Doctor Who Day of the Moon

Last week week we had the first episode of the new season and it was exciting. A great ride with lots of twists. I did have some reservations despite really liking it. I was concerned that Steven Moffat's love for complicated and potentially paradoxical plots might lead to some holes that would not be filled.

This week we had the conclusion in Day of the Moon. It had some really good moments but it unfortunately left me disappointed and unsatisfied. My fears appear to have been realized. There were far too many plot twists that did not wrap up and the episode felt rushed to try and finish what they did actually finish.

Let's look at what I did like.

The rounding up of Amy, Rory and River was a dramatic way to open the episode.

Building the prison around the Doctor and the Tardis was also clever.

The overall haunted house feel that the episode had was really well done. The scenes in the orphanage were very creepy and you really felt the fear that Amy felt.

The recording devices in the palms of their hands was a great way to remember what they saw. The scene in the Tardis where Canton sees a hologram of one and then straightens the Doctor's tie was a brilliant way to introduce the fact that the Silence rule by the power of suggestion and it paid off with Canton recording the Silence on the video phone and ultimately being played back during the moon walk.

The scenes with Rory listening to Amy through the recording device were touching as was the little heart to heart he had with the Doctor. "Stupid face"

I did really like the final confrontation with the Silence. Using the video in the broadcast of the moon landing was brilliant and maintains why we (the people of the world) have no recollection of the Silence. The shootout with River was exciting.

I also liked the moments after the Doctor and River kissed (although the kiss itself made me uncomfortable). The Doctor says, "There's a first time for everything." and River, after the Doctor leaves, says, "And a last time." Throughout all their history is it possible that that was their only kiss?


Now the things that I did not like.

There was far too much use of the Tardis. In most stories there will always be a reason why the Doctor cannot use the Tardis because otherwise the solutions to the problems become too easy. I also really hate that River is flying the Tardis around without the Doctor.

Speaking of River Song. I think that I have had enough of her. When she is around it diminishes the Doctor. She always knows too much and almost makes the Doctor look foolish. I know Steven Moffat loves this character, but please let's be done with her. We need a break.

I actually found the Doctor a little disappointing at times as well. I think it was that he was acting a little to foolish and was played for laughs a little too often, especially in a story that had such a grim enemy.

Nixon also came across as a bit of a clown in this episode. He lost the gravitas he had in the last episode.


There were a lot of plot lines that did not wrap up. This may be intentional, but even if it is intentional it left us feeling completely unsatisfied at the end of the episode. It is totally fine to introduce new plot lines and not wrap up everything, but you still need to leave the audience feeling a sense of satisfaction and excitement for what will come. I felt neither. I feel worry. I worry where Steven Moffat is taking things. More on this in a moment.

I am left with questions.
Who was the woman behind the door in the orphanage?
Why was the control room of the Silence the same as the one in the Lodger? Will we find out or was it just because they had a set they could reuse?
Who is the little girl?
Why can she regenerate?
If Amy is pregnant then with who's child? (I am assuming it is the little girl)
Why was the older Doctor killed?

I think the last question deserved to answered in this episode as it is what began it all. There was no mention of it. It was as if the characters had all forgotten it as well.

The reason I worry where all of this is going is all because of Steven Moffat. I think he is a great writer. He has written some of my favourite episodes of Doctor Who. However he seems to want to take the Doctor in a completely different direction than Russell T Davies did. This is fine except that he seems to want to rewrite history. He has to remember that the fans of the show love the Doctor. They love all the Doctors. To keep things in the present, they love the Ninth Doctor and the Tenth Doctor and the Eleventh Doctor. It is not fair to write things that could potentially negate some of the things that happened with Nine and Ten. Steven Moffat seems to love paradoxical stories. I fear he will create a paradox that he will not be able to write himself out of. We will see.

And now it seems like they will just go off and have a few adventures for fun before revisiting the events of these two episodes. That is fine, but not satisfying.