The Pandorica Opens
Encyclopedia
"The Pandorica Opens" is the twelfth episode, and first in a two-part story, in the fifth series
of British
science fiction
television series Doctor Who
, broadcast on 19 June 2010. The Doctor's friends send him a warning; he deals with a message on a cliff, a mysterious box and a love story that spans millennia. It was written by Steven Moffat
, the head writer and executive producer
of the series. The two-part story won the 2011 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form).
and Amy Pond
, following a message from River Song
, arrive in Roman Britain on Earth in 102 AD, where they find River posing as Cleopatra. River shows the Doctor a Vincent van Gogh
painting titled The Pandorica Opens, which depicts the TARDIS
exploding. River had recovered the painting in the 52nd century, and travelled to the time-space coordinates on the painting using a time agent's Vortex Manipulator. The Doctor realises the "Pandorica", a fabled prison for the universe's deadliest being, must be stored in a memorable location near the coordinates: Stonehenge
.
At Stonehenge, the Doctor, Amy, and River find a passage to an underground area. Inside, they find the Pandorica, a giant metal box outfitted with every type of lock imaginable. While examining the Pandorica, Amy confronts the Doctor about the engagement ring; he says that it belonged to a "friend", and that nothing is ever truly forgotten. The Pandorica is transmitting a signal amplified by Stonehenge's rocks across the universe, and River warns the Doctor that the signal is drawing "everything that ever hated [him]" to Earth that night. The Doctor is aided by a volunteer group of Roman legion
aries; the centurion in charge of them is revealed to be Rory
. Neither Rory nor the Doctor can explain Rory's presence, as he was consumed by a crack in the universe during the events of "Cold Blood
." When Amy comes around after being knocked out by a damaged Cyberman, she does not remember Rory. Rory is upset about that, but the Doctor assures him that Amy will remember him in time, and hands him the engagement ring.
The Doctor's enemies begin to orbit overhead, and the Doctor buys himself additional time with a threatening speech. He urges River to bring the TARDIS to Stonehenge while he, Amy, Rory, and the legionaries prepare. When River tries to use the time machine, an outside force takes control of the TARDIS and pilots it to Amy's house in the present day. After River leaves the TARDIS, the scanner screen cracks and a menacing voice says: "Silence will fall." River discovers landing patterns in Amy's garden and sees that someone has broken into the house. She finds in Amy's room a story book about Pandora's box
and a children's book about Roman Britain. River communicates this to the Doctor, and warns him that the Pandorica must be a trap, created out of Amy's memories. River identifies her current space-time coordinates—26 June 2010, the date the Doctor identified as the onset of the time energy explosion that caused the cracks in the universe ("Flesh and Stone
"). The Doctor warns her to leave immediately, but again she finds herself trapped inside the TARDIS, as the central console begins to go critical.
Back at Stonehenge, the Doctor discovers that the volunteer legionaries, including Rory, are Auton
s, and he is quickly captured as the Doctor's foes materialise around him. Above ground, as Rory fights to retain his human identity, Amy suddenly remembers him, but as his Auton identity emerges, he unwillingly shoots and kills her. The Doctor struggles against his captors, who reveal that they have formed an alliance to imprison him in the Pandorica. They believe the Doctor caused the time energy explosion that will destroy the universe, despite the Doctor's insistence that the TARDIS is responsible. As the Doctor is sealed into the Pandorica, explosions surround the Earth in space before a fade to black and silence.
" at Margam Country Park
, Port Talbot
. The "Underhenge" set was the biggest built in the BBC's Upper Boat Studios
. The script referred to it as similar to a temple found in Indiana Jones
, and director Toby Haynes
actually played music by John Williams
, the composer for the Indiana Jones films, to help the actors slow down as they explored the set.
For the scene in which the Doctor, Amy, and River are riding on horses, the close-ups of the characters riding were filmed by having the actors sit on a saddle mounted on the back of a truck and act like they were riding a horse. They were filmed performing this as the truck drove to achieve the effect of the passing country. Wide shots were taken of stunt doubles of the three actors riding real horses.
", "The Lodger
" and "The Big Bang
" was released on 6 September 2010.
praised the cinematic scope and cliffhanger,calling it "the most audacious of showstoppers". He thought that so much happened in the episode that Rory's return felt like "a minor plot point", though he considered that was because the audience knew it was going to happen. Gavin Fuller, writing for The Daily Telegraph
, praising it for bringing an "epic, cinematic tale to stick in the memory" that the series had "arguably lacked", though he thought the assemble of the Alliance was "rather fanboyish on Moffat's part". He also praised Matt Smith for "hit[ting] the right note" and the revelations at the end for being "genuinly shocking". Like Martin, he said that Rory's return was "unsurprising", though "well-handled" and with some touching moments between he and Amy.
Patrick Mulkern of Radio Times
called it "perhaps the most epic, salivating Doctor Who ever" and praising the four leads and Moffat for "packing in surprises and slotting together the season puzzle with a dazzling plot, urgent pace and terrific dialogue". IGN
's Matt Wales rated the episode 9 out of 10, saying it "managed to pack in an absurd number of standout moments" and was "beautifully delivered, if not quite as satisfying as other two-part openers thanks to its wilful evasiveness". However, he thought that the slow-motion ending "dipped a little too violently into melodrama", thought it was "hard to fault that bravado downbeat cliffhanger".
SFX magazine's Richard Edwards awarded the episode five out of five stars, with a "delicious twist", "great character stuff", and "touching scenes" between Amy and Rory. He thought that the Aliance was "unlikely" but it worked because the series arc had been "cleverly constructed". Sam McPherson of Zap2it
gave it an A+, praising it for being an improvement upon the finales of previous series. He also thought the use of the Alliance was well done, as it portrayed them as being more misguided than evil. The A.V. Club
's Keith Phipps gave the episode an A-, though expressed concern whether the conclusion would be able to satisfy the set-up.
The episode, along with its conclusion
, was awarded the 2011 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form).
Doctor Who (series 5)
The fifth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who began on 3 April 2010 with "The Eleventh Hour" and ended with "The Big Bang" on 26 June 2010. The series was led by head writer and executive producer Steven Moffat, who took over after the departure of Russell T Davies. The...
of British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, broadcast on 19 June 2010. The Doctor's friends send him a warning; he deals with a message on a cliff, a mysterious box and a love story that spans millennia. It was written by Steven Moffat
Steven Moffat
Steven Moffat is a Scottish television writer and producer.Moffat's first television work was the teen drama series Press Gang. His first sitcom, Joking Apart, was inspired by the breakdown of his first marriage; conversely, his later sitcom Coupling was based upon the development of his...
, the head writer and executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
of the series. The two-part story won the 2011 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form).
Plot
The DoctorEleventh Doctor
The Eleventh Doctor is the eleventh incarnation of the protagonist of the BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. Matt Smith plays this incarnation, replacing David Tennant's Tenth Doctor in the 2010 episode "The End of Time, Part Two"...
and Amy Pond
Amy Pond
Amelia Jessica 'Amy' Pond is a fictional character portrayed by Karen Gillan in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
, following a message from River Song
River Song (Doctor Who)
River Song is a fictional character played primarily by Alex Kingston in the British science-fiction series Doctor Who. River Song was introduced to the series as an experienced future companion of series protagonist the Doctor, an alien Time Lord who travels through time in his TARDIS...
, arrive in Roman Britain on Earth in 102 AD, where they find River posing as Cleopatra. River shows the Doctor a Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh , and used Brabant dialect in his writing; it is therefore likely that he himself pronounced his name with a Brabant accent: , with a voiced V and palatalized G and gh. In France, where much of his work was produced, it is...
painting titled The Pandorica Opens, which depicts the TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
exploding. River had recovered the painting in the 52nd century, and travelled to the time-space coordinates on the painting using a time agent's Vortex Manipulator. The Doctor realises the "Pandorica", a fabled prison for the universe's deadliest being, must be stored in a memorable location near the coordinates: Stonehenge
Stonehenge
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks...
.
At Stonehenge, the Doctor, Amy, and River find a passage to an underground area. Inside, they find the Pandorica, a giant metal box outfitted with every type of lock imaginable. While examining the Pandorica, Amy confronts the Doctor about the engagement ring; he says that it belonged to a "friend", and that nothing is ever truly forgotten. The Pandorica is transmitting a signal amplified by Stonehenge's rocks across the universe, and River warns the Doctor that the signal is drawing "everything that ever hated [him]" to Earth that night. The Doctor is aided by a volunteer group of Roman legion
Roman legion
A Roman legion normally indicates the basic ancient Roman army unit recruited specifically from Roman citizens. The organization of legions varied greatly over time but they were typically composed of perhaps 5,000 soldiers, divided into maniples and later into "cohorts"...
aries; the centurion in charge of them is revealed to be Rory
Rory Williams
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 5th series, Rory joins the Eleventh Doctor as a companion in the middle of Series 5...
. Neither Rory nor the Doctor can explain Rory's presence, as he was consumed by a crack in the universe during the events of "Cold Blood
Cold Blood (Doctor Who)
"Cold Blood" is the ninth episode in the fifth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was broadcast on Saturday 29 May 2010...
." When Amy comes around after being knocked out by a damaged Cyberman, she does not remember Rory. Rory is upset about that, but the Doctor assures him that Amy will remember him in time, and hands him the engagement ring.
The Doctor's enemies begin to orbit overhead, and the Doctor buys himself additional time with a threatening speech. He urges River to bring the TARDIS to Stonehenge while he, Amy, Rory, and the legionaries prepare. When River tries to use the time machine, an outside force takes control of the TARDIS and pilots it to Amy's house in the present day. After River leaves the TARDIS, the scanner screen cracks and a menacing voice says: "Silence will fall." River discovers landing patterns in Amy's garden and sees that someone has broken into the house. She finds in Amy's room a story book about Pandora's box
Pandora's box
Pandora's box is an artifact in Greek mythology, taken from the myth of Pandora's creation around line 60 of Hesiod's Works and Days. The "box" was actually a large jar given to Pandora , which contained all the evils of the world. When Pandora opened the jar, all its contents except for one item...
and a children's book about Roman Britain. River communicates this to the Doctor, and warns him that the Pandorica must be a trap, created out of Amy's memories. River identifies her current space-time coordinates—26 June 2010, the date the Doctor identified as the onset of the time energy explosion that caused the cracks in the universe ("Flesh and Stone
Flesh and Stone
"Flesh and Stone" is the fifth episode of the fifth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Written by showrunner Steven Moffat and directed by Adam Smith, the episode was first broadcast on 1 May 2010 on BBC One...
"). The Doctor warns her to leave immediately, but again she finds herself trapped inside the TARDIS, as the central console begins to go critical.
Back at Stonehenge, the Doctor discovers that the volunteer legionaries, including Rory, are Auton
Auton
The Autons are an artificial life form from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and adversaries of the Doctor. First appearing in Jon Pertwee's first serial as the Doctor, Spearhead from Space in 1970, they were the first monsters on the show to be presented in colour.Autons...
s, and he is quickly captured as the Doctor's foes materialise around him. Above ground, as Rory fights to retain his human identity, Amy suddenly remembers him, but as his Auton identity emerges, he unwillingly shoots and kills her. The Doctor struggles against his captors, who reveal that they have formed an alliance to imprison him in the Pandorica. They believe the Doctor caused the time energy explosion that will destroy the universe, despite the Doctor's insistence that the TARDIS is responsible. As the Doctor is sealed into the Pandorica, explosions surround the Earth in space before a fade to black and silence.
Continuity
- From the Doctor's perspective, approximately three weeks have elapsed since the start of the preceding episode, "The LodgerThe Lodger (Doctor Who)"The Lodger" is the eleventh episode of the fifth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, first broadcast on BBC One on 12 June 2010...
". - The episode title refers to the Pandorica, first mentioned by Prisoner Zero in "The Eleventh HourThe Eleventh Hour (Doctor Who)"The Eleventh Hour" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One and BBC HD on 3 April 2010....
" and later by River Song in the fifth episode of this series, "Flesh and StoneFlesh and Stone"Flesh and Stone" is the fifth episode of the fifth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Written by showrunner Steven Moffat and directed by Adam Smith, the episode was first broadcast on 1 May 2010 on BBC One...
" where the Doctor declares he believes the Pandorica to be merely a fairy tale. It is also the title of Van Gogh's painting in the episode. - The large stones at Stonehenge were moved and erected with the help of The Meddling Monk and his anti-gravitational lift, as stated in The Time MeddlerThe Time MeddlerThe Time Meddler is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 3 July to 24 July 1965...
. - Rory initially displays confusion at how he could have been "erased from time", having been absent during "Flesh and Stone" when the Doctor and Amy first encountered this phenomenon.
- The re-designed time vortex, used in the start and end credit sequences since "The Eleventh Hour", is shown within an episode for the first time when the TARDIS (piloted by River Song) is transported to Amy's house in 2010.
- In River Song's timeline, this takes place before "The Time of AngelsThe Time of Angels"The Time of Angels" is the fourth episode in the fifth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who, first broadcast on 24 April 2010 on BBC One. It is the first episode of a two-part story written by showrunner Steven Moffat and directed by Adam Smith; the second episode was...
" and "Flesh and Stone", where she mentions "I remember it well," and also being imprisoned in the Stormcage facility for killing a man. She is seen to be a prisoner here at the start of the episode. This episode also marks the second use of River's hallucinogenic lipstick on the programme. River's message on the oldest planet of the universe in the extended cold openCold openA cold open in a television program or movie is the technique of jumping directly into a story at the beginning or opening of the show, before the title sequence or opening credits are shown...
says, "HELLO SWEETIE" (used as her greeting to the Doctor in both "Silence in the LibrarySilence in the Library"Silence in the Library" is the eighth episode of the fourth series of the revived British science fiction television series Doctor Who, first broadcast on 31 May 2008. It is the first of a two-part story, followed by "Forest of the Dead", and is the second two-parter Steven Moffat contributed to...
" and "The Time of Angels") along with several characters underneath — supposedly the coordinates for finding River in 102 AD. The first two characters are "ΘΣ" which are the Greek characters theta and sigma. "Theta Sigma" was the college nickname Drax called the Doctor in The Armageddon FactorThe Armageddon FactorThe Armageddon Factor is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 20 January to 24 February 1979...
, and which the Doctor confirmed in The Happiness PatrolThe Happiness PatrolThe Happiness Patrol is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in three weekly parts from 2 November to 16 November 1988.-Plot:...
. - The painting of the TARDIS explosion passes through several characters from previous episodes: the painting is created by Vincent Van Gogh after his meeting with the Doctor ("Vincent and the DoctorVincent and the Doctor"Vincent and the Doctor" is the 10th episode in the fifth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 5 June 2010...
"), which is found in 1941 by Winston ChurchillWinston ChurchillSir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
and Professor Bracewell ("Victory of the DaleksVictory of the Daleks"Victory of the Daleks" is the third episode in the fifth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It is written by Mark Gatiss and first broadcast on BBC One on 17 April 2010....
"). Churchill attempts to contact the Doctor through the TARDIS phone system, but instead connects with River in the 52nd Century who is still imprisoned for a previous crime. River escapes and steals the painting, now in the collection of Liz 10 ("The Beast BelowThe Beast Below"The Beast Below" is the second episode of the fifth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was written by showrunner Steven Moffat and broadcast on BBC One and BBC HD on 10 April 2010....
"), before she finally obtains a Vortex Manipulator to travel to the past and warn the Doctor. - River Song announces alien races whose space ships have received the transmission from StonehengeStonehengeStonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks...
. They are the DalekDalekThe Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
s, the CybermenCybermanThe Cybermen are a fictional race of cyborgs who are amongst the most persistent enemies of the Doctor in the British science fiction television series, Doctor Who. Cybermen were originally a wholly organic species of humanoids originating on Earth's twin planet Mondas that began to implant more...
, the SontaranSontaranThe Sontarans are a fictional extraterrestrial race of humanoids from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and also seen in spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures. They were created by writer Robert Holmes.-Culture:...
s, the Terileptils, the SlitheenSlitheenThe Slitheen are a family of massive, bipedal extraterrestrials from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and they are adversaries of the Doctor. They first appeared in the 2005 series episodes "Aliens of London" and "World War Three", and subsequently recur in later episodes of...
, the Chelonians, the NesteneAutonThe Autons are an artificial life form from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and adversaries of the Doctor. First appearing in Jon Pertwee's first serial as the Doctor, Spearhead from Space in 1970, they were the first monsters on the show to be presented in colour.Autons...
, the Drahvins, the Sycorax, the Haemo-goths, the ZygonZygonThe Zygons are a fictional extraterrestrial race in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. They first appeared in the Fourth Doctor serial Terror of the Zygons, where it was revealed that centuries ago, the Zygon homeworld was destroyed in a stellar explosion. A...
s, the Atraxi and the DraconiansDraconian (Doctor Who)The Draconians are a fictional extraterrestrial race from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Their only television appearance to date was in the 1973 serial Frontier in Space. Unlike many "monster" races in Doctor Who, the Draconians were articulate and portrayed as having a...
. The only ones to feature in the episode are the Daleks, Autons, the Cybermen, Sontarans, JudoonJudoonThe Judoon are a fictional extraterrestrial species of mercenary police from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spin-offs. They first appeared in the episode Smith and Jones in 2007....
, Sycorax, Hoix, SiluriansSilurian (Doctor Who)The Silurians are a fictional race of reptile-like humanoids in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The species first appeared in Doctor Who in the 1970 serial Doctor Who and the Silurians...
, Roboforms and Atraxi. Blowfish, WeevilsWeevil (Torchwood)Weevils are a fictional extraterrestrial species from the British science fiction television series Torchwood, first appearing in the episode "Everything Changes". As Jack Harkness explains in that episode, the name "Weevil" is applied to them by Torchwood, but as communication with them is...
, and Uvodni appear only for a split second. The Chelonians (created by writer Gareth RobertsGareth Roberts (writer)Gareth John Pritchard Roberts is a British television screenwriter and novelist, best known for his work related to the science-fiction television series Doctor Who...
for his novel The Highest ScienceThe Highest ScienceThe Highest Science is an original novel written by Gareth Roberts and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor and Bernice and the first appearance of the recurring monsters, the Chelonians...
) were planned to make their debut had an early draft of "Planet of the Dead" made it to completion. - The only Sontaran to speak in the episode is Commander Stark, played by Christopher Ryan; he had played the Sontaran General Staal in the series four two-parter "The Sontaran StratagemThe Sontaran Stratagem"The Sontaran Stratagem" is the fourth episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 26 April 2008...
/The Poison SkyThe Poison Sky"The Poison Sky" is the fifth episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 3 May 2008. The episode features both former companion Martha Jones and the alien Sontarans...
". - River Song poses as Cleopatra at the start of this episode. In the episode "The Girl in the FireplaceThe Girl in the Fireplace"The Girl in the Fireplace" is the fourth episode of the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 6 May 2006, and is the only episode in the 2006 series written by Steven Moffat...
" Mickey Smith claims that the Doctor must have known Cleopatra intimately - "he called her Cleo!" The Doctor has so far not met Cleopatra in recorded adventures, although he did meet her children in an alternative timeline in the novel State of ChangeState of ChangeState of Change is an original novel written by Christopher Bulis and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
.
Production
Half of the scene with Liz 10 was filmed in advance on 22 October 2009 along with scenes of "The Beast BelowThe Beast Below
"The Beast Below" is the second episode of the fifth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was written by showrunner Steven Moffat and broadcast on BBC One and BBC HD on 10 April 2010....
" at Margam Country Park
Margam Country Park
Margam Country Park is a country park estate in Britain, of around 850 acres . It is situated in Margam, about 2 miles from Port Talbot in south Wales it was once owned by the Mansel Talbot family and is now owned and administered by the local council, Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council...
, Port Talbot
Port Talbot
Port Talbot is a town in Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It had a population of 35,633 in 2001.-History:Port Talbot grew out of the original small port and market town of Aberafan , which belonged to the medieval Lords of Afan. The area of the parish of Margam lying on the west bank of the lower Afan...
. The "Underhenge" set was the biggest built in the BBC's Upper Boat Studios
Upper Boat Studios
Upper Boat Studios is a television studio complex operated by BBC Wales and based in Upper Boat, a village on the outskirts of Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf in Wales. The studios were officially opened on 27 July 2006 by Welsh Enterprise Minister Andrew Davies, for the purpose of producing Doctor...
. The script referred to it as similar to a temple found in Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones
Colonel Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., Ph.D. is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials...
, and director Toby Haynes
Toby Haynes
Toby Haynes is a British television director, notable for his work on Doctor Who, Five Days, Being Human and M.I. High.He is a graduate of the National Film and Television School.-Credits:-External links:* at the Curtis Brown Agency...
actually played music by John Williams
John Williams
John Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T...
, the composer for the Indiana Jones films, to help the actors slow down as they explored the set.
For the scene in which the Doctor, Amy, and River are riding on horses, the close-ups of the characters riding were filmed by having the actors sit on a saddle mounted on the back of a truck and act like they were riding a horse. They were filmed performing this as the truck drove to achieve the effect of the passing country. Wide shots were taken of stunt doubles of the three actors riding real horses.
Broadcast
The final figures for "The Pandorica Opens" show the story was watched on its first BBC run by 7.57 million viewers. (This can be divided by 6.94 million watching on BBC1, and 0.635 million watched on the BBC HD simulcast)Home video releases
A Region 2 DVD and Blu-ray containing this episode together with "Vincent and the DoctorVincent and the Doctor
"Vincent and the Doctor" is the 10th episode in the fifth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 5 June 2010...
", "The Lodger
The Lodger (Doctor Who)
"The Lodger" is the eleventh episode of the fifth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, first broadcast on BBC One on 12 June 2010...
" and "The Big Bang
The Big Bang (Doctor Who)
"The Big Bang" is the 13th and final episode in the fifth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It is the second part of a two-part season finale started with "The Pandorica Opens", at the end of which The Doctor is trapped, the TARDIS destroyed, and Amy Pond has been shot...
" was released on 6 September 2010.
Reception
"The Pandorica Opens" received positive reviews. Dan Martin of The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
praised the cinematic scope and cliffhanger,calling it "the most audacious of showstoppers". He thought that so much happened in the episode that Rory's return felt like "a minor plot point", though he considered that was because the audience knew it was going to happen. Gavin Fuller, writing for The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, praising it for bringing an "epic, cinematic tale to stick in the memory" that the series had "arguably lacked", though he thought the assemble of the Alliance was "rather fanboyish on Moffat's part". He also praised Matt Smith for "hit[ting] the right note" and the revelations at the end for being "genuinly shocking". Like Martin, he said that Rory's return was "unsurprising", though "well-handled" and with some touching moments between he and Amy.
Patrick Mulkern of Radio Times
Radio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
called it "perhaps the most epic, salivating Doctor Who ever" and praising the four leads and Moffat for "packing in surprises and slotting together the season puzzle with a dazzling plot, urgent pace and terrific dialogue". IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Matt Wales rated the episode 9 out of 10, saying it "managed to pack in an absurd number of standout moments" and was "beautifully delivered, if not quite as satisfying as other two-part openers thanks to its wilful evasiveness". However, he thought that the slow-motion ending "dipped a little too violently into melodrama", thought it was "hard to fault that bravado downbeat cliffhanger".
SFX magazine's Richard Edwards awarded the episode five out of five stars, with a "delicious twist", "great character stuff", and "touching scenes" between Amy and Rory. He thought that the Aliance was "unlikely" but it worked because the series arc had been "cleverly constructed". Sam McPherson of Zap2it
Zap2it
Zap2it is an American website and affiliate network that provides news, photos and video, local TV listings and movie showtimes. The site is produced by Tribune Media Services , part of the publishing division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
gave it an A+, praising it for being an improvement upon the finales of previous series. He also thought the use of the Alliance was well done, as it portrayed them as being more misguided than evil. The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
's Keith Phipps gave the episode an A-, though expressed concern whether the conclusion would be able to satisfy the set-up.
The episode, along with its conclusion
The Big Bang (Doctor Who)
"The Big Bang" is the 13th and final episode in the fifth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It is the second part of a two-part season finale started with "The Pandorica Opens", at the end of which The Doctor is trapped, the TARDIS destroyed, and Amy Pond has been shot...
, was awarded the 2011 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form).