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Given it’s been 15 years since we last saw Donna and The Doctor together? The “so what” is there’ll be people watching this latest offering that weren’t even alive at the time.
Given a chunk of the plot ties directly to that previous outing, there’s a need to impress upon the audience why that matters. And when you’ve just an hour of screentime? A recap is the most efficient way of achieving that.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2023/11/26 23:19:52
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So take two more minutes and work it into plot like everything else rather than be hacks and tell not show.
Especially since they also take the time out for him to repeat the exposition when Science Lady shows up to interrupt his wand work for the Silent Image spell (to set up Lesser Wall of Force later).
Audiences aren't as dumb as you seem to think. Most movies present relationships in the course of the film and generally assume the viewers will catch on, without feeling the need to prep the audience with cliff notes before the movie starts.
This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2023/11/27 14:35:12
I don't usually say that one Doctor Who era is better than the others, or compare stories, but I'd have to say that Caves Of Androzani is the "Empire Strikes Back" or "Wrath of Khan" of Doctor Who.
No one has their sights on avenging themselves upon the Doctor, nor Peri, but they walk into in the middle a brutal stand off where they cannot charm nor sonic their way out of a bad situation, and having "read the script" isn't going to do them much use neither. Little bit of Dune and Fellowship of the Ring( the bit in Moria ), its really good.
Oh, definitely worth catching for the final moment, which is legendary. Especially if you watch the "making of" to get Peter's account of it!
I know the scene you mean. Burned into my retinas!
The later 7th Doctor stories are, for me, just as good as Androzani, in their own way.
For the first time my lifetime? The Doctor was a threatening, mercurial figure. Manipulative. Deceitful. Maybe just a little bit evil. Certainly showing a malevolent streak as he tricks not one but two species into making themselves near extinct.
But, his justification remains pretty much solid, even if his means are….morally questionable. This is best demonstrated by Remembrance of the Daleks.
Wind up your opponent. Play them like a Fiddle, preying on their ego and insecurities.
McCoy's era was the bomb! I clearly remember watching The Happiness Patrol with the Kandyman, who was really cool for this 8 year-old's eyes. Friggin loved it!
And yes, he was knocking out his enemies one-by-one, like Kevin Peter Hall!
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2023/11/29 19:00:22
Happiness Patrol and Paradise Towers are excellent stories, but poorly mounted.
The overall story and message in each remains relevant, and insightful. But at that point the then head honcho of the BBC was a “me not like, me smash” type.
Certainly Happiness Patrol will forever be why I’m still drawn to House Escher to this day.
Red Kangs! Yellow Kangs! Blue Kangs!
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But I’m gonna argue the charm of Original Who is that even when the end product was a Bit Crap? There was always an effort. An underlying brilliance regardless of the outcome.
I mean, even the best regarded stories suffer from wobbly sets and that. But it was the plot and Lead that carried it and kind of forced, maybe tricked, us into caring about tuning into the next episode.
Which is the root of my personal discontent with New Who. When you give a story teller say six to eight hours of screentime to weave their tale, it’s an entirely different task to “no, you’ve got an hour at best”.
I’ll spare you all an idiot’s lecture, and simply acknowledge I accept the TV landscape has massively changed, and somewhat tied hands and tastes.
But I’d still love to see an Original Who season approach done in the modern day, dodgy cliffhangers and all.
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Tonight's episode "Wild Blue Yonder" was good and one I'd actually watch again sometime. The pace and logic were in harmony as far as Dr Who stories go.
SamusDrake wrote: Tonight's episode "Wild Blue Yonder" was good and one I'd actually watch again sometime. The pace and logic were in harmony as far as Dr Who stories go.
It was... neat?
Pretty intense for a bit, then kind of faded out into an extended 'but why, though?' And in typical Doctor Who fashion, raises important background questions and then simply... declines to talk about it.
Also felt like a bit of a rehash of the 'Midnight' episode during the Donna season itself (Ep10)
That was pretty nifty!
A fairly common sci-fi plot but done well and was rather creepy in the beginning.
Disappointed by the references to some of the Chibnall Era nonsense (Was hoping they were going to quietly retcon that stuff by ignoring it).
Shame there's only one episode to go, I'd forgotten how much I liked this pairing, and Donna is easily one of of my favourite companions. She's not a focus hog (nor has the weird romantic overtones) like most of the Nu Who ones, but she's also not as superfluous as Old Who ones tended to be.
The first time Bonnie Langford, let alone Mel, hasn’t irritated me!
Neil Patrick Harris is superb.
Importantly? I now want to go watch the original, as I’ve never really watched very early Who. Pertwee and on I’ve seen everything. But Hartnell and Troughton have only been the odd serial here and there.
Automatically Appended Next Post: Really liking the new Doctor too!
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2023/12/09 20:29:40
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What is it with Nu Who villains getting a dance number to show how crazy they are?
Overall I liked the episode, the Toymaker made an intimidating villain despite the silliness, but I'm not too sure on the ending:-
Spoiler:
I'm guessing they were going for even more of a reboot than the usual regeneration, with the "Old" Doctor effectively retiring, while there's also a "New" Doctor to go on adventures and stuff. But it feels a bit gimmicky to me and gives them the ability to wheel out David Tennant whenever the ratings start to slide again.
Kate didn't apologise to Donna and Mel - so maybe there is a red-head conspiracy!
Looks like Fourteen is going to have a job working for UNIT as their unpaid Scientific Advisor!
Nerdy Pedant Alert: In Star Beast Fourteen described himself as Scientific Advisor No.1 - which is doing Dr. Liz Shaw a bit of a disservice, who was technically employed first.
The first half was good enough but the Spice Girls bit was just plain embarrassing and not in a good way at all. The worst part was the new Doctor running around without trousers on.
Not sure I want to see the Christmas Day special if being honest. Depends what else is on...
I was under the impression the point was to set up Tennant as the filler arc doctor for while they wait for Gatwa to finish his current project.
I expect one season of Tennant, then they meet again the finale and Tennant somehow sacrifices himself, as is tradition, and then we switch to Gatwa full time.
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SamusDrake wrote: The first half was good enough but the Spice Girls bit was just plain embarrassing and not in a good way at all. The worst part was the new Doctor running around without trousers on.
It took me a minute to figure out they were each wearing half his original outfit. Tenant was going commando.
