DanaK

Catching up on the ratings: Overnight was 4.19 million viewers Consolidated (overnights, 7+ days, 4 screens and such): 5.38 million viewers Appreciation Index: 77 25th most watched program for the week

Another thing I really loved in this episode was the reactions of the Judoon, especially the Captain. Their little huffs and puffs and shocked and puzzled reactions throughout were an absolute delight. Great animatronic and voice work ETA: Also, the shot of the lighthouse and the camera swirling around it as the Doctor steps outside at the top BTW, RuthDoc didn’t say she didn’t recognize the sonic, just that someone smart didn’t need it and she was pretty disdainful of it. So don’t try to place her just because of that

https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/jo-martin-first-black-doctor-21373790 Per the Mirror, Chibnall says Ruth is not a phony Doctor or a trick or from a parallel universe

I’m not entirely convinced, until we hear more, that we should be so focused on Ruth’s Tardis looking like our Tardis from the outside as a way to place her in the chronology. It may be misdirection or just done for shock value

I’m thinking Gat’s appearance makes this whole thing somewhat sticker. She also seemed to be from the past because she also didn’t recognize WhitDoc or Gallifrey’s destruction. Her words and manner also suggested a rather militaristic Gallifrey. Classic watchers, reading the history of the Classic era suggests the Time Lords generally had a hands off policy and didn’t want to get involved in things. Am I remembering this right? The history stuff also suggests that further into the past, the Time Lords engaged more and fought wars. There also seem to be suggestions that the creation of Gallifrey and the Time Lords is shrouded in mystery and legend. So Ruth and Gat together suggests they are from earlier than the 1st Doctor or an alternate time line or universe. I think WhitDoc needs more info from RuthDoc On a different matter, Jack said that the Alliance has sent something to the past, suggesting this present, I think in order to help fight the Cybermen. I wonder how that will play into things?

Some favorite bits: - Everything with Jack and the companions, but especially when he enters into the scene. I was pretty much cheering because it was so unexpected - The Doctor walking back to her Tardis at the end looking shellshocked - That whole sequence where the Doctor unburies the Tardis and Ruth breaks the glass and gets her memories back. The music was fantastic - The sequences in the car with the Doctor questioning Ruth I have to say, for whatever reason, I keep doubting Chibnall would go this deep into an arc and possibly the show's lore (I've never seen anything else he's written, other than Broadchurch and a few previous Doctor Who episodes). So he has surprised me with this arc. I keep thinking he wouldn't do this or that and he keeps surprising me. I totally didn't expect him to bring back Jack.

There are so many questions this episode raised. Jack talked about several things, number one being the lone Cyberman, but also some Alliance he was working for or with (that's possibly from the future), along with a few other tidbits he dropped Ruth used to work for Gat and if they were all Gallifreyan, it appears it maybe had something to do with the military. Our Doctor refused to go into the military as a young man because of his pacifist beliefs and instead chose the Timelord Academy. But Ruth apparently went into the military or similar thing and was forced to continue to work for Gat or something where one can't leave easily. Also Ruth is more easily violent than our Doctor and seems to have more martial skills, so she was trained for force in some way. And Gat and Ruth didn't know about Gallifrey's current destruction, but I'm not clear if they knew about the previous destruction Lots of stuff to parse through

Another Radio Times interview with Barrowman, probably just a longer version of the one I posted previously https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2020-01-26/how-doctor-who-brought-john-barrowmans-captain-jack-back-to-the-tardis/

From Radio Times, Barrowman faked a home renovation to cover his time in Cardiff (but then ended up really doing a renovation) https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2020-01-26/john-barrowman-fake-renovation-doctor-who/ The fanbase is really going berserk over this episode, mostly in a good way Location filming tidbit: They really did film in Gloucester, especially in and around the Cathedral, though I don't know where else they filmed

I loved that the companions called the Doctor out on her behavior. She finally came somewhat clean to them at the beginning. She also knows something isn't quite right with the things that are happening and feels something is coming for her. That was a good scene at the end where the team said they were there for her Yes, that was the last we saw of her in "The Doctor Falls". The special Twice Upon a Time brought her back as a memory but we don't know how long in her future that was from I've been thinking it too

I think CGI de-aging is way too expensive for this show. I think they just dyed his hair as Barrowman has let his hair grow grey in real life. But I could be wrong Radio Times interview with Barrowman https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2020-01-26/john-barrowman-captain-jack-doctor-who-return/

Jo Martin really did a great job as Ruth. The real interesting thing is that, as others have said, her Doctor was much more violent than our Doctor I've really enjoyed this season so far, even more than last season, which I liked a lot. But this episode has raised my love of Series 12 even further. Please don't screw up the rest of the season Chibnall!

Jake Willis: Warren Brown Adam Lang: Matthew McNulty Suki Cheng: Molly Harris Written by Chris Chibnall and Pete McTighe Directed by Jamie Magnus Stone Next-time trailer from the BBC Another version

I spent the last 7 hours off social media and forum boards because the promotion was in overdrive and promising spoilers and twists and I decided to remain unspoiled, especially from UK viewers, as I watched the episode. This was certainly worth the personal blackout. I think this is my favorite episode of Jodie's era so far and I'm still processing it. Here I thought we would just be getting a fun lighthearted episode with the Judoon. I had not gotten spoiled about any of this (actual spoilers that is) so I was totally not expecting Capt Jack. I didn't recognize John Barrowman's voice, but I totally squeed and pretty much cheered when he entered the scene. I loved every bit about his scenes. John Barrowman is so much fun as Jack. Jack had some important info to share and it's obviously stuff to come. I just wish he had scenes with the Doctor and I hope he gets to come back (and have scenes with the Doctor) As for Ruth being some version of the Doctor, it's obviously not fully answered yet. We basically got an introduction and a taste, but there obviously is a lot more to come. It's somewhat confusing for now, but I'm very intrigued as to where this will go. The stuff with the Judoon was pretty fun, especially with the Doctor confronting and confusing them. I'm just sorry she didn't speak Judoon Jodie did marvelous work here, especially in her interaction with Ruth as The Doctor. The companions got some fun stuff to do, especially with Jack. And John Barrowman was marvelous as Jack I have to hand it to the producers, the actors, and the BBC. They kept some major secrets all these months, especially Barrowman. I don't know how they kept these spoilers from getting out to the fanbase (some probably knew them but it didn't really get out to the wider fanbase). Kudos to them

One thing that hasn't been noted is that when the Doctor couldn't figure out how to track the Skithra after they took Tesla and Yaz, Ryan insightfully spoke up and suggested that Tesla might have already figured it out with his supposed contact with Mars. Then the assistant confirmed that he was likely right and indicated Tesla's readings were at his lab. In regards to @Florinaldo saying the take on Tesla was bordering on the mythological, let's remember that Edison wanted the world to go with his current type, and he ended up being wrong. I think most if not all scientists go through blind alleys as well as successes. It's not up to a fictional story to lay it all out there, but to tell the part of the story they are aiming at

Found on another board, from an interview of Chibnall in Empire magazine in their TV section, about the upcoming Mary Shelley episode: "...we go and meet Lord Byron and Mary Shelley later on in the series. Maxine Alderton wrote that episode, she's a massive aficionado of the Romantics and it's [set on] that night when Shelley was writing Frankenstein. And you're like, these guys are going to want and go and visit them, so, yeah, you're always looking how you can drop these figures in, in unexpected ways."

Given the Kassavans were working with the Master, isn't it possible they were using some sort of Time Lord technology or knowledge to breech the Tardis?

Producer Mike Schur talks to Variety about the episode and the philosophy behind the questions raised https://variety.com/2020/tv/features/the-good-place-finals-season-penultimate-episode-patty-door-choice-death-with-dignity-interview-1203477066/

https://cultbox.co.uk/news/episode-7-of-doctor-who-series-12-titled-can-you-hear-me Per Cultbox, the title of Episode 7 is "Can You Hear Me?" from Digiguide, but there's no synopsis at this time and pretty much nothing is known about the episode. The article includes the cast list, including the actress who plays Yaz's sister. It's directed by Emma Sullivan and written by Charlene James

No, I doubt it’s River

If it starts out with a certain number of episodes meant to be a “full” season, especially to accommodate the wishes of the lead or series producer, then it’s not a bad thing. I’ve read the length was to accommodate Bradley Whitford. See The Good Place and Empire for similar kinds of season lengths. On the other hand, the ratings weren’t good so I don’t expect renewal, but the broadcast networks have surprised me lately with what they will renew, especially NBC

From other comments I’ve read, the door may not actually exist yet, so they got ahead of themselves

That was a cute singalong at the end, but what was with the autotune? Fun stuff with Ginny and the would be boss who is a Doctor Who fan

The BBC is promising something major for this episode From one of the show’s producers