Doctor Who - Not a Hugging Type of Thread

[wobbly]

I really liked the sci fi/mystery bits of this episode. Clara's change of heart was kind of weird, though. This whole emotional rollercoaster she's on is kind of damaging her likability for me. She's coming off much less like the canny, clever woman she started out as and more like a naive child. Yes, the Doctor lies and makes difficult decisions with other people's lives. You already knew this from the dozen other life-threatening situations you've been in with him, Clara. Although Capaldi's Doctor is showing a bit of a harder edge in these last couple episodes than we saw up to now, too. I wonder if they're trying to imply that this regeneration is borderline sociopathic in his alien-ness. He doesn't seem to be able to comprehend human reactions in the slightest sometimes.

He definitely lacks empathy, which makes Clara's difficulty getting on with him more understandable having spent time with 11 who was quite the opposite with his almost child like enthusiasm and mannerisms.

12 sees a man about to die he simply cannot save, he uses that death as a means to save them all, and is very blunt about it (giving the soldier the tracking pill in 'Into the Dalek', then bluntly saying 'he was dead anyway').

11 and other Doctors might make exactly the same choice, but would be far more sympathetic/diplomatic about it with those obviously disturbed by the death.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I rather like how cut-and-dried he is about stuff like that. Tennant's Doctor in particular would've probably stood there with big doe eyes telling the soldier, "I'm so, so sorry," but he would've still used his death to his own advantage if he could. The post-relaunch show has driven the idea that the Doctor has a lot of darkness inside him into viewers' brains even more than the original, it feels like (granted, I've only seen a few serials of the old show).

I like that Capaldi wears his darkness on his sleeve a bit more. I especially loved his reply to Clara when she assumed that he was only pretending to be heartless. "Would you like to think that of me?" then a speech, leading ultimately to: "Sometimes the only choices you have are bad ones, but you still have to choose." Great line that seems to sum up Capaldi's Doctor so far pretty well.

 

[TheNextNolan22]

The Twelfth Doctor comic #1.
[YT]rFTL68gjGPI[/YT]

 

[TheComicbookKid]

Missy didn't snatch any of the Doctor's victims in this episode.

I guess her army needs soldiers. Maybe she wants the Doctor to lead an army to free Gallifrey? People who have showed loyalty to him before.

 

[TheVileOne]

Space Boyfriend is back.

 

[TheNextNolan22]

 

[RetroNaz]

This upcoming episode is probably going to be a bit lame. It didn't grab me during the brief preview.

 

[regwec]

Yes, we are over-due for some filler.

 

[AnneFan]

I actually think it looks like a bunch of fun. Doctor Who at its creative best.

 

[chamber-music]

I know people hate Noel Clarke but his latest science fiction film he directed and starred in 'The Anomaly' was pretty good. It was better than storage 24.

 

[Lilbaz]

I rather like how cut-and-dried he is about stuff like that. Tennant's Doctor in particular would've probably stood there with big doe eyes telling the soldier, "I'm so, so sorry," but he would've still used his death to his own advantage if he could. The post-relaunch show has driven the idea that the Doctor has a lot of darkness inside him into viewers' brains even more than the original, it feels like (granted, I've only seen a few serials of the old show).

I like that Capaldi wears his darkness on his sleeve a bit more. I especially loved his reply to Clara when she assumed that he was only pretending to be heartless. "Would you like to think that of me?" then a speech, leading ultimately to: "Sometimes the only choices you have are bad ones, but you still have to choose." Great line that seems to sum up Capaldi's Doctor so far pretty well.

Do we think this darker aspect to the Doctor is because this incarnation has accepted the War Doctor as part of himself? Or just they fancied a change. Probably a bit of both.

 

[TheComicbookKid]

I don't think he's accepted what the War Doctor did during the war just the idea that he simply made hard choices.

The metaphor before with 9 thru 11 was the sympathetic last of it's kind (The Minotaur in God Complex, Dalek, or the Beast Below) and now it's the soldier. He seems to hate that analogy.

I would love to know what exactly he thinks of finding Gallifrey. He never even refers to it.

 

[AnneFan]

I'd like to think he's trying to find out the co-ordinates with the chalkboard scribblings. Perhaps it is something he will do throughout his tenure, with the 'big reveal' being in his last story, joining the other Doctors in freezing Gallifrey. Then regenerating. Because these calculations may take a very long time to do. The chalk stuff may just be random junk he does to pass the time, but I like the 'it ends at the beginning' symmetry of that scenario, given DOTD is technically his first appearance. And it would ever so slowly push the Gallifrey story along, because I like how things currently stand. He's technically still the last of the Time Lords, a free man, but without survivors guilt.

 

[Llama_Shepherd]

I don't think he's accepted what the War Doctor did during the war just the idea that he simply made hard choices.

The metaphor before with 9 thru 11 was the sympathetic last of it's kind (The Minotaur in God Complex, Dalek, or the Beast Below) and now it's the soldier. He seems to hate that analogy.

I would love to know what exactly he thinks of finding Gallifrey. He never even refers to it.

Steven said it took 50 years to get to Day of the Doctor. From An Unearthly Child and all the iconic villains created through to Davies destroying the Time Lords, it all led to The Day of the Doctor.

The Day of the Doctor had to provide the impetus to get to the 100th Anniversary. The Doctor now knows he's going home, to Gallifrey, it won't be found a year later. It's going to be a very long term story.

 

[Steelsheen]

to some of you who thought this was gonna be a filler episode/ looks lame-- are you gonna take back what you said now?

i found it to be a REALLY good episode, better than the other eps we've seen this past season. it was a pretty unique story and the camera tricks they did the shooting with was just as amusing to figure out. also this ep had the winning combination of really making their viewers engaged-- it wasnt just being scary (which can be quite one note and boring if stretched for too long, like Mummy on the Orient Express) but to balance it with cracking humor and suspense was just brilliant. and then they managed to squeeze in Missy to tease about the overarching plot for this season. very good job Team Tardis! 9/10.

 

[regwec]

I thought it was dreadful, once again barely redeemed by the consistently excellent Capaldi.

It seems only yesterday that Clara felt like a breath of fresh air. Now I just want her to disappear. Fast.

 

[PWN3R]

For me this was yet another fantastic episode. I believe both this episode and the last one were written by Jamie Mathieson. The dude needs to work more on Who. Both episodes were brutally entertaining.

Flatline... so much loveliness here. And the new enemies were refreshing and cool. The episode reached for the stars and for me it was successful. Murray Gold went off too. The score for season 8 has finally started to become apparent and it's adding so much because of the gaping hole from the lack of 'I am the Doctor'.

LOVED this episode. So far Kill the Moon was the only off episode for me, and at least it had a novel concept. This season has been so good.

"This plane is protected." YES.

 

[TheNextNolan22]

Jamie Mathieson is new to Who and I sincerely hope he returns in the future because Mummy on the Orient Express and Flatline were both GREAT.

 

[TheComicbookKid]

The Boneless were really creepy in their depiction. Great SFX work in the tunnel.

Loved how Clara and the Doctor managed to interact still.

Seeing the Tardis burst through like that was awesome!!

 

[AnneFan]

One of the best 'Doctor lite' episodes they've ever done, and S8 remains consistent.

Surely one of the most severe and helpless scenarios the Doctor has ever faced, and the villains were equally creative, and surprisingly frightening for CGI. 12's speech before sending the Boneless away was excellent. I've been wanting Capaldi to have one of those moments. It was as forceful as I hoped. And I love how 12 is using the "pudding brains" line often now.

Perhaps Clara now knows what it takes to be 'The Doctor' in terms of modus operandi. And hopefully this sates the appetite for a female Doctor. Not likely, but anyway.

Jamie Mathieson is new to Who and I sincerely hope he returns in the future because Mummy on the Orient Express and Flatline were both GREAT.

Agreed. Two solid episodes.

 

[THUNDERSTRIKE]

how does 'Doctor' Clara know how to use the sonic screwdriver and analyze the results?... she was utilizing it in the same manner as the Doctor... aiming and scanning with it and then appearing to read the results on it...

 

[Lilbaz]

how does 'Doctor' Clara know how to use the sonic screwdriver and analyze the results?... she was utilizing it in the same manner as the Doctor... aiming and scanning with it and then appearing to read the results on it...

Probably the same way a little kid knows how to use their parents mobile phone. Observation and mimicry.

 

[THUNDERSTRIKE]

Probably the same way a little kid knows how to use their parents mobile phone. Observation and mimicry.

observation and mimicry is one thing, but to read the analysis results is another... she's never used it before to analyze, so how would she know how to?...

 

[Lilbaz]

observation and mimicry is one thing, but to read the analysis results is another... she's never used it before to analyze, so how would she know how to?...

The doctor was looking through her eyes. He was the one reading the results.

 

[THUNDERSTRIKE]

The doctor was looking through her eyes. He was the one reading the results.

ahh, you're right, my bad... I forgot about that...