Just watched the first episode, wow.
Spoiler
I don't know what all to say about this one. The Daleks came back in a big way (after a much needed break, thank you Moffat) in this episode, with no less then two planets full of them. So much for the Doctor stopping their spread across the galaxy.
I do think the shock at the end might have been a touch obvious though, because I guessed it about halfway through the episode. I dunno if that's just because I'm just too clever for my own good, I've watched too much doctor who lately (been watching some of the third doctor serials the last few days), or if it's genuinely easy to get, but whatever.
"The Question" popped up again in this episode, and it's a genuinely interesting twist how it's included here. I argue that it takes away the Doctor's use of intimidation on the Daleks, but another fan who watched it about the same time pointed out that it also means he has the element of surprise with them again.
I didn't...
Spoiler
see the twist with Oswin coming, so it wasn't that obvious. Of more interest to me though, is that Oswin was played by the actress becoming the Doctor's new companion. Clone, robot or evil twin? Or maybe time travel shenanigans?
Spoiler
Well, I knew that she wasn't what she seemed right from the beginning. Between whole thing with the wristbands protecting them being repeated, and the fact that the Doctor had already emphasized that her hacking skills were more then they should have been, I knew she wasn't what she seemed. Between that, the constant use of "Dalek vision" whenever we were looking at things from her point of view, and the fact that the Doctor emphasized the fact that they never were ALLOWED to see her... it kind of fell together a bit early on for me.
I knew something was up. However, the extent of the twist both surprised and intrigued me.
Spoiler
I'm guessing Oswin shows up again in a similar manner. I don't think we know her whole story yet. One scenario that leapt out at me was that the new companion (Oswin) would be a deprogrammed or unsuccessfully programmed Dalek puppet. Another one is that The Doctor is prompted to go back in time and save her. However, the first has too many holes and the second is kinda lame.
So a third. There is more to her than "just being trapped" which leads to her showing up again in various capacities. Then, The Doctor goes to find her after the Ponds' death. She turns out to be some sort of AI.
There's another possibility:
Spoiler
That she managed to escape in Dalek form and will be a Dalek the entire time on the show, but will show up in human form either in the same manner as in this episode, or possibly as a hologram or something similar.
Dinosaurs on a Spaceship time!
Spoiler
Another solid episode, which was a pleasant surprise for me, given that it was written by the same fellow who wrote the half-baked Silurian two-parter in season 5. I quite liked Rory's dad, and his little character arc (though wouldn't he have seen the Doctor & Tardis materialize before, as it did so at Amy & Rory's wedding?)
Quote from: Talavar on September 09, 2012, 04:23:15 PM
Dinosaurs on a Spaceship time!
Spoiler
Another solid episode, which was a pleasant surprise for me, given that it was written by the same fellow who wrote the half-baked Silurian two-parter in season 5. I quite liked Rory's dad, and his little character arc (though wouldn't he have seen the Doctor & Tardis materialize before, as it did so at Amy & Rory's wedding?)
Spoiler
He may have seen it materialize before at the wedding. However, he has never had the thing materialize AROUND him which it did in this episode. He also has never been inside The Tardis. In addition, he would not be that familiar with who The Doctor is or what The Tardis is or anything about Rory and Amy's adventures. If they had mentioned them, he'd likely have not believed them.
Something that I noticed in this episode.
Spoiler
There was no data on The Doctor in Solomon's database. His interests in The Doctor were because he believed him to be a doctor and needed medical attention as well as his desire to turn the ship around so he could sell the dinosaurs. He did seem to know who The Doctor was though. I find this to be very curious given that Oswin wiped the information on The Doctor from The Daleks last week. Could he have been wiped from all databases by her?
Quote from: Mr. Hamrick on September 10, 2012, 05:48:23 AM
Quote from: Talavar on September 09, 2012, 04:23:15 PM
Dinosaurs on a Spaceship time!
Spoiler
Another solid episode, which was a pleasant surprise for me, given that it was written by the same fellow who wrote the half-baked Silurian two-parter in season 5. I quite liked Rory's dad, and his little character arc (though wouldn't he have seen the Doctor & Tardis materialize before, as it did so at Amy & Rory's wedding?)
Spoiler
He may have seen it materialize before at the wedding. However, he has never had the thing materialize AROUND him which it did in this episode. He also has never been inside The Tardis. In addition, he would not be that familiar with who The Doctor is or what The Tardis is or anything about Rory and Amy's adventures. If they had mentioned them, he'd likely have not believed them.
Something that I noticed in this episode.
Spoiler
There was no data on The Doctor in Solomon's database. His interests in The Doctor were because he believed him to be a doctor and needed medical attention as well as his desire to turn the ship around so he could sell the dinosaurs. He did seem to know who The Doctor was though. I find this to be very curious given that Oswin wiped the information on The Doctor from The Daleks last week. Could he have been wiped from all databases by her?
Reply in spoiler vision:
Spoiler
I got the exact opposite impression, that Solomon did not know who the Doctor really was. If he did, even without the price indexing software, I think he'd have been more interested in trying to sell the Doctor or the Tardis than dinosaurs or Nefertiti. That the doctor was absent from database is suggestive though. Another Oswin theory - she escaped as just data, a digital version of herself, and is scrubbing the Doctor from electronic records. Later, she gets re-embodied somehow.
Now a Pond theory - for them, it's been ten months since the last episode, and after this one they also want to get dropped at home for an indefinite amount of time. Given the numerous amounts of time the Doctor has skipped over in their lives, maybe they'll actually be aged out of doing this sort of thing any more, or something. Given them leaving the show has been announced, and the death foreshadowing in this episode, I've got to think they're going to try and throw us a curveball. And I hope they do - I don't like it when Doctor Who gets too maudlin, and it'd be hard to avoid that after the deaths of two long-time companions.
Quote from: Talavar on September 10, 2012, 01:19:39 PM
Quote from: Mr. Hamrick on September 10, 2012, 05:48:23 AM
Quote from: Talavar on September 09, 2012, 04:23:15 PM
Dinosaurs on a Spaceship time!
Spoiler
Another solid episode, which was a pleasant surprise for me, given that it was written by the same fellow who wrote the half-baked Silurian two-parter in season 5. I quite liked Rory's dad, and his little character arc (though wouldn't he have seen the Doctor & Tardis materialize before, as it did so at Amy & Rory's wedding?)
Spoiler
He may have seen it materialize before at the wedding. However, he has never had the thing materialize AROUND him which it did in this episode. He also has never been inside The Tardis. In addition, he would not be that familiar with who The Doctor is or what The Tardis is or anything about Rory and Amy's adventures. If they had mentioned them, he'd likely have not believed them.
Something that I noticed in this episode.
Spoiler
There was no data on The Doctor in Solomon's database. His interests in The Doctor were because he believed him to be a doctor and needed medical attention as well as his desire to turn the ship around so he could sell the dinosaurs. He did seem to know who The Doctor was though. I find this to be very curious given that Oswin wiped the information on The Doctor from The Daleks last week. Could he have been wiped from all databases by her?
Reply in spoiler vision:Spoiler
I got the exact opposite impression, that Solomon did not know who the Doctor really was. If he did, even without the price indexing software, I think he'd have been more interested in trying to sell the Doctor or the Tardis than dinosaurs or Nefertiti. That the doctor was absent from database is suggestive though. Another Oswin theory - she escaped as just data, a digital version of herself, and is scrubbing the Doctor from electronic records. Later, she gets re-embodied somehow.
Now a Pond theory - for them, it's been ten months since the last episode, and after this one they also want to get dropped at home for an indefinite amount of time. Given the numerous amounts of time the Doctor has skipped over in their lives, maybe they'll actually be aged out of doing this sort of thing any more, or something. Given them leaving the show has been announced, and the death foreshadowing in this episode, I've got to think they're going to try and throw us a curveball. And I hope they do - I don't like it when Doctor Who gets too maudlin, and it'd be hard to avoid that after the deaths of two long-time companions.
Nope, not the opposite impression about Solomon at all.
Spoiler
He didn't seem to know who The Doctor was at all and his database didn't help him. He thought of him as A doctor not The Doctor.
Regarding The Ponds' exit.
Spoiler
The only things we know for sure about their exit is that 1) They are leaving. 2) The episode that they are leaving in involves Weeping Angels and NYC. (This last bit can be verified via photos published of them in NYC in Central Park during a break from filming as well as other photos. We also know that The Doctor seems to be concerned for some reason and seems to know that something bad is about to happen that he won't be able to prevent. This is furthered in the web series "Ponds' Life" that serves as a lead in to the events of the first episode.
However, I do think there is a curveball here. Consider this for a second: instead of killing The Ponds off, what if Amy and Rory tell The Doctor that don't want to travel with him anymore but in a much more "dramatic" fashion than Martha's exiting the 10th Doctor's side. In essence, they come to conclusion that The Doctor has done as much harm as good to their lives. Of course, the reason for this would be something that happens with The Weeping Angels in NYC.
Another thought/note on Oswin.
Spoiler
Jenna Louise Coleman is not officially becoming The Doctor's companion until The Christmas Episode. That episode lists Jenna as allegedly playing a character named "Clara". It also contains the Sontarian and the Silurian lesbian from the "Demon's Run" episode. What if Oswin and Clara are two different characters and "Clara" is the companion? Probably not the case but....
Some sources have listed Oswin's full name as Clara Oswin, make of that as you will.
Mr. Hamrick: I must have misunderstood your first post.
A Town Called Mercy aired this weekend - what did you think? Though I enjoyed it, aside for a couple of points in spoiler-text, I don't have a lot to say about it.
Spoiler
I enjoyed the contrasting alien doctors in particular, and getting confirmation that the Doctor has indeed spending a lot of time without the Ponds (1200 years old now, almost another century older than he was by the end of last season). Speaking of the Ponds, this episode didn't give either Amy or Rory much to do, and leads into them taking another break from travelling.
Two more entries for Doctor Who have aired, the last until Xmas, and the last outing of the Ponds. But first,
the Power of Three: Spoiler
a pre-emptive goodbye for Amy & Rory, this episode is light on conflict and big on character, with the actual threat being resolved with a wave of the Doctor's sonic screwdriver. Seeing the Doctor try to stand still is amusing, and the episode has some nice insight into the relationship between the Doctor, Amy & Rory - as well as some minor revelations: the Doctor is now 1200, and the Ponds have been with him, on and off, for ten years of their own time. I like that the linear nature of previous incarnations of the Doctor/companions has been abandoned here - in a show about an immortal time traveller, why does his aging, or the time his companions spend with him, have to relate directly to the amount of time passing in the real world? Also, the episode was a nice introduction for Brigadier Lethbridge-Stuart's daughter, new head of UNIT. I hope we'll see her again.
Next was
the Angels Take Manhattan: Spoiler
here the Weeping Angels threaten once again, and have returned to their original mechanic of displacing their victims in time. River is also back again, here a version much later from her own timeline (a professor now), and presumably closer to her own end-point. In the end, the Ponds are displaced by the Angels, and live and die together, without the Doctor. The time travel mechanics are a little wonky here, and while it's emotionally strong, it's narratively weak. Sure, the Doctor couldn't take the TARDIS to 1938 New York again, but what about 1939? 1938 New Jersey? Still, it manages to get the Ponds out with a somewhat happy ending for themselves, without the anti-climax of them just stopping or the major downer of them dying violently.
It also makes me wonder how much more we'll see of River Song, as this episode, combined with some shorts filmed for the last season DVD release, seem to have filled in a lot of her and the Doctor's time together.
Quote from: Talavar on October 01, 2012, 01:10:23 PM
The time travel mechanics are a little wonky here, and while it's emotionally strong, it's narratively weak. Sure, the Doctor couldn't take the TARDIS to 1938 New York again, but what about 1939? 1938 New Jersey? Still, it manages to get the Ponds out with a somewhat happy ending for themselves, without the anti-climax of them just stopping or the major downer of them dying violently.
It also makes me wonder how much more we'll see of River Song, as this episode, combined with some shorts filmed for the last season DVD release, seem to have filled in a lot of her and the Doctor's time together.[/spoiler]
Spoiler
No, the mechanics are not THAT wonky. The Doctor mentioned that Amy doing what she did (and what had just happened to Rory) would create a "fixed point in time" which I think meant that The Doctor couldn't alter that point. Basically, he could go visit them but he couldn't remove them from that point without causing a problem with the time stream. (If I understand it correctly, that is.) And I don't think he will visit because it would be too painful for him and them.
As for River, I will be kinda shocked if she pops up again on the series. I will not be surprised if she pops up in literature or in a radio play. I think River's comment to The Doctor was a way of "writing her out of the series" but allowing for a few more travels before her eventual demise.
That said, I am looking forward to the Christmas episode.
Spoiler
One interesting thing I noticed is that they made sure to point out that the Doctor was probably the one going around erasing himself from the different databanks. So while Oswin might have given him the idea by erasing him from the memories of the Daleks, she doesn't seem to have deleted him from all the databases ever.
Quote from: Mr. Hamrick on October 01, 2012, 09:33:05 PM
Quote from: Talavar on October 01, 2012, 01:10:23 PM
The time travel mechanics are a little wonky here, and while it's emotionally strong, it's narratively weak. Sure, the Doctor couldn't take the TARDIS to 1938 New York again, but what about 1939? 1938 New Jersey? Still, it manages to get the Ponds out with a somewhat happy ending for themselves, without the anti-climax of them just stopping or the major downer of them dying violently.
It also makes me wonder how much more we'll see of River Song, as this episode, combined with some shorts filmed for the last season DVD release, seem to have filled in a lot of her and the Doctor's time together.[/spoiler]
Spoiler
No, the mechanics are not THAT wonky. The Doctor mentioned that Amy doing what she did (and what had just happened to Rory) would create a "fixed point in time" which I think meant that The Doctor couldn't alter that point. Basically, he could go visit them but he couldn't remove them from that point without causing a problem with the time stream. (If I understand it correctly, that is.) And I don't think he will visit because it would be too painful for him and them.
As for River, I will be kinda shocked if she pops up again on the series. I will not be surprised if she pops up in literature or in a radio play. I think River's comment to The Doctor was a way of "writing her out of the series" but allowing for a few more travels before her eventual demise.
That said, I am looking forward to the Christmas episode.
The fixed point though...
Spoiler
is that Rory has to die at some point in the past, at the age of 85. Theoretically, the Doctor could still comply with that by retrieving Amy & Rory, travelling with them until they're 80, then dropping them back off in that unspecified time period to die of natural causes. Like his own "fixed-point" death last season, the requirements that must be met actually leave a lot of wiggle room.
Actually Tomato:
Spoiler
River assumed that the Doctor was erasing himself and he didn't say otherwise, but it's never actually said as far as I remembered. Rule 1: The Doctor Lies. Forgetting to mention something surely isn't beyond him.
Spoiler
Well to be fair, that's why I said probably and not just that it definitely was him (and upon further reflection, I don't think it is. He was surprised when filch's scan was negative). However, I do think the continued references in the show imply something more is going on then oswin erasing him from all the dalek's minds.
So, the 2012 Xmas special has come and gone. Very interesting...
Spoiler
I like Clara Oswin Oswald; I liked her in Asylum of the Daleks, and I like her here. That said, I wouldn't mind if Vastra, Jenny and Strax became companions either, and it was nice to see them again here. Clara definitely is the same character, in some yet to be specified way, which has got be greatly intrigued. The actual story this time out, however, felt slight. It did have a surprising number of Classic Who shout-outs though, which I totally missed, and had to read about online.
I pretty much agree. The episode itself was okay, but not great by itself. The fact that it serves as a prequel to some of the earliest Dr. Who serials, and tells the origins of an early villain not seen in many years, however, makes up for that somewhat.
The stuff with the new companion, however, was great, and the revelation about her was one I hadn't thought of at all, so well played Moffat. I am now eager to see more.
Quote from: catwhowalksbyhimself on December 29, 2012, 02:32:15 AM
I pretty much agree. The episode itself was okay, but not great by itself. The fact that it serves as a prequel to some of the earliest Dr. Who serials, and tells the origins of an early villain not seen in many years, however, makes up for that somewhat.
The stuff with the new companion, however, was great, and the revelation about her was one I hadn't thought of at all, so well played Moffat. I am now eager to see more.
And the best part is that we still are not 100% sure what that revelation about her means. Out of all of it, I found the girl's line at the end the most interesting.
Spoiler
"I don't believe in ghosts."
So just who / what is Oswin?
And did you see the date on her tombstone? I will assume people here know the significance of the born date for her.
On another note, it wasn't just a prequel to some of the earlier Doctor Who serials. It's the beginning of the build to the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who.
Quote from: catwhowalksbyhimself on December 29, 2012, 02:32:15 AM
I pretty much agree. The episode itself was okay, but not great by itself. The fact that it serves as a prequel to some of the earliest Dr. Who serials, and tells the origins of an early villain not seen in many years, however, makes up for that somewhat.
Only got into the most recent Doctor... would love more info on how this special tied into the previous incarnations. Got a link I can followup on?
Quote from: RTTingle on December 29, 2012, 07:09:20 AM
Quote from: catwhowalksbyhimself on December 29, 2012, 02:32:15 AM
I pretty much agree. The episode itself was okay, but not great by itself. The fact that it serves as a prequel to some of the earliest Dr. Who serials, and tells the origins of an early villain not seen in many years, however, makes up for that somewhat.
Only got into the most recent Doctor... would love more info on how this special tied into the previous incarnations. Got a link I can followup on?
Here's where I read about the connections to Classic Who: http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2012/12/27/doctor-who-an-annotated-look-at-the-snowmen-christmas-special/ (http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2012/12/27/doctor-who-an-annotated-look-at-the-snowmen-christmas-special/)
You can also read about the villain here (http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Great_Intelligence).
I should add that I also love the new opening sequence. It's very similar to classic who openings with some modern updates and it looks pretty too.
The TV Tropes entry (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/DoctorWho2012CSTheSnowmen) for this episode actually gets even more of the reverences than the article linked by Talavar, and in a more succinct and readable form. In particular, check out the sections for Actor Allusion, Call Back, Continuity Nod, Mythology Gag, and Shout Out.
And it's back!
Decent start to the half-season. We now have what seems to be a Big Bad working in the background, drawn from long time Dr. Who lore.
Spoiler
It's the Great Intelligence who last appeared in The Snowmen, only now he's tackled with the Second Doctor and UNIT and knows them both pretty well.
Like the new companion just fine and look forward to seeing more.
Yep, that was a good, solid - if not amazing - start to the second half the season. I'm curious...
Spoiler
who it actually was that told Clara to call the Doctor).
That's a good question, and one that I forgot to address. My best guess would be
Spoiler
River Song
but that's only a wild guess.
Also BBC has confirmed that David Tennant and Billie Piper will be resuming their roles for the 50th anniversary special.
So a bunch of Doctor Who episodes have aired since anyone last posted in this thread - let's talk about them! Unfortunately, thus far, I don't have a lot of great things to say about the second half of the 7th season. The best of the lot has been
Hide in my opinion, while
Rings of Akhaten and
Cold War were somewhat underwhelming. The most recent episode,
Journey to the Centre of the Tardis seems like such a missed opportunity...
Spoiler
giving us glimpses of something fans of wanted to see more of for years, but wasting it on an episode that retcons most of itself out of existence.
Here's hoping they turn things around in the last 3 episodes.
Yeah I'm getting tired of that kind of episode in sci-fi fantasy in general. If you're going to have a story have a story if you have to
Spoiler
undo it so that none of it really happened
it's generally completely pointless. It had some good moments, but as you said, was a wasted opportunity that really revealed nothing and developed nothing.
I am looking forward to what might turn out to be a poorly disguised pilot next week for a spin off (at least I hope so) as Vastra, Jenny, and Strax take over for an episode. REALLY hoping it's a pilot.
We also have Neil Gaiman returning to write another episode, this time revamping the Cybermen and I really can't see that going badly, so I think it's looking up.
EDIT: Oooh, and Vastra, Jenny, and Strax will be back for the final episode too. Good, I like that. I don't mind Clara, but I'd actually be in favor of her being replaced by those three, if they don't get their own show. (which I'm still hoping for.)
I actually like Clara, except she's been kept on a character-development diet due to her earlier
Spoiler
deaths
. She's not any part of my problems with the current batch of episodes. I'd just like to actually learn something about her at this point. That said, Strax, Vastra & Jenny are fabulous, and if they got a spin-off, I would watch it.
Journey to the Centre of the Tardis is just a bigger teaser of what's to come for the 50th Anniversary special.. with the last episode of the season revealed as being titled The Name Of The Doctor I'm sure Clara will be the key of why it's revealed and how she just managed to stumble across that book and be able to turn to the right page to find his name. Her deaths and mystery of her existence in multiple times with the same name and same personality is something very important and probably tied to "The Fall Of The 11th".
There is a huge clue to Clara's mystery in that a rose keeps turning up in every episode (either roses on a table in Clara's parents home, the word Rose in a sign of a pub she is staying in, etc.) and with various photos turning up showing the 10th Doctor with Rose standing beside him while the special is being filmed.. I'm very sure that it's something linking Rose with the TARDIS. After all the TARDIS doesn't seem to feel comfortable with Clara at all and maybe it's because her current state of being was caused by something that was impossible to begin with (Bad Wolf? Captain Jack becoming Face Of Boe? Rose always knowing when The Doctor needed her help?)
- CQ
In addition to that, Coleman has stated, when talking about the finale, that the Doctor is mistaken about something important about Clara.
Spoiler
They have met more than just the three times, but for some reason he has not recognized the other appearances.
Actually what you said just made something click. What if Rose did something while she held the power of the TARDIS, like she did with Jack? Obviously Clara is not quite like Jack, but maybe Rose either tried to bring someone else back or else tried to create some kind of unkillable helper for the Doctor. The TARDIS reacted VERY strongly against Jack and it seems to be doing something similar, although not as extreme, here. On the other hand, the Doctor has not sense the wrongness like he did with Jack, so maybe I'm entirely on the wrong track here. Just a few more weeks left before we find out anyway.
Quote from: catwhowalksbyhimself on May 01, 2013, 02:59:24 AM
What if Rose did something while she held the power of the TARDIS, like she did with Jack? Obviously Clara is not quite like Jack, but maybe Rose either tried to bring someone else back or else tried to create some kind of unkillable helper for the Doctor. The TARDIS reacted VERY strongly against Jack and it seems to be doing something similar, although not as extreme, here. On the other hand, the Doctor has not sense the wrongness like he did with Jack, so maybe I'm entirely on the wrong track here.
One of the theories on a Whovian message site I visit has a theory that Clara (the one who is on the ship Alaska and later converted into a Dalek) managed to survive on Asylum after erasing the Doctor's existence from their memory banks. Being trapped in the ruins of the prison and left to struggle with her existence she eventually cracks and evolves into the Dalek Emperor who appears at Bad Wolf with the invasion fleet. It makes sense that it would take a very insane Dalek mind to call itself a God. The Dalek Emperor also seems to hesitate when the 9th Doctor introduces himself. After Rose takes in the heart of the TARDIS she takes apart the fleet, the Emperor, and all the Daleks into dust and then uses it to create life across the universe including restoring Jack with his side effect of Immortality. The theory is that Rose noticed the remains of Clara's memories and genetics in the Emperor and sent several versions of her into time just before the event that is called "The Fall Of The Eleventh" to make sure he followed her mystery to where he needed to be when his name would be revealed. I'm sure following that trail will bring him to The Field Of Trenzalor. And the new villains the Doctor faces to reach his final destination are The Whisper Men... what better name for creatures who show up before he falls into the trap which the Silence and Great Intelligence set for him in the 50th Anniversary movie.
- CQ
That theory falls apart when you consider that they Emperor was the pre Time War emperor who survived the emporer, while Dalek Clara was a post Time War Dalek.
However, someone noticed while analyzing the season 7.5 prequel episode that Clara's mother is talking to someone who looks a lot like Jackie Tyler, while children a playing and running across the screen that resemble a very young Rose and Mickey. Putting that together, maybe it's possible that Clara is actually a childhood friend of Rose's who died, causing her to try to restore her like she did Jack. It didn't quite work out the same though, resulting in the multiple lifetime Clara. This could mean that the young version that the Doctor met as a child is actually not the same as the version he's traveling with now, thus fulfilling what the actress said about him meeting her more than three times.
It's also worth noting that whatever's going on, Coleman said that Moffat's been scattering clues to it since he took over as showrunner, so it's pretty big, and quite well planned.
Saw the Crimson Horror, and I do believe that was the best episode of the half season, possibly the whole season. Tom-Tom jokes aside, it was a fun episode with some great guest stars. Next up we have the Neil Gaiman episode revamping the Cybermen, and I am definitely looking forward to that, especially with the complications introduced at the end of this episode.
Yep, definitely much stronger episode, which I'm glad to see. If the next 2 episodes are as good as I hope, with Crimson Horror & Hide, that will actually keep S7 at a pretty good batting average.
I'm not sure if Nightmare in Silver made the Cybermen more scarey, but it definitely made them more interesting and a genuine threat, so that's a win in my book. Plus Warwick Davis is awesome and for once her isn't a creature or monster.
Meanwhile the prequel for The Name of the Doctor is out and contains some intriguing new hints, especially the Doctor mentioning that she is too perfect of a companion. This seems to hint that someone actually made her for that purpose. I guess we'll find out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtaIpkjF6Ss&feature=youtu.be
I just saw a trailer in which Clara says "I was born to save the Doctor." Interesting.
Huh, so apparently they accidentally leaked the final episode by sending early copies of the dvds. innnteresting.
I heard about that. They apparently released some of the US DVDs early Unfortunately, my spoiler loving self can't find anyone with spoilers on it. It's only one week though.
Apparently the BBC has offered to release a 10th/11th Doctor scene next week if the internet remains (relatively) spoiler free. I must admit that to be a nice change in approach compared to what most media groups try to do.
Alright, the episode has been aired in Britain now, and although I haven't yet seen it, I'm a bit of a spoiler nut and have looked up the general story. Whatever you thought Clara's thing was, it was wrong. And don't worry, the Doctor's name is not actually revealed. The title of the episode doesn't mean what you probably think it does. Sounds like the episode doesn't disappoint.
For those who want to know and don't care about spoilers, here it is, but be warned, these are pretty massive spoilers.
Spoiler
Clara's just an ordinary human girl. At least the one he's been traveling with the last few episodes is. The Great Intelligence tries to go back through the Doctor's timeline and erase everything he every done, which Clara stops by scattering herself along the Doctor's timeline, creating multiple copies of herself all dedicated to protecting him.
As for the Doctor, he's not the Eleventh Doctor, he's the Twelfth. His greatest secret isn't his name, it's the fact that there was an incarnation of him who did something so heinous--although apparently for good reason--that he actually gave up the name of the Doctor (hence the title) and just used his real name. That's why the Doctor refused to reveal his name--it's associated with one of the universe's greatest villains, and he doesn't want anyone to know that it's him. What this act is isn't revealed, but it seems the 50th will pick up with that.
Interesting episode...
Spoiler
Cat's already said the major spoilers, but this episode is also probably the last appearance of River Song. And the ending is a huge tease for the 50th anniversary special. And John Hurt is the evil/whatever incarnation of the Doctor! Spoilers!
Something else that was interesting:
Spoiler
When the Great intelligence was listing the different names, one of them was the Valeyard. that character appeared during Colin Baker's run (Trial of a time Lord). It was a future version of the Doctor,even the Master states "The Valeyard, Doctor, is your penultimate reincarnation... Somewhere between your twelfth and thirteenth regeneration".
Which is really significant because we now know that
Spoiler
The current Doctor is the Twelfth incarnation.
Alright, just finished watching, and it does live up to its promises. I love how Moffet played with our expectations and came up with an explanation for everything that no one had any clue about. Looking forward to seeing how the 50th continues this story.
Loved the finale!
Great use of
Spoiler
the previous Doctors
and Clara.
The introduction of
Spoiler
John Hurt
was brilliant.
I just hope they include some of classic Doctors in the special, especially Paul McGann.
So I am sad to say I've yet to start watching Doctor Who but I wanted to pass along some news I saw today:
Matt Smith Leaving Doctor Who (http://tvline.com/2013/06/01/doctor-who-matt-smith-leaving/)
Yep, after the Xmas special apparently. :(
BBC said he will regenerate at the end of the Christmas special.
I'm rather bummed that he's leaving.
Dana
I read Paris Jackson wants the starring role.
I don't get the joke. A young girl attempts suicide = funny Doctor Who joke?
Quote from: MJB on June 08, 2013, 03:46:31 AM
I don't get the joke. A young girl attempts suicide = funny Doctor Who joke?
Not a joke. A day or two before she made a post on twitter indicating she was interested in the role.
Quote from: Podmark on June 08, 2013, 05:02:38 PM
Quote from: MJB on June 08, 2013, 03:46:31 AM
I don't get the joke. A young girl attempts suicide = funny Doctor Who joke?
Not a joke. A day or two before she made a post on twitter indicating she was interested in the role.
Weird.
Exactly. I wouldn't joke about a kid attempting suicide.
Interesting to see some of the rumored actors in the mix for the part, who would you suggest to play the time lord?
Btw, I'm also sad to see Matt go...
I find a lot of the names being bandied about, particularly in the media, are people who are already way too famous, and wouldn't have time to play the Doctor (Idris Elba, Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Helen Mirren) in anything beyond a one-off appearance. The reason both Matt Smith and David Tennant left, after all, was that they wanted to pursue other projects, and Doctor Who's shooting schedule is too rigorous to allow much leeway.
Personally, I hope they cast another talented near-unknown. After all, I had no idea who Tennant or Smith were before they were cast as the Doctor either, and thought both were great.
Gaiman wrote an article (which I don't have the link for, sorry to say) saying that it should be an unknown. I agree with him.
My choices for The Doctor, if they don't go with an unknown:
Sean Pertwee - Would be cool seeing the son of an actor who played the Doctor also playing the Doctor. (Would also be a good choice to play the 3rd Doctor; just slap a wig on him)
David Tennant - Something screwy happens, and due to the Tenth Doctor fighting the regeneration into Eleven, when Eleven regenerates....he's back!
Robert Carlyle - Won't happen, since he's doing Once Upon A Time. He's also make a darn good Master, but I'd rather see him playing the Doctor.
Idris Elba or Adrian Lester - If they decide to go with a black Doctor
Damien Molony - Being Human is done, but he's apparently going to join the cast of Ripper Street
Paul Bettany - But only if when he leaves, his regeneration is caused by him being hit by an aging ray that turns him into Malcolm McDowell, who then jumps off a building. (Doubt anyone will get the reference, but what the heck.....)
Chuck Norris - Its about time we get another Doctor that can kick some butt! (And yes, this is my joke answer)
I've heard rumors of Rupert Grint or Russell Tovey possibly getting the role, and if either does, I'm done with the show until they leave. I could see Tovey as a companion (maybe even reprising the role he already played on the show?), but NOT as the Doctor.
Anyone that's well known enough to be discussed in this thread should not be chosen. I'd rather it be an almost total unknown.
Quote from: GhostMachine on July 10, 2013, 11:03:00 PM
My choices for The Doctor, if they don't go with an unknown:
Sean Pertwee - Would be cool seeing the son of an actor who played the Doctor also playing the Doctor. (Would also be a good choice to play the 3rd Doctor; just slap a wig on him)
David Tennant - Something screwy happens, and due to the Tenth Doctor fighting the regeneration into Eleven, when Eleven regenerates....he's back!
Robert Carlyle - Won't happen, since he's doing Once Upon A Time. He's also make a darn good Master, but I'd rather see him playing the Doctor.
Idris Elba or Adrian Lester - If they decide to go with a black Doctor
Damien Molony - Being Human is done, but he's apparently going to join the cast of Ripper Street
Paul Bettany - But only if when he leaves, his regeneration is caused by him being hit by an aging ray that turns him into Malcolm McDowell, who then jumps off a building. (Doubt anyone will get the reference, but what the heck.....)
Chuck Norris - Its about time we get another Doctor that can kick some butt! (And yes, this is my joke answer)
I've heard rumors of Rupert Grint or Russell Tovey possibly getting the role, and if either does, I'm done with the show until they leave. I could see Tovey as a companion (maybe even reprising the role he already played on the show?), but NOT as the Doctor.
I'm gonna be the voice of descent on David Tennant coming back: I loved him when he was on, but he's made his mark on the character already. It would greatly disappoint me if they brought him back as anything more than a cameo, because it'd be nothing more than fan baiting. In retrospect, the way Tennant left it was perfect: he said goodbye to everying and everyone from the series, the moment he regenerates it heartbreaking, and the musical score is some of my favorite from the whole series. Bringing him back spits in the face of that, and I would be extremely upset about it.
I'd certainly be interested to see Paul Bettany as the Dr. Underrated actor whose style fits this kind of character.
And it's now official. The new Doctor is some dude named Peter Capaldi that has been on some British stuff that I haven't seen but is not a super well known actor. Also, he's a bit older, and I for one am glad to be back to an older Doctor. Now we just wait until Christmas.
http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/08/04/doctor-who-new-doctor-peter-capaldi/
Its an older Doctor, finally. Itll certianly change tne dynamic of the show. CAPALDIS got some acting chops.
watch The Thick of It if you want to see great political humour.
So, I watched Doctor Who a few hours ago. It was pretty much perfect. Great Humor, great drama, amazing cameos, and a perfect rendition of everything Doctor Who stands for.
To anyone worried about being behind a season or so before watching this... as I told a friend, the only thing you really need to know is that Clara knows all the Doctors. Everything else beyond the first season of 11/12's run is irrelevant to this story aside from a few comments about the series 7 finale.
Except, of course, for the very existence of one character being a massive season 7 spoiler by itself.
EDIT: Finally saw it. Enjoyed it, but am a bit concerned about the Armed with Canon and massive retconing going on here.
Spoiler
Since it mostly ignores the End of Time with it's power mad insanely Time Lord Council and all the evils that would be unleashed on the universe should Gallifrey survive. It's basically Moffat undoing much of what Davies established in his tenure. While the story is excellent, creators fighting each other by altering the canon to contradict each each ("Armed with Canon") is not in general a good thing. In this case, I actually do prefer Moffat's version, since it seems more right for the doctor than Davies, but it could be troubling if it starts a trend among Dr. Who creators.
That was a delight! And they managed to sneak in another surprise appearance too.
My minor concerns about potential continuity wars aside, it was a great anniversary episode with lots of nods toward the past history of the show and a great surprise appearance.
Spoiler
The First Doctor opening/imitation of the beginning of The Unearthly Child was great. Also love that Clara is now teaching at Ian and Barbara's school and that Ian is apparently still there.
Well, know we know the full story behind his marriage to Queen Elizabeth.
I can't decide if I'm more disappointed the Piper was't playing Rose or pleasantly surprised at just what her role was.
Speaking of her role, an intelligent weapon of mass destruction with a conscience and time manipulation who actively works to talk people out of using it? Brilliant!
The interaction between the three main Doctors was classic. Loved that part of it.
The Zygons return! True it's just one big plot by the Moment to manipulate the Doctor into not using her, but still.
The big moment with all 13 Doctors at once was both brilliantly executed and wholely unexpected. The early guest appearance of the 12th Doctor have never been done before, but was pulled off very well here.
Loved the design of the Dalek war machines seen here.
Tom Baker's guest appearance was great! Didn't expect that, but really enjoyed it.
Well, we know what the next season, or perhaps just the Christmas episode, but hopefully the next season, are going to be about.
Quote from: catwhowalksbyhimself on November 25, 2013, 12:45:45 AM
My minor concerns about potential continuity wars aside, it was a great anniversary episode with lots of nods toward the past history of the show and a great surprise appearance.
Spoiler
The First Doctor opening/imitation of the beginning of The Unearthly Child was great. Also love that Clara is now teaching at Ian and Barbara's school and that Ian is apparently still there.
Well, know we know the full story behind his marriage to Queen Elizabeth.
I can't decide if I'm more disappointed the Piper was't playing Rose or pleasantly surprised at just what her role was.
Speaking of her role, an intelligent weapon of mass destruction with a conscience and time manipulation who actively works to talk people out of using it? Brilliant!
The interaction between the three main Doctors was classic. Loved that part of it.
The Zygons return! True it's just one big plot by the Moment to manipulate the Doctor into not using her, but still.
The big moment with all 13 Doctors at once was both brilliantly executed and wholely unexpected. The early guest appearance of the 12th Doctor have never been done before, but was pulled off very well here.
Loved the design of the Dalek war machines seen here.
Tom Baker's guest appearance was great! Didn't expect that, but really enjoyed it.
Well, we know what the next season, or perhaps just the Christmas episode, but hopefully the next season, are going to be about.
Spoiler
I actually have a theory that the machine actually was Rose, or at least an echo of her from when she was the big bad wolf. Remember, Rose at that time was able to raise Jack to life for all eternity.
Though this is hardly the first time Doctor Who continuity has been "corrected" by later masters. The 8th Doctor's claim of being half-human was pretty thoroughly discredited by the Russell T. Davies administration, for instance.
Did anyone else catch the Five(ish) Doctors reboot video on the web? Pretty funny stuff there.
Spoiler
Honestly, this doesn't bother me NEARLY as much as the reboot of the Daleks last season, especially there was at least an attempt to explain the council situation (there's a throwaway line by the officers about the Council being in session and "their plans have already failed," implying the council stuff happened between the Doctor's capture of the moment and his intended destruction of gallifrey). It sets up the next chapter of the Doctor's story, gives us the option of seeing more than just the Master running around, and after 8 years dealing with doctor in constant pain, I'm ok with changing up the dynamic.
Quote from: Tomato on November 25, 2013, 05:30:16 PM
Spoiler
Honestly, this doesn't bother me NEARLY as much as the reboot of the Daleks last season, especially there was at least an attempt to explain the council situation (there's a throwaway line by the officers about the Council being in session and "their plans have already failed," implying the council stuff happened between the Doctor's capture of the moment and his intended destruction of gallifrey). It sets up the next chapter of the Doctor's story, gives us the option of seeing more than just the Master running around, and after 8 years dealing with doctor in constant pain, I'm ok with changing up the dynamic.
Weren't the...
Spoiler
daleks rebooted in season 5
Spoiler
I'm referring to the mind wipe "the Daleks no longer know who the Doctor is" thing from this last season.
umm the whole evil timelords from the end of time still happened, the military leaders say in the day of the doctor they have lost contact with the high council eg dalton and his crew have went into the stasis they appeared from in they're own ep
as for the whole universe ending warnings, according to the universe galifrey is still gone no one knew what the doctor did so as far as the rest of the universe is concerned the doctor still killed them all
Yes, there is a nod to the council. The problem here is all the nightmarish other things the Doctor said would come with Galifray. This can still be worked around.
None of that matters much, because I honestly don't care if things are retconned or not. Dr. Who has never been a strong canon based show and the retcon things more often than they breathe. My concerns are not about retcons but about canon wars. I just don't want one to actually start and am mildly concerned that this ep nudges thing in that direction. I doesn't go so far as to start one and it's likely to never be a concern the more I think of it.
New Christmas special out. Haven't actually watched it yet, but I've read summaries and it seems to wrap up the Matt Smith era nicely and answer all the lingering big questions.
Spoiler
Why did the Silence destroy the TARDIS and how is there a weary, neverending war against him? Because he ends up fighting them and many other enemies on Trenzadore for centuries. It's no wonder they'd try to win the war that way.
What's the Battle of Trenzadore about? A crack leading to the saved Gallifrey is there and every enemy of the show is there to fight the Time Lords and threatening the inhabitants of that planet in the process.
How does he get around the 12 regeneration limit? Simple. Since the Time Lords are still around, they just give him a new set, as they've already done in the past with the Master.
Saw the Christmas special earlier today and it was awesome :thumbup:.
Spoiler
I loved that they had the seal of Rassilon from the five doctors make a cameo. Also, I really liked how they upheld the classic who 12 regeneration limit while allowing the show to continue. It was interesting to see how happy Smith was with the new regen cycle, doing a regeneration dance while blasting daleks (especially after Tennant's "not wanting to go" regeneration).
Spoiler
Really, very satisfying. A very strong Christmas special and a strong final episode for Matt Smith. I'm going to miss his Doctor.
I loved it. In some respects, I thought the Christmas special was better than the 50th... the 50th had some really great moments and some nods to the classic series, but the B-plot drags and gets resolved a bit too easily. Time of the Doctor serves one purpose: It takes all those dangling plotlines from the Matt Smith era (even ones you thought were completely forgotten) and ties them into a nice, neat bow before his departure.