And so the end is here… A Pond Tribute
Guest contributor Ash Smith pays tribute to New Who’s longest serving companions.
And so the end is here….
As the dust settles on one of Doctor Who’s most emotional send offs, we sit back in silence, wipe away a tear or two, and think about how Steven Moffat had us reaching for the tissues. But this time he kept his promise, and we had to say goodbye.
We were almost led to believe that all would be well, and that Moffat had once again pulled a fast one on us, but alas it was not to be. To see the Doctor’s anguish knowing what was about to happen was almost as heartbreaking as seeing the names of his most faithful and much loved friends names on the gravestone next to him only moments later. What must the Doctor feel like knowing that yet again his companions have paid a hefty price just for wanting to be a part of his amazing and wondrous life?
Three years on from their first episode together, since fish fingers and custard, little did we know back then that Amelia Pond and Rory Williams would have such a profound impact on not only the Doctor, but also on us, the viewers. Once a certain David Tennant had left the series and Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill were cast, there was a lot of uncertainty for these little known, young actors who were about to try and fill some of the biggest metaphorical shoes in television. All three had to work hard to win over some people, but Yowzah that’s exactly what they have done, and then some.
Thinking back to that first meeting of our intrepid trio in “The Eleventh Hour”, going from a crash landing in a garden and a seemingly unassuming crack in a bedroom wall, to 14 years later, where the girl who waited had to wait no longer. And then there is Mr Pond, Rory Williams who himself waited for two thousand years just to be with his beloved again. Of course he only lasted a few episodes from his initial introduction as he experienced the first of many deaths (Oh my god, they killed Rory!) being erased from existence. But he came back like an almost indestructible boomerang. From pirates to the Silence, from “Vampires in Venice” to “The Big Bang” and beyond, it’s been one hell of a ride.
Karen and Arthur have left a huge impression on the world of Doctor Who, and as two of the longest-serving companions since the show returned in 2005, it will be a very hard act to follow. They have left their own everlasting mark in the minds of the fans and in the TARDIS itself. They made us laugh and cry in, sometimes, equal measure. They made us think and wonder what could be next, and they made us guess and question almost everything, because, apart from the Time Lord himself, that’s what good companions are supposed to do, aren’t they?
But as we move on, and the Pond’s walk off hand in hand into the sunset, we look to the future. We look to this year’s Christmas special and to the new companion Jenna-Louise Coleman. We have been lucky enough to get a glimpse of what is to come when she made a surprisingly appearance in the series opener, “Asylum of the Daleks”, and did very well too. Is this character going to be in any way linked to a future story arc when the series returns in a few months time? We will not know for while yet, but what we do know is that she will give even the Doctor a run for his money (Do Time Lords even have money? Hmm…)
For now though, let us sit back and enjoy the memories – mostly good, sometimes sad – that this brilliant couple have brought us over the last three years. The lone centurion, the girl and boy who waited, mother and father to the magnificent River Song.
Mr and Mrs Pond, we thank you. A Pond farewell to you both.
