Amph Doctor Who Discussion (Russell T. Davies returns)

Well, yeah, I suppose THAT would be the easiest to cosplay.

So narrowing down to 9, 10 and 11. Of course now the problem is where to get a leather jacket.

And there's the Sonic prop. Dunno how to go about that.

 

4.06: The Poison Sky [Part 2]

"Are you my Mummy?"

Certainly one of Tennant's lesser two-parters and possibly the most disappointing of the season. The two-parter suffers from the ailment of grandiosity and spectacle over substance. Why couldn't the story be more about Atmos as an up and coming organisation where the install of the mandatory install Atmos in vehicles has become legislated in the United Kingdom and the Doctor needs to stop the implementation of Atmos getting bigger? This approach could have easily adopted the "race against time" vibe they were going for. By making the events smaller in scale, we'd have characters that we care about rather than two-dimensional one-shot characters like Luke Rattigan whose arc is resolved through a five second death with no closure beyond saving the day.

Martha feels more and more shoehorned into this episode to which she is literally imprisoned in the TARDIS against both her will and ours since we need to endure another episode with her. Much like Rose, Martha was at her best during her first year on the show. Another issue with the RTD era is that although it was kind to its companions in terms of having them included throughout the series, many of the inclusions felt forced and did little to service the development of the character. Any of Martha's appearances from here on in and absolutely inessential and undermines the dramatic closure of that terrific final scene in the TARDIS in the Series 3 finale.

It's not all bad though. It was great to see UNIT again and we did get a nod to the Brigadier. Meanwhile, although the execution wasn't quite there, the overall scheme of the Sontaran's was actually a pretty good one. But, this wasn't paid off since the resolution was reduced to the pushing of one button...twice.


3 out of 5

 

4.07: The Doctor's Daughter

"I never would. Have you got that? I never would. to all: When you start this new world—this world of Human and Hath—remember that. Make the foundation of this society "a man who never would."

I've always found it hard to appreciate this one because although it does establish an interesting arc for the Jenny character, the impact of that climactic streak of angst from Ten is diminished by the fantasy type ending. This was an idea pitched by Steven Moffat. I didn't think it did anything for the episode because the entire point of the episode, to me at least, was to confront the Doctor with the atrocities of war. We constantly see echoes of this throughout the episode because the more he sees Jenny the more he sees her becoming the person that he once was. This horrifies him because despite his denial of her, he wants better for her. The story's tragic fate for Jenny really added the exclamation point to this and really worked. But, the Disneyfied cherry added at the end stopped me from taking any of that seriously. This episode could have worked but is an example of how a great episode can be undone by the smallest of errors.

Good setting, great character, descent plot and some outstanding performances. But the finishing touch wasn't there.

2.5 out of 5


But it did make for a very funny fan video:

 

How cool is this:




*Sigh* Someone really needs to perfect travel between parallel universes.

 

Christ that sounds like a rejected Pertwee era 7-part snorefest.

 

Go you one better:

 

They left out the part in "Earthshock" when the Cybermen are about to march into the freighter's bridge, and Five picks up a blaster and takes aim at them. The only thing that stops him firing is that they get the blast doors closed in time.

 

Worst thing about the episode was the boring death of the Hath. Nothing more dull than a character we couldn't care less about sacrificing themselves in an overblown futile attempt to tug at the heartstrings. See also "A Town Called Mercy"

As for that video - a Time War can change a man.

 

They left out the 4t Doctor with the elephant gun shooting at the giant rat, too (unless I missed it).

 

Definitely like the second one

 

Not bad. I prefer the other one to be honest because it shows you just how much Eccleston could have brought to it. The other is basically cramming as many Doctors into the one frame as possible. Parts of it worked but some of it felt forced, especially the "i'm you" when Five is addressing Jack.

 

Yeah, that one felt kind of off, and probably should have been done with another Doctor instead.

The first one reinforces how teed off I am that Eccleston declined to participate in the 50th anniversary, especially since if Moffat's sincere about how a good chunk of the War Doctor's role would have gone to Nine, his role in the special would have been almost equal to that of Tennant and Smith.

 

Definitely a frustration of mine regarding the Anniversary Special. I would have forgiven him had he at least just done the regeneration scene.

 

Another guest star for S8. (spoilers directly in the link itself)

 

That'll be an episode to avoid then

 

Don't like this person?

 

Never rated her. She was the weak link in Cold Feet, and was terrible in Kingdom which would have been a perfect series if not for her.

 

I thought she did ok in Outcasts

 

Can't really comment one way or the other as I haven't seen the shows she's been in.

 

I thought she was great in that series eight episode of Doctor Who she was in.

 

It was a good intro, but she really came into her own as the companion is series nine.

 

What did you think of that moment when she did that thing that happened in that series?

 

OMG! I still can't beleive that happened! I mean, with a purple tricycle and banana! A tricycle!

 

You're not funny, Everton. Just because you're crap at Hoop-la and Snakes & Ladders.

 

So I suppose Fall is still the date Series 8 will begin? I want it NAO!