Episode of the Week: ‘Doctor Who’ season 7 finale, ‘The Name of the Doctor’
As we’re moving into the summer months, we want to present a few new features to try to get you a little more involved in the discussion. Every week we will be honoring what we think is the best episode of any show that we’ve seen on TV all the past week. (And trust us, we watch a lot of TV.)
We admit first of all that this is a rather interesting week in which to start this series off, mostly because it is one of the quietest weeks of the season. There were a few finales, but a heavy dose of reruns and very few premieres. This will change somewhat next week with “The Bachelorette,” and in the week following that things will really start to push forward in an exciting direction.
If you want to read our review for any of the episodes mentioned, just click on any of the titles themselves.
Episode of the Week – “Doctor Who” season 7 finale, “The Name of the Doctor” (BBC / BBC America)
We wish we could really say that this was a difficult choice, or that something really challenged Matt Smith and company for the title. But with “Game of Thrones” building up to next week, “Mad Men” still in a slump, and “Criminal Minds” ended with that sound you make when you lose on “The Price Is Right,” “Doctor Who” has this in the bag.
“In the Name of the Doctor” was a dramatic episode that brought in everything you’d want from a finale: Action, suspense, fantastic villains (see the Whispermen), and a finale twist that you never saw coming. Even if you had heard rumors about John Hurt’s casting earlier in the year, the episode was so magnetic that you likely forget where you were, and everything that you read beforehand leading up to those final moments where his face was revealed alongside “John Hurt as The Doctor.”
BBC is very lucky to have Matt Smith around for another season as this character, and we’re pretty sure that they know it.
Runners-up
“Modern Family” season 4 finale “Goodnight, Gracie“ – A fun and interesting way for a comedy to handle death, and proof that it can be done without really altering a show’s signature style.
“Veep” season 2, episode 6 “Andrew” – A completely absurd take on what happens when you bring personal drama into the public, especially when it involves your ex-husband and having to pretend you get along with them in fear of looking bad in front of the cameras.
What was your favorite episode of the week? Be sure to check back every week as we with feature another episode that was better then all the rest.
Photo: BBC