Doctor Who – The Big Bang

The universe is ending, the TARDIS has gone supernova, and only one girl can save the world. The girl with the fairytale name. The girl who waited on a suitcase all night for her raggedy Doctor to return. Little Amelia Pond.

This is the stage that is set as The Big Bang gets under way, leading up to the best pre-titles cliff hanger ever as big Amy appears inside The Pandorica – “Ok Kid, this is where it gets complicated” she says… No kidding!!

With more time and space paradoxes than you can shake a stick at, the Doctor abandons the laws of time and space in hope of saving them, criss-crossing the timelines like never before to get everyone to the museum in Alt-1996, jumping back and forth to Rory to save Amy, and to River aboard the TARDIS. This is the only moment he realises he can do it – the universe is DEFINITELY going to end if he doesn’t meddle, whereas there is only a very strong chance if he doesn’t. So he has to try.

There are moments of supreme romance as Amy and Rory are finally reunited in the museum, the boy and the girl who waited.

There is comedy too though, the most notable being River and Amy’s reaction the fez. We’ve put up with a (entirely un)“cool” bowtie, we’re not putting up with a goddam fez Eleven!!

We had all assumed the title was simply referring to the explosion, but no, it was infact a not-so-subtle clue that the way to reset the universe is to use the explosion as the second Big Bang, The Doctor sacrificing himself and his memory for all of time. You can see the heartbreak in Matt Smith’s face, and its at this very moment that I realise what I’ve always known but never wanted to admit – remaining loyal to David Tennant until I absolutely couldn’t do it any longer – Matt Smith is my Doctor. He is the Doctor. The greatest Doctor. He is willing to sacrifice himself just so that Amy can have a family.

Ever since the episode aired, I’ve seen all over the fanboards about the fact there are 2 Doctors in The Time of Angels, hinted at by the jacket, but I’ve always just assumed it was a continuity error. But no, its Stephen Moffat’s utter mastery of time travel, shutting down every loophole of every paradox, closing the cracks in time once and for all. I'm starting to wonder if he might secretly have a time machine, and he's worked it out by trial and error. “Remember what I told you.” But he hasn’t told her anything. She can’t remember

And then the final trick. The Doctor’s greatest stand. He cannot just sit there and take it, he has to try one last thing, and pray it works. He refuses to just die. He refuses to just never exist. So he plants a memory. A memory which might be a dream in a 7 year old girls head.

“A mad old man who stole a magic box. Did I ever tell you I stole it? Or borrowed it. I always meant to take it back. You will dream about that box your entire life. It’s big and little at the same time. Its brand new and ancient, and the bluest blue in the world” And with that he sacrifices himself.

We flash forward to the wedding of the year, as Amy and Rory finally tie the knot. But as Augustus Gloop. Umm…Augustus Pond (surely a homage right? I cannot be the only one who noticed)… gives his Father of the Bride speech the whole game changes. Amy remembers The Doctor’s words just as he hoped she would. Something old. Something New. Something Borrowed. Something Blue. And The Doctor is saved. "Something remembered can come back."

Rory of course takes Amy's last name. I mean come on, Mrs Amelia Williams?! Thats not fairytale-ish at all! It was always going to be Mr Rory Pond

The Doctor dances, and River leaves one final cryptic message: You will know who I am soon. And we get the usual Christmas set up and off we go.

This was by far the best finale of the five – yes, even past Doomsday.

Not everything was solved sure – the silence is still out there, and River an enigma, but I think its fair to say Moffat is not done with either element, as he exclusively reveals to confidential, telling them that by the end of series 6 we will know all there is to know about River Song, and that the Silence is definitely a question for 6 – I still bet its Omega, but we shall see.

Ones things for sure, and you’ll have to excuse the pun: The Big Bang sure was all it was cracked up to be.