BAD WOLF: "The God Complex"

POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING

Hello world!

I realize It’s a bit late in the season to start reviewing episodes but let’s chalk that up to timey-wimey hang ups. My name is Zach and I’m a budding Whovian/Matt Smith enthusiast. From here on out I’ll be hopping in the TARDIS and dropping by here weekly to give you my take on the latest episode of Doctor Who and swoon my bow-tie off at the good Doctor.

Too busy reading Diggin' to China to notice the Minotaur behind them.

Today’s episode, “The God Complex” was perhaps the greatest and most telling episode of series six part two, in my humble opinion. It seems that the ever annoying and troll heavy Moffat-helmed arc is finally reaching some semblance of reason and explanation. The theme of subjective reality in series six is all at once silently present and obnoxious as every episode so far seems to touch on it. Clones, dream worlds, alternate time streams overlapping, digital realities. Not to mention the prevalent symbolism of mirrors, reflection and eyes. In “The God Complex” the Doctor and his companions become trapped in a very The Shining style space hotel where we are faced with yet another alternate reality and clues to a more silent plot point that has been bubbling under the surface since series six’s return. Or what I like to call my “Shamalan-Nolan Theory”.

You unbreakable bastard.

The possibility of a duplicate Doctor was introduced in “The Almost People” and almost immediately debunked as the episode closes with the building collapsing and the clone Doctor erupting into marshmallow-fluff. But who’s to say another wasn’t created? All the Doctor had to do was touch it once for it to copy him, it's probable that it could happen again. This episode’s Doctor dresses differently; he also eats apples, a food he expressed a great distaste for in his premiere episode, “The Eleventh Hour”. The shot of his shoes, which was used frequently in the clone episode to help the audience tell the Doctors apart, is also used quite a bit this week, which seemed ominous enough. In my opinion, Moffat is teasing us with what could potentially be huge hints at what I’ve been fearing all along. That the Doctor and possibly the companions we’re viewing since series six’s return are not genuine. (I.E. The Shamalan-Nolan Theory).

Just remember that I called it when the series finale rolls around.

As far as the acting goes almost the entire cast was on their A-game. The fabulous Matt Smith delivers a performance akin to his predecessor David Tennant and with a rivaling swagger and a similar charm. Due in part to the writing for this episode by Toby Whithouse (“The Vampires of Venice”) that allowed for a heartfelt delivery in which the Doctor is the most meta of superheroes by being the furthest thing from one. Rita, a guest character played by Amara Karen (also Rita in The Darjeeling Limited) played a spectacularly lovable character but fell victim to the same fate as many other of the Doctor’s one episode crushes. Arthur Darvill as always is brilliant as Rory Williams, but it was Karen Gillian who disappointed me the most. Perhaps I’m just getting bored of her, and based on the script of the episode so too, perhaps, is the Doctor. Two points each this week for our leading men and none for Gretchen Wieners, er- Karen Gillian.

Why should the Last Centurion get to stomp around while the rest of us
try not to get smooshed by his big, stupid feet??

 That's all for now fellow Whovians; see you next week!
-Zach C