From Newsgroup: rec.arts.drwho.moderated   
   From Address: jphalt@aol.com   
   Subject: Re: jphalt's Doctor Who reviews   
      
   I had expected "A Good Man Goes to War" and "Let's Kill Hitler" to   
   form a 2-parter.  Now that I've watched them, I realize that they are   
   actually completely separate episodes.  Therefore, they will get   
   completely separate reviews, starting with...   
      
      
   A GOOD MAN GOES TO WAR   
      
   1 episode. Approx. 48 minutes. Written by: Steven Moffat. Directed by:   
   Peter Hoar. Produced by: Marcus Wilson.   
      
      
   THE PLOT   
      
   Amy is being held captive by Madame Kovarian (Frances Barber), who is   
   working with the Headless Monks and the army the Monks are paying to   
   guard her. It's a trap for the Doctor, one that he's all too willing   
   to walk into. But the Doctor has raised an army of his own, calling in   
   favors from across all of time and space. With a semi-reformed   
   Sontaran (Dan Starkey), Silurians, and the roguish Dorium Maldovar   
   (Simon Fisher Becker), the Doctor is going to turn the tables on the   
   opposing army and free Amy Pond. All without firing a single shot.   
      
   But he's playing someone else's game, and his every move only serves   
   to advance their purpose. The Doctor may be winning this battle - but   
   without even realizing it, he may be losing a much larger larger war.   
      
      
   CHARACTERS   
      
   The Doctor: Another blisteringly good performance by Matt Smith. As   
   the Doctor appears to be winning during his storming of the space   
   station, he is all confidence and bluster - but with an angry edge,   
   furious that this army has tried to attack him through his friends.   
   When Madame Kovarian makes a comment about how many rules good men   
   like the Doctor have, the Doctor reveals that he does not consider   
   himself a good man: "Good men don't need rules. Today is not the day   
   to find out why I have so many." The end of the episode sees him   
   realizing that he is now viewed as far more than just the wanderer he   
   started out as. He is now seen as a warrior, as someone to be feared.   
   It is fear of him that has caused this situation to come into being.   
      
   Amy: She trusts absolutely in the Doctor's promise to come for her,   
   and warns the one sympathetic soldier (Christina Chong) to be on the   
   right side when he does come. Gets some strong emotional scenes as   
   well, ones which show Amy's maternal side once more.   
      
   Rory: I'd never really thought about it until Amy's opening monologue,   
   but Rory really does have a lot in common with the Doctor. He's   
   centuries old in a young man's body. He has witnessed the rise and   
   fall of civilizations, and has maintained an inherent decency   
   throughout. And he becomes rather fierce in defense of those he loves.   
   The teaser, in which he faces down a Cyberleader to press him for   
   information, is a rare "hero" moment for the frequently-sidelined   
   Rory. Yet the opening tough guy moments don't compromise his ability   
   to be plain, decent Rory when he's reunited with Amy. Arthur Darvill   
   remains terrific, and it's good to see him getting meatier material   
   this season.   
      
   River Song: We finally learn exactly who she is. I'm not certain how   
   well it fits with what we've seen before, but it might be interesting   
   to go back and watch her Series Five appearances with her true   
   identity in mind. She is sympathetic in her dealings with the Doctor,   
   Amy, and Rory, but the softness in her voice makes it all the more   
   devastating for the Doctor when she lays out for him what he may be   
   turning into.   
      
      
   THOUGHTS   
      
   The choice to split Series Six into halves is used to good effect in   
   this "mid-season finale," which ramps up the action and special   
   effects to the level of a true finale. We get space stations, outer   
   space combat, opposing armies of human and Silurian soldiers, and   
   multiple big explosions. It plays very much like Doctor Who: Hollywood   
   Action Movie. Except the action movie grandeur is subverted, of   
   course, with the Doctor's triumph being snatched away from him by an   
   enemy who has managed to outthink him while he's been busy playing   
   Bruce Willis.   
      
   It's probably the one way in which that kind of pure action format   
   could really work with Doctor Who. Our thinking man's hero becomes an   
   emotional and angry action hero. He raises an army, attacks in   
   force... only to end up being outthought. It's extremely clever - the   
   term probably most used to describe most Steven Moffat scripts. And   
   the "action film" trappings make for a tremendous amount of momentum   
   and a handful of genuinely arresting visuals.   
      
   The part of this episode I most enjoyed, though, was the parade of   
   guest characters. Strax (Dan Starkey), the Sontaran nurse who barks   
   out medical advice like he's giving orders on the field of battle. The   
   return of Dorium Maldovar, last seen in The Pandorica Opens, both   
   smarter and funnier than in his first appearance. Vastra (Neve   
   McIntosh) and Jenny (Catrin Stewart), a Victorian-era Silurian and her   
   maid/lover, both of whom are accomplished martial artists. Vastra is a   
   particularly strong character, the first to point out that the   
   Doctor's anger may be leading him to make mistakes. The flirtatious   
   banter between her and Jenny, combined with a more reflective side   
   opposite the Doctor, make her a character I'd love to see again.   
      
   Though this is clearly all stage setting for later events, A Good Man   
   Goes to War is breathtakingly entertaining, stuffed with clever plot   
   flourishes and strong character scenes. It's not so much of a story in   
   itself as it is one extended set piece, connecting the first half of   
   the season to the second half. But viewed in that context, it is a   
   thorough success. Big, fast, wonderfully dramatic, and a lot of fun to   
   watch.   
      
      
   Rating: 9/10.   
      
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