Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Doctor Who Season 11 [** Spoilers **]

1235711

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 20,853 ✭✭✭✭Stark


    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.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,693 ✭✭✭donegal_man


    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.


  • Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 17,231 Mod ✭✭✭✭Das Kitty


    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.


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 35,726 CMod ✭✭✭✭pixelburp


    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.


  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 17,978 Mod ✭✭✭✭ixoy


    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!


  • Advertisement
  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 35,726 CMod ✭✭✭✭pixelburp


    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.


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,341 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


    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.


  • Registered Users Posts: 12,752 ✭✭✭✭flazio


    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.


  • Registered Users Posts: 17,182 ✭✭✭✭fritzelly


    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


  • Registered Users Posts: 20,853 ✭✭✭✭Stark


    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.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 28,727 ✭✭✭✭CastorTroy


    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.


  • Registered Users Posts: 17,682 ✭✭✭✭Busi_Girl08


    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.


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,341 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


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


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 35,726 CMod ✭✭✭✭pixelburp


    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.


  • Registered Users Posts: 20,853 ✭✭✭✭Stark


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


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,341 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


    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.


  • Registered Users Posts: 12,752 ✭✭✭✭flazio


    That was actually a bit better this week. :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 20,830 ✭✭✭✭Taltos


    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.


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 35,726 CMod ✭✭✭✭pixelburp


    '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.


  • Registered Users Posts: 17,182 ✭✭✭✭fritzelly


    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


  • Advertisement
  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,341 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


    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


  • Registered Users Posts: 12,131 ✭✭✭✭TheValeyard




  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,341 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


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


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 194 ✭✭jrkb


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


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,793 ✭✭✭FunLover18


    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?


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,341 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


    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.


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 35,726 CMod ✭✭✭✭pixelburp


    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" :D

    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.


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,341 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


    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.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,364 ✭✭✭campo


    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.


  • Advertisement
  • Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 25,866 Mod ✭✭✭✭Doctor DooM


    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 :D


Advertisement