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On April 24 2013 14:57 Simberto wrote:Ah, but there is a large difference between mumbojumbo and wibblywobbly. Wibblywobbly is basically science, just not explained. And that is a large part of the series. Stuff works in rational ways. It might LOOK like ghosts, or vampires, but then the doctor is smart and/or the companion says something smart, and stuff gets figured out, and a smart solution is found. + Show Spoiler +
This is also why i don't have a problem with the angels. They are weird, but the way they work is very defined, especially in the first episodes where they appear, and it makes sense following that weird logic. There are a lot of weird creatures (most of whom are people) in the Doctor Who universe, and i like that.
However, none of what i described above happened in this episode. There was no smartness, no figuring things out, no doing interesting things. There is just "It's an evil god, and singing stopped working, so now the doctor tells that thing how cool he is with epic music. Problem solved forever". I find this disappointing for the same reasons i found the ending of the new BSG disappointing. The whole "emotional" aspect also feeled very forced.
This is all of course very subjective, i just don't really like that forced overepic aspect that appears more and more often in the later parts of the series. I like the "smaller" episodes a lot more.
+ Show Spoiler +
You're right its subjective but it is a shame that the acting, dialogue, the music (and singing), and the overarching narrative of preserving hope in face of overwhelming odds was lost on you. But that's my Doctor; the lonesome warrior who stands for what's right even against a god.
What's also subjective is how we define what is smart and what isn't. Figuring out that a vampire is an alien is no more nor less smart that figuring out that the god was essentially a monstrous parasitic entity.
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Anyone else have really mixed feelings about clara? I think she is a really charming companion, but I haven't really connected with her totally. Do you know what I mean?
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On May 05 2013 13:36 Elliot wrote:
Anyone else have really mixed feelings about clara? I think she is a really charming companion, but I haven't really connected with her totally. Do you know what I mean?
Yeah. I don't know what it is exactly about her though. Maybe I feel like it's a bit too rushed? I still miss Amy and Rose 
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Does anyone know when the next Doctor is going to show up? (if there is one) I like Dr. Who but I can't stand Matt Smith.
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The reason (I think) people don't like Clara is the fact that she so seamlessly joins the doctor on his adventures, rarely, if ever, questioning what is happening, ready to accept, without fear or wonder or real mystery. This is in start contrast to past companions (I am speaking 2005 onwards). The thing is, the companion is our surrogate, we, as the viewer, go on an adventure with the doctor, through clara, or whatever companion. That is why episodes without companions are worse, and that is also why there were two companions before Clara, it tapped into a larger audience. And watching the show, we want to wonder, to be surprised, to be scared, there needs to be mystery, we want to have to question etc. But Clara doesn't offer that, we wonder more about Clara in relation to the plot, and care less about the adventures. Clara is a prop, rather than our link to the doctor.
Just my two cents.
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On May 05 2013 17:51 FireSA wrote:
The reason (I think) people don't like Clara is the fact that she so seamlessly joins the doctor on his adventures, rarely, if ever, questioning what is happening, ready to accept, without fear or wonder or real mystery. This is in start contrast to past companions (I am speaking 2005 onwards). The thing is, the companion is our surrogate, we, as the viewer, go on an adventure with the doctor, through clara, or whatever companion. That is why episodes without companions are worse, and that is also why there were two companions before Clara, it tapped into a larger audience. And watching the show, we want to wonder, to be surprised, to be scared, there needs to be mystery, we want to have to question etc. But Clara doesn't offer that, we wonder more about Clara in relation to the plot, and care less about the adventures. Clara is a prop, rather than our link to the doctor.
Just my two cents.
I enjoy Clara, your right in saying the companion is us, but Clara is a really fun person and to be frank I would hope if I was a companion I'd be like that too, but I'm not a girl so I can't be a companion.
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Lalalaland34503 Posts
I've really enjoyed what I've seen of Clara so far, with the continuous hints that there is more to her than we know. I do wish they'd let on a little more, right now we have no idea what to expect except that she keeps reappearing again and again.
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It's cool though, because it lets the Doctor be the viewpoint character. At this point, we know a lot about WHO Matt Smiths' Doctor is and we're discovering who Clara is. While we struggle with understanding Clara, it helps us understand ourselves at the same time, which is why paradoxically it will work when we look at some of the mysteries surrounding the Doctor's origins.
As for the giant sun-god... well, the doctor called it a parasite, but I felt like that was more a insult/taunt than anything else. Yeah, it's this bigass thing that could eat an entire race, but at the same time it provided all the heat and energy for that entire solar system (sounds more symbiotic than parasitic to me). The legend of what happens when the star awoke could just as well be explaining the growth of the sun into a red dwarf phase and then later going it going through the universe as a 'supernova' remnant. It's just that the sun was anthromorphized and could choose not to finish it's life cycle by draining psychic power from the sacrifices.
Ultimately, being mad at the sun for providing heat/energy at a price instead of free is pretty silly, at best, it shows the Doctor is flawed, at worst, it lets them push the anti-religious bs which I've come to expect from Doctor Who. I hope it's the former, because it has a lot of symbolic strength, if you use the episode as a metaphor for the next season arc. But it's probably the latter, and we're just seeing all different kinds of 'lonely gods' this season before we see how they relate to the Doctor.
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On May 05 2013 21:01 GoldenH wrote:
"... it lets them push the anti-religious bs which I've come to expect from Doctor Who."
It's the 'in-thing' to do these days on television, like it or not it's a fad that's probably going to stay around for at least a few more years.
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Doctor Who is my favourite TV show :D
I love Matt Smith as the doctor, maybe even more so than David Tennant. He plays the role so passionately. It's just unfortunate that David Tennant had the better writing(Don't get me wrong, I love DT too). Series 5 would be my favourite. All the episodes are great, it just goes a bit downhill in 6
As far as the companions go, my favourite would probably be Amy or Martha. I hate the fact that Rose left with the doctor in a committed relationship to Mickey, and then as soon as she left she flirted with the Doctor, Adam and Captain Jack, aswell as describing herself as single in one of the future episodes. She just seemed like an annoying and jealous character(Sarah Jane)
I like Clara too, I haven't really seen enough of her
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I wouldn't say it is anti-religious to challenge a "god" that is essentially taking away all the precious memories from people. Religion has persecuted many innocents in the past, and the purpose of a "true" religion (w/e the fuck "true" is) would be to promote the well-being of its followers and not the reverse.
But that's just my 2 cents as a born-Buddhist who is now.. uhh, humanist?...
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On May 05 2013 17:51 FireSA wrote:
The reason (I think) people don't like Clara is the fact that she so seamlessly joins the doctor on his adventures, rarely, if ever, questioning what is happening, ready to accept, without fear or wonder or real mystery. This is in start contrast to past companions (I am speaking 2005 onwards). The thing is, the companion is our surrogate, we, as the viewer, go on an adventure with the doctor, through clara, or whatever companion. That is why episodes without companions are worse, and that is also why there were two companions before Clara, it tapped into a larger audience. And watching the show, we want to wonder, to be surprised, to be scared, there needs to be mystery, we want to have to question etc. But Clara doesn't offer that, we wonder more about Clara in relation to the plot, and care less about the adventures. Clara is a prop, rather than our link to the doctor.
Just my two cents.
wow really i like your thoughts about the companions! never looked at it this way
great post
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On March 31 2013 08:38 aZealot wrote:Show nested quote +On March 31 2013 07:56 michaelthe wrote:
I'm somewhat interested and I've never seen any episodes. Where would you recommend I start?
I'm sure it's somewhere in the last 25 pages, but I don't want to read 25 pages, but I'm sure the hardcore fans are going to come to page 25 regardless. I've just starting watching this on a recommendation from a work mate. For some reason or the other, despite the fact that I love sci-fi, I never really got into Dr. Who. I watched the occasional episode with Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker as the doctor, and that was it. I started watching the renewed series with Chris Eccleston and have enjoyed it immensely. Sure, you get a few dud episodes, but you also get some real good ones too. I realised i liked it after watching the third episode of the first series, The Unquiet Dead. Other favourites so far are Dalek, Father's Day, The Parting of the Ways, The Christmas Invasion, The Girl in the Fireplace, The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit (these last two are part 1 and part 2 of an imaginative cool horror story in the best sci-fi tradition). If you are really keen to watch, I recommend starting with series one of the new Dr. Who (i.e. with Eccleston). I started last weekend, and am just about to wrap up season two over this Easter weekend. It's a real fun show.
Well, I wrapped up series 6 last weekend. It's been great. I like Matt Smith's take on the Doctor, and I also liked David Tennant's. I think Smith gets an unfair rap because the overall quality of the series, in terms of writing, has taken a dip with the departure of Russell Davies and Moffat's taking over. I think series 6, on the whole, would be my least favourite series. There are some good episodes intermingled though, like The Doctor's Wife (written by Neil Gaiman), The Rebel Flesh + The Almost People, and Night Terror. My favourite series are series 5 (Smith) and series 3 (Tennant).
Interesting point above regarding the role of the companion, and Clara in relation. A workmate of mine whose recommendation got me into watching Dr. Who can't stand Clara. Amy and Donna are the two companions I've liked the most.
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Probably my 2nd favorite tv show after games of thrones.
A funny weird doctor who travels to time.
I love British culture and humor and it can't get more British than this
Cute girls.
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Season 7 Finale spoilers ahead, watch the episode first:
+ Show Spoiler +So, I'm utterly confused. Was this the Doctor between the time we didn't see, between Eight and Nine during this time war or something. Or is this a title of a man whose name he took before it all? I feel the need to watch it again, but at the same time my brain imploded from thinking on this. Because if there is technically only supposed to be so many Doctors, and his grave is the current Tardis, does that mean they plan to be one more Doctor after Smith? Well, I guess we have to wait until the 23rd for anything and then probably mid-late 2014 for Smith's supposed final season.
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Pretty sick finale
+ Show Spoiler +Probably is the doctor during the time war but you never know until you know which will be...6 months 
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On May 19 2013 05:53 Spektor wrote:Season 7 Finale spoilers ahead, watch the episode first: + Show Spoiler +So, I'm utterly confused. Was this the Doctor between the time we didn't see, between Eight and Nine during this time war or something. Or is this a title of a man whose name he took before it all? I feel the need to watch it again, but at the same time my brain imploded from thinking on this. Because if there is technically only supposed to be so many Doctors, and his grave is the current Tardis, does that mean they plan to be one more Doctor after Smith? Well, I guess we have to wait until the 23rd for anything and then probably mid-late 2014 for Smith's supposed final season.
It mentioned somewhere that the Doctor could actually have up to 500 regenerations. So who knows which form it could really be.
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Lalalaland34503 Posts
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On May 19 2013 06:54 jcroisdale wrote:Show nested quote +On May 19 2013 05:53 Spektor wrote:Season 7 Finale spoilers ahead, watch the episode first: + Show Spoiler +So, I'm utterly confused. Was this the Doctor between the time we didn't see, between Eight and Nine during this time war or something. Or is this a title of a man whose name he took before it all? I feel the need to watch it again, but at the same time my brain imploded from thinking on this. Because if there is technically only supposed to be so many Doctors, and his grave is the current Tardis, does that mean they plan to be one more Doctor after Smith? Well, I guess we have to wait until the 23rd for anything and then probably mid-late 2014 for Smith's supposed final season. It mentioned somewhere that the Doctor could actually have up to 500 regenerations. So who knows which form it could really be.
That was russel Davis during Sarah Jane and he even said most fans will still go with the original number, but it'll probably be up to Moffat or the next show runner ultimately.
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On May 19 2013 07:08 Spektor wrote:Show nested quote +On May 19 2013 06:54 jcroisdale wrote:On May 19 2013 05:53 Spektor wrote:Season 7 Finale spoilers ahead, watch the episode first: + Show Spoiler +So, I'm utterly confused. Was this the Doctor between the time we didn't see, between Eight and Nine during this time war or something. Or is this a title of a man whose name he took before it all? I feel the need to watch it again, but at the same time my brain imploded from thinking on this. Because if there is technically only supposed to be so many Doctors, and his grave is the current Tardis, does that mean they plan to be one more Doctor after Smith? Well, I guess we have to wait until the 23rd for anything and then probably mid-late 2014 for Smith's supposed final season. It mentioned somewhere that the Doctor could actually have up to 500 regenerations. So who knows which form it could really be. That was russel Davis during Sarah Jane and he even said most fans will still go with the original number, but it'll probably be up to Moffat or the next show runner ultimately.
He was pointing out that the limit of 13 was only mentioned once and had no explanation attached to it. Considering how much story has happened between then and now, it's completely up to the writers to decide if the Doctor has a limit at all.
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