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

[Kirin]

Flatline - Ooh, this one had effects that were actually *good*, both creative and believable. Very nice. And a great episode too, seeing Clara try her hand at filling the Doctor's role (complete with handy one-off companion character). Liked this one a lot.

In the Forest of the Night - Fun visual conceit for the episode, but the actual reason behind it ended uppretty far past my suspension of disbelief.

Strong undercurrent this season of everyone having trouble being honest with each other; primarily the Doctor and Clara of course but also poor Mr Pink has had to put up with enough BS for one lifetime. Even when they make breakthroughs they're still holding back. Everyone's got their damage to deal with, but just... let yourselves be a little vulnerable kids, c'mon.

 

[Kazin]

Flatline - Ooh, this one had effects that were actually *good*, both creative and believable. Very nice. And a great episode too, seeing Clara try her hand at filling the Doctor's role (complete with handy one-off companion character). Liked this one a lot.

I challenge even the most strident Moffat-era haters not to crack a smile at least at the bit where the Doctor "walks" the TARDIS out of danger using his fingers, Addams Family style. What a fucking bonkers delightful show lol.

In the Forest of the Night - Fun visual conceit for the episode, but the actual reason behind it ended uppretty far past my suspension of disbelief.

This was the big whiff of the season for me. I don't think it works at all.

Can't wait to see what you make of the next one, too.

 

[Phantoon]

MFW I don't know if you mean the Doctor's regeneration, or if it's a complete statement, "Life's too short. I can wait for the regeneration."

Heh *hops into TARDIS*

I challenge even the most strident Moffat-era haters not to crack a smile at least at the bit where the Doctor "walks" the TARDIS out of danger using his fingers, Addams Family style. What a fucking bonkers delightful show lol.

Yeah, anyone who hates that is straight off my Christmas card list

 

[Kirin]

Dark Water and Death in Heaven -

Strong undercurrent this season of everyone having trouble being honest with each other; primarily the Doctor and Clara ... Even when they make breakthroughs they're still holding back. Everyone's got their damage to deal with, but just... let yourselves be a little vulnerable kids, c'mon.

... God dammit, people.

also poor Mr Pink has had to put up with enough BS for one lifetime.

........... that's not what I meant.

 

[Kazin]

I enjoyed that post of yours you quoted just now, the other day, knowing what was coming lol. How about the first ten minutes of Dark Water, though? "You think I care for you so little that betraying me would make a difference?" Now that is dialogue.

 

[Kirin]

Yeah, I'd heard that quote before and it was great in context.

I don't think this was my favorite season finale, but lots of good stuff in it nonetheless. Can't say I'm fond of "and then he got hit by a truck out of nowhere" as a plot motivator, but if the actor wasn't coming back for another season, it was quite a send-off. The resolution of the afterlife stuff was very Who-ish. Lots of good and powerful moments for Clara. I'm kind of assuming some gotcha will negate Missy's apparent vaporization as she's only really had a couple eps of screen time yet.

 

[Kazin]

Yeah, I'd heard that quote before and it was great in context.

I don't think this was my favorite season finale, but lots of good stuff in it nonetheless. Can't say I'm fond of "and then he got hit by a truck out of nowhere" as a plot motivator, but if the actor wasn't coming back for another season, it was quite a send-off. The resolution of the afterlife stuff was very Who-ish. Lots of good and powerful moments for Clara. I'm kind of assuming some gotcha will negate Missy's apparent vaporization as she's only really had a couple eps of screen time yet.

Also you mentioned upthread that Clara got to sort of be the Doctor in Flatline - go back and look at the titles of Death in Heaven for a little treat (it's got Clara's eyes in place of the Doctor during the title sequence given the opening to that episode, which I always liked).

 

[Kirin]

I did notice that!

 

[Zef]

Also you mentioned upthread that Clara got to sort of be the Doctor in Flatline - go back and look at the titles of Death in Heaven for a little treat (it's got Clara's eyes in place of the Doctor during the title sequence given the opening to that episode, which I always liked).

Haha, I just remembered all the speculation surrounding that tiny detail--various versions of "Clara taking over as the Doctor", mostly, but some of the theorizing and fanwank was so intense and detailed

 

[Kazin]

I did notice that!

Nice! You are more attentive than I, because I had to have it pointed out to me afterwards lol

Haha, I just remembered all the speculation surrounding that tiny detail--various versions of "Clara taking over as the Doctor", mostly, but some of the theorizing and fanwank was so intense and detailed

I remember that, yeah. Big old arguments about whether the title sequences are canon haha

 

[Zef]

Also, I mentioned this in ye olden threade but I'm still kind of befuddled that Doctor Who reinvented its whole concept of human afterlife since antiquity, and that not only did it just "evaporate" soon after the episode, but that they just discreetly swept it under the rug rather than deal with the cataclysmic repercussions it'd have on humanity as a whole.

 

[Kazin]

Also, I mentioned this in ye olden threade but I'm still kind of befuddled that Doctor Who reinvented its whole concept of human afterlife since antiquity, and that not only did it just "evaporate" soon after the episode, but that they just discreetly swept it under the rug rather than deal with the cataclysmic repercussions it'd have on humanity as a whole.

It all seemed like a story designed specifically to scare the crap out of British people who get their relatives cremated, if anything (which is apparently pretty common over there, I'm told). It upset some people, I guess, so mission accomplished, I suppose.

 

[Phantoon]

Yeah, I'd heard that quote before and it was great in context.

I don't think this was my favorite season finale, but lots of good stuff in it nonetheless. Can't say I'm fond of "and then he got hit by a truck out of nowhere" as a plot motivator, but if the actor wasn't coming back for another season, it was quite a send-off. The resolution of the afterlife stuff was very Who-ish. Lots of good and powerful moments for Clara. I'm kind of assuming some gotcha will negate Missy's apparent vaporization as she's only really had a couple eps of screen time yet.

It also showed the day before Remembrance Day when we celebrate the end of World War I so it had this added thematic punch to it. And Missy is the best character ever.

I don't think this was my favorite season finale

We'll be wanting rankings shortly

 

[Zef]

So does Danny getting hit by a truck and waking up in a computer simulation make this an isekai.

 

[sfried]

Yeah, I agree! I'm glad you like it sfried, because I dislike it to the degree I'll wait for Chibnall to move on before I watch it again.

Well I dislike Moffat just as much as you dislike Chibnall.

 

[Kirin]

Speaking of isekai, Last Christmas was really just Christmas-ception, huh. Leave it to Dr. Who to have an "it was all a dream" episode where that fact doesn't actually make it any less real or important.

 

[Phantoon]

Speaking of isekai, Last Christmas was really just Christmas-ception, huh. Leave it to Dr. Who to have an "it was all a dream" episode where that fact doesn't actually make it any less real or important.

Also it puts together the great tastes of The Thing, Inception and Father Christmas and somehow works

 

[Daikaiju]

 

[Kirin]

The Magician's Apprentice and The Witch's Familiar -

For a show that gave us Dinosaurs on a Spaceship these are some of the least straightforward titles I've seen yet. But anyway, this was a good double episode. Enjoyed the whole thing, though I have to say, leaving Missy alone with a bunch of scared Time-Lord-infused Daleks at the end seems... not good, maybe.

Also found a mini-sode about the Doctor completely failing to meditate pre-ordeal, that was fun.

 

[Kazin]

"Your sewers are revolting!" gets me every time.

I really enjoy almost the entirety of series 9. Not everyone does, but I hope you like it. There are some surprising choices coming up...

 

[Kirin]

Speaking of choices..... Sonic Sunglasses? Is that actually going to stick?

 

[Kazin]

Speaking of choices..... Sonic Sunglasses? Is that actually going to stick?

It's been three years since Capaldi left the show and I still don't know how I feel about them. Sometimes I'm on board with them, sometimes they are super dumb.

 

[Phantoon]

Missy alone with a bunch of scared Time-Lord-infused Daleks at the end seems... not good, maybe.

Lol, Missy's fine. I'd be more worried for the Daleks, frankly

 

[Kirin]

Uh, yeah, I didn't mean I was worried for Missy.

(I didn't mean I was worried about the other party either. More worried about the universe with both parties left together.)

 

[Kirin]

Under the Lake and Before the Flood was a perfectly good story even though I'm not really sure it needed to be a two-parter. Good supporting cast though, and I liked the over-the-top one-off rubber villain suit. But the complete aside about Beethoven felt like an after-school special segment to explain the plot. I'm totally fine with the Doctor suddenly developing an affection for electric guitar, but I could've got the bootstrap paradox just fine from the episode without having it explained directly to the audience, thanks. I was half wondering if it was another thing added for the US release like Amy's explanatory intro, but it doesn't appear so. While looking that up, though, I did discover that apparently Peter Capaldi played with Craig Ferguson in a punk band in the 80s, so that's something.

 

[Kazin]

Under the Lake and Before the Flood was a perfectly good story even though I'm not really sure it needed to be a two-parter. Good supporting cast though, and I liked the over-the-top one-off rubber villain suit. But the complete aside about Beethoven felt like an after-school special segment to explain the plot. I'm totally fine with the Doctor suddenly developing an affection for electric guitar, but I could've got the episode just fine from the episode without having it explained directly to the audience, thanks. I was half wondering if it was another thing added for the US release like Amy's explanatory intro, but it doesn't appear so. While looking that up, though, I did discover that apparently Peter Capaldi played with Craig Ferguson in a punk band in the 80s, so that's something.

IMO those two episodes are the low point of the season, though there's one or two good-to-mediocre episodes left for you.

 

[sfried]

It Takes You Away - If the previous episode gave me Sapphire & Steel vibes with something being amok in time, this one is giving me a more Doctor Who interpretation of an SCP event with a mirror that leads to an alternate “afterlife” dimension. Again, it has none of the EPIC ADVENTURE qualities that the previous newWho seasons haved aimed for and it veers more on the creepy factor, which again is remenicent of Second/Third Who series, but with a brisker pace.

Also I could see the Solitrack being one way to get Omega back.

 

[Kazin]

I like It Takes You Away too. It is Weird in a way I like the show to be.

 

[Phantoon]

Yeah, it's a really good kind of bonkers, but the ending is... iffy

 

[ThornGhost]

Speaking of choices..... Sonic Sunglasses? Is that actually going to stick?

I don't know how much Capaldi had to do with designing the Sonic Sunglasses but they were pretty bog standard looking sunglasses, right? Capaldi said early on that he had a hand in his Doctor's wardrobe and he designed it to be very simple so the average fan make a Doctor costume easily and cheaply. In that case I think they're great because you don't have to cough up bucks for a repro Sonic Screwdriver, just grab some cheapy shades from CVS and your costume is ready to go.