Top 10 Series 7 Moments (10-6)
Guest contributor Anthony Retondo counts down his top 10 Series 7 moments beginning with 10-6.
And so another series of Doctor Who is behind us, and now we enter the dark period when our Saturdays are a little less eventful. But before hurting our heads in anticipation of the 50th anniversary, let us look back at the greatest moments of Series 7 as a whole. Series 7 suffered from a lack of pacing and intrigue in my opinion. It felt like a series that never truly blossomed, with each episode never reaching its full potential until the respective finales. Regardless, Doctor Who remains a wonderful television show, and Series 7 gifted us with numerous moments to cherish. I hope you enjoy my top ten list. Please be sure to share your own as well.
10. “I Hack Technology!”
9. The Conference Call
When we were told that The Name of the Doctor would have a very dark atmosphere, it was no lie. The conference call featured in the beginning of the episode was stirring. There were a few humorous moments thrown in, but the secret behind the Doctor and the attack of the Whispermen overshadowed everything. I know I’m not the only one who had chills when Jenny cries out “I think I’ve been murdered” and fades away. There was a wonderful sense of urgency and terror as River cries for everyone to wake up. And it sets us up for the plot of the episode without rushing one bit.
8. “We’re All Ghosts to You.”
The most disappointing aspect of series seven was its rushed nature. There were very few moments where the characters could simply stop to breathe and develop. A wonderful exception came in a short scene in Hide, in which Clara begins to question the Doctor’s beliefs. Every companion eventually comes to a startling realization of who the Doctor really is, and for Clara, it was the way he so casually accepted viewing the end of the Earth. She exclaims “We’re all Ghosts to you”, a line that once again separates the Doctor from his companions, reminding us that he can never be like them. It’s a beautiful scene that ends with a wonderful response from the Doctor – “You are the only mystery worth solving”. And thus, the relationship between the Doctor and Clara is escalated in one of the few slow scenes we get in series 7.
7. The One Word Test
Every Doctor Who companion has to prove him or herself before they are worthy of travelling with the Time Lord. As the Doctor was experiencing one of the darkest chapter’s of his life, Vastra gave Clara one chance to convince him to help her – or rather, one word. The scene from The Snowmen was a gripping back-and-forth and wonderfully written, although it was the revelation of the one word that truly sold it. No character could comprehend what the Doctor was going through at the time, and as it turns out, it was the name of his former companion that reignited the spark within him. It was a brilliant final ode to the Ponds, and done in such a subtle, beautiful way.
6. Seeing Inside the TARDIS
How about that! After seven series of revived Who, almost all we saw of the Doctor’s main habitat was the control room. And finally, after patiently waiting, fans got to take a closer look at the interior of New Who’s TARDIS! Though Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS featured a disappointing abundance of corridors, we still got a few quick shots of wonderful scenery within her, including a majestic swimming pool, a vastly detailed library, a telescope and the eye of harmony! Each room was unique, embodying the idea of the TARDIS as a magical, surreal machine. I remember yelling at the screen for someone to take a dip into the beautiful swimming pool.
Come back on Tuesday for the top five! In the meantime, why not list your own in the comments.
