Full Spoilers for Season 7: Part 1 follow.

As Amy and Rory have their final embrace, the Doctor and River are left watching. The couple gaze into each other’s eyes and they realise that no matter what, they are together, forever. And then they jump…

Blockbuster was the buzz word around Camp Who before this season. Each episode is built to have an ‘epic’ feel. From the wastelands of Skaro to an angel controlled Statue of Liberty. This 5-episode season might be the shortest since the show’s revival but, much like Torchwood’s Children of Earth, it packed such a mighty punch few fans will be left feeling short-changed.

But…let’s first go back to the beginning.

The Daleks have been overused so much their scare-factor has been severely diminished by newer villains such as the Angels, the Silence, and the Vashta Nerada. This, Moffatt knows.

Asylum of the Daleks is the first Dalek episode since 2010s Victory of the Daleks and the best since Eccelstone’s ‘Dalek.’

The eggs scene haunted, the new human Daleks scared, and their conversion of the show’s new companion, the delectable Gemma-Louise Coleman was as shocking as her surprise appearance four months early (which has filled me with hope for her character – however she may return).

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship shouldn’t be taken seriously. I found it a fun romp that harked back to some of Tennant’s more casual episodes. The dinosaurs looked surprisingly good. The Doctor’s choice to needlessly murder Soloman felt completely out-of-character even if he did kill a stegosaurus. Oh, and can Rory’s dad return next season?

While I love the idea of a cowboy themed episode A Town Called Mercy lacked style and substance. Credit must go to the production team who created a life-like Western but the script left me bored at the half hour mark.

Amy and Rory’s penultimate episode, The Power of Three, showed the lives of time travellers in the completely new way. The alien invasion might have been laughable (the invasion of the killer cubes?) and the ending sloppy but seeing how companions live outside the Tardis was a treat.

The episode turned when Rory’s dad spoke to the Doctor about the fate of the other companions. The conversation left a pit in my stomach worsened by the knowledge of what lurked around the corner…

For a show aimed at children the idea of the two main characters throwing themselves off a building, to save New York, is certainly a bold move; even if their true exit came a few minutes later.

Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill have more than proven their worth as companions. They have grown into their roles and improved immensely since the Eleventh Hour. We have watched their relationship blossom and break. Seen them have a child and watch her grow. Their finale had to be special and Moffatt didn’t disappoint delivering a tear-jerking, heart wrenching goodbye.

The Angels were less scary this time around but they proved the perfect villain to dispense of the couple, trapping them back in time. The Doctor’s selfish farewell showed how close the characters had become and a sign for the troubles ahead.

This season could have been the lull before the 50th Anniversary, a forgotten short burst of Who, but instead the show fired on all cylinders delivering several phenomenal episodes and a perfect end to the longest serving (new-who) companions. The mid-season break will, thankfully, let audiences recover before Doctor Who hits its half-century.

John Morris

Cartoon drawn by Thomas Evans