New Doctor Who

[ccrobinson]

Season 22 of Doctor Who didn't have the worst stories I've ever seen, but, when combined with some of the worst acting ever, it's no wonder season 22 was a disaster. As I write this, I'm watching Revelation of the Daleks and the Doctor is yelling at Peri again.

As a Companion, Peri is next to useless. She spends her time whining and screaming and taking up valuable screen time by adding next to nothing. And, why is he yelling at her yet again? He yells at her all the time for little to no reason. Sometimes, the bickering was kinda cute, but, after a season of it, it's annoying and pointless and wearying. Writing the Doctor this way was a bold way to go, and not the worst idea ever, but the way it's gone, season 22 has had the fun of a trip to the dentist. Watching season 22 of Doctor Who had to be done out of a sense of loyalty to the show, not because you liked it.

 

[InTheLight]

Writing the Doctor this way was a bold way to go, and not the worst idea ever, but the way it's gone, season 22 has had the fun of a trip to the dentist. Watching season 22 of Doctor Who had to be done out of a sense of loyalty to the show, not because you liked it.

That is an excellent summation of S24 as well. If you are working your way through the classic series I really can't for you to get to Delta and the Bannermen, Paradise Towers, and Dragonfire. ONLY a sense of loyalty will get you through those dregs.

The (literal) cliff hanger and resolution scene in Dragonfire is hands down the worst scene in Doctor Who history. Except maybe the Zarbi dancing scene in Web Planet or possibly the motorcycle race and jumping scene in Survival.

Time and the Rani is the opener to S24 and while it certainly has its problems it isn't horrendous. Plus it's a regeneration story so it has that going for it.

 

[ccrobinson]

I just finished the first episode of season 23, Trial of a Time Lord, and I can see that Season 23 has pain written all over it. BTW, what moron approved the changing of the theme music? It's awful, even for the 80s.

 

[ccrobinson]

Here we go.

The new Doctor will be announced on Sunday at 1pm Central, followed quickly by an army of Who-fans trashing him based on a single picture they have seen, as well as whatever small TV work he's done. This will then be followed by an angry outrage because the Doctor is not the black/white/British/Irish/Welsh/American/Asian/female/male/gay/straight/old/young/middle-aged actor/actress they wanted.

This will be followed by a backlash against the backlash, where other Whovians plead with the 1st group to at least give the Doctor a chance. The 2nd group then gets attacked by the 1st group. When the new Doctor shows up in the new season, most will say that he's terrific, like most of the other ones, though many will still that he's not as good as a previous Doctor.

 

[InTheLight]

Yeah, you're right.

Of the candidates mentioned in the link you provided I like, in this order, Peter Capaldi, Idris Elba, and then Rory Kinnear. The Doctor needs to be a guy who looks to be at least 40 (human) years old. I'm ready for a black Doctor. I don't know anything about these guys' acting abilities, I'm just going on appearances.

 

[ccrobinson]

Going back to season 23, can somebody tell me how the Doctor can possibly go into the future of his own personal timeline? Especially since we were told that he was pulled out of time during the Mindwarp story, so he couldn't have gone forward into his future timeline until after they let him go. I know Moffat loves to play with time tricks, but even he doesn't do something as stupid as this.

 

[InTheLight]

Going back to season 23, can somebody tell me how the Doctor can possibly go into the future of his own personal timeline? Especially since we were told that he was pulled out of time during the Mindwarp story, so he couldn't have gone forward into his future timeline until after they let him go. I know Moffat loves to play with time tricks, but even he doesn't do something as stupid as this.

I don't remember much of Trial of a Timelord, but didn't he "go into" his personal timeline via Time Lord technology at the trial?

 

[ccrobinson]

They pulled him out of his time stream at the end of Mindwarp to be put on trial. Next thing you know, he's using the Terror of the Vervoids story, set in his future personal timeline, for a defense. But, since he was pulled out of time before Terror of the Vervoids, and they didn't let him go until after the "trial", how would he have ever advanced his personal timeline for that story? It makes absolutely no sense.

Moffat does these impossible time tricks all the time, see Blink and The Big Bang for 2 examples that still annoy me. I like Blink as well as anybody, but there has to be a point of origin of things, and that point of origin never really happens. In The Big Bang, the Doctor gives Rory his sonic, except he can't give it to Rory yet, because he's not out of the Pandorica yet in order to jump forward to 2010 and give his sonic to Roman soldier Rory.

BTW, it annoys me all the time when I hear about fans saying that Blink most resembles a Classic Doctor Who. Nonsense. Blink is a Doctor lite story. Besides the best David Tennant story was Human Nuture/Familiy of Blood and you cannot convince me otherwise.

Anyway, I hope I explained my objection to the Terror of the Vervoids story well enough.

 

[InTheLight]

Using the background plot info you've given me for Terror of the Vervoids my objection would be that since the Doctor HAS a future timeline we can infer that nothing of consequence happens to him at the trial.

Blink is a great story, but I can't understand why fans would say it resembles a classic Who story. How can it? The Doctor scarcely makes an appearance! I don't remember any problems with the time lines and origins, and I'm usually sensitive to plot holes and that sort of thing (you might have noticed...) Besides, any objections could be dismissed because it's "a big ball of wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey... stuff."

Human Nature/Family is another great story. I read the book 15 years ago when it was a McCoy story.

From the Tennant era, besides the stories already mentioned I really like Midnight.

 

[ccrobinson]

my objection would be that since the Doctor HAS a future timeline we can infer that nothing of consequence happens to him at the trial.

Yes, I agree. Season 23 was pointless.

I'm usually sensitive to plot holes and that sort of thing (you might have noticed...)

You don't say. Huh. Funny, I thought I would have caught on to this about you by now.

My problem with Blink is summed up in The Bootstrap Paradox. For some reason, I'd never looked into this before, but I found this piece, which goes a long in explaining it so an idiot like me can understand it. The piece actually explains it pretty well. Wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey makes more sense to me now.

I loved most of season 4, except for The Doctor's Daughter and what happened to Donna. Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead, Midnight, Turn Left were all terrific.

That is an excellent summation of S24 as well.

I've slogged my way through Paradise Towers and Delta and the Bannermen is simply awful. After Colin Baker's 2 terrible seasons and half a season of McCoy, fans had to be asking, "What happened to my show and how do I get it back?"

 

[ccrobinson]

Moffat says, "It's an incendiary combination: one of the most talented actors of his generation is about to play the best part on television."

British friends, please tell me if I should be happy about who's going to be the 12th Doctor.

 

[Don]

Peter Capaldi???

We've gone from three younger doctors to a middle-aged? Interesting....

 

[Don]

Seriously, this is going to be a hard one for me. I'm not getting past the character Mr. Capaldi played in "Torchwood: Children of Men"....

We'll see.

 

[ccrobinson]

There was one thing that just floored me today. Moffat said that it's been established that a Time Lord can change genders. What?! When was this established?

I'm up to Dragonfire in season 24 and the end of episode 1 is about the stupidest thing I've ever seen on the show. Good job on writing the Doctor as a complete buffoon. As I write this, they just wasted 4 minutes of screen time on Glitz rescuing the Doctor in the most ridiculous slapstick method possible, only less funny.

And enough with the tipping of the hat!!! It makes the Doctor look like a complete doofus. Although, considering how badly JNT screwed up the 6th Doctor, maybe making the 7th look like a doofus was the idea.

 

[InTheLight]

Seriously, this is going to be a hard one for me. I'm not getting past the character Mr. Capaldi played in "Torchwood: Children of Men"....

We'll see.

I'm safe. I've only seen him in Fires of Pompeii and I don't remember his character.

 

[InTheLight]

Yes, the McCoy doctor was an embarrassing clown. Tipping the hat and rolling it down his arm is annoying enough, then throw in his r-r-rolling of his r's, and the playing of the spoons, well, you've got a disaster.

 

[InTheLight]

There was one thing that just floored me today. Moffat said that it's been established that a Time Lord can change genders. What?! When was this established?

Can't remember, when Romana regenerated did she "try out" a male body? Otherwise, it could have happened in a book.

 

[ccrobinson]

The bodies that Romana tried were all female.

I think that what Moffat is referring to is after regenerating from 10 to 11, he felt his hair and exclaimed, "I'm a girl!" Then, checked his Adam's Apple and realized he wasn't a girl. The idea being that regenerating into a woman was a possibility.

I haven't seen 7 play spoons yet. Can't wait. :tonofbricks:

I've only seen him in Fires of Pompeii and I don't remember his character.

He was the guy, Caecillius, (spelling?) who bought the TARDIS as art.


BTW, my middle son asked a question the other day. He asked how are the Daleks able to build anything since they have no arms. I had no answer for him.

 

[ccrobinson]

Neil Gaiman talks 12th Doctor and Regeneration Limit.

This explains where the changing gender on regeneration was established. Obviously, something I'd totally forgotten about.

 

[InTheLight]

BTW, my middle son asked a question the other day. He asked how are the Daleks able to build anything since they have no arms. I had no answer for him.

They have different plug-in appendages, not just the plunger and weapons. They have claws, cutters, etc.