Doctor Who SE04 EP12: The Stolen Earth (Spoilers!)

[Felon]

Fast pace that's really driven by a pounding musical score. Who wouldn't love?

I sure hope the regeneration isn't a cheat, because not only does that mean several more years of Tenant, but it means that when he ultimately does regenerate, it'll be retreading old ground. And then there's the fact that in the long term (i.e. after this week's over) it's just a pointless stunt to pull.

I read somewhere that we won't get a full season of Dr. Who until 2010 specifically because Tenant's going back to doing stagework (Hamlet, IIRC). Personally, I think the possibility of two years without Dr. Who adventures is grounds for immediate extermination by Dalek firing squad. If he can't make the commitment, get someone who can.

In light of the possible regeneration, I wonder what to make of Professor Riversong's previous comments to the Doctor now. Do they tend to indicate that when they next meet, it will be with him in a different form?

 

[horacethegrey]

I read somewhere that we won't get a full season of Dr. Who until 2010 specifically because Tenant's going back to doing stagework (Hamlet, IIRC). Personally, I think the possibility of two years without Dr. Who adventures is grounds for immediate extermination by Dalek firing squad. If he can't make the commitment, get someone who can.

*sighs* Tennant did not make the decision to put Doctor Who on hiatus next year. The BBC did that themselves, in order to accomodate him. Stop pinning the blame on him, mate.

Besides, we have the 3 DW specials coming next year. Isn't that enough for you?

And some people in the UK showbiz industry have stated that this hiatus is a good idea. Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Leftbridge Stewart) said in an interview that a move like this will allow the show's writers more time to plan and allow the show to stay fresh.

 

[Morrus]

OK, what do we know?

1) Tennant has been seen filiming the Xmas Special this year. As has David Morrissey.

2) He has stated in interviews that he's happy to continue.

3) The hand was next to him and glowed with him.

4) He was referred to as the "Threefold man".

5) Donna still has "something on her back".

6) Mickey and Jackie were in the main display on the Doctor Who site for a day, then disappeared.

7) Copyline for next week's ep reads: "The entire universe is in danger as the Daleks activate their masterplan, in the concluding episode of Russell T Davies's Bafta Award-winning time-travelling drama. The Doctor is helpless, and even the Tardis faces destruction. The only hope lies with the Doctor's secret army of companions – but as they join forces to battle Davros himself, the prophecy declares that one of them will die. David Tennant plays the Doctor and Catherine Tate plays his companion, Donna Noble.“

8) This news item: http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Doctor-Who-star-set-to.4225079.jp

Doctor Who star set to get £1.3m to stay
THE BBC is rumoured to be ready to pay David Tennant a massive £1.3 million to carry on as Doctor Who.

The Bathgate-born actor is expected to be offered a new deal worth up to £100,000 per episode.

And he could also be offered other drama projects in a bid to keep him on board.

BBC bosses are desperate to stop the 37-year-old from quitting the show, which attracts up to eight million viewers.

One senior BBC source was quoted saying: "Everyone assumes David is quitting but that's not the case. We're hoping he will be back.

"The situation as it stands is that no deal has been discussed yet for the next series of Doctor Who. That, however, is about to change.

"David is brilliant in the role and naturally we hope he will continue. We're not considering anyone else at this time."

Tennant said: "I've been asked when I'm quitting since the first day I took the part. I've not quit – I've just not been offered another deal yet."

Make of all that what you will. My opinion? The hand itself regenerates into Tennant.

 

[Felon]

*sighs* Tennant did not make the decision to put Doctor Who on hiatus next year. The BBC did that themselves, in order to accomodate him. Stop pinning the blame on him, mate.

Well first off, don't put the word "blame" into my mouth, mate. People do what they feel they need to do, and in Tenant's case he decided he wanted to go back to the stage. Good for him. Bad for me, but he doesn't owe me anything.

Second, your rationale for making Tenant out to be uninvolved in the decision to put the show on hold seems rather spurious. No, he didn't make that decision, he merely made a decision that left the BBC with little choice other than to accomodate him or get another Doctor.

Besides, we have the 3 DW specials coming next year. Isn't that enough for you?

How could it be? Only three shows in the space of almost two years?

And some people in the UK showbiz industry have stated that this hiatus is a good idea. Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Leftbridge Stewart) said in an interview that a move like this will allow the show's writers more time to plan and allow the show to stay fresh.

Hey, they're entitled to their opinion. Sounds like making lemonade out of lemons to me. *shrug*

 

[Felon]

OK, what do we know?

1) Tennant has been seen filiming the Xmas Special this year. As has David Morrissey.

2) He has stated in interviews that he's happy to continue.

3) The hand was next to him and glowed with him.

4) He was referred to as the "Threefold man".

5) Donna still has "something on her back".

6) Mickey and Jackie were in the main display on the Doctor Who site for a day, then disappeared.

7) Copyline for next week's ep reads: "The entire universe is in danger as the Daleks activate their masterplan, in the concluding episode of Russell T Davies's Bafta Award-winning time-travelling drama. The Doctor is helpless, and even the Tardis faces destruction. The only hope lies with the Doctor's secret army of companions – but as they join forces to battle Davros himself, the prophecy declares that one of them will die. David Tennant plays the Doctor and Catherine Tate plays his companion, Donna Noble.“

8) This news item: http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Doctor-Who-star-set-to.4225079.jp

Make of all that what you will. My opinion? The hand itself regenerates into Tennant.

Well, I've reviewed the episode. The white-haired girl comments that Donna had something on her back, in the past tense. The hand is caught up the flare of the Doctor's glow, so I don't think it's conclusive that it was doing anything on its own.

Having said that, we certainly have ample evidence that two Doctors can co-exist by simple virtue of being a time-traveler, and that if anything it probably takes some effort on their part to avoid bumping into each other. There's no reason the show couldn't get a little more ambitious and have two Doctors switch-hitting.

 

[Felon]

What's with the Judoon working for the SP, though? If the SP are galactic police, why do they have Rent-A-Cops working for them?

I suspect that interstellar police can use all the help they can get, and might very well be granted varying degrees of jurisdiction in different places (thus having primary jurisdiction in one sector, while only doing contract work in another).

 

[delericho]

OK, what do we know?

After them telling us quite directly that Rose wasn't coming back (with Billie even saying she felt bad about lying to the fans), I no longer trust the news reporting around this series. Which is not to say I doubt the quality of the series itself... for the most part.

Make of all that what you will.

I'm about 90% sure we'll see a massive Reset Button ending. I don't see how they're going to get out of this one without some or all of Sarah Jayne, Gwen and Ianto dying, and they'll not kill off cast of one of the spin-offs outside of that spin-off. Furthermore, the changes to the Earth are just too fundamental for them now to go back to the way things were without the Reset Button.

Whether the reset also undoes the regeneration or not, I really don't know.

 

[Mark Hope]

After them telling us quite directly that Rose wasn't coming back (with Billie even saying she felt bad about lying to the fans), I no longer trust the news reporting around this series. Which is not to say I doubt the quality of the series itself... for the most part.

Absolutely. RD is a complete liar when it comes to discussing the show (and is happy to admit it) so I'm not believing anything until I see it. And not even then.

I'm about 90% sure we'll see a massive Reset Button ending. I don't see how they're going to get out of this one without some or all of Sarah Jayne, Gwen and Ianto dying, and they'll not kill off cast of one of the spin-offs outside of that spin-off. Furthermore, the changes to the Earth are just too fundamental for them now to go back to the way things were without the Reset Button.

Whether the reset also undoes the regeneration or not, I really don't know.

I have the same feeling, and it's the only real sour note in the episode for me. I will be hugely impressed if they don't do a reset, but it almost seems inevitable, as you say. And therefore also crap, as it would be the same device two years running. I know the show has a track record of recycling plots like crazy, but this would seem a little tired to me. Oh well. Saturday will tell. Hoping for a resolution as cool as the setup .

 

[Pinotage]

Make of all that what you will. My opinion? The hand itself regenerates into Tennant.

I thought the same thing myself, although I suspect that while regenerating the Doctor's body latches onto nearby DNA to regenerate or something like that. Since his hand is nearby, it allows him to take the same form again.

Pinotage

 

[Plane Sailing]

Remember the end of the previous episode? The words whispered to Donna which she passed on to the Doctor?

Bad Wolf.

That was the dues ex machina (literally!) where Rose had absorbed the power of the tardis and rewrote part of the universe at the close of season 1.

Having put the gun on the mantelpiece last episode and not touched it this episode, I'm guessing that the heart of the tardis is going to be significant in the closing episode of the series.

On past performance Russell Davies has produced good stories with rubbish endings; He has pulled off a couple of good endings this season though, so my hopes are higher than normal.

Cheers