"Doctor Who" Recap: Oh, My God Complex!

Well, that was a bizarre Doctor Who. Last week in my recap I was all, "I'd really like for Amy to stop waiting." And this week, the Doctor is like, "Amy, it's time to stop waiting." Last week in my recap I was all, "I think I'm ready for some new companions." And this week, the Doctor drops off Rory and Amy at home, which is going to send him in search of a new companion. Right? I mean, I don't want to scare you or anything, but I guess I'm omnipotent.

How shall I exercise my new-found superpower? Ah, yes — It's time for the Doctor to have a gay companion!

"An ancient creature drenched in the blood of an innocent. Drifting through space in an endless, shifting maze. For such a creature, death would be a gift. They'd accept it. And sleep well."

First things first, Toby Whithouse delivered a a really solid script, full of all the humor and heart and shades of darkness we've come to expect from the guy who created Being Human. But much like "Night Terrors," I think "The God Complex" would have suffered without the stunning visuals. Nick Hurran, who also directed "The Girl Who Waited," brought an almost Kurbickian sense of style to the episode. I actually rewatched the whole thing through this morning without sound, just so I could appreciate the direction and the editing. (It's gooood!)

So, there's an ancient minotaur running around an '80s hotel feasting on the faith of its inhabitants. Cool concept, especially when you consider the fact that the Doctor spends most of the episode convinced that it's feasting on fear. Actually, that's only a sliver of the sly commentary Whithouse drops on faith. He shows no derision for the faithful (Rita) or the faithless (Rory); no, the real evil is the conduit for faith. In this case, the minotaur and the Doctor.

Right, because if a space hotel is sucking in souls who can provide an absolute buffet of faith, who better to bring to the table than Amy Pond, lifelong worshipper of her imaginary friend?

"I’m not a hero. I really am just a mad man in a box."

Ultimately the Doctor sacrifices Amy's faith in him to save her life, in more ways than one. It's not just her broken body that terrifies him. Last week, he looked a hardened, faithless Amy in the eye and slammed the TARDIS door shut in her face. By forfeiting her faith in the present, he's actually restoring her faith for the future.

My goodness, it's sad to see him say goodbye to Amelia, but her adieu was a helluva lot less traumatic — and a lot less universe-shattering — than her contemporary predecessors! (Nice TARDIS-blue door, by the way, Ponds!)

I don't understand how there are still Who fans who haven't given themselves over to an all-consuming love for Matt Smith. "The God Complex" is one of his best episodes ever. Effortlessly he pinged from frenetic whimsy to self-loathing rage to brokenhearted acceptance.

"Amazing. You've come up with a theory even more insane than what's happening."

OK, now let's get conspiratorial. Here are two things we know about the Doctor: 1) He hates apples. [See: "The Eleventh Hour."] 2) He hates Rubik's cubes. [See: "Night Terrors."] Why, then, was there such a show about him chomping down on an apple and pocketing a Rubik's cube. The cube, especially, was odd, because what was it doing in that hotel in the first place? Is the real Doctor inside the TARDIS? Or is there some kind of fake Doctor situation happening, and he's the one who's going to meet his demise at the hands of the impossible astronaut?

Also, what do you think was in room number 11? Did you hear the cloister bell? I think I heard the cloister bell. So maybe it's the TARDIS getting destroyed?

And is this really the end of the Ponds? We know they're contracted through Season Seven, but I'm guessing that's going to be more guest work and less full-time TARDIS work. What do you reckon?

I've got one more stray observation. Remember this quote from one of the gay soldiers in "A Good Man Goes to War": "We’re being paid to fight him, not praise him. Praising costs way more!"

This season is frakking with my mind in the very best way. Two episodes left, and the last one features my beloved River Song. Wait a second, I'm omnipotent now, aren't I? Well, then — in "The Wedding of River Song," I will be the one who marries Melody Pond!