Re-watching Season 8

Sonics2k

So we're all in that horrible downtime, no new episodes and so I've watched up from Season 1 and all the way up to Season 8.

Now, I was a bit of a critic of the last season of Doctor Who, but in retrospect I do find Capaldi to actually be a very good Doctor, who's just been massively let down by weak writing.

But what really irks me, the one character in the entire series who ruins it for me. Danny. Bloody. Pink.
What a negging, narcissistic, emotionally abusive ****e he is. How is this guy supposed to be considered likeable in any way?

So yes, what are you thoughts in retrospect about about Capaldi, Clara and Season 8?

The_Valeyard

Season nine he really becomes the Doctor
Some very memorable episodes.
Season eight was quite weak, but 'Listen'was very good altogether.

pixelburp

I can sorta see what they were trying to do with Danny Pink, least I think so from what I recall; he was definitely the skeptic and someone less likely to buy into the Doctor's manipulative bullsh*t. The Caretaker was the most overt example of that, when Pink called the Doc out on what he saw as someone playing 'the officer'.

Problem was a performance one more than anything; Samuel Anderson was a bit ... I dunno, wet in his portrayal in retrospect and could never buy into his character.

Flatline was another decent episode, with Rigsy being a much better side-character than Danny ultimately was.

Sonics2k

pixelburp wrote: »

I can sorta see what they were trying to do with Danny Pink, least I think so from what I recall; he was definitely the skeptic and someone less likely to buy into the Doctor's manipulative bullsh*t. The Caretaker was the most overt example of that, when Pink called the Doc out on what he saw as someone playing 'the officer'.

Problem was a performance one more than anything; Samuel Anderson was a bit ... I dunno, wet in his portrayal in retrospect and could never buy into his character.

Flatline was another decent episode, with Rigsy being a much better side-character than Danny ultimately was.

The bolded part is really where Danny Pink stood out as an annoying character for me.

His whole tirade and speech is inaccurate, and he's just set on telling Clara how it is. What really bugs me is that Clara knows how wrong he really is, but does nothing to respond to it. She's met the War Doctor and knows his story.

Mr.Saturn

Capaldi's first series reminded me a lot of what Colin Baker said they were trying to do with the 6th Doctor before JNT, BBC and a declining audience got involved. For better and worse, really.

Yes, it's good to challenge your audience and go in new directions, but, as has been nailed already, series 8 never really swung back around to a triumphant "I am The Doctor" moment beyond the boneless speech, and even that was mired in an episode that so wholly deconstructed the notion of The Doctor as a good man that you were left feeling like you were taking the wrong thing away if it came across as a fist-pumping, "YES" moment.

Really, Series 9 felt like an ever-so-soft reboot of the 12th Doctor.