Doctor Who (Russell T Davies/Steven Moffat)

[junior94]

Originally Posted by clayj41

I really, really dug it. The cliffhanger didn't surprise me at all. 20 minutes into the episode I was thinking that the scope of this story will have to stretch multiple episodes.

what really kind of throws me, I've already seen others around online talking about how they'll really miss Jenna, that they honestly seem to believe this was her exit already (now we know it's definitely imminent). umm... okay so we know Clara leaves this year, but not YET. If for no other reason, we've already seen tons of preview footage throughout several other episodes featuring her. The Doctor is obviously going to find some way to reverse this, which, that is something Moffat needs to be careful of. I don't get down on him nearly as much as some others do who want him long gone off this franchise, but he does at times have major plot happenings get "fixed" a bit too easily, with some simple reset.


Also I'm a little surprised at the Doctor's behavior here in the beginning. That is, since (one he realized the kid was Davros) he wasn't making the decision to directly kill him, but rather pulling a Batman Begins-type thing and content to simply walk away from a situation that he assumed was likely to end in Davros' death, to not specifically intervene, surely he couldn't have realized that THAT is exactly what would help mold Davros into such a villain? That that scene had already happened long ago in the grand scheme of the universe, he was just experiencing it for the first time, he wasn't changing anything (though a fact that also made Davros' line of "I like your new face" to him a bit odd... while yes, Davros has seen the Doctor in the past with different faces, but the first time he ever saw him was as Capaldi thanks to timey-wimey, so it wasn't new to him at all).

[hmich176]

Originally Posted by clayj41

I really, really dug it. The cliffhanger didn't surprise me at all. 20 minutes into the episode I was thinking that the scope of this story will have to stretch multiple episodes.

This was promoted as a two part episode a while back.

[aeroshady]

So I had a hard time getting into this season after episode one. I didn't like last season very much and I believe that Moffat has long overstayed his welcome.

All of that said, I have enjoyed this season a lot more so far. I just finished the episode with the under water town. While there were many things about those episodes that reminded me of "Water on Mars," I still think the show was way more watchable than most of last season.

There is still much work to be done to get the show back to where it was 10 years ago, but it is getting better again.

[jaking1185]

So long Jenna...

[clayj41]

I actually haven't been the biggest fan of this season, but that was some heartbreaking shit.


Saving Ashildr is amongst the biggest mistakes the Doctor has ever made.

[junior94]

EDIT: yeeeeeea so I quickly realized on retrospect, this post is a long fucker even for me... so what can I say, ya don't wanna read it then just move the fuck on, nobody's forcing ya

Originally Posted by jaking1185

So long Jenna...

Originally Posted by clayj41

I actually haven't been the biggest fan of this season, but that was some heartbreaking shit.


Saving Ashildr is amongst the biggest mistakes the Doctor has ever made.

yea but see, the entirety of how things went down leading up to this, I had in the back of my mind the whole time "yea but this isn't REALLY going to truly be her final, goodbye episode yet, right?" so I wound up feeling practically nothing during that last scene in the street. Which that itself really bums me out, because I've absolutely adored Clara. Sure I've got a massive crush on Jenna Coleman herself, but I've genuinely loved the character, too. We knew going into series 9 that Jenna was leaving, and first off I think most people thought it'd be a reasonable assumption she'd be gone by the finale (that's NOT including the Christmas episode, I consider that as extra, and plus there was plenty of talk about Alex Kingston being around on set as River for that, but no Coleman at all). And that in the "on next week's show" preview at the end of the sleep monster episode, they were being so blatant with making it out that it was her farewell (and then keeping in mind how Moffat operates often enough) it ultimately felt like a giant misdirect.

But the two other things, first of all there's set photos of Clara in a blue waitress uniform on the set of a place that's eerily similar to the American diner used in "The Impossible Astronaut" episode that obviously haven't translated in the episode run yet, but secondly a more story-based detail that feels up in the air to me. It felt pretty clearly made out that Ashilder was appointing herself someone who could keep an eye on the Doctor's companions and be there ready to help them when he'd invariably part ways with them. We even got visual proof from the one photo on Clara's cell, she's in the school yard with students and you pull back, there's Ashilder looking right at the lens. Well Ashilder doesn't really need to "be there" for Clara and help her transition if Clara's DEAD. So that's why I didn't necessarily think Clara would have to perish to make her exit from the show.

So you put that all together (sorry I know that was a mouthful, even for me ) and it gave me a fair bit of uneasiness going thru the episode, and I certainly would like to have a great, powerful emotional reaction to Clara Oswald going for good. Hell in Amy & Rory's last, the weeping angels in NY and that last one gets them in the cemetery at the very end (and especially that it happens RIGHT after you finally feel like they escaped major danger and can be okay now) I won't lie I was a blubbering mess
and I liked Amy so much I made my whole music video about her -- shameless promotion!!! -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CqR13IUW34

but yea anyway, I hold out hope. Rumor is (and the preview seems to back it up) next week -- which is the next to last episode (and again, not counting Xmas as the last ep, the proper 'finale' ep is the one after next week) seems to be quite the bottle episode, with the Doctor as the only physical character in the whole story. Peter Capaldi the only name on the call sheet. Heaven Sent, it's called. so really, Hell Bent would pretty much be the last possible place for Clara to reappear for her real goodbye... mind you, that being for more than just one simple little 30 second pop in cameo or something.
At any rate, I know it's clear that I've definitely got to do a full rewatch of this last episode within the next couple of days or so.

[jaking1185]

Probably something to do with the Zygon Clara I'd guess.

[jaking1185]

I'd always felt that The Day Of The Doctor was supposed to be about the 3 modern Doctors, and Moffat finally confirmed that:

http://io9.com/steven-moffat-reveals...ann-1744236012

[jaking1185]

Now that was a proper good bye to Clara.

[RushianSyrinx]

Agreed. It was well done.

[clayj41]

Steven Moffat officially stepping down as showrunner:

http://collider.com/doctor-who-steven-moffat-season-10/

Chris Chibnall will replace him.

[junior94]

I was just sitting there thinking... I TOTALLY understand Moffat on how he poo poo's (and has for several years) on the notion of there being some Doctor Who/Sherlock crossover special. As much as ultimately it may sound ridiculous and hypocritical to say within the DW context, it just makes too much weird nonsense. Obviously SH is a fictional character. The Doctor can certainly meet characters in his show who are works of fiction -- within that show -- and he can meet real humans from history. But he's very rarely met a fictional character from our human history.

but yea okay so I digress (shocker!) but that I've never blamed on Moffat for not seriously trying to put that together before.
HOWEVER... I think it might just be something fun you could throw together for a Children In Need special one-ff event. And not even just Sherlock and the Doctor, but also John and the Companion. Just the theory of it would be cool. Hell even if you just have it so some digital version of Sherlock and John get "out and loose" in physical from from the Tardis library. Of course at this point who would it be from the Tardis side. We don't even know who the series 10 companion will be, and probably a 50/50 chance at least it's the last go for Capaldi anyway.

[hmich176]

There is no need for a Sherlock / Doctor Who crossover. There are enough crossover events as it is.

[hmich176]

Originally Posted by clayj41

Steven Moffat officially stepping down as showrunner:

http://collider.com/doctor-who-steven-moffat-season-10/

Chris Chibnall will replace him.

Thank God. His time is almost over.

[junior94]

The new companion will be officially announced this Saturday!

[clayj41]

Originally Posted by junior94

The new companion will be officially announced this Saturday!

And here's the info:

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-36111598

[junior94]

Clay, how dare you beat me in sharing this news

True, it's going to be unbelievably hard for this girl to fill the shoes of Clara in my mind, and what with the downright unhealthy level of crushness I've had going on with Jenna Coleman for a long time now But only time will tell

btw, I still think there's a very legit chance this will be a one-off for both 12 and the companion for this impending run. That by the time Chibnall starts his run proper in 2018 with series 11, he'll have both a brand new Doctor AND companion.

[junior94]

so I decided to put this here, even though it's not at all DW-related. I was thinking about starting a new thread centered around enjoying to follow British television (and maybe sorta culture?) just on the whole, but I'm really not sure there's enough people on here for it to seem worth it.

But maybe at least some of the other Whovians on here will be familiar with what I'm talking about, the show that Channel 4 has put on every year since 2005, "The Big Fat Quiz Of The Year". Basically like a pub quiz/game show, hosted by Jimmy Carr and has 3 different 2-person teams comprised of mostly English comedians/personalities. They have however the last few years started to get a couple more Americans involved. Anyway, when they did the special "Big Fat Quiz Of Everything" just after the new year and the 2015 episode, there was talk of finally doing a proper series of this, ya know having a good 6-8 episodes in one weekly go. I had MAJORLY wanted this for a long damn time, but was remaining skeptical.


Anyway, I literally only just found out yesterday, this was finally happening, but also the first episode aired last night. A rip of the whole thing is in the torrents, but it's also on Youtube. The channel "Nick from Fulham" is practically a legend among American fans of Brit TV for the amount of episodes of different series he's uploaded over the years.

THE BIG FAT QUIZ OF EVERYTHING - 01X01
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcaQsaZhBjM


edit: okay and for this to have at least still a little bit of Doctor Who info... well I've caught some behind the scenes photos and stuff on twitter here and there, they are I would imagine probably at least about halfway thru shooting of series 10 right now. Still no specific premiere date, but surely no later than early Spring 2017.

[clayj41]

Peter Capaldi will be leaving the show after the 2017 Christmas special.

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-r...ing-doctor-who

[junior94]

I would put in my response on how this wasn't remotely news to me at all, I 100% expected it, but I see my post already from last April made that pretty clear

[junior94]

oh however here's a fresh thought: I realize I never did pop in with my impressions of this last Christmas special.

holy MOLY was it so completely mediocre, at best. It's literally like it only existed because there's supposed to be a new DW Christmas show every year. Moffat's heart (nor brain) was obviously not really in the writing of that thing at all. I'm trying not to let it influence too heavily my anticipation for Moffat's last total go on the show, but it's not exactly super encouraging. Thing is, as I've said elsewhere, Moffat did come into the running of Doctor Who with a VERY elaborate long game, but it feels like he pretty much finished telling it within the last 2 years of the show. like the stuff now just seems like an unnecessary coda, that he really did want to leave, but couldn't before series 10 without it feeling too abrupt to the BBC.

[thebestauntie]

Well crap

[aeroshady]

I really don't like this 3 seasons and done rule at Dr. Who. I felt like Peter Capaldi never really settled in as the Doctor and is leaving a lot of untapped potential on the table. I would really like to see someone stick it out for 4-6 seasons.

[junior94]

So there was another new trailer they put out within the last week

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-7XApJGHnA

thing is, while we know already that this is Capaldi's last go as the Doctor, everyone assumed the regeneration would happen in the 2017 Christmas special. A tiny bit of the footage in this trailer suggests he might just be gone BEFORE then.


But also news that I think might be the coolest bit of all. We've seen multiple occasions now where more than one regeneration of the Doctor was in one room at the same time, getting to interact with each other, but now we'll get to see it with the Master as well! It's been confirmed that John Simm will return to play the Master, and on screen at the same time as Michelle Gomez's Missy.

[junior94]

The series 10 premiere airs today! though I still haven't watched it yet. Capaldi was on the latest Graham Norton Show and when asked if he was done shooting everything yet, he replied "well though there will be still the Christmas special to do", but also then seconds later remarked "I have filmed the death of my character already".


so make of that what you will. But really the other main thing I wanted to post here was this thing I found the other day, it's kind of mind blowing. Remember the adorable little redhead that played the original little girl version of Amy Pond over multiple episodes? that was in fact actually a real life cousin of Karen Gillan's? (though they'd never met before filming)
Well she's 16 years old now. look at this, and agree that they pretty well nailed a "younger Karen Gillan"

http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/doctor-...-karen-gillan/

[junior94]

we're so very close now! It's been made official, the announcement of who the 13th Doctor is played by will be on Sunday, July 16th, just two days away. Didn't get the exact minute but I know it's something to do with the Wimbledon broadcast.

still most people have the Love, Actually actor Kris Marshall as being very much the favorite.

[jaking1185]

A female Doctor? Cool.

[clayj41]

Awesome.

[OK_Ant]

Really? Wasn't Dr. Who written as a man?

[junior94]

All 13 of the previous versions of the Doctor so far (and that's including the unnumbered "War Doctor" as introduced in the 50th anniversary special episode) have been white males, yes. But it's also already been established in the mythology of the series that throughout a Time Lord's many regenerations, at any given time they can change both in gender and in race. The Doctor's longest standing rival, fellow Time Lord called The Master, he had already regenerated into a woman going back to a couple years ago when the Master was then being called "Missy".

The problem is the whiners who are insisting the entire reason for why this was done now was the overabundance of political correctness. That, again, even though it's been shown a white male can turn into even a black female, though are those who were adamant that the show should ONLY EVER be a man, and that if it was anything else they would never watch the show again. I say good fucking riddance.

The series has a new showrunner coming in now, Chris Chibnall who created Broadchurch (and this actress Jodie Whittaker was one of the leading ladies in it for the 3 seasons), and it doesn't seem at all unreasonable to me to give him the benefit of the doubt. and that a woman was cast as the Doctor because that was absolutely the most appropriate way to go for how he was going to be writing the character and the stories he wanted to tell in his run. But, hey that's just a bit too much nuanced and substantive for some people to be able to take