Spoiler alert: Karen Gillan leaves Doctor Who in 'flames of blazing glory'
By LIZ THOMAS
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She raised temperatures when she made her debut as the Doctor Who companion
Now Karen Gillan is set to depart in Saturday night’s show in 'flames of blazing glory'.
The actress, who plays Amy Pond, and her on-screen husband Rory, played by Arthur Darvill, are leaving the drama after a two-and-a-half years as the Timelords companions.
Explosive ending: Karen Gillan is leaving the show and she has promised it will be in 'flames of blazing glory'
Gillan said: ‘All I wanted was for her to go out in flames of blazing glory and she definitely does that. I couldn't have wished for a better way to go.’
She confessed was"emotional for about two weeks" during the final filming period.
Tonight’s episode is set in New York and sees the terrifying Weeping Angels return and take over the city.
Family shock: Gillan's mother wanted her to stay on the hit sci-fi show
As these images show even the iconic Statue of Liberty succumbs to the silent monsters.
The pair once again join forces with the Doctor to try and rid the city of the terror, but this time the challenge may be too great.
A BBC spokesman said: ‘The Weeping Angels are back and play a key part in the companions’ departure.
‘It is a very final ending for the current companions and one that leaves the Doctor devastated.’
Audiences have already seen a glimpse of new companion Jenna-Louise Coleman in the first episode of the series.
She will be back on screens when the show returns next year.
Miss Gillan said she was able to pass on a few tips to her before she left and said her successor 'knocked it out of the park' in the opening episode Asylum of the Daleks.
The actress also said that her time on the show had taken its toll on her private life.
Spooky: The episode sees The Weeping Angels take over New York
She is currently filming horror film Oculus in Alabama, and prior to that made a biopic about Jean Shrimpton for the BBC, and independent romantic comedy Not Another Happy Ending.
Miss Gillan said: ‘I am single. It’s actually really exciting. I feel free. Sustaining a relationship while working this intensely is not possible, right now I am focusing on work.
She added that she was still young and needed to make the most of opportunities being offered to her, but admitted appearing on Doctor Who had matured her.
‘I feel so much more mature. You can’t help but change. I feel wise and mature which has never happened to me before.
She went with her 'gut instinct' to leave the show, adding that the decision upset her mother.
'My mum was devastated. She was like "No, Karen I don't want you to leave"'.
Miss Gillan vowed to continue watching the show and said there would be a special screening of her final Doctor Who episode in Alabama today [sat] with the cast of her film.
Executive Steven Moffat said the episode's final shot was inspired by Karen Gillan's first appearance two years ago.
Speaking at a Bafta screening he said: ‘After showing Amelia Pond in the garden as a young girl in the Eleventh Hour, Karen's first episode, the final shot in Saturday's The Angels Take Manhattan is a punchline I have been waiting to tell for two-and-a-half years.'
‘This weekend's episode is more devastating for the Doctor, at certain points he becomes useless and emotional. It was torment and hell trying to write the episode, I struggled for ages to work out a fitting ending and changed my mind until I finally got it right.’
The star, who said she pinched the binoculars from the Tardis as momento, makes her final appearance on Saturday night on BBC1 at 7.20pm.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2210335/Karen-Gillan-leaves-Doctor-Who-flames-blazing-glory.html#ixzz27qrJIbQq
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