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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2018 6:46:54 GMT
Apparently Chibnall wasn't originally supposed to write this week's episode - it was going to be by Tim Price who had to pull out for scheduling reasons, which is why he was credited for creating the Pting. I'm assuming that's the same Tim Price who wrote "Teh Internet is Serious Business" and "Protest Song".
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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2018 19:06:02 GMT
Such a shame that Astos wasn't in the last episode for long. As well as being super foxy, Brett Golstein's chemistry with Jodie was glorious.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2018 13:55:08 GMT
I saw a cynical tweet about the new series "Could the Dr travel back in time to when Russell T Davies ran the show". Rather cruel but amusing!
When they announced 3 assistants I was concerned that one of them could get lost in the background especially as Bradley would likely make most of his character. But we have had all their back stories and extended families so far. Maybe there hasn't been enough focus on Jodie in the title role?
The stories just seem to lack a bit of dynamism and the ending have petered out a bit, hopefully things pick up as the new Dr and sidekicks have settled in okay IMO.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2018 15:59:49 GMT
I found it interesting that this week's episode had the focus on Yaz and still they managed to make her blend into the background. I think they've saddled themselves with too many assistants and I'm not sure they know what to do with her. Unless they are preparing for Bradley Walsh to do only one series and then have Ryan and Yaz as the companions when Graham goes.
Shane Zaza was very petty though so that was nice.
Graham's scene with Prem gave me a lump in my throat though. He really is turning into one of the best companions of the whole reboot.
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Post by david on Nov 12, 2018 22:27:41 GMT
I found it interesting that this week's episode had the focus on Yaz and still they managed to make her blend into the background. I think they've saddled themselves with too many assistants and I'm not sure they know what to do with her. Unless they are preparing for Bradley Walsh to do only one series and then have Ryan and Yaz as the companions when Graham goes. Shane Zaza was very petty though so that was nice. Graham's scene with Prem gave me a lump in my throat though. He really is turning into one of the best companions of the whole reboot. Definitely agree with you regarding Yaz. For me it was an opportunity to really develop the character, but it never really happened. I think having 3 companions doesn’t really work. As you say, you always seem to get one person who seems a “spare part” and never really goes anyware or the writers don’t know what to do with them. Though I think this was a problem in the classic series as well. It doesn’t really help that you don’t get stories spread over a few episodes to allow the companions to have their own adventures within the stories to give you that character development. I must admit when when I heard that Bradley Walsh had signed up, my heart sank. I really couldn’t see him in DW. Though over the episodes, I really have warmed to him and I’ll happily admit I got it wrong. He has been a great addition to the show and is one of the better companions that has been present in the new series. I really do hope he stays beyond this series. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2018 9:27:02 GMT
I don't know, I got VERY bored of David Tennant's regular "oh, it's YOU" schtick. The universe is infinite enough without getting time travel involved, it's not unreasonable to assume the Doctor hasn't encountered every species in existence.
I'm very excited we're getting into a run of episodes not written by Chibnall; I know we've only had six episodes so far, but when the best episodes have been written (or at least co-written) by someone else entirely, I do worry a bit.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2018 23:22:59 GMT
First episode that I've really, really enjoyed. The concept was great, the final few scenes moving. A proper blend of sci-fi and intelligent emotional stuff without lecturing. As a "Hollyoaks" fan I think Yaz fading may be her acting style. She did it in that programme too. More worrying for me, I'm finding the Doctor's lines a bit too consciously quirky at the moment, and her schoolgirl "eh, what's that" reaction to everything a bit wearing. She's the Doctor, she already knows. Needs a bit of weight to her now, I feel. Jodie seems to be playing the Dr in her natural accent and she sort of reminds me of almost a Jane Horrocks type character, I agree she needs more gravitas as she is the fountain of knowledge who solves the problems. |
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Post by TallPaul on Nov 14, 2018 10:38:33 GMT
/\How very dare you! Both Jodie and I come from the RIGHT side of the Pennines.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2018 14:07:57 GMT
/\How very dare you! Both Jodie and I come from the RIGHT side of the Pennines. Unless that side is 'south', one imagines there is no right side of the Pennines. |
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Post by david on Nov 14, 2018 18:33:54 GMT
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Post by nick on Nov 15, 2018 14:44:51 GMT
.... She's the Doctor, she already knows. Needs a bit of weight to her now, I feel. No no no. Neither Hartnell or Troughton knew anything. They couldn't control their spaceship and, Troughton particularly, often won by accident. I think recent Doctors have been TOO knowing and godlike. It's good to have someone who might actually lose. |
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Post by peggs on Nov 15, 2018 22:08:28 GMT
I must admit when when I heard that Bradley Walsh had signed up, my heart sank. I really couldn’t see him in DW. Though over the episodes, I really have warmed to him and I’ll happily admit I got it wrong. He has been a great addition to the show and is one of the better companions that has been present in the new series. Me too and he's both a comic and depthed out delight. I do like JW, it is a bit 'we are giving you a lesson, look at the parallels' smack over head at times and yes 3 companions may be one too many but I got fed up with the whole thing several series ago and a new doctor has brought me back and I look to be staying. |
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Post by Backdrifter on Nov 19, 2018 11:51:48 GMT
It's a perspective, but she really is starting to irritate me that she really knows nothing at all and pulls that face and makes that squeaky sound at everything too. Luckily I'm not getting irritated and overall I like her but I see what's being said here, and together with the Horrocks reference earlier I do see there's a danger of the character becoming too like a sci-fi Bubble Out Of AbFab. The problem is, so far the various Doctors' personalities have tended to be established early on so I doubt there'll be much more gravitas but let's see. There have been a few "you need to be careful of me" moments which take some of the batty-northern-girl edge off. I found the idea of the latest episode, the Amazon fulfilment-centre type of setting, interesting. I suppose it was too tempting to resist. |
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Post by martello736 on Nov 19, 2018 12:20:14 GMT
Quite an enjoyable episode last night, although it seemed a bit confused as to what it was trying to say, a bit like a social commentary that found itself trying to argue two opposing sides of the same argument. It was nice to have an episode that managed not to be so morbid for once, despite the infinite scope of time and space they somehow keep landing in depressing locations this series.
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Post by Backdrifter on Nov 19, 2018 12:37:33 GMT
Quite an enjoyable episode last night, although it seemed a bit confused as to what it was trying to say, a bit like a social commentary that found itself trying to argue two opposing sides of the same argument. It was nice to have an episode that managed not to be so morbid for once, despite the infinite scope of time and space they somehow keep landing in depressing locations this series. Oh, I don't know, {Spoiler - click to view}
I think the idea was to start off portraying massive retail systems as cold, impersonal and dehumanising - as many commentaries on Amazon have done - but then turn it on its head by having the system itself be the "good guy" and reveal it's one of the oppressed workers who's the baddie, as it were. Nice to see Claudia Jessie. |
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Post by david on Nov 19, 2018 22:37:44 GMT
Having just caught up with the latest episode, definitely an enjoyable one with plenty of humour and some nice little references to previous stories as well as that Fez. I really liked the nice twist with who the villain of the week actually was. I certainly didn’t see that one coming.
The use of a certain online retailer as the basis of the setting of the story was an inspired choice and certainly didn’t require too much thought about which one! I’ll definitely be more wary about packaging materials from now on.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2018 10:42:36 GMT
A very useful multi-purpose Doctor Who complaint form
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Post by martello736 on Nov 25, 2018 20:20:06 GMT
T'was a strong one tonight, I really enjoyed that. I've always loved Siobhan Finneran and she was fabulous in this. Was King James I secretly gay? Alan Cumming was good too but I don't know how much of his performance was King James and how much was Alan Cumming. Also, fun piece of trivia, tonight's instalment was the first episode since 1985 both written and directed by women.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 25, 2018 20:24:43 GMT
James I was known for having favourites - so that element of his life has long been the source of speculation.
There are certainly those who refer to him as Queen James...
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Post by lynette on Nov 25, 2018 20:25:17 GMT
James I - rumours re sexuality I think. What bothered me was his accent. I don’t think he did RP posh. Nice episode, lovely weird combo of history and science fi.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2018 20:33:46 GMT
I thought this was the strongest episode since the first one this series. The Doctor was a lot more serious and less ditzy.
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Post by david on Nov 25, 2018 20:58:38 GMT
A really enjoyable episode with some great performances from Siobhan Finneran and Alan Cummings. A great mix of history and sci-fi. I’m happy that JW went for the more serious approach (but with some light comedic moments to balance it out). I’d be happy with this approach to the role in future. The continued ditzy manner for me has become annoying over recent weeks and really needs to be dropped or at least reined in a bit.
I thought the line delivered by JW -: "If I was still a bloke, I could get on with the job and not have to waste time defending myself," was particularly effective both in terms of the plot (the role of women at that point in history) but also maybe having a slight dig at those people who thought having a female Dr wouldn’t work out.
Overall, definitely one of the strongest episodes of this season. More of the same in the future please!
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Post by Backdrifter on Nov 25, 2018 21:01:31 GMT
I found it a badly-directed unengaging mess, the worst episode of this series. If it hadn't been for Cumming it would have been completely unwatchable.
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Post by kathryn on Nov 25, 2018 21:37:08 GMT
James I - rumours re sexuality I think. What bothered me was his accent. I don’t think he did RP posh. Nice episode, lovely weird combo of history and science fi. More than rumours - he wrote letters to George Villiers calling him his wife and referring to himself as his husband. General consensus among historians is that he was bisexual at least. |
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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 25, 2018 21:55:53 GMT
It felt very rushed at the end. Almost as if they had a script for 55-60 minutes and needed to cut it down to 42 to fit the slot - so we got lots of telling and not enough showing.
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