Doctor Who, Series Seven - "EGGS...STIR...MIN...ATE."

[Dasquian Belargic]

We're still a way off from series seven, but since the reveal of the Doctor's new companion, I figure we might as well have a series seven thread!

Here's the first official photo of our as-yet unnamed new companion, played by Jenna Louise Coleman:

http://i43.tinypic.com/2ujpkr6.jpg

Nice jumper!

Our new companion will apparently be appearing for the first time in the 6th episode of series seven, which is apparently going to be 2012s Christmas episode.

[Atreyu]

Cute girl. Nice dimples. :)

I was going to make a comment about how (like The Doctor himself) the companions seem to be getting younger and younger - but no, turns out Ms. Coleman is actually older (by over 18 months) than Karen Gillam.

[Captain Untouchable]

Huh. That most certainly isn't a modern-looking jumper.

Is it retro fashion... or is she not modern? :ohno

It'd actually be kinda cool if they paired the Doctor with a companion who wasn't from now. I get that they're meant to provide the relatable audience aspect, but now the relaunched series is fairly established they could maybe get away with a girl from the seventies or whatever. Bring her to now and have some "The future isn't the way I expected it to be", or something like that.

If nothing else, she'll certainly match up with the quirky fashions of Mr Bow Tie & Tweed!

[Dasquian Belargic]

She looks like a Blue Peter presenter. I don't know why I think that, but it just seems right to me.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Oh no, look out ma'am! http://diamondjubilee.hellomagazine.com/queens-jubilee/news/galeria/20120323977/queen-manchester-visit/1/#14

[Dasquian Belargic]

This is terrible quality and will probably be taken down soon, but here's a sneaky peeky of the first trailer for series seven:

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[Tom Harriman]

Better quality legit version here (http://io9.com/5896367/the-doctor-who-season-7-trailer-is-here). :)

"Anyone who isn't American, put down the gun." :lol

Oh, Ben. You get the best lines. :love

[Droo]

"Anacrhonistic electricity, keep out signs, aggressive stares... has someone been peeking at my Chrismas list?" :lol

So far in that teaser I've seen not only Arthur Weasley, but also Argus Filch, and Greg Lestrade! :D

[Dasquian Belargic]

What a fun, action packed trailer :D

[Dasquian Belargic]

What if the Eleventh Doctors adventures were a SNES RPG?

http://www.collegehumor.com/video/6749695/dr-who-rpg

[Atreyu]

What if the Eleventh Doctors adventures were a SNES RPG?

http://www.collegehumor.com/video/6749695/dr-who-rpg
:lol

Love the battle actions in the Final Fantasy-esque battle against the Weeping Angel:

"Don't Blink"

[Dasquian Belargic]

Our new companion has a name: Clara!

The Mary Sue also has some on set images of her first appearance with the Doctor. It looks like he may have a new outfit! :ohno

http://www.themarysue.com/doctor-who-companion-name/

[Rutabaga]

Hey, I can actually play in this thread! YAY! :eee

I'm going to miss Amy and Rory. :cry

I've become quite the fan of Doctor Who GIFs thanks to Tumblr, and I just loved this one when I found it:

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb164/Rutabaga64/animated%20gifs/Rory.gif

So when is the official start date in the UK? I think we'll get it on BBC America pretty quickly afterwards.

[Dasquian Belargic]

We don't actually know yet. We have been told autumn time but I think the first episode is being shown at some film festival in Scotland in August so it may not be long after that.

[Tukphen]

Looking very dashing in your waistcoat there, Mr Smith. :3

Didn't Moffat say that Clara was going to show up somewhere around Christmas? I'd guess that the new series won't start until November if that's the case.

They did advanced screenings of Eleventh Hour for school kids a good while before it was shown on TV, so I think we may well have a while to wait. :(

[Dasquian Belargic]

First official image of Eleven and Clara! :3

His new costume... :swoon:

[Dasquian Belargic]

I know the source is incredibly dubious (the Daily Star) and the actress herself basically denied this but I WANT TO BELIEVE: http://www.themarysue.com/doctor-who-vastra-returning/

Madame Vastra, come back to us and romance Clara :ohno

[Dasquian Belargic]

We are (POSSIBLY) getting multiple specials to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Who!

http://geek-news.mtv.com/2012/07/26/doctor-who-will-celebrate-50-years-with-multiple-specials-in-2013/?xrs=share_twitter

[Captain Untouchable]

New trailer! *flail*

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"Who killed all the Daleks?"

"Who do you think?" :ohno

[Dasquian Belargic]

Fffffffffohgod the promo image of the Doctor carrying Amy through the Daleks

[Droo]

Want now please!

"Scared? Who's scared? Geronimo!"

To think these will be the last adventures with Mr. and Mrs. Pond... :(

[Captain Untouchable]

Christmas casting news!

linky (http://www.sfx.co.uk/2012/08/06/doctor-who-christmas-special-richard-e-grant-to-guest-star/)

[Captain Untouchable]

Here's an awesome set photo, that is apparently from filming of the Christmas special. Not only am I insanely excited to see Madame Vastra back... IT HAS A SONTARAN DRESSED AS A BUTLER!!!

Clicky (http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/17vicb9na67mujpg/xlarge.jpg)

[Rutabaga]

OMG, that picture totally made my day. :lol

[Dasquian Belargic]

:eee madame vastra

[Captain Untouchable]

Apparently there is a Madame Vastra-centric episode, AND she's in the Christmas one.

Which apparently has internet peoples wondering if the new companion is Victorian, since the Christmas special is her intro episode. :ohno

Edit:

Maybe Richard E Grant is her dad! :cyduck

[Dasquian Belargic]

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8r9bmjxfG1qijoeyo1_500.jpg

Almost time *spaz out*

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8ro4boMIk1qijoeyo1_500.jpg

Doctor, why so serious?

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8roxvhLUP1qhap1n.gif

[Rutabaga]

*flailing* :eee :dance :rollin

[Droo]

Spoiler-free review of Asylum of the Daleks (http://www.denofgeek.com/tv/doctor-who/22331/doctor-who-series-7-asylum-of-the-daleks-spoiler-free-review)

I can't say I'm as excited about this series as the last. The trailer didn't get me anywhere near as psyched up as the one for the last series, but a trailer is only a trailer, it's mainly because we'll be saying farewell to some beloved characters and I don't like change! Really, I should be used to change by now, it is Doctor Who after all. That, and Daleks. They have never done it for me before although if that review is anything to go by it looks like the Moff has succeeded in making them more sinister this time around.

[Captain Untouchable]

That Asylum of the Daleks poster is the coolest thing ever. :ohno

[Dasquian Belargic]

September 1st is our air date, btw - in both the UK and in America

I'm not sure what time it's on the BBC, but it's on BBC America at 9pm

[Captain Untouchable]

Is that not Dragon*Con weekend?

Does the Doctor Who club/group/thing have a mass screening planned or something?

[Dasquian Belargic]

It is the con weekend,yep.

As far as I can tell from Facebook, the British Media Track people are looking into it. I guess it comes down to where they can get access to BBC America.. I'm assuming you need cable to watch that channel.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Teaser for Asylum of the Daleks

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[Glen Fiddich]

Five Rory and Amy webisodes set between Series 6 and Series 7, you say?

Linky (http://io9.com/5936940/amy-and-rory-get-their-own-doctor-who-spinoff-pond-life?comment=52084349)

Colour me intrigued. Guess that's an addition to the itinerary for the 27th, Jenny!

[Dasquian Belargic]

Ohhhh :ohno

Arthur Darvill looks way too cool IRL

[Droo]

Pond Life: Part One (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00xwctd)

[Morgan Evanar]

I have my means of getting stuff. Don't worry about it.

[Droo]

To be honest, I found that installment totally underwhelming, and at 54 seconds in length I have to wonder if it was at all worth it. One of the visual gags was ironically impotent and the less said about the hip-hop moment the better. All in all, a bit naff, really.

[Rutabaga]

I've watched all 5 episodes of Pond Life...loved all the stuff with the Ood, of course. But episode 5 left me in a shambles. That isn't supposed to happen. I simply won't allow it. :shakefist

We're 7 hours and 19 minutes away from the season premiere, according to the countdown clock on BBC America. And I know it's only about 40 minutes away in the UK, so I'm setting up a Tumblr queue and avoiding all social media until 7pm California time.

It's almost here!!!!!!! :dance :eee

[Droo]

Well, that was a good old-fashioned romp! You may be surprised. I know I was, because this opening episode felt somehow like a departure from the trusted format of last year. This wasn't the action episode, or the romance episode, or the over-arching story episode, or the monster-of-the-week episode. It had all of that rolled up into one bold and bombastic bit of telly. It in no way rivals the opening to Series 6, which was effectively started with a finale, but it was nonetheless hugely satisfying and felt to me, in a way, much like the Doctor Who of old. The episode stands solidly alone and wraps up nicely, swiftly, and efficiently, while leaving the audience with some delicious little morsels to chew over for the future.

There were some wonderful surprises here:

First of all, I was stunned to see the new companion turn up so early, and was delighted by her witty interactions with the Doctor. Surely, this was Moffat's way of whetting the appetites of us Whovians, and now we know what we have to look forward to, and I'm quite excited by what I saw tonight.

Amy and Rory had their moment and it hit all the right notes, although in retrospect, I think Amy's reason for "letting Rory go" was a bit hard to swallow, even if the revelation itself, and how Gillan and Darvill played it, was really quite moving.

Then there was the big Oswin revelation: Wow! I was absolutely gutted by that. Who would've thought a Dalek could have delivered such a heart-breaking performance? And now I have to wonder, in order to avoid paradoxes, does this mean the Doctor's next companion will be destined to become a Dalek? Will he have to carry the burden of another terrible secret, much like that of River Song's tragic fate? Or is it not a fixed point in time? After all, Oswin at least didn't appear to know him, but let's not forget that it's not beyond the Doctor's power to wipe someone's memory completely of him.

And now Steven Moffat has taken another step towards completely resetting the Whoniverse: in Series 5, the universe itself was reset, so no-one on earth remembers all the crazy stuff that happened with Nine and Ten, for example, in Series 6, the Doctor was killed, or at least officially, and now even his greatest foe, the Daleks, have completely forgotten about him. Clever clever!

"I want to be able to say, every week, we’ve got a big standalone blockbuster, and then a trailer that makes it look like nothing compared to what’s going to happen next week! That’s the form for next year.

I want slutty titles and movie-poster plots. I want big pictures and straplines. The first episode I’m writing is called [Spoiler] of the [Spoilers]. And it’ll feel a bit like Die Hard, that first episode."

That's what the Moff said about this series and its first episode. I think he's on track, and the trailer for the next episode looks like it will follow suit in being bold and brash and massively entertaining. And so, eager as I am to hear your thoughts, I just have one thing left to say:

Come along, Across-the-Pond!

[Rutabaga]

I really, really enjoyed the season premiere, I thought it was great. :eee

I was really surprised to see Jenna-Louise Coleman show up in the episode. I spent a while thinking she looked really familiar, and it took me a while to figure out why. I was dreading having to get used to a new companion this season, but she and Matt Smith seemed to have a lot of good chemistry and showed a lot of promise. So maybe getting used to her won't be as difficult as I thought.

I was also extremely moved by what was revealed about Oswin. My Spidey sense was tingling that something wasn't right about her, but I never imagined that it would be that she was actually a Dalek. I had suspected she might be one of the humanoid Daleks, but not the real pepper pot one. That really did catch me by surprise.

And since Oswin wiped all memory of the Doctor from the Daleks' data banks, that certainly raises a lot of questions about where things will go with them in the future, if we do see them again.

Needless to say, I was glad to see the Ponds get back together. I'm not going to lie, their whole argument over the collapse of their relationship brought tears to my eyes...Karen and Arthur really do have great chemistry and performed that scene exquisitely. I am truly going to miss them when they go. :cry

I'm already salivating over Dinosaurs on a Spaceship...after a heavy, somewhat metaphysical season premiere, I think a rollicking adventure will be just the ticket. :)

[Lance Casey]

Perhaps the conversion erased her memories of the Doctor just like Amy was losing her's at the beginning. Maybe the Doctor will travel with Oswin as a way to make it up to her.

[Droo]

While I enjoyed Asylum of the Daleks, I do in retrospect believe it was largely a vehicle for the Moff to plant the seeds of future tales, admittedly, it was an entertaining and bold sort of vehicle but it lacked something for me. Or maybe it was just the Daleks, which I find really quite tedious. What I quoted in my previous post, from the Moff, with regards to his vision for the new series, I believe that vision is realised with Dinosaurs on a Spaceship. I loved loved loved it!

Last week, I used the phrase "good old-fashioned romp" to describe Asylum, it's definately the effect these bold stand-alone episodes seem to be aiming for, but this week the goods were delivered in full. I was a grinning idiot for pretty much all the episode, it was immense fun from start to finish, and while it was quite regularly cheesy, it was a palatable sort of cheddar that didn't leave a sour aftertaste. This is the sort of Doctor Who that has the broad family appeal that will keep kids, mums, and dads all returning to the screen in their droves.

Does it lack the rich mind-bending sort of intrigue of the labyrinthian Series 6? Absolutely. But you can have too much of a good thing and, with the departure of the Ponds looming closer, I think a few episodes of pure roller-coaster escapism are a welcome distraction from what will prove to be a heart-rending departure. And next week looks like another wild departure from the trend: had enough of the Dalek crazies and spaceship-bound dinosaurs? No problem! Here's a cyborg sheriff in the wild west!

My personal highlight of this episode was Rupert Graves as Ridell, to see him go from D.I. Lestrade to that was a small joy. :D

[Rutabaga]

So this week, not only were dinosaurs on a spaceship, but so were Arthur Weasley, Mr. Filch, and Inspector Greg Lestrade. What more could you ask? :eee

I'm in total agreement with you, Droo, that this week's episode was a rollicking, giddy romp. I too was grinning from ear to ear during the entire episode, and I truly laughed out loud when the Doctor kissed Rory full on on the lips. I just couldn't help myself. It was damn good fun! :eee

[Dasquian Belargic]

I'm all caught up on the new series now - what fun! I'm amazed that they kept the fact that Oswin was in the first episode under wraps and can't wait to see how Moffat manages to explain that in later episodes! Maybe it's because I was watching the episodes whilst sleep deprived so my brain was not running at full speed, but I totally did not see the 'twist' in Asylum of the Daleks coming.

[Captain Untouchable]

I've only watched Asylum so far - just about to watch Dinosaurs. I didn't see the twist coming either!

If I were to hazard a guess at your spoiler-tagged question Jenny, I'm guessing that the Doctor will meet Oswin some time in her past, and that we'll have some sort of River Song style "everyone knows that she's going to die except her" theme going on. Moffat has used that two or three times already, and seems to be quite fond of it. Of course, that didn't work out necessarily, because she didn't know who the Doctor was, unlike River. Hmm.

As an aside... bearing in mind that "silence will fall when the question is asked", are we going to see the question getting asked a lot this season, I wonder? And since the question is being asked, does that mean that The Silence has not yet fallen? :ohno

Edit:

Also, is it just me, or does anyone else think that the Doctor - with his making a big deal out of minor details, like "Where do you get the milk?" - would fit right in with our Dark Banana group? :lol

[Dasquian Belargic]

With regards to (Asylum spoilers) Oswin, she is already popping up as a character on cosplaying forums and one aspect of her costume that I didn't notice but which kind of hints towards her true nature, is that she carries a whisk! A whisk that doesn't look entirely different to the whisk-like arm the Daleks have. Nice little detail!

I agree about the Doctor being a potential Dark Banana member. He also has a habit of getting out of dire situations in unexpectedly awesome ways :D

[Dragon]

she didn't know who the Doctor was, unlike River.

Ah, but the first thing to be affected in Dalek conversion is memory.

[Captain Untouchable]

she didn't know who the Doctor was, unlike River.

Ah, but the first thing to be affected in Dalek conversion is memory.

True, but both she, and Amy, and the dude that the Doctor and Amy met outside seemed to have lost their short term memory first. Longer term memories seemed to remain largely intact: the guy had forgotten that he was dead, but he still had fully fledged memories of his identity. Given that the Doctor becomes such a defining part of a companion's life, it seems a little strange that she would have forgotten him before anything else.

There's something else that's bugging me, but I'm going to have to re-watch the episode to double check first, I think.

[Dasquian Belargic]

What did you spot?

[Captain Untouchable]

When they flashed back to when Oswin was captured/converted... I might be mis-remembering, but I got the impression that she didn't know what was going on, what a Dalek was, etc. She wasn't acting the way that you'd expect a companion to act: and lets face it, if she survives more than one season as a companion, it's a safe bet that she'll meet the Daleks at least once. In that situation, Rose or Amy would have said something badass, name-dropped the Doctor... something. Oswin on the other hand was panicked, confused, and not at all like the sassy, confident character we saw in her fantasy world.

Earlier in the episode though, she said: "I know a Dalek when I hear one." That sounded very badass and companiony... but did she say that because she'd met the Daleks already with the Doctor (and just didn't remember doing it), or because she'd been turned into a Dalek, and thus knew what they were because of her software?

[Dasquian Belargic]

it's Whoday :eee

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/581495_525091367504895_717660787_n.jpg

[Rutabaga]

i am doing some major Kermit flailing right now! :eee

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb164/Rutabaga64/animated%20gifs/kermitfreakout.gif

[Captain Untouchable]

Sad face. :(

[Dasquian Belargic]

Asylum is still my favorite so far this season, but this weeks episode was good too! Next weeks looks like it will be extra sad :(

[Captain Untouchable]

Asylum was definitely the best, though I'm impressed with how epic they've managed to make everything feel so far. It seems to be a really good approach - it looks like we're going to skip the obligatory "Vampires of Venice" / "The Curse of the Black Spot" / "meh, not great" episode this time around, which I'm very happy about. Everything seems pretty solid, and I'd happily rewatch it again (I normally skip the meh episodes when I rewatch Who).

The thing that worries me, though: we've got next week's episode, then Angels Take Manhattan... and that's it until the Christmas special. Withdraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawl. :(

[Rutabaga]

Just watching the rerun of Dinosaurs on a Spaceship before A Town Called Mercy premieres on BBC, and it reminded me that I think a theory I've seen floated on Tumblr is quite possibly on the money. The theory is that the Doctor has already experienced the Ponds' fate, whatever that may be and that which we will have to live through in a couple of weeks (:cry), and in these first few episodes of season 7 he's plucking them up here and there to have as much fun and adventure with them as possible before it's all over.

The idea is both smart and sad. :(

[Dasquian Belargic]

The thing that worries me, though: we've got next week's episode, then Angels Take Manhattan... and that's it until the Christmas special. Withdraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawl. :(

When is it supposed to start up again after Christmas?

EDIT: Whoday is once again upon us (well, tomorrow anyway) :ohno

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Ok I'm almost caught up. Just have the most recent one to watch! Dinosaurs on a Spaceship was glorious and I loved every second of it. Rory's dad, in particular (Mr. Weasley!) was awesome. :D

Imagine this all said in a Scottish accent. ;)

[Dasquian Belargic]

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ma1rpwMNGH1r3761so2_500.gif

:3:

[Captain Untouchable]

Damn you, Jenny - now I'm gonna end up spending all day looking at Doctor Who gifs. :ohno

Edit:

Jenny, you remember that blog post you linked to me about the Doctor meeting the Ponds in the wrong order this series? Have you watched any of the Pond Life webisodes? I just put them on, and that sorta seems to be what's happening. But then also sort of not. :uhoh

[Dasquian Belargic]

Damn you, Jenny - now I'm gonna end up spending all day looking at Doctor Who gifs. :ohno

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ma7xpa7xGK1r8165j.gif

I'm going into town to do a spot of shopping today, I wonder if I'll see any mysterious little black boxes...

[Rutabaga]

On Tumblr last night, I came across a couple of pictures of Rory being menaced by the Statue of Liberty in The Angels Take Manhattan. Holy cow! :eek

[Dasquian Belargic]

^ :eek I didn't realise there were any images of that episode yet, aside from the teaser poster... although I'm not sure I want to see them, or that episode.

Ponds :cry

[Glen Fiddich]

That was both awesome, and insanely cutesy at the same time. There's been some serious bar-raising going on this series. :3:

Also, I'm now craving Yorkshire Puddings. Damn you. :shakefist

It's starting to seem increasingly likely that the Doctor does know that the end is nigh for the Ponds, and has hopped back in time for a farewell tour. So much foreshadowing in the dialogue this week. :(

[Rutabaga]

Holy cow, tonight's episode was quite a ride! :lol It was almost like a triumphant tour de force for the Ponds before the end comes next week. :ohno :cry

If something truly awful happens to the Ponds, will the Doctor be able to go back to Brian and tell him the truth?

And I really would like to see Kate Lethbridge-Stewart become a recurring character, she was awesome.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Holy crap, this US trailer for next weeks episode :eek http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukly1NP-P0E&hd=1

also
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_marz5q813t1qlzb69o2_500.jpg
waaaaagh :cry :cry :cry

[Captain Untouchable]

"I guess she got impatient..."

HOLY SHIT. :ohno


http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_marz5q813t1qlzb69o2_500.jpg
"Because you were the first. The first face this face saw. And you're seared onto my hearts."

:cry :cry :cry

[Rutabaga]

Holy crap, this US trailer for next weeks episode :eek http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukly1NP-P0E&hd=1

also
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_marz5q813t1qlzb69o2_500.jpg
waaaaagh :cry :cry :cry

The images I saw on Tumblr were taken from this trailer...I think in some ways it might be the most frightening image I've seen on the show lately. The Statue of Liberty is such an iconic image to us Americans that to see it like that is actually pretty disturbing.

I think I need to stock up on kleenex before next Saturday. I haven't got a clue as to how I will be able to make it through the episode without sobbing like a child. :cry

EDIT: Just wanted to add these, slightly spoilerish but I love them

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb164/Rutabaga64/animated%20gifs/thepowerofthreepart1_zpsd12c08be.gif

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb164/Rutabaga64/animated%20gifs/thepowerofthreepart2_zps54b840f1.gif

[Dasquian Belargic]

^ Oh you three :3: I bloody love you

I saw an awful, AWFUL gif on Tumblr which I am guessing is a scene from the next episode (?) with the Doctor looking absolutely distraught, shouting WHYYYYY

[Captain Untouchable]

Random thought: when is the last time that Doctor Who didn't say the episode name as part of the script? They've said every episode name so far this series, and they did it a lot last year... are there any ones where they didn't manage it?

[Dasquian Belargic]

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mawyrlwVey1ryvi5xo1_500.png

[Rutabaga]

:shakefist :grumble :ohno

[Rutabaga]

Yup.

<a href="http://www.someecards.com/usercards/nsviewcard/MjAxMi1iZWYxMjc0MTQ4MmViMTYw"><img src="http://static.someecards.com/someecards/usercards/1348453824144_9522745.png" alt="someecards.com - I'm not emotionally prepared to say goodbye to the Ponds" /></a>

[Dasquian Belargic]

The official Who page on Facebook has a little album of pictures from The Angels Take Manhattan

:(

[Rutabaga]

I actually had a dream about The Angels Take Manhattan last night. Seriously. :ohno

[Rutabaga]

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb164/Rutabaga64/thepondsareleaving.jpg

[Captain Untouchable]

http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/180d1nvfdysggjpg/xlarge.jpg

So many pictures of sad Doctor on the internet. :(

Edit:

Based on the interview (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=H64GO5xue0c) I just watched, I think I just worked out what's going to happen on Saturday. I really hope I'm wrong, because if I'm right I'm gonna be absolutely devastated. :(

[Dasquian Belargic]

I can't bring myself to watch that, now that I know *you* think it gives away what might happen. Augh.... Eleven :(

[Captain Untouchable]

It's probably wise not to watch it for the sake of your tear ducts. They're all talking about how emotionally devastating it's going to be, and Goodbye by the Spice Girls is playing in the background.

:cry



Yes, a Spice Girls song makes me cry. Shush. :uhoh

[Rutabaga]

Argh, 48 hours from now I'm expecting I will be curled up in a fetal position on the floor bawling like a baby. In a lot of ways, I'm dreading this episode. :ohno

Due to the time difference, I'm going to have to go off the grid at about 11am California time for fear of experiencing any spoilers. At least BBC America will be able to fill the time...starting at noon on Saturday, they're showing Amy's Choice, The Pandorica Opens, The Big Bang, A Good Man Goes to War, and The Girl Who Waited. The special Doctor Who in the US is airing at 5pm, then The Angels Take Manhattan airs at 6pm.

It's almost over. :cry

[Captain Untouchable]

Random fact I learned today: Jenna-Louise Coleman was Bucky's date at the beginning of the Captain America movie. Clicky (http://0.tqn.com/d/scifi/1/7/f/k/0/-/tumblr_m18yzvtSdp1qa7hzxo1_500.png).

*

Anyhow... Really interesting sneak-peak of tomorrow's episode.

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The reason it's interesting is because the character show here does not seem to be a 21st Century New Yorker - he seems more prohibition era to me, somehow. I don't know why, but I guess I just assumed the Ponds were going to New York "now", rather than in the 1930s. Does this mean we're going to get Angels AND New York gangsters? Or is this just a flashback, and the Angels have been there for decades? :ohno

There's also a character called Grayle in some of the Eighth Doctor audio books. No idea if that has any significance or not.

[Emelie Shadowstar]

I am going to cry. :lol moving house has already made me a bit emotionally unstable (I dont like change!!!) so I get the feeling this ep is just going to undo me.

But... Angels! :3 I love them even though they scare the shit out of me lol

[Captain Untouchable]

Damn it - I want to use the "moving house" excuse for crying at this episode too.

:uhoh

[Droo]

I was talking to Peter about this episode yesterday. I got into Doctor Who at the start of Series 5, and then, hooked by The Eleventh Hour, I ordered the complete four series box set and never looked back. So I watched Series 5 and Series 1-4 simultaneously. And over the course of the programme there have been some standout moments with real emotional clout but there's a real sense of dread that I've never felt before when I think about tomorrow's episode. It all started with Eleven and Amelia Pond for me, and my attachment to them both, along with Rory, has grown over the course of years, whereas the other Doctors and companions were but a flash in the pan by comparison. It's going to be tough, I'm sure, but as a result it has also become terribly apparent just how awful it will be when the time comes to bid farewell to Eleven himself. Is it a Whovian faux-pas to even consider such a thing?

[Dasquian Belargic]

Guys.. don't start talking like this already. I can't handle it.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzyt0pCn991r2yduto1_250.gif

[Rutabaga]

No. Just...no.

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb164/Rutabaga64/animated%20gifs/quiveringlip.gif

[Dasquian Belargic]

26 minutes until the episode starts here in the UK... :ohno

[Captain Untouchable]

Oh fuck it's Who time. :ohno

Edit:

Hmm.

"The Angels Take Manhattan" was absolutely fantastic - the angels were terrifying, River was awesome and sexy (Yowzah!), and I spent the whole episode dreading what was going to happen to the Ponds.

Unfortunately, that particular storyline stopped about thirty minutes in, and we ended up with an unfulfilling rehash of Doomsday. Just like Ten and Rose, the companion gets trapped in an alternate reality/timeline where the Doctor can never see them again... except Amy and Rory are trapped together. With them wanting to settle down and grow old together throughout the earlier episodes, it was almost a happily ever after for them. And upset as the Doctor clearly was, he still had River, and there was a cutsey sort of silver lining.

Don't get me wrong - I cried in places, and I enjoyed the episode. It just felt like it could have been better, I guess. :(

[Droo]

From the moment they jumped I was a wreck. I had a minute to prepare for it and I thought I was alright but I was probably only kidding myself. The last shot killed me and right now I can't quite consider the episode from a critical angle, maybe I'll need to watch it again, but right now I'm feeling quite raw and I think a strong drink is in order.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Adorable behind the scenes farewell to the Ponds: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00z4cw2

[Captain Untouchable]

^ I found that more upsetting than the episode. :(

[Droo]

"... an important brain development period." :lol

[Wyl Staedtler]

What the hell, I am so far behind! I didn't even know the new season was on and I've sold my television and my computers and my couches nooooo :cry

[Rutabaga]

I'm a blubbering mess right now. :cry

Like Droo, I started bawling when Amy and Rory jumped off the roof together. I've always adored their relationship and thought that was the most powerful testament to their love.

I like knowing that they ended up spending the rest of their lives together and they were happy. It really was a happily ever after, and the afterward put a final bookend on the story of Amelia Pond.

I read somewhere a while back that Steven Moffat had changed the end of the episode after some consideration...I'm left wondering if he originally had Amy and Rory dying after the jump off the roof. In some ways, I might have preferred that ending...it was beautifully done, and it really did underscore their relationship. It was very eloquent, and it would probably have been the braver ending. But I think some people within the fandom would have sought him out and attempted to slaughter him. The fact that he'd already been getting death threats on Twitter, which caused him to shut down his account, made it very clear that there are some vocal and crazy fans out there.

So this ending was the next best thing. And I can definitely live with it. It was sad and happy at the same time.

[Emelie Shadowstar]

Oh god... :cry

Such a good way to end it but fffffffffffffff..... Emotional wreck

[Dasquian Belargic]

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb164/Rutabaga64/animated%20gifs/thepowerofthreepart1_zpsd12c08be.gif

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb164/Rutabaga64/animated%20gifs/thepowerofthreepart2_zps54b840f1.gif

Having watched the behind the scenes farewell to the Ponds, these are even more awesome. and sad.

[Rutabaga]

A couple more thoughts, thanks to some stuff I've seen on Tumblr:

Maybe what Steven Moffat changed in the ending was the method of Rory and Amy's shared suicidal gesture. Maybe Moffat has developed quite a taste for having beloved characters jump off buildings. If you also watch Sherlock, you know what I mean. :ohno

Also, it's well worth pointing out that, in the final scene in the graveyard where Amy made her final choice, it was the first time she didn't follow the Doctor's plea of "Come along, Pond." It was always Rory, it truly was always Rory. And she chose Rory over her Raggedy Man. It was really driven home by the fact that her name on the gravestone was Amelia Williams and not Amelia Pond.

In some ways, it could be argued that the Doctor was being selfish by basically asking Amy to give up on and forget Rory, but I know it was also driven by his fear of being alone. It's true that he should never travel alone, because it does bad things to him. Ten's travels alone proved that as well, especially in The Waters of Mars. I hope Oswin does prove to be a great companion who helps to fill the void that Amy and Rory have left in the Doctor's soul.

The episode wasn't perfect (could the Statue of Liberty truly stomp around like King Kong in NY even in 1938 without anybody saying anything about it?), but it worked in the end, at least for me. And I'm going to miss Amy and Rory for a long time.

[Wyl Staedtler]

2:41 into the latest episode and I've paused it three times. This is not something to be watched in the dark. D=




eta: haha okay, 3 minutes in and I'm done. No way. Can't do it. Maybe in the light of day I'll give it another crack but this is insane.

[Captain Untouchable]

Have you got paranoid, and started hearing little giggling voices behind you wherever you go? :ohno

[Wyl Staedtler]

Giggling? :ohno I don't think I got that far. The detective was just getting onto the elevator when I turned it off. As much as I want to see it, even that first three minutes was enough to make me slide down my hallway to the bedroom with my back against the wall, muttering fearful obscenities.

La la la, I'll just be blissfully ignorant over here. :angel

[Rutabaga]

Have you got paranoid, and started hearing little giggling voices behind you wherever you go? :ohno

I used to like cherubs. NOT ANY MORE. :ohno

This video is so darned cute...spoilers, of course, if you haven't watched the episode yet.

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[Lance Casey]

Very emotional ending and I liked how they ended Amy and Rory's story but after the emotions from the episode died down I had a hard time getting over some major plot holes within the episode.

[Dasquian Belargic]

I was just getting used to having Who again every week and now this weekend there will be none :cry

[Mu Satach]

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[Wyl Staedtler]

I was just getting used to having Who again every week and now this weekend there will be none :cry


It's like life is on pause right now. What... what do we do, now? :ohno

[Rutabaga]

Oh damn, I'm crying all over again. :cry

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[John Glayde]

More Neil Gaiman, you say? :dance

Doctor Who: Neil Gaiman episode confirmed for series 7 (http://www.denofgeek.com/tv/doctor-who/23082/doctor-who-neil-gaiman-episode-confirmed-for-series-7)

[Dasquian Belargic]

http://blogtorwho.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/children-in-need-2012.html


The BBC have announced details of a special Children In Need scene featuring Matt Smith and the broadcast of the first trailer for the Doctor Who 2012 Christmas Special. This year's Children In Need night on the BBC will take place on Friday, 16th November; from the BBC:

Doctor Who, featuring Matt Smith, will also bring viewers an extra special 'prequel' to its Christmas special, with a bespoke storyline made for Children in Need, and an exclusive preview trailer of the Christmas special including the first glimpse of the Doctor with his new companion.

Also someone accidentally left the new Neil Gaiman episode script in the back of a taxi, apparently. Thankfully it was returned to the BBC and no spoilers were leaked!

[Ecidae Mandrill]

Who needs more spoilers?

We know it's got Tamzin Outhwaite, Warwick Davis, and Cybermen in it. Any more information than that, and I think my brain would melt from awesome overload. :ohno

[Dasquian Belargic]

Jason Watkins (who played Herrick in Being Human) is going to be in the Gaiman episode too :3:

[Ecidae Mandrill]

Which one is Herrick? Was he the police guy who sired the guy who is a dwarf in the Hobbit?

(I never really got into Being Human - can you tell? :uhoh)

[Dasquian Belargic]

That's him, yes :)

EDIT: the Cybermen have had a redesign (for Neil Gaiman's episode) http://www.sfx.co.uk/2012/11/09/new-look-for-doctor-who-series-7-cybermen-2/

[Captain Untouchable]

Ooooooooooooooooooooooh.

I guess they're trying to make it clearer that these are "our" Cybermen rather than alternate universe ones. Just taking the C off the chest was a little lazy.

[Dasquian Belargic]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/263521_555246101156088_1926952010_n.jpg

oh boy.

[Captain Untouchable]

Oh my! :ohno

He's looking very Paul McGann there, in his Victorian/Edwardian little number. Is this a one-off outfit, or a new look for the new season?

And more importantly, how long before you've got a cosplay version of it, Jenny? ;)

[Dasquian Belargic]

This is for the Christmas special, apparently. No idea if it will be something that carries on throughout the rest of the season.

I'll get back to you about the cosplay once I've seen a full body picture ;)

[Dasquian Belargic]

Even more Christmas special pictures!!

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/63303_556496171031081_1322290900_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/598546_556496237697741_1913231236_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/28068_556496267697738_2088673449_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/546769_556496304364401_1565623493_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/178986_556496211031077_971531434_n.jpg

[Dasquian Belargic]

Also!

L3KVpvEUTns

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[Captain Untouchable]

Holy shit. Evil snow? :ohno

[Crusader]

WOW I can post here now without being spoiled :)

BTW Who else is looking forward to a new companion? She was great in the Asylum of the Daleks so I am looking forward to watch more with Jenna-Louise Coleman.

It will be intresting to see how the dynamics between River Song and the doctor will change once a new girl enters the TARDIS.

[Dasquian Belargic]

I can't wait to see Jenna in action :D She already seems like a lot of fun.

EDIT: Speaking of...

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_me46rwlLis1qijoeyo1_500.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/YK5HH.jpg

:eee

[Captain Untouchable]

Little known fact - in the same way that Aliens is the sequel to Alien, The Snowmen is in fact a secret sequel to The Snowman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Snowman). Angry at the little boy for leaving him outside to die, The Snowman is back... and he brought friends. :ohno

[Captain Untouchable]

So apparently, the inside of the TARDIS has had a make-over (http://blogtorwho.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/sneak-peak-new-tardis.html). It seems that the original design had too many reflective surfaces that were making camera positioning tricky, hence all the wide shots over the last couple of years. All we've seen is a teeny-weeny little sneak peak, but it looks very Time Lordy.

Also, the Doctor's new companion is apparently dating Robb Stark from Game of Thrones in real life. References to this are apparently made in the Christmas special.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Wow.. the new TARDIS. It looks like the interior is moving back towards an aesthetic that is much closer to how it has looked in the past.

[Rutabaga]

AAAAAHHHHH! Guess who's providing the voice for The Snowmen!

http://www.themarysue.com/snowmen-doctor-who/

[Captain Untouchable]

I was going to jokingly guess Benedict Cumberbatch... but holy crapsickles, that's even better! :ohno

Edit:

My reaction to this mood, expressed as an animated gif -

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_me2yy9vmKN1rhdwuso1_500.gif

[Dasquian Belargic]

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[Captain Untouchable]

"i Do The Hand Grabbing. That's My Job!"

:3:

Edit:

This has nothing to do with the Christmas special, but I really want one of these (http://www.etsy.com/listing/108849079/doctor-who-inspired-plush-pillow-matt) right now. :ohno

[Crusader]

^^A dress?! or the model in the dress plus the dress?

[Captain Untouchable]

^^A dress?! or the model in the dress plus the dress?

:|

The link used to go to an awesome cushion that looks like Matt Smith. Honest. :ohno

[Dasquian Belargic]

Rirju6is4Sw

:3:

[Captain Untouchable]

So, we now know what the new TARDIS interior (http://uk.ign.com/articles/2012/12/19/see-doctor-whos-new-tardis) looks like.

It's going to take some getting used to, that's for sure. It's cool in a retro sort of way, but I dunno. I think my brain is hard-wired to think that a small and simple control room / bridge in sci-fi means that the show is being made as cheaply as possible. Maybe it's an indication that there aren't going to be many scenes in the TARDIS this time around... or maybe it's a space thing; they might have left the previous two control rooms standing in case they need to use them for the 50th Anniversary, or some-such.

[Crusader]

It looks less Steam Punky now but I do not like it... strange.

[Dasquian Belargic]

It'll take some getting used to, I think, but I do like it. I love the Doctor's new coat too :3:

[Captain Untouchable]

I love the Doctor's new coat too :3:

A million times yes. :3:

[Nínim]

New coats are cool!

[Captain Untouchable]

They keep talking about having changed the intro sequence for Doctor Who. Apparently it's quite a radical / dramatic change, and it's one that fans of Classic Who are "guaranteed" to like.

Floating Matt Smith face, methinks.

Edit:

Sontaran Christmas Carols! Linkied (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p012ytxy), because it auto-plays.

[Dasquian Belargic]

ahaha those carols <3

[Crusader]

Three more days to go.

[Dasquian Belargic]

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lwhta7WyRd1qjbb1l.gif

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3o5ji6CK51r183u4.gif

[Captain Untouchable]

Did anyone see Matt Smith on Graham Norton this week? (last night?)

He showed up late because the M4 was closed, so Dustin Hoffman made him kiss some random woman from the audience. He was so bumbling and flustered about it, it was awesome. And adorable. :3:

Adorsome? Awedorable?

[Wyl Staedtler]

Loved it! Though the highlight for me was Matt, Graham and Billy Connoly discussing the flaws in Billy's Dalek-escape tactic.

[Captain Untouchable]

I keep stumbling across random Christmas videos (http://doctorwho.tumblr.com/post/38400812247/matt-and-jenna-pick-out-christmas-ornaments-for) of Matt and Jenna.

I have decided that they need to be dating each other.

[Dasquian Belargic]

No! no no no. Matt and Karen. Matt and Karen! :colbert

also:

hKzyPA29_DU

[Wyl Staedtler]

WHAT IS HAPPENING WHAT IS GOING ON OMG SO MANY QUESTIONS. :ohno

... that aside, this was a magical episode and really hit the spot after so long without some Who.

[Dasquian Belargic]

That was wonderful. So wonderful.

I take it back, JLC. Never leave us. Never take your adorbs away.

"Good evening, I'm a lizard woman from the dawn of time and this is my wife." :swoon:

[Green Arrow]

^ You made your choice. You picked Karen. And you can have her.

Jenna is mine. :love

[Rutabaga]

Really enjoyed it...and damn you, Steven Moffat, you troll! Putting all the Sherlock Holmes stuff in! :shakefist

I'm really intrigued by the set-up about Clara. That's definitely something different, I love that's there's so much mystery about her, and that's it's not just the usual, simple, straightforward "want to come with me?" kind of companion intro.

And I wish Strax was in every episode. I love that potato. :love

[Droo]

An excellent Christmas special. And judging by the teaser that followed, I'm thrilled to see we'll be getting more of Madame Vastra, Jenny, and the hilarious potato-dwarf, Strax ("Do not attempt to escape or you will be obliterated! May I take your coat?"). Razer-sharp dialogue. Loads of laughs. Lovely Christmassy setting. And I've pretty much fallen in love with Jenna-Louise Coleman.

[Green Arrow]

It really was wonderfully Christmassy. It had a real Christmas magic to it... and yet the monsters actually were kind of scary. Not only is it my favourite Christmas Special so far... I think it's actually one of my favourite episodes.

[Dasquian Belargic]

^ Definitely. It's easily my favourite New Who Christmas special.

[Rutabaga]

I squealed when I got a text from BBC America announcing that the second half of season 7 will premiere on March 30th. :eee

In the meantime, for your viewing pleasure:

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[Dasquian Belargic]

New Who and new GoT on the same weekend :eee

[Captain Untouchable]

Because of some mathematical fluke, the days of the week in 2013 align perfectly with the days of the week in 1963 - ie, 15th February 1963 was also a Friday, just like it is this year.

This means that the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who will be on exactly the same day as the show was first broadcast, right down to the day of the week.

Something Timelordy is going on here. :ohno

[Rutabaga]

While we're counting the days until March 30th, here's a really lovely tribute video to tide you over. :)

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[Alexander Tur'enne]

^ That is bloody fantastic. :ohno

[Crusader]

^This is brilliant!

[Victor Sage]

Still thirty-nine days to go until new Doctor Who.

Sad thing is, if I had one, this is totally the sort of occasion when I'd use my time machine. ^_^;

[Droo]

http://www.denofgeek.com/tv/doctor-who/24564/doctor-who-steven-moffat-confirms-hes-planning-series-8

h7VQrnMzjrU

Never ever leave us, Moff. :glomp

[Rutabaga]

All Steven Moffat does to me, between Doctor Who and Sherlock, is rip my heart in half and make me cry like infant.

And I love him for it. :love

[Droo]

http://www.scan.co.uk/shops/drwho/tardis

I hope it's bigger on the inside!

[Rutabaga]

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb164/Rutabaga64/animated%20gifs/giveittomenow_zpsf47e0fff.gif

[Dasquian Belargic]

Every time I think how close we are to new episodes I get all giddy.

[Vansen Tyree]

50th Anniversary has a... thing. It doesn't have new stuff so I don't know if it counts as a "trailer", but it's a video, and it's cool.

G8g5BrLm7uQ

Also, new episodes are two weeks away (http://cdn.iwastesomuchtime.com/1024201222565.jpg)? :ohno

[Droo]

Well, this definately counts as a trailer:

SRQu3MvRySA

:D!

[Rutabaga]

"I am the Doctor, and I am afraid."

:ohno

[Vansen Tyree]

"I've seen bigger."
"Really?"
"Are you joking? It's massive!"

:lol

Edit:


"I am the Doctor, and I am afraid."

:ohno

I can't help but notice that he's not wearing his tie when he says that.

I wonder if that means that he's *shades* lost his cool. YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

[Dasquian Belargic]

Where is a flailing emoticon when I need it

[Rutabaga]

I know this isn't an emoticon, but will it do?

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb164/Rutabaga64/animated%20gifs/Miscellaneous/kermitfreakout_zps284b60b0.gif

[Captain Untouchable]

^ Can we please add that as an emoticon somehow? I find myself needing to :Kermit a lot. :ohno

[Dasquian Belargic]

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/892892_623078224372875_278254350_o.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/892831_623078227706208_1876899045_o.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/891572_623078281039536_51578574_o.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/893016_623078211039543_394428771_o.png

[Droo]

They are gorgeous!

[Crusader]

BTW my fellow American and British friends: Am I able to watch the new episodes of Doctor Who online after they aired on something like Hulu or on the BBC Iplayer?
I saw that Vudu and Amazon seems to have those episodes but I prefer my TV for free if possible ;)

[Droo]

The new Who episodes will be available on the Iplayer shortly after airing. About two or three hours later.

[Crusader]

Do I have to pay for the Iplayer or is it free for download to everyone in the UK?

[Droo]

It's a free service to UK residents. So with tunnel bear you should be golden.

[Captain Untouchable]

Apparently Peter Jackson wants to direct an episode of Doctor Who so badly that he says they don't have to pay him.

He just wants them to give him a Dalek. Fo' serious.

linky (http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/03/21/doctor-who-peter-jackson-dalek-matt-smith/)

Edit:

Also, is it me, or does it look like the new/old Cybermen are powered by Stark tech (http://25.media.tumblr.com/36553d18659b8ca4d7c7751c7522d846/tumblr_mjypk9M0i01qd4rf5o1_500.gif)? :cyduck

[Dasquian Belargic]

Well, this is confusing.

Apparently Richard E Grant is in "The Bells of Saint John" o_O

Also!!

<object width="560" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2IROtC6cAT4?version=3&amp;hl=en_GB"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2IROtC6cAT4?version=3&amp;hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

[Rutabaga]

The Sun is reporting that Matt Smith is bowing out after the 2013 Christmas special :ohno

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/4854006/matt-smith-set-to-leave-doctor-who-at-christmas.html

[Droo]

The Sun is toilet paper. Gossip is its lifeblood and after browsing that article, that's all it seems to be. I'd wait for a more reputable source to make a claim like that before paying it any attention.

[Dasquian Belargic]

The Sun is reporting...

aaaand with those words the credibility of the story died :lol

[Rutabaga]

I know it's basically like The National Enquirer over here...I just can't remember, is The Sun the paper with the fabled Page 3 girl?

[Dasquian Belargic]

It is indeed!

[Captain Untouchable]

Reposted here for the benefit of those not cool enough to be on Tumblr: Link (http://simple-deductions-and-nonsense.tumblr.com/post/46114705945/didjin-through-life-abrokenraggedyman-so-i).

Yes, Neil Patrick Harris, those are my sentiments exactly. It is totally something that Moffat would do. :ohno

Also, Prequel!

2IROtC6cAT4

:3:

[Dasquian Belargic]

Scroll up a little, Cap :P

[Captain Untouchable]

Pssh. You edited it into a post I'd already read. I'm a guy - you can't expect me to actually pay attention to stuff like that. :p

[Dasquian Belargic]

That theory from Tumblr though... Moffat :whaa

[Dasquian Belargic]

<object width="560" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q2FTWhU5TIw?hl=en_GB&amp;version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q2FTWhU5TIw?hl=en_GB&amp;version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

[Dasquian Belargic]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/577555_626898277324203_769589497_n.jpg

[Dasquian Belargic]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/553056_626900323990665_1036181853_n.jpg

[Mr E Nygma]

Goddammit Jones, stop making me regret that my cable package doesn't come with the BBC. :(

Edit: A funny clip from tomorrow's new episode! http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&NR=1&v=SWhtgmQM6oo

[Rutabaga]

David Tennant and Billie Piper are returning for the 50th anniversary! :eee

[Crusader]

yay more Tennant!

[Droo]

I'll be honest, I found this new episode extremely underwhelming. It felt like one of the weaker pre-Moffat episodes. Wholly forgettable.

Edit: And judging by the reviews out there, I get the feeling this is another one of those Gladiator/Watchmen instances in which I'm right, and everyone else is wrong. :grumble

[Captain Untouchable]

I wouldn't call it underwhelming, though I'll concede that the plot seemed to mainly be there to string the cool scenes and moments together.

In the show's defense, introducing Clara 3.0 can't have been easy. We've met her twice before, and Moffat already dedicated the entire Christmas special to introducing her: after two and a half years of Amy and Rory taking the spotlight off the Doctor in his own show, another Clara-centric episode might have been pushing it. They needed to quickly establish what was the same and what was different about Clara 3.0, and they decided to do that by having a series of example scenes/moments with a plot there to tie things together. They also seem to have done a lot of groundwork for what is to come in the back half of this season: I fully expect that we'll see a lot more of the Great Intelligence and UNIT as the series rolls on. It wouldn't surprise me if the Great Intelligence's influence somehow extends into the future, and he's somehow responsible for Clara's reincarnations... perhaps it's something he did to keep the Doctor distracted while he works out his plan, or what-have-you.

[Rutabaga]

It might not have been the strongest episode ever, but I enjoyed it for what it was. And I am really, truly loving the chemistry between Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman.

The Amelia Williams easter egg made me smile, plus I'm wondering if we'll ever find out why Clara's 23rd year was missing from her 101 Places To Visit book.

[Droo]

I had wondered about that, too. Normally, those kinds of things aren't included by accident. There must be a reason for the discrepency, otherwise why would the production team not mark off her 23rd year in the book? I will be very surprised if it doesn't yield some sort of plot value in the future. Perhaps it marks the year when Clara actually went away on her year long travels with the Doctor and because the year happens in the space of a moment in her time, when she returns to her own timeline she has technically aged an extra year instantaneously, or something. The book is from the future then, and is in the possession of her past self, chronicalling the adventures she is about to have... is having... has had...

That train of logic went swiftly awry. :ohno

[Dasquian Belargic]

I... didn't enjoy the episode >_< It was okay, but there were a number of factors that just didn't connect for me in the way that past episodes in this series have.

First off, the bad guy. I know that the spoonheads were kind of creepy looking, but all the reliance of technology and all those lines of code scrolling over the screen and people furious typing on laptops makes for boring TV to me :(

Secondly, Clara or rather Clara's willingness to indulge the Doctor. I remember The Eleventh Hour and how Amy railed against the Doctor. There was such an urgency to that episode, the Doctor trying to get his way and Amy demanding to know what was going on. The scene where Clara is looking out of her window at the Doctor sitting outside, examining the spoonhead, just wasn't... believable to me. Why is she okay with him guarding her? At that point, I don't feel like they've known each other long enough for her to think that he is anything other than a total weirdo. Maybe it's because she has a past (and future!) with him that she's so accepting of him, but she is almost.. blase about everything?

Thirdly, snog box? no no no. I do not want the Doctor to be romantically involved with Clara! and there have been interviews that suggest he will be. Or at least there will be a love triangle between the Doctor, Clara and River Song :( I don't like how the Doctor dealt with those moments where she was being flirtatious. I know that he's grown up a bit since he met Amy, but I think of how he reacted to her trying to come onto him... if anything, it feels like he should be even more swift in rebuking people now. You're married, Doctor! Don't forget that! :shakefist

[Rutabaga]

I actually giggled at the "snog box" line, but I do agree...please, no romance with Clara. The Doctor can be obsessed with Clara and finding out her origin and her secrets, but not obsessed to the point of falling in love with her. Especially since he is indeed a married man. I'm hoping that the hints of romance in promotional material have just been thrown out there to stoke the fire, so to speak, and won't actually come to fruition.

I'm also hoping that we'll find out the identity of/explanation for the woman who Clara said gave her the phone number that ended up causing the bells of Saint John to ring.

[Dasquian Belargic]

I'm also hoping that we'll find out the identity of/explanation for the woman who Clara said gave her the phone number that ended up causing the bells of Saint John to ring.

The woman in the shop?

Who works in a shop?





Rose :ohno

[Rutabaga]

oh dear :ohno

[Captain Untouchable]

I disagree on the whole "reaction to flirting" front. Eleven is reacting the same way that Ten reacted to Rose or Martha being sweet on him. He's reacting in the same manner that Nine and Ten did when exposed to Captain Jack. It's the same sort of deal as Nine and the tree lady, Ten and Madame de Pompadour, Ten and Astrid, and so on. The way that Eleven reacted to River Song wasn't nearly as negative or reluctant as his reaction to Amy. There was that scene where Eleven is naked under the Renaissance woman's dress. If anything, it's the way that Eleven reacted to Amy hitting on him that's out of character.

And if you think about it, that makes sense. When Amy hit on Eleven during Eleventh Hour, she was the girl who waited. As far as the Doctor was concerned, she'd been a small child a few hours ago. To suddenly have that small child become a twenty-something woman who is horny and engaged to someone that you also only just met is probably a bit much for even a Timelord's mind to handle.

That said, I definitely don't want to see another companion fawning over the Doctor. It's worth bearing in mind though that while interviews have teased that there will be a Doctor-Clara-River love triangle, they've also stressed that wouldn't be in the way you'd expect. That makes me wonder if perhaps there's going to be some sort of romantic tension between Clara and River: I guess it depends on whether we encounter River just after Manhattan, or just after Hitler.

Edit:

Just read a theory that the woman in the shop might have been Sally Sparrow. She was in one of Moffat's most popular episodes, she's met Ten, and she works in a shop. She also has a history of strategically dishing out information to people that will end up being useful to them in the future (the transcript of the DVD Easter Eggs). I kinda hope it is her now, because I like it when stuff like that all jives together.

[Droo]

You just want an excuse to get more Carey Mulligan.

And so do I. :3:

[Rutabaga]

I was kind of wondering if it might have been Sally Sparrow as well. It would be fun to see her again.

There's also some speculation on Tumblr that Clara's missing 23rd year is tied into the fact that she couldn't type in the same number when she was trying to input the original Wi-Fi password, because the actual 50th anniversary is November 23rd. (I don't know if I really needed to spoilerize that, but I figured better safe than sorry. :))

[Dasquian Belargic]

Regarding Clara's book... tumblr pointed out to me that she missed out age 16 too.


I disagree on the whole "reaction to flirting" front.

It still feels... weird to me. I'm thinking just of Eleven's reactions to flirting really because personality wise Nine/Ten/Eleven all have their own quirks and stances on things.

[Captain Untouchable]

I see where you're coming from... to me though, Matt Smith seems like a really good amalgamation of past Doctors - he's adopted a lot of their mannerisms and quirks and worked them into his performance. I can't unsee that, so it's really hard for me to consider Eleven in isolation.

Also, Tumblr pointed out a lot of similarities between this episode and the "people get sucked into the TV" episode from Series 1. (Idiot's Lantern? Something like that?) The Great Intelligence has featured in two classic episodes: it'd be interesting if we end up discovering that it's involved in other episodes too without us knowing. That seems like a very Moffaty thing to do.

[Mr E Nygma]

All you people decrying love interest angles for the Doctor are fools because another tragic romance is just the thing to cause the Doctor to decide he's sick of women fawning over him and fix that by regenerating into a woman.

I'm going to wait to speculate more until more clues are released, but I don't think the Great Intelligence is tied into Clara's reincarnation cycle because that would imply the Intelligence is still battling the Doctor in the future using the same tricks. I really like how they've updated the Intelligence, though.

[Droo]

I'd really love to see a female Doctor. It's about time.

[Captain Untouchable]

I liked this episode. It wasn't the best episode in the world, but it felt like a "proper" Who story, which isn't something we've had for quite a while. There was a fairy tale element to it, and there was an overt in-your-face villain to defeat; but in the end the solution wasn't something timey-wimey or technobabbly, it was something personal, relatable, and human. The Doctor doesn't just travel with humans so that he can marvel at the universe vicariously through their eyes: it's so that they can relate to the universe from a personal and human perspective, which is something that the Doctor is too old, alone, and isolated to do himself any more. It's nice to see that become a thing again.

As far as the overall story arc goes, this series feels a little more like RTD is back at the helm: in a good way. Moffat normally has an arc-heavy approach to storytelling, where each episode is a pretty important part of the puzzle. It's great because it gets your mind sparking with ideas; but it's bad in that you can often guess what's coming. Russell on the other hand seeded clues through his stories (Bad Wolf, Vote Saxon, disappearing planets, etc), and none of it made any sense until you saw the finale and were rewarded for having paid attention when all of the bits and pieces you noticed but didn't understand fell into place. After so many "Who the fuck is River Song?" style story arcs, I think it'll be nice to get back to that.

I'm also growing quite fond of Clara. There wasn't any flirting this week: instead they focused on giving her an everywoman quality, which I think is really important for a Doctor Who companion. Because Amy and Rory became The Girl Who Waited and The Last Centurion so quickly (and because they knew what they had become), they became more like the Doctor and less like average people. That's fun every now and again (the Doctor has travelled with companions like that in the past), but it's nice that Clara has more of an "I'm an ordinary person swept up in this adventure" feel to her... more like Rose, or even like Sarah Jane looking back. That doesn't mean she's useless and incapable of being anything but a damsel in distress: it's just that her main skill is "being human", as opposed to being a nigh-unkillable formerly plastic Roman badass, or what-have-you.

I also get the feeling that the 50th Anniversary special has already started. The Great Intelligence harkens back to adventures with the Second Doctor. This week we travelled to a planet where the First Doctor had previously gone. I'm pretty sure that next week is the episode with the Ice Warriors, who fought the Second and Third Doctors. And of course, we know we're getting old school / proper Cybermen soon too. At the very least, it feels like we're going to get an homage to days gone by in every episode; at best, all of these factors may combine together RDJ style as part of the plot for the Anniversary Episode or what-have-you.


I'd really love to see a female Doctor. It's about time.

Personally, I'd rather they brought in a female Timelord who wasn't the Doctor, rather than turning the Doctor female. While each incarnation of the Doctor is different, actors often carry through mannerisms and things from their predecessors. Also, the grumpy old lonely man in a box routine is pretty much a common thread running through all the Doctors. If you made the Doctor female, how do you stop them being either a) a grumpy old lonely man in a box with breasts and inside-genitals, or b) completely disconnected from previous incarnations because you're trying to make a "strong female character"?

Also, given some of Moffat's statements about female characters, I think it's best if the Doctor remains male until someone else is in charge. :uhoh

[Droo]

You took the words right out of my mouth. This episode was a big improvement over last week's damp squib of a series opener. There was nothing particularly outstanding or clever about it; it was just a fun little adventure that felt a lot like the fun little adventures of the RTD era. It had that old-fashioned wonder of the Doctor and his new companion stopping by some far-flung alien world. Again, there was plenty of silliness, but this time around I felt it had been earned. And the episode was at its best when it focused on Clara, and her backstory, which was just plain old human, and very nice.

[Captain Untouchable]

Just realised something. According to the little Queen of Years, the star was going to expand across the system, destroy all the planets, and then set out on an "odyssey across the stars", or words to that effect.

Um... isn't that a supernova? Isn't that pretty much what the Doctor explained to the little girl about how all of the atoms in her came from another star?

Pretty sure that Clara just stopped a supernova. With a fucking leaf. :cyduck

[Droo]

Clara Oswin and the Leaf of Destiny

[Captain Untouchable]

Clara Oswin and the Leaf <s>of Destiny</s> of Potential Destiny That Didn't Actually Happen

Corrected.

[Droo]

Yes. Potential destiny. *sniff* :(

It's funny how such simple symbolism can be so effective, not just for averting supernovas, I mean, but also emotionally, usually the simpler the better when it comes to matters of the heart!

[Rutabaga]

I have to admit to having some mixed feelings about this episode. It was kind of average, but it sure did pack one hell of an emotional punch when the Doctor had his big "come at me, bro" scene.

And we obviously are being steered in the direction of the 50th anniversary episode, with all the little breadcrumbs being strewn along the way. Like the Doctor's mention of having been to the rings of Akhaten before "with my granddaughter," and also the significance of the date on the tombstone. March 5, 2005 was the date of the Auton invasion featured in the episode "Rose." I have to thank the savvy viewers at Tumblr who immediately pointed that out.

I have also finally decided that the new interior of the TARDIS is simply beautiful. :)

[Rutabaga]

Huzzah! The Doctor has finally found a companion who understands the concept of "don't wander off"!!! :dance

[Captain Untouchable]

Conceptually I liked this episode. They took a goofy classic alien and made it sort of cool - the rubber hands weren't great, but the face reveal was pretty badass. The ode to Red October was cool, and despite being set thirty years in the past it's still sort of relevant what with North Korea and all: a good way to introduce a tough concept to the younger generation. Also, while the Clara-Doctor tension is still there, it feels more like it's as much about them being a mystery to each other, and it's way less wide eyed and puppy-like than with previous companions.

I found the writing pretty lackluster though: it felt like the story was crying out to be cooler than it was. Then again, I never seem to like Mark Gatiss episodes.

Also, there seems to be a coldness theme this series: the Great Intelligence and its snowmen; Ice Warriors and the Cold War; Cybermen are emotionally cold; ghosts generally make things colder... wonder if that's somehow relevant.

[Dasquian Belargic]

I guess it says a lot about my feelings on this half of series 7 (so far) that I haven't watched this episode yet :(

[Rutabaga]

It was an entertaining episode, and I loved seeing David Warner as a guest star. But it did definitely feel like something more could have been done with it.

So far I'm not overly impressed with the second half of series 7 either, which is a huge shock to me. I was so looking forward to it since Oswin in Asylum of the Daleks and Clara in The Snowmen were both so charming, and Jenna-Louise Coleman obviously has such great chemistry with Matt Smith...but so far these 3 episodes have not lived up to the promise we saw in those previous episodes. It's not at all the fault of the actors, it's in the storytelling. The stories so far have been half-cooked and could have used some more seasoning before being served up to us.

Oh, and btw, it doesn't help that here in the US, BBC America's commercial breaks have been awkwardly placed, and there have been too many of them. I swear there were 3 cuts to commercials within 10 minutes last night.

EDIT:

Is this one of the best GIFs of Eleven ever?

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb164/Rutabaga64/animated%20gifs/Doctor%20Who%20Eleven/ohpuhleez_zpsfe9ae287.gif (http://s207.photobucket.com/user/Rutabaga64/media/animated%20gifs/Doctor%20Who%20Eleven/ohpuhleez_zpsfe9ae287.gif.html)

[Captain Untouchable]

Another episode filled with a bunch or really cool moments: I'm especially liking the fact that Clara has a relationship with the TARDIS herself, and I'm hoping that gets developed more next week. This time they added in a pair of supporting characters who were really interesting and well-performed, and they managed to pull off something that was kinda creepy while once again borrowing heavily from somewhere else in popular culture (ghost stories this time, rather than Tom Clancy).

That said, it was another very "normal" episode. It was good, but nothing to write home about. I don't think there's anything wrong with this run of episodes... it's just that after a couple of years of Steve Moffat's all-dominating plot arcs, going back to a monster-of-the-week format is a bit jarring. Doctor Who doesn't seem to have any kind of in-between setting.

More references to cold and ice this week - the Doctor has "a sliver of ice in his heart" apparently, plus the whole things getting cold because of the ghost. May have to rewatch the first two episodes to see if I missed any references... I really think that ice is this season's equivalent of Bad Wolf or Harold Saxon, though.


Edit:

Don't know if anyone else has seen / spotted this, but this intriguing book (http://24.media.tumblr.com/ab3bcce20b244c0d764912bc9de3ebcb/tumblr_mlq48fCEDi1qijoeyo4_1280.jpg) was shown in the teaser for next week's episode...

[Crusader]

I liked it and I think Martina liked it as well since it had the guy from Enigma in it and this is one of her favorite movies (she can speak the entire dialog in English and German while watching).

I personly prefer independent Doctor Who episodes since they normally underline the biggest strength of this show's concept. No Doctor Who episode has to be the same thanks to the TARDIS.

I like overarching plotlines that is why I will always pick a serial over a procedural but like "Blink" an episode should always be intriguing enough to work on its own. Infact I always considered the first Super Natural Series as the best since it had more mystery of the week episodes than OMG Sam you are turning evil ones...

[Dasquian Belargic]

I like the professor and his assistant in Hide. They were an interesting.. comparison to the Doctor and Clara. Was the only one who spent the majority of the episode expecting to the discover that Clara *was* was the ghost?

I feel like I'm turning into one of those fans who wailed about Billie Piper's departure and how no companion could ever replace her... because I miss the Ponds :(

[Captain Untouchable]

I think the problem is that Moffat made the Ponds too important.

If you look at most of the other assistants or companions that the Doctor has had over the last fifty years, their role isn't particularly glamorous. Mostly, they are there to act as a foil to the Doctor; to be the person who "doesn't know" thus forcing the Doctor to explain about alien cultures and advanced technologies; and (since Nine in particular) to be the person who the Doctor is accountable to, since he feels like he burned up all of his "humanity" during the Time War. They are there to help the writers tell stories about the Doctor's adventure: the show is called Doctor Who after all. That doesn't mean the characters can't be interesting or compelling - there have been a lot of really solid, strong, and popular female characters accompanying the Doctor over the years... but the show has always managed to be about the Doctor.

Moffat deviated from that when he created the Ponds. The first few episodes had the standard Doctor/Companion dynamic, but then you had episodes like Amy's Choice where the Doctor was "there", but it was really a story about Amy and Rory. Doctor Who had done that before, but it was usually a one-off episode in order to give the actor playing the Doctor a break: but Moffat kept doing it. Eventually we wound up with the Ponds and River Song being pretty much the central storyline of the show. The Doctor became swept up in Amy and Rory's adventure to find their daughter. You had episodes where Amy and/or Rory went off alone and carried large portions of the plot without the Doctor being involved at all. By the end, the show had stopped being about Amy and Rory being along for the ride during the Doctor's adventures, and started being about the Doctor showing up to "entertain" his parents-in-law.

That isn't a bad thing. Doctor Who is a very formulaic show, and Moffat did a really good job of tossing the status quo out of the window and giving us something fresh and entertaining to watch. However, when the Ponds left it presented something of a dilemma. With the 50th Anniversary coming up, they needed to get back to a more traditional dynamic with the Doctor as the stand-alone main character, which meant they needed a more traditional companion. They created Clara who, despite her wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey-ness, has thus far managed to be an along for the ride / let the Doctor have the spotlight sort of character. As companions go, she's really, really good. Unfortunately, as character's go, she doesn't have nearly as much importance to the story or development (yet) as the Ponds earned. Things feel weird, because the show now has one main character instead of three.

That's my theory on it, anyway. From the conversations I've had about it with people, it seems like the ones who have been watching Doctor Who for a long time (and are used to the typical Doctor/Companion dynamic) are adjusting better to things going "back to normal", whereas the people who started with Matt Smith are finding it to be a bit of a shock to the system... it's almost like they're watching a different show to the one they signed on for.

It'd be interesting to hear Brian, Charley, and Christin's take on it, because I think they all started at Nine rather than watching Eleven first.

[Dasquian Belargic]

I spy Madame Vastra and Jenny in next weeks episode :eee

[Rutabaga]

And Strax!!! :eee

[Captain Untouchable]

Now that? THAT WAS AWESOME.

I really hope that this is a back door pilot for a Madame Vastra spinoff. Mainly to see more of Jenny being a badass in that outfit. :ohno

[Dasquian Belargic]

I want that spin-off so bad. SO BAD.

"Have you been eating Miss Jenny's sherbert fancies again?!" :lol!!

Thomas Thomas, hehe

Loved that episode :)

[Rutabaga]

First episode of this new batch that I just adored. Loved to pieces. I want to kiss Mark Gatiss for this one. :love

I was also wondering if this was a possible pilot for a Vastra/Jenny/Strax spinoff. Oh please please please please please.

The almost literal topper for me was the glimpse of Strax wearing his top hat at the end. It totally made my day. :eee

[Captain Untouchable]

Is it just me, or does "Have you been eating Miss Jenny's sherbet fancies again?" sound incredibly dirty out of context? :mischief

Also, :o

http://25.media.tumblr.com/fe3aaeca5afb0020a53e8b74263a7400/tumblr_mm8oy0XfLg1ra6fd5o6_250.gif

[Dasquian Belargic]

The Doctors face as he watched Jenny take down the 'supermodels' was utterly priceless.

[Rutabaga]

The Doctors face as he watched Jenny take down the 'supermodels' was utterly priceless.

Like this? :lol

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb164/Rutabaga64/animated%20gifs/Doctor%20Who%20Eleven/The%20Crimson%20Horror/jennyshot_zps7711919d.gif (http://s207.photobucket.com/user/Rutabaga64/media/animated%20gifs/Doctor%20Who%20Eleven/The%20Crimson%20Horror/jennyshot_zps7711919d.gif.html)

Then of course there was this:

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb164/Rutabaga64/animated%20gifs/Doctor%20Who%20Eleven/The%20Crimson%20Horror/elevenkissesjenny_zpse7902432.gif (http://s207.photobucket.com/user/Rutabaga64/media/animated%20gifs/Doctor%20Who%20Eleven/The%20Crimson%20Horror/elevenkissesjenny_zpse7902432.gif.html)

And one of the moments that made me laugh hysterically:

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb164/Rutabaga64/animated%20gifs/Doctor%20Who%20Eleven/The%20Crimson%20Horror/thewronghands_zps3b4881ee.gif (http://s207.photobucket.com/user/Rutabaga64/media/animated%20gifs/Doctor%20Who%20Eleven/The%20Crimson%20Horror/thewronghands_zps3b4881ee.gif.html)

EDIT:

OMG, I just found this one, I love it!

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb164/Rutabaga64/animated%20gifs/Doctor%20Who%20Eleven/The%20Crimson%20Horror/thepaternostergang_zps6053b256.gif (http://s207.photobucket.com/user/Rutabaga64/media/animated%20gifs/Doctor%20Who%20Eleven/The%20Crimson%20Horror/thepaternostergang_zps6053b256.gif.html)

[Dasquian Belargic]

mtaIpkjF6Ss

[Captain Untouchable]

Super-speed Cyberman. Coolest. Thing. Ever.

[Dasquian Belargic]

"I trust the Doctor."
"You think he knows what he's doing?"
"I'm not sure I'd go that far." :lol

Cyber-Doctor is creepy. Especially when he's channeling the other Doctors.

Next weeks episode looks... :ohno

[Captain Untouchable]

If you have not yet seen this trailer for next week's episode, be warned: watching will likely cause extreme amounts of apprehension and anxiousness for the next six days.

CRhG3oEQ9eY

"I am Clara Oswald, and I was born to save the Doctor."

:ohno

Edit:

At 0:13, when Clara spins round wearing the seventies-looking outfit, THE DOCTOR'S CAR (http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Bessie) DRIVES BY.

[Rutabaga]

I feel like a major sourpuss, but I wasn't that overwhelmed by this Saturday's episode. The super speedy Cybermen were fantastic, but for me, it wasn't nearly the caliber of The Doctor's Wife. The Doctor's Wife holds a place near and dear to my heart--along with Vincent and the Doctor, I recommend that episode for new fans who want to know what the Matt Smith era is like--and, as a result, perhaps my expectations for Nightmare in Silver were just too high. It was okay, but it was basically average.

I'm also really struggling with the whole Doctor/Clara thing. As I've said before in this thread, I loved the previous iterations of Clara and was amazed by the chemistry between Matt Smith and JLC. I thought the focus of these new episodes would be the Doctor attempting to solve the mystery of The Impossible Girl. It has most definitely been there in the stories, but I wouldn't say it's been the main focus.

Plus the Doctor has been too much of an infatuated little puppy for my taste recently. He's a married man, after all, and everything we've seen had led us to believe that he's quite in love with River. But lately it's been like she doesn't even exist for him anymore. So I'm glad that she's in The Name of the Doctor. I'm curious to see how that will play out.

BTW, it's been all over Tumblr that the BBC America shop screwed up royally and shipped the series 7 part 2 DVDs early, so lots of fans in the US have already seen The Name of the Doctor. The BBC and Steven Moffat are begging those people not to spoil it for the rest of us. :o

[Dasquian Belargic]

I think I will just have to avoid tumblr entirely until after next Saturday, because I do not trust the internet in the slightest to keep those spoilers under wraps.

RE: Nightmare in Silver - in the context of it being a Gaiman episode and comparing it to The Doctors Wife, it wasn't great. In the context of the rest of this section of series 7, I think it wasn't too bad. There were definitely moments that made me smile, but it also felt contrived at times (why agree to take the children in the TARDIS?! and how come all the Cybermen couldn't move superfast??)

[Rutabaga]

If you use Chrome to browse Tumblr, the Tumblr Savior extension is a must. I've used it every week for Doctor Who, since the episodes air in the UK 8 hours before they air here in the US. I blacklisted the phrase "the name of the doctor" right away on Saturday. So far I haven't seen any spoilage in the blogs I follow. The only thing I can recall seeing is the photos people have taken of the DVD/Blu-ray sets they're received in the mail.

Plus Steven Moffat is bribing fans to keep quiet, which I'm sure is having some success:

http://primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk/doctor-who-steven-moffatt-offers-bribe-to-fans-who-got-hold-of-leaked-series-7-finale/

[Captain Untouchable]

why agree to take the children in the TARDIS?!

Why not? The Doctor is hundreds of years old. By comparison to him, twenty-somethings like Amy and Clara are practically children. Eleven hung out with Amelia Pond and Kazran Sardick as kids, and he seems to be the most child-friendly version of the Doctor (I'm looking at you, Sarah Jane Adventures and Stormageddon). Besides, the Doctor gets a kick out of watching people's awe, wonderment, and imagination... I'm almost surprised that the Doctor doesn't hang around with kids more often. :uhoh


He's a married man, after all, and everything we've seen had led us to believe that he's quite in love with River.

Does he, though? Pretty much every woman that Eleven has had around has been at the centre of some sort of mystery. Amy had the crack in her wall, and then turned out to be central to the Silence thing. River Song is obviously a mystery from start to finish. Clara is a mystery. He hung out with Craig Owens who, though not female, was sort of caught up in a mystery. The Doctor's Wife was all about Eleven and a mysterious woman. The Beast Below had Eleven and Liz 10, another mysterious and intriguing woman. The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe... a woman at the centre of a mystery. When we first saw Oswin before we knew she was Clara... mystery woman. Eleven certainly has a type.

Sure, we know that Eleven took River on dates. There was Stevie Wonder under the bridge, and other stuff. But then, he also had "dates" - or at least, "adventures" - with the Ponds, coming back every few months so they could have some semblance of a normal married life. He's having "dates" with Clara, coming back every Wednesday (or whichever day of the week it was). It seems like Eleven has adapted: instead of a constant live-in companion, he's using the TARDIS as a fast-forward button to let people have a life without him while he has a constant stream of adventures.

As far as being a mystery goes, River has been "solved". Their lives were moving in opposite directions, and while yes they got married... that was nearly the end for Eleven, and nearly the beginning for River. The last outing for the Ponds is an exception, and this episode (which is apparently set after Silence in the Library from River's perspective, and was originally titled "The Funeral of River Song") has the potential to be about getting closure on that character/arc.

So yeah, the Doctor loves River. But he loves all his companions. And he loves a good mystery. The Doctor knows that River is destined to die, she gave up her regenerations so she only has a mortal lifespan... that relationship was over before it began, really.

I guess that, because the Doctor got over Rose (who he loved), it doesn't necessarily strike me as out of character that the Doctor is moving on and flirting with the next mystery, even if I don't necessarily approve / like it.


Edit:

So, here's a random thought. The Doctor Who franchise used to have The Sarah Jane Adventures catering for young children. Series 7 is the first Doctor Who series to come out after that finished... and we had episodes about dinosaurs and cowboys, as well as a bunch of episodes with Clara that are "less complex" than what we're used to from Steve Moffat. I wonder if there's been a conscious choice to make Doctor Who more "family friendly" again.

Viewed through that lens, Rings of Akhaten is a story about how it's okay to make mistakes, and how you can resolve things by talking instead of fighting. Cold War was a history lesson: it explained the cold war and the idea of mutually-assured destruction in a way that was relatively easy for children to understand. Hide is a story about how love conquers all, and about misconception: the ghost wasn't actually a ghost, and the monsters just wanted to be with who they loved. Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS had that "don't be mean to your brother" morality thread. Crimson Horror and The Snowman both have a same-sex interspecies marriage that no one bats an eyelid at (rightly so), and the only people who seem to have a problem with it (the Inspector at Christmas; the fainting man the other week) are painted as comedy figures that no one should want to emulate; Crimson Horror also had threads about acceptance, disabilities, the sins of the mother, etc.

Maybe I'm grasping at straws... but if the BBC is trying to make Doctor Who a little more kid-friendly to compensate for Sarah Jane Adventures not being around any more, the creative / story decisions this year make a lot more sense.


Edit 2:

Holy shit, did not realise the Captain was Tamzin Outhwaite. HOW DID I NOT REALISE THAT?! :cyduck

[Crusader]

So the big question now is: Will the Doctor reveal his name on saturday? What always irritates me is the fact that we never saw the Doctor tell River Song his name but he told her that the Doctor always lies. I always wondered if this is what River Song tells the Doctor in the library and so Tennant just makes the thing up about his name on the go in order to signal her that his trust.

[Morgan Evanar]

I think one of the big difference with the other companion mysteries is that Clara herself is the mystery.

Also a Vastra spinoff would be the best. Because Vastra, Jenny and Strax are the best. That look on Jenny's face when she took off the dress was pure gold.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Hurry up Saturday :ohno

[Droo]

Liked it, but I think the Moff needs to go and focus on Sherlock instead. This series has been a big step down, in my opinion. It's been a while since we've been treated to a truly great episode of Doctor Who, and I find myself struggling to identify the tight gripping plots and wit of Moffat's earlier contributions. Instead, I'm noticing a habit of resolving plotlines with half-baked contrivances, which are almost always dissatisfying, and characters falling short of their potential. This series, in its entirety, is definately the weakest since Moffat took over the show, and by some margin, too.

[Captain Untouchable]

This may be the weakest season, but the finale is pretty solid. I genuinely enjoyed it, and it bodes really will for the 50th special.

I'm prepared to give Moffat a pass on this series: the way it was split, the fact that he had to write out companions that were integral to his storytelling, and then write in a replacement despite the Ponds being so insanely popular... for someone who is so fiercely arc focused, that's a shitty set of circumstances to be asked to perform in. The quality is increasing episode by episode so far... I'm not ready to tell Moffat to sod off just yet.

[Dasquian Belargic]

My reactions last night in brief:

whaaaaaaaaaaaaat

http://25.media.tumblr.com/85be00ffd1515a1c08fd03370ab19735/tumblr_mn112vMvqI1qfy88jo1_500.gif

ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff ff-

[Rutabaga]

I wasn't too sure about the episode until the last 10 minutes or so...then it became something beautiful. That was definitely one hell of a cliffhanger.

:eek

[Emelie Shadowstar]

My brain hurts.

In a wonderful...wonderful way. :whaa


Can't wait for November.

[Captain Untouchable]

_nZxShriR0Y

Oh, Strax. :love