Doctor Who is like Death & Taxes

In life, there are certainties like death and taxes. There is also Doctor Who. While my meeting with death is mandatory and the payment of taxes is compulsory; Doctor Who is discretionary and I will not willing give it up. This British TV series about a fugitive Time Lord premiered in November 1963 and has been in the public consciousness ever since. It currently airs on BBC America on Saturdays.

When you talk to Doctor Who fans, the conversation always ends (or starts) with “who is your favorite Doctor.” If you’re not a Doctor Who fan, the question won’t make much sense, but if you are, the answer is never a name, it is always a number. (Mine is number 4, but 11 is growing on me.)

That brings me to the episode that aired last night entitled, “The Impossible Astronaut.”  It’s a fact that the longer any series or franchise runs, the more chances there are to screw up (or screw over depending on your point of view) canon. And when you have a series that’s been running for almost 50 years, it’s really easy to mess things up. This is why I’m applauding series runner/ writer, Steven Moffat. Moffat took over writing duties for the series in 2009 and he has used every bit of  the Doctor’s 48 year canon to revitalize this franchise. But last night’s episode was a frustration for this fan and it all concerned one character.

• The character, Professor River Song (pictured above on the left), was introduced to us in the episode, “Silence in the Library” and meets her fate in the companion episode, “Fate of the Dead.”  We, the audience, know what happens to her;  the Doctor knows what happens to her; yet he constantly questions why he should trust her. This is so strange in light of the fact that he gave her  information (his real name –  proclaiming that he’s never given anyone before) and his sonic screwdriver in one of their previous encounters; and her repeating the info back to him caused him to immediately trust her.  My question relative to “The Impossible Astronaut:” why the sudden mistrust? After himself, as demonstrated by the numbered envelopes in this episode, he trusts her more than he trusts anyone else. Again, why the sudden (and suddenly inappropriate) mistrust.
• Why was River Song carrying a hand pistol ( a projectile weapon) instead of her trademark  laser (energy) pistol? Her laser pistol would have been much more effective against the “astronaut from the water.”  And yes, naturally she missed.

I know I have to wait a week for the answers, but I don’t mind it. Doctor Who is smartly written and well acted (as can be seen below), making it a joy to watch and a vice I’m not giving up easily.