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

[Mr. Mastermind]

Just saw The Pilot and liked it a lot.

On the return of the Simms Master, I think we're going to see how the Doctor "left him to die" and regenerated into Missy. Missy's first lines to the Doctor in series 8 don't fit with The End of Time.

[Kyer]

The Pilot wasn't great, but at least Bill didn't suck as bad as I feared and the easter eggs for Susan and River were nice touches.
Eagerly awaiting the next episode as I have adored Doctor Who for decades.

However, I don't adore everything about Who and the horror is the main thing I dislike. Mostly I can kind of just overlook it, but now and then there is an episode teaser that makes me go "No, no...nononono...don't wan't to see that at all." It happened with the moon spiders, the Christmas Alien face huggers, (though not the splitting heads last Christmas, go figure.) Now I saw a little snippet with a screaming guy down a basement with what looked like possibly roaches crawling up him or something...(my screen is set to darker than usual thank goodness.)

Forty years of Who and these last few seasons have been mixing Wary in with what used to be Anticipated Joy.

Anyone can take a stabbing guess which episode that was from so I can avoid it like the plague?

[Aldoxin]

I'd give Pilot a solid 7/10. Good episode not great. The monster of the week was cool especially jumping space and time like that.

[The Whovian]

Just saw The Pilot and liked it a lot.

On the return of the Simms Master, I think we're going to see how the Doctor "left him to die" and regenerated into Missy. Missy's first lines to the Doctor in series 8 don't fit with The End of Time.

Yep, I think it will be something similar to this.

[The Whovian]

I'd give Pilot a solid 7/10. Good episode not great. The monster of the week was cool especially jumping space and time like that.

Yeah, that seems to be the overall reaction from most fans. Good, but not great episode. I think fans saw the trailer of Bill and thought she was going to be a terrible character and then were surprised that she wasn't. At least so far.

[ChrisIII]

The Pilot wasn't great, but at least Bill didn't suck as bad as I feared and the easter eggs for Susan and River were nice touches.
Eagerly awaiting the next episode as I have adored Doctor Who for decades.

However, I don't adore everything about Who and the horror is the main thing I dislike. Mostly I can kind of just overlook it, but now and then there is an episode teaser that makes me go "No, no...nononono...don't wan't to see that at all." It happened with the moon spiders, the Christmas Alien face huggers, (though not the splitting heads last Christmas, go figure.) Now I saw a little snippet with a screaming guy down a basement with what looked like possibly roaches crawling up him or something...(my screen is set to darker than usual thank goodness.)

Forty years of Who and these last few seasons have been mixing Wary in with what used to be Anticipated Joy.

Anyone can take a stabbing guess which episode that was from so I can avoid it like the plague?

Doctor Who's been sort of doing (mostly family friendly) horror for a long time, especially in the early Tom Baker era. Although it's often been controversial in the past. Part of the reason Colin Baker's first season was so controversial was due to it's gore....

[Kyer]

I was lucky/unlucky enough to miss about every Colin Baker episode after The Two Doctors due to the local station taking it off the air about that time. Yeah, some of the situations got hairy for me but never once was I forced to do more than just look away. With the sudden influx of actual parasites in New Who I have to actually leave the room or switch channels altogether. So it was with the spiders and the face huggers. (There's a reason I hate the Alien movie ads.)

I'm more a fan of Alfred Hithcock's style....ideas on fear/anticipation versus buckets of fake gore.

[Jim Kelly]

I get the point about Hitchcock using psychological horror, but he wasn't above showing some gore. There's that anecdote he tells in the interview from the '60s where a seven year old boy asked him what he used for blood in Psycho, "chicken blood?" "No, chocolate sauce."

I'm like that little boy, I'm aware that it's all illusion, so it never bothers me. The psychological stuff bothers me more, because it's true to lived experience. The gore only bothers me when it is real--some fictional movies do real violence to animals and that bothers me. By watching the movie it's as if I'm giving them license to commit these acts of real violence for my entertainment. But the worst offenders are the news and documentaries.

What bothers me in DOCTOR WHO is when side characters are killed off for no good reason other than to drive up the body count--which, I take it, is a way for the producers to give the story more weight. Look at all the random soldiers and tourists in this scene who are cut down--isn't that impressive. And the Doctor isn't terribly bothered. But if he's a hero, he should be bothered. He can't prevent every death, but he should come out a bit ahead. If 100 characters die but a companion lives, I don't feel like the Doctor has done his job. He should be able to save 50 out of the 100.

I like it when we see the Doctor interested in preserving all lifeforms as much as he can. This seems a greater concern for the 11th and 12th Doctor. Funnily enough, his ability to speak baby is an important feature--as it means he can communicate with beings we might overlook. So they have as much right to live as we do--we're equally as alien to him.

[The Whovian]

Well, "Smile" certainly did not make me smile. This was one of the worst episodes of DW I've seen in quite some time.

spoilers:

90% of the show consisted of the Doctor and Bill wandering around the station without a clue. The Doctor looked like an idiot until the last 5 minutes of the show. If not for Bill finding that young boy, the Doctor would have killed hundreds and hundreds of people. And it's really annoying not knowing why the Doctor is supposed to be grounded to Earth. There was some cryptic clues, but no clear answer. They better not let this linger all season.

end of spoilers

I know we're only two episodes in, but these first two episodes have not been great. I really hope Moffat has some truly epic episodes coming up since this is his swan song season.

[protege]

I think i'm going to add to the list of stories i don't like; the big reset button, where whatever happens gets undone at the end. The story was kind of stupid, but the next one looks more promising. Not sure how i feel about bill; she seems to be able to keep up with the doctor, when she isn't blathering on about something. and nardole isn't too fond of her, either. Oh, and the doctor can read the final moments of a person from their remains?

[jbmasta]

Well, "Smile" certainly did not make me smile. This was one of the worst episodes of DW I've seen in quite some time.

spoilers:

90% of the show consisted of the Doctor and Bill wandering around the station without a clue. The Doctor looked like an idiot until the last 5 minutes of the show. If not for Bill finding that young boy, the Doctor would have killed hundreds and hundreds of people. And it's really annoying not knowing why the Doctor is supposed to be grounded to Earth. There was some cryptic clues, but no clear answer. They better not let this linger all season.

end of spoilers

I know we're only two episodes in, but these first two episodes have not been great. I really hope Moffat has some truly epic episodes coming up since this is his swan song season.

You really won't like the Ark in Space then. None of the guest cast make an appearance until episode 2.

[ChrisIII]

I get the point about Hitchcock using psychological horror, but he wasn't above showing some gore. There's that anecdote he tells in the interview from the '60s where a seven year old boy asked him what he used for blood in Psycho, "chicken blood?" "No, chocolate sauce."

I'm like that little boy, I'm aware that it's all illusion, so it never bothers me. The psychological stuff bothers me more, because it's true to lived experience. The gore only bothers me when it is real--some fictional movies do real violence to animals and that bothers me. By watching the movie it's as if I'm giving them license to commit these acts of real violence for my entertainment. But the worst offenders are the news and documentaries.

What bothers me in DOCTOR WHO is when side characters are killed off for no good reason other than to drive up the body count--which, I take it, is a way for the producers to give the story more weight. Look at all the random soldiers and tourists in this scene who are cut down--isn't that impressive. And the Doctor isn't terribly bothered. But if he's a hero, he should be bothered. He can't prevent every death, but he should come out a bit ahead. If 100 characters die but a companion lives, I don't feel like the Doctor has done his job. He should be able to save 50 out of the 100.

I like it when we see the Doctor interested in preserving all lifeforms as much as he can. This seems a greater concern for the 11th and 12th Doctor. Funnily enough, his ability to speak baby is an important feature--as it means he can communicate with beings we might overlook. So they have as much right to live as we do--we're equally as alien to him.

While "Everybody lives" sometimes happens, there were often stories where the Doctor and companions were pretty much the only ones left alive. This actually took a toll on Tegan in "Ressurection of the Daleks", making her leave.

[Deathstroke]

I have to say that I was a little disappointed with last night's episode. I thought Bill was slightly annoying and it just seemed like a whole big runaround.

I will say that Bill's line about bringing the seats closer to the controls of the TARDIS was priceless.

[Zero Hunter]

Well, "Smile" certainly did not make me smile. This was one of the worst episodes of DW I've seen in quite some time.

spoilers:

90% of the show consisted of the Doctor and Bill wandering around the station without a clue. The Doctor looked like an idiot until the last 5 minutes of the show. If not for Bill finding that young boy, the Doctor would have killed hundreds and hundreds of people. And it's really annoying not knowing why the Doctor is supposed to be grounded to Earth. There was some cryptic clues, but no clear answer. They better not let this linger all season.

end of spoilers

I know we're only two episodes in, but these first two episodes have not been great. I really hope Moffat has some truly epic episodes coming up since this is his swan song season.

I am glad I am not the only one who felt that way. The stuff with Billy and the Doctor in the Tardis was good, but once they got to the emjoi planet the episode just was not good at all.

[Aldoxin]

I feel like they're going through the new companion routine, first meet the new companion, second let them pick the first destination once they find out. Third shown how brave they are even though the doctor told them to stay. I don't mind it but it's his last season why waste such time. What's everyone thinking on the new doctor? Going to be a boy or girl? Ginger or not ginger?