Midnight Se 4 ep 10

daithi_student

Well That Was good! different but good!

The Master

very good , obviously the "budget" episode

the next time trailer looked fantastic

iUseVi

Story was decent. But people on the vehicle were SOOO annoying. Gabbling away. :mad:

Doctor DooM

That was really, really good for an RTD episode. It felt like 15 minutes!

Liked how we never saw the alien.

Liked the Doctor on his own.

Liked the way the humans were the way humans are- ****s.

Pace was really good, writing was good, I like my banana references.

Next ep looks really good too.

I actually can't think of anything bad about this, even emo kid didn't annoy much.


Looks like the usual series- starts poor and ramps up!

ixoy

I thought it was crap to be honest. The repeating of lines got very boring very quickly and had absolutely none of the effectiveness that Moffat put in his data ghosts the previous two weeks (yup, RTD repeating the idea of repetition...)

The characters were all very weakly drawn and it really felt like a poor attempt to try and do some sort of Airplane '08. Production values were on the 2c mark and it was all full of dialogue that in itself never got anywhere. It was not a smart insight into human nature and identity - it was a flimsy attempt to show paranoia in a cooped up situation and it's something that other shows (and indeed this show itself) has done far better.

The Master

another Medusa Cascade mention too

iUseVi

SDooM wrote: »

That was really, really good for an RTD episode. It felt like 15 minutes!

Yeah, time passed really fast - didn't think of that. Really liked the horror elements to it.

daithi_student

Robster The Lobster wrote: »

obviously the "budget" episode

the next time trailer looked fantastic

Ya the budget thing occured to me too, come to think of the last 3 eps have been "monsterless" (bar the skeletons in the spacesuits!) obviously they're gonna break open the piggy bank for the final 3!

Also quick question: what are the invisible spider thingys from the old series i've read people talking about them and the (excellent) trailer reminded me of them...

pixelburp

That was very good - no budget & just one room for most of the story but it had a great pace & strong characters. The alien posession was quite creepy too; very exorcist like in many ways & really added to the atmosphere.

Agreed that the human characters were all a$$holes, but I guess that was the point. Next weeks trailer seems to confirm a lot of what we read was gonna happen; should be exciting!

job3

I thought it was good. As was already pointed out it was the budget episode. Strange the way the doctor didnt save the day and was as lost as everyone else. Cant wait for next weeks

BuffyBot

It was ok - nothing too fabulous, and felt it didn't seem to go anywhere fast. THe supporting cast were mostly cardboard, with one or two notable exceptions.

Doctor DooM

Alot of divided opinion on this one...

daithi_student

SDooM wrote: »

Alot of divided opinion on this one...

Ya twas a bit like Marmite... I think thats cause it was just so different! I think this episode was quite well placed because its right before what i presume are gonna be 3 action packed episodes and right after the moffat 2 parter so this was a nice buffer between the two!

Jack B. Badd

Thought that was probably the best thing RTD has come up with since season 2. It occurs to me that he may be one of those writers who produces that bit more when dealing with a low budget ep. I felt like it harked back a bit to the 9th Doctor what with the Doctor pointing out he was "clever" obviously in comparison to the humans around him.

Well impressed and, as was mentioned, it felt a hell of a lot shorter than it was

Thread could probably do with a poll given its Marmite nature.

SirLemonhead

ixoy wrote: »

I thought it was crap to be honest. The repeating of lines got very boring very quickly and had absolutely none of the effectiveness that Moffat put in his data ghosts the previous two weeks (yup, RTD repeating the idea of repetition...)

The characters were all very weakly drawn and it really felt like a poor attempt to try and do some sort of Airplane '08. Production values were on the 2c mark and it was all full of dialogue that in itself never got anywhere. It was not a smart insight into human nature and identity - it was a flimsy attempt to show paranoia in a cooped up situation and it's something that other shows (and indeed this show itself) has done far better.

I have to agree with you. It was really, really boring. Didn't really go anywhere and ended fairly abruptly and...that was that.

all-time-FANBOY

Worst of the season thus far - everyone all has kinda summed up it's problems. But my, next week looks interesting with the return of Ms. Piper! Could we get a glimpse of a certain returning villain at the end of next week?

thusspakeblixa

Probably the best RTD story but apart from that it was.... solid... it just didn't take enough risks to be a good episode, while not making it bad
I know the ending was abrupt but I liked that!

Fysh

I'm joining the "really good" camp on this one - I thought it was easily the best episode Davies has written since, well, Rose was on the scene. The setup was a bit weak (they gave out headphones, then blast several forms of entertainment out over loudspeakers at the same time, and then the Doctor gets to come out with his horrendously cheesy "guess we'll have to talk to each other then" comment), but I don't think the characters were weakly drawn - yes, they were boring and not particularly interesting or likeable, but the world has a lot of people like that. (Hell, if nothing else just look at how many people watch Coronation Street or Big Brother religiously).

It wasn't a particularly subtle or incisive examination of how fear works in that sort of situation, but it was well done and the tension built up steadily in such a way as to keep the episode moving steadily.

BlitzKrieg

I really enjoyed it.

There were some clever things in it what with the planet and the monster.

Strangely enough I recently watched The Mist and it reminded me very strongly of the setup to that film. In fact I would say it did a better job of it for the most part.

deRanged

I quite enjoyed this. When it started I realised who'd written it (from the opening interaction with Donna) and decided it would be crap. then I got into it and started to really like it.
I liked the nameless/unseen monster, the humans being humans, the lack of donna, the doctor looking totally unsure for once. the downsides were the typical caricature characters by RTD, but no matter, they were well outweighed by the good this time. and yeah, time flew, which is always a good sign.

Bard

Enjoyed this one. Thought the characters were well written, believable and well acted and yes, I agree that the whole thing flew by nicely, making 44 minutes feel like 15.

I liked the conflict between the couples in the supporting cast - the stuck-in-his-ways professor and his increasingly annoyed assistant, the relatively bland stereotypical parents and their rebellious son.

Also liked the change brought about by there being no companion this time with the doctor flying solo and Donna (somewhat conveniently) staying back at the resort (no harm the viewers getting a break from Catherine Tate's "quirkiness" for one episode), and the little touches like the other passengers argument with the doctor where they ask him his name and wonder why he's so important - eventually turning on him, and the fact that the passengers never actually see the "monster", but experience the psychological effects of it's presence... smart!

Plus - the actress who played Sky, I thought, did a particularly good job of acting the part - going through a range of emotions in her face, brilliantly portraying being vulnerable and fearful at the start of the incident and going on to being clearly psychotically schizoid - in an almost Hannibal Lecter way, - which you could see in her eyes - later on. Great job.

BTW... River ... Sky ... there isn't a pattern starting here is there?

It's good to have episodes like this - thoughtful intelligent episodes with more psychological premises that don't need scene stealing pyrotechnics, scary monsters, grandiose plots and big sets. Still though, I am looking forward to the big budget all-action episodes which are to come - with adversaries aplenty and the return of Rose. All in all, I think this has been an excellent season for a show which has re-generated itself very nicely indeed.

Mahatma coat

I liked it, as was said it flew by as an ep.

excelent little bit of telly, nicely written charaacters too IMO

Jack B. Badd

Bard wrote: »

BTW... River ... Sky ... there isn't a pattern starting here is there?

Joaquin Phoenix is going to be in the season finale you say?!

*sorry couldn't resist even though there isn't a sister called Sky

dolphinius

Having been blown away by the previous two-parter, I thought that this episode was pretty bad.
Many echoes of old Star Trek episodes. All it needed was a Welsh Quarry instead of the CGI planet surface scenes. Did not work for me at all.
The Doctor seemed not to be so clever. It did not bring anything new to the series arc.
Donna was the smart one in this episode.
Really looking forward to next weeks episode though. Trailer was the best part of this episode.

anotherlostie

I enjoyed this episode, and the overbearing sense of panic from the moment the 'monster' starts to bang on the ship's hull.

It was a typical RTD episode in many ways - the chief character was a lesbian, they were playing Eurovision songs as entertainment, and perhaps most tenuously (thanks IMDB!), the gothy son was played by 'our John is a gay mon' from The Catherine Tate Christmas special!:D:D

I thought Lesley Sharp was brilliant - she must have groaned when she saw the script, even when she was repeating what someone else had just said. The whole thing flew by, and as a result when the end came, it was all too soon, I wanted to learn more. What was the creature, why did the pilot's part of the ship disintegrate, was the 'computer' in on the act of making them stop where they did.

Overall, I liked it, and I really liked what's coming up next week!

popebenny16

Jack B. Badd wrote: »

Thread could probably do with a poll given its Marmite nature.

agreed.

i liked it, mrspopebenny didnt.

good that he was on his own and almost lost out to hysterical humans who turned on him, probably due to his "I'm clever" reference, egged on by the alien working on their minds. When he hooked his foot aginst the seat i thought The Masters words about the toclafane "Human race, biggest monsters of them all" were going through his mind.

Bad, he was never going to die so all suspence was suspended, so to speak.

Doctor DooM

popebenny16 wrote: »

agreed.

i liked it, mrspopebenny didnt.

good that he was on his own and almost lost out to hysterical humans who turned on him, probably due to his "I'm clever" reference, egged on by the alien working on their minds. When he hooked his foot aginst the seat i thought The Masters words about the toclafane "Human race, biggest monsters of them all" were going through his mind.

Bad, he was never going to die so all suspence was suspended, so to speak.

Wait... you don't think he's really dead in next weeks episode? :eek:

monkeyfudge

dolphinius wrote: »

Many echoes of old Star Trek episodes.

Reminded me of the The Galileo Seven episode actually, where they're stuck on the shuttle crashed on the planet with the giant monsters outside.


You've got to love the fact that the only thing that seems to have changed about the human race in the distant future is that they're more accepting of homosexuality.

Doctor DooM

monkeyfudge wrote: »

Reminded me of the The Galileo Seven episode actually, where they're stuck on the shuttle crashed on the planet with the giant monsters outside.


You've got to love the fact that the only thing that seems to have changed about the human race in the distant future is that they're more accepting of homosexuality.

Yeah he is a little bit obsessed with that, isn't he? Like the point isn't rammed home enough with Capt. Jack.

monkeyfudge

SDooM wrote: »

Yeah he is a little bit obsessed with that, isn't he? Like the point isn't rammed home enough with Capt. Jack.

I don't need a mental image of Captain Jack ramming anything home, thank you very much!

Rev Hellfire

Gawd another awful episode in an increasing awful series.
I'm increasingly looking forward to the series final just so I can see the end credits and know that its done. Then possibly with a person at the driving wheel the series can perhaps start to show some of the promise that its occasionally hints at.

pixelburp

You don't have to watch it you know, if it's simply *that* bad

Rev Hellfire

Its like watching a car crash, you know you shouldn't but you can't help waiting for the ambulance to arrive in case it gets interesting, plus my son like me to watch it with him.

BigglesMcGee

My god that was a sh!te episode.

popebenny16

Poll added (thanks be to Cult)

pixelburp

I'm more of a bovril person.

Doctor DooM

Where's the "It was alright"/ aTardis Jaguar options?