S11.E02: The Ghost Monument

[Meredith Quill]

Airdate: 10.14.2018

Episode Synopsis:

Still reeling from their first encounter, can the Doctor and her new friends stay alive long enough, in a hostile alien environment, to solve the mystery of Desolation? And just who are Angstrom and Epzo?

[Llywela]

Ha. I said they'd resolve that cliffhanger inside the first five seconds!

Very 80s feel to this episode, but, y'know, if 80s Who had access to modern cinematography. A bit clunky in places, but also some really nice little moments - I like that Graham is trying to hold onto Ryan as a surrogate grandson and look out for him, whether Ryan likes it or not, and that Grace's death wasn't immediately forgotten in the heat of the new crisis, and Yasmin's willingness to wait for Ryan if he takes a bit longer to do some stuff. Looks like the Stensor (or however they spell their name) are going to be the story arc of the season, since they've come up twice in the first two episodes.

Love the old school theme tune. Not sold on the new TARDIS (I prefer it a bit less gloomy) but I'm sure it'll grow on me.

[Triskan]

Kinda found the editing and pacing leaving a bit to be desired in that episode, and the evil-sheets giving us all that exposition felt a bit heavy-handed.

Otherwise great episode and yeah, sure, it's an obvious step the series has to beat, but discovering the TARDIS alongside the Doctor stole a tear from me, I must admit, it was really beautifully done ! 

Edited October 14, 2018 by Triskan

[John Potts]

I get the impression somebody watched Pitch Black before writing this - desert world apparently bereft of life that is deadly (well, supposedly deadly!) at night.

Other than liking that Grace got another mention (because it should affect them that their grandmother/wife died), I found this a bit lacking, because it was obvious that the "monument that appears and disappears was going to be the TARDIS. And on that subject - not a fan of the new TARDIS (it just seems too dark to me).

[HauntedBathroom]

Again...seems drab. The new console room is gloomy as fuck, there's no sparkle to the dialogue, apart from the Call of Duty moment, that raised a smile. It's serviceable at best. If we don't see more of these race people in another episode, the ending was so abrupt as to give viewers whiplash. And the evil bandages borrowed Prisoner Zero's taunting of Eleven to set up this season's Timeless Child arc.

Edited October 14, 2018 by HauntedBathroom

[Lokiberry]

This was wonderful, better than the first ep, IMHO. My hopes for Chibnall were that he might not achieve some of the highs of Moffat, but he would avoid the horrific lows and that would be good enough for me. This, THIS was something I never imagined him capable of. It felt like it was right out of 80s Who. This could have been Davison and his Companions (only with better writing and special effects). And, don't get me started on the theme! It's like somebody actually listened to the 80s themes! This was both magically nostalgic and yet fresh, because the story and the dynamic with the Companions doesn't feel like what's happened before in NuWho. 

Some of it was beautiful to look at: The interlude with the boat on the water, the suns and moons. I got teary eyed when Yaz first heard the TARDIS and remembered the line from the 50th anniversary of how that sound brought hope to everyone who heard it, even the Doctor. 

Wow, it's been a long time since I've gushed this hard about Doctor Who. I'm so excited for the rest of the series.

[pootlus]

Yeah not a fan of the new Tardis either, but I'll get used to it.  It is too dark though.  Loved the theme tune/intro.

Decent enough episode, glad no-one died after the body count last week.  Cloth thingies were suitably creepy.  Art Malik!  I wonder if we'll see him again.  Bit of a bludgeon over the head with the emphasis on teamwork, but a couple of funny moments e.g. the Audrey Hepburn (or Pythagoras) sunglasses, Ryan going all Call of Duty on the robots.

[John Potts]

23 minutes ago, HauntedBathroom said:

to set up this season's Timeless Child arc.

I'm wondering if he/she will turn out to be the Doctor's daughter (either Jenny from that episode or the mother of Susan - assuming they're not the same person, which they might be) or even Ashildr (who is certainly timeless) - now that Maisie Williams is free from Game of Thrones.

[LiveenLetLive]

Still loving JW as the new Doctor, her meeting the Tardis at the end was perfection (yes the new interior will take time) but she captured the feeling of intimately entwined partners meeting again after a separation very well, so far, better than I thought possible, and best of all, no potential romantic partner!

[benteen]

Good episode.  Interesting premise, good guest stars, fun location and I continue to like Jodie and the rest of the cast.  Was surprised by the Stenza connection though I figured that would come up again as I can't imagine The Doctor abandoning the "trophies" that they've collected.  I'm glad there were will some kind of story arc this season (What exactly was said about the Timeless Child?).  I enjoyed it.

Issues with the episode...I felt they dragged out the mysteries/revealed for too long.  Also, I agree that the new Tardis exterior is too gloomy.

[UNOSEZ]

I really enjoyed this... From Ryan going call of duty to the doctor losing it a bit at the end.. Only to have the humans pick her back up... And then the tardis showed up... I liked that the stenza apparently are bad guys we may run into again.. Wouldn't even mind seeing the home planet of that lady.. And next week Rosa Parks.. So that's somewhere in the south with a British white lady a black boy and an Indian girl... ( fun times) 

[benteen]

I wanted to add that I enjoyed the new theme, which reminded me a little of the Classic Who theme.  Though I found the animation in the credits and the shaking end credits to be seizure-inducing.

[GenieinTX]

I'm really liking this season so far.  I think starting completely from scratch - new Doctor, writer, companions - was a good thing to do.  No carry over expectations other than the Doctor be the Doctor, and she totally is!  I like that so far the stories are straight forward and interesting, and the Doctor is the hero with two hearts.  She's so caring but enthusiastic and silly and clever. 

[Starchild]

C'mon guys I know the TARDIS control room is a bit dark, but surely that's balanced by the cookies!

Also, those shades were definitely Hepburn's. Pythagoras wouldn't have gone it for all the curves.

[CatWarmer]

I’m really enjoying the new Doctor.  Nice new opening - at first it seemed a bit Georgia O’Keefe.  Love the Doctor’s personality, kind of Doctor 10 personality (my favorite) after Donna got him empathetic.  I also did not quite catch what the blankies were saying about the Timeless Child.  And yes, the Tardis is quite dark and does look a lot more alien to me.

[Chaos Theory]

I really enjoyed this and I think the new team is going to work out well.  I also like that this Doctor seems to have a lot of empathy.  It looks like those hunter alien things are going to be the big bad of the season. The episode was a fun straightforward story with slot of fun aspects.  

[cardigirl]

I hate calling something the ‘big bad’ of the season, don’t know why, just irks me. Like we’re trying to make everything into Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or something. Sorry. 

I’m not completely sold on Chibnal’s vision for Doctor Who just yet, and wish Yaz had more to do, but maybe that will come later. I didn’t like the new TARDIS, except when it gave the Doctor a cookie (I couldn’t see what kind it was, though, not a jammy dodger).

For some reason I can’t figure out yet, I didn’t enjoy this episode as much as the first one, maybe I will like it better on rewatch. 

[AnimeMania]

I felt The Doctor talked twice as much as she should have, and used her sonic screwdriver twice as much as she should have. Yasmin and The Doctor both have enough earrings for five people. Didn't like the new opening, I don't remember seeing a TARDIS or The Doctor's face. I didn't like the song, it's bass was too low and did not have enough of the higher notes. The TARDIS decor was interesting, but the control console wasn't distinct enough, it kind of blended into the background and should have been taller. I liked the cookie dispenser, at first I thought it gave her a key. There was also a small rotating TARDIS as part of the console, I thought it should have been smaller and semi-transparent, then it might have looked like a hologram.

[jcin617]

The Flying Bandages said “We see deeper though, further back. The Timeless Child… we see what’s hidden, even from yourself. The outcast, abandoned and unknown…”

[supposebly]

I'm so glad this show I used to love is back. A Doctor I adore already, companions that seem like normal people with no bloody catchphrase for them that sum them up and say nothing.

Shades of 11 and 10 I could see/hear in her. I like with how much flourish she waves the sonic screwdriver around. I even like the outfit!

The planet looked gorgeous, the tooth fairy from last episode might be back and overall, I'm delighted, including the TARDIS. It's different, that's all I need. 

[phalange]

I really like the new credits, both the sound and the design. Very bright.

So "Tim Shaw" and and his people have been causing harm to people on other plants besides Earth. I expected to hear about them again, though not necessarily in this episode. I'm glad Graham and Ryan have been talking about Grace as well. I like Ryan and Yaz's friendship.

Even though it was evident that the Ghost Monument was going to be the TARDIS, I was so happy to hear TARDIS noise. The Doctor's reunion with the TARDIS was adorable, especially how it opened when she apologized for losing the key and how excited she was at the redecoration. I love that TARDIS made a mini spinning replica of itself and that it spits out a cookie. A+ feature, honestly. 

[angora]

I love Thirteen so much so fast.  I never doubted Jodie, but I'm honestly a little astonished at how well the show is writing her.  It's everything I wanted, for Thirteen to just be the Doctor, but I was really worried the writing was going to let her down.  Quibbles with the storylines here and there, but my love for the Doctor mostly overshadows that.  I loved her piloting a crashing spaceship, reminiscing about the time he was a hologram, and everything, absolutely everything, between her and the TARDIS, from seeing the image of the "Ghost Monument" to hearing the noise and begging for it to stabilize to running up and all but embracing it.  Doctor/TARDIS has always been my main OTP.

When the Doctor kept wondering what had happened to the planet, I got worried that it was something to do with the TARDIS.  Since it had become this known monument that "appears every thousand years," it had obviously been locked in a dematerialization loop for a looooong time, and I was worried that it might have destabilized the time and space around it, somehow leading to the deaths of all the inhabitants.  I was bracing myself for the Doctor to realize it was inadvertently "her fault" and was relieved when they went with the Stenzor instead.

[Lantern7]

Well, at least we got the TARDIS back, albeit overhauled. I'm not judging the interior . . . as long as the Doctor is happy. "Come to Daddy! Um . . . I mean Mummy!"

So, basically, we just caught the end of an intergalactic "Cannonball Run." Or would Enlightenment be a more apt comparison? The setting was nice enough for Team TARDIS to have for their first alien planet, but it was merely okay. Also good that Grace hasn't been forgotten about right away. And I'm thinking robot guards and floating paper towels couldn't rank with Tim Shaw from last week.

[AnimeMania]

You have a desert location, why wouldn't you have sentient cloth that wraps people up like mummies.

[eXiled]

I didn't like this ep as much as the first, but I love Thirteen and look forward to seeing more of the Doctor's adventures. The opening theme definitely reminded me of classic DW, yet I wish it had been a bit more bombastic and just a tad longer -- sort of like Ten's Season 4 credits. I also agree with the poster about wanting a pic or Tardis shot. But we can't have everything, I suppose. Have to get used to the new Tardis decor, but that will come in time.

I'm just so happy to be able to watch this show again (I stopped watching during Twelve's run when Clara demanded he bring her coffee). New showrunner, new Doctor and new music dude will take some time for me to get used to, but I'm open to change and really want this crew to succeed.

[The Companion]

41 minutes ago, supposebly said:

Shades of 11 and 10 I could see/hear in her. I like with how much flourish she waves the sonic screwdriver around. I even like the outfit!

Last week, I saw so much 11 in her energy while my husband kept thinking she was so 10. This week I saw more 10, and there was one waving the screwdriver run move that really mirrored him. I love that she is consistent while bringing her own take on the role. JW truly is knocking it out of the park.

I loved this episode. I am always a fan of running around on spaceships and broad alien landscapes, so this was definitely my type of episode. There were a few points that seemed a bit off but I realized they were the exposition points that introduced the Doctor. I suspect we will get a few more of those for new viewers. 

I am really enjoying the companions. Waiting for some more development but I really like them all so far. I appreciated that Ryan's dyspraxia came up in the manner it did. A challenge rather than an excuse to manufacture dramatic tension. I also liked how each of the companions approached everything differently. I think the dynamic will be fun.

And the TARDIS. The way the Doctor greeted the TARDIS and spoke lovingly to her was amazing. A beautiful scene. I loved the old school entrance and the circles on the wall. I actually liked the more alien look. 

As for the story (giant space race, desperate contestants, hostile planet), it certainly wasn't the first time any of those concepts have been introduced, but I enjoyed the story and I suspect that is in a large part due to some excellent work by the actors who played the racers. I was happy to see the happy ending (though I didn't necessarily buy that someone who is remote would be moved by threats). 

I am relieved to hear we aren't done with last week's story. That poor dude's sister being left in suspension on the edge of death while the Doctor does nothing didn't sit right with me.

[bugsmum]

Love the new theme although I miss the flying Tardis and the Doctor's eyes in the opening.  Not sure about the new TARDIS.  I'm sure it will grow on me but at the moment it just looks dark.  

Really liked this episode, love the Doctor and think Ryan, Yaz, and Graham will add a lot to the show.  Kinda loved that moment when the Doctor was reunited with her TARDIS.

[elle]

1 hour ago, UNOSEZ said:

And next week Rosa Parks.. So that's somewhere in the south with a British white lady a black boy and an Indian girl... ( fun times) 

I am not looking forward to this.  This show does not need to be veering into the show "Timeless" storylines.  

1 hour ago, jcin617 said:

The Flying Bandages said “We see deeper though, further back. The Timeless Child… we see what’s hidden, even from yourself. The outcast, abandoned and unknown…”

Thanks for posting this.  It was hard to hear them and I didn't have the CC on.

[hnygrl]

These days, I automatically turn CC on when the show starts.  That Northern accent...like the intro...I'll bet in 4K it's incredible.  

It's still Doctor Who. Thank God! 

And from a cynic like me?  That is High praise indeed.

Not sure about the new TARDIS.  Soooo many round things.....It's made up of all round things...'ll get used to it.

[Unusual Suspect]

Still all in on 13, and I'm liking the companions, also glad Grace wasn't forgotten, but I found the episode was a little ho hum. Not sure about the new TARDIS, it's ... different. I like the tactile console, and that it dispenses biscuits, but seems a little off. At least the OTP of the Doctor and their TARDIS is all good.

[AnimeMania]

I took another look at the opening credits and still didn't like them. It is like watching somebody stir cream into a cup of coffee.

[SnideAsides]

Not only is the TARDIS interior too gloomy, the outside of the Big Blue Box is wayyyy too teal.

[Llywela]

3 hours ago, cardigirl said:

I hate calling something the ‘big bad’ of the season, don’t know why, just irks me. Like we’re trying to make everything into Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or something. Sorry. 

I’m not completely sold on Chibnal’s vision for Doctor Who just yet, and wish Yaz had more to do, but maybe that will come later. I didn’t like the new TARDIS, except when it gave the Doctor a cookie (I couldn’t see what kind it was, though, not a jammy dodger).

That wasn't a cookie, it was a custard cream biscuit!

I'm chary of calling something the 'big bad' of the season, too, but it does look as though the Stenza are going to be an ongoing storyline, woven through the season as a repeating thread. Which works for me.

3 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

I felt The Doctor talked twice as much as she should have, and used her sonic screwdriver twice as much as she should have. Yasmin and The Doctor both have enough earrings for five people. Didn't like the new opening, I don't remember seeing a TARDIS or The Doctor's face. I didn't like the song, it's bass was too low and did not have enough of the higher notes. The TARDIS decor was interesting, but the control console wasn't distinct enough, it kind of blended into the background and should have been taller. I liked the cookie dispenser, at first I thought it gave her a key. There was also a small rotating TARDIS as part of the console, I thought it should have been smaller and semi-transparent, then it might have looked like a hologram.

Eh, the intro doesn't need to have a TARDIS or the Doctor's face - that has only been done now and then through the show's 55 year run, so this intro is simply paying homage to a different era. As is the music - both, I feel, were inspired by the original music and title sequence, from 1963, and I am all over that, love it!

[AnimeMania]

25 minutes ago, Llywela said:

As is the music - both, I feel, were inspired by the original music and title sequence, from 1963, and I am all over that, love it!

I thought the opening visuals had a hippie vibe. Maybe that's why I couldn't relate, that was before I was born. I have never looked fondly on the older episodes, from being in B&W, having live broadcasts, and the cheap props/costumes.

[pootlus]

Yeah the reminder of Grace was nice, and accurate. She would have loved the alien planet.

When driving this afternoon some tattered cloth/plastic blew across the road in front of me and I tensed briefly, so those rag monsters had an affect on me after all!

[Llywela]

2 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

I thought the opening visuals had a hippie vibe. Maybe that's why I couldn't relate, that was before I was born. I have never looked fondly on the older episodes, from being in B&W, having live broadcasts, and the cheap props/costumes.

Just to note that Doctor Who has never been broadcast live. I think you may have heard the term 'as live' and been a bit confused by it - filming 'as live' means that the whole episode was filmed sequentially in a single filming block, instead of filming piecemeal over a period of days or weeks and then editing everything together later. In Doctor Who's case, that filming block was usually a 90 minute studio session on a Friday night, after a week of round table rehearsals. Filming 'as live' meant they didn't have to cut and edit the film, which was a very expensive process in the '60s; they could only afford two or three cuts in each episode, so the actors couldn't afford to make any mistakes, as these couldn't be edited out - if they did make a mistake, they had to remain 100% professional and 100% in character and just keep going, make it part of the show, for which I have huge respect for them, since I don't think many of today's actors could do it, accustomed as they are to having multiple takes to get a shot right.

1960s Doctor Who was before I was born as well; doesn't stop me loving it. Yes, it is old fashioned, and the cinematography and narrative styles now seem primitive and dated, but it also has marvellous characters on a remarkable adventure, and there was a freedom and freshness about the show in those early years which I absolutely adore, because everything was new and anything was possible. The props and costumes look cheap to modern eyes, accustomed to big budgets and CGI that fills in all the blanks for us, but those early programme-makers worked absolute wonders with what they had, creating just enough for our imaginations to do the rest, and without those early building blocks, the show of today would not exist. If you watch the Classic show sequentially, you get to see the development of the TV industry, in effect - today's show-makers stand on the shoulders of the pioneers who came before them, figuring out innovative ways of trying to bring impossible concepts to life (maybe not always as successfully as either we or they might like, but they never stopped trying, always pushing forward).

And in 10 years time, today's CGI will also look cheap and dated, because that's how cinematographical development works - always better to appreciate something for the age in which it was made than condemn it for not being made to the standard of today.

TLDR, I love the new opening sequence and I especially love that it calls back to the earliest era of this show!

Edited October 15, 2018 by Llywela

[LadyArcadia]

I missed the first episode because it doesn't show in my country :(, but after some *ahem* creative solutions I was able to see the second.  I'm not sure what I think. I love JW as the Doctor but it seemed a bit too "oh no! we're in danger!... safe.... oh no! we're in danger again!"  Not very big on actual plot, just them constantly getting out of the next jam.  I was 100% on board with a new Doctor and showrunner, but I don't like the new theme or the new TARDIS.

[cardigirl]

5 hours ago, Llywela said:

That wasn't a cookie, it was a custard cream biscuit!

I'm chary of calling something the 'big bad' of the season, too, but it does look as though the Stenza are going to be an ongoing storyline, woven through the season as a repeating thread. Which works for me.

Eh, the intro doesn't need to have a TARDIS or the Doctor's face - that has only been done now and then through the show's 55 year run, so this intro is simply paying homage to a different era. As is the music - both, I feel, were inspired by the original music and title sequence, from 1963, and I am all over that, love it!

Thanks for identifying the biscuit.  I'm in the States and will have to track some down.  I loved Jammie Dodgers.

I don't mind an overarching theme or a linking character throughout the series, just the term Big Bad seems to set my teeth on edge.  But I am old and cranky. I miss the heyday of BTVS too, but not every great show needs to be compared to it. Or viewed like it, or something. They are two different shows. It's like calling the Stenza the Voldemort of the season.  

Okay, I'm done whining about that now.   

[rogvortex58]

The Stenza don’t sound very nice.

[darkestboy]

Not a bad second episode but nothing too extraordinary either.

I will admit so far that the monsters have felt underwhelming, so Chibnall does need to up his game on that front.

I guess the Stenza and Timeless Child are our series arc then, which I am interested in finding out more about.

Love the new opening credits and the TARDIS looked better on screen than from those spoiled pics a while back. Not sure about the biscuit dispenser bit but everyone's reactions to the TARDIS was great though.

The dynamic with the four main characters is great so far and the guest characters worked well enough too, 7/10

[Chaos Theory]

2 hours ago, cardigirl said:

 

I don't mind an overarching theme or a linking character throughout the series, just the term Big Bad seems to set my teeth on edge.  But I am old and cranky. I miss the heyday of BTVS too, but not every great show needs to be compared to it. Or viewed like it, or something. They are two different shows. It's like calling the Stenza the Voldemort of the season.  

Okay, I'm done whining about that now.   

A lot of shows with long form stories and heroes and villains use the term ‘big bad’.  It may have originated in Buffy but since then it has been used on almost every story of the like.   And if anything I  would compare the Stenza to the Borg.  

 

I cant believe people aren’t loving the new TARDIS.  I think it is awesome.    

Edited October 15, 2018 by Chaos Theory

[Kelda Feegle]

The Doctor is still a little too frenetic for me but I expect this will slow a bit as she settles into the role.

Way too much sonic screwdriver and OTT arm movements to use it.

Good use of cast/characters.

TARDIS wasn't as blue as it should be (I see another poster called it teal and I agree)

Still - happy with the show and looking forward to it settling in a bit.

[ae2]

I loved JW in the first episode, and I'm still all in on her, but this week her delivery sounded... like she was constantly out of breath. Maybe that worked better for me last week because she was questioning who she was, so there was a bit of "internal monologue" leaking out that made it more interesting and often funny. It just felt like she was in over her head this week, which is such a strange feeling for The Doctor, especially during such a run-of-the-mill plot.

Also, she went SO quickly to doom and gloom when the TARDIS didn't appear! Since when is The Doctor such a defeatist? This may have worked better if she had been without her TARDIS for longer and this was her last chance of getting it back.

The TARDIS dispenses cookies, which is awesome, and that's all the good I can say for it. There are salt crystals everywhere! And more salt crystals! It looks like a new age version of the Fortress of Solitude. And for some ridiculous reason a miniature spinning TARDIS. What? And I know we were only in it for a few seconds, but it seemed so claustrophobic, especially after 12's Tardis was so awesome with its expansive balcony.

While the "boys" went off to repair the boat, Yas was left to empathize with the female racer (Angstrom?), who started to open up and then stopped herself saying, "I barely know you." 5 seconds later in the boat she then opens up to everyone. It was clunky. And speaking of Yas (Yaz?), she again seemed to fade to the back for most of the episode.

The planet was supposed to be the laboratory of researchers forced into developing groundbreaking military equipment, that was so terrible it wiped out even microbial life on the planet, but the best we saw were tacky robots with the accuracy of Stormtroopers, Doctor Strange's cape turned into a plot-expositing bad guy (alternatively, the Magic Carpet from Disney's Aladdin), and a field of acetylene gas. Speaking of which, I'm not sure digging the "holes" in the sand did anything, people. That probably sounded great on paper but should have been cut once they saw how little impact those holes had.

They're killing me with these on the nose public service announcements. I don't need my TV show characters to face the camera, wink, and tell me, "don't forget to brush your teeth kids!" Last week it was knives, this week it was "brains always beat guns every time", next week it will probably be the importance of using crosswalks, and after that how the illicit ivory trade is endangering Earth's biggest land mammal. It's one thing if you want to show brains beating guns, and that's worked great for DW, but you don't need to bash me over the head with it. Seaking of which, you should probably have an episode on the dangers of taking a club to the head.

(Also, let's get real here without getting into the politics of it... last week the Doctor said something like only idiots carry knives. This week the Doctor points her sonic screwdriver at the evil blanket for 2 seconds, declares nothing is working (why would it, the sonic never works on wood/cloth!), and then Angstrom pulls her knife and cuts the blanket off. What an idiot!)

I'm not sure why anyone is ho-humming about figuring out the Ghost Monument was the TARDIS. They showed us that 30 seconds after we learned about the existence of the monument. It wasn't meant to be a big mystery.

The comedy is really hit or miss. The sunglasses from Audrey Hepburn or Pythagoras seems like a great setup for a joke but the puchline failed to deliver, making it feel like the Doctor just likes to name drop. The Call of Duty scene was cartoonish in all the wrong ways. But "come to papa... or is it come to mama?" was great.

The resolution to the race was just lazy and dumb. Two people cannot win! One will be left on this planet to perish... unless you threaten to find your way off this desolate, inescapable planet, track me down, and destroy me. Then and only then can two people win!

I loved the setting and the scenery in this episode. The shot of the ship landed in the dessert was just fantastic. I loved the race master as a character and wouldn't mind seeing more from him, as he's obviously extremely rich and powerful. The plot was a fun, classic setup, even if the execution was poor. The Doctor's reaction to the TARDIS was just about everything a fan can hope for. 

[benteen]

10 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

I felt The Doctor talked twice as much as she should have, and used her sonic screwdriver twice as much as she should have. 

Yeah, I do think she was talking a little too overactive with the talking in the first half of the episode.  Maniac all the time can quickly become exhausting.  I've also thought for years now that the sonic screwdriver has become a crutch for the Doctor.

Quote

They're killing me with these on the nose public service announcements. I don't need my TV show characters to face the camera, wink, and tell me, "don't forget to brush your teeth kids!" Last week it was knives, this week it was "brains always beat guns every time", next week it will probably be the importance of using crosswalks, and after that how the illicit ivory trade is endangering Earth's biggest land mammal. It's one thing if you want to show brains beating guns, and that's worked great for DW, but you don't need to bash me over the head with it. Seaking of which, you should probably have an episode on the dangers of taking a club to the head.

You know, you might have been referencing it but when Jon Pertwee was The Doctor, he did a public service announcement on importance of crossing the street safely.  It was called SPLINK.

Edited October 15, 2018 by benteen

[libgirl2]

17 hours ago, Llywela said:

Ha. I said they'd resolve that cliffhanger inside the first five seconds!

Very 80s feel to this episode, but, y'know, if 80s Who had access to modern cinematography. A bit clunky in places, but also some really nice little moments - I like that Graham is trying to hold onto Ryan as a surrogate grandson and look out for him, whether Ryan likes it or not, and that Grace's death wasn't immediately forgotten in the heat of the new crisis, and Yasmin's willingness to wait for Ryan if he takes a bit longer to do some stuff. Looks like the Stensor (or however they spell their name) are going to be the story arc of the season, since they've come up twice in the first two episodes.

Love the old school theme tune. Not sold on the new TARDIS (I prefer it a bit less gloomy) but I'm sure it'll grow on me.

I loved, loved, loved the opening. I felt taken back to the old days. The TARDIS however, I agree, it was too gloomy. 

Not feeling it from Yas or Ryan, but I still love Graham. He has a good give and take with The Doctor. 

[Llywela]

34 minutes ago, ae2 said:

I loved JW in the first episode, and I'm still all in on her, but this week her delivery sounded... like she was constantly out of breath. Maybe that worked better for me last week because she was questioning who she was, so there was a bit of "internal monologue" leaking out that made it more interesting and often funny. It just felt like she was in over her head this week, which is such a strange feeling for The Doctor, especially during such a run-of-the-mill plot.

I'm finding Thirteen very reminiscent of Five so far - he was also a young, blond Doctor with a relatively mild, sympathetic persona, who frequently came across as being in over his head (and suffered in comparison with the extreme charisma of his predecessor) - but who was very much the Doctor when it really counted.

I don't think I've fully got to grips with Thirteen's personality just yet - and neither has she, for that matter - but I'm trying to do with this Doctor what I do with every new Doctor, especially when they come as a great contrast to the one before: I take a step back and remember how very different each new regeneration has been from the last, and think about how fans must have reacted to that change back then and how those very different personalities and eras all form part of the great tapestry that is this show. It is good to have a strong contrast between Doctors, I think...it just takes a bit of adjustment, especially in the beginning!

[libgirl2]

10 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Well, at least we got the TARDIS back, albeit overhauled. I'm not judging the interior . . . as long as the Doctor is happy. "Come to Daddy! Um . . . I mean Mummy!"

So, basically, we just caught the end of an intergalactic "Cannonball Run." Or would Enlightenment be a more apt comparison? The setting was nice enough for Team TARDIS to have for their first alien planet, but it was merely okay. Also good that Grace hasn't been forgotten about right away. And I'm thinking robot guards and floating paper towels couldn't rank with Tim Shaw from last week.

That was a cute line. I have to admit, I teared up when I saw the TARDIS. 

[Sakura12]

I like the new Tardis, it even dispenses biscuts. You can always use snacks on a road trip. 

I also don't mind the story being a little more grounded. I was one that gave up on the Moffat era for being too grandiose all the time. You can have an occasional big episode but one every few weeks gets tiring. 

The Doctor's reunion with her Tardis is what I was here for and that didn't disappoint. I'm so happy 13 found her Tardis right away. It was nice to see the companions use a new line, "how do you fit all this in a police box?"

I'm also one that enjoys characters over story. If I like the characters the story doesn't matter as much as the characters interacting with each other. I wonder who the Timeless child is? 

[OlfinBedwere]

10 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

I loved, loved, loved the opening. I felt taken back to the old days. The TARDIS however, I agree, it was too gloomy.

Design-wise it's actually fairly reminiscent of the Eccleston/Tennant-era TARDIS interior. The main difference seems to be in lighting - maybe as Whittaker's era goes on, they'll brighten up the interior.

[John Potts]

44 minutes ago, ae2 said:

I'm not sure why anyone is ho-humming about figuring out the Ghost Monument was the TARDIS. They showed us that 30 seconds after we learned about the existence of the monument. It wasn't meant to be a big mystery.

It wasn't just that, it was the fact that the Doctor seemed to give up when she got to where "The Monument" was. She knew the TARDIS was showing up there, so fire off a Quantum Resonance Array... sorry, wrong franchise... a Transdimensional Beacon to rematerialize it. I should not be ahead of the Doctor in solving the plot!

Liked the "Come to Papa... I mean Mama!" line, too.

10 minutes ago, Sakura12 said:

I wonder who the Timeless child is? 

The other possibility I considered was the guy who died last episode's missing sister, since she was stated to be in suspended animation, or something like it. But I don't like that as an answer because it wasn't somebody the Doctor has ever met (that we know of), so it would seem a bit random for her to be significant.