity, by replacing its leading man and the associated cast and production crew every few years, of changing and going in different directions.

Whilst remaining and keeping what makes it beloved.

That’s seems to cover it, doesn’t it … ?

But, at any rate, I think Moffat, Smith, Gillan and co. have managed to both lighten the overall tone of the series, without making it any less darker than it was.

Indeed those lighter moments make the darker parts all the darker …

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Now.

Having said all that … ?

Phew!

I’ve got to wonder, where’s the team going to be heading, next … ?

Yeah …

Me, and every other fan in the country!

Now, I can’t go making any predictions, here, informed or otherwise.

That I’ll leave to Pazza and the guys over at Life, ComBom & Dr Who.

But, although we know that there’s to be a forth series of Torchwood, co-produced with an American TV station, and helmed by Russell T. Davies and company, I can’t help but notice that series five has been a touch bare of good ol’ Cap’n Jack.

And can’t help but wonder if River Song is being groomed up as the Smith/Moffat/Gillan era replacement.

I also can’t help but notice the news that one episode of the new series of The Sarah Jane Adventures is going to be graced by not only Matt Smith’s 11th Doctor, but will also see Katy Manning joining up for one episode, reprising her old 3rd Doctor era role, as Jo Grant.

All to the good. One thing I do know, is the amount of people who’ve noticed Matt Smith’s portrayal as the 11th Doctor is very Pertweesque. Possibly even Troughtonesque, as well.

I also know I’ve caught one or two people wondering if the titles will be changed again.

I hope not.

After all, I can’t help but notice that this series has had a colour palette dominated by shades of flame red and electric blue.

Shades that seem to match the passion of Karen Gillan’s portrayal of Amy, and Matt Smiths sheer sparky performance as the Doctor.

I’m actually starting to like it.

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Ultimately …

And in conclusion … ?

I’ve got to admit, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Matt Smiths first season as the Doctor.

Granted, his portrayal is very different: and Amy Pond makes for a much more passionate companion, albeit one less of a romantic interest and more of a traditional Dr Who girl than Rose Tyler, Martha Jones^ or Donna Noble.

But I’m also thinking that, while this may not be the best series of Doctor Who ever produced, it does make for a good reboot, a good first series for the new cast and production crew.

And a great introduction for the new, Doctor Who.

Russell T Davies set the standard for the revamped series.

And passed on the baton.

Moffat and company … ?

Have picked up that baton, and shown themselves to be very capable of taking it along on its journey.

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* Nik Nak’s Law for Smooth Talking Bar-Stewards 43(f), Paragraphs (i) — normally unpublished on the ’net for legal reasons — reads “Do Not Feed Movie Night Adrian Kidney Bean’s: You’ll Get a Look. ”. Just so you know.

^ I still, to this day, believe that Freema Agyeman’s performance as Martha Jones was one of the least herald in the new or old version of the series. And much underused: to Martha’s detriment, possibly.