Yeah...there isn't a single theropod dinosaur that gets anywhere near that big. Just pretend it was some Silurian genetically engineered critter.
That is, as I recall, the answer that was given when Moffat was asked that a while back.
If nothing else, it's a popular fan interpretation, and one I share.
I thought tonight's episode was way better than the first episode of the season. It's nice to actually have an episode of Capaldi as the doctor for the full thing.
I'm kinda getting bored with daleks. For supposedly indestructible masters of extermination, they get obliterated every five episodes or so. Sure they always survive, but still.
It's the curse of being a popular monster - you appear more often so they get defeated more often.
Liked this episode a lot - but that theme arrangement has to go. Maybe they're harking back to Seventh (which it reminds me of) with the era of a 'dark' Doctor but it just grates with me.
Cheers
Mark
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BTW, is there a specific reason why we don't see the Weeping Angels move when nobody is looking at them.
If it is because we're looking at them, kinda makes them extra creepy.
They changed that in the 5th season in "The Time of the Angels" and "The Flesh and the Stone". Truthfully, it was when I realized I really wasn't going to enjoy Moffat's run - the angels were creepy when we didn't see them move.
When we did, they were just crappy CGI.
I'm honestly shocked how much praise this episode of Who received. It's the exact same Dalek episode from Season 1! It uses even almost the exact same "WHAM!" line:
I know people wanted a 'darker' Doctor, but really not a fan of how easily this - and the Smith incarnation - are always straddling the line of 'murderous psychopath'. I don't know, maybe that is closer to the incarnation from the 70s, but we have enough of those types on television now. Do we really need another show with an insufferable genius who really doesn't care for people and only shows interest in them as 'mysteries' to be solved?
In visual style they are pointing to Pertwee. He was one of the most fun of the Doctors, and he had a large regular supporting cast that you grew to care about.
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My conspiracy theory is that Michelle Gomez's character Missy is the same character she played in the Green Wing, Sue White the HR consultant from hell. (lots of NSFW language)
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OK, you guys are more up on the new Doctor stuff while I'm not, being more a fan in the old days. I've watched the odd episode, typically the specials, but I sat down with the wife to watch the first Capaldi. So, please answer me this:
- who was the lesbian lizard? There was no attempt to explain this to the casual watcher.
- why was she hanging with a Sontaran, and why was he nice(-ish) and played for laughs (which was the death knell, incidentally, of the old series)?
- how come none of the locals were freaked out by two obvious aliens walking around among them?
- why is it OK by the Doctor (or his companion, anyway) to hang with said lesbian lizard when it is implied she eats people, even if they are nasty people? What's with the glib, "shrugging" morality? I know it's intended to be entertainment on a Saturday night but they managed to cover a bigger moral compass than this with cardboard sets and monsters made of bubblewrap in a twenty-five minute episode.
- why does it feel like an episode of Sherlock - same sort of style, dialogue? Wait, I actually know the answer to that one.
I have never understood the appeal of the new Doctor Who. Can someone explain it to me? There was a moral and philosphical core - more or less - in the old days whereas now the whole thing seems to be padded out with mawkish sentimental whining. I really want to like it - it's Doctor Who, for Christ's sake - but it just seems to me to be boring, trivial and a bit dumb.
And please, how many times have they been to Victorian London?
What aren't I getting (this is a serious enquiry, not a trolling)?
That said, I thought Capaldi was good.
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Lady Vastra, Jenny, and Commander Strax are reoccurring characters in New Who, who first appeared in "A Good Man Goes to War" and have been in several episodes since. Vastra and Strax both owed a debt to the doctor, and hence while they are friendly to him.
I dunno..I think there is a consistent moral and philosophical core to the new series. Perhaps watching a season instead of random episodes here and there would help?
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I'm sure it would, but on the other hand I'm not going to force myself to watch something I don't really like. I guess it's a Marmite thing - you either like it or you don't. I'll give the next episode a go (on iPlayer) and see what I think.
That said, I think the main issue, on reflection, is the format of 50 minute episodes, so a story has to crammed into about half the time that a story under the 4 25 minute episodes format old serial format provided. It all seems very rushed, people run around a lot, and then there's a rushed, implausible climactic scene, and then at the end there's a bit cod-heavy emotion about something or other (this time the regeneration, but someone always has a moan about something). It's all over before you'd half-way through a old serial.
Not, of course, that old Who was always great - the later stuff was famously duff and even during the classic period they had plenty of less memorable stories (which unreliable memory tends to edit out). But at least there was time to develop the story a bit more.
I can't be the only one who remembers the old Who here - is there anyone else who has a view on this?
question on last dalek episode? Why did he turn down the request?
Also after watching episode 1 i thought the possible "big Bad" was going to create a team to go after the Dr but now i'm not sure whats going on
First time ive ever felt sorry for a Dalek! I for one love Daleks so i hope we see them once more this season. would love a Davros reunion and a return trip to Skaro.
the dalek shield/damage resist thing is all over the place
question on last dalek episode? Why did he turn down the request?
The Doctor isn't big on soldiers.
Tell that to several of his former companions, some of whom WERE soldiers or warriors. Hell, tell that to the Brigadier.question on last dalek episode? Why did he turn down the request?The Doctor isn't big on soldiers.
I'm well aware of them. However, this Doctor doesn't seem to be big on soldiers. I'll stick with his explanation until a better one comes along.
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Ben Jackson was a member of the Royal Navy.
Sara Kingdom was a Space Security Service (SSS) agent.
Jamie McCrimmon was a Highland Scot who had fought the English at the Battle of Culloden.
Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart was the head of the UNIT's UK operations.
Sergeant John Benton was a member of UNIT.
Captain Mike Yates was a member of UNIT.
Harry Sullivan was a Royal Navy surgeon working with UNIT.
Leela was a warrior of the savage Sevateem.
Vislor Turlough was a Junior Ensign Commander in the Trion military.
"Jack Harkness" was a Time Agent, and posed as an American captain serving the the Royal Air Force for a time.
Canton Delaware III was a Secret Service Agent.
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Well, with Leela and Jamie, they fall under "warriors" more so than an organized military, true. And for that matter, Sara Kingdom and Jack Harkness weren't actually members of a military either (although Jack did pose as one for a while). But Turlough was absolutely a member of a military. He was exiled to Earth before he met the Doctor, that's true...but he had still been a member of the Trion military and fought in their civil war.
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It was revealed towards the very end that was the case, just before he left the series. But in actuality he was introduced as a public school boy (a strange public school boy, to be sure) and moped about in a very un-military fashion while he was in the series. In fact, Turlough's USP was his relationship with the Black Guardian, not his military prowess (which was displayed, I believe, precisely never, as he was a bit of a wet) and then once his story line ended he was written out - and suddenly his backstory was revealed as part of that. It's not even clear that backstory was even envisaged when the character was introduced, except for some vague alienness about him. And anyway, you got the impression the Doctor didn't see eye to eye with him a lot of the time either.
wasnt she a rebel? i wonder if he will be consistent if the newly introduced ex soldier becomes a possible companion
Shhhh it hasn't even aired here yet
Clara is adapting nicely to her nice status quo. I think the slap in the Darlek episode really set the tone for the new relationship and this episode followed up nicely on that. The School teacher is really shinning though now.
Third episode (Robin Hood episode). No 'Missy' section this time (I was more than expecting the Sheriff to get one, but it turned out that that was not to be the case). Went on about 'The Promised Land' instead. (Is 'Promised Land' supposed to be Gallifrey, maybe, since as of 'The Day of the Doctor' it turned out it might not have been 'permanently' blown-up/time-looped/whatever after all?)
** spoiler omitted **
I thought the episode was halfway-decent, but (at least for me) it could have been done better if the Robin Hood portrayal had been slightly less played-for-laughs, and done with slightly more gravitas.
Almost every thing in your post has spoilers, please be respectful for those of us who haven't seen it yet.
I am rather amused to see GoT actors die every single episode this season so far:
1st episode: Ser Dontos get harvested for his organs
2nd Episode: Dolorous Edd gets disintegrated by Dalek Antibodies
3rd Episode: Mace Tyrell dies at the hands of the Sheriff
The Day of the Doctor was a special event, simulcast around the world. BBCA generally broadcasts Dr. Who at 9:00 EDT. (2:00 am UTC).
Almost every thing in your post has spoilers, please be respectful for those of us who haven't seen it yet.I thought that these days episodes were airing the same day (or even the same time) overseas as in the UK? (There was certainly a lot of tarantara in the UK media to that effect when The Day of the Doctor came out.)
True but some of us don't have the time to watch it on the day it comes out. The trailers did reveal a lot but the un-spoilered part of your post reveled
Did i miss the part where the sheriff knows certain things. It felt like there was a puppetmaster that was never really introduced. The sheriff's look did remind me of the original masters and made me a little nostalgic.
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I'm personally very pleased with this season. So far. I was starting to tire of the Matt Smith slap stick, happy ending material, I think Moffat dropped the ball with John Hurts doctor and the return of Gallifrey. They should have left Hurt as a darker more sinister doctor rather tan redeeming him in the end.
I do, however think Capaldi is a truly awesome doctor. This season is really driven by him and he captures a sort or pertwee/baker feel that I grew up with. I'm not sure about the Moffat future, as I said before I found much of the previous season disappointing but I hope with the intent for a new darker feel Moffat will return to form bringing us more stories like his works in the earlier season.
So far the only thing I've been critical of - the golden arrow! I liked the dalek episode despite it parallels to the episode from the first new season.
yeah the golden arrow was...lame.
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Just watched episode 2. I appreciate what they were trying to do with this story. Two things bugged me as stylistic choices.
1)I didn't like it at all when the Doctor tricked that guy into eating the pill. First because the doctor I liked most (10) was the kind of guy who would *always* try to save anyone from every situation. Failed a lot of the times, but kept on trying. This one seems to have a "no reason we should all go down" mentality and no problem sacrificing lives. Even if the results are similar, I liked the earlier version much more. As Clara said at the end of the episode, it's the "trying" part that really matters. Second reason I didn't like it is that giving the guy false hope was rather cruel.
2) I know they needed to give Clara something to do in the episode, but needing her to point out the obvious to the Doctor (that they encountered a good Dalek, therefore there's a chance you can make that condition permanent) was a mistake. It makes him look really, really stupid. I get that a children's show wants to glorify Clara's position as a teacher who helps people think, but... come on. The Doctor has no right to brag about his intelligence if he is figuring things out entire scenes after the audience does.
I didn't have a problem with number 2 of your complaints. It fits in with the idea that the Doctor really isn't unbiased when it comes to Daleks. His hatred of them has been pointed out in multiple episodes as a major character flaw (admittably....if you are going to hate any race, Daleks seem to be a rational choice.
Also it was just nice that we have actually seen Clara be competent. Like seriously, the woman companions the last two seasons have been rather useless. I feel that Moffat has actually listened to those complaints, as episodes 2 and 3 gave Clara quite a bit to do.
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Amy was not useless, she has legs you can look at to forget...hmmmm...Amy's legs.