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There's an argument to be made that A Good Man Goes to War is not so much an episode of Doctor Who as it is a full-on seismic shift in the way the show tells its story and treats its main character.
It is, to my mind, the first major, concrete step towards truly renouncing the Time War as a part of the show's lore, and the resultant demythologisation of the Doctor.
Ever since The Eleventh Hour, the Doctor has been characterised as a Mad Man with a Box. Yet there are still telling signs that he still holds a sense of self-importance about him.
His treatment of the Silence at the end of Day of the Moon, for instance, or, perhaps more alarmingly, his "Fear me, I've killed all of them" to House in The Doctor's Wife all make one thing clear: the Doctor has still not completely healed from the trauma of the War.
A healed man doesn't use his genocide of his own species as a chilling one-liner. And that's what A Good Man Goes to War is about, ultimately.
While the Doctor is this force for good, broadly speaking, there's a simmering rage that festers just underneath the surface that shines through every now and again.
But the Doctor isn't the only one who hasn't healed from the Time War.
The show itself hasn't.
The show itself hasn't.
The Time War was always used as a metaphor for the cancellation of the show, the loss of the Doctor's origin point reflecting the loss of the show's original iteration.
It was a necessary and important idea through which the mistakes that led to Classic Who's demise could be grappled with.
Indeed, Series 1 even concludes with a reprisal and rejection of the Time War moral dilemma: Will the Doctor blow up two races to save the universe?
Indeed, Series 1 even concludes with a reprisal and rejection of the Time War moral dilemma: Will the Doctor blow up two races to save the universe?
The fact of the matter is, though, that Doctor Who in 2011 is not in the same place that it was in 2005.
Between 1989 and 2005 it was something of an embarrassment, a quaint little show that lost its way and paid the price.
Between 1989 and 2005 it was something of an embarrassment, a quaint little show that lost its way and paid the price.
But just a matter of years later, that quaint little cult classic literally became the biggest thing on TV at that moment, with Journey's End reaching the No. 1 most-watched programme spot for the first time.
The Time War was no longer necessary.
The Time War was no longer necessary.
So now, just as Eccleston's season had to grapple with the cancellation, Smith's last few seasons had to grapple with just how the universe might perceive a version of the Doctor so marred by genocide and conflict.
And it makes even more sense to do this leading into the 50th anniversary year.
The moment the Doctor realises just how feared he has become is the moment that the next six years of the Moffat Era pivot around to some degree or another.
It's that powerful.
It's that powerful.
In addition, to heighten just how masterful the deconstruction and plotting of this all is, it's now that you realise that the sixth series has been specifically planned to seem like it's leading into a revenge story.
The Doctor loses someone dear to him, that someone has something traumatic happen to them, and he has to assemble an army to gain vengeance.
It would fit right into the plot of an '80s exploitation flick.
It would fit right into the plot of an '80s exploitation flick.
But, more pointedly, Moffat argues it *wouldn't* fit into Doctor Who.
Because the Doctor ultimately fails. Sure he gets the base, and saves Amy, but everything proceeds as it always would.
Melody is still kidnapped and brainwashed into an assassin.
Nothing is accomplished.
Because the Doctor ultimately fails. Sure he gets the base, and saves Amy, but everything proceeds as it always would.
Melody is still kidnapped and brainwashed into an assassin.
Nothing is accomplished.
And it's because the Doctor is not a character suited to vengeance.
But it's a warning call that, on the current, Time War-influenced trajectory, some day he might be.
But it's a warning call that, on the current, Time War-influenced trajectory, some day he might be.
The episode argues against the Oncoming Storm, the Last of the Time Lords, the Time Lord Victorious. Whatever you want to call him, that version of the Doctor is antithetical to the story that Moffat wants to tell going forward.
And I'll grant that this all seems a lot clearer with the benefit of hindsight and The Day of the Doctor and so on.
But I feel the groundwork was being laid, however obliquely, for that story even now.
But I feel the groundwork was being laid, however obliquely, for that story even now.
I suppose I should probably talk about the actual concrete facts of the episode.
They're solid, as you'd expect. If they were bad I wouldn't have ignored them for so long.
They're solid, as you'd expect. If they were bad I wouldn't have ignored them for so long.
The regulars are great, the motley army (particularly Vastra, Jenny and Strax) are enjoyable, though Lorna wasn't quite developed enough for her death scene to have as much impact on me as I suspect was intended.
I also like the direction by Peter Hoar and the use of colour.
Incidentally, though this is his only Who credit, he apparently has been doing pretty well for himself, directing three episodes of Daredevil, two of Altered Carbon, and two of The Umbrella Academy.
Incidentally, though this is his only Who credit, he apparently has been doing pretty well for himself, directing three episodes of Daredevil, two of Altered Carbon, and two of The Umbrella Academy.
Frances Barber finally gets a chance to shine fully as Kovarian, and though the character herself is fairly undeveloped, the idea of a group who aren't necessarily motivated by typical "evil" desires, but simply a sheer terror of the Doctor, makes up for that fact.
YMMV though.
YMMV though.
Also the scene with Alex Kingston reciting the Demon's Run poem in voiceover is fantastic.
But you probably knew that much.
But you probably knew that much.
Ironically enough, this is probably the high-point of the Series 6 arc. Rising higher than ever before indeed.
The later two arc-centric episodes are both flawed in unique ways.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
The later two arc-centric episodes are both flawed in unique ways.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
And I do think they kind of wrote themselves into a corner with the themes of this arc, as I alluded to back in my Rewatch of Day of the Moon.
You can't delve into the full horrors of a mother and father having their daughter snatched away from them on a family show like Doctor Who. It's a similar reason as to why the later divorce subplot in Asylum of the Daleks will fall flat.
Ultimately, though, A Good Man Goes to War is a skillful deconstruction of the Doctor's character and a pivotal episode for understanding the Moffat Era.
For that reason, I'm going to rank it as the best episode of Series 6 so far.
For that reason, I'm going to rank it as the best episode of Series 6 so far.
I could understand someone putting The Doctor's Wife ahead of it, though. For sheer importance to the show, and the deft way it handles its themes, I feel it comes out on top.
Series 6 Ranking:
1. A Good Man Goes to War
2. The Doctor's Wife
3. The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon
4. The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People
5. The Curse of the Black Spot
1. A Good Man Goes to War
2. The Doctor's Wife
3. The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon
4. The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People
5. The Curse of the Black Spot
So that, ladies and gentlemen, was Series 6A.
Pretty strong all around, with only one real disappointment in the form of Curse.
Pretty strong all around, with only one real disappointment in the form of Curse.
Will the second half be as strong? Well, some of you who've been paying attention to my tweets in other places may already be able to guess my personal answer to that, but for the rest of you, luckily you don't have to wait two months to find out.
How long do you have to wait? Again, uh I dunno. Schedules schmedules.
Regardless, join me... whenever... for a trip to 1930s Berlin in Let's Kill Hitler!
