Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Discussion in 'Movies and Television' started by deathsheadx, Apr 5, 2008.

  1. SaberPrime

    SaberPrime Banned

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    Because it's weird to have two really similar stories both happening during series 6. I mean I could be wrong about both events happening at the same time but can we at least agree that having the Doctor be fake dead twice in the same series is kind of bad story telling?

    Yeah airdates aren't actually all that helpful. It assumes that the order of events is the same as the order of release but this isn't always the case. Especially when we're talking about two completely different shows. Some times stuff might happen behind the scenes that pushes back the release of one show but not the other. And that kind of release date would actually place the episode happening BEFORE Amy and Rory would ever be on their honeymoon. He wouldn't be able to mention having a married couple on the TARDIS if they weren't actually married yet the last time they were on the TARDIS.

    Of course she already knows what's gone down. She was born there. She knows not to interfere with her own time line. That's why she doesn't go with them to Demons run so she won't be there at the same time she's being born. She only shows up after the eye patch lady runs off with Baby Melody. As soon as young her is out of picture Stormcage River can come in and explain why she couldn't be there sooner. Hence the older River from the end of the episode is the same River we saw at the start of the episode. If the stormcage River were from the future there's no way her past self could of known they visited her in Stormcage.
     
  2. Dr Kain

    Dr Kain Well-Known Member

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    We finished Season 1 of Smith tonight.

    Vincent and the Doctor - A damn good episode. Easily the best of the season and the dude they got to play Van Gogh was utterly amazing. The invisible monster was intriguing and Bill Nighy gave a great performance for the small role he had. Just pure excellent all around.

    The Lodger - Not my favorite episode, but better than I remember. It has some really funny scenes to it and that's about it.

    The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang - Now THAT is a finale! It tied in every episode from the season together to make even the subpar ones have some sort of payoff and executed an intriuging concept with the villains of the franchise teaming up to lock up the Doctor. That was just brilliant. It does suffer from some deus ex machina aspects for the Doctor to win because he has to, but at least they felt far more logical than him gaining super powers from people saying his name all at one time. Still, it tied everything up quite nicely and didn't leave off on some big cliffhanger lead in for the Xmas special.

    Overall, while he lacks the charisma of Tennant, Smith does have a charm about him that makes his Doctor fun to watch. He's a lot like Peter Davison in that regard. He might not have the strongest stories of the franchise, but he is entertaining. My ranking for the season goes like this:

    1. Vincent and the Doctor
    2. Time of the Angels/Flesh and Stone
    3. The Eleventh Hour
    4. The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang
    5. Vampires in Venice
    6. Amy's Choice
    7. The Beast Below
    8. The Lodger
    9. Victory of the Daleks
    10. Hungry Earth/Cold Blood

    Looking forward to his next season, especially since it kicks off with my favorite Xmas special of the franchise.
     
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  3. Switchblade

    Switchblade Well-Known Member

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    The Doctor Who official YouTube channel will be releasing a reconstruction of Mission to the Unknown. The original was a one-episode prelude to the 12-part epic The Dalek's Masterplan and is the only episode of the classic series to feature no appearance by the Doctor or any of his companions.
     
  4. Tekkaman Blade

    Tekkaman Blade Professor of Animation

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    If they were smart they'd also remake the Dalek's master plan with the Doctor from an adventure in time in space.
     
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  5. Christian Prime

    Christian Prime SF Ibuki & Makoto Fanboy!

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    Will definitely give this recreation a watch soon. :) 

    Haven't done much with DW for a while, so to keep me occupied, I did manage to make a double purchase on both volumes of The Fourth Doctor Adventures: Series 8 Ft. new companion, Ann Kelso. :D 

    Hadn't done much Big Finish audios for a while, aside from listening to The Unbound Story: Masters of War, just to prep myself on meeting the Unbound 3rd Doctor/Cuthbert, David Warner, 2 days after my birthday a month ago.

    So going back to the Fourth Doctor with K9 and Ann should give a fresh start on meeting old friends.
     
  6. excelhedge

    excelhedge Overseer of Weird

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    Nice to know there is a Dalek episode coming up
     
  7. Mako Crab

    Mako Crab Well-Known Member

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    @Dr Kain
    I always thought Smith’s first season was his best one. He still carries the show well enough all the way to his finale, but they first season of his had many of my favorite episodes and moments. And yeah- I don’t think they ever manage to top that season finale. The whole bit when he’s fading from existence and tucking little Amelia into bed just hits me in the feels every time.
     
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  8. Dr Kain

    Dr Kain Well-Known Member

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    While things could change once I rewatch it, his second was my favorite as I loved the Sylance and the entire story arc that revolved around River's origins. Not to mention the episode "Let's Kill Hitler" was just fantastic, though, my favorite was "The Impossible Astronaut" 2 parter.
     
  9. Max Rawhide

    Max Rawhide Rollin' Rollin' Rollin' ... uh, never mind

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    I'd be hard pressed to say whether I like Smith's first or second year best, but I do know that they're my two favourite seasons of the modern series.

    There may be some lesser successful episodes, but the majority was highly entertaining and exciting. I looked forward to each episode in those seasons, and after both season I was hyped for the next.

    His third season started out good, but never reached the same heights; and especially the second half with Clara just wasn't the same level as what had come before. It also seemed to me that after the departure of his companions, and the changing of his outfit, Smith jsut lost some of his interest.
     
  10. Tekkaman Blade

    Tekkaman Blade Professor of Animation

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  11. Tekkaman Blade

    Tekkaman Blade Professor of Animation

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  12. SHINOBI03

    SHINOBI03 Well-Known Member

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  13. Switchblade

    Switchblade Well-Known Member

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    Another missing serial getting the animated reconstruction treatment. I'm glad to see this project continuing at such a good pace, although it would be nice if the Region 1 releases didn't lag so far behind. I'm still waiting for The Macra Terror to come out here in the States.
     
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  14. Andersonh1

    Andersonh1 Man, I've been here a LONG time Veteran

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    Wow, they really are getting serious about animating these missing stories. Fury is an especially good one. Such a shame we don't have the actual episodes, the soundtrack really made me want to see it.
     
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  15. Dr Kain

    Dr Kain Well-Known Member

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    Well now that the Halloween festivities are over, it's time to dive back into Doctor Who.

    A Christmas Carol - Easily the best Xmas special to date. It's competently written, well thought out, never bores, Michael Gambon is just awesome, it's based on the greatest book ever written, and most of all, Earth is not in peril at all because Earth is not even featured in it. Talk about a win-win all around. THis is easily Moffat at his finest.

    The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon - A fantastic premier that has elements of horror, sci-fi, and ties it all together nicely with a lingering plot that is going to develop over the entire season. Awesome! We're off to a great start right from the get go, especially with the opening segment with an older Doctor dying and his younger self having no idea what is going on. I also have to give praises to the dude who played Nixon as he was fantastic. Then we have the Silence, who are just awesomely creepy creatures. Another praise to Moffat for coming up with yet again an excellent set of adversaries for the Doctor to face like he had with the Weeping Angels several seasons earlier. I will admit it is kind of weird that the Doctor just decides to push the little girl plot aside just so they could have some filler episodes.

    The Black Spot - No where near as good as the two part premier, but not bad, though it does kind of get dumb towards the end. Also, what happened to the crew member that the captain's son scratched? He was in the room with Amy and gang when the other dude ran out and that was the last we ever saw of him. Is he just sitting in the back of the ship on his own after everyone went to the other ship and is all like, "Hello? Is anyone out there? Hello?"
     
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  16. Dr Kain

    Dr Kain Well-Known Member

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    Started the next disc, but I forgot to mention yesterday that I'm a little disappointed with the way BBC did Season 2 for Smith. Unlike Season 1, the prequel segments do NOT play before their respective episodes. As such, you have to constantly go back to the disc menu, go into the features section, and then play the prequel, then go back to the main menu, Episodes, and select the next episode. So freaking stupid and time consuming. Yes, I know, first world problems, but still. It's dumb.

    ANyway:

    The Doctor's Wife - Okay, so a few seasons ago with had and episode titled "THe Doctor's Daughter" and now we get "The Doctor's Wife." Um okay... not really sure how the Tardis is his wife, but sure, whatever. The episode itself is pretty good. Better than The Black Spot, but not as good as the two part premier. I do love the scene when the House takes controls of its two lackeys as I love how the duo just cease all body functions except for their mouths at the drop of a hat. The stuff happening in the Tardis later on with Amy and Rori is quite cool to. Overall, a pretty good episode.

    The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People - And here we go, the first true major bomb in Smith's run. In fact, this is to Matt Smith what 42 is to David Tennant. A lackluster as all heck, unoriginal, uninspiring generic borefest that drags on and on. It feels like an hour long story stretched out to be a 2 parter because the writers couldn't figure out what to cut out and decided to just needlessly extend it. Most of the banter is extremely cliche. Thankfully there are some great moments between the Doctor the Flesh Doctor that can relieve some of the boredom, but for the most part, it's a train wreck. What makes it even worse though is that it HAS to be watched due to its last 5 minutes. There's nothing worse than a terrible episode being part of the show's main plot.
     
  17. Dr Kain

    Dr Kain Well-Known Member

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    A Good Man Goes to War - There is so much build up, so much tension, so much suspense, and then it all peters out like a wet fart thanks to a poor payoff. Of course, it also doesn't help that we now have a comic relief Sontaran that's a nurse? That seems extremely out of character for everything that I've seen since Tom Baker's run revolving around their race. I know he states it was punishment by the Doctor, but that still doesn't make any sense. The reveal of River was cool though even if it leaves a lot of lingering questions. I did like the Sith Lord monks. They aren't as cool as the Silence, but still an intriguing concept.

    Let's Kill Hitler - I loved this episode when I first watched it all those years ago. Sadly, I can't say the same this time around. I don't know, but it just felt off. First, showing us that Rori and Amy had this delinquent friend the entire time just seemed out of the blue as there was never once a hint of her at all. Secondly, the Inside Out Robot crew seems rather... well... dumb. Like really dumb even by Doctor Who standards. Also, they turned HItler into a blundering idiot. The man might have been a terrible person, but I don't think his persona fits with Saturday morning cartoon villainy. Next up, I'm a little confused. Mels told everyone the last time she regenerated was in 1969, which means she stayed a child for over thirty years just so she could grow up with Amy and Rori. Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... what? That seems extremely convoluted. Oh right, I'm watching Doctor Who, I keep forgetting that it doesn't have to make sense. :lol 
     
  18. Dr Kain

    Dr Kain Well-Known Member

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    And in the blink of an eye we have finished the second season to Smith.

    Night Terrors - I really liked this one. It was weird, suspenseful, and featured a lot of creepy moments, which is how I love my Doctor Who. I do wish the apartment manager had gotten killed as he deserved it, especially because that meant nothing was ever at stake, but oh well. An enjoyable episode nonetheless and it's sad how relatable the parents were.

    The Girl Who Waited - Some interesting ideas, but ultimately a very dull and boring episode that felt like it was never going to end. I do have to give praises to the make-up people though as they managed to age Amy without it looking extremely fake as aging tends to look.

    The God Complex - Oh my god, it's like The Shining meets Doctor Who meets the Minotaur's Labyrinth. I LOVE IT!! This episode was so damn awesome with a lot of excellent visuals and so much suspense and tension. Easily one of the season's best episodes.

    Closing Time - Huh, Craig's back and he has a baby. Interesting. I love the name Stormageddon. That is just badass! Anyway, this was a really interesting way to execute a Cybermen episode, though, I really think they should have used a more traditional Cybermen design given they were supposed to have been shipwrecked there for centuries. The resolution also comes off a bit farfetched, but as I said yesterday, it's Doctor Who, there are no rules. Anything can happen because the plot needs it to.

    The Wedding of River Song - Well that was certainly an enjoyable, yet convoluted rushed mess. It makes more sense than the Pandorica season finale though, so I'll give it that. I wish they had done more with the Silence though, especially since I would have loved to have seen some sort of origin story for them. I do think using the robot lawmen body was quite clever. It's also cool that they planted seeds for the next season. However, like I said, it was way too rushed. This should have been a 2 parter instead of having the Flesh episodes be a multi-part story.

    Overall, after I watched it the first time back in 2011, I thought this season was better than his first. This time around, I have to say the first was a much tighter season. This one kind of meandered around some ideas the excellent premier introduced as if the writers were trying to figure out what they actually wanted to do with the concepts introduced at the start. It had its ups and its downs, but it did end on a high note that wrapped almost everything up. As I said, more should have been done with the Silence, especially since I don't believe they really do anything else with them for the rest of the series beyond a brief appearance in the regeneration episode and nothing at all in Capaldi's run.

    The development they gave Rori and Amy continued to rock and the trio has great chemistry. This may be the best DW trio since the Doctor, Sarah, and Harry in Season 12/Baker Season 1. It was nice how almost every episode tied into the overall plot, yet, I feel like the season still stalled a bit in its stand alone episodes. The Doctor's Wife and Night Terrors served absolutely no purpose to the overarching story at all while a borefest like the Flesh 2 parter did. That doesn't make them bad episodes, it just means that they should have been removed to do something more with the Silence, the Impossible Astronaut, or as I said above, paced the finale out better.

    I also have to mention that upon thinking about it, Let's Kill Hitler was also pretty bad because the plot had absolutely nothing to do with Hitler. I'm surprised it wasn't written by Chibnall.

    My rankings of this season's episodes are:

    1. A Christmas Carol
    2. The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon
    3. The God Complex
    4. Night Terrors
    5. The Doctor's Wife
    6. The Wedding of River Song
    7. Closing Time
    8. A Good Man Goes to War
    9. Let's Kill Hitler
    10. The Black Spot
    11. The Girl Who Waited
    12. The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People

    I'm quite fearful for the next season as I hated it when it first aired. I especially hated how they brought Amy and Rori back despite this season feeling like a great finale for them. Hopefully it won't be as bad as I remember.
     
  19. SaberPrime

    SaberPrime Banned

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    What do you mean coming up? This already aired last year.
     
  20. excelhedge

    excelhedge Overseer of Weird

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    Really? Was this the holiday special then? Cuz I binged last season and don't remember this.