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Doctor Who - Warning, Spoilers!

I thought that was the best episode so far.
I've read reviews that are more or less panning the whole thing, as bad as Love and Monsters of the sand boogers one. I don't get the dislike - this had pace, character, space, plot, alien, almost perfect Who.
8/10 good episode.
 
I saw a review that compared it to Midnight (limited set, cast, thumping, intruder alien, and even stethoscoping a spaceship!) , and I realized I had never seen it, so found a copy to watch on the intertubes. David Tennant over-emotes something rotten, but that was a great episode.
 

TexLaw

Fussy Evil Genius
I liked the episode. It wasn't great, but it certainly wasn't bad, and it was fun. It was loaded with clichés, but that's Doctor Who for you. The comparison to Midnight is a good one, although its a classic premise throughout time. We don't know where we are or how we got there or who these other people are (except for the one that's famous), and the ship is out of control, and there's an invulnerable monster on board that is destroying the ship literally piece by piece, but that only matters if the bomb doesn't go off first, and we're trapped, and we gotta figure out how to get out alive! In the middle of all hell breaking loose, what more could possibly happen??? Why, somebody is gonna have a baby! Can the Doctor save us all??? Stay tuned and find out!

It's pretty much comical, downright corny, and classic Doctor Who.

I liked the pace, too. They slowed it down, but the only time it felt slow was when Ryan and Yas were in the hall. The writers are having a tough time getting backstory in without stopping everything else and resorting to blatant exposition. That lack of elegance is getting tiresome.

On the other hand, when the show paused to allow The Doctor to wax romantically about the antimatter drive, that was absolutely delightful. Some of the best moments are when we see how The Doctor still has a strong sense of wonder about the universe.
 

oc_in_fw

Fridays are Fishtastic!
I saw a review that compared it to Midnight (limited set, cast, thumping, intruder alien, and even stethoscoping a spaceship!) , and I realized I had never seen it, so found a copy to watch on the intertubes. David Tennant over-emotes something rotten, but that was a great episode.
I just recently rewatched Midnight. It is in my top 5 episodes. I know that the creature only knocked twice at a time (until it started mimicking The Doctor), but I have wondered if there was some unspoken tie in with The Master.
 
I just recently rewatched Midnight. It is in my top 5 episodes. I know that the creature only knocked twice at a time (until it started mimicking The Doctor), but I have wondered if there was some unspoken tie in with The Master.
I liked it better than Blink.
Didn't the Doctor knock 4 times first?

Also just rewatched Planet of the Ood and followed up with Stolen Earth and Journey's End. All great.
 
I liked the pace, too. They slowed it
On the other hand, when the show paused to allow The Doctor to wax romantically about the antimatter drive, that was absolutely delightful. Some of the best moments are when we see how The Doctor still has a strong sense of wonder about the universe.
That was indeed a wonderful moment
 

TexLaw

Fussy Evil Genius
Midnight is one of those episodes that I loved the first time I saw it, then didn't care for very much for a little while, and then came back to love again.
 

oc_in_fw

Fridays are Fishtastic!
I liked it better than Blink.
Didn't the Doctor knock 4 times first?

Also just rewatched Planet of the Ood and followed up with Stolen Earth and Journey's End. All great.
I also liked it more than a Blink. In Midnight, the creature banged twice several different times. Then the Doctor banged 3 times, and it answered with 3. I believe 4 was also done.
 
I agree. Great episode.
But I am still on the fence with her portrayal of the Doctor. To me it is a bit weak. However, it takes each actor time to get the hang of it and come into their own with the character, and I'm willing to give her that time if they keep doing episodes like this.
 
I had the opposite reaction. I found the episode kind of boring and was surfing the internet and watching passively by around the half way point. More and more I'm finding her portrayal as kind of weak and/or missing something. I'm hoping that they don't fall into the rut where there is too much focus on the companions where the Doctor is a co-star or supporting player.
 
I also found the episode not holding my attention. It wasn't bad but for me I want the Doctor to be out there outsmarting aliens and solving problems not observing history.

I think Jodi was stronger this week but the over use of the sonic screwdriver is getting old.
 

TexLaw

Fussy Evil Genius
I very much enjoyed this episode. I liked the pace, and I never was bored or distracted. However, the Doctor is does seem to be along for the ride.
 
Personally, I'm a little annoyed that it's another episode focused on social/political issues. On modern/recent Earth again! If they'd had a few more episodes in between that were less obvious about it I wouldn't mind this particular episode, but this season is getting a bit preachy.

Also, something in that episode really bugged me. How the heck did nobody figure out cause of death for the religious guy? At first they think the aliens poisoned him or something else exotic, then the aliens have to show the Doctor that he was shot with a regular rifle. I'm sorry, that should have been very obvious to anyone that even briefly looked at the body. For none of them, including the Doctor, to figure that out is completely unbelievable.
 

TexLaw

Fussy Evil Genius
Also, something in that episode really bugged me. How the heck did nobody figure out cause of death for the religious guy?

That bugged me, too, not to mention that someone would have heard the crack of a rifle shot. That's not the only glaring, nonsensical oversight the writing has left hanging out there.

I did not at all mind the social commentary in this episode. In fact, I enjoyed the way they worked it into the story more elegantly than other episodes. Of course, that isn't saying much, since those were flat out ham handed.

Again, I am enjoying this season, but the writing needs some serious work.
 

Doc4

Stumpy in cold weather
Staff member
Personally, I'm a little annoyed that it's another episode focused on social/political issues. On modern/recent Earth again! If they'd had a few more episodes in between that were less obvious about it I wouldn't mind this particular episode, but this season is getting a bit preachy.

Bold prediction ... it ain't gonna end anytime soon. It's just going to get worse.
 
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