The Doctor’s Swan Song

So, I’ve been thinking about the date they gave for the Doctor’s death in “Let’s Kill Hitler.” It is April 22nd. I was confused because “The Impossible Astronaut” aired the following day, April 23rd. But then I remembered something important—that was the day before Easter. Now, I may be reading too much into this, but this year, April 22nd was Good Friday. And that was throughout Christianity—the Orthodox calendar synced this year. They killed the Doctor on Good Friday, a day about death. Does this signify that like Jesus, the Doctor too will rise on the 3rd day?

Hmm…

Closing Time or “One Last Adventure”

Can I have a cybermat? They look better than guard dogs!


Meanwhile the shopgirl thinks someone is in a dressing room as the Doctor discovers Craig is a father, with a baby boy. Then the shop girl discovers a Cyberman.

Dear BBC-America, the Doctor left Amy and Rory in their own apartment at the end of the last episode. Why are you using that RIDICULOUS opening for this episode?

Craig says he’s on his own with his baby, but he’s a little stressed like most new father’s. The Doctor shushes the baby as Craig says he is rubbish at being a dad, saying he has no instincts. He says he hopes to prove to everyone he can do it. The Doctor asks the boy’s name, which is Alfie. I have a few cousins with that name. Continuing on from A Good Man Goes to War, the Doctor can still speak baby and says Alfie prefers Stormageddeon, Dark Lord of All. Freaky. Craig explains that Sophie is away for the weekend on a break. The Doctor says that Alfie calls Craig “Not-Mum” but he also calls the Doctor that as well. He calls everyone else “peasants.”

Craig moves on to wondering why the Doctor is visiting, assuring him all the rooms in his house is real. And his neighbors are human. The Doctor says he’s on his Farewell Tour and popped by for a visit. But he notices things are weird, particular with the lights. He leaves Craig and convinces himself to leave. Instead, he goes to a toy store where he entertains a group of kids. He runs into Craig and says that he is now working in the shop. Craig wonders about the alignment of Exeter that the Doctor was talking about, but the Doctor decides to stay. Craig says Alfie was still crying and he tried singing. The Doctor says Alfie thought he was crying as well. He says good-bye to the two.

The Doctor tells Craig to read the newspaper about disappearing people, coinciding with the lights flickering. Craig explains that the estate is putting in new cables. The Doctor fixes an elevator to send Craig home, but he doesn’t buy it. The Doctor explains that someone is using a teleporter in that area. To prevent Craig from looking behind him as the lights grow dark and weird, the Doctor confesses his love for Craig. Craig doesn’t buy it and they spot the Cyberman. The Doctor restores everything and they get off the lift. The Doctor tells him what they saw as Craig realizes they were in space.

COMMERCIALS!

The Doctor can’t find the spaceship, thinking it must be hidden. Craig asks all about the ship. The Doctor tells Craig to take Alfie and go. Craig refuses, saying that staying with the Doctor is the safest place as the Doctor always survives. It seems the Doctor not only broke Amy’s faith in him, but his faith in himself last episode. Craig seems to restore it for a bit. He brings Craig and Alfie back inside, saying that people open up to people with babies. That’s why he brings a human along. “I’m your baby?” Craig asks. The Doctor agrees, hugging him.

The lady working makeup calls out and tells the Doctor she thinks he and his partner are sweet. The Doctor likes the term “partner” and considers using this instead of “companion.” The lady says companion is too old-fashioned, though I don’t think the term was ever used in the old series. I read that somewhere, so I may be wrong. I’m still working my way through episodes. Anyway, I wonder how the lady knows he’s the Doctor as his nametag is off. I guess she ran into him in the employee’s break room. The Doctor asks the lady if she saw anything odd, but she just passes on some gossip. He walks away as she yells about a silver rat thing.

We get a peek at it as Craig and Alfie go to as some questions. He talks to the shop girl who begged off in the cold open. It doesn’t go so well and she calls for George AKA security. Val explains more about the silver rat to the Doctor, thinking it was a toy. Craig causes a scene in ladies as the Doctor runs up. Everyone seems to know the Doctor. George lets Craig go as the shop girl reveals that her coworker disappeared. The Doctor and Craig go to investigate the changing room. Alfie tells his father to believe in himself. The Doctor reveals that it isn’t a silver rat but a Cybermat.

The Doctor wonders why the Cybermats are using the power in the department store rather than invading a nuclear plant. Craig thinks it’s not a coincidence that the two times he’s dealt with aliens are the two times the Doctor has arrived in his life. Alfie needs changing as the Doctor yells that it is only coincidence. As he talks about coincidences, he spies Amy and Rory shopping in the same store. A young girl runs up to Amy, asking for autograph. She gives it to the girl as the Doctor hides himself so they don’t see him. The young girl points somewhere and the Doctor turns. He sees her posing with a perfume, the tagline “For the Girl Who Is Tired of Waiting.”

COMMERCIALS!

George wonders the shop as the Doctor and Craig hide with Alfie. The sonic screwdriver upsets Alfie. The Doctor gives Craig a papoose and asks if Craig can get a babysitter. Apparently no one will take Craig’s call as he was insistent he could do it. The Doctor catches a Cybermat which they think is cute. Tell it bares it teeth. George stumbles across something and his screams attract the Doctor. A Cyberman knocks him down and Craig wakes him. The Doctor says George was killed by the Cyberman. He stumbles around, realizing the Cybermen are transforming people into them. Using spare parts.

Craig takes him home and goes to the shop for milk. He tells the Doctor he knows what to do if the baby cries. “No,” the Doctor says. “Me neither!” Craig replies. As soon as he leaves, the baby cries. The Doctor goes to talk to the baby, telling him to save the tears for later. He says he is so old while the Cybermat comes to life. The Doctor holds Alfie. Remember when Ten held the kitten and we all melted? Same thing now. The Doctor tells Alfie he could walk among the stars. He gets stars to appear on the ceiling. He says he dreamed he could and he did it.

The Doctor then notices the Cybermat behind him. He zaps it with the sonic before escaping. Except he locks the sonic inside. The Doctor tries calling him but Craig is attacked by the Cybermat. He fights it off as the Doctor sees him. The Doctor puts Alfie in his swing and smashes through the window. The Cybermat turns on the Doctor as Craig captures it. The Doctor finally zaps it with a setting. The Doctor applauds Craig’s strength. He takes a breath and then goes after his son.

COMMERCIALS!

The Doctor takes apart the Cybermat. He explains to Craig it was taking the electricity to send to the ship. The Cyberman sent it after the Doctor. The Doctor tells Craig he’s being selfish and put the two in trouble. The Doctor reveals he is running out of time and that it is apparently April 21, 2011. He talks about asking the question that will bring about the Silence. But Craig and Alfie have fallen asleep.
In the morning, the Doctor and the Cybermat in safe mode leave. Craig realizes this when he wakes up and takes Alfie with him. He tells the baby that he owes the baby and Sophie to the Doctor, who needs help—even if he won’t admit it. In the store, the Doctor talks to Val before realizing the Cybermen are below the store. He crawls down their hole to find a factor underneath. A deactivated Cyberman stands in the corner as Craig runs in. He leaves Alfie with Val, who thinks the two need time alone.

Down below, a Cyberman finds the Doctor. He says that the ship crashed to earth, lay dormant until the estate decided to lay new cable. The Cyberman explains that they will convert the people of earth. “All six of you?” the Doctor asks. The Cyberman tells him he knows that is enough because he is the Doctor. The Doctor agrees and tells them to deactivate or he will do it for them. As a second Cyberman enters the scene, we go to…

COMMERCIALS!

Craig runs into the changing rooms, trying to find the Doctor. He grabs something and jumps down the hole. He chases into the fracas, threatening them with a scanner. The Cyberman tells Craig that he is compatible, putting him in the machine. The Doctor tells him that the Cybermat will drain their power. So the Cyberman crushes it. Good job, Doctor. They start to drain Craig’s emotions and the Doctor tells him he is strong, he can fight it. He tells him not to let them take it all away. The Doctor tells the Craig that he believes in him and reveals that he is going to die. He yells as the helmet closes over Craig and they say conversion will be completed.

Alfie starts to cry as the Doctor apologizes. It seems to allow Craig to fight back. Craig is saved by the power of his love for Alfie—a callback to Night Terrors. His emotions cause an overload to the Cybermen’s system, which cause it to explode. The Doctor and Craig rush into the elevator to safety. Craig gets Alfie and says he blew up the Cybermen using love. The Doctor tries to explain it in technical terms, but then agrees that it was love.

The Doctor explains the building will be fine as Craig gets a new outfit. Val finally clues them in that she thinks they are gay lovers, which Craig tries to correct. As Val calls Craig the Doctor’s companion, they realize the Doctor is gone. They wonder where he went as we go to…

COMMERCIALS!

Craig and Alfie go home to find a clean house. He realizes that the Doctor did it and finds him in the kitchen. The Doctor says he couldn’t let Sophie come home to a mess. Craig is happy that the Doctor did it for him. The Doctor reveals that Alfie now prefers his own name and calls Craig “Dad” rather than “Not-Mum.” The Doctor says he has to go, holding up the envelopes seen in The Impossible Astronaut. He tells Craig he is going to America and we see Craig is the one who gave the Doctor the Stetson. The Doctor leaves as Sophie comes home. She is surprised to see how good Alfie is and how clean the house is as well. Alfie says “the Doctor,” surprising his parents.

Outside, the Doctor encounters three children. He tells them he is there to save the world and tells them they are welcome. We then hear their recollections about the Doctor when they are older, cutting to River Song in her university. An old nursery rhyme is spoken, revealing Evil Eye Patch Lady. River talks to Evil Eye Patch Lady, who then is joined by the Area 51 Escapees. It is revealed she is now Dr. River Song. In her journal, it is reveal the Doctor dies on the shore of Lake Silence.

Workers come in, with the astronaut’s suit. Evil Eye Patch Lady calls her Melody Pond as she gets sedated. Evil Eye Patch Lady reveals that Melody/River is to kill the Doctor. We see her in the suit under water.

Funny story time! I was watching parts of the Second Doctor serial “Tomb of the Cybermen” on YouTube earlier this week. They featured the Cybermats on it. How odd that this week’s episode featured them as well! Anyway, I liked the relationship between the Doctor and Craig. And Alfie was adorable! It’s interesting that Amy’s become a businesswoman and a model.

So the Doctor’s prepared for his fate. River is prepared for her role in this whole fiasco, rather unwillingly. Let’s see what happens, shall we?

Next week: Will everything make sense? Who knows?

Quote of the Episode
“Are there aliens in my fridge?”—Craig to the DoctorWe start with a streetlight flickering before going inside of a department store, where the shop girls talk while the lights flicker. One girl begs off, leaving her coworker behind to close up. Hey, remember Craig from last year’s episode “The Lodger” is back. His wife is off for a weekend, unsure how he will be alone. So does his mother. He answers a knock at the door. It’s the Doctor, who doesn’t like the new house. The Doctor asks how Craig is feeling. When he replies “fine,” the Doctor notices the light flickering. He runs inside, wondering why Craig isn’t telling him something.