Doctor Who EP 7.07: The Rings of Akhaten

This is an undeniably late review for, in my opinion, an undeniably good episode. As per last week, and every following week, there will be spoilers in this post so I would recommend not reading on until you’ve watched the episode.

note: all screencaps are from grande-caps BUT AREN'T THESE TWO SO PRECIOUS??

Episode Summary: Clara sets off for her first adventure with the Doctor to the Rings of Akhaten. There are aliens strolling around market stalls everywhere but they’re primarily all there for the Festival of Offering and to hear a young girl sing to keep the Old God asleep. Shenanigans ensue!

Firstly, I need to address the disappointment surrounding this episode. It appears as though the critics enjoyed it, however after browsing the comments and trawling through Twitter, there were a fair few people who didn’t like this latest installment (or the speech???), with some going so far as to call it the “worst episode ever”. Really?

the epic symbolism of the Doctor/companion relationship

I thought this episode was heartfelt and was very much focused on establishing the Doctor/Clara relationship for the rest of the series. I will admit, that some aspects were quite similar to Amy’s first adventure on ‘The Beast Below’ and it risked being a bit samey; but there were different needs and values explored in ‘The Rings of Akhaten’. However, I think that there were too many monster villains for the length of the episode and I would have honestly enjoyed more character development of the Vigil, whom could have been a standalone DW villain. But did I still love the episode? Yes. Yes I did.

It became clear that Clara is not someone we, and the Doctor, should just view as a problem to solve or just view as “the new companion” as a portion of her back-story was revealed and we learned about her parents and the significance of that mysterious leaf. There was also the bonus of her quite bluntly saying that she would travel with the Doctor but she is not there to replace a ghost of his past. A+ response.

Instead of money, the currency on the Rings of Akhaten is items of great sentimental value, and not once, but twice, does Clara hand over something extremely precious to save a child, to save the Doctor, and to save an entire civilisation. I think this says a lot about Clara’s character, as she is willing to sacrifice the things that mean so much to her, to save others. It’s also interesting that the Doctor claimed to not have anything of this nature with him besides the Sonic Screwdriver. However, we later see him wearing Amy Pond’s glasses – something and someone so precious to him that he couldn’t bear to sacrifice for anyone.

However, the most powerful and emotional scene was the Doctor’s speech to the creature that the members of Akhaten were sacrificing their souls to, to satisfy it. This has to be one of the most amazing speeches ever performed on Doctor Who. I could feel the pain of his suffering and in that moment he is willing to sacrifice himself to save everyone else because he is tired of living in pain and torment. But not even the creature could take all his memories. The scene that followed afterwards that had the silhouette of the Doctor on the ground and Clara standing beside him was so symbolic of the Doctor/companion relationship. The Doctor claims that he doesn’t need anyone to help him, let alone travel with him, even though it’s clear that he does. He needs them to be strong when he can’t be and he needs them to inspire him, to give him hope, to let him know that he is good because otherwise he’s just a sad and lonely man in a box. And if you still think (yes I know you’re out there) that Matt Smith is “bad actor” or is not worthy of being the Doctor after watching this scene then you are wrong.

Interesting Observations:

• Clara would have been around 16 years old when her mother died in 2005. This is one of the ages missing from Clara’s travel book and is also the year that the current Doctor Who was revived.
• There was a reference to the Doctor’s granddaughter Susan (relevant to Classic Who).
• The Doctor and Clara barking at Dorene was excellent but why couldn’t Clara understand Dorene? Does this contribute to the TARDIS not liking Clara idea?

Comment below or tweet me @faultystairs!