Maelstrom

Another beautifully executed makeup from Dina this week. She's officially joined Laura and Anthony in my personal hall of faves, with her sleek sculpts and beautiful use of color. Cig's was the next best put-together makeup, though I'm with Neville - I didn't like Cig's literal take on the yeti/ape thing at all. Even though I like both George and Drew - they both seem like nice guys with some talent - I thought both of their makeups were equally dreadful this week (too much to do and not enough time). But all things being equal, I would've gone with George for the finale just because I enjoy him and his sense of humor so damn much. Next week should be interesting, what with the jousting and all.

This interview about season 1 from Collider is several months old now, but still a fun read for anyone who hasn't seen it. Does it make me unforgivably old-fashioned to say that I have "darker, edgier" fatigue, and that I liked the first season being more family-friendly? Ah well. As long as season 2 doesn't change quality-wise, I'm still in!

I've never seen any of the episodes with Clara and Eleven (except for the Christmas episode with the killer mutant snow goons), so I wasn't aware of that promise to always get her back on time. However, with all of the previous decades of Doctor Who history involving the Doctor missing the time and place he was aiming for (sometimes quite spectacularly), Clara's frustration over the matter will continue to bug me. Unfair on my part, perhaps, I just have no patience for her anymore. Hey, Clara, at least he didn't get you back a year too late when everyone thinks you're dead. Just ask Rose how much that sucked.

Yes! That was my other favorite line of the night. Thank you! (How could I have forgotten?!) Still don't know or care what's up with Missy. Whatever, show, it's not going to make any sense anyway so I'm not going to waste brainpower on it.

The good: this was the first episode of the season that really felt like Doctor Who to me. Moffs is finally letting Twelve develop his own personality beside old and grumpy. Capaldi had just the right amount of snark and exuberance that always says Doctor to me. The Tiny Tardis was fun, and Twelve *finally* got his Bad Damn Hero moment at the end. About time! The bad: Clara. If I never have to watch her again, it'll be too soon. If this episode had come earlier in the season I might have been able to get on board with Clara, to some degree at least. But I'm sick of her dismissiveness of the Doctor, sick of her and Danny, and sick of her having to save the day every. damn. episode. WTF of the Week: Clara getting pissy about the Doctor not getting her home at the exact second she ordered him to - um, Clara, have you ever met the Doctor before? You're lucky he got you to the right island on the right day. Though I did love the line "these readings look very ish-y." I'll have to use that in real life sometime. Overall, an enjoyable episode. Which is the highest praise I've given all season.

Yes! Dina's elegant and aesthetically-balanced makeups remind me of Laura's work, and Anthony's too. I'm definitely pulling for her to win this season. I'll begrudgingly admit Cig is talented (his fairy really impressed me) but the aforementioned affectations (clothing, hats, etc) just irk me. Also, Caps of Tweeness is an awesome phrase. Thank you for that. ;) So true! It's been such a welcome change to have truly creative challenges that haven't all been centered around monsters and gore. It's made this season the first I've unequivocally enjoyed in a long while. I noticed that, too. She just stood there looking bored. I seem to recall seeing her do that before, though I don't believe she's been used as frequently as some of the others - and no wonder. Sometimes the model can make or break a makeup. Would I still remember RJ's bellhop from season 2 if Landon the model hadn't gotten so into ringing the bell on his hat and decorated Ve with lingerie? Doubtful. (Also - hee. The memory of that still makes me laugh).

Poor Stella. I think she still had some good work in her, but tonight was definitely not her night. And two weeks before the finale is a bad time to have an off-night. The oil slick fairy just missed the mark, too. Lois's comment about putting black around the eyes was a great idea (it hadn't even crossed my mind until she mentioned it). The whole look left something to be desired. Never thought I'd say it, but Cig won me over tonight. His ice fairy was a beautiful, fully-finished look, and the wings were fantastic. Good on both he and George for actually stepping outside of their horror comfort zones. I love it when the contestants try something so radically different from what they know or are used to, and come out with a wonderful makeup. Though George was lucky to pick Megan, she's the best model by far. And Dina as always did beautiful work, especially considering her color scheme was muddy brown. Dina damn well better be in the finale, and I suspect Cig will be, too. Depending on how next week goes it could be a real toss-up for either George or Drew in the last spot.

On a shallow note, can Capaldi wear that tux every episode? Because if he's not going to get any decent material to work with, at least he can look damn good not doing anything. Perfect summary! Next week: Clara realizes the TARDIS is more than a police box... Don't worry, I'm right alongside you beating that dead horse until someone at the BBC takes notice. I'm so damn sick of Clara I can barely stand to watch. In fact, if I wasn't a fan of Capaldi (and what Twelve could be, if we had a decent head writer) I would have stopped watching weeks ago. That's funny, because mine was, "Damn, does that mean lame angsty teen werewolves are going to show up next?" (and I don't mean the Tooth and Claw werewolves) Martha may have left with her skin intact, but having the memories of a year of torment, exile and death - as well as what her family went through - isn't exactly getting off scot-free. JMO Very astute observation and one of the reasons I can't stand Moffatt's cheap bag of tricks. Once you know his cheats, they're so obvious and lazy as to be insulting. And I'd say it was the closest we've gotten to getting a look inside this Doctor's head since he took over. Which is pretty sad after 8 episodes. Overall, I'm with everyone else: better ep tonight, but it's not saying much. The focus needs to shift away from Clara the show-eater back to the Doctor. I really want to be as excited about this show as I was during the Eccleston and Tennant years, but it's a challenge just to get through an episode for me these days.

I've always assumed it depends on how long the introduction where Mackenzie lays out the challenge takes to film/produce - traveling to a location, filming, then back to the lab would have to eat up a good amount of Day 1 compared to doing the intro in the lab (like last night's ep). Maybe it's a combination of practical and union rules. *shrugs*

Dina's was gorgeous! The shells, the colors, the details contrasted with the simple elegance… perfect! It's so refreshing to see a contestant on this show lean toward beauty makeups instead of monsters and gore. If she can keep up the good work she'll join Laura and Anthony as one of my all-time favorites. I do think Sasha has some real talent, but it got lost along the way this season. I'm so glad George is still around, despite some recent duds - he's just too damn funny to lose. I've said before that I don't care for Cig's work, but I really didn't see what was so great about his makeup tonight. I could see every single edge! Glad Lois dinged him on the shoulder poofs. And thank you show for the lack of monsters this year! It's been quite refreshing.

That was the longest 60 minutes of my life. And I've officially gone from not liking Clara to actively hating her. I'm so sorry this is the dreck that Capaldi gets stuck with. Is it too late to get him back as the Cardinal on Musketeers? YES. To every single thing you've said, Llywela. As the saying goes, lots of sound and fury signifying nothing. This ep reminded me of Fires of Pompeii too, as well as Waters of Mars. Which reminded me how great those episodes were, and how awful this one was, and how I'd much rather be watching either of those instead of this travesty. Personally, I think Donna makes everything better. I'd love to have her back for Twelve, or even someone who brings the same dynamics to the show and the Doctor. Because Clara his not cutting it. (For the record, I didn't get the abortion parallel while watching either, but in hindsight it seems pretty obvious). YES. I really wish they hadn't cancelled Doctor Who in favor of The Awesome Adventures of Perfect Clara Being Awesome show. Since when have we known the Doctor to not have an opinion on any given topic? Having him abstain from a vote felt 100% out of character to me.

Wasn't it Stella who had the female minotaur?

What a fun challenge! Nice to see them step outside of the horror makeup box this season. Next week's concept looks interesting, too. LOVED Drew's emo faun - he really nailed that. Clearly Glenn was the right choice for inspiration. And I loved the model's angsty "don't touch me" when he and Drew walked back from the judges. I'm surprised Dina's band geek goblin wasn't a top look, I thought it was pretty good. Also surprised that Sasha was safe, since she totally blew the concept. She's done some makeups I've really liked in the past, but if she keeps flopping they're going to have to cut her loose. Though I'm sorry to see Raechel go, I'm very relieved George is still around - he's one of my favorites this year.

Lisa: I am the Lizard Queen!

As for the PE teacher thing, my crazy brain figured the Doctor went with that because, like me, he hates PE and assumes someone he dislikes would have to teach PE. #itmadesenseinmyhead

I sat on this overnight so I wouldn't jump on here all full of vitriol… but my thoughts on this ep haven't changed. I don't know what I watched, but it sure as hell wasn't Doctor Who. More adventures of Clara's dating life, watching Clara "teach" (and is it me or is she the crappiest teacher ever?) watching the Doctor and Mickey, I mean Danny have an episode-long pissing contest, Clara as always being the only voice of reason and wisdom, I hate to go on. I do know it was the longest 42 minutes I've sat through in a long time. I also had a tougher-than normal time understanding the dialogue, and normally I do OK. Then I got to thinking - I haven't watched this show regularly, every week, since Donna's season (2008? 2009?) so maybe my American ears are just out of practice. Agreed. The writing gives PC nothing to work with here. And I wholeheartedly agree that he had more to work with in Fires of Pompeii than he has in all six (right?) episodes of this season so far. Makes me so sad. Bolded because Yes!! That's exactly what bugs me about Moff's writing - he'll sacrifice everything from character history to common sense to the friggin' intelligence of his audience just for a cheap laugh. Guess what, Moff? I'm not laughing. And if I want mindless comedy, I'll watch a sitcom. All episode I kept thinking that Ten had no trouble fitting in at Krillotane High when he went undercover with Rose, Mickey and Sarah Jane. So WTH was going on with Twelve here? I know it's supposed to be because Twelve is a different man, blah blah blah. But I didn't get that from the episode. Which is another fail for Moff. I truly hope Moffs leaves very, very soon and takes Clara with him - I'd hate for this dreck to be Capaldi's legacy as Twelve. ETA: Yeah, I'd love to know where this came from, and more importantly, why? Especially since the reboot has made mention more than once that the Doctor's companions tend to end up as soldiers after their time with him.

Glad to see Sasha get her act together again - I thought the clown doll was just the right amount of creepy without being gory or gross. (Seriously Show, I eat supper while I watch you, so please lay off the spiders and cockroaches and water-logged corpses from now on, 'kay?) When she's on point I love seeing what she comes up with, as she tends to think outside of the horror box this show likes to live in. Also happy Dina did well again, being as she's been one of my favorites from the premiere. Most of all I'm relieved George was safe this week despite a meh makeup because, as others have said, he's just so much damn fun to watch. Is it wrong to hope the shorty shorts turn up again before the season's over? He's awesome. The other makeups were mostly forgettable, though I would've guessed the other Spider guy would go home. Don't know why. I still don't think as much of Cig as Cig does, so I'm glad he didn't win (but I did have to chuckle when he joked about having actually learned something about himself during this challenge). Glenn actually laughed during the clowns' routine! Before the Judge's challenge, I never would've thought him capable of it. After seven seasons, his tough guy facade may finally be crumbling.

Agreed. Same here. I thought both characters had interesting backstories, and enjoyed their rapport with the Doctor. And agreed that we definitely need a full-time companion again. This part-time crap just doesn't cut it. And I'd love to see companions from a non-modern era. Please oh please oh please let it end!

Finally, a good episode! Nothing outstanding, just a good old-fashioned adventure, but I enjoyed this one a lot - it's the first episode of the year that entertained me without aggravating me to no end. The Doctor finally got to be the Doctor instead of Clara's crazy sidekick. And I really liked Sy and Sabra, and am glad they weren't killed off. Can they be the new Companions? Please? I'd be all for that. Clara's annoyingness was at a minimum, at least after the opening scene ("Sorry time-travelling alien, I can't go for a ride in your time machine right now because I'd rather go on another awkward date here on boring Earth with a human coworker. Smell ya later!") And the Doctor saved not only the Teller, but its entire race. Yay Doctor!

Glad Dina won (despite some missteps she's been one of my favorites this season), and especially glad that Cig's didn't. I'm sorry, I'm just not a fan of his work or his crazy hats. Too bad Stella didn't keep the helmet, it I think would've added to the makeup. I figured one of the Manic Panic girls would be going, and I think they made the right choice - Rachel saved herself by admitting hers wasn't very good. I was glad they saved Sasha last week, since she's done some pretty cool pieces in the past, but she needs to get her act together pronto. I don't think they'll save her another week. (Perhaps she's contracted Miranda's Whine-itis after Miranda's return to the studio the other week?) Mini-rant alert: why did all the of the female soldier characters have their long flowing locks loose?! That shit's gonna get in the way! Loose hair that should be tied back is one of my pet peeves for some reason - probably because I have long hair and know exactly how often it gets in the way if I don't pull it back. It always bugs me on So You THink You Can Dance, too. How are they supposed to dance with all that hair in the way?! [ /rant] Now that I know Glenn is a secret cat-lovin' softie (yay Glenn!) I feel kind of bad making fun of his hair. Good thing the makeups were more or less entertaining this week, so I didn't have to resort to snarking on his hair to entertain myself.

Same here. The Musketeers lost Cardinal Richelieu for Who, so I feel obligated to keep watching for Capaldi. But thanks to Moffatt's Moffatyness, it's going to be more of a chore than a pleasure.

Wow. OK, let me say something nice to start off - Twelve (finally) got to show off a bit of personality tonight, which I really liked. Capaldi's really starting to find his groove as the Doctor, and I found his performance quite enjoyable. Loved his stealing the guy's coffee, and protests against the hug. As for the rest, I don't even know what to say. Just when I was thinking that maybe Moffatt's writing wouldn't be so bad this season, I get this steaming pile of crap. Really, Clara goes to Gallifrey (isn't it time-locked? or something?) discovers kidDoctor's Big Fear of the dark, plants the idea of perfect hiding/unseen companion into his mind for the next few millennia, possibly gives a shared nightmare of the thing under the bed to the entire human race (or something? I guess? frankly my brain gave up by that point), meets kidDanny and a future descendent of Danny, orders the Doctor around on his own TARDIS(!) and still manages to get back to salvage her date with nowDanny? REALLY, Moffatt? What did the Doctor accomplish tonight in comparison - discovered he likes coffee, and… I'm drawing a blank. Or maybe I've already started to repress this episode in my memory. Sadly, I think we all know the answer to that. Yes and yes. Or should I say, YES and YES! Yup, same here. Moffat's whole "scary creature who does something scary when your back is turned/you can't see it" concept has been beaten into the ground, cloned, and cannibalized by now. Weeping Angels, Silents, Vashta Narada, etc etc etc. It's less interesting each time IMO. Yeah, I got nothing. If this is how the rest of the season is going to be, it's going to be harder to stick it out for Capaldi than I thought. And for the record, I've never had that hand grabbing you from under the bed nightmare. Though when I was a kid I was terrified by nightmares of a giant moose peering into my (second-story) bedroom window. But I digress.

Yes to this. BookEffie was consistently unlikeable throughout all three books. MovieEffie has been far more relatable and sympathetic - the reaping scene in CF really got to me, too. Agreed that JM made a dynamite Johanna. I'm thrilled that we'll likely get to see more of her and Peeta's story in the Capitol - it'd be stupid not to include more of that. Which leads me what I've always disliked about Mockingjay, and why it's my least favorite book. IMO it seemed that Katniss' story was by far the least interesting one. I always felt that all of the good stuff was happening elsewhere - in the Capitol, with the rebel masterminds, anywhere but where Katniss was. Especially considering she's sick, catatonic, or just plain out of her mind for a good portion of the book. YMMV, of course. But I've no doubt the movie(s) could even out the weaknesses of the novel's structure - giving Johanna, Peeta, and Effie, to name a few, larger roles as the promos seem to indicate is a good sign of this. As for Finnick, I think someone over on the old forum said it best - that BookFinnick is so handsome, charismatic, suave, cunning and witty that no single actor could ever capture all of that. I've always thought of Finnick as several different characters (perhaps personas is a better word). There is Playboy Finnick, flirting with (at?) Katniss over sugar cubes at their first meeting, playing the handsome charmer all over the Capitol. In the arena, there is Survivor Finnick, who is shrewd, cunning and calculating, who makes Katniss wonder if she'll have to kill him in his sleep. In D13, there is Wounded Finnick, an intensely vulnerable and damaged person whom Katniss finally, truly befriends. (Their bonding scenes in the first half of Mockingjay are some of my favorite parts of the book - hopefully the movie won't skimp on them). And finally there is the real Finnick, the one who marries Annie and seems like a decent guy. I thought that SC did well enough as Playboy Finnick - he's not the most charismatic actor out there IMO, but he did better than I expected. He worked better as Survivor Finnick, and I enjoyed the new dynamics he brought out with Peeta and Katniss in the arena. Time will tell how he does in Mockingjay.

Echoing methodwriter - EB has made Effie so much more human than bookEffie ever could've been, it's been a joy to watch the character's journey. I've suspected since I first read Mockingjay that Effie would take the preps' place in District 13 in the film. It would certainly have far more of an impact, since audiences have had more of a chance to get attached to Effie during the first two movies.

Enjoyed this one a lot more than the previous two episodes - IMO it felt closer to the fun adventures I loved during Nine and Ten's eras. I even liked Clara a couple of times ("both of you shut up!") though I agree with the general sentiment that the Doctor's character was sacrificed to make Clara look better. Boo-urns. I have to confess that whenever Robin Hood was onscreen I thought of Mel Brooks' Men in Tights (probably not what they were going for), and kept getting pulled out of the episode. Was I the only one waiting for Rabbi Tuckman to show up? I was just glad it was only a brief mention and nothing more (i.e. no Missy). What can I say, my expectations in the Moffatt-era are low.