976 replies to this topic

[ChocolateFrogs]

Eccleston is a little hard to get into, but he grows on you (hopefully). I think that once you start watching Tennant you'll appreciate the way Eccleston handled Nine as having "survivor's guilt"--serious but still getting back into his playful Doctor mode. Ten sheds all of that at his regeneration and gets back to being goofy.

Also some of the Series 1 stories are pretty epic around after Dalek.

-CF

[Wotsiznaim]

I've literally just started watching the show, honestly, like yesterday. I started with Christopher, and I'm currently making my way through his episodes.

I have to say, it's pretty neat, but it doesn't seem quite as amazing as some people made it out to be, IMO.

-Skar

By your avatar, I'm guessing you're on Tennant now?

Because if you aren't, you'll see why there's so many fanboys/girls of him because he is a beautiful man a fantastic Doctor in many people's opinions.

[Booker DeWitt]

Just watched it. I thought there was an episode a season or two ago where Amy and Rory have a kid or two in present day, or something? What happened to that? It was after they stopped traveling with Doctor for a while... and he saw them at the mall or something.

That was in Closing Time, and they didn't have a kid. They were speaking to just a random kid in the episode who recognised Amy from her adverts and such.

- Tilius

[Alyska]

So, finally watched The Angels Take Manhattan.

Spoiler

The idea that the Doctor won't be able to see Amy and Rory again is bogus- as long as he didn't permanently take them out of that timeline, it'd be fine. Heck, if he was really worried, he could just stop by for visits and not have them in the TARDIS again at all. If the TARDIS was prevented from landing in New York or wherever they are, he could park it in another part of America in the same time period. He could even take their family members back to see them. (That was one thought that really saddened me- would the Doctor go back to tell Brian what happened? What about Amy's family?)

That said, one of the good things about that ending is that it doesn't actually rule out the possibility of the Doctor seeing Amy and Rory again, despite what the Doctor said. If he happens to be anywhere on Earth between 1930 and 1970 (I'm assuming that's roughly where they are), it's possible that he could accidentally bump into them. The fact that he even said that just seems to be for the sake of dramatic tension more than anything else.

I don't think there was anything wrong with the way Rory ultimately went- the mood whiplash is part of what makes this show great, and it just makes it that much sadder that he didn't get to say goodbye to the Doctor, his father, or anyone else.

Also, a nitpick about Series 7 in general: How old were Amy and Rory supposed to be? The flashbacks in Let's Kill Hitler establish that Amy and Rory are about the same age (As kids, Amy actually looked much older than Rory, but girls do develop earlier than boys). In Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, Rory says that he's 31. That's presumably in real-world time, given that Brian didn't question it. That makes Amy 30-ish in real world time as well. Then in The Power of Three, Amy estimates that they've spent an extra 10 years with the Doctor, outside their normal lives. So, that would put Amy and Rory at about 40, biologically speaking (And Amy's actress is what, less than 25?) And then The Doctor goes and comments on Amy's non-existent wrinkles... she looks fantastic for 40, you insensitive git!

[Yukiko]

Mmh. I think Moffat is considerably cleverer with Sherlock than Doctor Who, possibly because he doesn't have the sci-fi stuff to work with, and thus doesn't get to make up weird rules about how things work.

Regardless, though, he does seem very smug about himself.

Maybe this it. Sherlock is so fantastic most of the time I can forgive him usually.

By your avatar, I'm guessing you're on Tennant now?

Because if you aren't, you'll see why there's so many fanboys/girls of him because he is a beautiful man a fantastic Doctor in many people's opinions.

There is no need to cross that out. He is both.

[Lair of Rockwhales]

MORE OLD EPISODE REVIEWS
The Gunfighters is kind of weird. While the story itself is okay, it doesn't feel like Doctor Who sometimes. Primarily because of the singing narrator.

Still better than The Celestial Toymaker.

[Danska: Shadow Master]

I quite liked The Celestial Toymaker. Well, I liked the novelisation of it. Never actually seen the story, so maybe that would change my mind. It's definitely an interesting concept and it didn't seem like it was badly executed.

Singing narrator, you say? I confess, I am intrigued.

[Wotsiznaim]

I'm never a fan of narrators, they're just cheap in general really.

But singing? This I must see.

[Ymper Trymon]

I think you just made everyone here who hasn't seen that episode want to see it, because we want to see just how the whole 'singing narrator' thing works out.

[-Toa Lhikevikk-]

Saw that one a while ago. I personally found it quite entertaining, given how First Doctor episodes usually bore me.

[Alyska]

They've released an unshot scene that reveals what happened to Brian after the end of The Angels Take Manhattan. It's very sad, but the ending is beautiful and bittersweet.

Spoiler

I'm a little sad, but not exactly surprised, to find that the Doctor himself never went back to tell Brian. Thankfully, someone else did.

[Lord of Adders Black]

I did like that scene but I can see why they cut it since its virtually identical to the "letter from the past" scene from Blink

[Lair of Rockwhales]

I quite liked The Celestial Toymaker. Well, I liked the novelisation of it. Never actually seen the story, so maybe that would change my mind. It's definitely an interesting concept and it didn't seem like it was badly executed.

I see what they were going for, and it could have been good - by the sound of it, the written version is - but the show was incredibly cheap and kind of annoying in parts. Maybe it was just me.

Anyway, The Savages. This is actually a really good story. Unfortunately, all the episodes are missing so it's just a slideshow of blurry pictures. But I thought it was pretty good, considering how mediocre many of the serials had been before this.
The War Machines is next, followed by the final two Hartnell serials. While I like him as the Doctor, I can say I won't miss his episodes that much (they were mostly pretty good at first, but...)

[ChocolateFrogs]

If The Doctor and Martha saw the moon landing a few times, as they said they had in Blink, then presumably they would have seen the part with the Silence in it, but not remember it, but of course remember seeing something that when The Eleventh Doctor saw the silence he would think "kill it on sight." Right?
Gah paradoxes.

-CF

[-Toa Lhikevikk-]

I interpreted that line to mean that they had witnessed the moon landing in person rather than watching the live broadcast.

Edited by -Toa Lhikevikk-, Nov 21 2012 - 01:20 PM.

[SkyLandOceAnna]

Doctor Who is one of my favorite shows of all time. I actually met someone who looks exactly like Matt Smith. He is on bzpower and is extremely smart and charismatic like Doctor Whos character.

[Danska: Shadow Master]

Decided to watch The Three Doctors again yesterday. It's a great story, but it does have some truly awful special effects and monsters (and yes, I am judging by the standards of classic Who). Definite points for creativity, but shuffling blob monsters? It's also from the era where they decided bleeps = music. The acting's pretty hilarious at times, too - most noteably Omega's extreme over-the-top evilness and whoever the head Time Lord dude is. But still, it's a fantastic story with wonderful interactions between Pertwee, Troughton and the Brigadier that make it all worth it. Oh, and Hartnell's in there a bit too.

"So you're my replacements eh? A dandy and a clown!"

[Booker DeWitt]

New Cybermen design. I think I like it.

Spoiler

http://25.media.tumb...9aego4_1280.jpg

- Tilius



Edit: Image over 500 kB linked.
-Wind-

Edited by -Windrider-, Nov 10 2012 - 01:20 PM.

[Lord of Adders Black]

I'd only seen the sketch before, liking them in real life. Liking them very much

[The Inquisitive Automaton]

Spoiler

(I think all the plating makes them look very cluttered. Maybe if they toned down on that, it might look a little sleeker and appropriate. Besides from that, I like the helmets. There's a comfortable mix of old and new Cyberman in that design.)

[Ymper Trymon]

Spoiler

The torsos are a bit bulky, kind of makes them look fat, and the contrast between the ultra-bulky torso and the head makes their heads look kind of small. The plating on the upper torso is neat-looking on its own, but when you put that and the comparatively minimalistic head on the same body, it looks weird, like the designers couldn't make up their minds.

[Lord of Adders Black]

Spoiler

Spoiler

The torsos are a bit bulky, kind of makes them look fat, and the contrast between the ultra-bulky torso and the head makes their heads look kind of small. The plating on the upper torso is neat-looking on its own, but when you put that and the comparatively minimalistic head on the same body, it looks weird, like the designers couldn't make up their minds.

Odd, I actually thought they looked less bulky. Than the Cybus variants at least. Probably more bulky than the classic versions, admittedly, but then they were just men dressed in tin foil
Its that and the sense of plating that make them look more flexible, like they might actually be able to move around a bit and be more human rather than walking tanks

Edited by Lord of Adders Black, Nov 09 2012 - 05:54 PM.

[Danska: Shadow Master]

Spoiler

I am mostly liking this design. The head in particular is great. It's like someone took Invasion and modern era Cybermen and fused their heads together. They look blank and emotionless again, which is important for the Cybermen as that's kind of their thing. I always felt the Cybus heads looked a bit sad.

I'm really liking the head, chest and arms. The lower section, however, I'm less thrilled with. The lower torso looks out of place with the rest, and the legs I'm just indifferent to.

Have you guys noticed the different arms? The front Cyberman has what could be considered a standard arm, the one behind him has a much thinner arm (that may just be part of the costume missing), but the one behind him has what appears to be an arm-mounted gun. I hope they all have that, as it's definitely my preferred style of Cyber gun.

[Ymper Trymon]

Spoiler

So apparently the Cybermen episode is written by Neil Gaiman. At this point I no longer care about the new Cyberman design (Which, on review and comparison, might be less goofy-looking than the Cybusmen, which are in turn less goofy-looking (to me) than the low-budget originals. All that really matters is that the mind that brought us Anansi Boys and Neverwhere is doing another episode of Doctor Who.

[Wotsiznaim]

Two series' in a row with Cyberman stories?

...Has someone been peeking at my Christmas list?

[Lord of Adders Black]

Spoiler

Ah Children in Need, always good for a bit of Whoery. Turns out Moffat is continuing his quest to make everything you know from childhood scary by giving us living snowmen who eat your brains. Well, technically it seems to be they eat your thoughts, but my phrasing sounds better.

Also yay Madame Vastra is back

[Wotsiznaim]

Sontaran in a tuxedo ranting at the moon.

I'm in love.

[Alyska]

Attack of the killer monster snow goons!

Also, they're still messing with us as to whether it's the same Oswin or not...

[Booker DeWitt]

I think the most reassuring thing I take from the CiN previews is the BANTER between Matt and Jenna. He had that with Karen and it showed on-screen, and replacing that was a big ask but they might have just done it. Looking forward to her now.

Also looking forward to a Sontaran in a suit.

- Tilius

[kopaka's kool kompanion]

I've been with DW for a looooooooooooooooong time: Like since I was probably about 3 or 4. I was first introduced to the third Doctor (Pertwee) and have been watching as many episodes as possible from all the Doctors. So many, in fact, that I've seen about seven with Hartnell, six with Troughton, five with Pertwee, twelve with Baker, four with Davison, (believe it or not) none with Baker!, only one with McCoy, the only one with McGann, all with Ecleston, all with Tennant, and the first series (and one episode of the new) with Smith. Not to mention the Three Doctors, the Five Doctors, the Two Doctors, and all of the new Christmas specials. Of course, I got way too happy when I heard that McCoy was going to be in the Hobbit!

If The Doctor and Martha saw the moon landing a few times, as they said they had in Blink, then presumably they would have seen the part with the Silence in it, but not remember it, but of course remember seeing something that when The Eleventh Doctor saw the silence he would think "kill it on sight." Right?
Gah paradoxes.

-CF

I actually believe that would be a retcon, the wretched thing that ruined the Prequal Trilogy in Star Wars, seeing as Martha was there before the Silence were even invented. And so few people care to glance back at the older episodes when making a new.

Edited by kopaka's kool kompanion, Nov 22 2012 - 10:21 PM.

[Booker DeWitt]

If The Doctor and Martha saw the moon landing a few times, as they said they had in Blink, then presumably they would have seen the part with the Silence in it, but not remember it, but of course remember seeing something that when The Eleventh Doctor saw the silence he would think "kill it on sight." Right?
Gah paradoxes.

-CF

I actually believe that would be a retcon, the wretched thing that ruined the Prequal Trilogy in Star Wars, seeing as Martha was there before the Silence were even invented. And so few people care to glance back at the older episodes when making a new.

The way I see it, the Silence thing was like an 'alteration' to the past. So it hadn't 'happened' yet when Martha saw the moon landing, the alterations to it are applied from the episode onwards. I don't know how much sense that makes. Probably none.

Or some memories get lost in regeneration, particularly ones based on things that make you forget you saw them like the Silence.

- Tilius

[Wotsiznaim]

Of course, I got way too happy when I heard that McGann was going to be in the Hobbit!

It's McCoy in The Hobbit, isn't it?

[kopaka's kool kompanion]

Of course, I got way too happy when I heard that McGann was going to be in the Hobbit!

It's McCoy in The Hobbit, isn't it?

Oh, my gosh! Thank you! Fixing Mistaka, er, mistake now. Loading... Loading... Loading... There! Fixed!

If The Doctor and Martha saw the moon landing a few times, as they said they had in Blink, then presumably they would have seen the part with the Silence in it, but not remember it, but of course remember seeing something that when The Eleventh Doctor saw the silence he would think "kill it on sight." Right?
Gah paradoxes.

-CF

I actually believe that would be a retcon, the wretched thing that ruined the Prequal Trilogy in Star Wars, seeing as Martha was there before the Silence were even invented. And so few people care to glance back at the older episodes when making a new.

The way I see it, the Silence thing was like an 'alteration' to the past. So it hadn't 'happened' yet when Martha saw the moon landing, the alterations to it are applied from the episode onwards. I don't know how much sense that makes. Probably none.

Or some memories get lost in regeneration, particularly ones based on things that make you forget you saw them like the Silence.

- Tilius

That makes sense. It could be either, but I still bitterly say "retcon!"

Edited by kopaka's kool kompanion, Nov 22 2012 - 10:22 PM.

[Alyska]

There's a new minisode out that gives a bit more info on Vastra's background, and inspired a complete crack of a theory about one of Steven Moffat's other shows.

 

Now, consider the following points:

- Madame Vastra lives in Victorian London and is referred to as "The Great Detective."

-She leads a rather... alternative lifestyle for the time period, and has a very close relationship with her assistant. They call each other "my dear".

-She is occasionally consulted by the detectives at Scotland Yard to solve extremely difficult cases. She considers these detectives to be inferior beings and is quite rude and dismissive of them.

 

In other words, Vastra is basically Sherlock Holmes as a subterranean lizard woman.

 

Now, the interesting thing is that in Moffat's other show, Sherlock, there's a hint that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle did exist in that universe, and was successful enough in writing mystery stories to have made a pop-cultural impact that extended into the 21st century. But, obviously, he could not have written the Sherlock Holmes novels. 

 

So, my theory is that in that universe, Sir Doyle wrote stories about Vastra and Jenny instead of Holmes and Watson.

 

Not particularly logical, I admit, but it would be pretty awesome.  

[ChocolateFrogs]

Ha! Nice...*shades*...deduction.

 

-CF

[Wotsiznaim]

I'm going to choose to ignore that Elliot (the little kid) in The Hungry Earth quoted Sherlock Holmes, so that I can marvel at this wonderful theory and continue to irrationally push that both shows are in the same universe.

[Ymper Trymon]

Or that the characters take turn being real.

 

In the Doctor's universe, Vastra is real and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote about Sherlock Holmes.

 

In Sherlock's universe, Sherlock is real (hurr) and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote about Vastra.

[Alyska]

Yeah, I was thinking the "separate universes, mutually fictional" route. As much as I love Wholock crossovers, Sherlock Holmes existing in the same universe as the Daleks would not end well.

 

I mean, Sherlock's a genius.

 

The Daleks need genius...

[Ymper Trymon]

Well, there's a strong possibility that they would never notice him, and that he'd end up just being randomly, pointlessly exterminated in one of their attacks on Earth. I don't think Daleks really do blogging, so Sherlock Holmes (or Watson, or Lestrade...) just ending up as, basically, a human speed bump seems quite likely to me in such a scenario.

 

There is, after all, not much clever can do against a Dalek when it's taking aim.

[Danska: Shadow Master]

There is, after all, not much clever can do against a Dalek when it's taking aim.

Then how has The Doctor survived this long?

 

Has everyone seen the new TARDIS interior? If you haven't and want to, here it is!

 

I really like it. I mean, I'll have to wait for it to appear in the series to make a full judgement, but from what I can see, it is awesome.