Doctor Who Season 7 So Far Part IV

In retrospect, each episode of Series 7 part 1 of "Doctor Who" has had a definite purpose thus far - "Asylum of the Daleks" introduced Jenna-Louise Coleman as Clara Oswin Oswald, "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" introduced the concept of the darker Doctor, "A Town Called Mercy" built upon the moral decisions which the Doctor most make deciding life or death and now "The Power of Three" looks at Amy and Rory's life inside and out of the TARDIS.

For a year, small, black cubes have been falling from the sky. They appear to do nothing and soon they become part of everyday life. Nevertheless, the Doctor (Matt Smith) believes that the cubes are far more sinister, and takes it upon himself to discover what the true purpose of the cubes are and save Amy and Rory (Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill).

"The Power of Three" is the penultimate episode of Amy and Rory, so this episode is building up to "The Angels take Manhattan." In all, this episode is a good one. It perhaps is not as spectacular as some of the other episodes in this series thus far, but it does have some nice moments. The best part of this episode is the actors since the plot is rather secondary to the interactions of the characters. Matt Smith is wonderful in this episode, balancing his humouress side and serious side so well. The true stars are Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill though. This is really their episode as we look at how they are so different from other people.

This aspect of the story is one of its best, and one wishes that this could have been examined in more detail throughout the story. While the plot concerning the cubes is interesting, it doesn't really have much of a pay-off. There is lost of build up wondering what the cubes will do, and then when they do it, it's a bit of a let-down. But, as I said, this episode is not about alien invasions or the Doctor saving the day again, but how he changes the lives of everyone around him.

Brigadier Sir Alistair Gordon
Lethebridge-Stewart

There are a number of tear-jerking moments throughout the episode. One of the characters in the story turns out to be the daughter of the Brigadier (played by Nicholas Courtney), a character who appeared dozens of times throughout the run of the Classic Series. During the Series 6 finale, "The Wedding of River Song," it transpires that the Brigadier has passed away (in commemoration of Courtney's death), and seeing another character carry on the legacy is nice. The expression of Matt Smith's face when he learns that she has taken over for her father is wonderful, and to any fan of "Doctor Who" this a truly heartwarming moment. In addition, as the episode ends, Rory's father (again played by Mark Williams) tells the Doctor to take care of Rory and Amy. The Doctor promises, but this scene is made all the more sad knowing that the following episode marks the end of Amy and Rory's times travelling throughout time and space in the TARDIS.

So, let's recap. "The Power of Three" is an enjoyable and tear-jerking episode. It makes for a nice build-up to the companions' departure and is overall a good story. I give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Coming Next Time: Amy Pond leaves the TARDIS in "The Angels Take Manhattan"