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Any Whovians?

Discussion in 'Television' started by Stormagadon, Dec 12, 2014.

  1. Stormagadon

    Stormagadon Cantina Court Jester
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    I'm hoping having new writers and such will give the show a nice boost.
    Capaldi was a better Doctor than the stories he was given, I believe. Unfortunately some of those story beats included some out character moments for the Doctor.

    But hey, here's hoping things get better!
     
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  2. Jack_Forest

    Jack_Forest Force Attuned

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    If the new season is good, even I will go back to watching it. But only if it's actually good, not "it's finally a woman" kind of "good".
     
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  3. Maximus

    Maximus Reel 2 Dialogue 2

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    it’s just a connection thing with me.. Matt Smith as the doctor felt a lot like how I felt when I watched Peter Davison back in the day. Capaldi didn’t give me that feeling.. but I’m hoping Jodie will.
     
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  4. Stormagadon

    Stormagadon Cantina Court Jester
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    Aye, indeed. I'm curious if this next season is a make-or-break situation. If it doesn't do well, what will the BBC do to rectify things?
    I can understand. I enjoyed Tennant, but Smith definitely resonated more with me as well.
     
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  5. Jack_Forest

    Jack_Forest Force Attuned

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    Well, they certainly won't cancel it or even admit that the first female Doctor isn't doing well. What they will do depends on why exactly the show wouldn't do well and whether they are more capable of receiving input than the people behind 2016 Ghostbusters. We'll have to wait and see.
    Edit: One typical rating-boosting strategy is to bring back classical characters and monsters. Not sure if it still works though.
     
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  6. Stormagadon

    Stormagadon Cantina Court Jester
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    Haha, yeah, I can see that. I think the best way to improve ratings is to find a way to bring back Tom Baker more.
     
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  7. Adam Burt

    Adam Burt Force Sensitive

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    Looking forward to new series and what to expect with female doctor. Annoyed that it move to Sunday, it always show on Saturday..
     
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  8. Stormagadon

    Stormagadon Cantina Court Jester
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    Quite so. It is rather strange that they would change the day, but they're saying it's to get better views. So, here's hoping.
     
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  9. p03

    p03 Human/Cyborg Relations

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    Anyone see that glass ceiling advert and Jodie going whoops! I mean really? And that music? I love Jodie but come on. I hope this is not a reoccurring theme. Just good story telling, please.
     
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  10. Stormagadon

    Stormagadon Cantina Court Jester
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    You didn't like that? Haha.
    Typically the short adverts that are 99% CG don't mean much about the actual series or story. I mean, it could still be really bad, but I don't think this is a sign.
     
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  11. Jack_Forest

    Jack_Forest Force Attuned

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    Daleks would be the first and most obvious choice. Besides, how would BBC look if, after all this talk about the female Doctor and diversity, they would end up relying on some disgustingly white male Tom Baker to boost ratings?
     
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  12. Stormagadon

    Stormagadon Cantina Court Jester
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    That's interesting, because I heard that they had to make an appearance so the BBC could keep the rights. That's why Series 6 had a Dalek cameo in the finale, and that was it.

    Well, I'd imagine a bit embarrassed, but it seems to me they are always doing something that gets peoples ire. I think a lot of people would be happy to have Baker back, simply because he's Tom Baker. It was sort of a joke to begin with, by the way.
     
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  13. Jack_Forest

    Jack_Forest Force Attuned

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    Really? Who can possibly take them away?

    In this day and age? It's a totally legit expectation. Especially since there already was a Tom Baker cameo in Day of the Doctor.

    Btw, was Torchwood any good? I've missed the show when it came out.
     
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  14. Stormagadon

    Stormagadon Cantina Court Jester
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    I believe the rights belong to Terry Nation since he created them. I'm not entirely sure if that whole thing is true, but if it is, that's why there's always an appearance, significant or not.
    My guess is the Nation estate or whatever is would basically put a bigger price tag on it if the BBC decided to bring them back after not using them.
    I haven't looked into the whole fiasco in a while, so it's just conjecture on my part.
    Indeed. Exactly, it's not out of the realm of possibility for an old Doctor to come back. The main issue with that would be his age...

    Beats me, I never watched any of the spin-off shows.
     
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  15. p03

    p03 Human/Cyborg Relations

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    Well the music choice was weird. But I got to admit I just feel uncomfortable that Chibnall may just have this strange patronising message that is in danger of drowning out the actual occasion of Jodie being the first female doctor. Sell the show on Jodie she's a fantastic actress. Am more bothered Chibnall messing up the writing than the acting performance but we shall see.
     
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  16. Stormagadon

    Stormagadon Cantina Court Jester
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    And the latest full trailer!
    Production value looks higher than it has been, which is rather nice to see. But, if I didn't know it was Doctor Who, I may not have guessed.
     
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  17. Jack_Forest

    Jack_Forest Force Attuned

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    Now that Doctor Who's over (that Jodie Whittaker reboot doesn't count), I've decided to look into some classics. What are the good stories to get to know Lalla Ward's Romana and pre-Androzani Peri Brown?
     
  18. NunbNuts

    NunbNuts Rebel Official

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    I used to watch it, the revival never did that much for me but I watched it just for the heck of it. I gave up at the beginning of Capaldi's second season I think, I liked him a lot but I'd been watching it and losing interest for a long time and I thought the writing had reached all new levels of lazy.

    Not really, it tried to be too serious. When it dropped the drama and just tried to be entertaining then it was OK (though forgettable) but they basically sucked all the fun out of Captain Jack.
     
  19. Jack_Forest

    Jack_Forest Force Attuned

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    I can see why, "Kill the Moon" was probably the worst tv episode of anything I've ever seen.

    That's a shame. It's been too long since I've seen Captain Jack to really care about, but hey, maybe it was a hidden gem worth going back to. Or maybe not.
     
  20. Stormagadon

    Stormagadon Cantina Court Jester
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    Well, I was able to watch the series premiere the other day. I did care for it, but in ways I didn't exactly expect for Doctor Who.

    Let's start off with Jodie Whittaker's Doctor. I haven't her in anything else yet, I tried numerous times to start Broadchurch, but before I was even half way through the first episode, something happened that called for my assistance! Maybe someday I'll get to it.

    I thought she was very bland. It really seemed like it was a fan film written by someone who hasn't taken a writing class, so as long as you make run-on and zero-sense dialogue, the character is eccentric! Let's not worry about depth, nor genuine interest in the other characters or situations, let's just look at the colorful lights and get distracted easily! Ta-daa, you have an eccentric character... er, not.

    What made me stick around for Capaldi's run was simply just him (and Clara :D). Yeah, the stories were not great, but the things I enjoyed most were watching him interacting with the slew of characters and environments.
    It's not terribly fair to say that I don't care for Whittaker's Doctor only one episode in, but the first episode with the new Doctor is always crucial. It's needs to get you hooked and believe in the new actor. So far, I don't care and don't believe in her. I'm hoping that will change, but I ain't feeling too optimistic about things.


    I kinda like the new companions. Oh by the way, I read that they won't be called companions anymore, just "friends." Sounds really girly, or Quaker. A Quaker Doctor would be interesting...

    "Woulds't thou join thee in thy adventures in time and space?"

    Anyway! The set up of the grandmother having been remarried, and that was causing some friction with the grandson. Living with your step-grandfather does not seem easy, and is a great set up for some wonderful storytelling. But... I didn't get hooked. I hope that improves as well.
    Then there's the other gal, the police officer in training or something. I don't have anything to anything to add. I forgot she was a main character.


    The villain was a little bland. Generic evil bad guy alien dude. I though he was heavily influenced by the Predator, so I don't know if I should take that as a clever wink and nod, or just blatant rip-off.


    The story had some weird pacing. The characters were rushing around constantly. And yes, I know Doctor Who always has people rushing around, let me explain. There is often a reason for the rushing, like the Zygon Invasion. There was real urgency, real issues, but a steady pace. We saw the Doctor putting things together in his mind, his confusion, etc, etc, etc.

    We don't get this with our new Doctor. "Two aliens on Earth at the same time. It can only mean war, and Earth is the battleground!" ten minutes later... "I was wrong. They are working together!" I know those lines aren't exact, I didn't bother to look them up.

    Lines like that are tricky. The Doctor is still regenerating, still adjusting, still getting used to how her new brain works. But, the delivery and the way the story progressed from "It's a battleground" wasn't made to make you think through the story, try to figure out what's going, you just have to take it face value. Then we get a bait switch in the middle of the story. It's not a battleground, they are working together! Or it's the Predator's weapons, or something. The story does not make that a twist, the moment doesn't adjust to the left, right, sides ways or longs ways for the twist, the character still continue pretty much like business as usual...

    It is not a real twist, it's like the writer changed his mind as he was writing it.

    "No, no, two aliens fighting each other is too complicated.... Hmm... Oh, I know! I'll have 'em team up. They've always been teamed up."
    -- Proceeds to adjust a scene in Act 1 to fit in with
    amazing twist. Pats self on back for being so clever.

    A real twist changes things. It makes you reevaluate the situation, the plans, the plot, the enemy... basically if not everything, some major components. That's why it's a twist.


    Back to the urgency because I'm not writing this in proper essay form, the characters in this episode don't have a real moment to breath. They run to one thing to the next, sit down, and run again. It doesn't have a quiet moment for the characters to actually breath. The difference between this episodes pacing and The Force Awakens is that TFA at least feels a little familiar, and you enjoy the characters and the stakes. There are actual moments in the film were I say "this scene needs to slow down, and everything else is fine." And it would be, in fact, it would raise the stakes! You don't change anything besides making a scene a tiny bit longer, let things linger in the air!
    This episode (after one viewing, I may change my mind after more), does not do that for me. It just needs to be rewritten. Give the story some breathing room, give the Doctor some good dialogue, let her breath, don't make her too weird (what was with that plugging her nose and timing her passing out?!), give the villain less screen time if he's gonna be so boring... the list goes on.


    Another nice thing I will add about it is that they didn't repeat or point out constantly that the Doctor is a women, and they didn't make any comments about that being better or anything. I was a little concerned they would. Those few lines still felt a little unnecessary because we can tell she's a women, so move on. Hopefully we won't have any more lines pointing that out. Most villains, recurring or new wouldn't care. Any new companions wouldn't know, the audience are the only ones who know and care, and we're more concerned with how it's done. Just write like you always have.
    (unless you're writing stinks, in which case get someone else :p)


    In summary, I didn't enjoy it in just about every way. Based off the way this episode felt, I think that will be the tone and pace for the next ten or eleven episodes, however long it is.

    I didn't mean to write so much about this, do you all want me to keep doing this, or make it smaller? I kinda typed away until I was done. I would enjoy writing informal reviews for you all, but I don't want to be annoying.
     
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