S08.E08: Mummy On The Orient Express

[cardigirl]

All of this indecision of Clara's this season is reminiscent of Amy's indecision between the Doctor and Rory, at least to me.  I thought that story got played out.  It seems they are setting up Clara to have to choose between Danny and her "normal" life or continuing adventures with the Doctor.  Not sure what that says about how women are viewed. Why can't she have both?

 

If Danny was in Clara's place, with Clara waiting for him to come back from adventures, would it even be a question of choosing? 

[tv-talk]

Why can't she have both?

If Danny was in Clara's place, with Clara waiting for him to come back from adventures, would it even be a question of choosing?

 

 

Sure it would. Whomever is off in Time and Space almost getting killed on a daily basis is going to have their 'normal' life deeply affected. Being with the Doctor changes Companions deep within themselves, I mean how could it not? The situations they are in, the things they get made aware of, the destruction they witness and have a hand in.....there's just no way to do all that and then pop back in for lunch and lesson plans. That's probably one of the lamest things about Clara's story arc, she is so one dimensional, the whole angst is about her basically being too busy to maintain both lives rather than the profound changes being with the Doctor causes. Look how awe struck Rose was and how Micky could (understandably) not believe she could have any interest in him after experiencing life with the Doctor. That seems to make sense. With Clara it's really just is the Doctor too grumpy for her or not. Traveling with the Doctor makes you start to forget your home to an extent and even WHEN you are supposed to exist....that's a very interesting dynamic fairly unique to Who but with Clara they barely touch on it for some reason.

Edited October 15, 2014 by tv-talk

[LoneHaranguer]

 

When the TARDIS had less control, he might end up in danger. Now, he looks like a reckless addict for picking dangerous situations.

It was established in The Doctor's Wife that the TARDIS has been taking the Doctor where he "needed to go", which I guess means she's been playing God, using the Doctor and the "strays" he travels with as agents to implement her grand plan. The danger is an illusion because she needs him, so she won't be putting him into any situation destined to be fatal. What happens to Clara is another matter, but the TARDIS needs to be mindful of how the Doctor would feel about whatever happens and Clara's potential part in future tasks. If Clara is getting back for her dates on time, it may be because the TARDIS thinks she's useful and doesn't want her to walk away.

[elle]

It was established in The Doctor's Wife that the TARDIS has been taking the Doctor where he "needed to go", which I guess means she's been playing God, using the Doctor and the "strays" he travels with as agents to implement her grand plan. The danger is an illusion because she needs him, so she won't be putting him into any situation destined to be fatal. What happens to Clara is another matter, but the TARDIS needs to be mindful of how the Doctor would feel about whatever happens and Clara's potential part in future tasks. If Clara is getting back for her dates on time, it may be because the TARDIS thinks she's useful and doesn't want her to walk away.

Or the TARDIS, which at least once had locked out Clara, has been giving the Doctor the happy ending he needs to move on.  There, she is home safe and sound where she wants to be, (time to move on or why do we keep coming back for her? - your choice)

[tv-talk]

It was established in The Doctor's Wife that the TARDIS has been taking the Doctor where he "needed to go", which I guess means she's been playing God,

 

 

Personally I took that all-time great story a little differently. To me it seems the TARDIS has a FEEL for things rather than being a typical, sentient being making decisions like any of us would. Instead of the TARDIS actually controlling everything, I felt "she" was more of an empath rather than a literal thinker the way the Doctor or a Companion would be. A weak analogy would be a dolphin, they are clearly higher intelligence and have some understandings we just dont grasp....but at the same time they arent speaking human languages and analysing world affairs.

 

Just my $.02

[LoneHaranguer]

 

Or the TARDIS, which at least once had locked out Clara, has been giving the Doctor the happy ending he needs to move on.  There, she is home safe and sound where she wants to be, (time to move on or why do we keep coming back for her? - your choice)

Didn't the TARDIS have the opportunity to simply refuse to cooperate when Clara wasn't on board? Just because the Doctor sets the coordinates for Clara's living room doesn't mean he can't wind up at a crisis across town and a century away instead.

[ketose]

It was established in The Doctor's Wife that the TARDIS has been taking the Doctor where he "needed to go", which I guess means she's been playing God, using the Doctor and the "strays" he travels with as agents to implement her grand plan. The danger is an illusion because she needs him, so she won't be putting him into any situation destined to be fatal. What happens to Clara is another matter, but the TARDIS needs to be mindful of how the Doctor would feel about whatever happens and Clara's potential part in future tasks. If Clara is getting back for her dates on time, it may be because the TARDIS thinks she's useful and doesn't want her to walk away.

That's even worse. The TARDIS loves Clara? Time for a new TARDIS.

[LoneHaranguer]

 

That's even worse. The TARDIS loves Clara? Time for a new TARDIS.

Who said anything about love? Just saying that having Clara around might be better than some alternative the TARDIS sees.

[Jordan27]

While I did like this ep, I am still missing the Doctor I know.  From Eccleston to Matt Smith, the doctors were 90% silly and 10% serious. This one is 90% serious and 10% silly.  Plus, there were always elements of a crush between those Doctors and his companions.  This one just comes across as a father figure to Clara.   Plus, sometimes he acts like he has dementia.

 

I had a bad feeling it was going to be tough to replace Tennant and Smith. 

[Lokiberry]

While I did like this ep, I am still missing the Doctor I know.  From Eccleston to Matt Smith, the doctors were 90% silly and 10% serious. This one is 90% serious and 10% silly.  Plus, there were always elements of a crush between those Doctors and his companions.  This one just comes across as a father figure to Clara.   Plus, sometimes he acts like he has dementia.

 

I had a bad feeling it was going to be tough to replace Tennant and Smith. 

How I wish the "crush" elements were gone. Half the time, Twelve's issues with Danny came off as jealousy over Clara's hot, young boyfriend. Stuff like that doesn't play the same with Capaldi as it did with Tennant and Smith. I'm not saying that Twelve can't be portrayed as sexually attractive, but having him come off as obsessed with a young girl, the way Nine and Ten were is likely to have an unintended creep factor.

Edited February 22, 2015 by Lokiberry

[Dobian]

They sure resolved the Doctor and Clara's interpersonal drama very quickly and wrapped it all up with a nice little bow.  She borderline hates him, doesn't want to travel with him ever again, but for some reason they go on a "farewell trip" (that's pretty much like a couple breaking up but going out for one last date, i.e., it makes no sense), then she still wants him to pop I for dinner, then she wants to travel with him again.  This whole business with Danny they managed to deftly avoid the previous couple of seasons by simply having Rory join Amy on their trips so he doesn't get left out and everyone's happy.  This whole conflict of interest thing between this Doctor and Danny just drags down the show.

I agree that Clara needs to do a better job of figuring out this Doctor.  To cut her some slack, she has had to be companion to two different Doctors who are wildly different from each other, and I think her expectations are still slanted toward Doctor 11.  Rose didn't have to go through that big of a change from Doctor 9 to Doctor 10.  Martha and Donna only had Doctor 10 and Amy only had Doctor 11.

The story itself was pretty good. I liked the format of the 66 second countdown clock, and how the Doctor reasoned out the solution.