Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....

[Si]

Twas much better.  Apart from the sonic glasses.  What next? Sonic hearing aids?

[woollypigs]

No how cool is that !



http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2015/10/doctor-who-lego-tardis-will-own-christmas-2015/

[hillbilly]

Someone has pointed out that Capaldi's costume is the regeneration one.  If you want his "regular" one, you need to buy Lego Dimensions.  I don't think I'll go that far but, yessir, this combines two of my big child likes (Who and Lego).  Already decided I am getting two: one for building and one for hoarding.

 

[David Martin]

And a demonstration tonight of why time travel doesn't work... Nice brain twisting to start with.

[Kim]

Limping Chicken has an interview with Sophie Stone about the recent episode...

http://limpingchicken.com/2015/10/09/chicken-chat-sophie-stone-tells-the-chicken-about-her-starring-role-in-dr-who/

[woollypigs]

Vikings with horns arrgghh come on at least this once get it right.

Oh yes this last episode, nice spooky cuts etc just like horror and other scary things should be. But sadly it never really gripped me. I know he survives in every episode, but other episodes got me there where I have the feeling that this really could be the end of Who and people of earth. This season just lack this last bit.

Drums fingers and await the next side kick to come and kick some Doctor butt and hopefully one who can act and the writers can dig thier teeth into and get this going again, I want my pillow back again.

[Kim]

Oh yes this last episode, nice spooky cuts etc just like horror and other scary things should be. But sadly it never really gripped me. I know he survives in every episode, but other episodes got me there where I have the feeling that this really could be the end of Who and people of earth.

The episode started with a lecture about the bootstrap paradox:  The suspense wasn't whether he was going to die, but how he was going to live.

[David Martin]

Or maybe it is you who has grown less sensitised and more critical of the acting and scripts with age? Looking back with rose tinted glasses at the stories that were great - but how would they appear now? I think there have been two truly great Dr Who episodes in the modern era.
Blink, and The Empty Child.

All the rest are also ran ore rerun derivative.

[woollypigs]

I have re watched the first five years at least twice in the new run. That feeling has been there more than once and I still have that childishly giddy feeling when I sat down to re-watch one.

And I agree with you Blink and the Empty Child are epic, stroke of genius. Just say "are you my mommy?" or "don't Blink" in our house hold sends shivers. That said it is not just the spooky behind the sofa , I like the silliness, links to other things, Si-Fi etc that makes a good Doctor Who.

Just felt that this season has just lacked the little bit extra, I have enjoyed them, mind.

[Steph]

Anyone else think the corporate drone in the first of the two parts was a direct rip-off from Aliens?

[TimO]

Anyone else think the corporate drone in the first of the two parts was a direct rip-off from Aliens?

Not really, unless the Aliens character was the very first to do it.  That particular character is quite the cliche, and seemed a little bit unnecessary, other than giving them a another different "standard" character to inhabit the environment.

I guess they needed a number of characters, whose primary function was to die, and move that part of the story along somewhat.

[red marley]

I thought the two flood episodes were rather good. The bootstrap paradox talk and the electric guitar Beethoven / Dr Who theme (Judas!) set the tone nicely. This was the first time I can remember a bit of 4th wall shattering, but it seems it has precedents.

And are they consciously reverting to slightly cheap looking studio sets in reference to older episodes? Makes a change from overly CGId green screen performances.

[TimO]

Hmm, interesting.  I'm not sure how much I liked that episode, but it'll be interesting to see where it goes with the next episode.

(click to show/hide)

It's obviously going to involve what Ashildr does (and does she use the second medical-kit?), but presumably also Odin/Leader of the Mire:

"This humiliation will not go unpunished, we will meet again"

The bit where they used Capaldi's previous appearance in "The Fires of Pompeii" was certainly clever!

[hillbilly]

I was a bit bored by the first half, which felt a bit generic and lacked any threat or urgency, but the second half had some great moments.  The closing shot, with Miss Williams standing as time passed, was one of the best I can remember in Doctor Who.

[Andrij]

I loved the Doctor's definition of immortality (though I think it's been used before).

Also,

(click to show/hide)

The ****ing sonic shades are broken! 

[hillbilly]

That speech reminded me of Highlander.  Although Capaldi sounded more Scottish than Christopher wot sit.  Mind you, so did Spanish Sean Connery.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Spanish Egyptian.

[hillbilly]

Yesh, sho he wash.

[woollypigs]

Horns! I enjoyed it clever link back to how he looks and nice hints into the future. Horns!. I enjoyed the robot soldiers. But HORNS!

[Kim]

I heard something about a space helmet for a cow...

[Si]

Horns! I enjoyed it clever link back to how he looks and nice hints into the future. Horns!. I enjoyed the robot soldiers. But HORNS!

I was assuming that this was going to be a clever plot twist with him realising that it wasn't really reality due t the horns.....and the lecky eels.

But maybe they just used whatever was in the costume dept box.

Anyway it was more historically accurate than that tat about the Celts with Neil long haired Scottish bloke and the nice lady from the Lapworth.

[mattc]

Anyone else think the corporate drone in the first of the two parts was a direct rip-off from Aliens?

Not really, unless the Aliens character was the very first to do it.  That particular character is quite the cliche, and seemed a little bit unnecessary, other than giving them a another different "standard" character to inhabit the environment.

I guess they needed a number of characters, whose primary function was to die, and move that part of the story along somewhat.

I'd call him _completely_ unnecessary. His death just padded the time out (something we get a lot of with the double episodes). I don't know every work of SF written before Aliens,  but I'm not aware of them stealing the idea - lets say I wouldnt be surprised if Aliens was the first usage (certainly in a mainstream work). Either way, Dr Who stole it!
I think Moffat has been quite shameless in stealing from other SF. Perhaps not surprising given his total lack of experience writing anything genre-ish. (was this a Moffat episode?? ) See also: the sliding wall scene this week 

Other than that, not a bad couple of shows!   (slightly marred for us by watching the late night repeat - which of course has signing. Very confusing!    )

[Steph]

That accent. I assume it was meant to be Geordie. It wasn't, and it hurt my ears.

[TimO]

That accent. I assume it was meant to be Geordie. It wasn't, and it hurt my ears.

Is that what is was supposed to be?  She just kept on saying "pet" which I would have thought would be very odd for an officer to say, regardless of her origins.  Presumably in the intervening centuries, "pet" has become a normal turn of phrase, acceptable for an officer to use when referring to members of her squad?!

[citoyen]

Verbal anomalies aside, I thought it was the best episode of this series so far, by some way.