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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Paul B » Sat Sep 17, 2011 8:03 pm

Another enjoyable episode this week, which far exceeded my expectations given the writer. The story was nothing new, but it was executed well here, and I thought the acting and direction was top notch. Quite surprised by the ending, considering this sort of thing is usually left til the finales - is that the last we'll see of Amy and Rory? I certainly hope not, they have both grown on me a great deal this year. I'll wager they'll show up again in the season finale.

Another 8/10 for me.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Cake for Brains » Sat Sep 17, 2011 8:05 pm

Doctor Who does The Shining this week, so fittingly this was probably the creepiest episode we've had in a long time. I have a few niggles - David Walliams seemed an odd casting choice, the pacing was a bit off at times and the monster was defeated too easily, but on the whole, this episode was excellent. Toby Whithouse (praise him) delivered his best script for the show so far and Matt Smith was on top form. The direction was really effective too - there was a real sense of atmosphere and menace throughout and some of the shots were pretty amazing. The hotel setting also worked really well, managing to be both eerie and at the same time pure Doctor Who (finding your nightmares in the rooms is a great concept). Rita would have made a good companion and I do love a MInotaur. Ooh, the final scene... didn't see that coming.

I'm rambling now... so, hmm, 9/10.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Cake for Brains » Sat Sep 17, 2011 8:08 pm

Paul B wrote:Another enjoyable episode this week, which far exceeded my expectations given the writer. The story was nothing new, but it was executed well here, and I thought the acting and direction was top notch. Quite surprised by the ending, considering this sort of thing is usually left til the finales - is that the last we'll see of Amy and Rory? I certainly hope not, they have both grown on me a great deal this year. I'll wager they'll show up again in the season finale.

Another 8/10 for me.


I never thought I'd say it, but I hope we see Amy and Rory again too. I would be very surprised if they didn't show up for The Wedding of River Song in two weeks time... their exit was far too abrupt if this really is to be their final appearance.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Paul B » Sat Sep 17, 2011 8:10 pm

Cake for Brains wrote:
Paul B wrote:Another enjoyable episode this week, which far exceeded my expectations given the writer. The story was nothing new, but it was executed well here, and I thought the acting and direction was top notch. Quite surprised by the ending, considering this sort of thing is usually left til the finales - is that the last we'll see of Amy and Rory? I certainly hope not, they have both grown on me a great deal this year. I'll wager they'll show up again in the season finale.

Another 8/10 for me.


I never thought I'd say it, but I hope we see Amy and Rory again too. I would be very surprised if they didn't show up for The Wedding of River Song in two weeks time... their exit was far too abrupt if this really is to be their final appearance.

It'll feel odd next week without them, assuming they don't appear. The TARDIS 'gang' have really meshed this season.

If the title isn't a red herring, then Amy has to show up for her daughter's wedding, right? They need more closure - plus there's all those reports of them being in S7 to consider.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Cake for Brains » Sat Sep 17, 2011 8:20 pm

Paul B wrote:
Cake for Brains wrote:
Paul B wrote:Another enjoyable episode this week, which far exceeded my expectations given the writer. The story was nothing new, but it was executed well here, and I thought the acting and direction was top notch. Quite surprised by the ending, considering this sort of thing is usually left til the finales - is that the last we'll see of Amy and Rory? I certainly hope not, they have both grown on me a great deal this year. I'll wager they'll show up again in the season finale.

Another 8/10 for me.


I never thought I'd say it, but I hope we see Amy and Rory again too. I would be very surprised if they didn't show up for The Wedding of River Song in two weeks time... their exit was far too abrupt if this really is to be their final appearance.

It'll feel odd next week without them, assuming they don't appear. The TARDIS 'gang' have really meshed this season.

If the title isn't a red herring, then Amy has to show up for her daughter's wedding, right? They need more closure - plus there's all those reports of them being in S7 to consider.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Paul B » Sat Sep 17, 2011 8:30 pm

Er, think your post went a bit haywire there Cakey. :D
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Cake for Brains » Sat Sep 17, 2011 8:42 pm

Not sure what happened there!

Can't remember what I said now...

Ah yes, Amy and Rory in S7. Well, yes... let's just pretend they've left for good and then we can act all surprised when they show up again for the season finale.

And do you reckon it was River in the Doctor's hotel room?
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Paul B » Sat Sep 17, 2011 8:50 pm

Cake for Brains wrote:Not sure what happened there!

Can't remember what I said now...

Ah yes, Amy and Rory in S7. Well, yes... let's just pretend they've left for good and then we can act all surprised when they show up again for the season finale.

And do you reckon it was River in the Doctor's hotel room?

To me, it sounded like the TARDIS, but ill (remember how it sounded in the S3 finale, after the Master had tinkered with it?) Which leads me to conclude the Doctor's greatest fear is losing his beloved 'sexy'.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Cake for Brains » Sat Sep 17, 2011 9:08 pm

Paul B wrote:
Cake for Brains wrote:Not sure what happened there!

Can't remember what I said now...

Ah yes, Amy and Rory in S7. Well, yes... let's just pretend they've left for good and then we can act all surprised when they show up again for the season finale.

And do you reckon it was River in the Doctor's hotel room?

To me, it sounded like the TARDIS, but ill (remember how it sounded in the S3 finale, after the Master had tinkered with it?) Which leads me to conclude the Doctor's greatest fear is losing his beloved 'sexy'.


Why didn't I think of that? Of course it wil be. :)
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Mr Blue Sky » Sun Sep 18, 2011 5:10 am

All caught up now:-

Let's Kill Hitler - 7.5/10 - Decent episode but I was hoping for a Genesis of the Daleks type episode in which the Doctor has to consider the ramifications for the human race should he kill Hitler. What we got, as Cakey mentioned, was a gimmick.
Night Terrors - 6/10 - Poor episode, felt like a Fear Her re-hash but slightly less cheap-looking.
The Girl Who Waited - 8.5/10 - Good stuff. I thought this was possibly Karen Gillan's strongest ep; I liked how she played the older version of herself close to the ass-kicking River Song who we now know has the same genes. I thought the make-up was spot on actually. She looked older but not ridiculously so - she was only supposed to be in her late-fifties wasn't she? Shame they over-egged the emotional pudding towards the end.
The God Complex - 8.5/10 - Nice. Lots of great little touches like the Doctor's room being number 11. I immediately thought it was the ailing TARDIS in there too, but was kind of hoping for a glimpse of the Master as well - it'd be nice to find out definitively at some future point. Amy and Rory's departure was so low key there's no way that will be the last time we see them. I shuddered as I realised the awful James Cordon will be featuring heavily in next week's ep -if I thought he was going to be some kind of regular companion I'd definitely give up on the show. As it is, I'm certain Amy and Rory will be back the following week for the season finale.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Cake for Brains » Sun Sep 18, 2011 9:55 am

Mr Blue Sky wrote:All caught up now:-

Let's Kill Hitler - 7.5/10 - Decent episode but I was hoping for a Genesis of the Daleks type episode in which the Doctor has to consider the ramifications for the human race should he kill Hitler. What we got, as Cakey mentioned, was a gimmick.
Night Terrors - 6/10 - Poor episode, felt like a Fear Her re-hash but slightly less cheap-looking.
The Girl Who Waited - 8.5/10 - Good stuff. I thought this was possibly Karen Gillan's strongest ep; I liked how she played the older version of herself close to the ass-kicking River Song who we now know has the same genes. I thought the make-up was spot on actually. She looked older but not ridiculously so - she was only supposed to be in her late-fifties wasn't she? Shame they over-egged the emotional pudding towards the end.
The God Complex - 8.5/10 - Nice. Lots of great little touches like the Doctor's room being number 11. I immediately thought it was the ailing TARDIS in there too, but was kind of hoping for a glimpse of the Master as well - it'd be nice to find out definitively at some future point. Amy and Rory's departure was so low key there's no way that will be the last time we see them. I shuddered as I realised the awful James Cordon will be featuring heavily in next week's ep -if I thought he was going to be some kind of regular companion I'd definitely give up on the show. As it is, I'm certain Amy and Rory will be back the following week for the season finale.


Can't really argue with any of that, but I'll try...

Let's Kill Hitler may not have been a moral dilemna type episode (though I wasn't expecting it to be), and yes it was a gimmick, but I thought it was all great fun. Loved all the River stuff.

As for Corden, I'm not a massive fan, although I like Gavin and Stacey and last year's The Lodger. I wouldn't stop watching if he became a full-time companion, but neither would I welcome the idea. Hopefully the Cybermen will distract you next week.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Moon-Crane » Sun Sep 18, 2011 11:40 am

Great episode last night. Loved the whole concept of it, and even though there's no chance of that being Amy and Rory's drop-off point, it made for a nicely jarring turn at the end.

I do hope it's a good Cybermen episode next up. I'm no huge fan of JC, but i liked him enough in the previous ep that it doesn't bother me to see his return.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Paul B » Sun Sep 18, 2011 2:30 pm

I'm not too keen on James Corden either, but if he were to become a full time companion I'd definitely give him the benefit of the doubt. We all balked at Catherine Tate, but look how well she turned out.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Mr Blue Sky » Sun Sep 18, 2011 2:32 pm

Yeah but I didn't mind Catherine Tate before she was in Who - I've already seen James Corden in an episode so I know what an irritating cunt he is.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Moon-Crane » Sun Sep 18, 2011 6:58 pm

I can handle JC in the odd episode, based upon his appearance last year, but i wouldn't ever want him as the regular companion.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Forever Jung » Sun Sep 18, 2011 7:11 pm

Moon-Crane wrote:I can handle JC in the odd episode, based upon his appearance last year, but i wouldn't ever want him as the regular companion.



:twisted: It would be fun if JC was a companion and bumped into Davros (played by Patrick Stewart :D could be billed as Bitchiest war EVER!)
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Moon-Crane » Sun Sep 18, 2011 7:42 pm

Forever Jung wrote::twisted: It would be fun if JC was a companion and bumped into Davros (played by Patrick Stewart :D could be billed as Bitchiest war EVER!)


hehe, it could have been if they hadn't made and done that sketch together at the Channel4 Comedy Gala.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Forever Jung » Sun Sep 18, 2011 8:00 pm

Moon-Crane wrote:hehe, it could have been if they hadn't made and done that sketch together at the Channel4 Comedy Gala.


:twisted: I never heard about that, so I searched for it on youtube, and sure enough......... :lol:

I think it was a wise move for both of them to make a joke of their little spat.
It was hardly a career highlight for either of them.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Moon-Crane » Sun Sep 18, 2011 8:43 pm

Forever Jung wrote:
Moon-Crane wrote:hehe, it could have been if they hadn't made and done that sketch together at the Channel4 Comedy Gala.


:twisted: I never heard about that, so I searched for it on youtube, and sure enough......... :lol:

I think it was a wise move for both of them to make a joke of their little spat.
It was hardly a career highlight for either of them.


Definitely not a shining moment for either.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Cake for Brains » Sat Sep 24, 2011 7:59 pm

I'd rather talk about the last few minutes of Closing Time than the episode I've just watched... the series finale looks epic.

Part of the reason The Lodger worked so well was because it was different and because it was a one-off. But we reach tonight's episode and the novelty has worn off. A couple of nice contemplative moments for the Doctor aside, this was dull and did nothing for me. I suppose Series 6 had to drop the ball eventually but Closing Time just felt pointless and like a retread. I liked seeing the Cybermats again for the first time in 36 years, but the Cybermen themselves were useless and about as threatening as a jacket potato.

'I blew them up with love'. Eugh.

Shame. 3/10.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Mr Blue Sky » Sat Sep 24, 2011 8:08 pm

Wow, I've skipped over your description as I was going to check this out later on iPlayer but I'm wondering if I should bother given that score! :lol:

Is that the lowest score you've ever given to any ep of Who, Cakey?

Btw, do I actually need to watch this for the season arc to make sense or could I just skip over it and pretend this Corden-heavy episode never happened?
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Cake for Brains » Sat Sep 24, 2011 8:15 pm

Mr Blue Sky wrote:Wow, I've skipped over your description as I was going to check this out later on iPlayer but I'm wondering if I should bother given that score! :lol:

Is that the lowest score you've ever given to any ep of Who, Cakey?

Btw, do I actually need to watch this for the season arc to make sense or could I just skip over it and pretend this Corden-heavy episode never happened?


Watch the last 3 minutes and you're all set for The Wedding of River Song next week.

It could well be the lowest score I've ever given... not sure if that's fair or not, but this episode just had zero plot and if you've got no story, then what's the point? Even the surprise ending was partially spoiled for me (my own fault for looking at the cast list in the Radio Times).
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Paul B » Sat Sep 24, 2011 11:01 pm

This episode was harmless, really. Pointless filler yes, but not offensively done, and watchable for the most part. I felt it worked as a straight-forward hour of reflection for the Doctor as he goes off to face his death. As exciting as those last few minutes were, I could've done without them - once again they felt shoehorned-in to justify this episode's existence.

The finale looks rather cool, though. They have so much to cram into 45 minutes, which makes me wonder why they didn't forego this episode entirely in favor of a two-parter.

This one's hard to grade. I wouldn't care if I ever saw it again, but I didn't think it was terrible. Certainly not the worst episode this series, not by a long way.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Cake for Brains » Sat Sep 24, 2011 11:10 pm

Paul B wrote:This episode was harmless, really. Pointless filler yes, but not offensively done, and watchable for the most part. As exciting as those last few minutes were, I could've done without them - once again they felt shoehorned-in to justify this episode's existence.

The finale looks rather cool, though. They have so much to cram into 45 minutes, which makes me wonder why they didn't forego this episode entirely in favor of a two-parter.

This one's hard to grade. I wouldn't care if I ever saw it again, but I didn't think it was terrible. Certainly not the worst episode this series, not by a long way.


But nothing happened! Money went into making this piece of television and for what? The Cybermen were made to look like a joke and the resolution was the worst thing I've ever seen in Doctor Who.

As for the finale, I think Moffat said in an interview that Episode 12s are usually so big and raise the stakes so high that the actul finale can never quite deliver. I see what he means, to be honest - I think the series finales for Seasons 3, 4 and 5 are all good examples of this. Like you though, I'm interested to see how everything gets resolved in 45 minutes 22 seconds.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Paul B » Sat Sep 24, 2011 11:15 pm

Cake for Brains wrote:The Cybermen were made to look like a joke and the resolution was the worst thing I've ever seen in Doctor Who.

Worse than the Doctor magically coming back to life through the power of chanting his name? Worse than Donna pushing a few buttons to destroy every single Dalek? And in case I'm accused of RTD-bashing, worse than the Doctor re-appearing simply by remembering him? I buy the 'power of love' far more than I bought those things - the instinct to protect your kin is far more believable, even under the crazy circumstances!

Don't get me wrong, I thought it was lazy. But Doctor Who has never been the best at plot resolutions, and I didn't feel this was any worse than what we've seen before.

Moffat's right about the finales, mind you. But an extra 15 minutes would make all the difference.
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