Topic: Doctor Who

[Dragonfire]

Some people have blamed that 3 month break for V on the ratings not being that good.  And the fact that it took so long for the second season to start.

Most shows don't have long breaks in the middle of the seasons.  A few FOX shows had 6 weeks breaks to make room for American Idol a few years ago.  This year, shows got moved to other days or times.  I haven't liked it when there have been these breaks in the seasons.

[goodguy]

Now the big question is

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where did Ganger-Amy come from and why was it right to disintegrate her? Didn't we just spend two rather uninteresting episodes proving that Ganger are people, too?

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It was a bit muddled, but as far as I understood it, "Ganger-Amy" wasn't a Ganger, but a remote body or avatar of the real Amy, made from more advanced Flesh technology. As the Doctor disintegrates the avatar, the real Amy wakes up in her own body.

[Najemikon]

Well, I wasn't quite expecting that. Stupid really, there was a huge stonking clue for anyone paying attention! Excellent episode that could be described as brilliantly written nonsense; I have a feeling Matthias will not appreciate the multiple enemy races the Doctor brings together, threatening as it does to be like the finale of the last season, but it was very well done. River's poem I thought was very poignant and the stabs at humour were great, especially the Stevie Wonder joke. The opening scene was gloriously silly but really sets the mood.

I've said before that I think Steven Moffat runs the risk of losing focus on who the Doctor actually is. It's ironic that his plots rely so much on the characters history as a legendary figure amongst all these alien races, but actually he himself is living off the older stories because he's never tackled, say, a Dalek plan properly. He just has Matt Smith grin and say, "you know who I am" or some derivative and they run away. That's got to run out of steam.

For now though, in tonight's episode I think he brilliantly subverted it. I really liked the idea of the story behind his title, for instance, and the resolution of who River actually is was very satisfying. Like I say though, really should have spotted that!

Oh yes. Alaya from Hungry Earth turns up as a lesbian Samurai sword wielding Victorian crime-fighter, complete with sidekick who doubles as maid and possibly lover. Really. Bear in mind Alaya is a lizard and for all intents, an alien. This set-up is quite frankly a work of genius, more typical of 2000ad than Who, and it's crying out for a spin-off! 

[DJ Doena]

Stupid really, there was a huge stonking clue for anyone paying attention!

Could you point that out?


I really thought the ending was wow. At first I thought

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she is his mother because of the writing on the crib

but this was great as well.

I always knew that one mustn't underestimate The Doctor. He ended the Time War after all.

[Najemikon]

Could you point that out?

Exactly what was revealed:

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"Melody Pond"/"River Song"

I was happy assuming that the girl in the spacesuit was Amy's daughter as soon as the Doctor had discovered the fluctuating pregnancy. I was happy thinking I was wrong, and that maybe the girl was River. Doh! I never linked the two, even when I heard the name "Melody" in the credit trailer last week.

I was happy to be stupid though. The reveal was fantastic...

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I especially liked how it ended so optimistically because the Doctor was giggling so much! At first, because I like you thought River might be his mum, the giggling had a whole different perspective!  But no, thank goodness, they didn't go that crazy.

[goodguy]

It's ironic that his plots rely so much on the characters history as a legendary figure amongst all these alien races, but actually he himself is living off the older stories because he's never tackled, say, a Dalek plan properly.

The thing is, I really like it that way. Those epic battles and proper Dalek plans are fine as background noise and they do inform my view of the Doctor, but I'm happy to only occasionally hear about it - please don't bother me with the details of some pedestrian world domination plot by Daleks or Cybermen. Take for example the Sontarian in this episode: Even if I hadn't seen the S4 episodes with the Sontarians, I would have gotten the general idea about them from this episode. That S4 two-parter was pretty boring, using one of them here as mirror for Rory was interesting.

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I guessed that River was Amy's daughter as soon as Amy was pregnant at the beginning of the season. I'm not convinced that it was River in the spacesuit who shot the Doctor. She would have been there twice, and she carefully avoided that in this episode.

Speculations:

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I don't think Moffat will use the Flesh to explain the second Doctor. I think he will tie it to the universe reset at the end of S5 and Amy's memory bringing the Doctor back. From the Gaiman episode we know that it is possible to be outside the universe, which might have happened to the Doctor during the reset, but he was also quasi re-created by Amy. I'm a bit fuzzy on the details and I have to rewatch those episodes to get a firmer grip.

Random thought: The mention of the papal mainframe (of the headless monks) made me think of River and the Library computer.

[Najemikon]

The thing is, I really like it that way. Those epic battles and proper Dalek plans are fine as background noise and they do inform my view of the Doctor, but I'm happy to only occasionally hear about it - please don't bother me with the details of some pedestrian world domination plot by Daleks or Cybermen. Take for example the Sontarian in this episode: Even if I hadn't seen the S4 episodes with the Sontarians, I would have gotten the general idea about them from this episode. That S4 two-parter was pretty boring, using one of them here as mirror for Rory was interesting.

Well, that's a fair point, especially as the 'Nurse' was extremely funny in this way. "You will be healthy and live a long life until we meet on the field of battle and I will destroy you!"... paraphrasing, but still

The core problem for me is the longer you don't show the Daleks/Cybermen/etc trying, they lose their power to scare. There hasn't been much this season in the way of hide-behind-the-sofa moments, like a Cyberman clonking his way up a street, sucking the brains out of anyone he passes. There was a time when the BBC needed to only use one word to advertise Who, a word that would send a chill up the spine of many a fan.

"EXTERMINATE!!!"

That basic, primal thrill is currently missing in action.

[dfmorgan]

Did you see this report Dr. Who Leak?

[Dragonfire]

I'm all caught up with Doctor Who now...at least with the episodes that have aired on BBC America.  I think I'm still a week behind what has aired in England though.  There wasn't an episode last week.  I watched the 2 episodes with the Gangers today. 

They were interesting...especially how the second one ended.  Holy crap..I wasn't expecting that. 

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Now, where the heck is Amy and how did she get there...how long has she been there?  I'm thinking maybe since sometime in the story from the first and second episode...there was that 3 month jump between the episodes, and they were all off alone learning about the Silence.  Before that, Amy told the Doctor she was pregnant..when she was back, she said she wasn't.  But I'm guessing here.  Hopefully I'll find out after the next episode.

Now I'm impatient for the next episode....must not click the spoilers above...   
The promo thing said the next episode is the last one before the summer break...grumble grumble.  I don't want a summer break, I want more episodes.

[goodguy]

I don't want a summer break, I want more episodes.

Well, there will be Torchwood: Miracle Day soon. Not quite the same, but the premise sounds interesting. And I have to admit that Davies did rather well with Children of the Earth, so I'm definitely curious.

[Dragonfire]

Except  don't get the station that is going to air the new Torchwood here. 

[goodguy]

Ah, sorry. I assumed it would be on BBC America as well. But not only is it on Starz, it even is a "Starz Original Series", putting it in the questionable company of Spartacus, Camelot and the likes. How did that happen?

[Dragonfire]

I don't know.  I did read about the move a few month ago..after I got hooked on Who and Torchwood.  I also read that the new one is going to be set in Los Angeles.

[Dragonfire]

I've now watched the last episode ...A Good Man Goes to War.

Holy shit. 

I so did not see that coming.  I'm still trying to wrap my brain around it...and what it means for previous episodes.  Now I really want season 5 so I can watch a few certain ones again. 

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I never, ever though of River being Amy's daughter.  Wow.  I need to see the first few episodes of the season again now..I can't remember the exact sequence of a few things.  But I do remember seeing a young girl wondering around alone...and at one point that...energy or whatever from the TARDIS is shown coming from her.  I did think that might be Amy's daughter after all the hinting at the pregnancy..and in the second episode I think it was there was a picture of Amy..I think she was holding a baby.  So I did figure even before finding out for sure that Amy had a daughter at some point.  I did start thinking that the person in the spacesuit from the first episode who shot the Doctor might be Amy's daughter....I also thought it might be River.  I remember her saying at one point that she had killed the best man she ever knew and that's why she was in prison.  So I did think it was possible she was in the spacesuit.  I never thought that the daughter and River would be the same person.  I'm liking it though. 

I loved how the Doctor started giggling like an idiot when he figured it out.

After seeing this episode, I'm really irked about the break in the season..I want a new episode again next week.  And I want some ..clarification on a few things.

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The whole time line thing between River and the Doctor still confuses me at times.  Her past is his future..I think.  That's confusing enough at times.  Now I'm wondering for how long did River know she was actually Melody?  The first time she "met" Amy in season 5 - in the episode with the Weeping Angels - did she know then that Amy is her mother?  I can't remember how she reacted to meeting Amy now.

I'm also wondering about a few other things too....

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I'm guessing the whole bit with the Doctor dying is going to be dealt with by the end of the season...after the stupid break.  There's got to be some sort of catch there...I just can't figure it out yet.  I thought that maybe it was a Ganger Doctor..or Flesh of some sort.  Though all the Flesh ...beings or avatars or whatever just sort of turn into a pool of goo.  The Doctor's body stayed there when he was shot.  So it wasn't Flesh..unless he found an even more advanced version of it.  I'm thinking it is a double of some sort.  Though I don't know if any kind of double would start to regenerate though.   I don't think it is the real Doctor though..he mentions being 200 years older.  I don't think the Doctor has spent that long in one form before..though I could be wrong.  Hmmmm.

That's all for now..I'm still trying to figure some other things out. 

But the episode was really good.

[Dragonfire]

The new episodes started last night on BBC America.  I watched the new episode, plus there were some specials about the series on, talking about the companions and monsters that I watched too. 

I really enjoyed the episode.  It does answer some questions...and raise new ones.  There are connections to things that have been established in previous episodes.  I think the story is progressing well..and opening up all kinds of interesting possibilities.

So I really enjoyed the episode..and I'm glad the Doctor is back with more episodes.   

Have the new episodes started in England again yet?