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It’s just kicking off now, so felt the thread should follow.
Automatically Appended Next Post: So far so good. Kinda wish I’d re-watched the preceding season!
Automatically Appended Next Post: Overall, pretty par for the course. Nothing outstanding, but nothing crappy.
Though it was nice to see companions departing without becoming Demi-Time Lords, trapped in the past, or trapped in another dimension. Just.....deciding their time in the Tardis is done;
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2021/01/01 20:00:30
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Hello! It's meeeeee John Bishop! Foch, there's a dalech, on your toes dochtor!
Ah well, Brad was a pleasant surprise so judgement reserved for the Bish.
We find comfort among those who agree with us - growth among those who don't. - Frank Howard Clark
The wise man doubts often, and changes his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubts not; he knows all things but his own ignorance.
The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense!” Professor Brian Cox
The prison plot and Captain Jack didn't really add anything (especially with his farewell literally phoned in). He seemed there just to give Yaz the same speech Rose got from Sarah Jane Smith.
The Dalek plot also seemed recycled. Yeah, yeah, purity in mutation and all that. Been there, seen that. Several times.
With Daleks that actually felt like a threat, rather than blowing up random people on the streets of... presumably London. From... Osaka.
The symbolism of the actual end was... unfortunate? I think I can guess what they were going for, but it felt like the opposite.
Spoiler:
It felt like they were regressing by leaving, rather than growing
I also just didn't care, mostly because Who hasn't grabbed much me since Matt Smith.
---
Not sure why they're introducing a new companion. There seems to be plenty to do with Yaz, which reminds me to check how many Yaz/Doctor fanfics are out there. I have the feeling its a lot... and a brief check of Archive of Our Own gives me... 2042. Yep.
And thanks much to BBC America for sticking 49 minutes of commercials into a 71 minute show. There's another reason I don't watch much anymore.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2021/01/02 03:33:02
I don't know how stringently coded it is against them, but if iPlayer is fairly tolerant of VPNs it might be worth a subscription, not onl would you get BBC content ad free, as nature intended, but they actually made it available in UHD. Which, if you've got the kit for it, was worth it just for the title sequence.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/01/02 03:46:53
We find comfort among those who agree with us - growth among those who don't. - Frank Howard Clark
The wise man doubts often, and changes his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubts not; he knows all things but his own ignorance.
The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense!” Professor Brian Cox
It was okay, but very much one of the weaker Christmas specials.
One day they're going to have to do an episode that explains why no one ever remembers Dalek invasions and stuff.
(Admittedly they did try with that terrible 'overnight forest' episode, but that was terrible and stupid.)
aku-chan wrote: It was okay, but very much one of the weaker Christmas specials.
One day they're going to have to do an episode that explains why no one ever remembers Dalek invasions and stuff.
(Admittedly they did try with that terrible 'overnight forest' episode, but that was terrible and stupid.)
In this case, peeps would mostly have seen Dalek v Dalek, with a relative handful seeing the ship. Given the new Daleks were introduced as human made, which “malfunctioned”, there’s enough plausible deniability
Fed up of Scalpers? But still want your Exclusives? Why not join us?
Was it actually a Xmas special? The episode airs on New Years, AND took place on New Years in the show. Zero mention of Xmas.
Ok, so, this is Not a complaint, merely an observation/question. This episode clearly touched on some current events/politics. The last season also had a bunch of episodes like that such as the plastic pollution one. Has Doctor Who always done that kind of current events/political commentary and I just didn’t notice it? Or is it more new/less subtle than before? I’m genuinely curious if it’s something I overlooked/forgot about in the past, or am simply noticing it more.
For an in depth analysis of how the mores of the time influenced Doctor Who from the start, check out the About Time... series published by Mad Norwegian Press.
But I'll admit the recent series have been more overt. The one that stick in the mind from the RTD era is the "alien weapons that can be deployed in 45 seconds!"... a clear reference of the 'sexed up' report of Saddam Hussein's chemical WMDs.
I do agree that everyone appearing fine with Dalek-shaped "drones" was a bit weird, given the number of times they've cropped up on Earth.
You'd think at least some people would be wary, given previous events (such as the Dalek/Cyberman war in London around the Rift), but no. Even a few worried glances would've been a subtle improvement.
Gamgee on Tau Players wrote:we all kill cats and sell our own families to the devil and eat live puppies.
Kanluwen wrote: This is, emphatically, why I will continue suggesting nuking Guard and starting over again. It's a legacy army that needs to be rebooted with a new focal point.
Confirmation of why no-one should listen to Kanluwen when it comes to the IG - he doesn't want the IG, he want's Kan's New Model Army...
tneva82 wrote: You aren't even trying ty pretend for honest arqument. Open bad faith trolling.
- No reason to keep this here, unless people want to use it for something...
Dysartes wrote: I do agree that everyone appearing fine with Dalek-shaped "drones" was a bit weird, given the number of times they've cropped up on Earth.
You'd think at least some people would be wary, given previous events (such as the Dalek/Cyberman war in London around the Rift), but no. Even a few worried glances would've been a subtle improvement.
This was acknowledged in Voyage of the Damned when Bernard Cribbins (in a pre-Donna's-Granddad-cameo) pointed out that everyone leaves London at Christmas due to all the unfortunate events that keep happening.
But, with Torchwood's RetCon and temporal resets like 'the crack' and the big reset with the Pandorica, Doctor Who has several excuses for it's continuity being somewhat 'loose weave'.
Oh no, my friend wants to leave of his own free will. Maybe I should go back in time and rewrite the timeline so he doesn’t want to leave anymore? I mean, That’s what tempts you? Not the likely hundreds of people who were just gunned down by Daleks?
Dysartes wrote: I do agree that everyone appearing fine with Dalek-shaped "drones" was a bit weird, given the number of times they've cropped up on Earth.
You'd think at least some people would be wary, given previous events (such as the Dalek/Cyberman war in London around the Rift), but no. Even a few worried glances would've been a subtle improvement.
Even without that, just the _idea_ of 'defense drones' should have had people worried.
Its not the first time Who has cast the population of Britain (and sometimes the world) as completely clueless idiots [the cybermen 'ghosts' come to mind], but c'mon. No one objecting to the PM's idea of introducing autonomous combat robots pretty much everywhere? And she can just do that by... essentially fiat? Seriously now, that isn't how that scenario plays out.
Dysartes wrote: I do agree that everyone appearing fine with Dalek-shaped "drones" was a bit weird, given the number of times they've cropped up on Earth.
You'd think at least some people would be wary, given previous events (such as the Dalek/Cyberman war in London around the Rift), but no. Even a few worried glances would've been a subtle improvement.
Even without that, just the _idea_ of 'defense drones' should have had people worried.
Its not the first time Who has cast the population of Britain (and sometimes the world) as completely clueless idiots [the cybermen 'ghosts' come to mind], but c'mon. No one objecting to the PM's idea of introducing autonomous combat robots pretty much everywhere? And she can just do that by... essentially fiat? Seriously now, that isn't how that scenario plays out.
That was a stretch, even if we were told they were tested in her constituency before she became Prime Minister. A short scene of 'the fam' (yuck) fretting over how domestic politics had gone to hell in a hand basket, stoked by opportunistic right-wing politicians (a preposterous idea, I know), would have helped set the mood.
Yeah, my only context for that particular bit of slang is aggressively clueless streamers (and I'm being kind there). I can only assume some audience targeting is going on there, but I wince every time she says it (or with her accent, sort of pops/burps it out).
It sounds like the sort of thing that the Matt Smith Doctor would try out once as a joke, then never use again.
AduroT wrote: Was it actually a Xmas special? The episode airs on New Years, AND took place on New Years in the show. Zero mention of Xmas.
Ok, so, this is Not a complaint, merely an observation/question. This episode clearly touched on some current events/politics. The last season also had a bunch of episodes like that such as the plastic pollution one. Has Doctor Who always done that kind of current events/political commentary and I just didn’t notice it? Or is it more new/less subtle than before? I’m genuinely curious if it’s something I overlooked/forgot about in the past, or am simply noticing it more.
can't have a christmas special anymore, can't mention christmas, some people find it 'offensive'.
The daleks acted stupidly in that ep, when they
Spoiler:
killed the dalek who had initiated the takeover of earth with almost no resources. Yes his dna wasn't perfectly nrmal dalke, but he had proven himself to be highly effective and resourceful, the daleks should have realizes what an asset he was and saw him as a useful resource, maybe created more like him. But no, 'racial purity" so one of the most effective daleks in hiusatory get slagged. Dumd ...
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2021/01/03 19:13:51
"But the universe is a big place, and whatever happens, you will not be missed..."
AduroT wrote: Was it actually a Xmas special? The episode airs on New Years, AND took place on New Years in the show. Zero mention of Xmas.
Ok, so, this is Not a complaint, merely an observation/question. This episode clearly touched on some current events/politics. The last season also had a bunch of episodes like that such as the plastic pollution one. Has Doctor Who always done that kind of current events/political commentary and I just didn’t notice it? Or is it more new/less subtle than before? I’m genuinely curious if it’s something I overlooked/forgot about in the past, or am simply noticing it more.
can't have a christmas special anymore, can't mention christmas, some people find it 'offensive'.
The daleks acted stupidly in that ep, when they
Spoiler:
killed the dalek who had initiated the takeover of earth with almost no resources. Yes his dna wasn't perfectly nrmal dalke, but he had proven himself to be highly effective and resourceful, the daleks should have realizes what an asset he was and saw him as a useful resource, maybe created more like him. But no, 'racial purity" so one of the most effective daleks in hiusatory get slagged. Dumd ...
Not sure if your first comment is satire?
As for Dalek racial purity? Have you seen any Dalek story ever? Like, ever ever? To quote Ace from Remembrance of the Daleks, in reference to the two Dalek factions therein? “They hate each other’s chromosomes”.
Fed up of Scalpers? But still want your Exclusives? Why not join us?
AduroT wrote: Was it actually a Xmas special? The episode airs on New Years, AND took place on New Years in the show. Zero mention of Xmas.
Ok, so, this is Not a complaint, merely an observation/question. This episode clearly touched on some current events/politics. The last season also had a bunch of episodes like that such as the plastic pollution one. Has Doctor Who always done that kind of current events/political commentary and I just didn’t notice it? Or is it more new/less subtle than before? I’m genuinely curious if it’s something I overlooked/forgot about in the past, or am simply noticing it more.
can't have a christmas special anymore, can't mention christmas, some people find it 'offensive'.
The daleks acted stupidly in that ep, when they
Spoiler:
killed the dalek who had initiated the takeover of earth with almost no resources. Yes his dna wasn't perfectly nrmal dalke, but he had proven himself to be highly effective and resourceful, the daleks should have realizes what an asset he was and saw him as a useful resource, maybe created more like him. But no, 'racial purity" so one of the most effective daleks in hiusatory get slagged. Dumd ...
Not sure if your first comment is satire?
As for Dalek racial purity? Have you seen any Dalek story ever? Like, ever ever? To quote Ace from Remembrance of the Daleks, in reference to the two Dalek factions therein? “They hate each other’s chromosomes”.
No, the first comment is an honest observation of reality as i see it.
Secondly, yes i'm quite familiar with the daleks, and this shows their greatest weakness and contradiction. In "Victory of the daleks" the 'new paradigm' daleks, the supposedly ultimate daleks, the improved daleks, born on a ship with little resources, immediately condemn the daleks who created them and defeated the doctor to do it, as 'inferior' and utterly destroy them.
Wow, these 'inferior' daleks were the last survivors of the old dalek race, they has a saucer running on empty and managed to set up a long game to trick the doctor and create the new daleks. They were a proven asset and had showed their value. But the new daleks just zapped them without a second thought.
The daleks are supposed to be highly intelligent. The 'average" dalek in the first new series ep with one was shown as being so. It's a marpr contradiction for the daleks to be highly intelligent and then destroy daleks who have proven themselves valuable and capable based on their genetic purity ideology. If anything when a dalek shows exceptional value his DNA ought to be integrated into the dalek species as a whole. That would be the intelligent thing to do. "This dalek has some genetic variances, but it's accomplished a remarkable act, maybe it's genetic variances are positive and beneficial to the dalek species. Let's look at them."
But Nooooooo! Their genetic purity thing overrides their intelligence over and over again. They destroy daleks who have proven themselves valuable and successful. Their biggest weakness....
"But the universe is a big place, and whatever happens, you will not be missed..."
No, the first comment is an honest observation of reality as i see it.
Then might I suggest you expand your reality to include more than largely debunked memes?
We find comfort among those who agree with us - growth among those who don't. - Frank Howard Clark
The wise man doubts often, and changes his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubts not; he knows all things but his own ignorance.
The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense!” Professor Brian Cox
But Nooooooo! Their genetic purity thing overrides their intelligence over and over again.
Yes. That's literally the point of Daleks. Their hatred of everything, including themselves, overrides all of factors, all of the time. Its why they fail, its why the Doctor can defeat them.
They are a really transparent allegory of why hatred and genocide are bad.
Cooperative Daleks that focus on their genius over their hatred don't have the same message, and also they win. So rocks fall, everyone dies, and the message becomes that hatred and genocide can be supported by intelligence, rather than defeated by it. That'd be such an incredibly messed up story for Dr Who to tell, I can't explain it without numerous obscenities.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/01/03 20:59:23
And remember, in Victory of the Daleks, the Doctor was tricked into confirming they were Daleks, despite genetic impurity so the new paradigm could be created. The Daleks responsible then offered no resistance, as their mission (to purify their species) had succeeded.
And don’t forget, Davros first ran into trouble with his creations because he’d ensured strict adherence to Dalek genetic purity. So much so that when (in the sublime Genesis of the Daleks) they tell him to knob off when he tries giving them orders.
Fairly widely being reported that Whitaker is done after the next series
We find comfort among those who agree with us - growth among those who don't. - Frank Howard Clark
The wise man doubts often, and changes his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubts not; he knows all things but his own ignorance.
The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense!” Professor Brian Cox
I, along with most people, ask why the britts accepted the dalek drones (I kinda called them tronleks because of the tron lighting effects) after seeing the daleks several times.
Well, maybe the same reason earth tech never advances in dr. who. I mean that factory was printing daleks with energy beam weapons, full flight ability and an apparently clean compact high energy power source to run it all.
Humanity should have flying cars, high power energy weapons and some of super advanced power source as commonplace within a few years of that, it won't.
"But the universe is a big place, and whatever happens, you will not be missed..."