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Post by sherlock on Dec 9, 2018 20:03:58 GMT
Series 11, the first series under Chris Chibnall and starring Jodie Whittaker, has concluded.
Overall I think it was a success, though the first half was somewhat uneven in quality compared to the second. Chibnall’s episodes have ended up being the weaker ones generally, whilst the historicals have been the strongest.
I think there are some kinks that need ironing out for Series 12, such as more balanced use of all three companions and perhaps more of an ongoing storyline?
Anyone else’s feelings on Series 11 as a whole?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2018 20:24:54 GMT
I agree that the first half was uneven but it really pulled it off in the 2nd half. So overall I have really enjoyed it. It took its time to find its tone but for me, even the worst episodes of this season are episodes I would rewatch which is something I doubt I'll do for the Capaldi era. As Chibbers promised this show does feel more inclusive for audiences, & I don't just mean that in terms of representation, I mean anyone can watch. You don't need an encyclopedic knowledge of the show to enjoy it. Which can only be a good thing. Yes the 3 companions issue needs to be addressed but this was always an issue going back to the classic era. As for ongoing storylines? I know a lot of fans expect it but I have preferred the episodic nature of this season. Chibbers has of course given us The Timeless Child idea, which I hope is one of those things that may be hinted at again but not resolved until Jodie's final season. Also a big shout out to the production team, the show has never looked or sounded better.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2018 21:00:07 GMT
Clearly a success in the ratings. Even with last weeks being lower this series is shaping up to be one of the highest rated series of the revived era. So by that metric - bums on seats - it's smashed it. Especially after we had eps like Eaters Of Light doing numbers that were the lowest the show has ever done just last year. However....yeah, I've harped on about this but this thread is the pertinent place for it: The Doctor is written well..but repetitively. It's a less bombastic Tennant from top to bottom. I think Jodie can and should be given much more as her era goes on now. I'd like her to be her own incarnation that's distinct from the crowd. Right now all her attributes are ones you can chalk up to many of the Doctors. I'd like to know what makes this Doctor unique. I like all the companions but it really feels like Chibnall had a solid series with Ryan and Graham in mind then inserted Yaz. Punjab aside it's really a whole season of her being the fourth wheel. Even in Arachnids when we met her family we got to know her mum better than we did Yaz. I think she's brave, excited by adventure and bold - I want her to get to shine. What was her arc? Nothing. Maybe she should have been shelved. Graham and Ryan be one season companions as a duo then leave, and Yaz joins for Season 12. I dunno. I reject the crowded TARDIS notion but I think too often people think "oh but she was given something to do" is OK - guest actors could have done much of what she did. Mandip is great and like Jodie I think she could do so much more. With Graham and Ryan's grief and family arc all but solved....I hope Yaz gets her place now. Chibnall's the weakest writer in his own series which maybe isn't a terminal issue, especially when he's not too interested in bombastic opening and finale eps, but it worries me that the vision of the show is coming from someone who I don't think has a very broad imagination when it comes to Doctor Who. He's backed the favourites here, making the show hard to dislike but ultimately quite safe and - I do hate this word - sometimes quite generic. When Matt or Peter's era gave them a dud their characters and performances could elevate it *sometimes* but I'm not sure Chibnall has created a Doctor where Jodie can do that. It kinda feels like, after Series 10 had the worst ratings since 1989, the plan was to just make the show likable again. Nothing major, just something people would like to shove on for an easy watch. Nothing wrong with that - it's a ratings classic idea to make cosy, comfy telly- but it's just not my kinda Who. And YET...wow, when this show got handed to other writers we got some absolute corkers. Rosa, Punjab, It Takes You Away...these are really, really good slices of WHo and generic Jodie or not I loved how she played the part in these. Just really strong stories. So a bit of a game of two halves for me - the Chibnall stuff is Who's Bob Ross - easy brushstrokes to a quick, nice, safe Doctor Who but the other writers have given us some Who for the ages. All in all a solid start - but I hope to get a bit more character from the Doctor. She never really has to go anywhere in the role other than excited or a bit angry. Let's give her stories too. Maybe Jodie being pitted against classic monsters would help find her place in the pantheon. Chibnall...well, you don't hire the genius behind Broadchurch NOT to write so it would be stupid to say I hope others write a the eps but I hope Chris has some interesting ideas. His Stenza arc wasn't great and while I liked the Ryan/Grace/Graham thing...it's a bit shallow. Who didn't expect the grandad and fistbump, or Graham to refuse to kill? Despite these reservations I thought it was a very watchable series with some lovely highs. There's plenty here to build on - I just don't see much yet that tells me Chibnall has a vision that's terribly interesting. If so this'll be an era defined I think by the writer's abilities in the standalone eps. I don't think Chibnall writes imaginative enough Who to ever give us an Eleventh Hour, Midnight, Turn Left, Name Of The Doctor, The Doctor Falls... he's functional. Good characters but if he's been planning "here's what I'd do with Doctor Who...." for a while I'd like something a bit more ambitious than his stuff. RTD had a bold vision with Tennant. He knew he was building 3 years up. Moffat had that gorgeous fairytale Season 5 in his head for years. Chibnall's vision seems to have come from rewatching the New WHo boxsets. So yeah, consider it a Scotch Egg of a season - some weird Chibnall meat on the outside that isn't all that good but with some lovely guest writer hard boiled egg in the middle. Unsung hero of the year award - Andy Prior. Casting director since Season 1 and he yet again nailed parts up and down the castlists.
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Post by doctorkernow on Dec 9, 2018 21:15:57 GMT
Hello again.
Firstly, Jodie Whittaker is the Doctor. Hers is a rambling, charming Yorkshire Doctor with a core of steel and a supportive collaborative character. Glad she is back for another go.
Team Tardis: Love them, probably one of the strongest multi-companion crews. A tight unit, that when they are written well each have something to offer. Bradley Walsh as Graham in particular has been the heart of the series.
Stories: Very mixed. Favourites, for me has to be the historicals. Really enjoyed them. The showrunner episodes were good in parts but suffered from too much info-dumping. I found the first episode really good but Chibnall's other episodes rather uninvolving. Kerblam and It takes you Away win the award for most out there stories quirky and interesting.
Production: Visually the series cannot be faulted. Excellent direction. Subtle incidental music and no more strangled cats on the theme music. I've also enjoyed the location filming that has added much to proceedings.
Overall, my would I buy the series on DVD test is not passed but neither series eight or nine passed this test either. It is a solid but unremarkable start, but I hope this is only the beginning of a steadily improving thirteenth Doctor era.
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Post by shallacatop on Dec 9, 2018 21:29:38 GMT
I think it’s been great.
The first half of the season is consistently good, up to and including Demons of the Punjab. They’re all low key, few locations and chatacters, slow paced and very character driven. Almost like a miniseries in its own right; it very much shows what Doctor Who can and does do in the confines of essentially the Doctor taking three people around the universe in the course of a couple of days. Rosa is the highlight for me.
The second half is a step up. Kerblam! and The Witchfinders feel like traditional Doctor Who in a sense, yet they still feel very unique, with the mark of the Chibnall and Whittaker era on them. I think the former is brilliant and the latter is great. It Takes You Away is unlike no other Doctor Who story. It’s riddled with atmosphere with a bonkers conclusion that’s just so Doctor Who. The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos has some great character moments. It’s sort of wrapping up an arc that you don’t really feel actually exists, but the wrapping up of Graham and Ryan’s continuing story is lovely. I wonder if it would watch better following Demons of the Punjab actually.
The TARDIS team are a joy to be with. Jodie Whittaker shines, Bradley Walsh is superb, Tosin Cole is great and Mandip Gill is pretty good too, though she feels like she’s been lacking in material compared to the other two companions. Yaz still feels like a rounded character, though.
So yeah, a great series, but it also feels like two separate entities. I’m not quite sure how I’d change the order of the series, however, to make it seem like more of a whole.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2018 21:39:30 GMT
However....yeah, I've harped on about this but this thread is the pertinent place for it: The Doctor is written well..but repetitively. It's a less bombastic Tennant from top to bottom. I think Jodie can and should be given much more as her era goes on now. I'd like her to be her own incarnation that's distinct from the crowd. Right now all her attributes are ones you can chalk up to many of the Doctors. I'd like to know what makes this Doctor unique. I know a lot of people compare Jodie with Tennant but I see Tennant as the Romantic Doctor. What to me came through in Jodie's performance is a child like exuberance, which I guess they all have, but mostly a sense of inclusivity (an overused term I know) that has allowed her to show a more collaborative side to the Doctor. She has given her companions the chance to find their own solutions & work with the Doctor not just do what they are told. Less of a hierarchical structure & less of a sense of superiority from the Doctor towards her companions, which previous Doctor's have done even if not in a nasty way. Also her sense of compassion & empathy towards other life, human or alien is at the forefront of her character. Again I see this displayed slightly differently to other Doctors in that it doesn't come from a sense of superiority (that word again I know). The Doctor Jodie most reminds me of is the 5th Doctor, like an elderly sibling. An authority figure in some ways but more casual than a parent. It doesn't feel like the companions defer to her through a sense that she is the boss more like she knows more about certain things, & that's ok. Maybe this is coming from my feelings towards the 12th, who had a pretty erratic personality & seemed to be very condescending towards a lot of people. In fact Jodie embodies the idea of being kind which 12th talked about at the end of season 10 & for some reason felt the need to bang on about again in his interminable regeneration speech. Hypocritical as he was for me the least kind Doctor of all! But Jodie for me embodies this notion of kindness. Well, that's how I see her.
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shutupbanks
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Post by shutupbanks on Dec 9, 2018 21:51:10 GMT
This has just been an average series for me: I've really enjoyed the main cast but the adventures have all been very "little" affairs, which I love when spread out across the whole series but not every week. I don't expect the Doctor to solve a galaxy-threatening issue every week but it's kind of cool to do it a couple of times a season. Having said that, I've enjoyed every episode, so while it may not be my favourite series, it isn't the worst.
Visually, it has been a treat. We've gotten something that looked like a movie every week. The music has been outstanding. The cast and direction have been superb: there hasn't been a performance that's taken me out of the action in any episode at all. My only concern in the main cast would be, like others, Yaz. She is this season's Nyssa. A very capable performance but nothing much to do to make her stand out from the crowd. And while I'm not a fan of the supporting cast outshining the lead, Graham has been the outstanding player week in and week out and is a joy to watch. Mr Walsh has delivered an outstanding series of work.
As for the Doctor, I've enjoyed her performance in a way that I haven't since the Davison era: she's come into the show after a set of larger-than-life takes on the character and Ms Whittaker has delivered a quieter, more centred performance. People have kept saying that they're waiting for a "Doctor-y" moment from her and we have gotten it: she learned from the last season that bombast doesn't get you anywhere (remember in Eaters of Light when 12 threw an "I'm not listening" comment at the young protagonists and then had it - devastatingly - thrown back in his face by The Master just two episodes later?) and is now proving herself with actions rather than words. It's a "quieter" take on the part than we've seen for a long time. But, like Davy said, I'm hoping that we get some occasions when she is really rattled or angry. That will be when we should get excited.
So on the whole, I've enjoyed the second half more than the first but it's been a better-than-average season but it hasn't really been an exciting or gripping season, just one that's been really well put together.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2018 21:58:45 GMT
However....yeah, I've harped on about this but this thread is the pertinent place for it: The Doctor is written well..but repetitively. It's a less bombastic Tennant from top to bottom. I think Jodie can and should be given much more as her era goes on now. I'd like her to be her own incarnation that's distinct from the crowd. Right now all her attributes are ones you can chalk up to many of the Doctors. I'd like to know what makes this Doctor unique. I know a lot of people compare Jodie with Tennant but I see Tennant as the Romantic Doctor. What to me came through in Jodie's performance is a child like exuberance, which I guess they all have, but mostly a sense of inclusivity (an overused term I know) that has allowed her to show a more collaborative side to the Doctor. She has given her companions the chance to find their own solutions & work with the Doctor not just do what they are told. Less of a hierarchical structure & less of a sense of superiority from the Doctor towards her companions, which previous Doctor's have done even if not in a nasty way. Also her sense of compassion & empathy towards other life, human or alien is at the forefront of her character. Again I see this displayed slightly differently to other Doctors in that it doesn't come from a sense of superiority (that word again I know). The Doctor Jodie most reminds me of is the 5th Doctor, like an elderly sibling. An authority figure in some ways but more casual than a parent. It doesn't feel like the companions defer to her through a sense that she is the boss more like she knows more about certain things, & that's ok. Maybe this is coming from my feelings towards the 12th, who had a pretty erratic personality & seemed to be very condescending towards a lot of people. In fact Jodie embodies the idea of being kind which 12th talked about at the end of season 10 & for some reason felt the need to bang on about again in his interminable regeneration speech. Hypocritical as he was for me the least kind Doctor of all! But Jodie for me embodies this notion of kindness. Well, that's how I see her. I think you make some great points but even you acknowledge that pretty much all her defining characteristics are "Tennant but with.." or "Davison when he..." - it does feel something of a patchwork to me. I do like her manners though while you raise the point - I love her always thanking people. She makes a point, even in danger she takes a second to do it. And one of my favourite moments of the whole series is her reciprocating the hand gesture of the "monster" in Punjab when she realises they're not a threat and they'd lost their world. So understated most missed it but a moment of pure empathy. I have NOTHING but good will to Jodie, I think she's wonderful. I just think she's more wonderful when not being written by Chibnall, I think! Yet this is hopefully just a third or a quarter through her era. Troughton was much darker in Season 4 than the jovial hobo people remember, Pertwee far less foppish in Season 7, Tom not as manic in S12 and Sylv in S24 was...well....not as good as Sylv in the other two. So a lot of Doctors take a while to hit the ground. Writers don't know the strengths and weaknesses, they're writing on spec. Ultimately I'd like to be here in 3 years saying "Well, she was good in the first year but when the writing really found her in Series 12 things got really special" We all want good Who (well, except for the banned one who shall not be named!) and I think Jodie's doing her bit - but she can't do it alone.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2018 22:04:55 GMT
It hasn't been up to snuff in my books. It really needs some work before next series.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2018 22:17:15 GMT
I know a lot of people compare Jodie with Tennant but I see Tennant as the Romantic Doctor. What to me came through in Jodie's performance is a child like exuberance, which I guess they all have, but mostly a sense of inclusivity (an overused term I know) that has allowed her to show a more collaborative side to the Doctor. She has given her companions the chance to find their own solutions & work with the Doctor not just do what they are told. Less of a hierarchical structure & less of a sense of superiority from the Doctor towards her companions, which previous Doctor's have done even if not in a nasty way. Also her sense of compassion & empathy towards other life, human or alien is at the forefront of her character. Again I see this displayed slightly differently to other Doctors in that it doesn't come from a sense of superiority (that word again I know). The Doctor Jodie most reminds me of is the 5th Doctor, like an elderly sibling. An authority figure in some ways but more casual than a parent. It doesn't feel like the companions defer to her through a sense that she is the boss more like she knows more about certain things, & that's ok. Maybe this is coming from my feelings towards the 12th, who had a pretty erratic personality & seemed to be very condescending towards a lot of people. In fact Jodie embodies the idea of being kind which 12th talked about at the end of season 10 & for some reason felt the need to bang on about again in his interminable regeneration speech. Hypocritical as he was for me the least kind Doctor of all! But Jodie for me embodies this notion of kindness. Well, that's how I see her. I think you make some great points but even you acknowledge that pretty much all her defining characteristics are "Tennant but with.." or "Davison when he..." - it does feel something of a patchwork to me. I do like her manners though while you raise the point - I love her always thanking people. She makes a point, even in danger she takes a second to do it. And one of my favourite moments of the whole series is her reciprocating the hand gesture of the "monster" in Punjab when she realises they're not a threat and they'd lost their world. So understated most missed it but a moment of pure empathy. I have NOTHING but good will to Jodie, I think she's wonderful. I just think she's more wonderful when not being written by Chibnall, I think! Yet this is hopefully just a third or a quarter through her era. Troughton was much darker in Season 4 than the jovial hobo people remember, Pertwee far less foppish in Season 7, Tom not as manic in S12 and Sylv in S24 was...well....not as good as Sylv in the other two. So a lot of Doctors take a while to hit the ground. Writers don't know the strengths and weaknesses, they're writing on spec. Ultimately I'd like to be here in 3 years saying "Well, she was good in the first year but when the writing really found her in Series 12 things got really special" We all want good Who (well, except for the banned one who shall not be named!) and I think Jodie's doing her bit - but she can't do it alone. Yeah, the last Doctor I watched was 5th (in stunning Blu-Ray no less!) so that's maybe why I am getting similar vibes. But I still don't think any Doctor has displayed compassion in this, non-parental for want of a better phrase, way before. Definitely agree & also love her acknowledgements & thanks to other characters. & that it is other writers that have written her better than Chibbers. In fact it was The Witchfinders where I got a full feeling of who this Doctor was. No "pudding brains" or "stupid apes" here lol & yep it can take a while for a new Doctor to bed in & for writers to get an understanding of that person. Probably when they watch this season back they will be able to see what aspects of Jodie's performance they want to enhance etc.
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Post by CookieMaster on Dec 9, 2018 22:27:27 GMT
I haven't consistently enjoyed a series of Doctor Who like this since about series 4 or 5. It never really dropped below average for me, I feel mainly due to the chemistry of the main cast and the variety of storytelling. A type of storytelling which seems to have recreated the show perfectly, in a way that almost reinvents the original premise.
That being said, none of the episodes have topped 'World Enough and Time', which remains my most recent top-rated episode at a solid 10/10. In other words, there's yet to be that stand out episode which practically defines the era for me. Fortunately there will be plenty of time for that to happen.
I am very much looking forward to rewatching the series and seeing the New Years special!
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Post by Tony Jones on Dec 10, 2018 10:50:40 GMT
Would this thread benefit from a poll? I was thinking 1-10?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2018 12:01:14 GMT
I covered some of my thoughts about the series here. In summary, really solid and filled with tomorrows, but in addition to that, we also just did a rewatch and I think I can nail down some of what I'd like to see explored further. A wishlist if you like (just in time for Christmas): - The confrontation between the Doctor and James in The Witchfinders is still marvellous, definitely more of this Doctor's unique perspective brushing up against the established customs of those unfamiliar/antique worlds. Jodie Whitaker can definitely pull it off and I love a bit of intelligent verbal sparring between characters. She feels like one of those people who is reluctant to give their initial opinion out of modesty, but once she does, it turns into a volume of intensely considered information.
- Similar vein, but I'd also like to see that fascination for machinery fleshed out a bit too. Maybe the TARDIS becomes slowly packed with stuff that she keeps throwing together (or taking apart) over the season just because she can. Maybe it gets them into trouble at one point?
- They've really captured some nice alien worlds so far (that wasn't intended as a gag, but I'll roll with it ). I'd be fascinated to see what they could bluff productionwise and storywise with a populated planet.
- In the right context, I'd be great to see a pure historical. No otherworldly influence, just a straightforward charge through the dark heart of human history. They have the strength of characters -- familiar and historical domain -- to manage it.
- Talking of characters, I hope they use this next series to explore Yaz a bit, she's ended up a bit like Susan (or Keith from Voltron Legendary Defender) this year. A decent character with a strong foundation, but definitely one in need of a greater focus over the coming episodes. I'd love to see her spearheading an unconventional murder investigation on an alien planet -- maybe something akin to Ghost in the Shell -- to really flex those abilities as a policeman.
But on the whole... Well done to all and bring on the next series. I'm in, I'm excited and I want to see where this heads next.
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Post by Tony Jones on Dec 10, 2018 12:25:42 GMT
Poll added
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Post by tuigirl on Dec 10, 2018 18:35:06 GMT
I agree with the consensus here. I liked and enjoyed series 11, but I did not love it. I like Jodie and she is doing a great job. As some of you, I also do not really get a 10th Doctor vibe from her, she is missing the arrogance, the vindictiveness, the rage and the self-rightiousness. For me she, she is more of a mix of the 8th (childlike romantic), 11th (hyperactivity) and 12th Doctors (compassion and kindness).
But as most of you have said, she is still missing a real defining moment, a real moment of awesome to make her character shine. Something like a guitar on a tank moment (say what you will, but that remains one of my all-time favorite Who moments).
We had some good episodes in series 11, and some made me cry (Rosa, Demons) but were there any really great ones? For me, "It takes you away" was the best episode. Most of the episodes however, including the finale, were just average.
A far cry from the greatness that was my favorite: series 10.
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Post by Digi on Dec 10, 2018 19:46:33 GMT
Gonna copy/paste what I just wrote at another forum:
I firmly do not believe that the writing this year was lazy.
What I do believe is that they did a ton of experimentation, a lot of which fell a little flat.
Prior to the season premiere they'd said that this was going to be an "audition year" for new villains, and I respect that they stuck to their guns on that. It's just a little unfortunate that most of the 'monsters' of this season just didn't end up being terribly compelling. The Big Bad in particular, Tim Scott or whatever it was (seriously how did nobody think of calling him Bluetooth?), was just so bland to me that it's a little eyebrow-raising that they actually had him for two episodes.
Contrarily, the casting was uniformly excellent. Whittaker is just wonderful as the Doctor, and I've come to really enjoy all three companions. My only hope for improvement here is that next season the companions get a little more interaction with each other independent of the Doctor, because I thought that some of the Ryan/Graham and Yaz/Ryan moments were some of the standout character moments of the season. Likewise the guest casting was spot-on through the whole season, capped off by an excellent (if slightly underused) Mark Addy appearance at the end.
To my eye, the two episodes that were by far the best of the season were "Rosa" and "Demons of the Punjab." Those yanked at the heartstrings just right, and were (almost) exactly what I expect of historical Who episodes.
All that said, if they want to bring back a classic monster or two next season, I will be quite pleased.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2018 20:25:52 GMT
I gave it 8 out of 10. I am looking forward to rewatching it. Now we need an episode poll.
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Post by relativetime on Dec 11, 2018 3:42:00 GMT
I gave the series a 9 out of 10. While there were a few episodes that fell flat for me, I think on the whole this has been one of the strongest series since 2005. While I loved Moffat's tenure as show runner, after a while it felt like the series was just spinning its own wheels. To have a season as fresh and new as this was a real treat. Unpopular opinion here, but I would be very happy if Chibnall doesn't bring back any classic monsters next series. Frankly, besides Dalek, the episodes that bring back a classic monster/villain have always been a bit lacking in terms of quality compared to the episodes that introduced new monsters and villains - Blink being the most obvious. I for one could go another season or two without seeing a Dalek or Cyberman honestly. I'd much rather have Chibnall focus on creating new monsters than rehashing the old.
This season had some of the strongest characterization of New Who bar none. I really bought into Graham and Ryan's arc and there are just so many amazing moments throughout the entire series for the entire cast that just brought a smile to my face or tugged at my heartstrings in ways not even Wilf and Donna could. I also really LOVED the focus on historical stories this season and thrillingly they're actually really amazing, too! I think episodes like Rosa and The Demons of Punjab are absolute classics. The non-historical stuff toward the first half of the season was comparatively weak, but then episodes like Kerblam! and It Takes You Away - the latter being another instant classic - absolutely raised the bar for the show in general. It's frustrating to me at least to see people say this series suffered from poor writing when we have episodes like these.
The weakest episodes this season for me were The Ghost Monument, Arachnids in the UK, and The Tsuranga Conundrum. Those were episodes that, while filled with some great character moments as I mentioned above, kind of lost my attention in a few places. None of these episodes were anywhere near as bad as some of previous series' duds and, in fact, in some of those past seasons these episodes might actually have been amongst the better episodes. As much as I loved all of the TARDIS crew this season, I do have to begrudgingly admit that Yaz received less attention than Ryan or Graham, so I hope more focus is given to her character in Series 12. My impression from this series is that she's more attached to the Doctor than Graham or Ryan, so exploring their connection in the next series - perhaps straining their trust and friendship for one another - might be an interesting direction to take the characters next series.
I was absolutely floored by how strong the production. I can happily say for maybe the first time ever that Doctor Who is one of the best looking shows on air - this is the series to draw in that friend who thought RTD's era was too low budget. The directors these past couple of series have just been getting stronger and stronger and I think this series has had the best directors yet. There was only one episode out of the ten where I thought the green screen was too noticeable - Kerblam! - but I ended up having so much fun with that episode anyways that I think it's very excusable. The music was also another standout. Murray Gold hit the mark far more often than he missed it, but I still believe that sometimes his score could take away from the scenes. Akinola's style is more understated but I found it complimented each scene perfectly - never detracting from the moment and always driving the emotions home.
I'm also quite glad Chibnall decided to drop the whole series long arcs the show has been attempting since 2005 to focus instead on character arcs because, quite frankly, the show has never once managed to successfully pull off a series long story arc once. RTD's arcs were too loose and too often relied on deus-ex-machinas at the resolutions, and Moffat's arcs just got too complicated to follow, just stopped mattering somewhere around the middle, or just didn't make much sense to begin with (and let me reiterate that I LOVED Moffat's time as show runner!). Series 11 knows that what we care about as an audience are the characters' journeys and that's precisely what it decides to focus on. It gives the series a more personal feeling than any other series so far and I really hope Chibnall decides to stick with this strategy in Series 12.
Overall, Series 11 was some of the best Who I've experienced all year - and, yes, that's including Big Finish. Much as I love Big Finish, sometimes I think they share some of the faults the show has had in the past (relying too heavily on classic monsters or fan-favorite characters for one). Series 11 was some of the most refreshing television I've watched in a long time and I hope the team can keep it up for 2020 (ugh, I thought we were done with this sort of waiting...).
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Post by mrperson on Dec 11, 2018 3:43:49 GMT
1. Only ten episodes (even if longer)? 2. I'm struggling to remember the last time I felt I was wrong, especially this wrong. 3. Only ten?! 4. Oh give me a... 2020? ****!
5. I'd be careful with statements about whether or not Jodie's Doctor is as developed as she should be at this point in time, unless perhaps one recorded their ongoing thoughts about seasons prior regenerations in detail. We are all operating with hindsight, after all.
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Post by shallacatop on Dec 11, 2018 19:11:08 GMT
Following on from my previous post in this thread, I think I’ve figured out a broadcast order I’d have preferred. I’ll add some comments and justifications and post it, if anyone’s interested?
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