Dr Who

[saturn5]

Dr Who - The Waters of Mars

Ok, just watched this, the second last appearance of David Tennant's Dr (who ranks just behind Sylvester McCoy for me)

1. I really feel this is retreading old ground. How many times can we have a remote human colony come under attack from some sort of malevolent force, the Dr shows up to help and there's huge self-sacrifice from the crew in order to save Earth? The Dr even wears the same suit as he did in The Satan Pit (still feels weird to see him in a space suit, so old tech).

2. Very, very reminiscent of John Carpenters film The Ghosts of Mars. Which isn't a terrific recommendation. Also see the Angel episode The Price.

3. Nice scenes with the robot, it's catchphrase rather reminds me of Twikkie from Buck Rogers.

4. Ok. The Doctor has officially gone insane! I know he's supposed to be this 'Lonely god' but the idea that he can simply alter time as he wishes just because he's the last Time Lord is crazy. I expected him to take the survivors to some distant earth colony in the future so that they could live out their lives and as far as anyone on Earth is concerned they died in the explosion. The idea of him glorying in the concept of 'Timelord Victorious' is not the Dr I grew up with. Whilst he always disagreed with much of his people's philosophy he always conformed to the laws of time, he knew that some of their beliefs were unquestionably right. Now he seems to think that as they all perished that he can change the rules to suit himself?

5. Actually quite unsettling to see him so scared at the prospect of the 4th knock. You wonder if you've lived forever does death become more frightening a prospect or less? (reminds you of Adam's observations about vampires)

6. I have to say, I don't like the Ood and I think we've had way too much of them in the series. There are a lot more interesting recurring races around, how about a few more Weeping Angels?

7. But of course the Dr is NOT the last of the Timelords. The Master is back. Oh yes. OH YES!

8. So Donna and her grandad back again? Cool. Remember the Dr said that if she ever remembered him it would tear the universe apart? Perhaps he's so reckless now he's prepared to risk it?

Goes without saying but I'm looking forwards to Christmas

[saturn5]

Ok,

1. Not keen on the Ood, obviously one of Russell's favourites though. Brian Cox's voice is excellent though, always gives the gravitas to whatever he does.

2. We never see what the Dr does to good Queen Bess but we finally have confirmation that he married Alex Kingston's character from the Library episode.

3. Tim Dalton is EXCELLENT, for such a small role he really does it brilliantly, can't wait to see more of him at New Year.

4. Like the idea that the Master's wife has been plotting to destroy him all this time, you think she's a helpless victim but then she shows her steel. Hope she survived the fire.

5. Wilfred is great. He never killed a man, stating that the war was over by the time he was a paratrooper and presumably joining the Maroon machine at a time that avoided the various post-colonial conflicts (Malaya, Borneo, Aden etc). Wonderful that 40 years after appearing in The Dalek Invasion of Earth he's still starring in the show.

6. Not keen on the whole ravenous Master thing, seems to have been inspired by the Angel ep The Price. Pretty disgusting and I'm not sure I want implied cannabilism on Christmas Day.

7. Love the scene where the Master and Dr face off, it's almost as though the Master wants the Dr to help him but just can't bring himself to admit it. Great expression from the Dr when he realises that the drums in the Master's head are real and that he wasn't just mad (at least not totally) all along.

So what is the significance of The Drums? My theory is that actually the Master was the Time Lords instrument all along, that whilst they had the Dr do their dirty work they had the Master do their REALLY dirty work. And now he's their version of the Genisis ark, the Time Lords have preserved their essences (just as the Dr did in Family of Blood) and now the Master has transformed humanity into a planet full of Timelord bodies, just waiting for their consciousnesses to be implanted into them.

[saturn5]

Ok,
1. Well I called it right, the drums were programmed into the Master by the Timelords, he was their sleeper agent all along
2. I think the whole diamond thing is pretty stupid. Also the Dr's ability to jump out of a speeding spaceship without a parachute and survive is a little hard to take. Couldn't he have used the sonic screwdriver to alter his personal gravity or something. When Gallifrey appears above the earth where has the moon gone? Also if Gallifrey is so huge when compared to the Earth shouldn't all Timelords be very squat and strong to endure it's gravity?
3. Nice touch that Wilfred recalls serving in Palestine campaign with the Parachute Regiment just as Bernard Cribbins really did. I wonder if he knew comedian Frank Carson who also served there with the Paras?
4. So who is the woman who keeps appearing to Wilfred? The Dr's mum? Sister? Wife? Daughter? Susan? Romana? ("I was lost, so very long ago") Leela's descendent? The Rani? Jenny? Donna? Only time will tell (doesn't it always?). So there are factions within the Timelords and they're not all trapped, not entirely. Who is the other Timelady who voted against Rassilon's plan? "Like the weeping Angels of old" Hmmm?
5. So Rassillon, the Timelords obviously brought back their big guns for the time war. Great performance from Tim Dalton, hope we see him again. Note the Timelords are attempting to become non-corporeal, just as Omega did (he was my second guess for the President). Love the way the Master threatens him and Rassilon just undoes him with a single gesture, like a father with a naughty child.
6. Nice touch with Donna, not so much the lottery ticket as the fact that he borrowed £1 from her dead father to buy it for her. The whole 'visit old friends' routine seemed a bit self indulgent. Can't believe Martha settled for Mickey although the beard suits him. Nice scene with Jack (very Star Wars cantina) although you wonder if a new boyfriend will be enough to heal his sadness over his grandson? Bit of a stretch that Rose forgets the stranger she met one Christmas but I'll buy it. You rather wonder about him going to visit John Smith's beloved Matron's grandaughter rather than the lady herself?
7. I clearly remember the Dr carrying various currency in Battlefield. He's also used guns before in Attack of the Cybermen and Ressurection of the Daleks to name but two. The Visionary rather reminds me of the Baseship's Hybrid from Battlestar Galactica. How interesting that the Timelords have their own version of Dalek Khan. The scene where Wilfred and the Cactus man the guns to shoot down the missiles remind anyone else of the Millenium Falcon escaping the Death Star's fighters?

8. 'You could be beautiful. We could travel together' lines to make the slashficcers weep with joy. Not to mention Jack's "Going my way?"
9. Horrifying idea that the Timelords who we've always regarded as essentially benevolent could have been so warped by the endless war that they were prepared to sacrifice the physical universe to preserve life as non-corporeal intelligences. Just like Davros and his Daleks they were prepared to sacrifice everything but at least there'd be something worthwhile remaining afterwards. I always wondered what Davros and the boys would do after there was no one else left to exterminate?
10. June Whitfield is great, she and Bernard Cribbins cannot fail to raise a smile from you every time. We had such a good goodbye for Rose and Jackie that it seems a shame to keep bringing them back again and again, it's like the many deaths of Darla.
11. So, the 11th Doctor. Remind anyone else of a cross between Boris Johnson and Jerome 'Soldier, Soldier' Flynn?

[moviefans]

The episode, while not perfect, was definitely a step up from part one, and while very little made sense scientifically (which is trademark of Russell T. Davies and Doctor Who in general), the action and the emotion of the episode more than made up for it. In the vein of "always leave them wanting more", there were several unanswered questions that will undoubtedly plague fan fiction for generations to come. Who was the mystery woman that was helping Wilf and the Doctor? Was it Romana, the White Guardian, the Doctor's mother, or none of the above?

We only saw a brief glimpse of Matt Smith as the Doctor, but it was a pretty good start. He was bringing down the house.

[saturn5]

I liked it a lot and truly hope we see more of the Timelords and Romana (or Susan? or Jenny?)

[jomtoyn]

I remember being so excited on Saturday nights when I was a kid, waiting for Dr. Who. I thought it was the best show ever made. Then, I grew up, Dr. Who went off the air, and no one I knew had ever heard of it. Then I found out there was going to be a new series. I was a little nervous about it. Was it going to live up to the expectations I had carried around since I was little? Would they screw it up? Would the Dr. suck? Would his assistant suck? Would they create a more intimate relationship with the Dr. and his assistant? YES, NO, NO, NO, NO!!! This show is wonderful!! I love the new Dr. I love his assistant. I love the show. And I find myself excited on Friday nights now, waiting for the "new" episode. I'm just now seeing 2005 episodes, as I live in the States, so I'm a little behind the rest of you. I hope the next Dr. is as great as this one!

[IronMaiden]

I watched the second episode of the new season last night and it was great!! I have moments when i swear Matt Smith is channeling David Tennant and times when he really brings himself to the charactor.

It's a great start to the new season!

P.S. Nice to see an assistant (amilia pond) who will challenge him too!

[lewiz34]

Well series 5 of Doctor Who has finished and it went out with a bang, a big bang actually . I thought for the first series for Matt Smith and Karen Gillan was really good. I thought Matt Smith's take on the Doctor was 'spot on' he delivered his role with the correct humor and emotion needed for the role and I thought he was a little bit better than David Tennant. Karen Gillan was also a very good companion obviously not as good as past companions but still up there. I think she played her role to suit a younger audience, I suppose thats why she didn't reach out to me, but she still was very good. I did like Arthur Darvill, who played Rory Williams, I thought he created the tension needed on the show, to show how much him and amy were in love. Which reflected the emotion of the show.

[Ancient One]

All of which makes you wonder why ( if the rumours are true) they are going to get it so wrong by casting Johnny Depp as the Dr. in the proposed movie.

[fortunesfool]

Loving Matt Smith but Karen Gillan is starting to grate a bit. Her goggle eyed wonder or OTT line delivery was amusing to start with but...

Overjoyed to see that Moffat has jettisoned the stupid soap opera nonsense that so blighted the RTD era stuff. And the needless gay jokes. And endless pop culture references.

There's a Neil Gaiman penned episode lined up for series 2. Should be interesting.