Let's get some stuff out of the way. Firstly, this episode was doomed to fan scorn for the sole reason of not being an hour-long gore montage of cyber-conversion. That's a tremendous pity; people who dismiss this story for "wasting" the Cybermen ignore that a dying, rusting legion whose ship is trapped underground is actually a very cool and evocative image. So, to put it to bed once and for all: the Cybermen thrive across myriad interpretations by their very nature (or un-nature). It's good when they're just robot soldiers, it's *better* when they do body horror, but the best upgrade is when they do both, in different stories and settings.

Secondly, this script was puportedly written by vintage DOP piece of humanshit Mx. G*reth Roberts. Any trans homies and allies who wish to review-bomb the story for that reason alone have my full blessing.

Anyway! I like Closing Time a lot, and certainly way more than I expected to given the circumstances. It's sharp, it's moving, and it's very, *very* funny. I don't know if Matt Smith is at his best in Series 6 but he's definitely at his most chucklesome; better comedic timing than the previous series, but it comes before he goes into full on caricature arm-waving mode in 2013.

Sure, the plot resolution kind of sucks, but that's not the point! The point is the Doctor embedding himself in a toyshop; the point is the sadness in his eyes when he confronts his own mortality; the point is the love that he has for his friends and that they have for him, in that quiet, delicate way that Smith sells so well. How can I dislike that?

New Who Review #86 

Closing Time

This story was ok it's a cyberman story trying very hard to be the Lodger. I feel like a story like the Lodger can only be good once and it shouldn't involve cybermen or daleks. Cybermen invading a shop is interesting but cool because it gives up kind of new settings to see the doctor explore. The whole thing and progress with stormageddon was very odd I didn't really like it. The ending with River going into the spacesuit and learning that she was the one in the spacesuit is cool although it was very predictable. Tick tock goes the clock is still very creepy and I wish it would go away. Overall an ok cyberman story that has Craig Owen just sort of there. 7/10

James Corden is noticeable more insufferable in this one

A fun and silly story about the Doctor being old and sad, speaking baby, and relearning hope. And also the cybermen are there. I do like the shop setting as a backdrop for both humor and turning the everyday creepy. The cybermat is appropriately goofy for something that first appeared as a tube with googly eyes. I don't even particularly mind the Doctor-taken-for-gay jokes because he is equally confused about and oblivious to all romantic implications.

It's nothing mind-blowingly impressive, just a light story, which is fine. I don't like Amy being a famous model, though. If they had to do that an author would tie in better later, but they didn't have to do it at all.

turns out you can't do the lodger twice. who would have thought

do love stormageddon dark lord of all though

I mean, it's okay. Not the best but it does confirm that River was the Astronaut and the Silence have a cameo but honestly, it's not very good.

This picks up where The Lodger left off and does a solid job of recapturing that energy and putting it in a new setting. The Doctor working in a department store is funny and charming, it's not something the show needed to revisit but it's a bit of fun. I am far more comfortable with this version of Matt Smith’s Doctor who is socially inept and doesn’t understand interpersonal dynamics, than the sexy, suave Doctor who’s put together and knows everything.

Amy being a famous model? Not a fan of that. Seems apropos of nothing. Would have been much better if she and Rory did not appear in the episode. Felt like a contractual thing.

It's a little more loose limbed than The Lodger. You miss some of the spark of seeing The Doctor the first time round coming into these mundane, real world situations: playing football, being an awkward third wheel. There is some delight to be had seeing The Doctor pushing a pram and talking to the baby. It's hard to begrudge a second outing for something that is silly and straightforward, unlike the tiresome series long arc.

It's the resolution though where things go wrong and credibility starts being stretched. The power of a father’s love for his son overcoming a Cyber-conversion feels contrived and oversimplified given everything we know about the Cybermen. It's also the third time in this series that a father’s love for his son saves the day. Which is not good scripting or series planning.

Fun overall episode, but they did not have a good ending up their sleeves.