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Doctor Who - Zarius - 05-16-2013

LastSurvivor Wrote:Hmmm.. still feels very rushed to me, with The Doctor talking at 100 mph. More than that, Mr Smith is just becoming an over acting machine. The whole chess game and "Doctor vs Cyber Doctor" mind battle could have been brilliant... but it's just cringe worthy. Shame.

I didnt mind that battle really. I thought it was good cheesy fun.

Doctor Who - TomH1138 - 05-16-2013

I know you're all expecting me to be the huge Moffat apologist, but I'll gladly admit that this half-season has been somewhat lackluster.

Maybe it's the all-too-short season that requires episodes that should be two-parters to be crammed into one and therefore not have proper breathing room. Maybe it's the actors talking so fast that many Americans (including myself) have trouble understanding what the plots are even about.

Maybe, as has been mentioned, it's that Clara seems like just another generic modern Companion. I loved Clara in "The Snowmen"--I wish she had come along instead. In the classic series, the Doctor sometimes picked up Companions from the past or the future instead of the present. Why can't we have a Companion like that again?

I agree that Clara's story hasn't been developed enough. We should have been getting clues throughout this half-season to keep us trying to guess what her story is. Instead, in two different cases where the Doctor inquired about her, he was told, "She's just a normal girl." Well, thanks for that non-information.

I'm not ready to throw Moffat overboard as many people are. I just think changes need to be made next season to make the series more satisfying again. Not least of those changes: Let's please have a full 13-episode season straight through with no breaks!

That said, I did enjoy the many callbacks to the classic series over this past set of episodes. And Murray Gold continues to deliver innovative scores week after week.

Quick reviews:

Bells of St. John - Fun, good re-introduction of Clara. A-

Rings of Akhaten - The opening is one of the best set pieces ever, with that bazaar full of imaginative creatures. The villains are underdeveloped, though (those cool-looking henchmen show up in two scenes and then abruptly disappear), and the ending is sort of an anti-climax. I give this one a C, although it earned bonus points for the Doctor saying that he had previously been there with Susan.

Cold War - I was really looking forward to the return of the Ice Warriors, and their new design was certainly cool. But the characters talked way too fast, and the tension never developed. And so Clara just sings a Duran Duran song at the end and that somehow saved the day? Whaaaaaaaat? This is the weakest episode of the bunch. D+

Hide - Now we're back on track with an episode that's a seeming nod to "Ghost Light." The haunted-house theatrics weren't very effective, but when the Doctor is trapped in that other dimension with apparently no way out, I was genuinely afraid for him. Also, the notion that the TARDIS doesn't like Clara - one of the few intriguing developments in the season arc. B+

Journey to the Center of the TARDIS - I've been wanting a TARDIS-centric episode since the first season of new Who, and it finally came, and delivered quite well. Creepy and suspenseful, with lots of cool twists. A-

The Crimson Horror - Sadly, this is another derivative episode, sparked only by the return of Strax and by the old-timey film footage in the flashback, accompanied by a wonderfully old-fashioned Murray Gold score. Also, points for mentioning Tegan. But the Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to get rid of MASSIVE BURNS all over his body? The sonic screwdriver has gotten to the point where it can do so much that it actually kills the suspense. "Someone needs a cure for cancer? Well, let me just wave my magic wand - er, sonic screwdriver - and that'll fix the problem!" C

Nightmare in Silver - Not as revelatory as Neil Gaiman's previous effort, "The Doctor's Wife," but still a fun romp with some genuinely scary Cybermen and a great guest appearance by Warwick Davis. And say what you will, but I really liked the back-and-forth between the Doctor and the Cyber-controller. Add in the Doctor saying "Fantastic" like the Ninth and "Allons-y" like the Tenth, and this one gets an A-.

I'm looking forward to the twists and revelations in the finale!

Doctor Who - TomH1138 - 05-17-2013

In preparation for tomorrow night's season finale, here's a fan-made trailer that was made about a year ago using the 50th anniversary and the name of the Doctor as its themes. It's truly a masterpiece of fan editing.



Doctor Who - Zarius - 05-18-2013

That was a great episode, had to put my thinking caps on for some of it. Real treat


So The Silence were either trying to prevent the GI from tampering with history just to kill The Doctor, or they wanted to prevent the murderous Doctor portrayed by John Hurt from being unleashed again on the universe...probably both reasons qualify.

And the reason The TARDIS doesnt like Clara is because SHE was the one who suggested The Doctor take the ship, contradicting the TARDIS claim (probably a lie to save face) that she chose The Doctor as much as he had chosen it. Sexy doesnt like being upstaged

I know a lot of fans will be of two opinions in this. Let's tread carefully this 50th year.

Doctor Who - white43 - 05-19-2013

Overall, as I often find with Who, the setup is large, the payoff is disappointing. This episode was more of that. Resolution of 'impossible girl' was kinda meh. All got kinda silly really.


First of all, I thought it was going to be something cool - like she's a Gallifrean...but then it was because she entered the time stream, which we'd previously been told would kill someone....then it didn't kill her and all is well. Was all a bit 'solved in the end' simply.

John hurt appearing as the 'forgotten' 9th generation was much more WTF?(there's spoilers all over teh interwebs on that one). However, as much as that is setting up for something cool - I fear I'll be let down again. Matt Smith's overacting is beginning to grate.


Doctor Who - Zarius - 05-19-2013


I am rarely dissapointed by Moffat's set-ups and resolutions, but I'm probably not alone in thinking that the "everybody lives" thing has completly eroded the consequential drama and sapped all investment from the series in the high-stakes department at times, Jenny's death was stirring and effective...and then she's revived like it's nothing in a few extra minutes.

Back in Davies day, people died all the time. Kids can handle a bit of brutality Moffat, just trust them. I grew up on bloodbaths in 80s Who and I turned out....actually, I'd rather not say how I turned out...


Doctor Who - white43 - 05-19-2013

Zarius Wrote:

I am rarely dissapointed by Moffat's set-ups and resolutions, but I'm probably not alone in thinking that the "everybody lives" thing has completly eroded the consequential drama and sapped all investment from the series in the high-stakes department at times, Jenny's death was stirring and effective...and then she's revived like it's nothing in a few extra minutes.

Back in Davies day, people died all the time. Kids can handle a bit of brutality Moffat, just trust them. I grew up on bloodbaths in 80s Who and I turned out....actually, I'd rather not say how I turned out...



I'd forgotten about Jenny's death. Well said - no-one does die in Moffat era. Clara classic case. Three times now and not really dead. Even River Song won't seem to die. No high stakes. Hard to invest in.


Doctor Who - LastSurvivor - 05-19-2013

white43 Wrote:Overall, as I often find with Who, the setup is large, the payoff is disappointing. This episode was more of that. Resolution of 'impossible girl' was kinda meh. All got kinda silly really.


First of all, I thought it was going to be something cool - like she's a Gallifrean...but then it was because she entered the time stream, which we'd previously been told would kill someone....then it didn't kill her and all is well. Was all a bit 'solved in the end' simply.

John hurt appearing as the 'forgotten' 9th generation was much more WTF?(there's spoilers all over teh interwebs on that one). However, as much as that is setting up for something cool - I fear I'll be let down again. Matt Smith's overacting is beginning to grate.

Couldn't agree more. Whilst this was probably the best episode of a very patchy season, Moffat's problem in not allowing a logical or understandable conclusion to his story arcs yet again came to bite the show on its arse. Impossible girl... eh, yeah, okay.... but do we actually have any idea why, what, who she is....


and why she has the ability to save the Doctor ever since he first left Gallifrey? Nope. Unless I missed something that is. All the "leaf: nonsense came back, and then there was the reintroduction of River Song which I'm sorry, leant no weight or importance to the story... not to mention the sight of seeing the Doctor passionately snogging someone, well I'll just never get used to it. Worse however, is Moffat's insistence on using catch phrases.. "Run you clever boy" is joined by River's "Sweetie".... God help us. All this is a crying shame, as there's some good material here too. The Gallifrey opening was awesome, and I couldn't help but get very excited when we saw William Hartnell's Doctor leaving Gallifrey with Susan for the first time. Seeing all the Doctors was also fun, but come on, where the hell was Paul McGann? For once, Matt Smith reigned-in his performance somewhat, giving us a glimpse at the kind of Doctor he could be, rather than the over-acting mess which he's slowly but surely become. As for the John Hurt reveal as The Doctor... WOW, that was the best finale to the series since its return. I then had all these wishes in my head, that maybe the Anniversary story is Smith's final outing and we then get Hurt's Doctor taking over for one season... I can but dream. Overall then, a good story in principal, but one which is ruined by the whole "impossible" girl mess which makes no bloody sense whatsoever.


Doctor Who - hebrides - 05-19-2013

Just a very quick note on something I missed:

as someone pointed out on Den of Geek, McGann's Doctor (as a double, like with Colin Baker and Eccleston) is there, very, very briefly. He rushes past Clara right before we see her with Troughton's Doctor. It's not much, but it's something. I do think we will learn more about him and his fate in the 50th, whether or not we see McGann, which of course I hope we will.

Also, though we catch glimpses of 1-9, do we see 10? At all?


Doctor Who - Zarius - 05-19-2013


Yes, a shot of Ten from the back of the head was spotted when Clara (or what appeared to be her guise as Oswin) was watching that sunset in the future