That Time Doctor Who Did Inception
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- Опубліковано 3 жов 2024
- Amy's Choice is often considered one of the best episodes of Doctor Who Series 5, giving companion Amy Pond character development using her relationships with The Doctor and Rory. But 11 years later, does this episode still hold up?
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Hey Harbo, not to be an annoying nitpicker or anything, but in your playlist for Doctor Who Series 5 Reviews, Victory of The Daleks is in the wrong place and should be the third video.
Incepcion is after this episode.
So where would you place this episode in s5 if you could? I agree it was a bit early on so later in the series would have been best
The scene where the Doctor struggles to stay awake while running away as his theme blasts is iconic to me
Aaaa yes probably one of my favourite parts of this episode
The flow is a bit weird
@@jazzling Intentional.
One of the most badass 11 moments for sure
he's mr cool
Would have been fun that if, after the Dreamlord said 'Anything could happen', you edited in the 9th Doctor shaking his head, saying 'no' and walking off.
a golden meme that someone needs to make
have you seen DWpoop shorts?
its beautiful, highly recommend if you like weird edits
@@vampiresquid2635 I am very familiar with them and there are some diamonds among the general meh.
Never seen Toby Jones be bad in anything, he's such a quality actor
Isn't he Hydra in Captain America?
@@bemasaberwyn55 he is indeed Dr Zola in the MCU
@@johannvongenerico9487 I realize he doesn't chew the scenery as much in The First Avenger
Then you’ve not seen Dad’s Army awful acting from him and the rest of the cast 🤢
@@CashelOConnolly I dunno, I thought the main cast was pretty good in that
rory cutting off his ponytail is supposed to make you root for him because it symbolizes him sort of giving up his dream in a way. the entire episode, he was hoping that the village would be reality. it was obvious that it was HIS dream and he really wanted it, ponytail and all. Amy hinted that it just wasnt her kind of thing, and it frustrated rory. So, when he decides to cut off his ponytail, thats him basically saying "you know what, if you dont want this life, then its not for us. we'll find something else." him parting with his ponytail is him giving up that "perfect life" as a compromise because he doesnt wanna lose amy.
also, while it seems like a lame thing to do, thats the point. while the doctor amazes and impresses amy with all his genius and heroic actions, different planets and adventures... rory gets to amy's heart by doing something more simple and human. he got rid of the hideous ponytail that his wife didnt like. it wasnt as dramatic a gesture as sacrificing his life on an adventure through time, but it was his own little human sacrifice that meant a lot to him, and to amy.
yes, plus the villains in Rory's dream were deliberately a bit lame (this video complains about this), partly because Rory's imagination was gentler and sweeter than the Doctor's - a warning to Amy that Rory would be the better partner - and that it was how Rory saw the Doctor's life, as chasing weird monsters isn't 'real life' enough for him. Whereas the Doctor's dream was about extreme loneliness and futility, of having no-one to turn to and slowly killing people by being too adventurous but also being overcome by facts - noticeably he crashes the tardis in reality, too, his dream is warning him.
The Doctor : "You can't spot a dream while you're having it"
Lucid dreamers : "Are you challenging me?"
I hated Amy on my first watch and loved her on rewatch. She’s undeniably an asshole to Rory at first but I liked her as she grew into a likeable person, especially as I could really see her dealing with suicidal thoughts and her abandonment issues.
This. If she hadn't started off as a total jerk, she wouldn't have a character arc.
yeah but that's when she gets her memories of him back, and its at the reception, so its not like shes kissing the dr INSTEAD of rory@@tvguy61
11:58 I just had a thought: that could've been the Dream Lord mocking Amy for trying to seduce the Doctor
I always loved how the Dream Lord seems to just adopt the name on the spot, in lieu of the Doctor being a Time Lord, hinting that it isn't his actual name and therefore helping to deepen the mystery aspect so early on. Plus, it gives him a bit of a sinister teasing charm to him that I think Toby Jones excellently sells us on. And then of course when it's revealed that he's the personification of the Doctor's inner darkness, it wraps around quite nicely. 😎👏
I also think that reveal works as a good lead-up to all the guilt the Doctor will carry following Rory's disappearance from Amy's timeline & memory in the upcoming Silurian two-parter.
Do you remember that moment at the beginning of Let's Kill Hitler where Amy figures out that Rory is in love with her? That would've been such a great way to open this episode!
11 tried so hard to appear bubbly and get away from his past angst, and it just doesn’t work. Love it.
The doctor isn’t Amy’s stepson, Amy didn’t marry the doctors dad, he’s Amy’s son in law
You've clearly never made the decision to cut off your long hair! 😀
The sex joke in this episode actually makes sense since the Dream Lord is the dark side of the Doctor, who would be well aware, even if only subconsciously, that playing on her lust for him would push her.
This waa my first Doctor Who episode, I began in around 2013-14. I remember finding my Mom watching this season for the first time while it was rerunning on BBC America. She started with the Eleventh Hour, My dad began with the Vampire One, and this was my first full episode. I still remember that first watch of the entire series back then, beginning with Matt Smith and going to all the NuWho doctors, and I am currently making my way through old Who now. It has been quite an experience, and It all started here.
So glad this is a positive review, this episode deserves it.
This episode really hinges on whether you love Amy or not, since I don’t I don’t really love this one at all, aside from Toby Jones of course.
I don't think that's the case, I'm not a huge fan of Amy but I think that Amy's choice along with Eleventh hour and Vincent and the Doctor are the best episodes of Season 5.
@@divyanshrajouria4759 *Series 5
@@DanTheMan2150AD Sorry.
@@divyanshrajouria4759 This episode doesn't rely on "Amy" and her story so much as it relies on the performance and the individual script both of which are very well done
This was filmed in the village of Skenfrith, which is really near the old primary school, and one of our school houses was named Skenfrith.
Spoilers for all those worried about another negative Series 5 review: he gave Amy's Choice a B ranking that hinges more towards A had it not been for certain details. You're welcome. 😉
1:03 Ha ha I still remember the old "relatable posts" meme of Matt Smith struggling to walk straight and its caption said that that was how it felt when you get up from sleeping & your legs refuse to work. 😆
"I love Rory, and I never told him."
Remember these characters are engaged btw, before the Doctor shows back up in the 1st ep.
You know, I think Toby Jones could actually be a good doctor if given the chance.
@ i think that cheapens him though - He is the doctor, the dark side of the doctor
So, it would fit if he claimed the title of Valeyard...alternatively, if cast, there's precedent, as the Dcotor's subconscious could choose that form to remind the Doctor of something really important he should keep in mind about himself, everytime he looks in the mirror...
This would have been a good dilemma episode to have after cold blood/ the hungry earth, whilst suffering the loss of Rory… Amy is trapped between 2 different dreams exactly the same but she is remembering what life could have been like with Rory.
Just a thought might have been a better episode placement and you would have felt something a bit more and could show mental trauma better and all the more heartbreaking 👍🏻
And maybe even forgetting him when she'd go to the dr dream! Knowing she had dreamt abt missing something, the doctor telling her it was someone important, maybe her even saying "so I should chose that one?" and making the doctor, in all his selfishness, hesitate... the only issue would be it maybe lessening the impact of him coming back in the big bang/pandorica, but that could be fixed by her choosing him and forgetting anyways.
As one of my favourite episodes I am very happy you weren’t too harsh on this one! Keep up the good work my guy
In my mind this episode was way later, but apparently it was early in season 5.
I remember people pointing out the birdsong that intensified at the dream/waking transitions was seemingly the same from 11's first ep...which led to speculations that his entire run would be revealed to be a dream of some sort! Also, not terribly keen on the idea that the Doctor actually *hates* himself...recognizing your own flaws is one thing, but actual hate is something else again.
i mean, when you believe that you've committed the genocide of your entire people and been responsible for the deaths of many of your friends, it's not exactly unexpected that you'll not be your own biggest fan
9:14 "...tries to cheat on him [Rory] with her stepson."
That line made my brain halfway fall out of my head. It took me several seconds to realize why it sounded so wrong: you meant son-in-law. That's still a bad thing to try to do, but it definitely made my metaphorical eyes bulge for the few seconds you had me incorrectly thinking of Amy as the Doctor's stepmom. Lol!
While I enjoy this episode, you've nailed the part that bugs me: Amy's Choice comes too early in her relationship with Rory. When Rory has died and Amy decides to commit suicide/murder she says she never knew how much she loved him and she never told him. So if she wasn't even sure she loved him, how/why did she marry him and get pregnant? It doesn't make sense. People marry and have kids for reasons other than everlasting love sometimes, but it doesn't fit what we know of Amy at this point. If nothing else, that should have told all of them that this was a dream.
Can we also just mention that this is one of the funniest episodes of Doctor who like those first few minutes are hilarious I just love the "use a rake" line
“So, what do you round here to stave off the…
*boredom*
*self harm*”
I'd forgotten about the "anything can happen" line...great call back to the very first episode (of new Who)!
Amy saying "I was starting to like it" after Rory cuts off his ponytail 😂
see this is why I like eleven and not thirteen. Despite having a very similar personality on the surface, with eleven we get constant glimpses to the darkness he's hiding and the impact that things in his past have had on him. With thirteen, correct me if I'm wrong but I dont remember anything like that until about halfway through season 12 and even then it didn't really make sense and was done very poorly. Thirteen also has incredibly inconsistent reactions to traumatic events, both things from her past and things that happen during her run as the doctor.
Love the fact that in doctor who you either have serious episodes like the cold sun and the team in impending doom or killer grannies 😂
Finally, he said something good about Matt Smith's era (aka the best era).
bruh
it wasn't the best era
@@altinaykor364 it was but ok
Loved this episode. However Amy I will always prefer over Rose. Rose treats Mickey way worse.
However I loved Matt Smiths run as the Doctor loads both growing up and now, so may have some bias towards certain parts.
Call me crazy, but I'm not surprised the cis white nerdy boys hate Amy more than they hate Rose because... I wonder who they relate to more? I wonder how many of them make personal parallels instead of actually having a problem with this behavior? I never hear these people saying much about how Rose treated Mickey, as if it doesn't mean as much to them.
@@_MyNameIsAJ_ from people I know in person that have this opinion
@@_MyNameIsAJ_ oh good lord I’m noting a correlation, don’t cry about it
such a pathetic
you people just don't want to accept that Rose never felt for Mickey the same way Amy did for Rory
Thank goodness, if this review had been a negative one too then I would have blown a fuse
i love this episode. it's one of the only good examples of "it was all just a dream" endings (along with Journey to The Centre of the TARDIS) because the character development still exists even if the threat doesn't. i love Toby Jones, and there are some of series 5's funniest lines in it. the only problems i had were the sex joke (i think the only one that lands in NuWho is "regeneration: it's a lottery") and the fact that we hadn't spent much time with Rory before it
Also it being a dream is known from the getgo, so it doesn't feel like a massive retcon by being revealed at the end
Honestly the drama on this one fell completely flat for me. Did anyone really believe that the "true" version of reality involved 5 years just randomly passing offscreen since the last episode, with all of the major plotlines for the season being resolved offscreen and never mentioned?
I'll be honest, the blood wasn't in my brain sorry...
They already had two major time skips in the series already, albeit both in the first episode.
@@matthewparker9276 but not right in the middle of an arc. There was zero chance that a time skip randomly happened offscreen. It was obvious the whole time.
Your criticism around 15th minute is so pointless... That's literally the arc of their characters. It's not for you to decide.
Literally the only episode we actually get to see Amy pregnant. Showingly
Technically you see her pregnant briefly in The Almost People.
@@LiveHedgehog I did say showingly…
@@DigiRangerScott Considering that's not a word, you'll have to forgive me for not understanding what you meant.
You see her with a pregnant belly in the small scene at the end of The Almost people.
@ "Showingly" is a perfectly cromulent word!
I know this gets called underrated but there's so much more going for it than just the dream lord or even the character work. It's such a clever bit of tv and even some of its criticisms I have defences for.
My dreams inspire so much of my writing it ends up just being surrealist.
This actually came out before Inception so if anything Inception did Doctor Who
Wait wait wait….
how the HELL do you get engaged to someone who you’ve never even said “I love you” to??????!
It's funny that this episode actually came out about two months before inception.
In real life the impact wouldn't kill you.
But in a dream? Anything is possible.
That's your opinion!
@@the-scamp But that's more or less how dreams work. If you expect something to happen then it probably will
The Dream Lord could have been used like a split personality takeover thing, like a better executed version of Mr Clever in Silver Nemesis. The Doctor trying to overcome his darkest impulses, come to terms with his own self loathing, could evoke the Valeyard and the Sixth Doctor’s relationship with that figure in media like the book Millenial Rites (where the warping of reality threatened to turn Sixie into the Valeyard).
The best line the dream lord made was “your brain is see completely see through but then I’ve always been able to see through you doctor” the way he says it too
Also the fact that she was pregnant in the thing and then shortly after they learn that she's actually flesh or whatever it was called and she was being held captive to have her child
Said it before and I'll say it again, the frost covered TARDIS interior is better than the normal series 5-7a TARDIS interior
0:32 Is awesome shot of the TARDIS, looks like it’s straight from Classic Who
I have to say, while yes it’s narratively satisfying that the dream lord is not the master, it would have been amazing to have Toby jones as master to eleven’s incarceration, the back and forth would have been phenomenal.
He was basically the doctor as the master holding guilt after the time war before he switched and became the doctor the good guy
And the Master later destroy Gallifrey.
I always loved amys choice i thought the story was amazing and the acting was great apart from the old people monsters
It's the 11th Doctor era, any awful episodes can't be worse than New Who Season 2.
such a rubbish comment
This was the first thing I ever saw Toby Jones in.
Stepson? I thought the doctor was his son in law cause he married River song.
Cold start... geddit??
I can't agree about Rory. I thought he was very likeable from the beginning, and it was he who noticed what was awry in 11th Hour.
I thought the Doctor's quip about staving off the self-harm became even edgier when Amy did basically kill herself...
I once dreamt about Minecraft and I woke up and I was like awww no it wasn’t real, I was enjoying my elytra flight around strange generation
Uh. Son-in-law =/= Stepson 😅 You kinda just said that Amy married the Doctor's dad
The doctor isn’t the step son he’s the son in law lmao
Why do I keep expecting one of the old ladies to keep screaming out "BERNIE!!"...
Poor Dodo just wandered off after the War Machines and was never heard from again.
I don't mind the old people. I think they're perfect for what this episode is about.
i think a part of the issue with trying to frame the doctor and rory as something where you cant have both is that you absolutely can. throuples exist
I'd love Toby Jones to come back as the actual Doctor in the future
This may be a good episode, but I think it would have worked better in Series 6, after Amy & Rory have finally got a place of their own thanks to the Doctor. Mainly because it would have made more sense, as they have a home, and we've seen that. Having it here, literally makes no sense; because in no context the Village, Pregnant life just wouldn't be. Which gets rid of 1 of the 2 choices the Dream Lord gives.
This is my “it gave me such bad nightmares as a child, I couldn’t watch it for ages when older” episode!
Yeah, I think we all dream of Clara, Harabo 😅 2:38
When i was a kid those old people gave me nightmares
9:16 Don't you mean in-law?
Technically Inception did Doctor Who
No mention of the sound design and score? The menacing horn motif, the birdsong. They add so much to the drama and disconcerting feeling of the episode.
Did you confuse son-in-law with step son? Lol
Son in law not stepson 🤣
Honestly I feel like this episode works better on rewatches after you’ve seen Series 6 and know more about Amy and Rory. Still really good on first viewing though
"I love Rory, and I never told him"
It was the night before their wedding all season!
Is Toby Jones ever allowed to be bad at acting? In whatever he does he's brilliant and in this he is goddamn perfect. The way he bounces off of Smith, Gillan and Darvill and riles them up and makes your skin crawl. This episodes is great. Interesting concept, great execution and brilliant acting from all involved. Very much a highlight of series 5.
Great job. I love this episode. Toby Jones is so great in it. But I always wonder if it really shows that Amy made a choice between the Doctor and Rory. I mean, don't you think that if the Doctor had died in one of the worlds, she would have done the same thing to save his life? I also think that one of the points you left out is that the need for Amy to make a choice is driven by the Doctor's subconscience, in the form of the Dream Lord. Why was it so important for the Doctor to have Amy make a choice? And, also, he ultimately seems pretty happy at the choice she made. So was he unconsciously trying to get her to realize that Rory was more important to her than she had appreciated up until that point? The Doctor didn't seem peeved at all that she chose to kill him and herself to save Rory.
is Amy prettier than Clara?
And both from the same year as well. Probably just a coincidence.
Amy's Choice is one of the few episodes of 11's run I will watch, and I actually like. It's interesting that a guest writer is more interested in exploring the relationships between these 3 characters more than Moffat ever was. I don't think it's perfect, and it would stand out way less in any of the previous series, but it feels so much more different compared to any other episode in the season.
I think my only real gripe is that the pacing isn't great in the last 1/3 of the episode. I don't think this should have been a two-parter, but it could have used a bit more room to breathe at the end.
More than 20 episodes have passed and we barely know the 13th Doctor and why she wants to be friends with those three weird people.
@@mayotango1317 I mean yes, I agree totally. Kind of confused what your point is here, but you are correct.
2:35 explain yourself, sir lol
So Harbo dreams about Jenna Coleman?
My man.
Something that is funny is that there is such thing as a cold star there's a star that Burns Is temperature lower than our body heat Because the sun is not a ball of fire it's a ball plasma A force of nature that mimics other forces of nature not quite sure if that's true but in some way I just thought might be it so I'm just going with it I'm sorry if it's not
@Harbo Wolmes Amy only denied Rory was her boyfriend in the presence of the Dr (the person who she has issues around). There's nothing really to suggest that she treated Rory badly before the Dr came back.
Tho you're right, what is it with this era and sex jokes?
*Glances at Moffat's filmography before Dr Who*
Well, that explains it
In the episode 'Let's Kill Hitler', it is shown that Amy had been treating Rory badly since childhood, not to mention she tried to bonk the Doctor at the end of the second episode of series 5 and Rory wasn't there, obviously. So no, that isn't true I'm afraid.
@@endgame6782 Well Let's Kill Hitler's a messy episode anyways (tho that was more just child Amy being kinda ignorant rather than something serious like cheating as an adult). But as presented in S5? It's pretty clear cut. I don't really remember anything at the end of the Beast Below but again, that's after the Dr came back.
Toby jones as the master would be amazing.
The village that Amy and Rory "live" in is Skenfrith, in Wales. I used to live quite close to it, and often went there for school stuff. The playground next to the castle always got *super* muddy, and it leads down to a nice river
Moffatt was the one who enforced the need to have creepy alien OAPS
One of my all-time favourite eps.
That's your opinion.
I’ve been hoping for a return of the Dream Lord ever since this episode first came out.
How cruel! Like a Dream Lord. We making the choice for Amy. We choose Amy as a prise for Rory for his good behaviour. But she is not a pet to be given as a present to a good boy for Christmas. Her choice is about her happiness. Neither of them (Rory and Doctor) are not going to fulfil her if chosen. Her personality is simply wider. And I think you simply hate her for her inner complexity.
1. Rory’s dream makes Amy sleepy to death (spoilers: she will be unhappy after marriage without the Doctor around).
2. The Doctor’s dream makes Amy frozen to death. (People around the Doctor find themselves and often dying and lose memory. The Doctor is preoccupied with himself. Amy is slightly mirroring the Doctor’s inner world and you already hate her. That’s misogynistic.) He so cold that he pushes Amy to safety in Rory’s arms. He cares about his image, his dark side, his vision of HER(?) choice. He never listens to her feelings long enough. His is scared of her inner pull. Every time. In any episode. Doctor is trying to take care of the connection avoiding giving himself on a deepest personal level.
3. Amy’s dream is not represented. It’s something else.
Thank you very much for the detailed description of how you see the episode. So, I could see how different it from my perspective.
If only they could use the Dreamlord to retcon the entire 13th Doctor run..
Um, actually Amy's choice came out before inception
I only watched this series once, but this is the only episode I remember really liking.
Wow! You really don’t t like Amy. I happen to like the overall development of their relationship. It always felt real to me. One showing more love than the other initially. Often like life.
I'm surprised this is in the same tier as The Eleventh Hour lol
I feel like the only reason people want the Dream Lord back is because of how awesome Toby Jones is. I would honestly love to see him in DW again. It would be fun seeing him as the Master.
Next is the hungry earth and cold blood. And this was like the movie Sophie’s choice.
zzzzzzzzzz SNORK! What? What happened? Did I just dream that this Harbo guy didn't like Amy's Choice? Oh good, because that could never happen in real life.
This episode would’ve been really interesting if the premise for this was used as Amy and rorys last episode
Yet another banger of a video
You're always a highlight of my week, Harbo
I think they chose the killer pensioners just so they could have that “attack of the old people” line