Most Heartbreaking Moments of the Ponds’ Exit

Guest contributor Liam Duke looks at the most heartbreaking moments of the Ponds’ exit.

So now it’s all over, the stories been told.
The Doctor’s alone now and the Ponds they grow old.
Through all these adventures, through thick and through thin.
There would come a time when they just couldn’t win.
But think of that girl all alone in the cold.
Waiting for a box that’s blue, new and old.
For her, all those adventures are still yet to come.
Oh little Amelia, you will have so much fun!
You’ll fly through the stars and have a love that’s so true.
That not even the Universe could find a way to part you.
So do not despair if he’s just a bit late.
The Raggedy Man will be so worth the wait.

So, it’s all over. The Ponds have left Doctor Who forever, and in a ‘heartbreaking’ way, just like Steven Moffat said. But what made it SO heartbreaking? Well, let me discuss some things that made the departure of the Ponds so very sad…

The Music

THE MUSIC! Wow, it was outstanding in this episode. I’m never normally touched by any music in the show, but the theme when Amy and Rory jump off the building was tremendous! It really moved me, along with the heartbreaking tune when Amy gave herself to the Angel to be with Rory.

Brian May Never Know

“Just bring them back safe.” Brian told the Doctor, but that hasn’t happened. Since the Ponds are gone, it seems unlikely Brian will ever come back and he may never know what happened to his son and daughter-in-law, which is so sad. He was all I could think about after this episode. He’ll be waiting for his son to return home forever.

The Doctor’s Reaction

He actually broke down! That is rare and was so heartbreaking to watch! He was so sad when they left, and I think this encounter may change his character slightly. Matt Smith was superb in this episode, especially when he broke down after Amy was zapped back in time. His screaming and obvious agony made my heart snap. Also, the Doctor’s last ‘Come along, Pond’ created a ‘river’ of tears.

The Fall

The music was excellent in the fall sequence, but the slow motion of Amy and Rory holding onto each other is what started my tears flowing! The Doctor screaming after them also made my heart ache. It was a powerful scene and I don’t know what would’ve happened to me if they did die from the fall and nothing else happened.

The Afterword

This was genuinely truly sad. The part that gets me is when Amy says ‘We will love you, always.’ Amy’s farewell to her best friend was awfully sad to watch, and I was already sobbing by this point. Matt Smith’s acting also excelled in this sequence.

River Saw Her Parents Die

I was thinking about River’s situation and just imagine watching the demise of your parents. I really felt for her character and Alex Kingston’s underplayed performance sells it really well.

Amelia’s Last Farewell

When Amy gave up her life with the Doctor for Rory the tears grew stronger. Karen Gillan was so good in this scene! The way she couldn’t live without Rory and couldn’t even face the Doctor and River for the duration of her goodbye speech made it all the more heartbreaking! Her final words “Raggedy man…goodbye.” made me sob more than I ever have before. It was nice to relate her final words to The Eleventh Hour.

Rory Didn’t Get A Goodbye

This was a problem I had with the episode. Rory never got to say goodbye to his child and the Doctor. Even if he can see Melody again, he can’t see the Doctor. I would’ve liked a goodbye scene between the two, but we never got one. I also wish we saw Rory again after he was zapped. For example, we could’ve seen him and Amy post-Angel life. But, he was never seen again for the last seven minutes of the episode and didn’t even get a memorable last line.

Family & Friends

The Ponds won’t ever have their old normal life back. Will Rory remain a nurse? Amy and Rory’s family and friends will never see them again and will always wonder what happened to them. I really feel for Amy’s mother and father.

Amy Died Alone

Rory died aged 82, while Amy was 87. I always thought Rory was older, but they may have been the same age if they were in the same school year. Even so, it seems Amy may have been alone for a few years after Rory died. If she died alone, that is very sad indeed.

Young Amy Returned

The link to Amy and Rory’s first episode made me cry even more, and seeing a young Amelia Pond again gave me sweet memories of the first Amy we met. It is sad to see her as a little girl and know her heartbreaking fate.

Lost Talent

We have lost the great talent of Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill. I’ve grown to love them and their characters, and I will miss them, ALL FOUR OF THEM; Amy, Karen, Rory and Arthur. It is a big blow to lose two brilliant actors at once, and I wish them all the luck in the Universe.

We’ll Never See Them Again

To know we’ll never have fresh material from Amy and Rory ever again is just so sad and depressing to think about. All we can do is thank them and never forget them.

Thank you for the memories Ponds and we’ll all miss you.

“Hello old friend, and here we are. You and me, on the last page. By the time you read these words, Rory and I will be long gone. So know that we lived well, and we’re very happy. And above all else, know that we will love you, always. Sometimes I do worry about you, though. I think, once we’re gone, you won’t be coming back here for a while, and you might be alone, which you should never be. Don’t be alone, Doctor. And do one more thing for me. There’s a little girl waiting in a garden. She’s going to wait a long while, so she’s going to need a lot of hope. Go to her. Tell her a story. Tell her that if she’s patient, the days are coming that she’ll never forget. Tell her she’ll go to sea and fight pirates. She’ll fall in love with a man who’ll wait two thousand years to keep her safe. Tell her she’ll give hope to the greatest painter who ever lived, and save a whale in outer space. Tell her, this is the story of Amelia Pond. And this is how it ends.”

And what a story it was.