Sea Devils And Die: GeroniMoffat's Doctor Who In The 2010s

otm

there's a moment in ghost light when you can practically see him thinking 'I AM ANGRY I AM ANGRY' and just sort of hissing like the world's most pissweak cobra

I mean, I get that "Time and the Rani" is objectively terrible, but it's also incredibly hilarious in spots, particularly the Rani's ultra-mean, teeth-grinding imitation of Mel

the nub of the problem is that they chose to cast someone whose great talent was ~playing spoons~ as a powerful and dynamic lord of all space and time

xp yeah, there are definitely some inspired moments in that story (at least on paper)

I will say, though, that the racism reveal in "Remembrance of the Daleks" and the way Sophie Aldred played Ace's reaction was great, possibly the best moment in the 7th Doctor's televised tenure

That Doctor worked so much better in print.

yeah, mccoy was so incredibly great when he wasn't there

hahaha

McCoy onscreen >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Baker, C. onscreen*


* Colin is fantastic with a good audio script (and Ridgway/Colin was basically my era of DWM)

That only makes sense to me if you judge CBaker solely by "The Twin Dilemma" and "Timelash"

I've never rewatched a Colin episode, but I remember my slow-dawning, relieved enjoyment of Sylvester on his arrival (and then my outright delight that the whole show was GOOD again with the first episode of Remembrance)

^^^

I love Vengeance on Varos a lot

http://www.bustedtees.com/boovsangel

In a shocking conclusion, I actually really liked that. But then I love The Romans, so I'm perfectly happy with Doctor Who doing straight comedy.

Oswin series arc not so much. I hope she turns out to be the other last of the Jaggeroth.

i am encouraged by yr positive review aldo! :)

Oh awesome; Richard E Grant is in this

I thought that was one of the better Christmas specials -- but I was really impressed by the opening credits sequence - I hope that's the new one going forward!

Clara/Oswin is smug & boring to me. I'd much rather the episode had revolved around Madame Vastra and Jenny. I loved the new credit sequence though.

That was really quite good!
Love Strax as comic relief sidekick...and I quite like Clara/Oswin! Can I just call her Ozma

Strax scenes were best, otherwise I thought this was pretty middling. Grant was wasted imo.

Grant wasted, but so was that storyline (ideas were there but it was never given the chance to become it's own thing). I thought this was pretty great though, and not just because of the new titles and the new Tardis. Was genuinely surprised how much I thought Clara really popped with the Doctor. Kind of bummed that we aren't going to get a Victorian-era companion, but if she can translate that same spirit I'm looking forward to it.

I was really impressed by the opening credits sequence - I hope that's the new one going forward!

I understand this is the new one for the 50th anniversary year, same with new TARDIS

Looks good

Clara is smug, but in a show that's had River and Amy in it that's an odd criticism to make as she's barely 10% as smug as them. Maybe that's just the way Moffatt writes women characters.

Some theories circulating already that Clara is the living embodiment of the show - born on November 23rd, died twice, the second time at 26. More of a stretch is that her initials are C/OO. Serial C was Inside The Spaceship and Serial OO was the Ice Warriors. In yesterday's episode she tries to escape from the ice warrior inside the spaceship...

New theme tune sounds like it's been Trevor Horned (in a good way).

Thought that episode was very Whedon-esque -- Strax is basically a Buffy character, isn't he? The resolution was wank with a capital cock, but otherwise jolly good.

Oh -- also the SFX were unusually craptastic (another tribute?) but I actually rather preferred them that way.

SFX were fine except ice lady, who was terrible, but looked intentionally / endearingly so

Some theories circulating already that Clara is the living embodiment of the show

they already did this with Amy though

Amy is the living embodiment of everything though.

I thought this was pretty great and I otherwise haven't really enjoyed an episode of Doctor Who this year. Part of that might just have been that I was really tired of the Ponds, they'd run their course ages ago and Amy's storyline was a complete mess by the end.

I'm liking Clara so far, although bummed out they killed the Victorian version, I was hoping for a companion not from present-day Britain. The cemetary scene at the end was a bit Sally Sparrow. Moffatt's tendency to over-elaborate and over-conceptualise companion story arcs is one of his worst traits though and I hope this one doesn't turn out to be a similar mess. Maybe there'll be a different Clara in each episode?

Can someone explain the deal with the Doctor's Sontaran buddy? I don't think I've seen him before although I may have missed an episode somewhere along the line.

Appeared in A Good Man Goes To War, same as Mme Vastra & Jenny - presumably they save his life after that and he hangs out with them since, under an onus.

Enjoyed it a lot, best xmas special to date I reckon. Agree with everyone that the new title sequence is great (loved his face appearing!), and that Victorian Clara had a lot more promise than meta-arc Clara.

def got Sally Sparrow vibes from some of the Clara scenes -- maybe that's why I like her so much?

I think that's why I dislike her so much to be honest -- I'd rather have a new companion that wasn't made up of so many recycled tropes. I'd rather have a character that is interesting in their own right and not because of some overarching story arc or another timey wimey mystery.

that's understandable. I think I always feel that way when the show's not on the air and then as soon as I watch all my expectations go out the window, lol

I don't want to give the impression that I hated this, because I didn't. Just some quibbles. Anything with Ian McKellen shouting can't be all bad.

I wanted to bring up a spoilery point but I've not posted on a DW thread before...perhaps since this was the first one I've seen in real time. Anyhow, whats the policy? I'd hate to offend terribly.

As long as it's about something from an episode that's been broadcast in the UK you'll be fine. Some people get a bit arsey about discussing coming soon and next time trailers though.

I'd rather have a character that is interesting in their own right and not because of some overarching story arc or another timey wimey mystery.

This. I liked original Dalek Oswin because she was a tech genius. Well, I guess now all her incarnations are geniuses but that alone should have been enough really.

Alright episode - kind of tired of evil alien things feeding off human emotions or thoughts too. just think about love/tell the alien thing you're its mum!

i really hope Clara dies in every episode? which sounds kind of weird, as I actually liked the character, but the idea of a companion who the doctor comes to find in a bunch of different times, and who he can never save (but then maybe she... saves herself??) is kind of nifty.

on the other hand, i really wish there were fewer emotions happening here.

I know Grant wasn't awesome but I really did enjoy him nonethless...he does that flat-affect misanthrope so well, I got a little hint of Withnail in some of it. Or maybe it's just me being a fangirl, I suppose i see withnail in everything he does :/

Wikipedia confirmed it, but my thought was that the Great Intelligence was the same creature as in the Abominable Snowmen... thought that was cool, though it seemed more of a nod than anything

i really hope Clara dies in every episode?

Oh my god, they killed Clara! You bastards!

lol

exactlyyyyyyyyyy

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_llbnv0bfkN1qe7olko1_500.jpg

my thought was that the Great Intelligence was the same creature as in the Abominable Snowmen...

This was heavily underlined with the last Vastra/Jenny exchange, if you'd missed the lunchbox lampshade earlier.

Continuity problem though - he says the lunchbox is from 67, and the line the Web Of Fear is on doesn't open until 68. UNIT dating be dawned, Web of Fear is in 1975 (40 years after The Abominable Snowman from the dialogue).

I also thought (hoped?) that her dying every story despite best efforts at saving would be a neat plot point, and then I thought, well, Rory's already done that, and I don't really need any more excuses for emo Doctor every episode.

Quite liked the special but reserve the right to complain about everything in it later in the series when I'm sick of whichever bits turn out to be the new recurring tropey-wopey thing.

haha v true

Continuity problem though - he says the lunchbox is from 67, and the line the Web Of Fear is on doesn't open until 68.

dude it could just get the IDEA of using the underground from the map, and then look at a new one once it actually comes back and invades the tunnels, I'm sure there'd be one on the wall

this was pretty cool, although I am already tired of the mysteriously dying companion

well, not tired of her personality, just tired of her dying

it's not the same when it isn't Rory