Doctor Who: 10 Reasons Why The Rings Of Akhaten Sucks

2. Did The Planet Monster Drain The Doctor's Memories Or Not?

Towards the end of the episode, the Doctor attempts to overload the parasite creature by feeding it his memories. "So come on then! Take it! Take it all, baby! Have it! You have it all!" he yells melodramatically.

Energy tendrils dutifully lash into the Doctor and he falls to his knee. Except, a few seconds later, he seems fine. All his memories are still intact. So, the monster didn't take anything then?

It would seem that the Doctor's long and pretty speech, goading the parasite planet into eating his memories or soul or something-or-nothing was an utter waste of time, then. The tear trickling down Matt Smith's cheek is a nice touch, though.

The solution: Neil Cross should have included an explanation for what was or wasn't happening to the Doctor in the script. Perhaps the Doctor's physiology was incompatible with the parasite's needs, so it couldn't absorb anything from the Doctor. Because the Doctor clearly didn't lose a darn thing to the monster. As it stands, the Doctor's sacrifice looks like no kind of sacrifice at all.

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Mike has lived in the UK, Japan and the USA. Currently, he is based in Iowa with his wife and 2 young children. After working for many years as a writer and editor for a large corporation, he is now a freelancer. He has been fortunate enough to contribute to many books on Doctor Who over the last 20 years and is now concentrating on original sci-fi & fantasy short stories, with recent sales including Flame Tree, Uffda, and The Martian Wave. Also, look for his contribution on Blake's 7 to "You and Who Else", a charity anthology to be released later this year. You can find him on Tumblr at https://www.tumblr.com/blog/culttvmike