Doctor Who Thread VI: "The Very Model of a Gallifreyan Buccaneer" [SPOILERS]

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Like when it absolutely failed after he claimed to be a responsible adult?

Can someone check if this was the last time the psychic paper was used in the series? He may have permanently broken it at that point.

(That episode and its sequel are my favourite Doctor Who light-hearted filler episodes)

Grey Wolf

[dehro]

Also, I'll be in Italy for the next two episodes, which means no BBC for me...

there are ways.
also, I'd say swing by and let's go have a cup of something.. but all I could share now is a dose of the flu, and you don't want that.

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Was anyone else hoping that at the end Rusty would join the doctor in the tardis? I want a Dalek companion so badly.

"DOC-TOR! I HAVE FALLEN IN THE TARDIS'S SWIMMING POOL! AND I CANNOT GET OUT!"
"sigh..."
"DOGGIE PADDLE!! DOG-GIE PAD-DLE!!!!"

I really really love this scene.

Spoiler: my theory on who Missy is remains unchanged

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a "very future" version of Clara after she's become headmistress and gone bonkers. now she collects those the Doctor leaves in his wake to organize a big ol' plot against him.

all in all I liked this episode a lot more than the opening one. The next companion shows promise and potential layers of depth. the DALEKS were.. DALEKS, and that's ok. all in all, yeah, a step up from the first episode.

[JCarter426]

Can someone check if this was the last time the psychic paper was used in the series? He may have permanently broken it at that point.

The last time he used it was when he claimed to be a proconsul in Nightmare in Silver. And he had used it a handful of times between those two.

[Psyren]

Spoiler: my theory on who Missy is remains unchanged

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a "very future" version of Clara after she's become headmistress and gone bonkers. now she collects those the Doctor leaves in his wake to organize a big ol' plot against him.

Ugh, I hope not. That would be seriously the lamest thing ever. It would be pointless character assassination.

[factotum]

Plus, Missy doesn't look even approximately like her?

[dehro]

on one hand, the first iteration of Clara Oswald was a dalek, so looks don't mean much.
on the other hand, I didn't say it was a particularly bright idea
I just don't put it past them to try and pull such a stunt off

[Calemyr]

Plus, Missy doesn't look even approximately like her?

Aye. If she's someone we've met, she's a time lady. She has certain mannerisms that remind me of River (the throaty purr when she says "paradise" in Deep Breath, for instance, as well as chomping her teeth).

So the common bets as near as I can tell are:
River Song: Moffat's own pet character, sharing certain mannerisms with Missy and currently left to her own devices in a virtual afterlife.
The Master: Missy as short for Mistress. Given all the shipping everyone does between him and the Doctor, "boyfriend" isn't that big a leap.
Romana: Called "Mistress" by K-9, Romana was separated from the primary universe and it's been suggested there was some romantic connection to the Doctor.
Rani: Just on policy. "Everyone is the Rani", and all that.

[Eldan]

Caveat: I only know Romana from the audio plays. Given that, however, I don't think it's her? I mean, perhaps her character was wildly different from the audio's President of Gallifrey, but it just doesn't seem remotely like her.

[Calemyr]

Caveat: I only know Romana from the audio plays. Given that, however, I don't think it's her? I mean, perhaps her character was wildly different from the audio's President of Gallifrey, but it just doesn't seem remotely like her.

True, but that's the same for all of them.

Master: For all the Foe Yay (or however that trope's spelled) between them the Master has never suggested he believed it, much less claimed it.
Romana: She was quite young back when she was part of the show.
River: River cannot regenerate (although being inside the Library computer she could probably rewrite herself all she wants).
Rani: Did the Rani ever play "nice"? I never saw her in action, but the impression I got of her was half amoral scientist and half scenery chewing villain. It'd be like seeing Bleach's Mayuri Kurotsuchi playing the role of Saint Peter - the casting equivalent of dividing by zero.

So, either someone has gone through a fairly notable physical and mental alteration (likely regeneration) and a sharp change in perspective, or Missy is a new player in the game.

[Eldan]

And I just had the dubious pleasure of listening to the worst Doctor Who audioplay in the history of sound. Blood Tide.

The premise? Sounds amazing. The sixth Doctor and Evelyn Smythe, the best companion ever, travel to Galápagos to meet a young Charles Darwin and encounter Silurians with him.

Then it all goes to hell very, very quickly. Just a few choice bits, there's much worse.

So, 26 year old Darwin apparently can freely quote his own theory of natural selection, from a book he wrote twenty years later. That's like encountering 12 year old Tolkien and have him quite the published version of the Silmarilion. Wait, scratch that, Tolkien might actually do that, who knows. Six year old Pratchett quoting I Shall Wear Midnight.

He also forms his theory after sorting his finches. Fun fact: Darwin couldn't really say much about the finches he gathered, he had to send them to a London ornithologist first.

Consistent use of such delightful terminology as "more evolved", "less advanced", "extinction of lesser races/creatures/species by the stronger", By everyone, including the Doctor and Darwin, with a completely straight face. Also, the fun fact that finches evolve during their lifetime, not from generation to generation.

Silurians created humans. Yes. "Of course! That's why there's no missing link!", Evelyn exclaims, and the Doctor agrees. No amount of working around forum censorship can allow me to express my feelings at that one. There is not *one* missing link. There are, oh, dozens. Human evolution is just about the best documented lineage around.

When the Silurians were gone, the humans finally evolved a way to resist their mind control. You know, after there was no longer a selection pressure.

"Of course Silurians wouldn't be preserved, only the most stupid animals fall into tarpits". Gnnnnrghshkrrrrfffffffff....

In the finale, Darwin defeats Silurian mind control by shouting out that he renounces his faith in god and believes in Descent with Modification now. This new faith gives him the power to resist.

Terrible depictions of hypnosis and suggestion.

These are just a few excerpts. This thing must have been written by someone who didn't understand any of: human psychology, evolution, the scientific process in general, Darwin's life or the Doctor. I am half-convinced that they gave a three sentence summary of "Voyage of the Beagle" to a Young Earth creationist and then forced them at gunpoint to write a pro-Darwin piece. Really, the only thing missing was "90% of the brain" and defeating the bad guys by singing an anthem at them. And it was close to both.

[Kato]

True, but that's the same for all of them.

Master: For all the Foe Yay (or however that trope's spelled) between them the Master has never suggested he believed it, much less claimed it.

Didn't someone say the Master would be back? But a gender swap Master? Not that I'd mind I just.... think it's unikely.

And I just had the dubious pleasure of listening to the worst Doctor Who audioplay in the history of sound. Blood Tide.

Well, for a few of these I'd say "oversimplification of evolution" instead of "no idea at all" but in general... yeah, that sound pretty horrible. Is anyone greenlighting those or can anyone just come up with poor storyboard to make their own audio play? Then again, someone greenlighted "Last of the Time Lords". (I'm sorry, I had to )

[Eldan]

Well, they are made by a specialized company, with a budget, the original actors and the official blessing of the BBC. So generally, they are very good.

[Androgeus]

And I just had the dubious pleasure of listening to the worst Doctor Who audioplay in the history of sound. Blood Tide.

I heard a lot of people call Minuet in Hell the worst audio play Big finish have produced

[Sunken Valley]

In a topic of lesser relevance to Doctor Who, prominent Doctor Who reviewer MrTARDISReviews has made a sitcom pilot (unrelated to Who) which is broadcast live tonight. Further discussion goes in relevant thread.

Into the Dalek Review will come shortly. Apologies "fans" been busy IRL at the moment.

[Brother Oni]

I'm not sure whether this has been posted here before, but I thought it might entertain some people: Wholock.

[Leliel]

Master: For all the Foe Yay (or however that trope's spelled) between them the Master has never suggested he believed it, much less claimed it.

Counterpoint: The Master, especially John Sims, is a huge troll. It could be a sign of his/her sense of humor and mockery of the Nine through Eleven to annoy/unnerve Twelve.

[Eldan]

I heard a lot of people call Minuet in Hell the worst audio play Big finish have produced

Been a while since I heard it.. not good, exactly, but I didn't hate it. I might if I was a Statesian. A lot of sleezy talk about sex, some incredibly hammy acting in the most American American accents I've ever heard (they were probably fake? I'm not good with accents, other than German ones) and, oh yeah, a wanna-be governor running on Christianity and Family Values who's secretly the owner of a satanist nightclub summoning demons.

Okay, now that I think about it, pretty bad. But it didn't actively annoy me as much. It's probably just a "close to home" thing for me, being a biologist.

[Aotrs Commander]

Spoiler: New episode

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BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

That was a good one! Extremely silly, camp and funny and at the same time with a core of weight to it as well.

Loved the Sherieff - just the right level of insanity... And I dunno about you, but I was totally getting a Master vibe from the beard.

I think Clara is being especially awesome this season.

Oh Doctor! And people accused Eleven of being a man-child!

Funny, I find that I can see more of Eleven in Twelve than I think I can recall seeing of any other Doctor in his predessor. Some times, I can just hear Eleven's voice and mannerisms overlaid Twelve's (especially when he's being grumpy and childish!) Mind you, I suppose the inordinate length of time Eleven was around may have worn a farily deep grove in his psyche even regeneration couldn't entirely shift.

[factotum]

Now *that* was a good episode. I really can't think of much wrong with it even now, and usually the less glaring flaws start to become apparent when you've had 20 minutes to think about it. Seems Mark Gatiss has taken over Steven Moffat's old role of writing the really good stories while the showrunner himself writes bleh...

[Avaris]

Honestly, that episode was what Who should be. A little dark, but mostly just FUN.

[turkishproverb]

Been a while since I heard it.. not good, exactly, but I didn't hate it. I might if I was a Statesian. A lot of sleezy talk about sex, some incredibly hammy acting in the most American American accents I've ever heard (they were probably fake? I'm not good with accents, other than German ones) and, oh yeah, a wanna-be governor running on Christianity and Family Values who's secretly the owner of a satanist nightclub summoning demons.

Okay, now that I think about it, pretty bad. But it didn't actively annoy me as much. It's probably just a "close to home" thing for me, being a biologist.

Honestly, I didn't get all that offended by either. Minuet is bad, but works great if you act like it's a deliberate parody of Buffy, and Bloodtide is middle-of-the-road with some weak science.

[Helanna]

Spoiler: Robots of Sherwood

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I was excited for this episode because it looked like it was going to be good, and I was not disappointed Twelve being a jerk is great. Clara being mistaken for the leader because she's clearly the only adult of the group is great. And overall, it was just a lot of fun.

I'm a little concerned for next week's episode though. I have a problem with occasionally seeing brief flashes and movements out of the corner of my eye, and my house makes a lot of odd sounds at night. I might not be sleeping next Saturday.

[Pex]

There was also the psychic paper which gave him the credentials necessary to fool whoever looked at it (I can't remember Eleven ever using it though).

He used it at the Louvre against the tour group when he needed information from the tour guide when Vincent Van Gogh painted a church with an image of evil in it.

[Rodin]

The last time they did a "things that go bump in the night" was the godawful episode with the dollhouse. Next week's episode has me worried now.

[BWR]

Better than the last two. I'm still a bit annoyed how Clara always seems to be right, how the Doctor is rather childish, and the magically letting the space ship excape atmo by shooting a gold arrow at it.
Still, a more classic Who feel than much of nuWho, which makes me happy. Loved the vibes of Three when Capaldi started fencing and actually using some minor violence. If the rest of the season is like this I won't really have much to complain about (even though I always bitch about something - it's just how I''m made). Sadly, I think Moffat will have too much say in what goes on.

[Eldan]

Honestly, I didn't get all that offended by either. Minuet is bad, but works great if you act like it's a deliberate parody of Buffy, and Bloodtide is middle-of-the-road with some weak science.

I didn't mind the science so much as that they mangled Charles Darwin's character beyond recognition. And okay, I hated one thing. The depiction of the scientific process. Get as many theories wrong as you want, I don't mind as much. But the scientific process is not "and then Darwin looked at some birds and the theory sprang into his mind fully formed". It was twenty years of rewriting and discussion with experts. Especially since Young Darwin clearly cared more about hunting, travelling and eating than about science as such.

[Androgeus]

It was twenty years of rewriting and discussion with experts.

And then rush to publication because some specimen collector out in the Malay archipelago also managed to figure it out independently.

[Dienekes]

So watched it. That was enjoyable. It took all of 30 seconds for Robin to annoy me, which seemed to be what they were going for.

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I enjoyed the Doctor being the poo of the party pointing out how ridiculous everything is. Why is everyone laughing? There was nothing to laugh at, heh. I think I will like 12.

The pissing contest between Doctor and Hood was fun, but I think they went a bit far with it. I do like that the Doctor was wrong about him, and the realization that the villains plans aren't as stupid as he believed it would be.

As for the villain, the Sheriff was pretty fun. Doesn't hold a candle to Alan Rickman, or even Roger Rees. Though I got a good chuckle with the reference to Thomas Becket, and a few more of the historical/legend references. But the Becket one was the best.

Though, the golden arrow bit was idiotic. We saw them shoveling boxes full of much more gold into the thing. That arrow wasn't that big, and the "we'll shoot it together" bit was just silly.

But that's the minorest of minor quibbles. It was a solid self contained adventure. Though I am excited for next week. Every once in awhile Doctor Who can actually get creepy. So far nothing has really topped Blink, but I can hope for some good horror.

[Sagitta]

Robot of Sherwood could have been just as funny without making the Doctor into a bumbling fool. On the other hand, Robin and the Sheriff were both very well done.

The last time they did a "things that go bump in the night" was the godawful episode with the dollhouse.

I can only hope this one is more subtle than the trailer.

[Thufir]

Regarding the speculation on the next episode, I'm just going to repost what I said when the DW preview appeared in the Radio Times:

If episode 4 lives up to its concept, it will be the best episode of the series. I wish it was written by Neil Gaiman, then I'd just straight up declare it the best episode without seeing a single minute of it. Here's the start of the description:

What happens when the Doctor is alone - pacing the TARDIS by candlelight, poking the shadows with a stick, listening for a footfall among all those endless, empty rooms. What scares the grand old man of space and time?

Unfortunately, the teaser doesn't seem anything like that Radio Times description...

Also, I added the link with all the episode titles to the OP, in case anyone wants to check what's still to come.