Amy and Rory’s relationship was among the highlights of Matt Smith’s tenure as the Doctor on Doctor Who, bringing a much-needed romance and compassion to the show despite a complex timeline. Their relationship went through many stages, following the couple as they attempted to balance their complicated marriage with the exciting world of traveling with the Doctor. The two lives didn’t always fit together perfectly, but Amy and Rory managed to make it work for the sake of their friend.
Unlike the other incarnations of the Doctor that preceded him, Smith’s Doctor spent the overwhelming majority of his time with Amy and Rory. They developed a bond unlike anything he’d ever experienced before (at least platonically), which is why their relationship was so important to him. Amy and Rory experienced several sad moments and tragic failures in their relationship, but it was their unbreakable bond that continued to draw them together. They’d been through so much together, and there was nobody else in the universe that could quite understand what they’d been through with the Doctor – not even his former companions.
Season 6, Episode 8 “Let’s Kill Hitler” – Amy & Rory’s Childhood In Leadworth
Although they’d already been in Doctor Who for several episodes before “Let’s Kill Hitler,” it wasn’t until this point that the show offered some insight into their shared childhoods. During a brief flashback in the episode, their mutual friend (and time-traveling daughter) Mels makes Amy realize that Rory has feelings for her, which she’d never realized because she’d always assumed he was gay. It’s a great comedic moment that perfectly encapsulates the jokey dynamic between the couple, whilst also proving that they’ve always loved each other and never would’ve been a good fit with anybody else.
Season 5, Episodes 1-8 – Amy & Rory Travel With The Doctor
There were several details from Matt Smith’s first episode of Doctor Who that perfectly established his tenure as the Doctor, and his immediate chemistry with Amy and Rory proves that. The trio gets along straight away, managing to defeat Prisoner Zero and the Atraxi by working together and acting selflessly. The Doctor admires these traits in them, and although it’s only Amy whom he invites to travel with him, Rory soon joins the team and accompanies them on several lighthearted adventures through time and space. The pair is also trying to kill time before their wedding day, which Amy is having minor concerns about.
Season 5, Episodes 9-12 – Rory Is Erased From Existence
The first tragedy in Amy and Rory’s relationship happens in season 5’s “Cold Blood” when Rory is shot dead by a vengeful Silurian and consequently absorbed by the mysterious cracks in time. Rory died and came back several times throughout the show, but this first death was the most heartbreaking – not only was he gone, but his erasure meant that Amy lost all memory of him. This tragedy made their reunion in “The Pandorica Opens” even more emotional, as Amy’s returning grief made her overcome any concerns she’d previously had about marrying Rory.
Season 5, Episode 13 “The Big Bang” – Rory Guards The Pandorica & Marries Amy
“The Big Bang” features plenty of complicated sci-fi ideas, with the Doctor managing to escape from his entrapment in the Pandorica by creating a bootstrap paradox that allowed Rory to free him using a future version of the Sonic Screwdriver. They placed Amy inside the Pandorica to heal, and although the Doctor offered to take Rory using his Vortex Manipulator, he refused to leave her side for the 2000 years it took to reopen the box. Despite Amy and Rory’s relationship worsening in the future, this gesture proves just how much Rory cared about her, valuing her safety even more than his own life.
After the Doctor finally managed to open the Pandorica using the DNA of Amy’s younger self, he flew the device into the heart of his exploding TARDIS and spread its regenerative energy throughout the universe, undoing the destruction that the explosion has initially caused. In this newly regenerated universe, Amy and Rory finally went through with their wedding – closing the book on that rocky chapter of their relationship. The pair were finally Mr. and Mrs. Pond, with Rory’s protection of the Pandorica ensuring that she’d survived to see that important day.
Season 6, Episodes 1-6 – Amy Is Kidnaped By Madame Kovarian
The Silence have a complex history in Doctor Who, and although their true motives aren’t explained until “The Time of the Doctor,” their battle against the Time Lord began in season 6. Shortly before the events of the season premiere, Amy was kidnapped by Madame Kovarian and the Silence – and replaced by a human avatar that took her place in the TARDIS. This understandably caused some trouble among the newlyweds, even though neither of them realized until too late that a swap had even taken place. The Doctor soon realized that Kovarian wanted Amy’s unborn child, which spurred Rory into action to save his wife and daughter.
Season 6, Episodes 7-13 – Searching For Amy & Rory’s Daughter
It’s always been obvious that River Song’s timeline isn’t quite clear, but “A Good Man Goes To War” offered the shocking revelation that she was actually the future version of Melody Pond – Amy and Rory’s daughter. Despite a complicated rescue plan, the Doctor and Rory were unable to save Melody from being taken away by Madame Kovarian, but they spent the next few years hunting her through time and searching for their lost child. They eventually caught up with her in Nazi Germany, where she regenerated from Melody to River and began her training with the Kovarian Church. Searching for their daughter brought them even closer than before.
Season 7, Episodes 1-4 – Amy & Rory‘s Domestic Life
The next time the Doctor meets the Ponds, they’re filing for divorce. Though Amy and Rory eventually end up together, there’s a brief moment in “Asylum of the Daleks” when it seems like things are over for them. Ultimately, Amy soon admits that she was only leaving Rory because she didn’t want her newfound infertility to prevent him from having children. The moment proved just how selfless and understanding Amy could be, even though Rory is usually the one sacrificing things. They soon resolve their conflicts, spending the next few episodes trying to figure out how to say goodbye to the Doctor and focus on their ‘real’ lives.
Season 7, Episode 5 “The Angels Take Manhattan” – Amy & Rory Get Sent Back In Time
In Doctor Who’s most emotional adventure, the gang encountered a swarm of Weeping Angels that had taken over the city. They managed to defeat most of the Angels by creating a powerful paradox, but one stayed behind and caught up with the Ponds. They were both sent back in time, where they lived the rest of their lives together in peace. This marked Amy and Rory’s exit from the show with a bittersweet goodbye that finally gave them the domestic life they’d always dreamed of. The paradox they’d created prevented the Doctor from going back to save them – but that was for the best, as they’d finally moved on.