The Power of Three (Doctor Who)

Last updated

229 –"The Power of Three"
Doctor Who episode
The Power of Three.jpg
Promotional poster
Cast
Others
Production
Directed by Douglas Mackinnon
Written by Chris Chibnall
Produced byMarcus Wilson
Executive producer(s)
Music by Murray Gold
Series Series 7
Running time41 minutes
First broadcast22 September 2012 (2012-09-22)
Chronology
← Preceded by
"A Town Called Mercy"		Followed by →
"The Angels Take Manhattan"
List of Doctor Who episodes (2005–present)

"The Power of Three" is the fourth episode of the seventh series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who that aired on BBC One and BBC One HD on 22 September 2012. It was written by Chris Chibnall and directed by Douglas Mackinnon.

Contents

In the episode, alien time traveller the Doctor (Matt Smith) spends time on Earth with his travelling companions Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and her husband Rory (Arthur Darvill) while he awaits activity from millions of small cubes that appeared overnight.

"The Power of Three" focused on Amy and Rory's point of view and the impact of the Doctor's influence on their lives, as they would be leaving in the next episode. The story was inspired by The Man Who Came to Dinner and the story of the MSC Napoli. The episode also saw the return of UNIT and introduced their new scientific advisor, Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave), daughter of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. The episode featured brief cameo appearances by Lord Sugar and professor Brian Cox. Despite being the penultimate episode in the first block of the series, "The Power of Three" was the last to be filmed, and was thus the last episode for Gillan and Darvill.

The episode was watched by 7.67 million viewers in the UK. Critical reception to the episode was generally positive, highlighting the emotion and humour, although many critics derided the solution to the plot.

Plot

Amy and Rory adjust to normal life without travelling with the Eleventh Doctor. One day, billions of small black cubes appear across the globe. The Doctor arrives and he, Amy and Rory are taken to UNIT headquarters, where UNIT's head, Kate Stewart, explains that they have not been able to analyse the cubes' function. The Doctor waits with Amy and Rory for several days to monitor the situation, and gets to know Rory's father, Brian. The Doctor deems the cubes harmless and departs, but instructs Brian to keep watch.

A year passes, with Amy and Rory periodically travelling with the Doctor. Brian, after observing Amy and Rory returning from one trip, asks the Doctor what has happened to his past companions. The Doctor tells some had met a sad fate but he will not let that happen to Amy or Rory. Humanity forgets about the cubes, using them as paperweights or other functions.

A year after their arrival, the cubes start to activate, scanning information networks and act in self-defence. The Doctor fears this was a "slow invasion", and goes with Amy to UNIT while Rory and Brian help at the hospital. All the cubes are now showing the same countdown timer. When they reach zero, the cubes open, but appear empty; however, massive numbers of cardiac arrest cases are reported, killing about a third of humanity. Kate finds the boxes emitted a signal traced to seven sites across the globe, including the hospital Rory works at.

At the hospital, Brian has been taken to a service lift by two orderlies. Rory follows them and discovers the back of it masks a portal to a ship in Earth's orbit. The Doctor and Amy arrive, discover the portal, and join Rory as he frees Brian. The Doctor is confronted by a hologram of a Shakri, who, according to Gallifreyan legend, were self-appointed "pest controllers" in the universe. The Shakri released the cubes to Earth to wipe out humanity and prepare to send out more, but the Doctor reverses the cubes' function, sending a signal that brings those harmed back to life. Feedback from this causes the ship to explode, though the four escape safely.

As Earth recovers, the Doctor prepares to leave alone, but Brian insists he take Amy and Rory on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, asking "just bring them back safe".

Continuity

The Doctor tells Brian that a few of his previous companions have died; this is a reference to Sara Kingdom, Katarina, and Adric. [1] At one point, the Doctor, Amy, and Rory relax and eat fish fingers and custard, a reference to "The Eleventh Hour". [2] [3] While this leads Brian to tell the Doctor to "just bring them back safe" at the end of this episode, the Doctor (and therefore Brian) will lose contact with Amy and Rory forever in the next episode. Amy and Rory's meal at the newly opened Savoy hotel is ruined by "a Zygon spaceship parked under the Savoy"; the Zygons previously featured in the Fourth Doctor serial Terror of the Zygons (1975) and would appear again in the 50th anniversary special "The Day of the Doctor" (2013). [4] The Tower of London had previously served as a UNIT base in "The Christmas Invasion" [5] and was mentioned as such in "The Sontaran Stratagem". [6] The Doctor also mentions having a metallic dog that could hover; this refers to K9, the robotic dog of the Fourth Doctor.

Production

The episode featured a cameo by Lord Sugar, filmed on the set of his show The Apprentice. Sir Alan Sugar at the BAFTA's crop.jpg
The episode featured a cameo by Lord Sugar, filmed on the set of his show The Apprentice.

The episode's title was originally reported as "Cubed", [7] but was later announced as "The Power of Three". [8] Chris Chibnall had previously written the Doctor Who episodes "42" (2007), "The Hungry Earth"/"Cold Blood" (2010), and the second episode of the seventh series, "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship". [9] He was also a major contributor to the spinoff series Torchwood . [10] [11] Chibnall described "The Power of Three" as "a lovely big Earth invasion story" but different from the ones done before, as it focused on Amy and Rory's time with the Doctor and the impact of him on their lives. He stated it is told more from Amy and Rory's point of view than ever before, and is about celebrating them before they leave in the following episode. Chibnall's brief from showrunner Steven Moffat was to "live with the Doctor — The Man Who Came to Dinner , Doctor Who style." Chibnall was also inspired by the story of the MSC Napoli. [9] Matt Smith put disgust into the Doctor's remark concerning Twitter in the episode, reflecting his real-life decision to stay off the social network. [12]

Physicist Brian Cox also made a cameo appearance, theorising on the origin of the cubes. Brian Cox cropped.jpg
Physicist Brian Cox also made a cameo appearance, theorising on the origin of the cubes.

At Chibnall's request, "The Power of Three" sees the return of UNIT, which first appeared in The Invasion (1968) and became a regular feature during the Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee) era. [13] The episode reveals that Kate Stewart is now running UNIT; she is the daughter of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and previously appeared in the Reeltime Pictures direct-to-video films Downtime and Dæmos Rising played by Beverley Cressman. [4] Following the death of actor Nicholas Courtney in early 2011, the Doctor learned of the Brigadier's death in the sixth series finale "The Wedding of River Song". [14] Matt Smith enjoyed working with Jemma Redgrave, describing her as "graceful, funny and charming and an absolute delight". [13]

The read-through of "The Power of Three" took place at Roath Lock, Cardiff on 27 April 2012. [1] It was filmed by itself in the series' third production block. [15] Because of this schedule, it was the final episode Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill filmed as Amy and Rory. [16] Their last scene filmed together was getting into the TARDIS with the Doctor after saying farewell to Brian; [1] when the doors closed Gillan, Darvill, and Smith hugged and started crying. [17] [18] Some exterior scenes at Amy and Rory's house were re-shot in June and July 2012, with Darvill briefly returning for the June re-shoot. [7] [19] Producer Marcus Wilson stated that a "hundred" individual cube props were made, with "many more" added with computer-generated imagery (CGI). [20] Amy and the Doctor's conversation outside the Tower of London could not be filmed at the genuine location due to the London Olympics, so it was shot on studio in Cardiff and the live action was combined with other footage to create the illusion. [20] The episode also features cameos from physicist Brian Cox and Lord Sugar, both of whom were long-time fans of the program. [21] Sugar's cameo was in fact filmed on the set of The Apprentice , with director Douglas Mackinnon standing in for the person who was fired. [20]

Broadcast and reception

"The Power of Three" was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One and BBC One HD on 22 September 2012. [22] Overnight ratings showed that it was watched by an audience of 5.49 million live. [23] The final consolidated rating rose to 7.67 million viewers, making it the thirteenth most-watched programme of the week on British television, and the fifth highest rated on BBC One. [24] The episode also received 1.3 million requests on BBC's online iPlayer, placing it fourth for the month on the site behind the first three episodes of the series. [25] It also received an Appreciation Index of 87, considered "excellent". [26]

Critical reception

"The Power of Three" received generally positive reviews. Dan Martin of The Guardian stated he "bloody loved" the episode, calling it "a nostalgic run through all the best bits of the Russell T Davies era". However, he noted that it "also had the weaknesses of some of [Davies'] adventures – the ending was so underdeveloped that even a magic button couldn't explain it – but 'The Power of Three' was, in every sense, completely gorgeous". [4] Neela Debnath, writing for The Independent , praised the way the episode showed the companion's life outside the TARDIS and celebrated Amy and Rory, as well as the introduction of Kate Stewart and her connection with the Brigadier. [27]

Radio Times reviewer Patrick Mulkern described it as "beautifully made television" and welcomed Kate as a "wonderful addition". However, he stated that he did not "entirely buy the Doctor's solution". [20] Keith Phipps of The A.V. Club graded the episode as a B+. Despite noting the plot was "fairly standard" and "easily foiled", he wrote that the concept of the cubes and "slow invasion" was "a cleverly executed bit of business". [2] IGN's Matt Risley rated "The Power of Three" a score of 8 out of 10, writing that the first three quarters were "simply brilliant" because of the emotion and humour. However, he criticised the "rushed resolution" and the lack of explanation for the aliens at the hospital. [28] Digital Spy reviewer Morgan Jeffery gave the episode four out of five stars, describing it as "an emotional, fun and involving Doctor Who episode" despite the disappointing resolution. [29]

Russell Lewin of SFX gave the episode three and a half out of five stars, naming it as Chibnall's best Doctor Who episode. While he noted that "the ending was potentially always going to be a let down...And it is", there was "much to enjoy beforehand" such as UNIT and the humour. [30] The Daily Telegraph reviewer Gavin Fuller gave it a score of two and a half out of five stars, feeling that it was "treading water" as a lead-in to the following finale. He described the first twenty minutes as "overpadded" and "heavy on exposition but little else", and pointed out the unexplained action at Rory's hospital. However, he enjoyed Amy and the Doctor's conversation and the "countdown element and the mystery of the cubes", but found the explanation unoriginal and the conclusion too easy. [31]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy Pond</span> Fictional character in the TV series Doctor Who

Amelia "Amy" Pond is a fictional character portrayed by Karen Gillan in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Amy is a companion of the series protagonist the Doctor, in his eleventh incarnation, played by Matt Smith. She appears in the programme from the fifth series (2010) to midway through the seventh series (2012). Gillan returned for a brief cameo in Smith's final episode "The Time of the Doctor".

<i>Doctor Who</i> series 5 2010 series of Doctor Who

The fifth series of the British science-fiction television programme Doctor Who was originally broadcast on BBC One in 2010. The series began on 3 April 2010 with "The Eleventh Hour", and ended with "The Big Bang" on 26 June 2010. The series is the first to be led by Steven Moffat, who took over as head writer and executive producer when Russell T Davies ended his involvement in the show after "The End of Time". The series has 13 episodes, six of which were written by Moffat. Piers Wenger and Beth Willis were co-executive producers, and Tracie Simpson and Peter Bennett were producers. Although it is the fifth series since the show's revival in 2005, the series' production code numbers were reset.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rory Williams</span> Fictional character in the TV series Doctor Who

Rory Williams is a fictional character portrayed by Arthur Darvill in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Having been introduced at the start of the fifth series, Rory joins the Eleventh Doctor as a companion in the middle of Series 5. As Amy Pond's fiancé, Rory is initially insecure because he believes Amy secretly loves the Doctor more. Later, however, he proves to be a hero in his own right and he and Amy get married. The couple conceive a daughter aboard the Doctor's time machine, the TARDIS, while in the time vortex, but their baby is kidnapped at birth. In "A Good Man Goes to War", Rory and Amy discover their time traveller friend River Song is actually their daughter, Melody Pond. The Doctor and River marry in "The Wedding of River Song", and Rory becomes the Doctor's father-in-law. In "The Angels Take Manhattan", the fifth episode of the seventh series, he and Amy are transported back in time by a Weeping Angel, leading to the couple's departure from the series.

The Eleventh Hour (<i>Doctor Who</i>) Episode of Doctor Who

"The Eleventh Hour" is the first episode of the fifth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, first broadcast on BBC One and BBC HD on 3 April 2010. The episode, written by then-new head writer and executive producer Steven Moffat and directed by Adam Smith, saw a complete change in cast and production crew.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Pandorica Opens</span> Episode of Doctor Who

"The Pandorica Opens" is the twelfth episode of the fifth series of British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, first broadcast on 19 June 2010 on BBC One. It is the first in a two-part finale; the second part, "The Big Bang", aired on 26 June. The episode was written by head writer and executive producer Steven Moffat and directed by Toby Haynes.

Cold Blood (<i>Doctor Who</i>) Episode of Doctor Who

"Cold Blood" is the ninth episode in the fifth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 29 May 2010 on BBC One. It was written by Chris Chibnall and directed by Ashley Way. It is the second episode of a two-part story, the first episode being "The Hungry Earth", which features the return of the reptilian humanoid Silurians.

"Amy's Choice" is the seventh episode of the fifth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It first broadcast on BBC One on 15 May 2010. It was written by sitcom writer Simon Nye and directed by Catherine Morshead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Hungry Earth</span> Episode of Doctor Who

"The Hungry Earth" is the eighth episode of the fifth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 22 May 2010 on BBC One. It was written by Chris Chibnall, who had previously written for Doctor Who and its spin-off series, Torchwood. It is the first episode of a two-part story, the second episode being "Cold Blood", and features the return of the Silurians, a reptile-like humanoid race last seen in 1984's Warriors of the Deep.

"The Big Bang" is the thirteenth and final episode of the fifth series of British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, first broadcast on 26 June 2010 on BBC One. It is the second part of the two-part series finale; the first part, "The Pandorica Opens", aired on 19 June. The episode was written by head writer and executive producer Steven Moffat and directed by Toby Haynes.

"The Rebel Flesh" is the fifth episode of the sixth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 21 May 2011 on BBC One and on BBC America in the United States. It is the first episode of a two-part story written by Matthew Graham and directed by Julian Simpson, concluded in "The Almost People".

<i>Doctor Who</i> series 6 2011 series of Doctor Who

The sixth series of British science fiction television programme Doctor Who was shown in two parts. The first seven episodes were broadcast from April to June 2011, beginning with "The Impossible Astronaut" and ending with mid-series finale "A Good Man Goes to War". The final six episodes aired from August to October, beginning with "Let's Kill Hitler" and ending with "The Wedding of River Song". The main series was preceded by "A Christmas Carol", the 2010 Christmas special. The series was led by head writer and executive producer Steven Moffat, alongside executive producers Beth Willis and Piers Wenger. Sanne Wohlenberg, Marcus Wilson, and Denise Paul served as producers. The series was the sixth to air following the programme's revival in 2005 after the classic era aired between 1963 and 1989, and is the thirty-second season overall.

"Let's Kill Hitler" is the eighth episode of the sixth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and was first broadcast on BBC One, Space and BBC America on 27 August 2011. It was written by Steven Moffat and directed by Richard Senior.

<i>Doctor Who</i> series 7 2012-2013 series of Doctor Who

The seventh series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who was broadcast concurrently on BBC One in the United Kingdom, and was split into two parts as the previous series had been. Following its premiere on 1 September 2012, the series aired weekly with five episodes until 29 September. The remaining eight episodes were broadcast between 30 March and 18 May 2013. The 2012 Christmas special, "The Snowmen", aired separately from the main series and introduced a new TARDIS interior, title sequence, theme tune, and outfit for the Doctor.

"Night Terrors" is the ninth episode of the sixth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and was first broadcast on BBC One and BBC America on 3 September 2011. It was written by Mark Gatiss and directed by Richard Clark.

"The Girl Who Waited" is the tenth episode of the sixth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and was first broadcast on BBC One and BBC America on 10 September 2011. It was written by Tom MacRae and was directed by Nick Hurran.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asylum of the Daleks</span> 2012 Doctor Who episode

"Asylum of the Daleks" is the first episode of the seventh series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, broadcast on BBC One on 1 September 2012. It was written by executive producer Steven Moffat and directed by Nick Hurran.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dinosaurs on a Spaceship</span> 2012 Doctor Who episode

"Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" is the second episode of the seventh series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. It first aired on BBC One in the UK on 8 September 2012 and on BBC America on the same date in the United States. It was written by Chris Chibnall and directed by Saul Metzstein.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Angels Take Manhattan</span> 2012 Doctor Who episode

"The Angels Take Manhattan" is the fifth episode of the seventh series of the revived British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on BBC One on 29 September 2012. It is the last in the first block of episodes in the seventh series, followed by the 2012 Christmas special "The Snowmen". The episode was written by head writer Steven Moffat and directed by Nick Hurran.

"P.S." is a mini episode of the seventh series of Doctor Who, written by Chris Chibnall. Set after the departure of Amy Pond and Rory Williams in "The Angels Take Manhattan", it depicts a letter that Rory sent to his father Brian explaining why he and Amy are not returning. This episode was dubbed "the scene that was never shot", as it was released in complete storyboard drawings.

"A Good Man Goes to War" is the seventh episode of the sixth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and was first broadcast on BBC One on 4 June 2011. It served as a mid-series finale. The episode was written by Steven Moffat and directed by Peter Hoar.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "The Power of Three: The Fourth Dimension". BBC. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  2. 1 2 Phipps, Keith (22 September 2012). "The Power of Three". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  3. ↑ "The Fourth Dimension". BBC. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 Martin, Dan (22 September 2012). "Doctor Who: The Power of Three – series 33, episode four". The Guardian . Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  5. ↑ Russell T Davies (writer), James Hawes (director), Phil Collinson (producer) (25 December 2012). "The Christmas Invasion". Doctor Who . Series 2. Episode X. BBC. BBC One.
  6. ↑ Helen Raynor (writer), Douglas Mackinnon (director), Susie Liggat (producer) (26 April 2008). "The Sontaran Stratagem". Doctor Who . Series 4. Episode 4. BBC. BBC One.
  7. 1 2 "Doctor Who Series 7: New Episode 4 Reshoot Pics". SFX. 2 July 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  8. ↑ "The Power of Three and The Angels Take Manhattan". BBC. 15 August 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  9. 1 2 Cook, Benjamin (26 July 2012). "Life with the Doctor". Doctor Who Magazine (450). Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent: Panini Comics: 36–39.
  10. ↑ Golder, Dave (8 February 2012). "Two Writers Confirmed For Doctor Who Series 7". SFX. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  11. ↑ "The Hungry Earth: The Fourth Dimension". BBC. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  12. ↑ Mulkern, Patrick (15 August 2012). "Doctor Who premiere – new title sequences, Matt Smith on Twitter and a Big Surprise". Radio Times . Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  13. 1 2 "Reunited: Unit Return in The Power of Three". BBC. 20 September 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  14. ↑ Dowell, Ben (30 September 2011). "Doctor Who tribute to Brigadier actor Nicholas Courtney". The Guardian . Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  15. ↑ Doctor Who Magazine (446). Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent: Panini Comics. 5 April 2012.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
  16. ↑ Hogan, Michael (14 August 2012). "Karen Gillan 'in denial' about leaving Doctor Who". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  17. ↑ Eames, Tom (19 July 2012). "'Doctor Who' stars: There were tears after final scenes together'". Digital Spy . Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  18. ↑ Fulton, Rick (18 May 2012). "Karen Gillan talks tears at end of Dr Who and her excitement at making new Scots film". Daily Record . Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  19. ↑ "Doctor Who Series 7: New Official Pic & New Filming Pics". SFX. 8 June 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  20. 1 2 3 4 Mulkern, Patrick (22 September 2012). "Doctor Who: The Power of Three review". Radio Times . Archived from the original on 16 November 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  21. ↑ "Lord Sugar and Brian Cox: Who Knew?". BBC. 22 September 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  22. ↑ "Doctor Who: The Power of Three". BBC. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  23. ↑ Golder, Dave (23 September 2012). "Doctor Who "The Power of Three" Overnight Ratings". SFX. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  24. ↑ "The Power of Three – Official Ratings". Doctor Who News Page. 1 October 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
  25. ↑ Golder, Dave (8 October 2012). "Doctor Who Dominates September iPlayer Chart". SFX. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
  26. ↑ "The Power of Three – AI:87". Doctor Who News Page. 24 September 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  27. ↑ Debnath, Neela (22 September 2012). "Review of Doctor Who 'The Power of Three'". The Independent . Archived from the original on 24 September 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  28. ↑ Risley, Matt (22 September 2012). "Doctor Who "The Power of Three" Review". IGN . Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  29. ↑ Jeffery, Morgan (22 September 2012). "'Doctor Who' – 'The Power of Three' review". Digital Spy . Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  30. ↑ Lewin, Russell (22 September 2012). "Doctor Who 7.04 "The Power of Three" Review". SFX. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  31. ↑ Fuller, Gavin (22 September 2012). "Doctor Who, episode 4: The Power of Three, review". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 23 September 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.