Doctor Who: Every Modern Companion's DEFINITIVE Episode
7. The Girl Who Waited (Amy & Rory)
Amy and Rory come as a pair, and their arcs are so intertwined that any episode that's quintessential for one is likely quintessential for the other.
At first glance, The Girl Who Waited seems like Amy's story – a companion trapped in isolation, ageing alone, forced to survive in a hostile environment. But the episode is doing a lot more than that – it's also about the difference in Rory and the Doctor's perspective of Amy.
The plot revolves around 'Old Amy', who has grown bitter, resentful and distant, but the point at which the story really gets going is when 'Young Amy' is recovered. This is an Amy who hasn't aged, and hasn't suffered the same isolation. And the kicker is, it's impossible to save both.
The Doctor sees this problem in black and white. To him, Amy is an idea – she's as much his imaginary friend as he is hers. She is still the girl in her back garden, the one he first met. He's attached to the youthful, optimistic Amy because that's the mask he wants to wear himself, and when he's with her, he can pretend that he isn't approaching the end of his life.
Old, bitter Amy is difficult for him to look at or accept, because he doesn't want to be reminded of her mortality, and also because he's losing his dreamy-eyed, adventuring imaginary friend.
Rory, however, just sees Amy. He can't possibly choose young Amy or old Amy, because they are both the woman he loves. This, of course, sets them on a collision course, and during his confrontations with the Doctor, this is the argument that draws the starkest contrast between them. It shows us, in many respects, why Rory is the better man, and why, beyond a shadow of a doubt, he is better for Amy than the Doctor is.
Amy herself is the heart of the story. The episode shows what happens when her trust in the Doctor is broken. She has spent much of her life placing her faith in him, despite her feeling abandoned by him as a child, and here (though again, through no fault of his own), he does it again.
Amy's survival for so many years in this hostile facility shows how far her character has come, and the resentment and deep regret with which Karen Gillan plays this alternate Amy almost has you forgetting that they're the same actor. It's undoubtedly her best performance on the show, and you could make a pretty solid case for it being Arthur Darvill's too.
After a series-and-a-half of love triangle drama, The Girl Who Waited reinforces once and for all that Rory is Amy's anchor. After some initial tension between the two Amys, it's ultimately their love of Rory that brings them together, and bridges the gap between them.