Doctor Who Season 10 [ Spoilers ]

FunLover18 · 23-04-2017 2:56pm

Two episodes that have been really let down by their resolutions that were far too simple. I feel these episodes have struggled the balance the actual plot with the set-up and re-introduction of The Doctor (who I'm still on the fence about). Someone mentioned 'The Beast Below' earlier, but that for me was a much better second episode which had an actual plot which allowed The Doctor and Amy to bond and learn about each other, as opposed to 'Smile' which felt like an undercooked concept that the team just used to force that learning experience. One thing I will say is that I much prefer an episodic Doctor Who and so far I like that they haven't felt the need to link the vault into any of the actual stories so far (the supposed links in The Pilot turning out to be coincidental)

CastorTroy · 23-04-2017 3:52pm

I can see Bill going the usual route of being so positive early on until she encounters something that makes her realise this isn't all fun and games.

I do like her questions that others may or may not have been wondering. And the length of time it took her to realise it was bigger on the inside

corkie · 23-04-2017 9:08pm

jasonb wrote: »

Favourite lines were 'I'm happy, and I hope you're happy too' and the line about there being a Scotland on every planet looking for independence (or something like that!).

David Bowie ---> Ashes to Ashes ----> https://youtu.be/CMThz7eQ6K0?t=33

jasonb · 24-04-2017 9:32am

corkie wrote: »

David Bowie ---> Ashes to Ashes ----> https://youtu.be/CMThz7eQ6K0?t=33

Yep, that's why I liked it!

Watched it again, and I did enjoy it, The Doctor and Bill work very well together. I agree that the ending was a bit rushed and simple, not so much the 'result' (I think it's quite 'Doctor Who' that the resolution involves compromise and that the Humans will have to change their preconceptions etc.) but the way he got to the result was a bit rushed, the Sonic saved the day again.

All in all though, two good episodes and a companion that I really thought I wasn't going to like, and who's been really good so far. Fingers crossed she stays 'normal' and doesn't turn out to be the key to the universe or something!

pixelburp · 24-04-2017 12:47pm

I think Season 10 has definitely got off to a good start, and I think it's in no small part down to the pairing of Capaldi & Mackie, they make for a great team & like a lot of people I suspect the doubts about Bill have been well & truly quashed. Smart without being smug & self-deprecating without coming across as too knowing. Little moments like her questions in the TARDIS, or her belated realising she could take a picture of the map really endeared her to me.

As for the episode, I feel the same as others in that it had an excellent first 2 thirds, only to rush to an ending that lacked any real climax or ... 'oomph'. Shame, but that definitely didn't colour my overall impression, I really enjoyed that story & felt curiously old-fashioned: Classic Who always tended to spend an entire episode letting the Doc & co. simply explore their new environs, puzzle out the mystery and it was nice to see done in this iteration - the Spanish location filming also helped, as the colony base looked fantastic.

Best line of the night mostly succeeded due to Capaldi's timing as he uttered...
'I met an emperor made of algae once ... ... He fancied me.'

pixelburp · 24-04-2017 12:51pm

Oh and anyone curious as to what & where that episode was filmed, apparently it's the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia. Definitely made the episode more memorable and imaginative.

ixoy · 24-04-2017 9:43pm

Well, could Bill be the new Donna? A companion who is just happy to be a companion, who isn't some saviour / avatar or whatever like Rose / Amy / Clara? Just a friend who he has fun adventures with. Let's hope so because the chemistry so far shows it's working.

The plot by the way, which was a little weak, reminded me of the original run's "The Happiness Patrol" which also had forced happiness and eliminating "killjoys". Just no giant Bertie Bassett this time.

pixelburp wrote: »

Oh and anyone curious as to what & where that
episode was filmed, apparently it's the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia. Definitely made the episode more memorable and imaginative.

I thought it looked familiar and realised I had been there about ten years ago and had a couple of photos. It really stood out to me back then so kudos to whoever chose it as a location.

Doctor DooM · 25-04-2017 8:27am

ixoy wrote: »

The plot by the way, which was a little weak, reminded me of the original run's "The Happiness Patrol" which also had forced happiness and eliminating "killjoys". Just no giant Bertie Bassett this time.

Considering the political situation in the UK I would say this is no coincidence.

Doctor DooM · 29-04-2017 1:23pm

so we all ready for Bill's first historical?

jasonb · 29-04-2017 5:57pm

Won't get to watch it until tomorrow night.

However, I watched Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them last night and was struck between the similarities between scenes in it and scenes in the trailer for tonight's episode (historical, frozen river/lake, beasts with lights beneath the ice and zoo animals escaping!).

BuffyBot · 29-04-2017 8:07pm

Ooh, I liked that. A historical romp, and excellent Doctor/Bill interplay.

Bill is easily becoming my favourite companion of recent times.

WomanSkirtFan8 · 29-04-2017 9:42pm

Have to say I really enjoyed that ep. Really good story and very intriguing.

an A mark from me:)

Also Starring LeVar Burton · 30-04-2017 2:29am

Yeah, another solid episode again this week - so far, so good this season...

FunLover18 · 30-04-2017 11:20am

'solid' is exactly how I would describe the season so far.

So, do we now know what or who is in the vault or was it a red herring?

exaisle · 30-04-2017 11:38am

Emperor's new clothes, methinks. Will ye all cop on and at least set some kind of standard.

I thought that this was an appallingly boring episode. It will never make it to anybody's list of great episodes...

Special effects were atrocious too. It's like they were trying to save the budget for other episodes. I certainly hope so.

I'm finding it hard to warm to the new companion but that's just me...I may come around in time...(pun intended).

The trend since Moffat has taken over has been mediocre repetitious episodes interspersed with a couple of standouts. While I'm aware that it wasn't penned by Moffat, unfortunately, this was one of the former. However, there's a glimmer of hope that the next episode might be better, given the thumps on the door....

exaisle · 30-04-2017 11:39am

Also Starring LeVar Burton wrote: »

Yeah, another solid episode again this week - so far, so good this season...

Solid what? (Don't answer that question!)

SparklersJo · 30-04-2017 11:49am

Wasn't it just the Star Whale meets Kill the Moon?

Still liked it though. The Doctor said some pretty awesome things ðŸ˜Š

Doctor DooM · 30-04-2017 12:12pm

SparklersJo wrote: »

Wasn't it just the Star Whale meets Kill the Moon?

Still liked it though. The Doctor said some pretty awesome things ðŸ˜Š

That's exactly what it felt like to me, although perhaps you just have to have an episode where you establish the new assistant's moral barometer for the sake of storytelling.

The writing was good though so I don't mind too much

pixelburp · 30-04-2017 12:21pm

exaisle wrote: »

Emperor's new clothes, methinks. Will ye all cop on and at least set some kind of standard.
[...]

Now now. Feel free to debate the episode and its merits (or lack thereof!), but please keep it civil and don't insult or sneer at other posters for having a contrary opinion to your own

Goodshape · 01-05-2017 12:29am

Really enjoyed that!

Top marks from me for this season so far. Capaldi is a great doctor and finally an assistant that doesn't get on my nerves. Love the school teacher stuff, suits Capaldi's Doctor perfectly, and I'm actually intrigued by the box in the basement and his pledge not to leave Earth. For once they're doing a decent job of teasing that, I think.

pixelburp · 01-05-2017 12:18pm

Strongest episode of the first three to me, and had a really good balance of action and character. The mystery was genuinely intriguing and the pace kept it bubbling along nicely, unfolding organically as Bill & the Doc investigated the problem. Last weeks was good but pretty lopsided in actually resolving its plot, whereas here events dovetailed a little more naturally.

I mean sure, the comparisons with The Beast Below & Kill The Moon are apt, but honestly at at 10 seasons in it's next to impossible not to end up repeating previous beats. But while something like Kill The Moon was utterly divisive & in retrospect more than a little tone deaf in execution, Thin Ice felt mature and well-formed. Sarah Dollard really put together a smart, moving script that earned all its little moments, never talking down to its audience, nor preached excessively about the obvious problems of the time, or undermining the core dynamic. And once again, that dynamic is really driving this last Capaldi season: Bill is phenomenal & her interactions with the Doctor really hit the mark.

Now... let us have a moment of silence in memory of Pete, the forgotten companion

Doctor DooM · 01-05-2017 1:13pm

pixelburp wrote: »

Now... let us have a moment of silence in memory of Pete, the forgotten companion

Looking forward to the Doctor lite episode featuring Pete

NyOmnishambles · 01-05-2017 8:40pm

Have to say, Bill and the actress playing her are brilliant

Amazing start to a new companion in the series, really liking her and the dynamic with Capaldi

exaisle · 01-05-2017 8:52pm

pixelburp wrote: »

Now now. Feel free to debate the episode and its merits (or lack thereof!), but please keep it civil and don't insult or sneer at other posters for having a contrary opinion to your own

Yeah...fair enough. No insult intended, especially to DW fans.

I suppose I'm just disappointed really...

I felt that when Steven Moffat arrived it would be a step up from Russell T Davies, (although I felt that RTD had done a fairly decent job), as SM had done Coupling which was a very under-rated show so it seemed as though the potential was there. Perhaps the double jobbing with Sherlock has robbed DW of half the inventiveness it deserves....

Many of the recent episodes have just seemed very formulaic to me, or just rehashes of previous episodes, or maybe I'm just getting old and cynical....maybe I need a regeneration... ;-)

Das Kitty · 02-05-2017 12:01am

I probably need to watch it again, but I didn't think much of ep 3 on first viewing. It was probably the bad-guy. He arrives close to the end, hasn't one shade of grey in his character. He's basically there to get thumped and killed.

I also felt Bill dropped the "holy sh*t you murdered people" thing awful fecking quickly. So many he lost count, and she's over it by the next scene.

As for the creature... An enormous Nibbler from Futurama.

Maybe they're going to bring in the poo-fuel later in the series (Moffat tends to plant stuff in early episodes of a series for use later)

But as an episode, meh.

DirtyBollox · 02-05-2017 9:16am

No one so far has picked up on the door at the end.

I think its the master behind the door. we've already seen missy and the master in the "coming this season" so i think its the master. Way back when in tennants day,
he did have a prophecy that his life would end when he comes and knocks 3 times. He is bound by his oath to stay there because he has caught the master.
And the lock is clearly time lord made so is that because its the doctor or because of who is inside?

Either way, i thought Bill was a bit wishy washy this episode, as was said previously she was horrified by the fact he has killed or watched people die uncountable times in the past then moved on in the blink of an eye. Either way next weeks horror episode should be good.

Penn · 02-05-2017 9:21am

DirtyBollox wrote: »

No one so far has picked up on the door at the end.
I think its the master behind the door. we've already seen missy and the master in the "coming this season" so i think its the master. Way back when in tennants day,
he did have a prophecy that his life would end when he comes and knocks 3 times. He is bound by his oath to stay there because he has caught the master.
And the lock is clearly time lord made so is that because its the doctor or because of who is inside?

I thought it might be The Master too before the bit at the end of the last episode, but the knocks are all wrong. With The Master, it was supposed to be 4 knocks. It was always 4 knocks because it was the heartbeat of a Time Lord (2 hearts, 2 beats each). With this one, there was definitely only 3 knocks.

Unless it's a double-bluff to make people think it's not The Master, in which case it's worked on me, but it was definitely four knocks for The Master.

02-05-2017 9:42am

Penn wrote: »

I thought it might be The Master too before the bit at the end of the last episode, but the knocks are all wrong. With The Master, it was supposed to be 4 knocks. It was always 4 knocks because it was the heartbeat of a Time Lord (2 hearts, 2 beats each). With this one, there was definitely only 3 knocks.

Unless it's a double-bluff to make people think it's not The Master, in which case it's worked on me, but it was definitely four knocks for The Master.

Yeah, I was thinking the same as you. Just didn't match up

DirtyBollox · 02-05-2017 9:47am

Penn wrote: »

I thought it might be The Master too before the bit at the end of the last episode, but the knocks are all wrong. With The Master, it was supposed to be 4 knocks. It was always 4 knocks because it was the heartbeat of a Time Lord (2 hearts, 2 beats each). With this one, there was definitely only 3 knocks.

Unless it's a double-bluff to make people think it's not The Master, in which case it's worked on me, but it was definitely four knocks for The Master.

Well balls, i always remembered it as 3. I thought i was so clever.

:D

pixelburp · 02-05-2017 10:19am

Das Kitty wrote: »

I probably need to watch it again, but I didn't think much of ep 3 on first viewing. It was probably the bad-guy. He arrives close to the end, hasn't one shade of grey in his character. He's basically there to get thumped and killed.

I think any other setting & the obvious lack of nuance in the bad guy might have been a problem; but honestly I think Sutcliffe's open nastiness made him a workable strawman to pillory both the actions against the creature as well as the whole class/race problems of the time. He did come a touch too late in the story, but Bill & Doc made for a fun investigation team.

Das Kitty wrote: »

I also felt Bill dropped the "holy sh*t you murdered people" thing awful fecking quickly. So many he lost count, and she's over it by the next scene.

I dunno, Bill seems pretty quick in the uptake by & large, so it made a change she came to terms with the dark side of time travel without excessive drama & fighting. Her little chat with the orphan kid, and the way Pearl Mackie played it, seemed to imply a quiet understanding of the Doc's viewpoint. I'd hate to have to watch the same 'lonely god' angst evvvvery time a new companion comes along...

Doctor Who Season 10 [** Spoilers **]

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Doctor Who Season 10 [ Spoilers ]