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[ScreenSplitter]

That's the same sort of way The Rebel Flesh two parter was tedious, uninspired "I'm the real Jenna! Shoot her!" crap, but then was hugely relevant to the main arc. It's so frustrating that Moffatt focused on making that a two-parter instead of The Wedding of River Song, as that needed so much more explanation and elaboration.

 

[Jintor]

Maybe one day we'll get a perfect season of back to back perfect episodes... but i doubt it

 

[ScreenSplitter]

Maybe one day we'll get a perfect season of back to back perfect episodes... but i doubt it

We're doing okay so far. The episodes aren't perfect, but they're very enjoyable. Less mysterious plot arc bullshit and more The Doctor consorting with various companions and aliens in awesome explosive situations.

 

[Exterminieren]

Yeah, the Silurians only work when they're a diverse race each with different moralities and aims, which is why Vastra works so well. The Hungry Earth took a stab at this, but it was horrifically misaimed, which resulted in stuff like the Doctor saying how much he loved the vivisectionist who'd kidnapped and cut open half the town.

It's almost like another go at the Slitheen concept, where the evil villains aren't representative of the race as a whole. They could have done a lot more with that.

 

[SteveWD40]

He had no idea what (if anything) was on the ship, yet decided to go and find a big game hunter to take along?

Found that a bit odd.

 

[gdt]

Just started watching the season premiere

Come the fuck onnnnnn at Rory and Amy being mad at each other again.

 

[The Elite]

Just started watching the season premiere

Come the fuck onnnnnn at Rory and Amy being mad at each other again.

Curious to see your thoughts after you have finished.

 

[brucewaynegretzky]

Just started watching the season premiere

Come the fuck onnnnnn at Rory and Amy being mad at each other again.

Amy and Rory are consistently dragging the show down at this point with their side stories. Weakest part of the last two episodes has been them: The divorce thing and the "you don't visit enough anymore" bit on Saturday.

 

[gabbo]

And how did they drop the Dinosaurs off on Siluria? I thought the point of the Silurians was that they were the original earthlings and this was there home? (also the reason the ark was coming back to earth).

I loved that bit. The look on the Doctor's face when she talks about him outliving her was really good - 'yes, yet again I outlive my companions, I see them die etc'. And it feels like he wants to wean them off him, but simultaneously needs them - you can see all that in his face in those short scenes together with Amy.

I don't think that planet was originally Siluria, he or someone else just put up the sign at some point.

Also agree, almost made me wish she wasn't leaving, but then I thought of all the Looney Toon-ish ways in which she could die off, and I chuckled. It's like he already knows she's bought the farm and he's holding back.

Amy and Rory are consistently dragging the show down at this point with their side stories. Weakest part of the last two episodes has been them: The divorce thing and the "you don't visit enough anymore" bit on Saturday.

Rory's dad however, awesome.

 

[Dr Zhivago]

I'm confused by the Silurians though. The guy in the video was literally the guy in the two-parter, so was it actually him, or just 'lol all Silurians look the same to me'?

Neve McIntosh has played Vastra, Alaya & Restac, so I guess it's just a Silurian thing.

I wonder if there was a Myrka on that ship?

 

[Dragoon En Regalia]

^ I watched an old classic Who episode the other day were Stonehenge type stones were attacking and killing people, and I love the way they used to show someone screaming and cut away rather than showing what went on... it was obviously for budget / effects reasons, but it gave it a class hitchcock meets B-movie kind of vibe.

Stones of Blood? Interesting serial from the Key to Time era. And clearly lacking in focus. I loved both the gothic build-up and

Spoiler

Megara incident—I'd love to see them return for a more focused episode

. But the whole thing felt rather unfocused, especially compared to Androids of Tara coming from the same writer. Oh well. I definitely want to have more space and cool-down in my Who stories, though I can dig the new direction.

Haven't watched DoaS yet. Gotta get around to that. Come to think of it: I'm pretty new to the Moffat era in general. Haven't been watching since it started.

 

[Quick]

Well to be fair this happened 15 frames later.

The difference was the entirety of season one and two was like that, vs. that one moment in The Eleventh Hour. lol

 

[moggio]

I don't know if it was intentional, but I loved and hated the "glow" of the first two seasons. Makes the show look dreamy, but damn was it also pretty blurry at times.

I'm re-watching 'New' Who at the moment and it interesting to see how bad the directing/cinematography is in the early series. I suspect that's because the directors that were used predominantly had experience with soaps ala Casualty/Holby City hence the horrible washed-out soapy look.

 

[Hot Coldman]

It's almost like another go at the Slitheen concept, where the evil villains aren't representative of the race as a whole. They could have done a lot more with that.

It's funny, because the Slitheen name is being used constantly to describe that entire race. "Slitheen ships" in The Pandorica Opens, for example. They sucked anyway, so it's no loss.

Rewatching the S5 finale reminds how many questions remain from that series. I know people are getting fed up of series arcs, but I hope by time we get to Trenzalor we get clearer answers on how the Silence blew up the TARDIS.

 

[border]

Your poisonous attitude towards people being fans of Doctor Who because of the franchise reboot's popularity is pure elitism, nothing more. I get the impression that you wouldn't consider myself or certain others here as "real" Whovians simply because we were introduced to the show by way of Eccleston, Tennant, or Smith, and to that notion I have three words: get over yourself.

Except that I didn't start watching until the Eccleston season. And I've never expressed derision towards newer fans - I've just said that they are less relatable to me on a personal level. I don't have any sense of who the real fans are and are not.....I just sense the very big shift in the demographics of the USA fanbase. I also think the word "Whovian" is irritating and would never proclaim myself to be one.

 

[Gomu Gomu]

LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oveaZ-4i5Zg

Awwwwww.

 

[Hot Coldman]

HE'S CALLED THE DOCTOR DAMN IT

stupid kid

 

[maharg]

The difference was the entirety of season one and two was like that, vs. that one moment in The Eleventh Hour. lol

I think that effect was used relatively frequently in Matt Smith's first season, but always to indicate something the cracks had swallowed.

 

[The Technomancer]

Except that I didn't start watching until the Eccleston season. And I've never expressed derision towards newer fans - I've just said that they are less relatable to me on a personal level. I don't have any sense of who the real fans are and are not.....I just sense the very big shift in the demographics of the USA fanbase. I also think the word "Whovian" is irritating and would never proclaim myself to be one.

Funnily enough I think I agree with a fair amount of this sentiment.

 

[Rodney McKay]

How long do I have to wait for a River episode?

Spoiler

So I can skip it

Haha, you and me both. I personally think she was too over-used these last few seasons, yet at the same time they managed to under-utilize her potential.

 

[Dragoon En Regalia]

Finally watched DoaS. Felt like I was watching a Moffat-era version of Carnival of Monsters, though the cornucopia of strange acquaintances felt relatively slim by comparison. Regardless: I enjoyed this episode quite a bit. Villain felt underdeveloped, but there wasn't much the writers could do about that. It's hard to cram a lot of story details into one hour and still have an even product, let alone have enough material to start with. The episode filled my Silly Who quotient quite well.

 

[GameplayWhore]

Haha, you and me both. I personally think she was too over-used these last few seasons, yet at the same time they managed to under-utilize her potential.

They blew their load on the character in the worst possible way. As a concept, she deserved a slow burn, but instead we got a suddent torrential firestorm and then a whimper at the end.

 

[Mariolee]

So I just watched the Night and the Doctor shorts that I had NO IDEA ABOUT. Only a year late, but man, THIS is how we end River's story to lead to her death? The shorts were entertaining as hell, don't get me wrong, but I feel a little underwhelmed.

 

[CLEEK]

I just assumed that most British (European) television shows had that kind of Vaseline filter.

After they started working with BBC America, I noticed that it became more like American television shows, meaning darker and less shimmery. It sorta happened with Torchwood, too. Compare the first three seasons with the one co-produced (?) by Showtime.

I doubt it has anything to do with BBC America, but just due to the move to filming episodes in HD. Doctor Who went HD in 2009 (series 4, I think). The move to HD would have seen a change to cameras and equipment, which would impact the cinematography (tvtography?).

 

[Mariolee]

Currently rewatching Silence in the Library. Gonna keep a list of inconsistencies or simply unanswered questions about River here:

1. She said she's dated an android, but she's been with the Doctor her whole life and before Let's Kill Hitler she's lived in 1960's and then 1990's Earth. Unless she had a fling with an android during a fight with the Doctor, this doesn't make too much sense. Still funny though.

2. The team has no idea who the Doctor is, yet if they knew anything about River wouldn't they have realized she is in prison because she KILLS the Doctor?

 

[maharg]

Currently rewatching Silence in the Library. Gonna keep a list of inconsistencies or simply unanswered questions about River here:

1. She said she's dated an android, but she's been with the Doctor her whole life and before Let's Kill Hitler she's lived in 1960's and then 1990's Earth. Unless she had a fling with an android during a fight with the Doctor, this doesn't make too much sense. Still funny though.

Such a 21st century attitude towards relationships.

2. The team has no idea who the Doctor is, yet if they knew anything about River wouldn't they have realized she is in prison because she KILLS the Doctor?

She wasn't in prison at that point. She was let out after helping with the Angels on the Byzantium, iirc.

 

[Mariolee]

Such a 21st century attitude towards relationships.

She wasn't in prison at that point. She was let out after helping with the Angels on the Byzantium, iirc.

Ah, I see. I thought she was just let out temporarily, I didn't know that redeemed her.

Haven't found anymore aside from how much younger (and skinnier!) River looks, but that can't be helped I suppose.

3. River has a screwdriver that looks nothing like the Eleventh Doctor's.

 

[Mariolee]

Wow, there wasn't as many inconsistencies as I predicted.

 

[maharg]

Ah, I see. I thought she was just let out temporarily, I didn't know that redeemed her.

Haven't found anymore aside from how much younger (and skinnier!) River looks, but that can't be helped I suppose.

3. River has a screwdriver that looks nothing like the Eleventh Doctor's.

Who said it's the eleventh's? Dun dun dun.

 

[Mariolee]

Who said it's the eleventh's? Dun dun dun.

But the Night and the Doctor shorts!? :O

 

[Quick]

I want to see an episode where the Doctor hands her that same sonic screwdriver.

Maybe as a throwaway: "Here, you'll probably need this."

 

[maharg]

But the Night and the Doctor shorts!? :O

Oops, I haven't actually seen those. Anyways, he presumably changes it out again before then. We still haven't caught up to that event afaik, even with those shorts.

 

[Mariolee]

I want to see an episode where the Doctor hands her that same sonic screwdriver.

Maybe as a throwaway: "Here, you'll probably need this."

Now that I think about it, it's possible that before now and Night and the Doctor: Last Night when River goes out, that the Doctor could have a change in screwdrivers. Or just make a special one for her. But still, big plot hole there.

Oops, I haven't actually seen those. Anyways, he presumably changes it out again before then. We still haven't caught up to that event afaik, even with those shorts.

Technically, we have and at the same time we haven't. Timey wimey. Honestly, I had no idea about the shorts until a friend told me about them and it baffled me how a special feature could lend so much to what happens before River dies.

 

[Mr. Sam]

The River timeline was all messed up when she never met Ten again anyway.

 

[Yagharek]

1. She said she's dated an android, but she's been with the Doctor her whole life and before Let's Kill Hitler she's lived in 1960's and then 1990's Earth. Unless she had a fling with an android during a fight with the Doctor, this doesn't make too much sense. Still funny though.

Technically she did, in the episode The Wedding of River Song.

It was a pleasant seaside evening IIRC.

 

[maharg]

Technically she did, in the episode The Wedding of River Song.

It was a pleasant seaside evening IIRC.

Haha, good call.

 

[Hot Coldman]

Has anyone ever made a map that explains the crossover between the Doctor's and River's timestreams? Like, a good one?

 

[Jintor]

Still waiting on Jim the Fish

 

[Dr Zhivago]

The River timeline was all messed up when she never met Ten again anyway.

Moffat said on his Twitter that they'd had off-screen meetings.

 

[GameplayWhore]

Moffat said on his Twitter that they'd had off-screen meetings.

That's not lazy storytelling at all.

 

[Exterminieren]

According to the director of the next block, Neil Cross is writing two scripts, not just the one.

That's a great coup for the show.

 

[R_thanatos]

Still waiting on Jim the Fish

Same here jim the fish need to happen but i cant help but think this will be disapointing since im hyped for it

 

[The Elite]

so it was a separate group of Silurians? In that case don't get the same actor (Richard Hope) to play a different character. Doesn't help that he has a very recognisable voice in the UK

Yeah, that did bug me.

 

[infiniteloop]

According to the director of the next block, Neil Cross is writing two scripts, not just the one.

That's a great coup for the show.

"Getting two Cross scripts is a real coup, IMO."


lol

 

[EleventhDoctor]

Technically she did, in the episode The Wedding of River Song.

It was a pleasant seaside evening IIRC.

Holy shit!

 

[Quick]

Technically she did, in the episode The Wedding of River Song.

It was a pleasant seaside evening IIRC.

Holy shit!

WOW. How did I miss that?! Damn.

 

[ScreenSplitter]

Still waiting on Jim the Fish

Jim the Fish must have happened in between Day of the Moon and the Wedding of River song, chronologically, so unless they do some flashbacks...

 

[border]

That's not lazy storytelling at all.

River was introduced 4 episodes before the end of Tennant's final season. What did you expect them to do? Bringing her back may not have worked with Kingston's schedule, nor would Moffat have had the authority to do so (he wasn't given writing duties on any subsequent episodes or specials).

 

[ultron87]

Geez thread, make up your mind. Do we want more River or less River?

I'm perfectly fine with there being lots of off screen adventures with her and the Doctor. The thing I don't like is how rushed their relationship and "marriage" was.

 

[EleventhDoctor]

Geez thread, make up your mind. Do we want more River or less River?

I want THE SAME amount of River. Used a few episodes a season...

And actually I kind of feel this should be her last season as well-with the Ponds leaving-and we've seen the beginning and end of her life already.