History Recap / DoctorWhoS32E2DayOfTheMoon

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Unlike his usual villainous appearances, Richard Nixon is depicted as one in the series, trusting the Doctor entirely and going along with his advice despite the occasional jabs and the fact that the Doctor is eccentric to put it mildly, only asking the Doctor how he's remembered. He's also given excellent reason for his infamous paranoia. He's even willing to intervene on Canton's behalf, overcoming his own prejudices to support his mixed marriage and intervene on his behalf... until he finds out that Canton's partner is a black ''man''. Even then, all he does is say, after a moment of shock, that perhaps the Moon is far enough for now (which, while a little sad, is considerably more reasonable a response than you'd expect).

To track her down they investigate the spacesuit, which seems constructed as a life support system for a human girl, albeit one who is strong enough to break out of it herself. Rory, holding the chip, listens to Amy's screams, wishing he could help her. Now she's talking, as if she knows someone who's listening. She says she loves "you" -- whom, Rory doesn't know -- even though "you" think it should be the other one. But oh, what she would give to see his stupid face again! Her life was so horrible, so boring before he dropped out of the sky...

* BadassBeard: The Doctor grows one during his time in Area 51.

** His parting words to Nixon: "Say hi to [[Film/FrostNixon David Frost]] for me."

* CurbStompBattle: River vs. the Silence. Game, set, match.

* MilitarySalute: Going hand-in-hand with his inability to fake an American accent, Rory -- [[PaperThinDisguise dressed]] as a [[{{Adorkable}} Federal functionary]], when Nixon arrives to release the Doctor from NASA security -- salutes the scientists using the British style of saluting, not the American style.

At NASA, the Doctor had been captured for breaking into Apollo 11, fiddling with the wiring and basically breaking the law. He claims that he's on a mission from the President, but his captors aren't exactly believing him. Until Nixon walks into the room, River and Rory at his sides. He congratulates the men for their good work and dedication to America, and says what fine work the Doctor is doing, even if he is confused by what exactly that work is. The Doctor is set free, and cheerfully leaves. [[{{Adorkable}} Oh, and Rory manages to break a scale model of the lunar module and can't feign an American accent.]] (Or salute.)

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Richard Nixon, of all people, is depicted as one, trusting the Doctor entirely and going along with his advice despite the occasional jabs and the fact that the Doctor is eccentric to put it mildly, only asking the Doctor how he's remembered. He's also given excellent reason for his infamous paranoia. He's even willing to intervene on Canton's behalf, overcoming his own prejudices to support his mixed marriage and intervene on his behalf... until he finds out that Canton's partner is a black ''man''. Even then, all he does is say, after a moment of shock, that perhaps the Moon is far enough for now (which, while a little sad, is considerably more reasonable a response than you'd expect).

He lands the TARDIS sideways on the building, telling Rory and Amy to open the doors to the swimming pool. River gracefully turnsher fall into a headfirst dive, dropping through the ship's doors with a splash. A few minutes later, the group reassembles on the TARDIS bridge, and they begin to collect information. Does the Doctor have a plan? He does indeed, and the TARDIS lands before Cape Canaveral, a rocket proudly filling the horizon. River is dubious. Apollo 11 is his plan?

* BadassGay: Canton, ex-FBI official, tells Nixon he wants to get married to a black person. Nixon's unfazed until Canton elaborates that it's a black ''man''.

III

** The audio glitch in the Moon landing transmission of "One small step for man..." was caused by the Doctor splicing in his secret message. You don't remember the aliens' "you should kill us all on sight" message when you view the landing transmission on Website/YouTube because you're supposed to forget completely about them the moment you look away.

* {{Eagleland}}: There is an ''awful'' lot of gunplay in this episode...

Canton comes bursting in with armed agents, guns drawn, asking her to surrender. She babbles about how they're everywhere, across the whole country. The FBI agent replies sarcastically: of course, invisible aliens are invading America. But River knows it's worse than that. They've been here a long time, and America is occupied. It doesn't matter, of course, because Delaware has cornered her at last, and there's no way to escape. River just smiles knowingly at Canton, backs up, and drops gracefully out of a window. It's probably ''not'' the maddest thing she's done, [[DoctorWhoS31E4TheTimeOfAngels nor the first]] (or last) time she does it either.

Amy is running desperately across a stark red valley, a pen dangling from her neck on a chain and black tally marks covering her whole body. She's in the Valley of the Gods, Utah. Behind Amy are three black cars. She desperately tries to outrun them, but when she comes to a relatively minor slope, she's forced to stop. Canton Everett Delaware III comes out of the car, carrying a body bag. Amy pleads with him not to kill her. Can he even remember why he's doing this? Can't he remember the night at the warehouse?

Location: Area 51. In the centre of a hanger sits a chained man, bearded and surrounded by black bricks. The Doctor. He's approached by Canton, who drops a photo of Amy before him. He says her whole body was covered in marks, and would he mind explaining why? The Doctor asks Canton to ask her himself, and the agent just looks at him darkly. For a moment, a flicker of sadness passes the Time Lord's face, but he seems far too preoccupied in investigating the bricks. They're encasing him in dwarf star alloy, the densest material in the universe. The perfect prison. [[BadassBoast "But it still won't be enough!"]]

Location: New York. At the top of a skyscraper still being built, River Song walks worried among the building material, her face full of fear. Something else moves among the cloth. A horrible finger, a suit, all glimpses of the Silence. River takes a pen, drawing two tally marks on her arm. "I ''see'' you."

He lands the TARDIS sideways on the building, telling Rory and Amy to open the doors to the swimming pool. River gracefully falls down, dropping through the ship's doors with a splash. A few minutes later, the group reassembles on the TARDIS bridge, and they begin to collect information. Does the Doctor have a plan? He does indeed, and the TARDIS lands before Cape Canaveral, a rocket proudly filling the horizon. River is dubious. Apollo 11 is his plan?

* WhamLine: For the Silents and what the Doctor has made every human into.
-->'''Silent:''' You should kill us all on sight.

* SchrodingersCat: Amy's pregnancy status is both positive and negative. Essentially, the baby does and does not exist at the same time.

* LiteralMinded: When Rory hear Amy talking about how the person she loved 'fell out of the sky' into her life, [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E1EleventhHour he assumed she meant the Doctor]]. Amy clarifies that she was talking about him with a metaphor.

Of course, they don't take to that very kindly, and promptly begin to attack. River begins shooting the hell out of them, while Rory desperately tries to break Amy free of her shackles. It's no use, and Amy tells him to get his "big stupid face" out of there. Suddenly, Rory realises that it ''was'' him she was talking about. The Doctor releases Amy using his screwdriver, and they make their escape under the cover of River's gun.

%%* BewareTheNiceOnes: