So, who wants to talk about new Doctor Who (spoilers likely)

[horacethegrey]

That's been covered time and time again to the point of repetitive nausea. He goes mad without companions. They ground him and keep him from doing bad things. This has been an ongoing theme since the 2005 reboot - from Donna getting him to stop murdering the red spider babies to him going all "Time Lord Victorious". It's referenced a couple of times every season. They're his conscience, almost.

Plus they help keep the program watchable even if the Doctor is turning audiences off. I remembered thinking that Catherine Tate's performance as Donna was the only thing that kept me watching Season 4, after Tennant's 10th Doctor suddenly decided to become an unlikable prat.

Going further back to the series, after Lis Sladen (God Bless Her) left the TARDIS, Tom Baker thought the Doctor didn't need companions and preferred him to travel alone. The showrunners weren't having that though, so Tom decided to make his costar's lives hell (Note though that he's since apologized to many of them for his behavior, particularly to Louise Jameson).

 

[Herschel]

We got to see The Doctor's vindictive side again, ala Family of Blood ending. But I think there's more to it this time. I feel as if it's leading up to a "this is why you need us" moment again for the companions, probably Amy as Rory's more the "this is why you're dangerous to those around you" guy.

It was a fun episode. Meeting Rory's dad was a nice touch.

 

[lin_fusan]

My girl and I really liked it for some reason.

I think it's 'cause all of the human characters actually did things and had attitude. And it was a fun action piece, so it's like watching a B-movie, but a good one.

But I still have no idea why he brought Queen Nefertiti along. The Big Game Hunter had a tiny genre-flavor reason with hunting dinosaurs. And Rory's dad because the writers thought it was funny?

Like the first episode, there were quite a few things I had to take with a grain of salt, a large grain of salt, but it still was fun.

 

[Vyvyan Basterd]

But I still have no idea why he brought Queen Nefertiti along. The Big Game Hunter had a tiny genre-flavor reason with hunting dinosaurs. And Rory's dad because the writers thought it was funny?

I could have sworn that they implied that the doctor was having some fun with Nefertiti unrelated to the happenings in the episode, and that when he wanted/needed to leave she forced him to take her with.

And Rory's dad was there because the Doctor thought it would be fun to surprise the Pond's by materializing around them, making the quirky assumptions that they would 1) be home, and 2) no one else would be there. Not completely out of character for comedic effect.

 

[lin_fusan]

Oops, I mean "he" as in Moffat and Chibnal, not the Doctor. I was wondering what narrative reason brought about bringing these extra characters along.

The only thing I can guess is that it's supposed to show that the Doctor is trying to move on to new companions

 

[Morrus]

I have a theory that we're not seeing events in the correct order from Amy and Rory's POV. Dinosaurs on a Spaceship - to them - could well have happened before Asylum of the Daleks.

I don't know why I think this. It's just a nagging feeling I have.

 

[Herschel]

Because it's Moffat?

 

[RangerWickett]

Should we assume that the Silence were actually present in other episodes, and we just don't remember them.

I mean, The Silence in the Library seems like a good candidate. If there wasn't at least one Silence in that place, I'd be a little disappointed.

 

[horacethegrey]

New episode come and gone. As always...







SPOILERS! Skip ahead if you don't want any.







Episode 3: A TOWN CALLED MERCY

LIKES

Interesting morality play The Doctor clearly wants to save the day by giving up the bad guy to the killer cyborg. Only the bad guy isn't strictly one since he did help the town. And the killer cyborg doesn't want to kill innocents in his quest for revenge. All in all, it's a nice tangled mess that puts into question what is right and wrong. I don't think though it was played out as well as it could be, but the resolution seemed fitting.

The Gunslinger Really well done prosthetics and makeup on Andrew Brooke make him look like an otherworldly killing machine.

Amy calls out the Doctor I thought it one of her finest moments, telling the Doctor how unhinged he was becoming. Letting his anger overcome his normally compassionate nature. Which leads me to my first gripe-


DISLIKES

Ruthless Doctor yet again Man they are really laying it on thick how much of a merciless prick the Doctor is becoming when he travels alone for an extended period of time. While I liked this aspect of his character in the last episode, I really hope they don't drag it on and resolve this issue soon. It ruined David Tennant's last season for me and I'd hate to see it happen to Smith.

Ben Browder This is not a dig at the man himself, whom I've been a fan of since Farscape. But his guest role here felt too brief. A wasted opportunity for such a noted scifi actor.

Again, not a bad episode, but still kind of meh. It's kind of a disappointing outing from Toby Whithouse, who wrote last season's brilliant The God Complex.

 

[Morrus]

Broken lightbulb for the third week running - Amy's dressing room, their house, and in the street in Mercy. What's what all about then?