France 1890: Dr Gachet (Howard Lee) attends Vincent Van Gogh (Tony Curran). Everyone can hear his screams. He appears to be lamenting at his latest painting.
Cabinet War Rooms, London 1941: Bracewell (Bill Paterson) looks at a painting found in an attic in France. Churchill can't understand and he's not meant to since it's a message for the Doctor. (Matt Smith)
Stormcage Containment Facility 5145: The phone rings for River (Alex Kingston) who says she's entitled to phonecalls. It's Churchill calling as the Doctor's nowhere to be found. River kisses the guard with her hallucinogenic lipstick again to effect her escape.
The Royal Collection 5145: River breaks into the collection to steal the painting and Liz 10 (Sophie Okonedo) tells River she's the Queen, but River needs to find the Doctor.
The Maldovarium 5145: River buys a time manipulator from the blue man, Dorium Maldovar (Simon Fisher-Becker) also seen in season 6.7 A Good Man Goes to War.
Amy (Karen Gillan) looks at the ring at Planet 1. The Doctor tells her there's a message from the dawn of time at the cliff, it's never been translated but the TARDIS can do it. The message says, "Hello Sweetie." With co-ordinates below it. They land to see the Roman invasion, which Amy used to call the "Invasion of the hot Italians." A centurion thinks the Doctor is Caesar as River is Cleopatra. The painting depicts the TARDIS exploding. River believes it's a warning. Date and map reference on the door. The title of the painting is "The Pandorica Opens." It was "built to contain the most feared thing in all the universe." The Doctor still calls it a fairytale as in the season 5 Flesh and Stone episode. The Doctor wants to remember where the most dangerous thing in all of the universe is buried. At Stone Henge.
River mentions "Spoilers" when Amy recalls River said the mighty warrior in history will be guarding it. They have to get underground. Doctor: "The Underhenge." A Cyberman's head is nearby. River says it's "more than just a fairytale." A Cyberman's hand is below. Doctor: "There was a goblin or a trickster, a warrior, a nameless terrible thing soaked in the blood of a billion galaxies, the most feared thing in all the cosmos - nothing could stop it; reason with it; one day it would drop out of the sky and tear down your world." It was tricked by a good wizard and River hates good wizards. They always "turn out to be him." Referring to the Doctor. There were apparent clues in what the Doctor has just said if looked at and it comes down to him, the Doctor himself. Since what drops out of the sky: the TARDIS and he goes to different worlds and planets attempting to put things right and help. SO he would be the most feared in all the universe. (See 6.7 A Good Man Goes to War) kind of in the wrong order to say this here, but that's what River said about the Doctor; that he's feared by everyone.)
Amy's favourite story was Pandora's Box. Doctor: "Never ignore a coincidence unless you're busy, in which case, always ignore a coincidence." River says the Pandorica is being opened from the inside. Amy asks how Vincent Van Gogh new about the Pandorica. The Doctor talks of stories, broadcasting its opening, but why doesn't the Doctor know about it. Again cos it was built to contain him. Everyone's coming, there are starships around the planet. The Daleks can be heard and the Doctor says they've got surprise on their side, but have they really. River tells him everything that hates him is here, again another clue. This is the one time the Doctor must run. He asks where. Think maybe he should have listened to her this time round, but as he says where would he run to, they'll always find him, so as he says, "this ends here; this ends now." Well kind of here and now. The Doctor thinks of the Romans, the greatest military machine and thinks they can help. His mistake.
River goes back and zaps away the Roman commander's cupboard. There is a man and he needs their help tonight, well could have done without the Romans with hindsight. River has a volunteer in the shadows. Forcefield energy inside the box will buy them more time. (The box refers to the Pandorica.) So the title does make sense, since it was a play on Pandora's Box which contained the worst evils ever and was opened when it shouldn't have been, reversed here to contain the Doctor, who isn't the worst evil ever, but is perceived to be to other races and species.
Amy asks if the Doctor is proposing to someone. Doctor: "A memory, a friend of mine, somehow lost." People fall out of the world, but always leave traces...nothing is ever forgotten...and if if something can be remembered it can come back." Just like the Doctor (final episode.) The Doctor was lying, he took Amy away from her house since it had too many rooms. Doctor: "Does it bother you Amy your life never really makes sense."
The Cyber arm grabs the Doctor and he gets zapped and Amy is grabbed by the wires of the Cyber head. Firing a dart into her. Then the Cyberman body arrives. The Cyberman is destroyed by a sword. Amy faints when she sees Rory (Arthur Darvill) as a Roman centurion, he was River's volunteer. The Doctor isn't surprised at Rory turning up. "I'm not exactly one to miss the obvious" he says. He gets it in a minute and pokes Rory. He died and was erased from time. The Doctor wonders how he's here. Rory asks if Amy missed him, but there's no time to answer: the Pandorica opens.
The Doctor needs his TARDIS and makes an announcement: "Whoever takes the Pandorica, takes the universe." the Doctor doesn't have anything to lose, he stopped them and they should do the smart thing: "let somebody else try first." The TARDIS refuses to move. Rory has to be brave. Amy doesn't remember him.
The Doctor speaks of cracks and how there'll be an explosion one day. Rory asks what exploded. Flashes to the TARDIS and the date 26/6/2010: the base code of the universe. Rory shouldn't be here. He was here - a proper Roman soldier, like he woke from a dream. The men in the camp spoke about a girl with red hair. Doctor: "Oh shut up - go get her." Rory's here because he is, impossible things happen - miracles. He gives Rory the ring.
Location: Earth. 26/6/2010. A voice in the TARDIS is heard to say "Silence will fall." The TARDIS lands at Amy's house. River: "Oh Doctor why do I let you out." She finds a book on Roman Britain, Pandora's Box book and River realizes the Romans aren't real. They're in picture books. Roranicus is short for Rory. Amy cries.
The Doctor says something is using Amy's memories. River's lipstick worked on the Romans. He finally realizes this is a perfect disguise. Rory pleads for Amy to remember him. River calls it a trap. Amy was used to get close to the Doctor. Something is controlling the TARDIS. The Doctor mentions the date and River needs to get out. Amy doesn't know Rory but she's crying cos she remembers him. River can stop the cracks from forming if she can land the TARDIS. The Pandorica opens. The Roman's arms extend out as weapons, as does Rory's, he'll kill Amy, she has to go. Amy recalls Rory. The TARDIS doors don't open.
The Doctor says the Nestene Consciousness drives the Roman duplicates. The Daleks arrive (the Fruit Pastille ones.) Rory shows Amy the ring. Dalek: "You have been scanned." The Sontaran says the Pandorica is ready for the Doctor. Rory shoots Amy. The Doctor is dragged to the Pandorica, as River struggles with the TARDIS. The Doctor realizes they're working together, an alliance. The Dalek refers to the "cracks in the skin of the universe." The Sontaran tells him they'll save the universe from the Doctor. The Doctor tries to tell them they'll destroy the universe. The Doctor couldn't resist the trap and is responsible for the cracks. The Doctor exclaims the whole universe never existed. He's the only one who can stop the TARDIS exploding. River: "I'm sorry my love..."
What an explosive episode. Certain hardened fans and seasoned viewers must have relished the Doctor being led away into the Pandorica, somewhere he didn't want to be, signifying the end of the universe. Normally he has to make such decisions, "choices" to use his word and it almost always ain't pleasant! Should have realized it was a trap a long time ago - why would Romans talk of Amy, they've never seen her. The Doctor falling into the trap of the Romans being able to help and an obvious danger sign was Rory saying he felt like he'd woken from a dream. As well as the Doctor's line of 'whoever takes the Pandorica, takes the universe'; ironic when you think of what's to come.
The TARDIS in the vortex from the opening and end credits of the show is actually featured in this episode as it heads for Amy's house, from 5.1. In Flesh and Stone, River and the Doctor thought the Pandorica was a fairytale and they're proven wrong here, but not River, as she must've known otherwise, since this episode and what happens to the Doctor here has taken place for her already. As in The Time of Angels and Flesh and Stone episodes, since she recalls it there.
River uses her hallucinogenic lipstick again to escape her cell this time and uses "hello Sweetie" here as well as in The Time of Angels and when the Doctor met her for the first time in Silence in the Library. Everytime I mention this episode, it always reminds me of The Silence for some reason.
Liz 10 owned the painting depicting the TARDIS exploding, but no one managed to warn the Doctor, they can't get hold of him; only River does with the time manipulator.
River portrays Cleopatra alluding to the episode The Girl in the Fireplace, where Mickey Smith (Noel Clarke) comments the Doctor had to have known Cleopatra intimately (same was said about the Doctor and Elizabeth I) since he referred to her as "Cleo." What is it with the Doctor and queens. Love this photo it's as if the Doctor is egging them on to come get him, "top of the world..." He's invincible.
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