Episode #231 - Closing Time

"Hello, Stormageddon. It’s The Doctor, here to help. Be quiet. Go to sleep. No, really. Stop crying. You’ve got a lot to look forward to, you know. A normal human life on Earth. Mortgage repayments, the 9 to 5, a persistent nagging sense of spiritual emptiness. Save the tears for later, boyo. Oh, that was crabby. No, that was old. But I am old, Stormy. I am so old. So near the end. But you, Alfie Owens. You are so young, aren’t you? And you know, right now, everything’s ahead of you. You could be anything. Yes, I know. You could walk among the stars. They don’t actually look like that, you know — they are rather more impressive. Yeah! You know, when I was little like you, I dreamt of the stars. I think it’s fair to say, in the language of your age, that I lived my dream. I owned the stage. Gave it a hundred and ten percent. I hope you have as much fun as I did, Alfie."

Episode #231:      Closing Time.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor.
Air Date:               24th September 2011

Craig Owens is having enough trouble trying to care for his child. The last thing he needed was the return of his old friend, the Doctor. And it looks like he's not alone; trouble seems to have once again followed the Doctor to Colchester, with a silvery shine.

Closing Time is a disappointing story. It feels like any instance where the writers ran out of ideas. Rather than be a Cyberman threat story, it's the Doctor trying to stay away from anything interesting but getting caught up in things. The Cybermen are just an afterthought to the Doctor's search for self. Even the return of Craig Owen (last seen in The Lodger) does little to make this a better story.

Another part of what spoils this is the silly elements that the Matt Smith era includes. Things such as being able to speak baby and the shop staff thinking Owen and the Doctor are lovers just doesn't work. It's all too forced and isn't actually funny. It is more cringe worthy than anything. The Doctor Who writers have shown that they can do better this and it makes me wonder how this made it through to completion.

We do get a new form of Cybermat however. The special effects department have given us a creepy new shape complete with real flesh mouth with teeth. A much better upgrade for these than we have seen previously. Again, nice to see something from the classic show making an appearance.

Closing Time is also an episode which is companion lite. Rory and Amy do make an appearance in the episode but they don't interact with the story. Instead it looks like Amy has become model or something, as she is advertising a new perfume -  "Petrichor." Would it have been better with them? I don't think so. There isn't enough going on in the episode already to include them. Nice to see them getting on with their life though.

Ultimately, Closing Time is just another poor attempt at a filler episode. Not the worst the show has had in recent years but another case of could have done better.