Doctor Who

[robwebster]

Think it's closer to 103!

[adameastment]

I thought it was a great episode. Focusing on the whole souls thing again wasn't it?

Am I allowed to post spoilers? Is there Spoiler quote marks available?

[robwebster]

We've got the episode title in the slugline, so I think anyone trying to avoid Akhaten discussion's got fair warning. Put them in small text if you're really concerned, but it should be fine.

[adameastment]

Ok, well, the fact that Clara can't remember ever meeting the Doctor is confusing. And there are also so many references to "grandaughter" and "grandfather". I dunno if it's a coincidence or not :S

[robwebster]

She can, can't she? She remembered him being at the grave - or am I missing something?

Did catch the granddaughter, grandfather thing! I don't know that it's going anywhere, but it's nice to hear the mythology being trotted out in the fiftieth year.

[adameastment]

She can, can't she? She remembered him being at the grave - or am I missing something?

Did catch the granddaughter, grandfather thing! I don't know that it's going anywhere, but it's nice to hear the mythology being trotted out in the fiftieth year.

Oh, no, I mean her previous encounters with the Doctor, ie. Spaceship Alaska (or whatever it's called) version of Clara.

It's odd because I'm really beginning to wonder where Moffat is taking this story.

[robwebster]

Oh, right, yes!

Seeing as they all got obliterated, they can't be the same person. Which means they're... clones? Decoys? Lures? Alternative futures? None quite seem to fit. It is weird.

[adameastment]

Oh, right, yes!

Seeing as they all got obliterated, they can't be the same person. Which means they're... clones? Decoys? Lures? Alternative futures? None quite seem to fit. It is weird.

My mum and her friends daughter were trying to convince me that she's River Song (which I quickly de-bunked). Clones - Could be, that fits more than Decoys and Lures because that's already been done (twice if you think about it: River and Amy), Alternate Futures, I dunno, unless the Doctor is actually travelling between parallel universes and doesn't know then that might be plausible (although as seen from Series 2 it's very bad for the Tardis).

Have you got any ideas?

[Jaq]

Bloody fantastic episode. Dare I say it got right moving in the final ten or so minutes? Just a glorious beautiful episode that continues the streak of the Clara episodes to date feeling practically like a different series; compare this to the two Chibnall episodes from the first half of the series and it's like they're not even the same show.

[abydos]

I didn't care for the singing part, felt a bit meh. Also the smiley face on the planet. But other than that - pretty sweet.

[masterthes]

So, just updating my progress catching up with the Who-verse. I finished season 2 last night. That was a gut wrenching finale. Started in with season 3. Martha is kind of cute (and was she in that second to last episode of season 2?

[Jaq]

So, just updating my progress catching up with the Who-verse. I finished season 2 last night. That was a gut wrenching finale. Started in with season 3. Martha is kind of cute (and was she in that second to last episode of season 2?

Same actress, yes. Explained in the series as being Martha's cousin.

[Sketchy]

I went round a friend's house yesterday, and we watched the two most recent eps of DW.

If I had liked the previous two doctors, I'd probably be watching this regularly, because Matt Smith is, to me, what the doctor is all about, and I love the clever little ways his doctor solves problems (like the anti-grav bike).

[robwebster]

"Did you not hear the words anti-grav?!"

He's excellent. He is the best one. And, the Matt Smith stuff is a sort of new start in its own right - the whole show regenerated at the same time he came in, new head writer, new companions, same continuity but new story - so you could always just go from S5E1 if you're not a fan of the other two Docs.

Chris Eccleston and David Tennant are cool, too, though. One of them abbreviates to DT! Nothing that abbreviates to DT could be bad.

[Sketchy]

I didn't dislike them, but they just didn't feel Doctor Who to me (I used to watch the old Tom Baker ones from time to time when I was a kid), but all the Matt Smith ones I've seen, I've really enjoyed.

[Heretic]

Man the Doctor's speech was amazing. "...a universe where the laws of physics were controlled by a madman"  -- definitely Omega. Hints to Omega have been spread throughout Matt's run. Perhaps he'll return.

[ariich]

Man the Doctor's speech was amazing. "...a universe where the laws of physics were controlled by a madman"  -- definitely Omega. Hints to Omega have been spread throughout Matt's run. Perhaps he'll return.

No, I believe that was a reference to the Toymaker, from the 1st Doctor's era.

[Heretic]

Omega had an antimatter universe where he basically controlled the physics, so that's where I was coming from. Could be the Celestial Toymaker too. Others have proposed the Master of the Land of Fiction as well. Perhaps it's an all-encompassing reference that is meant to cause speculation

[El JoNNo]

This episode was kind of lame. I'm getting tired of all the episodes where love and feelings defeat the BBG.

[Super Dude]

Martha was cute. Her character was a little uninteresting but totally cute.

[masterthes]

Yeah, just finished season 3. Not too sad seeing her go

[Super Dude]

I really hope the 50th isn't the end of Clara as a companion.

[Sigz]

She's already been confirmed for the 8th season.

[skydivingninja]

There were a few things in this episode I really liked...

-The Doctor referencing his Granddaughter
-The Doctor's speech to the big bad
-The idea in general of souls being memories and using sentimental objects as currency
-Clara and Emily's interactions
-The Doctor's frantic thinking trying to figure out the mystery behind Clara
-The Doctor's attitude when he's showing Clara her first look at an alien system

However, on the whole, I found the episode pretty lackluster, a lot of it from the production side.  The greenscreen effects were laughably noticeable and bad, and the set of the pyramid was confusing (and poor editing during the Doctor's escape from the Vigil didn't help).  Really cool-looking monsters like the mummy and the Vigil did fuck all, while the big bad at the end had a silly smiley face.  Also, when he imploded, wasn't that also their sun? 

Honestly, this was probably the worst "companion's first trip" episode they've done.  It felt a bit too safe overall.  Great performance by Matt Smith as usual, but his chemistry with Jenna-Louise Coleman in the market scenes seemed a little off somehow, I don't know.  Still looking forward to next week's episode as well as Neil Gaiman's!  Plus the hopefully end-of-season resolution of who/what Clara is.

[Super Dude]

I've never been too concerned about Doctor Who's special effects and production value just because it's been like that for as long as I've been watching, but otherwise you took the words right outta my mouth. The granddaughter bit was great.

As for the weird chemistry, I have a theory, and it's that they're trying to make Clara into this dynamic, interesting character, and they're trying to fit the Doctor around that.

[abydos]

What is this granddaughter business? I haven't watched any Dr Who before the current reboot and don't plan to.

[Super Dude]

The very first Doctor in the '60s traveled around with his granddaughter.

[ariich]

Also, when he imploded, wasn't that also their sun? 

No, it was one of the 7 planets that orbit the sun.

And yeah, some of the effects weren't great, but still better than they had back in the first series, and I still enjoy that. Given DW's low budget, I'm never too bothered by the effects.

[El JoNNo]

What is this granddaughter business? I haven't watched any Dr Who before the current reboot and don't plan to.

This was also the first Doctor.

[skydivingninja]

The very first Doctor in the '60s traveled around with his granddaughter.

But then the writers got scared of sex and decided that she wasn't really his granddaughter because they didn't want to give the impression that the Doctor had sex with anyone.  The actress who played Susan refused to come back for the Five Doctors special because of it.  I'm glad the showrunners have gotten over that since then. 

[robwebster]

Briefly digressing... just seen it pointed out that Clara's mum died the same day the autons attacked London.

I know, right?!

[Jaq]

The very first Doctor in the '60s traveled around with his granddaughter.

But then the writers got scared of sex and decided that she wasn't really his granddaughter because they didn't want to give the impression that the Doctor had sex with anyone.  The actress who played Susan refused to come back for the Five Doctors special because of it.  I'm glad the showrunners have gotten over that since then.

Close; they removed the mentions of the relationship from the script for those reasons and Carol Anne Ford refused to come back until they relented and put them back in. Which earns her a "good for her!" 

[hefdaddy42]

Just watched my first episode of Doctor Who since Tom Baker.  Fun stuff.

[hefdaddy42]

And the second.  Wow, have I waited too long.

[El JoNNo]

And the second.  Wow, have I waited too long.

It's never too late!