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    Ogre in the Playground
     
    HalfOrcPirate

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    Default Doctor Who Thread III: Reverse the Polarity of the Neutron Flow

    For the discussion of Doctor Who.

    First thread.
    Second thread.

    I'm planning on trying to keep a List of links to the many reviews in this first post, if people wish. (Currently includes Curly, Dr. Simon, Sunken Valley & Friv)

    Reviews
    Spoiler
    Show

    Dr. Simon's Highlights of Each Season

    Classic Who (Doctors One to Eight)

    New Series (Doctors Nine to Eleven)
    Spoiler
    Show

    Ninth Doctor
    Spoiler
    Show

    Tenth Doctor

    Eleventh Doctor
    Spoiler
    Show



    Koorly's Archive of Her Doctor Who Reviews:
    Classic Who
    Spoiler
    Show
    Second Doctor
    Spoiler
    Show
    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
    Part 6/8, Part 7/8,
    Part 8/8

    Fourth Doctor
    Spoiler
    Show
    Series 12
    'Genesis of the Daleks' Part 1/6, Part 2/6 Part 3/6

    Seventh Doctor
    Spoiler
    Show
    Series 25
    'Remembrance of the Daleks' 1/4 part 1, part 2, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4

    Nu Who
    Spoiler
    Show

    Season 1 - retrospective

    Season 2 - retrospective

    Season 3 - blind bar Moffat
    Spoiler
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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
    Spoiler
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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
    Spoiler
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    Ep. 11: 'The Lodger'


    Season 6
    Spoiler
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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: 'The Wedding of River Song'

    Red Nose Day Specials: 'Space'/'Time'
    2011 Christmas Special: 'The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe'


    Season 7
    Spoiler
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    An Interesting Question Via 'Fan Mail'



    Sunken Valley's Reviews


    Friv's Reviews
    Spoiler
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    Spearhead from Space: Part 1, 2, 3, 4




    If anyone thinks there should be any additional resources or whatever in this post, suggest them in-thread. Discussion may now resume!
    Last edited by Androgeus; 2013-01-09 at 12:54 PM.
    "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:
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    2. State that person is The Rani
    3. goto 1

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    Default Re: Doctor Who Thread III: Revese The Polarity

    Reverse the polarity. Not Revese. For fullness it should be "Reverse the Polarity of the Neuron Flow" but you beat me to it so your call.

    Copy paste from old thread.

    Doctor Who series 7 episode one will premier at International TV festival. http://doctorwhotv.co.uk/august-aird...es-7-33719.htm

    Based on Let's Kill Hitler (which did the same thing, premiering on the friday of the event and on TV next day), looking at an August 25th release.

    5 episodes.
    2 Moffat (number 1 and 5)
    2 Chris Chibnall (number 2 and 4)
    1 Toby Whithouse (number 3)

    Only vauge details so far on plots. No finalised titles.

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    Ogre in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Doctor Who Thread III: Revese The Polarity

    Quote Originally Posted by Sunken Valley View Post
    Reverse the polarity. Not Revese. For fullness it should be "Reverse the Polarity of the Neuron Flow" but you beat me to it so your call.
    I fail at speeling. I changed it to the full quote btw. I don't know why I used the shorter version (both were used on the show I believe)

    Doctor Who series 7 episode one will premier at International TV festival. http://doctorwhotv.co.uk/august-aird...es-7-33719.htm

    Based on Let's Kill Hitler (which did the same thing, premiering on the friday of the event and on TV next day), looking at an August 25th release.

    5 episodes.
    2 Moffat (number 1 and 5)
    2 Chris Chibnall (number 2 and 4)
    1 Toby Whithouse (number 3)

    Only vauge details so far on plots. No finalised titles.
    August? That's awesome
    Last edited by Androgeus; 2012-05-25 at 12:00 PM.
    "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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    Default Re: Doctor Who Thread III: Reverse the Polarity of the Neutron Flow

    My thread! You stole it!

    Also, neutron. Not neuron. Neutrons are fundamental particles, neurons are...something to do with brains I think.

    Quote Originally Posted by Troll Brau View Post
    It's a poor taste because the Cybus Industry Cyberman look radically different from all the minor variations found amongst the Mondasian Cybermen (excluding their first appearance but that was eventually explained) and as far I'm aware no other past enemy who was brought back had their appearance radically changed to such a degree. Yes, they were updated to look nicer, but they still had the basic feel and look of their older counterparts.
    I... don't see how that makes it poor taste.
    And, I don't see it as that radical a change. The same basic features are still there, just, as you said, updated to look nicer.

    Now, the Silurians, that was a radical change, though they did give a brief handwave explanation for it.

    Quote Originally Posted by Troll Brau View Post
    Now if it ends up being, or has been, explained that the Cybus Industry Cybermen either ended up becoming or influencing the Mondasian Cybermen and thus is another piece of fall out from the Time War, that'd make utter sense and be another nice addition to the expanding Who Lore.
    ...nah, that'd just be kinda stupid, imo.
    "'But there's still such a lot to be done...'
    YES. THERE ALWAYS IS."

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    Default Re: Doctor Who Thread III: Reverse the Polarity of the Neuron Flow

    Hi, there is one person you may have forgotten to add the reviews of: myself.

    I know this is difficult. This is because I didn't leave records of my reviews like CKG and DS did. If you want to make a record you can do. Alternatively I can go back through my records (all reviews were made in Thread II, so Who posted what?) and back track everything. I want some of my more rant like reviews excluded from the record. I am ashamed of them. Preferably the ones from the recent episodes (2011 series: so LKH, NT, GWW, GC, CT, WORS and DWW) are the only ones on there. Also some of the more controlled rants. Your choice to put them on there, I know I'm not the most well liked reviewer around here but I'm one of only 3 so that counts for something, right? If you want I'll make a record but I don't want to waste time making one and then have people say "no, your reviews are inappopriate".

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    Ogre in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Doctor Who Thread III: Reverse the Polarity of the Neuron Flow

    Quote Originally Posted by Sunken Valley View Post
    Hi, there is one person you may have forgotten to add the reviews of: myself.

    I know this is difficult. This is because I didn't leave records of my reviews like CKG and DS did. If you want to make a record you can do. Alternatively I can go back through my records (all reviews were made in Thread II, so Who posted what?) and back track everything. I want some of my more rant like reviews excluded from the record. I am ashamed of them. Preferably the ones from the recent episodes (2011 series: so LKH, NT, GWW, GC, CT, WORS and DWW) are the only ones on there. Also some of the more controlled rants. Your choice to put them on there, I know I'm not the most well liked reviewer around here but I'm one of only 3 so that counts for something, right? If you want I'll make a record but I don't want to waste time making one and then have people say "no, your reviews are inappopriate".
    Are these the links you'd like in the first post?


    I didn't include you initially because they were harder to find ans hadn't looked till now, and was unsure if you would want to be linked.
    Last edited by Androgeus; 2012-05-25 at 02:49 PM.
    "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
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    1. Pick a random character
    2. State that person is The Rani
    3. goto 1

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    Default Doctor Who Thread III: Reverse the Polarity of the Neutron Flow

    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.

    Classic Who (Doctors One to Eight)


    New Series (Doctors Nine to Eleven)

    Ninth Doctor
    Spoiler
    Show


    Tenth Doctor
    Spoiler
    Show


    Thanks Androgeus for the links in the top post!

    And so onto Tennant's second series on the role, and a new companion. Martha starts out well - there's a nice moment in the first episode, Smith and Jones, where Martha has calmly worked out what is going on whilst her medical student friend has gone to pieces. The Doctor chooses Martha to come with him and, almost with a casual arrogance, dismisses her friend.
    Pity that they decided to lumber her with unrequited love for The Doctor as her mooning over him gets tedious, as does his evident sense of loss about Rose. Whilst it is a bold move to give more focus to The Doctor's feelings for his companions, I personally think they take it too far to the detriment of other aspects of the show.

    The Christmas Specials, by the way: I am considering them, as part of the series that they precede. In this case, The Runaway Bride. Catherine Tate is a surprise in the role, but more on her next time. I love the way, in the scene where she is trapped in a speeding taxi with a psychotic robot driver, she says "Santa's a robot!" with a mix of disbelief, resignation ("the way my day's been going, of course he is") and accusation ("...and somehow it's all your fault!")

    Series Three (2007)
    Tenth Doctor/Martha

    Blink – Beautifully crafted and, at the time, unusual for featuring the Doctor only as an incidental character. The Weeping Angels are a masterfully scary creation, and this is the episode that gives us "wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey". (My Obligatory Moffat Episode )

    Human Nature/Family Of Blood – An interesting story with explorations of jingoism vs. patriotism and attitudes to class and race at the beginning of the 20th century. Stories where the hero suddenly becomes reluctant to be the hero can be quite frustrating, as with this one, I found (I enjoyed Martha's frustration with "John Smith" - "Don't just stand there, run! God, you're rubbish as a human!"). I didn't like the Doctors super-powered punishments at the end, smacked too much of the "cult of the Doctor" for my liking. The moment by the cenotaph was just on the right side of bathos.

    Honourable Mentions
    The Shakespeare Code – Silly but fun. What more needs to be said? Well, if you insist; some brief and humourous considerations on historical attitude to race (with Shakespeare's fumbling attempts to find the right words to describe Martha), and the idea of an alien technology based on language is really just an excuse for "magic spells" but is nonetheless an interesting and audacious idea.

    Utopia/The Sound Of Drums – Love Derek Jacobi in the first of these, then John Sims steals it in the second. Ideally, of course, you need to complete the trilogy with Last Of The Time Lords, but this is easily the weakest of the three, marred by another deus ex machina (as with The Parting of the Ways, pretty much literally a deus ex machina). The actual storylines are fairly slight, but the villain really makes these episodes. As he should.
    Last edited by Dr. Simon; 2012-10-10 at 08:28 AM.
    The Lazy GM series. Lovingly crafted pre-gen monsters for Pathfinder and OGL d20 fantasy.

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    Ogre in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Doctor Who Thread III: Reverse the Polarity of the Neutron Flow

    Quote Originally Posted by Dr. Simon View Post
    Thanks Androgeus for the links in the top post!
    Nae problem. I've just updated it to included Series 3

    The only episode I can think of that you didn't mention that I enjoyed was 42.
    I do think the Dalek two parter should get some kind of medal for biology fail. If it had used something like brain wave patterns it would have reach my level for willingness to believe (which I will admit isn't that high). But no, they went with DNA. and somehow made DNA transferable via electricity/super duper radiation/something. and made me have to ruin a certain scene in Avengers for a friend.

    Btw I believe the Doctor Who/Star Trek:TNG crossover is out tomorrow, I am most like going to purchase it. Any one here interested in a potential review/summery thing?
    Last edited by Androgeus; 2012-05-29 at 01:10 PM.
    "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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    Default Re: Doctor Who Thread III: Reverse the Polarity of the Neutron Flow

    Quote Originally Posted by Dr. Simon View Post
    *archival and introductory snip*

    Series Three (2007)
    Tenth Doctor/Martha

    Blink – Beautifully crafted and, at the time, unusual for featuring the Doctor only as an incidental character. The Weeping Angels are a masterfully scary creation, and this is the episode that gives us "wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey". (My Obligatory Moffat Episode )

    Human Nature/Family Of Blood – An interesting story with explorations of jingoism vs. patriotism and attitudeas to class and race at the beginning of the 20th century. Stories where the hero suddenly becomes reluctant to be the hero can be quite frustrating, as with this one, I found (I enjoyed Martha's frustration with "John Smith" - "Don't just stand there, run! God, you're rubbish as a human!". I didn't like the Doctors super-powered punishments at the end, smacked too much of the "cult of the Doctor" for my liking. The moment by the cenotaph was just on the right side of bathos.

    Honourable Mentions
    Shakespeare Code – Silly but fun. What more needs to be said? Well, if you insist; some brief and humourous considerations on historical attitude to race (with Shakespeare's fumbling attempts to fin the right words to describe Martha), and the idea of an alien technology based on language is really just an excuse for "magic spells" but is nonetheless an interesting and audacious idea.

    Utopia/The Sound Of Drums – Love Derek Jacobi in the first of these, then John Sims steals it in the second. Ideally, of course, you need to complete the trilogy with Last Of The Time Lords, but this is easily the weakest of the three, marred by another deus ex machina (as with The Parting of the Ways, pretty much literally a deus ex machina). The actual storylines are fairly slight, but the villain really makes these episodes. As he should.
    Firstly, congrats on becoming a . . . first post linked reviewer . . . doesn't fit right.
    A reviewer/recommender of note?
    Whatever.
    Congrats either way!

    So I do agree with you on your choices. I saw your cheeky shout there . . . As you probably gathered given my great rhapsodising. These are the ones I'd list as best of the season too, although there really wasn't all that much wrong with it as a whole.
    Aside from THAT ONE SERIAL.
    I think my ranking would actually put 'Human Nature'/'Family of Blood' at the top, partly because it's a character study/character driven, and we all know how much I love me some character driven things.
    Even so, it is a really close call so I'd probably cheat and make it a joint spot.

    I'll be posting part 7/8 tomorrow. I'd have posted it earlier, but honestly? I've kind of been being lazy to get over exams, and hanging with friends enjoying an actual week of summery warm weather with actual sunlight.

    Dr. Simon, whenever you're ready. Although not the 4th June as I'm off to a UK mini-meetup for the Jubilee, and then the evening's taken over by a subject dinner. Which probably means I'll be free at ten.

    EDIT:
    @Androgeus: seeing as you are buying this anyway (I think you are, it sounds like it) I will consider it a sin if you do not review it as well!
    But seriously, I think it'd be cool for other people to pitch in and review Doctor Who in any medium. And a Star Trek:TNG/DOctor Who crossover is a thing geekgasms are made of. No. Seriously. How often have people debated who would win: Borg or Cybermen? This will settle it once and for all. 'Course we all know who wins eventually.
    This can either go really well or terribly. And either way this would make a great review. The worst thing it could be is average or bland.
    Last edited by CurlyKitGirl; 2012-05-29 at 03:47 PM.

    Spoiler
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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!

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    Ogre in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Doctor Who Thread III: Reverse the Polarity of the Neutron Flow

    Quote Originally Posted by CurlyKitGirl View Post
    The worst thing it could be is average or bland.
    This is mostly likely

    Btw the series of radio plays that's playing on radio 4 Extra just got awesome.
    Spoiler
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    Nazi Doctor Klein just stole off with the TARDIS


    Edit: thought I should actually name the story if anyone is interested in listening to it - Survival of the Fittest. While A Thousand Tiny Wings begins this trilogy of stories (concluded with Architects of History), it is a weaker story than Survival I believe. You don't even need it to be introduced to the companion of the piece anyway, as episode 1 of Survival is dedicated to her backstory.
    Last edited by Androgeus; 2012-05-29 at 05:36 PM.
    "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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    Default Re: Doctor Who Thread III: Reverse the Polarity of the Neutron Flow

    On 24th May, Blue Peter showed the winner of the Dr Who script to screen competition 2012 (a new contest which no one mentioned mainly because no one is 9-11). http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/cbbc/ep...ho_and_Rankin/

    This is different from the Albert Einstein + Ood one

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    Default Re: Doctor Who Thread III: Reverse the Polarity of the Neutron Flow

    Quote Originally Posted by Sunken Valley View Post
    On 24th May, Blue Peter showed the winner of the Dr Who script to screen competition 2012 (a new contest which no one mentioned mainly because no one is 9-11). http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/cbbc/ep...ho_and_Rankin/

    This is different from the Albert Einstein + Ood one
    WHAT THE HELL DID THEY DO TO BLUE PETER'S THEME TUNE?! DESECRATION!
    Actually in general I can't believe what they've done to Blue Peter, it looks Godawful!

    Now, because this was written by some ten-year-olds, I feel that I shouldn't review this, because they are only ten, and I spend enough time complaining about the writing of actual scriptwriters.
    It just feels mean and kind of like bullying.

    LIES!
    'Course I'm reviewing it. Because I am a cold-hearted woman who rejoiced in the pain of others.

    'Good As Gold'
    The winner of the second Blue Peter/Doctor Who scriptwriting competition.
    Spoiler
    Show
    This isn't even five minutes long, so I'll be very quick. For once.

    NO.
    No.
    No no no no no no no.
    I did not like this..
    The opening was . . . kind of Doctor Whoish, the Adventurer's Handbook I can easily see in an actual episode, and I can definitely believe that Eleven would put an Adventure Switch on the TARDIS and crash; but then I noticed that even though this episode has the season six opening titles with the flames there was no Rory.
    At all.
    Even though the shirt indicates this happened at least after the first two episodes.
    I like Rory.
    And then the adventure itself? Oh good God Jesus Christ Almighty what the Hell kind of narmy awfulness was that? The Weeping Angel wants the steal the Olympic Torch because it's the symbol of love and tolerance and friendship is magic release the orbital friendship cannon.
    Someone's favourite episode was 'Fear Her' I see.
    And even though everyone blinked (seeing as someone's favourite episodes are also Everything With the Angels In) the Angel only stole the Touch despite being a WEEPING ANGEL and a psychopath who likes killing people for funsies!
    And the Doctor sonicked the Angel into asploding?!
    And the Doctor got a gold medal?! FOR BEING GOOD AS GOLD?! (No one is as good as Murray Gold!) Okay yeah whatever.

    This was . . . not good. In fact, it was pretty damn glurgy.

    However, it did have potential, I did like the opening thirty seconds or so, and the idea of someone literally running into, and through the TARDIS doors because they were running so fast they couldn't stop is actually pretty good.
    But this had no plot, no characterisation, nothing funny, it was barest set piece I've ever seen.
    Watch:
    Banter. Funny poofy hair. TARDIS crashes. Olympic Torch and runner.
    A WEEPING ANGEL appears! A WEEPING ANGEL wants to fight!
    WEEPING ANGEL used Steal!
    WEEPING ANGEL has stolen the Torch!
    Olympic Torch Bearer: Go! THE DOCTOR!
    (Hello! I'm the Doctor!)
    THE DOCTOR uses Sonic! It's super effective!
    WEEPING ANGEL has fainted.
    The Doctor gained 500 XP and a golden medallion!

    Then I rage quit. Don't think I missed much.
    So yeah, this episode is 'Fear Her''s idolisation and worship of the Olympic Torch up the eleven mixed with an ass pull that not even the show runner's use because it ruins the entire premise of the Weeping Angel's being scary. I mean, if all you have to do is switch it to the Resonate Concrete setting and vibrate it to asploding you have a boring monster and one Hell of a lot of innuendo about screwdrivers vibrating so hard the resulting orgasm literally makes a woman explode.


    And this is probably going under an Odds And Sods Folder I have yet to make.
    Last edited by CurlyKitGirl; 2012-05-30 at 09:32 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.
    Bathatar!

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    Default Re: Doctor Who Thread III: Reverse the Polarity of the Neutron Flow

    Quote Originally Posted by CurlyKitGirl View Post
    Now, because this was written by some ten-year-olds, I feel that I shouldn't review this, because they are only ten, and I spend enough time complaining about the writing of actual scriptwriters.
    It just feels mean and kind of like bullying.

    LIES!
    'Course I'm reviewing it. Because I am a cold-hearted woman who rejoiced in the pain of others.

    'Good As Gold'
    The winner of the second Blue Peter/Doctor Who scriptwriting competition.
    Spoiler
    Show
    This isn't even five minutes long, so I'll be very quick. For once.

    NO.
    No.
    No no no no no no no.
    I did not like this..
    The opening was . . . kind of Doctor Whoish, the Adventurer's Handbook I can easily see in an actual episode, and I can definitely believe that Eleven would put an Adventure Switch on the TARDIS and crash; but then I noticed that even though this episode has the season six opening titles with the flames there was no Rory.
    At all.
    Even though the shirt indicates this happened at least after the first two episodes.
    I like Rory.
    And then the adventure itself? Oh good God Jesus Christ Almighty what the Hell kind of narmy awfulness was that? The Weeping Angel wants the steal the Olympic Torch because it's the symbol of love and tolerance and friendship is magic release the orbital friendship cannon.
    Someone's favourite episode was 'Fear Her' I see.
    And even though everyone blinked (seeing as someone's favourite episodes are also Everything With the Angels In) the Angel only stole the Touch despite being a WEEPING ANGEL and a psychopath who likes killing people for funsies!
    And the Doctor sonicked the Angel into asploding?!
    And the Doctor got a gold medal?! FOR BEING GOOD AS GOLD?! (No one is as good as Murray Gold!) Okay yeah whatever.

    This was . . . not good. In fact, it was pretty damn glurgy.

    However, it did have potential, I did like the opening thirty seconds or so, and the idea of someone literally running into, and through the TARDIS doors because they were running so fast they couldn't stop is actually pretty good.
    But this had no plot, no characterisation, nothing funny, it was barest set piece I've ever seen.
    Watch:
    Banter. Funny poofy hair. TARDIS crashes. Olympic Torch and runner.
    A WEEPING ANGEL appears! A WEEPING ANGEL wants to fight!
    WEEPING ANGEL used Steal!
    WEEPING ANGEL has stolen the Torch!
    Olympic Torch Bearer: Go! THE DOCTOR!
    (Hello! I'm the Doctor!)
    THE DOCTOR uses Sonic! It's super effective!
    WEEPING ANGEL has fainted.
    The Doctor gained 500 XP and a golden medallion!

    Then I rage quit. Don't think I missed much.
    So yeah, this episode is 'Fear Her''s idolisation and worship of the Olympic Torch up the eleven mixed with an ass pull that not even the show runner's use because it ruins the entire premise of the Weeping Angel's being scary. I mean, if all you have to do is switch it to the Resonate Concrete setting and vibrate it to asploding you have a boring monster and one Hell of a lot of innuendo about screwdrivers vibrating so hard the resulting orgasm literally makes a woman explode.
    I was going to say that the TARDIS having a specific 'adventure' setting was the best thing about the mini-episode.
    I changed my mind.
    Your review is the best thing about that mini episode (Mostly because I'm laughing so hard at the innuendo, but other bits as well).
    And, yeah. I guess I get that they wanted to do something about the olympics, since it's a big British pride thing, and so is Who, but they already did it... 3 years ago? 4 years ago? Having the Doctor encounter the same olympic torch twice seems a bit crowded. It's worse than having aliens invade London every Christmas for straining the credulity. So, I don't think much of the basic premise, let alone the execution.
    "'But there's still such a lot to be done...'
    YES. THERE ALWAYS IS."

  14. - Top - End - #14
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Doctor Who Thread III: Reverse the Polarity of the Neutron Flow

    God I'm taking pedantry to a new level. I don't even know where these instincts come from, they just tell me something is wrong, and then it is wrong and I end up complaining!

    Spoiler
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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?
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    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 - #15
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    Default Re: Doctor Who Thread III: Reverse the Polarity of the Neutron Flow

    I totally didn't post this in the old thread by accident first. No siree I didn't.
    >.>
    <.<

    Koorly's Archive of Her Doctor Who Reviews:
    Classic Who
    Spoiler
    Show
    Second Doctor
    Spoiler
    Show
    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, Part 6/8, Part 7/8, Part 8/8

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

    Nu Who
    Spoiler
    Show

    Season 1 - retrospective

    Season 2 - retrospective

    Season 3 - blind bar Moffat
    Spoiler
    Show
    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
    Spoiler
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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
    Spoiler
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    Ep. 11: 'The Lodger'


    Season 6
    Spoiler
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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'


    Odds and Sods
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    Things that don't really fit anywhere.

    'Good As Gold' Second Blue Peter scriptrwriting competition for Doctor Who



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

    'The Invasion' Part 7/8
    Spoiler
    Show
    Sorry about my absence, but I had real life issues, which are now resolved. Specifically, Finals are over and done. For better or for worse I have graduated from the University of Oxcamfordbridge. But who cares about that? We have some Classic Who to be reviewing!

    Previously on 'The Invasion' I hold Zoe and Miss Legs culpable for the death of a couple of soldiers and an innocent policemen; Frollo gets progressively more rapey and THE INVASION IS FINALLY HAPPENING. Complete with a soundtrack straight out of Amnesia: The Dark Descent or Silent Hill.

    The episode starts with our traditional brief recap of the last twenty seconds of the last episode, leading me to vaguely wish I was watching a Let's Play of one of the above games. Hey, I like me some survival horror. But God is the CyberSoundtrack bloody atmospheric. And seeing as it's a Plot Point it's going to be in. the. background. the entire. time.

    And finally! Jamie and the Doctor are touching again! Ugh, Miss Legs is groping the Doctor's chest. No likee. And not picture: the CyberNoise. I hope it doesn't play throughout the entire episode (even at a lower volume) or I may go insane and jab a spoon down each of my ear canals.

    So the Doctor groans in a way that sounds semi-orgasmic, but I think that's just me enjoying the end of the touching-drought. Jamie, because I don't think he could get any cuter unless you de-aged him by reversing the polarity of something (who got the reference in Avengers?! Because if you didn't: shame on you!), gently shakes the Doctor's arm and says rather urgently, "Doctor, the invasion. It's begun."

    D: "Yes, Jamie, I rather gathered that." Dry wit. Sarcasm. Understatement. Joy. Also: these two bicker like an old married couple. What I don't like about this little tête-à-tête? MISS LEGS WILL NOT STOP HOVERING LIKE A MAYFLY. Fortunately I'm distracted from this little fact because the Doctor is the Doctor and immediately enquires as to the safety of the Brig and his men. Even though his magic ear plug things aren't working and the CyberSignal is slowly turning his brain to soup. I love the Doctor.

    J: "Are you all right to stand up now, eh?" Jamie, never change. Captain Jimmy Turner runs to the CB radio and gets in contact with the Brig, but I'm slightly distracted because Zoe's in the shot. God woman - girl? Woman. To her Wikipedia page! "[a]ccording to initial publicity she was fifteen when she joined the TARDIS crew" . And her first serial was only three serials before this one.

    I'm going to Hell for sexually objectifying someone who is at best barely legal, and most likely is underage. On the plus side, her actress Wendy Padbury was twenty-one when she filmed this. Oh, and she can be considered directly responsible for helping get Matt Smith as the eleventh Doctor seeing as she was the one to discover him at the NYT. Good Lord, Doctor Who's been around so long, I bet you could play The Six Degrees of Doctor Who with every British actor in the past sixty years. I'll give it a go.

    Alan Rickman. Goddammit that's an easy one. Is a member of the RSC along with Patrick Stewart, and acted alongside him in a production of Antony and Cleopatra in 1978. Patrick Stewart appeared in the RSC's 2010 production of Hamlet alongside David Tennant who is best known for being the Tenth Doctor. That's what, two degrees? I wasn't even thinking hard at all.

    But that was too easy. Okay. Caroline Harker - literally no idea who she is. And - no. Her sister Susannah Harker played Clare Keightly in the 2003 audio adaptation of 'Shada' and her husband, Anthony Calf? Made his television debut in the 1982 Doctor Who serial 'The Visitation'. I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP! One degree of separation. By blood and by marriage.

    I randomly chose her from Wikipedia's List of British Actor's and Actresses.

    Okay. One last one: Georgina Cates. Oh, she was in The Bill. Everyone's been in The Bill. Here we go. Simon Rouse was in The Bill; he was also in Doctor Who's 'Kinda' which aired one serial before 'The Visitation'.

    Granted, Doctor Who's been running an absurdly long time, and the pool of actors/actresses resident in Britain has got to be pretty small, and

    - also I am an idiot. See, I've never seen any of the Harry Potter films except the first one the first week it was released; but I just remembered something. IT' HARRY FREAKING POTTER! Everyone's been in this film too. I think David Tennant was actually in one of those films. There we go.

    Okay, one last one. Who the Hell is Patsy Kensit? No idea. But she was in a production of Adam Bede in 1991. Alongside Susannah Harker. Who was in 2003's audio production of 'Shada'. Okay, Jesus Christ, this game is too easy.

    Screw it. I'll just wait for the day Alan Rickman and Patrick Stewart star in Doctor Who, then we can play the Six Degrees of Doctor Who involving all of Hollywood too.

    Right. I'm watching an episode of 'The Invasion' aren't I? The Brig is 'on the radio' when, given the audio quality he's clearly standing just outside of the shot. Oh 60s production values, I do love you. Anywho, about half of the men are getting over the CyberSignal, and he's unsure about the others. Also, the Doctor's getting hot under the collar and tugging nervously at his bowtie and collar. I think it's side effects of the CyberSignal.

    Long story short: the Brig's sending a jeep over to see if he can give Our Boys a hand, and as the Cap succinctly puts it: "sounds like total success for Vaughn and the Cybermen".

    Oh God. Even in the Villain Office of the Villain Lair you can still hear the CyberSignal dimly in the background. This is the Master's Drums v. 1.0. So the CyberRadio says that "[a] full invasion force is preparing for flight. Transmit the radio signal for the ships to home in on", but Frollo's just kicking back, relaxing so cool, writing some notes sittin' in his chair, when some Cybermen, up to an invasion, started making trouble in his neighbourhood.

    Because clearly Frollo's not going to do this. He doesn't even look up from his clipboard when he tells his allies "[i]t will be prepared". Is it wrong that I'm seriously considering Frollo as the main contender for Best Character In the Serial for being straight up badass? I feel like I shouldn't admire him as much as I do because he is one creepy man.

    And then when the CyberRadio starts talking about preparing to properly organise the invasion Frollo interjects, "My organisation will now take over." And he was writing on a clipboard. I was joking. "The Cyberman army must stay under my control."

    CR: "Why do you oppose us?" Besides the fact that you're Cyberaliens from outside space intent on taking over the world and you already intimated (or was it just surmised by PACKER the moron) that you were going to betray your human ally and fully assimilate him into your collective? Wait, I think I started out in Doctor Who but ended up in Star Trek. What else? Oh yes. Because Frollo has made opposing you the highlight of his day for at least the past three days!

    This shouldn't surprise you! It really shouldn't.

    F: 2I don't oppose you. We're allies!" And I shall inform you of it in the hammiest, most flamboyant way possible without crossing the line into High Camp! Seriously guys, go to tardismedia/matrixarchives, get this episode up and skip to three minutes in. It is wonderful. "But you do not understand the world and its organisation." It's true, if you're not a Stonecutter you're no one.

    Hey wait. Does this mean the Stonecutters run UNIT?

    CR: "This is not necessary. Humans are now under Cyber-control." Except they seem to have worked it off to some degree. Unless it's truly an insidious wossname.

    F: "I must control them!" I have a complex! "Look, let's understand one another." You are the naive, all-powerful Cyberaliens from outside space who appear to have all the advantages, but I have a secret weapon that will destroy you if you don't do what I say. Now beg for your. . . life? as I sit down and stroke my white fluffy cat of Evil. "You will not get what you want unless I, too, achieve my object." The Hell? Don't you mean 'objective'? "Is this agreed?"

    CR: "It has been agreed."

    F: "Then the invasion will continue under my direction." Have the Cybermen always been so naive? Because if I had a pushy subordinate whom I'd made pretty much immortal start ordering me around, I'd rip his head off and ruin his Cyberbody.

    So then Frollo cuts off the CyberRadio, contacts Packer, and gives him the dubiously pleasurable job of collecting the Prof. from his secure UNIT hidey hole. Packer isn't all that pleased, but well, "You won't meet with any resistance. They're all under Cyber-control." Hey wait. If everything ie makes has a CyberCircuit in it, and it's that which puts them under CyberControl, then surely anyone inside the Villain Office which is the global headquarters of ie is exposed to dozens of CyberSignals no? Does this mean everything stupid can now be classed under mind control? Because it sure seems that way.

    Good Heaven's that stinger! If you're watching it's about 04.00.

    Oh my God it's a convertible jeep. Hello Sgt. Walters! And he has a gun! The minute he gets inside he informs Captain Jimmy Turner there are "hundreds of Cybermen about". Shame the budget doesn't stretch that far isn't it? Also, I'm pretty skippy Sgt. Walters is wearing a bulletproof jacket, I approve. Not that it'll do any good against Cybermen with their Dalek lazors, but it's still good protocol.

    We're about to decamp and make our way back to the UNIT base from earlier when . . . the Villain jeep rolls up outside and you can tell it's a Villain jeep because it's black and souped up and rides lower to the ground than a standard military issue jeep! There's more than one way to colour code a vehicle.

    Time to escape through the back door. Literally. HOLY SMEG! They shot the Prof in the leg! For a given member of shot. There's hardly any screaming or massive blood loss, just the usual minor inconvenience a gun shot (with a rifle) to a leg with major veins, arteries and muscle groups causes.

    So Captain Jimmy Turner goes down on one knee and uses his little pistol to shoot at the redshirt while Jamie's left to haul "the radio" (and hopefully the Prof.) out of harm's way.

    Nope. Just the radio. Captain Jimmy Turner's got the Prof. Odd, me, I'd have thought even some cover fire would be better than none.

    Jamie just got shot . . .

    . . .

    Jamie.

    JAMIE JUST GOT SHOT IN THE (LOWER) BACK! THIS IS MADE OF AWFUL! Loving that he's just running along though as if getting shot isn't a big deal at all. That's just how you roll when you're Jamie.

    Cut to the Brig asking how Our Boys are.
    CJT: "In bother sir. We need help." Yes. The Prof got shot in the leg, Jamie in the back and they were ambushed. It's only a spot of bother. So the Brig sends along a chopper to sector five.

    The Brig contacts the chopper and in a wonderfully cheesy moment, every time the helicopter pilot speaks you can hear some vague motor noises in the background in order to represent the fact that the man in the helicopter is, in fact, in a helicopter.

    Then we hop back over the the Villain Office for Villain Dialogue. Notably, Frollo's furious that the CyberSignal isn't working very well and Packer again says "It's that Doctor's fault . . . You should've gotten rid of him when you had the chance."

    Let's talk about the Cardinal Sins for a moment. Specifically: superbia, better known as Pride. It is literally considered the original and most serious of sins because of someone who said this: "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God" (Isaiah 14:13) Guess who said that? LUCIFER. And then Things happened.

    Pride is also, in my personal opinion, the ultimate source of every single Villain Ball in all of history and media ever. And probably the Hero Ball and a good chunk of Idiot Balls too.

    If Scar had just killed and eaten Simba there wouldn't have been a revolution (well, okay, there would have been, but not for reasons of succession and regicide). Hell, if Scar hadn't told Simba that he murdered his father it's likely that the entire pride would have turned on Simba or just let him die!

    If Jafar had paid Aladdin for retrieving the Lamp from the Cave of Wonders he'd have won!

    If Khan hadn't gone all Captain Ahab on Captain Kirk and just taken the Reliant marooned the crew and run away he and his men would still be alive! But at least here we have many reasons for Khan to be absolutely mental! HE IS ABSOLUTELY MENTAL! So I don't actually mind this one Villain Ball all that much because it's actually justified, and rightly hinted or outright stated in the damn film!

    If the Joker wasn't . . . the Joker he'd have won! But he's the Joker and has this Thing that may or may not be sexual, but is definitely obsessive and possessive about the Batman, and that's why he's the Joker. Also: he's a loony.

    If Rameses had just let his people go there wouldn't have been the plagues and the decimation of his army by the Red Sea. But at least that's partially justified for reasons of family and grief!

    If Frollo had just killed the Doctor when his cyborg alien allies from outside space told him to he would have succeeded!

    If The Master wasn't - okay no. No one could have ever predicted Super Crystal Dragon Tinkerbell Jesus Doctor under any circumstance whatsoever! However . . . if he'd just not outright hinted that there was a bomb in the room Our Boys would've died.

    If the Daleks just shot to God damn kill for once! You get the idea.

    But that's generally a part of the joy of Doctor Who. Why it irks me here is that Frollo is, otherwise, a damn pragmatic villain. This is a man who, if given the Overlord List would follow it to a tee, and then make several amendments because he believe some of the rules aren't pragmatic enough, or that several key areas had been missed out due to oversight.

    This is like me, an admitted nerd, geek and otherwise fairly smart person who, upon hearing that Doctor Who is about time travel proceeds to immediately call it a poor derivative of Back to the Future. Sadly, I know someone who did that. AND MEANT IT. AND WAS AN ACTUAL BRITISH PERSON BORN IN BRITAIN. AND KNEW HOW TO USE THE INTERNET. AND READ.

    Okay, I got really sidetracked. A lot. Frollo is too smart to be this dumb! Or rather, too proud to admit his mistakes. Pride goeth before a fall after all. I mean, when your incompetent sidekick is reprimanding you you know you've done badly.

    So Frollo goes on and on about how the invasionmust continue. I guess he knows the score on and on,
    Does anybody know what he is thinking of?

    Another villain, another ruined crime
    Within the shadows of the pantomime
    Hold the line
    Does anybody want to take it any more?

    The show must go on!
    Inside my heart is breaking

    Oh wait. That's Queen. Point is. Is that Frollo's plans are falling around him like the Tower of Babel. Something which he seems to be fully aware of, but too far up his own rear to actually acknowledge.

    And yet: "For the moment, I have the Cybermen exactly where I want them."

    P: "[C]an you honestly say that everything is going according to plan? Well, can you?"

    F: "Just obey my orders!" Translation: no. And get that radio beam working so we can bring in the invasion fleet even though I don't have a sure fire way to kill them any more.

    That is stupid.

    And then we're with another dude! I don't know who he is! But seeing as he's telling us that New York, Moscow and Peking are off the air and dead he is the Exposition Fairy. "In fact nothing, no radio signal at all." Oh! I think this might be Sgt. Walters!

    And the Doctor, Captain Jimmy Turner and the Brig are all sat around a table in UNITQuarters talking about how boned the world is. The Doctor looks especially worried. I put this down to the fact that one: the world has been invaded and two: his beloved Jamie was shot in the back.

    They're all agreed about how this is a bad situation unless they can stop the CyberSignal. Well. Duh. Oh, and get this: the Doctor's theory right? Is that the signal comes from the moon and that they'd "need a missile of some sort" (Brig)

    CJT: "That would need an orbital launch vehicle. I mean, we simply haven't got anything of that size."

    I have the following points to make, in no particular order: THE EARTH WAS INVADED BY ALIENS.

    By this time both Russia and the US had launched manned and unmanned shuttles into space.

    Around this time the UK was host to sixty Thor missiles.

    THE EARTH WAS INVADED BY ALIENS.

    I'm pretty damn sure that even the most anti-West person in the world would lend a hand to STOP AN ALIEN INVASION!

    UNIT IS A MILITARY DIVISION UNDER UN (at the time) GOVERNANCE AND LIKELY HAS BASES IN EVERY COUNTRY IN THE UN. INCLUDING RUSSIA AND THE US!

    And even if there is total radio silence, guess what! The UK has rocket launch sites at The Needles and South Uist. Both of which were fully operational at this point in time. And The Needles? Was host to ICBMs. And built Black Knight BLACK ARROW missiles. WHICH WERE USED TO LAUNCH THINGS INTO SPACE.

    Granted I'm not sure if those sort of things would be of use, not being a rocket scientist or anything, but the point is, when Captain Jimmy Turner says "we simply haven't got anything of that size" he is lying! And I'm taking pedantry to a new level.

    Hehehehe. Maybe I should let a scene out before I complain because the Brig did just bring up the fact that the Americans and the Russians can send things into space.

    B: "Wait a minute." OH MY WORD! The Brig has a Key to a Safe and it looks Important!

    Hahahaha. The safe contains two ring binders. ABOUT INTERNATIONAL ESPIONAGE. For reals. And he only just remembered he had it. Wat.

    B: "The Russians were planning a countdown at the time we were attacked. [...] a manned orbital survey [of the moon]. That means they'll have a launching vehicle almost ready to go!" Convenient. And he only just mentions this when a few episodes ago there was this whole Theory about Cybermen on the Moon. Doi.

    And then for the dimwits Captain Jimmy Turner explains they'll switch out the Place Where Astronauts Go with something that goes boom very very loudly.

    How long does this take?

    Two hours.

    Genius. There is no way this thing is possible, but it will be done. "Of course, we'll have to revive the rocket personnel from Cyber-control. After that, well it's up to the Russians." Well, that's just minor isn't it?

    And in this time of the Red Scare, UNIT is just chillin' with the information about the precise details of this RUSSIAN ROCKET LAUNCHING FACILITY and not telling anyone else about it. I think I love this show.

    The Brig then gets down to business with the Doctor. Upon finding out the CyberShips would home in on Frollo he asks, "Would we be able to pick them off with anti-missile missiles?" I find that funny: anti-missile missiles.

    D: "Yes, that's a good idea. We might have a try." The one sad thing about this being Classic Who is that we'll never get to see this. At least not unless they ask Gerry Anderson very politely indeed.

    B: "Right. There's a base near Henlow Downs." And runs off to go do Military Things.

    But that's okay because Wendy Padbury just walked in in her sparkly catsuit! And even better, one of the very first things the Doctor asks is "[H]ow's Jamie's leg?"

    Even though the way he flinched it looked like he was shot in the back. Which also posed a much bigger target than a leg hidden by a kilt.

    Z: "Oh, it's just a slight flesh wound." And no. No I won't do that. I also have reason to believe that getting shot in the leg is not just a flesh wound. I understand that while the muscle pads of a human body are relatively 'safe' insofar as they don't contain any major arteries or organs, and that it is indeed possible to have 'just a flesh wound' for that and other reasons it is still highly unlikely.

    Z: "but he's furious because the Army doctor won't let him walk on it." Jamie: too badass to need proper medical care and aftercare. I mean, it's not like you were just shot in one of the more important and frequently used muscle groups in your whole body or anything. At least they're acknowledging the potential danger even in a mere flesh wound.

    And then the Doctor lets Zoe loose on computers that have the capacity to launch things into outside space. I do not know if this is a good idea or not, but I suspect it only is because a computer genius is a computer genius with all things computer.

    The Doctor meanwhile is going to beard the line in his den in order to buy UNIT enough time to stop the invasion by launching a Russian missile into space to kill space-Uber-Communists.

    B: "No, this is madness" Roll 2d20 for Meme Resistance . . . 6. Well, that was fail. Obligatory link. "I can't afford to let you take that risk."

    D: "You can't afford not to Brigadier. If you're going to attack the Cybermen with missiles, they're going to retaliate and we want to know how and with what." He has a point. So he's going to leave his radio on to transmit the details.

    And then some dude says they're landing and I'm confused because the next shot is Mobile UNIT HQ (apparently) 'landing' at what is supposed to be Henlow Downs. And then I remember that one throwaway line about things being a bit bumpy when they really weren't. They didn't even bother swaying from side to side to convey the fact the plane was flying. Or taking off. Or landing.

    HYPERSONIC JET. Is that even a thing? It is in 2011. Talk about future sight. But that's the thing that's going to take Captain Jimmy Turner to Russia in two hours. Just 'Russia'. Not like it's the biggest country in the world or anything.

    But Wendy Padbury's walking around and to be frank, I want a shot of her rear in that catsuit. Damn it! We're doing military protocol and prep the the invasion. And from what little I know about this particular subsection of the British military everything seems about right.

    And now we're in the Obligatory Sewer Level again. All I want is a sparkly ass shot. Oh, and the Doctor's discreet radio is longer than his forearm. At least he's testing that it works.

    It does.

    This is amazing. It's like actually caring that your allies are able to help you when you need it, so you respect them as people who can honestly render you assistance. I'M LOOKING AT YOU TEN.

    The Doctor just flipped a coin to decide which way he goes. That is such a Doctor thing to do.

    Sweet Heaven we're hopping about worse than a cat on a hot tin roof here because now we're back in UNIT MHQ and Zoe's complaining that the helichopter isn't going to help the Doctor if there're Cybermen in the sewers. B: "If you've got any better suggestions, I'd be pleased to hear them." Zoe just got burned. Please don't have any better suggestions.

    (It takes two hours to get from Bedfordshire to Russia. That's only about half as long as it takes a modern passenger jet to travel from London to 'Russia'.)

    B: "Well, don't look so worried. Fancy a cup of tea?" World's about to end, aliens invading, your entire plan rests on one man delaying the Villain long enough to let the other launch a missile in time, and you have tea.

    British. Clearly. And Zoe's obviously not as she doesn't instantly agree and then have a nice sit down and talk about the weather.

    The Villains are doing their Villain Plans are taking over communication centres. P: "But, ehm, [...] we can't make a complete takeover without a full invasion force." Captain 'Obvious' Packer.

    Frollo's forehead is exceptionally shiny today. And when the full invasion arrives "there won't be one city in the entire world that we don't control." What even places like Monaco and San Morino? Or cities that only just qualify as that due to some obscure ruling?

    AND PACKER ROLLS HIS EYES. I'm starting to like him! How odd is it when Pinkie's the one successfully noticing the giant holes in the world takeover plot and the Brain just ignores every one of them?

    And the Doctor's rebroken into ie. D: "There you are. Can you here me Mr. Vaughn. I hope I haven't called at an inconvenient moment, but I would like a word with you [...] I'll come up, I know the way."

    The most polite and badass way to waltz into the centre of Villain HQ ever. With examples like this it's no wonder that everyone in the UK is stereotyped as being very polite and calm under even the most strenuous circumstances. Unless you're a footie nutter or from Glasgow. Or worse: a footie nutter from Glasgow. Or a NED. Don't worry if you can't understand more than ten percent of what they're saying.

    P: "Why not just kill him? "He's caused enough trouble already." Still has a point.

    F: "You forget Packer, he's insurance."

    And now we're in UNIT MHQ. Again. And the Brig is buckling his belt. D: "I am just about the enter the lion's den." Maintaining radio silence from now on. So we fade from the radio (from which Frollo's voice is coming) to the Doctor and Frollo in the Villain Office.

    F: "I have worked for the Cybermen for five years on this invasion. I know them, the way they think, the single-mindedness of their purpose." And it all goes downhill because of the universal wild card. Also, I do think Frollo may have a slight hand-on for the Cyberman way of life. Or unlife.

    D: "Then you must know what ruthless and inhuman killers they are."

    F: "Of course." Just a note on staging here. The Doctor's in the foreground, presumably looking straight at the desk while Frollo's in the background looking the other way. It's a nice, unusual setting that draws out the tension and shows the difference between the villain and the hero.

    The Doctor asks if he really believes the Cybermen are allies, and Frollo boasts that he's "allow[ed] for every possible factor" - except the Doctor. "It was I who contacted them in deep space" (how?) "provided the means by which they travelled to earth" (how? This is the height of the Star Wars thing you know, that sort of thing would have been monitored. You're just a British businessman. HOW DID YOU DO THIS?) "And masterminded the whole operation from A to Z." Why?

    You're not one of those nihilist 'humanity is worthless' types are you?

    F: "They have merely provided their advanced scientific skills, their might and strength." Ummm. So you basically delayed their takeover over the world. That what you're saying here? They could have just shafted you right the moment they found earth.

    As flies to wanton boys are we to th' gods. Or Cybermen in this case. And you know how that ends? "They kill us for their sport." (King Lear, IV, i, l. 36 - 37) At least your better than Diagonal Man in that you're not going to be shoved up a Dalek's rectum and turned into a penis head. And you're able to at least intimidate the Cybermen.

    D: "What do they get out of this?"

    F: "What they want and what they're going to get are two entirely different things." So you're saying you can't always get what you want. Stuff, stuff, Frollo's a fool, the Cybermen will squish him, Frollo informs him that all Cybermen here are conditioned to obey Frollo. Yeah, here on earth. Which isn't a lot.

    The Doctor points this out, and Frollo says "If they're not, I'll destroy them." I.

    I.

    IF?!?! Of course they're not! And how? No mass produced CyberKill 2.0 remember?! The "one machine" in the Doctor's hands. "And I've [the Doctor] go the Professor." He smirks gloatingly. Lor' Patrick Troughton can gloat.

    Frollo's very . . . toddler-like about this. 'Of course they'll do what I say. I want them to and all their friends do so they will. Or I'll hurt them!'

    So now we're an a place. It's military. People have passed out. Or are dead. This is Henlow Downs, just so's you know. And they've somehow managed to make loads of neuristors for all the dudes in the room.

    Aagin in Villain HQ. "[T]hey'll destroy the earth as we know it!" And I feel fine. And Frollo's cottoned on to the delay tactics going on, so now I get to see if this version of the Doctor can lie/act as convincingly as Ten-pretending-to-be-John-Smith.

    "I don't know what you're talking about." He says as he wrings his hands. I think someone rolled a four. So obviosuly Frollo laughs and calls in Packer.

    Meaning that the beam is being linked to the invasion fleet right now. Thanks for breaking it hero.

    Bounce back to Henlow Downs. They're being surprisingly compliant given everything. Then again, it is a Brigadier telling them this, so orders are orders. But there's nothing on the radar even though it's accurate up to fifty thousand miles.

    Zoe calls that "almost on top of us", even though fifty thousand miles is roughly one quarter the distance from the earth to the moon. Personally I think that's pretty impressive. Now, Independence Day radars didn't pick up alien space ships as large as major metropolitan cities until they'd already floated past the moon, so all told I think that's pretty good.

    Then technomilitarybabble happens. I think things are being prepared to launch. And I can't actually tell if the rockets are models or real. Obviously they're models, I doubt the military would let the BBC have actual access to actual missiles, but very convincing ones.

    Bounce back to Villain HQ. CR: "The transporters will be launched. The invasion fleet will arrive in two parts."

    D: "You must stop them! This is madness!" You've had your quota! "You can't trust them!" And by shouting this out in front of the open radio channel the CyberHQ you've effectively revealed that there are people actually fighting this invasion. Congratulations.

    F: "Don't you understand yet? I have no alternative." You had five years to renege on this invasion. To work alongside the governments of the earth to unite them in a temporary alliance to defeat aliens from outside space. You could have begun manufacturing the CyberZap 5000 much earlier. You could have not asked and assisted in creating an invasion! You could have not included the CyberCircuit thing in your tech meaning that the peoples of earth would be active and aware of the invasion.

    There were lots of alternatives.

    F: "I can't see all these years of work destroyed. I must go on! I must." See, this is what 100% Completion runs do to you. Even when things go tits up you simply must finish because that's what you started out to do. There comes a point in a plan, a game, a story, a day out, an event where things are just so bad it's perfectly acceptable to abandon ship. Unless you have a perverse sense of honour . . .

    Bounce back. Things are happening, but not much. And the CyberShips are "on a ballistic trajectory" and it'll be a few minutes until they come in range of their missiles. Things are all military technobabble. Basically, they can't get them all.

    Z: "I think we stand a good chance of getting ninety percent of them." This is because Zoe is a genius and can compute a way to set off a "chain reaction of explosions" as they're travelling in formation in "thirty seconds". Which, okay, is pretty damn impressive. And is at least feasible for a non-genius in video games at least. But I though - oh never mind. She's only fifteen and telling the military how to do their job.

    This is like War Games all over again.

    At least the Brig has confidence in her. And as she' - damnit I missed the ass shot! But I did see that one man eye up Zoe's ass. So things happen and of course Zoe's right.

    More model shots. And whirly things. Military technobabble. Countdown. And then rockets are launched and missiles hit the CyberShips and there are many explosions.

    CR: "The first CyberFleet is being attacked and destroyed. You have betrayed us." The failure is is fault. And then the CyberRadio electrocutes Frollo as he rants about needing to be in control of the mission and things?

    And then the CyberRadio talks about launching a "Cyber-Megaton bomb". Okay, when I started putting Cyber in front of everything related to the Cybermen it was a joke. And now it's a real thing that is very real! Oh, and the CyberRadio is very explicit in that they're only prepping a single CyberMegaton bomb. I don't think a single normal megaton bomb could destroy the earth, a quick scout suggest it would level a good-sized city; so the Cyberness must make it extra powerful.

    Couldn't they have just made something up?

    So the Cybermen are, of course, about to "destroy life on earth completely. Ever living being" rather than assimilate them because they lost one measly invasion fleet. Grouchy aren't they.

    D: "Is this what you wanted?! To be the ruler of a dead world?!" And I think Frollo may have short-circuited because his head's tiled and he's holding his neck.

    Scream Out!

    Preview Thoughts: No preview this time.

    Best Moment: In general I'm very impressed with how accurate the military scenes feel, but I have to give points to the last ten minutes or so when the Doctor and Frollo are conversing while the preparation to repel the invasion goes on. The tension is as high as the stakes, and the quietness adds a very sombre air to the scenes that is sometimes lacking in Nu Who where the score is occasionally overused to artificially tell us how to feel.

    Worst Moment: Just a flesh wound.

    Best Actor: The Doctor. Terrible liar, but very good in tense moments and during the last five minutes or so especially you can really feel the seriousness of the situation because the Doctor's taking everything stone cold seriously.

    Worst Actor: Eh. Random military dude whose name I didn't get.

    Best Special Effect: The model shots.

    Worst Special Effect: UNIT MHQ's 'flying' is very bumpy even though nothing moves or slides around or acts any different from it does when it's landed.

    Most Punchable Character: Frollo. Come on man, pride before a fall; at least admit that things aren't going as you intended.

    Death Count: Presumably thousands all over the world, but all offscreen.

    Kink of the Episode: I will have that ass shot eventually!

    Thoughts so far?
    Frollos self-delusions are annoying at times, but very well done, you can tell he's deluding himself and that everyone around him knows it. I really like this cliff hanger and the character interaction in general, the military scenes feel right and create an air of authority and realness to this serial.
    What is annoying is that Jamie's out of the picture again. For no real reason. Well, he got shot, but still!
    Really looking forward to the final part you guys.
    Last edited by CurlyKitGirl; 2012-05-31 at 11:31 AM.

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    Default Re: Doctor Who Thread III: Reverse the Polarity of the Neutron Flow

    Quote Originally Posted by Androgeus View Post
    The only episode I can think of that you didn't mention that I enjoyed was 42.
    "42" is okay, but it's mainly about whether or not the monster will be defeated (answer: yes) rather than character moments, which looking at my other choices seems to be what I like the best. Although there's quite a poignant moment where Martha is plummeting into the sun and there seems to be nothing anyone can do.

    Quote Originally Posted by CurlyKitGirl View Post
    I think my ranking would actually put 'Human Nature'/'Family of Blood' at the top, partly because it's a character study/character driven, and we all know how much I love me some character driven things.
    Even so, it is a really close call so I'd probably cheat and make it a joint spot.
    Ah, well, you see I just list them in chronological order, partly because often it is too close to call. Having re-watched those two eps recently I'd put them as probably the stand-out of the season. I particularly liked the acting from "Baines", and it was wierd seeing the actor playing a young Denis Thatcher in The Iron Lady.

    Quote Originally Posted by CurlyKitGirl View Post
    Dr. Simon, whenever you're ready. Although not the 4th June as I'm off to a UK mini-meetup for the Jubilee, and then the evening's taken over by a subject dinner. Which probably means I'll be free at ten.
    So I guess the best way to do this would be to do some kind of "simul-cast" and use a chat program as we go, unless you have any better ideas.

    Quote Originally Posted by CurlyKitGirl View Post
    'Good As Gold'
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    [spoiler]This isn't even five minutes long, so I'll be very quick. For once.
    I've just been re-watching the original Hitchhikers Guide TV series, and the first thing that came into my head upon reading your review was the voice of Marvin, saying "Sounds awful". Also an Alexei Sayle sketch where he did a parody of Gilbert and George reviewing the artwork of some primary school children ("Your work is tedious and lacks originality").
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    Default Re: Doctor Who Thread III: Reverse the Polarity of the Neutron Flow

    Every time I read one of CurlyKitGirl's Invasion reactions, I'm reminded of a clip I've seen of the second Doctor that I find terribly relevant:

    Zoe: [Uncomfortably] I'm beginning to wonder if this skirt is a bit too short.
    Doctor: Oh, I wouldn't worry about it, dear. After all... just look at Jamie's!

    That said, I kinda wish you'd do more of the Eleven's episodes, though I guess you've already seen them all and thus there's less magic to be had. Still, your style does add a new layer of charm to the series.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dr. Simon View Post
    Ah, well, you see I just list them in chronological order, partly because often it is too close to call. Having re-watched those two eps recently I'd put them as probably the stand-out of the season. I particularly liked the acting from "Baines", and it was wierd seeing the actor playing a young Denis Thatcher in The Iron Lady.
    Never noticed that, always thought you listed them in preference. And Baines is just so cool. ^.^
    Willing to go hand-on-heart and swear that that two-parter is still one of the strongest serials in all of Nu Who.

    Quote Originally Posted by Dr. Simon View Post
    So I guess the best way to do this would be to do some kind of "simul-cast" and use a chat program as we go, unless you have any better ideas.
    Nope. So we're probably using livestream/justin.tv/similar yes? You want to set it up? Livestream does have its own chat. Unless we have someone who's actually tech savvy and knows a better way to do this.
    Just PM me and we'll set up a date and time.
    I'm basically free forever, so if we start in the evening that means we can watch as many episodes as we want.

    Oh, and considering this format would basically be me liveblogging something blind I'll probably do a longer rambly thing in my usual post-watch format.

    Quote Originally Posted by Dr. Simon View Post
    I've just been re-watching the original Hitchhikers Guide TV series, and the first thing that came into my head upon reading your review was the voice of Marvin, saying "Sounds awful". Also an Alexei Sayle sketch where he did a parody of Gilbert and George reviewing the artwork of some primary school children ("Your work is tedious and lacks originality").

    I reminded someone of H2G2? That is so cool.

    Quote Originally Posted by Calemyr View Post
    Every time I read one of CurlyKitGirl's Invasion reactions, I'm reminded of a clip I've seen of the second Doctor that I find terribly relevant:

    Zoe: [Uncomfortably] I'm beginning to wonder if this skirt is a bit too short.
    Doctor: Oh, I wouldn't worry about it, dear. After all... just look at Jamie's!
    That is a thing that happens?
    For real?

    They are so doing this on purpose.

    Although this does suggest that I'm becoming more than a bit of a slash-obsessed fangirl. Curses.

    Quote Originally Posted by Calemyr View Post
    That said, I kinda wish you'd do more of the Eleven's episodes, though I guess you've already seen them all and thus there's less magic to be had. Still, your style does add a new layer of charm to the series.
    When I first started out reviewing Doctor Who I'd just finished rewatching the first and second season for the first time since they'd aired and wanted to vent massively about Rose.
    A lot.
    Then I started blind reviewing my way through Nu Who in order. The only reason I've reviewed the Eleventh Doctor episodes I did is because they were being aired on TV and thought I'd liveblog them.
    The exception there is 'The Lodger' because I was informed that 'Closing Time' was a direct sequel and needed to be seen.
    I'm about ten episodes (although some of those are specials and basically movies) away from starting Eleven's run proper.
    All of which I missed during their first run on TV for reasons I explained when I first started blind reviewing Doctor Who. I will get to them. Eventually.

    I have a schedule - well, I know what episodes/serials I'm reviewing next.

    'The Invasion' Part 8/8
    'Remembrance of the Daleks' Part 1/2
    'Remembrance of the Daleks' Part 2/2
    Season four of Nu Who including specials

    EVENTUALLY 'Genesis of the Daleks'. I may have to resort to using an online thing rather than my DVDs because someone has stolen them and will not admit that they have!
    And probably some time in the next week 'Talons of Wen-Chiang' which looks to be amusingly racist and all sorts of fun things. I'm ready whenever Dr. Simon is.

    Problem is that I only recently finished my Finals and had a very heavy workload prior to . . . last week.
    And, as you may very well definitely have noticed, I am easily distractable, so get sidetracked a lot.

    Speaking of: what about my tangent-filled style is charming?
    Because I'm feeling a little down today and need some cheering up, so some compliment on reviewing style/comments on 'The Invasion' Part 7/8 would just be really nice.

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    Default Re: Doctor Who Thread III: Reverse the Polarity of the Neutron Flow

    Quote Originally Posted by CurlyKitGirl View Post
    Speaking of: what about my tangent-filled style is charming?
    Because I'm feeling a little down today and need some cheering up, so some compliment on reviewing style/comments on 'The Invasion' Part 7/8 would just be really nice.
    First off, the energy. It's infectious.

    Secondly, you look at it from a very different perspective than I. Reading your renditions of Doctor Who (particularly ones I've seen) is like watching the show through someone else's eyes. Critics are fairly common, but your responses are less focused on criticism and more on reaction - all the thoughts and tangents and shocks that the episode bring to your mind. This makes it feel like an entirely new experience.

    Finally, the nostalgia value (for the ones I've seen). I've got a pretty good (if unreliable) memory, so I can see the episode in question play in front of my eyes despite not having it available at the moment.

    As for the quip about the kilt, yeah, it's a real thing that actually happens. I saw it on a youtube video with a title like "Top 10 Doctor Who Quotes" or "Funny Doctor Who Quotes".

    It also included another gem from Two:
    Companion: What are you planning to do? (While watching a monster from cover)
    Doctor: Bung a rock at it.
    Last edited by Calemyr; 2012-05-31 at 12:04 PM.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Androgeus View Post
    Are these the links you'd like in the first post?


    I didn't include you initially because they were harder to find ans hadn't looked till now, and was unsure if you would want to be linked.
    Yes they are. Sorry for not saying sooner.

    In June I will be doing "Good as Gold" review. Because Curly did it so its official territory. This review will be... different to the others. Don't expect a tangent or any major change to the style. But yeah different.

    Also, I don't see why Fear Her is so hated. Love and Monsters, I get. Black Spot, I get. Boom Town, I get. Narnia, I get Colin Baker, I get. Every Season Finale ever, I get. What's wrong with Fear Her, It had no specific special effect fails or plot holes, it was scary, there weren't any mary sues or character de-railment. What was wrong?

    @Simon: One could say that Fathers Day and Family of Blood (not it's brother though) are cheapened due to their similarity with each other (namely, a siege dominating most of it, probably working better without a monster (as per Father's Days initial intention), Same Writer and a character procrasinating over an action which will save the day at the cost of his life (which makes the whole thing tedious as he is putting the world at risk and we know he will do it). What do you think?

    @Thufir: 6 years, Fear Her is 6 Years old. 5 years and 11 months at exactly the date that ep aired to be precise. Thats a while.

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    Default Re: Doctor Who Thread III: Reverse the Polarity of the Neutron Flow

    I believe Fear Her is felt to be corny and overdone.

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    Well, part of why we won't agree on Fear Her is you said "it was scary" at which point I started chuckling and shaking my head. No, no it wasn't. The scariest thing about it was a door was shaking while a hilariously cartoony villain was shouting something behind it.

    The little girl was a boring actress, the story was uninteresting, and it was just dull. So, dull. Also, very cheesy, with the Doctor running in the Olympics for reasons that still elude me. And did I mention it was dull?

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    Hey CurlyKitGirl, it seems like the link to your review of Blink directs to a different episode. Might want to take a look at that.
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    Hey CurlyKitGirl, it seems like the link to your review of Blink directs to a different episode. Might want to take a look at that.
    On creating medieval thermobaric detonations:
    Quote Originally Posted by Ravens_cry View Post
    *strokes chin*
    Hmmm, I like the way you think.
    On rewriting your own past into a stable time loop of invulnerability:
    Quote Originally Posted by rockdeworld View Post
    Kardar233's Illithid:
    *strokes chin*
    Hmmm, I like the way you think.
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    kardar233's Tyr: So ok, it seems to me that your character evades death o_O. Congratulations *fanfare*

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sunken Valley View Post
    Also, I don't see why Fear Her is so hated. Love and Monsters, I get. Black Spot, I get. Boom Town, I get. Narnia, I get Colin Baker, I get. Every Season Finale ever, I get. What's wrong with Fear Her, It had no specific special effect fails or plot holes, it was scary, there weren't any mary sues or character de-railment. What was wrong?
    For me, a mix of reasons.

    1) There's nothing wrong, in itself, of the concept of drawing that come to life (and/or turning life into drawings) - see the 1988 film Picturehouse for a better (and creepier) interpretation - but I think it stretches even the dodgy pseudoscience of Doctor Who too far into pure fantasy.

    2) Too many concepts squeezed into one story. Lonely alien joins with lonely child (see ET), helps her collect "playmates" - nothing wrong with this idea. This is then coupled to the drawings come to life/life turns to drawings idea (which is it? One or other would have been better, not both). This is also then coupled to the "scary father" idea (again, see Paperhouse) which is given short shrift and doesn't really go anywhere except to provide a sudden burst of suspense at the end. The whole concept is revisited in Night Terrors, which is still less than satisfactory but maybe done a little better.

    3) All of those elements could have worked with more careful story construction, but the bit that really made my teeth hurt was the Olympic torch sequence, too much of the "Cult of the Doctor" that grew up around Ten. What next, How the Doctor Saved Christmas? (Well, okay, maybe we do get that one many times....)

    Quote Originally Posted by Sunken Valley View Post
    @Simon: One could say that Fathers Day and Family of Blood (not it's brother though) are cheapened due to their similarity with each other (namely, a siege dominating most of it, probably working better without a monster (as per Father's Days initial intention), Same Writer and a character procrasinating over an action which will save the day at the cost of his life (which makes the whole thing tedious as he is putting the world at risk and we know he will do it). What do you think?
    I wouldn't say that a superficial similarity like that necessarily "cheapens" the stories. A Monster Siege has been a staple Who storyline since the days of the Second Doctor (e.g. The Abominable Snowmen, The Moonbase, The Web of Fear, Fury From the Deep, The Ark in Space, The Seeds of Doom, The Robots of Doom, Horror at Fang Rock), and pretty much all Who stories are treading water until the Doctor comes up with a solution.

    Because we know that the Doctor will pull through in the end, a seige story shouldn't make this the focus. Individual moments of suspense are fine - I mean, all Bond films work this way - but what, for me, makes a Doctor Who story memorable are the character moments, be they light and humourous or deep and inciteful, or preferably both.

    So Father's Day and Family of Blood differ because they are about different things. Father's Day explores an aspect of time travel paradox not often (if ever, I think) addressed on the show, and it examines Rose's relationship with her father. What happens when someone you think of as a hero turns out to be just an ordinary bloke with a line in failed businesses? And the problem isn't solved by the Doctor with some fancy technobabble but by Pete's sacrifice (and redemption?). By removing the Doctor as the source of the solution, the story removes the inevitability common to such stories. And it turns that concept further on its head. The Doctor is doing all he can to find an answer that he knows probably won't work, purely to save Rose the pain of losing her father again - he knows Pete's death is the only way to solve the paradox. This in turn not only demonstrates the Doctor's compassionate side but viewers who have been paying attention will know that Nine knows what it is like to lose family (Time War?) and also that he is "adventuring" to hide the hurt that comes from caring.

    Family of Blood, on the other hand, not only gives the Doctor the dilemma of choosing an "ordinary life" with a woman he loves, or to save everyone and return to his troubled, lonely, dangerous old life but it provides some beautiful period details and (again) an examination of the nature of heroism. Most of the characters are well-drawn and three-dimensional; the Headmaster for example comes across as a pompous and rule-bound man but he is also an old soldier, and brave (if foolish) to the last. Two conversations sum up the attitudes of the story to me - Baines (as Brother-of-Mine) asking the Headmaster if the boys will thank him for turning them into soldiers, given what is in store for them in the trenches of the Great War, and Jessica Hynes' character's disbelief that Martha (as a woman and as a woman-of-colour) could have medical knowledge. The Family of Blood are almost incidental under the weight of all this, but they provide a great mirror for the attitudes and prejudices of the human characters. Which is what the monster in a truly good Who story should do.

    Which is all to say that, no, I don't think it cheapens either story because what you describe is really the barest bones upon which the rest is hung.

    Regarding "Good as Gold", by the way, check out the winning entries in the "500 Words" competition by contrast, particularly the winner of the Under-9s category. That's written by a 7 year old! It's on-topic because it's read by Catherine Tate.
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    [QUOTE=CurlyKitGirl;13318513]I have a schedule - well, I know what episodes/serials I'm reviewing next.

    'The Invasion' Part 8/8
    'Remembrance of the Daleks' Part 1/2
    'Remembrance of the Daleks' Part 2/2
    Season four of Nu Who including specials

    EVENTUALLY 'Genesis of the Daleks'. I may have to resort to using an online thing rather than my DVDs because someone has stolen them and will not admit that they have!
    And probably some time in the next week 'Talons of Wen-Chiang' which looks to be amusingly racist and all sorts of fun things. I'm ready whenever Dr. Simon is.
    /QUOTE]

    Cough* Pyramids of Mars*Cough
    All Comicshorse's posts come with the advisor : This is just my opinion any difficulties arising from implementing my ideas are your own problem

  27. - Top - End - #27
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Doctor Who Thread III: Reverse the Polarity of the Neutron Flow

    Quote Originally Posted by CurlyKitGirl View Post
    Speaking of: what about my tangent-filled style is charming?
    Because I'm feeling a little down today and need some cheering up, so some compliment on reviewing style/comments on 'The Invasion' Part 7/8 would just be really nice.
    Well, for starters, you do have interesting insights into like, subtext, or themes, or whatever things highbrow critics are supposed to look for. But, despite getting at least a bit into analysis, you never lose sight of the basic point that it's supposed to be enjoyable to watch before anything else. You're still coming at it from the perspective of a fan of the show, and speak as such - pointing out the moments that are especially funny, or epicly cool, or really poignant.
    And, that's basically the core of it. The conjunction of those two points of view. Actually, hang on, I already came up with this a while back:

    Quote Originally Posted by Thufir View Post
    "The perfect meshing of a cultured, erudite scholar and an excitable, geeky fangirl."
    That do?
    "'But there's still such a lot to be done...'
    YES. THERE ALWAYS IS."

  28. - Top - End - #28
    Orc in the Playground
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    Default Doctor Who Thread III: Reverse the Polarity of the Neutron Flow

    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.

    Classic Who (Doctors One to Eight)


    New Series (Doctors Nine to Eleven)

    Ninth Doctor
    Spoiler
    Show


    Tenth Doctor


    Some fairly lengthy analyses for me this time around. I've included the "year of specials" in this batch as well, mainly because not many of them got through the Dr. S Quality Filter.

    Of all of Ten's companions, I like Donna the most. Catherine Tate is a revelation in the role, showing a capacity for serious acting as well as comedy. Tate and Tennant guest-presented a range of TV and radio over this period and there's a good chemistry between the two actors which carries across into the characters. I like how Donna is not afraid of the Doctor and on many occasions helps anchor him in the human aspects of the situation (for example, Fires of Pompeii or Planet of the Ood). It's a shame that previous companions keep cropping up during this series as they dilute it somewhat.

    Series Four plus Specials
    Tenth Doctor/Donna (2008-2010)

    Fires of Pompeii – Another one of those stories that, really, is just a lot of fun, but manages to fit in some good dynamics between Doctor and companion concerning ethics and responsibility. There's a fun scene where Donna doesn’t take kindly to being sacrificed, and messing around with auto-translation, but also balanced by the way that Donna urges the Doctor into an act of compassion with Caecelius and his family.

    Silence In The Library/Forest Of The Dead – These episode provide another good and creepy monster in an atmospheric setting whilst providing a mystery to the viewers in the at-first seemingly unconnected scenes involving the little girl and Dr. Moon. They also introduce the mysterious River Song - a good idea, I thought, to include a character who meets the Doctor out of synch with the series timeline. There's a (bitter)sweet arc for Donna, although it is a shame to seperate her from the Doctor, and finally the "little shop" running gag plays an important role in the plot.

    Honourable Mentions
    Midnight – An episode that delivers creepiness purely through the acting. A small group of people in a room having an argument, that’s about all this amounts to*, so it’s a credit to all involved how well it works.

    Turn Left – This episode takes us down some very dark paths, where disaster brings out the best and worst in people - the scene where the "foreign" neighbours are taken away is heavy-handed in the evident parallels but affecting nonetheless. A good companion piece to Midnight, highlighting Catherine Tate’s abilities as an actor (not to mention the great Bernard Cribbins).

    Stolen Earth/Journey’s End – This is pretty much the capstone to the Tenth Doctor’s era, almost rendering the specials of the following year redundant. Admittedly the call-outs to the spin-offs had little effect on me (since I haven't seen them) and the ending is hugely overblown, but by the time you get to it you’re completely in the mood for it. And nobody had to turn into a god. Well, almost.

    The Next Doctor - As with many of Tennant's episodes this one is brought down for me by the "cult of the Doctor" - once again no-one is as great as the Doctor and could never hope to be, because he's just, well, the bestest. However, many of the concepts involved are worth it, including the idea of having a multi-Doctor special projected forwards in time from the current Doctor, the idea of someone emulating the Doctor, and the giant steampunk cyberman. Curly's reviews have reminded me that the willful human who can bend cybermen to their will has been done way back before.

    Waters of Mars – For my money, probably the best of the specials. Almost a throwback to the stories of the Second Doctor’s era in terms of plot, but what makes it stand out is how the character of the Doctor is getting out of control having realised over the course of several seasons that no other Time Lords are out there to control his actions - many times before he has obeyed certain rules concerning altering time and direct intervention and has finally come to realise that there is no-one to enforce these laws (which seem to be a matter of convention rather than natural laws). The arrogance of this behaviour probably masks a deep hurt about the extinction of his race. This kind of behaviour has continued on in the Eleventh Doctor, I think, although the difference between Ten and Eleven is that the writers sometimes allow Eleven to be wrong. However, that's for next time...

    *Although there are many great dramas that this description would apply to.
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  29. - Top - End - #29
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    HalfOrcPirate

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    Default Re: Doctor Who Thread III: Reverse the Polarity of the Neutron Flow

    So the comic store in town hadn't even got enough to cover the orders they had, and it took me a week to cave in and buy a digital copy. I wanted to do this with a physical copy as I feel it adds a certain quality to the read but I don't feel like waiting for the second print run.

    So with out further ado let's begin this readview of
    Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who:Assimilation2 #1
    Spoiler
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    The cover is good showing our main characters, Picard and 11 and their respective ships, getting across that this a crossover quite clearly. Although I do wonder what all the blue stuff is, are they flying at warp speed through the vortex or something?

    So we start our story on Delta IV, home world of the species that the bald woman in the first movie. The stardate is 45635.2 which I think put it in season 5 (between The Outcast and Cause and Effect if my ability to read memory alpha is correct).
    We find ourselves in an idyllic park when a man notices something in the sky, A large number of Borg and Cybermen descending! wait why are they coming from the sky? surely they should just report in seeing as Borg have teleporters.
    Two men are escorting a woman to safety. I have no idea what is with this woman's face. it's just weird.
    Spoiler
    Show
    Anyway they manage to successfully beam her (she's actually the Prime Minister) to safety.
    We get a report from Admiral Vulcan that Star Fleet is sending a task force to deal with the invading force, however the two ships that star fleet already had in the area are getting soundly thrashed. We also get told that the Borg did call for surrender, and that Star Fleet realises that the Cybermen are different to the normal Borg they encounter. The Prime Minister orders a full evacuation of the planet, but is questioned on this action by an Andorian.
    Before she can answer him a bunch of Cybermen and Borg teleport in to the room and a Cyberman delivers the Borg's catchphrase.
    Spoiler
    Show
    It also seems we have Cybrus Cybermen opposed to ones from Mondas. Perhaps the Borg found them in the Void or something and helped them out?
    The Prime Minster and a few Star Fleet officers mange to escape to a shuttle. One of the officers tries reassure the Prime Minster the task force will save the planet, but she wonders if there'll be anything left to save as we see a ragtag fleet of ships flying away from the planet.

    And now we jump to Ancient Egypt, where we are introduced to Amy not wanting to look. Yes, Amy I agree that this scene change is a bit nonsensical but if we don't look we'll never find out if it is going anywhere.
    Next we get introduced to The Docto-Dear god what is with your face?
    Spoiler
    Show
    I think Egypt has turned the Doctor evil. Also the Doctor wears a Khepresh now. Khepreshs are cool.
    We pull back to revel that the Doctor, Rory & Amy are in some kind of chariot chase with Rory at the reins. We get a bit of banter about favourite disembodiments, before the Doctor spies a chance to invoke a chase scene classic and knocks over some stalls to stop their pursuers. The hat is however lost due to this.
    They arrive at the Pharaoh's palace where the Doctor calls for sneakiness. Rory starts to big up his sneak skills but manges to walk in to a vase causing it to topple and shatter. oh, the irony.
    This brings a group of guards to the scene. The doctor manges to beat them by climbing up a nearby tapestry, sonicing the rail it's on off the wall and wrapping the guards in the tapestry. seriously. The Pharaoh's guard are beaten by tapersty. You know Pharaoh, I think you might want to screen your guards or something.
    Rory manges to sweet talk the last two guards standing at the entrance to the Pharaoh's chamber. I guess because standing guard for 2000 years gives him an insight in the minds of all guards and knows that all guards just want their next tea break.
    The Doctor enters the Pharaoh's chamber and informs Pharaoh that he's here to save the kingdom. An adviser doesn't like this and ask him who he is. The advisor doesn't like the Doctor's answer and is forced to ask the question that must never answered.
    Spoiler
    Show
    The Doctor also divulges his race, which surprises the adviser who believed the Time Lords were all dead. The Doctor gives the adviser a chance to escape as normal, but as usual the adviser declines this offer and opts for the more popular choice of slap the Pharaoh across the room
    Spoiler
    Show
    He then starts to morph in to some kind of insecty/Alein, but the Doctor stops him by using an crystal gemerald pokéball thing which is actually the alien's prison cell. The Doctor hands the gemerald to Rory to go and have a chat with the Pharoah, telling us the alien planed to use the Nile to power a thing that would have ignited the atmosphere.

    Back on the TARDIS, the Doctor decides they should go some where foggy after being in a hot desert. Rory hands the gemerald prison thing back to Doctor causing him to have visions of the Borg/Cyberman alliance.
    The TARDIS shudders violently and the Doctor says they have almost arrived. The TARDIS materialises and out step Rory and Amy wearing noir-ey outfits. This totally is the holodeck running Dixon Hill. I guess that shudder in the TARDIS was them crossing the Franchise Boundry. A line only fanfiction has dared cross before.
    The Doctor insist that this is the real San Francisco, although he is apparently suffering from a bit of dimensional feedback, as they walk past Tom's Bakery on 4th Street (I wonder if there is a competitor on 6th street). The Doctor says they are bound to run into something usual here as they walk in to a barroom where at the bar stands a familiar android.
    Spoiler
    Show
    And that's where we end this issue

    Overall thoughts:
    I'm not sure on this, I don't really feel like it was much of a crossover. Sure we get Borg & Cyberman army at the start and Data at the end. I understand that there needs to be some set up, but unless that gemerald is going to be deadly important you could feasibly drop the entire Egypt plot. Heck you could just drop everything from before the Pharaoh scene if you need the gemerald in the plot and you don't lose anything except some decent banter.
    The Star Trek/Delta IV invasion story is mediocre, it has some good panels of Borg & Cybermen, but other than that meh. I don't don't know who any of these people are, so I don't feel invested in their plight. I keep being amused by the Andorian in the background of some of the panels and I have no idea why. The TNG crew only appear on one page in the entire comic, and even then they aren't really doing anything so we are definitely short changed on the TNG side of things.
    So Decent Doctor banter, but doesn't really live up to the cross over name. I'd rate it but most of my negative feelings are on how pointless it seems, so I have to wait for more plot if it really was superfluous. I am still looking forward to #2 though

    So there we go, my first "review". I feel I may have gone far too much in the exposition route.
    edit:added a sentence about TNG crew to thoughts.
    Last edited by Androgeus; 2012-06-06 at 05:08 PM.
    "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
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    1. Pick a random character
    2. State that person is The Rani
    3. goto 1

  30. - Top - End - #30
    Orc in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Doctor Who Thread III: Reverse the Polarity of the Neutron Flow

    Quote Originally Posted by Dr. Simon View Post
    Honourable Mentions
    ...
    I think you need a few more, at least The Unicorn and the Wasp and/or/proabably-and the Sontaran 2 parter.

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