Future Foundation
Member
Yep. All on the suspicion that Moffat "might" have written it that way, and that the BBC "might" have said "GTFO with that, Moff".
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Doctor Who Series Seven |OT| The Question You've Been Running From All Your Life
- Thread starter Mr. Sam
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Yep. All on the suspicion that Moffat "might" have written it that way, and that the BBC "might" have said "GTFO with that, Moff".
DrForester
Kills Photobucket
Brian is awesome.
We won't see him after the Ponds are gone
We won't see him after the Ponds are gone
APZonerunner
Member
Something about this episode is very RTD-era Earth/Family stuff. Complete with the celebrity cameos! I've missed this.
DrForester
Kills Photobucket
Except much better written and much better directed and much better produced in general.
JonathanEx
Member
Use of real world/home and TV news driving the plot, I see what you mean.
But it's very well done.
MisterNegative
Banned
After what i just saw Angels might just be a tier 1 villain
might.
might.
I really loved the ideas in the episode, I just felt like it moved way too fast and never let up. Which is fine I guess, but could've been better executed. Then, the last quote: "We finally found what cubed meant: the Power of Three" was so cheesy, and not in a good "something borrowed something blue" type of way.
I was really hyped for this episode because I thought it would be a slow paced-Doctor at home type thing, but it was one of the most packed of the season so far in my opinion. Too packed. Anyone else feel that way?
I loved the old references to UNIT and K9 however.
I was really hyped for this episode because I thought it would be a slow paced-Doctor at home type thing, but it was one of the most packed of the season so far in my opinion. Too packed. Anyone else feel that way?
I loved the old references to UNIT and K9 however.
StealthGoblin
Banned
Too much talking, not enough action. Ending was very rushed.
The framing of the episode also suggests that Amy doesn't bite the dust, which makes me sad.
The way to truly immortalise an enemy is to have them do something utterly detestable.
The framing of the episode also suggests that Amy doesn't bite the dust, which makes me sad.
The way to truly immortalise an enemy is to have them do something utterly detestable.
bobs...onGaf
Member
That episode felt like an RTD era episode.
Fantastic build up, great mystery, insurmountable odds.
Oh wait its the last 10 minuites and we have to resolve this. Wave your magic wand/ sonic screwdriver and everything good!
Made no sense... what about all the people in the ship? What was with the weird cube face guys? Why was the ship there in the first place?
Pretty dissapointed by how poorly they resolved such a fantastic set up.
Fantastic build up, great mystery, insurmountable odds.
Oh wait its the last 10 minuites and we have to resolve this. Wave your magic wand/ sonic screwdriver and everything good!
Made no sense... what about all the people in the ship? What was with the weird cube face guys? Why was the ship there in the first place?
Pretty dissapointed by how poorly they resolved such a fantastic set up.
APZonerunner
Member
It's not even just that - I think that tonally some of the notes hit tonight are very like those episodes in that era and different from anything recent; we've not seen anything quite like this with the Ponds. It was the stuff RTD did best, to be honest - the emotional stuff, the grounded stuff - that was always his great success, be it in Who or something like The Second Coming or whatever. It's mostly good, but not perfect - sometimes the emotion just gets pushed too far, of course. On the flip side, I think the massive invasion stories and such often felt too over-cooked... weird little moments can damage scenes. The amazing scene where the Master bites it in Series 3 is soured by all the weird bullshit that came before it, for instance.
Moffat's kind of the reverse in my eyes - the emotional notes he hits aren't quite as strong (still amazing) - but he does these amazing clever stories RTD couldn't have dreamt of. Again, same's true in Sherlock or Jekyll, and tonally different stuff like Press Gang is also light on the emotional stuff.
Chibnall was a good choice for this on Moffat's part, as he's quite RTD-like in what he writes... but is hit and miss. He did really, really well tonight, though. One can only hope he continues to improve as I think it's pretty bloody likely that he could be one of the possible heirs to the series one day - his in-depth involvement as co-showrunner on early Torchwood and massive amount of involvement with the current series puts him high on any list, surely.
Good episode tonight. Definitely the best this series for me, though Asylum runs pretty fucking close.
Spirit of Jazz
Banned
Enjoyed everything about the episode bar the screwdriver saves everyone from alien Agent Smith ending. As people have said that seemed very RTD but I do think the rest of the episode made up for it and I loved the new head of UNIT.
Future Foundation
Member
How was the acting from everyone?
mightynine
Member
Went along with what the spoiler-free reviews said: fine piece of character moments, ending a bit rushed.
Eh, I don't think causing the death of a companion(s) = the only detestable thing the Angels can do.
I think they could so something much worse.
Lord Sugar did a fine turn
StealthGoblin
Banned
That ending is something my six year olds could have came up with. In fact, they did.
King of the Potato People
Member
I liked it, some nice character moments and the villains seem pretty intriguing (who are obviously going to be back) Also in next week I'm certain the Statue of Liberty is going to be a weeping angel of some kind (speculation)
Exterminieren
Banned
That was mostly bloody amazing. Yeah, the ending was rushed, but the other 40 minutes more than make up for it.
The first half was the best comedy Who in years. The Doctor playing Wii, his hour of entertainment, everything Brian, the Zygons, the cameos, the Cube playing The Birdy Song... All great stuff.
Real heart, too; the Brigadier's daughter was brilliantly played, and, I must be honest, got me a bit teary. The Doctor's chats with Amy and Brian as well.
The first half was the best comedy Who in years. The Doctor playing Wii, his hour of entertainment, everything Brian, the Zygons, the cameos, the Cube playing The Birdy Song... All great stuff.
Real heart, too; the Brigadier's daughter was brilliantly played, and, I must be honest, got me a bit teary. The Doctor's chats with Amy and Brian as well.
Future Foundation
Member
So, consensus so far is:
Good acting.
Good set-up.
Rushed/weak ending.
Damn.
Good acting.
Good set-up.
Rushed/weak ending.
Damn.
StealthGoblin
Banned
Whatever they do, it needs to be something so fucking awful that Amy and Rory never return. I really don't want a happy end for them. I like them as characters, but the show needs a nasty permadeath in my opinion.
Hot Coldman
Banned
Shame the plot descended into complete drivel towards the end, but whatever, this was clearly an excuse to explore the impact of the Pond's "real lives" on the Doctor, and it was good for that. Also, Brian.
The musical cube bit was hilarious.
The musical cube bit was hilarious.
The Doctor literally just sonics everyone back to life and then the ship explodes, conveniently taking away any repercussions of this invasion. How utterly disappointing.
StealthGoblin
Banned
The Doctor literally just sonics everyone back to life and then the ship explodes, conveniently taking away any repercussions of this invasion. How utterly disappointing.
Speaking of which, I'll scan you in some of the Doctor Who stories my class came up with.
Here is the one the class came up with in a shared writing session.
My class said:
APZonerunner
Member
One has to ask - shouldn't it just be easy sometimes? My point in saying this is just that, yes, RTD's era did the hand wave reset all too often, which was definitely a problem, but in this case it's the first time in ages and clearly wasn't the focus of the episode. The focus, in fact, is being universally praised.
The Doctor is pretty fucking impressive - sometimes he should just encounter something he can sort in a minute, surely? Isn't the whole point of the plot these guys had that they didn't do anything? He was aggravated, confused, struggling - we saw all that throughout - but when the truth was uncovered, he was able to sort it relatively quickly.
As a once in a while thing, I don't think that's bad. To be honest, this series does hand-wavy conclusions all the time (what is The Big Bang if not that, for instance? It's more finessed, but it's still a hand-wave)... it's just about the execution. This one was poorly executed and left a lot of questions, sadly. The hand-waving sudden solutions aren't the problem, is my point - bad execution of them is.
The Doctor is pretty fucking impressive - sometimes he should just encounter something he can sort in a minute, surely? Isn't the whole point of the plot these guys had that they didn't do anything? He was aggravated, confused, struggling - we saw all that throughout - but when the truth was uncovered, he was able to sort it relatively quickly.
As a once in a while thing, I don't think that's bad. To be honest, this series does hand-wavy conclusions all the time (what is The Big Bang if not that, for instance? It's more finessed, but it's still a hand-wave)... it's just about the execution. This one was poorly executed and left a lot of questions, sadly. The hand-waving sudden solutions aren't the problem, is my point - bad execution of them is.
JonathanEx
Member
Didn't know your class were booked to write series eight.
StealthGoblin
Banned
Ha! My favourite of their stories was by a girl who basically wrote 3 A4 pages of The Doctor going on a massive shopping trip through the universe to buy present for all his friends on other planets. Towards the end the Daleks turn up and he desperately tries to get all his gifts inside the TARDIS before escaping.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
I would watch that.
I now want to see this in an episode.
I thought it was a pretty great episode, the end was very RTD like, but I didn't really mind. It's been a while since the 'Sonic fixes everything' button had been pressed so it was fine. The ending was a bit rushed, but the rest of the episode was really good, one of the better of an already great half series. And next week looks amazing, Angels back in full force.
WanderingWind
Mecklemore Is My Favorite Wrapper
God, no. The show is doing just fine without nastiness, thanks.
Future Foundation
Member
Oh, what about the title sequence? Darker? Any flickering lights?
mightynine
Member
More changes.
Wasn't the first shot of the episode on the lights near the Pond's door? They were off if I recall.
No, it shouldn't be easy.
Or if it is easy, make that work for your plot. Have it thematically fit.
Hand-waving away the threat is just bad writing and does a disservice to the narrative you've been building.
Also, motherfucking PEST CONTROL OF THE UNIVERSE I THOUGHT YOU WERE A MYTH TOLD TO TIME LORD BABIES TO MAKE THEM BRUSH THEIR TEETH AND GO TO BED ON TIME YOU GUYS ARE SERIOUS SHIT o i jus screwdriv'd ur mythical tech.
A bit extreme, but these are basically my thoughts.
Was Rory's dad obsessing over the cube part of the cubes' properties or is he just a quirky character?
Look, I just want to put it this way:
If the Doctor could in seconds reconfigure the entire network of cubes to restart the hearts of a third of the population who had been dead for maybe thirty minutes by that point in time, he should have had the tech to just run a scan on the cubes and work out what they were instantly.
If the Doctor could in seconds reconfigure the entire network of cubes to restart the hearts of a third of the population who had been dead for maybe thirty minutes by that point in time, he should have had the tech to just run a scan on the cubes and work out what they were instantly.
APZonerunner
Member
Well, that's what I was saying - hand waving isn't a problem if handled well. It wasn't this week, obviously, but the rest of the episode was great. It's times like this I wish the show were an hour; an extra 15 minutes could've been used to really flesh out the sci-fi side. The brief Chibnall was given by Moffat was "The Doctor comes to stay" plus a glimpse at Rory & Amy's home life - I can only imagine it isn't easy to fit a decent invasion or sci-fi story around that.
StealthGoblin
Banned
So many of the big villains lose a sense of menace because they never really seem to hurt the Doctor or the people close to him. If a character is going, its a great opportunity to kill them off. Moffat has already said that once the Ponds are gone there is no going back. They won't feature ever again.
I think Mercy is actually set after this episode, considering that comment, and how much Amy said the Doctor changed when he's on his own. That, and this episode took up a lot of time. But I guess it could have been at any during it. I dunno, it's too wibbly wobbly for me.
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