Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Chelmsford, Essex, UK
Co-Admin
You know, I don't like Missy as the Master, but there's a sense in which I like her as her own character.
This story is the most continuity-heavy I can remember of the new era- a lot of it a giant gift to long-term fans. A lot of people seem to hate on it for all the tank and guitar stuff- certainly not my favourite bits, but nothing worth hating over. If anything I am more bugged by Moffat's habit of super-companions still; Clara is plugged into the highest levels of UK rule now, it seems, and goes around telling UNIT personnel how to do their job. I wish companions were just, fairly much, interesting but everyday people. I quite like Clara (though she is just another in the long line of the ONLY way Moffat knows how to write women, Missy included) but that facet bugs me.
But yes, I am quite happy with this as an opener. Surprised, really- but I think anyone not quite so hooked in with Who history will find it heavy going. We shall see where the story goes.
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"We've got maybe seconds before Darth Rosenberg grinds everybody into Jawa burgers and not one of you buds has the midi-chlorians to stop her!"
I adore Murray Gold's work on DW, and he always has a nice sense of timing with various motifs and themes. I knew it was Cybermen in last season's finale, for example, about two minutes before my gf, because of a cleverly hidden line in the music. I giggled audibly, like an Easter egg for those paying attention.
So at the reveal of Skaro in this episode, there's a choral line going on that works up to an epic crescendo. Nice enough on its own, but amazing when you realize that the last time that exact chorus was used was in the intro to The Stolen Earth from S4. Not only is it the last time we saw Davros, but it was at the beginning with a big reveal where an entire planet is stolen/hidden/etc. So there are some huge thematic links, and they're clever enough to borrow less than 30 seconds of music from 6 years ago to help tie it together. Wonderful touch.
Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Chelmsford, Essex, UK
Co-Admin
The city design on Skaro was a match from the first ever Dalek story from 1963. Not just the same style- he made it match the same skyline. Moffat went crazy-bonkers on callbacks here.
In fact, just getting the same actor back to play Davros as last time is a bit of a thing too- was not really expecting such direct Stolen Earth continuity.
Well crafted.
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"We've got maybe seconds before Darth Rosenberg grinds everybody into Jawa burgers and not one of you buds has the midi-chlorians to stop her!"
Am currently watching the new season Dr.Who episode. The Mag App. First Who I have watched since Capaldi took over the role. Oh **** Me sideways I can feel my blood pressure rising as I type this. Nu Who is so full of its own SHIT!!!!!!!!!
__________________ Banned 30 days for the Crime of "ETC"... and when I "ETC" I do it HARD!!!
After the season premiere, I'm probably waiting several weeks to catch up. I prefer watching in chunks when I can. And only a scattered few shows require watching each week as it happens.
It depends on the show for me. I really like capaldi as the doctor so I tend to look forward to these episodes more than matt smiths run. Plus it was a two parter.
I just have to ask..am I the only one who gets this sort of time dilation effect when watching Doctor Who sometimes? Don't get me wrong I've enjoyed the series(10th Doctor is my favorite). However there are times where the episodes tend to feel a lot longer then they really are. The strange thing is you'd figure this would just happen with boring episodes, but nope..even ones I like I just find the episodes feeling like they are a lot longer then their running time.
This has never caused me to stop watching an episode..it's just something I noticed with this show.
__________________ Chicken Boo, what's the matter with you? You don't act like the other chickens do. You wear a disguise to look like human guys, but you're not a man you're a Chicken Boo.
I think it has to do with the world. The doctor is moving a mile a minute with his theories, plans, traps, solutions that by the time we reach the end it feels like a lot as happened.
Registered: Nov 2004
Location: On a rock, floating through space..
I am getting extremely bored with Doctor Who... I've been a fan since David Tennant (although Matt Smith didn't really tickle my pickle) but now I just wish they would get some proper sci-fi writers in. While I like Peter Capaldi I am not convinced by his Doctor and I am very tired of Jenna Coleman as well.
Since the show doesn't really invest in special effects or action, the story and cast have to carry it, and for me, neither does at the moment.
I somewhat agree that her participation in UNIT's command scheme was strange.
On the other hand, I actually really approve of her behavior when she's stuck on the Mire ship with Arya. Clara doesn't have much to back up her claims, but she's not shy about throwing around the Doctor's name and reputation. It's the same tactic that Rose used in Tennant's first episode with the sycorax. And it gives a little bit more substance to the endless litany of dialogue tags that inform us about Clara's independent streak.
Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Chelmsford, Essex, UK
Co-Admin
Yeah that's all fine- that's the type of situation where companions can shine. That's an 'everyday hero' move.
I also agree there's a lot of telling rather than showing with Clara's personality. Likewise, I don't think we need her to keep telling us the Doctor is awesome- he can show us that himself.
(Christopher Eccleston's final line is an exception to show-don't-tell, because it was amazing in context)
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"We've got maybe seconds before Darth Rosenberg grinds everybody into Jawa burgers and not one of you buds has the midi-chlorians to stop her!"
Sep 20th, 2015 03:42 PM
