**Spoilers** Series 8, Episode 5 - "Time Heist"

pixelburp

So after the intense, small-scale and character driven 'Listen', this feels like a more traditional & splashy romp; a classic gear change that the show constantly partakes in. Here's hoping the generally upward curve in quality seen since 'Robot of Sherwood' continues with this one. There was no sign of 'missy' in the last couple of episodes, so I wonder if she'll turn up this time, or if the broader arc will be referenced at all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5MxtpqBIiA

Lord TSC

Anyone spot the Torchwood reference in the trailer?

Has gotten me slightly giddy that

Captain Hart

might make something more than a little cameo....

crazyderk

I like Capaldis black shirt, he looks really cool being in all black!

Sabre has to end up with missy now

The Master

Patience..

Ahhh

That made a great change. No more last of its species again, no death of sidekicks

The Master

Not on till 8.30 next week :eek:

Manach

Fun. Nicely plotted, stylish, not taking itself too seriously and a good interaction between both Dr and Clara and the others.

Dr Bob

Liked that a lot. Plus Im 99% sure thebank computer was voiced by kevan brighting..aka The Stanley Parable's narrator

Mycroft H

Spotted that too. Enjoyable episode

Mr.Saturn

"What d'you think of the new look?..Aiming for minimalist, ended up at magician"

Pretty slick, tight bit of Who this week; started at a dash and kept at a fast pace, even with the stopping at a couple of fine character notes en route. The idea of actually seeing a more sinister Doctor rather than being told, as was 90% of the 'Last of the Time Lords' stuff, continues to enrich the series.

BlitzKrieg

I enjoyed that, particularily its pacing when it thought we were very close to the end of a traditional Who escapade (

extras of the week killed of in tragic/heroic sacrifice, secrets about to be revealed

) and then I realised there was another 20 or so minutes still to go.

Compared to Into the Dalek which was similar in the sci fi running around light on emotions high on energy it was much much better.


buuuuuuuut

How did The Doctor plant all the cases? How was he able to bypass all the security by himself without issue. I understood why he couldnt enter the vault directly, but the cases in the back area and beside the vault would have set off alarms etc

Also there is still those weird editing choices at certain points, which thankfully missing last week, but popped up with that strange diffuse transition when they were passing through a vent. Does the series have a new post production team or something?

jasonb

Wow, I actually thought it was poor. It just didn't seem to flow, lots of weird edits etc. (like the one going into the hatch as someone said above). Even found the transition from the four of them in a room with the guards outside to them walking calmly around the lobby very confusing, I thought at first it was a flashback! Actually, speaking of that hatch, it was so similar to the one they came out of a few mins before that I actually thought they were going to be caught in some sort of 'haven't we been here before' thing, but it looks like it was just using a similar set...

I also think there was a deleted scene where Sabre held the Doctor's hand, as just after she was talking to him about 'imagine looking at you through your own eyes' it cut to them walking towards a noise and her fixing her glove, and later he said something about missing his face when he said goodbye to her.

Really, really don't like his 'shut up, shut up, stop talking etc.' when he's realising something important, as he nearly always says it when no-one is saying anything. Funny the first time, not so much now.

In fact, in general, he comes across as quite stupid in some scenes. He's thousands of years old (I've lost track again exactly how old, but it was mentioned this season) but things like high heels and make up are unusual to him. Doesn't he remember all his previous companions? There's a fine line between quirky and stupid and the writers are crossing it...

I don't know, I really liked last week's episode, but for me it's a high point in a poor season so far. Even the banter between him and Clara wasn't as good. And at the end, why was he like a guy fighting over a girl with his 'rob a whole bank, your date won't be as good as that' comment?

There were some good bits in it, but I'm beginning to lose interest in this season...

J.

tommy2bad

I found it a bit dead tbh. Lacking pacing and direction which is a major flaw for a bank heist plot. A plot which in the light of day has so many holes it becomes a net curtain. Then again if your watching Dr Who for neat plots the problem is all on your side.
I starting to doubt the Doctor is as stupid as he is playing, I suspect instead of being indifferent to Clara's charms, he's actually acting as a jealous suitor.
Capaldi is growing into the part, I'm starting to warm to him now. Nice playing on his age and appearance, 'Basically, it's the eyebrows'
I thought last week the doctor companion romance thing was done with but this week I think it's not finished yet. Mr Blue has a rival!

Doctor DooM

tommy2bad wrote: »

I starting to doubt the Doctor is as stupid as he is playing, I suspect instead of being indifferent to Clara's charms, he's actually acting as a jealous suitor.
Capaldi is growing into the part, I'm starting to warm to him now. Nice playing on his age and appearance, 'Basically, it's the eyebrows'
I thought last week the doctor companion romance thing was done with but this week I think it's not finished yet. Mr Blue has a rival!

I think it's not supposed to be romantic, but he doesn't want her to go type of thing.

I really enjoyed it, liked the different pace, liked that it was an "everyone lives" episode again.

Also liked that, despite him behaving in some nasty ways recently, the Doctor really did help everyone in this episode. He's still the Doctor, just a bit narky!

Not as good as Listen but then, I can only think of 1 or 2 other episodes I enjoyed as much as that.

Sonics2k

I really do not like Mr. Pink and I'm finding the chemistry between Clara and him to be so forced, she had more with the guy who played Robin Hood.

As an episode, well I rather enjoyed it in an atypical Doctor Who kind of way. A nice simple plot with a bit of a mystery involved and a decent sub plot too.

Capaldi is obviously more comfortable with the role as well!

martingriff

BlitzKrieg wrote: »

I enjoyed that, particularily its pacing when it thought we were very close to the end of a traditional Who escapade (

extras of the week killed of in tragic/heroic sacrifice, secrets about to be revealed

) and then I realised there was another 20 or so minutes still to go.

Compared to Into the Dalek which was similar in the sci fi running around light on emotions high on energy it was much much better.


buuuuuuuut

How did The Doctor plant all the cases? How was he able to bypass all the security by himself without issue. I understood why he couldnt enter the vault directly, but the cases in the back area and beside the vault would have set off alarms etc

Also there is still those weird editing choices at certain points, which thankfully missing last week, but popped up with that strange diffuse transition when they were passing through a vent. Does the series have a new post production team or something?

He didn't the banks manager did I think

flazio

Bow tie was not embarrassing it was and still is cool.

BlitzKrieg

martingriff wrote: »

He didn't the banks manager did I think

it's him in the flashbacks putting the cases down I believe. Unless I need to watch that again. The bank manager of the future was bed ridden when she called the doctor.

DerekDGoldfish

He could have used the TARDIS to drop of the cases, the only reason he couldn't use the TARDIS during the "heist" was the storms that allowed them open the vault.

martingriff

BlitzKrieg wrote: »

it's him in the flashbacks putting the cases down I believe. Unless I need to watch that again. The bank manager of the future was bed ridden when she called the doctor.

Thanks

Penn

The episodes so far have been a bit hit and miss, but Capaldi is amazing as The Doctor. Really enjoying his character and performance.

bren2001

DerekDGoldfish wrote: »

He could have used the TARDIS to drop of the cases, the only reason he couldn't use the TARDIS during the "heist" was the storms that allowed them open the vault.

I had assumed the bank manager had told him how to get around all the security. However, using the TARDIS makes a lot more sense....

Overall, it was an episode I really enjoyed. This season has been a nice change of pace and direction for the Doctor. I was getting fairly sick of him bailing himself out with the sonic screwdriver or stupid endings like "love" defeating the monster. Really getting to like Capaldi.

Das Kitty

I quite enjoyed it. The magician line especially.

It seems to be a trait of Moffat era who that almost all other characters mirror the doctor.

Saibra changing her face making her untrusting/worthy
Every monster needs a companion
Psi having lost his memory and wishing to remember - The man who forgets (eleven) remembering again. This even happens to the Doctor in the episode.

I was thinking upon second watching that it was nearly a re-telling of the wizard of oz, with Karabraxos as the Wizard, Psi as the scarecrow, Saibra as the cowardly lion and Clara as Dorothy (who wants to get home for her date). Which leaves the Doctor as the tin-man, in search of his heart.

I might be stretching a bit...

tommy2bad

Das Kitty you might be stretching it a bit but as their are only 7 stories...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seven_Basic_Plots
Notice the reference to a 'good man' again in this episode. This seems to be the motif for the season, it was played heavily on in the trailers and has been referred to in all the episodes so far. Bad Wolf to Good man.

Beano

anybody know if the BBC repeat this during the week? My UPC box stopped recording half way through.

wench

It was repeated on BBC3 last night, don't think they repeat it again.

Beano

wench wrote: »

It was repeated on BBC3 last night, don't think they repeat it again.

ah nuts. thanks anyway.

flazio

It's on at 1:50 am Thursday night going into Friday morning, however it's the sign zone edition so there will be a sign language interpreter on screen.

Beano

flazio wrote: »

It's on at 1:50 am Thursday night going into Friday morning, however it's the sign zone edition so there will be a sign language interpreter on screen.

i can live with that. cheers. I just need to see the last 20 minutes anyway.

zanador

It should be on BBC3 on Friday evening

BuffyBot

Some nice touches, but I also found some of it quite boring. I did like the magician, eyebrows and calories quips. Capaldi's delivery just nails those kind of lines.

pixelburp

Whoah, who put together the audio mix in that episode, because it was pretty terrible; half the time mismatching the emotion on-screen, the other half just out of sync with the action & too loud. Feels like every week there's some element of sloppiness in the production these days and it's a little depressing to think the shows standards have slid so much. Considering how much of a money spinner Dr. Who is for the BBC, I wish they'd throw it some more cash.

As for the episode itself, I enjoyed it for what it was - light, breezy and disposable, not unlike the Robin Hood story that bookended the standout episode of this series so far in 'Listen'. This week's wasn't an essential story and definitely had pacing issues, but I liked it for the most part. Nothing special, but hey - at least it wasn't on the 'Fear Her' levels of bad.

I'll be honest though, I can't help shake the continuing feeling that the lack of a serialised plot is a growing weakness. Of course, the standalone, flexible format is historically the show's strength and mainstay, but maybe it's time the production team went down the series 7 (of the classic show) route and ground a series somewhere, keep things broadly in one place or time, applying a driving plot and some continuing stakes. UNIT has been well established by now in the new series, and with a Lethbridge-Stewart in charge once more, it'd make for a nice symmetry if a somewhat spiky Doctor had to work with that group again.

flazio

flazio wrote: »

It's on at 1:50 am Thursday night going into Friday morning, however it's the sign zone edition so there will be a sign language interpreter on screen.

Correction, it's on tonight at 1:50am.

Beano

flazio wrote: »

Correction, it's on tonight at 1:50am.

Thanks for the update.

Busi_Girl08

I think the "Shuttety up!!" was the closest we are going to get to "fcukety bye" with the Doctor :pac:

I really enjoyed the episode. We got to see more of the Doctor and his fight to be good (as discussed in the Dalek episode and any other). I do like that he's showing his vulnerability more, like trying to get Clara to go out with him instead of the date with Pink.