Doctor Who IV - Everything Whovian - Would you like a jelly baby?

[Sain]

Aw this episode was wonderful, I can breathe now. I'll have to watch it again, but I liked a lot of what I saw and had damn near 0 cringe. If there was anything off it's that they have Yas ramble sometimes.

On the Rosa side of things I appreciated her and the envioronment she was in. That slap in the beginning was palpable and great start to the episode and I liked how it was filmed. The woman playing Rosa is really pretty and had really charming and powerful reaction shots.

On the Doctor side of things, I thought this time displaced criminal could have been cool, and his plans to foil Rosa was cool, but I don't there is something kind of lame about him too. I'm assuming he'll be back, but I'm not really looking forward to it.

Combined through out the characters mixing and matching was better, I have more of a definitive beat on Yas' character and personality, and they wisely weakened the sci-fi aspect to minimum weird, as to not takeway from the reality of that time period's environment.

Best episode so far, good job Chibi & Co.

[Deathstroke]

I have to say that 'Rosa' was a great episode. This one really worked for me. The first episode was pretty good. I didn't think much of the 2nd episode. But this one felt like a "Doctor Who" episode. One of the more interesting parts of the climactic scene was Graham wanting to get off the bus but being told by The Doctor that he couldn't. His "I don't want to be involved" declaration was heartbreaking in its own way.

On a separate note, I hope they don't do any shipping between the characters. First off, I think if they got the Doctor involved in any kind of romance, the women who hailed the casting of Jodie Whittaker would likely revolt in some kind of knee jerk reaction. Like "how dare they cast a woman and the first thing they do is have her involved with someone" or something.


Second, the Ryan and Yaz idea would make sense BUT it seems too easy. Plus I think it would distract from the whole establishing the new status quo.


Next, I know that Chibnall has said they aren't doing any old villains this season. But sooner or later they are going to have deal with past enemies and allies coming into contact with the new regeneration of The Doctor. That's going to make for some interesting storylines I'd think.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

Guys we got Chibnall running Dr. Who for the next 5 years. That's enough time for some old villains/allies to pop up. It's also enough time for a love interest but it's gonna be hard to top River Song.

On the episode I thought it was a good watch. It was a bit preachy but it worked for what it was going for. I thought the villain was fun and wouldn't mind if he pops up again next year.

[Sain]

Oh totally forgot to mention the glaring con right at the very end. That expositing by The Doctor on Zordon's viewing globe was laid on thicccc. The preachiest of the episode's preachy, I'm pretty sure. It was illusion shattering.

Second, the Ryan and Yaz idea would make sense BUT it seems too easy. Plus I think it would distract from the whole establishing the new status quo.

Yes, that's what it is too easy. Cute, and they'd look great together, but too easy. That's why I couldn't imagine a future for them, because it was it was so easy it was boring. Now that you mention it, in this episode it seems they are trying to spice up their interactions by having a Helga Potaki dynamic e.g. "Did you just pay me a compliment" and Ryan gets flustered and won't admit it.

Because correct me if I'm wrong, but in the episodes prior there was no implication of hidden crushes, or playing hard to get. It was just a steady, straightforward get along. So from what we've seen Yas had no reason to feel like Ryan needs to be pried open for a compliment. This might be an intentional course correct.

[Kintor]

On the Doctor side of things, I thought this time displaced criminal could have been cool, and his plans to foil Rosa was cool, but I don't there is something kind of lame about him too. I'm assuming he'll be back, but I'm not really looking forward to it.

Not one to give full reviews so soon but I honestly think that Krasko is the weakest villain to ever appear on new Doctor Who. At least the Abzorbaloff from Love & Monsters was a guy in a rubber suit, the best the BBC costume department could manage for this story was a black leather jacket. This new season is just lacking the absurdity and general weirdness that used to make Doctor Who so entertaining.

I mean, a leather jack could work as villain, with some more creative writer. Just imagine: a shapeshifting alien travels back in time to the 1950s to disrupt Rose Park - disguised as The Fonz from Happy Days! I'd watch that story. Or better yet make things even crazier: Krasko could've been some sort of time-travelling Confederate cyborg, trying to find his way back to the Civil War but ended up in 1950s Alabama by mistake and starts causing trouble. The possibilities are endless, anything but the boring villain we got.

[Somecrazyaussie]

Guys we got Chibnall running Dr. Who for the next 5 years. That's enough time for some old villains/allies to pop up. It's also enough time for a love interest but it's gonna be hard to top River Song.

On the episode I thought it was a good watch. It was a bit preachy but it worked for what it was going for. I thought the villain was fun and wouldn't mind if he pops up again next year.

Doctor Who is guaranteed to run for another 5 years (four after this series wraps.) But it hasn't been stated that Chibnall will be the showrunner for the full five years. He will, at best, do 3 series. He has a tendency to leave shows after a few series.

[Miles To Go]

Best episode of Quantum Leap in a long time

On a separate note, I hope they don't do any shipping between the characters. First off, I think if they got the Doctor involved in any kind of romance, the women who hailed the casting of Jodie Whittaker would likely revolt in some kind of knee jerk reaction. Like "how dare they cast a woman and the first thing they do is have her involved with someone" or something

I admit, I did squee a bit with Doc and Graham posing as a couple in the hotel and Doc feeling a bit tense at Graham's arm being around her

[JKtheMac]

I am beginning to get a feel for this new era. It feels like we will be getting a selection of carefully plotted episodes that work like clockwork but don’t draw attention to their cleverness. Exposition reduced to a minimum, never underestimating its audience and always assuming that in a family audience there will probably be a bright 12 year-old who can explain anything confusing.

As I was working this all out I was totally blindsided by the emotional beat that confronted Graham as he realised the full weight of his required role in history. I was a wreck after that.

[Deathstroke]

Something else I thought of. Why didn't the Doctor give Ryan crap for stealing and then using the time displacement thing. I mean, what do we know about the villain? We don't know who he is, how long he lives etc. Sending him back in time could give him way more time to play around with things rather than just what he was trying to do in this episode.

[MyriVerse]

I still love this Doc, and this episode started getting me to like the companions (a bit). Overall, the plot was fine, but the bad guy was a bit 2-dimensional. I found parts very cheesy, especially that ending.

And yes, sending him back further in time is the last thing they should have done. Distant future is where he belongs if anything. Hmm... maybe he becomes a true Big Bad that dooms the universe to whitemaleism?

[JKtheMac]

Something else I thought of. Why didn't the Doctor give Ryan crap for stealing and then using the time displacement thing. I mean, what do we know about the villain? We don't know who he is, how long he lives etc. Sending him back in time could give him way more time to play around with things rather than just what he was trying to do in this episode.

We know what time period he comes from, we know his modus operandi (large scale disruptive terrorism) and we know his motive (racism). That's pretty much all we need right now, but we also know what prison he was in and have seen it before, we know where his time travel technology comes from and roughly how it works. He is now stranded in the past and it makes us wonder what he will do next. He could easily come back to the show later in the series or in future series. Maybe he goes on to inspire the Stenza? Who knows.

It wasn't the Dr's plan to send him back as far as he can go. It did appear to be her plan to use that device however. This is about the uncontrollable variable that is a companion.

[Sain]

Not one to give full reviews so soon but I honestly think that Krasko is the weakest villain to ever appear on new Doctor Who. At least the Abzorbaloff from Love & Monsters was a guy in a rubber suit, the best the BBC costume department could manage for this story was a black leather jacket. This new season is just lacking the absurdity and general weirdness that used to make Doctor Who so entertaining.

I mean, a leather jack could work as villain, with some more creative writer. Just imagine: a shapeshifting alien travels back in time to the 1950s to disrupt Rose Park - disguised as The Fonz from Happy Days! I'd watch that story. Or better yet make things even crazier: Krasko could've been some sort of time-travelling Confederate cyborg, trying to find his way back to the Civil War but ended up in 1950s Alabama by mistake and starts causing trouble. The possibilities are endless, anything but the boring villain we got.

I can understand that when you put it that. It gives off the vibe of being too polished and safe, but I thought the tooth faced space warrior was a great start.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

I kinda like Krasko as a villain and wouldnt mind if he pops up as a recurring one off threat. He pops up once a season kinda thing or he sells his services to whatever baddie needs a flunkie.

To amend my earlier comment Chibnall might follow Moffat's route and have the big bads be totally new characters while we see some classic monsters return as one offs.

Or he could just do what he wants.

[thwhtGuardian]

Not one to give full reviews so soon but I honestly think that Krasko is the weakest villain to ever appear on new Doctor Who. At least the Abzorbaloff from Love & Monsters was a guy in a rubber suit, the best the BBC costume department could manage for this story was a black leather jacket. This new season is just lacking the absurdity and general weirdness that used to make Doctor Who so entertaining.

I mean, a leather jack could work as villain, with some more creative writer. Just imagine: a shapeshifting alien travels back in time to the 1950s to disrupt Rose Park - disguised as The Fonz from Happy Days! I'd watch that story. Or better yet make things even crazier: Krasko could've been some sort of time-travelling Confederate cyborg, trying to find his way back to the Civil War but ended up in 1950s Alabama by mistake and starts causing trouble. The possibilities are endless, anything but the boring villain we got.

Those all sound pretty terrible to me, so kudos for the writers for not giving us anything even remotely like what was mentioned here.

That's not to say the time traveling racist pretending to be a greaser was a great and memorable villain, but he suited the tone of the story.

[Derek Metaltron]

I will say that this episode more than any other has made me realise my childhood dream of being a time traveler would sadly benefit me being white and male, and I am glad this episode confronted that hard and swift. This was also the first episode which made full use of the whole gang properly, especially Graham and Ryan.