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Post by christmastrenzalore on Jan 12, 2020 20:05:49 GMT
I agree with sherlock. Reminded me of "The Tsuranga Conundrum". Good bits, but the whole thing was just too manic to enjoy. Kinda gave me a headache.
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Post by mark687 on Jan 12, 2020 20:06:41 GMT
Very good overall
Tosin's trying his best
Ed Haime has a thing about Parents/ Parenting clearly
Regards
mark687
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Post by nucleusofswarm on Jan 12, 2020 20:08:14 GMT
Starts as Resident Evil/Silent Hill survival horror, ends as a Rod Serling/Twilight Zone style morality tale.
This one will likely divide a lot of people (I certainly feel so about it), and I wouldn't be surprised if many need a rewatch before feeling fully settled on it. It's ambitious, atmospheric as hell and swings for the fences on a lot of fronts, but some will find the message, however well-intentioned, as perhaps too preachy and too big for the format of the story. It is a much looser cannon compared to 'It Takes You Away' last series, which I liked better.
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Post by ollychops on Jan 12, 2020 20:08:41 GMT
It was okay, but the major "twist" of the episode was hardly original... {Spoiler} The Mysterious Planet anyone? Considering Chibnall was so critical of Six's era back in the day, you think he'd remember that they did a story on a mysterious planet that ended up being Earth too... Also, does it contradict The Ark In Space/The Beast Below? Unless everyone came back once the Earth was habitable again and then blew each other to smithereens...
Was kind of disappointed that we didn't see Benni with the Dregs. Again, a problem with the "tell not show" part of the Chibnall era. Hearing him was one thing, but I feel like they could have shown him with the Dregs outside of the vehicle.
Had to roll my eyes at the Doctor praising the kid at the end. This was the same kid that ran off into a Dreg-infested spa because he was annoyed at his father, potentially risking her and Bella's lives when they went to find him.
The end was far too preachy for my liking. Far too on the nose.
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Post by fitzoliverj on Jan 12, 2020 20:13:54 GMT
Oh, dear. Started off really well, with an uncharacteristically scary monster. Then I began to think they looked like the Alien from Alien, and behaved like a cross between Doomsday and the Borg. "Ha!", I thought, "this is the kind of thing where it turns out the planet is really-" oh, it is. Did Sixie give us a homily when he realised he was in a tube station? (13's lecture, it should be noted, could apply equally to the prospect of DW being cancelled if they don't listen to criticism). Ending formulaic vis-a-vis the ratio of surviving guest to regulars.
Still, kudos on the choice of gravel pit this time round.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2020 20:18:57 GMT
Fun but disappointing compared to Ed Hime's previous episode.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2020 20:20:38 GMT
(13's lecture, it should be noted, could apply equally to the prospect of DW being cancelled if they don't listen to criticism). What a ludicrous thing to say.
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Post by sherlock on Jan 12, 2020 20:24:45 GMT
Ok, I’ll be honest. I don’t think that was very good. To elaborate -Barely any time to get to know the characters before it all kicked off -The frenetic pace really made it unclear why characters were doing what they were doing (why did Bella come outside the dome, her eventually revealed plan would have worked perfectly if she’d stayed behind, why did the child leave the dome and why did the dad not seem to care about that) -So much technobabble -Not one but two twists the classic series did already (and arguably did better) -Look I know it’s a good message, but that final scene must have been the least subtle piece of political commentary I’ve ever seen To end on a positive: As in The Tsuangra Conundrum, Whittaker was the best thing here, working really hard to sell this dodgy material. Oh well, hopefully it’ll be better next week.
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Post by mark687 on Jan 12, 2020 20:26:06 GMT
As noted above this did seem a bit like a high quality 80s Ep
Regards
mark687
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Post by channing on Jan 12, 2020 20:26:10 GMT
It was ok. That's about as positive as I can be really.
Very predictable story. As soon as the elderly couple appeared I thought they would be for the chop. The ring sealed the deal!. Along with the standard self sacrifices, nothing really stood out for me.
Graham needs a but more to do, he is turning into the comedy relief with the one liners.
Filler episode but next week looks promising
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2020 20:36:10 GMT
Wow, I'm actually going to be one of the more postive about a Chibnall-Jodie era ep I think looking at the ratings so far! I really quite enjoyed that. It was VERY RTD era in tone and of course that "twist" is just The Mysterious Planet but hey, that was 34 years ago, I think there's more than one generation of new series fan who won't have seen it. As an old TV exec said when asked about the number of repeats "If you ain't seen it, it's new to you". Loved the interaction of Jodie and Tosin over the Hopper virus, reminded me of Tennant and Tate in Unicorn And The Wasp. A bit of a waste of Laura Fraser though - that woman is a treasure and to give her a role so generic as Kane was a letdown. I don't think James Buckley can act for toffee but he was fine as Green Dad. The aliens were what they needed to be for mid-season runabout one and dones, a bit Xenomorph, a bit Weevil. The speech at the end from Jodie was so impossibly in your face that I thought it was really quite funny then became quite ominous. It couldn't have been more "WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE" if a slow dissolve of Greta Thunberg came on screen during the monologue. I mean the humans actually hang their heads while THe DOctor lectures them on it. Subtle? No. But maybe some messages are worth being blunt instruments rather than allegories. Seeing this message so in your face while seeing Australia on the news? Yeah, I can give it a pass. It really is a message people need to take more seriously and it is time to shout it from the rooftops so...right on. I'd have loved "It's only one future for humanity, in another it's not a Russian camp of monsters Orphan 55, but Ravolox, where Joan Sims and her tribe fight robots at Marble Arch Tube Station" but hey- you can't have it all. So...nothing new. Nada. But for a mostly silly romp that is playing to a younger audience who will get more from the massively important message and who don't care if it's a bit like something from 34 years ago...it was fine. I'll never, ever, feel the need to stick it on but it got me from 7.10 to 8.00 entertained enough.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2020 20:36:17 GMT
I think there were too many sacrifices, practically every character does the noble thing. & I don't understand why they couldn't all have just taken turns on the transporter. One of those episodes where the more you think about it the worse it gets. It was fun because it all rushed by so quick. A solid 3 but not sure how it will hold up on repeated viewings.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2020 20:42:38 GMT
I thought that was bloody brilliant. Yes, there were probably too many ideas thrown at it, but that's the only criticism I can think of. It featured monsters that looked like naked Haemovores, Julia Foster, the whole thing looked amazing, and Jodie had her wittiest one-liners so far ("All I've got is the letter 'P', but sometimes that's all you need," being one) - and it contained the most on-the-nose warning about the future of mankind the series has ever given. Truly upsetting. Truly scary. No, I really cannot find fault with this. Not perfect, but still a good reason to believe Doctor Who is head-and-shoulders above anything else on the box.
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Post by sherlock on Jan 12, 2020 20:51:37 GMT
This is a bit of a side note. When It Takes You Away aired I speculated with a friend that it’d work well in classic series 4 part format. Well we think that Orphan 55 would fit really well into one too, and perhaps would be better in a longer format giving it time to breath. Breakdown in spoiler section {Spoiler} Episode 1 -Introduce the characters and setting, whilst the virus makes things start to go wrong -Cliffhanger-The Dregs break in!
Episode 2 -Dreg attack until Doctor resolves it -Cliffhanger of the hole in the wall-it’s a fake resort!
Episode 3 -Search for Benni outside the dome -Cliffhanger-The planet’s Earth!
Episode 4 -Everything after the Earth reveal
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2020 20:52:30 GMT
So...nothing new. Nada. But for a mostly silly romp that is playing to a younger audience who will get more from the massively important message and who don't care if it's a bit like something from 34 years ago...it was fine. I think that's something us older long term fans of the show do forget. It's aimed at a younger audience who will probably take on board/relate to the message. & it also seems to be harking back to the original ideas of the show with its educational remit. & of course there is the pleasure in seeing how an episode like this will upset the incel snowflake fans who complain about the show being too woke.
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Post by shallacatop on Jan 12, 2020 21:01:19 GMT
I thought it was a cracking story. It looked fantastic, there’s some great worldbuilding of Tranquility and the Orphan world and it’s soaked in atmosphere. I think it’s a good concept with scope for exploration on other Orphan worlds. I enjoyed the twist and thought the message was very appropriate and woven into the story well. The last scene is very good indeed: the Doctor relaying that it’s only one possibility of the future to the team but also a bit of fourth wall breaking to the audience. I love endings where the only victory is the team making it back to the TARDIS and we got this here - no way of telling the time and place to hop back and rescue the others.
My criticism is that I wish we’d spent more time with the guest cast, but I could say the same for a lot of stories. Not a lot of Graham in this episode either, but it was a great platform for Ryan and I enjoyed Yaz challenging the Doctor.
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Post by doctorkernow on Jan 12, 2020 21:09:59 GMT
Hello again.
I was reminded of the Hoix from Love and Monsters. "Who wants a lovely pork chop..."
Story okay, didn't really grab me,the regulars cast were good as always and the computer voice was hilarious.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2020 21:28:26 GMT
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shutupbanks
Castellan
There’s a horror movie called Alien? That’s really offensive. No wonder everyone keeps invading you.
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Post by shutupbanks on Jan 12, 2020 21:44:53 GMT
It was fast and I didn’t really notice the time going by...
... look, the trouble with an adventure series that’s run for 38 seasons (plus spinoffs) is that eventually, it starts to repeat itself. But this episode was a mashup of Voyage of the Damned, Terror of the Vervoids, Midnight, Mysterious Planet (I was thinking of 6’s “Your earth is safe speech” to Peri all the way through the last minute, in addition to Ravolox), Dragonfire, Leisure Hive, Ghost Monument...
I think if it came later in the season I’d give it a 3 but because it came after a really solid opening, I needed a bit more than a preachy runaround with too many characters.
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Post by number13 on Jan 12, 2020 21:48:27 GMT
That was BRILLIANT! Phenomenally scary monsters, great action sequences / settings / effects and soundtrack and a story packed with cliched characters / dialogue / situations from Disaster Movie Hell with a big helping of 'Aliens' and 'Jurassic Everything' and a MORAL MESSAGE laid on with a fleet of bulldozers, never mind a trowel (sonic or otherwise). And all played totally 'straight' by a great cast!
I don't think I've ever seen TV 'Who' do satire like that before. For a while at the start it fooled me into believing this was a typical Who adventure, good setting, bit of mystery, Ryan finding a minor monster in the vending machine (and doing a lovely spot of comedy with the Doctor to get rid of the Hopper virus) and characters who seemed natural and believable (yes, in the Whoniverse I can believe in large sentient helpful cats, no problem.)
And then we got in deeper and deeper and the improbabilities and cliches started to mount up into a towering parody of the whole sci-fi disaster movie genre - and with the wildly OTT moral message, a little bit of a cheeky self-parody of some Who (Classic and New), it must be said. Beautifullly done all round, I loved it.
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