Definitely a different vibe compared to what came before. Comes off as a bit more...mature? Noticed the music isn't as campy/goofy as before also. Disappointed there was no intro or tardis reveal
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Doctor Who Series 11 |OT|- She’s Here, and It’s About Time
- Thread starter Dwebble
- Start date
Necessary, no.
But you should, because Capaldi was amazing and there's a lot of good in his seasons.
I really didn't enjoy that episode. It just felt like a mess, like there were a whole bunch of plot threads that didn't really do anything. And a lot of really shaky justifications for things that could have been really simple. Like why throw in the line about how the alien was granted permission when there's no way they really take "touching a light" as permission to murder a civilian? It would have been so much simpler and totally fine for the aliens to just be doing this because they think they're above humans. Or The Doctor claiming she has no plan when she had already set up a plan with the bombs. Little things like that were just muddying a really simple plot. They're all nitpicks on their own but the more I think about it the more they just compound.
Jodie Whittaker is very promising though. I don't think she was 100% yet but there were a few scenes of a genuinely brilliant Doctor in there. All the new doctors took some getting used to but assuming she'll grow into the role like all her predecessors she'll probably be a fantastic doctor.
I also really dig the new crew as a whole. This episode wasn't great for them honestly but the dynamics between them were really solid. I'm especially excited to have an older bloke as a companion. Having them accidentally come along with the Doctor is a really promising idea as well, and hopefully the next episode delivers on that premise.
Overall not a great episode, but I do think that it could just be a single bad episode like the series has every now and again. Hopefully it'll pick up when it isn't trying to juggle character introductions.
Jodie Whittaker is very promising though. I don't think she was 100% yet but there were a few scenes of a genuinely brilliant Doctor in there. All the new doctors took some getting used to but assuming she'll grow into the role like all her predecessors she'll probably be a fantastic doctor.
I also really dig the new crew as a whole. This episode wasn't great for them honestly but the dynamics between them were really solid. I'm especially excited to have an older bloke as a companion. Having them accidentally come along with the Doctor is a really promising idea as well, and hopefully the next episode delivers on that premise.
Overall not a great episode, but I do think that it could just be a single bad episode like the series has every now and again. Hopefully it'll pick up when it isn't trying to juggle character introductions.
I loved every second. I'll miss Moffat's gift for comedy, and he made a good decision in setting this episode in the late Victorian era with Vastra, Jenny and Strax. The comic misunderstanding in the restaurant, where Twelve and Clara each attribute their own character traits to one another, is a delight.
Whittaker was great and the characters are decent, but the show feels like a boring police procedural with some alien stuff thrown in. Hopefully the next episode taking place in space will allow for more fun.
Alien human falls to earth. Missing their transportation
That's it. You can easily go in blind based on this episode
No that's someone banging some dustbin lids over the original theme.
Very good episode. Whittaker is excellent & I like the other companions. Some good character-building moments. None of the SFX looked bad, well-shot. More grounded then Moffat's time as showrunner.
Didn't mind the baddie being a predator ripoff. Certainly didn't feel like a kid's show. They did explain the bike thing later (or I missed it in the first scene).
I think this is going to be a great jumping-on point for people because a lot of the structure of how things are revealed really reminded me of "Rose". They haven't even mentioned the "T" aspect of the TARDIS.
BBC America did an awful job, not even showing the credits (they did show the "next time" trailer but it just cut straight to the beginning of the promo with no heads-up).
Overall, I'd be pretty happy with a batch of episodes this quality, even if it doesn't hit the highs Moffat did at times. Things made sense and it still had some clever moments.
Didn't mind the baddie being a predator ripoff. Certainly didn't feel like a kid's show. They did explain the bike thing later (or I missed it in the first scene).
I think this is going to be a great jumping-on point for people because a lot of the structure of how things are revealed really reminded me of "Rose". They haven't even mentioned the "T" aspect of the TARDIS.
BBC America did an awful job, not even showing the credits (they did show the "next time" trailer but it just cut straight to the beginning of the promo with no heads-up).
Overall, I'd be pretty happy with a batch of episodes this quality, even if it doesn't hit the highs Moffat did at times. Things made sense and it still had some clever moments.
That was fun. The show does feel a bit different, refreshingly so.
Random thoughts:
- The music is less grandeur and more moody, kinda like it since its like Classic Who in that regard.
- Villain would've been far more threatening keeping the helmet on. The teeth stuff was sorta lame, I think.
- I really liked the smaller scale, non-world-threatening story.
- People say the pod looked like a Slime but I thought it looked like a Hershey Kiss. lol
I can see this picking up a ton of new viewers since there's no baggage from previous seasons which (IMO) hampered Capaldi's debut.
Random thoughts:
- The music is less grandeur and more moody, kinda like it since its like Classic Who in that regard.
- Villain would've been far more threatening keeping the helmet on. The teeth stuff was sorta lame, I think.
- I really liked the smaller scale, non-world-threatening story.
- People say the pod looked like a Slime but I thought it looked like a Hershey Kiss. lol
I can see this picking up a ton of new viewers since there's no baggage from previous seasons which (IMO) hampered Capaldi's debut.
I thought it was fantastic and one of Capadi's best episodes.
Was the episode today less boring than the previews have looked?
And did I see Chris Noth? Hey, I want Archie Panjabi, too! And Carrie Preston, of course. I love the Good Wife/Good Fight supporting cast. We should see more of them.
I think the new production company is being sensible in aiming for a comprehensive reboot. Honestly I think you could just watch the regeneration scene from Twice Upon a Time on YouTube and then go in blind on Series 11.
Nah, I say that Blonded is better off not watching it as the impact of the regeneration won't mean much if they haven't watched Capaldi's run.
At first I hated Jodie's outfit but it's growing on me even though I was really into her wearing Capaldi's torn and tattered suit.
Solid episode interesting alien, companions werent annoying just really wanted to see that Tardis desktop. Very interested in where this show can go.
Solid episode interesting alien, companions werent annoying just really wanted to see that Tardis desktop. Very interested in where this show can go.
Those drums are apocalyptic. Love it. A perfect meshing of classic and modern Who themes.
Things I really liked:
- New music (that theme sounds amazing)
- Production values
- (The vast majority of) Jodie's performance. I really like the earnest optimism she gives to things when she's unsure (essentially ending most lines with "....probably.")
- The slower pace
- I'm weirdly into the Doctor having a grungy warehouse base
Things I didn't really like:
- The writing was often flat bordering on bland. Obviously both RTD and Moffat have comedy backgrounds, but I just found myself waiting for a joke or a witty line that never really came
- Kinda related to the writing but it often felt like all the silly, campiness of Doctor Who had been sucked out of it. There was that long stretch at the beginning where its mostly nighttime, with some weird presence, people getting murdered, and long sweeping aerial shots of the city that felt too...mature isn't the right word but something like that. I'm definitely curious to see if this is the tone they'll maintain because it could lead to some interesting stuff it's just a bit unexpected I guess.
- The times when Jodie was given a generically wacky Doctor moment and couldn't really save it. The stuff about her tongue and biology weren't great in the leaked clip months ago and didn't really come across any better in context
Overall I'd say I definitely enjoyed it, and seeing the tiny glimpses of what's to come makes me super interested to see this era's take on alien worlds/the past/the future etc etc but my fears that Chibnall would be a perfectly fine writer but nothing beyond that haven't been allayed.
- New music (that theme sounds amazing)
- Production values
- (The vast majority of) Jodie's performance. I really like the earnest optimism she gives to things when she's unsure (essentially ending most lines with "....probably.")
- The slower pace
- I'm weirdly into the Doctor having a grungy warehouse base
Things I didn't really like:
- The writing was often flat bordering on bland. Obviously both RTD and Moffat have comedy backgrounds, but I just found myself waiting for a joke or a witty line that never really came
- Kinda related to the writing but it often felt like all the silly, campiness of Doctor Who had been sucked out of it. There was that long stretch at the beginning where its mostly nighttime, with some weird presence, people getting murdered, and long sweeping aerial shots of the city that felt too...mature isn't the right word but something like that. I'm definitely curious to see if this is the tone they'll maintain because it could lead to some interesting stuff it's just a bit unexpected I guess.
- The times when Jodie was given a generically wacky Doctor moment and couldn't really save it. The stuff about her tongue and biology weren't great in the leaked clip months ago and didn't really come across any better in context
Overall I'd say I definitely enjoyed it, and seeing the tiny glimpses of what's to come makes me super interested to see this era's take on alien worlds/the past/the future etc etc but my fears that Chibnall would be a perfectly fine writer but nothing beyond that haven't been allayed.
I liked how cinematic it looked, and boy the music was SO SO MUCH FUCKING BETTER and atmospheric than Murray Gold's work.
Haven't followed Dr. Who in a while, basically missed all of Capaldi.. just didn't really like him all that much when I thought I would, plus it was nice to see a fellow Scot as Dr but just didn't get into it.
I loved the music and tenderness of this episode. Sometime Dr. Who does this really well (Matt Smith's first couple of episodes) but they tend into campy nonsense eventually. The next episode looks like a jump up in budget, visuals look good where Dr.Who often shows up its lack of budget. Hope they keep this up for the season bit I expect at least one "trapped in this one small set for a whole episode" episode to save cash.
A good start.
I loved the music and tenderness of this episode. Sometime Dr. Who does this really well (Matt Smith's first couple of episodes) but they tend into campy nonsense eventually. The next episode looks like a jump up in budget, visuals look good where Dr.Who often shows up its lack of budget. Hope they keep this up for the season bit I expect at least one "trapped in this one small set for a whole episode" episode to save cash.
A good start.
I think I was pretty mild on the episode as a whole until the death near the end. I saw it coming a mile away, but was still surprised at how effective it was.
Poor Yaz probably should have been introduced later on to give the episode a chance to breathe, and to allow us to explore the central family dynamic.
Things I loved:
-13 in 12's outfit
-13's new outfit
-Cobbling up super tech from scraps. That was awesome. More of that please.
-All the companions and the dynamics they came in with. I hope they have more in store for Yaz though.
-The lack of baggage from the previous series. Deep Breath was my first episode of Who, and I think it did me a disservice. This series seems like a much better opener.
Poor Yaz probably should have been introduced later on to give the episode a chance to breathe, and to allow us to explore the central family dynamic.
Things I loved:
-13 in 12's outfit
-13's new outfit
-Cobbling up super tech from scraps. That was awesome. More of that please.
-All the companions and the dynamics they came in with. I hope they have more in store for Yaz though.
-The lack of baggage from the previous series. Deep Breath was my first episode of Who, and I think it did me a disservice. This series seems like a much better opener.
I kinda like it, but feel that the drums are way too prominent.
I loved her in the outfit and am really disappointed she's not in it longer.
I think this was my biggest problem with the episode.
Hopefully she'll develop and mature in her own way over time, but it just came across as yet another facsimile of Matt Smith-esque kiddy wackiness, and I bloody hated that from him and Capaldi.
I really want a more prominently serious edge to the Doctor again like Eccleston had. Tennant was bloody brilliant and my favourite Doctor, but for me no one has been able to come close to his take on the character, a measured balance of serious, charismatic and quirky. Everything after I felt was always erring too far on the wacky side and it just came off as irritating to me personally.
I hope the Smith-like wackiness is just used to trojan Jodie's own spin. You know, start with something familiar
Honestly, I feel like this is Doctor Who's biggest issue. For a sci-fi show, it takes place on Earth or Earth-like places waaay too often. It has all of time and space to explore, and yet at times feels like...well...exactly what you said. It might as well be X-Files at times. And this is coming from someone who loves Doctor Who.
Not yet.
I expect that we will see both the new sequence and the Tardis next episode.
Not this week. We'll see it first next week. Possible hint of it during the credits though.
Really decent and better than Moffat's later episodes with Capaldi. Probably as good as The Eleventh Hour and Jodie as the Doctor seems less likely to dwell on her past than Capaldi's Doctor started to become. I didn't really like how easily her friends (companions) wanted to join up with her. I think the season opener would have been a bit interesting if a police psychologist interviewed the Doctor and they more world building (a very realistic world in Dr. Who I think could be mined for a lot of things).
Budgets.
It's why you see so many dank space stations as well, easily to keep the illusion with the right lighting.
I was really excited about the new doctor but I thought the acting from the whole cast was wooden and there was no chemistry. Others who've said it was like a boring police procedural were spot on. This is Doctor Who without the soul.
It's worth giving it another shot though. There was something about Whitaker that was a bit nervy and forced, and that's exactly the kind of thing that improves. There's amazing potential for her. Not so sure about the direction of the programme as a whole.
It's worth giving it another shot though. There was something about Whitaker that was a bit nervy and forced, and that's exactly the kind of thing that improves. There's amazing potential for her. Not so sure about the direction of the programme as a whole.
He's sounded pretty intent on focusing on new monsters and locations so I'm going to say no. Especially not Gomez seeing she's hardly been gone that long. I think they want to make it as welcoming as possible in this first series and bringing back characters with lots off baggage would work against that.
Jodie fantastic. Music brilliant. Supporting cast great. And yet... the writing feels like it needs something more. Maybe it is that witty, comedy-background spark RTD and Moffat had, but it feels like it had a pacing problem in that sense - it took its sweet time often, and that's good, but also... not? It's a family show, but there were big old stretches of that where I just wondered what on earth 10-year-olds would make of it. It's sort of personified in that "coming soon" trailer, where it's a bunch of actors and faces that adults will recognize, but what will the kids watching think? The kids want to see how exciting it's going to be.
The show has never looked this good, mind.
So basically: enjoyed it. New production values are excellent... but worries about what exactly Chibnall would bring to the table not yet pushed aside. Specifically, I worry his experience mostly on adult series' leads the show down a path that will offer legitimacy to it as arty TV, but dent its family appeal. Looking forward to next week.
Gomez has said she's done, and the fact she's already in Big Finish is the nail in the coffin - BBC wouldn't have signed off on it if she was in Chibnall's plans. Jack or something familiar... It'll be next year, surely. Or Christmas... though Daleks seem the more likely Christmas thing.
The show has never looked this good, mind.
So basically: enjoyed it. New production values are excellent... but worries about what exactly Chibnall would bring to the table not yet pushed aside. Specifically, I worry his experience mostly on adult series' leads the show down a path that will offer legitimacy to it as arty TV, but dent its family appeal. Looking forward to next week.
Gomez has said she's done, and the fact she's already in Big Finish is the nail in the coffin - BBC wouldn't have signed off on it if she was in Chibnall's plans. Jack or something familiar... It'll be next year, surely. Or Christmas... though Daleks seem the more likely Christmas thing.
They have to contractually at least have a Dalek in one episode per season.
We don't actually know if this is true, but he has absolutely ruled Daleks out in this 10-episode run. I'm assuming we'll get them at Christmas though.
I thought that was a lot of fun. Great creature design. A particularly liked TimShaw.
My only gripe was that the editing felt messy. Scenes didn't quite flow together and the montage of the Doctor assembling the sonic didn't have clear continuity.
Other than that I am happy with the new production overall. Music sounds fantastic as well. Can't wait for next week.
My only gripe was that the editing felt messy. Scenes didn't quite flow together and the montage of the Doctor assembling the sonic didn't have clear continuity.
Other than that I am happy with the new production overall. Music sounds fantastic as well. Can't wait for next week.
Yup, that's a Doctor Who theme alright. Honestly indifferent on it.
Yeah true, there were some rather weird cuts. It's a bit surprising considering the episode generally took its time with its slower pace.
