Doctor Who... Page 415
I'm not a Who geek, just someone who's watched the show on and off since the 70s. Overall I thought this was a good episode. I liked the music, don't really know what people didn't like about it. I thought Matt Smith was very good - he has an amazing androgynous, unusual face. Amy seems a good character who can go in any direction it seems - and she's very pretty.
But the Amelia/Amy 'twist' was way too obvious. As was the police officer twist. Even children know WPCs don't wear mini skirts and that much make-up. In fact I don't think women even wear skirts in the police force anymore. As a family show a kiss-a-gram isn't easy to explain to children and doesn't really make Amy a great role model (in fact we're supposed to think she's feisty because of this job). Similarly I'm surprised that no one (particularly at the Mail) picked up on the fact that the first 5-10 minutes showed a little girl bringing a strange man into the house and him asking to go into her bedroom. The alien was just like ALIEN, but I guess we were supposed to get the reference.
The weedy boyfriend being left behind was also Rose's story and I didn't buy the Amy as outsider because she's Scottish in an English village - yet Martha as a black woman in medicine wasn't seen as such. I guess fans expect or want a formula though.
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ April 7 2010, 6:31 PM BSTEven children know WPCs don't wear mini skirts and that much make-up.
I don't! 
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ April 7 2010, 6:31 PM BSTI didn't buy the Amy as outsider because she's Scottish in an English village - yet Martha as a black woman in medicine wasn't seen as such. I guess fans expect or want a formula though.
Is a black woman in the medical world rare? Or in any way strange?
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ April 7 2010, 6:31 PM BSTEven children know WPCs don't wear mini skirts and that much make-up.
You've clearly never seen the pictures inside my mind.
Quote: Aaron @ April 7 2010, 6:45 PM BSTIs a black woman in the medical world rare? Or in any way strange?
I don't know the figures but there's more male than female doctors. I imagine black working class girls (like Martha) are even more of a minority. Especially if we're comparing it with being a Scottish girl in England.
The biggest problem for me with Who since the come-back is the way the world knows what is going on when there's an alien threat etc. I think it would be so much stronger if they kept the Doctor and his activites as something that happens away from the public radar.
I believe Spielberg has a theory about avoiding bringing the media, etc into storylines, as he thinks it's detrimental.
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ April 7 2010, 6:31 PM BSTBut the Amelia/Amy 'twist' was way too obvious.
Was it meant to be an actual twist though? I think, most adults at least, would have suspected that it was the girl we'd seen now as an adult, I'm not sure we were supposed to be surprised when she tells us.
I think it was supposed to be a twist or there would have been no point in her being called Amelia as a child and Amy as an adult. It seemed to have too much prominence just to be incidental. It's also a bit weird to have the audience knowing something but not the Doctor. That's a big change to his character.
I think you must consider though, that normally the Doctor is perfectly comfortable in himself and knows roughly what he's doing. In this case he was new in his skin, trying to get re-control of himself, so much so in fact that he managed to travel 12 years rather than 5 minutes. I hate to seem like some kind of Who apologist, but in that case I don't think it's entirely unbelievable that it took him a while to work out.
I agree Aaron - but I think the audience was supposed to not know she was the same girl too, like we were supposed to think she was a WPC.
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ April 7 2010, 8:16 PM BSTI agree Aaron - but I think the audience was supposed to not know she was the same girl too, like we were supposed to think she was a WPC.
I really don't think so, might be wrong of course, I think you were supposed to suspect, supposed to think, 'wait a minute . . .'
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ April 7 2010, 7:54 PM BSTIt's also a bit weird to have the audience knowing something but not the Doctor. That's a big change to his character.
It's not weird, I would say it was good. And not really a change to his character, he doesn't know everything at all times, at least not if you take the whole of Doctor Who, and not just the last few years.
Even if it doesn't last, it was nice to have him not being completely in control of the Tardis for a bit as well, like originally.
A twist would have been more fun. But then I'd figured out The Usual Suspects, The Village, Sixth Sense, etc within the first two minutes. 
That's what growing watching Tales of The Unexpected does for you. 
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ April 7 2010, 8:21 PM BSTA twist would have been more fun.
There will be plenty of unexpected things to come I bet, Moffat is a master at plotting and laying down clues that pay of at the end. I think this series running thread will be much more satisfying, whatever it is, than we've had in previous years.
Yeah, overall I enjoyed the episode. My six year old hasn't seen it yet and I'll be interested to see her take on it. She loves the show (and Sarah Jane Adventures) and was really sad to see Tennant go. She learnt how to say "mummy" from the gas mask Ecclestone epsiode.
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ April 7 2010, 8:28 PM BSTYeah, overall I enjoyed the episode. My six year old hasn't seen it yet and I'll be interested to see her take on it.
Caution: my 7 year-old couldn't get to sleep last night because there is a crack in her wall.
Quote: Nogget @ April 7 2010, 9:00 PM BSTCaution: my 7 year-old couldn't get to sleep last night because there is a crack in her wall.
Moffat strikes again!