No Ponds for DOCTOR WHO’s 50th — Or Ever Again!

Well, Steven Moffat, the show-runner (and de facto Lord President of all things DOCTOR WHO) has finally spoken definitively about the possibility of Amy and Rory Pond (Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill) returning for the Time Lord’s 50th anniversary story. And his answer is a simple No.

As the creator of Amelia Pond and Rory Williams, Moffat had every right to be their destroyer, and destroy them he did. He both killed them and didn’t kill them the same time by going back to the Weeping Angels’ roots: the Angels sent Amy and Rory into the past and them “live themselves to death.” So they lived full lives and yet died before their time — at the same time. It was the ultimate case of a creator having his cake and eating it too; killing his darlings without murdering them.

So when asked about bringing them back already, Moffat was clear and unambiguous:

“You could never eliminate the possibility of dream sequences and flashbacks, but will the Doctor see them again? No. When I was first talking to Karen and Arthur about it, we said, ‘Let’s make it the proper ending.’ Bringing back things just gives you sequel-itis. Just end it and get out. Heaven knows if they’ll appear in some form of flashback — I have no plans to do that, I have to say — but the story of Amy and The Doctor is definitively over.”

So there you have it, straight from the horse’s mouth: No more Ponds.

Blink to the Future?

This is an amusing little animated mash-up of DOCTOR WHO and the Back to the Future franchise. It doesn’t really make much sense, but the cartooning style is fun and dynamic, and the little touches – like the Adipose, the (I suppose) Judoon Biff, “Auton Detailing,” the “Save the Clock Tower” badge on the Angel and the absolutely badass final image of the TARDIS team on the train (with K9 motoring alongside) goes a long way toward salvaging the whole enterprise.

DOCTOR WHO 7.5: “The Angels Take Manhattan”

As the Doctor has noted, Amelia Pond is not just any companion – to get all meta about it, she is the ultimate Steven Moffat character, so her send-off could not be just any old story; it has to be a classic. Rest easy, Amy, because Moffat has penned an absorbing tale of love and loss that will break both of the hearts of DOCTOR WHO fans the world over.

But it’s the good kind of heartbreak. The sort you’re talking about when you say It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. The DOCTOR WHO universe is infinitely richer for having known Amelia Pond, and so are we fans. This send-off was everything I hoped it would be — clever, dramatic, nostalgic, poetic and final. And also totally heartbreaking.

DOCTOR WHO cast introduce ‘The Angels Take Manhattan’

“Not everybody is going to get out alive. I know I’ve said that before, and I’ve lied. I’m not lying this time.”

With those words, show-runner Steven Moffat chills the blood of DOCTOR WHO fans everywhere.  Tonight, we will witness a parting of the ways (so to speak) for the Doctor and the Ponds — with fatal results. I think it might be a little sad.

This first clip shows Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, Steven and Caro Skinner all praising the execution of the episode. (Try to ignore the cheesy music; not sure why they did that…)

This next clip is more about the Angels…

If you want to see what Karen and Arthur meant by the Angels being back in a “BIIIIIIIIIIIGGGG way,” check out the story at 9 p.m. ET on BBC America.

DOCTOR WHO 7.4: “The Power of Three”

I thought I knew what to expect from this episode: The Doctor bunks with Amy and Rory; hijinks ensue. Well, not quite. For one, the Doctor didn’t really live with the Ponds, the way he did with Craig and Sophie in “The Lodger.” However, that may have been a smart decision to avoid a “been there, done that” feel to the story.

What we got instead was a story of how two long-serving companions have matured not only as space/time travelers, but to the point of deciding to “leave the nest” and the Doctor, and establish their own life together, with jobs and human friends and non-expired food. And we learned just how lonely the Doctor is, and a little about why he travels so much.

Last Trailer for ‘The Angels Take Manhattan’

By now, you know the drill: the TARDIS crew are in Manhattan — and so are the Weeping Angels. And they want Rory.

This is the story of the final adventure for the Doctor and the Ponds, Amy and Rory. It’s going to be so sad.

I usually say how much I cannot wait for the show to premiere, but in this case… I sort of wish Saturday would never come. Especially the 9 p.m. hour…

Another Look at ‘The Angels Take Manhattan’

Here’s a second clip teasing “The Angels Take Manhattan,” this weekend’s fall finale of DOCTOR WHO, in which the Ponds leave the TARDIS for the final time.

This particular clip looks very menacing, with lots of darkness and scary images of the Weeping Angels, and we get the sense that it’s all focusing on Rory (Arthur Darvill).

If the Weeping Angels are coming for him, things don’t look promising for the Last Centurion…

 

 

First Peek at ‘The Angels Take Manhattan’

Here is a look at the final adventure for the Doctor, Amy and Rory as one of the best TARDIS crews ever, “The Angels Take Manhattan.” It’s not spoilery, but does give a flavor of the episode. This is from BBC One, so not a lot of folks here in the Colonies have seen it.

Catch the Doctor’s final journey with the Ponds on Saturday at 9 p.m. on BBC America.

BBC Plans Teary Treat for Stricken Pond Fans

Assuming one can still see through the tears after “The Angels Take Manhattan” has brought the first half of the DOCTOR WHO season — and the tale of Amy and Rory — to a close, visit the official BBC Doctor Who page for The Last Days of the Ponds, an official tribute video.

Here is what the BBC is promising:

The Last Days of the Ponds is a touching 12-minute video that features Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, head writer and Executive Producer Steven Moffat and Executive Producer Caro Skinner. Poignant and insightful, it tells their story, from the very start to the teary goodbyes.

With exclusive backstage material from their early days together right up to behind-the-scenes footage of their final shots, The Last Days of the Ponds gives you unprecedented access to an era of Doctor Who, but more than this, it reveals how the people involved feel about their characters and their friends, their time on the show, what they’ll miss and remember, and how Amy and Rory’s swansong moved them all.

Karen, Arthur and Matt recall meeting each other for the first time and share anecdotes about their friendship. What did they think of each other at first, and what did Arthur consider to be a nightmare? Which days does Karen call the craziest of all, and how was Matt feeling when it came to shooting the Ponds’ departure?

The laughter, tears, heartbreak and joy are all captured forever in The Last Days of the Ponds.

Can you believe the Doctor’s journeys with the Ponds have come to an end? What will you miss most about Amy and Rory?

Moffat Sets Up “The Power of Three”

Tonight, we get to watch Amy and Rory’s penultimate adventure with the Doctor, and it will be heavy on mystery and — domesticity. Considering how much I loved “The Lodger” and “Closing Time,” I’m anticipating really enjoying “The Power of Three.”

Here’s Steven Moffat‘s own introduction the episode:

“The day the Earth got cubed. The year of the slow invasion. The time the Doctor came to stay.”

There have been many ways to invade the Earth, and the Doctor has seen them all. Or so he always thought – and then the human race wakes up one morning and discovers the world has been overrun by… small black cubes. Which then proceed to… do nothing much at all. A plan is afoot, humanity is endangered – but by what and how and, above all, when? For the first time in his world-saving career the Doctor has to call upon the least of his virtues: patience. And the Ponds face something possibly more terrifying than any world-ending apocalypse – the Doctor is moving in!

Not just a tale of alien intervention, this is also the story of a nice young couple who happen to have a bow-tied lunatic from space staying in their spare room. It’s halfway between an alien invasion movie and The Man Who Came to Dinner.”

And here’s the BBC One “Next Time” trailer, which is pretty similar to the BBC America version:

I hope Amy and Rory have a memorable time…