Doctor Who: The Angels Take Manhattan Review [Spoilers]
Maddie Tudor ’16 / Emertainment Monthly Staff
The role of the Doctor, who is grieving for an inevitable goodbye with one of his most dear companions, is impeccably acted by Matt Smith, who shows the Doctor’s fury at the fact that his hand has been forced in this situation, and also his distraught at the thought of losing them. Most notable is the final scene, in which the Doctor reads the afterward of the aforementioned book, written by Amy to him, consoling him and telling him never to travel alone. Smith shows emotions that understandably could overwhelm or overshadow any other actor, and handles them with deftness that he had not before displayed. In addition, Karen Gillan brilliantly displays the anguish Amy feels at the thought or having to choose between a life without Rory but with the Doctor, or a life with Rory but without the Doctor. In her final scene she gives a true sense of the sorrow she would feel if Amy were without her husband, and the sorrow she feels about leaving the Doctor.
Overall, the episode is a tearjerker, but also one of the most emotionally complex ones to date (ranking among Rose and Donna’s farewells). Moffat brilliantly pulls you in and then lets you down gently once the tears subside. It is a must-see episode not only because it feature the departure of two amazing characters, but also because it is an example of television at its best and should inspire the generations of writers to come.