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Post by agentten on Dec 3, 2023 5:11:27 GMT
An absolutely outstanding episode. This felt like the best of the RTD era, but still fresh and invigorated. It took a basic concept, the maze episode, and infused it with loads of creepiness, some real pathos, and then let the Doctor solve it in his breathless, brilliant way. I loved every second.
And to see Wilf at the end was just wonderful. He's always been a joy and I love that we get to spend one last adventure with him.
Also, that set up for next week's final special! Very exciting! Doctor Who is thrilling to watch again!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2023 6:17:30 GMT
An absolutely outstanding episode. This felt like the best of the RTD era, but still fresh and invigorated. It took a basic concept, the maze episode, and infused it with loads of creepiness, some real pathos, and then let the Doctor solve it in his breathless, brilliant way. I loved every second. And to see Wilf at the end was just wonderful. He's always been a joy and I love that we get to spend one last adventure with him. Also, that set up for next week's final special! Very exciting! Doctor Who is thrilling to watch again! Actually, one of the things I liked about the episode is that the Doctor didn't solve it. He managed to get out, with the right Donna. Everything else was already sorted by the pilot.
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aztec
Chancellery Guard
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Post by aztec on Dec 3, 2023 8:19:47 GMT
I just got in from a ten hour night shift so I'm half asleep and I liked that more than The Star Beast (though still rather ambivalent) so have less to say for this one.
Overall I found that a good (not great) experimental bottle episode, a tad derivative of other stories i.m.o.
The Good:
Tennant and Tate were on fine form in this episode and really sold the twists in the story, I actually enjoyed the first half of the episode more and would have liked more of the heart to heart conversations between Dr/Donna (and I say that as someone who isn't a particularly big fan of thhis tardis team), the dialogue in this episode felt more natural and noticeably less clunky than in The Star Beast.
Really liked the design of the ship/robot.
Many of my favourite Who stories on experimental or on the weird side, and this certainly leaned into that direction, it didn't quite stick the landing for me but I enjoyed the broad strokes of the narrative and the episode does a good job at estbalishing a feeling of dread/mystery, I certainly felt more engaged with this than I did the Star Beast and didn't work out the twist until the reveal.
Wilf!
The Bad:
The CGI/Green-screen compositing was noticeably awful in some scenes
The opening seqeunce with Issac Newton was just plain bad i.m.o clunky dialogue and unconvicing acting
The pacing was less uneven than in The Star beast but this felt somehow both too short and too long?
It felt like a combination of John Carpenter's The Thing and Big Finish's Scherzo/Ship in A Bottle but delivered on a BBC Budget for a family audience-and that was my main issue with the episode, I've seen this kind of story done better elsewhere in the Whoniverse. Once we are told the twist it becomes a bit generic run-around episode of Who and the build up of the mystery is much more interesting than the reveal i.m.o, like the Star Beast it just felt a bit hollow in the end-probably more so for me because I'm not such a fan of RTD's first era so a episode with just these two characters was always going to be a harder sell to me personally.
Although I certainly give this points for experimenting with the Who format, I think Ive just seen/read too many other sci-fi stories along the same lines to really appreciate it as all it was hyped up to be.
The more I think about The Star Beast the less I like it (I've actually downgrade it a 4/10 in my personal ranking), but the more I think about this episode the more I appreciate it, it didn't quite stick the landing and I'm not sure there is much rewatch value for me personally but overall a admirable if slight misfire.
Somewhere betwen a 6 and 7 out of 10 i.m.o.
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Post by sherlock on Dec 3, 2023 10:15:02 GMT
Overnight figures for those who like to discuss such things-
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Post by timleschild on Dec 3, 2023 10:22:14 GMT
Daleks will never be rested. Hopefully something new done with them. I don't hold out much hope. RTD said one of his regrets from when he was showrunner was never getting Nick Briggs to write a Dalek story for him. Well, now he's back so who knows. Oh god no. Please no.
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Post by timleschild on Dec 3, 2023 10:24:09 GMT
Overnight figures for those who like to discuss such things- A drop from The Star Beast. RIP Doctor Who I guess.
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Post by nucleusofswarm on Dec 3, 2023 10:57:44 GMT
Overnight figures for those who like to discuss such things- I mean, this is only notable because the drop is so tiny. That's some retention.
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Post by fitzoliverj on Dec 3, 2023 11:16:09 GMT
By the way, Donna has an Auntie Iris. And I *have* just started reading a Paul Magrs book...
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Post by aussiedoctorwhofan on Dec 3, 2023 11:50:50 GMT
Just watched it with the wife - Loved it.. !
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Post by number13 on Dec 3, 2023 12:02:59 GMT
By the way, Donna has an Auntie Iris. And I *have* just started reading a Paul Magrs book... I noticed that!
Now that would be a special guest character: Katy Manning returns as Jo Grant Jones wa-hey! It's 'Auntie' Iris and her special friend!
(I now have this unfulfillable fan-wish to see the Meep escape and get taken on by someone its own size... 'Bow to the Most High, little bear!' 'Bow?! ME?! BEAR! I'll punch you on the hooter!' EDIT: Go on BF, you know you want to. )
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2023 12:10:26 GMT
By the way, Donna has an Auntie Iris. And I *have* just started reading a Paul Magrs book... I noticed that!
Now that would be a special guest character: Katy Manning returns as Jo Grant Jones wa-hey! It's 'Auntie' Iris and her special friend!
(I now have this unfulfillable fan-wish to see the Meep escape and get taken on by someone its own size... 'Bow to the Most High, little bear!' 'Bow?! ME?! BEAR! I'll punch you on the hooter!' EDIT: Go on BF, you know you want to. ) Never mind Big Finish, I want that on screen. Now there would be a spinoff!
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Post by charlesuirdhein on Dec 3, 2023 14:06:57 GMT
I dunno. I've read all the replies praising this episode and frankly, were we even watching the same thing? Well, everything's subjective I suppose. My take was tedious non episode with zero plot, artificial stakes and a ho hum end. Even so, if this had landed in the middle of a 13/10 season it'd have been fine I suppose, but in a 3 episode "era" intended to celebrate the 60th? Not good enough. Nowhere near good enough. The Giggle better be gawd damn great after that.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2023 14:18:15 GMT
I think my main issue with these specials is that they're not... Special.
So far we've had two perfectly enjoyable RTD episodes that wouldn't have been out of place in Season 4. They're special in the same sense as Planet of the Dead and Waters of Mars, ie not at all, rather than in the sense of Day of the Doctor, which truly was an event, whatever one might think of the end result.
So I'll happily accept these as 2023 specials, but they're not a 60th anniversary celebration.
Oh well, roll on 75 years (assuming I last that long. Corks, I'll be in my seventies).
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Post by charlesuirdhein on Dec 3, 2023 14:38:03 GMT
I think my main issue with these specials is that they're not... Special. So far we've had two perfectly enjoyable RTD episodes that wouldn't have been out of place in Season 4. They're special in the same sense as Planet of the Dead and Waters of Mars, ie not at all, rather than in the sense of Day of the Doctor, which truly was an event, whatever one might think of the end result. So I'll happily accept these as 2023 specials, but they're not a 60th anniversary celebration. Oh well, roll on 75 years (assuming I last that long. Corks, I'll be in my seventies). Well put. compared to the EVENT that was The Day of the Doctor, this isn't at that level at all. Yet. Yet. One episode to go, so we'll see.
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Post by timleschild on Dec 3, 2023 14:50:43 GMT
I think my main issue with these specials is that they're not... Special. So far we've had two perfectly enjoyable RTD episodes that wouldn't have been out of place in Season 4. They're special in the same sense as Planet of the Dead and Waters of Mars, ie not at all, rather than in the sense of Day of the Doctor, which truly was an event, whatever one might think of the end result. So I'll happily accept these as 2023 specials, but they're not a 60th anniversary celebration. Oh well, roll on 75 years (assuming I last that long. Corks, I'll be in my seventies). I agree. But to be honest I expected it as soon as RTD announced the return of 10 (he IS 10 whatever the numbering or nonsense suggests) & Donna. These are just RTD era focused specials. But for me we already had a proper 60th anniversary special with The Power of the Doctor.
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Post by christmastrenzalore on Dec 3, 2023 15:35:10 GMT
I am hoping there'll be a little something something in the final episode more multi-Doctorish. But yeah, if there isn't you can consider POTD Part 1 of the anniversary.
I guess you could argue the first episode was an RTD celebration, and this one puts a spotlight on Chibnall's Flux and Timeless Child. So maybe the 3rd episode will incorperate an element of Moffat's era? Just a theory.
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Post by shallacatop on Dec 3, 2023 16:18:53 GMT
I was a bit indifferent, unfortunately. I didn’t love it or hate it overall. I do think they shot themselves in the foot a little by making such a big deal out of the secrecy. Mentioning how little was being shown, that their preference would be to not show anything, the redacted cast names and Tennant mentioning he’d done recording in studio with some surprising names. I’m not sure what I was expecting from it personally, but the marketing is at complete odds with the end product. Of course you wouldn’t spoil that it’s doubles of our leads, but I think you can be cleverer than to lead people on a bit.
I’m not sure there was a great deal to the story, to be honest. And this type of weird, offbeat story has been done for Tennant & Tate twice over; and both are better outings from RTD. What we get is fine, but when you’ve only got three episodes to play with, it stands out a lot more. The pre-titles I wasn’t keen on; the comedy fell flat and it seemed at odds with how we ended The Star Beast and how the bulk of Wild Blue Yonder panned out.
The visuals were very variable too. The long corridor was particularly noticeable, and the stretching of limbs is one of those things that have yet to be mastered. It’s a striking visual fleetingly, but I think was dwelled on too much in a lot of the shots, which took me out more than it should’ve.
There’s still lots to enjoy, of course. The Doctor & Donna’s non-plot interactions are a delight and I wish there were more of them; again, they’re only back for three episodes. Tennant continues to sell Fourteen as being a completely different incarnation very well; the Flux & Timeless Children material was excellent. I do think it’s quite convenient Donna can’t remember, and also doesn’t push it, but if it’s going to play out more, as I’m assuming it will given Ruby will be an orphan, then it makes sense for the Doctor to keep coy about it.
The first scenes with the doubles were fantastic too, with the building dread and not quite knowing what was going on or what was going to come out of their mouths. Tate was fantastic when abandoned by the Doctor towards the end. And I love a Doctor Who story that ends with the Doctor barely escaping with their life and that being their only victory.
Oh, and the Wilf appearance? Wonderful. God bless Bernard Cribbins.
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Post by sherlock on Dec 3, 2023 19:54:55 GMT
Anyone got any idea what Goss is referring to? I may have to revisit.
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Post by timleschild on Dec 3, 2023 19:59:15 GMT
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Post by number13 on Dec 4, 2023 1:00:39 GMT
I wish to take this opportunity to correct something I said on 'The Star Beast' thread last week.
I said that while the specials were a great idea, they were 'going to be an awfully hard act to follow...'
I'll change that to 'an almost impossibly hard act to follow'. Really, 2/3 Specials down so far and they're terrific for us viewers, but Fifteen and Ruby are going to have to be a team up there in era-defining iconic-ness with Three and Jo, Four and Sarah or (not for me but for many) Ten and Rose. Crumbs.
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