TW: Glad you enjoyed it. Jane said she only seen from The Doctor's first meeting with Rose to his death in this universe, so no.
In a cottage like house, Amy, now heavily pregnant, is mixing a bowl of batter, eating some of it.
"Oi! What?" Donna exclaimed as the past viewers looked at the screen in confusion.
"Well clearly some time has passed since the last recording," Wilf noted.
"But why would it show us this? It doesn't make sense," Martha said in confusion.
"If this one goes like the others, we'll probably find out," Jack said as he continued watching carefully.
Suddenly, Amy gets a pained look on her face. Putting the mixing bowl down, she uses the table as support as she calls out for Rory. Not long after, Rory, his hair now grown so long he sports a ponytail, rides on a bike towards the cottage, passing a group of geese. He hears Amy calling for him and quickly rushes inside. But when he gets there, Amy is on the floor, eating batter. She tells him it was a false alarm as he drops to his knees in front of her.
"Braxton Hicks then?" Mickey asked as he looked at Martha.
"Maybe, although usually it's more severe," Martha noted.
"So, is no one else going to mention Rory's ponytail?" Jack asked with an amused smirk.
"He looks ridiculous," Donna said with a laugh.
"Why on earth did he think that was a good look?" Martha asked with a smile.
"Not sure, but it isn't," Mickey said with a laugh.
Rory is incredulous as Amy defensively says she's never had a baby before and doesn't know what labor feels like. She feeds him a spoon full of the batter and, as Rory stands up, they hear a familiar sound. Amy drops the spoon into the bowl as Rory thinks it's a leaf blower but Amy points outside their window and they see the TARDIS materialize in their front yard. Rory walks out as Amy mutters that she knew.
"So The Doctor came back to see them," Martha noted.
"That's…unusual," Mickey muttered.
"Not so unusual, just that he came of his own accord. Usually we have to call him," Martha pointed out.
"Martha's right. Something feels off about this," Jack said, alarm bells ringing in his head.
"And there's a reason. Just watch," Jane said, not taking her eyes off the screen.
The Doctor steps out of the TARDIS, seeing he's materialized on a flower bed, kicking over a stone. Rory walks out of the house and the two greet each other, Rory noting that Amy will kill him for wrecking the flowers. The Doctor asks where Amy is and Rory says she'll need a bit longer. Amy walks out of the house and she and The Doctor greet each other happily, The Doctor making repeated references to Amy's weight gain. Amy repeats that she's pregnant but The Doctor seems not to hear her. The Doctor hugs Amy, noting they haven't changed in five years. The Doctor looks down at Amy's stomach, asking if she's pregnant. Amy laughs before walking inside the house.
"He really didn't notice?" Mickey asked in disbelief.
"He noticed," Jack said knowingly. "Act like you're oblivious to obvious facts, people won't notice how observant you actually are."
"You speaking from experience?" Wilf inquired and Jack smiled tightly.
"Some Torchwood assignments required I blend in. Which worked until the London Branch forced us into the open after the Battle of Canary Wharf," Jack grumbled.
Later, the trio was walking through town. The Doctor dryly notes Leadworth is as vibrant as ever on a nearly abandoned street. Rory says it's Upper Leadworth, as they've gone upmarket. The Doctor asks where everyone is and Amy says this is considered busy.
"These seems dull even for small towns," Martha noted.
"Almost by design. Something really feels off," Jack said, unable to shake the uneasy feeling.
Amy defensively calls it quiet but restful and healthy, as lots of people live into their nineties. An old woman peaks back a curtain in her house, watching the trio.
"And now they're being watched. What is this, one of those horror movies where the perfect town is actually the lair of killers?" Donna grumbled.
"Really starting to feel like it," Martha muttered, starting to get the same feeling as Jack.
The three of them sit on a park bench, The Doctor saying he was checking in on them as the old woman continues to watch them from her window. Amy knowingly says he came there by mistake and The Doctor admits he did. The Doctor awkwardly makes a comment about how great the bench is. "So, what do you do around here to stave off the…" The Doctor pauses. "Boredom?" Amy supplies. "Self-harm," The Doctor says and Amy gives him a look.
"Bloody Hell," Mickey said as they all gave the screen startled looks.
"Spaceman," Donna muttered.
"Dad…really hates small towns. He has issues," Jane said lamely.
"Ya think?" Martha muttered.
Amy and Rory tell him their life consist of relaxing and listening to the birds sing as they listen to one singing right now. Rory notes they didn't get a lot of time to listen to birds singing while traveling on the TARDIS. The Doctor groans, seeming to get a headache. He mumbles an agreement that they didn't listen to birds singing while on the TARDIS before the three of them all nod off at the same time. The Doctor suddenly wakes up lying on the TARDIS floor. Pulling himself to his feet, he sees Rory coming down the stairs and Amy, not pregnant, by the console.
"So that was a dream The Doctor was having?" Martha asked.
"Really strange dream to have," Jack muttered, still not able to shake the uneasy feeling.
The Doctor expresses his relief at seeing them, declaring he had a 'terrible nightmare' about them, telling them they don't want to know and hugging a surprised Amy. The Doctor notes he's never fallen asleep like that, putting it off to him 'getting on a bit'. The Doctor quickly notes something is wrong with the console, as its flashing red lights. As The Doctor examines the console, Rory says he had also had a dream, with Amy saying she had as well. Rory says they were married, with Amy adding they were in a village. The Doctor pauses as Rory says Amy was pregnant, with Amy remarking on how big she was.
"So they all had the exact same dream…at the exact same time," Martha muttered lowly as they all realized where this was headed.
"Something is messing with their dreams," Jack realized.
"But what?" Wilf wondered.
"Could be anything. I'm sure there are a number of species that can influence dreams," Donna said, looking to Jack for confirmations.
"Supposedly. Although I've never encountered any," Jack said grimly.
"Oh bloody brilliant. The one time you don't have any experience in something," Mickey grumbled.
The Doctor walks up behind Rory as he and Amy realize they had the exact same dream. The Doctor cautiously pulls open Amy's jacket, making sure she isn't pregnant as Rory and Amy remember The Doctor was visiting in their dream. Rory wonders how they could have had the same dream as Amy asks about The Doctor's nightmare. He notes it was similar in some aspects and Rory asks which ones. "All of them," The Doctor reveals. Amy realizes the three of them had the same dream as Rory points out The Doctor said it was a nightmare. The Doctor dodges the question, noting the three of them had a psychic episode. The Doctor says they're back to reality before they hear bird singing again.
"Am I hearing things or are their birds singing in the TARDIS?" Mickey asked in disbelief.
"No, I hear it to," Donna said, wondering if they had finally cracked.
Amy asks how they can still hear birds singing. Rory notes they're the same birds in the dream when the three of them are suddenly back on the bench in Upper Leadworth.
"It's the birds. Whenever they hear them, they wake up. It's like a post hypnotic suggestion," Martha realized.
"But were they dreaming on the TARDIS or in Leadworth?" Wilf wondered.
"Well, it would be pretty odd if these recordings jump forward five years for no apparent reason," Jack pointed out. "But when you travel with The Doctor, you can't rule anything out. So I'm not really sure."
Rory and The Doctor open their eyes to see their heads inclined towards each other, nearly jumping back in surprise. Rory notes he must be overdoing it, as he was dreaming they were back on the TARDIS. The Doctor gets to his feet and Rory realizes Amy just had the same dream. Amy points out they were having this conversation on the TARDIS and Rory remembers they thought Leadworth was the dream, asking The Doctor what is happening. Amy and Rory stand up and The Doctor tells them not to trust anything they see, think or feel from now on. Rory argues they're awake but The Doctor points out they thought they were awake on the TARDIS.
"They can't even trust their own minds," Donna realized in horror.
"So how are they supposed to figure a way out of this then?" Mickey asked but no one had an answer.
Amy argues that they're home but The Doctor says they're dreaming, but they have no idea which is which. Are they flashing forwards or backwards? "Hold on tight, this is gonna be a tricky one," The Doctor notes as he looks around. The three of them wake back up on the TARDIS as it gives a sudden lurch, The Doctor grabbing onto the console to avoid falling down, accidently stubbing his toe. The Doctor grumbles in pain before walking off. Amy asks if she should get the manual and The Doctor reveals he threw it in a supernova as he disagreed with it.
"Of course he did. He never met a rule he didn't disagree with," Martha said in exasperation.
"Spaceman," Donna pinched the bridge of her noise in frustration.
"Doctor, your irrational moods are coming back to bite you," Jack noted.
Rory asks if what's happening to the TARDIS is causing them to dream about the future. "If that was the future," The Doctor noted. Amy and Rory argue it had to be, as they were in Leadworth but The Doctor argues they could still be in Leadworth, dreaming of this. The Doctor hands them both a tool as Amy argues she is definitely awake. "You thought you were definitely awake when you were all elephanty," The Doctor said, gesturing with his arms wide. "Pregnant," Amy sneers as she points a wrench at him. The Doctor takes both their tools, explaining she could still be pregnant, giving birth and dreaming of this. He reminds them to trust no one, examine everything and look for the details that doesn't ring true.
"They can't trust their senses, their memories or even their surroundings," Jack said grimly.
"It's like they're in a labyrinth, but they don't know which walls are real and which are traps," Martha noted uneasily.
"Or who the puppet master is," Donna noted, wondering what could be doing this.
Amy and Rory both note they're in a spaceship that has a bigger inside than out with a traveling alien who wears a bow tie, Rory adding it might not be that simple. The Doctor acknowledges the good point when the TARDIS suddenly loses power. "It's dead. We're in a dead time machine," The Doctor says lowly.
"Bloody Hell!" Mickey exclaimed as they all stared at the screen in disbelief.
"Did the TARDIS just…" Martha trailed off, unable to believe it.
"Looks like it," Jack breathed, in a state of disbelief.
"Has this ever happened before?" Wilf inquired.
"No. For something to be able to drain the power from the TARDIS, whoever's behind it must be very powerful and dangerous," Jack said, wondering what could do such a thing.
They hear the sounds of the birds singing again. Rory and Amy cling to each other as The Doctor urges them to remember how real this feels. Amy says she knows it's real. Then they all wake up, The Doctor standing, watching a group of kids on their way home from school with Rory and Amy on the bench. Amy says this is the real one, grabbing her stomach and noting how solid it feels.
"They can't tell the two apart," Wilf noted uneasily.
"They wouldn't. You can never tell a dream from reality until after you wake up. They're going to have to rely on their instincts rather than feelings to figure this out," Jack said.
The Doctor says it felt solid in the TARDIS as well; pointing out you can't spot a dream while having it. The Doctor begins waving his hand in his face and Rory asks what he's doing. The Doctor explains he's looking for motion flares or pixels, as it could be a computer simulation, although he's not convinced. An old woman walks up to them, saying 'Hello Doctor'. But she's talking to Rory.
"So Rory's a doctor here," Donna muttered.
"Is that important?" Mickey wondered.
"Possibly," Jack said as his eyes narrowed. "I don't think anything in this scenario can be dismissed as unimportant."
As she walks off, The Doctor notes Rory is a doctor, just like he's always dreamed. "How interesting," The Doctor notes. Rory asks what he means and The Doctor points out Rory has his dream life here: dream job, Amy with a baby on the way. It might be Rory's dream they're in.
"Is that possible? Could they all be trapped in Rory's dream?" Wilf wondered.
"At the moment, I'm not sure there's any possibility too absurd. But if they are trapped in Rory's dream, the question is who put them there," Jack mused.
Rory argues it's Amy's dream to and she agrees. Looking over his shoulder, The Doctor sees a house and asks what it is, Amy explaining it's an old people's home. Seeing the residents of the old people's home staring at them, The Doctor remembers how Amy had said old people had lived into the nineties. "That's something that doesn't make sense. Let's go poke it with a stick," The Doctor said.
"Old people staring at them? No offense Wilf, but I'm not sure how that is suspicious," Mickey said.
"Dad sees things no one else can, sees through lies others don't," Jane pointed out.
"She's right. If The Doctor thinks its suspicious, I'll place my money on something being off," Jack said as he looked at the screen suspiciously.
The Doctor rushes towards the old people's home, Rory on his heels. Amy groans can they not 'do the running thing'. The trio enters the home, some of the residents greeting Rory as 'Doctor Williams'. Rory begins a conversation with a woman named Mrs. Poggit about her hip. The Doctor begins recommending some medication before realizing it hasn't been invented yet.
"Williams. Any relation to Rhys Williams?" Jack wondered curiously.
"Not as far as I can tell, did my research. If there is a relation, it's so distant that even their great, great grandparents have no connection," Jane said and Jack nodded. "Lucky Rory."
Jack raised an eyebrow at this but filed that away for later. He wondered what Jane's beef seemed to be with Rhys's family though.
Mrs. Poggit asks about The Doctor, if he's a junior doctor and Rory says yes.
"Oh I'm sure Boss loves that," Mickey said amused as he, Martha, Donna and Jack snickered.
"Rory certain does," Jane said with an amused twitch of her lips.
Mrs. Poggit asks if she can 'borrow' The Doctor, making him try on a jumper she was knitting for her grandson. As he tries it on, The Doctor pins her hands to the chair and looks into her eyes, noting she's incredibly old, drawing the attention of the other residents.
"Well he's being unusually rude," Wilf noted, not sure whether to be offended or not.
"Knowing The Doctor, he's picked up on something Amy and Rory haven't," Martha noted, wondering what was so significant about the age of the residents.
As The Doctor looks into Mrs. Poggit's eyes, they hear the sound of birds chirping. The Doctor, Rory and Amy all fall over as they fall asleep. As they wake up on the TARDIS, Amy tells The Doctor to stop doing that, as this one is definitely real, complaining about how she keeps saying that. Rory notes its cold and The Doctor says the heating's off, advising them to put on a jumper.
"I think the bigger concern would be the lack of oxygen. They can only drift in space for so long," Martha noted.
"So how are they still alive?" Donna asked as something occurred to her. "A dead TARDIS, in the middle of space? They should've died from lack of oxygen within minutes. So why haven't they?"
"Donna's right, it doesn't make sense," Jack agreed, confused by this.
"So is the dream and Leadworth real?" Mickey wondered but no one had an answer.
Rory apologizes for Mrs. Poggit, assuring The Doctor she's lovely. But The Doctor warns him not to believe her 'nice old lady act'. Amy asks what he means but The Doctor dodges the question, taking stock of their situation. They're drifting in space and can't see anything, The Doctor noting that someone is overriding his controls. A man in a suit then appears on the steps, noting that it took a while for The Doctor to figure that out.
"The puppet master I presume," Jack noted.
"Yeah," Jane said with a grimace.
"Well hopefully now we'll get some answers," Martha said as the past viewers eyed the screen curiously.
The man walks down the steps, noting that he'd heard such great things about The Doctor. The Doctor demands how he got into the TARDIS and who he is. "If you're the Time Lord, let's call me the Dream Lord," the man says.
"That sounds like a name you'd give a Saturday morning cartoon villain," Mickey said unimpressed.
"Trust me Mickey, he's very dangerous. Don't underestimate him," Jane said darkly.
"So who is he?" Martha asked and Jane smiled tightly.
"Keep watching."
The Doctor compliments his outfit but the Dream Lord rebuffs it, making a disdainful comment about bowties. The Doctor tosses a spare bowtie into the man, which goes right through him, to Amy and Rory's surprise.
"The Dream Lord's not just a name. He's not even there," Martha realized.
"Oh he's there. He has no physical form, he's a living dream," Jack said, having put it together.
"Is that possible?" Wilf asked.
"There are a lot of things in the universe that shouldn't be possible but are. This is just one more thing to add to the list," Jack told him.
The Dream Lord says he'd be impressed but the name was a giveaway. "Spooky, not quite there," Dream Lord said before vanishing and appearing behind them, startling Amy and Rory. "But still very much here." The Doctor declares he'll do the talking, asking Amy if she wants to guess what 'that' is. Amy notes he creates dreams, The Doctor saying he creates delusions and 'cheap tricks' as well. "What about the gooseberry, does he get a guess?" Dream Lord said as he looked at Rory. Rory argues that if anyone is the gooseberry, it's the Doctor, which Dream Lord notes is a delusion he's not responsible for. Rory asks Amy to back him up but Dream Lord tells Amy she needs to 'sort her men out', choose even. Amy says she's already chosen, tapping Rory in the chest and saying it's 'you stupid', to Rory's relief.
"Hard to believe we're having such a hard time buying it," Donna said sarcastically.
Jane had given up defending Amy by this point and chose to just let Amy's actions speak for themselves. Amy would show how much she loved Rory soon enough.
Dream Lord reappears behind them, taunting them about Amy's dreams, implying she has dreams of a romantic and sexual nature about The Doctor. No one rises to the bait, The Doctor asking where he picked up this 'cheap cabaret act'. But Dream Lord accuses him of having so many tawdry quirks he could open a shop if he had more. Dream Lord then mocks The Doctor's appearance, noting his surprise he doesn't have a purple space dog and calling him an 'intergalactic wag'.
"He's got a point, The Doctor does have a lot of tricks," Mickey mused, although he didn't look happy to be agreeing with The Dream Lord.
"He has ever since we've known him," Martha mused.
"So, we're just ignoring the Dream Lord saying Amy has naughty dreams about The Doctor?" Donna asked.
"Can anything he says be trusted?" Jack asked and Donna nodded, conceding his point. "Besides, it seems like he just wants to get a rise out of Rory."
"I honestly can't say whether Amy did or didn't, but considering who The Dream Lord is, he wouldn't know unless he made her have them," Jane mused.
"And you're not gonna tell us who he is, are you?" Martha asked and Jane was silent. "Didn't think so."
Dream Lord asks where he was before Dream Lord reappears on another level, saying he knows where he was. He gives them his challenge: two worlds, one is a dream and one is real. They'll face deadly dangers in both worlds but only one is real.
"So they have to figure out which one is real while dodging danger. It's like something The Master would dream up," Martha said darkly.
Jane smiled tightly. Martha honestly wasn't that far off, she just had the wrong Time Lord in mind.
"Tweet tweet, time to sleep," Dream Lord said. "Oh! Or are you waking up?" They hear the birds chirping again and the trio fall asleep again. When they wake up in Leadworth again, the residents of the home are gone and they see the Dream Lord, dressed as a doctor. Holding scans, he mockingly says The Doctor's brain is see through, noting he can 'always' see through The Doctor.
"He seems to have a vendetta against The Doctor," Wilf noted.
"More than that, they seem to have a history. The Dream Lord acts like he knows The Doctor," Jack pointed out.
"So he's one of Boss's enemies then," Mickey said.
"That's not exactly a short list," Martha said as they wondered who the Dream Lord could be.
Amy demands to know what he means by that as The Doctor falls back into a chair. Ignoring Amy's question, Dream Lord says if they die in the dream, they wake in reality and recover. He then asks them to ask what happens if they die in reality, which Rory does. "You die stupid, that's why it's called reality," the Dream Lord said.
"So the only way out of this is to die in the dream. But if they choose wrong, they end up dying anyway," Donna said uneasily.
"Yeah, it's like Inception but twisted," Jane said and got five blank looks. "Right, that hasn't come out yet. Forget I said anything."
Amy asks if The Doctor knows him and Dream Lord tells her not to be jealous, as The Doctor 'has been around' before pointing out they have a world to choose. "One reality was always too much for you, Doctor. Take two and call me in the morning," Dream Lord says before vanishing. Rory declares he doesn't like Dream Lord and Amy asks The Doctor who he is. The Doctor claims not to know, as it's a big universe. Amy asks why he's doing this and The Doctor notes not having a physical form can 'get you down after a while' and he might be taking it out on them. Rory inquires about what Dream Lord meant by deadly danger as The Doctor looks around, realizing that the residents of the home are all gone.
"And I'm sure that's just one big coincidence," Donna said sarcastically.
"With this Dream Lord involved, I doubt anything is a coincidence," Wilf noted.
"Trust that feeling Wilf. Everything is by design," Jane said grimly as she narrowed her eyes, not moving her gave from the screen.
The Doctor rushes outside, seeing children playing before being led towards a playground by adults. Rory and Amy follow him outside, Rory wondering why they would leave and Amy asking what he meant about Mrs. Poggit. The Doctor says one of his 'tawdry quirks' is sniffing out things that aren't what they seem. The Doctor notes the time they're asleep matches the time in the dream world, Rory adding they're all dreaming the same thing at once. The Doctor is sure there's some kind of giveaway but declares his brain isn't working because this village is 'so dull'. Amy suddenly gives a gasp of pain, feeling like she's about to go into labor.
"Of Bloody course! Because why not?!" Mickey groaned.
"This is so not the time," Martha said with a matching groan.
"Why are you smiling?" Jack asked as he noticed Jane trying and failing to smother a grin.
"Just watch," Jane said, coughing to swallow a giggle.
Rory and The Doctor panic, bickering over which of them can help her. The Doctor drops to his knees, holding out his hands to catch the baby before Amy suddenly says it's not coming.
"What?" Wilf asked in confusion as they all looked at the screen in disbelief.
"Oh she is good," Jack said with a grin, figuring it out.
The Doctor rises to his feet, confused. "This is my life now and it just turned you white as a sheet. So don't you ever call it dull again, okay?" Amy tells him.
"Kind of cruel, but it did put The Doctor in his place," Martha noted, not sure whether to be amused or annoyed.
"Well, maybe the Spaceman will think twice now about insulting people's lives," Donna said with a laugh.
The Doctor apologizes and Amy and Rory walk passed him. Seeing Mrs. Poggit walking by some steps, The Doctor catches up to Amy and Rory. They see near a swing set and Amy and The Doctor each sit down on one. The Doctor notes the 'elephant in the room'. Amy thinks he's talking about her stomach but he's actually talking about Rory's ponytail.
"It is ridiculous," Martha said with a laugh.
"Some guys can pull them off. Rory's not one of them," Jack noted.
"Maybe Leadworth is the dream. No way Amy let him grow it and didn't say anything," Mickey mused with a laugh.
The Doctor and Amy joke about cutting it off and Rory defensively points to The Doctor's bowtie. "Bowties are cool," The Doctor says.
"Only on you," Jack said flirtatious.
"Just don't," Martha said as Donna opened her mouth. "Just let him be. He'll flirt with anything that moves."
The Doctor sees Mrs. Poggit up on a hill where some kids are playing and gets to his feet. The Doctor wonders what she wants before they hear the sounds of birds singing again.
"And here we go again," Mickey muttered as they all waited to see what would happen next.
The three of them fall asleep and wake up on the TARDIS. Amy asks if The Doctor has any warm clothing but he snaps it doesn't matter if they're cold, as they need to figure out what Mrs. Poggit is up to, taking them aback.
"He's losing it," Jack noted.
"This Dream Lord is getting into his head. Boss needs to focus if he wants to figure this out," Mickey noted.
Calming himself, The Doctor says there should be some blankets down the hall. As Amy and Rory go to fetch them, The Doctor climbs down below the console. Putting a cup on what appears to be a fuse box, he tries to open it but the knob breaks off. The Doctor bangs the fuse box and it opens. Various items spill out and The Doctor begins to get to work.
"He seems to have focused himself for the moment," Wilf noted.
"Dad works better when he can put his attention on a single task. He told me it's a Time Lord thing once," Jane mused.
"Well if they want a way out of this, I hope it helps him," Jack said, the growing unease inside him not going away.
In the other room, Rory tells Amy he wants the other life. But Amy wonders, if the other life is real, way would they give up traveling with The Doctor.
"Lots of reasons," Martha said, thinking of her own decision to leave The Doctor. "You might have just decided it was time to let go."
Jane fought a grimace, barely. Amy and Rory had indeed decided it was time to let go. Perhaps if they'd stuck to that decision, they would not be here in this room right now.
Rory points out they'll freeze to death but Amy tosses him a blanket, certain The Doctor will fix it. Rory suggests they walked away because they're about to get married and Amy laughs, saying they can still get married 'someday'.
"And Rory'll take that well, I'm sure," Donna said sarcastically, her opinion of Amy lowering once more. "She's still trying to run out on her wedding."
"I don't think she's trying to run out on it, I just don't think she feels ready," Martha noted. "She's so young after all, barely in her twenties. It's kind of a normal feeling."
Donna didn't respond. After witnessing Amy try to seduce The Doctor, it was difficult for her to give Amy the benefit of the doubt in her relationship with Rory. But she supposed time would tell.
Rory incredulous asks if she doesn't want to anymore, angrily saying he thought she'd chosen him. They begin to argue, Amy calling Rory insecure and he points out she ran off with another man the night before their wedding. Amy argues it wasn't like that and it's a time machine, it can be before their wedding as long as they want. Rory says they have to grow up eventually. "Says who?" Amy asks, grabbing a blanket for the Doctor and heading up to the console.
"She probably could have worded that a bit better," Martha noted with a grimace.
"Like I said, Amy doesn't have the bedside manner needed to put Rory's worries at ease with words. Don't look at her words, look at her actions," Jane told them.
The Doctor is holding a device he created from the items when Amy hands him a blanket. The Doctor hands Rory the device, telling him to wind it up. Rory grumbles about the situation as The Doctor explains the device is a generator. Rory winds it up, asking why Dream Lord is targeting The Doctor. The scanner comes back on, revealing they're in space. Amy asks where they are and The Doctor says in trouble. A white spec resembling the sun appears on the scanner and Rory asks what that is. The Doctor explains it's a Cold Star before he rushes to the doors, opening them. A bright light nearly blinds Amy and Rory, the air cold as The Doctor explains it's so cold because they're drifting towards a Cold Star. The Cold Star is the deadly danger in this reality.
"A Cold Star," Jack said in utter disbelief.
"There are Cold Stars?" Wilf asked in surprise.
"It's impossible. A star can't burn cold," Donna said in astonishment.
"Well apparently this one can," Jack said lowly, that uneasy feeling of something being off returning.
"Every time I think I have the rules of the universe figured out, something like this comes along," Martha muttered annoyed.
Amy argues that stars can't be cold but The Doctor says this one can. Rory asks how it's possible and The Doctor grumbles about everyone expecting him to know everything.
"Because you always act like you do Spaceman," Donna said in exasperation.
Since he hasn't seen a Cold Star before, Rory asks if this is the dream. The Doctor snaps that he doesn't know, but they have 14 minutes until they crash into it. But The Doctor says that's not the real problem. Rory hopes The Doctor has a solution but he says they'll be frozen to death by the time they reach it.
"Oh bloody brilliant. This could not get worse," Mickey grumbled.
"Haven't you learned by now Mickey? It can always get worse," Jane said darkly.
Amy asks what they should do and The Doctor tells her to stay calm and this might be the battle they have to lose. Rory snaps that this must be The Doctor's dream, as he's the only one who can save them while Rory only wanted a nice village and a family. The Dream Lord suddenly appears behind them, noting Rory and The Doctors disagreement as dissent.
"He might have a point. They need to stop their bickering if they want to get out of this," Jack noted.
"If the unit turns on each other, the mission falls apart," Mickey agreed.
"Well let's hope they can pull themselves together," Martha said uneasy.
"There was an old Doctor from Gallifrey, who ended up throwing his life away. He let down his friends and," Dream Lord pauses his rhyme as they hears birds singing, noting they've run out of time. He ominously warns them not to spend too long there or they'll catch their death. The trio wake back up in Leadworth where they were, but now the children and Mrs. Poggit are gone.
"Where are the children?" Wilf asked, a pit of unease entering his stomach.
"I'm more concerned about the dust where the children were," Jack said, dread filling him. "Something's happened."
"I think we're about to find out the danger in the Leadworth dream," Martha said as they watched the screen uneasily.
As The Doctor goes to investigate, Rory is certain this is the real world. Amy is still uncertain though. As Rory notes how calming the village is, Amy notes that it's not really her, unsure she would ever be happy here, to Rory's dismay.
"Amy does have a point. It doesn't seem her, I'd expect someone like her to go crazy in this kind of life," Jack mused.
"So does that mean Leadworth actually is the dream?" Mickey wondered and Jack shrugged.
"At this point, I'm not sure which is which."
Seeing The Doctor putting some hands in the dust, Amy asks what he's doing. "Playtime is definitely over," The Doctor says grimly. Seeing the toys by the piles of dust, Amy and Rory realize the dust is the children.
"Bloody Hell," Mickey breathed as the realization hit them.
"All those children," Donna said, her throat tightening.
"What could have done this?" Wilf asked in horror.
"I'm not sure. But whatever it is, it's more dangerous that we thought," Jack said darkly.
Rory asks what happened to them and The Doctor sees Mrs. Poggit with some of the old people's home residents. Amy says they're just old people but The Doctor says they're very old people, telling Rory he's not what's been keeping them alive. The Doctor begins making his way over to them as they stop. Dream Lord appears, joking about this being 'attack of the old people'. Dream Lord says this has to be the dream, asking what Amy thinks. The Doctor snaps to leave Amy alone and Dream Lord notes the 'tall dark hero' vibe The Doctor has going on. Rory tells Dream Lord to leave Amy alone and Dream notes he's not so impressive.
"Okay, why is he so intent on insulting Rory?" Martha wondered.
"Same reason he keeps trying to imply Amy actually wants Dad. He knows Dad is trying to make sure Amy and Rory aren't another Rose and Mickey – no offense Mickey – and so he's trying to destroy it out of spite," Jane explained.
"He really hates The Doctor," Donna noted, wondering who the Dream Lord could be.
Dream Lord taunts Amy about knowing where her heart lies and she snaps at him to leave her alone. Dream Lord then taunts The Doctor about loving redheads, making a mention of his past with Elizabeth the First.
Martha huffed slightly but focused more on what was happening. She could be mad about that later.
The Doctor snaps at him to stop it, revealing he knows Dream Lord's identity, as there's only one person in the universe who hates him as much as Dream Lord.
"So he's figured it out then. Who is he?" Jack wondered and Jane smiled tightly.
"Spoilers," she said, annoying the past viewers.
"Really starting to hate that word," Martha grumbled.
Dream Lord tells The Doctor he should worry more about the old people than him. Looking over his shoulder, The Doctor sees they're approaching them. Looking back, the trio sees that Dream Lord has vanished. As the old people approach, the trio greets them, The Doctor noting they 'went to get reinforcements'. Rory greets Mr. Nainby, who used to run the sweet shop before Mr. Nainby grabs Rory and throws him back a few feet.
"Okay, that is definitely not normal. Not to mention impossible,"" Martha said as they looked at the screen startled.
"The elderly are the danger in Leadworth. This is really daft," Donna muttered.
"You're telling me," Wilf said.
Rory, bewildered, gets to his feet as The Doctor warns them they need to run. Amy whines if he can't talk to them when the old people all open their mouths as one and an eye comes out.
"Blimey," Mickey said as they looked at the screen startled again.
"Something's inside them," Martha muttered.
"Probably has been for years. A parasite, waiting," Jack mused.
"You have no idea how right you are Jack," Jane said grimly.
As Amy and Rory process this, The Doctor uses his screwdriver, noting there's been a creature inside of them all for years, waiting. Disgusted, Rory asks if they'll peep out of anywhere else before a gas shoots out of the eyes. Amy and Rory dodge this, running away as The Doctor realizes they're Eknodines, asking why they're here, as they are better than this. They begin to explain but The Doctor has already realized they were driven from their homes and have been living inside the elderly for years, which is why they live so long. Mrs. Poggit declares they were humbled and destroyed, so now they will do the same to others.
"The crack again then?" Martha mused.
"Maybe. Eknodines are usually peaceful, although aloof. If they've been driven to this, there's no telling what they might do," Jack said uneasily.
The Doctor notes this could be real as a biker rides up. Mrs. Poggit shoots out gas and it strikes him in the face. He turns to dust within seconds, to The Doctor's horror.
"Bloody Hell!" Mickey exclaimed as they all stared at the screen startled.
"Peaceful huh?" Donna said dryly.
"The gas is usually a defense mechanism. Now it's being used for attack," Jack noted.
"You think?" Martha said dryly.
The Doctor orders them to leave this planet as further ahead, Amy pleads with Rory to stop. Rory slows down, helping Amy as he sees some of the Eknodines gaining on. He grumbles about their lack of appreciation as he sees one of his patients, Mrs. Hamill approaching. Rory grumbles about the absurdity of the situation, as he knows her.
"Like The Doctor said, you can't trust anything," Wilf pointed out.
Mrs. Hamill reaches them and Amy greets her warmly before Mrs. Hamill opens her mouth, an eye appearing. Rory promises he'll deal with this, stepping in front of Amy protectively before the Eknodine shoots gas at him. Amy and Rory jump apart and he picks up a piece of wood. Rory moves to strike her but can't bring himself to do it.
"Oh just do it Rory!" Donna snapped annoyed.
"He's a nurse, he took an oath to do no harm," Martha defended Rory, relating to him. "It's not easy for us."
Jane fought a smile. Rory would learn to fight and then some. She looked forward to seeing their reactions.
At Amy's urging, he does, the wood shattering as the Eknodine goes down. They run inside their cottage as the Eknodine gets up. Inside, Amy sits down on the steps as Rory locks the door, telling Rory not to call her 'chubs' again.
"He's lucky they were running for their lives. I would have killed him for that crack," Donna said.
"Any pregnant woman would have," Martha noted and Jack, Mickey and Wilf all shuttered.
Amy guiltily notes they don't see The Doctor for years and now they've abandoned him. Rory grabs a table, using it to block the door as he assures Amy The Doctor will be fine, he's 'Mr. Cool'. In the street, The Doctor stumbles as he hears birds singing, trying not to fall asleep. The Doctor flees into a butcher shop, turning the sign to 'closed'. Dream Lord is behind the counter, musing on the usefulness of butcher shop as he continues to mock The Doctor.
"Great, so now Boss has to keep from falling asleep while trapped and being chased," Mickey muttered as they all watched the screen uneasily.
"Come on Spaceman," Donna muttered softly.
The Doctor tries to open a door and Dream Lord suggests he could use some sleep. As he hears the birds sing, The Doctor slides to the floor, nearly falling asleep. But he fights it, getting up as Dream Lord notes the Eknodines will destroy him if he falls asleep. The Doctor plugs his ears, trying to block out the sound as Dream Lord continues to mock him. Dream Lord invites in the Eknodines in and The Doctor rises to his feet, finding a door behind the counter. He tries to open it but the birds singing nearly makes him fall asleep. The Dream Lord mockingly says he can't watch as the Eknodines approach The Doctor.
"Come on Doctor, just a few more steps," Martha pleaded as they watched tense.
The Doctor rises to his feet, using his screwdriver to unlock the door. He rushes inside, using the screwdriver to unlock it. As the Eknodines bang on the door, The Doctor finally falls asleep.
"Thank God," Donna said as they all breathed a sigh of relief.
"They're not out of the woods yet though. And they still need to figure out which is the dream and which isn't," Jack noted.
The Doctor, Amy and Rory all wake up on the TARDIS, noticing it is colder this time. The Doctor says they need to agree right away which is the dream. Rory immediately says it's the TARDIS, Amy backing him up as the science doesn't make sense. The Doctor argues it's a big universe with things that don't make sense, and they need to agree which battle to lose. Amy asks which world The Doctor thinks is real and he says this one. Rory disagrees but The Doctor asks if he's disagreeing or competing with him. Amy asks what they're competing over and they look at her. She becomes annoyed.
"Now is not the time Rory," Donna said as she pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Amy and Rory do have a point though. The science doesn't make sense and I've never encountered a Cold Star before," Jack mused.
"But like you said, why would the recordings flash forward five years for no apparent reason?" Wilf asked.
"It's The Doctor, lots of things don't make sense about him," Jack pointed out.
They get to their feet, The Doctor noting they have nine minutes until they crash into the star. Amy asks how cold it is. The Doctor says he doesn't know outside but inside is cold enough he can't feel his toes or other parts. Rory says all his parts are fine and The Doctor tells him to stop competing.
"Not sure how much of that was competing Spaceman," Donna said, not sure whether to be annoyed or amused at The Doctor and Rory's antics.
As Amy goes through some blankets, Rory picks up a phone, asking if they can call for help. The Doctor gives a sarcastic answer as Amy tosses them some blankets she's turned into ponchos, telling them to put them on. Amy helps Rory with his as The Doctor puts one on himself.
"Ponchos might help more than blankets," Martha noted.
"But with the temperature dropping, it might be a moot point," Jack pointed out.
"They need to figure out which dream is real and fast," Donna said uneasily.
Rory sarcastically calls it the greatest crime against fashion since Lederhosen as Amy puts on her own. Amy walks up to them, saying sarcastically if they're going to die they should do it looking like a 'Peruvian folk band' as she places an arm around both of them. The Cold Star is now in view of the windows.
"Well, at least she still has her sense of humor," Mickey said with a slight grin.
"Which will help when she freezes to death, I'm sure," Jack said darkly.
Rory assures her they won't die, but The Doctor notes they're running out of time. The Doctor realizes if they can somehow divide themselves between worlds, they can have an active presence in each world.
"Because splitting up has always been such a brilliant idea in the past," Martha said sarcastically.
"The Doctor is getting desperate," Jack noted. "But it might not be a bad idea. That could help them figure out which world they're in once and for all."
As The Doctor wonders why Dream Lord keeps switching them between worlds, Dream Lord appears behind him, saying it's not a bad idea. He wants to put Rory and The Doctor to sleep to talk to Amy, musing he could keep her and The Doctor could have Rory. The Doctor and Rory then hear the birds singing but Amy doesn't. As they begin to fall asleep, The Doctor promises Amy they'll be back. Amy pleads with them not to leave her alone but they've already fallen to the floor, asleep.
"Sure it's not such a bad idea?" Donna asked Jack sarcastically.
"Not with the Dream Lord using it to his advantage," Jack said grimly.
Dream Lord taunts Amy that they'll 'have fun' as Rory wakes up in the cottage. Hearing glass breaking, Rory stands up to see the Eknodines are breaking through the windows. Rory grabs the unconscious Amy and begins dragging her up the stairs as quickly as he can. Rory drags Amy into the nursery, quickly closing the door. Seeing the crib, Rory walks over to it, smiling before looking out the window. Outside, the Eknodines are bringing over a large slab of wood as they surround the front entrance. Rory moves a chair in front of the door, sitting down on it to block the door.
"So now Rory's alone with an unconscious Amy while the Eknodines surround the house and The Doctor at the butcher shop. Things keep going from bad to worse," Martha said uneasily.
"The Doctor needs to get out of the butcher shop," Wilf said.
"Yeah. Hope he figures a way soon," Mickey said with a sigh.
The Doctor wakes up in the butcher shop, hearing the wails of the Eknodines on the other side of the door. The Doctor pulls out his screwdriver, muttering to himself. The Doctor opens the door and uses his screwdriver to make the lights go haywire, blinding the Eknodines before making his escape.
"Wow, that was easy," Mickey said in surprise.
"Too easy. There'll be something keeping him from getting to Amy and Rory," Jack said certainly.
"With the Dream Lord controlling every aspect of these scenarios, that's a given," Martha said darkly.
As The Doctor makes his way out of the shop, he hears a man crying for help as an Eknodine tries to pull open the door to his van. The Doctor runs over, tossing the Eknodine to the ground and getting in the van, making the man scoot over. The Doctor then begins driving and sees some people surrounded by Eknodines. The man slides the side door open, urging them to get in. As they pass, the man helps them into the van and The Doctor sees more people on the way, stopping to pick them up.
"So The Dream Lord's trying to stall him long enough for the Eknodines to get to Amy and Rory," Wilf mused.
"No, it's trying to make him choose which to save. But The Doctor would never not try to save someone," Jack said certainly, glancing at Wilf. "You should know that better than anyone Wilf."
Wilf nodded with a grimace, remembering The Doctor saving him.
In the other reality, the TARDIS begins to freeze as it approaches the Cold Star. Amy is sitting alone on the steps, ice beginning to cover her face.
Jack narrowed his eyes, the off feeling returning to him. Amy shouldn't be conscious at that temperature, much less able to move. She should have frost bite at least. So was the TARDIS the dream after all?
Dream Lord appears next to her. He taunts her about how The Doctor always leaves her alone and never apologizes. She snaps that he doesn't have to, standing up as Dream Lord says The Doctor never will. "And now he's left you with me. Spooky, old, and not to be trust me," Dream Lord says, vanishing before reappearing in a silk robe. "Anything could happen."
"Ew," Donna said as she and Martha looked disgusted.
"In your dreams," Martha muttered disgusted before seeing an odd look on her husband's face. "Mickey? You alright?"
"Yeah. That just…it seemed familiar for some reason," Mickey muttered wondering why it rang such a bell.1
Amy asks who he is and what he wants, noting The Doctor won't tell her. "And he always does. Takes him a while sometimes, but he tells me. So you're something different," Amy says. Dream Lord mocks Amy about how she believes she's the one The Doctor tells everything to. Amy is confident in her relationship with The Doctor when Dream Lord asks his name.
"If he knows Time Lords as well as he thinks he does, he knows The Doctor would never let anyone know his name," Jack said certainly.
"River does," Martha pointed out.
"Telling someone your true name is the equivalent of a Time Lord marriage ceremony. Time Lords believed your given name was something only your beloved should know," Jack explained. "Of course Amy doesn't know that."
"So now he's trying to make her doubt The Doctor. The Dream Lord really hates him," Donna noted and Jane smiled tightly.
"You have no idea."
Amy is taken back as Dream Lord vanishes. He speaks up behind her and she turns around to see him staring at Rory and The Doctor. "Now, which one of these men would you really choose? Look at them. You ran away with a handsome hero. Would you really give him up for a bumbling country doctor who thinks the only thing he needs to be interesting is a ponytail?" Dream Lord challenges. Amy tells him to stop it as Dream Lord accuses Amy of settling for Rory rather than loving and losing The Doctor. He tells her to pick a world and this will end, noting Rory and The Doctor will listen to her. "It's Amy's Men. Amy's choice," Dream Lord said before vanishing.
"So now we're back to trying to tear Amy and Rory apart," Martha noted.
"Really doesn't seem that difficult," Donna pointed out, noting silently how hot and cold Amy seemed with Rory.
"Not as easy as you think," Jane said but didn't elaborate, knowing Donna needed to see for herself.
Amy stands for a moment before kneeling down next to Rory, fixing his blanket and looking over at The Doctor but sitting on the steps again. In Leadworth, The Doctor is dropping everyone off at a local church before taking off for the cottage. On the way, Dream Lord appears in the back of the van, in a motorcycle suit with a helmet on his lap. He tells The Doctor that he needs to make up his mind, in both worlds. The Doctor says he needs to find his friends. "Friends. Is that the right word for the people you acquire? Friends are people you stay in touch with. Your friends never see you again once they've grown up. The old man prefers the company of the young, does he not?" Dream Lord taunts before vanishing.
"Oi! Would you leave him alone?!" Donna snapped, tired of seeing her friend verbally assaulted by Dream Lord.
"You know he won't," Jack said darkly, although he shared Donna's feelings on the Dream Lord.
The Doctor arrives at the cottage to see the Eknodines continuing to try and break in. Looking up at the window above the door, The Doctor gets an idea and gets out of the van. In the nursery, Rory sits on the floor, holding Amy when she wakes up. She's confused how she got there and Rory explains he carried her. Amy asks about The Doctor but Rory doesn't know where he is. Rory then declares he wants to do something for her. Amy watches confused as he pulls out a pair of scissors before beginning to cut off his ponytail. Amy puts hand to her mouth in shock as he cuts it off. Amy says she was starting to like it and Rory gives her an incredulous look.
"That is kind of romantic and really silly," Martha said with a slight laugh.
"That's Amy and Rory," Jane said with a shrug. "The two are not mutually exclusive."
"It's marriage," Jack mused with a slight smile, remembering similar moments with his wife.
Hearing a noise, the pair looks over as The Doctor climbs in through the window. He apologizes for being late as he jumps in, falling on his back. Rory asks what they'll do and The Doctor says he doesn't know, now unsure of which world is real. Amy suddenly feels a pain, thinking she is in labor.
"Now? Seriously?" Martha groaned.
"If the Dream Lord is controlling this, he would do it at this time," Donna grumbled.
"If this is the dream," Jack said, no longer certain.
"Hell of a time to change your mind Boss," Mickey muttered.
The Doctor sits up as Rory asks if she's serious. Amy snaps that she wouldn't make it up at a time like this. "Well you do have a history of…being very lovely," Rory trailed off as she glares at him. As Amy cries out in pain, Rory asks why the Eknodines are so desperate to kill them. The Doctor notes they're scared and that's made them savage.
"Fear can make even the most peaceful man into a monster," Jack noted, remembering what happened with Angelo.
"We like to think we're evolved, that we're better than fear. But, fear still makes us do insane things," Martha said with a sigh. "Just look at Starship UK."
"Don't remind me," Donna muttered with a grimace.
The window breaks as a small statue is thrown through it. Rory stands protectively in front of Amy as Mrs. Poggit shoots out a stream of gas that hits Rory in the chest.
"Shit shit shit!" Mickey swore as they all paled.
"No," Martha breathed.
"Rory," Donna said horrified.
Rory stumbled back, falling on his knees as Amy frantically checks him while The Doctor grabs a lamp, striking Mrs. Poggit with it. She falls off, landing on the ground below. The Doctor then turns back, watching in horror with Amy as Rory begins to turn to dust. "Look after our baby," Rory tells Amy before he turns to dust.
"Rory," Martha said sadly.
Jack bowed his head slightly, remembering all the people he had been unable to save. Did The Doctor have his own list and had Rory just been added to it?
"If the TARDIS is the dream, then Rory…" Donna trailed off, unable to say it.
"If this is the dream," Wilf said, not buying it.
Jane simply watched, letting the recording play out.
The Doctor looks on sadly as Amy, in shock, pleads with Rory to come back. She then pleads with The Doctor to save him like he always saves everyone else. But The Doctor says not always, apologizing to Amy. "Then what is the point of you?" Amy asked tearfully.
"Ouch," Mickey said lowly.
None of the others reacted to this, Martha remembering blaming The Doctor for her family's capture. It was hard to get mad at Amy for such a reaction in such a situation.
Amy puts a hand in the dust before rising to her feet, The Doctor helping her. Amy is certain this is the dream, asking if they'll wake up if they die here. The Doctor nods but adds they might just die. "Either way, this is my only chance of seeing him again," Amy says.
"Looks like Amy's made her choice then," Jack noted.
"She doesn't know for sure which is which though," Donna said in surprise.
"She's willing to risk dying in a world without Rory than live without him," Jane said, taking Donna aback.
"Blimey," Mickey muttered.
Amy says this is the dream and The Doctor asks if she's sure. If this is real life, Amy says she doesn't want it. Amy then walks out of the house, The Doctor following after her. The Eknodines simply stare at them and Amy shouts why they aren't attacking. Either because this is a dream or they know what they're about to do The Doctor says.
"What are they about to do?" Martha asked, not sure she wanted to know.
"Go to extremes for love," Jane said but didn't elaborate.
They walk over to the van and Amy holds out her hands for the keys. The Doctor warns her she needs to be very sure, as this could be the real world. "It can't be. Rory isn't here," Amy says firmly, nearly breaking down. "I didn't know. I didn't, I didn't. I honestly didn't 'til right now. I just want him."
"She was marrying him, but she didn't know until now that she loved him?" Donna asked, confused by Amy.
"You don't always know what someone means to you until you lose them," Jack told her, remembering his countless loses.
"Amy Pond is an emotional idiot; she puts walls around her heart because she's so afraid of being abandoned like Dad and her parents. But like I've been telling you, she loves Rory," Jane said firmly.
The Doctor hands her the keys, taking her hand in a show of solidarity. Amy nods and they get in the van, Amy in the driver's seat. As The Doctor goes to get in, Dream Lord appears in his way. The Doctor ignores him as he gets in as Amy becomes tormented by realizing she never told Rory she loved him. The Doctor doesn't say anything, merely staring down Dream Lord as Amy starts the van. She puts it in drive, heading towards the cottage. She runs over several Eknodines in the process before heading towards the front door, about to crash.
"Bloody Hell," Wilf breathed as the past viewers stared at the screen startled.
"She really did it," Donna said stunned, not having actually believed Amy would go that far.
"Despite appearances, Amy does Rory very much and would move Heaven and Earth to be with him. Matter of fact, she did," Jane mused as she thought of Appalachia.
"I don't think after that, anyone can say she doesn't love Rory," Martha muttered, honestly not sure she would do the same in a similar situation.2
She tried not to think about what that said about her and Mickey's relationship.
The inside of the TARDIS is completely frozen, their bodies covered in ice as Amy and The Doctor come to. Amy wakes up lying across from Rory, who opens his eyes a second after her. Amy takes Rory's hand as Dream Lord appears. He tells them they chose the right world, seconds to spare.
"So they did it then," Wilf said optimistically.
"Something is still not right," Jack said as he narrowed his eyes.
"Jack's right. They're covered in ice; they should be dead or unable to move because of frostbite. It doesn't make sense," Martha muttered.
"So the Dream Lord still has one more trick up his sleeve then," Donna muttered as they paid close attention to the screen.
Dream Lord turns the power back on and steers the TARDIS away from the Cold Star. He then explains the dream world was born out of their imagination, accepting his defeat graciously before vanishing.
"So, they all dreamed that up?" Martha said in surprise.
"I don't think it's that simple," Jane said and they looked over at her. "If I had to guess, I'd say the Leadworth dream was a result of three basic concepts: Rory's desire for a life with Amy, Amy insecurity about whether she's cut out for marriage, and Dad's distain for small towns. There were probably some other tidbits thrown in like Rory wondering how he'd look with a ponytail as well."
"I guess that makes sense," Martha mused, although she still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
The Doctor heads over to the console, beginning to tinker with it as Rory and Amy sit up. Rory senses something happened to him in the dream world, asking what but Amy merely hugs him. Although surprised, Rory isn't unhappy, asking if it was something he said. "Can you tell me what it was so I can use it in emergencies and maybe birthdays?" Rory asks and Amy laughs.
"Well, Rory's clearly back to normal," Martha said as some light chuckles broke out across the room.
"Not yet," Jane said vaguely as they continued to watch.
Hearing a loud noise, Amy and Rory look over at the console as the TARDIS begins to move. Amy asks what The Doctor is doing and he says he's going to blow up the TARDIS, to their shock.
"He's doing what now?" Donna exclaimed as they all stared at the screen in utter disbelief.
"He explains in a second," Jane assured them.
The Doctor points how helpful Dream Lord was in his own way, reminding them he had made them choose between dream and reality. As the TARDIS rocks, Amy and Rory plead with The Doctor to stop but The Doctor declares that the Dream Lord has no power over the real world, he was merely offering them a choice between two dreams. Amy demands how he knows and The Doctor reveals he knows who Dream Lord is. There is then a blinding light as the TARDIS explodes.
"Of course, it makes sense now. Stars can't be cold and they shouldn't have been able to move once they started freezing," Donna realized.
"The Dream Lord was conning them the whole time," Jack said, not sure how he hadn't been able to put it together.
"He's good, very good," Jane acknowledged.
"So who is he?" Martha asked and Jane smiled tightly.
"Dad explains," she said simply.
The Doctor is standing at the console, which is unfrozen as Amy and Rory walk down the stairs. He asks if they have any questions. Amy sees The Doctor has something in his hand and he shows her four small balls. He explains its psychic pollen from the candle meadows on Karass Don Slava. It fell into the time rotary ages ago and induced a dream state for the three of them.
"Well that explains the dream, but what about the Dream Lord?" Donna wondered.
"Just wait," Jane said, grimacing.
The Doctor walks over to the TARDIS doors, opening them before blowing the pollen out, closing the doors afterwards. Rory asks if the pollen was Dream Lord but The Doctor reveals Dream Lord was in fact himself. The Pollen is a mix parasite; it feeds on everything dark inside you and turns it against you.
"So the Dream Lord…was The Doctor," Martha said in disbelief.
"That is disturbing," Mickey said and no one disagreed.
"The Doctor really hates himself that much?" Wilf asked in horror.
"Wouldn't you? He killed his entire race, his family, his friends," Jane pointed out and a silence descended on all of them. "He knows it was necessary but he still hates himself for it. No hates Dad more than Dad."
"Oh Spaceman," Donna whispered, tears forming in her eyes as they all looked at the screen sadly.
Amy asks why it didn't feed on her and Rory but The Doctor says it would've starved in an instant. "I choose my friends with great care," The Doctor said. "Otherwise I'm stuck with my own company and you know how that works out." Amy asks if he really believes the things Dream Lord said about him.
"Apparently he does," Jack said softly as they all looked at the screen sadly.
The Doctor dodges the question, pointing out a question is about to occur to Rory and so Amy should give him her full attention, turning her around to face Rory. As The Doctor predicted, Rory asks what stopped the Leadworth dream, as the TARDIS exploding stopped the other one. Amy says they crashed the van and Rory notes he doesn't remember it. Amy awkwardly explains he was already dead. Rory takes it in stride, asking how Amy knew she wouldn't die. Amy admits she didn't.
"That's one bloody leap of faith," Mickey noted.
"Risk versus reward Mickey. Amy thought Rory was worth the risk," Jane said simply.
"Guess I was wrong about her then," Donna mused. "And don't say I told you so."
"Wasn't going to," Jane said with a slight grin.
Realization washes over Rory and he takes her hand, the pairing laughing a bit before Rory pulls Amy into a kiss. The Doctor walks back around the TARDIS, seeing them kissing and clapping.
"He is far too pleased with himself," Martha said amused.
"Well he did want to make sure Amy and Rory didn't break up. I doubt this is how he planned it, but he got what he wanted," Jack shrugged.
"It's how things usually go with Boss. He gets what he wants, just not how he expected it go," Mickey mused.
The Doctor asks where they should go now or if he should leave them alone. Rory says he's happy anywhere, leaving the choice up to Amy. The Doctor heads to the controls, pausing as he sees Dream Lord's reflection on the console, smirking at him. The Doctor looks away and, when he looks back he sees his own reflection. He puts the TARDIS into drive.
"Well that was weird," Donna said as the recording ended.
"The Dream Lord is always inside him, just under the surface. The Pollen just allowed it to manifest physically," Jane said as they looked at the screen sadly.
"Doctor," Wilf said sadly.
"I know that was rough, but we still have more to go. And the next two aren't any easier," Jane said with a grimace.
"Of course not. Well, let's go," Martha said as they steeled themselves.
And we are now officially halfway through series five. Amy's Choice is a rather weird episode, but an enjoyable one. The attack of the old people plot was a little over the top, but the Dream Lord was a great one and done villain that gave interesting insight into how The Doctor sees himself. Amy's choice in the end did feel a bit out of the blue my first time watching it, but on a rewatch I noticed the subtle hints throughout the episode Moffat gave foreshadowing it.
1: Just a reference to Jackie saying the same thing in Rose.
2: I'm on my way to rewatching the Eleventh Doctor era for the third time as I write this and, honestly, I don't understand people who say Amy didn't love Rory, Rory loved her more or that Amy was always after The Doctor. While yes, at the beginning Amy was very hot and cold with Rory, this episode proved Amy was willing to risk death just to be with him. And it's not like this is the only time Amy has performed such an act. As I said, I'm rewatching this era of the show for the third time now and very little of Amy's interactions with The Doctor appear romantic in nature. I can count on one hand the amount of times Amy appears attracted to The Doctor and pretty much all of them are a trauma response. It's also worth mentioning that, unlike characters who definitely did have romantic feelings for The Doctor, Amy shows no jealousy or possessiveness over The Doctor's romantic relationships or previous female companions.