Amph Doctor Who Discussion (Russell T. Davies returns)

I'm absolutely confident that the remainder of the 2013 episodes will be devoted to the journey of Clara and The Doctor. The time has come to now peel away at the onion of this mystery. To its credit, The Bells Of Saint John sets that up pretty well and next week trailer promises a more involving installment where it moves beyond the mere semantics of introductions. I'm optimistic. Though an early appearance by John Hurt would kick some serious butt.

 

I noticed that the Doctor said he is 1000 years old in this episode. I assumed he was just being general and that wasn't supposed to raise any red flags given that previously he had said he was 1200 years old? There's no way Clara is another incarnation of River...is there?

 

I just figured he was ballparking, yes. There have definitely been some fans speculating from the beginning that Clara might be River. I hope not. It would seem a lot more interesting to me if this new puzzle were, in fact, a new puzzle. Don't get me wrong, I definitely want to see River again and I want to know anything more that's happened between River and the Doctor at this point. I think she deserves a good going away. I don't think Clara is River, no.

I would say it would be interesting to me if Clara were Susan or a descendant of Susan... but they kissed Ew.

 

I enjoyed it. A fun romp, and a welcome appearance of Mr Grant.

But that said, it was a bit odd in that it was an introductory episode to a character that's already had (a better) one.

 

Clara is River/Romana/Rose/a projection of the future Doctor ala "the Watcher"/the Master/the Rani/Susan/Someone New/Omega/Rassilon.

I think that covers all the possible bases.

Though really -- the great mystery surrounding her aside -- I just want her to be Ian and Barbara's granddaughter.

 

clara is tiny and adorable, and I LOVE HER

 

Oh, that hadn't occurred to me. That would be amazing! And an excuse to get Ian into the show.

EDIT: Why did the writers have to give this companion a name that is pronounced differently in the US, though? I foresee this being a problem amongst fans. I can picture people saying her name wrong when asking questions at the Comic Con panel. I am still trying to decide... do I have to say her name as "Clah-ruh" or can I say "Claire-uh"? Because tbh I always read it the latter way, but on the other hand it is a name and perhaps it should be said the way it is originally.

Though the argument could be made that we always pronounce character's names in our own accents, this isn't really the same. It's not like British people don't use the vowels in the name "Claire" ever. It's more a case of it being a name that just has a baseline totally different vowel in the two countries.

Why Moffat, why

 

HOW WILL WE EVER GET OVER IT

 

It's more like... a tiny annoyance that will be repeated over and over, grating slowly on my nerves until I go mad. This is the Chinese Water Torture of names.

 

Only the most annoying americans would pronounce it "Claire-uh". No offense...

 

I know five people who pronounce their name "Claire-uh." It's the standard pronunciation in the US, and is how I assumed it would be pronounced before the episode.

 

How do they pronounce "cat"? "Cait"? What about "apple"? "Aipple"?

In the non-annoying parts of the country, we still have a short "a" vowel sound... no offense...

 

*shrugs* I'm the girl who when I first saw the word Dalek in print pronounced it in my head "Da-lek" instead of "Dah-lek" before I heard the word onscreen when I was my first Who ep with them for the first time (The Stolen Earth around late 2008/early 2009, I think. Thanks Sy-fy for making American fans wait a nearly year for eps before BBC smartly moved the American rights to Who to BBCA). So I have no room to critique how somebody pronounces a name.

 

I pronounce it "claire-ah"

 

you must be annoying

 

I'm jumping in this thread here. Sorry for not reading the previous pages, which I'm sure are fantastic.

I don't know if there's a spoiler policy so just in case...

Spoiler

New music, new costume, new old companion... Okay...
Negativity:
That bass line and the bass sound sucks. Bring back the original 60s bass pattern!
Another normal thing is doing an abnormal thing again.
Ooh there are instructions that are JUST LIKE don't blink. Therefore it will be just as good as Blink.
Oh.
Why is The Doctor so happy to be taking this girl off into danger when he knows her journey must end so badly?

Positivity:
Most of the laughs were good. I loved the quadracycle, and the bloke just here to do the toilets.
The costume upgrade.
'Amelia Williams' aww....
New TARDIS interior is great.

Overall, it left me feeling less than overwhelmed but generally positive.

 

The Clara he met in "Asylum of the Daleks" is not the same incarnation, just as the one in "The Snowmen" is not the same. This one is not necessarily going to die (though she probably is, just in yet another way. Or she already technically did.)

 

He says "Claire-ah" here.



This is the 14th Doctor

 

Most Americans pronounce it "Claire-uh" as far as I'm aware, yes.

 

I'm nearly there, but could you run that by me once more? Preferably with diagrams.

 

Most Americans are stupid

 

EDIT: Oh, I meant to type "Claire-ah."

Well, I can't fully explain it 'cause the show hasn't explained it. But that fact is that she's died more than once and each incarnation isn't aware of the others.

 

My comment still stands

This episode was fine--it was pretty much what I expected. I appreciated it for those little bits of humor/reference (jammie dodgers, preserved bow-tie, fez, etc.). Clara has me intrigued and I'm looking forward to the next episode.

 

Found this gif. Pretty much sums Who up:

 

I don't mean it's Claire-uuuuuh, but Claire is the usually first syllable, as opposed to Claar...
I have never, ever, heard it pronounced Claa-ra, like they do in the episode, except in Who.
Even in non-American films and such.