I have an account over there, however, I haven't used it in years.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Doctor Who Series Seven |OT| The Question You've Been Running From All Your Life
- Thread starter Mr. Sam
- Start date
- Status
I have an account over there, however, I haven't used it in years.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
So who is she?
You're best not following such links, it will contaminate your soul with a dirt that cannot be shaken.
It doesn't look like the person who got the BR even spoiled anything anyway.
I disliked the kids in this episode. No introduction to the kids coming on the TARDIS or meeting the Doctor or anything really. Just sudden start of adventure and oh hey the kids are there. As a result of this complete lack of development with the kids I don't even remember what their names are. Them being in this episode was just pointless.
At least Clara was super attractive again. Though yeah, she just acted like her usual chirpy self with not much character development or meaningful backstory we know of and the Doctor just saying at the end "ooooh I wonder what's up with you" like he's been doing for the last 7 episodes. Looks like we might have a blowout of info next week though, which should be good. This 2nd half of series 7 might be the worst of the Moffat run so far though, IMO.
At least Clara was super attractive again. Though yeah, she just acted like her usual chirpy self with not much character development or meaningful backstory we know of and the Doctor just saying at the end "ooooh I wonder what's up with you" like he's been doing for the last 7 episodes. Looks like we might have a blowout of info next week though, which should be good. This 2nd half of series 7 might be the worst of the Moffat run so far though, IMO.
Yep - it's a shame because for me at least series 5 was the apotheosis of the revived show - it had never been better, and to go from that to this in two seasons is pretty disheartening.
The ambition of series 6 (as epitomized in the opening two-parter) is exactly what I want from Who - but the execution later in the series didn't completely deliver on the promising start. So far series 5 worked best as a season.
infiniteloop
Member
Pretty likely before Saturday, especially as UK looks like they'll get deliveries on Friday
Incendiary
Banned
Considering the only plot progression before the finale during RTD's era were buzzwords like "Bad Wolf" and "Torchwood" I don't think it's that big a deal, honestly. To be honest, it's kind of refreshing that Moffat isn't trying to make a twisty convoluted plot string like he did with series 6, which pretty much everybody thinks was a bad idea. I'm cool with Clara being a mystery up until the finale, it gives the finale more impact.
I definitely think series 6 was worse than this by far. Series 6 had better overall episodes (Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon, The Doctor's Wife) but the mess that was A Good Man Goes to War/Let's Kill Hitler, The Wedding of River Song...yeah. There hasn't been any atrocious episodes during this second half. I do miss the two-parters, however, and think a couple of the stories this series could have benefited from being split up into two episodes, especially the most recent Nightmare in Silver.
Team Filler
Member
What a disappointment, especially compared to The Doctor's Wife. Those kids are annoying, Fear Her-levels of bad.
EDIT: Aaaaaand I'm out until Saturday, this thread is definitely too dangerous.
EDIT: Aaaaaand I'm out until Saturday, this thread is definitely too dangerous.
APZonerunner
Member
I think 7b and 7 in general has been resoundingly middling, but at least it isn't most of Series 6.
KuwabaraTheMan
Banned
Series 6 had an awful story arc which was a complete mess, but it had several solid standalone stories. Series 7's arc is nowhere near as awful, but the vast majority of the episodes have been mediocre at best.
Incendiary
Banned
Basically my thoughts. I'd put Asylum of the Daleks, A Town Called Mercy, Bells of St. John, Rings of Akenaten, and Nightmare of Silver as "good but not great" episodes from series 7. Everything else is mostly mediocre.
7b hasn't been as bad as the second half of Series 6/Series 7a for me, but that's only because it's been downplaying its own main story arc for whatever reason, whereas 67/a was throwing it around all the time and came to such a shit conclusion. Of course Clara and the Question could simply end up being a case of "just as bad but in a different way" if the finale doesn't fire on all cylinders.
Involving River does not bode well as far as I'm concerned.
StalkerUKCG
Banned
I think The Name of the Doctor is going to be online fairly soon. Subtitle files are being uploaded already for it.
Indeed, I hate people who ruin stuff for others on purpose, I've had a few games this year ruined because people like to be nobs. My fiancée is also away on Saturday so it popping up early means we can watch it together before she is off for the weekend.
Oh wow, that sucks big time for the BBC and Moffat. Though I admit I'll be happy if I can watch the ep a week early and not have to suffer from hype.
EleventhDoctor
Banned
Future Foundation
Member
There will definitely be a bit of...frustration. Is that the word? Yeah, I'll go with "frustration".
Also, and I'll be really brief about this, the subject of Series 7B is the most I've disagreed with this group on anything Who-related since I started posting with you all. Absolute disagreement.
infiniteloop
Member
i see the subs for ep12...
Sucks for BBC but so so awesome for people with bad waiting habits.
Hopefully they'll watch both.
infiniteloop
Member
The people that are going to make out the worst are those that want to wait until Saturday, although really all they have to do is stay away from Doctor Who sites/threads. Although I could see the tabloids ruining the ending.
Can't really see the viewing figures being that affetced.
Can't really see the viewing figures being that affetced.
Me neither. The people who would watch it are most likely the same crowd that wouldn't watch it live anyway.
APZonerunner
Member
It's the great intelligence! Out to ruin the show!
Don't worry, it already did that.
Hot Coldman
Banned
WordAssassin
Member
While I've enjoyed Who this season, I completely agree with the plot progression. Having each episode being a stand-alone mini-movie was an AWFUL decision and I hate it. I like having an entire cohesive story throughout the season, with maybe a few stand-alone episodes. It just works so much better that way IMO because it gives you a feeling that the plot is actually moving forward and building towards something. I really hope they go back to the longer arcs for Series 8.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
Impatiently waiting for the episode to leak online. And not through Gallifrey Base.
Combining these two quotes because I wish that they had made the plot completely different for this half series, and the Great Intelligence is pretty much the best thing to use. Most interesting thing that's been introduced so far this half series, so why not have this half series focus on it (or at least make it the over-arcing plot for the half series). Instead we got a load of crap unrelated episodes where nothing really happened.
I'm sure if they had put in a little fucking effort they could have come up with a halfway decent 6 episode side plot or something.
? It did more than leak. The blurays were shipped to countless Americans already.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
People have copies of it. Of course it is going to leak. All it takes is one person to put it out there, then it spreads like a virus.
What if this is all viral marketing for the Great Intelligence? It's put up online and once people download the link, it's actually a video of Richard Grant laughing.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
I will only like it if it changes my wifi name to those symbols.
APZonerunner
Member
Yeah, but the thing that Moffat really failed on is that the formula was fine for 1-5 in terms of plot arc stuff. It had the right level of disconnect between the story of the week and the main plot, two-parters, etc etc. Series 6 was brave to try to change the formula, and it was a failed experiment. For some reason, the reaction was to knee-jerk the pendulum as far as it would go in the opposite direction, back past the middle ground 1-5 occupied, which I think is still pretty rubbish, just in a different way.
If you click on it, it uploads your soul to Moffat's data base.
Hot Coldman
Banned
That's true. When he popped up again in Bells of St John, I was expecting him to be the Big Bad for the rest of the series... but nope. :/
PhoncipleBone
Banned
Then I will take over the mainframe through sheer force of will. Ultron style.
Then use all my resources to get more Sherlock episodes out there.
WordAssassin
Member
Exactly. I mean I understand why they went with standalone episodes (see next quote) but still, they didn't have to go this far.
Well that was going too far in the other direction, where they wanted the entire season to feel like one looong episode. Don't do that either. Just have a normal plot that runs through the season. Go to varied places and meet new people and see things but have a clever plot going on through it all to keep it tied together and moving forward. So many other shows manage to pull this off, Doctor Who itself has done it plenty of times in the past. They swung too far one way in Series 6 and then people didn't like it so instead of going back to normal they swung all the way to the opposite side of the spectrum for Series 7 and it's just awful. I personally think standalone episodes Series 7 is more awful than the one long episode of Series 6.
Edit:
EXACTLY
Ah, well that sucks for Moffat/BBC, but it's good for the rest of us!
I didn't mind the first half of S7 being standalone, considering we knew what was coming. The second half should have much more connected though, not enough development on the main issues (Doctor's Name/Clara) to really bring the whole second half together IMO.
Edit: Just so I'm clear, can we talk about leaks and the episode (I.E, spoiler tag everything) or is it a complete no go?
APZonerunner
Member
To put it out there: can you imagine if the Great Intelligence had been like Saxon in series 3 this year? Behind the scenes in every earth-based episode, manipulating. There in the Crimson Horror, perhaps the person to deliver the alien to Gillyflower, still very weak from The Snowmen. In the radar technology of the Soviet sub, aiding the Ice Warrior in small ways, and in the ghost tech in Hide. Even those three references (like Saxon pulling the strings in Lazarus and other episodes) would have been great.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
Exactly. It would have been nice with subtle hints like that. But alas, nope.
I think that would have gone a long way to making this series feel like an actual series. Although that would mean he would have to at least appear in the finale, which seems to be packed enough as it is. But it would have been pretty great, yea.
Hot Coldman
Banned
Well, going by the trail that ran after "Nightmare in Silver"...
- Status