5x013 The Big Bang (Grading/Discussion) SPOILERS!!

[Allyn Gibson]

This is going to be so cool, a universe where the Doctor didn't exist.

Which if they stick too, means that "11" is now, from the POV of Amy-Verse, "1". Wonder if he got a reset on his regenerations too?

There was a rumor floating around at the New Year that, someway, somehow, Smith was going to be the first Doctor. Insofar as the new timeline is concerned, Smith is the first Doctor. This offers an explanation for the pre-Hartnell Doctors seen in "The Brain of Morbius," too. Simply put, the Hartnell Doctor rebooted his timeline, becoming the first Doctor in the new timeline.

The regeneration limit? I don't know. But if the "Morbius" corollary is correct, there really isn't a regeneration limit, as the Doctor is already well past his thirteenth incarnation.

 

[Sparky]

Brilliant...absolutely brilliant. Finally a focus on the characters instead of the spectacle. Rory has to be the best "companion" of all time. 2000 years? What a trooper.

Other than the question of the Big Bad the only things I am confused about now are from The Eleventh Hour. What was that strange figure running past the camera just before it went from Amelia's time to Amy's time? Also, near the end of the episode did Amelia reall hear the Tardis and look up or was that just a dream?

 

[SeerSGB]

This is going to be so cool, a universe where the Doctor didn't exist.

We saw in "Turn Left" a universe where the Doctor didn't exist. Who saved the Earth (and all those other worlds) from all the baddies he's defeated in the last 900 years?

Except the Doctor did exist in that universe; he just happened to be dead when the shit hit the fan.

There is the school of thought in pre-2005 fandom that it was the Doctor's existence that drew out all the baddies and endangered Earth on a nigh-regular basis. Without the Doctor, that lightning rod would be removed. Moffat is old-school enough he might find favor with that theory. This doesn't apply to "Turn Left" because the Doctor already existed, hence the lightning rod would exist, so alien intelligences would have already had their eye on Earth.

Which would explain why Amy doesn't recall the events we see in the prior 4 years, cause in her time-stream it never happened. The prior 4, the whole prior series, hasn't happened to this Earth.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

the only things I am confused about now are from The Eleventh Hour. What was that strange figure running past the camera just before it went from Amelia's time to Amy's time? Also, near the end of the episode did Amelia really hear the Tardis and look up or was that just a dream?

I thought we would revisit that scene, too, in "The Big Bang," but we didn't.

I'm still convinced that it wasn't a dream. My guess is that the Doctor, after Amelia pulled him over to her timeline on her wedding day, decided that some reinforcement of young Amelia's memories wouldn't be a bad idea, so he rematerialized the TARDIS over her backyard one day.

(I'm referring to the Amy at the end, after the reboot, as Amelia, as I didn't hear anyone refer to her as "Amy.")

 

[BenRoethig]

The question is, assuming everything got put back, does she remember them now?

 

[BenRoethig]

the only things I am confused about now are from The Eleventh Hour. What was that strange figure running past the camera just before it went from Amelia's time to Amy's time? Also, near the end of the episode did Amelia really hear the Tardis and look up or was that just a dream?

I thought we would revisit that scene, too, in "The Big Bang," but we didn't.

I'm still convinced that it wasn't a dream. My guess is that the Doctor, after Amelia pulled him over to her timeline on her wedding day, decided that some reinforcement of young Amelia's memories wouldn't be a bad idea, so he rematerialized the TARDIS over her backyard one day.

(I'm referring to the Amy at the end, after the reboot, as Amelia, as I didn't hear anyone refer to her as "Amy.")

Amelia is often shorted to Amy.

 

[Australis]

it was brilliant and i reiterate, some of you are such miserable bastards.

i loved every single second. roll on christmas.

This. Really, this.

 

[SeerSGB]

The question is, assuming everything got put back, does she remember them now?

I don't think they happened. With no Doctor to stop some of the events, humanity would have been toast. And the price for "rebooting" the universe was the Doctor wiping himself from existence; lest till Ameila brought him back.

Less a reboot, and more the Doctor jumping to an alternate-timeline.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I've been convinced that original scene wasn't a dream either. I personally like the fact that not everything was explained in this episode...we don't have to have all the answers given to us all the time, at least I think in this case. It's also possible that the things that weren't touched on or not explained will be in future episodes.

I'd forgotten about the Reaper's....but then again the Reaper's themselves wouldn't exist in the collapsing universe if I understand how the Doctor explained it.

 

[Samurai8472]

How is it that Karen Gillan just keeps getting more and more gorgeous?

Is it just me or would any other doctor besides Eleven not stick around at a wedding and dance.......badly.

Deep down the 9th and 10 are saying "No, I don't do that."

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Amelia is often shorted to Amy.

Dude, I get that.

I'm just saying that, post-reboot, no one referred to her as Amy. Her parents both referred to her as Amelia, leading to the conclusion that, in the new timeline, she never decided to shorten her name.

 

[SeerSGB]

Maybe I'm just burned out after BSG and SGU, but was nice to have a sweet little "fairy tale" (for the most part) season in a Sci-fi show.

 

[Cyke101]

Maybe I'm just burned out after BSG and SGU, but was nice to have a sweet little "fairy tale" (for the most part) season in a Sci-fi show.

We also get a flashsideways that isn't resolved so annoyingly but is still lead by a dashing, tall European!

 

[Australis]

the only things I am confused about now are from The Eleventh Hour. What was that strange figure running past the camera just before it went from Amelia's time to Amy's time? Also, near the end of the episode did Amelia really hear the Tardis and look up or was that just a dream?

This is an easy one. While everyone said the Doctor in the Weeping Angles ep was wearing his coat, so was a different Doctor, I was the only one who said it was the Doctor running through the house. He appeared in the house, and went out and picked Amelia up. Simple.

And the noise in '11th Hour' was in her dream, but it was different the second time around because the Doctor put her in her bed. But I'm not really sweating that one.

Just three questions from me.

1. Would Amelia's parents have moved to England and the same place as her aunt? If you see what I mean.

2. The Rory that got married, I'm fairly sure, is human. But Rory died in Cold Blood. Then was erased by the Crack. So how come he didn't die? Did the Doctor, in his rewind, somehow save him?

3. Is Amelia's house still too big?

I thought the ep was absolutely outstanding. The people complaining about it... I really don't get that.

And River didn't die! I'm so happy about that! She was smokin' in this ep, as a woman and as an adventure character!

And he needs to keep the fez!

 

[Psion]

I gave it a 'good'. There was a too much technobabble in the beginning and too much handwavium sprinkled throughout, but great character moments saved it all. I like happy endings, and this one delivered in spades (whatever the heck that means), even though I rolled my eyes a bunch and found the ending ... implausible.

I loved Rory's tale and wish he'd been a bit more dinged up at the end.

So. Now we have a new creation myth. "In the beginning, there was the TARDIS and it was afire while all expired ..."

 

[Admiral_Young]

The Tenth would have stuck around for the wedding I think...but yeah it does suite Matt's character. I loved Karen's delivery of "Oh you can kiss me now." and the Doctor puts his fingers on her lips and does his bit with Rory! Great stuff.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

the only things I am confused about now are from The Eleventh Hour. What was that strange figure running past the camera just before it went from Amelia's time to Amy's time? Also, near the end of the episode did Amelia really hear the Tardis and look up or was that just a dream?

I'm still convinced that it wasn't a dream. My guess is that the Doctor, after Amelia pulled him over to her timeline on her wedding day, decided that some reinforcement of young Amelia's memories wouldn't be a bad idea, so he rematerialized the TARDIS over her backyard one day.

This is an easy one. While everyone said the Doctor in the Weeping Angles ep was wearing his coat, so was a different Doctor, I was the only one who said it was the Doctor running through the house. He appeared in the house, and went out and picked Amelia up. Simple.

Except that the scene at the end of "The Eleventh Hour," with Amelia looking up and smiling, takes place during daylight hours, whereas in "The Big Bang" the Doctor picks up Amelia and puts her to bed at night.

 

[Jim Steele]

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

THEY DIDN'T ANSWER ALL MY QUESTIONS

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

THEY DIDN'T TIE EVERYTHING UP IN A NEAT LITTLE BOW

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

I'M TOO FUCKING STUPID TO APPRECIATE WHY A STORY ARC THAT ISN'T CONFINED TO 13 EPISODES IS A GOOD THING

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

(excellent, 10/10, this season has been utterly brilliant and I can't wait for christmas)

 

[Australis]

I'm still convinced that it wasn't a dream. My guess is that the Doctor, after Amelia pulled him over to her timeline on her wedding day, decided that some reinforcement of young Amelia's memories wouldn't be a bad idea, so he rematerialized the TARDIS over her backyard one day.

This is an easy one. While everyone said the Doctor in the Weeping Angles ep was wearing his coat, so was a different Doctor, I was the only one who said it was the Doctor running through the house. He appeared in the house, and went out and picked Amelia up. Simple.

Except that the scene at the end of "The Eleventh Hour," with Amelia looking up and smiling, takes place during daylight hours, whereas in "The Big Bang" the Doctor picks up Amelia and puts her to bed at night.

And that's why I thought that bit, as you described it, was a dream older Amy was having.

Rewatching. Just heard a funny line that's hard to pick up. The child psychologist (I assume) and ther aunt are talking and one of them seays, "I don't want her growing up and joining one of those star cults, I don't trust that Richard Dawkins."

The bit where the Pandorica opens and it's Amy who's in there was amazing! Talk about diverting expectations!

 

[Jim Steele]

Comment from a mate on facebook:

"See if that finale had been by RTD? He'd have broken out of the pandorica in 30 seconds and then you'd have had nothing but Daleks, Cybermen, and Sontarans shooting at each other for 45 minutes."