Doctor Who Commentary – 6.11 ‘The God Complex’

Caleb WoodbridgeSwithun Dobson and Sarah Burrow discuss ‘The God Complex’ , episode 11 of Doctor Who series six, penned by Being Human writer Toby Whithouse.

The Doctor, Amy and Rory face their nightmares in an infinite hotel, but has travelling with the Doctor finally become too dangerous? We discuss nightmares, blogger stereotypes, religion in Doctor Who, Rory’s lack of faith, the question of what the Doctor believes in, the departure of Amy and Rory Williams, and much more.

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5 thoughts on “Doctor Who Commentary – 6.11 ‘The God Complex’

  1. Regarding (Swithern's?) requests for earlier literary sources for Hell being a room, it's arguable that they all follow on from Sartre's "No Exit." It was a 1944 play where Hell is a place resembling a hotel where a small group of people have to spend eternity with each other and are constantly reminded of their sins from their interactions with the others in the room. It's where the phrase "Hell is other people" comes from, if I recall correctly.

    While the story goes in a different direction, the beginning of The God Complex does remind me of it.

    Of course, the whole "Hell is a room" imagery could probably be laid at the door of the discovery of, and survivor reports from, concentration camps at the end of the second world war, hence the reason there seems to be nothing from before that period.

  2. Me again! That'll teach me to post part way through listening!

    Regarding Rory's lack of faith: It's hinted strongly both in this episode, and through his general characterisation that his greatest faith is in Amy, but that his greatest fear in in losing her. Surely this render's his faith useless to the Minotaur, as if you show him his greatest fear, instead of making him fall back on his faith, it would undermine it, meaning it cannot be converted.

    The same is true with the Doctor (if we accept that his his greatest fear and faith are also the same: himself).

    Gibbis' fears also make sense, in that the Weeping Angels aren't occupying invaders but killers.

    I've throughly enjoyed this series: there's been a lot going on, especially in recurring themes. This is the fourth episode in a row (and at least the fifth of the series) which features a Tardis analogue, this being the hotel with constantly changing interior. Previous ones being different timestreams in The Girl Who Waited allowing so many people to be in the same place at once; the dollhouse from Night Terrors; the Tesselecta from Let's Kill Hitler, and House from the Doctor's Wife (immortalised in the dialogue "sSo much smaller on the inside).

    And don't even get me started on the Doctor analogues. I really am looking forward to watching the entire thirteen episodes (or if A Christmas Carol is included) and seeing the textual connections across the entire series.

    Enjoyed the podcast, must go back and listen to some of the earlier ones now.

  3. Thanks for the reference guys!

    My query was if River's poison kiss to the Doctor counts as 'Hot Woman kisses the Doctor, who squirms' – if so I have a libe!

    Another one is the TARDIS swimming pool – we haven't had, but we have had the Karaoke bar mentioned, which is kinda the same thing…

  4. Thanks for the comments guys – we discuss them in our "Closing Time" podcast, so listen out for that, including whether or not Figleaf has won Moffat Bingo!

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