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In the new era, he's generally been critical of soldiers, from the UNIT pig-killers in Aliens of London to the armed Clerics in Flesh and Stone, so it makes sense he refuses to take Journey.

As for what he needs in a companion, I think this line sums it up rather brilliantly:
'Yes, she's my carer. She cares so I don't have to.'

So yeah, moral compass and nice person to stop him being too, well, like himself. It's the same thing as the 'Just save someone' from Donna. (Incidentally, he's now for the face of the guy he saved. Trying to tell himself something, maybe?)

sirlynchmob wrote:

Noir wrote:
Finally a old school style Doctor is back, now we just need a old school style companion like Sarah Jane or even Donna instead of the "please do me Doctor" companions they keep giving him.

Speaking of companions, when did the doctor take up his "no military" policy?

I actually like Clara "this is the look I give you, right before I smack you" It probably is her last season though, new doctor needs a new companion.

It's funny because rumors online have it that "Mr. Pink" is going to be the next companion, or will be a Rory type of companion... which would basically break the Dr.s "no military" rule (although, on a technicality he'd still be following it as Mr Pink is FORMER military )

Yeah, I don't think that's a coincidence that he turned up for the first proper time in that episode.

Especially since he has the conversation at the end. "What, do you have a no military rule or something?" And Clara replies, "No, not me."

Seems a bit contrived given that the Doctor hung out with soldiers for years in the 70s and considered them all friends. The closest thing he has to a best friend across his life is arguably the Brigadier and he's had servicement companions, Harry and Ben were both sailors.

The anti-military thing started with RTD and is a bit of a contrived drum to beat. In the 70s UNIT were sometimes right, sometimes wrong, their use of force was supported/condemned by the Doctor depending on the circumstances. If they were wrong, it was shown their heart was in the right place. In the New Series, the military are nearly always wrong so that the Doctor's anti-military stance can be proven right, and the depiction of the military seems a little more mean spirited. Mr Pink could be characterised with a sympathetic view of a military man to set him apart, but I hope they don't make a big thing over how atypical and special it makes him so that the Doctor will take him on board the Tardis.

It could be to do with the fact that most people working on Dr Who in the 70s had either been in the war or done national service, and people today just don't have any experience of the military.

There's also the Time War to consider, that likely change his attitude somewhat given what he had, or thought he had, a hand in doing.

 Kilkrazy wrote:
Yes, much better this week.

I liked the black soldier girl although she seems to be a one-off. Teacher Pink has possibilities for the future.

Saw the Dalek episode. Why is Capaldi vaunted? The story and his acting seemed like crap. Frankly I was bored to death with the Dalek episode. Oh wow yet another Dalek episode. This didn't seem like the Doctor of Old. It felt tired and straining to come up with an idea and an episode.

Compared to a Breaking Bad, Tyrant, the Bridge, or even an old STOS this series couldn't make it. Sorry but it kind of sucked.

Anybody thinking that the new 'Missy' character might be the Master? Or am I looking way too much into it?

That's one of the common theories.

Missy = Mistress = Master.

Other theories include, old/future-incarnation of Clara.
Potentially crazy River Song.
The Living Incarnation of The TARDIS from 'The Doctors Wife'
I've even heard people suggest that she's 'The Valeyard' which just makes things messy...

 Compel wrote:
That's one of the common theories.

Missy = Mistress = Master.

Other theories include, old/future-incarnation of Clara.
Potentially crazy River Song.
The Living Incarnation of The TARDIS from 'The Doctors Wife'
I've even heard people suggest that she's 'The Valeyard' which just makes things messy...

not the Valeyard, more likely the Rani.

I'm leaning towards the girl with the eye patch that kidnapped river now.

In all honesty, I expect it to be someone new. Working on the fairly safe assumption that she ties into the series finale, she'll likely be associated with the Cybermen, rather than a separate force or faction. Maybe harvesting people that door for the Doctor to give them a second chance of life as Cybermen.

Kovarian again? There's no reason for it, it seems that whole Papal Mainframe plot was kinda resolved at the last Christman special.

I doubt it is Kovarian.

 Compel wrote:
That's one of the common theories.

Missy = Mistress = Master.

Other theories include, old/future-incarnation of Clara.
Potentially crazy River Song.
The Living Incarnation of The TARDIS from 'The Doctors Wife'
I've even heard people suggest that she's 'The Valeyard' which just makes things messy...

I honestly thought that the "head priest" girl from the Papal Mainframe and all that was another regeneration of River Song.....

Also, I'd say she's definitely not the TARDIS, because they aren't even the same actor (and for something as quirky as the TARDIS was, I doubt they'd want any confusion to the matter if she were the TARDIS)

I think she's someone new.

All I want is an episode where Steven Moffat doesn't insert another of these scenes in his subtle, sledge-hammer-to-the-face way.

 -Shrike- wrote:
All I want is an episode where Steven Moffat doesn't insert another of these scenes in his subtle, sledge-hammer-to-the-face way.

Not likely to happen. For the same reason that all episodes mentioned Bad Wolf or the cracks, etc so on in their respective seasons.

 pretre wrote:

 -Shrike- wrote:
All I want is an episode where Steven Moffat doesn't insert another of these scenes in his subtle, sledge-hammer-to-the-face way.

Not likely to happen. For the same reason that all episodes mentioned Bad Wolf or the cracks, etc so on in their respective seasons.

I know, I'm just not a big fan of the way Moffat inserts references to an overall story arc. Bad wolf was very well done (IMHO), it was a name drop for the most part, until Episode 11, when the Doctor first commented on it. I don't remember any finale references in series 2 and 3, and series 4 only had Rose appearing on screens in a few of the episodes.

As for the cracks and whatever series 6 was... ugh. Continually zooming in and showing us a crack at the end of every episode was just silly by the end.

 -Shrike- wrote:

 pretre wrote:

 -Shrike- wrote:
All I want is an episode where Steven Moffat doesn't insert another of these scenes in his subtle, sledge-hammer-to-the-face way.

Not likely to happen. For the same reason that all episodes mentioned Bad Wolf or the cracks, etc so on in their respective seasons.

I know, I'm just not a big fan of the way Moffat inserts references to an overall story arc. Bad wolf was very well done (IMHO), it was a name drop for the most part, until Episode 11, when the Doctor first commented on it. I don't remember any finale references in series 2 and 3, and series 4 only had Rose appearing on screens in a few of the episodes.

As for the cracks and whatever series 6 was... ugh. Continually zooming in and showing us a crack at the end of every episode was just silly by the end.

Every season has 1 or more foreshadowing events that repeatedly came up, tying the disparate stories together into one arc.

Season 1 was Bad Wolf
2 - Torchwood
3 - Mr Saxon
4 - Disappearing planets foreshadowing
4.5 - knock 4 times foreshadowing
5 - Cracks
6 - Silence will fall
7 - Impossible Girl sightings



Automatically Appended Next Post:
Even the old series had big arcs like this that tied together. It is nothing new and certainly not unique to Moffat.

 pretre wrote:

Even the old series had big arcs like this that tied together. It is nothing new and certainly not unique to Moffat.

While true, I think the argument is that these overall arcs could be better done than currently.

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

 pretre wrote:

Even the old series had big arcs like this that tied together. It is nothing new and certainly not unique to Moffat.

While true, I think the argument is that these overall arcs could be better done than currently.

Well, I certainly see the argument, although I've been a fan of the new series ones, so I disagree.

 pretre wrote:

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

 pretre wrote:

Even the old series had big arcs like this that tied together. It is nothing new and certainly not unique to Moffat.

While true, I think the argument is that these overall arcs could be better done than currently.

Well, I certainly see the argument, although I've been a fan of the new series ones, so I disagree.

I have no issue with plot arcs, even the Cracks and Silence that were openly confronted, but if we're going to get a 'Here's a fething plot arc, pay attention' bit being shoehorned into everyone else's episodes, it's going to get very, very annoying.

 Paradigm wrote:

 pretre wrote:

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

 pretre wrote:

Even the old series had big arcs like this that tied together. It is nothing new and certainly not unique to Moffat.

While true, I think the argument is that these overall arcs could be better done than currently.

Well, I certainly see the argument, although I've been a fan of the new series ones, so I disagree.

I have no issue with plot arcs, even the Cracks and Silence that were openly confronted, but if we're going to get a 'Here's a fething plot arc, pay attention' bit being shoehorned into everyone else's episodes, it's going to get very, very annoying.

That's the thing though; they've done that in every series of the new Who. I'm not sure why it is suddenly annoying...

Because it's never this intrusive. A word or short scene at the end of each episode was fine, the of comment it the same, but first they put in a big scene in the end of an opening episode, killing the resolution and overshadowing the episode's own plot, and then they hammer in an utterly incongruous scene that completely kills the tension and tone of the scenes on either side. I'd rather have no plot arc than one that ends up taking precedence over the individual episodes.

 Paradigm wrote:
Because it's never this intrusive. A word or short scene at the end of each episode was fine, the of comment it the same, but first they put in a big scene in the end of an opening episode, killing the resolution and overshadowing the episode's own plot, and then they hammer in an utterly incongruous scene that completely kills the tension and tone of the scenes on either side. I'd rather have no plot arc than one that ends up taking precedence over the individual episodes.

30-60 seconds at the end of the episode isn't taking precedence over the whole rest of the episode. That's like saying that 'Next on... X Show' completely takes precedence over the rest of the episode.

Either way, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

Are you talking about the chickie that looked like an alcie with badly (again read alcie) applied makeup?

The whole "Next on... X" is a modern thing that started from America. It was already bad enough in the late 70s to be parodied on the series "Soap". Presumably today's British TV viewers are too stupid to understand principles of dramatic development. (I know my daughter is.)

 Frazzled wrote:
Are you talking about the chickie that looked like an alcie with badly (again read alcie) applied makeup?

Umm... What?

We're talking about Missy:




Automatically Appended Next Post:
Wow. Don't google too much on Missy. Apparently, the end script for this season has been partially been leaked. Let me just go ahead and start drinking until I forget.

Yes. She looks like an alcoholic on the Dalek one.

 Frazzled wrote:
Yes. She looks like an alcoholic on the Dalek one.

That's our Frazzled... Wah wah wah waaaaaaaah.

I agree, this seasons plot arc seems kinda forced. Atleast with the Bad Wolf stuff it was something that you would notice and be like.... hmm I seen that somewhere else what is that all about.

This it all like CRAZY MARY POPPINS BITCH UP IN YOUR FACE CAUSE WE ARE IN HEAVEN BITCHES!!!

If they keep this up every episode I think it is going to get more annoying.

Either way, we have a Scottish doctor... so there's that.