Apollo's Rebellion

You've probably realized this since I haven't posted anything in a year, but I won't be keeping this blog updated. I am, however, going to still be active at icarus-life.tumblr.com where I post pretty pictures most of the day and am also in the process of adding my short stories and poems to it. That's more so going to be my creative outlet and I probably won't be posting any critical or Doctor Who related stuff.

Blogger is a really great platform and this blog has been my child for the past two or three years which is why I feel like it needs a proper announcement. I do feel, however, that I'm somewhat constrained creativity wise when it comes to posting content here, especially since this platform is designed for longer posts.

Or the question I have asked myself three times in the course of one week.

They say that hope is a powerful thing, a great force that can overcome any obstacle. I always scoffed at those who said that. Fear is the most powerful thing, drive fear into the hearts of weaker men and you will rule a nation. I was always the one that they would fear, they never knew it, but in the end they bowed down to their rightful ruler.


The soft sunlight made its way into the throne room. Outside, I could hear the festivities of the townsfolk. They were celebrating the first day of spring, the only day of the year that I allowed them to be happy. As a
child, I always loved the first days of spring, my mother used to take me out to the garden a pick flowers, show me which ones had healing properties and which ones were poisonous. Spring always gave me hope
for a new beginning, for a life without my older brother being the heir to the throne. That’s why I give them one day, to keep the hope yet show them who their true ruler is. That’s the thing about hope, it has to be contained or it may destroy kingdoms.

A heavy knock on the throne room door jolted me back from the depths of my mind. A small, old man hobbled in. His clothes were dirty and tattered and it looked as if he hadn’t washed himself in quite a many days.
“Sire,” he stammered, removing his hat. “I have news about the people.” I looked down at him, he was a frail man, his arms the size of a thin metal rod. He was nervously wringing his hat, wrinkling it more than it already was. But the thing that disgusted me the most about him was the smell. It’ll take days to clean up the mess that he left behind. I sighed.
“What of the people?” I asked looking away.
“Th-they plan to-to revolt, S-sire,” he said, wringing his hat further, “I heard a few men at the tavern last night. They plan on revolting today, Sire.” I sat up and looked him dead in the eye.
“They plan to revolt today?” I asked, anger welling up inside me yet I managed to stay calm. The man nodded and looked to the ground. Standing up, I composed myself and walked down toward the old man. Naturally, the streets would be flooded and today would be the best day to revolt. Anyone would be able to get through the palace walls if they planned it well enough.
“Good, thank you for that information,” I said, “Guards, take this man to the cellar.” A look of confusion and surprise entered the man’s face.
“What? No, Sire, I’m telling you the truth,” he cried as my guards grabbed hold of either arm.
“You’re really not, now are you?” I said looking down at him, “You see I have a deep hatred for those who betray their friends and I can see through your lies.” The man looked up pleading with is eyes, but I rejected to even give him the satisfaction of freedom. I stepped back and let the guards take him away, kicking and screaming.

The celebrations outside seemed to get louder as it reached midday. Looking outside I could see girls and boys in their best clothes, the younger ones hoisted up onto the shoulders of their fathers. Many people wore flower garlands around their heads or necks, embracing the coming of spring.  I walked out onto the balcony, my head held high. There was a sudden hush about the crowd, many people in awe of the fact that I had decided to great them so early in the day.
“It has come to my attention that some of you plan on revolting today,” I said evenly. There were a few hushed murmurs in the crowd. “If anyone gets past this castle’s walls I will personally have their head on a stake. Do you understand me? No one is to enter this palace without my permission. Any person found to be conspiring against me will surely never live to see another day.” A few horrified looks from the crowd and scared faces of children confirmed that my words had successfully fulfilled their purpose. I bowed my head and began to walk away, the celebrations starting slowly again.
“And one other thing,” I said turning back to face them. “Today’s Spring Day festival is cancelled.” I could see the look of shock on everyone’s faces as I took away their only day of complete and utter freedom. I stepped back into the shadows and watched as everyone started to pack their goods away. Children reluctantly helping their parents and men tossing their beers. My advisor stood next to me also watching the people on the street.
“Sire, you can cut the flowers, but you can’t keep the spring from coming,” he said, not taking his eyes off the street below.
“I can,” I whispered harshly. Striding back to my throne, I wondered if what he said was true if they would try again.

I say my throne, but it was never meant to be mine. It was meant to belong to my brother, the so called rightful heir to the throne. But what did he know of ruling a kingdom? He was too rash and thick-headed to rule. I was always the clever one, the one who could devise battle strategies. He could never rule, no matter how much people believed it. He was the heir to the throne, but he was not the rightful ruler. With my father gone, it was easy to drive my brother away from the kingdom. It was love that made him leave and it was sentiment that kept him away. Under my rule, the kingdom prospered, the people worked harder. They feared me. I earned their respect and their loyalty. No one would dare challenge me or my place on the throne. That was until their spark of hope was ignited.

After the Spring Day festival, I had made sure that my palace was always well guarded. I started to get paranoid and anxious, as if I could feel my power wavering. Every day, I would get word that people were fearing me less. I could sense that the scales of authority were not leaning on my side anymore and I began to get restless. Now I realise that this was their plan all along. They would give be a warning, let me know that they were to revolt and show the rest of the kingdom that I was unfit to rule. Fear is powerful. In the end, I feared my fate as they once feared me.

They came for me in the middle of the night. I remember the shouting around me. They locked me in the cellar and killed every last one of my loyal servants. I suffered a fate far worse than them, killing me would be too easy. They wanted me to pay for I had done to them. Instead, they treated me like a peasant. Jealousy and greed had got to me to throne, hope had gotten me here. It was the hope of a thousand people that got me to that dark, damp cellar. The now crownless and nameless king.

Source

Author's Note:
This was an essay that I originally wrote for my final English exam. I drew inspiration from Tom Hiddleston's portrayal of Loki, imagining if Loki had succeeded in taking over Asgard and the repercussions of his actions. Earlier this year I got to send Tom this essay as a birthday present thanks to the wonderful people at hiddleston-daily and their Box Project. I can only hope that Tom enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed rewriting it for him.

It is a little known fact that I always have to be listening to music. Whether I'm reading, writing or studying, I'll always have my earphones stuck in my ears. Most of the music I listen to is music from soundtracks or classical music as it helps me think. But there are certain songs, songs that, when my iPod is put on shuffle, that just hit the right chord at the right moment.

My final exams took up just under two months of my life. And the thing that got me through most of the strenuous work was the music that played in the background while I worked. Not only did the music help me concentrate, but I remember having a tune stuck in my head during an exam and remembering exactly what I had learnt the night before. That's the great thing about the human mind, its memories are directly linked to their senses. Some songs have left such a lasting impact on me that I decided to write an article about them. I'm not a music expert, but I do know that music is meant to be felt. [You can have a listen to the songs on my 8tracks playlist here.]

1. Clara
Composed by: Murray Gold
Performed by: The BBC National Orchestra
This song is so deeply magical and almost fairytale like. It has the ability to uplift, inspire and calm someone. The song is composed for Clara Oswald who is such a wonderful, mysterious character and this song grasps that concept so well. The song is so simple, yet complex, just like the souffles that Clara loves so dearly. I can only associate happy, nostalgic memories to this song. And whenever I hear it I always feel like I'm living a dream.

2. Hedwig's Theme
Composed by: John Williams
This has become the theme song for Harry Potter over the years and I can see why. It's able to perfectly show the Wizarding world and the magic of Hogwarts. It changes and is spontaneous, at some points beginning with one instrument and having others join in as well as the contrast of the deep tubas and whimsical violins makes the sound more magical. It makes me want fly a broomstick, drink butterbeer and just go on all the adventures that Harry went on. Through the entire Harry Potter soundtrack, I'm able to transport myself to the world created by the wonderful JK Rowling.

3. My Mind Rebels at Stagnation
Composed by : Hans Zimmer
I'm not too fond of the Guy Ritchie version of Sherlock Holmes as I see Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark rather than my beloved Sherlock Holmes, but I do love the soundtrack. I love the use of the violin on most of the songs and that the music really brings the scenes to life in some cases. This song in particular reflects the character that Downey portrays, his ups and his downs. It's a song that makes you feel both energetic and scared at the same time. The slightly modern-Victorian feel of the song makes it one of those songs that you don't mind getting stuck in your head. This tune definitely helped me, on multiple occasions, to remember something during an exam.

4. For the Realm
Composed by: Ramin Djawadi
This is a more toned down version of the main theme, only consisting of a guitar. It still captures the mood of the song, but is much more subtle and relaxing. It's something that helped to lull me to sleep after a long, stressful day of studying or allowed me to just clear my mind of all things. The song gives me the image of a lonely guitarist playing a random tune as he walks across a field strewn with the bodies of dead soldiers. Morbid, I know, but somehow realistic. It resonates a melancholy tone. There's something deeply moving about using a single instrument, especially a string one, in a song and letting it just tell the whole story.

5. Vale Decem
Composed by: Murray Gold
Performed by: The BBC National Orchestra
This song is one of the saddest songs on the Doctor Who soundtrack. Played when Ten was about regenerate into Eleven, it had the ability to make what was happening all the more real. It spoke wonders and still has the ability to bring a few tears to my eyes. Directly translated, it means "Farewell Ten," and it says it so beautifully too. It's beautifully composed and the vocals bring goosebumps to my skin. Truly one of Murray Gold's best compositions to date. The end where it just gets louder with everyone singing at once always makes me feel a sad kind of happy.

6. Irene's Theme
Composed by: Micheal Price and David Arnold
Performed by: The BBC National Orchestra
Everyone knows that I'm not a fan of Moffat's characterization of Irene Adler, but I am a big fan of her theme song. The sound of the one lonely violin is extremely beautiful and sad at the same time. Just imagine Sherlock playing this as he walks around the apartment thinking about his new cases. I have no idea why, but this song makes me want to cry every time I hear it, no matter where I am or how I'm feeling. I absolutely adore the sound of the violin and I would love to learn how to play it one day. My only regret about this song? It's too short.

7. The Companions Suite
Composed by: Murray Gold
Performed by: The BBC National Orchestra
I chose to add this song because it includes every companion from the New Who era. It starts off with Rose's slow and beautiful piano theme that can be heard playing during Rose's more sad or nostalgic moments, perfectly capturing the person that is Rose Tyler in her most vulnerable moments. Then is Martha's theme which is significantly different with chorus vocals and a sort of lost romance feel to it, yet still able to grasp the adventure and excitement of Martha's journey in the TARDIS. Donna's theme is next which is the perfect musical representation of the Doctor's fiery haired companion. It's faster, cheekier and just shouts Donna. The last theme is Amy's theme which reminisces on that little girl waiting for her Raggedy Man to come in his blue box and take her away. Amy's theme is that happy kind of sad, the fantastic fairy tale feel of everything and sums up the softer, more gentle side of Amelia Pond.

8. Mhysa
Composed by: Ramin Djawadi
To me this just epitomizes Daenerys Targaryen. The lyrics are from her speech given at the end of Season 3 and is sung to the tune of Dany's famous theme. The vocals and lyrics are already powerful, but added with the music, it's simply beautiful. Not matter where I am, whenever this song comes on it uplifts me and just makes me want to go out and conquer the world. It's that type of song that has the ability to reduce you to tears for the simple reason that it exists. From the moment I heard it, I knew I wouldn't forget it.

9. Swan Lake
Composed by: Tchaikovsky
Everyone knows Swan Lake and the theme that goes with it, but there is a reason as to why it's such a famous ballet. The music has this strange ability to transport you to another place. I can see the ballet playing out before my eyes, although I've never seen a full performance of Swan Lake. It's deeply tender and has extremely dark undertones that allow it to just enter your heart and hold on tight. When I first started writing this, I had no idea how hard it was to describe the emotions you feel when listening to music and I hate the cliched "no words can describe this feeling", but when it comes to Swan Lake I find it hard to find words to describe it. It feels like sitting under the moon and the stars, like fireflies dancing around in the forest. It's joy and sadness at the same time.

10. War
Composed by: David Arnold and Micheal Price
Otherwise known as John's theme, is the music that plays when John is remembering his past in the war. It starts off slow, with just the piano and a few notes, but then it begins to grow and you can hear of Sherlock's famous theme. And that's what I love the most about it, because it shows the relationship of John and Sherlock so well. It shows just how Sherlock came into John's life and gave him that thrill again, and at the same time shows Sherlock's character as someone who demands to be there as the centre of attention. Not on purpose, just by habit. And the fact that the two themes go together so perfectly is because John and Sherlock compliment each other so well. I mean, I've written an entire post about their relationship.

11. All the Strange, Strange Creatures
Composed by: Murray Gold
Performed by: The BBC National Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Choir
This song just brings out everything about the monsters in Doctor Who. It's starts of slow and mysterious then booms out. But it still retains that sense of adventure and curiosity that comes with watching Doctor Who. This was one of the very first songs of the series that I heard and, looking back, I'm glad it was because it's just a wonderful arrangement that really does grasp what the monsters in Doctor Who are about. And I think it's wonderful.

12. In The Mood
Composed by: Glenn Miller
This is just that feel good song. All you want to do when you hear it is get up and dance like you don't have a care in the world. Whenever I hear it, I want to dress up in a knee-length dress, grab myself a good looking boy and make my way to an old jazz club to just dance the whole night away. Politics in the 40s and 50s weren't so great and I know I would never want to live then, but I don't mind listening to the music and stealing the dress patterns.

13. The Charleston
Performed by: Enoch Light and The Charleston City All Stars
This iconic song from the twenties is what started the Jazz Age. It's fun and whimsical and makes you just want to jump up on a table and start tap dancing. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm bit of a history fanatic and music like this allows me to just transport myself to another decade, to another country. If you're ever feeling down, this song is sure to liven up your day, you can't cry when the Charleston is playing. I'm a sucker for the original and can never understand why anyone would want to remix it *cough*will.i.am*cough*.

14. Up is Down
Composed by: Hans Zimmer
This is just a song that makes you think: Pirates! I love it, it's fast and reminds me a bit of an old Irish jig. I always want to get up and dance when I hear this song. If I was a pirate, this song would be playing on a loop when I'm out exploring the seven seas. I love everything Hans Zimmer has written for Pirates of the Caribbean, but this song has seen me slay the metaphorical kraken that is my exam papers. I can't tell you how many times I caught myself tapping my feet to this song while writing my exams.

15. The Can-Can
Composed by: Jacques Offenbach
If you don't know the can-can then I fear for you. The can-can is one of the most famous dances of history and the famous song that goes with is just as fantastic. This song, for some weird reason, reminds me of dances with friends (not that I ever listened to it with my friends), but it's just one of those songs that you can't help but allow it to just engulf you and do all the dancing for you. Sometimes you just got to let loose and allow the music to take control.

16. String Quartet No. 13 in A minor "Rosamunde"
Composed by: Franz Schubert
This song was featured in The Avengers and was the first time I heard it. I was during the Stuttgart scene before Loki could give his "Kneel" speech. I read somewhere that the song was just like Loki, with all the ups and downs. And couldn't agree more. The song starts off slow and builds up, only to fall back down again, just like Loki who sort of goes from one extreme to the other. But I feel like the song is very gentle and, even in the louder parts, is poised as opposed to Loki who only seems like that on the surface.

17. Concerto 'L'inverno, RV 297 (Winter)
Composed by: Vivladi
This is also a song I relate to Loki, more so than Franz Schubert's. I think that Loki would be Vivaldi fan and this little piece from The Four Seasons sums up that inner conflict that Loki has. It's harsh, fast, and doesn't stop. yet it's still beautiful which is the way I see Loki. He's this hurt child driven by greed, power and revenge and he doesn't know that he's damaged inside or he doesn't want to acknowledge it, so he puts up this facade that he is well-poised and collected. Other than the fact that this reminds me of Loki, it's also a wonderful piece of music to listen to and has helped me get through the stressful exam months. I remember countless times where this would come on and I would just feel more ready to study.

18. Lokasenna
Composed by: Brian Tyler
I'd though I'd make my series of Loki related songs a trilogy. Jokes aside, this song from the recent Thor movie reflects beautifully how I imagine Asgard feels. The haunting sound of the woman's voice is somehow soothing and feels like cold, fresh rainwater running over your warm body. I know it sounds odd, but that feeling is refreshing and cleansing. Don't ask me why I feel like that when I hear that song, but I do. For me it just feels like picnic on Asgard, swimming in the river and falling asleep under the stars. It's also one of the many songs on this list that can move me to tears for no reason other than the fact that it exists.

19. The Heart Asks Pleasure First/ The Promise
Composed and performed by: Micheal Nyman
This song is so beautiful and so moving. When I first heard it, I sort of just stopped and had to listen to it, really listen to it. Take in every key played by the piano, every high and low. I still don't know what it is about this song that moves me so much, but sometimes you just don't know why something makes you feel a certain way.

20. Bistro Fada
Composed by: Stephane Wrembel
This song was written for the Midnight in Paris soundtrack and just has that wonderful ability to take me back to a place that I've never actually been to. It's like I can smell the croissants, and feel the Paris sun, and just see the people going about their own little business in their tiny cafe's and bistro's and there's this man on the street just strumming this tune on his guitar. I don't know how it's possible, but this song makes me nostalgic for a place I've never visited before.

21. This is Gallifrey
Composed by: Murray Gold
This song is so breathtakingly wonderful, it's fill of this tender hope and greatness that sums up Gallifrey so perfectly. I can see the Gallifrey that the Doctor describes: the orange sky, the red grass and the silver leaves on the tress that catch the light of the second sun. And not only that, but it also captures the Doctor's hope that he may one day return home, to a Gallifrey that is safe from war.

And that's basically it. I don't know how to end this because I feel like I've just poured my heart out to you using twenty-one of my favourite songs. I would love to hear about your favourite songs in the comments below or you could just tell me what you thought about my playlist.

It has come that time of the year where I have to make a decision about what I want to study next year. It's a hard task, especially when you're unsure about what you're going to study. This year, I can happily admit, has been one of my most nerve-wrecking, tiring and depressing years to date. When I wasn't thinking about finals, I was thinking about University acceptance or what I was going to study and when I wasn't thinking about that, I was having a silent mental breakdown in my room.

It has always been my dream to be an author, I remember wanting to be other things, but I always settled on being an author. I always knew that if I were to write myself into a story of a far away land or something, that I could be anything that I wanted to be. But as I grew older, I knew that I couldn't just study a BA, I had to do more. This year I settled on law. But as with everything there's a catch.

I always knew that in whatever I did, I wanted to help people and it has been reinforced by the TV shows and movies I watch and in the books that I read. They're all stories about the brave heroes sacrificing what they have to save everyone else. That's why I chose law because I thought I could help people, help animals, help save the world in some small way. And then I was informed that if I wanted a job, if I wanted to actually be able to earn a decent salary that I would have to go into corporate or commercial law. Now, I have nothing against it, but looking at it, that's just not who I am. I can't see myself putting on the same type of clothes everyday, working in an office or a big name company. Suits is nice show and everything, but I can't see myself living that sort of life. My passion lies with inspiration. With inspiring people and helping them. It took me one conversation to realise that this wasn't what I wanted to do, that this will never be who I want to be. I want to study linguistics, travel the world, keep learning, publish my books and one day write screenplays. I don't want to live a confined life, working nine to five filling myself with alcohol because my life doesn't feel complete.

It took me one conversation to realise that I wanted to be the heroine of my story, just like the characters I know and love. Like Dean and Sam Winchester who constantly risk their lives to save the lives of people who they've just met, or like Katniss Everdeen who volunteered to save her sister and ended up inspiring millions, or like the Doctor with his big sad eyes and kind heart or Sherlock Holmes who could have been anything, but chose to help people. Fiction has played a huge role in shaping in me. I've grown to see that not all superheroes are created by Gamma radiation and that you don't have to be special to save lives. I owe everything that I am to the books that I've read and the movies I've watched. And I owe them more now for helping me decide that my dreams and aspirations are far greater than net worth or a name on an office door. They helped me see that there's so much more to be seen and so much more to life than success and fancy houses, I mean the Doctor basically lives in his car and he's still happy.

What I'm trying to say is that media (TV shows, books, games etc.) aren't a bad influence on people. They could actually be a force of good and help someone realise their potential. And since media has played such a positive role on me, I want to be a part of it. I really do, I don't want to be in it for the money or fame or power, I want it to help others like me. The kids who are unsure of themselves, who need reinforcement through the characters they love because there will always be those kids who feel like they don't belong when in actuality it's the people around them who have it wrong.

I may still study law, but I don't think I'll become a lawyer. Or maybe I'll study what I always wanted to study and not worry about what the future holds. I want to help care for animals and people. And most of all, I want to inspire with my words. I've finally found my purpose in life and I'm not going to let anyone stop me from achieving it.

A record number of 77 million people tuned in to watched the 50th anniversary special of Doctor Who on Saturday. 77 million people, that's enough people to fill a country! And I think that this just shows the power of Doctor Who, that it's not just a TV Show. No, it's the longest running TV Show, a show that grips viewers and sometimes inspires others. The review that follows is not a critical analysis of the episode, but rather a breakdown of what happened from a loving fan.

The Day of the Doctor Written by: Steven Moffat Directed by: Nick Hurran

Right from the beginning we get a nod to the first episode of the classic series with not one, but if I'm counting right four references. The episode begins with the title sequence from the very first episode. On a bit of a sidetrack, the effect used for this is called howlround and it is created by pointing a TV camera at a monitor showing its on output. And the result is what we saw here. It's strangely mysterious and gives the impression of something terrifying. Which is what Doctor Who is. The other references were the sign saying 76 Totter's Lane which is a junkyard that the Doctor used park his TARDIS and in its place now is a school that Clara works at. The sign of the school was quite interesting because it
states that the Head of the Governing Body is "I. Chesterton" and the headmaster is "W. Coburn." The former being Ian Chesterton a character played by William Russell and one of the first ever companions, the latter sharing a surname with the writer of An Unearthly Child. And the last reference to An Unearthly Child was when Clara drove past a clock that showed the time to be sixteen minutes past five which was the exact time that An Unearthly Child aired on the 23 November 1963.

The episode moves along pretty quickly and the action starts almost as Clara steps into the TARDIS when an outer space adventure gets interrupted by UNIT. I was excited to see the return of Kate Stewart as her small part in The Power of Three really made me begin to like her. I liked Osgood too, but I felt like the whole "the Doctor will save us" was a bit too much and I would have liked it better if she embodied a fan better. Having said that I do like Ingrid Oliver and it wasn't her fault, the character just fell short for me.

It then transitions to Gallifrey and John Hurt's Doctor stopping a couple of Daleks. He then stills a weapon call the Moment which has it's own conscience. This then takes the form of a very familiar looking woman. I think that the bravest thing for Moffat to was to bring back Billie, but not the Billie we know. I understand that people wanted the return of Rose and this wasn't actually Rose, but the Moment, but honestly? Rose's story is said and done, she has her own Doctor in that parallel universe and I'd like to think that she has time-space adventures of her own. We never really needed Rose back and none of the other companions came back. In a way, it made the story richer, having Billie play the "Bad Wolf" instead because Bad Wolf was Rose's way of sensing that the Doctor needed help and somewhere in his conscience he still sees her as the one who can help and stop him from doing something he will regret. That's a point to you, Moffat.

The episode then moves along to the story of the Tenth Doctor and Queen Elizabeth having a what can only be described as a date. And then some confusion ensues when the Zygons decide to show up. Okay, I thought the whole Queen Elizabeth thing was a nice tie-up to the loose end that was sort of left behind by RTD. The one thing that still confuses me is why did Elizabeth let the Zygons go into the painting. I'll probably have to watch the episode again to see if I missed anything there, but other than that her role was likable. The return of the Zygons was pretty amazing too. Having not watched the Classic Series story yet, I only know the Zygons from the Stephen Cole story The Sting of the Zygons with Martha and Ten. And that is one of my favourite Doctor Who novels to date. So, yes, one could say that I was eagerly anticipating the Zygons. I liked that they didn't play big role in the story as the villains, but I felt like the story of them was forgotten a long the way. I understand that they were negotiating a treaty, but maybe a call of visit from Kate at the end would have helped us see if it was a success and that the people of Earth don't always need the Doctor to help them save the day. Although, I didn't mind because the real stars of the show were the Doctors.

Of course, the return of Gallifrey must have always been in the cards, it's the Fiftieth after all. And thanks to the Moment we got to see all three Doctors in Gallifrey during the last day of the Time War. Someday, I would love to see Gallifrey in all its restored glory. The introduction of John Hurt's Doctor was great and I believe that John Hurt was the only man who could pull off a character like him. Although he looked old, the War Doctor was still quite youthful in some of the things he did. I particularly liked his little interaction with Clara and the sort of grandfatherly caring side he had. And she was so sweet to him too. I would have loved to see more his Doctor.

Talking about interactions, I loved the comedic elements of Ten and Eleven's bickering and teasing of one another and the War Doctor's constant insults about them being younger than him. Particularly love the comment that he made to Matt's Doctor about flapping his hands about. Also liked the interactions between Clara and Ten and between the War Doctor and the Moment. I felt like, although they bickered, they truly did want to stick together.

The episode did have some fan pleasing moments too. Like a certain curator, a certain person's eyes and a certain few somebodies coming to help save the day. As well as the many nods to the Classic Series and the return of the Zygons.

I honestly thought that the episode was not meant to be a nostalgia trip and was meant to be more of a celebration. The subtle hints and the not so subtle hints didn't draw away from the story line. I loved the fact that the end was looking forward rather than looking back because it was a way of saying "Here's to fifty more." I absolutely adored the way it ended with the Doctor telling us about his dream and finally having a definite destination in his future.

"Gallifrey Falls No More."

To add to the celebrations of the Fiftieth Anniversary year, I have decided to post my favourite stories from Doctor Who since its revival in 2005. Every Saturday I will post a list of my favourite stories from each series leading up to the week before the Fiftieth Anniversary. Feel free to also share your thoughts in the comments below.

essence of family and love which is what Christmas is all about. The whole conflict arises when the Doctor just wants to give those kids a little present. Something to make them feel happy before they get told some really bad news. And in the end, everything is good because it's Christmas and miracles can happen.
that it took one special woman and the word "Pond" to bring him out of hiding was wonderful. It really showed that the Doctor needed that slight push to help him get up and start saving the world again. And I'm happy that it was Clara. The return of the Paternoster Gang was also fantastic and I'll forgive Moffat for turning one of the Doctor's foes into comic relief because I really do like Strax.