You Get A Prize, Honey - The 'Doctor Who' Thread

[DarthSkywalker]

Personally I miss Gold so far, I'm a sucker for his more in your face style and easy to remember themes rather than the more atmospheric subtle background music that Akinola seems to favor. Akinola's done well enough so far, but he has yet to actually impress me, to be fair though Gold took a few episodes before he got really good so I hope it's just down to Akinola's relative lack of experience and that he gets better as the show progresses.

I am watching the second episode right now. I agree on preferring Murray overall, even as I am enjoying what I am hearing so far. I do miss the themes that are instantly recognizable.

 

[Elayis]

The visuals for the new intro are cool looking, but overall it feels kinda aimless and boring, especially in regards to the remixed theme which has no sense of momentum and just putters out and ends abruptly. Series 5's visuals and music is still my favorite, it was rollicking and felt like a mini-movie all its own. I miss Murrary Gold.

The new TARDIS on the other hand looks like a complete disaster. Have crystals ever been a part of DW mythology? Seems like a very strange and arbitrary design choice.

 

[KillerMcQueen]

The Crystals are no more out of place than the coral was with 9/10's interior, I think they're just too close to the console and they'd look better if they were lit up a different color than yellow, I think a more pale orangish pink (think salt crystal lamps) would look great, especially if they amped up the blue lights on the wall a bit to contrast with them, some of the BTS stuff and leaked set photos we've seen has me hopeful that we might see the crystals light up in a variety of colors rather than just the yellow though, they should also be up against the walls imo, I can't imagine the crystals will make it easy to film in there, they won't really be able to do wide shots of the interior at all without having one or two blocking a lot of the shot.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

The new TARDIS looks like what if you entered the Fortress of Solitude, but no one turned on the lights. It's so dim.

It looks really strange to me. I don't know if I like it or not yet. It looks really busy and like they took 9/10's and just made everything out of different material. But again, it's super dim, a lot like the end credit and the general cinematography.

I love the new opening's look, though it does not look very Who. It reminds me more of Annihilation, especially with the new theme. Which I like, don't love, especially in its abridged version. But I do like that they seemingly kept the lights for the opening.

The episode was... fine? I am a big fan of Doctor's second episodes. Even when they aren't great, I have a real soft spot for them. The End of the World, The Beast Below and Into the Dalek are some of my personal favorites. This wasn't up there, though I did like it enough I guess. The show feels low energy now. What feels weird to me is that it is like Jodie is trying to give the show energy, but the rest of the show, including the writing, isn't keeping up. Even Jodie seems to be trying 11's childlike wonderment, but in a very oddly low ebb world. It's like it is trying to be slow and deliberate, but without much actually to it. Over nearly 2 hours, I can't say much has happened. I am hoping Chibnall isn't writing every episode this season.

So is next week's episode about Rosa Parks? If so, they best tread carefully.

 

[FunkMiller]

I love the new opening's look, though it does not look very Who. It reminds me more of Annihilation, especially with the new theme. Which I like, don't love, especially in its abridged version.

It’s very Who. It’s just not very nuWho.

 

[FunkMiller]

I'd prefer they just stay away from the Time Lords in general, Gallifrey and the Time Lords have been brought up constantly in the revived show and appeared several times, and I've honestly never really liked the Time Lords in their appearances in either New or Classic Who, the Master and their appearance in War Games excepted, the more they show the Time Lords, the less interesting they become..

Sorry. Don’t agree. The time is ripe for the reintroduction of Time Lord society, and the Doctor’s interactions with it - especially with a woman in the role. Some great opportunities for drama. Yes, it needs some updating and reinvention, but that kind of thing is no problem for Who.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

It’s very Who. It’s just not very nuWho.

Which Who opening looked like the creature from Annihilation?

 

[moviedoors]

I love the new opening's look, though it does not look very Who. It reminds me more of Annihilation, especially with the new theme. Which I like, don't love, especially in its abridged version.

It's totally made me think of that mandelbrot form the alien takes in ANNIHILATION.

 

[Dark Raven]

The visuals for the new intro are cool looking, but overall it feels kinda aimless and boring, especially in regards to the remixed theme which has no sense of momentum and just putters out and ends abruptly. Series 5's visuals and music is still my favorite, it was rollicking and felt like a mini-movie all its own. I miss Murrary Gold.

The new TARDIS on the other hand looks like a complete disaster. Have crystals ever been a part of DW mythology? Seems like a very strange and arbitrary design choice.

All of this. The new theme definitely is lacking in momentum. And I agree the series 5 opening looked like a mini movie. Nothing beats that. It almost looks like how Who would be if it were on the big screen with a grander orchestral arrangement and bigger budget.

And the new TARDIS looks rather boring inside.

The current visuals looks like something from the 70s or 80s, and the interior of the TARDIS looks like one of the sets of some alien planet or something from that period too.

You'd think they would want to go brighter both for the music and visuals and for the interior of the TARDIS when it comes to Jodie Whittaker.

 

[KillerMcQueen]

The episode was... fine? I am a big fan of Doctor's second episodes. Even when they aren't great, I have a real soft spot for them. The End of the World, The Beast Below and Into the Dalek are some of my personal favorites. This wasn't up there, though I did like it enough I guess. The show feels low energy now. What feels weird to me is that it is like Jodie is trying to give the show energy, but the rest of the show, including the writing, isn't keeping up. Even Jodie seems to be trying 11's childlike wonderment, but in a very oddly low ebb world. It's like it is trying to be slow and deliberate, but without much actually to it. Over nearly 2 hours, I can't say much has happened. I am hoping Chibnall isn't writing every episode this season.

Chibnall is the writer for episodes 1,2,6,9, and 10 this series. The other half of this series episodes are written by other writers. I don't know if he's writing the Christmas special or not this year.

 

[FunkMiller]

Which Who opening looked like the creature from Annihilation?

You’re being a little over specific there!

The style echoes the psychedelic visuals (howl around) used by the first three Doctors, rather than the literal imagery used in the most recent versions. The new theme mix is very remiscent of the theramin from the original theme. It’s all definitely a call back.

 

[Sithborg]

Looking at this, the light was definitely a bit of an issue with the initial reveal.

 

[TheComicbookKid]

The episode was... fine? I am a big fan of Doctor's second episodes. Even when they aren't great, I have a real soft spot for them. The End of the World, The Beast Below and Into the Dalek are some of my personal favorites. This wasn't up there, though I did like it enough I guess. The show feels low energy now. What feels weird to me is that it is like Jodie is trying to give the show energy, but the rest of the show, including the writing, isn't keeping up. Even Jodie seems to be trying 11's childlike wonderment, but in a very oddly low ebb world. It's like it is trying to be slow and deliberate, but without much actually to it. Over nearly 2 hours, I can't say much has happened. I am hoping Chibnall isn't writing every episode this season.

So is next week's episode about Rosa Parks? If so, they best tread carefully.

I said this to by brother.

The dynamic between the cast hasn't been established so there's no drive. For better or worse, by the time Rose, Donna, Clara, and Amy stepped into the Tardis for the first time. We knew why they wanted to be there.

So far, it's just the Doctor made a mistake and grabbed some people, and can't land the Tardis in the right time(assuming the Rosa ep is a false landing).

11 acting like a weird child made sense to a girl who admired an imaginary friend. Clara wanting to having stories and the Doctor trying to figure her out. Rose too, plus she had this mysterious father-like figure to show her along.




13 so far is definitely a throwback to OldWho where the Doctor was the main character and the companions experienced his world as he explained it to them/us. NuWho made an effort to make the companion's viewpoint as important as the Doctor.

 

[Dark Raven]

I find these new companions bland and unmemorable. Not one of them compares to someone like Jenna Coleman or Karen Gillan.

 

[DalekbusterFitz]

I meant 'big bad'

Ah, well that will be the plastic bags then that are bad for the environment.

 

[Dark Raven]

You’re being a little over specific there!

The style echoes the psychedelic visuals (howl around) used by the first three Doctors, rather than the literal imagery used in the most recent versions. The new theme mix is very remiscent of the theramin from the original theme. It’s all definitely a call back.

All of that is exactly what I don't like. When it got to Season 5 with the Murray Gold theme, that's when I thought it sounded like a proper rousing adventure theme. Even the visuals instantly look more like a show I want to watch.

The original version just sounds like someone sitting around plucking piano strings. The psychedelic visuals which are a throwback feel a bit depressing. I don't really want to go back to that era.

Also, I said it before. If they got Amara Karan from Stan Lee's Lucky Man as the Indian cop, she would've been far more interesting than the actress we have. She's just a more interesting actress and would've fitted into a show like this.

In fact, the two younger companions feel like they belong in a children's TV show like Grange Hill or a soap like Brookside instead of Doctor Who.

It's as if they have gotten bland companions in case anyone upstages the Doctor. Or at least certainly not any interesting females. Imagine sticking someone like Jenna Louise Coleman or Karen Gillan next to Jodie Whittaker. They would automatically be competing for attention, not because they're doing it deliberately, but because they're much more charismatic. And they probably don't want anyone who seems like an Alpha male either in case he seems like he is the lead of the show.

 

[Sithborg]

Why do you think a different actress would have made the role any different.

Also, let's also remember that Clara's first true appearances were not exactly great. Especially with how we were introduced to her.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Why do you think a different actress would have made the role any different.

Also, let's also remember that Clara's first true appearances were not exactly great. Especially with how we were introduced to her.

I really like Asylum and Bells. Love the Snowmen.

 

[KillerMcQueen]

Why do you think a different actress would have made the role any different.

Yeah, the problem with Yaz atm is they just aren't giving her enough to do, it's hard to fault Mandip when she doesn't have a lot to work with in the first place.

 

[Dark Raven]

Why do you think a different actress would have made the role any different.

Also, let's also remember that Clara's first true appearances were not exactly great. Especially with how we were introduced to her.

A different actor or actress in a role can make all the difference. Some just have more charisma, screen presence, likeability or overall personality.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I am definitely not doubting that Gillan and Coleman are fantastic. Because they most certainly are to me. Clara and Amy are my two favorite companions after all. But they also had material to work with. Nothing is really happening on the show so far. It's basically the group runs to a place, the Doctor does something that we are suppose to consider super clever (even if it isn't), the group remarks on it, rinse and repeat.

 

[WhoMani]

Why do you think a different actress would have made the role any different.

Also, let's also remember that Clara's first true appearances were not exactly great. Especially with how we were introduced to her.

Even The Snowmen wasn't a great episode, I actually liked the Victorian Clara and she was the best part of the episode. It kinda annoyed me that Moffat decided that the main/original Clara should be from the modern day.

 

[Pink Ranger]

It's a whole new dynamic to the show; basically the Doctor is now part of an entire travelling family, alternating between being a mom, a big sister, a little sister or crazy hyperintelligent infant as the scenario permits. I like Clara and Amy, but the show doesn't need to keep going back to pandering wish fulfillment for the portion of the audience made up of sad little girls.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I was reading through some comments on the Gizmodo blogs and I think it hit me in the energy front. It was apparent the dialogue would take a hit once Moffat was gone. I mean, hate the guy, but it has always been his thing. But the drop off is even more stark then perhaps I expected.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

It's a whole new dynamic to the show; basically the Doctor is now part of an entire travelling family, alternating between being a mom, a big sister, a little sister or crazy hyperintelligent infant as the scenario permits. I like Clara and Amy, but the show doesn't need to keep going back to pandering wish fulfillment for the portion of the audience made up of sad little girls.

Too be fair, season 6 and half of season 7 saw just that. The Doctor travelling with a family. His own.

Has the Doctor played any of those roles so far?