Spoilers Series 9, Episode 9 - "Sleep No More"

pixelburp · 13-11-2015 04:51PM #1

Ah, so this weeks story is a Mark Gatiss scripted, found-footage episode; great. Two things I'm not the biggest fan of. To be fair, Gatiss' writing can be patchy, and while stories like 'Night Terrors' and 'Cold War' were pretty good, particularly the latter imo, he also wrote Victory of the Daleks. So there's that.

Then it looks like we're getting the episode in a 'found footage' format, a gimmick that's well and truly played out by now in cinema. Personally, I can't stand it, and the only found-footage movie I've genuinely enjoyed was Trollhunter.

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

flazio · 14-11-2015 12:14AM

I think Gatiss has had more hits than misses Unquiet Dead and Crimson Horror are among some of my favourites. And of course the Adventure in Time and Space.
Having said that after two real good pieces, I'm not sure if this will be as good. We'll give a shot though

Also Starring LeVar Burton · 14-11-2015 09:51PM

I really can't stand found footage. I'm struggling to even watch this episode - essentially it's just on in the background for me here.

Busi_Girl08 · 14-11-2015 09:59PM

....What?!

Axwell · 14-11-2015 10:00PM

Worst episode in a long time, struggled to get to the end of that!

SueBoom · 14-11-2015 10:00PM

Um...???

Busi_Girl08 · 14-11-2015 10:02PM

I mean, I'm all for suspension of disbelief, it's Doctor Who, for feck sake.

But "The sleep in your eye has mutated into a ravenous monster"

Even Jenna Coleman couldn't hide the "dafuq" look in her face in that episode.

TheDoctor · 14-11-2015 10:02PM

Was the Masie Williams voice at the end for next weeks episode?

14-11-2015 10:05PM

Haha
after the little adipose dudes I was happy enough with that
I liked the concept, and getting rid of sleep does sound like an idea someone would come up with

I don't like found footage but this was clever enough imo

pixelburp · 14-11-2015 10:07PM

As expected, half of that episode I spent trying to keep nausea in check. My GF, who usually half-watches alongside me, couldn't look at the screen at all; I really wish I could go back in time and persuade the Blair Witch people to chose another career; Found Footage is a total pox.

Regards the episode? Pretty much gubbins that stretched credulity to breaking point. Sure, none of us watch DR. Who for the strict scientific background n' all, but the Sandmen were just ludicrous. Smacks of concept writing really: the BBC wanted a Monster of the Week, and this was the best Gatiss could come up with on first draft.

Axwell · 14-11-2015 10:14PM

TheDoctor wrote: »

Was the Masie Williams voice at the end for next weeks episode?

Yes, shes in the alternative trailer too.

Also Starring LeVar Burton · 14-11-2015 10:31PM

It was awful and tedious to try and follow, so I didn't... Something about the sleep in your eyes turning into monsters and your man disintigrates at the end - did I miss anything important that I should know for future episodes?

Been a decent enough season so far, but this was the low point (actually it's probably the worst episode of all new Who)... The majority of viewers on twitter/facebook etc. seem to have hated it also. Thankfully, it's not a two-parter anyway. Most exciting part of the episode was the trailer for next week.

Kev W · 14-11-2015 10:34PM

Worst episode since Love and Monsters. The current series has gone off a cliff since episode 3.

Also Starring LeVar Burton · 14-11-2015 10:44PM

Kev W wrote: »

Worst episode since Love and Monsters. The current series has gone off a cliff since episode 3.

I actually preferred Love and Monsters.

Axwell · 14-11-2015 10:46PM

Also Starring LeVar Burton wrote: »

did I miss anything important that I should know for future episodes?

Absolutely nothing - its a stand alone episode written by Gatiss. He wants to have a sequel to it at some point down the line. Basically he wanted it to end with the Dr unable to figure everything out rather than save the day so im sure we will see the Sandman next season at some point if he puts the episode in there.

Also Starring LeVar Burton · 14-11-2015 10:49PM

Axwell wrote: »

Absolutely nothing - its a stand alone episode written by Gatiss. He wants to have a sequel to it at some point down the line. Basically he wanted it to end with the Dr unable to figure everything out rather than save the day so im sure we will see the Sandman next season at some point if he puts the episode in there.

Let's hope there'll be enough critical backlash from this episode, that his planned sequel doesn't come to pass.

FloatingVoter · 14-11-2015 10:50PM

Didn't Clara get sleep in her eye at one point :rolleyes: ? I was so bored I don't know if Gatiss remembered to conclude that or if it meant anything. Woeful episode (best part was finding out it wasn't going to limp into a second week).

Das Kitty · 14-11-2015 11:13PM

Wait... What?

Did any of that actually happen? I have no idea.

Big load of balls whatever way you look at it.

CastorTroy · 14-11-2015 11:15PM

Was that Ellen McClain as the computer? Or just someone trying to sound like her. No name in the credits.

As for the episode, I'm trying to figure out if it happened or not. The guy narrating said he made it up, yet the Doctor saying he didn't understand wouldn't really tie into that. I was expecting it to be all a dream, but then that would be a repeat of the Christmas special

Busi_Girl08 · 14-11-2015 11:27PM

That's a good question. Basically the narrator used a glitch/electric signal to change the sleep pattern in the brain and therefore implant the sleepy eye guck virus in anyone who watches the video. Turning them all into sandmen?

The rescue team were lured there by something, the Doctor and Clara as well (the TARDIS taking them to where they were needed), to use them as a way to...I dunno, to create a ....viral video (bah-dum tsh)? Have a story compelling enough to keep people watching?

BuffyBot · 15-11-2015 12:53AM

Busi_Girl08 wrote: »

That's a good question. Basically the narrator used a glitch/electric signal to change the sleep pattern in the brain and therefore implant the sleepy eye guck virus in anyone who watches the video. Turning them all into sandmen?

The rescue team were lured there by something, the Doctor and Clara as well (the TARDIS taking them to where they were needed), to use them as a way to...I dunno, to create a ....viral video (bah-dum tsh)? Have a story compelling enough to keep people watching?

Started strong (and I hate the found footage device) but it fell apart badly at the end.

Eugene Norman · 15-11-2015 12:54AM

Busi_Girl08 wrote: »

That's a good question. Basically the narrator used a glitch/electric signal to change the sleep pattern in the brain and therefore implant the sleepy eye guck virus in anyone who watches the video. Turning them all into sandmen?

The rescue team were lured there by something, the Doctor and Clara as well (the TARDIS taking them to where they were needed), to use them as a way to...I dunno, to create a ....viral video (bah-dum tsh)? Have a story compelling enough to keep people watching?

But we can't be sure any of that happened.

Very odd episode.

Agent Coulson · 15-11-2015 12:39PM

The more this season goes on the more I really think it's time for Moffat to step down and for a new showrunner to step in.

flazio · 15-11-2015 01:08PM

Agent Coulson wrote: »

The more this season goes on the more I really think it's time for Moffat to step down and for a new showrunner to step in.

This episode was written by Mark Gatiss who many are tipping as Moffat's replacement.

Kev W · 15-11-2015 02:06PM

flazio wrote: »

This episode was written by Mark Gatiss who many are tipping as Moffat's replacement.

He's usually a terrific writer, I never would have recognised this as his writing though if I didn't know beforehand. That said, this episode is a blip, I'd still be happy to see him take over.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 15-11-2015 02:13PM

My main reaction to that episode was..... what?

Glad to see I'm not the only one.

I was fairly sure it was a stand alone space episode until the end and then I thought I must have got that wrong, it's another 2 part episode. Apparently not!

I don't like space found footage either, it makes me feel ill and also there's nothing new or clever left to be done with it. I also found it ridiculous after about 3 space minutes of it and they were showing things clearly from space Clara's point of view so it was a bit annoying that it took so bloody long for the space Doctor to address that.

As for whether it really happened or not, I'm sure it did, in that the Doctor and the space crew were there. The explanation of what happened and how the space virus spread and all of that wasn't real. He was just trying to make a space tape that people would keep watching if they found it. Although, I don't see why he waited so long to put the signal in the space video? If he was thinking a rescue crew will come up and find the video why not just put it in right at the start? "Hello, I'm Mr. McGoo....zzzzzzzaaaaappppp.... and now you're all going to die."

I dunno. Assuming the Doctor really was there and sent the space station plummeting towards Neptune or whatever planet it was then the video is destroyed and never goes out to anyone? Unless he stuck it on the space internet before the Doctor arrived?

I don't even care.

The_Valeyard · 15-11-2015 03:17PM

This may be harsh,

But that may have been one of the worst episodes since the 9th Doctor.

Kev W · 15-11-2015 03:19PM

The_Valeyard wrote: »

This may be harsh,

But that may have been one of the worst episodes since the 9th Doctor.

Not harsh at all.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 15-11-2015 03:22PM

The_Valeyard wrote: »

This may be harsh,

But that may have been one of the worst episodes since the 9th Doctor.

I don't have a wealth of previous Doctor's to compare it with but I'd confidently say it was the worst of the Capaldi era. There were a fair few Smith episodes that made absolutely no sense whatsoever.

I think part of the problem is that this episode feels very out of place with the rest of this series in both content and tone.
Bar the one tiny bit where the Doctor wasn't happy that Clara had named the monsters, which was kind of in keeping with his general worrying about her, this episode could have come at any point in any series with any Doctor and any companion.

malcy · 15-11-2015 03:28PM

Great episode. Nice to try something different. Was the right time for a standalone episode in a series full of two-parters. The Sandmen looked like proper old school Who monsters. My only niggle with the episode was the female from the rescue team with the ever changing accent. She went from Geordie, to Scouser, to almost Scottish at times. Found it a bit distracting.

Mark Gatiss is my top choice to take over as showrunner. A great writing talent and a fan of the show who i think gets it a bit more than Moffat does.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 15-11-2015 03:32PM

malcy wrote: »

Mark Gatiss is my top choice to take over as showrunner. A great writing talent and a fan of the show who i think gets it a bit more than Moffat does.

I have no opinion on this matter but I think it's difficult to judge what a person may do to a show if given complete control over it based of one or two standalone episodes that have to fit in to someone else's vision of the show.

**Spoilers** Series 9, Episode 9 - "Sleep No More"

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Spoilers Series 9, Episode 9 - "Sleep No More"