Doctor Who Aims for Emotion, But Misses
- Thread starter harpere
- Start date
I did enjoy the Doctor whistling Pink Floyd's The Wall when Clara was pressuring a student. Other than that, there really was no reason for this episode to be as dull as it is.
As I said in another thread I think I am going to stop watching for a while. People seem to still be loving the show (I don't get all the love for Listen) and I am glad people do, but I am tired of the constant focus on Clara. Once again the Doctor was 2nd to Clara and her love life and I just don't care. I find her very boring and the new guy is even worse. I am tired of siting down to watch Doctor Who every week and instead end up watching The Clara Oswald show, which is really irritating as I am really loving Capaldi as the Doctor.
Until we get some new companions, the series focus is consistantly back on the Doctor or Moffat steps down I will stop watching and make do with recaps like this one.
Until we get some new companions, the series focus is consistantly back on the Doctor or Moffat steps down I will stop watching and make do with recaps like this one.
This was kind of a throw away episode.
Some solid one-liners.
-River and The Doctor being so 'domestic', she kicked HIM out out!
And I liked the DESIGN of the monster.
Plus the 'reveal' that Heaven/whatever-it's-called isn't JUST Missy and a garden.
There seems to be a lot more to it.
Some solid one-liners.
-River and The Doctor being so 'domestic', she kicked HIM out out!
And I liked the DESIGN of the monster.
Plus the 'reveal' that Heaven/whatever-it's-called isn't JUST Missy and a garden.
There seems to be a lot more to it.
Although I'm not going to stop watching, I do have to agree. I do like Jenna Colman as Clara, I really do, but I am getting more than a little tired of her being the focus. I've said it before, I watch Doctor Who so I can see the Doctor be awesome. I don't watch it so I follow Clara's love life. If I wanted to see that I'd watch a sit com.Gizmo1990 said:
I'm wondering how Clara is going to go away.
Those that follow The Doctor tend to have rather, messy, departures from him.
Either their ego gets the best of them and they die killing the dinosaurs.
Or they have their minds force-ably wiped.
Or end up in another dimension.
Or get tossed back in time.
Or die, but get uploaded to a virtual world.
Or get abandoned because, reasons.
Or end up waiting for him till their death.
Or gets sucked into space to help save him.
Or just, die.
All this foreshadowing of 'Clara is going to be pushed to far' makes me wonder what the writers want to do with her.
Maybe have her commit genocide via The Doctor ordering her or something like that?
Those that follow The Doctor tend to have rather, messy, departures from him.
Either their ego gets the best of them and they die killing the dinosaurs.
Or they have their minds force-ably wiped.
Or end up in another dimension.
Or get tossed back in time.
Or die, but get uploaded to a virtual world.
Or get abandoned because, reasons.
Or end up waiting for him till their death.
Or gets sucked into space to help save him.
Or just, die.
All this foreshadowing of 'Clara is going to be pushed to far' makes me wonder what the writers want to do with her.
Maybe have her commit genocide via The Doctor ordering her or something like that?
I think this was a bit of a harsh review really. As the low-cost episodes go it was fairly fun and it finally gave me a reason to like Danny Pink.
He and Clara still aren't interesting enough to justify how much of the focus of the stories they are taking away from Capaldi's doctor, who we still don't know that much about at the moment. The Doctor is straying towards being the comic-relief character in his own show.
He and Clara still aren't interesting enough to justify how much of the focus of the stories they are taking away from Capaldi's doctor, who we still don't know that much about at the moment. The Doctor is straying towards being the comic-relief character in his own show.
I do like Capaldi as the Doctor.
It helps knowing how much he loved Doctor Who as a child/young anorak.
There's no doubt he's giving his all to the role.
His sarcasm, grumpiness, arrogance and all round acidity make him a pleasure to watch.
So far, despite my love for the new doctor, I'll admit the series has had weak aspects.
It's less that the episodes themselves weren't enjoyable, but more that it's been a strong show for so long expectations are always going to be high.
I'm still watching.
Still enjoying it.
I hope it finds its legs soon as I think Capaldi has some modern classic episodes within his grasp, all he needs is the right story, script and director to make it happen.
It helps knowing how much he loved Doctor Who as a child/young anorak.
There's no doubt he's giving his all to the role.
His sarcasm, grumpiness, arrogance and all round acidity make him a pleasure to watch.
So far, despite my love for the new doctor, I'll admit the series has had weak aspects.
It's less that the episodes themselves weren't enjoyable, but more that it's been a strong show for so long expectations are always going to be high.
I'm still watching.
Still enjoying it.
I hope it finds its legs soon as I think Capaldi has some modern classic episodes within his grasp, all he needs is the right story, script and director to make it happen.
Overall I enjoyed this one a lot, I think I caught it in just the right frame of mind to appreciate the humour. It was also nice seeing The Doctor being proactive rather than stumbling into a crisis and figuring it out as he goes along. Though the monster's design borrowed too liberally from Daleks for my taste, I like Daleks, but we already have Daleks.
My favourite moment, Clara trying to pretend everything was a school play. That "explanation" gets used too much so it was great seeing Danny's reaction.
Favourite comic moment, Courtney's parents at parent's evening.
Favourite dramatic moment, Danny and the Doctor in the TARDIS, with Danny treating the Doctor like an officer.
My favourite moment, Clara trying to pretend everything was a school play. That "explanation" gets used too much so it was great seeing Danny's reaction.
Favourite comic moment, Courtney's parents at parent's evening.
Favourite dramatic moment, Danny and the Doctor in the TARDIS, with Danny treating the Doctor like an officer.
I actually got the exact opposite impression, my recollection was scenes where Clara and the Doctor argued about Danny when he was standing right there.
Yeah, they argued over him, but it wasn't about the drama of Danny but his relation to her. This a key difference and a ridiculously common trope. Danny even says as much at the end of the episode, that this is exactly what was going on when he tells Clara that The Doctor thinks he's not good enough for her. I agree with the recap/sort of review on this honestly. I think you saw it that way because Danny has not really been central to the adventures and here comes an episode, in which he is finally involved. He's new, so it's easy to think what was going on was about him rather than about Clara, which, yes, it really was.Violet said:
Nice review although I would just like to point out that you quoted Danny as saying: "He's the one who carries on the fight. He's the one who likes it."
However, I watched the episode with subtitles and the line appears to be: "I'm the one who carries you out of the fire. He's the one who lights it."
Personally I really liked this episode, if only for all the comedy moments. Watching the Doctor try and act like a 'normal person' is always a delight.
However, I watched the episode with subtitles and the line appears to be: "I'm the one who carries you out of the fire. He's the one who lights it."
Personally I really liked this episode, if only for all the comedy moments. Watching the Doctor try and act like a 'normal person' is always a delight.
You really can't fault an episode of doctor who for having a 'shaky' premise. Doctor Who has never even during the first series made much sense at all. It has always cherry picked little bits of science and humanity and directly ignored anything it felt like.
Adults act like children, time travel works however the episode needs it to, less so these days but the sonic screw driver does whatever the episode needs it to, the doctor is stoic and distant while also gidddy and childish (milking the lovable parts of both and occasionally bringing up the serious parts when they want a 'feelings/seriousness!' episode. Science = Magic.
Honestly if you watch an episode of Doctor who having an expectation that anything will make sense you are watching it wrong. Doctor who is fun and sloppy and stupid. It's brilliant. It's popcorn TV, something you just watch without questioning (just like his inexplicably accepting companions do).
Adults act like children, time travel works however the episode needs it to, less so these days but the sonic screw driver does whatever the episode needs it to, the doctor is stoic and distant while also gidddy and childish (milking the lovable parts of both and occasionally bringing up the serious parts when they want a 'feelings/seriousness!' episode. Science = Magic.
Honestly if you watch an episode of Doctor who having an expectation that anything will make sense you are watching it wrong. Doctor who is fun and sloppy and stupid. It's brilliant. It's popcorn TV, something you just watch without questioning (just like his inexplicably accepting companions do).
I think this series of Doctor Who started out strong but now it's time for the mandatory weaker episodes.
Too much Clara being crammed down our throats, it's getting annoying. It's like the show runners read all the negativity towards Clara on the webs and decided "Oh yes, we should have gave this girl some charcter," So they now over do it in series 8 with *sigh* Danny Pink.
Compare him to Rory... Yeah no contest!
Which brings me to that one note character Danny Pink. He is just awful, I have been holding off on saying things about him until we got some more from his character and now that we have... Can anybody tell me what is it that Clara sees in Danny?
It cannot be his charming personality, because he is as charming as itchy feet. Not fun, as he hardly brings laughter to the party of two. The dude is just boring an depressing on screen.
In fact he makes me think if he doesn't close his mouth between talking, he will soon end up tripping over his bottom lip and to then suddenly burst into tears. If not that, then he will soon fall asleep with boredom or Maybe it will be me?
There was that forced argument between him and the Doctor, that just came out of no where!? This is not character development, it's lazy arsed writing... AGAIN! But this is just wee nit picks and is not what I wanted to mention here today.
*Possible Spoilers ahead*
There was an article out a couple of months ago, from the Daily Mirror (a newspaper in the UK) stating that Jenna Louise Coleman will be leaving the show at Christmas, meaning Clara will no longer be in the show after this series. These rumours seemed to come out of no where and most Whovians dismissed it right off the blocks anyway, but...
http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/doctor-whos-jenna-louise-coleman-quits-4061757
At the end of The Caretaker episode, we have the walking mumbling chalkboard known as Danny, giving his blessing on Clara and The Doctor by saying something like that he needs to be told if the Doctor ever puts her in harms way (or some such nonsense), then Clara must tell him about it. In fact I think he forces her to promise him (once again showing his controlling sulky side) or there will be no chance of kissing those trembling lips ever again.
"I will demand things of you now, as we just began dating!" Which he didn't say but may as well have.
Epic foreshadowing this is not!
So now it is beginning to look really obvious to me how it's going to play out and it would appear that we are doing this dance again at the end of this series just like Rose, Donna, Amy/Amelia, Rory and possibly now Clara.
The Doctor's actions or lack there of, will cause something to happen to Clara between episode 12 and Christmas bringing Danny's wrath and leaves The Doctor feeling sad and guilty for the 300th time.
I hope this is not how it will play out and knowing Steven Moffat's writing, there will be some sort of twist in there but I'm getting exhausted of that now too.
Steven Mofatt is a great ideas man, but his dialogue and character development in scripts vary from none to nonsensical, this is why he should not be show runner and instead should be again a basic Writer, leaving somebody like RTD (yes I actually miss Russell T Davies' writing, at least the story ALWAYS flowed better) to reign his scripts in and edit out those weak parts.
Well on the positive side of Who, the next episode looks better than the last two, but I am still slightly concerned seeing as the kid with the big hair from this series will be in it also... That's far more scary than the spiders!
Arrrrrgh CHILD ACTORS!
Too much Clara being crammed down our throats, it's getting annoying. It's like the show runners read all the negativity towards Clara on the webs and decided "Oh yes, we should have gave this girl some charcter," So they now over do it in series 8 with *sigh* Danny Pink.
Compare him to Rory... Yeah no contest!
Which brings me to that one note character Danny Pink. He is just awful, I have been holding off on saying things about him until we got some more from his character and now that we have... Can anybody tell me what is it that Clara sees in Danny?
It cannot be his charming personality, because he is as charming as itchy feet. Not fun, as he hardly brings laughter to the party of two. The dude is just boring an depressing on screen.
In fact he makes me think if he doesn't close his mouth between talking, he will soon end up tripping over his bottom lip and to then suddenly burst into tears. If not that, then he will soon fall asleep with boredom or Maybe it will be me?
There was that forced argument between him and the Doctor, that just came out of no where!? This is not character development, it's lazy arsed writing... AGAIN! But this is just wee nit picks and is not what I wanted to mention here today.
*Possible Spoilers ahead*
There was an article out a couple of months ago, from the Daily Mirror (a newspaper in the UK) stating that Jenna Louise Coleman will be leaving the show at Christmas, meaning Clara will no longer be in the show after this series. These rumours seemed to come out of no where and most Whovians dismissed it right off the blocks anyway, but...
http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/doctor-whos-jenna-louise-coleman-quits-4061757
At the end of The Caretaker episode, we have the walking mumbling chalkboard known as Danny, giving his blessing on Clara and The Doctor by saying something like that he needs to be told if the Doctor ever puts her in harms way (or some such nonsense), then Clara must tell him about it. In fact I think he forces her to promise him (once again showing his controlling sulky side) or there will be no chance of kissing those trembling lips ever again.
"I will demand things of you now, as we just began dating!" Which he didn't say but may as well have.
Epic foreshadowing this is not!
So now it is beginning to look really obvious to me how it's going to play out and it would appear that we are doing this dance again at the end of this series just like Rose, Donna, Amy/Amelia, Rory and possibly now Clara.
The Doctor's actions or lack there of, will cause something to happen to Clara between episode 12 and Christmas bringing Danny's wrath and leaves The Doctor feeling sad and guilty for the 300th time.
I hope this is not how it will play out and knowing Steven Moffat's writing, there will be some sort of twist in there but I'm getting exhausted of that now too.
Steven Mofatt is a great ideas man, but his dialogue and character development in scripts vary from none to nonsensical, this is why he should not be show runner and instead should be again a basic Writer, leaving somebody like RTD (yes I actually miss Russell T Davies' writing, at least the story ALWAYS flowed better) to reign his scripts in and edit out those weak parts.
Well on the positive side of Who, the next episode looks better than the last two, but I am still slightly concerned seeing as the kid with the big hair from this series will be in it also... That's far more scary than the spiders!
Arrrrrgh CHILD ACTORS!
I don't understand all the Clara hate (and hate for companions in general). I think she is wonderful. The companions give us a side story worth being emotionally involved in. The Doctor is too alien though a delight to watch.joshuaayt said:
Kind of like the intention of Robin to Batman. Someone human enough for us to identify with.
Danny has been fun so far. I don't hate him either. There was better banter with him in this episode than Rory enjoyed in his entire run.
There is more than just Clara for the Doc and Danny to fight over: the Doc is a "Lord" to Danny and guilty of the sins of the over-class to him. Rory never had that kind of conflict with which to deal.