S00.E156: Resolution (New Year's Day 2019)

[Notwisconsin]

As a heathen, I didn't MIND the Christmas specials one bit. I guess annoying the vast majority of fans is more inclusive. It IS less than a week away and it does bring back the Daleks. So will Thirteen stop being so respectful of all life forms and go full Eight-and-a-half?

Edited March 30, 2019 by Chip
TITLE FIX

[libgirl2]

1 hour ago, Notwisconsin said:

As a heathen, I didn't MIND the Christmas specials one bit. I guess annoying the vast majority of fans is more inclusive. It IS less than a week away and it does bring back the Daleks. So will Thirteen stop being so respectful of all life forms and go full Eight-and-a-half?

My husband and I are curious why the previews aren't showing the Daleks. Is it to build suspense? I'm not sure, we kind of already know they will be there. Maybe they changed their appearance, which I hope is not the case. Tweak them, but a Dalek is a Dalek. 

[Last Time Lord]

One of my favorite things about this past season is how they didn’t reuse any classic monsters.

A special like this, IMO is the best way to use them. 

[DanaK]

I’m looking forward to it. It looks like it will be entertaining

[Last Time Lord]

On 12/29/2018 at 2:27 AM, DanaK said:

I’m looking forward to it. It looks like it will be entertaining

Same here. 

Hopefully I get to actually watch it before Easter. 

[Llywela]

Oooooooh. I liked it. I always like a good Dalek story, and this was a good Dalek story - somehow, they are always at their scariest when there is just one and the story underlines just how deadly that one actually is. Resolution is a proper Dalek episode title, too - following on in the grand tradition of such classic adventures as Resurrection of the Daleks, Revelation of the Daleks and Remembrance of the Daleks. All this one needed was a nice, spoilery 'of the Daleks' tacked onto the end and I'd have thought it was the 80s all over again!

I really liked the concept behind the plot - long-buried Dalek is unearthed and revives, with deadly consequences. Nice simple plot-rock to drop into the episode, with the story then deriving from the ripple effect of the consequences playing out. The Dalek mutant plugging itself into a human host body is a new feature, but I can roll with it - the show has done far more outrageous things with Daleks than that before now! I thought this was a simple but very effective way of getting around the problem of how to animate and transport the mutant squid and convey its deadliness until it was able to improvise a new casing - and forcing the human host to build that casing served as a reminder that Daleks don't just exterminate, but also enslave, that's been a feature of their evil since the beginning.

And woven around that Dalek plot there was also time for some character development - once again centred around Ryan, whose story has played out quite nicely, on the whole, over the course of the season and this special, linked with that of Graham. Just a shame Yaz doesn't also have any actual forward momentum in her story. Anyway, after occasional mentions for Ryan's absentee dad over the course of the season, it was inevitable he'd eventually show up, with the episode taking time to allow some nice little character scenes with both Ryan and Graham. While Ryan's story was centre stage, though, I think what I liked best was that when Graham was left alone with Aaron, he didn't get angry, didn't criticise, but instead remembered that Aaron too is grieving for Grace and took time to reach out to him and attempt to look after him. Graham is such a caretaker - he was born to be a dad and granddad, clearly!

And finally, was amused to see south Wales once again doubling for Yorkshire!

[DanaK]

I have another 3 1/2ish hours before I can watch it, but I decided to read the commentary and spoilers beforehand because I didn’t want to wait 6 hours. I can’t wait to see it

[HauntedBathroom]

The best episode Chibnall has produced yet, which isn't saying much.

[John Potts]

I thought it was great! Loved seeing a Dalek being truly scary (as Llywela says, by making it just one Dalek and still have the Doctor freaking out really shows how scary the Daleks are meant to be: it rather loses it when you have the Doctor intimidating an army of them with one jammy dodger). As soon as I saw Chekov's Microwave at the beginning I knew it was somehow going to be used to save the day, though I didn't see that Ryan's dad would help save the day (and pretty much roll with the punches about his son hanging out with an alien that roams around the Galaxy in a time machine that can appear in his step father's house!) - I guess Christmas miracles still happen (even if they sometimes have to wait for New Year's Day). I loved the phone operator just ploughing on with the call when being told the world was ending because - well, she has a script to follow and probably gets prank called all the time and doesn't know she's on TV. And UNIT was abolished due to "funding irregularities"! How very 21st Century of them.

I wonder if Chris Chibnall had just watched (later Season) episodes of Babylon 5, because the Dalek possessing people was very similar to the way the Drakh "Keepers" would possess people in that show. Was slightly surprised Ryan's dad survived - I thought his moment of heroism was going to be like Pete Tyler's in Father's Day and he'd save the day by deliberately throwing himself into space, but maybe that's too much of a downer ending.

Because I am "that guy", I did have a few quibbles: the military adopted that reliable tactic of "standing in the open under cover of daylight", which shows a shocking lack of tactical awareness even when facing human opponents (UNIT had been shown to have access to have the tech to actually deal with real alien threats - presumably why they've been removed from the game, at least for now). And other than Heroic Armour protecting Team Doctor, how were a bunch of civilians able to overpower a Dalek just by grabbing it but none of the soldiers or the guards at GCHQ were able to? Then there was the (brief) scene with the family complaining about the internet being down - I didn't think it was unbelievable, but it was the wrong moment for a comedy beat when the world was (supposedly) about to end.

But quibbles aside, I did really love it!

[jenrising]

I really enjoyed this. I agree that one scary Dalek was wonderful (and it helps make them scary when zillions don't show up every five minutes to be vanquished). It was a lovely rounding out of Ryan's story without his dad dying to "earn" forgiveness. I very much hope this resolution makes space for a lot more Yaz next series. 

[LiveenLetLive]

I thought that it was OK, then again I have been watching BBC America's marathon of past season's special episodes and this one pales in comparison to some of them of course.

[Riplet68]

Commercials were horrible!  I don’t like Dalek story lines, Doctor defeats too easily.  Love this Doctor

[DanaK]

That was very entertaining, with the right amount of drama, thrills, humor, heart and explosions. I thought Jodie did a great job leading as the Doctor and the rest did well also. I really liked the Doctor’s faceoff with the Dalek in the junkyard

The look was different than the usual episode

As an American, the UNIT shutdown bit had me in stitches, especially given we are in a Government shutdown right now due to a funding dispute. 

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

I have to agree with you LiveenletLive. When you watch the marathon's past seasons episodes , realize how well they were written and how they touched your heart, season 11 episodes are_ pale in comparison. 

[cardigirl]

I’ve been watching the marathon as well and really enjoying some of the past Doctors’ episodes. But I rewatched some of Season 11, and found I enjoyed them more on a rewatch too. 

I enjoyed this episode very much, and laughed out loud when everything electronic got shut down on New Year’s Day. ‘No netflix?’ LOL!!!! 

[DanaK]

Besides the junkyard confrontation, I also enjoyed the Doctor/Dalek virtual confrontation on the Tardis and the end one at GCHQ and then on the Tardis

[WatchrTina]

I've been watching the old Christmas specials and this new New Year's one pales in comparison. I have a few theories as to why.

1. Too many cast members.  They added three new people to the mix and the show was already suffering from having 3 companions that we are barely acquainted with.
2. There were too many scenes with only the guest stars.  We don't have any reason to be emotionally attached to the two archeologists but they (especially the woman) had a huge amount of screen time when they weren't interacting with either the Doctor or the companions.
3. Lousy climax.  Why would the force pulling the Dalek out of the Tardis affect it more than the humans?  Does the saving of the universe from the Dalek actually boil down to humans-have-better-grip-strength-than-Daleks?  Seriously?  (Don't get me started on the maudlin father-son reconciliation that happened in the middle of that moment.)

Sigh.  That was lame.  Compare this episode to the Christmas special with Donna Noble and her ruined wedding and the giant spider alien whose ship looks like a the star of Bethlehem or the one on the spaceship Titanic with guest star Kylie Minogue.  Now THOSE were holiday specials.  (And now I think about it -- the one with Kylie Minogue had even more one-time-only guest stars and yet you cared about them -- or at least I did.  Not so with this special.)

Edited January 2, 2019 by WatchrTina

[truther]

Not gonna lie, I wasn't crazy about it.  I thought it was slow, a little boring, and fairly unoriginal.  It wasn't necessarily bad, so much as forgettable.  And I didn't like how blase the show was about killing off extras (eg how nobody even noticed there was a dead GCHQ person in the room with them, or how the soldiers were so easily gunned down), though that might just be a pet peeve of mine.  

[phalange]

This was a good use of the Daleks, showing just how dangerous a single one can be, especially since they can use someone to do their bidding. I'm curious how those ancient tribes managed to subdue one with the lack of any technology; that couldn't have been easy.

Glad Ryan got some resolution with his father. Aaron wasn't let off the hook, which is good, but there was understanding there from Graham and I liked their conversation. I thought Aaron would end up sacrificing himself at the end, and I'm glad he didn't so that he can build his relationship with Ryan. And his oven/microwave unintentionally helped save the day.

The Doctor's progressing look of irritation when she was on the phone and found out about UNIT being shut down was priceless. Loved her confrontation with the Dalek while on the TARDIS. Don't mess with Thirteen's mad tech skillz with a z. 

Shame this is the last episode until next year.

[LiveenLetLive]

20 minutes ago, WatchrTina said:

I've been watching the old Christmas specials and this new New Year's one pales in comparison. I have a few theories as to why.

1. Too many cast members.  They added three new people to the mix and the show was already suffering from having 3 companions that we are barely acquainted with.
2. There were too many scenes with only the guest stars.  We don't have any reason to be emotionally attached to the two archeologists but they (especially the woman) had a huge amount of screen time when they weren't interacting with either the Doctor or the companions.
3. Lousy climax.  While would the force pulling the Dalek out of the Tardis affect it more than the humans?  Does the saving of the universe from the Dalek actually boil down to humans-have-better-grip-strength-than-Daleks?  Seriously?  (Don't get me started on the maudlin father-son reconciliation that happened in the middle of that moment.)

Sigh.  That was lame.  Compare this episode to the Christmas special with Donna Noble and her ruined wedding and the giant spider alien whose ship looks like a the star of Bethlehem or the one on the spaceship Titanic with guest star Kylie Minogue.  Now THOSE were holiday specials.  (And now I think about it -- the one with Kylie Minogue had even more one-time-only guest stars and yet you cared about them -- or at least I did.  Not so with this special.)

I probably like the 3 companions more than you because Chibnall is giving the Doctor a family (I also adore Jodie and have no problem with her as the doctor) but I do think that too much time was given to that couple who weren't nearly as interesting as the episode "The Next Doctor" with guest star David Morrissey as a traumatized Man who thinks that he is the Doctor, he got a lot of story time, but his character deserved it, and yes, the Kylie Minogue episode which I found both romantic and truly touching. This one with the single Dalek did not pull me in like some of the other Holiday specials.

Overall, I did like this season and watched every episode (the last season with Capaldi almost lost me frankly, I was not a fan.)  

[grinchyheart]

I loved it. The only thing that bugged was how shallow the dalek pieces were buried (6 inches of sand/snow? really?) and how the best guarding the Custodians could come up with was to stand or kneel at the burial spot staring at it. For a couple hundred years. Oh one other thing, the only piece that was properly hidden from ultraviolet (hello ordinary sunshine) under Sheffield town hall was somehow the one that got dug up. Aside from a little vigorous handwaving about those details, the characters were great, the dalek was properly creepy & it felt like the doctor was finally hitting her stride. I liked her from the beginning, but the other episodes this season were mostly just ok for me.

[WatchrTina]

4 minutes ago, grinchyheart said:

The only thing that bugged was how shallow the dalek pieces were buried (6 inches of sand/snow? really?) and how the best guarding the Custodians could come up with was to stand or kneel at the burial spot staring at it

That reminds me -- how did the Dalek reassemble itself (its organic self)?  How did the other two pieces get to Sheffield?  Or are they still on earth, buried in six inches of loose sand or snow, waiting to wreck havoc in another episode?

And another thing -- that whole bit with The Doctor not being able to reach UNIT -- was that a slam at Brexit?  I think that was a slam at Brexit.

[Lantern7]

Good episode, but once again, I'm neither overwhelmed or underwhelmed. I'm just . . . whelmed. Bonus Suck: we have to wait 365 days to see if Chibnall can learn from his first season. Or maybe he'll bail out. I'm not actively wishing for that. All I want is for something a little better than 2018.

Seriously, this past season has shown an interesting paradox. Chibnall clearly wanted to steer away from the "End Of Everything You Can Imagine" stories, but most of what we got felt . . . small. "Resolution" is a good example . . . it's a good one-off featuring a Dalek, it's not a direct copy of "Dalek" from 2005, but one wonders if there should have been more stakes than Ryan's dad hanging from the TARDIS into the void (or whatever) with a really cranky alien on his back. Have I ever brought up absolute values in this form? Basically, this season's episode probably have a lower absolute value than any of the "modern" seasons . . . and that means there's less envelope-pushing in either a positive or negative direction. We don't have "Dalek," "Doomsday," "The Stolen  Earth" or any other great stories . . . but we didn't get "Daleks in Manhattan" or "Inside the Dalek," either. I reckon most of the conflict doesn't occur in the stories these days, but within the fandom itself, which is a shame.

"Resolution" was good. Once again, not a direct copy of "Dalek," and no asshole begging for his petard to be hoisted. A drone comes back to life, takes over a woman's body (and thankfully didn't research hentai stories), and seeks to signal its pals. Yes, it probably didn't know about the numerous Dalek invasions in the past (that being the key word if you ignore stuff set in the future), but it still made for some tension. And we got a lot of fatalities of people who clearly underestimated it. And Jodie got to be a badass.

You know, when I think about it, maybe the show is parallel to Christmas itself, in the sense that we don't get the rush we did when we first watched. *sigh* I'm straw-grasping here. And I'm trying to figure out how UNIT went under in the span of a few years. Pretty mean of the writers to mention Kate and leave us hanging. Well, not as bad if Osgood had been brought up. If we get a meeting of her and Thirteen, it has to be epic.

[DanaK]

14 minutes ago, WatchrTina said:

That reminds me -- how did the Dalek reassemble itself (its organic self)?  How did the other two pieces get to Sheffield?  Or are they still on earth, buried in six inches of loose sand or snow, waiting to wreck havoc in another episode?

And another thing -- that whole bit with The Doctor not being able to reach UNIT -- was that a slam at Brexit?  I think that was a slam at Brexit.

I think the other 2 pieces rejoined with the Sheffield one after it was bathed in the ultraviolet light. Look carefully and you will see the other two transported away

At the very least, it was a Brexit joke and a pretty funny one to this American

[Enigma X]

Did not enjoy it, but I usually don’t enjoy dalek (or cybermen) centric episodes. Yeah. I am pretty much only enjoying the companion ineteractions and characters and when the Doctor interacts with them.

[hnygrl]

I’m  like 30 minutes in.... ITS SO FARKING STUPID!!!!!

LORD I HATE THIS SO MUCH!!!Its literally painful to watch. This is NOT DOCTOR WHO!!! 

1. You kill the Creature , cut it into 3 pieces and bury it? Uh....WHY DIDN’T YOU BURN IT WITH FIRE AND DESTROY THE ASHES? Stupid!

2. You scan the dude but not the GIRL? WHY THE EFF NOT??? STUPID!!!

3.  Romance  no no no..nooooooo!!!

4. I see something weird! Let’s not get the hell out but let’s investigate! Let’s touch it!

4.  You see your partner in grave danger. And you don’t draw your weapon??? Stupid!!!

Knew it was wrapped around her. any IDIOT could see that. 

Spent the last half hour cussing out my tv. 

At this point, I’m hate watching. I. Hate. This. STUPID. SHOW! 

Even the damn Doctor is stupid. 

Atfer watching all of the good ole days? This seasons unbearable and I for one won’t miss it. 

They killed my show. 

Edited January 2, 2019 by hnygrl
So angry I can’t type straight

[Llywela]

11 hours ago, John Potts said:

Was slightly surprised Ryan's dad survived - I thought his moment of heroism was going to be like Pete Tyler's in Father's Day and he'd save the day by deliberately throwing himself into space, but maybe that's too much of a downer ending.

And other than Heroic Armour protecting Team Doctor, how were a bunch of civilians able to overpower a Dalek just by grabbing it but none of the soldiers or the guards at GCHQ were able to? Then there was the (brief) scene with the family complaining about the internet being down - I didn't think it was unbelievable, but it was the wrong moment for a comedy beat when the world was (supposedly) about to end.

I also feared Ryan's dad was going to die, but it was the right decision to save him - Ryan's story has enough tragedy in it already!

Agreed about the comedic moment being out of place - but I can roll with Team Doctor managing to physically overpower the Dalek, since that's a scene that takes us right back to the 1960s and the First Doctor era, when similar tactics were employed (on multiple occasions). I can handwave that the soldiers and guards were taken completely by surprise, whereas the Doctor knows the Daleks of old, planned the attack carefully, and briefed her team thoroughly so that they were prepared for battle and knew what to expect.

I'm trying not to compare too much to previous eras, given the weaknesses of the season we've just had, I'd rather evaluate this special on its own terms. But I will note that for all the amazing Christmas specials we've had over the last 15 years which outshine this one, there have been at least as many that were really poor that I cringed watching (and at least one that I outright switched off after 10 minutes). So this episode and this era are in good company - nothing is perfect, least of all Doctor Who. I enjoyed watching it, and that's my first and most important yardstick for any episode. I can live with quibbles as long as I enjoyed the viewing experience.

I much preferred the New Year's Day timeslot over Christmas Day - controversial statement, perhaps, but I've always found the Christmas specials difficult because Christmas is such a busy family day - they usually have it on, but there's so much noise it can be hard to follow! Watching it as it aired, in the quiet of my own home, was much better.

[benteen]

Now that was Doctor Who.  I really enjoyed the episode and it was the best one of the new season by far.  Chibnall managed to do a Dalek story and add some original bits to it, like the new Dalek scout.  Also liked that the organic Dalek could function as a parasite.  Definitely some similarities to the 2005 Dalek episode but that's not a bad thing.  It does go to show how effective they are when there are only few or one.

Jodie and the cast were good here (though they really need to learn how to utilize Yaz) and I like that this brought out 13's more dangerous and aggressive side.  I thought the scene between Graham and Aaron was great too.  Didn't expect the couple to survive and though Aaron was going to sacrifice himself at the end too.  I'm glad that wasn't the case.

I take it the UNIT funding line was a Brexit job, which was kind of funny but a cheap shot.

Issues with the episode...well, it probably goes to the budget.  I wish they had shown more of that 9th century battle in the beginning and some of the FX on the Dalek battle scenes weren't exactly strong.

So very happy with this episode and it gives me hope for the next series.  I just wish we didn't have to wait so long.

Edited January 2, 2019 by benteen

[libgirl2]

10 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Good episode, but once again, I'm neither overwhelmed or underwhelmed. I'm just . . . whelmed. Bonus Suck: we have to wait 365 days to see if Chibnall can learn from his first season. Or maybe he'll bail out. I'm not actively wishing for that. All I want is for something a little better than 2018.

 

Like you I was just whelmed. It was okay, entertaining but nothing to get too excited over.  I also thought there were just too many people involved. Yaz really didn't do much and Ryan's dad did't need to be there. Graham, always love him..... for me he is the star and I would still love it if he could be the only companion. 

Edited January 2, 2019 by libgirl2

[Sakura12]

I liked that this episode showed a Dalek being a threat. This one actually exterminated people instead of just repeating that it would. 

I also like that 13 is more calm and rational when dealing with it. I know some people like the shouty, angry Doctor. I like that we can see the anger underneath but she doesn't let it take over her. 

I will agree that they have to stop introducing so many people all the time. We need scenes with companions getting to know the Doctor. Especially since this one likes to get to know the companions families. I figured Yaz would ask the Doctor about the Daleks and why it was personal. It also would've given her something to do. 

As someone that lost interest during Matt Smith's era and could only watch a few episodes of Capladi's, I'm enjoying this doctor and the smaller scale story telling. For me Doctor Who is back to something I want to watch every week. 

[benteen]

If they wanted to utilize Yaz more, they could have made the cops that the Daleks killed by the ones that she interacted with in the first episode of the season.

There definitely needs to be more one-on-one scenes between The Doctor and her specific companions.  She addresses them as a group instead of as individuals. 

[AnimeMania]

Japanese Tentacle Porn! I am so there baby!

I give it my official stamp of a real Doctor Who episode.

I get tired of these Christmas episodes where the stakes just got higher and higher. The Earth is in danger. The Universe is in danger. The Multi-verse is in danger. Just give me a decent story that I can understand.

Missed comedic opportunity:

The Doctor: Graham get me some Peanut Butter Cooking Oil so I can lubricate the gears.

Later shows The Doctor rubbing her rubber rain coat with the Cooking Oil before doing her amazing slide.

Verdict: I liked it, it was good enough for me. Make all the episodes this good and I won't have a complaint next season.

[WatchrTina]

10 hours ago, hnygrl said:

I see something weird! Let’s not get the hell out but let’s investigate! Let’s touch it!

To be fair, this is the plot of about just about every horror film ever (not to mention every episode of Scooby Do.)  Humans are curious.

[John Potts]

On ‎1‎/‎2‎/‎2019 at 4:38 AM, hnygrl said:

1. You kill the Creature , cut it into 3 pieces and bury it? Uh....WHY DIDN’T YOU BURN IT WITH FIRE AND DESTROY THE ASHES? Stupid!

4. I see something weird! Let’s not get the hell out but let’s investigate! Let’s touch it!

1 Because in most cases, that's overkill? A lion can kill your cattle and family, but stab it with a few spears and it's dead. In fact, dismembering it is decidedly overkill. Yes, a Dalek is tougher than a lion, but they didn't know that. If dismembering it doesn't kill it, I doubt fire would have much effect, and given the year (800ish?), there was probably nothing they could do that was likely to be more effective.

4 You mean... exactly like the Doctor did? OK, the Dalek itself had left by that point but the Doctor was prodding the slime it left behind, which could have been toxic, flammable or contagious.

I mean, you're free to hate the episode all you like, but most of the time, if you hear a crash in the darkness, it's just something overbalancing and not a homicidal alien plotting to take over the world. It's almost like the characters don't know they're on TV!

I quite liked the New Year's Day broadcast too - not being straight after a 5000 calorie meal means I'm more likely to stay awake (I'm getting old and lack the ability to regenerate into a younger body). It wasn't the greatest episode ever - not even the best Christmas(ish) episode ever - but it kept me entertained for an hour, and that's pretty much what I expect from TV.

[libgirl2]

1 hour ago, benteen said:

If they wanted to utilize Yaz more, they could have made the cops that the Daleks killed by the ones that she interacted with in the first episode of the season.

There definitely needs to be more one-on-one scenes between The Doctor and her specific companions.  She addresses them as a group instead of as individuals. 

As I have said, I would love The Doctor to sit down and talk with Graham about losing a loved one. I don't feel a real connection between her and them. She calls them "fam" but I haven't seen anything concrete enough to back it up. 

[LoneHaranguer]

13 hours ago, LiveenLetLive said:

I probably like the 3 companions more than you because Chibnall is giving the Doctor a family

Seems a little sexist to give the Doctor a family now that she's female, at least in the sense you're referring. I'd rather she ran into Jenny, her clone/daughter she doesn't know survived, and teamed up with her to save people. That would give her family she can fret about at appropriate times, but it would mostly have more of a partners vibe than motherly.

[HouseofBeck]

13 hours ago, WatchrTina said:

That reminds me -- how did the Dalek reassemble itself (its organic self)?  How did the other two pieces get to Sheffield?  Or are they still on earth, buried in six inches of loose sand or snow, waiting to wreck havoc in another episode?

 

13 hours ago, DanaK said:

I think the other 2 pieces rejoined with the Sheffield one after it was bathed in the ultraviolet light. Look carefully and you will see the other two transported away

At the very least, it was a Brexit joke and a pretty funny one to this American

We had the same question about the other two parts. Will have to rewatch (maybe). I wasn't too thrilled with this ep but there were some great bits. And Graham as always was awesome.

The so-called comedic break was exactly what we humans would do when faced with a break in routine. No internet / etc. = Now what do we doooo? #NotAllHumans. No way of knowing the world's about to end! Bit close for comfort, that.

Good for Ryan's Dad and his microwave oven. I wasn't sure if the show would go the sacrificial redemption vs long path redemption route but was betting on the latter. Now Ryan gets to see if his dad can stop running and hiding for real. 

I kept waiting for the Doctor to snarl that there was no Invasion Fleet and the Dalek was centuries behind the times. 

[libgirl2]

20 minutes ago, LoneHaranguer said:

Seems a little sexist to give the Doctor a family now that she's female, at least in the sense you're referring. I'd rather she ran into Jenny, her clone/daughter she doesn't know survived, and teamed up with her to save people. That would give her family she can fret about at appropriate times, but it would mostly have more of a partners vibe than motherly.

I still want to see Susan! 

[AnimeMania]

44 minutes ago, LoneHaranguer said:

Seems a little sexist to give the Doctor a family now that she's female, at least in the sense you're referring. I'd rather she ran into Jenny, her clone/daughter she doesn't know survived, and teamed up with her to save people. That would give her family she can fret about at appropriate times, but it would mostly have more of a partners vibe than motherly.

Then you will get the comments that it takes two women to do what one man does.

[ElleryAnne]

Overall, I liked it well enough, I guess.  I don't have any burning desire to rewatch it, but I liked it better than I liked eight out of ten of this season's episodes.   This season has been so frustrating, because I like JW as the Doctor and I like all three companions, but something about the episodes keeps missing the mark.  It's like taking a sip of your favorite soda and finding it's gone flat.

I liked having a Dalek episode.  After a season in which the bad guys were often human and the aliens were kind of odd (i.e. Tim Shaw), it was fun having a familiar enemy to root for the Doctor to defeat.  

I liked the storyline with Ryan's dad.  I was wishing that at the end they all were trying to save Aaron, or forming more of a chain to pull on Ryan who was pulling on Aaron, but I guess they wanted the focus on Ryan's love being what saved his dad.  Whatever.  I'm glad Aaron didn't die.   Mostly, what I liked was Ryan talking with Aaron earlier in the episode and telling him that hey, you're expecting respect but we're not there yet.  

Another good moment - the Doctor shrugging off the Tardis' ability to be bigger on the inside as not being a big deal, and Mitch saying, yeah it is.

I liked Thirteen's scarf.  Wasn't really feeling Ryan's shirt.  Graham's scarf was nice, the jeans not so much.  Yaz... she was there, right?  I like her.  Wish they'd give her something memorable to do once in a while.  I feel like she wanders through the episodes wearing a perception filter.

The Tardis was crowded.  At one point, there were six or seven people in there.  

I could do without the family that doesn't know how to cope without the internet, and ditto the possibly-Brexit-related loss of UNIT.  I don't get why Chibnall can't seem to tell a story without putting in something random that will take the audience out of the story.

There was discussion a while back about how the show is generally a kid's show.  The first couple of minutes of this episode were really not something I would let my kids watch, though.  

Edited January 2, 2019 by ElleryAnne

[Dobian]

There were a few too many dumb moments.  The girl walking up and touching the alien squid thing when any sensible person would run out of there.  The Doctor seeing the girl approach them talking about this squid thing, then seeing that it's gone, then not immediately thinking to check the girl.  Then later when the Doctor realized that the alien was with the girl, she asks if the girl was ever separated from the other guy down in the sewers.  Well you already know that she was, you were looking for her right after she saw the squid thing.

Don't care for the family drama that much.  I want to watch Doctor Who not This is Us.

Doing a New Year's theme instead of Christmas is fine for a change of pace.

The way they got rid of the Dalek in the end required throwing the physics book out the window.

I do love Daleks so that's a plus.

That girl is now going to be wanted by the police for murder.  Guess that's a plot point that will just be ignored entirely.

I thought the comedy bit was okay, had the ring of truth to it.

An episode that focused simply on action and saving the planet was a good move following a season with very little of that.

Yaz didn't get much to do in the episode.  That's the problem when you have too many companions and extra relations getting pulled into it.

It was okay, I liked it well enough.  But it wasn't all that.

Edited January 2, 2019 by Dobian

[Good Queen Jane]

1 hour ago, HouseofBeck said:

I kept waiting for the Doctor to snarl that there was no Invasion Fleet and the Dalek was centuries behind the times. 

This. I kept wondering why the Doctor cared whether the Dalek got a message out. The Daleks already know where Earth is and most certainly know that it is protected by the Doctor. They ain't going to mess with another invasion, no matter what the scout told them.

[benteen]

1 hour ago, libgirl2 said:

I still want to see Susan! 

Yes!  I want to see that too.  This storyline has literally been hanging on the show for 55 years.  Even when she came back for the 20th anniversary, it wasn't acknowledged.  I know that Big Finish dealt with this storyline extensively but I'd still like to see it play out on the show.

[libgirl2]

25 minutes ago, Dobian said:

Don't care for the family drama that much.  I want to watch Doctor Who not This is Us.

 

 

I don't mind a bit of family drama, but enough already. If this is such a kids show, you think kids like are hanging onto the edge of their seats during the Ryan and his dad scene? Yes their has been drama before but it never felt forced and seemed to flow with the story, though I hated the Danny Pink drama! 

Edited January 2, 2019 by libgirl2

[LoneHaranguer]

1 hour ago, AnimeMania said:

Then you will get the comments that it takes two women to do what one man does.

I hadn't thought of that, but considering that we've seen as many as 13 incarnations of a male Doctor teaming up to get something done, two's not bad. And how many times has a woman, not always even a companion, played a critical role in episodes with a male Doctor?

[Gummo]

18 minutes ago, ElleryAnne said:

This season has been so frustrating, because I like JW as the Doctor and I like all three companions, but something about the episodes keeps missing the mark.  It's like taking a sip of your favorite soda and finding it's gone flat.

So true. Another B/B+ episode when I was REALLY jonesing for an A+ Instant Classic. But to be fair, I've been waiting for one all season.

And why WERE the others just hanging out watching Ryan & his Dad fight for their lives without even reaching out a hand?

But yeah, it was okay. Which puts it miles above any Capaldi episode ever. What a waste of Who seasons THOSE eppys were!

[DanaK]

Funny bit near the end

Doctor, to the team: I’m fast enough, right? I’m fast enough for this plan?

Ryan: Uh,probably 

Yaz: Maybe

Graham: Possibly

Doctor: Well, that one needs work

A lot of funny dialogue in the special

[Joe Hellandback]

On ‎01‎/‎01‎/‎2019 at 1:46 PM, Aethera said:

There is a link to that archive in the first post of the thread I’m linking you to, yes. Don’t click on that - just hit Reply. 

1. Really like Lin, she has a Sally Sparrow quality to her, love to see her again, even as a companion.   

2.  Not a fan of Ryan or his dad, the microwave gag was so obvious, right from the beginning.

3.  Pretty stupid exaggeration of the Dalek's abilities, especially as this is an ancient Dalek, not even the 1960s version. The idea that summoning the Dalek fleet is a threat is ludicrous, they've known about us and tried (and failed) to invade us for a millennium. I mean how good is this one Dalek when 7 and 10 (or at least the human version of him) and probably 8 have slaughtered millions of them?  

4.  What was the point of Daleks vs Soldiers scene? Did none of these squaddies have grenades or a LAW? I did like the rocket/nodules bit but that's all. Plus surely everyone knows about the Daleks from the David Tennant times?  

5.  Did they have to kill off the gay character? Or maybe he was only stunned? 

All told I thought this was a little underwhelming, I hope Dr Who rediscovers its' magic next year.  

Edited January 2, 2019 by Joe Hellandback

[DanaK]

Another good bit, before the last bit

Doctor, to Dalek: No matter how many times you try, no matter how long you wait... I will always be in your way, backed up by the best of humanity.

[Joe Hellandback]

22 hours ago, John Potts said:

I thought it was great! Loved seeing a Dalek being truly scary (as Llywela says, by making it just one Dalek and still have the Doctor freaking out really shows how scary the Daleks are meant to be: it rather loses it when you have the Doctor intimidating an army of them with one jammy dodger). As soon as I saw Chekov's Microwave at the beginning I knew it was somehow going to be used to save the day, though I didn't see that Ryan's dad would help save the day (and pretty much roll with the punches about his son hanging out with an alien that roams around the Galaxy in a time machine that can appear in his step father's house!) - I guess Christmas miracles still happen (even if they sometimes have to wait for New Year's Day). I loved the phone operator just ploughing on with the call when being told the world was ending because - well, she has a script to follow and probably gets prank called all the time and doesn't know she's on TV. And UNIT was abolished due to "funding irregularities"! How very 21st Century of them.

I wonder if Chris Chibnall had just watched (later Season) episodes of Babylon 5, because the Dalek possessing people was very similar to the way the Drakh "Keepers" would possess people in that show. Was slightly surprised Ryan's dad survived - I thought his moment of heroism was going to be like Pete Tyler's in Father's Day and he'd save the day by deliberately throwing himself into space, but maybe that's too much of a downer ending.

Because I am "that guy", I did have a few quibbles: the military adopted that reliable tactic of "standing in the open under cover of daylight", which shows a shocking lack of tactical awareness even when facing human opponents (UNIT had been shown to have access to have the tech to actually deal with real alien threats - presumably why they've been removed from the game, at least for now). And other than Heroic Armour protecting Team Doctor, how were a bunch of civilians able to overpower a Dalek just by grabbing it but none of the soldiers or the guards at GCHQ were able to? Then there was the (brief) scene with the family complaining about the internet being down - I didn't think it was unbelievable, but it was the wrong moment for a comedy beat when the world was (supposedly) about to end.

But quibbles aside, I did really love it!

I liked the 'disbanded UNIT' storyline although maybe this will prompt its' resurrection? It really smacks of the real world. 

6 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

Japanese Tentacle Porn! I am so there baby!

Leave it for the fetish fanfic?