DanaK
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Posts posted by DanaK
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I liked it for the most part. It was somewhat slow in the first half, but it picked up in the second half and the last 10 minutes or so was pretty tense. Fascinating that it was the system asking for help and once again, a human being evil (though I figured it would be the upper management guy and not the maintenance man Charlie). In fact, that was interesting that the computer system reached out to the Doctor to help it take down the bad guy. But it was terrible that it killed Kira to try to get through to Charlie so I can't say it was a completely altruistic system
Poor Charlie. Just a mixed up young man who understood the problem of people needing to work but decided killing people to blame the technology was a good idea, and he got killed in the end by his own deadly idea
The robots were creepy, though Twirrly was cute
I'm aware the fez hat was Matt Smith's Doctor's thing, so that was a cute callback
@LiveenLetLive said
QuoteI especially liked Twirrly taking measure of the always frantic Doctor and suggesting that she browse blood pressure meds (hahaha, middle aged folk joke.)
That might be because she has two hearts and the Twirrly got confused
@Ceindreadh asked why the Doctor set off the explosives. Maybe she could only change the destination, not the action, at least with the time they had
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As a new viewer, I'm starting to watch past seasons, though just certain picks for now. I caught Waters of Mars, Fires of Pompeii, and The Doctor's Wife the last couple of days. Though they all had their issues, especially with overacting, I thought they, the first two especially, were ultimately really terrific, profound and emotional episodes that showed a lot about how the Doctor is.
The Waters of Mars especially had a terrific interaction between The Doctor and another character, this time Commander Duncan of the Mars mission. Duncan was a balls-to-the-walls character who went toe to toe with the Doctor and she ultimately understood the effect of being saved when she wasn't supposed to be and sacrificed herself to keep history on track. I thought David Tennant went overboard at times during the episode with his acting, but where it counts, he was just superb with showing the Doctor wrestling with his power vs not being able to change certain points in time. And this time, he chose to do something and it backfired on him. It was also interesting with the way they showed references to the crew's biographies (and them changing), indicating how the Doctor knows what happens and what can't change (or what he thinks can't change).
Fires of Pompeii was similar in wanting to save the residents of Pompei, with Donna pleading with the Doctor to stop the eruption and save the residents, but he knew he couldn't because it was a fixed point in time. This was another episode where there was overacting, especially from Tennant, but there were profound and emotional moments as well. Donna's pleading finally got the Doctor to save just one family and he did. What was interesting was that though the Doctor couldn't stop the eruption or save the majority of the people, he was able to save one family without consequence. This was similar to the Mars episode where two other crew members were saved and were able to go on with their lives, but Duncan had to die. It was interesting that even though the audience is told numerous times in numerous episodes that set points in time can't be changed, that they have to happen, in at least some cases where people die, some people from an event can be saved without any apparent consequence. I don't know if the show explores that more in the future, but it's interesting. At the same time, who would you save? Saving one or two people while many others die in an event is certainly not something I'd want to live with.
Another one that I caught was The Doctor's Wife. It was a strange, weird episode with the usual overacting in places along with the usual craziness, but the Tardis's consciousness being put into a woman and being able to talk to the Doctor was the highlight of the episode. Though I'm a newcomer to the show, it held a certain emotional value for the Doctor to finally speak with the Tardis in a normal manner, along with understanding how the Tardis sees events and time, Matt Smith and the guest actress speaking for the Tardis did a really nice job with their interaction, especially the final one
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Extended scene clip for the next episode. The Doctor gets a present of a certain popular Doctor hat
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18 minutes ago, ganesh said:
I don't know why the aliens waited so long to tell the Doctor what they were doing there though.
Yeah, that was my question initially too. I guess they didn't feel they needed to initially, and then they were clearly pissed that she took the sacred urn so they weren't in a friendly mood to chat in the barn. It does make me wonder what they were doing for those hours after they took her after they broke the transmat locks. She acted like she woke up after a time and they were just standing there being non-threatening (and she wasn't holding the sacred urn). Perhaps they probed her mind and realized how mistaken she was about what was going on and maybe figured a more cooperative approach at that point would work better. Their transmat locks indicated they preferred to do their thing without people interfering
You also have to wonder why it was so easy to grab their sacred urn. I guess Ryan pushed the right buttons. Alerts did go off at least
A sequence that confused me was when the Doctor got the 3 of them out of the ship, told Ryan and Prem to run and then when she noticed the first transmat lock, the aliens popped in and then just kind of stood there staring while she grabbed it and ran. I'm not sure what exactly was going on with the aliens in that moment
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3 minutes ago, Llywela said:
Also, eventually, Big Finish.
You mean the radio show?
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On 11/5/2018 at 5:34 PM, Mabinogia said:
I love it too. The past few seasons have been pretty angsty and emo so Jodie/13 really is a breath of fresh air and I love her sense of wonder and excitement. I was never bothered by the sex change, I was just worried about them finding the right actress, and I think they did. Jodie is perfect.
I'm really enjoying Jodie and #13, but as a new viewer, I'm already beginning to wonder if I can accept a change to another actor when it comes. I don't know how long term viewers do it, but somehow they manage it seems (or they wait until another one comes along that they like). This show is so unique in how it continues to change the lead actor (as the same character) every few years and yet chugs along. Do long time viewers have a particular way of just enjoying the incumbent without thinking about losing that person in a few years?
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Thanks @benteen, the last two episodes sound pretty intriguing
From TVLine https://tvline.com/2018/11/14/doctor-who-new-years-day-special-jodie-whittaker/
Details on the New Year's special and marathons:
QuoteThe first female Time Lord is starting a new holiday tradition. BBC America announced late Wednesday that it’s eschewing Doctor Who‘s customary Christmas Day special in favor of one airing on New Year’s Day.
The standalone hour finds Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor facing “a terrifying alien threat,” per showrunner Chris Chibnall, who penned the seasonal outing.
Adds Courtney Thomasma, executive director of BBC America: “Jodie Whittaker and the dynamic new team have propelled Doctor Who to become TV’s fastest growing scripted series of the year. We can’t think of a better holiday gift to the fans than a week-long marathon of Doctor Who Christmas specials and fan-favorite episodes leading into 2019 with new traditions and our first-ever ‘Who Year’s Day’ special.”
From Deadline: https://deadline.com/2018/11/doctor-who-new-years-day-special-bbc-america-christmas-special-jodie-whittaker-1202502325/
QuoteThe all-new episode is written by Chris Chibnall and directed by Wayne Yip (Preacher, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency). As the New Year begins, a terrifying evil is stirring from across the centuries of Earth’s history. Will the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker), Ryan (Tosin Cole), Graham (Bradley Walsh) and Yaz (Mandip Gill) be able to overcome this threat to Planet Earth?
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I thought Mandip as Yaz did a really nice job here, with Yaz first being against Prem and then wanting him to live even if it meant endangering her own timeline and being absolutely gutted at the gunshot. It was interesting that Yaz, who appreciated her grandmother from the start, didn't push her for more information about her past after learning what happened. I do suspect the older Umbreen had some inkling her granddaughter had some kind of connection to the stranger who visited on her wedding day
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I've actually rewatched this quite a few times since the first viewing last night and it remains incredibly moving, especially the heartwrenching scene towards the end between the brothers and the poor team being unable to intervene. I was aware of the Partition of India before now but not necessarily all the details. The Punjab apparently got the worst of the violence, displacement and near-genocide. People still haven't learned how not to get riled up to hate and murder of their neighbors who might be different from them. The Holocaust, this, Rwanda, Bosnia, etc. It goes on and on. They really did do a great job boiling this huge event down to a small number. As said above, there's the saying, paraphrased, "that one person's death is a tragedy; millions are a statistic". Showing this episode on Nov 11, Remembrance Day for World War I, had to be intentional; if not, it was a pretty moving juxtaposition
Be sure to watch the end credits. The haunting Indian score in the episode temporarily replaces the Doctor Who theme or is a variation on it. And that score was great by the way. Very haunting, moving and well done
The guest actors were just fantastic in this episode, especially Prem and young Umbreen. The casting folks continue to do a great job this season. Like Yaz and probably the rest of the team, I was in conflict about wanting Prem to live
One big point that remains unclear is why didn't the Doctor know what happened to the aliens and their world? But at the same time, they didn't say when their home world had been destroyed, so it could have happened in the far future (or they kept it quiet). It would be interesting to see the Doctor meeting one of the alien species again, only for it to still be an assassin because it's before their world's destruction
I agree there's too much reliance on the sonic instead of the Doctor's brains. I think this is a problem with any scifi series with high tech, including Star Trek. Doctor Who doesn't have a corner on it. I guess they can easily fix it with the next Doctor disdaining using it very much and preferring his/her own brainpower
Why wasn't Yaz particularly interested or excited in seeing her great-grandmother? She seemed utterly focused on her grandmother
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1 hour ago, elle said:
Watched without CC, can someone please tell me where Prem was when he first saw the "demons"? Was it Guadalcanal?
I think he said Singapore
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Wow, that was friggin' great. Very emotional and sad. It turns out the real demons were the marauding humans, especially the brother. I think this was perhaps the best episode of the season so far, yes even better than "Rosa", at least on an emotional level
I was caught by the misdirection with the "demon" aliens, though they should have just explained their purpose at the beginning. The fact that you felt their emotional pain was pretty good writing. That was a great, moving scene where they explained to the Doctor what they were doing
I was surprised that they got so detailed with the politics of the time, though it helped to tie in with the emotional content. I wonder if Pakistani and Indian viewers felt they got the details right? It was kind of hard to watch on an emotional level given the larger partition violence and deaths that really happened. As others said, the writers boiled the Partition story down to a few characters that still allowed you to feel the horror, emotion and waste of it
Did Umbreen just forget that the demons were supposedly going to return or did the gang explain they were gone? She sure didn't seem worried at the wedding about them returning. And she sure was kick-ass about the whole thing, but I guess she had to be to survive the upheaval in her life
A quick or you missed it quip from the Doctor about missing out on the palm painting stuff when she was a man. Funny that the show went there
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On 11/6/2018 at 5:59 PM, Mabinogia said:
So true. My only previous experience with Jodie was Broadchurch (TOTALLY different character) so I was prepared for another emo Doc but she is just so fun as the Doctor and that is exactly how I like my Doctor. Running towards the next adventure. Working this out as she goes along.
I just watched the first episode of Broadchurch and I agree that Jodie is the opposite of that here (and man did she look so mousy with that darker hair color, and much younger, even though it was filmed only 5-6 ago)
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2 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:
I have no issue with the accents but I find it hard to actually hear them, literally. The background music is usually too loud for me to hear their actual words. I've always had that issue with this show though, so it's not really anything new. It's mostly in the more action based scenes.
That's not much different than many American shows. It's an ongoing issue for a lot of people
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From DoctorWhoNews.net,
Episode 7 is titled "Kerblam"
“Delivery for the Doctor!”
A mysterious message arrives in a package addressed to the Doctor, leading her, Graham, Yaz and Ryan to investigate the warehouse moon orbiting Kandoka, and the home of the galaxy’s largest retailer: Kerblam!
Guest starring Julie Hesmondhalgh and Lee Mack.
Episode 8 is titled "The Witchfinders"
The Doctor, Ryan, Graham and Yaz arrive in 17th century Lancashire and become embroiled in a witch trial, run by the local landowner.
As fear stalks the land, the arrival of King James I only serves to intensify the witch hunt. But is there something even more dangerous at work? Can the Doctor and friends keep the people of Bilehurst Cragg safe from all the forces that are massing in the land?
Guest starring Siobhan Finneran and Alan Cumming. -
If they had universal translators in them to be able to speak to the alien racers, why was it only the Doctor could translate the scientists' writing in the floor painting? Yes, I know it's a scifi trope that some things are translated and some aren't according to the need for drama, but is there an in-show reason or just chalk it up to needs of the plot?
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A question on the Doctor's powers. I have read that the Doctor has occasionally communicated with some animals via telepathy in previous seasons. In this episode she shouted at the PTing to leave and in previous episodes she would talk to an animal in a gentle way to sooth it (I'm thinking the spiders in the spider episode for sure). Does this suggest she's actually communicating with the animals/creatures or just being gentle and empathetic with them like most humans do?
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British phrase question: The Doctor said this episode (and at least once more in a previous episode) "Get a shift on" (to the PTing). Does that essentially mean to hurry up or get a move on?
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I love how brave the Doctor is. She approached the PTing to examine it with her sonic, not knowing what it was but realizing it was dangerous, only to have it eat the device (but luckily, spit it back out) when it could have also taken her hand. The humor in that scene was priceless (especially the Doctor's reaction after the PTing ate the sonic), as was the scene at the end trying to get the PTing to eat the bomb, with the Doctor sure about her solution, but not quite that sure
I also love that she's constantly standing up to the danger whatever it is, telling others to get behind her to protect them. And that the writers don't write her as weaker now that she's a woman
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I thought it was interesting that this episode showed that the Doctor can be rather pushy and rude (and not just in this episode) at times, but comes around to be more gentle (but still in charge). Astos really had to talk her down from her self-centered behavior when she wanted to turn the ship around to get back to the Tardis. Just goes to show that a powerful being who likes helping others can sometimes forget how to behave properly
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There were suggested bits in the episode that indicated some dark times for the century they were in (67th?). Has this century been explored before in the show?
The guy playing Astos was great and I wish he hadn't been offed so quickly. The show has had some pretty good guest stars this season.
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While the Doctor was taking her nap and getting glowy with the regeneration process, she exhaled this glowy energy thing. I saw the same thing happen in Matt Smith's first full episode. What is it? Just part of the regeneration process or does it have significance?
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I have read that it takes 9+ months to shoot this show. Does that mean the cast shooting or post-production as well? If it's shooting, why does it take so long to shoot 10ish episodes?
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14 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:
I feel the same. As much as I did enjoy the episode for the most part, I want more adventure! I don't feel like I'm watching Doctor Who. Too much drama that it isn't feeling like SciFi or even fantasy. And did anyone notice the dramatic camera shots?
I don't know, I think all the running around, including being in a race on a desert planet, is a lot of adventure, so it seems like a good mix of action and drama
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Really enjoyed this episode and I thought the guest stars worked very well. Even though I'm a new viewer, the reunion with the Tardis was emotional and worked very well.
S11.E07: Kerblam!
in Doctor Who
I think the episode was, at least partly, less of a direct knock against Amazon (maybe in a humorous way though) and more what would happen if you let technology take over all the jobs then shoehorn a quota of people in there without giving them really fulfilling work. It radicalized Charlie. I guess in the end, Charlie got what he wanted, with the upper manager lady promising to make the company filled mostly with people employees. But that's not the best solution given it's a high-tech universe. You need to find something to fulfill people, but it may not necessarily be trying to hold back robots taking the jobs
Also, good stuff by Team Tardis, with everybody able to get something to do