With a title like, "Let's Kill Hitler," I was intrigued but also concerned that we would have a one-off episode before getting back to the River Song/Pond Family story arc. Thankfully, the title was a red herring and Hitler was locked in a broom cupboard for almost the entirety of the episode.
First, let's talk about the Teselecta. Clearly Mels is not the only human being to consider using time travel to go back and "Kill Hitler." The tiny humans, I'm guessing they're humans anyway, inside the Teselecta are already on their way to do the very same deed. Honestly though, who hasn't thought of using time travel to go back and prevent some of the horrible things we learn about in history. The Justice Department humans, in the Teselecta, assume the form of a Wehrmact officer, in what has to be one of the coolest effects I've seen used for a robot that can change its shape at will, and head off to Hitler's office.
What interests me about the Justice Department though is that they make a point of finding the "criminal" at the end of his or her timeline. They aren't going back in time to stop what that individual may or may not have done. I don't know if it has something to do with changing "fixed points" in history or what. But I thought it was odd that they have the ability to go back in time and covertly kill an important historical figure yet we don't really talk about preventing the crimes in the first place. Of course, I suppose it then goes into the ideas presented in "The Minority Report" where they question punishing someone for a crime they could potentially commit.
This brings me back to the Doctor and River. The Justice Department decides to abandon their Hitler mission, they were too early, and go after Melody Pond instead. Apparently she was a much bigger fish. They go after her because ***spoiler alert***she kills the Doctor, as seen in the season opener. Which makes me wonder, why did River stop Amy and Rory (in the opener) if she knew perfectly well what was going to happen? Then she encouraged Amy and Rory to hide the news of his death from their current doctor when he showed up. What does it mean?
I also found it quite disturbing that Mels ***spoiler alert*** is pre-regeneration River Song. Well not the part where she is going to be River Song, but the part where she was a childhood friend of her parents. Wikipedia tells me that this is an ontological paradox. Meaning that by Mels being friends with her parents, she encourages their relationship (thus ensuring that she is born) and then provides a namesake for herself. Kind of disturbing is thinking about when Melody received her combat/seduction training if she "grows up" with her parents. Was she already an adult in a child's body? Where was she living while they were all "growing up?" Was she living with her Silence Captors and getting mixed messages about the Doctor? Also disturbing is the way the Doctor dismisses finding baby Melody; telling them that they have too much fore-knowledge. a) I know that Amy is not going to give up trying to find her baby and b)is the doctor that foolish to think that she would.
What I do love is the way that Alex Kingston plays this newly regenerated Melody Pond/River Song. Like the Doctors before her, she is amazed by the outcome, checks out her new teeth, etc. What I thought was funny at the time, but realize is kind of biased now, is that Mels tell them to shush because she's "concentrating on a dress size." The Doctor is never concerned about his waist size, why is she? Is this an indication of her age? Or because she's female and therefore more superficial? To be fair, I would probably do the same thing if I could regenerate into someone new. But if all you have to do is concentrate during the regeneration process, why is the Doctor never ginger as he always laments not being? Or is it not a gurantee just a preference?
I felt like some things were thrown in to justify previous things in the series. i.e. Melody saying that she would slowly try and age younger to throw people off - is this to explain why the actress is getting older even though her first appearce was the character's last timeline-wise. Or having Melody ***spoiler alert*** give her remaining regenerations to save the Doctor. I felt like this was to explain why we saw the character die in her first appearance. But that was explained in the same episode when she knocked the Doctor unconscious and took his place, so why bring it up now?
I have so many questions and I sincerely hope we get them wrapped up before the series ends. I love the Ponds and River, but I am ready to move on from this arc.
http://fuckyeahgallifrey.tumblr.com/post/9601264737/martinusmiraculorum-show-me-river-song
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