Since then, I’ve devoured ‘American Gods,’ delighted in the Douglas Adams-inspired madness he created with Terry Pratchett in ‘Good Omens,’ giggled my way through the pages of ‘Anansi Boys,’ fell in love with a falling star named Yvaine in ‘Stardust’ (twice), bid a fond farewell to my Batman in ‘Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?’ and sat through ‘Beowulf’ solely on the basis of his name being attached to that project.
I even became a fan of The Dresden Dolls because of his romantic attachment to lead-singer Amanda Palmer led to some hilarious tweets being exchanged between the two of them back in the day when Twitter still wasn’t Twitter.
So, yes, I believe saying I’m a fan of the man’s work would be a fair assessment.
Which is all the more reason why this particular episode of Doctor Who has been incredibly high on my list of expectations for a good long while now.
Originally intended to be filmed as part of last year’s series (i.e. “season” in real English), Gaiman’s ‘The Doctor’s Wife’ finally aired last Saturday: a “love letter” of sorts for a show and a character that have become such an iconic and indelible figure in British popular culture since their debut way, way back in 1963.
Now, I can’t claim to have known and loved the exploits of The Doctor and his continually interchangeable slew of Companions during my childhood as much as I’d love to, seeing how a great deal of those older, classic stories are truly FANTASTIC, but since coming into the show during Matt Smith’s initial outing last year as the latest incarnation of The Doctor in ‘The Eleventh Hour,’ I’ve completely immersed myself into the vast mythology of this utter gem of a show.
In the span of a year, I’ve consumed classic story after classic story after classic story, audio plays, movies and every single episode and special of the series since its revival in 2005, starring Christopher Eccleston (from '28 Days Later' and 'G.I. Joe') as the Ninth Doctor.
Yet, no matter how great those stories were or how brilliant were each and every one of the previous ten interpretations of the character, it’s still Matt Smith’s wide-eyed, whimsically mercurial take on the 909 year-old Time Lord that stands out for me the most.
A great deal has to do with his incredible skill as an actor but, mostly, and it shouldn’t really be much of a surprise to anyone that’s a fan of the show, it has to do with the fact that no matter how objective you try to be, you always love your first Doctor a bit more than the others, simply because he was your first. And Matt Smith, thankfully, just happens to be that Doctor for me.
So, when I found out that Neil Gaiman was going to be writing an episode this series, my head went from wibbly-wobbly to explodey-wodey in the span of a second.
And my stars and garters, what an episode it was!
Not since 2006’s ‘The Girl in the Fireplace,’ written by current Head Writer and show-runner, Steven Moffat, has there been a more beautiful, funny, emotional, frightening, mildly disturbing, sad and loving story on the show. Nor a stand-alone episode that’s as perfect a jumping-on point for new viewers as this one.
In 45 minutes, Neil Gaiman, aided by Richard Clark’s darkly wonderful and moody direction, encapsulates everything that makes Doctor Who such a brilliant show.
The episode features a number of tropes from the show’s monumental history, while still making it accessible. It has sentient asteroids (played to great effect by Michael Sheen of ‘Frost/Nixon’ and those ‘Twilight’ movies), patchwork people, Time Lords, running up and down corridors in true Classic Who fashion, Companions in mortal danger, monsters and a love story at the center of it all.
Coming from Gaiman, one can’t be too surprised to notice how much like a fairy tale this story really is yet it’s unequivocally Doctor Who-ish at its very core. It’s written by a fan for the fans, all the while remaining simple and straightforward enough for anyone not versed in the show and its mythos to come in and discover the many wonders it offers.
The story of Idris, played by the lovely and fantastic Suranne Jones to perfection (which, once you consider the part in its complete context, you’ll realize just how fast it could’ve gone South in the hands of a lesser performer), is sure to melt the heart of even the most cynical and jaded viewer. You simply can’t help but fall in love with her and smile at every word that comes out of her mouth.
Matt Smith, as per usual, brings his absolute best to the role he’s inhabited so perfectly since those first five minutes of ‘The Eleventh Hour,’ adding even more layers of nuance to his performance. Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill as Amy and Rory Pond, the Doctor’s current Companions, also continue to shine, albeit briefly, as they’re relegated to the role of hostages for a great part of the story. Even so, their chemistry together with that of Matt is always a joy to watch onscreen and it carries through on this story.
All in all, this was an absolute joy of an episode; one that has already garnered several repeat viewings, with one happening in the background right now as I write this quote/unquote review.
Neil has said on several occasions that he’s an avowed Whovian, with Patrick Troughton (the Second Doctor) being his Doctor, and judging from his script, it shows. His love for The Doctor and everything about this wonderfully madcap alien shows in every single scene.
Even if he never writes another episode for the show, I’ll be forever grateful for this one.
Truly magical television!
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