C+Q - The Power of Three (2012)
If Russell T Davies ever wrote a script for Matt Smith-era
Doctor Who, it would go something like The Power of Three. The
aliens invade a normal domestic setting which gets reported on
the news, allowing for celebrity cameos in TV interviews.
There's a heavy focus on the home lives of the main companions
and the impact their TARDIS travels are having on their family
members. We are firmly in RTD territory here. Marvellous. What a
hoot!
Just like Last of the Time Lords and Journey's End, the biggest
disappointment is the ending, which sees the Doctor completely
reversing the problem with minimal effort and little to no
repercussions. This time around, all the Doctor does is zap a
computer with his sonic screwdriver and the Shakri's plan is
foiled, with all the people who were dying all over the world
suddenly restored back to perfect health. For a story that takes
place over the course of a full year, you'd think the pay-off
would be a bit more spectacular, because in the universe of the
show the Doctor has just wasted a year of his life for a 5
minute chat with a hologram.
It's pretty obvious that the alien threat is just a backdrop for
what's intended to be a Pond character study, and in this sense
the episode definitely succeeds. Immediately following A Town
Called Mercy, an episode in which Amy and Rory did nothing, The
Power of Three is more like the sort of story I expected from
Series 7 Part 1. When you know you only have five episodes left
with a group of companions, you should make those five episodes
count by taking them to places both emotionally and physically
that they've never been before, like Series 6 Part 2 did with
The Girl Who Waited and The God Complex before Amy and Rory's
first exit.
The episode really nails the concept of 'show, don't tell' as we
witness firsthand how damaging travelling in the TARDIS can be
to both their social life and to the people they leave behind,
namely Brian Williams who makes a welcome return after his
introduction in Dinosaurs on a Spaceship. Chris Chibnall has
always been good to the companions in his scripts, giving them a
lot to work with and contribute towards resolving the plot, and
both of his Series 7 Part 1 episodes are great at making the
Ponds the focus of their final adventures.
While I can't say that this is as good as Dinosaurs on a
Spaceship due to the very weak plot and its lazy resolution, The
Power of Three is still a wonderful exploration of the
consequences of a dangerous life in the TARDIS. But now that Amy
and Rory have made their mind up about wanting to stay with the
Doctor, I'm sure their decision will be absolutely worth it.
Anyway, see you next week!