This season felt like a reboot. In a way, I think it was semi-on-purpose. The Tennant era grew the franchise in popularity. Moffat took the opportunity of a new Doctor to bring in new and younger people to the fold. Taken in isolation, with no past continuity issues, this season works very well. You generally care about Amy and Rory's relationship, even though Rory is pretty flat as a character. There's nothing deep about the season (although the Amy's Choice episode with the Dream Lord was particularly brilliant--great revelation of the Doctor's character).
Is the finale believable? Not really. It stretches the suspension of disbelief. But I'm willing to go along for the ride if the ride is emotional payoff is good and sincere. And I think it was. All the little plot holes of the last few episodes are forgivable.
But then you remember that this season is not a one-off man-with-a-magic-box mini-series. It turns out this character has decades of continuity, some of which has been cemented during the past 4.5 seasons. You realize that the season 5 finale ran roughshod over most of that. The plot holes seem wider than they did a moment ago. People are going back over their own timelines with no consequences. It feels rushed, unfinished and sloppy. Little do you know that this season would feel like Shakespeare compared to what was to follow.
In retrospect, the strongest episodes were:
The Beast Below (the last time the Doctor has a bit of Tennant-style moralizing?)
The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone (also neat the way the later finale clarified a part of Flesh and Stone...the "remember" business. It makes you rewatch this episode again.)
Amy's Choice
The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood (oh, okay, maybe there's a little bit of moralizing here...sorta. Now I regret mentioning it, because it really should've been condensed to one episode)
Vincent and the Doctor (Vincent Van Gogh)
The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang (which has plotting problems, but is somewhat necessary due to being the finale of the season)
Next: Season 6
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