Doctor Who- returns for series whatever it is 11/5/24 | The Grand Moff is back!

Last week was a fluke then?

Hexx wrote:Last week was a fluke then?

It was another stuff keeps happening and maybe the words explain it episode.

"A hesitation! It's valuable."

"Humanoid"

Thanks I needed these bits clearing up.

a good fun episode I thought, though honestly I find all the episodes fun. cant remember not enjoying one.

good episode overall, glad it didnt get as one the nose as orphan 55

what were the odds that an episode about an alien virus would end up being broadcast while theres an actual pandemic in he world

Pretty forgettable episode for me. I feel like they were trying hard to make it seem interesting and exciting and the music was relentlessly playing along, but I was getting bored.

Better than Orphan 55 but pretty shite and forgettable.

Meh.

It's not helping that I've been rewatching a few old Tennant ones, but even those with the whole "humans should be better" messages were never this on the nose.

Oh the virus likes plastic? Well maybe if YOU recycled more this wouldn't happen.

I lost interest in it halfway through.

The problem isn't the lack of subtlety. Doctor Who has always been on the nose about this stuff.

No the problem is, is it any good. I feel like the episodes are just rushing about all over the place with a lack of focus. Rosa, has been the only message episode that has actually worked in the Whittaker era because it was kept to one area. Does the problem being in Hong Kong, the Indian Ocean, Madagascar and Peru make the threat any more real or is it just unnecessary busy work with characters being added left right and centre but none built up in any real way.

I'd argue not.

There's just loads happening to try to present this idea of a massive/threat mystery and a complex intriguing story - but elements are either dropped, ignore or are completely irrelevant/impactful at the end. It's not so much throwing out red herrings as superfluous plot points.

How did Adam send a text? And why to his husband from who he's estranged and on the other side of the world? Oooohhhhh a mystery!

When did girl disappear? She didn't wake tentmate and instead went off on own to call an ambulance (thank god Reddit sorted that out)? Oooohhhhh a mystery!

Why was hospital evacuated/empty? And quarantine tape!!! Oooohhhhh a mystery! etc

The sub thing - it's disappeared...ohhhh why? ok it just "happened" to be nearby. And then so did the spaceshuttle landing. But no other ships get caught in these pulses? Just an underwater vessel and a ship exiting orbit?

Why take the astronaut as your test subject? Why not anyone else now humans are being infected? And why take him to a new base in Hong Kong when he crashed into the Indian Ocean near your base?

How lucky that the guy that somehow got out of the sub from the middle of the Indian Ocean washed up on Madagasca...right by the undercover alien's research base. Why was the alien undercover and doing research solo again?

Suki says Praxis is sentient/angry as she teleports away...oh god the high stakes drama...but just an excuse for the birds to attack to give tension. (Birds had randomly attacked one or two people earlier...but there was no hint it was a directed consciousness just birds being driven mad...) It never comes up again. And also did anyone care/mention the poor...um...Suki's guard character got killed? No one even mentioned him/asked about him as they fled

Companions remain basic sounding boards for the doctor with little personality. You could interchange them and it wouldn't mean much. At least Yaz remembered this time she used to be a cop.
And she briefly became a hardass that wants to make tough calls/risks...wonder if that will stick

There's not enough time and material given to each of the companions but let's keep throwing in more unnecessary characters...

To me, the blogger woman didn't seem to care much about her travel friend being dead - was that what the writers intended?

Did the birds get cured too? I wasn't paying full attention towards the end of the episode. I just recall the Doctor saying the cure was only made for humans. I sometimes tune out a bit when she goes into exposition mode.

I was happy she saved the policeman guy though, unlike the people left behind in Orphan 55.

Started off pretty interesting and then pretty much fell apart, probably should've been a two parter.
The whole plastic stuff was a bit on the nose again, not as bad as the Orphan 55.

Hard to disagree with most of these comments. I thought about rewatching it, having got somewhat lost, but I think I just did what Garth did and switched off a bit and stopped caring. Also decided the reason this happened was it was all just a bit crappy. Hexx being spot on about all the pointless guff in the ep. Why where they even in Hong Kong at all? Did the birds eat that guy? How does everyone know and understand the alien ship? Ryan can dissect things now?

Hexx wrote:At least Yaz remembered this time she used to be a cop.

Only after Graham mentioned it and had taken the lead on seeing a man try and kick in a door. :fp:

Officer Yaz is going to go down as one of the most disappointing companions ever. So much potential.

I thought the next time trailer was good though. But I've discovered its another 3 places story so my excitement has dropped a bit.

I just watched "Praxeus" and I'm conflicted.

I enjoyed the opening fifteen minutes or so. There was a lot was going on; it was a bit hard to follow but exciting. As the story developed it added layers to the mystery... and around half-way through the plastic aspect arrived like a sledgehammer. This is the source of my conflicted thinking about the latest incarnation of Doctor Who and this particular episode perhaps encapsulates that more than any so far.

I like the diversity of the crew. A women Doctor Who, a middle-aged white guy, a younger black guy and an Asian-background young women. I love that; it's great! I also like the idea of real-life challenges being incorporated into the storylines. It brings attention to issues and could help make people to think about these things. But... the current style of this incorporation feels so heavy-handed and predictable. To me, it can feel like the focus is more on life awareness than sci-fi entertainment.

Don't get me wrong, I understand and believe that popular media should produce challenging ideas and situations. Certainly past series of Who have often had episodes that encourage the viewer to consider social matters. Maybe the current take on Who is doing a good job in promoting just this approach to people. How can the "right" level of social comment be assessed? Of course, it can't as everyone will have a different viewpoint.

I can't help but feel that, at the moment, it's not really fun, though. I can't imagine wanting to re-watch current episodes; nor would I be overly upset about missing any of them this first time around.

I MADE THE TITLE!

I really enjoyed the first half. It felt like it was setting up for loads of cool plot points to slot together. Then it just ended! :lol:

Felt like it could have been a great two parter.

Hexx wrote:I MADE THE TITLE!

ok here's the titles of the last three episodes "the haunting of villa diodati" "ascension of the cybermen" & "the timeless children"

https://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/art ... 0207193228

Sad to say, it’s not entirely untrue.

16th March

The Watching Artist wrote:16th March

hot dog a release date, all we need is one for fury from the deep

Doctor Who- returns for series whatever it is 11/5/24 | The Grand Moff is back!

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