It wasn’t the tearjerker I expected it to be, but “The Girl Who Waited” was a solid standalone episode of Doctor Who. At times, the episode felt very tonally similar to ones from the Russell T. Davies era, like the minimalist “Midnight” — though unlike that episode, it was the Doctor taking the backseat to the action.
No, this episode could have been called “Rory’s Choice,” just as easily as “The Girl Who Waited,” because this episode was all about Rory trying to find his wife while the Doctor remained trapped in the TARDIS because of a disease in the facility that would kill any two-hearted beings. While I won’t dwell on why the Doctor didn’t just strap on a gas mask and come outside anyway, the episode gave Rory his due focus… and perhaps served as a bit of a swan song. After all, it’s long been rumored that Rory and Amy will be leaving the TARDIS at the end of series 6. Having Rory grow disillusioned with the Doctor in the episode seems a set-up, as though his character is being led in one direction: out the TARDIS doors.
The episode’s comedic elements, such as the fighting between the two Amys (brilliant make-up on the older Amy, by the way), seemed slightly out of place with the episode’s tone, but at the same time was necessary: two Amys in the same room would of course fight!
The Handbots weren’t particularly scary but they served their purpose, right down to their very Who-ish repetition of a key phrase: “This is a kindness.” While I feel like the Handbots should have had a good metaphor behind them (being killed by kindness is a great opportunity for a mild philosophical undertone), they served their purpose — and the Handbot named Rory was certainly a cute little fellow.
The episode did get a little bogged down by a surplus of sentiment in its second half, and I can’t say that it left me incredibly emotionally affected. “The Girl Who Waited,” though, was excellent regardless, and a welcome return to form after the disappointing “Night Terrors.” B+
Doctor Who will return on Saturday, September 17, with the episode “The God Complex,” on BBC1 in the UK and BBC America in the US.
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