Cult Fix
  • TV
    • UK SHOWS
      • Black Mirror
      • Doctor Who
      • Electric Dreams
      • Humans
      • Red Dwarf
      • Sherlock
    • DC TV SHOWS
      • Arrow
      • The Flash
      • Gotham
      • Legends of Tomorrow
      • Supergirl
    • OTHER SHOWS
      • Agents of SHIELD
      • Daredevil
      • Game of Thrones
      • Iron Fist
      • Jessica Jones
      • Luke Cage
      • The Walking Dead
    • ENDED SHOWS
      • Agent Carter
      • Atlantis
      • Being Human
      • Broadchurch
      • Hannibal
      • In The Flesh
      • Merlin
      • Misfits
      • Primeval
      • The Fades
      • The Musketeers
      • Wizards vs Aliens
  • Films
    • FILMS
      • News & Updates
      • Reviews
      • Trailers
    • MARVEL
      • Ant-Man
      • Avengers
      • Black Panther
      • Captain America
      • Captain Marvel
      • Doctor Strange
      • Guardians Of The Galaxy
      • Inhumans
      • Iron Man
      • Spider-Man
      • Thor
      • X-Men
    • OTHER
      • Batman
      • James Bond
      • Justice League
      • Star Trek
      • Star Wars
      • Superman
      • Suicide Squad
  • Reviews
    • Film Reviews
    • TV Reviews
    • TV Review Archive

Doctor Who/ Reviews/ TV

Doctor Who: 610 “The Girl Who Waited” Review

September 6, 2011

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Email Share on WhatsApp Share on Reddit

Unsurprisingly, given the title, The Girl Who Waited is all about Amy. This is Karen Gillan’s episode and she will cause a few tears to be shed, come Saturday.

The story doesn’t waste any time setting things up. The TARDIS trio arrive on the planet Apalapucia and the gang find themselves in a strange white facility. Before you know it, Amy is separated from the Doctor and Rory and, worse, becomes trapped in a separate time stream – one that is moving quicker than theirs.

But that’s not the only problem, as the Doctor quickly realises that they are actually in a quarantine facility for a disease that could kill him. Therefore, he is forced to stay put in the TARDIS, leaving a spectacle-wearing Rory to find Amy again.

The first thing to note is that this is the ‘Doctor-lite episode,’ however while the Doctor’s absence was noticeable in previous stories like Turn Left, that isn’t really the case here. Matt Smith is present throughout thanks to the aforementioned glasses that allow the Doctor to see and communicate through. They are not unlike Torchwood’s contact lenses.

Saying that, with the Doctor left in the TARDIS for most of the episode, it’s up to Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill to carry most of the action, and they do a terrific job. Gillan gets to play two versions of herself. One is the Amy we’re all familiar with; the other, an older version that has been left alone for decades, struggling to survive. Seeing an older Amy so bitter and angry with the Doctor is such a contrast, and it really gives Gillan a chance to flex her acting muscles.

However, Darvill also has a chance to shine. Rory ends up meeting both Amy’s, leading to a humorous scene between them, and a heartbreaking one later. This also brings up a dilemma for the Doctor, and you see a colder side to the Time Lord as he forces Rory to make an impossible choice. The episode really stretches the TARDIS trio’s relationship and it will be interesting to see if there is any fallout from the conclusion later on in the series.

Even though this is a character episode first and foremost, there are a couple of action scenes to keep things moving along. In particular, the late battle with a samurai-wielding Amy, is particularly thrilling, as she slices and dices her way through a small army of Handbots.

Like Night Terrors before it, The Girl Who Waited is another standalone episode that has (seemingly) no connection to the ongoing story arc. But that isn’t a bad thing. In fact, this is one of the most refreshing Doctor Who episodes in a while.

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Email Share on WhatsApp Share on Reddit

Related Posts

timeless-children-doctor-who-1210

Doctor Who /

Doctor Who: 12-10 “The Timeless Children” Review

Red-Dwarf-The-Promised-Land

Reviews /

Red Dwarf: “The Promised Land” Review

the-sandman-netflix-2022

TV /

The Sandman Date Announcement Trailer

‹ Fringe: Season 4 Posters › The Fades: Teaser clips

Back to Top

RSS Cult Fix

  • Prey Trailer
  • The Sandman Date Announcement Trailer
  • 1899 Trailer
  • Andor Teaser Trailer
  • Thor: Love and Thunder – New Trailer

Find us on

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • YouTube
Original content © Cult Fix 2010-2021

Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Write for Us

This website uses cookies to improve your experience.OK Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Posting....