Skip to content

Review of The Name of the Doctor by Callandor

13 September 2024

Trenza-Lore drop

Prerequisites: The previous bits of Series 7, and pretty much the entire River Song saga.

Spoilers!
The Name of the Doctor isn't the best-written finale, not by a long shot. The Whisper Men are underutilized for how cool they are, a lot of things are frustratingly hand-waved (like the idea that you can time travel in dreams), and there really isn't any explanation for how exactly the Doctor was able to save Clara at the end. Still, I really like this episode, and it's one of the stronger stories of Series 7. Not only does Smith give a great performance here, but the concepts Moffat employs are just really cool. Trenzalore itself is a great setting (far more engaging than would be found in The Time of the Doctor), the huge Tardis tomb is awesome, and the overall atmosphere is nicely dark. The Paternoster Gang is always fun as well (although Jenny's death wasn't given enough time to breathe before she was revived). Also, River Song's appearance here is genuinely really well done. It ties into her overall arc nicely, and her final goodbye with 11 is great. Finally, the ending stinger is iconic, and for good reason.

Review created on 13-09-24