Doctor Who: The Rings of Akhaten Review - 9 Themes To Think About
2. The Temporal Tipping Point
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The centerpiece of The Rings of Akhaten is a choral piece. Merry is the soloist, singing in counterpoint to the man keeping the monster asleep while the people in the stands the chorus back them up. Each part of a choir has to work with all the other voices in order to achieve harmony and balance. Like the choir, the Doctor does not exist to save the universe or to destroy it but to keep it in balance. When balance is shifted things begin to fall apart. Is the Doctor the fulcrum - the fixed point upon which the lever of the universe pivots? If he begins to crack under the weight of his responsibilities might the universe tip into chaos? Has Clara come along to shore him up or to send him over the edge? If the Doctor maintains balance, is Clara the tipping point?