REMINDER: As many of you know, I co-host a Doctor Who podcast (Wanderers in the 4th Dimension). Our ongoing sequential coverage of classic Doctor Who will be temporarily put on hiatus so that we may provide weekly coverage of series 8. Once series 8 wraps up, we'll resume right where we left off, which just so happens to be the start of the Patrick Troughton era. Links to my podcast can be found on my tumblr. site's main page which you can visit by clicking on the animated gif below.
Just been in to the shop to get the saturday newspaper. Interesting to note that Capaldi is on a lot of front pages today. A sign of how big Capalday is over here in the UK
Finally watched the Christmas special. Haven't seen anything beyond that. It was OK. I think its unfortunate that Moffat waited 4 years to try and wrap up all those storylines in one episode. Felt like he was just checking things off a box
1) Silents 2) Silence will fall 3) crack in the wall 4) Trenzalore
Don't really understand why the story included him being there for 300 years or more and never releasing the Time Lords. Shouldn't he have just left? Wasn't his entire prescence the reason the place was under attack?
Anyway. I'd prefer it if Moffat were gone. But I guess that's not happening.
Finally watched the Christmas special. Haven't seen anything beyond that. It was OK. I think its unfortunate that Moffat waited 4 years to try and wrap up all those storylines in one episode. Felt like he was just checking things off a box
1) Silents 2) Silence will fall 3) crack in the wall 4) Trenzalore
Don't really understand why the story included him being there for 300 years or more and never releasing the Time Lords. Shouldn't he have just left? Wasn't his entire prescence the reason the place was under attack?
Anyway. I'd prefer it if Moffat were gone. But I guess that's not happening.
He was basically supposed to be the man with his finger on the button. The transmission coming from Trenzalore is identified as coming from Gallifrey. The doctor's enemies want to destroy the planet to prevent the return of the timelords. Since the doctor is the only one who can bring them back he creates a stalemate situation to prevent the town of Christmas from being destroyed. They try to destroy the planet, he releases the timelords. His presence was the only thing keeping the planet from being annihilated.
And he doesn't want to release the timelords because there is the possibility the time-war would immediately resume, consuming the universe.
My only observation is that we still don't really have a good grasp of what the new Doctor is going to be like -- in this ep he was by turns daffy, incoherent and insecure. However: practically all of the Regeneration episodes are like this and it takes an episode or two afterwards for the new personality to really take hold and shine. It certainly took me that long with both Tennant and Smith; and I ultimately wound up enjoying them both.
Just when I was beginning to dig the new Doctor they throw Matt Smith in there. It had the opposite effect I think it was supposed to have on me and made me long for the previous Doctor.
Finally watched the Christmas special. Haven't seen anything beyond that. It was OK. I think its unfortunate that Moffat waited 4 years to try and wrap up all those storylines in one episode. Felt like he was just checking things off a box
1) Silents 2) Silence will fall 3) crack in the wall 4) Trenzalore
Don't really understand why the story included him being there for 300 years or more and never releasing the Time Lords. Shouldn't he have just left? Wasn't his entire prescence the reason the place was under attack?
Anyway. I'd prefer it if Moffat were gone. But I guess that's not happening.
He was basically supposed to be the man with his finger on the button. The transmission coming from Trenzalore is identified as coming from Gallifrey. The doctor's enemies want to destroy the planet to prevent the return of the timelords. Since the doctor is the only one who can bring them back he creates a stalemate situation to prevent the town of Christmas from being destroyed. They try to destroy the planet, he releases the timelords. His presence was the only thing keeping the planet from being annihilated.
And he doesn't want to release the timelords because there is the possibility the time-war would immediately resume, consuming the universe.
Fair enough. I still think the whole episode felt like checking things off a list. I also felt like there was a deliberate dig at the fans when The Doctor had his long loud rant about "the rules"
My only real issue with the episode is that Clara's reactions only make sense in a meta way. Because in the situation she was is actually in it makes no sense. Of all the companions she's the only one who has met all of the doctors previous incarnations, even in her non-"impossible girl" form she directly interacted with 3 of them, so regeneration shock doesn't seem to ring true. And when she last saw him he was decrepidly old. So this regeneration is actually considerably younger body-wise than the eleventh when he finally regenerated. So her whole boo-hoo now he's old thing made no sense.
Otherwise I actually really enjoyed it. Looking forward to Capaldi's doctor.
Loved the references to Capaldi's role as Malcolm tucker and the scarf gag. Also the joke "Here comes the Cabaret." Although would have preferred that when the Pater Noster gang do make their entrance they should have kicked some "Rubbish robots from the dawn of time" butt. Maybe have they wipe out the first wave but have Jenny wounded so they try the deep breath technique when a second wave appear. They could do the kiss scene then. Strax should actually be able to deliver on some of his fighting talk
My only real issue with the episode is that Clara's reactions only make sense in a meta way. Because in the situation she was is actually in it makes no sense. Of all the companions she's the only one who has met all of the doctors previous incarnations, even in her non-"impossible girl" form she directly interacted with 3 of them, so regeneration shock doesn't seem to ring true. And when she last saw him he was decrepidly old. So this regeneration is actually considerably younger body-wise than the eleventh when he finally regenerated. So her whole boo-hoo now he's old thing made no sense.
Otherwise I actually really enjoyed it. Looking forward to Capaldi's doctor.
I thought her reaction made perfect sense. I don't believe Clara is actually capable of remembering all the times she's been there for the other Doctors. Granted, she was in the presence of several Doctors all at once, in the 50th anniversary special, but if anything I would think having them all occupying the same time and space would only serve to bolster her view of them as individuals. Sure she's aware that they are the supposed to be different incarnations of the one Doctor, but having them all present without being privy to witnessing the transformation process, doesn't exactly reinforce the notion that the Doctors are one and the same. I guess what I'm getting at is that she's never had to contend (at least that she can recollect) losing a personality that's she's become accustomed to.
Who is Missy? Is she an old character or a new character. I would love for her to be the Rani but I am actually hoping she is a brand new character. Thoughts?
Who is Missy? Is she an old character or a new character. I would love for her to be the Rani but I am actually hoping she is a brand new character. Thoughts?
Who is Missy? Is she an old character or a new character. I would love for her to be the Rani but I am actually hoping she is a brand new character. Thoughts?
Spoiler (sort of) Here's a sentence I don't use very often: that would have been better without the dinosaur.
SPOILER
My take on the dinosaur was that it totally felt like something from a Matt Smith era episode. I could easily imagine the main plot of the Smith version being getting the dinosaur back home. So, when it burst into flames and sent The Doctor spiraling into an investigation, for me it felt like the show casting off the last of its old format and kicking the new one into gear.
Who is Missy? Is she an old character or a new character. I would love for her to be the Rani but I am actually hoping she is a brand new character. Thoughts?
I'm always hoping for The Rani. I know Moffat can't stand the character, but for me, that's all the more reason to have a go at doing her right. The Master was dreadful for most of the '80s and '90s, as well, but they managed to salvage him
The way she acted, though, makes me think she's not The Rani. And if Moffat does bring back The Rani only to have her be insane and think the Doctor is her boyfriend, then he needn't have bothered.
Spoiler (sort of) Here's a sentence I don't use very often: that would have been better without the dinosaur.
SPOILER
My take on the dinosaur was that it totally felt like something from a Matt Smith era episode. I could easily imagine the main plot of the Smith version being getting the dinosaur back home. So, when it burst into flames and sent The Doctor spiraling into an investigation, for me it felt like the show casting off the last of its old format and kicking the new one into gear.
It also gives the Dr. a chance to explain who he is to those tuning in for the first time. The monologue that the Dr. gives while sleeping also applies to himself.
Second viewing: Titles are ok but don't like the music remix. Still think the T Tex is unnecessary. Like how Madame Vastra says the Brig's "Here we go again" line. The actor playing the half face guy moves in a brilliant way. Capaldi is great. Scarf joke and Tucker nods good fun. Clara is good. Pater Noster gang should kick butt and Strax should be more than just fighting talk. Matt Smith cameo probably unnecessary, none of his previous incarnations ever felt the need to do that and does raise the Gerard Clarke question of why he doesn't phone himself when in a tight spot. Tardis redesign: exterior a bit naff, interior looks very cool but should indeed have more round things. Final scenes with Clara and Doctor very good. Presume he chose the Pompeii face to remind himself to be involved more. Glad they remembered mystery lady from the computer shop, and there she is at the end in Robot heaven presumably. Could be another Time Lord beginning with R
Apparently some members of The League Of Ridiculous Prigs is all knicker-twisted about the "lesbian" kiss.
Considering that the characters involved are members of different species, I guess the conservatives are right: tolerance of homosexuality does lead to tolerance of bestiality!
Ugh... this was the worst episode of Doctor Who since the reboot in 05. Capaldi aside, it was utter crap. I don't mean he was great, but that no matter what he did, it was awful.
Dinosaur: Totally irrelevant to the story. Just there to blow the FX budget, and entice people in trailers. Had NOTHING to do with the story. His optic nerve? Really?
Clara: Still useless... even though they tried REALLY hard to make her interesting. Fail. And her subconscious mind is full of "young athletic men"? Sexist much?
Vastra Jenny and Strax: Always my favorite part of any episode they appear in... in this one they were written as flat, two dimensional characters. Strax only serves as comic relief, even when they entered the battle. He's 100% warrior... that's the part he excells at. And, for Pete's sake, we KNOW they are in love, married, have sex, are lesbians. We don't have to be told/shown it 6 times in an hour. Could the camera have gotten any closer when they kissed? I think that mole needs looking at. And Strax hit Clara with the newspaper? Really?
The Baddies: So, they couldn't tell Clara was alive while she was holding her breath? She was moving, walking, twitching, crying, wimpering... but as long as she didn't exhale, they ignored her. In the midst of battle, everyone held their breath and the clockwork men INSTANTLY stopped.
Capaldi/Doctor: When I could actually understand what he was saying, he said nothing. Yes, you have a face, and it has lines.. move on. Hey, let's have ANOTHER half hour with him and the homeless guy. I seriously was wishing for the episode to be over at that point. The entire scene was pointless and only served to have Capaldi spout nonsense, and display his "conflicted mind". Jeez. Oh, and have him steal (sorry, trade a watch for) the guy's clothes. ??? And the booth scene was too long. ALL of the scenes were too long... I felt like I was watching Masterpiece Theater from the 1970's.
Let's take one of the best episodes, "The Girl in the Fireplace", and call back to that (litterally call back to it, by reading the name of the ship from the side of a battery??)... that will lend an air of credibility to this... and have Matt Smith make a cameo, just for good measure... people already love him. The pacing was awful... I loved how the music got all energetic when the seatbelts trapped Doctor and Clara in the booth, and they were lowered breathtakingly slowly to the basement. THAT WAS THE TENSE SCENE, you could tell from the music.
Oh, My God... I could rant forever. I hated the Clara/Matt Smith part of last season, and this is a new low. They have two more weeks to win me back, and I hope they do. Ilove what this show CAN be. This wasn't it.
Besides, come visit me here in the liberal mecca of NE Minnesota and I'll introduce you to some multigenerational democrats who say things about homosexuals that would make Ann Coulter blush.
Apparently some members of The League Of Ridiculous Prigs is all knicker-twisted about the "lesbian" kiss.
Considering that the characters involved are members of different species, I guess the conservatives are right: tolerance of homosexuality does lead to tolerance of bestiality!
;)
It's moments like that when I like to think "What would William Hartnell be thinking right now if he were alive and watching?"
He got upset when they cast a black actor as an astronaut in his final story. His head would probably explode at a lesbian lizard kiss.
Apparently some members of The League Of Ridiculous Prigs is all knicker-twisted about the "lesbian" kiss.
Considering that the characters involved are members of different species, I guess the conservatives are right: tolerance of homosexuality does lead to tolerance of bestiality!
;)
The only thing that bothered me about the kiss is the lengths they went to get them to kiss. Why the hell can't they just kiss?
Comments
As many of you know, I co-host a Doctor Who podcast (Wanderers in the 4th Dimension). Our ongoing sequential coverage of classic Doctor Who will be temporarily put on hiatus so that we may provide weekly coverage of series 8. Once series 8 wraps up, we'll resume right where we left off, which just so happens to be the start of the Patrick Troughton era. Links to my podcast can be found on my tumblr. site's main page which you can visit by clicking on the animated gif below.
A sign of how big Capalday is over here in the UK
1) Silents
2) Silence will fall
3) crack in the wall
4) Trenzalore
Don't really understand why the story included him being there for 300 years or more and never releasing the Time Lords. Shouldn't he have just left? Wasn't his entire prescence the reason the place was under attack?
Anyway. I'd prefer it if Moffat were gone. But I guess that's not happening.
And he doesn't want to release the timelords because there is the possibility the time-war would immediately resume, consuming the universe.
Feel free to discuss. Please preface your posts with the word "SPOILERS" in bold letters when applicable.
Here's a sentence I don't use very often: that would have been better without the dinosaur.
My only observation is that we still don't really have a good grasp of what the new Doctor is going to be like -- in this ep he was by turns daffy, incoherent and insecure. However: practically all of the Regeneration episodes are like this and it takes an episode or two afterwards for the new personality to really take hold and shine. It certainly took me that long with both Tennant and Smith; and I ultimately wound up enjoying them both.
Just when I was beginning to dig the new Doctor they throw Matt Smith in there. It had the opposite effect I think it was supposed to have on me and made me long for the previous Doctor.
...Whack!
Otherwise I actually really enjoyed it. Looking forward to Capaldi's doctor.
Loved the references to Capaldi's role as Malcolm tucker and the scarf gag.
Also the joke "Here comes the Cabaret."
Although would have preferred that when the Pater Noster gang do make their entrance they should have kicked some "Rubbish robots from the dawn of time" butt.
Maybe have they wipe out the first wave but have Jenny wounded so they try the deep breath technique when a second wave appear. They could do the kiss scene then.
Strax should actually be able to deliver on some of his fighting talk
What interested me most was The Doctor wondering why he chose this face.
I think it's so he remembers a lesson from Pompei.
I think there's something about what happened in Pompei that will be key to restoring Gallifrey,
My take on the dinosaur was that it totally felt like something from a Matt Smith era episode. I could easily imagine the main plot of the Smith version being getting the dinosaur back home. So, when it burst into flames and sent The Doctor spiraling into an investigation, for me it felt like the show casting off the last of its old format and kicking the new one into gear.
The way she acted, though, makes me think she's not The Rani. And if Moffat does bring back The Rani only to have her be insane and think the Doctor is her boyfriend, then he needn't have bothered.
or, perhaps it doesn't. I need to watch it again.
Considering that the characters involved are members of different species, I guess the conservatives are right: tolerance of homosexuality does lead to tolerance of bestiality!
;)
Ugh... this was the worst episode of Doctor Who since the reboot in 05. Capaldi aside, it was utter crap. I don't mean he was great, but that no matter what he did, it was awful.
Dinosaur: Totally irrelevant to the story. Just there to blow the FX budget, and entice people in trailers. Had NOTHING to do with the story. His optic nerve? Really?
Clara: Still useless... even though they tried REALLY hard to make her interesting. Fail. And her subconscious mind is full of "young athletic men"? Sexist much?
Vastra Jenny and Strax: Always my favorite part of any episode they appear in... in this one they were written as flat, two dimensional characters. Strax only serves as comic relief, even when they entered the battle. He's 100% warrior... that's the part he excells at. And, for Pete's sake, we KNOW they are in love, married, have sex, are lesbians. We don't have to be told/shown it 6 times in an hour. Could the camera have gotten any closer when they kissed? I think that mole needs looking at. And Strax hit Clara with the newspaper? Really?
The Baddies: So, they couldn't tell Clara was alive while she was holding her breath? She was moving, walking, twitching, crying, wimpering... but as long as she didn't exhale, they ignored her. In the midst of battle, everyone held their breath and the clockwork men INSTANTLY stopped.
Capaldi/Doctor: When I could actually understand what he was saying, he said nothing. Yes, you have a face, and it has lines.. move on. Hey, let's have ANOTHER half hour with him and the homeless guy. I seriously was wishing for the episode to be over at that point. The entire scene was pointless and only served to have Capaldi spout nonsense, and display his "conflicted mind". Jeez. Oh, and have him steal (sorry, trade a watch for) the guy's clothes. ??? And the booth scene was too long. ALL of the scenes were too long... I felt like I was watching Masterpiece Theater from the 1970's.
Let's take one of the best episodes, "The Girl in the Fireplace", and call back to that (litterally call back to it, by reading the name of the ship from the side of a battery??)... that will lend an air of credibility to this... and have Matt Smith make a cameo, just for good measure... people already love him. The pacing was awful... I loved how the music got all energetic when the seatbelts trapped Doctor and Clara in the booth, and they were lowered breathtakingly slowly to the basement. THAT WAS THE TENSE SCENE, you could tell from the music.
Oh, My God... I could rant forever. I hated the Clara/Matt Smith part of last season, and this is a new low. They have two more weeks to win me back, and I hope they do. Ilove what this show CAN be. This wasn't it.
Besides, come visit me here in the liberal mecca of NE Minnesota and I'll introduce you to some multigenerational democrats who say things about homosexuals that would make Ann Coulter blush.
He got upset when they cast a black actor as an astronaut in his final story. His head would probably explode at a lesbian lizard kiss.
Why the hell can't they just kiss?
Not my fault the word has been corrupted.