Ten Statements About....DOCTOR WHO SEASON SIX, EPISODE TEN: The Girl Who Waited (2011)

It's not the lackluster robot that's the center of this episode,
but the man it's laying its hand on...

"I got old, Rory. What did you think was going to happen?"

"HEY--I don't care that you got old. I care that we didn't grow old together."

1) You'll notice that at this point on their journey, Amy has consistently reached out to Rory...and it's Rory that she entreats to save her--and it makes sense here, since this story is about them (which is fortunate, given how I suspect this is the Second Unit episode).

2) As someone who really, really hates needles, the 'secondary delivery system' of the handbot is pure nightmare fuel.

Believe it or not, this leads to one of the most wonderful
moments of this episode.

3) Wow...the moment when we see how Red Waterfall works is wondrous--which is something we missed these last few episodes.

4) I know there are a lot of people who give Karen Gillen flack for her performance as Amy Pond, and I suspect many of them write her off as another actress who was hired for her looks and not her abilities. I hope that this episode shuts those people up, because I think we really see how deep those abilities are when we are exposed to Red Waterfall Amy.

5) See, I'm wondering more where did Red Waterfall Amy get a samurai sword, and how did she learn how to use it. Sod the Sonic Probe.

6) The real brilliance of this is that it should have been titled 'Rory's Choice.' This episode represents the flip side of the usual situation this couple finds itself in--it's Amy who suffers the tragic fate, it's Amy who dies (metaphorically and, in one case, physically), and it's Rory who has to make the decisions that will map out Amy's fate.

7) This is what these Second Unit show should be about--taking a single character and illuminating them fully. Now the Davies Second Unit episodes tended to illuminate original characters (and this is not a knock at Davies, for the Second Unit Episodes did give us the awesomeness that is Sally Sparrow)...but I like how Moffat, in this episode and last season's 'The Lodger' has used them to create a depth for his main characters. I understand what makes Rory and Amy tick a lot more than I ever understood what makes Rose or Martha tick because I've walked inside their heads for forty-five minutes.

So what's scarier than Amy with a samurai sword?  Well....

8) Yeah, I'll admit...I wish I had a woman promise to tear apart time for me.

9) I sincerely hope this episode will finally shut up all the idjits who have accused Rory and Amy of being Mickey and Rose Light. I'm sorry, but Mickey was never anything more than a convenience to Rose, and there is a real, true and solid love between Rory and Amy, ably facilitated by the chemistry and the skill of Darvill and Gillen.

10) And now we've got another reason why Rory is simply one of the best companions in the history of the show--not only is it clear that Rory loves Amy unconditionally, whether she's Now-Time Amy or Red Waterfall Amy, not only does he always try to find the non-violent way out...he calls the Doctor on his own bullshit when he realizes what making the choice he's asked to make will do to him. I love this character, and I love how Arthur Darvill has brought him so vividly to life.

In short...easily my favorite episode of this season so far, and among my favorite episodes of the rebooted show thanks the the outstanding performances by Arthur Darvill and Karen Gillen.