Doctor Who

[Dimitrius]

Who knew a 73 year old man could rock a faux-hawk so epicly!

[masterthes]

Getting back into classic Who. Just finished Ambassadors of Death. Didn't really get interesting until the second half of episodes. Working my way through Inferno now. Seems ilke that might be more interesting

[Heretic]

@Dimitrius: Haha he's easily one of the most well-dressed and likable Doctors yet, I found myself loving him in the 50th. I would love to see or hear more adventures from Hurt, perhaps Big Finish will recruit him as well.

I've updated the image making some needed facial structure changes (nothing too huge, you'd probably only notice if you opened them both up and flashed between them, but I did change a lot) plus it got paged, so...



NO MORE!

[bout to crash]

Who knew a 73 year old man could rock a faux-hawk so epicly!

This! I really enjoyed that. Watched it twice on TV, and thought about doing the movie theatre thing tonight but don't have the energy.

[Super Dude]

I wasn't sure at first, but I believe there's a major anachronism in An Adventure in Space and Time, where Sydney Newman describes the pitch for Doctor Who. He compares it to an ITV show he did called Pathfinders. Now I just looked it up, and that show isn't supposed to exist for at least another seven years after this is set. Unless someone knows otherwise and can clear that up.

[BlobVanDam]

I just did a check, and I think it's referring to this instead-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Target_Luna
https://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Pathfinders_in_Space

[BlobVanDam]

Since watching the 50th anniversary episode, I've decided to start watching Dr Who for the first time. I'm only starting with the recent series, so the 9th doctor onwards.

I found the first season to be pretty cheesy, and I wasn't much of a fan of Christopher Eccleston. I didn't hate him or anything, but I didn't really like him much either. Dalek was my favourite episode of the first series. I'm only nearing the end of the second series right now (just starting 2x10), but I found the show instantly improved once David Tennant took over. He's a much better doctor, and the episodes have seemed better overall too.

I don't know much about Dr Who, so I don't know if my opinion is typical or not. Based on what I've seen so far though, it seems the show has just kept getting better.

[chknptpie]

I think those are pretty normal opinions!

[wasteland]

Blob, the 2nd season is probably my least favourite season, except for Tooth And Claw and the immortal The Girl In The Fireplace. For me the show starts to get huge in the second half of the third series (even though I don't like the Saxon arc) before exploding with almost uniform awesomeness in Season 4.

By the way, I want to update my top something, and I'm posting it here and not on the regular top DW episodes as I don't see myself having time to ome up with proper writeups in the next year or so ( ) :

1. Silence In The Library / Forest Of The Dead       || S4
2. The Day Of The Doctor                                       || 2013 Specials
3. The Pandorica Opens / The Big Bang                 || S5
4. The Impossible Astronaut / Day Of The Moon    || S6
5. The Waters Of Mars                                           || 2009 Specials
6. Vincent And The Doctor                                      || S5
7. Turn Left                                                            || S4
8. Human Nature / The Family Of Blood                  || S3
9. Blink                                                                   || S3
10. The Angels Take Manhattan                             || S7
11. The Girl In The Fireplace                                   || S2
12. Father's Day                                                     || S1
13. Dalek                                                                || S1
14. City Of Death                                                    || Tom Baker
15. The End Of Time                                               || 2009 Specials

[BlobVanDam]

Blob, the 2nd season is probably my least favourite season, except for Tooth And Claw and the immortal The Girl In The Fireplace. For me the show starts to get huge in the second half of the third series (even though I don't like the Saxon arc) before exploding with almost uniform awesomeness in Season 4.

The second season already easily exceeds the first season for me, but good to hear the show gets better  either way!

And I just finished the episode with the absorbing fat bastard monster with the mohawk. Wtf? Hilarious.

[Perpetual Change]

Well, it finally happened. My wife, who could previously only be described as "fangirl", is finally becoming "critic".

We've been watching the entire series together, starting with S1 of the reboot. From the beginning I've always thought the show was inconsistent, with some episodes being really good, some episodes not making sense but still being good, some episodes being bad, and some episodes not making sense and being *extra* bad.

Overall though, each season has some really great episodes, as well as some duds. Awhile back we finished S5, and figured that we agreed it was up there with the best them for us.

Now, midway through S6, my wife says, "You know, I'm not sure I like how the story is getting" 

I agree. S5 was great, but S6 is unnecessarily complicated and the potential for plot-holes is now sky high. 

Anyway, both of us still like the show, so we'll keep watching. I just thought is was funny, how midway through S6 my wife's attitude becomes aligned pretty much with the attitude of people I talk to on the internet.

[Super Dude]

This is why I've always been selective about the seasons/episodes I watch (I've seen barely half of S6, and skipped the finale of S5). I've learned over time to have a MST3K attitude towards canonicity and consistency in the show, and to just watch it for the stuff I enjoy.

[wasteland]

I must be the only guy on Earth not to care about plotholes in Doctor Who. If the story is good and the acting is good, I can easily get past them in the BLINK of an eye.

[Perpetual Change]

This is why I've always been selective about the seasons/episodes I watch (I've seen barely half of S6, and skipped the finale of S5). I've learned over time to have a MST3K attitude towards canonicity and consistency in the show, and to just watch it for the stuff I enjoy.

Been my attitude all along. Basically, the wife watches the show, and if it doesn't grab me within the first 10 minutes, most likely the tablet or the DS come out

That said, I thought the finale to S5 was pretty good!

[Super Dude]

I must be the only guy on Earth not to care about plotholes in Doctor Who. If the story is good and the acting is good, I can easily get past them in the BLINK of an eye.

That's what I meant by taking an MST3K attitude towards the show.

[Jaq]

After all the plot holes and bad payoffs in the RTD years, it took until season 6 for that attitude to appear? 

I saw someone on Tumblr aggressively take every single criticism people make about Moffat and apply it to the RTD years in spades. It's just internet cool for people to slag off Moffat, especially on Tumblr. The RTD years were just as full of holes and bad resolutions as people accuse Moffat of being.

Plus, hey. Farting aliens.

[ariich]

All Doctor Who years ever were just as full of holes and bad resolutions as people accuse Moffat of being.

Fixed.

Seriously, if plot holes really bug you, then Doctor Who has probably never been the show for you. That said, I think Moffat's era has been the best ever in that regard, because he's so geeky about continuity, including with the classic series.

[wasteland]

I wonder, when has this anti moffat sentiment among some fans begun to stir?

[ariich]

Since he took over as showrunner. It's not unique to Moffat at all, some people hated what RTD did to Doctor Who during his tenure.

It's just what comes with having a really dedicated and slightly obsessive fanbase - you'll always get sections of it that are really bitchy and whiny. See: Dream Theater.

[Super Dude]

I think both "eras" in Who have their merit. RTD did some good stories but I thought the cheese factor was through the roof, so sometimes it was a little too weird for my tastes. Moffat has toned down the weirdness in favor for a more adventure-y feel which I like, but some of the episode premises feel so MacGuffin-y, like they're just an excuse to bring in River to say something that sounds clever and laugh to herself about spoilers.

Since I'm among nerds, I have to ask: does anyone know what number episode/serial The Day of the Doctor was? We have to be close to a thousand by now, and so I imagine they'll do something commemorative for that eventually as well.

[Heretic]

I do have to agree that Series 6 is weak in a lot of regards, though. Some filler episodes that aren't exciting (some that are, though, The Doctor's Wife and The God Complex, namely) and then a  finale that many found to be a huge disappointment. I LOVED the two-part season opener, but I cannot disagree with the sentiments that the series had a lot of weaknesses.

Series 7, however, picked everything back up amazingly and has been one of my favorite series thus far-- plus, it now has The Day of the Doctor to go along with it!

[Super Dude]

I do have to agree that Series 6 is weak in a lot of regards, though. Some filler episodes that aren't exciting (some that are, though, The Doctor's Wife and The God Complex, namely) and then a  finale that many found to be a huge disappointment. I LOVED the two-part season opener, but I cannot disagree with the sentiments that the series had a lot of weaknesses.

Series 7, however, picked everything back up amazingly and has been one of my favorite series thus far-- plus, it now has The Day of the Doctor to go along with it!

Oh, and on that note I should add that yes, S7 has been a godsend. I think the only episode I disliked was the Crimson Horror.

[Perpetual Change]

After all the plot holes and bad payoffs in the RTD years, it took until season 6 for that attitude to appear? 

Not for me. I've been that way since the beginning. For some reason, my wife just notices it now. Maybe because all the plot holes and bad payoffs are actually central to the main plot arcs starting with Moffat, rather than just weird side things you can shrug off.

[wasteland]

Since I'm among nerds, I have to ask: does anyone know what number episode/serial The Day of the Doctor was? We have to be close to a thousand by now, and so I imagine they'll do something commemorative for that eventually as well.

I think I read somewhere that The Time Of The Doctor will be #800, which I suppose makes The Day Of The Doctor #799. 

[Kotowboy]

SO If I Understand correctly - After Capaldi - The Doctor can only regenerate into previous incarnations ?

Does that mean Smith, Tenant, McCoy , McGann, Davidson and The Bakers may yet again play the doctor ?

[Super Dude]

Where'd you hear that?

[Kotowboy]

A who fan told me on Twitter. I didn't watch The Day Of The Doctor so I dunno.


Something to do with Tom Baker's Dr reappearing as the gallery curator and implying to Matt Smith's Dr that he is destined to become 4 once again.

[Super Dude]

If that's true, it sounds completely ridiculous.

[Jaq]

No, no, no.

The suggestion is that the Curator is the Doctor in the future, and he says he might be revisiting old faces, not that he can only become previous incarnations.  It really is a throwaway line to explain how seventy-something Tom Baker can appear on the show essentially playing the Doctor again. Damn fanboys, getting Baker back was good enough, don't read into it shit that isn't intended.

[Kotowboy]

So we don't know as of yet how The Doctor will get more than 13 regens ?

[Super Dude]

Allegedly Steve Moffat has said we have already been presented with the answer in the past, we're just not thinking hard enough.

[hefdaddy42]

FINALLY got to watch The Day of the Doctor, with my kids.  Phenomenal, I really enjoyed it.  Now ready for the Christmas special and a new Doctor!

[Super Dude]

I saw this on my walk over to class this morning:



There must've been a dozen of these strewn across my path - I imagine there were many more all throughout the quad.

[wasteland]

A couple of weeks ago I saw a pen-made graffiti on a university desk reading "Bad Girl". I don't think I need to spell out in which way I took care of it.

[BlobVanDam]

I'm finished with series 3 now. My favourite episode of S3 by far was Blink. The fact it had less of the Doctor actually worked well and added to the mystery of the episode. I hope there are more episodes like this in later seasons!