Doctor Who 2008: Sontarans cometh, RTD Ood 'ave 'im etc.

the writers make it very difficult for martha/freema - she was better last series i'm sure

jenny's resurrection seemed more in line with captain jack than the doctor.

Yeah I didn't really see the point of Martha being in this one, other than Freema Agyeman was contracted to appear in a certain number of episodes. Shame because the pace of this one felt a bit rushed, could have done with more space.

I was disappointed from the start that she wasn't the Doctor's original daughter/Susan's mother and I struggled to get over that diappointment and care much about what was happening for the rest of the episode. The Hath looked pretty cool though and Jenny = rowr. The ending was totally 'Oh HAI I HAS A SPINOFF' though but bringing Jenny to life just to kill her 45mins later seemed pointless as well. She might make a good companion in the future.

Despite the writers over-egging the pudding with the dialogue, that was probably Tennant's best 'gravitas' moment, but god I'm starting to hate that swelling sub-Celtic Moods orchestral theme that appears every time there's a scene of great emotional importance.

The next episode looks awesome though, hope they ratchet up the creepy factor on this one.

I thought that was pretty terrific. I couldn't really follow the plot, which was refreshing.

Cellular-free mobile phones are in danger of becoming the nu sonic screwdriver, though. I think they explained them working in the Tardis before, but now they seem to just work anywhere.

> but god I'm starting to hate that swelling sub-Celtic Moods orchestral
> theme that appears every time there's a scene of great emotional
> importance.

I was going to say. It really hit me during this episode how sad it is that a series with such a strong musical heritage should have descended into using the worst kind of mush. It's not just the emo scenes. Pretty much all the incidental music is ruinously bad.

And the Ood song in episode two could have been something truly eerie or moving but ended up just being comical. That was still my second favourite one so far this series, though, even if, as mentioned above, the canoodisation of the Doctor was somewhat nonsensical. Maybe I just like vaguely amphibous-looking aliens.

Agatha Christie trailer did look good. First historical character one I've looked forward to.

I spy a spin off show

The ending was totally 'Oh HAI I HAS A SPINOFF'

Either that or, inspired by the Doctor being peaceful and teaching her to save the scary aliens, she goes and aligns herself with, say, dalek Caan or someone.

I always imagine Dalek Caan is related to James Caan somehow.

Caan? Caan! CAAAAAAAAaan!!

I was very down on Tate becoming a companion but I was totally wrong: she's great. She gives even the simplest of lines a real kick, but you know that when she said "I'll travel with this man forever" that she's not long for this Whoniverse.

It's had a sniffy review or two already, but I like the look of next week's. Even on a second viewing of the trailer Donna made me lol with the exchange...
"Agatha Christie"
"What about her?"
".. That's me"
"No... !"

Yeah Donna is so getting zapped by a Dalek in the season finale.

I was disappointed from the start that she wasn't the Doctor's original daughter/Susan's mother and I struggled to get over that diappointment and care much about what was happening for the rest of the episode.

The ultimate bait-and-switch.

That worked quite well considering the whole daughter thing was so arbitrary and stupid. Having recently rewatched series 3, I don't quite get all the Martha-hate, I just think she was underused.

Precisely.

I think Donna may get accidentally crushed by the Tardis, like the witch at the start of the Wizard of Oz.

Anyway, I digress, I thought this weeks episode was quite good. Though the Hath they are just another Ood, right?

Yeah, they all look the same to you, don't they? Racist.

Best bit of this episode - "let's just save your feminine wiles til later, just in case of emergency".

Is it wrong that Donna is growing on me?

I'm getting tired of the whole the companion really fancies/loves the doctor thing.

Except she doesn't fancy or love the Doctor.

Exactly thats why I like her as opposed to Martha.

Ah right, I get you. Incidentally, this picture from the Christmas special looks pretty spoileriffic.

But not in the way you'd think.

Donna's grate.

yep, she's totally grown on me as a real character - though i hope we won't get more of the 'ooh this is all so amazing omg + where is your heart???' stuff, b/c ugh i mean i'd be super excited too for sure but still c'mon, be cool
also they should stop making her wear those wear tunic/dresses over pants by which i mean trousers - is there something abt the doctor who lighting that causes thighs to be offensive to viewers? i do not think so

i think she looks the best she's ever looked in the preview for next wk's ep, where she's in the flapper-style dress! perfect

Last night I was listening to Kylie Minogue on my headphones and suddenly realized..

Two hearts... beating together...

oh come ON

Never thought id say this but donna is great. Dr Who doesnt need Rose or Martha. Donna with the Dr and the occasional appearance of captain jack and jenny will do fine.

Sorry I AM a bit slow!! Was it written as a tie-in to the Xmas ep??

xpost

I mean, "I've seen the dark of you" is clearly a reference to the Doctor destroying the Raknos progeny.

step back in time

they are still trying too hard to prove that donna doesn't wuv the doctor with all the "we're not a couple, what us, EEWWWW" thing, but I prefer that to doe-eyed girliness any day.

i am pleased to have been proved right about donna, i really liked her in the runaway bride and said even back then she'd be a good companion. yay me.

Ailsa, I bow before your wisdom. I was expecting to hate her, but now really like her.

Remember the knit Adipose babies?

http://io9.com/389647/bbc-destroys-cute-knitted-versions-of-doctor-who-monsters

http://cache.io9.com/assets/resources/2008/05/cuteood.jpg

^ the real villains

That wasn't too bad. Histrionics at the end had me hiding behind the sofa (squirming, rather than in fear), but the rest of it wasn't bad. The "7 days" reveal was actually rather clever, I thought.

This whole season's been quite poor compared to the last, I think, but it's still very watchable, so it beats Season 2 at least.

Close run thing though.

Most of the first half of last season was shonk of the highest order, this one is beating it so far. Last season really took off in the second half though.

Certainly the Sontaran two parter was better than the Daleks In Manhattan nonsense.

Yep, as far as season first halves go, 2 < 3 < 4 < 1.

I didn't like the "oh noes we are going to crash into the sun" one or the Shakespeare one or whatever it was with Mark Gatiss as the mad scientist AT ALL. Daleks in Manhattan at least had Daleks.

having said all that I think the Sontaran Mr Potato Head tie in will be less successful at Christmas than the dalek sek voice changing mask.

Radio controlled Davros 4 evah.

"oh noes we are going to crash into the sun"

this was the best episode of that half of the series.

wasn't it in the second half?

they took the 3 week break or whatever it was before '42'

when people slate 'Evolution Of The Daleks' is it just the cop out ending or other stuff?

i am wishing that the upcoming episode 'Forest Of The Dead' features the tree people from 'The End Of The World' (rewatched this the other day) as they were excellent - but it's Moffat's two parter so presumably not.

Cop-out ending.
Fuckwitted science, even by Dr Who standards.
Daleks meant to be big threat, but really just farting around in sewers.
Human/Dalek hybrid less scary than actual Daleks.
Unconvincing American-ness.

What I did like was the hybrid's natty suit and shoes, which remained surprisingly slime-free after the conversion process, and the pig-men doing their waiting-for-the-lift-to-arrive bit.

i liked the old-NYC bowery boys aspect of it, but i didn't like how little of that there was

Cop-out ending.
Fuckwitted science, even by Dr Who standards.
Daleks meant to be big threat, but really just farting around in sewers.
Human/Dalek hybrid less scary than actual Daleks.
Unconvincing American-ness.

sounds like most average episodes, give or take a few words

the americanness was very unconvincing, although i just saw "rabbi jacob" the other night (louis de funes' most popular movie) and that had new york jews speaking french the entire time so, you know...

I don't mind the americaness being awful as it makes up for innumerable crimes against englishness perpetrated by the american media.