Doctor Who (again) [SPOILERS]

[Calemyr]

Okay, I don't see what everyone's so upset with regarding the screwdriver in the Almost People:

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It seems obvious to me:
First, the Doctor (ganger) throws his screwdriver at the Doctor. This is to further the impression that the Doctor is the fake, as he supposedly didn't start with one. Remember that the one sitting in "timeout" on the bucket is the real one, but both of them want to see if Amy could tell any difference between them. Result: Doctor has two screwdrivers (one concealed), Doctor (ganger) has none.

Then, at the end, the Doctor threw the borrowed one back to the Doctor (ganger), updated with the settings he created to disrupt the flesh. Result: Doctor has one screwdriver, Doctor (ganger) has one screwdriver.

Where's the problem?

Also worth noting (and it can be hard to catch), the Doctor says flat out about the Amy ganger: "Given what we've learned, I'll try to be as humane as possible but..." The Doctor is admitting to being a little hypocritical, but that it's something he has to do.

As for Daleks in Manhattan:
There were only four Daleks left, and they barely had the power to move, much less establish their dominance. They have faced humanity several times and have always lost, which suggests that humanity has more to offer than they acknowledge. The hybrid strategy was both a test to see whether it was worth further examination and a means of amassing suitable numbers quickly (via mind control and pigmen). They were weak and needed an edge, and so made every effort to abuse the only edge given them: a whole lot of expendable human beings who would willingly walk into the slaughterhouse on the promise of a dollar when they got back.

But the key reason for the episode is explained in detail during Doomsday (the season 2 finale): the Cult of Skaro was created for the express purpose of pondering decidedly non-Dalek thoughts. Names, identities, roles, all this they displayed right off the bat. The whole purpose of the cult in the first place was to think non-Dalek thoughts and work out what they were doing wrong, and even the Emperor didn't have authority over them (so he couldn't meddle with what would have been an obvious obscenity to him). This is why Sek came up with the hybrid gambit and how Caan could become disgusted with his own species.

[Jahkaivah]

Something just dawned on me:

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Amy told, who we thought was the ganger-doctor but turned out to be the real one, that she has witnessed his death.

Of course we don't know whether he was even paying attention at that point... but still.

[Drolyt]

Something just dawned on me:

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Amy told, who we thought was the ganger-doctor but turned out to be the real one, that she has witnessed his death.

Of course we don't know whether he was even paying attention at that point... but still.

I noticed that right away. When he was about to reveal that Amy was a ganger, that is what I thought he was going to talk about. I'm sure he'll get to that, but in the meantime he has to save Amy.

A question, was that the last episode or do we have another before the break?

[Kobold-Bard]

I noticed that right away. When he was about to reveal that Amy was a ganger, that is what I thought he was going to talk about. I'm sure he'll get to that, but in the meantime he has to save Amy.

A question, was that the last episode or do we have another before the break?

There's another one this week.

[Stadge]

Okay, I don't see what everyone's so upset with regarding the screwdriver in the Almost People:

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Show

It seems obvious to me:
First, the Doctor (ganger) throws his screwdriver at the Doctor. This is to further the impression that the Doctor is the fake, as he supposedly didn't start with one. Remember that the one sitting in "timeout" on the bucket is the real one, but both of them want to see if Amy could tell any difference between them. Result: Doctor has two screwdrivers (one concealed), Doctor (ganger) has none.

Then, at the end, the Doctor threw the borrowed one back to the Doctor (ganger), updated with the settings he created to disrupt the flesh. Result: Doctor has one screwdriver, Doctor (ganger) has one screwdriver.

Where's the problem?

Also worth noting (and it can be hard to catch), the Doctor says flat out about the Amy ganger: "Given what we've learned, I'll try to be as humane as possible but..." The Doctor is admitting to being a little hypocritical, but that it's something he has to do.

I think, but I may be remembering badly, that it shows up again:

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When the ganger-doctor, amy, and crew are trapped in the room that Rory was tricked into locking, didn't the ganger-Doctor use it in there? Or am I just misremembering?

Something just dawned on me:

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Amy told, who we thought was the ganger-doctor but turned out to be the real one, that she has witnessed his death.

Of course we don't know whether he was even paying attention at that point... but still.

I think we do know

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Before the ganger-Doctor sacrificed himself, didn't the normal-Doctor mumble something about not being invited to this one (referring to death)?

[Thufir]

Okay, I don't see what everyone's so upset with regarding the screwdriver in the Almost People:

Spoiler

Show

It seems obvious to me:
First, the Doctor (ganger) throws his screwdriver at the Doctor. This is to further the impression that the Doctor is the fake, as he supposedly didn't start with one. Remember that the one sitting in "timeout" on the bucket is the real one, but both of them want to see if Amy could tell any difference between them. Result: Doctor has two screwdrivers (one concealed), Doctor (ganger) has none.

Then, at the end, the Doctor threw the borrowed one back to the Doctor (ganger), updated with the settings he created to disrupt the flesh. Result: Doctor has one screwdriver, Doctor (ganger) has one screwdriver.

Where's the problem?

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The problem lies in the fact that in the meantime the ganger Doctor uses his screwdriver. Which, if you're right, he no longer has.

As for Daleks in Manhattan:
There were only four Daleks left, and they barely had the power to move,

You what?
They have the power to fly over Hooverville. That's quite a lot of movement, and no indication that this is in any way difficult. Also unrestrained zapping of things. Where exactly did you get the idea they were so short on power?

[Szilard]

I think, but I may be remembering badly, that it shows up again:

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When the ganger-doctor, amy, and crew are trapped in the room that Rory was tricked into locking, didn't the ganger-Doctor use it in there? Or am I just misremembering?

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The problem lies in the fact that in the meantime the ganger Doctor uses his screwdriver. Which, if you're right, he no longer has.

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This. The Doctor without the screwdriver suddenly has it again in the acid room.

As for the Doctor knowing about his death, I realized this once the switch-up was revealed. Scary thought.

[thegurullamen]

I haven't been following the thread that well, but could someone sum up the problem with

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ganger Amy? Gangers don't become sentient creatures in their own right until they're prematurely separated from the consciousness stream of their controller (via a lightning storm or an abortion where the creators [probably] sever the connection themselves and toss the malformed creature into a corner). Pregnant!Amy was always in control of her ganger, so it acted as humans always thought the flesh acted--as a puppet or drone. Where does the moral ambiguity or horror come into it?

[CurlyKitGirl]

The Nu Who Trek continues. And now, to boldly go where many have gone before. [*cue TNG theme (I love that theme song so much)*]

'The Lazarus Experiment' (Season Three, Episode Six)
Same format as before.

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I have no idea why I'm doing this. Two essays due in twenty-four hours. Well, no secret Who's addicting. Let's hope this is a better episode than the two-parter.
The Hell noise? It's the squealy electrical thing.
We have a record people!
Martha the Moron: "Where are we?"
The Doctor: "The end of the line. [Martha the Moron looks at him eagerly; by now about a third of the audience has clued in on the end of the freakin' line. She's so dumb! She's a medical student!] There's no place like it." The Doctor nods affirmatively. Martha's still grinning like a goon. Because THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME! IDJIT. This is all before the thirty second marker people! Thirty seconds!
Say what you like about Rose, but she was written as being fairly dumb, and yet she was still fairly smart. Martha is a medical student - and you need very good grades to get on a medical course. For instance, if Martha studied Medicine at UCL she would need a minimum of three As at A Level and a passing grade in a fourth AS Level. And she's not exactly getting the fact that after the incidents in their last journey she's being taken home. Or this lovely little fact. In 'The Shakespeare Code' she was promised one trip. This was then extended in the next episode to be one into the past, one into the future. And then they went to 1930.
How can Martha not add one plus one plus a bonus trip?
Thirty. Seconds. People.
So. Stupid.
Martha the Moron is rapidly becoming my least favourite long-term (as in more than two episodes) Companion.
And doesn't her face fall when she realises it.
She does. Only twelve hours after she left. Better than Rose's initial twelve months. And she's thrown a hissy fit. Like she's being dumped. Hate Martha the Moron.
I'll be brief. I'm two minutes (1.57 to be exact) into the episode and nearly every word Martha the Moron says is making me annoyed. "I suppose things just kind of - escalated." she says, leaning forwards slightly, looking up through her lashes at the massively oblivious Doctor. He's staring happily at the ceiling, reflecting on something. At least she has the grace to give in . . . gracefully. Until 2.31 when she looks sad and depressed. Until the Doctor comes back.
To ask: "I'm sorry. Did he say 'change what it means to be human?'"
Intro scene! The writer is Stephen Greenhorn.
And now for a note on the episode title. Did you know one of my old childhood friends went to Sunday school every week? And if she had a sleepover, all friends had to go too? Or that I was unofficially Sunday schooled by this old cartoon called The Storykeepers. It's actually a pretty good series, from what I remember of it. Very good actually. Don't even ask me how my entire family got into watching it, we just did.
As a result I picked up Bible stuff ever before I had to take RE properly. Then I got into reading the 'classics' of 'literature', medieval mystery novels like the Cadfael series and so on. So I have a fairly good knowledge of the Bible, simply because I needed to (or picked it up) while on my usual reading sprees even before I started (UK) college.
Long story short, way too late. Lazarus. Really. Everyone knows this story. And for those of you who don't! He was a dude who was dead for four days. Then Jesus came along, "wept", brought him back to life; and then stuff happened. There was another Lazarus who showed up in the NT. He was a leper. And that's where you get the phrase 'Lazar house' from to describe a leper colony. Seeing as the former is more famous, and involves subverting the traditional path of being human; I'm betting this old dude's going to come back from the dead or something.
Stuffy British accents said by old people. The old lady is concerned for the people who'll be in the room with the Crazy Science Stuff (4.04 - ick! Old Dude's hitting on not-Martha) because "Mr. Saxon is concerned" about how they'll react.
The Doctor looks smoking handsome in a tux. How does he make the sideburns work. Tish (Martha's sister) has an extremely painful looking Croyden facelift. The Doctor's being dorky, and there was gossip. it bored me.
The Doctor doesn't know what a "science geek" is. That's sweet. Just want to pinch his cheek!
Martha the Moron freaks out and hugs her mother, even though she 'didn't miss her family' and didn't want to go home. Nice subversion of the usual 'Doctor who?' joke at 06.37 or so. Martha's mother looks eerily like River Song at some angles. It's the eyes and brows.
You know, I just realised I'm an idjit too. The old dude became young in the preview! So cue from flashy lights and a Big Red Button, some impressively blue flashy special effects and we get - a system overload!
How did the Doctor get backstage so quickly? He's very athletic for someone who (at this point in time) was nearing forty. Wires are pulled, buttons are pushed, the booth opens and it's . . . Boris Johnson!
A less goofy looking one. With less floppy hair.
Title drop. "Ladies and gentlemen. I am Richard Lazarus, I am seventy-six years old, and I am reborn!"
So why doesn't he give his wife an age-down? Ah, she's going to "be the first in line".
Heart burn. And now Boris is "famished", eating wildly. The Doctor says something about Boris needing more energy due to expending too much.
This is all a commercial venture though. So it's basically the ultimate cosmetic surgery. According to the Doctor, Boris is "out of his depth". And now the Doctor and Martha the Moron go off hunting for biology labs. In a place called Lazarus Laboratories. I think they're going to find one.
Cut to the Lazaruses reminiscing. And Boris talks about how his home was destroyed "in the war". Given we know he's seventy-six, and that every child in the UK is educated on Britain in the Blitz, I therefore find it a bit . . . pointless for Boris to then elaborate upon it. I'll allow the year - no. I won't. We all remember the kick-butt two-parter 'The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances' two seasons ago. Set 1940, heart of the Blitz. Okay, I think I will allow it. New viewers and all. And, I suppose, to humanise the soon-to-be-villain.
I like the romance between the Lazruses. Until Boris gets all - ugh, he gets all jockish and insults his wife of however many years. "Look at you woman". Lovely man.
In the labs; we have technotreknobabble. Basically, Boris is mutating.
Mrs. Laz is all upset and - Boris: "You think I'd waste another lifetime on you?"
"Did that process make you more cruel?"
"No, my love, I learnt it from you."
Harsh, vicious man, good sally though. Then Boris mutates into a scorpion thingy, and stabs his wife in the face. I'm assuming it's in the face. The mutating was hammily done. And now Boris is all normal again, but his neck cricks freakily. And then he starts hitting (skeevily) on not-Martha.
The Doctor and Martha the Moron find the very dessicated corpse of Mrs. Laz. "Like draining the juice out of an orange." MtM and the Doctor freak out, running down to the reception room just as Tish? and Boris ironically walk out the other lift.
There's some more boring family stuff before we follow Martha's mother around. And anonymous MiB offers MtM's mum a drink, before enwuiring as to the identity of the Doctor. "Perhaps she should choose her friends more carefully." This guy? Is a bad guy. He's slimily obvious.
Technotreknobabble. Cut to the rooftops. Things get skeevy real quick. Makes me cringe. Boris: "Between the idea and reality, between the motion and the act -"
"Falls a shadow."
Boris: "So the mysterious Doctor knows his Eliot. I'm impressed." And I turn to Google. It's from The Hollow Men (1925) - that poem about the world ending "not with a bang, but with a whimper". basically: incorporating themes and structures from Dante and elsewhere, this poem is generally seen as a passage of a soul through the three kingdoms of death; and is viewed through the eyes of the dead watching a living soul. Symbolism.
Boris does some typically smarmy villain things; and then the assertion that it's how you live, not the length that's important.
Boris then orgasms into a seizure into a scorption . . . thing. The CGI looks about on par with Silent Hill 3. Good uncanny valley stuff, but it doesn't mix with the real world well.
There's some running. People are bamboozled in the reception. The Doctor orders people out of the building as the monster appears. It actually looks better now than it did on the roof. More running and mayhem. Eeeehhh, idiot blonde doesn't run away from obvious monster going to eat her -
you know, Martha's brother looks a lot like Mickey
- and is turned into a mummy. I've also determined that it's the face that's the most off when it comes to - why are we having gratuitous spinning of cameras? Good disorientating choice though. - close-ups of the monster thing. It can speak.
Boris is arrogant. It's all for "progress" with extra sssssibilance. That face is freaky freaky weird.
MtM randomly sonics things to get people out, but restoring the power makes things go belly up for the Doctor. He runs some more. MtM "[has] to go back", and does despite protest from the family. I might add she's in heels that are at least two and a half inches high. You won't even see me walking quickly in babies that high. I think they were stilettos too, but I can't prove it.
And the Doctor's in a school science lab (blatantly) turning on all the gas pipes. He explodes the place. MtM is conveniently a couple corridors away from from Ten. Some more stupid family stuff about family. Not-Mickey "[Ten] must be some guy."
Probably Tish: "Maybe she loves him"
Mum: "She's only just met him!"
Ominous MiB: "[...] He's dangerous." And he whispers something into mum's ear. Called it. Ominous MiB is ominous and probably working for the Daleks or the Time Lords or the Big Bad. Dredging up my shaky, shaky knowledge of Classic Who there were good Time Lords, neutral ones, jerky ones, and evil ones. Also, I think the Doctor was a naughty Time Lord, so another Time Lord would want to make sure everyone knew the Doctor was a naughty Time Lord.
So bets are it's a Time Lord. Mostly because if they did another human-puppet-ruling-on-behalf-of-Dalek-Caan I'd be put out.
Or it could be a big bad I've not seen all season yet. Or the MiB is the Time Lord. It'd certainly shake things up wouldn't it? Seeing and yet not-seeing the villain.
More running (27.55), the Doctor and Martha are standing chest-to-chest in a tiny booth of the whirly blue de-ageing thing. Ten has no plan from here on out. And then he all but put - okay. His head is level with her crotch.
And Martha rebecomes a Moron. She knows the monster is Boris, and she thinks it's "alien". Tenchontreknobabble about prehistoric throwbacks. Boris turns on the thing.
Pausing at 29.30 to speculate on awesome. If they failed right, Marth the Moron is de-aged out of existence. The Doctor on the other hand could potentially revert to a previous regeneration. If it's set to about fifty years or so, then we could have seen Eight or Nine. Of course, the Doctor's techotreknobabbling his way out of this, so let's unpause and see what happens.
Stuff is said, the Doctor stops the machine from working. Ha! I actually 'ha!'ed out loud at 29.55: "should have just reversed the polarity" (of the neutron flow?! Pertwee, you lovely person you. He's my mum Doctor you know. As in her Doctor) And then following up with "Must be a bit out of practice". Yeah. Seven Doctor's out.
And now Boris is nekkid. Even though the first time he went all scorpion his clothes weren't affected. Or did I miss something?
- and 30.22 quotes up the famous line of The Hollow Men quoted earlier on. But Boris is dead, with thirteen minutes left to go. But everything's all sorted.
I'm not having a ten minute epilogue am I?
Mmmm, Ten looks nice in a dishevelled tux. And then mum slaps him. "Why's it always the mother?" And mum tells MtM Ten's dangerous, Not-Mickey blames Tish for the whole thing; the ambulance crashes, and Lazarus is "back from the dead". And gone to the Cathedral. Southwark Cathedral.
Symbolic.
But it was foreshadowed earlier, so I'm happy. Chekov's Gun.
Ugh. Symbolic line is symbolic. Ten: "Where would you go if you were looking for Sanctuary?" Boris is spasming (with an extremely furry chest) behind the altar. And he's reminiscing over the Blitz.
Boris: "Have you read about it?"
Ten: "I was there."
Boris:"You're too young."
Ten: "So are you."
And now I say the earlier thing about the obvious stuff about the Blitz is given a pass mark.
Moral time! "Facing death is part of being human. You can't change that."
Boris: "No Doctor. Avoiding death is part of being human. Our strongest impulse, to cling to life." Diagonal Dalek said so last episode. Nice cohesion.
Love this line, Ten: "There's no such thing as an ordinary human." Love it.
There's more spasming and stuff, with morals interspersed (on Ten's half, "In the end you get tired of the struggle, tired of losing everyone that matters to you. Tired of watching everything turn to dust. If you live long enough Lazarus, the only certainty is you'll end up alone.") between the rustling whispers.
Why are the Moron girls still in their heels? I'd have ditched them long ago. ESPECIALLY now they're running up a stone stone spiral staircase. To the belltower.
The Doctor's pulling a BS Johnson on the organ with a sonic screwdriver. A sonic boom of death? Against a scorpion thing and two girls in a belltower.
Ten's a very good organ player. MtM gets clouted around the head, and starts to fall. And then the organ starts getting really loud (the camera wobbles!) and discordant, making the scorpion thing fall over. And go squish (without squishy bits) on the floor of the cathedral.
Everyone's okay. And then Boris goes old again for now apparent reason. The girl#s outfits are practically impeccable. I call foul! BIG FOUL! Not even Tish's stupid hairstyle is one. hair. out of place.
And then back in MtM's bedroom, Ten offers MtM one more trip. She says no.
Excellent!
Damn. And then he invites on as a partner, not a guest.
Damnation!
Ten: "You were never really just a passenger were you?"
And then as the TARDIS vworp-vwopr-vworps away Mum phones up, telling MtM the Doctor's dangerous, she knows who he is and that MtM's going to die.
"This information comes from Harold Saxon himself. You're not safe."
Cue the weird buzzy screamy electrical start of the end credits music.
Question: who is Harold Saxon? How does he know so much about the Doctor? Is he part of Torchwood? How does he know Martha's travelling with the Doctor if they've only been gone twelve hours (as far as the present is concerned)?
Do I smell a plot hook? Yes indeedy!

Preview thoughts:
We're in a hot space ship. MtM has the magic Rose-o-phone that defies space, time and credit. Some creepy guy on a phone says robotically "Burn. With. Me." People are running screaming. And there's a dude in a helmet going around being creepy.
Another Empty Child syndrome?

Ooh hey! I think the thing in the end credits is a theremin mixed with a proper orchestral rendering of the Who theme. Sweetness.

Best Moment:
Eh. Hard to say, but probably the bit in the cathedral where the Doctor confronts Boris on the foolishness of his ambitions.

Worst Moment:
Any family scene with the Joneses.

Best Special Effect:
The whirly blue de-ager thing.

Worst Special Effect:
The close ups of the scorpion monster.

Best Actor:
Lazarus is a deliciously smarmy, sleazy villain. He ties with the Doctor. I'm biased in the latter case though because he pulls off a tux and cluelessness so well.

Worst Actor:
Not-Mickey. He's so bland. He gets what, four lines?

Number of Times Rose Is Mentioned:
None. Happy days.

Number of Time MtM Obviously Hits on the Doctor Or Their 'Romance' Is Mentioned:
Three or four. New category added only after watching, so I wasn't really keeping count.

Thoughts overall?
Surprisingly bland given it's rather well-structured, with adequate use of foreshadowing and, the Classics and Eliot's work. Admittedly, the quotations from Eliot are a bit obvious, but they do tie in well.
But given how much I admire that, it's just really empty. There is a plot, and what seems to be the start of a half-season myth arc, but nothing really memorable.
The monster is interesting, but not in any definable fashion, it's just a case of MAD SCIENCE! gone horribly wrong; and the trope of man's aspirations to immortality is overdone, if done quite nicely and humanly here.
It's just . . . average.
And if there's one thing Who shouldn't be, is average.
Everything here is well done, but not especially so. Everyone puts in effort, but not as much as they could.
It's all so average.
It doesn't even feel like this average Who episode (something which normally would stand above the rest of the average tellybox show) would stand up against an average evening on BBCOne.
Maybe the next episode'll be better.

[Jahkaivah]

I haven't been following the thread that well, but could someone sum up the problem with

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ganger Amy? Gangers don't become sentient creatures in their own right until they're prematurely separated from the consciousness stream of their controller (via a lightning storm or an abortion where the creators [probably] sever the connection themselves and toss the malformed creature into a corner). Pregnant!Amy was always in control of her ganger, so it acted as humans always thought the flesh acted--as a puppet or drone. Where does the moral ambiguity or horror come into it?

It doesn't.

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The only problem I have with the Doctor doing that was whether it was going to help in finding her (and not actually make things more difficult), but I'm sure he had his reasons.

...Actually come to think about it, it's possible he wasn't actually trying to destroy the ganger and was actually just trying to trace the signal back to it's source, but the ganger had a built in failsafe designed to destroy itself the second someone tried to do that.

[Thufir]

'The Lazarus Experiment' (Season Three, Episode Six)
Same format as before.

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]I have no idea why I'm doing this. Two essays due in twenty-four hours. Well, no secret Who's addicting.

It may not be entirely sensible, but we love you for it.
Or at least I do. I can't speak for everyone else.

In 'The Shakespeare Code' she was promised one trip. This was then extended in the next episode to be one into the past, one into the future. And then they went to 1930.

Yeah, I was confused that they didn't explain why the extra trip. I assumed it was something like "You've seen New New York, so you might be interested to see Old New York," but there was no actual explanation.

Question: who is Harold Saxon? How does he know so much about the Doctor? Is he part of Torchwood? How does he know Martha's travelling with the Doctor if they've only been gone twelve hours (as far as the present is concerned)?
Do I smell a plot hook? Yes indeedy!

Mr. Saxon is the arc word for this series, like Bad Wolf and Torchwood in the first two.
There was a lot of speculation about his identity, the most prominent bit of which turned out to be right (though somewhat by coincidence). I'll not say any more because I want to see read your reaction when you get to the reveal.

MtM has the magic Rose-o-phone that defies space, time and credit.

What can you say, the Doctor is good at jiggery-pokery.

Best Actor:
Lazarus is a deliciously smarmy, sleazy villain. He ties with the Doctor. I'm biased in the latter case though because he pulls off a tux and cluelessness so well.

I guess you didn't know this - Lazarus was played by Mark Gatiss.

@thegurullamen:

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No moral ambiguity, but I think there's a definite element of horror in seeing one of the central characters melt.

[Weezer]

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The only problem I have with the Doctor doing that was whether it was going to help in finding her (and not actually make things more difficult), but I'm sure he had his reasons.

...Actually come to think about it, it's possible he wasn't actually trying to destroy the ganger and was actually just trying to trace the signal back to it's source, but the ganger had a built in failsafe designed to destroy itself the second someone tried to do that.

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I read his reasons as being that it's not a good idea for Amy's consciousness to be outside of her body when she's going into labor, that's probably something that you want to actually know is going on...

[Sanguine]

Question: who is Harold Saxon?

While I won't answer this question I will point out that the alley in Smith and Jones has a poster that says "Vote Saxon", his name was also mentioned on the radio in the same episode.

[Calemyr]

Saxon also approved the destruction of the Rachnoss Webstar during the christmas episode before it.

[CurlyKitGirl]

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It may not be entirely sensible, but we love you for it.
Or at least I do. I can't speak for everyone else.

I call it boredom and a touch of insomnia.

Yeah, I was confused that they didn't explain why the extra trip. I assumed it was something like "You've seen New New York, so you might be interested to see Old New York," but there was no actual explanation.

One for the road?

Mr. Saxon is the arc word for this series, like Bad Wolf and Torchwood in the first two.
There was a lot of speculation about his identity, the most prominent bit of which turned out to be right (though somewhat by coincidence). I'll not say any more because I want to see read your reaction when you get to the reveal.

Gotcha mate.

What can you say, the Doctor is good at jiggery-pokery.

Well, he's the Doctor, he can reverse the polarities of neutron flows when things don't even have polarities, let alone neutron flows.
And can transmit his DNA via lightning gamma radiation! Like magic!

I guess you didn't know this - Lazarus was played by Mark Gatiss.

And he is awesome in my sight. Because he was in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

While I won't answer this question I will point out that the alley in Smith and Jones has a poster that says "Vote Saxon", his name was also mentioned on the radio in the same episode.

Aaawww, I got to pay attention to stuff in the background when I'm concentrating and writing up stuff that's happening in the foreground while the episode is airing. I only pause that episode when I say I do.
And sometimes there's so much stupid I can't get it all down.
Martha the Moron, I'm looking at you.
Or sometimes I'm girling out over half-cat-human kittens.

Fine, fine, I'll pay more attention to background stuff.

[Triscuitable]

While I won't answer this question I will point out that the alley in Smith and Jones has a poster that says "Vote Saxon", his name was also mentioned on the radio in the same episode.

"Vote Saxon", see also (see spoiler). If anyone here knows where I'm going with that, no further explanation.

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"Bad Wolf"

Is anyone else relieved that for just one (maybe just 20 minutes of it), we'll have a "Doctor and Rory" episode? I'm thrilled that we won't have to hear Amy babble on about whatever happens to be on her mind. Absolutely thrilled. Besides, Rory could use the bonus character development.

[Szilard]

We kind of had a Doctor and Rory episode for the beginning of The Big Bang. Sort of.

[Helanna]

Is anyone else relieved that for just one (maybe just 20 minutes of it), we'll have a "Doctor and Rory" episode? I'm thrilled that we won't have to hear Amy babble on about whatever happens to be on her mind. Absolutely thrilled. Besides, Rory could use the bonus character development.

I'm pretty excited about it, really. This would be a fantastic chance for some really good character development for Rory - that last scene had to freak him out quite a bit, and I can imagine him flipping out on the Doctor, maybe calling him out for never explaining anything in advance.

[Triscuitable]

I'm pretty excited about it, really. This would be a fantastic chance for some really good character development for Rory - that last scene had to freak him out quite a bit, and I can imagine him flipping out on the Doctor, maybe calling him out for never explaining anything in advance.

I just hope that '*PUNCH* "[AMY] IS TO ME!"' won't become a habit of the writers. It was sweet, but it won't have the same effect twice in a row. I just want a companion to DIE for once. Last time that happened was with... What's his name? Adric! Before that, they were going out left and right like flourescent light bulbs! (Peri might count, if you count a possible timeline the alternate continuity presented.)

And now for something completely random.

At least Timothy Dalton confirmed James Bond was not only a Time Lord, but the Rassilon! Dun-a-da-doo, ba ba doo, wee-o-wee, buh dan dan... Duna duna, duna duna, duna duna, dun dun dun duna duna, duna duna, duna duna, WEEOOO!!

[SuperPanda]

On Harold Saxxon:

First reference / appearance is actually in The Runaway Bride when the christmas star is over london and the tank driver says "Order's from Mr. Saxxon, Fire!"

Then as mentioned in Smith and Jones there are Vote Saxxon posters.

the following three episodes didn't have Saxxon references and Lazarus is the first one where they sort of smacked up with "this big might be important" so your about right on for having paid attention. Its just fun to look back and see earlier references.

[Mauve Shirt]

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I'm very much looking forward to the Doctor And Rory episode. I like Amy a lot, but Rory needs more development. More than just conflict with the Doctor over Amy. The last few episodes were good for that, his reason for helping the gangers was independent from Amy. And he didn't almost die for lame drama!
I wouldn't mind a companion dying, but I'd much rather it not be Amy. She's probably my favorite companion so far.

[BRC]

So, having just watched the episode.
(I forget the spoiler policy in this thread)

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I LOVED the two-doctors thing. Smith's doctor is highly egotistical, and he did a very good job playing off himself.

Also, I very much look forward to a Rory and the Doctor episode. Rory needs some character development to define him beyond "Amy's devoted husband", and while an episode hunting after Amy isn't exactly the best way to do that, it might help.

What we really need is for Amy to sprain an ankle or something and sit out an episode while Rory and the Doctor go camping (And inevitably run into some sentient trees or something).

[Triscuitable]

What we really need is for Amy to sprain an ankle or something and sit out an episode while Rory and the Doctor go camping (And inevitably run into some sentient trees or something).

Return of the "Cheemians" (not a canon name, The Forest of Cheem is their home planet,) from "The End of the World"? I'd like that. That race had ZERO screen time, save a minor character to quickly die a horrible death.

AND EVEN THOUGH CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON SAID HE WOULDN'T RETURN, I WANT ANOTHER "THREE DOCTORS" SPECIAL WHEN THE TWELFTH DOCTOR'S FIRST SERIES IS OVER!! (CAPS LOCK IS CLEARLY ACTIVE!)

[Sanguine]

AND EVEN THOUGH CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON SAID HE WOULDN'T RETURN, I WANT ANOTHER "THREE DOCTORS" SPECIAL WHEN THE TWELFTH DOCTOR'S FIRST SERIES IS OVER!! (CAPS LOCK IS CLEARLY ACTIVE!)

Oh I would very much like that. I've always loved the idea of multiple incarnations of the Doctor working together, and while I've only seen one of the times where it's been done* I absolutely loved it.

Seeing 10 and 11 interact would be just brilliant.

*The actual Three Doctors

[Flame of Anor]

I haven't been following the thread that well, but could someone sum up the problem with

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ganger Amy? Gangers don't become sentient creatures in their own right until they're prematurely separated from the consciousness stream of their controller (via a lightning storm or an abortion where the creators [probably] sever the connection themselves and toss the malformed creature into a corner). Pregnant!Amy was always in control of her ganger, so it acted as humans always thought the flesh acted--as a puppet or drone. Where does the moral ambiguity or horror come into it?

Basically, the problem is only brought up by people who haven't really thought it through.

And now for something completely random.

At least Timothy Dalton confirmed James Bond was not only a Time Lord, but the Rassilon! Dun-a-da-doo, ba ba doo, wee-o-wee, buh dan dan... Duna duna, duna duna, duna duna, dun dun dun duna duna, duna duna, duna duna, WEEOOO!!

Wait, what theme is that? I can't make it be Doctor Who or James Bond...

[Triscuitable]

Oh I would very much like that. I've always loved the idea of multiple incarnations of the Doctor working together, and while I've only seen one of the times where it's been done* I absolutely loved it.

Seeing 10 and 11 interact would be just brilliant.

*The actual Three Doctors

The shame is that Chris actually did say he would never play the Doctor again. On the bright side, huge "Chris E." fans can watch season one of Heroes. He's the invisible man. AND HE IS AWESOME.

And yes, I was actually referencing "The Three Doctors" anyways. I think it would just work with Ten, Eleven, and Twelve. Considering the rumor floating around that Smith will be leaving in 2013, I think this thread should partially discuss who should be the next Doctor. I'm thinking someone older than usual. Current Doctor? 23. Tennant? 30's-Ish. Eccleston? 40's-Ish. Every other Doctor 26 to 60. I want a bearded Doctor. A Doctor that looks like Toki.

Would that not be too much to ask? And much more wild companions. Seriously, ones like Dorothy and Leela, who were doing actual fighting and explosion causing, unlike Rose, and Martha, and Donna, and Amy, and (save an AWESOME stint as a literal-handgun toting Auton,) Rory.

I want a companion that actually disobeys a direct request from the Doctor, instead of stuff that the companions do, like "I'm going to go buy some chips." instead of getting some sort of sub-space surfboard. David did that, and he got left at home with his mother and a weird brain-hole-thing. One instance of the Doctor actually being horrible cruel and evil.

[Calemyr]

Rory is awesome, he just needs more opportunity to show it. He doesn't seem impressive, but he's got a combination of empathy, common sense, and implacability that rivals the good Doctor himself. The stunts he pulled in Big Bang (not the least of which was giving the Doctor one heck of a right hook), his absolutely silent endurance of House's torture (you don't think Amy was the only one getting one epic mindscrew after another, do you?), his empathy with the gangers... Yet even then, his greatest moment so far has to be the end of the Almost People:

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Backing away from Amy when ordered to. That doesn't sound badass, I know, but when you think about what's going on there it becomes awe inspiring. It can sometimes appear that he and the Doc are having a pissing contest over who deserves Amy (despite the fact that the Doctor isn't interested in her romantically), but Rory does trust him. Think about it. He stood a sleepless vigil over the Pandorica for nearly 2,000 years with a body that couldn't be repaired, even to the point of dragging the massive box out of burning building (remember that he was plastic at the time). He laid the Doctor on the ground for suggesting that the fate of the universe was more important than Amy. He doesn't raise his voice, but he doesn't back down from anything after that point, and you can see him fighting between the instinct to get between Amy and the Doctor and following orders. How hard would that have been to do? Bravado is easy. Trusting your friend so strongly that you'd risk losing the love of your life... that's hard. And he does it without a word.

As for new Doctors and companions, I would really like to see a return to some of the exotic companions - robots and non-Earth (or at least non-contemporary) humans. I'd also like to see an older Doctor, if only to escape this constant fawning of every female in a five century radius (although, even at 60, he'd only end up cutting that radius in half).

[Flame of Anor]

Yet even then, his greatest moment so far has to be the end of the Almost People:

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Backing away from Amy when ordered to. That doesn't sound badass, I know, but when you think about what's going on there it becomes awe inspiring. It can sometimes appear that he and the Doc are having a pissing contest over who deserves Amy (despite the fact that the Doctor isn't interested in her romantically), but Rory does trust him. Think about it. He stood a sleepless vigil over the Pandorica for nearly 2,000 years with a body that couldn't be repaired, even to the point of dragging the massive box out of burning building (remember that he was plastic at the time). He laid the Doctor on the ground for suggesting that the fate of the universe was more important than Amy. He doesn't raise his voice, but he doesn't back down from anything after that point, and you can see him fighting between the instinct to get between Amy and the Doctor and following orders. How hard would that have been to do? Bravado is easy. Trusting your friend so strongly that you'd risk losing the love of your life... that's hard. And he does it without a word.

Word up, chum. Rory is a swell brick.

[Drolyt]

Yeah, Rory is probably my favorite companion of New Who so far. There are more important things to him than The Doctor and he will sometimes go against him, but at the same time he trusts him with his life. To me it seems like Amy, Rory, and The Doctor are all friends, equals, which is something none of the previous companions had going for them.

[Kato]

Yeah, Rory is probably my favorite companion of New Who so far. There are more important things to him than The Doctor and he will sometimes go against him, but at the same time he trusts him with his life. To me it seems like Amy, Rory, and The Doctor are all friends, equals, which is something none of the previous companions had going for them.

Yeah, mostly. Though, Donna also was pretty much an equal to Ten. They... didn't really were friends though, they were little much of anything, I guess. I always kept wondering why they stuck together like they did but meh.
But yeah, Rory is awesome, most of the time. Except when he i a bit dumb and doesn't wonder why the fake!Jen uses his hand for the human recognition panel or whatever you want to call it. Okay, I was tripped of a bit too with the Jen. Whatever.