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Doctor Who

Handman

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At any rate, it's roughly the same, wouldn't you say?  You could make the argument that S11 or S5 is stronger than the other based on those few first episodes.  The better ones like Amy's Choice and Vincent and the Doctor only showed up in the latter half of the season, so I'm optimistic we might get something good later on this year.
 

ChainsawAsh

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Well, I really liked tonight's episode, despite not being hugely fond of the message behind the pregnancy storyline. I have a feeling this one's going to go the route of "42" and be mostly forgotten, though, which is funny because I also really like "42."

Did we ever get an answer for why the one medic was concerned about what he saw on the Doctor's "chart" when she was waking up? I must've missed it if they said what it was.

So, halfway through the season, I'd say:

1. "The Woman Who Fell to Earth" - 8/10
2. "The Ghost Monument" - 7/10
3. "Rosa" - 9/10
4. "Arachnids in the UK" - 6/10
5. "The Tsuranga Conundrum" - 8/10

So pretty much a 7.5/10 season so far from me.
 

Handman

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I spent most of today watching The Dalek Invasion of Earth for the first time, so I missed today's episode.  I'll be watching it tomorrow.  But I really enjoy these 60s episodes.  There's just a grand sense of adventure, and a rather creepy atmosphere to them that can't be replicated.  And Hartnell's Doctor is the definite article.
 

Zarius

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I gave this week's episode a 4/10. Creature was naff, people talked too fast, I enjoyed the raised stakes in that people did die and there was a tragic ending, but I thought Doc and Yaz had zero chemistry, Graham and Ryan did nothing, and it just felt like a bottle episode.

I'd give this season a 6/10 so far. Nothing remarkable or offensively bad, but it is fairly dull and I really think people are only being kind to it so they're not tarred by the feminists.
 

theryaney

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I too enjoyed this episode, much better than last week's episode. I liked the story especially the different characters' backstory. Although the alien design is just straight up awful, looking like a baby slitheen. The set looks nice though, and Jodie is great. Overall, 8/10. 

My ratings:
TWWFTE: 7.5/10
The Ghost Monument: 6.5/10
Rosa: 8.5/10
Arachnids in the U.K.: 6.5/10
The Tsuranga Conundrum: 8/10
 

Handman

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250px-Rescue_%28Doctor_Who%29.jpg


Moved on to The Rescue today.  I really enjoyed this, even moreso than the majority of The Dalek Invasion of Earth, in that it really focuses on our main group of characters.  It's only two episodes, too, so it doesn't have any time to spend on unnecessary filler.  The lingering memory of Susan's departure looms large, and then along comes Vicki.  The development feels real for our characters.

Next up... The Romans.
 

Handman

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Finally finished up The Romans.  I have to say, it's probably the best Hartnell serial I've seen, and I've seen most of them.  Undoubtedly the funniest, even funnier than most of the new show.  Legitimately funny, not "This is supposed to be funny" as we often saw in Moffat's time.

I lament the fact that Capaldi didn’t stick around another year. Supposedly, he had the option. Much of his era was beset by production troubles (Jenna Coleman’s indecisiveness causing hasty rewrites, no 2016 series, etc. etc.) and he never got a fair shot. I always liked his edge (series 9 onwards, they tried way too hard his first year) that seems to be lost in Jodie’s portrayal. We’ve gone back to another childish Doctor. To be fair, Jodie hasn’t had a proper chance to prove herself yet, but still… Capaldi’s performance was masterful.
 

matrixgrindhouse

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I found the first four episodes to all be various shades of average.  Every good idea was followed up by one that was clumsy.  Tsuranga's the first bad one of the season.  Sloppy writing, coupled with a really reprehensible message against adoption of all things.

Jodie's doing well in the role - all the companions are, too, but they aren't given a whole lot to demonstrate it.  Direction is competent, music isn't as good as Gold's work, but adequate.  The problem with the season is 100% in the writing.  Chibnall's taking the next four episodes off, so hopefully we'll get our first good episode of the run in there, somewhere.

I knew going in that I'd miss Moffat, but I think I'm about at the point where I miss Gatiss, too.  He might have done better in the role of show runner.
 

Handman

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I feel so conflicted about it. On one hand, Moffat is finally gone and all his annoying writing habits left with him, but the new production team is just frustratingly average.  Moffat's era was like a manic depressive, with high highs and low lows, but Chibnall's era is like a valium.
 

addiesin

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I really think it's a matter of expectations. Each showrunner basically has to start the show over. I think Davies cleaned the slate for Moffatt better than Moffatt did for Chibnall. Leaving so much unfinished set an expectation (or at least seeded hope) that some old story threads and questions would continue to some kind of satisfying conclusion. Instead we're getting basically a bottle season. It really seems less like Season 11 of Nu Who and more like Season 1 of Chibnall Who (for lack of a more descriptive name).

The stories are slower and more grounded and less twisty, but whether I enjoy it more or less I can't say til I've had time to digest and rewatch. Twists can add to a story if they have decent payoff, but most of Moffatt's are empty, so repeat viewings of episodes that rely on that device can be more of a chore. I'm torn. I like that the characters seem more real and less like icons or caricatures. I miss some of the overt classic lore Easter eggs and sprinkles, but appreciate the attempt to avoid rehashing classic monsters and having to try to take them seriously.

Jury's still out.
 

Handman

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Anyone see the new episode?  Another quasi-historical, it seems.  I haven't seen it, but finally watched last week's episode yesterday... it was better than the spiders, and I actually liked the monster.  Still not extraordinary, but it was decent.  I still didn't really feel anything for the characters.  Oh, and I still miss Capaldi.

Also been watching the Hartnell era, most of it for the first time, and I just adore it. The Rescue and The Romans were both extraordinarily good, and legitimately funny in the case of The Romans. I’m waiting on receiving more DVDs of his, but I expect even the more maligned stories like The Gunfighters to have something for me to enjoy.
So why do I love Hartnell and don’t particularly care for this new series? It’s all in the writing, the characters, and the tone. There’s a lot more time spent just getting to know the characters, where they just goof off for a good five minutes, and Hartnell has a lot of presence that Jodie just can’t match (and I don’t really think any who have followed him have). The stories are witty, and don’t take themselves too seriously, which is just a joy.

By contrast, Chibnall seems to be taking these generic stories way too seriously, and doesn’t give enough for our characters to really do. Jodie still hasn’t established her Doctor, and I’ve been able to insert other Doctors into her place and the story remains relatively unchanged. It’s just so generic by contrast, which is kind of crazy given how ridiculous the concept of the show is.
 

Zarius

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So it's now official: No Doctor Who Christmas Special. It'll arrive on New Year.
 

asterixsmeagol

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I'm 100% on board for this. The Christmas episode is usually my least favorite of each year, and the Christmas theme of those episodes is always the weakest part of them.
 

Handman

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That's upsetting, considering Moffat only did Twice Upon a Time to keep that timeslotHe didn't want to do it, and the Doctor would have regenerated for The Doctor Falls, which would have probably been better.  But, Chibnall didn't want to start his run on Christmas... so... we got a hastily put together mess. 

Very frustrating.  The production of this show is a freaking disaster.
 

Zarius

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I'll miss the specials, just because they gave me something extra on the big day, but I agree in that most of them were dreck. I only ever enjoyed the Tennant era ones, though Time of the Doctor and Last Christmas were ok.

New Year has been starved for something interesting with Sherlock out of the way.
 

Handman

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Yikes.  As I said, the production so far is a hot mess.

If it's Chibnall's and Jodie's last...  Can we just get a Dallas style "it was all a dream" and get Capaldi back?
 

Handman

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Three minutes of this, and I really like it.   Moreso than a few whole episodes this season.

And Graham stole my outfit.
 

Zarius

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It takes us to the tail end of this season for a continuity nod to previous eras...pigeon feed, but it'll do.
 

TM2YC

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Loved last week's emotional and dramatic partition-based episode but tonight's was utter dreck.

Exploring the theme of humans being replaced in the workplace by robots with a human work quota was a great choice (just 40 years behind Judge Dredd doing the exact same thing :D ) and the weaponised -redacted-due-to-spoilers- was a wonderful idea but the plot made no sense whatsoever and the direction was abysmal. We were told the workers were busy and being pushed for efficiency in the dialogue but everything the Director showed us conveyed the opposite. Workers standing round chatting without a care in the world, while packing one item an hour. One of the worst episodes in recent memory. Oh dear.
 
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