Dr. Who, Series 6, Part 2, Discussion <SPOILERS>

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Exactly.  The rooms do contain their greatest fears--exactly the thing that will drive someone to rely on their faith the most.

[Talavar]

You guys are missing the point of the rooms, though...The Doctor realized it wasn't what they feared but what they had faith in.

Not exactly. The rooms we saw all had scary stuff in them: Gorillas, creepy dolls and clowns, Weeping Angels, being laughed at or yelled at or abandoned. The idea was that scaring the victims would cause them to draw upon their faith as a defense.

Precisely - the creature fed upon faith, but the hotel used fear to generate that faith - whether it be in luck, religion, conspiracy, the Doctor.

Honestly, I think it was himself.  There's been an undercurrent of self-loathing to the 11th Doctor, and I think the only thing he's afraid of what he knows himself to be capable of.

[JeyNyce]

Sorry guys, I'm going a bit off topic, but I need your help:

I just saw the first 3 seasons of Torchwood, a spinoff of Doctor Who, and loved it!  I remember watching Doctor Who as a kid and not really liking it, but a friend told me that the first couple of seasons of Doctor Who were slow, but the new ones are great and I can learn more about Capt. Jack Harkness.  So my question to you guys is where should I start watching Doctor Who?  Which seasons are the most favorites?

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Start with the first season of the new series.  That's where Jack first comes in anyways.  Note that while Torchwood is a very adult series, Dr. Who is more family oriented, but still quite good.

[Talavar]

I'd actually recommend starting with season 5 of the new run (the start of the 11th Doctor, Matt Smith), and if you enjoy it, go back to the first season of the new run and get caught up.  You won't be introduced to Captain Jack as quickly, but I think season 5 is a stronger introduction to the series to someone completely new to Who than the actual first season.

[cmdrkoenig67]

Nevermind then.

[B A D]

I would start with the Ninth Doctor. You can slowly learn about him and his background as that really re launched the series  and you see the show from Rose's perspective from most of the first season rather than the Doctor's. Kinda starts the bus, so to speak . Once 10 comes into play its  a pretty fast ride.

[Talavar]

The 10th Doctor would be a bad place to start (though it was where I started, specifically the Impossible Planet), but the 11th also had a very strong intro to the series/characters aspect, and I think the episodes are stronger than the first season of the new series.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

A decent enough episode.  It works with the last one in that it provides a counterpoint to the Doctor's believe that he endangers his companions.  As Craig points out he--and also ALL of the modern versions main companions--would have died anyway if the Doctor had not been there.  Amy is perhaps arguable, but all of the others were destined for certain death before he showed up.

It also bookends with the season opening, as it shows us the events on the other end that lead to this.

[B A D]

My next child will be named Stormageddon, Dark Lord of All.

[Uncle Yuan]

I have been staying away from this forum as I am just working my way through season 3 and I want to skip any spoilers.  I just watched "Human Nature" and "Family of Blood."  I can't begin to express how very, very excellent they were.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Those two were quite good yes.  They were actually based on an older expanded universe novel.

[Tomato]

I have been staying away from this forum as I am just working my way through season 3 and I want to skip any spoilers.  I just watched "Human Nature" and "Family of Blood."  I can't begin to express how very, very excellent they were.

Then prepare for a brain explosion in episodes to come.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

The prequel for the season ender is available if you haven't seen it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5jfLakwuls

Also a mini-episode written by a class of school children.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDLrWtzMn5Y

EDIT:  Quite the wild ride tonight.  Hidden in plain sight indeed.

[Tomato]

... Wow. I didn't think it was possible, but the season finale blew me away more than any episode of Doctor Who ever has. Well done Moffat.

Spoiler

I did kinda see his method of "resurrection" coming originally when they brought the suit guys back in two separate scenes, but I'd forgotten by the time they got around to it. But the question, Just... wow. So fricking obvious that you never think about it.

Edit: Something just occurred to me that seems so obvious in hindsight... we never saw the TARDIS in the season opener until Past-Doctor shows up. It's not even mentioned... River makes a big to-do about burning the doctors body and the dangers his cells present... but they just left the TARDIS sitting somewhere in Utah? Made no sense.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

I wondered about this too, but this episode does explain where future TARDIS was.

Spoiler

Inside the ship with the real Doctor.

Also

Spoiler

The Ninth Doctor in a recorded message to Rose said that the TARDIS in the event of his death should just be left alone to die.  It generally gets ignored anyway and we now know it to be alive and conscious, so it can likely take care of itself in any case.  In addition, future River apparently still remembers these events and likely had the body burned because she knew the Doctor would in fact be used that to disguise his escape and she also knew where the TARDIS was.

[Tomato]

Spoiler

Oh, I know that NOW. I'm simply saying the fact that it was completely and inexplicably ignored in the first episodes should have stood out, and yet I hadn't picked up on it at all.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Spoiler

I did kinda wonder about that, but just shrugged it off.  Shouldn't have, I suppose.

I should also point out the B A D did get one of his three guesses in the OP right.  Kudos for that one, since I would never have thought of it.  The seemingly most likely of his guesses actually turned out to be wrong, which is interesting.

[Talavar]

Awesome!  The Doctor in a Doctor suit!

Spoiler

I was expecting something much more complicated, a la last year's save: a future version of the Doctor coming back to help himself, a 'Ganger copy of the Doctor, something involving the two different coats the Doctor has been sporting - but in the end it was relatively simple, and his "death" was solved before we ever even saw it happen.

[B A D]

I enjoyed the "ending",  although its not over,  by any  means.  There are a ton of unanswered questions, and I look forward to it playing out more in the next series.

[Mr. Hamrick]

Gotta chime in here regarding the question that must never be answered.

Spoiler

The question is Doctor Who? 

I've read elsewhere that the "Who" is in reference to The Doctor's name.  I disagree.  If anyone here remembers the original series... The Doctor was considered a Renegade Time Lord.  Generally the renegade status was due to a "non-interference policy".  Unlike most other Renegades Time Lords,  The Doctor interferes for good intended reasons (usually) as opposed to evil intentions.     

That said, there has been a running theme during Moffat's run on the show: "The Doctor is a potential danger to the universe."  I think next season we will see more about the character of The Doctor, a refresher course on his history leading up to the 50th Anniversary episode.  Furthermore, I suspect that Moffat has some way to reintroduce Gallifrey in some capacity or to at least establish that The Doctor is not entirely the last of them.  More importantly, exploring The Doctor's history as we are heading to the 50th anniversary.   The "WHO" is a build up to the 50th Anniversary.

I also think that while Amy, Rory, River will be back that they will not be full time companions. 

[Reepicheep]

I was really unimpressed within the first few minutes of the episode. Like, close to switching it off and reading a synopsis when christmas came around.

But wow, was that awesome. Best episode of the current run.

I wonder if we'll be seeing a new Doctor soon?

Spoiler

A bit late here, but my guess for what The Doctor saw in his room in the hotel episode: himself. We already know he is his own worst enemy from last season's episode with the Dream Lord. I'm pretty sure he used the words "Who else?" then as well.

[Cardmaster]

I dunno whether it was intentional or not, but Moffat really made me believe that there was something important about that second damn jacket. I was sure it had to have something to do with Gangers or.. or.. something... Curse you Moffat. I was going through and tabulating appearances of the new jacket vs. the tweed and analyzing themes in common between different episodes with matching jackets.

Mofffffaatttttttt!

[Mr. Hamrick]

Well, we get one more season with Matt Smith as The Doctor.

http://www.tgdaily.com/entertainment/59234-matt-smith-is-leaving-doctor-who

Matt mentioned in the interview and has indicated in previous interviews that he plans to stay through till the at least the 50th Anniversary episode.  Could we see a new Doctor starting with that episode?  I've no idea when that episode takes place but do know it will be during the 2012/2013 season.  And from this interview, we now know that the end of the 2012/2013 season will be the end of Matt's run on the show.

And three years isn't a bad run all things said.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

That's too bad, but it seems that Brits are afraid of being too closely associated with such an iconic character and losing their big ambitions or whatever.  At least we got 6 years of two terrific Doctors.

I'm guessing that he'll stick through to the end of the season and the Fall of the Eleventh will be exactly what it sounds like, closing out the current storyline. (save possibly for more appearances by River)  The next one will have HUGE shoes to fill.

[Glitch Girl]

For your entertainment: two Doctor Who videos: the Ballad of Russel & Julie (cute but runs a little long) and a Cast & Crew Special
http://www.themarysue.com/david-tennant-doctor-who-tribute-video/