Matt Smith’s sophomore series was about the same as the previous round.
The Moffat formula remains intact here, approaching a season-spanning threat while maintaining an adventure-of-the-week format. This version made the threat more personal by focusing on the Doctor’s impending death, the pursuit of Amy and Rory’s child, and revelations about Steven Moffat’s perennial favorite River Song.
One thing I really liked about this season’s approach was how it didn’t constantly remind us of the overarching threat. Series Five kept showing us the crack at various points, almost to the point of defenestrating each adventure. The reminders in Series Six were frequent, but they were also a bit more diffuse, allowing each story to thrive without constantly glancing at the sword dangling above.
I’m still up in the air about the conclusion. The end goal was the death of the Doctor – a fixed point in time – and The Wedding of River Song was pretty clear about what would happen if the Doctor was spared. Yet, he was spared because a machine that looks like the Doctor was shot and destroyed.
So, what happens when the Silence finds out that the Doctor survived? Alternatively, it is possible to subvert other “fixed points” through shenanigans and/or tomfoolery?
Anyway, to the numbers!
Series Six earned a 4.2 average. That leave this group at eighth place overall, tied coincidentally with the classic era’s Eleventh Series. Ahead of it in this ranking are Series One, Series Three, and Series Five (all tied for fifth), David Tennant’s specials, the TV Movie, Series Four, and the classic era’s Ninth Series.
A Christmas Carol – 5
The Impossible Astronaut & Day of the Moon – 4
The Curse of the Black Spot – 3
The Doctor’s Wife – 5
The Rebel Flesh & The Almost People – 5
A Good Man Goes to War – 5
Let’s Kill Hitler – 5
Night Terrors – 2
The Girl Who Waited – 5
The God Complex – 5
Closing Time – 3
The Wedding of River Song – 4
Space/Time & Night and the Doctor – 3
Torchwood Series Four Average Rating: 4.2/5
The Timestamps Project is still proceeding in mostly chronological order. Up next is the final series of The Sarah Jane Adventures. After that, we embark on a straight shot through the seventh, eighth, and ninth series of Doctor Who.
UP NEXT – Sarah Jane Adventures: Sky
The Timestamps Project is an adventure through the televised universe of Doctor Who, story by story, from the beginning of the franchise. For more reviews like this one, please visit the project’s page at Creative Criticality.
