I didn't think it was bad. It certainly wasn't anything earth-shaking, but they can't all be important episodes. For a one-off, I had no problems with this episode.
I enjoyed it a lot. I love the Doctor when is running around having a good time and this is one of those episodes. I thought the reveal that it was a Siliran ship was a nice touch. The more we know about the Siliran, the more I get the feeling we would be better off with them in charge of Earth. I also like Amy being the Doctor and even yelling about companions.
Nice Harry Potter reunion too. I also loved Rory's Dad being confused then getting along with it. Plus, the end was a nice touch. I am all about fun episodes and I think that was the massive problem with Season Six. There was no sense of joy minus maybe the Doctor's Wife. It was all doom and gloom waiting for the Doctor to die. This episode was a nice back to basics, Doctor Who is fun, can do anything and at the same times be intense. I will say I am curious how he is pulling off the no one knows him bit as well as him murdering the old pirate. I think the finale will see a bit of the darkside of the Doctor.
The Wee Baby Sheamus.Twitter: @realjoecarfley its a bit more toned down there. A bit.
There's a sharp divide on this one between the folks who think that WHO is SERIOUS SCIFI BUSINESS and those who recognise that's still at heart an eccentric family entertainment show. I fall in the latter camp, and thought this was a fun, silly one-off with a cracking villain. The only thing that bugged was the Doctor cheerfully abandoning Solomon to his fate at the end.
Originally posted by Amos CochranThe only thing that bugged was the Doctor cheerfully abandoning Solomon to his fate at the end.
I feel like this has been a fairly consistent aspect of his character over the years. He is definitely not above murder, and it's not like he didn't give Solomon plenty of chances to give up and clear out.
Originally posted by Tenken347I feel like this has been a fairly consistent aspect of his character over the years. He is definitely not above murder, and it's not like he didn't give Solomon plenty of chances to give up and clear out.
Yeah, I think we established he'll give you a pass if you're the last of your species but if killing needs to be done it's totally an option. Besides, this wasn't really murder as such. The missiles were already en route so somebody was going to die. Better random old evil douchenozzle than innocent dinosaurs.
Not sure where you guys are getting the idea that the Doctor is totally cool with murdering people from. This is a character who had a crisis of conscience when faced with the opportunity to wipe out the most destructive, evil race in the universe. And in the new WHO his mercy has very much been highlighted again and again.
Then again, the Eleventh Doctor has always been a little more willing to get his hands dirty than the Tenth.
Originally posted by Amos CochranNot sure where you guys are getting the idea that the Doctor is totally cool with murdering people from.
He's not "totally cool" with it, but he absolutely will. Just last week he fired one self-destructing crazy Dalek into a room full of crazy Daleks which ended less than well for those of a Dalek persuasion.
And in his last incarnation he flat drowned the big red spidery queen (Racnoss?). And a ton of Cybermen and Daleks have died at his hands down the years. And he pretty much programmed the entire human race to kill the Silence on sight. Plus other examples.
This is a character who had a crisis of conscience when faced with the opportunity to wipe out the most destructive, evil race in the universe.
Yeah, but that was the "last of your species" exemption.
in the new WHO his mercy has very much been highlighted again and again.
As has his darker, willing to kill side. Certainly much more so than I ever remember as a kid.
He's killed to save his life or the lives of others before, certainly. But leaving a guy to get blown to smithereens on an autopiloted ship? That's some cold shit, man.It's a long way from the Tenth Doctor's "I NEVER WOULD".
Doctors Who(m) have killed willy-nilly: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11. Genocide /= letting people die.
"The Doctor doesn't carry a weapon!" is a looooong way off from "The Doctor doesn't kill!" Not everyone can be "saved." Nu-Whovians are kind-of blowing this out of proportion.
"Tattoos are the mullets of the aughts." - Mike Naimark
Originally posted by Amos CochranThat's some cold shit, man.It's a long way from the Tenth Doctor's "I NEVER WOULD".
The Tenth consigned each member of The Family to their own solitary, eternal, personal hell. That's right up there on the cold-shit-ometer.
With more humanoid types he'll quite often give you plenty of chances to repent and if those chances aren't taken then death may follow. Most often the evildoer will be hoist by their own petard, but you could argue that's sort of what happened on Saturday given that the missiles were only fired because the old fella wouldn't change course.
The only thing I thought really stood out about this death was that it wasn't treated as a big deal at all. Every other example I gave (except for the Crazy Dalek Explosion) was treated as a Really Big Fucking Deal so to have him be comparatively apathetic about killing someone seemed a bit out of character.
This has to be the geekiest conversation either of us have had today, right?
The Tenth also sent his own people back into hell by saving the life of his worst enemy as his last act. Ten also killed a guy in his first fight. In between, its been rather on again/off again about killing. I always view a new Doctor has his own man. 9 was willing to use guns and kill due to his experiences in the war, but mellowed out. 10 was more about discovery and adventure, but would give you the Tennant death look when shit had to go down. 11 is a lot of running around having a good time as well as being BFF with the Ponds. He is also a bit more on its ok to hurt or kill the bad guy. You have to remember the Doctor turns people into weapons from Sarah to Rose to Martha to Donna to the Ponds. Last week was one of the times where he was the weapon instead of the others.
(edited by lotjx on 10.9.12 1525) The Wee Baby Sheamus.Twitter: @realjoecarfley its a bit more toned down there. A bit.
I have no problem the Doctor killing as I know the Doctor has killed in the past, but the big difference was that in this ep Matt Smith basically acted like John Cena by being smug and making jokes in what should have been a serious scene. When Docters have killed in the past, they always showed some depth to their acting by acting conflicted in the act.
Originally posted by Amos CochranThere's a sharp divide on this one between the folks who think that WHO is SERIOUS SCIFI BUSINESS and those who recognise that's still at heart an eccentric family entertainment show. I fall in the latter camp, and thought this was a fun, silly one-off with a cracking villain. The only thing that bugged was the Doctor cheerfully abandoning Solomon to his fate at the end.
I'd say can do a funny, kid friendly episode without being stinky, as in this case.
Curse of the Black Spot was the token "kid friendly episode 2" last year (if you count the 2 parter as 1 episode) and was more entertaining.
Originally posted by Amos CochranThere's a sharp divide on this one between the folks who think that WHO is SERIOUS SCIFI BUSINESS and those who recognise that's still at heart an eccentric family entertainment show. I fall in the latter camp, and thought this was a fun, silly one-off with a cracking villain. The only thing that bugged was the Doctor cheerfully abandoning Solomon to his fate at the end.
I'd say can do a funny, kid friendly episode without being stinky, as in this case.
Curse of the Black Spot was the token "kid friendly episode 2" last year (if you count the 2 parter as 1 episode) and was more entertaining.
Black Spot was terrible. It didn't have the fun of this one and the lets kill Rory was wearing thin. This had Dinosaurs on a Spaceship. Nuff said.
The Wee Baby Sheamus.Twitter: @realjoecarfley its a bit more toned down there. A bit.
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