Doctor Who

[Heretic]

Well hearing someone say "Davies/Tennant was the peak..." kinda... well, er, using British terms, rustles my jimmies? I am a huge Moffat supporter and I am of the opinion that the show only went uphill when he took over as showrunner, having loved every season finale more than any of RTD's (save for The Wedding of River Song, it was a bit lackluster in some regards.) But S7 and S5 are my favorite seasons of Doctor Who EVER, so it saddens me to see people not enjoying them wholeheartedly. Lots of people are highly critical of Moffat but there's an equal number (or probably a great number if you take into account casual viewers and Tumblr fangirls) that just absolutely adore what he's done. While I can critique what he's done a good bit, I still enjoy his take on the show way more than RTD's soap opera drama version of Doctor Who. I could sit here and criticize Rose and the decisions he made with Rose for hours on end, or go into depth about how almost all of RTD's finales had a fantastic setup (mainly Utopia, The Stolen Earth, and the first part of the End of Time) only to be absolutely dreadful in the end (Rose's happy sappy ending with the Meta-Ten, the Master's lightning powers, the Doctor being aged into gollum-old-man, the Doctor being resurrected a la religious parallels, the list goes on.) While neither showrunner is perfect and their eras have had significant ups and downs, I find Moffat on the whole to have a better handle on the show, being more akin to how Classic Who was written and capturing the feel a bit better, while also incorporating time travel as a plot element rather than just a means of traveling, and having really complex and highly interesting stories. While he has many flaws, I just really enjoy his take on the show and feel that the show has been on a significant uphill stride ever since Series 7B. With that series, the 50th, The Night of the Doctor, and the Time of the Doctor on the way, I'm of the opinion that the show's writing, feeling, and overall scope has been captured almost perfectly and with the arrival of a new Doctor and the return of Gallifrey, the show can only continue improving.

ariich, I believe, is of the exact same opinion, so I'm surprised he hasn't popped in with a big sad face too. Hopefully you'll like the rest of the season, though-- The Name of the Doctor into The Day of the Doctor has been one of the best 1-2's the show has given us, so maybe that'll change your opinion, too.

In other news, I've been watching Tom Baker's era a good bit recently and I just love it. Definitely my second or third favorite Doctor.

[Super Dude]

Getting through the First Doctor's tenure is no mean task, lemme tell ya.

[BlobVanDam]

So far I'd have to say I prefer the Moffat era. The RTD era got better as it went along, and ended quite strong, but there was also a lot of really cheesy stuff in there too. Both eras have had their own significant flaws and strengths though. No idea what my favourite season would be. I'll try to make up my mind once I'm finished with 7.

As for The Doctor, I still can't decide who I prefer between Tennant and Smith (Eccleston isn't even a contender here). Both have elements to their portrayal the other doesn't have that make them both great doctors.

[ariich]

Yeah that's pretty "wut". The Snowmen is an amazing episode through and through, and Cold War is awesome too. If you don't like the next episode, Hide, well... then I don't have any other words for you because S7 is my favorite series thus far.

Well that's pretty contrary to most criticism thus far, so you can reserve the "wuts" for youself.

The Moffat era doesn't get anymore criticism than the RTD era did. It just gets it from a lot of the new fans who came on board with the RTD era. Similarly, once Moffat moves on, lots of people who especially love Moffat's style will bitch about the new person's era.

Series 7 is amazing though, and like Heretic and a hell of a lot of other people, I think Moffat's era has been the best era of Doctor Who ever.

[hefdaddy42]

In my short return to the show, I would agree with Heretic and ariich, and most of the "criticism" that I have seen comes from Tennant fanboys. 

I thought season 7 was incredible, and got better as it went.

[abydos]

I like Moffat and some of my absolute favourite episodes ever have been written by him (even from RTD era). But I also think that the second part of the S7 is pretty much the weakest since some things from season 1.

[BlobVanDam]

I'm all caught up now!

Season 7 did have some inconsistencies, but overall I thought it was still quite good, and it finished out very strong with The Name of the Doctor plus the specials, and I have a feeling the Christmas episode is going to be the icing on the cake to that. I still need to rewatch The Day of the Doctor, but I'd probably still consider it the best episode they've done yet, and I'm excited for the future of the series.

[Perpetual Change]

I'm not a Tennant fanboy at all 

I did watch "The Snowmen" though, and it was really good.

[Super Dude]

I have to agree with Blob: Tennant and Smith are on a level with each other that I can't really choose a favorite between the two.

[chknptpie]

When I watch a Tennant episode, he is absolutely my favorite. Then when I switch back to a Smith episode, he is my favorite.

[Perpetual Change]

I really like all the Doctors.

How I feel about the show really has nothing to do with which Doctor is in.

Though I think the companions tend to wear on me. Funny that the specials where the Doctor has a new and/or one-off companion are often the episodes I like the most.

[Heretic]

Aside from Clara and Donna, I can pretty much agree with that, PC. I love one-off companions, and oftentimes they make for fantastic stories that are often centered around them entirely (A Christmas Carol, for example.) Wilfred, too-- amazing.

The Doctor needs more male companions he can just be bros with. Captain Jack's run on the TARDIS was far too short!

[abydos]

Donna was an amazing companion. And the way they ended that was one of the most devastating things I've watched.

[masterthes]

Just got done with The Mind of Evil, really good episode. On to Claws of Axos

[skydivingninja]

I don't really like Clara at all.  Amy had more personality, Martha was smart and got shit done, Rose had that everygirl quality to her and found herself being very brave, and Donna was just amazing all around and wasn't afraid to call the Doctor out on his shit.  Clara just sort of is. 

The companion is the audience stand-in, the people who are amazed by the Doctor and what they're seeing, and Clara has some of that wanderlust, but her constant verbal sparring with the Doctor just doesn't seem real to me.  I also think her attitude in Nightmare in Silver was so inhuman that it jerked me out of an otherwise okay episode.  "Cybermen are overcoming all of our defenses?  *shrug*  *witty remark* *emotionless expression*"  Her moments in Day of the Doctor were pretty good, but I'm counting down the days until she announces she's leaving.

Season 7 is pretty hit-or-miss for me.  The first half was a very nice farewell to the Ponds (Amy and Rory's "drama" in Asylum and the Angels ending that didn't quite make sense notwithstanding), but the second half's episodes really seemed to suffer from pacing issues similar to season 6.  Too many writers trying to pack too much into the stories, and not giving them enough time to flesh everything out and breathe because Moffat has a newfound hatred of two-parters.

All that being said, I'm looking forward to the Christmas special and Peter Capaldi's eyebrows very much.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Funny, I think Clara is my favorite companion.

[Super Dude]

Funny, I think Clara is my favorite companion.

[BlobVanDam]

I like Clara. She hasn't really had a lot of time for them to flesh out her character yet, as they've been dealing with the "impossible girl" arc which got concluded with The Name of the Doctor, but I don't see any reason to dislike her.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

I read somewhere that one of the reasons she got the part was because she could talk faster than Matt Smith.

[Heretic]

I love Clara and thought she really came into the part during The Name of the Doctor and the 50th. I think she'll be an excellent companion aside Capaldi, as now that the "impossible girl" mystery is out of the way, we can focus on developing her character a bit more.

Also, EXTENDED TIME OF THE DOCTOR TRAILER! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlN-SPx1zAg

I'm going to miss Matt Smith /so much.../

[BlobVanDam]

Holy crap this is going to be epic. I'm already calling this the best Christmas episode yet. None of the rest have been this big and important.

I'm going to miss Matt Smith too, but it looks like he'll be ending very strong. I haven't seen much of Capaldi at all, so I'm excited to see what he brings to the role.

[Cruithne]

Well hearing someone say "Davies/Tennant was the peak..." kinda... well, er, using British terms, rustles my jimmies? I am a huge Moffat supporter and I am of the opinion that the show only went uphill when he took over as showrunner

I'm a huge Moffat supporter too - I grew up watching Press Gang, I loved Coupling and his take on Sherlock is superb. Hell, I'm also probably one of the half dozen people who's actually seen an episode of Joking Apart.

As far as I'm concerned the show has been far superior, overall, under Moffat than it was under RTD. Credit to RTD for reviving the show with modern production standards and re-building its popularity, but I really disliked Eccleston's take on The Doctor and the David Tennant era was marred by a certain soap-opera feel and his version of The Doctor seemingly carrying on where his portrayal of Casanova left off 

The thing about Doctor Who is that it's a show that's been running for 50 years, with a dozen different actors having played the part (all differently), with a number of different head honchos, with probably upwards of a 100 different writers who've written episodes, with goodness knows how many companions. Everyone has their own opinion of what Doctor Who should be like (often based on the Doctor they first watched... mine being Tom Baker) and they're all different!

[ariich]

Well hearing someone say "Davies/Tennant was the peak..." kinda... well, er, using British terms, rustles my jimmies? I am a huge Moffat supporter and I am of the opinion that the show only went uphill when he took over as showrunner

I'm a huge Moffat supporter too - I grew up watching Press Gang, I loved Coupling and his take on Sherlock is superb. Hell, I'm also probably one of the half dozen people who's actually seen an episode of Joking Apart.

As far as I'm concerned the show has been far superior, overall, under Moffat than it was under RTD. Credit to RTD for reviving the show with modern production standards and re-building its popularity, but I really disliked Eccleston's take on The Doctor and the David Tennant era was marred by a certain soap-opera feel and his version of The Doctor seemingly carrying on where his portrayal of Casanova left off 

The thing about Doctor Who is that it's a show that's been running for 50 years, with a dozen different actors having played the part (all differently), with a number of different head honchos, with probably upwards of a 100 different writers who've written episodes, with goodness knows how many companions. Everyone has their own opinion of what Doctor Who should be like (often based on the Doctor they first watched... mine being Tom Baker) and they're all different!

I completely agree with your final paragraph. I think I'm less fussy about style or approach than most people, because I've enjoyed pretty much every era of DW, always for different reasons. I also prefer the approach Moffat has, and sort of agree with you about RTD's soap opera approach (pretty much every companion came from some kind of broken family or broken relationship). But that doesn't mean RTD's approach wasn't any good, and I still really like it for what it is. Indeed, I think the fact that each era is quite different is a major strength of the show.

[abydos]

It's not like Amy came from the perfect home, though.

[ariich]

It's not like Amy came from the perfect home, though.

Ah but she did, they were just taken away because of the cracks in time. The way she discovers them again at the end of series 5 is lovely!

[abydos]

Yeah but what I meant was that she didn't had the most healthy childhood:) Should have worded it better.

It's good to have different companions that come out from various pasts, though. Helps us rediscover the doctors again and again through different eyes (prog pun, oh yeah!). Keeps things fun.

[El JoNNo]

Is anyone else slightly annoyed at how they seemingly disregard all continuity with the Doctor's age? The 4th Doctor clearly states he's about 750 years old. The only thing I can think of is each Doctor considers his age to be however long his incarnation has been alive. Which would be fine, however, when 8.5 asked how old 10 and 11 (keeping the original numbering in place) were he deduced that there was only 400 years difference.

That would imply the Doctor considers his age as be measured across generations. Making only about 450-500 years total across 7 Doctors. Yet they many of them claim at some point to be alive for centuries in the same body.

It's not inconsistent, it's a complete lack of caring or perhaps I'm wrong and there is an explanation.

InB4 "The Doctor lies!"

[El JoNNo]

Found my answer, the Doctor doesn't know so he just pulls number out of his ass. lol

https://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/The_Doctor's_age

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

It actually makes sense, though. There's no viable way for him to really track his age, with all the time-traveling.

[bout to crash]

Good point!

[BlobVanDam]

It actually makes sense, though. There's no viable way for him to really track his age, with all the time-traveling.

The only way would be if the TARDIS kept an internal clock of some kind. I never even remember my own age any more and have to work it out by birth year, and I'm only 28, so I could easily believe that by ~1000 years old without a linear frame of reference of time, you may just forget.

[wasteland]

I don't want him to go 

[ariich]

I don't want him to go 

I love Matt Smith as the Doctor, but I'm really excited about Capaldi as well!

[BlobVanDam]

I don't want him to go 

I love Matt Smith as the Doctor, but I'm really excited about Capaldi as well!

Likewise. I'd love to see Matt Smith continue indefinitely, but at the same time, I'm really excited to see a new doctor too, and see what new angles he brings to the role. I'm actually more excited about this Christmas episode than Christmas itself.

(although due to time difference, it will be the 26th here, not Christmas day)

[Perpetual Change]

Finally caught up.

The Day of the Doctor was really good! However, I do feel like they left the door wide open for all 3 Doctors to continue to appear on the show alongside Capaldi. Am I wrong about that?