Cold War

Of the three episodes that have aired so far in this back half of the season I think this has been my favorite. It was a nice return to a classic monster of the week episode. Last week may have technically been monster of the week, but it was very arc heavy, what with Clara's back story and the Doctor questioning who she was. This week on the other hand was a great stand alone.

Spoilers from here on in.

The Bells of St. John

DOCTOR WHO IS BACK!!!!! That needs to be emphasized.

As always, SPOILERS are below.

The Snowmen

Between today's (light) snow, and the BBC's announcement that Doctor Who return Saturday March 30 (YAY) I think the signs are clear that the universe wants me to actually write my recap/review of The Snowmen. Here's the thing. It's been weeks since I last saw the episode, so I may get some details wrong. I would rewatch it, but with homework and whatnot, I probably don't have the time. That's also why this will be (relatively) short.
SPOILERS AHEAD

The Power of Three/Angels Take Manhattan

I'm very late with these, but to be fair it's hard to type through the tears.

All I'm going to say about Power of Three is that the pacing bothered me. The episode went by slowly, which was fine, but then the problem was solved in under 5 minutes. I also think it would have been better to put this episode before The Gunslinger. I feel like it's a bit of a cheat to end with Amy and Rory choosing to travel forever with the Doctor, only to have them leave in the next episode.

Moving on to Angels Take Manhattan. The opening was sufficiently creepy.  I liked the bit between the Doctor and Amy in central park and how Rory just sort of chilled there. Then he went to get coffee. And the cherub on the fountain moved. And I went "meep".

I wasn't that surprised when "Melody Malone" turned out to be Melody Pond/Williams aka River Song. I did like how they used the book as a framing device for the story. I took some issue with the idea that just because you read that something happened a certain way, that's the way it has to happen. That being said I liked the way they cut from "it's set in stone" to the grave.

In all seriousness though they read the Doctor saying that they would have to break River's wrist. THEY NEVER READ THAT THEY ACTUALLY BROKE IT!!!! They could totally have said, "well know we've gotten past the part we read about and can go back to having free choice. Also the cellar that they stuck Rory in with the cherubs was creepy as all heck.

Okay here's my issue with Rory. You've just been mysteriously transported to outside a random hotel. Let's go inside. Not only that, but let's go up in the elevator. Stupid piece of...

Anyway. I liked that they addressed the problems in the Doctor and River's relationship. How hard it must be to be together-ish. I also liked that they explained how River got out of jail. I wonder how long she was there before he deleted himself from existence.

Anyway, Amy, River and the Doctor catch up to Rory. And then they found his room. And they watched him die. Then the Angel's came to zap Rory back so that he could grow old in the hotel and eventually die. That smiling Angel was the creepiest thing I've ever seen. Anyway, Amy and Rory ran to the roof and had one of the most heartbreaking scenes ever.

First of all, how great was it that Rory kept his sense of humor through it all.
"I always wanted to visit the Statue of Liberty. I guess she got impatient."
"When don't I [come back to life]?"
It almost distracted from the horribleness of the situation where Rory insists that his wife pushes him off the roof of a building so that he can create a paradox by dying twice in one night (though again, his comment that "If anyone could do it, it'd me me" was great). Then Amy once again proved her unwillingness to live without Rory (see Amy's Choice) by insisting that she jump with him.

But then, twist it all worked out well! They woke up in the cemetery that the Doctor and Amy had been at earlier. Everyone is fine! Everything is great. And then Rory gets nosy. He notices the grave of a man that JUST HAPPENS to have the same name as him. Then he get zapped by a weeping angel. Then in another heartbreakingly beautiful scene, Amy chooses to risk her life by allowing the Angel to touch her, so that she can go back and be with Rory, even though it means she can't see the Doctor again.

Again, I have some issues here. They see a tombstone with his name on it. Also, the TARDIS can, apparently, never go back to New York City. I don't understand why they couldn't have traveled to say...Connecticut in the past then taken the train. "But the tombstone has to exist!" You say. So you hire a tombstone engraver to make one. You can have a tombstone without an actual dead person. They don't insist on seeing the body before they make the stone. Also, Amy and Rory stay in New York apparently since they are buried there. Why could they not just leave old-timey New York and send a message to the Doctor to pick them up in Boston?

Anyway, I was sad and crying throughtout. The last page of the book made everything even more sad. Also, it was sad how River wouldn't travel full time with the Doctor (seriously, weirdest marriage ever). At the end, since she mentioned that she was now a doctor, I really thought that she'd mention that she was recently contacted to lead an expedition to The Library and that the Doctor would suggest a going to the Singing Towers of Derillium before she left. That way they'd fully wrap up the River Song story along with the Pond plot, but apparently not.

A Town Called Mercy

I really was going to write this earlier I swear. Spoilers.

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship

Just because I've already seen a Town Called Mercy doesn't mean that this review is super late.
SPOILERS!

Asylum of the Daleks

Okay, this is late, but I'm getting it in before the next episode airs, and that's what's important.

Beware, Spoilers Ahead!