3 weeks till new Who!

[Guest 85555]

So nobody's. mentioned this yet - but that stuff about the TARDIS umbrella stand was clearly important. Why couldn't he remember where it was? Or was he imagining he was Sylvester McCoy for a bit? Plus the Clara mystery. The Doctor's name. Something's going on. Plus I feel he's staring to get darker, and they're calling out theses like "we're all just ghosts to you" and "he has ice in his heart" a lot. TARDIS doesn't like Clara. 50th anniversary ep approaching.

Any ideas yet?

I agree the umbrella thing was important. My first thought is maybe it had something with him giving his memories to the god in Rings of Akhaten, but not sure.

He has been growing darker. The ice comment was odd. Seems like there is moreto that than just pointing out the doctor has a dark side. Isnt the doctor supposed to have an evil quasi regeneration between the 12th and 13th? Perhaps its part of a set-up for the next doctor's arc.

on the Tardis not liking Clara, that is getting hard not to ignore, but maybe that happens with all companions and clara is just more attuned to it than others (the whole 'like a cat' thing). Or the tardis senses something about her that doesnt bode well for the doctor. Still hoping she is CAL, but that is looking like less of a possibility as the series progresses.

 

[Tonguez]

I agree that this was the strongest episode; also that that's a pretty low bar. So one weird alien creature somehow (?) gets stuck in the mansion? What does time travel have to do with the pocket dimension? How did the creature get there? What are they going to do with two alien creatures? What are they going to do with a time traveller?

Okay I did like the episode, it was atmospheric and Professor Alec Palmer was interesting (I hope to meet him again). I liked the reference to Military Intelligence and the examination of 'companion relationships' provided by Professor Palmer and his 'assistant'.

But I was really hoping that the monster was some future scientist who followed Hila Tocarien through the timestream and got warped by it degenerating over time but finally to be reunited with his true love (Hila) by the Doctor. Instead we get another wasted monster who adds nothing to the story (unless it is going to get reused later).

Less snarky questions: Is it safe to say that "family", or possibly "granddaughters" is this season's secret theme? Is it just me, or does anyone else keep getting 1980's/Tom Baker flashbacks during these last few episodes?

The Military Intelligence thing made me think of Jon Pertwee and UNIT

It's going to be interesting to see how Clara and the Tardis interact next week (NB has the Tardis used holograms to communicate before?)

Also on the hologram one theory is that Clara is the TARDIS personified (the hologram is thus a hint at this). The dislike of the TARDIS for Clara might indicate a degree of jealous rivalry for the Doctors affections, since Clara is the only thing that could rival the TARDIS herself...lol

 

[RangerWickett]

The monster was wonderfully done. Especially when, after jittering around being scary, it just pops up beside the doctor and is actually pretty hideous. It's so common for the big reveal of a monster to fall flat, but since they end up making the critter sympathetic, it's okay that it's not actually scary. But it's still nasty and great.

I do think they need to pay a smidge more attention to following whatever rules they set up.

 

[Tonguez]

The monster was wonderfully done. Especially when, after jittering around being scary, it just pops up beside the doctor and is actually pretty hideous. It's so common for the big reveal of a monster to fall flat, but since they end up making the critter sympathetic, it's okay that it's not actually scary. But it's still nasty and great.

I do think they need to pay a smidge more attention to following whatever rules they set up.

yeah thats the sad part, the monster design was great, but what did it add to the story? Hila Tocarien lost in time provided enough of a mystery for the Doctor to solve without there being something behind her. Especially when that actually wasn't even relevant to her story and had no real story of it own. The last bit 'every monster needs it's companion' seemed to be tacked on

 

[Nellisir]

It's going to be interesting to see how Clara and the Tardis interact next week (NB has the Tardis used holograms to communicate before?)

Also on the hologram one theory is that Clara is the TARDIS personified (the hologram is thus a hint at this). The dislike of the TARDIS for Clara might indicate a degree of jealous rivalry for the Doctors affections, since Clara is the only thing that could rival the TARDIS herself...lol

What did the TARDIS say to Clara about it's selection of forms? "The person you most esteem?" That would certainly say something about Clara.

 

[Morrus]

What did the TARDIS say to Clara about it's selection of forms? "The person you most esteem?" That would certainly say something about Clara.

Something like that; it was meant as an insult. Clara responded by muttering "I knew she was a cow", referring to the TARDIS. It was just a little exchange of mutual dislike.

 

[Herschel]

yeah thats the sad part, the monster design was great, but what did it add to the story? Hila Tocarien lost in time provided enough of a mystery for the Doctor to solve without there being something behind her. Especially when that actually wasn't even relevant to her story and had no real story of it own. The last bit 'every monster needs it's companion' seemed to be tacked on

I like that the "monster" turned out to not actually be a monster. It was creepy and couldn't communicate properly but the theme of the show was things you're scared of may not actually be scary once you understand them. (the "ghost", the "monster" the relationship, etc.)

I'm curious to see what happens when River and Clara meet. There's almost no way Clara could be CAL. About the only way to pull that off would be if Matt's Doctor were somehow a product of the Library's mainframe and with the 50th David Tennant comes from "reality" and is "still" the Doctor, taking over the lead role once again.

 

[Nellisir]

Something like that; it was meant as an insult. Clara responded by muttering "I knew she was a cow", referring to the TARDIS. It was just a little exchange of mutual dislike.

Yeah, but _why_ does the TARDIS so dislike Clara? I've never noticed the TARDIS taking that active a role. I'd assume there's a reason, and that little dig ties into it.

 

[Morrus]

Yeah, but _why_ does the TARDIS so dislike Clara? I've never noticed the TARDIS taking that active a role. I'd assume there's a reason, and that little dig ties into it.

Yeah, that's been one of the themes in recent episodes. We'll find out eventually!

 

[Mallus]

yeah thats the sad part, the monster design was great, but what did it add to the story? Hila Tocarien lost in time provided enough of a mystery for the Doctor to solve without there being something behind her.

That's a good question -- let me take a crack at it.

The monster in the set-up allowed for the creepy thing scuttling around the mansion throughout the episode, in a addition to Hila-as-a-ghostly-apparition. It was a fright/tension builder.

From a more meta standpoint, it reinforces the idea the situation was only a mystery from a linear/normal time perspective, ie it comments on the "mystery" of Clara. We see the ghost *and* the monster, we don't initially know what either is, gradually this is revealed, and then the initial revelation turns out to be incomplete and gets clarified further.

It's a commentary/analogue to Clara's arc (or at least that's what I believe right now...).

Yeah, it was rushed, and felt a bit tacked on, but that's a byproduct of the compressed nature of the storytelling -- Slate's got a great article on the last episode which talks about that: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/tv_club/features/2013/doctor_who_season_7_recaps/week_4/doctor_who_hide_recap_why_does_doctor_who_love_humans.html

edit: Hide gets 5 out of 5 from me. A big improvement over last week, which managed to bore me even though it was chock-full of 80s references and David Warner. No mean feat! I blame on the direction -- Gatiss isn't my favorite writer (I prefer his acting) but the script was pretty sound.