I wish they'd talked with Russian accents, as it would have added to the atmosphere. Unlike everybody else it never really convinced me that it was a Soviet submarine at the height of the cold war.
Doctor Who... Page 956
Have the 'major' plots of these first 3 episodes been all the same:
1. Big bad monster awakes, just as the Doctor arrives
2. Big bad monster looks fierce or does something fierce
3. The Doctor waves his sonic screwdriver about
4. The Doctor talks him/her out of destroying the planet
5. The Big Bad monster goes away.
Where's the variety in that ?
Quote: billwill @ April 14 2013, 12:00 AM BSTHave the 'major' plots of these first 3 episodes been all the same:
1. Big bad monster awakes, just as the Doctor arrives
2. Big bad monster looks fierce or does something fierce
3. The Doctor waves his sonic screwdriver about
4. The Doctor talks him/her out of destroying the planet
5. The Big Bad monster goes away.
Can't say that quite fits for all three, no.
Quote: chipolata @ April 13 2013, 10:58 PM BSTUnlike everybody else it never really convinced me that it was a Soviet submarine at the height of the cold war.
Would it have helped if they had all been smashed on vodka?
Quote: chipolata @ April 13 2013, 10:58 PM BSTI wish they'd talked with Russian accents, as it would have added to the atmosphere. Unlike everybody else it never really convinced me that it was a Soviet submarine at the height of the cold war.
I didn't actually realise they were Russian until the bit where Clara found she was talking Russian.
Quote: billwill @ April 14 2013, 12:00 AM BSTHave the 'major' plots of these first 3 episodes been all the same:
1. Big bad monster awakes, just as the Doctor arrives
2. Big bad monster looks fierce or does something fierce
3. The Doctor waves his sonic screwdriver about
4. The Doctor talks him/her out of destroying the planet
5. The Big Bad monster goes away.Where's the variety in that ?
Have to admit that it's a fair criticism. Why so formulaic? The whole Doctor talking them out of it takes all the jeaporady from the stories.
Good and creepy, and the kids enjoyed it - plenty of hiding behind cushions etc.
So that's an improvement
The three points that really jarred have already been mentioned:
1. Bloke decides to melt ice-warrior - You can't have a whole story hinging on such a random act. This is just poor and lazy writing. Thermostats could have gone wrong. As has been said, the Tardis could have triggered something or, more interestingly they could have actually made use of David Warner and had him 'experimenting' on the frozen block or something (the vanity of science) and set the monster off - instead he does some post-modern ironic 80's bands jokes
2. Waste of David Warner - what was he for??
3. Once the Ice warrior shed its armour it just became yet another peripheral-vision slithering Alien in the ventilation system.
On the plus-side, no "Clara - gate" storyline.
The downside being we'll probably get a double-dose next week.
Quote: Tursiops @ April 14 2013, 12:07 AM BSTWould it have helped if they had all been smashed on vodka?
Yes. And I'd have had them speaking Russian the entire episode with full subtitles.
Tedious, and not very thought provoking!
Quote: Ben @ April 14 2013, 9:29 AM BSTHave to admit that it's a fair criticism. Why so formulaic? The whole Doctor talking them out of it takes all the jeaporady from the stories.
He didn't talk anyone out of anything in episode one, he forced them to re-download everyone into their bodies by uploading the boss. Second episode, he had a big speech, but he didn't talk the vampire planet thing out of doing what it does, they stuffed it to bursting with his memories, then the memories of what could have been. So that 'formula' doesn't click with two out of the three episodes.
The Doctor does seem to be turning into a bit of a tedious windbag these days with all his pompous speechifying.
Quote: chipolata @ April 14 2013, 12:00 PM BSTThe Doctor does seem to be turning into a bit of a tedious windbag these days with all his pompous speechifying.
Very True.
Captain Kirk liked to drone on at times as well, but at least he also got to fight aliens with giant cotton buds and have sex with hot green women. All the Doctor does is caper around like a creepy overenthusiastic uncle who should really be on a register.
Watched 'Ghost Light' (again); one of my favourites. Just so weird, clever and darkly funny. 'The cream of Scotland Yard'. Proof of how good Who could still be right up to the end of its 'classic' run, and how the show was back on the up.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ April 14 2013, 12:24 PM BSTWatched 'Ghost Light' (again); one of my favourites. Just so weird, clever and darkly funny. 'The cream of Scotland Yard'. Proof of how good Who could still be right up to the end of its 'classic' run, and how the show was back on the up.
I like Ghost Light very much, but still get a headache trying to figure it all out. I don't know what I must have made of it when I was 7.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ April 14 2013, 11:49 AM BSTHe didn't talk anyone out of anything in episode one, he forced them to re-download everyone into their bodies by uploading the boss. Second episode, he had a big speech, but he didn't talk the vampire planet thing out of doing what it does, they stuffed it to bursting with his memories, then the memories of what could have been. So that 'formula' doesn't click with two out of the three episodes.
I haven't seen episode one, but I do know that the last two episodes have been ended following a big yapping from the Doctor.
Quote: Ben @ April 14 2013, 12:36 PM BSTI haven't seen episode one, but I do know that the last two episodes have been ended following a big yapping from the Doctor.
He certainly flapped his gums a bit in the singing one.
Quote: Ben @ April 14 2013, 12:36 PM BSTI like Ghost Light very much, but still get a headache trying to figure it all out. I don't know what I must have made of it when I was 7.
It probably freaked me out a bit.