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  1. - Top - End - #1381
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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    Quote Originally Posted by CurlyKitGirl View Post
    It's just I'm usually the one to say "So and so captured my thoughts perfectly, but put them much more eloquently than I ever could."



    Quote Originally Posted by CurlyKitGirl View Post
    It does sound good from the extreme little I know - that being: everything comicshorse just said.
    That's about the extent of my knowledge as well.

    Quote Originally Posted by CurlyKitGirl View Post
    By the way: Netflix? Firstly: was is it? Secondly: worth getting an account?
    It's a site that offers, for a small monthly fee, the service of streaming hundreds of tv shows and movies to your computer as well as many other device; including all major game consoles as well as ipads and DVRs. For Yanks like myself there is also the option of adding a second monthly fee to have DVDs sent to our homes as well.

    I would say it's worth it, though their tendency to put a thing up for streaming and then limit it to DVDs a month or so later is annoying. Probably much more so for people who don't have that option and much less so for people who don't share there account with three other people.
    Last edited by Sanguine; 2012-04-06 at 04:03 PM.
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  2. - Top - End - #1382
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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    Quote Originally Posted by Sanguine View Post
    It's just I'm usually the one to say "So and so captured my thoughts perfectly, but put them much more eloquently than I ever could."
    Oh yeah. I remember those posts now!
    I shouldn't remember content of posts made months ago, but I do.


    Quote Originally Posted by Sanguine View Post
    That's about the extent of my knowledge as well.
    Then comicshorse's recommendation is definitely a good thing because it netted two new viewers of that particular serial.

    Quote Originally Posted by Sanguine View Post
    It's a site that offers, for a small monthly fee, the service of streaming hundreds of tv shows and movies to your computer as well as many other device; including all major game consoles as well as ipads and DVRs. For Yanks like myself there is also the option of adding a second monthly fee to have DVDs sent to our homes as well.

    I would say it's worth it, though their tendency to put a thing up for streaming and then limit it to DVDs a month or so later is annoying. Probably much more so for people who don't have that option and much less so for people who don't share there account with three other people.
    Then depending on the fee I might risk it. I'm assuming you can download an unlimited amount of things yes? If so I might try out the one month free trial currently being offered to UK residents and then download everything that even vaguely appeals to me.
    Best part?
    I'm assuming you register via email addresses yes? Aside from my university email that gives me two extra personal emails and my brother's two email addresses and my sister has a couple too.
    And we're both big fans of Doctor Who and TV and film in general.
    As is my dad. And his one email address.

    Depending how how long this one month free trial offer lasts, I have seven potential months of a free trial going on.
    If it's a short term thing, but you can only download X per month per account. Well, seven accounts yeah.

    Either way, Netflix is rather appealing right now. Even if I'm most likely going to buy DVDs too because I like a physical collection of things. You should see my library.

    I should stop rambling now.

    Seriously. Queen please stop making me ramble about things. I have Doctor Who to watch as well and this is completely the wrong thread for me to spew my nothings on.

    Sorry.

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    Quote Originally Posted by V'icternus View Post
    Why is it that you now scare me more than the possibility of nuclear war?
    Quote Originally Posted by Dr. Bath View Post
    To compare [Curly] to the beauty of the changing seasons or timeless stars would be an understatement.
    Quote Originally Posted by Coidzor View Post
    But Koorly is the sweetest crime.

    Squid bones are lies.
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  3. - Top - End - #1383
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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    Not download, but stream if that makes a difference. Unlimited streaming though. And they have a lot of Old Who, as well as most (might be missing a christmas special) of New Who.
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  4. - Top - End - #1384
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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    Quote Originally Posted by Sanguine View Post
    Well, lets see. Your ranting shows a pure undiluted enthusiasm that can be nothing short of infectious. You often show great insight into why some character or aspect of a story just works. But mostly I would say you just brim with so much joy that even when I disagree with you I can't help but smile. I think it distills down to one thing. You have fun doing what you do and I can feel that when I read your reviews.
    Yeah, this pretty much sums up my thoughts as well. I think at some point I was trying to come up with a summary of why you're awesome and it was something along the lines of "The perfect meshing of a cultured, erudite scholar and an excitable, geeky fangirl."

    Quote Originally Posted by CurlyKitGirl View Post
    Then I'll take suggestions. Most popular/whatever takes my fancy wins. And that means I'll do anything as long as it's Doctor Who related and I can get my hands on it. Which means the books are likely out unless I can buy them cheap on amazon.
    My immediate thoughts are less on the content and more on the format. As I've mentioned before I quite like the idea of doing kind of a collaborative review (Possibly at a meetup or mini-meet, possibly co-ordinated over the internet through a livestream and google docs or something? I dunno), so that'd be cool if it could be sorted out. Or another possibility would be video segments. I guess they couldn't easily be live since then you'd be talking over the episode, but maybe some bits after the fact? Or while paused? I just think it'd be kinda neat to see and hear you delivering some of your rants rather than just reading them.
    "'But there's still such a lot to be done...'
    YES. THERE ALWAYS IS."

  5. - Top - End - #1385
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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    Quote Originally Posted by CurlyKitGirl View Post
    Then depending on the fee I might risk it. I'm assuming you can download an unlimited amount of things yes? If so I might try out the one month free trial currently being offered to UK residents and then download everything that even vaguely appeals to me.
    Yeah, Netflix is streaming only, presumably to stop people from getting it for a month and then downloading everything that even vaguely appeals to them.

    Anyway, I would definitely suggest you get the trial offer before you start a subscription, because you do not live in the United States. I live in Canada, and our Netflix selection is staggeringly smaller than what Americans have access to.

    I mean, I would be a little stunned if you didn't have Doctor Who, it being a British show, but seriously, vast swathes of Netflix material are trapped behind regional distribution agreements and they don't have the licenses to distribute them outside of the U.S.
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  6. - Top - End - #1386
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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    Netflix (UK) has all (?) the Ecclestone and Tennant episodes plus a selection of 18 Old Who episodes (which are all First/Second Doctor stories. On checking, they are:

    An Unearthly Child
    The Daleks
    Edge of Destruction
    The Aztecs
    The Sensorites
    Planet of Giants
    Dalek's Invasion of Earth
    The Rescue
    The Web Planet
    The Time Museum
    The Chase
    The Ark
    The Gunfighters
    The War Machine

    Tomb of the Cybermen
    The Abominable Snowmen (one episode only)
    The Dominators
    The Mind Robber

    That's an odd mix of some of the ebst stories and some of the worst (avoid, at all costs, The Gunfighters and the Time Museum. The Dominators has the worst "future" costumes ever seen). Quite a few of those, however, are on my recommendations list.
    Last edited by Dr. Simon; 2012-04-07 at 02:06 AM.
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  7. - Top - End - #1387
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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    Quote Originally Posted by Dr. Simon View Post
    avoid, at all costs, The Gunfighters and the Time Museum.
    I don't remember The Time Museum being that bad? The Gunfighters I abandoned partway through the first episode though, so I'm with you on that.
    (Though, that being said, Curly might have amusing things to say about it)
    Last edited by Thufir; 2012-04-07 at 07:29 AM.
    "'But there's still such a lot to be done...'
    YES. THERE ALWAYS IS."

  8. - Top - End - #1388
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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    Quote Originally Posted by Dr. Simon View Post
    Netflix (UK) has all (?) the Ecclestone and Tennant episodes plus a selection of 18 Old Who episodes (which are all First/Second Doctor stories. On checking, they are:

    An Unearthly Child
    The Daleks
    Edge of Destruction
    The Aztecs
    The Sensorites
    Planet of Giants
    Dalek's Invasion of Earth
    The Rescue
    The Web Planet
    The Time Museum
    The Chase
    The Ark
    The Gunfighters
    The War Machine

    Tomb of the Cybermen
    The Abominable Snowmen (one episode only)
    The Dominators
    The Mind Robber

    That's an odd mix of some of the ebst stories and some of the worst (avoid, at all costs, The Gunfighters and the Time Museum. The Dominators has the worst "future" costumes ever seen). Quite a few of those, however, are on my recommendations list.
    Got, got, got, and none of the rest. Not really worth it then is it Netflix? I'll just trawl the internets to find them.

    I recognise a fair few of these names, I would assume those are the 'best' or classic serials. Now when you say 'worst' do you mean 'worst' in the awesome sense, or 'worst' in the bad sense?

    Because well . . .

    Quote Originally Posted by Thufir View Post
    I don't remember The Time Museum being that bad? The Gunfighters I abandoned partway through the first episode though, so I'm with you on that.
    (Though, that being said, Curly might have amusing things to say about it)
    I can dig me some 'worst' if it's wonderfully bad.

    As for 'live' or 'shared' reviews the best thing I can think of is . . . streaming something, and arranging for readers of the thread to post a livebloggy thing in the chat.
    And maybe if I'm the one streaming I can stop it for rants and things? Maybe? If you can . . . I don't know . . . have audio whatsits while streaming? I do have a built-in microphone and Skype enabled, so theoretically it could work?
    Look I can't do computers! These screencaps are being (badly) edited and made in Microsoft Paint, and even then I can mess things up!

    EDIT:

    Matrixarchive on Dailymotion has what seems to be all the First and Second Doctor stories, and part of the Third.
    And Thufir's comment about me enjoying 'The GUnfighters' makes me want to see it.

    So, tentative schedule:
    'The Invasion' 4/8 - 8/8
    'Remembrance of the Daleks' parts 1 and 2
    Season four of Nu Who alternating with some Classic Who stories. Hopefully I can find 'Genesis of the Daleks' and finish that off. Four parts of 'Genesis' left, three episodes of season four.

    That should get me up to my fiftieth review.

    But I fail mathematics forever, so someone needs to check that.

    And for the fiftieth review I have 'Pyramids of Mars' as the front runner.

    That sound good to people?

    EDIT EDIT:
    But what I really want to complain about is how the mere presence of our Girls is turning me into a misogynist. They have no brains ever.
    So apologies to any females out there who read these things, or people who happen to know and like female people, or people who have even vaguely feminist or gender equalitarian leanings.
    Woman Power has flown right out the window!
    Last edited by CurlyKitGirl; 2012-04-07 at 09:06 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by V'icternus View Post
    Why is it that you now scare me more than the possibility of nuclear war?
    Quote Originally Posted by Dr. Bath View Post
    To compare [Curly] to the beauty of the changing seasons or timeless stars would be an understatement.
    Quote Originally Posted by Coidzor View Post
    But Koorly is the sweetest crime.

    Squid bones are lies.
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  9. - Top - End - #1389
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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    Quote Originally Posted by CurlyKitGirl View Post
    As for 'live' or 'shared' reviews the best thing I can think of is . . . streaming something, and arranging for readers of the thread to post a livebloggy thing in the chat.
    And maybe if I'm the one streaming I can stop it for rants and things? Maybe? If you can . . . I don't know . . . have audio whatsits while streaming? I do have a built-in microphone and Skype enabled, so theoretically it could work?
    I think http://www.justin.tv/ might fit the bill.

    EDIT:

    Matrixarchive on Dailymotion has what seems to be all the First and Second Doctor stories, and part of the Third.
    And Thufir's comment about me enjoying 'The GUnfighters' makes me want to see it.
    There's a few episodes up on BBC Worldwide's channel as well:
    The Sensorites
    Episode 2 of The Krotons
    Planet of the Spiders
    The Masque of Mandragora
    Full Circle
    State of Decay
    The Awakening
    The Twin Dilemma (Awesome scene)
    Last edited by Androgeus; 2012-04-07 at 10:06 AM.
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    1. Pick a random character
    2. State that person is The Rani
    3. goto 1

  10. - Top - End - #1390
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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    Quote Originally Posted by Androgeus View Post
    I think http://www.justin.tv/ might fit the bill.
    It does look more plausible now.
    I'll have to try it out somehow as a test run. And I should be able to speak over things yes?

    Fiftieth review livestream special on justin.tv interest people?

    Quote Originally Posted by Androgeus View Post
    There's a few episodes up on BBC Worldwide's channel as well:
    The Sensorites
    Episode 2 of The Krotons
    Planet of the Spiders
    The Masque of Mandragora
    Full Circle
    State of Decay
    The Awakening
    The Twin Dilemma (Awesome scene)
    Oooh. Spiders and Mandragora eh?
    That's a fourth place to watch Doctor Who going in my folders.

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    Quote Originally Posted by V'icternus View Post
    Why is it that you now scare me more than the possibility of nuclear war?
    Quote Originally Posted by Dr. Bath View Post
    To compare [Curly] to the beauty of the changing seasons or timeless stars would be an understatement.
    Quote Originally Posted by Coidzor View Post
    But Koorly is the sweetest crime.

    Squid bones are lies.
    Bathatar!

  11. - Top - End - #1391
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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    Quote Originally Posted by CurlyKitGirl View Post
    As for 'live' or 'shared' reviews the best thing I can think of is . . . streaming something, and arranging for readers of the thread to post a livebloggy thing in the chat.
    And maybe if I'm the one streaming I can stop it for rants and things? Maybe? If you can . . . I don't know . . . have audio whatsits while streaming? I do have a built-in microphone and Skype enabled, so theoretically it could work?
    Look I can't do computers! These screencaps are being (badly) edited and made in Microsoft Paint, and even then I can mess things up!
    Yeah, putting on Skype while streaming should be fine as far as I'm aware. And if Skype were on, it wouldn't matter if it was someone else streaming rather than you, because you could just ask them out loud to pause it for you and hopefully get a quick response (Might be easier for someone else to do the streaming depending on choice of episode, since I imagine it'd be easier to stream from a DVD?)

    Quote Originally Posted by CurlyKitGirl View Post
    Matrixarchive on Dailymotion has what seems to be all the First and Second Doctor stories, and part of the Third.
    Yeah, pretty sure we've mentioned that before, and the rest should be on tardismedia, and gradually being transferred over to matrixarchive.

    Quote Originally Posted by CurlyKitGirl View Post
    And Thufir's comment about me enjoying 'The Gunfighters' makes me want to see it.
    I don't know if you'll enjoy it. But if you don't enjoy it, we'll probably enjoy reading about you not enjoying it.

    Quote Originally Posted by CurlyKitGirl View Post
    So, tentative schedule:
    'The Invasion' 4/8 - 8/8
    'Remembrance of the Daleks' parts 1 and 2
    Season four of Nu Who alternating with some Classic Who stories. Hopefully I can find 'Genesis of the Daleks' and finish that off. Four parts of 'Genesis' left, three episodes of season four.
    Wait, what?
    Did I miss some reviews? I thought you still hadn't done Unicorn and the Wasp, in which case you still have seven episodes of series 4.
    "'But there's still such a lot to be done...'
    YES. THERE ALWAYS IS."

  12. - Top - End - #1392
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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    Quote Originally Posted by CurlyKitGirl View Post
    And I want canon Sherlock/Doctor Who crossover. In fact, I demand it.
    Me too! But in the meantime, have you seen this lovely (but totally non-canon) trailer? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0av4se_430

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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    Ever thought of what Doctor Who would be like if it were an old-school RPG? Now you don't have to wonder anymore.
    Thanks to Elrond for the Vash avatar.

  14. - Top - End - #1394
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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    Quote Originally Posted by Thufir View Post
    Yeah, putting on Skype while streaming should be fine as far as I'm aware. And if Skype were on, it wouldn't matter if it was someone else streaming rather than you, because you could just ask them out loud to pause it for you and hopefully get a quick response (Might be easier for someone else to do the streaming depending on choice of episode, since I imagine it'd be easier to stream from a DVD?)
    This means very little to me at all.
    I think what you mean is like having a stream channel for the GitP Doctor Who threads as a cumulative wossname. And then if someone has the DVD we just watch there?
    And Skype is two-way yes? So no . . . conference calls? Or something?

    TECHNOLOGY MEANS NOTHING TO ME!

    Quote Originally Posted by Thufir View Post
    I don't know if you'll enjoy it. But if you don't enjoy it, we'll probably enjoy reading about you not enjoying it.
    Even if it's just an endless dirge of bored bored bored bored bored ooooh look, nice moustache, bored bored bored?

    Quote Originally Posted by Thufir View Post
    Wait, what?
    Did I miss some reviews? I thought you still hadn't done Unicorn and the Wasp, in which case you still have seven episodes of series 4.
    I meant three episodes of. Nowhere did I state I was finishing the season. I suppose if I remove all of 'Genesis' from my queue (I HAVE A QUEUE NOW!) I can fit all of season four in before the fiftieth review yes?
    Why do I have to keep resisting the urge to type 'episode' instead of review?

    Quote Originally Posted by ShinyCap View Post
    Me too! But in the meantime, have you seen this lovely (but totally non-canon) trailer? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0av4se_430
    SOMEONE WRITE A FANFIC ABOUT THIS NOW.

    I am giving away review choices like free sweeties here! Give me Jamie/Two fanfic, I review something for you.
    Give me good Sherlock/Doctor Who fanfic, I review something for you!

    Hell. I'll even review one episode from the middle of a serial if you want me to do that. For gits and shiggles.

    I will review whatever the thread asks of me!

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    Quote Originally Posted by V'icternus View Post
    Why is it that you now scare me more than the possibility of nuclear war?
    Quote Originally Posted by Dr. Bath View Post
    To compare [Curly] to the beauty of the changing seasons or timeless stars would be an understatement.
    Quote Originally Posted by Coidzor View Post
    But Koorly is the sweetest crime.

    Squid bones are lies.
    Bathatar!

  15. - Top - End - #1395
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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    The Time Museum is a good concept, but there are two factions in the story, one lot who wear black and are bad, one lot who wear white and are good, and both lots are played by some of the worst actors you will ever see. It's only four episodes - watch one and judge for yourself.

    The Gunfighters is embrassingly bad, perhaps that's one to watch if you like really bad things, but the song that features all the way through it will drive you mad. Time Museum is bad in a prosaic sense. You may want to watch The Dominators for the curtain pelmet miniskirt costumes. And that's the men.
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  16. - Top - End - #1396
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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    Quote Originally Posted by Dr. Simon View Post
    The Time Museum is a good concept, but there are two factions in the story, one lot who wear black and are bad, one lot who wear white and are good, and both lots are played by some of the worst actors you will ever see. It's only four episodes - watch one and judge for yourself.
    . . .

    Allow me to provide an extract from my review of 'The Invasion' part 4/8:

    This is all atmosphere anyway to show that this is some really serious business, that there is a very real danger, and of course, to highlight the whole thematic business I brought up last episode. And then you have Good Army (UNIT) - government sanctioned, caring for the good of the individual and the whole, wearing light coloured fatigures and showing their faces with actual identites v. the Bad Army (Fake Police) - private (and of dubious legality), very institutionalised, abusing the individual, wearing black and obscuring their faces and lacking names.

    This is all subliminal stuff (perhaps) and most definitely taken for granted. This is freedom v. oppression basic political/ideological stuff going on here.
    It'd be the acting quality I'd be more concerned about because you can't really create some bullplop message out of it.

    Quote Originally Posted by Dr. Simon View Post
    The Gunfighters is embrassingly bad, perhaps that's one to watch if you like really bad things, but the song that features all the way through it will drive you mad. Time Museum is bad in a prosaic sense. You may want to watch The Dominators for the curtain pelmet miniskirt costumes. And that's the men.
    Badness intrigues me. It's a flaw I have.
    And fanservice? Good be the Unfanservice though in 'The DOminators'. But speaking of fanservice, I finally got my upskirt shot!
    I've only been asking for it for four episodes.

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    Quote Originally Posted by V'icternus View Post
    Why is it that you now scare me more than the possibility of nuclear war?
    Quote Originally Posted by Dr. Bath View Post
    To compare [Curly] to the beauty of the changing seasons or timeless stars would be an understatement.
    Quote Originally Posted by Coidzor View Post
    But Koorly is the sweetest crime.

    Squid bones are lies.
    Bathatar!

  17. - Top - End - #1397
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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    Hi guys.

    Guess who broke the character limit again. But this time only by seven thousand four hundred odd characters.

    And yet I've still deliberately unevenly balanced the posts in the hopes of conveying a point. Namely idiocy.

    Koorly's Archive of Her Doctor Who Reviews:
    Classic Who
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    Second Doctor
    Spoiler
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    Series 6
    'The Invasion' Part 1/8, Part 2/8, Part 3/8 part one, part two, Part 4/8 part one, part two, Part 5/8

    Fourth Doctor
    Spoiler
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    Series 12
    'Genesis of the Daleks' Part 1/6, Part 2/6

    Nu Who
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    Season 1 - retrospective

    Season 2 - retrospective

    Season 3 - blind bar Moffat
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    Ep. 1: 'Smith and Jones' -missing.
    Ep. 2: 'The Shakespeare Code'
    Ep. 3: 'Gridlock'
    Ep. 4: 'Daleks in Manhattan' (part 1/2)
    Ep. 5: 'Evolution of the Daleks' (part 2/2)
    Ep. 6: 'The Lazarus Experiment'
    Ep. 7: '42'
    Ep. 8: 'Human Nature' (part 1/2)
    Ep. 9: 'The Family of Blood' (part 2/2)
    Ep. 10: 'Blink'
    Ep. 11: 'Utopia' (part 1/3)
    Ep. 12: 'The Sound of the Drums' (part 2/3)
    Ep. 13: 'The Last of the Time Lords' (part 3/3)

    Children in Need 2007 episode: 'Time Crash'
    2007 Christmas Episode: 'Voyage of the Damned'

    Bits and Bobs About Season 3
    Retrospective - to be written later
    Why I Do Not Like Martha/Ten (This was written between my write ups of ep. 8 and ep 9)

    Season Four blind bar Moffat
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    Ep. 1: 'Partners in Crime'
    Ep. 2: 'The Fires of Pompeii'
    Ep. 3: 'Planet of the Ood'
    Ep. 4: 'The Sontaran Stratagem' Part 1/2
    Ep. 5: ‘The Poison Sky‘ Part 2/2
    Ep. 6: ‘The Doctor‘s Daughter‘ Posted in two parts.
    Ep. 7: 'The Unicorn and the Wasp'


    Season 5 - blind bar Moffat's Angels
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    Ep. 11: 'The Lodger'


    Season 6
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    To to things this series was split in two, as such eps. 8 - Christmas episode will be liveblogged, and the first seven will be written with me having seen them before.

    Ep. 8: 'Let's Kill Hitler'
    Ep. 9: 'Night Terrors'
    Ep. 10: 'The Girl Who Waited'
    Ep. 11: 'The God Complex'
    Ep. 12: 'Closing Time'
    Ep. 13: Missing

    2011 Christmas Special: 'The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe'



    And now, to boldly go where many have gone before. [*cue TOS theme (Such a classic introduction)*]

    'The Invasion' part 4/8
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    Previously on 'The Invasion' so many rapey implications. And So. Much. Touching. THEY NEVER STOP. It's exhausting. But adorable. There are also some immensely creepy wiggly things in the coffins that our Boys found when they were looking for our Girls.

    And I'm really digging the character interaction between our Villains and our Boys and both groups individually. In fact, I really feel like the alien Villains is supplemental to the human interaction, and this would be a really good serial even without the imminent threat of alien invasion hanging over us.

    I will never get over the face melting (literally) introduction Two has.

    You know, once you've seen the live action Doctor Who these animated reconstructions just aren't very good any more. I've seen better animation in Flash. Actually, given the prevalence of ponies on the entire internet I think we've all seen better Flash animation.

    But what I think's going to be a major problem with this episode is the audio quality. Now given this was recorded off the tellybox in 1968 I should be lucky there's anything at all, but it's echoey and faded. Maybe it'll get better later on, but I doubt it. I am so glad I always enable subtitles on everything I watch.

    Huh. I don't get it. In the closing seconds of ep. 3 I saw Jamie get into the coffin, but now the animation implies he kneeling down and looking into it while the Doctor peers through the barely open carriage doors. Shouldn't be this confused ten seconds into an episode. Especially when the first minute or so the last minute of the previous episode.

    So I'm assuming Jamie's just clambered out of the occupied coffin in the opening seconds of this episode. It's easier for my brain. Naturally, finding a wiggly worm type thing in a supposedly empty coffin is rather disturbing. Guess what Jamie's reaction is.

    Go on. Three guesses and the first two don't count.

    If you guessed 'touch or otherwise cling onto the Doctor' you were correct. Discounting the thirty-three second introduction (yes I watched from the beginning again to get the exact length) we are thirty-four seconds into the episode. I wonder, if I screencapped this episode once every minute, how many of these caps would feature Jamie and the Doctor touching . . .

    Either way, I'll 'excuse' this touch as motivated by being really creeped out rather than anything else. Of course this does mean that Jamie sees the Doctor as a form of security which is entirely true. So Jamie worriedly informs the Doctor of the wiggly thingy and the Doctor has this to say "Alive? Jamie, the darkness plays funny tricks with the imagination."

    One: something obviously wiggling about cannot be put down to the imagination.

    Two: if, as it was in ep. 3 Jamie was inside the coffin when he saw the wiggly thing he would have felt it move. If, as it was earlier this ep. it was fairly light meaning it was not dark enough to do such a thing.

    Three: this is Jamie!

    Luckily the Doctor is swayed by my third point because upon hearing Jamie's film assertion that he really did see something in the dark sir, honest, the Doctor decides they need to have a looksee. Sadly at this point Random Guard orders some dude to "[g]et those two girls over to the main administration building!"

    Yes ladies and gentlemen. The plot of the last two episodes has arrived. This probably distracted the Boys from the overall plot as I suspect the wiggly thing in the coffin (WTIC for short) was a kidnapped person going off to be turned into a cyberman.

    Damn. This really is 'Rise of the Cybermen'/'The Age of Steel' isn't it? Let me just Wikipedia the writer . . . TOM MACRAE! Damnit man! I want to call you a hack for ripping off 'The Invasion' but you also wrote 'The Girl Who Waited' which I really enjoyed!

    Extremely Quick Comparison of 'Rise of the Cybermen'/'The Age of Steel' to 'The Invasion': While I acknowledge that Tom MacRae was limited to ninety minutes split into two episodes and thus didn't have enough time to develop things as fully as one hundred and ninety minutes split into eight episodes can.

    And yet in just the three episodes I've seen I find the villains to have a deeper characterisation, better motivation (although PPP can be easily compared to (damnit, to TVTropes) Lumic's assistant. You know, the one who listened to 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' while converting homeless people. PPP just revels more in his violent side.) and the episode just gels much better on a character/thematic point.

    (I swear. If it turns out that there's something in the Not-Microsoft tech that brainwashes people into 'willingly' becoming Cybermen I will scream.)

    I mean, Lumic chose to become a Cyberman because he was afraid of death, Frollo is assisting the Cybermen because their way of life are his ideals at their most extreme. Lumic sold out Earth to live longer, Frollo is selling out Earth because he believes people are better off living the way he does.

    Also, I found the two-parter to be more concerned with Rose's daddy issues. Putting aside my intense . . . dislike . . . of Rose I still found it a bit redundant seeing as we already covered Rose's daddy issues in 'Father's Day' (which I considered a fairly good episode) in an episode entirely devoted to said issues. To then spend a further ninety minutes revolving around this just bored me silly. AND I LIKE CHARACTERISATION AND CHARACTER DRIVEN PLOTS!

    I will admit that I did like the fact the MacRae turned Rose into a real bitch by making her a dog. I sincerely hope MacRae did that because he too really disliked Rose and not because it was a 'funny joke'. And admittedly, I preferred the Mickey/Rickey subplot as it was actually emotional and trod new ground (relatively speaking) and fleshed out his character in a meaningful way.

    Oh I'm so proud of me! I managed to fairly compare two virtually identical serials without my Rose Vitriol spewing all over the place! Hell, I managed to mostly avoid mentioning her at all!

    Back to 'The Invasion' though. Our Boys are going to follow the Girls into the admin building (wasn't that where they just were though? Oh I don't know).

    Cut to the office! Animated!PPP looks nothing like real!PPP. Either way, no guesses as to what's going on here - Frollo's reprimanding PPP once again because he still can't find our Boys. I think Frollo's taking sadistic glee in the fact that he can keep rubbing PPP's face in his unintelligence.

    I'd maybe feel sorry for him, but then he says "It's not my fault. If you'd let me take care of him in the first place, or followed the orders of our allies - "

    And guess what happens? A retread of our previous 'I don't follow orders, I give them' speech. "Orders? Me, Packer? I've told them and I'll tell you. I give roders, not take them. [ . . . ] The invasion's under my control, and when our purpose has been achieved, I shall still be in control." I kind of doubt that. You're one old dude.

    PPP: "You can't fight them!" Okay. He definitely knows what the Cybermen are, so why was he so doubtful of space travellers?

    F: "Packer." [I will never not love the way Frollo says PPP's name] "Why do you think I kept that old fool Watkins alive?" Perverse sexual lust? Because he's a really good scientist and your business is Anything Electronic? Because you're evil?

    PPP: "Well to work on his machine of course?"

    F: "And why did you think I wanted him to do that?" OH MY GOD! Is this seriously going to be telling me the plot? And the machine - the Cerebraton Whatsit? EMOTIONS! HA! Frollo's going to do what Smithy did in 'Closing Time' and overload the Cybermen?! If this is what is going on . . .

    PPP: "Well, you . . . I don't know." PPP, the way you say 'I don't know' is so adorable. He's so baffled! Either way, I think it's safe to say I know more than PPP does.

    F: "Our allies appear to find the Professor's machine somewhat disturbing, so much so, in fact, that when they first saw the prototype they ordered us to destroy it and all similar machines."

    PPP: "You mean they're frightened of it?" Inside Frollo's mind:
    *headdesk*

    Cannot be that stupid . . .

    Don't worry Frollo, I had that same reaction. I mean, why else would they want to destroy a machine?! It's just human tech and the Cybermen are superior in that area, so really they wouldn't want something destroyed unless there was potential to harm them.

    F: "Hmm." Frollo has got to be regretting hiring PPP. "The teaching power of the machine didn't worry them, but when I generated some emotional pulses" Oh I sure something pulsed all right (sorry) "I'm convinced Packer, that emotion could be used to destroy them." Oh, I AM GOOD. Even if I had the help of Nu Who. Either way, Frollo's trying to pull one over on the entire Cyberfleet (or possibly the entire species). Oh my he has some balls.

    PPP expresses doubts about this plan, as any reasonable person would but Frollo says they're playing for some big stakes. F: "Do you wish to be totally converted hmmm? Would you prefer to be one of them? Completely inhuman? [ . . . ] That's what will happen if they take over. We will cease to be human." Then what are you after? "So, we must use their force and their might and then discard them."

    This guy's reading the minds of the Cult of Skaro from 'Army of Ghosts'/'Doomsday'. Use 'em, abuse 'em and discard 'em. And the best part? Frollo seems to have an escape plan in case things go belly up. "The Doctor." Well, more specifically, his TARDIS. Not that they call it that mind you.

    F: "The two young ladies have arrived, I hope [ . . . ] When they're safely tucked away, we'll flush out our clever Doctor."

    Then all of a sudden PPP's down at the jeep watching the Zoe!Coffin be unloaded with our Boys looking on from some cover. The Girls are being taken to the tenth floor of the central block. Now Boys, you know where the Girls are, you have a radio transceiver, the helichopter with Cpt. Jimmy is relatively close. In fact, it's right overhead.

    DO. THE. MATH! (In Touching News, the Boys aren't touching although they are lurking rather close together. I'm surprised neither's taken advantage of the situation)

    Oh wow. Epic face fail. That is straight up uncanny valley there my birds. (Oh Lord, I was just uploading that pic and I got lost. Not because I've got lots of Doctor Who screencaps or anything, but because I was instinctively looking for a pic of Jamie and the Doctor touching. What is this new pairing doing to my brain?) And while I assumed it was the Doctor saying "call [the Brig's lot] up for help" it was Jamie.

    My impetuous Jamie is being logical. Because he probably knows they're outnumbered.

    You won't believe what the Doctor says. "No, no, not yet. We've got to rescue the girls first." Tell me Doctor, do you have some kind of Honour thing going on like a Klingon or an Aiel? Because you didn't exactly make a vow to rescue the Girls solo or anything. You want to rescue the girls, this should be your priority.
    Last edited by CurlyKitGirl; 2012-04-07 at 02:32 PM.

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  18. - Top - End - #1398
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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    'The Invasion' part 4/8 cont. I really should learn to shut up.

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    You have a friend (at the very least a close associate) who is the commander of a specialised military division investigating aliens and suspicious people. He knows that Frollo is Up to Something. He asked you to help him prove Frollo was Up to Something. You have proof that Frollo is Up to Something - he kidnaps[/I] people. Call in the Brig with his[/I] entire military division and equipment at his disposal so you can go rescue the Girls.

    This is not something you should be wasting!


    Yes that point deserved all italics!

    I hate it when the plot dictates someone hold such a large idiot ball. And Jamie didn't even object to this! Even though he is more invested in saving the Girls by far (because he's chivalrous). Come on Jamie, I know the Doctor is your One Twu Wuv and you will literally follow him all over the universe and to the ends of time to be with him, but this doesn't mean you should cave into his every whim when you definitely know better than him at this point in time.

    No, really. Can anyone out there provide an even halfway plausible reason to not literally call in the (horseless) cavalry?! He has an entire army division at his beck and call. He knows Frollo has his own private personal army! That have guns! And are willing to use them! He and Jamie are going to infiltrate Villain HQ on their own without the element of surprise, when the Villains know full well they have the bait for the perfect trap!

    WHERE IS YOUR BRAIN?!

    He hasn't even bothered to ring up the Brig and fill him in the the situation!

    Oh I hope to God that the Brig rides in with UNIT to rescue the ninnies and them give them a good telling off. I have used so much italics over this one stupid decision because it is that stupid.

    Thank Heaven Cpt. Jimmy's up in the air to tell the Brig what's up. He has the smart ball as far as I'm concerned. Oh I do enjoy logic.

    At times.

    When it makes sense.

    (Someone really needs to buy me a Queen poster. Yes. I've decided to attempt multitasking while watching a Queen documentary (and concert). I just know this is going to go wrong somehow because if you think I'm a Doctor Who fangirl or a slash fan, you haven't seen me and my love affair with Queen. Thank God for subtitles.)

    Cpt. Jimmy notes there's a "lot of unusual activity", which is saying something for a place with its own personal army. In my mind this place looks like an overturned anthill from above. Of course this is the Brig's clue that "the Doctor and the boy" (really Brig, the boy has a name. Even if Jamie has boyishly good looks and is rather young) are either in trouble, were in trouble or are going to be in trouble very soon.

    Or it should be. You should not be ordering Cpt. Jimmy to "[g]et out of the area and stand by". But at least he's not being stood down.

    Oh my! I should stop rubbishing the Brig before he has a chance to prove himself to me (yeah right, he's just awesome full stop), so he gets onto his radio operator and have him transmit a message. Said message being: "This is the Brigadier. All units, stand by. Full penetration of red section imminent." Imagine a dirty laugh here. Look, the Brig (in animated form) has a pornstache, and he was talking about penetration. I have a juvenile mind.

    So in a natural response to the readying of the cavalry (and I am definitely expecting a Big Fight in the last third or so of the serial) we cut to the Villains noticing the spying. And yes, the Conspicuously Hovering Helichopter was the first thing PPP mentioned. The second being "two of the outer perimeter guard posts" Oh Sweet Heaven they have an outer perimeter "reported seeing strangers in the area outside."

    So a private army is better than a specialised army division whose aim is specifically to investigate things that are weird in a supernatural/non-human sense. That or the spies and scouts are just having a clumsy day that day.

    Whoa. PPP: "I think this Doctor's with the UNIT organisation." And here I was thinking UNIT was a semi-secret organisation. Or at least not noticeably different from any other army division. That or Frollo's private army/espionage are just that good.

    OH! Oh! Remember Billy Rutledge from episode one?! That's how these guys know about UNIT. That is so awesome. And you know what's even more amazing? Frollo's response to having a government sanctioned X-Files type thingy stalking their every move. "[We're going to do n]othing. They can't harm us Packer. We're in control. [He glances at PPP] Or at least I am." BURN! "Leave this to me."

    Nearly every time Frollo opens his mouth or discusses his plan I am more and more impressed with him and his self-assured confidence. He just carries this air of supreme confidence and like everything really is going according to some master plan in his head like he expected everything in advance. I'm pretty much expecting him to say 'Just as planned' any moment now. I'm almost certain it's going to go tits up sooner or later. Probably later as I'm fifteen minutes away from the halfway mark and really he hasn't been all that inconvenienced by anything.

    Hell, if anything, he's had two windfalls in the shape of Miss Legs and Zoe has Blackmail Bait, and finding out that things like the TARDIS exists in order to give him a Last Escape Plan.

    Jammy beggar.

    In contrast the Doctor's broken his TARDIS, lost a couple of pieces of it (though I think he got them back), found out the person he needs to fix them is AWOL, lost a Companion and her new friend, found out that his replacement scientist has been kidnapped, and nearly got himself and Jamie shot or something along those lines. And probably a few things I forgot too!

    So yeah. Frollo is in control of everything at the moment.

    Which is rather ominous considering we then cut immediately to the Doctor who appears to be strolling unconcernedly through a massive open space while an alarm blares. Is the Doctor planning to get captured again?

    Good Heavens! There Fake Police are literally everywhere. At the risk of making a terrible pun . . . this is a police state taken to the extreme. It's probably a capitalist's nightmare or something. Or something political that presents communism/non-capitalism in a negative light.

    Look, I am not political in any sense of the word. Well, I can talk European and British politics up to 1603 rather well, and then I'm passable until the 1830s at which point my political savviness becomes rather good until the 1940s. But frankly, anything post-1960 (excluding Thatcher because I've seen Yes, Minister) is like a Black Hole of Ignorance.

    I troll my politically minded friends with my ignorance of politics! This will explain my vagueness about some political interpretations (not to mention my desire to not break forum rules). At least I'm flamboyant about my ignorance.

    This is all atmosphere anyway to show that this is some really serious business, that there is a very real danger, and of course, to highlight the whole thematic business I brought up last episode. And then you have Good Army (UNIT) - government sanctioned, caring for the good of the individual and the whole, wearing light coloured fatigures and showing their faces with actual identites v. the Bad Army (Fake Police) - private (and of dubious legality), very institutionalised, abusing the individual, wearing black and obscuring their faces and lacking names.

    This is all subliminal stuff (perhaps) and most definitely taken for granted. This is freedom v. oppression basic political/ideological stuff going on here.

    So I suppose in this context the Boys represent . . . the absolute freedom of the individual acting of his own autonomy to his own goals independent of any form of institution. Mmmmm, yes. I suppose (if this political theme goes as I'm seeing it) it does make sense for the benevolent institution to come to aid the bohemian individual in his/her time of need.

    Hehe. Look at me and my Big Political Ideas. I am definitely reading too much into this. Eh. If the 'message' is there it's there intended or not. I fully support the 'Death of the Author' version of criticism! Even if I can't stand Roland Barthes' theories in general.

    ((Oh good. They're talking about Freddie's death right now. I managed one minute of Doctor Who per hour of documentary. Queen fans, please see the documentary Queen: These Are the Days of Our Lives.))

    Our Boys have found the central block and Jamie, who seemingly possesses all the brains the Good Guys have to offer right now (aside from the Brig) asks "How do we find out which room they're in? And when we have, how do we get them out?" Yes Doctor. Tell us in your almighty wisdom how you're planning to break two idiot Girls out of a prison with only Jamie at your side. When the enemy knows you're coming for them.

    The Doctor's answer? "Stop looking for problems, Jamie. Let's get along up there, shall we?" I'll let that statement stand on its own in all its glory shall I?

    . . . JUST ONE THING! YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR THESE SORTS OF PROBLEMS BEFORE GOING ALONE AND UNARMED INTO THE HEART OF ENEMY TERRITORY TO RESCUE TWO CIVILIANS FROM PEOPLE WHO KNOW YOU'RE COMING! ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU AND YOUR ALLY ARE ALSO BOTH CIVILIANS!

    Oh Lord. Now Frollo's speaking over the PA system. Will he be taunting me about cake or lemons next? You know, probably if you twist and squint hard enough you can see Frollo in GLADoS. Not that I've ever played or seen an LP of either Portal game.

    Oh God. It's a timed mission. "Doctor, if you can hear me, listen. You have ten minutes, Doctor. Ten minutes to relinquish your freedom." And look at this! These graphics and the overall tone of this part of the episode are straight out of an early 2000s console game. And the whole 'your freedom for the Girl' thing? Oh, this is such a cliché now, and maybe it was even then. But who cares I am digging this cliché video game fest so hard.

    I bet the next thing out of Frollo's mouth is 'or the girl gets it'!

    F: "At the end of that time, your young friend Zoe will pay the consequences of your foolish and totally pointless opposition." Oh my giggy aunt look at this! It's beautiful! Granted the consequences will probably involve rape which is a Bad Thing, but look at the setup and situation! I can smell the cheese and it smells glorious!

    Oh, and Jamie? Out of concern for Zoe, or more likely the Doctor and the predicament he's in . . . rests his hand on the Doctor's shoulder. Yes, I consider this fitting and not-so-suspect given the situation, but it's like. I have completely given up on there being a scene between these two and there not being any touching. For them every single situation imaginable is touch-friendly.

    Is it only Jamie who doesn't understand personal space, or is the Doctor as touchy feely with all his Companions? I won't lie and tell you that I'm hoping for the latter.

    Oh, and Jamie's marvellous response to Frollo's ultimatum? "Ten minutes. That's not much time!" I mean, it's only six hundred seconds! That's less than eleven minutes!

    Ah, but here comes the Doctor (any Doctor's) arrogance. "It's just about enough time to effect a simple rescue operation. Come along Jamie." Not that I've kept count or anything, but it seems like ninety percent of the time the Doctor's talking to Jamie he says his name. It's cute.

    But my response to the Doctor pretty much mirrors Jamie's: "Simple?" Oh, the days when a Companion actually acted like an audience stand-in and not some feckless Mary Sue self-insert whose 'love' for the Doctor was so impossibly overwhelming that my -

    You get my drift.

    There's so much steam roller bias going on here.

    OH MY GOD GIRLS! I haven't seen them in some forty minutes! And I swear Miss Legs' dress has gotten shorter in the meantime. Come on upskirt shots! And why is Zoe still in her feather boa? Also, I was promised scandalously tight sparkly catsuits. WHERE ARE MY KINKY CATSUITS OF FANSERVICE?!

    The sausagefest has ended. I am conflicted. On the one hand 'girlpower' and two characters are finally getting some plot time; on the other hand, I don't particularly care for them, and they're taking away my Villain!Time, my Brig!Time and my Boys!Time. And they are fairly bland characters. Pre-character development Mickeys all 'round.

    So there's some ineffectual flailing and shouting. As you can imagine it does nothing and of course it's all about Zoe, "I suppose [they brought us here] because I ruined that stupid computer of theirs." Ugh. Don't. If you remind me of Rose my opinion of you character alters +1 Hate/-1 Like. I took the Hating Rose feat three levels ago.

    Fortunately Miss Legs is some sort of grown up as she wonders why they'd kidnap them if that was the case. Zoe's 'intelligent' answer? "I don't know. Anyway, we've got to get out of here."

    Now. I fully understand that the reasoning behind their kidnapping doesn't really matter, but Zoe shouldn't be so self-centred without a reason. She has no reason! And I'm damn sure that in that office interview they namedropped by the Doctor and Miss Legs' uncle. Surely that's a much more plausible reason for being kidnapped than 'mucked up a crappy computer'. But yeah, they can't escape out the window. It's a sheer drop.

    Something I'd have intuitively known a long time before that, but we all know that they only looked out the window so they could cut to out Boys scaling the side of a building on a ladder! Like Spiderman, but without any of the superpowers.

    But the Girls are shouting loudly and the Doctor's not happy with this because this is meant to be a Sneaky Rescue Mission and these Girls are Not Sneaky. At least the Girls aren't complete idiots (unlike certain people) so when the Doctor gestures for them to belt up and back away from the window they do. Just like the obedient women they're meant to be.

    I think this show (in general) is turning me into a misogynist.

    But I have an extremely good reason for being one. Because the main female characters in the family sci-fi film (bar two) are twits and I want to slap them so hard.

    ML: "It looked as if they were trying to tell us something." oh god in heaven above wot are their brains like. The Doctor was only making the universally understood 'shush' and 'back up' signs. Even in the most jingoistic shows on earth the 'backwards natives' can understand these two signs! EVEN THE CANNIBALS! Yes. Even racist depictions of foreigners are smarter than these two Girls. EVEN THE FRENCH ARE WRITTEN SMARTER THAN THESE TWO!

    I have seen a lot of things in my time on the telly and the cinema. I have seen some apocalyptically idiotic things. I have wanted to reach through the screen and slap people silly, shake them, murder them, give them all the hugs and generally high five people for being excellent.

    And yet it has been months since I actually reached for the screen in order to chastise someone. For all that Miss Legs is sassy, from the sixties and desparate for some upskirt shots of Zoe she is rapidly approaching Talullah levels of annoyance. (For the record, one Tallulah is half a 'Rose' Level Rose)

    Z: "The Doctor wants us to keep away from the window" thank Christ a woman with half a brain! "for some reason." Never mind. And itt gets worse!

    ML: "I wonder why?"

    Z: "Well I'm not sure." This girl made a computer commit logical suicide and she doesn't understand why shouting at your attempted rescuers when they're trying to rescue you from a heavily manned compound is a bad thing!

    Oh hai there AUTO. Seems BNL bought out Not-Microsoft during the interim. And it's this obvious spybot that gives Zoe a clue. I'm beginning to think her brain only works in the presence of robots and computers because she whispers to Miss Legs to tell her to "try and act as though nothing has happened" because they're being spied on.

    OH MY GIGGY AUNT THE DOCTOR FINALLY GOT A CLUE AND CONTACTED THE BRIG! The Brig oddly enough seems to be standing in the middle of a cave or something as he is surrounded entirely by blackness. Did the animators just forget the backgrounds or something until the last minute and just filled everything in with black to save face?

    Oh. They're inside the UNIT aeroplane HQ thing. You know, the place full of military bustle and espionage that should be done in the daylight so that nothing gets messed up. The bit of silly aside, the Doctor enquires after the helichopter they've been aside, specifically asking if they "have a rope ladder on board".

    I don't think I like where this is going guys.

    Natch, the helichopter does indeed have a rrrrrope ladder (I love how they rrrrroll their 'are's) and the Doctor tells the Brig that he and Jamie are "just going up to the roof of the main building" and UNIT has a map of the area!

    I know this is basic intel but it makes me happy! Also, the Brig's face guys, the Brig's face. He is the genius of deadpan. I think he's thinking 'Yes Doctor, tell the Brigadier with command of his own specialised military division about basic military knowledge'. Given that finding cover to avoid getting his men killed or asploded is basic logic he agrees with the Doctor.

    And since our Good Amry/Bad Army contrast is still ongoing, we're off to see how PPP commands his men. Brusquely. Frollo's still being confident and assures PPP the Boys won't do anything to get the Girls in trouble. My flaw this this train of thought is that the Boys do any things to get the Boys in trouble, so they're quite likely to get the Girls in trouble too.

    Especially as the Girls are thicker than two short planks.

    Speaking of the Timed Mission the Boys are on . . . five minutes left. PPP asserts once again that the Boys wouldn't give themselves up, "[t]hey'd be mad to!" And Frollo walks over to the window where we get a lovely reflected shot of the noisy helichopter flying more or less right past the window.

    F: "Not mad Packer, merely human." He says human like it's a bad thing. And although I'm about eighty percent certain he's biologically human his mindset certainly isn't.

    Our Villains state the obvious about the helichopter, and Frollo muses, "Perhaps they do mean to save their own skins after all". So he seems to be assuming it's an evac, and not a proper rescue mission. In the sense that they're rescuing people who are captured rather than people requesting an evac.

    Whoa. F: "Stop them. SHOOT IT DOWN IF NECESSARY!" Dude. Army helichopter. Shoot that thing down on British territory and the entire Armed Forces of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland will descend upon you like rabid Hellhounds. This is domestic terrorism going on here, and back in the 1960s there weren't the laws there are now! I mean, one a scale of 1 - 10 of Normal Trouble shooting down an obviously military spec. helichopter when you know you're being watched by them is about a 10.

    Oh hello. You know that ladder our Boys were climbing up? Turns out Jamie went first. The Doctor spent the better part of five minutes looking up Jamie's kilt.

    Oh Jamie's Scottish accent makes me happy. He called our Girls "lassies". Also, the ladder's going over the side of the building. In my mind I'm seeing a scene straight out of Die Hard. And it's Jamie who's going to be the John McClane of this film! A rather staid one.

    And a bit clumsy! He slipped! He's hanging onto the ladder by one hand. Luckily he's Jamie so everything's fine.

    Oh sweet baby cheeses. The Idiot Girls upon hearing a helichopter overhead and seeing a ladder dropped down in front of the window react thusly: ML: "Something must be going on." No faecal matter Sherlock.

    Surprisingly, the sight of Jamie compels the Girls to act intelligently and barricade the door to buy them some extra time while they escape. Sadly, they forget about AUTO watching them conspicuously from the ceiling. They should have covered it up and maybe whispered because I bet the next thing we're going to do is cut to out Villains.

    Well, no. Just some more barricading and Jamie opening the window.

    Miss Legs has now reached Tallulah Grade One levels of annoyance. "You don't think we're going up that [ladder] do you?"

    J: "You don't want to be left here with Vaughn and Packer. Now go on!" One: ladies first yeah? So upskirt shots up ahead. I would very much like some upskirt shots right now.

    Why I am so eager to - hello! It was just a matter of time wasn't it? I have a feeling I should feel bad about objectifying my own sex and demand to see their knickers, but I just feel happy. And remember: family show airing in 1968. Children as the primary demographic. And they threw something in for the dad's anyway. That and it probably couldn't be avoided.

    Sadly, we have to cut away from the blatant fanservice because PPP and the Fake Police and running (well, bouncing really) pell mell towards the building.

    They're firing on my Jamie with machine guns!! Granted they're all missing because they obviously went to the Stormtrooper Shooting Academy (and stole their uniform), but machine guns! Jamie!

    And the Doctor decides to show his contempt for those regnerationless fools by standing on a rooftop being shot at by professional soldiers just to congratulate Jamie. The Fake Police then storm the building to capture them.

    Luckily enough, the roof is a long way away from the ground. But Miss Legs is pretty damn stupid because she assume that by standing on the roof they've escaped their predicament even though this means they've not escaped yet! Which does lead me to wonder why the Doctor didn't just urge the Girls to keep on climbing the ladder to get into the helichopter.

    Oh, and you know what the Doctor does to avoid getting his legs shot off by bullets? Skip! It's such an adorkable thing to do. They very first thing I thought of when I saw the little scene was 'Eleven would do that!'

    And Miss Legs deigns to give us another upskirt shot. Oooh, and she's in thigh highs too. But here's the thing. Zoe's on the helichopter, Miss Legs is next, then Jamie. This means the Doctor gets to look up Jamie's kilt again! I bet we're not going to see an upskirt shot of Jamie though. All those attracted to males are now disappoint. (And another upskirt shot of Miss Legs (that's three in a minute, and each shot is three or four seconds long))

    More gunfire. More gunfire. Oh, never mind. To avoid the male upkilt shot Jamie was all chivalrous and sent the Doctor up too. So now we're left with bated breath praying Jamie doesn't get caught or shot.

    D (and Curly): "Come on Jamie, hurry up!" YES. What are you doing just standing on the roof sweetie?! Climb!

    Ah.

    That might pose a wee bit of a problem yes.

    Or not.

    THIS IS AWESOME.

    Look, as I said in the screencap this episode was reconstructed from the memories of those involved, so this happened IRL too. And I don't know if they had stunt doubles or not as the budget was pants, but this means that an unprotected Jamie (or a stuntman posing as Jamie) flew under heavy machine gun fire clinging onto a rope ladder into the sun!

    This makes me happy. Because Jamie is the Rory of Classic Who.

    Back with the Brig the gunfire is transmitted through the headset (any army types/flying types/technical types reading this: is this possible?), and naturally demands to know whether ground support is needed. And the response? "Hello sir" Because there's always times for pleasantries no matter the situation if you're British "No sir, mission accomplished. On our way back now."

    Which while true, does, in true British fashion, gloss over a few minor things like being under heavy fire at close distance, having a civilian hanging precariously onto the ladder during said heavy weapons fire and a few other things like that.

    But luckily, as our Cpt. Jimmy Turner says, "All well [ . . . ] Vaughn's jackboots couldn't shoot a flying elephant." Which is my new favourite thing. Even if it does make Dumbo cry. Who would want to shoot him?! Only horrible people with no souls! And the Master because he is crazy awesome.

    So the Brig cancels the red alert and orders all UNIT groups returned to base. And now that that's happened we naturally cut to PPP shouting "That helicopter was one of the UNIT force group. I told you."

    And yet even after one of his plans has finally gone belly up all Frollo has to say is (surprise surprise) "Don't panic Packer. You've blundered again, but fortunately it won't really matter." Now see, as much as I don't like PPP you can't blame him for everything Frollo. And even though I like that you're trying to play both sides, it would have gone much easier for you if you just killed or otherwise incapacitated the Boys.

    Fortunately for PPP he is as smart as a twenty-one year old civilian girl and he is now worried about "an official reaction".

    F: "There will be no official reaction. I've told you, we are in command." How? I'm sorry, but you can't have brainwashed the entirety of the government and the heads of the Armed Forces. You just can't can you?

    PPP: "But - "

    F: "DON'T ARGUE PACKER! JUST DO AS YOU'RE TOLD MAN! AND FOR ONCE, DO IT RIGHT!" Frollo's one scary man. And probably taking his frustration out unfairly on PPP. I'm loving the deterioration of the relationship between these two.

    Frollo's new plan is to load the Prof's machine up into his [Frollo's] car, because they're gong back to London.

    PPP: "Back to London sir? But you can't go back - " Why? I am intrigued and my intrigues must be answered. But all Frollo says is that plans must be altered because PPP is so clumsy. This is an unanswer.

    Oh wait. "I intend to bring the invasion forrwards." Why are all the alien invasion in Doctor Who started in London or Cardiff? Never Edinburgh or Bristol or Milton Keynes (that last one's because it's such a depressing and evil place). You'd think it'd be cheaper to film in Generic!City/Town wouldn't you, but apparently it's not.

    Frollo's now decided to launch the invasion in twenty-four hours even though PPP asserts that the CYbermen'd never agree to it, "[t]he invasion forces aren't anywhere near complete". I do like how they're not mentioning the alien's names here. And it doesn't feel clunky or obvious at all.

    F: "They'll be sufficient for our immediate purpose. After the invasion, we'll no longer have a need for secrecy." While he has a point, I'd rather overcompensate so that my invasion force doesn't get wiped out by something I'd not planned for.

    Oooh. THis is ominous. Frollo's going to "deal with our UNIT friends". I'm liking this ominousness.

    OH DEAR THIS IS BAD. FROLLO BLINKED! PROPERLY! FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ALL FOUR EPISODES!

    This guy has the phone number for the MoD and enough clout to make them answer to him personally and immediately. Wow.

    Oh this telephone exchange is so polite and British. And guys, I was right. Frollo control Billy Rutlidge. Turns out he is a major general. But someone I doubt he is the very model of a modern major general with information vegetable, animal and mineral, knowing all the kings of England and the fights historical from Marathon to Waterloo in order categorical.

    Billy Rutlidge orders Frollo put through immediately, and boy is he nervous about this call. And "priority scramble is in operation". And Frollo just like that orders Billy Rutlidge to put a stop to all of UNIT's investigations into Not-Microsoft. And it is obeyed. There must be some prime blackmail and/or mind control going on here.

    I gather that Frollo's probably got mind control powers or something, but I seriously want to know the intricacies of this. This is a major general. The only ranks above this are Lieutenant General, General and three degrees of Field Marshall. Major General Rutlidge is in charge of one division of ten to fifteen thousand men! That is a lot! The Brig is only in charge of a regiment of three to five thousand men.

    After that moment of treason we cut back to the Brig telling it as it is. "You were lucky, dead lucky."

    And Jamie darling brings on the sarcasm! "He said it would be a simple rescue operation. Simple" complete with an eyeroll. Miss Legs demands to know what will happen to her uncle and the Brig, filled with righteous anger insists everything will be fine eventually because people will listen to him now and "No one, not even Tobias Vaughn, can go as far as trying to shoot down one of my helicopters." Shame he has done already. I'm wondering if going AWOL will be on the Brig's agenda?

    Miss Legs brings up her lack of camera, and while I want to smack her good 'round the face Cpt. Jimmy Turner admits that those photos "would have clinched it as far as the Ministry are concerned". Which is true. Shame the Billy Rutlidge is under Frollo's thumb though. All their confidence is for naught. The betrayal will be mighty methinks.

    And Jamie, well, Jamie cannot keep his eyes off the Doctor so he notices that something's wrong and goes over to him. They're probably feeling touch withdrawal as it's been a good while since they've touched one another onscreen. It's lovely to see how much our Boys care for one another though.

    And who does the Doctor choose to confide in? Jamie! "[T]hat object on the other side of the moon" It's okay if you don't remember that, it was in the first ninety seconds of the serial. Way to tail off Doctor, I had to get from Zoe that it was a space ship!

    And I'm loving the Brig's scepticism about space ships on the other side of the moon. Then again, the first manned moon mission wasn't until 1969. Whoa.

    Doctor. Pieces of the puzzle: put them together. A space ship 300 000 km (ish) away from earth. A deep space radio station obviously has enough power to reach that far. Not-Microsoft with their weird extraneous circuitry. A monkey could put it together!

    Cpt. Jimmy Turner just did! "I know this may sound ridiculous" And by ridiculous he means perfectly obvious, "But could those reported sightings of UFOs have anything to do with this?"

    Okay . . . wasn't expecting that. BUT THIS MAKES THINGS EVEN MORE OBVIOUS! I know I have the DVD cover to spoiler everything for me, but come on Doctor! You're a super-genius.

    D'aaaawwwww. Jamie doesn't know what a UFO is. This is precious and huggable. Oh, and it turns out there are photos of the Cyberships.

    I want to see what a Cybership looks like. Sadly, we're back with the Prof. and Frollo. The Prof. is threatening Frollo. But Frollo, well, "I tell you [your niece] is perfectly safe."

    This man is a God of Manipulation. He's telling the precise truth in a way that implies the safety is temporary. Blah blah blah, you have twenty-four hours to complete your machine and if you don't you will realise my threat is meaningless. I mean, you would "have cause to worry about your niece". So they're off to London town.

    Oooh yay! CYberships.

    Oh come on Doctor! One of those photographs was clear as day. And these photographs and reports have been collecting for a year.

    Cpt. J: "The odd thing about these sightings is that they usually seem to disappear somewhere over southeast England." So I was right; Kent, Surrey and Sussex area. Which coincidentally is "where all those factories and laboratories of Vaughn's are" (ML). So what, Frollo owns the Home Counties now?

    I AM SHOUTING AT MY SCREEN NOW! SOMEONE CONNECT THE DAMNABLE DOTS! THEY SHOULD BE PUNCHING YOU IN THE FACE WITH THEIR BLEEDING OBVIOUSNESS RIGHT ABOUT NOW! WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED, A GIANT STICKER ON THE SPACESHIPS SAYING PROPERTY OF NOT-MICROSOFT?!

    D: "Jamie, when you were hiding in that crate, you say something moved?" YES! A soon-to-be-Cyberman!

    Oh Jesus. Is this the first Cyberman story ever? If so it will excuse a lot of so-called idiocy, like not recognising a Cybership on sight. If it isn't, no excuse. But I don't want to cheat either. Comedic misinterpretation wins over being informed every time.

    THe Doctor concludes (somewhat obviously) that transporting the WTIC up to London is shift business, so they need to go back to Frollo's London HQ.

    B: "I don't think that's wise Doctor. You've been lucky so far." The Doctor has the luck of the Irish.

    Jamie tries to tell the Doctor he's not going back there, but for once the Doctor utterly ignores Jamie (I'm shocked too) and asks to see a map of Villain London HQ. Natch, UNIT has one. UNIT has everything.

    Why is Zoe still wearing that damn feather boa.

    And the Doctor thinks it's "fortunate" that they're walking into a trap. Colour me intrigued. The Brig offers to help because he is both an officer and a gentleman and . . . well.

    D: "Brigadier, you don't by any chance know where I can find a canoe?" Is he intending on paddling up the Thames? I have got to see this!

    I think it's just a tributary to the Thames. But Jamie and the Doctor are paddling a canoe in the centre of London. Probably fairly close to Battersea! This is ridiculous and I'm loving it. And the fact that the GIrls have been ditched again. They're morons.

    Eh. Are they going into one of the underground parts of the London rivers? The sewers? I think it might be something sewer-like because it's got big walkways on either side of the river.

    I think this is some kind of storage area or something maybe? There's all these support struts and things that maybe are crates? The animation quality isn't so good.

    Okay, it's an underground entrance into enemy HQ then because there's a guard on guard (no, really?) with a gun. Naturally he's looking the other way so the Boys sneak past him. And the music is oddly electronic, but quite suspenseful.

    And then there's a -

    Cryogenically frozen cone bra era Madonna being tended by a man in a hazmat suit? I swear I'm not making this up. What is that?

    D: "Jamie, I'm afraid I was right!" (And you still can't not say Jamie's name) And you were predicting that Not-Microsoft would be stealing 80s pop queens and freezing them twenty years before they became famous? What is your brain Doctor if you think those things.

    And then there's a machine that goes 'dum dum dum dum dum' and has a component that goes whirly whirly round while lights flash and there're more dudes in hazmat suits and an evil scientist (you can tell because he's got scary, shiny glasses).

    And then a hazmat dude puts some electrodes on Cone Bra Madonna which makes some more electronic beepy noises and the WCBMIC (Wrapped etc. Madonna inna Coffin) starts pulsating and beeping really fast! And it's all tense and stuff and I'm on the edge of my seat even though it's obvious what's happening.

    And then Madonna was a Cyberman!

    End Credit Scream!

    I like this ending theme. And that's the end of Disc One.

    Preview thoughts: No preview this time around.

    Best Moment: My lechery wants to say the upskirt shot because I've been waiting so long for it, but I want to say the entire Timed Mission Escape Scene. It's delectably cheesy and awesome. It's so full of clichés and wonderful things that I just revel in geeky gleeful happiness watching it.

    Worst Moment: SHUT UP AND GET A BRAIN GIRLS! Every single moment the Girls demonstrate their cluelessness - which is nearly every moment they're onscreen - I get annoyed.

    I'm also oddly disappointed by the lack of touching in this episode.

    Best Special Effect: The episode wouldn't exist if it wasn't animated.

    Worst Special Effect: Sadly it's not very well animated as a whole.

    Best Actor: JAMIE! He got to be badass and climb up and down a building, mount a nearly-solo rescue and then be brave and chivalrous making sure everyone else was safe before climbing too! Even though this ended up with him dangling from a helicopter being shot at!

    Worst Actor: MISS LEGS!

    Most Punchable Character: Miss Legs just edges out Zoe. So clueless. 'I'm not going to climb a ladder to my escape even though I've been kidnapped and am in serious trouble' indeed!

    Death Count: None surprisingly.

    Kink of the Episode: Upskirt shots and Jamie being badass.

    Thoughts overall?

    Girls can't do nothing and Jamie didn't touch the Doctor hardly at all (giving me a slash reprieve), but it resolved the kidnapping plot, we got a pretty tense reveal of the Alien Villain. And remember, I knew who it was when I started watching and I still found it tense. Granted I tend to immerse myself into these episodes pretty deeply, but still!

    It was tense, eerie, and had a touch of Hammer Horror around the reveal proper. I mean, who doesn't dig mysterious scientists armed with mysterious machines animating mysterious things in coffins?

    No one!

    (And you know what I just found out? According to the little piece of paper that with the DVD with those information thingies on it this was the first Doctor Who episode to posit a global invasion by aliens. OH THIS IS SO COOL!)

    After a fairly actionless three episodes this episode really goes all out on the action and I did enjoy it a lot. Back when it first aired it was probably fairly original, and reminiscent of WWII films, but now it just smacks of joyful clichés; especially for the gaming generation (not that I've ever played many computer or console games ever) where this kind of timed mission is all but stock nowadays.

    Only the soulless would complain about the timed mission and video game qualities of the episode, and the serial in general.

    Luckily, I have a soul, and revel in things that are hammy, cheesy and so many things that make watching and reviewing Doctor Who with a critical mind such a joy.

    I'm only halfway through this serial, but I'd really put it on everyone's Must Watch List. So listen to me and Dr. Simon and give it a go. It's three hours of excellent characterisation, plot and marvellous fun.

    I can only hope that the second half is as good or better than the first half. I don't think it will disappoint though.

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    To compare [Curly] to the beauty of the changing seasons or timeless stars would be an understatement.
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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    Quote Originally Posted by CurlyKitGirl View Post

    JAMIE CARRIES A HUGE KNIFE WITH HIM AT ALL TIMES.
    I believe this is the traditional sgian dubh (gaelic for black knife) that a Highlander wears under his kilt. I'll leave it there and avoid the obvious jokes that spring to mind
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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    Quote Originally Posted by comicshorse View Post
    I believe this is the traditional sgian dubh (gaelic for black knife) that a Highlander wears under his kilt. I'll leave it there and avoid the obvious jokes that spring to mind
    . . .



    So Jamie gave his knife (phallic symbol), one that is traditionally kept under the kilt (or tucked into the top of the kilt hose) to the Doctor.
    When Jamie was standing behind him.

    My mind is a pit of filth.

    I feel no shame.

    Ep. five is coming along nicely by the by.

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    Why is it that you now scare me more than the possibility of nuclear war?
    Quote Originally Posted by Dr. Bath View Post
    To compare [Curly] to the beauty of the changing seasons or timeless stars would be an understatement.
    Quote Originally Posted by Coidzor View Post
    But Koorly is the sweetest crime.

    Squid bones are lies.
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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    Awesome review as always, Curly!

    There were other Cyberman episodes before this, but I'm not actually sure that any of them involved visible spaceships. I would have to double-check.
    *double-check* No, there were totally visible cyberships in multiple serials before this, including the one that introduced Zoe. So that's just Doctor fail.

    Quote Originally Posted by CurlyKitGirl View Post
    (And you know what I just found out? According to the little piece of paper that with the DVD with those information thingies on it this was the first Doctor Who episode to posit a global invasion by aliens. OH THIS IS SO COOL!)
    Wait, what? No, that can't be right.

    The first Doctor Who episode to posit a global invasion by aliens was The Dalek Invasion Of Earth, back in Season 2. I was going to suggest the War Machines, but that was an earth-based machine, so I guess it doesn't count. Ditto The Tenth Planet, where the Cybermen tried to destroy the Earth, rather than invading. Also there's The Wheel In Space, in which the Cybermen attempt to invade the Earth.

    I guess it was the first time aliens invaded the Earth in the present day, though.
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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    Quote Originally Posted by Friv View Post
    Awesome review as always, Curly!
    Thank you my dear Friv. Always nice to get some feedback.

    Quote Originally Posted by Friv View Post
    There were other Cyberman episodes before this, but I'm not actually sure that any of them involved visible spaceships. I would have to double-check.
    *double-check* No, there were totally visible cyberships in multiple serials before this, including the one that introduced Zoe. So that's just Doctor fail.
    IN my mind this is how your situation went:

    Friv: *reads 'The Invasion 4/8* "Man, this really is awesome, I'm glad I watched this earlier so I can have foreknowledge."
    *gets to relevant part of review*
    "That's an interesting question, I don't really know the answer though, so it probably is the first.
    ". . .
    "Eh. I've wanting to watch more Classic WHo for a while now. Now I can claim it's research purposes!"
    *reads rest of review*
    *watches all previous Cybermen stories*
    "Now I can respond to Curly's query, and totally validate the last two or three days I spent watching Classic Who."
    *writes response*
    *posts*

    (I know you probably just read WIkipedia or the TARDIS wiki or something, but the above scenario is my personal canon now.)

    Quote Originally Posted by Friv View Post
    Wait, what? No, that can't be right.

    The first Doctor Who episode to posit a global invasion by aliens was The Dalek Invasion Of Earth, back in Season 2. I was going to suggest the War Machines, but that was an earth-based machine, so I guess it doesn't count. Ditto The Tenth Planet, where the Cybermen tried to destroy the Earth, rather than invading. Also there's The Wheel In Space, in which the Cybermen attempt to invade the Earth.

    I guess it was the first time aliens invaded the Earth in the present day, though.
    To quote the thingy:

    "[Mentions that the main actors were leaving] It was clear that a radical re-think was required if the programme was to survive into the next decade.
    . . .
    Derrick Sherwin . . . rework[ed] a Cybermen story . . . in a bold experiment. Making use of extensive location work and instantly recognisable London landmarks [((not that I recognised any of them, but I'm a rural inbred yokel so I don't count))] The Invasion is a contemporary tale that take the peril onto the viewer's doorstep. The idea of Mankind versus alien invaders is realised through the introduction of UNIT, creating . . . a sense of global scale previously unseen in the series."

    Mmmm, yes, upon reflection it's the modern day aspect of the invasion that's played up the most.

    Also, just found out who did the music I've been admiring: Don Harper.

    Add him to my list of People Involved In Doctor Who With Whom I Would Have Babies.

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    Why is it that you now scare me more than the possibility of nuclear war?
    Quote Originally Posted by Dr. Bath View Post
    To compare [Curly] to the beauty of the changing seasons or timeless stars would be an understatement.
    Quote Originally Posted by Coidzor View Post
    But Koorly is the sweetest crime.

    Squid bones are lies.
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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1XM91x...t-before.html/
    The top part's reasonably cool, but just scroll to the bottom and watch the video. It's wonderful.
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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    Quote Originally Posted by Das Platyvark View Post
    http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1XM91x...t-before.html/
    The top part's reasonably cool, but just scroll to the bottom and watch the video. It's wonderful.
    That is some very nice music indeed.

    Guess what I got in my PM box today? A series of images proving that someone knows me quite well:

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    And the last two are my favourites. I think someone picked up on my subtle disliking of Rose:



    EDIT:
    And if we're talking jazzy Doctor Who, try this. Or this.
    The UK is rightfully obsessed with this show. Or at least it's opening theme.
    Last edited by CurlyKitGirl; 2012-04-12 at 07:36 AM.

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    Why is it that you now scare me more than the possibility of nuclear war?
    Quote Originally Posted by Dr. Bath View Post
    To compare [Curly] to the beauty of the changing seasons or timeless stars would be an understatement.
    Quote Originally Posted by Coidzor View Post
    But Koorly is the sweetest crime.

    Squid bones are lies.
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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    They started filming in Central Park today, and here I am in Ithaca.

    EDIT: And tonight they're shooting a couple blocks from where I used to live.
    Last edited by CoffeeIncluded; 2012-04-12 at 12:24 PM.

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    Default Dr. Si's Old Who Recommendations

    Continuing my plan to post what I think to be the highlights of every season of Doctor Who, old and new.

    For each series I choose 2 or 3 of what I consider to be the best stories, and a selection of also-rans. "Stories" may comprise any number of actual episodes (somewhere between 1-14, typically 4 or 6). Older Who is nearly always episodic, with NuWho most episodes are self-contained. Feel free to expand on my brief comments, agree, disagree etc. This is, after all, purely subjective.

    First Doctor

    Second Doctor

    Third Doctor

    Fourth Doctor

    Fifth Doctor

    Sixth Doctor

    Seventh Doctor


    This season is another with a transitory feel to it - roughly half the stories are remniscent of the previous season's slightly light-hearted tales and half look forward to the darker season 25. Ace begins to develop from a gimmicky character "Ace! Nitro!" to a more nuanced one - it helps that Sophie Aldred is far more bearable as an actor than Bonnie Langford. The concept of the Seventh Doctor moves from a buffoonish character to a darker, chess-master kind of character.

    Season Twenty Five (1988)
    Seventh Doctor/Ace

    Remembrance Of The Daleks – The best dalek story in a long while, where they actually play a central role and feel like a threat. Ace and the baseball bat. The special weapons dalek. Dalek weaponry doing some serious damage (Did the Beeb get a job lot of cheap pyrotechnics? Seriously, the Seventh Doctor's run has some of the biggest explosions of the entire history of the show). The Doctor returns to where it all started. Good stuff.

    The Greatest Show In The Galaxy – File this one under the list of stories marked "weird-but-good". All pleasantly creepy, as a circus should be, with scary clowns and a strange alien sky. A good segue into the style of the next season. Probably didn't need Gian Sammarco (a.k.a Adrian Mole) in a role that you feel may have been played by Daniel Radcliffe if it was made today.

    Honourable Mentions
    Compared to these two, the other two stories are a bit weak, but not bad. You wouldn't lose much by missing them, but conversely they're quite short you wouldn't lose much by watching them either.

    The Happiness Patrol is a throwback to the light-hearted stories of last season, with its evil Bertie Basset character, the Candyman. Rather slight, and annoyingly filmed so it looks exactly like a studio set.

    Silver Nemesis is also a bit flabby – too many subplots, thus each one is robbed of its full potential. A shame, really, as any one of cybermen, neo-nazis and a 17th century sorceress would have made for an entertaining story. Throw them all together, well, you really need the car chase from Blues Brothers to do that kind of mix justice.
    Last edited by Dr. Simon; 2012-04-17 at 08:24 AM.
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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    Quote Originally Posted by CurlyKitGirl View Post
    I'm only halfway through this serial, but I'd really put it on everyone's Must Watch List. So listen to me and Dr. Simon and give it a go. It's three hours of excellent characterisation, plot and marvellous fun.

    I can only hope that the second half is as good or better than the first half. I don't think it will disappoint though.
    As far as I can remember, the series continues to offer quality throughout. Like The War Games (my other recommendation from this season!) the plot build and changes as the episodes go on, unlike many of the longer stories that tend to involve lots of escapes, recapture, re-escapes, crawling through ducts, etc. (Third Doctor, I'm looking at you...).

    Zoe is a lot more useful in The War Games, by the way. Her character comes from the far future (something exotic like, oh, 2012) and is supposed to be this child prodigy who has been educated by computers to know loads of facts but has little concept of how people work. But as I've said before it doesn't help that Kit Pedler tends to give his female characters little to do except make the tea and scream.
    The Lazy GM series. Lovingly crafted pre-gen monsters for Pathfinder and OGL d20 fantasy.

  28. - Top - End - #1408
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    Sunfall's Avatar

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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    So many great things from so many nice people! Guess I'll give The Invasion a go, then, before reading Curly's recap. My very first 2nd Doctor serial, yay

  29. - Top - End - #1409
    Orc in the Playground
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    Default Dr. Si's Old Who Recommendations

    Continuing my plan to post what I think to be the highlights of every season of Doctor Who, old and new.

    For each series I choose 2 or 3 of what I consider to be the best stories, and a selection of also-rans. "Stories" may comprise any number of actual episodes (somewhere between 1-14, typically 4 or 6). Older Who is nearly always episodic, with NuWho most episodes are self-contained. Feel free to expand on my brief comments, agree, disagree etc. This is, after all, purely subjective.

    First Doctor

    Second Doctor

    Third Doctor

    Fourth Doctor

    Fifth Doctor

    Sixth Doctor

    Seventh Doctor


    And so to the last season of Classic Who, but despite the long gap between Classic and New, this really feels like a bridge into the Nu-Who era (moreso than the TV movie, but I'll come to that next time). Somewhere since last year the production team have learned how to film so that the final product doesn't just look like it was shot in a brightly-lit TV studio. There are definite signs of a season (even trans-season) character arc for the Doctor and Ace. More serious themes are interjected between the lighter moments. It's a shame that it got cancelled when it did, as it was just starting to get good again after several years of variable quality.

    Season Twenty Six (1989)
    Seventh Doctor/Ace

    The Curse Of Fenric – For my money probably one of the best Who stories, this one feels very like the NuWho era. A great theme of the Allied forces setting up for the post-war era, the morality of wartime actions, a great evocation of period with simple touches, wonderful direction, massive great nods to classic horror films; even the sea-changed vampires look good (which you wouldn't think judging by the picture on the BBC "Classic Doctor Who" site). Loved this one.

    Survival – Another one where some skilful filming, good writing and excellent acting turned what could have been yet another run around a quarry with silly costumes into an excellent exploration of the characters of Ace, The Doctor and The Master. A lovely little coda from the Doctor, too:

    "There are worlds out there where the sky is burning, where the sea's asleep and the rivers dream, people made of smoke and cities made of song. Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice and somewhere else the tea is getting cold. Come on, Ace, we've got work to do."

    Honourable Mentions
    The other two stories are both worthwhile too, just not quite as solid as the two above.

    Battlefield is a fairly silly romp, but stylishly done on a larger than usual budget. Good to see Jean Marsh back since the First Doctor era, and a final appearance by The Brig too, on fine form. Once again, Earth mythology turns out to be based on aliens. An enjoyable relationship between Brigadier Bambera and Sir Ancelyn, particularly where they “air their differences” in the background.

    Ghostlight is a return to the freaky Gothic mansion stories of Baker’s era, but with added psychology. Feels a little like too much is packed into three episodes and maybe needed four to unpick the tangles a bit. If you like stories about houses full of mad people, you’ll like this.
    Last edited by Dr. Simon; 2012-04-23 at 02:43 AM.
    The Lazy GM series. Lovingly crafted pre-gen monsters for Pathfinder and OGL d20 fantasy.

  30. - Top - End - #1410
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    HalfOrcPirate

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    Default Re: Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

    I always feel bad that the last season of classic who happened in the same year as I was born, like the BBC didn't recommission it just to spite me.

    Edit: I hope everyone likes my new avatar. I made years ago and totally forgot about it.
    Last edited by Androgeus; 2012-04-23 at 07:33 AM.
    "Three blokes walk into a pub. One of them is a little bit stupid, and the whole scene unfolds with a tedious inevitability." - Bill Bailey
    Androgeus' 3 step guide to Doctor Who speculation:
    Spoiler
    Show
    1. Pick a random character
    2. State that person is The Rani
    3. goto 1

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