Doctor Who 2012 / 2013 Series 7 or whatever it is

Post by **Denyer** » Sun Apr 07, 2013 11:19 pm

Bit overblown, but he did all right with the material -- in some ways felt more like an audio than a TV episode. Clara manages to differentiate herself as a companion, into a more Sarah Jane -ish type (the SJA later version of the character, rather than the original.) He's actually starting to look old now.

Not bad apart from the unusually overt (although I'm sure there's similar in classic Who) Western Christian frame of reference that seems to be creeping in.

Considering the Doctor seemed to suffer no long term ill consequences from having his memories fed on would it really have been so bad to have the girl give it her stories?

Obvious unspoken counter to that being...

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Mon Apr 08, 2013 12:33 pm

Denyer wrote:
Not bad apart from the unusually overt (although I'm sure there's similar in classic Who) Western Christian frame of reference that seems to be creeping in.

It came over as a very strong anti-religious episode to me, God is an evil fake and Doctor Who kills him. Though the problem is more its such a poorly written episode exactly zero of the consequences of that are dealt with. We're just told (not shown as that would take skill) that everyone on the rings was really happy with both the death of their religious icon and the loss of their livelihoods. "Have your ring back as a sign of gratitude for destroying the tourist trade my bike hire firm depends upon. This is in no way a sarcastic gesture".

You could argue that it would be hard to find time for even a tokenistic coda following through on what the people we met were going to do next in 45 minutes, but they were obviously struggling to fill the time anyway with the languid editing, endless singing and flashbacks to things that happened less than ten minutes before (was anyone really struggling for reasons Clara would go save the Doctor before that memory prompt?).

Post by **Denyer** » Mon Apr 08, 2013 9:09 pm

they were obviously struggling to fill the time anyway with the languid editing, endless singing and flashbacks to things that happened less than ten minutes before (was anyone really struggling for reasons Clara would go save the Doctor before that memory prompt?).

I'm more used to taking the cynical position than trying to explain emotional resonance in film and TV... but can't say that I had any problems with the pacing, manipulative score, or making the core of the episode a companion introduction and everything else mainly set-dressing. It was this season's Beast Below.

Also some good dialogue, from the we're-all-made-of-stars to we-run.

Post by **Denyer** » Mon Apr 08, 2013 9:26 pm

Anyone mentioned this yet?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Summ ... mmer+Falls

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Sat Apr 13, 2013 7:07 pm

Cold War:

Liked that one, Gattis is usually the most retro of the regular writers but he managed to have some fun with the base under siege format (if anything it was a monster under seige) and added some stuff to the Ice Warrior mythos rather than just recycling. It was actually odd to get the old fan theory they're cyborgs on screen, shame it moved the timeframe of their ownership of Mars considerably forward to kill any Ice Warrior/Mondas Cybermen/Sillurian connections.

Throw in some good direction (bar a couple of odd edits), David Warner having a blast and it was a nice tense runaround that didn't get too preachy about MAD.

Oddly topical as well, considering the setting and the general political leanings of the show and it almost felt like the inevitable Thatcher joke was cut out at the last second.

Rack 'n Ruin · Post by **Rack 'n Ruin** » Sat Apr 13, 2013 7:52 pm

That was much more like it. A good fun episode, with a "monster-of-the-week" you actually give a damn about. New wave obsessed Russian professors FTW.

Looking forward to next week now.

Skyquake87 · Post by **Skyquake87** » Sun Apr 14, 2013 7:48 am

Yes yes yes much much better. Probably Gatiss' best effort yet. A nice, tense run around in a nuclear sub. Also : how good did that classic Ice Warrior design look with a bit of buffing up? Silly deep gruff monster voice, instead of that harsh whisper, but he's general so perhaps that's how all IW generals talk. The tinkering with their time line didn't bother me and i thought 'Cyborg' was a bit of a misnomer - he's a creature in a battle/ life support suit. Is that really a cyborg? Good cast, tight focus and I loved David Warner

Aside : I notice that a few lines of dialogue about the TARDIS' telepathic circuits were thrown in in a bit of a rush almost as if it was assumed that most people watching know how these things work.

Also! I liked that the Doctor had been tinkering with the emergency settings on the TARDIS - probably doesn't want it showing up outside the Powell Estate or Amy's house ... !

Post by **Denyer** » Sun Apr 14, 2013 11:20 am

Fun, furtive and murkier in tone than I remember being done for a while. Can't help think that the writers are setting Clara up for a fall with the over-confidence and her not taking things terribly seriously.

Post by **Hound** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 4:46 pm

I just saw on FB that the l;ast episode of series 7 is titled "The Name of the Doctor", is this for real?

Summerhayes · Post by **Summerhayes** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 5:04 pm

Hound wrote:I just saw on FB that the l;ast episode of series 7 is titled "The Name of the Doctor", is this for real?

Its been hinted that him saying his name is a big deal that some baddies are trying to encourage/ discourage. The might be about his name, but I don't think it'll be said out loud or anything.

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 5:11 pm

It's from the people who brought you The Doctor's Daughter, The Next Doctor and The Doctor's Wife. My money's on it being a metaphor thing once more.

Mind, actually revealing his name wouldn't be the Biggest Ever format change the show has done, It's just hard to see it as anything but an anti climax.

Rack 'n Ruin · Post by **Rack 'n Ruin** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 5:21 pm

What do you mean? I thought it was common knowledge he's called Clive...

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 7:10 pm

HIDE.

Nice to see Jeff Goldblum this week alongside homages to the second Sapphire and Steel story... Err, did anything else happen?

Rack 'n Ruin · Post by **Rack 'n Ruin** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 8:03 pm

The people of Carlisle were grossly insulted. So that was good.

I'm finding the Doctor to be less interesting than in the last couple of series though, and I find Clara more annoying and bland than anything.

Overall, though, I enjoyed it. I liked the Major/psychic couple. I'd be happy to see them again.

And, most importantly, it will certainly have scared the hell out of children countrywide. Which is what Doctor Who should do.

tahukanuva · Post by **tahukanuva** » Mon Apr 22, 2013 2:45 am

The episodes this half of the season I think have been a lot stronger than the first half. As much as I love the Ponds, their last few episodes really felt like the writers didn't know what to with them.

Plus, while Jenna hasn't had time to make her mark yet, she has great chemistry with Matt and they're good fun to watch.

alphaads · Post by **alphaads** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 12:21 pm

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Post by **inflatable dalek** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 8:54 pm

THE JOURNEY TO ACCEPTING THAT THE PAUL McGANN FILM IS CANNON WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT.

A bit of a cheap easy ending, but otherwise a good solid romp through the Tardis. Clearly the cheap one of the season (outside of the corridors from The Doctor's Wife I think a lot of it was done on location, maybe a new set for the ship and The Eye of Harmony? I'd like to think the poor blue screen on the swimming pool was a tribute to the boot cupboard in Mandragora), some nice direction though. And the Seal of Rassilon- for I think only the second time in the new series- and The Eye of Harmony in the same episode! Squeee.

Nice to have the Clara mystery being addressed more directly, though it doesn't seem to occur to the Doctor that Clara could be both a trick and trap without knowing about it.

Points for her dress as well.

Skyquake87 · Post by **Skyquake87** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 11:29 pm

it was all the little things in this episode i liked, the liquid encylopedia galifrey bottles, the Tardis circuits, the bit where the dopey older brother is dismantling the TARDIS console and you get all the whispery clips whilstling around.

I really enjoyed Matt's performance in this episode too (and liked the grey suit he had) and the bit where they walk into the exploded TARDIS and he looks so sad and says "She looks after me all the time, and now its my turn to do the same for her and I don't know what to do" really made me well up, I'm not afraid to admit

The salvage crew worked nicely, and I liked Ashley from So Solid Crew being so mercenary. I especially liked his scanner thing when it scanned Clara 'Lancashire!'

One thing I wasn't so keen on were the lava zombies (clara zombies?). There was enough menace in the TARDIS twisting and contorting that throwing in a monster because there's some boring telly rule that there always has to be a monster in Doctor Who did feel like an embuggerance.

As I liked the TV Movie, I had no problem with the Eye Of Harmony being shown as in the TARDIS again..and I liked the Doctor explaining how all these bits of the TARDIS worked.

It wasn't quite 'The Doctor's Wife' , but there were enough glimpses on Timelord engineering on show here to address some of the often impossible nature of their technology.

Good use of the Sonic this episode too. And yes, Clara's dress was lovely and these last two episodes have done a lot to cement Clara's role for me.

I did feel slightly let down by the ending being a quick bit of time travel to resolve things rather than something a bit cleverer.

Overall 8/10 (would have been higher, but hated that all the dramatic potential built up was rather lost with pressing ctrl alt delete)

Rack 'n Ruin · Post by **Rack 'n Ruin** » Sun Apr 28, 2013 9:41 am

Hmm, a rather interesting but ultimately frustrating episode again. Good to see the various bits of the TARDIS. The thing about the youngest brother being told he is a Pretender, sorry, an android (specifically in this instance, a robot with a flesh coating) was rubbish. Does the guy not eat and poop? How dumb was he meant to be?

And am I getting too old, or is anyone else struggling to clearly hear the dialogue between the Doctor & Clara whenever there is loud-ish background music/sound effects? Either my ears are going, or there is something about their voices that doesn't quote carry through. Probably just me being an old fart.

Also, I concur. Clara's dress? Thumbs up.

Post by **Denyer** » Sun Apr 28, 2013 4:32 pm

That was awesome. Is awesome, am just getting to the end now... (ooh, Sontaran dude next week.)

There's a real rapport between Doctor and companion by this point. This half-series is as enjoyable as the first with Eleven as far as I'm concerned, which I really enjoyed in ways that Nine and Ten didn't deliver on.