peanutbutterlatte
Member
This is picking up. Better than a lot of Series 8 episodes in any case.
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Doctor Who Series 9 |OT| Let Zygons Be Zygons
- Thread starter Quick
- Start date
funkystudent
Member
Exactly what I was thinking.
Not saying its a terrible episode or anything. Just that nothing is grabbing me.
peanutbutterlatte
Member
Aaaaand trailer quote. To be honest, I quite like the slower pace. The two part format affords it. Next week will naturally be more action packed.
More than a crap version of Silence in the Library it feels like a decent version of The Almost People to me.
More than a crap version of Silence in the Library it feels like a decent version of The Almost People to me.
Keyser Soze
Member
NOT PENNY'S BOAT
peanutbutterlatte
Member
Has there ever been one without one?
BluenoseGames
Member
Ugh, these 2 parters are killing me.
It wouldn't be that bad if Part 1 aired on Saturday and Part 2 on Sunday.
It wouldn't be that bad if Part 1 aired on Saturday and Part 2 on Sunday.
I don't mean the cliffhanger part specifically, but I don't like that there are so many 2part stories.
Mhh, the doctor is still using his "Sonic Glasses"I surely hope they change that again sometime this season.
Seriously.
Also, love your avatar.
So, I'm adopting the approach that you can't judge a two-parter until both episodes have aired, but anyway:
- Monster design is cool.
- Some good zingy one-liners.
- who didn't see that ending coming
- next time trailer surprisingly meh
APZonerunner
Member
Like The Waters of Mars but without an actual thematic thread to give it any actual impetus. Alright, though - is a two-parter after all. It feels like perhaps the concept of next week (which sounds strong, the two timezones/Doctor ghost stuff) probably would've stretched to more than 45 minutes, but there wasn't really enough meat for a full 90 minutes either. I feel like once we've seen it all this'll feel like it would've been a great 60 minute episode or something. Lots of treading water! But interested for next week. Remains one of the show's strongest guest writers.
Glasses are shite. Get rid.
Glasses are shite. Get rid.
Keyser Soze
Member
Aside from the late season Mark Gatiss and Sarah Dollard episodes. I think that is the layout for this whole season
Daria Morgendorffer
Member
Didn't expect the negativity in this thread, I thought it was a pretty good crew-trapped-in-facility episode.
Quick Mustard
Member
Really liked that, good old adventure romp!
The Doctor being dead at the end for the cliffhanger was obvious from the start though.
The Doctor being dead at the end for the cliffhanger was obvious from the start though.
CrimsonFist
Member
eh, wasn't bad. felt a bit too familiar at times though. Need to see part 2 to really judge it.
I really enjoyed this episode, it was nicely creepy, especially when the ghosts picked up the weapons. I LOVE the idea of Clara being trapped and the doctor having to go back in time to solve the mystery and save her, and the cliffhanger was an interesting one.
The characters were pretty good too, I especially liked how the most famous actors were killed off first to give more attention to the other characters. And I like how the Doctor has 2 temporary companions (who were probably my favourites of the bunch)
The conversation about Clara needing a hobby and chasing danger sure felt like foreshadowing.
Not gonna lie, probably my favourite Capaldi episode so far, and one of my favourites in a long while. looking forward to seeing how the mystery unfolds next week.
The characters were pretty good too, I especially liked how the most famous actors were killed off first to give more attention to the other characters. And I like how the Doctor has 2 temporary companions (who were probably my favourites of the bunch)
The conversation about Clara needing a hobby and chasing danger sure felt like foreshadowing.
Not gonna lie, probably my favourite Capaldi episode so far, and one of my favourites in a long while. looking forward to seeing how the mystery unfolds next week.
GustyGardner
Member
Really enjoying it so far. The monsters were good, the setting is good, the cliffhanger was good (if not a bit obvious). Just all round goodness so far, looking forward to see next weeks episode.
Keyser Soze
Member
I don't mind them, but the cliffhangers should not be focused on fates of the lead characters
EvilRedEye
Member
I was judging it by the standard of an episode 3 rompy kind of affair and in that respect it vaguely exceeded my expectations. Series 7B and Series 8 both fell flat for me pretty much in their entireties so enjoying three episodes in a row is giving me hope of a general return to form this series.
Nothing wrong with a slower pace but you need strong characters to carry it, and they were all painfully generic. Didn't care about any of them in the slightest, and feel like we've seen that exact bunch of people 101 times on the show. Just one was deaf this time as a plot-device.
Didn't find anything interesting in it at all, it made Time Heist look good in comparison.
Oh well, see what the 2nd part brings.
Didn't find anything interesting in it at all, it made Time Heist look good in comparison.
Oh well, see what the 2nd part brings.
I walked into this thread to give my thoughts but I see they've been stolen from my brain and put into stringy word form here already by AP.
Especially the first sentence, nails it.
Keyser Soze
Member
10 minutes after the episode ended, I do not remember a single one of the the crew's names. That is a bad sign, none of them made any impression on me.
Exactly.
WadiumArcadium
Member
That was better than the last two combined. Loved the Doctor's try not to be an arse notes.
Freewheelin'
Member
Cue cards bit was great. Capaldi deserves better episodes than he's had this season so far. Big fan of S8, probably my favourite NuWho so far, but three episodes in and all pretty forgettable save for a Davros conversation or two.
paradox121
Member
Eh. Whithouse is typically a very thematic writer so was kinda expecting more. This was just...shallow (yay water puns). No massively interesting characters except for sleazy business man who quickly dies, Clara barely gets anything to do, and the 12th Doctor felt decidedly 11th. It feels like the episode couldn't quite commit to the typical base under siege format because it wanted most characters to survive, but equally didn't have enough else to go on. So just lots of standing around talking,
I liked the cue cards though! And roundels!
I liked the cue cards though! And roundels!
Exterminieren
Banned
I thought that was lovely, actually. Yes, it was traditional, but it was a sort of traditional that Moffat's era hasn't touched on much at all, and I loved the atmosphere of it all.
Next week looks brilliant. Well up for that.
Next week looks brilliant. Well up for that.
IdreamofHIME
Member
Not a bad episode, but at the same time felt like Whitehouse had watched the Alien boxset before writing it.
Best episode of this season so far, but his worst Who episode.
Not as bad as the last few seasons of Being Human though, eek.
Best episode of this season so far, but his worst Who episode.
Not as bad as the last few seasons of Being Human though, eek.
Felt a bit like a lesser Waters of Mars, but it was fine. It lacked character moments, and to me the plot didn't feel complicated enough to warrant such a large amount of exposition. But the concept is good, I enjoyed The Doctor clumsily trying to be more empathetic, and the ghosts, while lacking any sort of character or unique trait, were deliciously creepy.
Very interesting cliffhanger too; looks like the second part might be significantly different from this one, which is really cool. Hopefully we'll get some good character moments, now that the group's split up. Looking separately at just this part it's just ok, but I think the two-parter as a whole has potential to ultimately be really good.
Very interesting cliffhanger too; looks like the second part might be significantly different from this one, which is really cool. Hopefully we'll get some good character moments, now that the group's split up. Looking separately at just this part it's just ok, but I think the two-parter as a whole has potential to ultimately be really good.
StalkerUKCG
Banned
Pretty fun episode in all honesty. It's not without faults and they kind of ripped the sleezy company guy from Silence in the library but nothing was offensively bad. I really like Colin McFarlane so it's a shame to see him get sidelined as a actual actor fairly quickly.
Having a dead person on board is a great little plot element as is they Doctor getting to wave his Unit credentials to military folk despite the time jump.
I have a soft spot for secluded base episodes and this does a fairly good job at raising the steaks.
Next week looks like the stronger episode.
These two part episodes are great for exposition and building real characters. I hope we get more.
Strong series so far for me.
Having a dead person on board is a great little plot element as is they Doctor getting to wave his Unit credentials to military folk despite the time jump.
I have a soft spot for secluded base episodes and this does a fairly good job at raising the steaks.
Next week looks like the stronger episode.
These two part episodes are great for exposition and building real characters. I hope we get more.
Strong series so far for me.
You guys didn't like that? I liked that far more than I thought I would. First of all, it didn't go through the whole Doctor Who formula of initial crew dies, then one member of the crew dies but not before giving Doctor crucial information (Mummy on the Orient Express; I expected it to happen here when that one dude was caught by the ghost, but was relieved he didn't die), and finally the Doctor finds out how to defeat them by seemingly almost sacrificing himself (which does actually happen apparently) and/or one of the crew valiantly sacrifices themselves and a handful survive.
Granted, we still have another part to go so who knows? All I know is that it seems to be dealing with the theme of adventure and how far people are willing to go for the sake of their own curiosity and thrill. I mean, it's being beaten over our heads with Clara being overly gung-ho throughout the entire episode and the Doctor being like "whoa slow your roll dude" as well as everyone being given the chance to leave safely but staying on for the sake of adventure.
I enjoyed how slow paced it was and the preview for the next episode looks promising so I'm adequately hyped. I like this two-parter format so far.
Granted, we still have another part to go so who knows? All I know is that it seems to be dealing with the theme of adventure and how far people are willing to go for the sake of their own curiosity and thrill. I mean, it's being beaten over our heads with Clara being overly gung-ho throughout the entire episode and the Doctor being like "whoa slow your roll dude" as well as everyone being given the chance to leave safely but staying on for the sake of adventure.
I enjoyed how slow paced it was and the preview for the next episode looks promising so I'm adequately hyped. I like this two-parter format so far.
Dr Zhivago
Member
Hmm, that one never really seemed to get going.
Going back to the Autumn thing, Moffat has always in interviews made it seem like it was his idea. I've never seen any evidence it was done against his wishes.
Going back to the Autumn thing, Moffat has always in interviews made it seem like it was his idea. I've never seen any evidence it was done against his wishes.
All felt a bit meh to me, with some potential shining through. Won't know how I feel until part 2, but I don't like people always knowing who the Doctor is, it's better when he's an unknown quantity to them. I thought the cue cards were a bit too slapstick, honestly, but maybe I'm just being a stick in the mud.