My review of Doctor Who - S04e01

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A by the numbers Doctor Who episode by Davies. Aliens attack, there are fat people involved, the Doctor gets angsty about something, everything is okay in the end.
I'm thinking most of this season is going to be alot like this.


[/hl]


My Prediction for the Season -


[hl=black]
- Doctor is angsty about being the "last" time lord
- Doctor is angsty about Rose
- Doctor is angsty about Martha
- Shock horror! There'll be another Time Lord (who'll die)
- Davros is back (and dies)
- The keyword this season (like Badwolf and Saxon) will be something do with females, possibly VENUS[/hl]

 

How cynical, Sammich. For shame.



[hl=black]Ever seen Real Life vs. The Internet? It's like the bit with Sarge going on about Angelina Jolie. I half expected Sarge to jump up and yell "Do you like the Doctor? He's great!! He travels in time in a big blue box!!!"

QFT. "He doesn't like Griff either! He's the greatest!"


I'm not a fan of that final reveal, which is obviously the ongoing plot thread for this season. To put it bluntly: I think binging Rose back cheapens the tear-jerking finale of season 2 to the point of ruining it completely. Don't get me wrong, I love Rose as a character and as a companion, but they made something beautiful and powerful by having the Doctor lose her so completely, and now bringing her back just smacks of a weird and illogical kind of desperation. If it had been way down the track I could have gone with it, but only one year later? Come on, Davies and co. It just screams to me of wanting an even more overblown finale than last year, and like the show's already run out of new ideas and is just trying to top itself by throwing the kitchen sink into the over-filled mix as well.

Not that I'm calling Rose a kitchen sink, mind you. I'd never do a thing like that.


It's a rant, I know, but I just really think they can do better than this. Though I will say that they could redeem it if they act on the notion I thought was a curious omission in season 2: what if the Time Lords didn't die in Universe A? That could be made to work and be cool, but still, it ruins the beautiful moment of goodbye. I don't want to be an Outpost Gallifrey-esque hater, but I'm really starting to think we need new blood. Davies needs to step down and let someone else take over the reins. Not because there's anything expressly wrong with him or his style, just that it's all starting to feel a bit tired and repetitive at this point.[/hl]

 

Richard Dawkins is married to Lalla Ward?? Madness!

What strange taste in men that woman has. But now the thought has crossed my mind, with her being linked (even tenuously) to the new series, could she turn up later as Romanadvoratrelundar, Lady President of Gallifrey? One can only hope.

Anyway, new episode:

Doctor Who 30.02/4.02 - "The Fires of Pompeii"

The female soothsayer is inclined to invent all sorts of vagaries.

Oh not this time, Lucius. I reckon you've been out sooth-sayed!

Is that so...Man from Gallifrey?

[hl=black]The TARDIS has materialised in Ancient Rome, much to Donna's delight. However they quickly realise that the shaking and the big smoking mountain on the horizon indicate a different location; Pompeii. Right before the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD.

The Doctor wants to leave immediately, but Donna wants to try to evacuate the city and save everyone. The Doctor won't allow it, but the point becomes academic when they find the TARDIS has been taken. As they try to track it down, various soothsayers of different orders observe their movements, as the arrival of the TARDIS is the harbinger of a new prophecy...

Surprisingly, a great episode after last week's shaky, but still fun start. Visually it benefits from the shoot in Italy on the sets of HBO's Rome, and it's fun spotting the locales, actually.

There are probably too many psychics running around in this episode, but the initial confrontation between Lucius, Evelina and the Doctor is creepy and well staged. The main psychics, the Soothsayers (I can't spell the name of their order) are very reminiscent of the old Sisterhood of Karn. And in the vein of past references, the Doctor briefly mentions his original trip to Rome back in his first incarnation.

The monsters in this episode via both CGI and make-up and acting are really well realised. Gotta love Doctor Who with a budget

But the surprising thing is that this episode pretty much immediately shows that despite some over-acting in tense moments, Catherine Tate's Donna is the right choice for the new companion. While they've made her more intelligent; frankly she wasn't the brightest spark in The Runaway Bride; she challenges the Doctor's authority (the line about the other kids is great) and morality from the outset. The Doctor emphatically tells her he can't save anyone in Pompeii, which Donna refuses to believe, eventually begging the Doctor to save someone, anyone from the disaster.

We also finally get an explanation about the Doctor's seemingly arbitrary approach to changing and preserving history; a Time Lord knows how the flow of time is meant to run, and can see where it is fixed and where it is fluid.

But the kicker here is that the Doctor does have to intervene to preserve history as he knows it, and makes a terrible choice that kills thousands to save millions. Given this, the Doctor's giving in to Donna in the end is almost cathartic.

Ultimately a melancholy episode, something probably overdue at this level of quality. The only misstep is the coda at the end; it's trying to get the mood up after the saddness that has just taken place, but it's not as bad as it could have been, and it doesn't detract from the greatness coming before it.[/hl]

Next week! Corporations! Ood! Revolution!

Be seeing you,

Magnus Darcrider

 

Definitely liked Fires of Pompeii. Donna's definitely growing on me, and I like how well they're fleshing out her character.

Put simply, though, contrasting this episode to last week's shows, to me, exactly how Doctor Who should and should not be done. Episodes like Fires work because while there's a lot of fun and jokes and running about, they're still at least the tiniest bit serious at heart. Think of old-school episodes like The Talons of Weng-Chiang: really dark and grim and high-stakes, but laugh-out-loud funny way, way more often than you'd expect. It's a far cry from pantomime-y episodes with cute fat-monsters, Super Nannies and Miracle Diets. When you take that core note of seriousness and sincerity and consequence out of a light-hearted show like Doctor Who, it just becomes a farce. Thankfully, those episodes of the new series are few and relatively far between, but they still happen too often for my liking. While Fires of Pompeii was no Empty Child or Girl in the Fireplace, I think it really is a model episode just in terms of how to strike the balance and get that real Doctor Who feeling.


Anyway, sorry, soapbox away. Next week's looks cool. I think it's a bit cheap to drag the Ood out again and make them do the same "C3-PO possessed by The Devil" bit again, especially when they're going to have to strain themselves story-wise to justify it, but hey, it should be fun. Looking forward to it.

 

Doctor Who 30.03/4.03 - "Planet of the Ood"

Don't you see? That makes them peaceful! They've got to be, cos a creature like that would have to trust anyone it meets!

[hl=black]Sales are down for the Ood Corporation. As they begin a new marketing campaign, a senior executive is killed by his Ood with eerie glowing red eyes...

The Doctor and Donna arrive shortly after on the Oodsphere, and come across the Ood dying in the snow from a gunshot wound. It tells them cryptically that "The cicle must be broken" before getting enraged then expiring. Realising that it must be something else possessing the Ood this time around, the Doctor decides to investigate further, and realises that he shouldn't have taken the ood situation at face value last time he encountered them.

Another good, solid episode which again showcases Donna as great choice for the companion. I might just have to take back some of the thigns I've said about the production department and Catherine Tate previously However, I hope they don't do the "we're not married" gag every week. Mates, remember??

While I wasn't thrilled at having the Ood back, Keith Temple has written an interesting story where the Doctor realises that he made a terrible mistake previously; taking the "benevolent slavery" of the Ood as a good thing in "The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit"; and now seeks to rectify it. That's something that's not been seen previously in Doctor Who to this extent, and I actually think it works well.

What did surprise me is that there is another First Doctor reference in this episode, this time to "The Sensorites" (only three of you will know what I'm talking about). The time period choice is odd too (though probably just a coincidence); the Ood were discovered pretty much immediately after "The Dalek Masterplan"... And that'll be enough from the continuity cop for this post.

The only other thing I can comment on is I got a Happy Feet vibe at the end, and I wonder what that foreshadowing is? Normally I'd argue that it means that the Tenth Doctor is nearing the end of his incarnation, but I somehow doubt that. Like the Fourth and Seventh Doctors, I kind of feel that the Tenth should see his death coming and prepare for it, not be blindsided by it, despite half-baked foreshadowing.

Anyway, I enjoyed that. Consistent quality is nice [/hl]

Next week: [hl=black]Martha! U.N.I.T.!! Sontarans![/hl]

Be seeing you,

Magnus Darcrider

 

Really enjoyed this one. I take back what I said about it being a bad idea to bring back the Ood. They found a good angle and they ran with it. [hl=black]Possibly my favourite thing about it was Donna. Like Magnus, I'm really warming to her. The scene where the Doctor let her hear the Ood's song was really, really nice, and I loved her line "I spent all that time looking for you, Doctor, because I thought it was so wonderful out here. I want to go home." Really poignant. And her line about trust, which Magnus quoted, was fantastic as well.

I picked up the Sensorites reference too. Weird. If I had to pick one First Doctor story to reference, I wouldn't pick that one.

Capital-O Ominous foreshadowing at the end. Little bit heavy-handed, not to mention random. Oh well.[/hl]


I absolutely can't wait till next week's episode, based on that preview.

 

Doctor Who 30.04/4.04 - "The Sontaran Strategem"

Now Ross, don't be rude. You look like a pink weasel to him.

[hl=black]Outside a large old manor house (which looks like the old U.N.I.T. Priory actually) sign-posted as "Rattigan Academy", a journalist is being thrown off the premises by a bunch of red track-suited teenagers and Luke Rattigan, the head of the Academy. The journalist was investigating the ATMOS Device; a car emmission reducer and navigation system built by Rattigan (though isn't ATMOS Ancient Greek for Fire or some such??); as she believed it to be dangerous. With no solid leads, she leaves and gets in her car to drive to U.N.I.T. Headquarters in London, calling them on the way.

However, her onboard ATMOS navigator takes control of her car, and drives it into the Thames, drowning her.

Speaking of driving, the Doctor is teaching Donna how to fly the TARDIS (man, when was the last time that happened??) when he gets a phone call. It's Martha, and she's calling the Doctor home...

A neat start to a two-parter, with an interesting plot and the return of many fan favourites, both old and new. Martha's back and less moon-eyed than last time. Also, there was no inter-companion bickering, which was actually nice; they're both adults after all. Donna didn't get much to do this episode, aside show how clever she is and see her family while she's in contemporary London. There is a great scene where the Doctor overreacts to her leaving which is very funny.

The return of the Sontarans themselves is really well realised; it's a good update with decent make-up finally. Their infiltration of Earth systems is at first glance unusual, as Sontarans are all about the fighting, but this isn't the first time they've done such a thing. The Doctor disabling one with volley ball equipment was neat

Colonel Mace hardly seems like the kind of leader to succeed Brigadiers Lethbridge-Stewart or Bambera in leading U.N.I.T.'s Zen Brigade, but then again maybe he'll prove himself in the next episode. I'm also a bit annoyed that the Doctor is advising the U.N.I.T. soldiers not to engage the Sontarans at all costs as they've got nothing they can take them on with. This isn't the outfit from the 1970s using the equivalent of pop-guns; U.N.I.T. is meant to be armed for the 21st century with Dalek and Cyberman killing armaments; given the fact that U.N.I.T. has information on the Sontarans, they should have something quite capable of putting a dent in their military stoicism. Or Martha could just Leela out and stab 'em all in the probic vent

The one thing I loved about this episode was the fact that the Sontarans are bitter about not having been allowed to fight in the Time War, and the pride they have in the fact that they will be able to kill the Doctor, Enemy of Sontar, Last of the Time Lords and Survivor of the Time War. It's an interesting idea; I'd have assumed that the Sontarans would have backed the Daleks, but given they've fought and been defeated by the Time Lords before, maybe they would have sided with them? Either way, a lot of races got wiped out by the Time War, and despite their martial prowess, the Sontarans would have been one of them as well.

David Tennant was great in this by the way; he had some good material to work with. The character of Rattigan was interesting too, but I would like a bit more information about his motivations rather than just ambition; he thinks killing 52 people is cool and is happy to wipe out 400 million humans in one foul swoop.

Like last year's Dalek two-parter, overall impressions will depend on how the second part goes. But I'm liking what I'm seeing currently.[/hl]

Next week: Countdown! Gas! U.N.I.T. vs Sontarans!

Be seeing you,

Magnus Darcrider

 

[hl=black]Definitely in desperate need of some character development for Rattigan. We'll see.

I quite liked what they did with the Sontarans here. It struck me that they were trying to give them a culture, rather than just having them be funny potato men who shot lots of people. It was a bit overdone at times, but the scenes on the mothership I thought were really quite good. The Sontaran general (Stahl, was it? I forget), who came across as a bit goofy in some of his scenes, blustering about True Warriors and Honourable Battle and suchlike, turned out to really shine when he wasn't chewing scenery and was simply played as a cunning, pragmatic military leader. No showboating, no messing about, just the right amount of self-assured swagger and tipping his hat (helmet?) to The Doctor as a worthy adversary. And the chanting of "Sontar! Sontar!" at the end was actually far less cheesy than it could have been, and really spoke to a proud race of people with their own customs and traditions that we're just seeing a small chunk of. Definitely a fun and successful re-introduction, in a quite enjoyable romp of an episode.[/hl]

 

Doctor Who 30.05/4.05 - "The Poison Sky"

You might as well have worn a t-shirt saying "clone". Although, maybe not in front of Captain Jack!

[hl=black]With the Sontaran plan in action and Donna's mum rescuing grandad from his car with an axe to the windshield (), the Doctor is running out of time before the gas reaches toxic levels. Between the Sontarans, their agents, and trying to stop U.N.I.T. soldiers getting killed, the Doctor's got his work cut out for him as he tries to work out what the gas is and just what the Sontarans are up to...

Not perfect, but a much better cap to a two parter than last season's "Evolution of the Daleks". The very out of character plan by the Sontarans is revealed to be an act of desperation which makes perfect sense. BBN was right, this seemed like an attempt to flesh out the Sontarans as a race, and it's a good effort on that front without being too cliched. General Staal continued to impress with this, right up to the end.

Martha isn't really given much to do in this aside from pres buttons a bit, and Donna gets one good scene while sneaking about the Sontaran ship, but it's really the Doctor front and centre here, and it's great to watch.

Rattigan's motivations become a little clearer, but he would have benefitted from a bit more character development.

Mace improves though, leading the troops in taking the fight back to the Sontarans, and managing to kill the Sontaran Commander Skorr honourably. He also mentions the Brigadier as "Sir Alastair", who is apparently still active as a U.N.I.T. officer, though probably no longer UK Commander. I wonder what he was doing in Peru?

Wilfred is great again, hopefully he'll get on the TARDIS once before Donna's tenure as companion is over.

The "Empty Child" joke was neat And spot Rose's appearance if you can. Looks like she's crying out to the Doctor...

It's not mentioned, but the implications of the Doctor being forced to potentially burn the Earth to save it could have been staggering. A lost opportunity there. The only real fault with this episode though is once again Helen Raynor writes the Doctor as having suicidal tendencies; there's no reason for him to board the Sontaran ship, as he knows that they won't leave Earth willingly.

Still, a good two-parter with David Tennant's Doctor in fine form, and the welcome return of old friends and enemies.[/hl]

Next week: Hijacking! Soldiers! Acrobatics! The Doctor's Daughter?? (and in real life too; guess which one )

Be seeing you,

Magnus Darcrider

 

If that girl's name is Miranda, my head is going to explode.

 

[link=http://www.gallifreyone.com/news.php#newsitemEkEEkAyuFuDUQWwpTO]STEPHEN MOFFAT IS REPLACING RUSSELL T DAVIES AS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AND LEAD WRITER.[/link]




That is all. I'd say "discuss", but I somehow sense that opinion will be unanimous as to how crazily, ridiculously good this development is. As great as Davies has been and as much as he has done for the series, him moving on is for the best. The show's felt a tiny bit stuck in a rut of late, re-treading the same thematic ground over and over (Doctor worship, wide-eyed companion, slightly clunky sexual tension), and if anyone can refresh it, it's Stephen Moffat.

It seems that next year's three specials will be done under Davies, but that season 5 proper in 2010 will be Moffatt's debut in the big chair. It should be obvious that I'm stupidly excited by this.

 

Think back to the [link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZhkYHNTmVg]first episode[/link] of Black Books, where Manny tells Bernard he can make him a ham sandwich with a pickle. That look of absolute, delirious glee - that was my reaction.

This is the best Doctor Who news since they announced the show's revival. That's not hyperbole; it's objective fact, and anyone who tells you otherwise is deliberately deceiving you. I'd been hoping for this exact announcement for so long, but even when the signs pointed to this happening (RTD: "I'd love to see inside his mind! Oh, the labyrinths of neural connections! All made of gold!" / "With Steven Moffat's scripts, I don't touch a word, but anyone else's I do..."), I'd dismissed it as too good to be true.

It feels like we're getting the show back all over again.

 

It feels like we're getting the show back all over again.

Yes. Yes you're absolutely right.

I kind of don't like that I feel that way. I don't like ragging on Russell T. Davies, just because that's the stereotypical thing that the dregs of humanity at the Outpost Galifrey forums do for sport. I think he's fantastic because he brought the series back, and immediately struck that perfect tone with it, but as time has gone on I've disliked the thematic direction he's been going on, in a lot of small ways that add up to big gripes. And I don't think it's a stretch to say that the vision he started with the revival of the show was taken by other writers and really pushed to the next level. I'm not just talking about Paul Cornell and Stephen Moffat, but they're the ones I'm thinking of. Davies has done some great, great stuff for the show, but I think moving on and letting some fresh blood take over the reins (to mix a metaphor) is a really good idea. The regular turnover of producers throughout the run of the old series was what kept it fresh, and I think such a thing would continue to work wonders for the new one.

 

This is good news, and pretty much expected by this point. I'm looking forward to what direction the show will go in with Moffat at the helm, as I've got no idea what that will be. No odds bet that it'll be good though.

However, while I've got issues with Mr. Davies; which can effectively be summed up into: "he knows how to start a good story, but not how to finish it"; it should be remembered that there would be no new series without him. And while I can attack his writing with far too much ease of late it seems, he did write [link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI04vi1Bpco]this[/link], the scene that sums up Doctor Who for any generation.

And now for something completely different...

Doctor Who 30.06/4.06 - "The Doctor's Daughter"

He saves planets. Rescues civilisations. Defeats terrible creatures. And runs alot. Seriously, there's an outrageous amount of running involved...

[hl=black]The TARDIS has been drawn off course with the Doctor at a loss as to why, though he notes that his old hand is very excited about what's going on. But seriously, why does he keep that thing around??

The TARDIS lands in a debris filled underground hallway on a distant planet. Before they can even get their bearings, the TARDIS crew is surrounded and the Doctor's hand jammed into a device which takes a tissue sample. Seconds later a chamber opens and a young girl (phwoar!) emerges (with the perfect eyeliner all female soldiers require, apparently), and quickly checks the weapon that's immediately handed to her. The Doctor quickjly realises that this girl is the end result of his genetic information; in effect, his daughter. And that's when the fun begins...

A title like "The Doctor's Daughter" is loaded with connotations to old and new fans alike. Would this be the daughter the Doctor alluded to Rose about? Would it be Miranda, the Eighth Doctor's adopted daughter who turned out to be the actual daughter of a future incarnation of the Doctor? Or would it be Susan's mother?

Sadly none of these is the case; completely new character, though at least we're given the facts straight out before the credits even roll so there's no useless speculation by the continuity cops.

That being said, this is a fun episode. The Doctor's daughter here is a neat character (though why she's the only one wearing leather pants is beyond me...except for the obvious reason) and allows us to explore some neat facets of the Doctor's character. The scene where they discover that she has a second heart is really well played by all the actors involved, especially Gerogia Moffat's confused/scared look as her character has no idea what's going on. The music's great too, a melancholy version of the Time Lord's Theme (which might have been played over the Master's death, but I can't remember). Outside of that scene, Tennant and Tate are continually and consistantly great in this, with Tennant particularly playing it much more sombre than usual.

The budget's obviously low on this one, but it just reminded me fondly of the old Tom Baker days Despite the rubbery heads, I liked the Hath; they were a neat alien race.

Martha's once again criminally underused, though her quicksand aftermath scene is a bit overplayed. Her little storyline is neat though, pity not more could have been done with it.

General Cobb is played by Nigel Terry, a name that sounded familiar but couldn't place until I saw him; freakin' King Arthur from Excalibur! And delivering "Once and Future King" style dialogue too!!

However, General Cobb's involvement presents the biggest of all plot holes; how can he be perpetuating the myth when he's clearly older than all the other soldiers? He should know the truth. Despite that major plothole, the actual plot is quite good and a neat idea.

The end is heartbreaking, Martha gets a nice and grown up leaving scene, and the coda is beyond cute. And as a consequence, we have another player out there who makes the Doctor not the Last of the Time Lords.

Though didn't the ex

 

I actually thought The Doctor's Daughter was a horrible mess of poor characterisation and tragically missed opportunities, but I don't have time just this second to regail you all with a summary. I'll do it another time, because I found the episode so frustrating. I thought there were two really good ideas at the heart of it. One of them was executed clumsily, while the other was butchered and took over the entire episode, probably leading to the aforementioned clumsy execution. See if you can guess which ones I'm talking about.

 

It's been a long time coming, but look! [link=http://www.ezydvd.com.au/promo.zml?pid=812&ddat=1&dsal=1&dreg=1&dper=1&himg=pr812]cheap[/link](ish) [link=http://www.ezydvd.com.au/promo.zml?pid=812&ddat=1&dsal=1&dreg=1&dper=1&himg=pr812]Doctor Who DVDs[/link]!

 

I had trouble getting into season four at first. Looking back, it was that first episode that did it. As I said at the time, I didn't dislike Smith and Jones - I laughed far more than I winced - but the children's show vibe was so far removed from the show I loved. It's hard to imagine it coming from the same person who wrote Eccleston's "and doesn't that scare you to death?" speech. I'd gotten a bit disillusioned with the show in general.

Now I'm playing catch-up from 405 onward, my enthusiasm for the (pre-2010) series is finally back.

I was actually kind of dreading The Doctor's Daughter, based on the opinions I'd heard. (I could lose several fingers and still count the number of times BBN and I have over Doctor Who on one hand.) Which is why I'm so surprised to find myself saying the following: it's my favourite episode of the year so far.

[hl=black]We keep getting TOLD Martha is great (even in the Sontaran storyline, when she's little more than a victim/spectator), and frankly it was getting a bit patronising. This time, we get to see her in action, and you know what? She is.
Her second farewell was a lot more moving than the first. Without the silly infatuation, it's so much easier to appreciate Martha's character, and the idea of a life interrupted, not saved, by The Doctor's presence.

It's also refreshing to see Donna being so resourceful. In fact, it seemed like the Doctor was dimmest of the heroes, complex emotional issues or not. Only at the end did his characterisation really work for me. That performance, though, was brilliant.

New Who has a tendency to balance sad climaxes with dsproportionately happy codas. I love a good happy ending, but this isn't always good for a story. What's more effective is giving the viewer a very small reason to smile. Sometimes the tiniest uplifting moment can balance out the most devastating things, because it matters more. When the Doctor said "She was too much like me", I was secretly hoping for the end credits then and there.

Does Jenny's (strangely un-Gallifreyan) revival cheapen the impact of the episode? There are pros and cons, but I'm leaning in favour of the happy ending. She's a very likeable character with very likeable eyelashes, so it would be nice to see both return in the future. And bonus points for defying the cliche. (Who didn't pick her as a redshirt?)

Apparently bringing her back to life was Steven Moffat's idea. Hmmm...

The core concepts could have been handled any number of ways, and in many aspects, better. But for those 40 minutes I was completely involved in the show. That's much more than I can say about the first few episodes. I'm a fan and I'm excited again. That's a pretty decent compliment.[/hl]

And now to 407 and 408, from the quick-witted Gareth Roberts and the Steven-Moffatesque Steven Moffat. I expect both episodes to seize that "best of the season" title in turn.

 

Wow, tbh I groaned most of the way through "The Doctor's Daughter". One ok concept and one brilliant concept all squashed into one episode, it just didn't work for me. That and there was no hiding the fact that Jenny was there as eye candy only.

HB - it's called mascara (and I'm not even sure how to spell it )

[hl=black]The only thing that would make it cool would be if she became the Master's sidekick in a future story arc...[/hl]

 

Military-Issue Mascara? Why, that would be a plot hole. No, no, it's all natural.

 

I still maintain that the conversation in the writers' room didn't progress much further than "The Doctor's got a daughter... and she's HOT!" That's definitely how it felt to me. She's a bit of crumpet who flips through laser beams (a scene that caused me physical pain to have to watch). She needed to be like the Doctor. She needed to use her brain. Make her a military leader. Make her terrifyingly smart and ruthless, able to inspire a following in the way the Doctor can, but have her use it to wage war and to win. Make her embody what the Doctor could have become in the Time War, and then have her slowly learn it isn't the way.

As for coming back to life, there should have been an ongoing debate as to whether she actually is a Time Lord (lady, whatever) or not. Have her know certain things at a gut level, while the Doctor staunchly maintains that having two hearts and the Rassilon Imprimpature isn't all there is to holding that station. Make it a debate. Have Donna vocalise the question of whether she could regenerate, and have the Doctor scoff at it. And then, in the final scene, after she's lying dead and everyone's gone, have it happen. She's a Time Lord after all. Don't bring her back with Deus Ex Machina, bring her back as a vindication of who she is. Don't even show the new body, just end with the flash of light coming through the windows or something like that. And please, please, no "hello boys" when she sits up. Bleh.


That's just my two cents, my "Wot I Woulda Dun" post. But it's how to make up for what I saw as the severe shortcomings of the episode.

 

She needed to use her brain. Make her a military leader. Make her terrifyingly smart and ruthless, able to inspire a following in the way the Doctor can, but have her use it to wage war and to win.

That's an accurate discription of The Rani

Seriously, can't disagree with any of the above, the episode is very much a lost opportunity. However, I still like the episode as it's silly fun.

But I was hoping for a recap of the latest episode. I've got withdrawal here!

Be seeing you,

Magnus Darcrider

 

As above. I can't say it's a particularly good episode, but wasted potential or not, it somehow broke my disillusionment with the season up to that point, and I've got to give it credit for that. Mind you, I went in expecting something Runaway-Bride terrible based on prior feedback. You lot saw it with nothing to go on but the episode title, and under those circumstances, ouch.

Magnus, You're far better going into Silence in the Library blind. It's best you discover its many (many) mysteries first-hand. But rest assured it's vintage Moffat, with scares and ingenuity right up there with Blink and The Empty Child. And lucky you - you'll get to watch both parts back-to-back.

 

Yeah, Silence is just... intriguing. I'm so curious to see where it's going. And oh, Magnus: there's a really interesting Time Traveler's Wife-esque thing going on in it too that I think you'll get a big kick out of. I sure did.

 

Alright... Finally, finally getting around to catching up on my Doctor Who - I've got about 10 odd "descriptions" queued up, so I imagine by the end of Sunday I'll have a short list of episodic anecdotes and will start making my way through the last accumulation of spoiler blocks. Thought I'd experience Partners In Crime again, just to get back into the swing of things.

 

Behind in the recaps, but Episode 12...

What the Bloody Hell just happened??

Be seeing you,

Magnus Darcrider