Reaction, Doctor Who, 7x05, The Angels Take Manhattan, Gallifrey Gals Get Wibbly Wobbly! S7Ep5 

I think Amy/Rory had a great end. They didn’t get locked in a parallel world. They didn’t have to struggle a year against the Master, traveling the world. They didn’t get mind wiped. They got zapped into the past and got 40-50 years of marriage and a second child.

I wish Paula would stop holding back and tell us what she really feels.

leaving the Doctor and River was sad but growing old together and dying together was their happy ending

The fact that Steven Moffat managed to get us care for Amy and Rory so much that we felt such burning anger for him during this episode, shows his talent as a writer. Just you wait, Paula, you'll love him again in less than 10 episodes, the best NweWho Doctor is coming!

In my head canon, an elderly Amy & Rory are there for Melody when she regenerates into "Mels" and eventually help her get to where she needs to be (cause there's still quite a gap between 1970 and Amy and Rory's youth) "You got to raise me after all"

We knew Amy & Rory were leaving when watching, so there wasn't really a 'trick' in the same way. It was kind of toying with the audience because we all knew they were gonna go, just not how.

Amy and Rory DID get to live happily after though :)

I don't think this was Moffat trying to be clever, when this aired in the UK at least everyone knew that this was Karen and Arthur's last episode with the show so I think Moffat is trying to give the episode stakes again by making the audience unsure how the episode is going to end, it tricks you into having some hope that maybe somehow its all okay. RTD actually does exactly the same thing with Tennant on a much smaller scale. I remember going into that episode knowing my favourite doctor was regenerating but when he says "I'm still alive" and you see the shock on Tennant face and the joy only for it to get ripped away really gives the emotional hit to the episode. Basically the practical issues of trying to keep secrets on this scale meant that this episode was written knowing that it had been spoiled for most the audience so it had to do more, that's probably why it's so annoying when you go into it without the ending being spoilt, because it was written with the expectation you already knew.

Paula saying "fuck you".... That hurts... Seeing our sweet innocent Paula hurt like that

But life can be like that - you avoid catastrophe, feel happy and then it goes to shit again. For me it's actually more realistic.

It's only sad because Amy and Rory don't get to see the Doctor again. But if you look at the gravestones, they live to be 82 and 87... they lived a long and happy life together.

I actually love this episode, because of the emotional roller-coaster. That is what makes it so great. That's what make Moffat such a great writer.

River's love for the Doctor shines in that final graveyard scene. River loses both of her parents, at the exact same time. However she never lets her eyes off the angel. She allows the Doctor to blacken his own eyes, forcibly blinking, in an attempt for himself to get pulled back through time to possibly save Amy & Rory. But she let's him have that moment despite the fact that it should be her who feels that intense emotion.

The issue with reactions is that you stay away from spoilers and weren't around when things like companions or doctors leaving were all over the news. Back in 2012, everyone knew this was their last episode and what you call "Moffatt manipulating you and thinking he's so smart" was more of a "waiting for it to happen" because we all knew this was it. The show is written with what the general public know in mind, back during Tennant's run there was a fake-out regeneration and a fake "next" doctor because at the time there were rumours (and later confirmation) that Tennant would be leaving.

Wow. I thought the only glaring weakness of the episode was the complete daftness of the Statue of Liberty. I thought the rest was the normal brilliance of a clever Steven Moffatt story. But as you say we're all different and it's fascinating to see such a passionate different reaction.

There is a chance Moffat wasn’t being malicious.

I think Moffat tricked us in a very nice way in this episode. Like the doctor said 'If you read it, it's going to happen'. And we read the gravestone, the doctor read the chapter-titles. What do you think was gonna happen after this? I don't think river would trick the doctor that hard by writing this book and the title like that, just to push him. So Amelia's last farewell had to be there for a reason, right? i really like the Moffat-era, even more than Russel t. Davis. Both are brilliant, but I think Moffat has this little bit of spice for every episode where you don't know, if there a happy end till you watch it. I really really love it.

I actually really liked this episode and liked how this one was made, I wasn’t mad at it at all and I like how Moffat writes

I'll disagree in that I think that RTD was MASSIVELY more emotionally manipulative than Moffat. A perfect example is the last episode for 10...at one point he says that regeneration isn't just changing form, than he will actually die and another man will walk around calling himself the Doctor. This directly contradicts 10's FIRST episode (also under RTD's watch) where he spends the entire episode convincing Rose that he's the same man as 9, just with a different face. (And it also contradicts the entire classic series, but RTD's era had very very few allusions to the classic series outside of Sarah Jane Smith.)

This is the first negative reaction I’ve seen on RU-vid regarding this episode, who knew it was going to be Paula. I for one loved how the Pond’s story ended, never felt emotionally manipulated by Moffat. And I too am an emotional person. Moffat story telling is very memorable, it was beautiful how Amy’s fairytale story with her raggedy Doctor ended, but then again entertainment is subjective.

I remember despising the show for like a week afterwards and I didn't really get back into until the 50th, but Capaldi is definitely worth sticking around for...

Paula RTD literally did the exact same thing when Tennant regenerated by having him say 'I'm still alive' then have it ripped from him with Wilfred. I personally liked the double whammy because it makes there loss even more tragic by being given false hope like with tennant my heart dropped when I originally heard the 4 knocks. I do understand that it wasn't a 5 to 10 second false hope like tennants one. that it was dragged out and personally i think it should have happened a little quicker

Of course the big difference for Paula is that at time of broadcast everyone KNEW going into it that this was their last episode and had known for months, it was just a question of how rather than when. Moffat is actually a strong advocate for the audience being far smarter than they're usually treated. And as said above, their leaving was 100% expected and discussed as part of the series' promotional tours, interviews and such. This is one of the issues with watching shows in retrospect, you loose all the wider context. I mean, Doctor Who is such a highly regarded show that leading cast members always make appearances on Britains most-watched evening chat shows - so even people with no interest in the show would have known Karen & Arthur were leaving.

"Respect the characters and let them have their story" i dont get that bit - this was their story....

For me I love Moffat, I like the way I care about the episodes in a way I never felt with RTD. Saying that I watched this as it was originally aired so I knew going in it was Amys last episode in the UK these last 5 shows were billed as their swan song

This is a weird take. You're kinda attributing motives to Moffat that aren't really evident in what is on screen.

Sorry I can't agree with Paula. Obviously she's allowed to feel the way she does, I just don't agree. Doctor Who never made me feel emotionally manipulated, it just made feel emotional. I don't have a strong reaction to most shows. I enjoy them, but as an observer. Moffat always made me feel a part of the story and feel something, which I really loved. But I understand there are differing opinions.

No matter whether you like the episode or not, I do like a story that makes you feel SOMETHING. Moffat's writing definitely elicits an emotional response. Rather that over watching a show where I'm looking at my watch or not engaged.

I mean, I want to be manipulated by television, that's the point

I don't feel emotionally manipulated at all, nor do I feel like Moffat was treating the audience like idiots. I don't see how you could even reach that conclusion. Just assuming that he thinks he was being clever really put me off this reaction, not unlike how judgmental you were of Mickey, describing him as "patriarchal" when Rose treated him like shit. In fact, I found both Rose's exit ("this is the day I die"), Donna's memory loss ("the most loyal companion will die") and Ten's regeneration, where he assumed he'd be fine before the four knocks happened, were all FAR more emotionally manipulative and more of a bait-and-switch than this was.

And next the animated Ending of this Episode that wasn´t filmed

This is the most unique reaction to this episode I’ve ever seen. I think for those of us who knew they were only going to be in five episodes this season when it aired. It hit me hard because I was going to miss them. But I knew it was coming. Moffat is by far my favorite. But I don’t think you’re wrong. Great reaction.

I don't understand hating the emotional rollercoaster of it. It's a fast paced adventurous show where people's fortunes can flip on a dime, and you guys LOVE to cry and be emotional in your reactions. It's part of what makes watching your channel so satisfying. I love the Moffat era, and I think in terms of storytelling and emotional melodrama, he out-delivers RTD (who I also enjoy). Every time a companion exits the show, it's got to gut you on some level or it doesn't really honor the adventure they've been through. I'm bummed if Paula hates Moffat because I think seasons 8 & 9 are some the best of NuWho in terms of emotional Doctor/Companion arcs, much more mature and murky than ever before. Stay strong, Paula! We'll all stories in the end.

Look out Moffat. Paula has you in her sights. I've never seen her so ready to throw something or someone.

"And you've just been to... Manhattan. What planet is that?"

Moffat’s time as showrunner is my favorite time in Modern Who, so I may be a bit biased. I love everything about this episode. Even Angel liberty. I agree with many of the other comments that talk about it being a different experience watching it as it aired because it was like a game of when they were going because you already knew it was definite. So it was fun not manipulative then. I can see how on a watch without the definitive info that it could be taken otherwise but I don’t personally get the vitriol. That being said everyone is different and it is your reaction, and despite how pissed off you were it was entertaining for your audience. Don’t stop the show please.

I feel like Moffat is going to get another strongly worded letter from Paula 😬😥

The “problem,” per se, with Paula’s reaction is that she thinks this was released like a normal series when everyone else knows that was not the case as it was split into two parts with a Christmas special breaking them up and several months in between each one. Watching it live, I knew this was going to be Amy and Rory’s final episode and that a new companion was coming, so I have never felt emotionally manipulated because my expectations were always reasonably grounded and Brian telling them to go off beforehand underscores the tragedy of the whole thing. If you’re being deliberately shielded from information about the show to prevent spoilers, then I can understand why you’d have this kind of reaction, but since I knew what was going to be the ending, I didn’t feel manipulated at all, but for reactors, that’s a hard bridge to navigate as the episode was written with certain expectations in mind, but for a reactor, that could just be considered pure spoilers if told up front, so then episodes like this come off as worse than they were originally intended because of how they are perceived by the audience in question.

"Just you wait until my husband gets home...." :D

I get being upset, but being angry specifically at Moffat for telling his story the way he wanted seems so off base to me. You’re not alone in feeling this way to be sure. I’ve seen it plenty of times before from people, but it never makes any more sense to me. Blaming a writer for writing the way they write will never makes sense to me.

it's a sign of both good acting & writing that it can "move" you emotianlly. I get your your p*ssed off!, but how many shows can generate this level of involvement & commitment to the characters!

Why do you hate Steven Moffat because of this? I thought it was a pretty clever and genius play on emotions for a showrunner to do

No matter how much you hate the Moffat era, I guarantee you will feel nostalgic as hell and wish for him back, when you get to the Chibnall era. At least Moffat understands Doctor Who, Chibnall has no clue what he's doing and it shows.

Paula needs to watch "P.S." to get a little bit of closure.

The "tell the little girl a story..." bit pligs what many considered a plot hole with Matt Smith's first episode. The "how can Amy have crude, hand-made, but properly representative, toys reflecting adventures she and the Doctor "had" when he was missing from her life all those years.

This episode broke me up and does it over and over again. Now I recognized that Paula feels a little played with at the end but Amy and Rory each have their own character arcs to conclude. Rory began as the lovable loser who Paula herself felt wasn't good enough for Amy and didn't have a shot. The conclusion of his arc is pretty much him standing on the building ledge saying "To save you, I could do anything". Rory has pretty much-reached super-hero status. Amy's arc concludes with her once and for all caught in a situation where she has to choose between staying with the Doctor or choosing to take her chances with Rory. There is no doubt in her decision and she chooses Rory. I find it interesting that The Doctor is filmed in the background as her decision is made. He looks small and weak and upset beyond belief. He has gone from being confident and all-knowing to a man with no control over the situation, begging her to stay. The Doctor and Rory have changed places. The ending of the episode is upsetting for sure but it also made for an absolutely unforgettable ending for Amy and Rory. For those moments on top of the building, this is literally the Amy and Rory show. I'll contrast this to Donna's ending where she is forced to forget everything she is and everything she has done. She'll live the rest of her life as a shadow of what she once was.

Mild spoiler ... I think Moffat needed to do it this way in order to have the Doctor react the way he did when he lost both Amy and Rory.

here we go ... damn, Paula is pissed.

Now Paula needs to see ps & rorys story from doctor who lockdown, we had a year to cope so a break is fine

Congrats on coming up on 5 years, K!

Congratulations on your sobriety Katrina. Very proud of you

I'm definitely going to cry. I cried at the end of the last video when Katrina looked in the camera. I'm scared

Successful emotional manipulation is exactly what I want. Finally some consequences here, and I thought a fitting end for Amy and Rory. I never have issues with a jokey moment coming directly before a serious one. Surprised you weren't into the tragedy of this

So I AM a big Moffat fan, in fact shortly after season 7 ended I was invited to his house for a chat and an interview (he has a life size weeping angel in his garden which scares the hell out of me. ) I find your views interesting as I am a much more plot fan and so throughout your series have been learning a new appreciation for some episodes through your eyes. Thank you for shearing your thoughts and feelings I value them all the more as I don't share the same experience. I do empathize though, I don't feel it here as much but it did annoy me when greys anatomy regularly do the same thing only they spend many episodes setting up an nice happy ending and then kill them in the final episode. For me the reason I guess this episode is less drastic is that in the press we knew this was the characters last episode so how they left was a mystery to be solved to me that meant I enjoyed the twists. I have also watched certain scifi movies and shows though not morning with everyone else as my brain is try to work out which of the three ways they could bring that character back are they going for and only after it's all done go , ohhh that was supposed to be the end. anyway hope you enjoyed my perspective as much as I enjoy yours. Also well done Katrina on 5 years (I'm hoppeing you made it) this has been an intense year, I myself have been trusting a lot so i feel your should get a double poker chip or something, I think a custom staking plastic miniature would be the board game component upgrade for poker chips I'm not sure for AA.

That’s the point of a show though... to do things you don’t expect, otherwise what’s the point of watching a show if you can expect what’s gonna happen

I'm more surprised Rory didn't get more of an ending. I know he had the letter he sent to his dad. But in the episode itself, it was mainly Amy getting a departure. And I noticed when Amy and Rory jump off the roof, the doctor only calls out for Amy.

I watched this episode back when it originally aired. IIRC, we knew at the time that Karen and Arthur were leaving and this episode was framed as the mid-season finale. Given all that, it was kind of obvious they weren't going to make it out and the final scene played a lot differently for me than it did for Paula. It didn't feel like emotional manipulation so much as it felt like slowly ratcheting up the tension. You KNEW something had to go wrong, but the characters didn't. So, for me, it didn't feel disrespectful. But, I can definitely see how jarring it would feel to have this come out of nowhere.

Paula wasn't even this angry at Donna's ending, which is bizarre. Rory and Amy ARE happy. (Remember the woman in "Blink' who was sent to the past? She was happy). Paula: _"Tell me a story that makes me care because of what's happening in the story."_ Wait a few seasons.

I was expecting tears, not anger. It still makes me cry watching it now.

(un)Fun detail - River was the one who had to blink to transport Amy back in time. Imagine a kid having to do it, for their parents.

Don't hold back, tell us what you really think Paula

This has really grown on me over the years. There are so many pieces in this that echo throughout the eleventh doctor’s arc and tie into future episodes. On a rewatch, after some time and more episodes, you can see past Moffats cleverness and watch the acting. The actors’ emotions so echo their characters, and because of this, it has become a favorite, especially if you need a good cry!

Not everything is Stevens fault. Breaking up is very hard to do sometimes. Matt and Alex both understood way better than I did how we'd be better just moving on without extending Karen and Arthurs involvement. And while there's a lot to be said for a clean break, we do whatever we can sometimes to keep things together. hindsight is often a hard lesson. This is as close as I can get to apologies, by the way. Some people apparently still hate me for what happened with Serenity, too. Don't even get me started on how to go back after, especially when you won't be invited, just expected to be there to fix whatever your replacement has messed with.... I refuse to feel guilty for not running towards that. But inevitably I'm drawn by some inexplicable force...

Please don't stop watching Doctor Who as I said before that is the only reason I subscribe to this channel. And considering the nature of the TV show Amy and Rory were not going to be around forever. And the rest of season 7 includes some of the best episodes of Doctor Who ever.

damn, i have never seen anyone jump to the second stage of grief that quickly....

Getting past this episode just means we're closer to some of my favorites.

It's worth noting that Episode 3 and 4 were swapped over, so Town Called Mercy was supposed to be the buffer between Power of Three and Angels Take Manhattan (it's very noticeable since they reference the Henry VIII thing that happens in Power of Three in A Town Called Mercy). I really don't know why they did it. I think it might be to do with the Berkoff issues taking extra time to fix. The Rory's Dad episodes should be back-to-back. Brian's send off leading directly into this wasn't 'Moffat being Moffat'. Also, as others said, this was a Mid-season finale, so we were expecting *something* when it was live airing.

Similar to an earlier commenter, TV shows don't elicit much emotion from me. So, I appreciate Moffat's stories more than any other Dr. Who writer. Maybe I need such "tricks" in order to feel things. But isn't all writing a sort of 'magic trick'? Using squiggly lines on paper to create emotions out of thin air? To create the illusion that a totally made up story is, or could be, real? That's pretty amazing when you think about it. Of course, it is only because we can have such different reactions that this type of reaction video is worth watching! (But I cannot feel good about Paula's pain. I hope she'll continue being Wibbly Wobbly for us!)

A crack eating on a young child’s life bleeding into her head She asked Santa for a police mans help But sent a doctor instead The child was once alone blue But so did fall something old and new He mended the cracks but the repair had a limit so the phone box called And he said I’ll be back in five minutes

"Am I gonna cry".....wow, the title alone reminds me and brings up tears.

Don't worry, Paula, you're not the only one that's wanted to rant at Moffat many times. It hurts so much because it's an emotional blender of good and bad and he's so damn good at doing that to us.

wow, that escalated quickly. i love this episode, the writing, the performances! and how the story is told. ive never seen it as manipulation. when they come back to the graveyard and are "too happy" its purposefully telling the audience that something is off, its too "easy" and the Dr. is missing something cause he doesnt even want to think of the possibility of losing Amy. At the time my only problem with the ep. was trying to figure out why the Dr. couldnt go back to get Amy (e.g. to NJ, or to 1939) but once you figure that out i really like it

tbh I rather be emotionally manipulated (moffat era) than bored (rest of the writers in charge before & after moffat ).

Personally I think Moffat is one of the greatest writers, he took risks and they paid off most of the time. Ps. If she hates Moffat after this, then holy shit what will she think of the current guy big chibber

I now realise why I like watching reaction videos,. I have trouble connecting to my emotions, and need to see others react to a scene to feel more of a connection to that scene. But I never considered how those who connect easily to their emotions feel being so manipulated by storylines designed to get the strongest emotion possible. that would hurt Thank you for sharing, be sad, be angry, they are all reactions that help us feel things too.

Interesting reaction. My issue with this episode was more about the Doctor never being able to go to New York again. There's lots of ways he could still get in touch with them (land outside NY, meet in another city,...) Ultimately, all storytelling is manipulative when you think about it. But I can understand your frustration with being jerked around emotionally. If I remember correctly, Moffat struggled pretty hard with writing this episode and wasn't sure himself how he wanted their exit to be. And try not to forget all of the Moffat episodes that you genuinely enjoyed, of which there were quite a few.

Perfect ending, feels more natural. The ending was where it was going for a long time, and you don't know what's going to happen in life, sometimes life pulls the rug out from under you.

great episode. the only companion departure apart from marthas that actually has good thematic reasoning behind it rather than just being a sad way to separate them. beautiful completion of amys arc of maturation and love for rory. smiths performance is so good in this episode. i have to say the comments about manipulation are off base. it is made very clear in the scene on the rooftop that if it works they will survive. there was no trick. rory explains his paradox and why it will work. did you expect them to splat dead on the pavement? the emotion comes from rory's bravery and amys love not because they will die. also that was to give rory his big send off and create an additional paradox in new york so he cant go back. without that scene rory doesnt get any send off at all. where were these criticisms in MUCH more clear examples of manipulation when rtd did them? how come he wasnt criticised for in the series 2 finale twice having rose state it was the story of how she died only for her to survive? how come rose teleporting back and then being teleported back again wasnt manipulation? how come that is supposedly its own thing? how is her teleporting back saying she's staying and then being taken back any less of a switcharoo? how come he wasnt criticised for the series 4 finale where it is twice stated that one of the children of time will die only for them not to? or when martha teleports and jack literally says to the audience that martha is dead. unbearable double standards. when does it any point say the audience was dumb or tricked? at the time we already knew they were leaving this episode so clearly when it was being written it wasnt in mind of thinking they were staying. its fine to dislike it but personal attacks over a tv show arent. just say you dont like the episode and you can say you dont like moffats writing say it was fucking shit whatever and explain why. this isnt about opinions. theres no need to turn that though into personal attacks for 10 minutes. especially then if you will bring up the previous person and praise them for doing the same thing but worse.

This was my very first episode of Doctor Who and I loved the writing so much. It got me to cry without even knowing the characters and ever since I've been hooked on this show

I thought fiction, by its very nature, was meant to manipulate many aspects of the individual. Best. Leo.

After watching: Firstly, congratulations to Katrina on 5 years! That's awesome! I like this episode a lot, but like a lot of commenters I'm in the UK and watched this when it first aired. We knew it was coming, just a question of when, so the atmosphere was more of clever subversion and playing with our expectations. Whereas I get how without that context it's just a gut punch. Paula - I really hope this doesn't sour your feelings on the show, there's so much awesome stuff to come. And thanks to both of you for being the best reactions on RU-vid!

great reaction, I love almost everything about this episode, also Paula you don't need to apologize for how you feel, everyone has their own feelings and their own reactions to storylines, the only thing I don't like but look past is how The Doctor can't go back to get them because he cannot fly the TARDIS in New York anymore, there is no reason he couldn't have went to New Jersey or any other state around New York in that time period and drove or walked or whatever to New York and take them back to the TARDIS,other than that I personally love Moffats writing more than anyone else on the show, also one of my favorite Rory lines ever is in this one, Amy says when they're on the building and Rory climbs on the ledge "You think you'll just come Back to life " Rory's brilliant response "When Don't I" the one thing I disagree with you with though is when you said "respect the characters, let them have their story" because this is the Characters story, also they pretty much told us earlier in the episode that Rory was going to die by showing his name on the tombstone right after saying if you read it it's gonna happen like its etched in stone, the audience read the name,

I’m so sorry it rubbed you the wrong way but I love seeing the reactions from you every week. Being a Dr Who fan can be rough sometimes.

I can say I did not expect this reaction... but I understand it. I only have a few shows I really connect to and Doctor Who is one of those. Moffat era was actually the first that I experienced, and so my reaction to this episode was VERY emotional. I don't cry a lot, but there were tears here. I think the fact that this was my first doctor (the first face this whovian's face saw if you will), caused me to get used to/forgive the very "Moffat" emotional manipuliation that it carries. I've learned to recognise it though, and I completely understand your reaction. It's just that my own emotional attachment will always make this episode a bawler for me...

Moffat mentioned the idea of an adventure with the Angel where someone would write a book in the past. It was on the extra materials for "the time of the angels". "But now when Ive mentioned it here I cant use it". Guess he could.

I think the whole "trick" thing wasn't as much of a problem when it first aired because it was already confirmed they were leaving. So it made more sense to create some amount of uncertainty as to exactly how and when they would leave. In hindsight though, this episode AND all the back and forth in previous episodes does seem a bit much.

Let the water works begin. I really liked this episode so much but it was so hard to say goodbye.

You two ROCK! All I can think of to say is, thank you for being.

Love you girls. I too was very upset with their departure and It took a bit to warm up to the next companion. Paula, no shame in venting your anger. We are human. Katrina, congrats on staying sober, it's strong. I love watching your reactions to DW. I know you'll need a bit of time before embarking on the next part. In the mean time, xoxo 🥰🥰

Yesterday's Enterprise AND Angels Take Manhattan in the same week?! That's some wibbly wobbly timing!

Younger me watching this completely burst out into tears whilst hiding behind a pillow, then a couple of months later merlin ended on xmas eve and it broke me even more, then the next Christmas special happened and I think my year was just officially ruined with the tears.

Mr Moffat is a Genius

I can understand Paula being upset by their ending. But OMG, her reaction is way over the top, seriously.

At least the rest of the season is pretty fun especially the end. I personally love the twist at the end but you're entitled to your own opinion.

I must be a Vulcan, I just thought what s great episode.

this just the first hill of the emotional rollercoaster

Don't rage quit. So much is coming that is too good to miss (50th Anniversary, An Adventure in Space and Time, The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot, then Capaldi's Doctor a little on down the road). I have to say, though, that Paula's reaction is fucking hilarious to watch. If I had just watched this episode for the first time, I know I wouldn't be laughing. But having some distance from it allows me the ability to watch this and enjoy how lively the reaction is. Fucks were being thrown left and right and it was fucking hilarious.

LOL, Paula got Katrina with Tasha Yar and Katrina got Paula back.

As many others have said, it's worth remembering (and Paula should maybe have been told) that everyone did know this was the Pond's last episode. The other thing I need to say, obviously everyone has a right to their own reaction, and it was a very emotional reaction, but suggesting Moffat thinks the audience he's writing for are idiots who can be tricked are not the kindest words, because that feels hurtful to audience members who enjoyed this episode and thought it a fitting end to the Pond's story.

Life does kick you in the teeth just as you come out of the Dentist. That's why I love Moffat. He writes like the universe does.