The Impossible Astronaut (TV story): Difference between revisions

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== Plot ==
== Plot ==
Amy is reading to Rory from a history book about stories relating to an unnamed "doctor". The first story is of a king who finds a "doctor" hiding naked in his wife's room. The Doctor eventually gets incarcerated without trial but soon escapes by means of a magical, mysterious spherical device which is 20 feet across floating over the city (the page in the book features an illustration of a hot air balloon). The second story is of a doctor being caught while escaping with mates at an army base after confusing their escape route with the door to the commandant's office. A soldier shouts in German and pulls the Doctor out of their tunneled escape route.
In the [[16th century]], a man bursts into a room, questioning the lady present as to [[Eleventh Doctor|the Doctor]]’s whereabouts. She asks [[The "Doctor Who?" running joke|“Doctor Who?”]] A sneeze is audible from beneath her skirt and the man lifts it upon his [[sword]] to find the Doctor hiding naked underneath.  


Amy figures that the Doctor is trying to communicate by manipulating historic events of lesser significance while Rory continues to watch a Laurel and Hardy film. Doorbell rings and as Amy goes to answer, Rory looks away. In this brief moment the doctor walks up to the camera in the film wearing his fez. The postman at the door hands over a TARDIS Blue envelope to Amy. The envelope has the number 3 written on its back in an etched white typeface. Upon opening the envelope; Amy discovers the following message written on a matted card.
In [[2011]], [[Amy Pond]] and [[Rory Williams]] are in their kitchen. Amy reads an account of how the Doctor was imprisoned in the [[Tower of London]] without trial on the personal request of the [[king]]. Rory is not certain that it is the Doctor until Amy reads on that he was seen flying from the tower two days later on a sphere. She reads of how the Doctor took part in a [[World War II]] breakout from a POW camp.


{{quote|a date, a time, a map reference.|}}
Amy ponders whether he is being deliberately ridiculous in order to gain their attention. Rory is distracted and so doesn’t see the Doctor waving at the camera in a scene from a [[Laurel & Hardy]] film. Amy answers the Door  and is handed her post. She finds a letter in a TARDIS blue envelope. It gives her a map reference, a time and a date. In [[Stormcage Containment Facility]], [[River Song]] receives an identical letter. The prison goes on alert after [[prison Guard (The Impossible Astronaut)|a guard]] warns that she is packing.


Elsewhere at the Stormcage Facility, River Song also received an envelope.
Rory and Amy arrive in [[Utah]] where they are greeted by the Doctor. River Song arrives shortly after. In a café, the Doctor and River compare diaries. They have both “done” [[Easter Island]] and met [[Jim the Fish]]. The Doctor mentions space in [[1969]].
On Earth, Amy and Rory hitch a school bus ride in San Juan going towards Goulding Arch near Oljato-Monument Valley, Utah where they had been summoned. The bus drives off revealing the Doctor sitting atop a car with a Stetson on. He calls them over saying, "Howdy!" and calls them Ponds.  


Rory greets him by stating he is the husband; the Doctor simply calls him "Rory the Roman". While declaring his love for how cool Stetsons are, his hat is shot to the ground and we see Song holding a pistol which she then puts back in its holster, saying "Hello, Sweety!".
They move to sit by a body of water, there they dine and the Doctor tries [[wine]] again, immediately disliking it. Amy sees a mysterious figure but, as she turns away, she forgets. Behind them [[Canton Delaware III]] pulls up his car, and from the water [[Little Girl (The Impossible Astronaut)|an astronaut]] rises wearing an [[Apollo 11]] style suit.


The group sits in a diner where River and the Doctor do diaries, laughing about their encounters on Easter Island and Jim the Fish, and he tells them they will visit 'Space 1969'. They later sit by the lake having a picnic, where the Doctor says that he's 1103, 200 years older than last time they met, and also comments on Amy gaining weight. Amy sees an alien on one of the mesas, but when Rory's head blocks it from her view, she forgets about it. The Doctor sees a man standing by a truck a few hundred metres from the picnic. River then notices an Astronaut standing in the lake. The Doctor becomes serious, telling his companions not to interfere no matter what.
The Doctor tells them not to interfere and moves to face the astronaut. Out of earshot of the others, he announces that he know who is within. The astronaut then shoots him, and fires again before [[regeneration]] can complete and save his life. The astronaut then retreats into the water, unfazed by River Song’s bullets hitting it.


The Doctor greets the Astronaut, saying that he knows who it is. The Astronaut raises its visor to the Doctor, and shoots him. Amy starts to run towards him, but is held back by River and Rory. The Doctor begins to regenerate, but the Astronaut shoots him again, at which point River runs towards the Doctor as well. As the Astronaut retreats into the lake, River scans the Doctor and confirms that he's dead. When Amy starts suggesting that this Doctor is a duplicate, the man comes over and confirms that it is the Doctor. He introduces himself as Canton Delaware III, and gives the group a tank of petrol as he was previously told to by the Doctor. He also reveals a similar invitation to those received by Rory and Amy and River.The Doctor is then given a Viking funeral, before Canton departs, saying that the trio will meet him again.
[[File:Dining on the sand.jpg|thumb|left|150px|The Doctor dines with his friends.]]
Canton approaches and hands the grieving trio a canister of gasoline. They orchestrate a Viking-style funeral by burning the Doctor’s body aboard a boat so as to prevent his body being studied. Canton shows them that he too has an envelope; number four. Rory and Amy have three and River has four. They return to the café and find letter number one on a table. They ask the owner who was seated there and he replies “some guy”. They turn and the Doctor emerges from a side door.  


The group return to the diner and try to figure out what the Doctor meant by 'Space 1969' and who the other invitation was sent to, when the Doctor emerges from the back room. After a short silence, River slaps him for 'something [he] hasn't done yet'. After talking about Jim the Fish (whom the Doctor has now never heard of), and having Amy ask the Doctor how old he is; 909, River deduces that the Doctor they are with is an earlier version of the Doctor they just saw killed, but keeps quiet about her suspicions. The Doctor reveals another invitation, with the missing number one on it. Upon his questioning, River tells him that they've been recruited by someone who trusts him more than anyone else in the universe, and that it has something to do with 'Space 1969', and Canton Delaware III.
They come to realise that he is a younger version of the Doctor, by some two-hundred years. They tell him that they have been hired and it involves 1969 and Canton Delaware III.
 
They return to the TARDIS and River tells Rory and Amy that they cannot tell the Doctor of his coming death.
They use the TARDIS to travel back to 1969, they land in the Oval Office and they switch the TARDIS to a setting in which it is invisible. The Doctor emerges alone and listens in to [[Richard Nixon]] and a young Canton as they discuss the president being called by a mysterious source. The Doctor makes notes as a recording of one call is played. The recording mentions “Jefferson Adams Hamilton”.
 
Canton and Nixon become aware of his presence and security is called. They quickly overwhelm the Doctor and the TARDIS becomes visible. The Doctor propositions that he can sort out the mysterious calls and pretends to be an undercover agent sent from [[Scotland Yard]]. Canton agrees, telling the Doctor he has five minutes to solve the mystery.
 
Again Amy sees the mysterious creature, more clearly now as it stands just a few feet from her. Rory blocks her vision and she again forgets what she has seen. She feels ill and asks to go the toilet. Canton allows her to do so. She enters to find one of [[the Silence]]. She remembers the events she forgot. [[Joy]] emerges from one of the cubicles and sees the Silence. She looks away and forgets, looks again and repeats the same words. Joy looks a third time and the Silence kills her with [[electricity]] from the room. The Silence instructs Amy to “tell the Doctor what he must know, and what he must never know”. Amy then exits and immediately forgets. She then returns to the Oval Office.
 
[[File:Doc in Oval Office.jpg|thumb|150px|The Doctor dissects the problem.]]
The Doctor finds the only place the calls can be coming from. Another call from the mysterious caller is answered by Nixon. The Doctor and his companions leave with Canton in the TARDIS. The Doctor tells the others that Jefferson, Adams and Hamilton and three of America’s founding fathers and the only place with the three street names on one junction is an area five miles from Cape Kennedy Space Centre.
 
Rory explains to Canton how the TARDIS is bigger on the inside.
They search a building at this junction, unaware of the astronaut’s presence. Amy and River both discuss neutralising the astronaut to prevent him from killing the Doctor. However, River tells Amy that it doesn’t work that way.
 
River discovers a tube leading down through a drain. River goes down accompanied by Rory. River opens a locked room and enters a large cavern. In the centre sits a structure akin to a TARDIS console. They set off an alarm and Rory checks if anything is coming. He sees many of the Silence but forgets as soon as he turns to warn River. River discovers that the tunnels cover the Earth and have been around for hundreds of years. Electricity crackles behind Rory and something approaches him.
 
Meanwhile Canton and Amy discuss the formers [[FBI]] career. He was kicked out for “attitude problems” as he wanted to marry. Amy hears the astronaut calling and runs to the Doctor. They run to Canton’s call and find him unconscious. Amy tells the Doctor that she is [[pregnant]]. They turn to see the astronaut who lifts its faceplate. It’s the little girl. Amy picks up a [[firearm|gun]] and fires at the girl.


==Cast==
==Cast==

Revision as of 18:37, 24 April 2011

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The Impossible Astronaut was the first episode of the sixth series of Doctor Who. It introduced the Silence as a species, building on the references of the previous series.

Synopsis

Four envelopes, numbered 2, 3 and 4, each containing a date, time and map reference, unsigned, but TARDIS blue. Who sent them? And who received the missing envelope numbered 1? This strange summons reunites the Doctor, Amy, Rory and River Song in the middle of the Utah desert and unveils a terrible secret the Doctor's friends must never reveal to him. Placing his life entirely in their hands, the Doctor agrees to search for the recipient of the fourth envelope and figure out just who is Canton Everett Delaware the Third? Also what is the relevance of their only other clue: 'Space 1969'? Their quest lands them—quite literally—in the Oval Office, where they are enlisted by President Nixon to assist enigmatic former-FBI agent Canton in saving a terrified little girl from a mysterious spaceman. [1]

Plot

In the 16th century, a man bursts into a room, questioning the lady present as to the Doctor’s whereabouts. She asks “Doctor Who?” A sneeze is audible from beneath her skirt and the man lifts it upon his sword to find the Doctor hiding naked underneath.

In 2011, Amy Pond and Rory Williams are in their kitchen. Amy reads an account of how the Doctor was imprisoned in the Tower of London without trial on the personal request of the king. Rory is not certain that it is the Doctor until Amy reads on that he was seen flying from the tower two days later on a sphere. She reads of how the Doctor took part in a World War II breakout from a POW camp.

Amy ponders whether he is being deliberately ridiculous in order to gain their attention. Rory is distracted and so doesn’t see the Doctor waving at the camera in a scene from a Laurel & Hardy film. Amy answers the Door and is handed her post. She finds a letter in a TARDIS blue envelope. It gives her a map reference, a time and a date. In Stormcage Containment Facility, River Song receives an identical letter. The prison goes on alert after a guard warns that she is packing.

Rory and Amy arrive in Utah where they are greeted by the Doctor. River Song arrives shortly after. In a café, the Doctor and River compare diaries. They have both “done” Easter Island and met Jim the Fish. The Doctor mentions space in 1969.

They move to sit by a body of water, there they dine and the Doctor tries wine again, immediately disliking it. Amy sees a mysterious figure but, as she turns away, she forgets. Behind them Canton Delaware III pulls up his car, and from the water an astronaut rises wearing an Apollo 11 style suit.

The Doctor tells them not to interfere and moves to face the astronaut. Out of earshot of the others, he announces that he know who is within. The astronaut then shoots him, and fires again before regeneration can complete and save his life. The astronaut then retreats into the water, unfazed by River Song’s bullets hitting it.

File:Dining on the sand.jpg
The Doctor dines with his friends.

Canton approaches and hands the grieving trio a canister of gasoline. They orchestrate a Viking-style funeral by burning the Doctor’s body aboard a boat so as to prevent his body being studied. Canton shows them that he too has an envelope; number four. Rory and Amy have three and River has four. They return to the café and find letter number one on a table. They ask the owner who was seated there and he replies “some guy”. They turn and the Doctor emerges from a side door.

They come to realise that he is a younger version of the Doctor, by some two-hundred years. They tell him that they have been hired and it involves 1969 and Canton Delaware III.

They return to the TARDIS and River tells Rory and Amy that they cannot tell the Doctor of his coming death. They use the TARDIS to travel back to 1969, they land in the Oval Office and they switch the TARDIS to a setting in which it is invisible. The Doctor emerges alone and listens in to Richard Nixon and a young Canton as they discuss the president being called by a mysterious source. The Doctor makes notes as a recording of one call is played. The recording mentions “Jefferson Adams Hamilton”.

Canton and Nixon become aware of his presence and security is called. They quickly overwhelm the Doctor and the TARDIS becomes visible. The Doctor propositions that he can sort out the mysterious calls and pretends to be an undercover agent sent from Scotland Yard. Canton agrees, telling the Doctor he has five minutes to solve the mystery.

Again Amy sees the mysterious creature, more clearly now as it stands just a few feet from her. Rory blocks her vision and she again forgets what she has seen. She feels ill and asks to go the toilet. Canton allows her to do so. She enters to find one of the Silence. She remembers the events she forgot. Joy emerges from one of the cubicles and sees the Silence. She looks away and forgets, looks again and repeats the same words. Joy looks a third time and the Silence kills her with electricity from the room. The Silence instructs Amy to “tell the Doctor what he must know, and what he must never know”. Amy then exits and immediately forgets. She then returns to the Oval Office.

File:Doc in Oval Office.jpg
The Doctor dissects the problem.

The Doctor finds the only place the calls can be coming from. Another call from the mysterious caller is answered by Nixon. The Doctor and his companions leave with Canton in the TARDIS. The Doctor tells the others that Jefferson, Adams and Hamilton and three of America’s founding fathers and the only place with the three street names on one junction is an area five miles from Cape Kennedy Space Centre.

Rory explains to Canton how the TARDIS is bigger on the inside. They search a building at this junction, unaware of the astronaut’s presence. Amy and River both discuss neutralising the astronaut to prevent him from killing the Doctor. However, River tells Amy that it doesn’t work that way.

River discovers a tube leading down through a drain. River goes down accompanied by Rory. River opens a locked room and enters a large cavern. In the centre sits a structure akin to a TARDIS console. They set off an alarm and Rory checks if anything is coming. He sees many of the Silence but forgets as soon as he turns to warn River. River discovers that the tunnels cover the Earth and have been around for hundreds of years. Electricity crackles behind Rory and something approaches him.

Meanwhile Canton and Amy discuss the formers FBI career. He was kicked out for “attitude problems” as he wanted to marry. Amy hears the astronaut calling and runs to the Doctor. They run to Canton’s call and find him unconscious. Amy tells the Doctor that she is pregnant. They turn to see the astronaut who lifts its faceplate. It’s the little girl. Amy picks up a gun and fires at the girl.

Cast

Crew

References

The Doctor

  • An older Eleventh Doctor who is 1,103 years old, begins to regenerate, but is killed before the process completes.
  • The Doctor states his current age as being 909 years old.
  • The Doctor says that he is late for a biplane lesson in 1911 but gets confused and wonders if it is actually knitting.

Films

  • Amy Pond and Rory Williams watch a Laurel & Hardy film on television.

Fashion and clothing

  • The Doctor is also shown whilst wearing a fez in a Laurel & Hardy film.

Years

  • The Doctor states that the year 1482 is full of glitches, but also says 1969 is 'easy'. This may suggest that some years are harder to travel to than others.

TARDIS

  • The Doctor makes the TARDIS invisible when he materializes in the Oval Office. The Doctor walks into it afterwards when he tries to enter it again.

Story notes

  • This episode had the working title Year of the Moon[2]
  • This is the first two part opening episode of the revived series.
  • A prequel for this story was released on the official BBC website.[3]
  • The monsters in this episode were said to be "the scariest monsters yet".[4]
  • The episode was dedicated to Elisabeth Sladen, who had passed away four days before the episode's initial broadcast.

Ratings

  • Overnight figures for BBC was 6.4 million making this the least watched Series opener since the relaunch of the new series.

Myths

  • We will see River Song as a child.[5] This was proven false
  • The second episode will air the day after the first.[6][7][8]This has been proven false

Filming locations

Production errors

  • When Amy is talking to the agent outside of the toilet, a boom mike can be seen over his shoulder.

Continuity

If you'd like to talk about narrative problems with this story — like plot holes and things that seem to contradict other stories — please go to this episode's discontinuity discussion.

Home video releases

The DVD will be released in two halves. Part One, which will contain episodes one to seven, will be released in Summer, shortly after the airing of episode seven.[9]

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ http://doctorwho.bbcamerica.com/seasons/6/episodes/1
  2. ↑ http://doctorwhotv.co.uk/series-6-titles-and-date-16375.htm
  3. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw/news/bulletin_110325_01/The_Prequel_Has_Landed
  4. ↑ http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/s7/doctor-who/news/a289472/smith-teases-scary-who-monsters-for-us-eps.html
  5. ↑ http://tardisspoilers.blogspot.com/2010/10/will-we-see-river-as-child.html
  6. ↑ http://doctorwhotv.co.uk/new-series-6-trailer-air-date-rumours-15879.htm
  7. ↑ http://tardisspoilers.blogspot.com/2011/03/talk-of-air-dates.html
  8. ↑ http://tardisspoilers.blogspot.com/2011/03/double-who.html
  9. ↑ http://doctorwhotv.co.uk/series-6-dvd-releases-15635.htm

Template:Series 6

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