Doctor Who Season 11 [ Spoilers ]

Franz Von Peppercorn · 04-11-2018 11:49pm

She’s also a pretty dumb Dr. It took her a long a while in this episode to work out what the aliens were after

energy

which was obvious from beginning. Jodie is almost there as dr who - she definitely has the requisite oddness, ethereal way but not that much authority.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 05-11-2018 12:00am

pixelburp wrote: »

Whereas I thought there was too much deference to the requisite 'sci-fi' baddie. The plot could have worked just as well were it (say) about Ryan accidentally causing a butterfly effect, leading to Parks not being on the bus of infamy. It doesn't hurt to shake the formula up a little, and it was refreshing to see something that at least tried not to lean into a formula that's arguably beyond stale.

They almost had that butterfly effect because it was fixing the doctors cloak that slowed her down, after the alien was zapped back to the past.

However the whole premise you mention and the premise of the story itself after the alien was removed doesn’t lend itself to the idea of a moment in time that had to happen. There’s very few of them; possibly the shooting of Franz Ferdinand (but some even argue that the war would have happened eventually).

Possibly stopping the birth of somebody or killing them before their actions (eg hitler) can alter history, but the civil rights movement in the states didn’t depend on Rosa Parks being on that bus, on that day, at that time, with that driver. She could have protested at any time the same circumstances happened, which they would. It didn’t even need Rosa Parks.

Das Kitty · 05-11-2018 11:36am

Last night’s script was truly terrible. As someone else said, you shouldn’t feel smarter than the doctor, and definitely not that much smarter. She’s being let down by these scripts, all she does is awe, technobabble and apologise. No opportunity to be authoritative or a bit unsettling, or you know, alien.

The busy work for companions subplots are fierce boring.

Every script so far had Chris Chibnall on a writing credit. I think there are a few coming up written by other people. So fingers crossed

Stark · 05-11-2018 12:05pm

Never forget Chris Chibnall gave us "Cyberwoman" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberwoman

TheValeyard · 05-11-2018 9:34pm

I really like that new Gremlin alien.

Pting

Pting-e53cd6f.jpg?quality=90&lb=620,413&background=white

CastorTroy · 05-11-2018 10:33pm

Have they ever said why the TARDIS is self repairing yet still looks like a police box? Is the chameleon circuit the only part it doesn't repair?

TheValeyard · 05-11-2018 11:53pm

CastorTroy wrote: »

Have they ever said why the TARDIS is self repairing yet still looks like a police box? Is the chameleon circuit the only part it doesn't repair?

Maybe the Tardis is dying. It is pretty ancient at this stage. And it's owner has been pretty wreck less at times.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 06-11-2018 1:26am

CastorTroy wrote: »

Have they ever said why the TARDIS is self repairing yet still looks like a police box? Is the chameleon circuit the only part it doesn't repair?

That’s never been repairable.

Angron · 06-11-2018 10:37am

Wasn't a fan of the latest episode, I kept zoning out while I was watching it.

Doctor DooM · 06-11-2018 12:18pm

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

That’s never been repairable.

Murray TheDemonic TalkingSkull wrote: »

Maybe the Tardis is dying. It is pretty ancient at this stage. And it's owner has been pretty wreck less at times.

CastorTroy wrote: »

Have they ever said why the TARDIS is self repairing yet still looks like a police box? Is the chameleon circuit the only part it doesn't repair?

Time to be an old school gate keeping dick

The fourth Doctor wanted to fix it, the Sixth succeeded.

My memory of it is very hazy (the last time I saw that episode I was a young kid) but I kinda recall the Tardis behaving like it was disguising itself reluctantly, deliberately looking out of place or the wrong size or whatever.

This might be an interesting exercise in how crap the human brain is, because the TARDIS has consistently been written as a well meaning troll to most people but the Doctor for the last few years (especially Clara). This is what I'd EXPECT it to do.

I must go look it up

ixoy · 07-11-2018 1:04am

Doctor DooM wrote: »

Time to be an old school gate keeping dick

The fourth Doctor wanted to fix it, the Sixth succeeded.

Yep and just confirming that, when the fourth Doctor wanted to fix he went to Logopolis. That did not end well (final Tom Baker episode) for him.

Plenty of other shenanigans with it (http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Chameleon_circuit). The one I always recalled was the 7th Doctor New Adventures story line where he *did* fix it (well an alternative TARDIS from 'Inferno') but then deliberately broke it because he basically had grown used to the TARDIS shape. And ultimately I think that's sort of continued on - it's what the Doctor is used to and he/she has no desire to change it now.

donegal_man · 07-11-2018 5:10am

Liked this week's episode more than the last two, at least they actually disposed of the p'ting. Now to the gripes. The pregnant man story seemed to be just an excuse for another bonding moment between Graham and Ryan. What's the betting we'll see "lovable" p'ting toys in the shops before too long if they're not there already?

pixelburp · 08-11-2018 10:12pm

Fair play to the FX team, cos the P'Ting looked great; all the FX has been pretty decent this year, but for an all CGI creature it held up well.

And yeah, I daresay we'll see it again, in toy form too I suspect. Helps that it was only accidentally malevolant.

Bit of a flat episode otherwise, and once more went to the old school well with the "Base under siege" story of yesteryear.

Looking forward to the Indian episode: should make for a fresh cage from the standard UK/US focus on historical episodes.

Stark · 08-11-2018 10:25pm

I thought it looked like **** to be honest

though probably more to do with the creature design itself rather than the CGI

pixelburp · 08-11-2018 11:31pm

Stark wrote: »

I thought it looked like **** to be honest though probably more to do with the creature design itself rather than the CGI

Ah yeah I could see how the design itself wouldn't go down well - it was very intentionally designed for maximum cuteness - but the actual CGI was decent, especially compared against other computer generated monsters of the last few years.

jim-jam · 10-11-2018 1:21am

pixelburp wrote: »

especially compared against other computer generated monsters of the last few years.

The Slitheen instantly spring to mind!

Necronomicon · 11-11-2018 10:51am

We're having a hard time letting go of our Saturday evening Doctor Who tradition in our household, so running a week behind. Just caught up with Episode 5, and I find myself with much the same reaction as I did to last week's: it was...fine.

And that's sort of the problem for me. None of these episodes are bad. They're all pretty functional (apart from a couple of ropey resolutions, Chibnall's tendency towards walls of exposition, and one-dimensional antagonists). But I want more from my Doctor Who. It's not like we never had average episodes in previous eras; but this is a longer run of episodes that have left me feeling flat than I can remember in any previous series, and more worryingly they're all from the showrunner.

Moffat's episodes were a lot of things: exciting, frustrating, elating; at their worst, convoluted. But never bland. When I saw his name on the title of an episode I knew it wasn't going to be a run-of-the-mill story. I'd even say that applies to RTD, if not to the same extent. I'm starting to feel the inverse when I see Chibnall's name on the title. Maybe I'm being harsh and way premature, but I have no confidence that he could deliver something that was in the same stratosphere as Heaven Sent, for example. I'm looking forward to seeing what other writers do for the next four episodes, and then what Chibnall can give us for a finale.

TheValeyard · 11-11-2018 8:06pm

The Valeyard better make an appearance. Well overdue.

flazio · 11-11-2018 8:51pm

I'm sorry, but this just isn't entertaining me anymore.

CastorTroy · 11-11-2018 11:44pm

Yeah. There was a time when I would look forward to watching but now it's just another show to watch.

I won't deny it was a decent episode, but once again the alien problem is talked away.

And none of that episode made any sense, unless it's all predestination. If the holy man was killed, how did they get married if the Doctor wasn't there originally? And were there no other guests due to the partition? I'm not saying her memory is bad, but Yaz's gran forgot one of only 3 other women at her wedding?

Stark · 11-11-2018 11:55pm

CastorTroy wrote: »

And none of that episode made any sense, unless it's all predestination. If the holy man was killed, how did they get married if the Doctor wasn't there originally?

Wibbly wobbly timey wimey.

And were there no other guests due to the partition? I'm not saying her memory is bad, but Yaz's gran forgot one of only 3 other women at her wedding?

Was wondering that myself. I kind of figured her gran knew it was her but wasn't sure at what point in the timeline Yaz was at so didn't want to give "spoilers". It was somewhat hinted at with the "favorite grandchild" comment.

donegal_man · 12-11-2018 12:59am

Thought it was the best episode so far and I have to admit I was nervous of it, expecting a history lesson about the partition of India.
The aliens were interesting in that they

weren't villains of the week dedicated to the overthrow of mankind, they were there to memorialise the forgotten dead and their run in with the Doctor was to keep her from interfering with the timeline.

I certainly hope we see them again perhaps in the earlier incarnation referred to. I took the absence of other guests to be more down to the war taking the young and the drought taking the old and sick than the impending partition.
My other half was in tears during the scene

when Graham put the mala around Prem's neck and in floods when Prem went to face down his brother and his former comrade in arms.

Das Kitty · 12-11-2018 10:33am

I liked this one. I liked seeing Yaz given something to do, The Doctor had some good lines too.

I felt the aliens were thrown in to keep it spacey, but I have no problem with that.

pixelburp · 13-11-2018 12:24am

I thought it was an excellent, bittersweet episode myself, possibly one of the better ones so far. Like the Rosa story the SciFi aspect was a touch superfluous but all the human drama and emotion was pitch perfect.

The lack of the convenient famous figure probably help ground the story more than that Rosa Parks one, so the tragedy and cost of Indian partition felt more immediate in this backwater corner. No, there was no great arc or hook here but I think it demonstrated the kind of story Dr Who can and should tell more often; that history was lived by ordinary people, sometimes overtaken by events outside their control.

Oh and props to Bradley Walsh: didn't know what to expect but he has played a blinder so far. His chat with Prim near the end was heart breaking.

As for the Gran, I took it to mean she knew it was her granddaughter all those years ago, but without knowing Yaz had met the doctor, probably can't tell her the truth. Hence the "do you want me to tel you about the watch?" question at the end.

ixoy · 13-11-2018 10:23pm

The season is pretty much as I expected when I knew Chibnail was taking over: it's grand. He's never written a strong script so it's not a huge surprise there's been no strong vision under him. Hopefully some of the other writers will be allowed shine a bit.

I do like Whitaker and Walsh though who are doing sterling work with the material they've been given.

Oh and as a fan of the original series, this is my favourite version of the theme tune since the show's return!

pixelburp · 14-11-2018 7:13pm

Given how animated the discussion around latter Moffat scripts tended to be, it's a little jarring to have Season 11 be ... well, pretty OK and without undue fuss in its writing. It can't be said this new year of stories are as decisive or polarising as they used to be during the era of RTD / Moffat.

It could also be suggested that perhaps, given the casting alone was a balancing act, there was a reluctance to throw in a bunch of new timey-wimey arcs and complications into the various stories. To keep things simple and straightforward.

CramCycle · 15-11-2018 7:04pm

I'm liking it so far, if your a new who fan, not sure what's not too like, she is basically a blend of Tennant and Smith, although her acting silly is a little too real, basically the direction makes the doctor seem not as smart as she is, kind of like they are dragging out the getting used to the new body. If your an old who fan, then I can see the issues but it's not bothering me.

So long as they drop the acting a bit slower than the doctor actually is, then I'll be overall very happy, she is playing a far better doctor than I thought she would as while she's a good actor, she has, too me just played the same character in different parts of Britain repeatedly.

flazio · 15-11-2018 11:13pm

I have absolutely no issues with Jodie as the Doctor, I think she's brilliant. It's just the stories aren't what I would consider entertaining. Having 3 companions dilutes any chance of having any proper character development. 2 would have been enough. It feels as if it's trying to find new ways to thread on old ground.

fritzelly · 15-11-2018 11:22pm

Finding the whole series so far a little bit too preachy about stuff and on the whole rather boring. Liking Jodie Whittaker in the role and the quirkiness of the character

I want bad aliens and daleks and cybermen - not history lessons or the ills of pollution blah blah

And as said above - 3 companions is too many

Stark · 16-11-2018 12:48am

Funnily enough I'm watching some series 5/6 episodes at the moment and the 3 companion dynamic with Amy, Rory and River Song works really well. Maybe it's not comparing like for like as Amy and River were each introduced separately. The issue with the companions this time round though seems less about the quantity and more with them being fairly bland. Ryan in particular is a poor character. Jaz and Graham are okay but don't quite have that spark. Most of the time they manage to look bored while traveling through the universe in a time machine with their new friend who's an alien.

CastorTroy · 16-11-2018 1:41pm

That's just it. We got Rose then Mickey. We got Amy then Rory. With River and Jack joining on occasion.
Is there any reason for doing it other than diversity? They should've just stuck with the fact it's the first female doctor and then go from there. Of course then the question is do they get a male or female companion? Instead of trying to figure that out they just went with covering most bases.

Busi_Girl08 · 16-11-2018 1:50pm

Overall the series is ok. It has some big hits (for me I loved the Rosa Parks episode, I always loved that format of historic events and direct interactions) and some big misses (I though the Tsuranga Conundrum was dreadful).

I like Jodie Whittaker as the new Doctor but a lot of the writing is failing her this season. As someone said above it's all coming across as very preachy in some cases, in others it seems more like a Saturday morning kids show, and it's missing that overall arc (each baddy of the week seems to just disappear, no real sense of conclusion). It will be interesting to see what the season finale is like.

CramCycle · 16-11-2018 5:45pm

I don't mind the multiple companions, there I said it.

pixelburp · 16-11-2018 6:01pm

I like the trio; they all have decent chemistry with each other - and it's a nice change of pace that they're all quite mundane & not these melodramatic puzzles ala Amy and Clara (I liked them both, but they were more plot point than person at times, it has to be admitted).

There's definitely a tricky balance to ensure they all have something to do in each episode, and not the writers haven't always been successful in achieving that. It seems to have ended up being either Ryan or Yaz getting pushed to the background. But then this has always been a problem the few times the Classic Series dallied with a trio of companions - and 2018's crew is nowhere near as badly written and useless as Tegan, Nyssa and Adric

As for preachiness, I don't find it any more or less preachy than it has been over the years. In fact the two episodes that might have been most guilty of this - the Rosa Parks & India stories - managed to show their respective periods' problems with a good degree of integrity and honesty (Ryan getting smacked to the ground in 'Rosa' was quite shocking and effective, for instance, while Demons of the Punjab did a great job boiling down the issues of Indian Partition into a single household).

If anything, it has been the space-based stories that were the least interesting: I'd actually love to see more historical stories - embrace the full danger & drama that'd evolve out of visiting these time periods.

Stark · 16-11-2018 6:09pm

Likewise the Rosa and India episodes were my two favorite from the series.

CramCycle · 16-11-2018 6:17pm

I have to say i am enjoying the companions doing what they are told and sitting on their hands. they are no more extraordinary than me, and are managing to accept far easier than previous more annoying companions that there are fixed points in time, and if you want sh1t to work out with you alive or improve for everyone else, then you just have to accept it. They are probably a little to quick to accept but that is for pacing and they act it out quite well. Will be interesting to see can they do what they are told if the fixed point in time is not one they are culturally aware of.

The India/Pakistan episode was brilliant in its subtlety. The twist, well, it wasn't a twist, you knew very quickly who done what. Great to see that

a major historical point had not been a secretly planned alien thing

. I imagine there are also alot of youth today, who don't know much on the history there, so that is also nice.

flazio · 18-11-2018 11:16pm

That was actually a bit better this week.

Taltos · 20-11-2018 8:36pm

Enjoyed the opening episode, hinted at a return to a darker Who. Really liked their choice for the Doc.
But I am tired of being hit over the head with obvious moralistic preachings.
That and the sand timer to control the TARDIS had me stopping away for a bit. First time since the clown in the 80s.

pixelburp · 20-11-2018 9:30pm

'Keblam!' was a pretty strong episode on Sunday, taking not exactly subtle swipes at Amazon and generally pulling it off. A nice mix between the spoofery & serious. A very disposable episode that'll probably age the moment Amazon's sweatshop warehouses become a thing of the past, but still enjoyable all the same.

fritzelly · 20-11-2018 9:41pm

Still has that humans are bad with the eco-terrorism hammer on the head feel (and a bit close to another story from the a previous season, so not all that original)
With the switch to Sunday, female Doctor, 3 boring as hell companions - this could hurt the overseas sales (minus the Sunday switch)
I've yet to find myself engaged in any episode and looking at whats coming don't think the rest of the season has anything to offer.
Another thing that is irking me is that the Doctor seems to be a sideline character so far - just not really engaging...
A lot of changes in one go to take on board

CramCycle · 20-11-2018 9:45pm

Not a fan of guns

but happy enough to kill? Maybe she was worried he'd escape but there was no need to pop the wrapping , other than pointless edginess.

Sorry for the spoiler tag fo pah

TheValeyard · 22-11-2018 11:01am

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/amp/2018/11/21/doctor-who-jodie-whittaker-chris-chibnall-leaving-season-12-2019/

Trouble behind the scenes?

CramCycle · 22-11-2018 11:22am

Any chance of putting spoiler tags around the link, as it says what is happening?

jrkb · 22-11-2018 11:44am

Finding it all a bit boring and preachy,I like the new doctor but the new series just hasn't got going yet.

FunLover18 · 22-11-2018 12:30pm

Few people saying it's "too preachy" but Doctor Who has always been preachy, the Daleks are basically Nazis and previous incarnations have been famous for their speeches. So I'm genuinely curious as to why this year it's a problem?

CramCycle · 22-11-2018 1:26pm

FunLover18 wrote: »

Few people saying it's "too preachy" but Doctor Who has always been preachy, the Daleks are basically Nazis and previous incarnations have been famous for their speeches. So I'm genuinely curious as to why this year it's a problem?

My office mate really dislikes this doctor, partly because of the preachy bits (although I agree with you), but mainly because of the stupidity. She said it is chewing gum for the eyes, it is not as smart or as clever as Dr. Who normally is and unless they are hiding the intelligence, for some reason, it really is an incredible dumbing down of the show.

pixelburp · 22-11-2018 1:35pm

I don't get the 'preachy' argument either; the show has been bullish about its views since the 1970s for goodness sake. Anyone thinking the show is preachy now should go watch "The Green Death"

As for dumbing down, I guess your office mate is choosing to forget the Slitheen? Or indeed much of RTD's run, which, let's be honest, was extremely trashy when it wanted to be.

I suppose that's the problem with a show with such longevity, and whose format is so flexible: there's literally a tone and approach to suit everyones tastes, but will invariably upset those who prefer Dr. Who 'should' be stick with one particular type.

CramCycle · 22-11-2018 1:36pm

pixelburp wrote: »

As for dumbing down, I guess your office mate is choosing to forget the Slitheen? Or indeed much of RTD's run, which, let's be honest, was extremely trashy when it wanted to be.

I suppose she meant the dumbing down of the doctor, rather than the dumbing down of the show.

campo · 22-11-2018 1:44pm

I liked Rosa and the Demons of Punjab episodes but only because the cast felt a bit more warm and a bit more together, the rest of the episodes have been awful, the cast are pretty cold with no chemistry, the Dr is dumbed down for sure and not as quirky, I think they made a big mistake with not doing an arc season and a main villain to go up against the doctor.

Doctor DooM · 22-11-2018 3:27pm

How exactly is the Doctor dumbed down? I don't buy it.

I remember being baffled in this forum during Smiths run as people were telling me RTD's run was far more clever than Moffat's. This in spite of the pretty obvious farty plasticy fatty evidence to the contrary.

People just seem to think the one they like is clever

Doctor Who Season 11 [** Spoilers **]

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Doctor Who Season 11 [ Spoilers ]