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

[Kato]

Awww, don't worry Curly, we understand First time watching Blink I also had to pause at some points to take a deep breath. Actually, if you get seriously scared I think it will be a sign it's a good episode. Don't stress yourself over the review if you can't make it.

[Androgeus]

1 hour until the terrors...The Night Terrors.

Expect a Sunken Valley review shortly afterwards. I hope to be more positive.

Also, in the coming week I hope to write "Sunken Valley on Finales" a look back at all of the previous finales. Why? Because it's come up countless times, that's why. Don't worry, reviews will be partially curly protected.

Looking foward to it. Both the episode and your reviews.

oh additonally, River couldn't have regenerated twice, the line was "last time I did this I ended up a toddler in the streets of New York" so I was wrong.

[Mercenary Pen]

Well, that was tense, even without any particular fears for it to play on in my case... I can only imagine what Curly must have gone through in the last 45 minutes...

[Aotrs Commander]

Night Terrors.

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Okay. That was pretty good. Not the best, but pretty good. Didn't find myself laughing as much this week, for one thing.

I guessed from the moment Amy picked up the "copper" pan where they were (though I'd half expected those twins to be behind it...)

On the other hand, the assimilator dollies were scary. That sort of thing, the monster-that-makes-you-one-of-them was literally the stuff of my nightmares as a child. Yikes. (This is one reason I didn't watch Doctor Who until we got cable telly, much later!) Some kids ain't gonna be sleeping tonight...!

And, Amy gets to be the punching bag today! Hooray for Rory not be it again (let's face it, with all the dying and such, he does get the short end a bit more often! Though his irritation and thinking he was dead again was funny.

Also, ending song: creepy.

Next week look like it could turn out to a better episode (but I sort of guessed this one would only be okay from the trailer last week...)

[Androgeus]

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Is this kinda Fear Her but done better?

[CurlyKitGirl]

Koorly's Archive of Her Doctor Who Write Ups:
Classic Who

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Fourth Doctor

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Series Twelve
Genesis of the Daleks Part 1/6, Part 2/6

Nu Who

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Season One - retrospective

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Brief Whole Series Retrospective

Season Two - retrospective

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Brief Whole Series Retrospective

Season Three - blind unless otherwise mentioned

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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 Three
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 unless otherwise mentioned

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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‘

Season 6 part 2
Ep. 8: 'Let's Kill Hitler'

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

Running commentary on 'Night Terrors' (season 6b, episode nine)

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Before I start this episode, I have a confession to make. I am absolutely petrified of dolls, especially the more traditional style of dolls with porcelain or bisque faces.
I don't mean scared, I mean, knicker-wettingly terrified of dolls, horrific nightmares. So this review may not exactly be coherent.
I may wimp out partway through the episode and just post however far I made it into the episode.
This may be my first ever DNF for Doctor Who. If it happens I can, and will, try to go back to watch it again while on BBCiPlayer; but I really really don't like dolls.
So in a sense, this episode's title is so very true. I've had many nightmares over dolls. This will be a very hard episode for me to watch and write about, particularly because Mark Gatiss wrote this episode. As in, The League of Gentlemen Mark Gatiss. The Mark Gatiss who wrote A History of Horror, a personal exploration of horror films. To very positive critical reviews. This man knows horror. He is writing an episode that was too dark to be in the first half of the season, he is writing an episode that was originally called 'What Little Boys Are Made Of' before he changed the title to 'Night Terrors'. When the showrunner is currently our Lord Stephen Moffatt, Master of Nightmare Fuel and Complex Timey-Wimey Plots.
And it contains my personal phobia. A literal phobia.
I have never been so scared waiting to watch an episode of Doctor Who. Eight minutes to go, and I'm seriously considering just not watching it. I already have my comfort food lined up for the moment this episode ends. And my teddy bear - protection from the dolls. And the door is open in case I need to run and hide. And the remote is at hand in case I lose it. And yet the room's still as dark as possible for a better experience.
I don't think that's enough. I'm stressing out too much over this. I'll catch the end of Total Wipeout, see if that works.

Okay. End of the show. Oh, and the voice over dude reemphasised the "scariest place in the universe" part of childhood. But that's okay, a new show about dinosaurs is starting soon. Great editing. I#d really like to watch Planet Dinosaur actually.

And let's get on with the show.
Great, eerie lighting and shots in a block of flats. Dreamy music too. That was the granny from the preview!
Hey, the Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
Mum: "What do we do with things we don't like?"
Boy: "Put them in the cupboard."
I remember the rituals of childhood. Lovely framing to make all the shapes all monsters.
Mum: "He needs a Doctor" Hello! Psychic paper. Tha's how it works. Cool. When was the last time you did this what? House call? Puns!
Not so bad now. Isn't that right Sunshine Bear? He's fine.
Reflection of a TARDIS upside in a puddle: this shows that the world and dreams are going to
what is that huffing rasp noise that is horrible?! Yes, it's Granny, but that's no way a normal voice.
And a very scared boy indeed. The dad loves his son a lot. PUPPETS. FRIK ME SIDEWAYS! I hate puppets so much. Hey, going door to door.
SCARY TWINS Shining moment/ Love the weird excuses. God, Amy's nice and hot in this episode with a kicky scarf. Nice bit of comedy. Heh. Sherpa Tensing.
And of course, many door slams. What else were they expecting.
And the kids freaking out quite badly. And hello - "let the monsters gobble him up" Oh Rory I love you. Music here is very Aladdin of me.
Hee. A: "Scary kids, does that count?" Rory's all sceptical and - EVIK KIFT>
SCaremaing and falling and aihrtgndfv;iuhv where are they? Where did they go? Did the monsters take them.
Companion-lite episode!
I can't get over the editing in - check it out ten minutes in cutting from the boys wall to the gran. She's going to get eaten by - something's in the bns.
Music. Bad. Descending whines on the strings. How does she know George? Don't do it lady. Don't.
She got eaten by the bins. Mummy.
What do you mean George never cries?! How can you be eight and never ever cry?
He hates clowns (understandable indeed Doctor), and many other things.
Rory and Amy are in a room somewhere. Tyhere;s someone behind you Rriry
there;s sisomeone behind you. What are t hey? I see trhings bef
FDoors. So many doors. They're not dead Rory. And hey, Rory did a callback to
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\i sae s somryhing walk behind you,.
What did that?! There's something in the cupboard. It's a really big old=-fashioned house.
Don't do that AmY! You're scaring me. Lve that Rory's being so logical. It's a wooden copper pan.
Don't be a doll's house?
What's that noise?! Fake lamp?
I doin';t like the music. It
\asjfbsadjknzv EYTYEasfd \lc EYGYE.EYE Bug blue eye. Big blue glass eye. Inh a drawer. And their torch is going oiut. Flashing on and off in time to something. And the music'/s all frantic. Amy has a weapon. A wooden copper pan.
And now the Doctor's playing with a rubik's cube. And doesn't want George to stop watching telly. And to keep reading.
The Doctor's a thousand and some years old now.
Dad: "Amything that frightens him, we put it in the cupboard." It'#s the cupbaord from The Hogfather. And it has evil in it.
Amy and Rory walking in a doll's - there's a thing swoihwzslno with that massive head and now there's an landlord with a freakin' rottweiler just walking around your house in the middle of the night. Blackmailing the dad?
Yay. Sonic screwdriver. And he just activated the "other stuff£. It moves toys around. Like that scene from Basil the Great Mouse Detective in the toy shop that still creeps me out. And the landlord is Evil.
Don't you dare open that cupboard because now the Doctor's scared of the cupbviard. How can he be scared of the cupboard? He's the Doctor. He's not ascared of anything.
"George's monsters are real"
Candels. Door out, and it's not got no knob. And the hands 0- layughing girls.
I don't like.
It's a doll house. And now in the real house. The Doctor#s making some tea. And there's something he's missed.
I adore the direction, setting, scenes and what's the thing, framing here. Amazing direction.
And the Doctor telling Dad all about the universe. I love the Doctor. "You see these eyes., They are old eyes And one thing I can tell you bAlex: monsters are real."
Dad: "You're not from social servicce are you?"
He really isn't. And the Doctor wants hammuie dodgers.
Granny's being stalked by dollies. Mummy. I don'tlike this or the music. ANd the laughing. Don't cry. Don't cry. Please Curly. Don't cry,
RUN AWAY FROM THE LAUGHING CHUILDREN IN THAT ROOM. THEY BAD BAD GTins
bad. Bad./ With the music. DON'TR OPEN THE DOOR>
snbjfzlx nzjk[
kbgfj
gk, y
It#'s not a du,m,y. It's a thing and it's moinv. And it's kldfcn\z/
I don't like it. Im crying. Screaming.
it moved and singing nursery rhymes and I want my mummy
Back in the House they vacillating between opening the cupbaord and not. They're doing it even though they're scared, I like this dad.
Why're we with the landlord? The floor is eating the landlord.
The floor is eating the landlord.
It I./ Star Trek: TNG. And now everyone's afraid of the cupboard and the lift noise just made. And the - stop fondling the cupb ord.
Just clothes. Just clothes and toys and doll house. Where's the Doctor off to now? Photograph album.
Dad can't remember when George was born. And he doesn't remember anything about George being born. He's scared. "Oh this is scary". Yes. Claire can't have kids. So adoption? Did he - what. "How can I have forgotten that?" And right in front of the boy. "He's not possible. This isn't". And the lift noise is coming from the drawer and the cipboard and light all glowing and white and m,osnters in the cupabord! Why's he screaminf and the boy and the sucking everything into the cupaboard and they're stuck. addy was a monster so he got locked away.
Sweetheart, just because you're not their biological baby doesn't m,ean they don't love you.
Rory's scared, and sounding so very like the Doctor. And now there's the landldpojw

yjr folld.\hr' d yutnming yoint rgpo he's thurn fon f #
he sit t turnedc into a doll and the laughing and the ./ rhy,es/ Rhymes!
Amy: "Panic. Panic dnow" YOU DON@T WANT TO PLAY. Evil. EVIL. Turning people into dolls.
#
I don't what I don't want to watch this epsode
And
I don't want wan to atch a bad. Bad.

Jow did the Doctor realise they were in a doll house so quick? Love that one of his other possibilities was "giant termites trying to get on the property ladder". DOLL IN THE MIRROR MOVING AND CREAKING.
And the dolls want to in the library and the thumping and pushing.
DOOLL LAuggin luaghing and the face and the no eyes it's like the Dicscowlrd book all over again.
Lift noise, and can't remember everything the Doctor can't. "It's the sound that the lift makes" The lights went out. In the little house. And the monsters are in the bous room and the breathing an the cm ]
lwashd
shadow.
Amy and Rory want to let the doolls in. Doll: "TIme to play£. What is that rhyme I don't like it.#
Amy and the Dool. NO.
DOLL AMYT.
I don't like.
Bad.
Tick tock and all too soon you and I must die.
THE HELL KIND OF RHYME IS THAT.
Ligts flash on and off five times. Everything that scares George he puts in here. "A psychic
DOOL.
There's a doll laughing and the Doctor. BAD.
That head ad the face.
It' doesn't wirk.
And the sonic is not a gun.
Giant scissors.
£Don't runa way. We jhust want to play."
The boy is closer to the cupboard. The doll is being fended off by giant fake scissors.
And soldiers.
George is the cuckoo in the nest. Cycle of fear. George isn't even aware that he's controlling it.
How's he shouting out of the cupboard. Aesop@ Only you can save yourself from the monstrers?"
Any doll is scaring the Doctor. Lots and lots.
I don't like this all screat and stuck in the cupabiard and I can;t see anything because tears in my eyes.
Geirgfe naje tghe bad thins go away.
The dollls stopped. Good. Good.
George in the house.
But the dolls are noving and singing more again. I don't like this. What they 0 George doesn't want to be taken away.
The alien's function is to be wanted. Dolls everywhere.
It's all colours and blurs and baby boy crying and monster and bad dolls eating eo
Are the dolls gone?
Dad: "Whatever you are, and whatever you do, you are my son and I will never ever send you away." Awwwww. But frak scarey bad that no I can't. And now everyone's waking up where they were.
Amy and Rory are not happy.
But George is. And the Doctor too. Air kissing Mum. And making kippers.
Doctor: "Yes [he#s fine], trust me."
The boy will be whatever he wants him to be. "Might pop back around puberty though. Always a funny time"
The singing is still singing and it's bad.
Tick tick those that plot? fall? even for the doctor
Aaaahhhb the dolssl d\efnaz.x

Preview thoughts: Amy's getting old in a faster timestream. Badass music. Amy and Rory in glasses. Cool. Which one's Amy one? Looks great fun. And pretty.

Best Moment: . . .

Worst Moment: dolls so many dolls singing and laughing and turning you into dolls and t tha i a can't what. ahtkddvod n grojld BAD. I realise this is an emotional thing not a things like what i normally, but dolls everywhere and no.
Can't stop crying.

Best Special Effect: Those dolls are real outfits. And the turning into dolls.

Worst Special Effect: I can't think I it but none?

Best Actor: That boy was a really good actor, but it goes to the joint best of Rory, the Doctor, Amy and Dad in no particular order. They were awesome. So was the boy actually.

Worst Actor: the granny.

Am I Still Scared of Dolls: YES

Number of Times I Admired the Framing Even in the Midst of My Worst Freaking Fear:
Eight

Thoughts overall?
I'm shaking, and goosebumps and the crying it won't. And I screamed. Lots. And I didn't run and I'm so proud. And.
htgt iht bgut th dolls and the wow.
It was - CESNRORED WORDS SO OFTEN.
And scr3aming. and keysmashing and I can't even.
Watching Doctor Who Confidential as I thing, and the, so much thought went into making the doll's house and it - they carry the scary music from the episode over into the Confidential and I don't with the shaking. It won't stop.
breathe me. Breathe.
This is one of the most creatively shot and edited episodes of Doctor Who I've seen in a very long time. And the atomsphere is perfect. I have never been so terrified watching a show. And they literally had no practical lights but what the characters had.
I dolls.
They keep showing the dolls in the Confidential and MARK GATISS JUST ADMITTED TO BEING AFRAID OF DOLLS TOO AND COMPARED DOLL EYES TO SOULLESS SHARK'S EYES and I can see why they with the
montage of dolls killing people and turning humans into and running and bad.
stop it.
Bad.
I don't like.
I can#'t breathe.
Deliberately made to be scary. DELIBERately.

I need to go. Type and I ',mn

EDIT: Yeah. Um. Don't like, but terror, but love.

[Jibar]

Okay...
See, I thought I was scared, but Curly's kind of made me feel better that I wasn't that bad.
Sorry Curly.

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Also, it's just now occurred to me that this series all started with a little girl calling for help. Except that little girl was River and as proven in Let's Kill Hitler, perfectly willing to travel across time and the Atlantic to get closer to the Doctor. So... was that cry for help just a trap? River's first trap for the Doctor?

[Aotrs Commander]

I salute your determination, Curly. I can see that was a harrowing episode for you to watch! Above and beyond the call of duty and all that. As me Dad would say, "tek a soggy biscuit and go ter th' top o' th' class..."

[Sunken Valley]

As promised, it's now time for Sunken Valley's review of "Night Terrors". So let me take you back to not so long ago, in a childs bedroom....

Cue Star Wars Theme (Just to establish differing Sci-fi interests from Curly)

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Overall Opinion on Ep

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Results are positive people! Tonights episode was far, far better than "Let's Kill Moffat" (starting a meme here people). This episode reminded me of what Moffat used to be. Although, I was not scared. I have not been scared of any Who monster except Angels and Vashta Nerada. But that's just me.

George as the alien was a marvelous twist. I don't think it was given as much forshadowing as it deserved but it surprised me. Which is rather easy. The mother didn't find out though. Makes me worry about puberty.

I give my greatest condolences to CurlyKitGirl and hope that, when assailed by the phantasmal killer that was this episode that she made her will save. Or her fortitude save. If the latter, I hope she has more than 3d6 hitpoints.

Stuff I liked

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I liked the beginning part of the ep from an artistic viewpoint. The idea that anything in a childs bedroom is scary is a brilliant idea for an episode. Surprised it hasn't happened before.

I would also like to give a round of appalause for the monsters. They were seriously scary. They were one of the scariest monsters which weren't "real". I do find monsters which are "real" the scariest. This is why I find the angels and Vashta scary. Because statues are real and shadows are real. Giant dolls. Are not. But they were scary.

Excellent joke which some may have missed, when dad asks if he should stop george watching TV and the doctor says "Don't do that" and winks. Fourth wall, the doctor has breached you.

Stuff I did not like

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This section is going to be the biggest section. Always. Mainly because I tend to notice gripes more. I'll start by saying that I found the landlord and old lady stereotypical. But then, maybe they were supposed to.

I also felt that it was not explained why George was absorbing neighbouring people into his nightmare zone. Obviously this was fridge logic (clever at that). The landlord is scaring his dad. The old lady is "a witch". And Rory makes a joke about the monsters gobbling george. This still does not explain why George has not absorbed the landlord and old lady before. Although maybe everyone in his doll house is actually everyone he has absorbed who scared him. Fridge horror! But still the lack of explanation upset me.

Did not like the end. Thought it felt too much like Fear Her. Which Androgenus reminded me of. Also felt the ending was repetitive. This is the third time in season 6 the programme has had a father and son "happily ever after" resolution. That pirate reunited with his son. The ganger dad (jimmy) impersonated his original permanently for his sons birthday. And now we've got this. I'm cool with these ending but it's a bit much in a row. Would have been better with the mother. Mothers have got the short end in Moffat's run, with that mum in the silurian two-parter going off the rails. Still, willing to over look this. I'll also overlook the continued use of the phrase "perception filter". The universal alien weapon.

Also did not like being constantly reminded of the Doctor's impending death three months ago. Moffat, I get it. Time is running out.

Fun Fact!

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When this ep was originally filmed, it's timing with the other eps meant that Amy was still a ganger. This is why when she meets Korvarian in the pirate episode the background is totally different. Also explains why she pauses when asked if she is okay and why the phrase "in the flesh" is used. That made me laugh hearing that phrase. Probably the monitor at the end was showing the pregnant/not pregnant scan.

Next Time

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Next ep sounds confusing. Was written by Tom MacRae, a nearly untested writer who only wrote the cyber men two parter (not a lot of energy spent in that). Apparently when first shown this ep, Moffat said "this is a bit too timey wimey". Whether this a good or bad thing, only time will tell. I'm Kent Brockman, good night.

Overall Score: 9/10

[factotum]

Actually, I thought it was made pretty clear why George did that to those people, Sunken Valley:

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He thought they were a threat and might come and take him away. He sees the old woman walk past his window, she's gone. Landlord having an argument with Dad, gone. Rory and Amy talking about "We must find the boy", gone. Eventually, he starts seeing the Doctor and his dad as a threat, gone.

Oh, and this episode was written by Mark Gatiss, so your praise for Moffat concerning it may be misplaced.

Overall I liked the episode, apart from one particularly egregious use of the Idiot Ball:

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Rory and Amy wake up in a strange room where the only light is coming from the windows. Rather than, you know, LOOK OUT THE WINDOW to see where they are, they go running off through the darkened rooms of the house. Then, later, they come back through the same room (or its identical twin) and STILL don't look out the window, despite being quite anxious about their location by this time!

That bit was definitely screaming "THE AUTHOR NEEDS THIS TO HAPPEN" rather than following what people in that situation would actually do!

[Weezer]

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I liked the episode, definitely the scariest one in quite a while. As others have mentioned, really great cinematography/acting, one of the better episodes technically that I've seen.

As for next weeks episode Amy with a sword and futuristicy armor=hot, but that's not exactly anything new for her.

[Sunken Valley]

Actually, I thought it was made pretty clear why George did that to those people, Sunken Valley:

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He thought they were a threat and might come and take him away. He sees the old woman walk past his window, she's gone. Landlord having an argument with Dad, gone. Rory and Amy talking about "We must find the boy", gone. Eventually, he starts seeing the Doctor and his dad as a threat, gone.

Oh, and this episode was written by Mark Gatiss, so your praise for Moffat concerning it may be misplaced.

My apologies Factotum, I did not make myself clear:

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I did not mean to ask why George absorbed those people. I ask why now? Rory and Amy I get, but why did he not absorb the old lady beforehand. This couldn't be the first time she scared him. And I'm pretty sure the Landlord had threatened Dad before. Why was he not absorbed until now? That was the problem.

Also I did not praise Moffat, I said that this ep was like Moffat used to be before he became show runner of a hard to follow story. I just did not mention Gattis. Until now. Thank you Mark Gattis for bringing the magic back into Who.

On another note I think I have worked out the real reason why Doctor is only doing half a season in 2012/2013. It is to give the new show runners room. I say that Steven Moffat, Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Alex Kingston and Arthur Darvill are all planning on jumping ship come 2013. The show will come under a new show runner from 2014 onwards and Moffat is giving this team some room to film episodes with Doctor 12.

[Aidan305]

Kudos to Curly. The occasional loss of coherency shows just how terrifying the episode was for you to watch.

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That was one of the best episodes in a while for me. The theme was good, the monsters scary, and the characters compelling. There was the occasional bit I found odd, and some annoying switches between laughing and considering hiding behind the cat, but I enjoyed it.

I particularly found the ability of the dolls to turn you in to them absolutely terrifying; even more so when it happened to Amy. I was also reminded of just why I like the Matt Smith Doctor: His zany see-sawing across dialogues really appeal to me.

The only thing I actively didn't like was the dolls saying "Come and play". For some reason it took me out of the moment slightly. I feel it would have been better with just the laughter and singing.

Finally, did anyone else feel that the dolls would have been scarier had we not seen them in the preview?

[Sanguine]

Responses to Curly.

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and now there's an landlord with a freakin' rottweiler just walking around your house in the middle of the night.

Actually I believe it was a bulldog. Rottweilers are black and brown and have a different body shape.

Tick tick those that plot? fall? even for the doctor

I heard that as "Tick Tock goes the clock even for the Doctor." Which taking into account the rest of the rhyme and the visual makes more sense to me.

[Eldan]

Actually, I didn't like this one much.

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First of all, I've never been afraid of dolls. Throughout this episode, my prevailing thought was "this is silly. Such a silly monster. Why are they acting like these things are scary? They just look stupid". The entire design... when I first saw those dolls I had to laugh.

Next... the plot felt pretty obvious. Kid is told to put things that scare him in the cupboard. People scare him and vanish (Man with scary dog. Lady breathing in a scary way). They end up in the cupboard. Kid has to be psychic. Ergo, kid is an alien, since this is doctor who. They still didn't explain anything, much. How did he do all that? Machines? Magic dollhouse? Psychic powers? Who knows!

And "Dad hugged me, all's magically back to normal" felt forced and cheesy.

[Weezer]

Actually, I didn't like this one much.

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First of all, I've never been afraid of dolls. Throughout this episode, my prevailing thought was "this is silly. Such a silly monster. Why are they acting like these things are scary? They just look stupid". The entire design... when I first saw those dolls I had to laugh.

Next... the plot felt pretty obvious. Kid is told to put things that scare him in the cupboard. People scare him and vanish (Man with scary dog. Lady breathing in a scary way). They end up in the cupboard. Kid has to be psychic. Ergo, kid is an alien, since this is doctor who. They still didn't explain anything, much. How did he do all that? Machines? Magic dollhouse? Psychic powers? Who knows!

And "Dad hugged me, all's magically back to normal" felt forced and cheesy.

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I actually thought that the choice of dolls was a good one, monsters that fall into the almost human but not quite tend to have a broad "scare" factor for whatever reason. Clearly it didn't work for you but I thought it was a good attempt to scare as many as possible without dipping into something that was already done.

I do agree that they didn't explain enough, wasn't the Dad loving from the beggining? Do all of those Cuckoo bird aliens have this kind of power> Many things were left unexplained which is irksome.

[Thufir]

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Though his irritation and thinking he was dead again was funny.

I loved that bit.

Is this kinda Fear Her but done better?

Yes, it is. And I still kind of have issues with the idea that there are apparently thousands upon thousands of aliens that can basically bend the universe with their thoughts, and yet this is all fine and somehow the other monsters that are actually evil are still a problem.
Seriously, how come the Daleks and the Cybermen and the Sontarans and so on have never ticked off an Isolus or a Tenza (Guessing at spelling) and been wished into a drawing or a cupboard?

And my teddy bear - protection from the dolls.

Oh my Goddess you're so adorable and I want to hug you lots and lots and curse distance.

He really isn't. And the Doctor wants hammuie dodgers.

Mark Gatiss seems to have a thing for jammie dodgers, since he also wrote Victory of the Daleks, with the jammie dodger TARDIS self-destruct device.

*Snipped terror*

*Hugs*
*Hugs* *hugs *hugs*
...
*Hugs*

Also did not like being constantly reminded of the Doctor's impending death three months ago. Moffat, I get it. Time is running out.

I agree with you there. I was alright with the quantum pregnancy in the first half of the series because it was showing the Doctor still worrying about it, with him always looking at the screen, but this was completely out of the action just for us.
Though the nursery rhyme was creepy and good. Maybe if they'd played the nursery rhyme over the action still going on in the TARDIS, and just flashed up the Doctor's death screen for a beat at the end of it, that might have been better. Certainly they needed something to stick at the end of the episode.

When this ep was originally filmed, it's timing with the other eps meant that Amy was still a ganger. This is why when she meets Korvarian in the pirate episode the background is totally different. Also explains why she pauses when asked if she is okay and why the phrase "in the flesh" is used.

I spotted the "in the flesh" line, but I forgot about this episode having been moved.


My own thoughts:

With apologies to Koorli and any other pediophobes, I don't think it was scary enough. At least, not scary enough for people who aren't terrified of dolls. Since Mark Gatiss apparently is scared of dolls perhaps that's part of the reason, but it's also just some of how it was filmed and edited I think. The way it kept cutting between the scariness of the dolls and the Doctor being weird in the real world meant the terror never quite registered fully. A few moments just needed to be dwelled on just a bit more.
Also with the last bit of fending off the dolls on the stairs I didn't really buy that the dolls were actually a threat since they seemed to be pretty much standing there waiting for the plot to advance. Oh, and the lift falling didn't really convey scariness for me. It was just sort of: "Oh. That's a thing that is happening. They're screaming, I guess it's meant to be scary but it's not really doing anything for me."

Overall, to use an obvious analogy for me, it feels like a stage show near the end of the rehearsal period but not quite there yet - it only needs a little bit of tweaking and polishing to make it brilliant, but as it stands, it's a bit of a let-down at certain crucial points.
I still rate it pretty highly though, and it may well improve on rewatching.

Oh, and sidenote from Confidential: What is up with Mark Gatiss' moustache? It comes down past the right side of his mouth but not the left. Why does he have a lopsided moustache?

[sentaku]

Hello Stonehenge

[Weezer]

Hello Stonehenge

I saw that earlier today, it's really cool to hear another Doctor do an entirely different interpretation of that monologue.

[Sanguine]

Hello Stonehenge

I have never actually seen a Sylvester McCoy story, however I found his interpretation of the monologue quite interesting. I think he really hit his stride about halfway through it. Now if you will excuse me I'm going to see what Seventh Doctor stories are available for streaming via Netflix.

[Starscream]

I have never actually seen a Sylvester McCoy story, however I found his interpretation of the monologue quite interesting. I think he really hit his stride about halfway through it. Now if you will excuse me I'm going to see what Seventh Doctor stories are available for streaming via Netflix.

Only Curse of Fenric, which isn't bad. If you want a great one, though, I recommend getting on that aforementioned DailyMotion account and checking out Remembrance of the Daleks.

[Sanguine]

Only Curse of Fenric, which isn't bad. If you want a great one, though, I recommend getting on that aforementioned DailyMotion account and checking out Remembrance of the Daleks.

I think I'll do that. Better for my first impression of a Doctor to be one of his best works. Also apparently the Curse of Fenric is primarily about Ace's past and seeing as I know nothing about that I might not appreciate the story.

[Mkhaiwati]

My exact thought when the mother told George that everything they don't like must go into the cupboard was Hitler.

They stuck Hitler into the cupboard....



...again.

[Dienekes]

Heh, reading Curly's review just reminded me of this.

Anyway the new episode!

Spoiler

Show

Good, not great. For some reason a lot of it felt rushed.

I liked the opening, the kid, the obvious fear, and the Doctor excited about putting everything on hold to deal with 1 kids problems. The put it in the cupboard bit reminded me almost instantaneously of the old Twilight Zone episode where the kid puts things he doesn't like in the cornfield. Because of that connection the twist was more or less spoiled for me. It also, sadly made me compare this episode to that one, and this one does not stand up to the old Twilight Zone.

Anyway, it wasn't all bad, not by a long shot. Though I am completely confused why there were moving dolls who absorbed people into them because the boy was scared of things. I wished they explained that more, or even tried to explain that at all. Also while I enjoyed a lot of the clever dialogue I found it a bit weird that Rory who stared down the Cybermen and waited 2000 years was so twitchy but I'm willing to chalk that up to me being a fanboy. But what I am tired of is Amy being the damsel in distress, we had the arc to go save her now it's enough. It's like when you killed Rory every other episode it's time to do something else. At least they seem to be dealing with that next episode.

After the hilarious awesome that was Let's Kill Hitler I'm glad they tried to go the horror route again. But overall didn't find it remotely scary (creepiest thing was the little girl laughter) and a tad predictable as well. So average. Not bad, definitely not bad, but not great.

[factotum]

Maybe the reason I didn't find the episode that bad was because I rarely find anything on TV scary anyway--I'm pretty sure the last thing I watched on the box that scared me was "Poltergeist", and I was only about 8 at the time! So, criticisms of the episode based on it "not being scary" don't occur to me. (Blink is a superb example of this--an extremely good episode, well acted, and generally highly rated by everyone, but not scary in the slightest to my mind).

[Dr. Simon]

Also apparently the Curse of Fenric is primarily about Ace's past and seeing as I know nothing about that I might not appreciate the story.

No, it's not.

I recommend Curse of Fenric - one of the best 7th Doctor stories, and a very good one overall; also closer in tone and style to the NuWho than Classic Who. Any of the last series is, actually, pretty good, but I think Fenric is the stand-out.

[Eldan]

Agreed on a few things mentioned here.

Spoiler

Show

Several times, I had thoughts like "I bet now a shadow will move over the corridor here" or "I bet there's a Doll in the mirror" just before they happen.

Not scary enough: Quite. The dolls move slowly. There's a handful of them. In the end, they just stand around until the Doctor saves everyone. They were mildly threatening first, then lost all threat towards the end.

Why are they even there? No explanation whatsoever. I know I mentioned that there wasn't any explanation for the boy's power, but now that someone mentioned it, I see that no explanation for the puppets is even more annoying.

[Dvil]

<snip>

Wow, that review was, for want of a better word, scary. For me, I actually found your review more frightening than the episode. I get the feeling we saw only a small glimpse of your own fear there however, so *hugs*

[Sanguine]

No, it's not.

I recommend Curse of Fenric - one of the best 7th Doctor stories, and a very good one overall; also closer in tone and style to the NuWho than Classic Who. Any of the last series is, actually, pretty good, but I think Fenric is the stand-out.

Huh. Well in that case I suppose I will watch it. Remembrance of the Daleks gave me a good opinion of 7 and Ace.

Also, does anyone know a good 6 story? He's the only Doctor, besides 8, who I haven't seen at least one of their serials. I would like to change that.

[Sunken Valley]

Huh. Well in that case I suppose I will watch it. Remembrance of the Daleks gave me a good opinion of 7 and Ace.

Also, does anyone know a good 6 story? He's the only Doctor, besides 8, who I haven't seen at least one of their serials. I would like to change that.

Unfortunately Sanguine, that's an oxymoron. But seriously, his best work is the big finish audio plays. His best episodes are "Revelation of the Daleks" "Attack of the Cybermen" or "The Two Doctors". Do not touch "Twin Dilemma" or "Trial of a Time Lord". For 8, just watch the movie.