Day of the Moon (TV story): Difference between revisions

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== Plot ==
== Plot ==
Three months after [[Amy Pond|Amy]] shot at the little girl, she is chased down in the [[Valley of the Gods (Earth)|Valley of the Gods]] in [[Utah]]. She has strange pen markings all over her skin. Finally, she is cornered between two SUVs and a cliff face. [[Canton Delaware]] advises her to surrender, then shoots her. Her body is brought before the [[Eleventh Doctor]], who is a prisoner at [[Area 51]] in chains and a straitjacket.
Three months after the events of the warehouse, [[Amy Pond|Amy]] is chased down the Valley of Gods in Utah; she has strange pen markings all over her skin and arms. Finally, she is cornered between two SUVs and a cliff-face. [[Canton Delaware]] advises her to surrender, leading her to wonder if he even remembers what happened at the warehouse; he responds by shooting her down. Her body is brought to the [[Eleventh Doctor|Doctor]], who is a prisoner at [[Area 51]].


[[River Song]], also covered in markings sees [[Silent|aliens]]. She is caught in [[New York City]] between the unfinished edge of a skyscraper and Canton's FBI unit. She  smiles dreamily and jumps. Finally, [[Rory Williams|Rory]] -- also covered in markings -- is shot on Hoover dam. He too is taken to the Doctor, now having a wall built around him -- blocks of dwarf star alloy that seal together perfectly to make one solid box. It is soundproof and impregnable -- the perfect prison. As it is finished, Canton steps inside and seals the door from the inside.
[[River Song]], also covered in pen markings, explores an unfinished skyscraper in [[New York City]], which is filled with the [[The Silence (species)|mysterious aliens]]. FBI agents corner her at the edge of the building; again, Canton advises her to surrender, but she merely warns them of the alien occupation before plunging off the side of the building.


Once the door is closed, the Doctor easily frees himself. Amy and Rory get out of the body bags, and Canton takes on a much friendlier tone with them. The Doctor leans on the [[The Doctor's TARDIS|TARDIS]], in the prison hidden by a cloaking device. After saving River from the fall by landing the TARDIS on the side of the building and opening the doors into the swimming pool, the three clean themselves of markings, which are  tally marks of how many aliens they had seen in the three months. The aliens are everywhere, all across the world. It is not an invasion. They've been here all along. In private, Amy tells the Doctor she is not actually pregnant; she made a mistake.
Finally, [[Rory Williams|Rory]] -- also covered in pen markings -- is shot at the Glen Canyon Dam. His body is also brought to the Doctor at Area 51.  FBI agents have spent the past three months building a perfect prison around the [[Time Lord]] -- blocks of [[dwarf star alloy]] that seal together perfectly, constructing a solid block that is soundproof and impregnable. With it finished, Canton seals himself inside with the Doctor and the two body bags.


The Doctor implants each occupant of the TARDIS with a [[nanorecorder]]. It flashes red when a message has been left, and after Canton casually adjusts the Doctor's bow tie, the Doctor points out to him that his is flashing. The message begins ''"How the hell did it get in here?!"'', and when Canton turns around, sure enough, there is an alien standing in the TARDIS behind him. It is not real; the Doctor has extrapolated the image from Amy's phone and turned it into a hologram, now being projected behind Canton. Even though it is only an image, it is still impossible to remember it once they no longer look directly at it. The message also contains the Doctor's voice, telling Canton to turn around and straighten the Doctor's bow tie after he stops looking at the hologram. Like a post-hypnotic suggestion, it was the last thing in Canton's head when he looked away, so he did that. Even this information will eventually disappear.
Once the door is closed, the Doctor, Amy, and Rory easily free themselves from their constraints, and Canton takes on a much friendlier tone.  The Doctor reveals the parked -- and invisible -- [[TARDIS]], which they all climb into; when Canton expresses some concern for River, the Doctor reveals that she had parked the TARDIS alongside the building and jumped into its swimming pool. The trio clean themselves of the markings, revealing that they are a tally of how many aliens they've seen in the past three months -- eventually deducing that this is not an alien invasion, but that they've been here all along.  Privately, Amy informs the Doctor that she made a mistake and that she is not pregnant.  The Doctor reveals that he already has an idea of how to defeat the aliens; landing the TARDIS, they rush outside to find they are a short distance away from [[Cape Kennedy]], where [[Apollo 11]] is being prepared for launch. The key to the aliens' defeat, the Doctor explains, is Neil Armstrong's foot.


The Doctor sends Canton and Amy to investigate a children's home the girl in the astronaut suit may have been taken from. The only person in the building believes that it is 1967 or earlier, not 1969, and he is jumpy. Amy is exploring when a room door locks itself. She sees her hand is flashing - the message she left herself advises her to leave, as do scrawled messages on the wall. She has begun to tally on her arms again, and she is ''covered'' in marks. She looks up. The ceiling is covered by sleeping aliens. She runs from the room and forgets her encounter. However, one of the aliens is woken by the sound of her departure.
The Doctor implants a [[nanorecorder]] in each of his companions' palms, explaining that they are to activate it and leave themselves a message each time they have an encounter; when it flashes red, they'll know they've seen one of the creatures. Canton casually adjusts the Doctor's bowtie, but is horrified to realize that his nanorecorder is flashing; the message, "How the hell did it get here?" makes each person realize that there is an alien standing near the TARDIS doors. However, the alien is not real; the Doctor has extrapolated the image from Amy's phone and projected it into the TARDIS as a [[hologram]] -- nevertheless, the effect is the same. The message also contains the Doctor's voice ordering Canton to straighten his bowtie upon turning around; the fact that he did so confirms the Doctor's suspicions that the aliens possess the power of post-hypnotic suggestion.


Down the hallway, she sees a mysterious woman with an eye patch looking out from a slot in a metal door. She goes to investigate, but finds the room empty and the slot gone. Inside is a child's bed with photos of the [[File:DW_Day_of_the_Moon_Amy_Silence_Girl.png|thumb|left|198px|[[Amy Pond]] is confronted by the girl and two aliens.]]little girl. She stop at one that is coloured and sees she is in it, holding the girl as a baby. Trying to make sense of this, Amy is surprised to see the girl in the astronaut suit walk into the room and lift the visor (which has a hole in it from the bullet she fired) to show her face. Amy apologises to the little girl for shooting at her tries to explains  about the astronaut in the Doctor's future that will kill him. The little girl begs Amy to help her. Before Amy can ask her why she needs help, two aliens from the previous room enter. Amy can only scream in horror.
The Doctor sends Canton and Amy to [[Graystark Hall Orphanage|Graystark Hall]], a children's home a few miles away from Cape Kennedy where the little girl may or may not have been kept.  The building's warden is clearly insane, believing the year to be 1967, and there are messages warning the building's occupants to leave scrawled all over the walls.  Amy goes off on her own to investigate, eventually discovering a nest of hibernating aliens on the ceiling in one of the rooms.  Her nanorecorder flashes red; she has left a message warning herself to leave, and there are tally marks all over her arms and face.  Eventually, she departs, forgetting her encounter, but one of the aliens awakes as the door slams shut behind her.  Further down the hall, Amy spots [[Madame Kovarian|a woman with an eyepatch]] looking at her through a slot in one of the doors; however, when she steps inside, the room is empty and the slot is gone. It is a child's bedroom, scattered with toys and pictures of the little girl. Amy discovers one picture of herself with the girl as a baby; while trying to make sense of it, the little girl -- still in the astronaut suit -- enters the room behind her, begging for help. Amy apologizes to the little girl for shooting her and tries to explain that she will kill the Doctor in the future. The girl continues to beg for help, confusing Amy further; two of the aliens enter behind her. Amy screams.


In the delirious man's office, Canton tries to get information from him, but hears Amy's screams. The man opens the door a bit and speaks with someone. When he turns to Canton, he forgets what he was doing. Canton starts to leave to search for Amy, only to come face to face with one of the aliens. Canton activates his nanorecorder.  Canton asks is why the alien doesn't have a weapon. After it haughtily states that as the rulers of the planet, its people do not need to carry weapons, Canton pulls out his gun, shoots the alien, and welcomes it to America.
[[File:DW_Day_of_the_Moon_Amy_Silence_Girl.png|thumb|left|198px|[[Amy Pond]] is confronted by the girl and two aliens.]]In the warden's office, Canton hears Amy's screams, but before he can go off to help her, one of the aliens enters. Activating his nanorecorder, Canton wonders why the alien doesn't have a weapon. After haughtily stating that, as the owners of the planet, they don't need weapons, Canton pulls out his gun, shoots the creature, and welcomes it to America before running out of the room.


The Doctor, meanwhile, has been busy. He is caught breaking into the command module, ''Columbia'', atop the Saturn V rocket, and rearranging some of the electronics to add one of his own devices. After President [[Richard Nixon]] arrives with Rory and River Song disguised as office workers to order his release, the Doctor receives a call from Canton, asking for help.
The Doctor, meanwhile, has been busy. He is caught breaking into the Apollo 11 command module, where he was rearranging some of the electronics and adding his own device. Eventually, [[Richard Nixon|President Nixon]] arrives in the TARDIS with River and Rory and orders the Doctor's release.  As they depart, the Doctor receives a call from Canton, who is requesting help.


Amy is missing, and her nanorecorder left on the floor of the girl's room. It has been switched from recording to live broadcast -- her current words can be heard. They also find the girl's astronaut suit, now empty on the floor, with a hole ripped in it. Unbeknownst to the Doctor, the little girl is hiding around the corner in the hall, listening to him and his companions, shuddering. On receiving word that Canton had captured one of the aliens, the Doctor puts aside the problem of Amy going missing and confronts the wounded alien. He asks who it is and is told "Silence, Doctor. We are [[the Silence|Silence]]. And silence will fall!". This reminds the Doctor of [[Prisoner Zero]]'s warning of silence falling, Rosanna's mention of silence destroying [[Saturnyne]], and the silent/empty Venice.
They rendezvous at the orphanage, where Canton is trying to break into the child's room; Amy can be heard inside, crying for help. The Doctor uses the sonic screwdriver to open the door, but the group is horrified to discover that Amy is missing -- all that's left of her is her nanorecorder, which lies on the floor, broadcasting her current words. They also discover the abandoned astronaut suit; unbeknownst to the Doctor, the little girl hides around the corner, listening to him and his companions. On receiving word that Canton has shot one of the aliens, the Doctor rushes off to the warden's office to confront the creature; the Doctor asks what it is, and the alien replies that it is the Silence -- and silence will fall. This echoes previous warnings the Doctor has received from [[Prisoner Zero]] and [[Rosanna Calvierri]].


While Rory, River and the Doctor set about finding Amy, Canton returns to the cell at Area 51 with the Silent in tow, and talks with it. The alien gloats that the Silence have ruled the world since the Stone Age. It tells him that it was a mistake to treat its wounds and, when asked what the Silence would do in the humans' place, responds "you should kill us on sight". Canton has recorded this on Amy's video phone - despite not understanding what a "video phone" is - and leaves. As Canton has been gone several days, the soldiers are naturally curious. They calm down when President Nixon walks out of the prison, having travelled there in the TARDIS, and assures the soldiers that Canton is still a trustworthy American.
Rory, River, and the Doctor set about finding Amy, returning the empty astronaut suit to the warehouse; Canton, meanwhile, brings the wounded alien to the Doctor's prison at Area 51, where it is fixed up by a military doctor. The alien gloats that the Silence have ruled the world since the Stone Age, and that it was a mistake for Canton to treat its wounds; when Canton asks what he should've done, the alien responds the humans should kill them all "on sight." Canton smugly reveals that he has recorded this order on Amy's video phone.


In the Florida warehouse they found the girl in, River and the Doctor dissect the astronaut suit. It is, in fact, a perfect life support machine -- this is how the girl could survive Amy shooting her. It is made of at least twenty different types of alien tech, and the occupant would not even have to eat while wearing it. River wonders if the suit could move without an occupant, remembering that the girl said an astronaut was coming to eat her.  They conclude that is exactly what happened; the suit "swallowed" her.
In the Florida warehouse, River and the Doctor dissect the space suit, discovering that it is, in fact, the perfect life support machine -- which explains how the little girl was able to survive Amy shooting her. It is fitted with at least twenty different types of alien tech, meaning that the little girl must have been very strong if she was able to fight her way out of it. River wonders if the suit could move without an occupant, remembering that the little girl's original phone call claimed the space man was coming to eat her.  Rory, meanwhile, is devasted by Amy's disappearance, keeping her nanorecorder with him at all times; in one instance, Amy tells the listener that her life was so boring before he "dropped out of the sky," and that he needs to get his "stupid face" where she can see it.  Rory believes she is referring to the Doctor, who attempts to reassure Rory of Amy's love for him by reminding him of [[The Big Bang (TV story)|the two thousand years he spent protecting her]].


Amy wakes to find herself tied to a framework and surrounded by Silence in their console room. The Silence inform her that she has been with them for several days and that she will help "bring the silence."
Amy wakes to find herself tied to a standing framework, surrounded by the Silence, in their console room. The Silence inform her that she has been with them for several days, and that she will help "bring the silence."


In the meantime, the launch of Apollo 11 goes off without a hitch, and the Doctor tracks the signal from Amy's nanorecorder to the room where she is being held. He brings an old television with him, and River brings her gun - she claims she could take down at least seven Silents should they attack. The Doctor doesn't mind River's death threats because [[File:Confrontation.jpg|left|thumb|The Doctor confronts the Silents.]]they are a greater threat than his other foes. He asks the Silence why the little girl is so important to them. They don't answer him.
[[File:Confrontation.jpg|left|thumb|The Doctor confronts the Silents.]]The launch of Apollo 11 goes off without a hitch.  On the day of the moon landing, the Doctor tracks the signal from Amy's nanorecorder to her location, landing the TARDIS there. He brings a television with him and sets it on the console, warning the Silence that although he is not violent, River would not hesitate to shoot any of them. He asks the Silence why the little girl is so important to them; they do not answer.  He gets the television set working in time for the live broadcast of the moon landing and uses the device he placed in the command module to hack the broadcast signal just as Neil Armstrong's foot touches the lunar surface.  The image is replaced with the video Canton took on Amy's phone -- the Silence saying that humans should kill them all on sight. This seals the fate of the Silence, as every human in history will see this famous broadcast at some point in their lives; through their power of post-hypnotic suggestion, the Silence have just ordered their own execution.  People who watch the live broadcast begin to act on this order, shooting the Silence without thinking.  Enraged by the Doctor's victory, the Silence begin the attack.  Rory goes to free Amy, but she orders him to get his "stupid face" to safety; with the Doctor's assistance, they manage to get her to the TARDIS, where they wait as River kills each alien in the room.


The Doctor sets up the television in time for the live broadcast of the famous "One small step" speech, but hacks into the signal just as Neil Armstrong's foot touches the lunar surface. As it does, the image turns to Canton's video of the Silence saying "You should kill us all on sight" -- sealing the fate of all the Silence on the planet, since every human will see it at some point in their lives, the most famous TV broadcast in history. The post-hypnotic suggestion of the Silence's appearance will command every human who ever sees the footage to kill them on sight. They are doomed. Already people who watched the footage are acting on the order as Secret Service men in the Oval Office turn their guns on the nearby Silence without thinking. Enraged by the Doctor's victory, the Silence start to attack the Doctor, allowing River to shoot every alien while the Doctor and Rory free Amy.
The group returns to the TARDIS, with Rory finally certain of Amy's love for him.  They return Canton to the Oval Office. Nixon, who has been told that the Doctor is from the future, wonders if the American people will remember him; the Doctor replies that he will never be forgotten.  He informs Nixon that all Canton wants to do is get married, and insists that Nixon should give his permission and allow Canton to return to the FBI as a parting favor. As the TARDIS disappears, Nixon realizes that Canton's girlfriend must be black, and explains that he's sure he can help, as he is really more liberal than most people thin; however, Canton corrects him -- "she" is actually a "he." Nixon tells him the moon is far enough for now.


They withdraw to the TARDIS. Canton is delivered to the Oval Office. Nixon, who know knows the Doctor is from the future, asks him if he will be remembered. The Doctor tells him "They'll never forget you,".  As the TARDIS disappears, Canton asks the President if he can rejoin the FBI. Nixon realises that, since he is asking the President for help, Canton's girlfriend must be "black", and he states he is quite liberal, and that he's sure he can help. Canton corrects the President -- "she" is actually a "he". Nixon tells him that the moon is "far enough for now".
River is returned to prison, where the Doctor offers her a chance to travel with him. She declines, having made a promise to serve her sentence in full, and that he'll soon understand.  As the Doctor turns to leave, River pulls him into a lingering kiss; responding to the Doctor's confusion, she realizes that, from the Doctor's perspective, this is their first kiss -- meaning that, from her perspective, it will be their last.


River is returned to prison, where the Doctor offers her the chance to stay out of prison and travel with him. She declines; she made a promise to stay locked up, and that he'll soon understand. The Doctor turns to leave, but River pulls him into a lingering kiss, which the Doctor seems to both enjoy and be shocked by. After the kiss, the Doctor bolts to the TARDIS. River realises that from her perspective, she may never kiss him again.
The Doctor sends Rory on an errand in the TARDIS, giving him and Amy time to talk about her pregnancy. She reveals that she didn't tell Rory about it because she was afraid that her time spent in the TARDIS would give the baby some deformity; unbeknownst to her, Rory is listening to their conversation via her nanorecorder, which is still broadcasting.  She eventually catches him and reassures him that he is safe and she is not pregnant. The Doctor, however, is less assured; while he sets the TARDIS on course for a new destination, he has the console scan Amy for pregnancy. The readings flicker back and forth between a positive and negative reading.


While the Doctor and Amy talk, Rory spies on their conversation using Amy's nanorecorder. Amy had not told Rory she thought she was pregnant. She is worried that the TARDIS may have had an effect on the child, giving it abnormalities such as multiple heads or something worse. Amy knows Rory is spying on them and tells him to come over to the console, chiding him for eavesdropping and reassuring him that he is safe. The Doctor prepares to set the TARDIS on a course for a new adventure as he has the TARDIS scan Amy for pregnancy -- it flickers between a positive and a negative reading. The Doctor sets a course to take his mind off it.
[[File:Regen girl.png|thumb|162px|The little girl regenerates in New York.]]Six months later, in New York City, a homeless man comes across the little girl in an alley. She is coughing and reveals that she is dying -- but that it'll be okay, because she can fix it. He flees as, to his astonishment and terror, she begins to [[regenerate]].
 
[[File:Regen girl.png|thumb|162px|The little girl regenerates in New York.]]Six months later, in 1970 New York, the little girl, coughing, comes across a homeless man in an alley. He asks if she is okay. She tells him that she is dying. She continues with "but I can fix that. It's easy really... See". In his astonishment and terror, he flees from the girl as she starts to [[Regeneration|regenerate]].


== Cast ==
== Cast ==

Revision as of 03:16, 11 November 2011

RealWorld.png

Day of the Moon was the second episode in the sixth series of Doctor Who. It heavily featured location filming across Utah. Some scenes, such as River's plunge from a skyscraper, were filmed back in Cardiff.

Synopsis

The Doctor is locked in the perfect prison. Amy, Rory and River Song are being hunted across America by the FBI. With the help of new friend and FBI-insider, Canton Everett Delaware III, our heroes are reunited to share their discoveries, if not their memories. For the world is occupied by an alien force who control humanity through post-hypnotic suggestion and no one can be trusted. Aided by President Nixon and Neil Armstrong's foot, the Doctor must mount a revolution to drive out the enemy and rescue the missing little girl. No one knows why they took her or why they have kidnapped Amy Pond.[1]

Plot

Three months after the events of the warehouse, Amy is chased down the Valley of Gods in Utah; she has strange pen markings all over her skin and arms. Finally, she is cornered between two SUVs and a cliff-face. Canton Delaware advises her to surrender, leading her to wonder if he even remembers what happened at the warehouse; he responds by shooting her down. Her body is brought to the Doctor, who is a prisoner at Area 51.

River Song, also covered in pen markings, explores an unfinished skyscraper in New York City, which is filled with the mysterious aliens. FBI agents corner her at the edge of the building; again, Canton advises her to surrender, but she merely warns them of the alien occupation before plunging off the side of the building.

Finally, Rory -- also covered in pen markings -- is shot at the Glen Canyon Dam. His body is also brought to the Doctor at Area 51. FBI agents have spent the past three months building a perfect prison around the Time Lord -- blocks of dwarf star alloy that seal together perfectly, constructing a solid block that is soundproof and impregnable. With it finished, Canton seals himself inside with the Doctor and the two body bags.

Once the door is closed, the Doctor, Amy, and Rory easily free themselves from their constraints, and Canton takes on a much friendlier tone. The Doctor reveals the parked -- and invisible -- TARDIS, which they all climb into; when Canton expresses some concern for River, the Doctor reveals that she had parked the TARDIS alongside the building and jumped into its swimming pool. The trio clean themselves of the markings, revealing that they are a tally of how many aliens they've seen in the past three months -- eventually deducing that this is not an alien invasion, but that they've been here all along. Privately, Amy informs the Doctor that she made a mistake and that she is not pregnant. The Doctor reveals that he already has an idea of how to defeat the aliens; landing the TARDIS, they rush outside to find they are a short distance away from Cape Kennedy, where Apollo 11 is being prepared for launch. The key to the aliens' defeat, the Doctor explains, is Neil Armstrong's foot.

The Doctor implants a nanorecorder in each of his companions' palms, explaining that they are to activate it and leave themselves a message each time they have an encounter; when it flashes red, they'll know they've seen one of the creatures. Canton casually adjusts the Doctor's bowtie, but is horrified to realize that his nanorecorder is flashing; the message, "How the hell did it get here?" makes each person realize that there is an alien standing near the TARDIS doors. However, the alien is not real; the Doctor has extrapolated the image from Amy's phone and projected it into the TARDIS as a hologram -- nevertheless, the effect is the same. The message also contains the Doctor's voice ordering Canton to straighten his bowtie upon turning around; the fact that he did so confirms the Doctor's suspicions that the aliens possess the power of post-hypnotic suggestion.

The Doctor sends Canton and Amy to Graystark Hall, a children's home a few miles away from Cape Kennedy where the little girl may or may not have been kept. The building's warden is clearly insane, believing the year to be 1967, and there are messages warning the building's occupants to leave scrawled all over the walls. Amy goes off on her own to investigate, eventually discovering a nest of hibernating aliens on the ceiling in one of the rooms. Her nanorecorder flashes red; she has left a message warning herself to leave, and there are tally marks all over her arms and face. Eventually, she departs, forgetting her encounter, but one of the aliens awakes as the door slams shut behind her. Further down the hall, Amy spots a woman with an eyepatch looking at her through a slot in one of the doors; however, when she steps inside, the room is empty and the slot is gone. It is a child's bedroom, scattered with toys and pictures of the little girl. Amy discovers one picture of herself with the girl as a baby; while trying to make sense of it, the little girl -- still in the astronaut suit -- enters the room behind her, begging for help. Amy apologizes to the little girl for shooting her and tries to explain that she will kill the Doctor in the future. The girl continues to beg for help, confusing Amy further; two of the aliens enter behind her. Amy screams.

File:DW Day of the Moon Amy Silence Girl.png
Amy Pond is confronted by the girl and two aliens.

In the warden's office, Canton hears Amy's screams, but before he can go off to help her, one of the aliens enters. Activating his nanorecorder, Canton wonders why the alien doesn't have a weapon. After haughtily stating that, as the owners of the planet, they don't need weapons, Canton pulls out his gun, shoots the creature, and welcomes it to America before running out of the room.

The Doctor, meanwhile, has been busy. He is caught breaking into the Apollo 11 command module, where he was rearranging some of the electronics and adding his own device. Eventually, President Nixon arrives in the TARDIS with River and Rory and orders the Doctor's release. As they depart, the Doctor receives a call from Canton, who is requesting help.

They rendezvous at the orphanage, where Canton is trying to break into the child's room; Amy can be heard inside, crying for help. The Doctor uses the sonic screwdriver to open the door, but the group is horrified to discover that Amy is missing -- all that's left of her is her nanorecorder, which lies on the floor, broadcasting her current words. They also discover the abandoned astronaut suit; unbeknownst to the Doctor, the little girl hides around the corner, listening to him and his companions. On receiving word that Canton has shot one of the aliens, the Doctor rushes off to the warden's office to confront the creature; the Doctor asks what it is, and the alien replies that it is the Silence -- and silence will fall. This echoes previous warnings the Doctor has received from Prisoner Zero and Rosanna Calvierri.

Rory, River, and the Doctor set about finding Amy, returning the empty astronaut suit to the warehouse; Canton, meanwhile, brings the wounded alien to the Doctor's prison at Area 51, where it is fixed up by a military doctor. The alien gloats that the Silence have ruled the world since the Stone Age, and that it was a mistake for Canton to treat its wounds; when Canton asks what he should've done, the alien responds the humans should kill them all "on sight." Canton smugly reveals that he has recorded this order on Amy's video phone.

In the Florida warehouse, River and the Doctor dissect the space suit, discovering that it is, in fact, the perfect life support machine -- which explains how the little girl was able to survive Amy shooting her. It is fitted with at least twenty different types of alien tech, meaning that the little girl must have been very strong if she was able to fight her way out of it. River wonders if the suit could move without an occupant, remembering that the little girl's original phone call claimed the space man was coming to eat her. Rory, meanwhile, is devasted by Amy's disappearance, keeping her nanorecorder with him at all times; in one instance, Amy tells the listener that her life was so boring before he "dropped out of the sky," and that he needs to get his "stupid face" where she can see it. Rory believes she is referring to the Doctor, who attempts to reassure Rory of Amy's love for him by reminding him of the two thousand years he spent protecting her.

Amy wakes to find herself tied to a standing framework, surrounded by the Silence, in their console room. The Silence inform her that she has been with them for several days, and that she will help "bring the silence."

File:Confrontation.jpg
The Doctor confronts the Silents.

The launch of Apollo 11 goes off without a hitch. On the day of the moon landing, the Doctor tracks the signal from Amy's nanorecorder to her location, landing the TARDIS there. He brings a television with him and sets it on the console, warning the Silence that although he is not violent, River would not hesitate to shoot any of them. He asks the Silence why the little girl is so important to them; they do not answer. He gets the television set working in time for the live broadcast of the moon landing and uses the device he placed in the command module to hack the broadcast signal just as Neil Armstrong's foot touches the lunar surface. The image is replaced with the video Canton took on Amy's phone -- the Silence saying that humans should kill them all on sight. This seals the fate of the Silence, as every human in history will see this famous broadcast at some point in their lives; through their power of post-hypnotic suggestion, the Silence have just ordered their own execution. People who watch the live broadcast begin to act on this order, shooting the Silence without thinking. Enraged by the Doctor's victory, the Silence begin the attack. Rory goes to free Amy, but she orders him to get his "stupid face" to safety; with the Doctor's assistance, they manage to get her to the TARDIS, where they wait as River kills each alien in the room.

The group returns to the TARDIS, with Rory finally certain of Amy's love for him. They return Canton to the Oval Office. Nixon, who has been told that the Doctor is from the future, wonders if the American people will remember him; the Doctor replies that he will never be forgotten. He informs Nixon that all Canton wants to do is get married, and insists that Nixon should give his permission and allow Canton to return to the FBI as a parting favor. As the TARDIS disappears, Nixon realizes that Canton's girlfriend must be black, and explains that he's sure he can help, as he is really more liberal than most people thin; however, Canton corrects him -- "she" is actually a "he." Nixon tells him the moon is far enough for now.

River is returned to prison, where the Doctor offers her a chance to travel with him. She declines, having made a promise to serve her sentence in full, and that he'll soon understand. As the Doctor turns to leave, River pulls him into a lingering kiss; responding to the Doctor's confusion, she realizes that, from the Doctor's perspective, this is their first kiss -- meaning that, from her perspective, it will be their last.

The Doctor sends Rory on an errand in the TARDIS, giving him and Amy time to talk about her pregnancy. She reveals that she didn't tell Rory about it because she was afraid that her time spent in the TARDIS would give the baby some deformity; unbeknownst to her, Rory is listening to their conversation via her nanorecorder, which is still broadcasting. She eventually catches him and reassures him that he is safe and she is not pregnant. The Doctor, however, is less assured; while he sets the TARDIS on course for a new destination, he has the console scan Amy for pregnancy. The readings flicker back and forth between a positive and negative reading.

File:Regen girl.png
The little girl regenerates in New York.

Six months later, in New York City, a homeless man comes across the little girl in an alley. She is coughing and reveals that she is dying -- but that it'll be okay, because she can fix it. He flees as, to his astonishment and terror, she begins to regenerate.

Cast

Crew

General production staff

Script department

Camera and lighting department

Art department

Costume department

Make-up and prosthetics

Movement

Casting

General post-production staff

Special and visual effects

Sound



Not every person who worked on this adventure was credited. The absence of a credit for a position doesn't necessarily mean the job wasn't required. The information above is based solely on observations of the actual end credits of the episodes as broadcast, and does not relay information from IMDB or other sources.
          

Rhys Jones is credited as a "Prop Chargehand" rather than a "Props Chargehand".


References

Individuals

  • The Doctor asks Nixon to say "Hi" to David Frost for him, referencing the famous series of interviews between Frost and Nixon and the film Frost/Nixon. Michael Sheen, who played Frost in the film, appeared as the voice of House two episodes later in The Doctor's Wife.

Objects

  • When the Doctor, Amy, and Rory enter the TARDIS, the Doctor asks Rory to grab some thermocouplings. (DW: Space)

Films

  • This story shares numerous similarities with the 1988 John Carpenter film They Live, in which the primary protagonist discovers a hidden alien race living amongst humans and using subliminal messages to influence their development.

Story notes

  • This episode had the working title: Look Behind You.[2]
  • This is the first two-part opening episode of the revived series, and the first since Attack of the Cybermen.
  • Rory's cover as an aide to Nixon is blown not only by his obvious English accent but also by his use of the British Army salute, which is distinctly different from the American version.
  • At a little over three months, this is one of the longest single adventures in terms of total time elapsed from the Doctor's perspective.
  • Canton is able to receive a call from the Doctor on Amy's mobile phone. Since there were no mobile phone networks in 1969, Amy's phone must have been upgraded to a superphone by the Doctor, allowing it to be used anywhere in time and space.
  • The Doctor calls for help after he is captured breaking into Apollo 11. Rory, River and President Nixon arrive in the TARDIS to help him. This is one of the very rare moments in the series where someone other than the Doctor (in this case River) pilots the TARDIS without the Doctor on board.
  • This episode marks the first time a female has regenerated onscreen.
  • The Doctor tells Nixon that he has to tape everything that he says in his office, or else he won't know if the Silent has affected him. This is a reference to the Nixon tapes, with the famous eighteen and a half minute gap occuring in one of the tapes.

Ratings

  • 7.30 million (36.7% market share)

Myths

Filming locations

  • The Prequel to The Impossible Astronaut was shot on 11 November, 2010. Other scenes shot that day included the scene in the 'perfect prison'. These sequences were shot metres from each other as the Oval Office stood about half a dozen paces from the Doctor's cell.

Production errors

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.
  • When River backs toward the edge of the building, she's still a few inches from the edge before she falls back.
  • When President Nixon arrives to bail out the Doctor, he and River follow the Doctor back into the TARDIS. When the camera focuses on Rory, you hear the TARDIS doors close, but when it shows Rory again, they're still partially open.
  • Close examination of the television sets shows they only have one tuning dial, clearly marked "UHF". American television receivers of that era would have had two mechanical tuning dials, one for VHF and one for UHF. Sets from the UK would presumably only have the UHF dial if it was a 625-line PAL set, as VHF had only been used for the 405-line System A transmission that was the original BBC signal standard.
  • Dwarf star alloy would be far too heavy for two men to lift.
  • The audio of the moon landing playing in the final confrontation between the Doctor and the Silents is incorrect. You can clearly hear Armstrong say "engines stopped", identifying the audio clip as from the landing of the Eagle Lunar Module, which occurred several hours before Armstrong stepped on the moon. When the Doctor finally points to the screen, the audio and video are of Armstrong's historic first step.
  • In the orphanage, Doctor Renfrew is holding a cloth in his right hand, then there is a shot of Amy and Canton, and then when the camera cuts back to Doctor Renfrew, the cloth is then in his left hand. After another shot of Amy and Canton, the cloth is back in his right hand again. This is either a production error or he passed it to each hand between shots.

Continuity

Timeline

For the Doctor, Amy and Rory

For adult River Song

For young Melody

Home video releases

Series-6-part-1-dvd-cover.jpg

Released as Series 6 Part 1 with The Impossible Astronaut, The Curse of the Black Spot, The Doctor's Wife, The Rebel Flesh, The Almost People and A Good Man Goes to War on 11th July 2011.

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw/news/bulletin_110405_01/The_Revolution_Begins
  2. ↑ http://doctorwhotv.co.uk/series-6-titles-and-date-16375.htm
  3. ↑ http://doctorwhotv.co.uk/new-series-6-trailer-air-date-rumours-15879.htm
  4. ↑ http://tardisspoilers.blogspot.com/2011/03/talk-of-air-dates.html
  5. ↑ http://tardisspoilers.blogspot.com/2011/03/double-who.html
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For the purposes of this list, a "regeneration story" is one in which a regeneration is actually and initially depicted. For this reason The War Games is not included below, even though it is commonly thought of as a "regeneration story". It doesn't actually include a clear scene of regeneration, and the preponderance of stories in other media confirms that the Second Doctor did not regenerate at the end of it.
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