Season 14; Russell T Davies Returns

SharkMX

I loved Doctor who, but I just couldnt stick more than 5 or 6 episodes of Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor. I said I would give it a go and couldnt warm to her. I didnt like Matt Smith at first but grew to really like him in the role after 3 or 4 episodes.

So I watched the first 2 episodes of Gatwa's Doctor and im sorry but im not feeling it. Hes even worse than Whittaker. I'll check back after the full season and see what the consensus is. If people say he has knocked it out of the park i might go back and try again, but at the moment I cant.

flazio

Whitaker was absolutely fine as the Doctor, very similar "mad man with a box" vibe as Smith. It was just Chibnall's show running that let down.

So far, even though we know it's ok to be Childish sometimes as Terrence Dicks wrote for the 4th Doctor, I feel like I've outgrown Doctor Who.

Stark

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122149450#Comment_122149450

Tuned out of Whittaker after the first season, not really anything to do with her, was just a really dull tedious season. Gave her a chance again recently though and really enjoyed her performance as the Doctor. Not as much scene stealing presence as Jo Martin whom we got nowhere near enough of but definitely a likeable presence.

Still holding out judgement on Gatwa. I can see that he has the confidence to lead a show, just not sure I'm feeling him as the Doctor yet. Didn't really help that "Space Babies" was some of the worst TV I've seen in years.

Anyway I won't make final judgment until I've seen him in a Moffat episode. Even Tennant had his cringeworthy moments during the RTD penned episodes in the original run. I think as the original RTD run had so many writers other than RTD writing episodes, people forget just how bad most of the episodes written by RTD himself were. Sadly it seems 6/8 in the current season are RTD episodes. The worst thing is he's a capable writer with many excellent works to his name, it just seems that for Who he thinks every stupid juvenile idea that comes into his head deserves to make it to the screen.

Agent Coulson

Another average episode and the new season 2 companion already introduced in epsidoe 3 season 1.

Russell T Davies's return seems to be just bringing back the same old same old.

The show really needs new fresh voices

bren2001

Thought that was much better than the first two. Struggling to warm to the new doctor

CastorTroy

Now if only he had something with him that he always carries that could've deactivated the mine.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122158838#Comment_122158838

Would have made for a very short episode though

I didn't like episode 3, I'm not saying epsodes need to be all-action all-the-time but the entire episode was filmed almost exclusively in a small hole in the ground

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122166218#Comment_122166218

It was a bottle episode. the budget for the series only extends so far.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122166609#Comment_122166609

You would think with the financial might of the BBC and Disney it would extend a bit further

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122168331#Comment_122168331

even big shows have bottle episodes and clip shows. they have a fixed budget for the season and a bottle episode gives them room to do something spectacular in another episode

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122168814#Comment_122168814

Fair enough, but making the bottle at Episode 3, after 2 fairly lackluster entries of what is meant to be a renewed series might not have been the best move. Hopefully it picks up after this as I am a big fan of the new doctor

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122168890#Comment_122168890

i'm just grateful it was an improvement over the first two.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122168959#Comment_122168959

I'm not convinced it was but that is subjective to be fair. I laughed a little at the idea of the spaceship farting to get it moving

CastorTroy

Are we going to get the Ruby snow thing in every episode?

flazio

I just recently finished the Moffat episode and, there's no mistaking it for anything else except a Moffat episode. To the point that I wonder did he actually write this for this season or just open his drawer and find a script he never got around to using when he was in charge? Honestly the dialogue between Ruby and the Doctor read a bit like 11 and Clara.

Agent Coulson

That was a really great episode this week and it was a Doctor free episode.

I'm starting to see why Millie might have been replaced for next season she is outshining the Doctor in every episode.

ohnonotgmail

Much improved episode tonight.

corkie

I'm not a fan of these episodes where everything is reset at end as if it never happened!

@Agent Coulson You must have watch it on Disney+ to comment so early?

Zhane

Anyone catch the ‘Produced with support of the Irish government’ credit at the very end of the credits? Still can’t steam the show anywhere though!

Ger Roe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122183893#Comment_122183893

I wondered about that too. I noticed it in the credits for other episodes. What is the Irish connection?

Zhane

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122183909#Comment_122183909

I would imagine one of the vfx companies received subsidies. I think that what happened with WandaVision.

https://entertainment.ie/amp/on-demand/on-demand-news/irish-government-logo-wandavision-477465/

EoinMcLovin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122183909#Comment_122183909

Just checked credits, there are some for Ireland VFX Co producer with Grand Pictures and Ireland VFX trainees with 2 of them with Windmill Lane. I'd say they farmed off some VFX work to Ireland to get extra funding

Agent Coulson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122183600#Comment_122183600

yeah out of the country at the moment so Disney rocks for that.

Red Silurian

What the f++K was that? Literally nothing happened yet again!

taxAHcruel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122183600#Comment_122183600

I agreed with you when I first read your post. I normally hate storylines that end up in a reset.

But the exception to that has to be when the dr spent many 1000s of years punching through a wall. Being almost but not completely reset each time. I think that was a really well done play on the reset concept.

Also VPN for the win when they release the next episode at midnight :)

fritzelly

Very Black Mirror