Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....

[TimO]

I do! I also remember that the cybermen  are allergic to gold. Not sure about cleaning fluid though.

Yes, I remember that.  Didn't they resort to using gold dust, which could be blown at them?

I'm surprised noone's mentioned how the current Cybermen are a total ripoff of the Borg (from TNG). Assimilate! Resistance is Futile! The 'instant upgrade' thing is (in effect) just like the Borg adapting their shields to phaser frequencies (or whatever it was they did - the point being that they were nearly invulnerable).

The Borg did pop into my mind earlier, I forgot to mention them.  As I recall this did require Voyager et al to pull various implausibly clever tricks out of the hat, because of their almost instant magical invulnerability.

It always seemed a bit crap to me, because it wasn't actually quite fast enough to make them more or less totally invulnerable, which would have been more realistic from a science point-of-view.  There was no real reason why they needed just long enough for our heroes to be able to shoot a few of them, before they could react to it.

[Flynn]

I quite liked that, although it seemed a bit unlikely how the Cybermen were suddenly becoming very powerful, and after something stopped them, there would be a brief "Upgrading", and then they'd become immune to it.  That seemed far too convenient, and a bit too powerful potentially.

Welcome to the weekly deus ex machina! 

I recognised the drawbridge, it's Castell Coch just outside Cardiff, although it has no moat. I think some of the interiors were from there as well.

It looked familiar, wasn't it also used in an earlier series in an episode involving the Daleks, and Martha Jones working independently of the Doctor. I have a vague recollection of Daleks moving through a forest and Martha working with UNIT.

[TimO]

It looked familiar, wasn't it also used in an earlier series in an episode involving the Daleks, and Martha Jones working independently of the Doctor. I have a vague recollection of Daleks moving through a forest and Martha working with UNIT.

That sounds like "The Stolen Earth", the first episode of a two parter, with "Journey's End".  That mostly sticks in my brain for the German speaking Daleks; "Exterminieren, Exterminieren".

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/xGx7c-QBotE&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/xGx7c-QBotE&rel=1</a>

There are a handful of episodes around that time, where we see Martha working with UNIT; The Sontaran Stratagem / The Poison Sky, The Stolen Earth / Journey's End, and on Torchwood with Reset (probably others as well, but those are the ones I recall).

[BrianI]

It looked familiar, wasn't it also used in an earlier series in an episode involving the Daleks, and Martha Jones working independently of the Doctor. I have a vague recollection of Daleks moving through a forest and Martha working with UNIT.

That sounds like "The Stolen Earth", the first episode of a two parter, with "Journey's End".  That mostly sticks in my brain for the German speaking Daleks; "Exterminieren, Exterminieren".


There are a handful of episodes around that time, where we see Martha working with UNIT; The Sontaran Stratagem / The Poison Sky, The Stolen Earth / Journey's End, and on Torchwood with Reset (probably others as well, but those are the ones I recall).

I once dreamt that Davros was Scottish, and sounded just like Glen Micheal (off of Glen Micheal's Cartoon Cavalcade), except with a vocoded voice.....   

[Hillbilly]

That's two good episodes in a row.  My faith in the series is returning...

[woollypigs]

Yeah I really enjoyed it.

[Steph]

Mr Gaiman been reading Fredric Brown?
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/697123.Nightmares_And_Geezenstacks

[Rhys W]

 

[BrianI]

Indeed
 

[TimO]

Indeed Rhys, that's certainly a bit of a teaser, and then some! They're obviously determined to keep us waiting for the next episode'in November. 

An interesting episode, and it answers some questions, but opens up so many more.

[Rhys W]

I thought the episode was tedious self-mythologising nonsense, but that was the mother of all cliffhangers.

Reminds me of the X-Files a bit, when they had one-off plots it was great viewing, but it got dull when it went up it's own arse with the big overarching conspiracy theory.

[citoyen]

I know what you mean but it was much better than the last few series finales.

[TimO]

The semi-mythological elements weren't necessarily the best, but we always knew something like this was on the way, to explain Clara. I think it was less confusingly bizarre than it could have been, and it had Madam Vastra, Jenny and Strax in it, so it can't be all bad!  The way they've left things we probably can't expect then to be in the next episode, which is a shame, but I'm sure they'll be back, because they always produce a good episode (even if this one was a bit weak).

[Rhys W]

What was going on with the Sontaran going to Glasgow to start fights thing?

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

I thought the episode was tedious self-mythologising nonsense, but that was the mother of all cliffhangers.

Yeah, that.

What was going on with the Sontaran going to Glasgow to start fights thing?

That was what Strax does to relax on his weekends off. I thought that was funny.

[Flynn]

The big intro for John Hurt was unnecessarily patronising to the audience I thought.

[andygates]

It's a great set-up for a season where the Doctor's Big Bad is one of his own future incarnations.  That could get twisty.

The actual episode - and the VastraJennyStrax material in general - suffers a bit from mood whiplash in these mythos-heavy plots.  Balancing the fate of the universe and jokes about fightin' Scotsmen is tricky.  Poor old Strax is starting to look less like a comic relief sidekick and more like a slightly brain-damaged dog.

I recommend scissor grenades.

[woollypigs]

Wow fantastic, spooky, dark and a mother of all cliff hanger. But SIX month wait  .....

[citoyen]

It's a great set-up for a season where the Doctor's Big Bad is one of his own future incarnations.  That could get twisty.

"Spoilers!"

(click to show/hide)

From what I've heard, it could actually be a past incarnation - between McGann and Eccleston. There's a not-too-subtle hint when Clara says "You are the 11th Doctor, right?" (or words to that effect).

[citoyen]

The big intro for John Hurt was unnecessarily patronising to the audience I thought.

I assumed that was something his agent had insisted on.

Anyway, I was glad to be told who it was - I thought it was Ian McKellen at first.

[hulver]

http://www.angryflower.com/screwd.html

[woollypigs]

Who will be Who next ?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22741493

[Cunobelin]

Of course the simple answer is already far too obvious!

[woollypigs]

But that is while Matt is still around, don't think that John will be after the 50th ani episode.

Though I would like to have a older actor to play the doctor for a while, a bit about coming back to our time to sort it out. Or what about a female Doctor that could be great.

[padbeat]

As you said - far too obvious! He'll be some previously unseen incarnation, I reckon.