"It feels different this time..." - The new Doctor Who Thread

[Johnny Unusual]

I feel like the tone intended for the Caveman story would end up being done much better in the Aztecs. I think think it wanted to do a dramatic power struggle but... The Aztecs just did it better.

Man, it's such a shame that Susan gets the short end of the stick in this series. We are one serial away from her exit from the show and most of the time the writers take this character who is established as a super genius and having the humanity the Doctor initially lack and most of what they do is have her crying. Barbara by comparison feels like a much better handled character.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

The Dalek Invasion of Earth

"One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine. "

In this serial, the Doctor and company arrive in London, seemingly a chance for Ian and Barbara to return home but it becomes very apparent something is wrong; a seemingly vacant city and strange signage about dumping bodies in the Thames. Soon enough, there are signs of an invading force and attacks by "Robo-Men", humans controlled by helmets. It turns out the invaders are Daleks (this being a period in history before the Doctor's adventure on Skarro), who are turning humans into slaves to toil in their mines. The learn from resistance forces that they attack humanity with germ bombs to thin out the populace 10 years ago, then started attacking when they were too weak to defend themselves. As is usually the case, they end up separated; Ian hides in a Dalek ship heading for their mines, Barbara ends up with revolutionaries Dortmun and Jenny and the Doctor and Susan travels with the revolutionary David. Over the course of the mission to stop the Daleks, Susan and David fall in love. All of them end up at the mine and manage to stop the Dalek's plot to steal the Earth itself (and destroying life on it), destroying each Dalek by having their Robo-Men turn on them and erupting their base of operations. As everyone says their goodbyes, the Doctor, who has noted his granddaughter's desire to set down roots, refuses to let her back on the ship, insistent that she make a future with David and that he shall one day return, before the TARDIS, with the Doctor, Ian and Barbara, dematerializes.

I was worried I would like this one less because I remember this one being a little duller than the first arc. In fact, I think that though it has it's faults, it might be the better one. The fault again is stretching for time but I think even then, the show manages to do it in more interesting and non-repetitive ways than usual, meeting people who are effected by the horrors of the invasion and their plight. Probably the most "this sequence is filler" is Susan, Dortmun and Jenny moving through the city but I think even then a mood is set and it being shot on film has an effect that feels more like it is setting a tone rather than just wasting time. It looks nicer at any rate.

Overall it's good but I feel like the very first and very last acts are when it is strongest. There's a sense of dread from the beginning; the image of a Robo-Man plunging in the river is rather creepy. The first episode is mostly slowly laying out "something is wrong here" and though it is rather slow, and has a few tangents that didn't need to happen (the Doctor and Ian finding an empty building, almost falling, then leaving), the whole thing is great with a wonderful cliffhanger that I really hope surprised a lot of fans back in the day (I'm sure the return of the Daleks was announced well in advanced to get eyes on screens).

The last act is just completely lively but the metrics of the show. Plans fall into place, everyone has something to do and despite the high stakes, when we get close to victory the sense of fun returns. Barbara BSing her way through a Dalek interrogation with a hodge podge of historical references feels very much what the Doctor himself would become (which is why I like the idea that who the Doctor becomes later is heavily influenced by the people he cares about). It's very satisfying to see the Daleks get theirs, complete with their own slaves being forced to turn against them.

The serial continues the main idea of the Daleks being Nazis, this time with a huge echo of the blitz. I feel like it might have felt like an even darker serial at the time, so close to the event itself. There's a sense of pain and horror as the characters travel the countryside, seeing people suffering and countrymen turning on each other. It almost feels like the Daleks are a bit of an afterthought until the last episode and that the real focus is less on them doing evil and more on the evil left in their wake the good people must try to survive. I will say, the Robo-Men are a weird mix of old sci-fi goofy and genuinely unsettling. Yes, they talk like robots, wear dumb metal hats and are called Robo-Men but the show also goes into the idea that they are basically already dead and we are seeing people stripped of their identity. This idea would continue with the Cybermen but the difference here is their former humanity is on display. I'm legit shocked to learn this is the only serial the Robomen appear in. I guess the problem, aside from the goofiness, is a lot of the themes are covered by the Cybermen but really I think they should come back.

But what I will remember most is the end. It's not a perfect goodbye in some ways; it demonstrates some of the more patriarchal elements as the Doctor unilaterally makes a decision and Susan gets no agency. It makes sense for the characters but the tone definitely feels a little iffy. And they the emotion is still there. The Doctor has always been super protective of Susan and this really marks a change where he is ready to let her go. I love the touch that Susan gets a whole in her shoe to start off the scene as her journey ends; not exactly subtle symbolism but it works. It's the show's first goodbye and I still think among the strongest for being both understated and emotional with a great performance from Hartnell. The man is known for a few flubs and that sometimes worked in character building but here it goes off perfectly.

If anything, I feel like the show really does need to pay off a return of Susan (or return to Susan) but I understand the hesitancy; it's a thing that needs to be just right and it would be real easy to fuck it up. If anything, the promise to return and it taking so long for the Doctor to do it means you really need to land that and I'm not sure who I would trust to focus more on the emotion rather than "THIS IS A BIG MOMENT IN CANON!" I think the return needs to be less a reveal and more of a tender affair.

Best Cliffhanger: The Dalek emerges from the Thames.

Next Time:

 

[Kazin]

I will never not love Barbara's impression of a Dalek. 100/10 for that alone. And though there's definitely padding in DIoE, it's nowhere near as bad as the original Dalek serial, mainly because as you say, what padding there is at least looks nice, and isn't a bunch of actors pretending a two foot gap is like a canyon, slowly.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

The Rescue

"And if you like adventure, my dear, I can promise you an abundance of it. Apart from all that, well you'll be amongst friends. "

In this serial, The Doctor and company find themselves on a planet called Dido (which the Doctor is familiar with) where a space crash has occurred. Barbara, while exploring, runs afoul a fiendish and apparently alien villain named Koquillion who nearly kills her and leaves her for dead. Barbara is saved by Vicki, a young survivor of the crash who lives with another man, Bennet, both of whom was saved by Vicki's father. Bennet is infirmed, living in the cockpit of the ship and asks often to be left alone. Vicki tells how the natives of the planet are killers, having murdered the other crash survivors. Vicki tells him that one of the aliens, Koquillion, arrives now and then to threaten them. The Doctor feels this does not line up with what he knows of the planets natives and does some investigating, discovering recording devices in Bennet's room. The Doctor learns that Koquillion is just Bennet in ceremonial clothes of the Dido people, which looks like an alien visage, who was a dangerous criminal. He murdered the Dido people and the crash survivors to cover up his crimes and has been tricking Vicki so she backs up his story about what happened on the planet. Bennet is about to kill the Doctor when he is rescued by two surviving Dido people, who chase Bennet to his accidental death. As the Dido people break down the crashed ship so no rescue team will come find it and leave them in peace, The Doctor offers Vicki a place on his ship.

The Rescue is a two parter and you'd think a truncated story would mean a chance to get lean. In fact, it's mostly just a so-so-ish story to introduce Susan's replacement. I felt mostly Susan was done dirty by the show and so far Vicki... doesn't have a lot going on to get me excited. I think the show could have trucked along with Ian and Barbara for a while. I know they wanted to have a younger character but looking back, Susan was so poorly used, I don't know if a child figure really adds much to the dynamic as would seem apparent. I should since we have an old grandpa and some school teachers to lay some life lessons onto a young adventurer but I feel like from what we know, three works just fine as a Who crew.

Perhaps Vicki does get better. She's certainly not bad, I just feel like her introduction didn't get me excited for her as a character. The story is predictable but it's not bad, just kind of serviceable. I will say the first part of the Doctor's confrontation with the villain is surprisingly moody in the best way and I like it. But then after the Doctor gets his speech.. he really botches it and needs a deus ex machina. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind the Doctor needing to be saved but he didn't seem to have a plan save taunting the villain with his knowledge. I feels like there should be some pay off where at least he has stage one to get one up on the villain before things turn pear-shaped. It does fit in with the character; he's now more intrepid but has a bad habit of not doing well when he gets in over his head, as opposed to the latterday Doctor who dances between raindrops in navigating situations that should be beyond his ken. It works for the character, it's just not satisfying television.

Best Cliffhanger: The story ends on a literal cliffhanger.

Next episode:

 

[Johnny Unusual]

The Romans

"Still, it's got a funny side to it, hasn't it?"

In this serial, the TARDIS crashes in ancient Italy. The Doctor and his companion decide to stay awhile in a Roman villa and have a relaxing month in the city. Vicki and the Doctor decide to visit Rome itself while Barbara and Ian stay behind but soon after they are captured by slave traders. Barbara is sold and put to work in the court of Nero as handmaiden to his wife while Ian is put into a galley. After his ship crashes Ian and a survivor named Delos head for Rome to help Barbara, only to be captured to be used as gladiators. The Doctor, meanwhile, is mistaken for a murdered lute player and after nearly being assassinated decides to turn it into a ruse. He travels to Nero's home where he meets Tavius, who is part of a conspiracy he and the man the Doctor is impersonating, Maximus, are in on.

Nero soon starts hitting on Barbara and Nero's wife is upset to the point where she tries to poison Nero, a plot thwarted by Vicki. The Doctor is unable to play the lute but manages to fool everyone with a "Emperor's New Clothes" plot where he pretends only those with sensitive hearing can play his light picking. Nero, however, is angered by the adulation the Doctor gets and begins plotting against him for this perceived slight. Delos and Ian are forced to fight for the Emperor's amusement but instead decide to fight the soldiers and escape, though they expose that Barbara knows them. Nero keeps Barbara alive to tempt his would-be victims closer. Meanwhile, the Doctor sees Nero's plans for a new Rome and realizes the Emperor is going to destroy the city. In fact, the Doctor accidentally inspires him to destroy Rome with a fire after burning the map. In the confusion, Barbara, Ian, Vicki and the Doctor all escape, unaware of the adventure the other group. The gang shares stories on the TARDIS but soon the Doctor reveals to Ian the TARDIS is trapped.

The Romans introduces a different kind of historical and sort of the one I associate more with the series. It's much more of a wacky comedy than most of the other episodes. In all honesty, though, as a comedy it's not all that funny. Doctor Who is a show that would be famous for it's whimsy as well as it's horror and this is an early example of a largely comedic arc. I will say, it gets better as it goes on, in part because Derek Francis from the Carry On British comedy film series is doing a pretty good Nero, a man who is joyous but also petty and spiteful. It's a good counter to this incarnation of the Doctor; no cosmic threat here, just a powerful and childish authority figure.

Hartnell gets to have some fun stuff and his Doctor is definitely getting less and less grouchy and more the Willy Wonka-ish figure we would associate with him; having fun outwitting opponents, using clever ruses and musing at the events. I will say it is a little weird that they take the burning of an entire city pretty lightly. Vicki thinks "Cool! History!" and the Doctor is amused at his own little paradox but A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE DYING NOW, RIGHT?! I can't imagine that the fire is victimless, even if guards weren't ordered to kill anyone who tried to stop them. I think overall Vicki and the Doctor's story is the better of the two and even then, it's MOSTLY the Doctor.

Overall, the Romans isn't the show at it's strongest but there's stuff I like. I really appreciate that these characters who seem to travel from deadly scenario to deadly scenario are given the month off. I like the idea that there's leisure time we don't see and we can just let the characters enjoy their time travel a bit more, which is sort of what happens in latter day Doctor Who. I also like when the show does alternate modes. I do think that's one of the advantages of the era of the historicals. I don't mind the conceit of "Oh, this moment in history also happened to coincide with an alien invasion I must stop" or "these famous mythical creatures are really aliens" but just going to experience history with no extras is a reminder how dangerous these places can be. I get why they are basically done later one but I wouldn't mind one again now and then. For the problems of the Chibnal era, they did do a couple episodes that felt like that and they weren't bad.

Best cliffhanger: I guess the one where Ian is going to be killed by his new friend. But none really stood out to me. At least episode two had Ian being threatened with... stock footage of lions.

Next episode:

 

[Vaeran]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1768638285528650079

I guess this means it'll be on Disney Plus Friday evening for the US, and iPlayer at midnight in the UK. That... sure is a decision someone made!

 

[Kazin]

I assume this will be released weekly, right? Not dropped all at once? Could we be so lucky? Probably not...

 

[Vaeran]

My understanding (from secondhand information) is that the premiere is two episodes, and then it'll be one a week after that.

 

[Kazin]

Same time/day as the premiere? And I'll take two episodes at once, yay!

 

[Vaeran]

I believe so, yeah.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

The Web Planet
A silent wall! We must make mouths in it with our weapons, then it speak more light.

In this serial, the Doctor finds the TARDIS is drawn the the planet Vortis but the Doctor states it is very different than when he had been there before. The planet now seems to be lacking vegetation and there are pools of acid about. Eventually, the TARDIS is stolen by an unseen force. Meanwhile, Barbara, who is almost controlled by said force, is saved by three butterfly-like creatures called the Menoptra. The Menoptra are invaders against the planet's ruler The Animus, which uses it's the ant-like Zarbi as it's slaves. Barbara and the three Menoptra are captured and taken to the "crater of needles" to toil for the Animus. The Doctor, Vicki and Ian are captured by the Animus, that tries to use the Doctor's knowledge to it's advantage, finding the location of the Menoptra to let it prepare an ambush. Ian escapes and meets another Menoptra who teaches Ian the Animus is a true invader who forced the original inhabitants, the Menoptra, into exile.

Barbara and the Menoptra watch in horror as the info the Doctor feed the Animus has the consequence of launching out the spearhead of the Menoptra invasion. Meanwhile, Ian and his new friend meet the Optera, a relative to the Menoptra who dig in the ground and convince them to join the revolution. Barbara convinces the remaining Menoptra she is will to fight back as well, turning it into an assassination mission to infiltrate and use the one weapon that can kill the Animus, a cell-destroying isotope. The Doctor and Vicki manage to escape and help Barbara and company come up with a plan before being recaptured. The Animus tries to kill all parties as they converge on it but eventually Barbara is able to get close enough to it to destroy it. The Animus, being a planetary parasite, dies and soon the nutrients and water start returning to the planet and our Earth heroes leave the planet to heal.

The Web Planet... it took a big swing. And there's a lot that works. But most of what work is in attempt and there's a lot of stumbling all over the map. One problem is it seems to be working hard to cover the fact that even for this show, it's looking chintzy. There's a weird smear across the camera that seems to be trying to give it "a dreamy feel" and hide the fact that it doesn't look great but it just looks like a weirdly smeared episode of the show.

The costumes are silly but that's OK. I expect that. If you enjoy old-school Doctor Who, that's practically a feature. It's a bunch of silly aliens. But the show is trying by gum to be bigger. It comes out with this rich mythology that involves an alien echo-system and an ecological super-threat. If anything, it almost feels like a sister serial to Planet of Giants. Aliens talk with the kind of specificity a sci-fi writer would, accepting even in speaking English, they might express themselves different, like calling "holes" "mouths". I appreciate that ambition even if that too is silly. The bigger problem is I'm not sure if everyone is on the same page. It feel like some of the actors are doing revolutionary drama in space, the pill bug aliens seem to be doing what maybe is a vaguely "Chinese warrior" voice and some are just going "how can I be really weird and alien". Some choices are better than others but it feels like they need to have a little consistency to make the Menoptra more memorable.

The Web Planet wants to be truly alien. Yes, it's insects but it's really about the Doctor visiting a much more alien world than the ones in season one. The first Dalek's serial could easily have taken place on a distant future Earth in some ways compared to this. It's a bit slow but I feel like it's bigger sin is that in terms of writing and performance, the reach exceeds the grasp. I didn't hate it and watch it trying to do this weird mythical alien adventure is pretty cool. And experimenting is cool, something the show would do again and again. But that's the thing about experiments; they can fail or the results can be less than desirable. By standards of Doctor Who experiments, it is quite watchable. It feels less juvenile than the Keys of Marinus. But I don't think it becomes as smart or epic as it tries to be. Still, I appreciate the effort and had fun watching it.

Best Cliffhanger: I feel like in a lot of shows, characters getting covered in web goo from weird wall things would feel like "the writer's barely disguised fetish" but it did genuinely look kind of creepy.

Next episode:

 

[Vaeran]

He's baaaaa~aaaaaaack:

Steven Moffat writes episode for new season of Doctor Who with Julie-Anne Robinson directing

I've given Moffat a lot of shit in the past and I'm sure I'll still have nitpicks with his episode when it airs, but in general I'm excited for this. Moffat's authorial voice is a big part of modern DW, and I think his talents are best used writing individual episodes under a different showrunner, rather than being allowed to plan out big arcs that don't go anywhere.

The Web Planet

The Web Planet does not enjoy a good reputation among DW fans but I had fun with it. Being bewildered and laughing in disbelief both fall under the umbrella of "being entertained" for me; just don't bore me and I'm happy to give a lot of leeway. TWP tries to be big and weird and different and I can admire the hustle even if most of it doesn't work.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

I love the episode ends with Barbara playing with a Louse Cannon like it's a puppy. (Serious the show gives Barbara better treatment in terms of being an equal than Susan or, so far, Vicki.

 

[Kazin]

He's baaaaa~aaaaaaack:

Steven Moffat writes episode for new season of Doctor Who with Julie-Anne Robinson directing

I've given Moffat a lot of shit in the past and I'm sure I'll still have nitpicks with his episode when it airs, but in general I'm excited for this. Moffat's authorial voice is a big part of modern DW, and I think his talents are best used writing individual episodes under a different showrunner, rather than being allowed to plan out big arcs that don't go anywhere.

Whoa, rad! I'm sure pumped. I love his stuff, generally (at least for Doctor Who. I can't stand Sherlock). The director being told "Hitchcock" as a one word tone summary is interesting as well...

I love the episode ends with Barbara playing with a Louse Cannon like it's a puppy. (Serious the show gives Barbara better treatment in terms of being an equal than Susan or, so far, Vicki.

Barbara is my favorite First Doctor companion, and one of the best of all time imo. Jacqueline Hill was really good in the role, and I wish she'd have lived longer and gotten the love she deserves from a couple more decades' worth of us nerds.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

The Crusade
Out of one trouble into another!

The Doctor and his friends arrive in the Third Crusade, where Barbara is kidnapped by an emir. He also captures a man who is Richard the Lionheart's associate and the two decide to pretend to be Richard and his sister in an attempt to protect the real Richard. When Sultan Saladin figures out they are lying El Akir is humiliated, and it is compounded when El Akir suggests the Sultan could torture them, which the Sultan takes as an insult. El Akir soon hates Barbara for it but Saladin has an interest in Barbara and decides while she and her accomplice must be prisoners, they will be treated well.

Meanwhile, the Doctor, Ian and Vicki meet Richard and must convince him to help get Barbara back. Ian is knighted and sent as an emissary on behalf of Richard, as well as giving the news that Richard's sister (Lady Joanna) is betrothed to Saladin's brother in the name of peace. Unfortunately, the real Lady Joanna wasn't informed and is very upset, calling off the wedding despite King Richard's protests, which are silenced when Joanna suggests she could complain to the pope. Meanwhile, before Ian can set Barbara free, he's captured by bandits and Barbara is captured by El Akir. Barbara manages to escape and Akir is murdered by the vengeful father of one of the women in Akir's harem. Despite the Doctor nearly getting into a wrongful execution, they all escape to the TARDIS.

I found the Crusade a rather dull outing, but there are moments that shine through. The best is when it tries to be Shakespearian in the monologues of characters dreading the upcoming war. Saladin has a speech where he wants to believe they can make it to peace with a marriage but realistically he is doubtful. And Julian Glover, who years later would play the villain in the all-time classic "The City of Death", takes what is a humbling by his sister and really manages to show this marriage could have prevented a war that he knows he can't avoid. Unfortunately, the happenstance of the episode is rather dull for me overall. I'm not interested in the villain and the episode doesn't do a great job with the locale as an interesting place.

As you might expect, there are a few big broad stereotype characters in the episode, particularly of the Palestinians. They try to imbue Saladin with a lot of wisdom in humanity but most of the other characters are conniving bandits and assorted schemers. I don't think the episode is nearly as offensive as it has been before and I think it wants Saladin and his brother to have real nuance and characters but it also has it's unfortunate stock villains. Which brings me to my other problem; I almost think that the episode needed... less peril? Weird, I know, but it all seems manufactured when it is clear the writer is more interested in the knotty politics and the tragedy that two good men (by the show's standards, I admit an ignorance of actual history to know if that stands up under scrutiny) are both going to lead armies in wars they don't want. It's a serial that has strengths but over all, I was yawning for a lot of it.

Best cliffhanger: Not many good ones but El Akir's threat of slow death works OK.

Next time:

 

[Kazin]

Aw, I like The Crusade. Sure, it's quite a bit different from pretty much everything that surrounds it, but The Doctor and Vicki in particular are delightful in it. There are some linking narrated bits from the VHS release from the 1990s if you want to see an aged, in character Sir Ian of TARDIS, @Johnny Unusual:

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Aw, I like The Crusade. Sure, it's quite a bit different from pretty much everything that surrounds it, but The Doctor and Vicki in particular are delightful in it. There are some linking narrated bits from the VHS release from the 1990s if you want to see an aged, in character Sir Ian of TARDIS, @Johnny Unusual:

The extra-legal space I found it included the first one before the episode.

I do agree I feel like Hartnell has really been hitting his stride here. He seems to be stumbling less (or the have more of a budget to edit the flubs) and while I think he's always been engaged, he's not much more lively and impish a lot of the time.

And I think the each historical brings something human to the table. I like the struggles of Richard and Saladin and wish for more of that. That's when it sings to me.

 

[Vaeran]

Perhaps you'd like a trailer!

This looks fun.

 

[Daikaiju]

ys plz

 

[Kirin]

ys plz

 

[Exposition Owl]

ys plz

Also, Bowie is an excellent accompaniment for Doctor Who.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

The Space Museum

We have arrived

In this serial. the Doctor and his companions arrive on a strange alien world full of old spaceships. The investigate a museum and slowly come to realize no one can see or hear them. Even more shockingly, they find themselves on display and come to the conclusion that they've accidentally visited a vision of the future and realize it might be impossible to change. Upon arrival they try and reinvestigate the museum but find themselves hunted both by the museum guards and some mysterious rebels. It turns out the rebels are from a race enslaved by an empire and are looking for allies. The Doctor is captured by the museum and while interrogation tells them nothing, they threaten to turn him into a museum exhibit. Vicki befriends the rebels and Ian frees the Doctor. Eventually the terrible future is prevented by their rebel friends.

Wheeeew. This one. It's a real disappointment. Act one is a bit nonsensical in exposition but it is mostly a cool, haunting first act and sets up a great dilemma; time and time again the Doctor mentions they can't change time but this time if that's true then they are doomed. This is before the idea of "fixed points" and it is a bit of a rougher version of what would be done better later but it creates some great stakes. The characters will now have to battle inevitability itself to save their own lives and they are constantly second guessing their own moves; is this the path that traps us? Are we destined to make all the wrong moves?

Well, let me tell you what all the wrong moves are; faffing about in some generic corridors for three episodes. It's a real snoozer that rehashes so many "rebel" stories the show has done that everything feels non-descript. A museum should be an AWESOME setting for an episode. We have little things like the Dalek shell and potential for representing an empire's conquests. It's a perfect place to say something about the predatory nature of an empire. And the idea of being doomed and trying to escape a seemingly inescapable fate all seem like great points for drama. But the episode really has little of interest to say of despotism and they bring up the idea of their dark destiny but do little with it.

Everything seems really undercooked. Why is this the heart of rebellion? Why are the rebels skulking around here specifically? Why is there a computer that likes truth even if you are going to kill people with it? (Seriously, Vicki "outsmarting" the computer feels like the dumbest elementary school concept) The really strong first episode gives way to a real nothing of a story and it's a bummer to take such a cool setting as a future museum and have it amount to so little.

There is some charm, though. Hartnell gets to have a lot of fun in episode two, even beyond the iconic "the Doctor hides in a Dalek" shot. It's nice that Vicki gets to do some heroism, as completely contrived as it is. But all the really good stuff is in episode one. It really does feel like the writer had a good idea for an opening scene and had nothing beyond it. And I hear that the next arc is an even bigger mess. But also, I'm kind of excited because it also sounds nuts.

Best cliffhanger: "Sorry guys but I promise in the next serial we got Daleks."
Next serial:

 

[Vaeran]

Episode titles, writing and directing credits for Series 14 were posted by the official DW twitter account today. Nothing jumps out at me as a huge spoiler, but I'll put em behind a pop just in case:

Spoiler

EPISODE	TITLE	WRITER	DIRECTOR
S14E01	Space Babies	Russell T Davies	Julie Anne Robinson
S14E02	The Devil's Chord	Russell T Davies	Ben Chessell
S14E03	Boom	Steven Moffat	Julie Anne Robinson
S14E04	73 Yards	Russell T Davies	Dylan Holmes Williams
S14E05	Dot and Bubble	Russell T Davies	Dylan Holmes Williams
S14E06	Rogue	Kate Herron and Briony Redman	Ben Chessell
S14E07	The Legend of Ruby Sunday	Russell T Davies	Jamie Donoughue
S14E08	Empire of Death	Russell T Davies	Jamie Donoughue

Okay, I was just looking for an excuse to make a table. And I found one!!

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Man, feels like Davies wants to make up for lost time.

Hey, Loki showrunner Kate Herron is co-writing an episode.

 

[Daikaiju]

Since Disney is helping out with the Doctor, I wonder if we'll see a Dr. Zone reference.

Long shot I know, but it'd be neat.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

New trailer for those who want it.

 

[Kazin]

I don't recognize any of those directors, and only watched Loki series 1 (and thought it was kinda meh tbh, no idea if it gets better in season 2), so this will be an interesting season...

 

[Vaeran]

only watched Loki series 1 (and thought it was kinda meh tbh, no idea if it gets better in season 2)

I also did not love S1, and thought S2 was a step down in general, despite the delightful addition of Ke Huy Quan to the cast. That said, they really managed to pull it together for an impressive ending that serves Loki's character incredibly well. It's up to your individual calculus as to whether that's worth sitting through six episodes for.

 

[Phantoon]

I thought Loki was close to being MCU Doctor Who so it's an obvious choice

 

[Johnny Unusual]

The Chase
"I shall miss them. Yes, I shall miss them,"
The Doctor and his friends begin to explore a desert planet but the Doctor learns some horrifying news: The Daleks have master time travel and learning the Doctor foiled them twice, the have named him and his friends enemy number 1 and plan to exterminate him. The Doctor and Barbara rush out to find Ian and Vicki who have strayed a little too far and got caught in a sandstorm. They are saved by the planets natives but the Daleks threaten their lives unless they relinquish the Doctor and friends. Just then, native aliens attack and the Doctor and his friends flee in the confusion. The TARDIS escapes but the Daleks are able to track them through history where they make a brief stop on the Empire State building (confusing an Alabaman tourist), on the Mary Celeste and what appears to be Dracula's castle (in actuality a theme park with robot monster attractions). Vicki is accidentally left behind and must stow away on the Dalek craft where she learns the Daleks next move is to use a Doctor doppelganger robot to infiltrate and destroy her friends. Running around on the planet Mechanus, overgrown with aggressive fungus, The companions are nearly fooled by the phony Doctor until the real Doctor defeats it. They are rescued by robots called the Mechanoids but it turns out the colonizing robots are keeping them merely as specimens and won't let them out. With the help of one such specimen, Steven, the gang escapes just in time for the Daleks and the Mechanoids to war and wipe each other out. When the Doctor notes that the now abandoned Dalek time machine is fairly accurate, Barbara and Ian realize they can return home. The Doctor is hesitant due to the danger but lets them go and Barbara and Ian return home. The Doctor in a moment of candor admits to Vicki he will miss them.

The Chase is... there's a lot but also not a lot. It's an incredibly superficial story and while the other Terry Nation Dalek stories where designed to keep full in mind the Dalek's are fascist and drawing parallels to the Nazis (the first being a more macro take and the second being a Blitz era London but the future), the Daleks are much more stock villains here. If anything, they are there because they are popular villains and because while this serial is flawed, it feels much more like it is trying to be a freewheeling series of fun set pieces. This serial is intending to have a ball. It's not a bad idea. It's taking the formula of Keys of Marinus (later used in macro-arcs like the Keys of Time, E-Space and... Uh... the Trial of a Time Lord), this is less "sci-fi space of the week" and more "what are some fun ideas that can't sustain an entire serial." So I like what it wants to do.

But here's the problem; none of the individual stories are that great. The first one has an interesting setting: an ocean planet that turned into a desert planet with big octopus monsters. But I just never found the plight all that compelling and the basic-ass moral conundrum the aliens face never really goes anywhere. The second stop is a comedy bit that is painfully unfunny and just keeps going. The Mary Celeste takes a fun punchy idea and stretches it out painfully far and really draws out it's dumb punchline. I hope you like watching people jump off a boat because that's going to happen for a while. The last stretch has an evil Doctor but they don't do enough with it to make it an interesting threat. Really, they jump to the "don't kill me, kill him" moment quick and the resolution isn't clever, the Doctor just... wins their fight by unplugging him (seriously design flaw). I like the big goofy designs of the Mechanoids. This feels like another case of trying to replicate the success of the Daleks and while it doesn't work (really, what more can you do with giant zookeeping balls). But over all, everything feels half-baked.

It is an important serial, though. The Daleks get a time machine and it gives the show an excuse for them to antagonize him repeatedly through the series. Barbara and Ian head out in a rather pleasant epilogue (freeze frame fun is a bit cheesy but in a charming way). And the Doctor, usually taciturn when it comes to admitting he likes them, has a bit of a poignant goodbye. With all the OG companions gone, where will the Doctor go next? And hey, what happened to Steven?

Best cliffhanger: A weird mix of kind of cool and unintentionally funny (for me, anyway), the Dalek emerging from the sand and... heavily panting. I like the sparseness of it and even though that Dalek is in rough shape, it feels threatening but not I also feel like I know what it sounds like what a Dalek about to climax sounds like...

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