A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again
I, along with most of the internet, had already worked out the twist at the end of this episode. It didn’t really matter, though; the mark of a bad plot twist is that it is merely surprising and if it exists solely in that vein, it’s only good once. An expert reveal will set every piece into place, tie every loose end, and impress the audience every time its viewed. Whether or not you see it coming is sort of irrelevant; the emotions invoked are enduring, regardless of the actual information. It is my opinion that the revelation at the end of ‘A Good Man Goes To War’ falls into the latter category. It’s the good kind of twist. I’m bringing it up immediately, as the primary point of discussion for this season will probably be River Song’s identity. Best to address it first.
Again, the mark of a good mystery is, when looking back at previous installments, thinking how obvious its been all along. And, even if he’s not subverted my expectations, showrunner Stephen Moffat deserves a pat on the back for the flawless integration of the River Song into the mythos. Considering the complexities inherent to her personal timeline (which winds around itself more times than I can count), the fact that near to every line of dialogue has been significant, every hint and instance of foreshadowing followed up upon, perhaps he deserves even grander adulation. At the start of every episode where she is featured, I think I look forward to seeing River more than any other character; as if Moffat’s best ideas weren’t enough, I’ve mentioned before just how fabulous Alex Kingston is. The Moffat years have brought with them near exclusively good performances, and even among them, she stands out.
Of course, it’s not over yet. It bears mentioning that I still have time to be disappointed, although I have no reason to think I should be. It’s not that I’m pessimistic, so much as I realize how cautious the upcoming plotlines will need to be. It’s an impressive narrative, but the complexities that make it so interesting, could just as easily unravel, leaving some unfortunate bits exposed. Even very good writers (and Stephen Moffat is a very good writer) make mistakes with such massive undertakings. I’d like to think that Doctor Who is a significant enough commercial property that it’ll be afforded a steady hand. It’s been a long time since such an intricate plot was televised (at least that I’ve seen), so I’m just hoping precautions are being taken. The season opened with The Doctor dying, and everything is indicating that it’ll be followed up upon. I wonder if River remembers what she did?
My subtitle, by the way, was lifted from a David Foster Wallace essay this time. He was referring to a cruise and I’m talking about intergalactic science fiction war, but I really liked the wording. Especially in this case. Since being put back on television after a lengthy hiatus, The Doctor’s role has jettisoned back and forth, sometimes an exciting adventurer, and others the perpetrator of genocide, and a very dangerous man indeed. Our science fiction messiah’s dark side has been dealt with before, but usually just as melodramatic angst-fodder. Luckily, we’re not being subjected to another “Oh god, what have I become?” storyline. We’ve had enough of those, I think.
Rather, we see consequences of The Doctor’s cataclysmic anger, in what is mostly a well made morality drama, beneath all of the science fiction flash. Moffat seems interested in moving Doctor Who back toward the eccentric adventures of a mad man, and away from the self indulgent space opera, this episode probably being the first step. He’s done the badass posturing better than perhaps any other Who writer since the new series’ inception, and seeing it subverted is good fun, nearly thought provoking, one might say. What happens when a good man goes to war, then? Well, hopefully, he’ll decide to never do it again.
Maxwell Wassmann
Maxwell Wassmann is a dandy and bad poet living in the Detroit area. When not polishing his boots with champagne or reading books he barely understands to look impressive, Maxwell can be found overdosing on caffeine while imitating Don Draper’s affectation. His hobbies include ...
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