📺 Doctor Who

[uneven grail]

a black cat to a golden retriever energy

[charred wedge]

Doctor should have companions that are a couple. their names could be Ian and Barbara. Plus his grandaughter Susan

[gentle coral]

Oh I loathed the S11-S12 trio

I love the idea of a busy TARDIS

But poor Chibnall just wasn’t able to write it

There isn’t a single episode in his run that finds material for all four of them

Meanwhile Moffat cracked it early and often with 11/Amy/Rory/River

Besides, the multiple companion thing only worked once in Classic, and that was when Hartnell was still very much the old exposition man, rather than the action hero

Dr Who now fills Ian’s role himself, so there’s no need for an additional body to do the running and punching

[charred wedge]

didnt love it, just said that the only thing i liked about her run were her companions, especially Dan, Ryan and Graham

[gentle coral]

I guess - I thought Ryan was pretty poorly acted, while Graham and Dan had very little to offer beyond being played by well known personalities

[charred wedge]

i dunno Jamie and Polly were pretty solid

[gentle coral]

Dan is just ‘the John Bishop character’

[gentle coral]

That’s a trio not a quartet!

Sorry I should’ve clarified that

Jamie and Vicky/Zoe is great

[charred wedge]

np

[gentle coral]

But Five/Adric/Tegan/Nyssa is poor

Nyssa got the full Yaz treatment

[charred wedge]

but at least they ||killed one|| finally

[gentle coral]

This is true

[charred wedge]

odd that they picked a kid for the 1st one but lol

like if theres not going to be a love interest and just 1 companion, theres gotta be something else. like maybe an old companion, or a companion whos near his equal like Romana (time lord) or Nardole (smart ass alien)

[gentle coral]

https://tenor.com/view/jenna-coleman-clara-oswald-flip-hair-gif-14274448

The Queen of Doctor Who begs to differ

[charred wedge]

she was fine as she was an unspoken love interest for 2 doctors

without that interest tho, 1 companion is just dull

[uneven grail]

um, Donna was not dull

[charred wedge]

ya got me there, but shes kind of a special case cause her personality was so transcendent

[uneven grail]

there doesn't have to be a romantic interest as long as there's at least friendship.

nothing wrong with two pals running around the universe

I'd prefer it, actually

[gentle coral]

We just had that

You gotta shake it up sometimes

They’ll definitely be pals by the end

[uneven grail]

you say that, but I never really felt like Ruby and the Doctor were really that good friends. They were no Ten and Donna, and they're the standard I measure these things by

[charred wedge]

yeah, there was an episode were the Doctor said Ruby was his best friend and im like "youve only known her for like 4 episodes!"

[solar turret]

I have a shift tomorrow
sorry gurl you are marked by the doctor

[runic seal]

Yeah tennant and donna were perfect

Only really watching now out of habit

And nostalgia

[molten sorrel]

That was a very fine episode

Didn’t do much for me

Also why is RTD going for Sarah Jane Adventures tone so much

Lmao

[uneven grail]

It felt more Douglas Adams to me

[runic seal]

I hate that i have to take portrait mode off when using bbc iplayer now

[runic seal]

Anyone else here enjoy space babies?

[final wind]

i liked it more than most

[solar turret]

https://tenor.com/view/high-five-poppy-the-doctor-doctor-who-nice-one-gif-8358649513982512469

[runic seal]

https://tenor.com/view/doctor-who-space-babies-new-who-15th-doctor-fart-gif-10887174495400725441

[charred wedge]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m41_Yr8G-4

[gentle coral]

Looks fun!

[charred wedge]

indeed. just wonder if hes gonna be a nice toon or an overtly evil one lol

[frail comet]

I'm guessing evil. Most weird things in DW are

[solar turret]

but is it super evil or goofy evil

[runic seal]

I will find out now

[charred wedge]

liked this weeks a bit more than last weeks. didnt expect the cartoon to be a god of the pantheon

[runic seal]

0.5/5

[charred wedge]

any reason why lol?

[runic seal]

I liked how they did address the concerns around skin colour and time travelling to earth’s past

But really didn’t like writing for the story/plot or dialogue nor the direction

[runic seal]

If it wasn’t doctor who .. i’d prob have dropped the show

[runic seal]

Also don’t really enjoy how much fantasy the current era has .. it doesn’t feel like the sci-fi from dr who

[charred wedge]

ah ok. i liked that we got a surprise god of the pantheon, loved the 3 nerds watching doctor who, glad they addressed the bigotry of the times, and happy with the resolution

i just know if Lux ever comes back dudes gonna be strong af

[runic seal]

yeahh the racism element was done well and not in an annoying in your face kinda way

like the character development of the companion and dynamic with the doctor too

[charred wedge]

my only tiny gripe with the episode is they passed up an opportunity to explore a bit more of the tardis, but it probly wouldve taken away from the story. just wish we saw more of it other than the control room for a change

[gentle coral]

Lol that was fab

[final wind]

i liked this episode more but something still just isnt clicking with me

lets hope it just keeps getting better though

[uneven grail]

I liked that they didn't gloss over their skin colour, and the animation was good, but I'm the same. Something isn't clicking. Didn't really click last season either. I wonder if its the pacing? Or that each 'act' seems to kind of blend in to each other? I wasn't feeling the peril. There's too much of 'everybody living', you know?

Or maybe it just feels that way

Still don't really have a hook on Belinda's character, either.

and since when did the perception filter stop working on the Tardis?

[final wind]

pretty sure people have always been able to see it?

[uneven grail]

nope. There was a whole thing in Tennant's run where the Tardis went unnoticed and it played a big part in the series 3 finale

[solar turret]

british police box in miami is a little sus

[uneven grail]

the perception filter means that people don't generally notice it

[solar turret]

so they retconned?

[uneven grail]

so when he's back in medieval england, or on some strange planet, the Tardis gets left alone

it just felt very odd to me that the woman in the diner picked it out. she should have just ignored it

[charred wedge]

maybe it only shifts for people who see it as something out of the ordinary?

i just know we better get some Mrs Flood resolution this season. shes gotta be one of the pantheon gods

also, ive been catching myself singing that fucking mr ring a ding song all day

[final wind]

but the tardis gets like impounded and stuff all the time on different planets and spaceships

pretty sure it happened in tennants run

i looked it up and basically its just always been super inconsistent

[uneven grail]

I feel like, if people knew the Doctor was there, or were specifically looking for him, it could be found. but people who didn't know the Doctor wouldn't give it a second glance.

[final wind]

whether or not people notice it depends entirely on what the writer wants lol

but it has been stated to have a perception filter

though like i said its always been super inconsistent

[molten sorrel]

Hmmmm Lux was an interesting episode

Conceptually it’s one of the better ones in Ncuti’s run

But something feels off

And also I’m finding RTD’s desire to go for Gods and Parthenon stuff a bit ham fisted

It’s just upping the scales but at the same time, what even is at stake

I think it’s the tone that is still off

Doctor Who is a family show

But at the same time there’s a slight childish immaturity in the writing to me

Also pretty sure we’re heading towards The Trickster territory

The inability to land on May 24th kinda works with the Trickster’s Brigade which featured last in Turn Left

It seems as though Mrs Flood is basically The Trickster’s Daughter

She kinda has become an anomaly but will see

If they do go the Trickster rite it reaffirms my position on Doctor Who getting very Sarah Jane Adventures sadly

Also next week’s preview looked like a The Satan’s Pit sequel lol

[runic seal]

W

[gentle coral]

Wow they don’t seem very bright

[uneven grail]

I'm actually trying really hard to pinpoint what exactly is 'off' about Who, but I'm struggling. I think it's probably a lot of little things rather than one big thing. Maybe it's the pacing (that was a MAJOR issue in the Christmas ep), maybe its the lack of strong companions or memorable side characters? There's a lack of peril in the stakes, the mystery is solved very quickly, there's barely any collateral damage. The production values are maybe too slick (instead of being charmingly ropey around the edges), and too much money tends to make the story suffer.

And honestly, 15's Doctor still feels ill-defined. Sure, he's full of energy and emotion, but I'm trying to remember if we've seen his inner steel yet? He has empathy, and joy, and fear, but where's the line he won't cross? Where's the line he won't let others cross?

It's highly possible these things have already been shown, but the episodes have left barely any impression on me, so I'm failing to recall.

[molten sorrel]

I think they do have too much money in the production

Which sounds contradictory

But the point is Doctor Who no longer has that campy cheesy charm to it

[molten sorrel]

Tbh the emotions don’t add up with previous regenerations

[solar turret]

btw any clue who the shady old neighbor lady is?

[uneven grail]

the personification of Disney+ 😄

[runic seal]

prob the big bad at the end of s2 linked to the pantheon of gods thing that they’re running with

[molten sorrel]

You mean Miss Flood

lol

Soo many rumours around that

Some think she could be The Rani

Others are thinking she could be the Doctor’s granddaughter

Or yeh the most likely route is big bad of S2

So a God of some sort

The only God not to be presented yet is The Trickster

He also wasn’t killed off in SJA

And a cancelled plan for S5 of SJA seems to be lining up with what RTD is doing with this season

Not fair to say more but The Reality War does sorta suggest a trick has been in play for a while now

[charred wedge]

i guess my only problem with Mrs Flood being Susan is the actress who played her is still alive and probly around the same age as the mrs Flood actress

but since Susan was brought up in the season premiere last season, itd be odd if she didnt turn up in some way. Maybe Belinda is a regenerated Susan?

[final wind]

if they brought her up multiple times throughout season one just to not pay it off that would be so disappointing

[molten sorrel]

Idk it’s the same for SJA fans

You bring up the Trickster but equally don’t show that character

Tbf the whole season retcons what was said about Gods and the Parthenon in the spinoff

The Trickster was meant to be the “last”/ “sole survivor” of the Parthenon

Clearly not true

[molten sorrel]

That would make sense to why they can’t land on May 24th if that’s the day the regeneration happens

[final wind]

how many episodes is this season?

[runic seal]

8

[final wind]

ok so the second to last episode airs on may 24

i have a feeling that will be a big one

[runic seal]

I know space babies was disliked by the majority

But i kinda want a space babies style episode in season 2

It’s so fun and funny

[gentle coral]

Eurovision is coming

[molten sorrel]

lol it’ll be the first part of the two part finale

Is my guess

Whoever thought Space Babies was the way to start the 15th Doctor’s run is crazy though

That’s an episode that reeks of being something that should of been canned tbh

[molten sorrel]

Gonna be peak that one

May 24th will be when we find out that Mrs Flood is the God of Stories probably lol

Instead of being one of the crazy fan theories lol

[charred wedge]

I declare tomorrows episode to be the best Who episode in years!

Im basing this off nothing other than random intuition

Lets go episode 3!

[runic seal]

Thank you I needed this optimism

[molten sorrel]

lol if you know the leaks

Then ofc it’s going to be

Sadly I do

😭

Which if it is what I think it is

Then yes

This should be the best episode since the 11th Doctor’s run roughly

Won’t lie though I went back over all the episodes of Ncuti’s run so far

So far I’m around 50% enjoying his episodes, and 50% disliking his episodes

It’s practically 1 mediocre episode to 1 good episode

[runic seal]

new episode out today right?

[gentle coral]

Well now

That’s a bit rich

Capaldi has a good chunk of the show’s all time best episodes

Listen, Heaven Sent, World Enough & Time etc

[runic seal]

Is the new episode today?

[runic seal]

I’ve liked a decent amount of his first season’s latter half episodes:

73 Yards
Dot and Bubble
Rogue
The Legend of Ruby Sunday

[gentle coral]

Yeah

Out now

Enjoy it aj

[runic seal]

thank you

[solar turret]

where do they go stone age?

[gentle coral]

This show is far too DEI for you sweetie

Stick to Star Wars

[molten sorrel]

Capaldi was great for dramatically dense episodes tbh

But I don’t love his run tbh

[charred wedge]

YES! World enough and time is probly my fav episode of classic and nuwho

"I waited..." 😦

loved this weeks episode btw. this is the shit i love from Who. Far in the future on other ships and planets

tho i dont recall the original episode with tennant when he was on the planet during his run. should rewatch

[solar turret]

he never went to see the dinos

not sure if this counts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinosaurs_on_a_Spaceship

[molten sorrel]

Bill turned out to be one of the best companions of NuWho as well

Kinda added a lot of life in Capaldi’s run

[charred wedge]

Capaldi, Bill and Nardole is my fav team

[gentle coral]

Great episode btw

[runic seal]

10/10 episode

[solar turret]

not bad
bad ending though, she sacrificed herself for nothing

[gentle coral]

She sacrificed herself to save a civilian?

[solar turret]

well at least they die in sleeping pods in peace

[runic seal]

Hell yeah

[solar turret]

either there were two of them or it was never behind belinda

or just something to make the ending a little ambiguous

[runic seal]

Who wrote this episode

[gentle coral]

It’s very clear that it was behind Belinda lol

Were you watching

[solar turret]

did you see it?

[solar turret]

Russell T Davies & Sharma Angel Walfall

[runic seal]

This is a great reply

It’s like we’re reliving the episode

[gentle coral]

I did yeah

She very clearly says she can hear it whispering in her ear

Which is the big clue that it might be there

[runic seal]

I saw nothing

[gentle coral]

Did you have fun AJ

[runic seal]

I thought we were role playing like ppl from the episode lol

And yeah .. im getting used to some things that I don’t like

[gentle coral]

Go on?

[runic seal]

No

[charred wedge]

just rewatched Midnight (season 4 episode 10). Its the one where theyre all stuck on the train and one gets possessed. good episode but id never figure it to get a sequel. the sacrifice in todays episode was probly designed to mirror the sacrifice the hostess made in Midnight

also, i read no spoilers, i just randomly guessed this weeks episode would be great and just happened to be right lol

but i like to think i willed it into existence

[gentle coral]

It’s one of the best episodes they ever did

Probably all time Top 3 for me

This isn’t quite that lol

But it was a good time!

[runic seal]

I never knew midnight was set on a planet, since i only remember that train carriage

[runic seal]

I think you might’ve and glad you did .. it’s nice to enjoy things

[solar turret]

they should give her more jobs

[uneven grail]

this was easily 15's best episode but A- that isn't a hard thing to achieve, and B- this was a sequel to a brilliant episode that did all the heavy lifting for him.

but yes, as soon as she said the planet was made of diamonds I was like, oh fuck.

there was however still quality to be found here

[runic seal]

Give who more jobs?

[runic seal]

Yup

[uneven grail]

At least Belinda actually got to be a nurse, but there's still something missing. The episodes feel kind of shallow. There's none of the amazing character work RTD did in his first run

[solar turret]

Sharma Angel Walfall

[uneven grail]

and we got collateral damage this time, which is how you get the stakes to actually matter

[gentle coral]

Well

Did Midnight do much heavy lifting?

It’s really just a sequel in name along

[uneven grail]

yes

[gentle coral]

This is very much its own thing

The creature works completely differently

[uneven grail]

it set up the threat and the danger

[gentle coral]

Not really

The threat is brand new

[runic seal]

I appreciate like-minded people here

[gentle coral]

This isn’t how it worked last time

[uneven grail]

becasue it's had 400 thousand years to evolve, but it's still unseen and controlling, and the Doctor barely survived last time they crossed paths

Midnight does the heavy lifting for the audience because we immediately know how dangerous the situation is

[runic seal]

I also think it borrows a lot of the concept, creativity and writing structure

[uneven grail]

exactly

[runic seal]

Not a exact replica sure, but definitely strong inspiration

[uneven grail]

its an enclosed space with a group of people trying to understand and not get killed

the monster is already inside

it's already driven everyone on the base mad.

It's like the aftermath of Midnight, except now the monster is a physical killer instead of just a psychological one.

[gentle coral]

Well no

[uneven grail]

well yes

[gentle coral]

We know 25 minutes in that this creature was in the show before

But that it’s now 400,000 years older with a completely different set of powers

Give the episode credit - it invests all new abilities and visuals for the creature

It’s not relying on the last one

[solar turret]

S2.E4 ∙ Lucky Day
Sat, May 3, 2025
Ruby Sunday faces life back on earth without the Doctor.

[gentle coral]

Could be a stinker

[glossy osprey]

This new episode was fantastic

[runic seal]

Not looking forward to this

I hope Winston can use his magic again

[charred wedge]

how come? i like when they check up on old companions. Tho I really wish he'd drop in on Jamie at some point

[gentle coral]

Written by Pete McTighe

Whose previous credits include Kerblam and Praxeus

Two all time flops in an all time flop era

[charred wedge]

I, Winston Wolf, shall stake my internet reputation on the next episode of Doctor Who being superior to Heaven Sent and World Enough and Time.

and I base this on absolutely nothing.

[uneven grail]

It'll be a Doctor-lite episode in a stupidly short series anyway, trying to be the next Blink, or whatever, and fail so so hard

[charred wedge]

Itll be better than the Breaking Bad finale, guaranteed.

[final wind]

dang that was a good episode

wish i hadnt seen the leaks, that would have been such a crazy reveal

[void pasture]

This ep would've been 5 stars for me if the final scene was cut

Kinda unnecessary ngl

[charred wedge]

was that the future Mrs Flood scene?

[void pasture]

||the one where they reveal the thing was still alive||

[final wind]

i liked that scene

it was creepy

[void pasture]

How do you do spoilers in the middle of a message lmao

[final wind]

and not everything has a happy ending

[charred wedge]

i rewatched Midnight today and seeing how it jumped from person to person in that episode, it makes sense that it got out

[void pasture]

Ah that was my problem ig I haven't made it to midnight on my Dw 2005 watch

Still on series 3 episode 2

[void pasture]

||it made the sacrifice feel less impactful for me||

[charred wedge]

the opening theme intro for this episode was fucking amazing.

them falling towards the planet, into the TARDIS falling through time was just a

[void pasture]

Fr fr

[runic seal]

I wasn’t satisfied with Ruby Sunday’s mystery box

And I find her to be very bland

[uneven grail]

That was the point. She died for nothing

[gentle coral]

She died to save Belinda…

[uneven grail]

well, she thought she did

btw, hasn't Belindia been awake for, like, 36 hours at this point, or something? She might have gotten some sleep during her recovery, but the episodes have been taking place back to back.

[void pasture]

Good point

[uneven grail]

also, kind of weird that she's just lying on the floor of the Tardis at the end. Couldn't the Doctor have at least given her a pillow?

[void pasture]

Does he even have a pillow

[uneven grail]

there must be one around somewhere?

[void pasture]

Yeah true

[charred wedge]

they used to show companion quarters on the tardis in classic Who, maybe he has guest quarters for her and they just dont show it? dunno

really wish theyd explore the inside of that tardis... take like 2 episodes and really dig into it

[uneven grail]

I mean, I figured by the wires and such that she's attached to the main console to keep her alive, but there could have at least been a pillow

or a blanket

that floor can't be warm?

I'm really not a fan of the current Tardis set either. Too Apple istore

though Jodie's was much much worse

like, wtf even was that??

is so ugly and dark

which I guess is why everything is so white and bland now

[void pasture]

Ngl this looks decent

Looks too much like a cave tho

[runic seal]

Maybe he’s rich enough to install underfloor heating 😆

[runic seal]

This and the new interior tardis designs just show much the show has fallen

[uneven grail]

at least it's not the floor of Ten's Tardis. That had the metal grating flooring, which I bet really hurt

[gentle coral]

Well she did

There were multiple entities

She saved Belinda from one

[runic seal]

Did you see them?

[gentle coral]

But another escaped

[gentle coral]

That was the twist

[runic seal]

I saw nothing

I thought i saw something but nothing was there 😆

[molten sorrel]

It’s my favourite episode of the 15th Doctor’s run

But I agree with Koz’s points

It’s kinda hard to screw up an episode like this when you have one of the best entities returning

[gentle coral]

They have nothing in common

[molten sorrel]

They do lol

[gentle coral]

It’s like if a rock goblin with a machine gun appeared one day and everyone was like “tbf Steven Moffat did the hard work with the Weeping Angels”

Give The Well some credit - it invented a new scenario, with a creature utilising a totally different power set

And it had different stakes

The only real common ground is the theme of paranoia and fear

Which both entities weaponised

[molten sorrel]

The Well is basically “how tourism destroyed a planet” version of Midnight lol

[gentle coral]

Not at all

[runic seal]

I agree with Dragon and Koz

[molten sorrel]

Pretty sure Midnight was basically high end expensive tourism and now that the diamonds have been taken it’s no longer a wealthy planet

[gentle coral]

Midnight is about mob mentality and modern witch hunts.

The Well is about finding compassion for the vulnerable in society.

[gentle coral]

Are you not still sick AJ

[molten sorrel]

It’s lowkey the effects of colonialism in the subtext

[runic seal]

When was I sick?

[gentle coral]

Sure

[gentle coral]

Oh I must be mistaking you for someone else

[gentle coral]

I don’t think the plot itself is really about tourism though

It’s about how easily governing systems (represented here by the military) will turn their backs on the vulnerable if it gets too difficult

Even the Doctor is guilty of it towards the end

The good soldier’s heroic sacrifice is to save a vulnerable civilian in need

[molten sorrel]

Which is sorta in vain

Considering Midnight has gone off world I think it’s sorta alluded too

[solar turret]

or maybe it didnt and they just became paranoid

[molten sorrel]

I am also sorta wondering to myself

The first episode in 15th Doctor’s run to be a great episode is basically only great cuz it’s utilising an amazing concept from a past season

It’s technically not as a great on itself, like it’s still a good episode without the Midnight tie in

Also anyone else feeling Mrs Flood could end up just being an aged up Missy

Like her manerisms at points are so similar

[runic seal]

I dont even care about mrs flood’s mystery box

I did at some point

Not anymore

[gentle coral]

Except it really isn’t

[molten sorrel]

lol it’s been kinda long

[runic seal]

Yeah like at this point its literally 3 options:

someone good like a returning character etc

Someone bad like a pantheon god

Someone thats a bit of a wildcard

[charred wedge]

well that was no World Enough and Time.... my powers failed

didnt hate it, didnt love it. about the same as the 1st episode

it was already pretty much assured, but at least we got to see Mrs Flood do something evil to confirm shes a villain

[runic seal]

2/10 episode

This era doesn’t feel like the doctor who i enjoyed

As much as i disliked jodie and chibnall’s reign .. at least it still felt like dr who

[charred wedge]

still felt like Dr Who to me, i just felt the epi was meh 🤷‍♂️

[runic seal]

Oh okay

But I did appreciate the magic you did last week

[charred wedge]

np, tho i got greedy trying to do it 2 weeks in a row

[void pasture]

Love and Monsters but not as bad ngl

Still better than Robot Revolution imo

But in an 8 episode season it just felt useless

[void pasture]

Ever since episode 2 it started feeling more like Doctor Who for me, this one felt like the filler episodes though

[gentle coral]

Made me laugh

Rubbish episode I’m afraid

[solar turret]

how bad was it?

oh damn

[molten sorrel]

I didn’t mind this week’s

Pretty good

Moved the needle on the Mrs Flood stuff

Next week’s doesn’t look that great to me tbh

I fear that’ll be a dud for me

And it had a good lite The Doctor speech in it near the end

[uneven grail]

what a waste of an episode

It was entirely focused on making social commentary rather than being a good story

we've already spent precious little time with the new companion, and now we're one episode less.

[gentle coral]

Deffo the worst of the era so far

Totally incoherent story, flimsy politics

Looked ugly

[charred wedge]

also, if this is the last time we ever see Ruby, this episode was a shame

[uneven grail]

I mean, I'm all for the idea of catching up with a companion in their post-Doctor life, but Ruby is someone I never cared for and like I said, far too on the nose with the social issues

[gentle coral]

She’s back in Ep7 and 8

[solar turret]

it was dull

[runic seal]

Literally lol

[runic seal]

Yh and she’s my fav part of this season lol

I’m just glad there are like-minded ppl here to share my thoughts on dr who

[final wind]

as someone who despises people who complain about politics and "wokeness" in movies and tv, the new era of doctor who has a serious problem with the messaging

its just so explicit and forced

doctor who has always been "woke", its always been a progressive show, but it managed to incorporate its themes and messages naturally into its stories through allegories and clever writing

now it just feels so artificial and surface level

[molten sorrel]

Cuz the writing is extremely mediocre

If I was RTD I’d drop this ridiculous Gods and Parthenon arc cuz it’s really not working at all

[uneven grail]

yeah, he should ahve, but this is what happens when you write and film 2 seasons back to back

[molten sorrel]

It’s just dumb

And it’s bad how much of this season and the previous was leaked

Like so far the leaks have been almost completely right

And when you write that Ruby’s Mom is literally just Ruby’s Mom when I think of ppl were expecting some twist there

It’s just all very anticlimactic

And I guess the stakes are still non existent

Like who tf is Mrs Flood except an old conniving lady rn

Barely any development

But I imagine we get that development crammed into an episode in this back half of the show

[uneven grail]

well, we're half way in now, right?

4 of 8 eps

[gentle coral]

Well

That’s fine

We know she can time travel, that she can break the fourth wall, that she wants Dr Who to get back to Earth and that she’s recruited an incel himbo

She’s doing a lot

And these are just teases

It’ll all be revealed in the final two-parter

[gentle coral]

The structure of Doctor Who has been standalone stories building to a two-part finale since 2005 lol

This isn’t new

[gentle coral]

The Pantheon works for me - Mr Ring-A-Ding and the Toymaker have been huge hits online

Maestro less so, but Jinkx Monsoon is still fab in the role and it drew a lot of press coverage

[runic seal]

It is nice to be around like minded folk

[molten sorrel]

Hmmmm you’re technically wrong but since you’re impossible to reason with I won’t go into it with you

Whilst yes new Doctor Who has done a lot of 2 part endings there’s usually a lot more threads built into these 2 -3 parters that are currently not really there

The Parthenon is set up so far to be the most anticlimactic array of villains

Even somehow

The Pandora Box arc was better

[gentle coral]

*Pandorica, not Pandora

[gentle coral]

*Pantheon, not Parthenon

[gentle coral]

Series 1:
references to a Time War, Dr Who being the only survivor, and the phrase ‘Bad Wolf’

all pays off in the two-part finale

Series 2:
references to an anti-Doctor organisation called Torchwood, Dr Who and Rose’s co-dependent relationship, and a parallel world without Dr Who

all pays off in the two-part finale

Series 3:
References to Harold Saxon, Dr Who overlooking Martha and ‘You Are Not Alone’

all pays off in the three-part finale

Series 4:
references to the bees going missing, planets disappearing and Donna has ‘something on her back’

all pays off in the three-part finale

Series 5:
References to cracks in time, the Pandorica, Amy’s wedding and the Silence

mostly pays off in the two-part finale, with the Silence carrying over to S6

Etc etc

[runic seal]

Yup

And i only liked toy maker because of the performance and tennant and donna etc

[molten sorrel]

I agree

But that’s also part of why I think 15th Doctor isn’t working

You’ve got the 14th Doctor, PTSD ridden cuz of the Flux time travelling with others, or with Donna, settled down- like what is happening to that Doctor

And why bring David Tenant back to literally park him off and not move the narrative of oh a bigeneration- why did it happen, what caused the rarity, is there something else at work that caused it?!?

[gentle coral]

Did you miss the episode that explained it

It was called The Giggle, think it’s available online

[molten sorrel]

Did you miss being considerate to other members 😇

[gentle coral]

You started it Sweetpea

[molten sorrel]

You did actually

[gentle coral]

Where

[molten sorrel]

Childish and immature

You basically keep stating your opinion like there is no other opinion

Your opinion isn’t law (pretty sure)

So be respectful of other perspectives

[gentle coral]

And what did you do

Lol

[molten sorrel]

Or don’t engage with me

Thanks

[gentle coral]

I stated my opinion same as you

[molten sorrel]

Nah you don’t

[gentle coral]

Disagreeing with you isn’t against the law

Sorry to say

[molten sorrel]

lol

[molten sorrel]

You also just proved my point here

Sometime

Yes not always

We get a three part conclusion

[gentle coral]

?

[molten sorrel]

They also tend to work better

[gentle coral]

Yeah

[molten sorrel]

IMO

Probably not yours

[gentle coral]

We’re getting a three part conclusion this time

So it’s fine

[molten sorrel]

Seriously!

[gentle coral]

Ye

[molten sorrel]

I thought the Eurovision one was standalone

[gentle coral]

Nah

It’s in the leaks you mentioned

[molten sorrel]

Ahhh (I haven’t read them all lol)

Only that ||Mrs Flood is Rani||

[gentle coral]

Ah that’ll be the confusion so

[gentle coral]

I think that’s meant to happen in Ep6

V exciting times

[molten sorrel]

Ohhhh

Damnnn

It’s annoying cuz

Mrs Flood sounds like an Amy Pond sorta thing

Like Amy Pond, River Song… Mrs Flood lol

[gentle coral]

I get ya

I reckon the line will be something very dumb like ||’it only floods when it rains’ and then the letters rearrange to spell Rani||

The anagrams are a bit much I agree with you there

[molten sorrel]

Hmmm could be lol

Kinda bad how much has been leaked but ig that was never a problem in the earlier run of New Who

Tbf RTD isn’t doing himself any favours

Like every interview

He’s like: yeh I’m not bringing back any old characters/creatures/monsters/ aliens

Then ends up doing exactly that

[gentle coral]

Innit

Tbf I like not having Daleks, Cybermen etc for a while

It’s a nice break

[molten sorrel]

I might miss The Master a lil lol

But then

I reckon

Based on the recent episode

She’s got a candidate to be the Master now

Cuz it was probably Mrs Flood who picked up the tooth

[molten sorrel]

||referring to Conrad||

[runic seal]

Literally

[runic seal]

I can’t stand his interviews anymore .. whole reason i stopped watching the new dr who confidential

[molten sorrel]

lol fairs

Does anyone else find the fact that the 15th pretty much cries in every episode a bit much?

Like it feels overdone to me slightly

[runic seal]

Me and my friend jokes about it lol

Its like his only way of being “dramatic”

Or to show that he’s a more “emotional” doctor lmao

To me it just shows his lack of range and ability

[molten sorrel]

Feels like a one trick pony trick

Where is the acting range lol

He is better than Jodie (but she is a better actress when the writing is there)

[uneven grail]

yeah, I kind of hate it. Also too much energy

[molten sorrel]

Yup

Me too

It’s not exactly in character

But then ig the character of the Doctor changes with every regeneration

[uneven grail]

I get he's supposed to be the more emotional and exuberant Doctor, but it's just exhausting.

[molten sorrel]

Yup

For me they’re letting the actors do too much in ad lib

[runic seal]

Yh lol

[charred wedge]

https://watchinamerica.com/news/doctor-who-lucky-day-overnight-ratings/

[glossy osprey]

despite the seemingly low ratings i think the show will return for another season

ive always heard rumours about cancellation and low ratings during pretty much all the eras

[charred wedge]

i mean it was canceled during one of the eras for like 16 years

[final wind]

i havent even watched the latest episode yet so this doesnt surprise me

[charred wedge]

im kinda surprised Lux and The Well havent done that great, those are pretty solid epsiodes

last 2 seasons they havent really opened with their best epi. shouldve opened the seasons with The Well

[molten sorrel]

Rip

It’s cuz DW fandom is kinda toxic since the Capaldi/Whitaker run

It’s a shame cuz I agree

Last two episodes were pretty good

I even enjoyed aspects of Lucky Day

Even if it’s literally just a SJA episode lol

(Think Tank was apparently an organisation in old Who which put SJ on trial for smth I read somewhere)

https://www.reddit.com/r/doctorwho/comments/1ke5sm0/is_this_the_same_think_tank/

[molten sorrel]

Probably but I think we won’t see the third series until 2027, 2026 might end up being the year when that spinoff comes out (I’d imagine they might delay it from 2025 so there is technically no gap in DW tv content)

[final wind]

i really think filming season 2 before season 1 came out was a big mistake, they clearly did not expect people to have as many issues with the first season as they did

[molten sorrel]

Cuz RTD was supposedly the magic fix the show needed

Which tbf 14th Doctor’s specials weren’t bad

Pretty good episodes

Ig they didn’t see the drop off would happen the way it has

[final wind]

yeah i quite enjoyed the 60th specials, and i have liked a lot of the new episodes too

but man it just keeps consistently having worse and worse episodes with some bangers in between

[runic seal]

14th doctor was the best part of rtd 2 era

[final wind]

this is true

no wonder disney wants to bring back david tennant again lol

not that it would be some magic fix

the actor playing the doctor is not the problem here

[solar turret]

huh I thought capaldi was pretty good

[gentle coral]

Good ep

[void pasture]

Solid ep, the villain was pretty confusing. And honestly the whole gods thing is getting a bit tiring. Solid 7/10 for me

[gentle coral]

There were no gods in this one?

That was the point innit

[uneven grail]

yeah, this was a super convoluted story and I feel like I was missing a big chunk of it.

it was genuinely confusing in the middle. Maybe it's becasue I didn't watch Jodie's run? I feel like there were references I was supposed to get, but they meant nothing

[charred wedge]

When our Doctor changed while talking to whats her name, he morphed into the Fugitive Doctor, she 1st appeared during Jodies run

i thight this weeks epi was pretty average and yeah a bit of a convoluted story

man o man, this Doctor sure cries a lot lol

one of the worst decisions they ever made. Now the 1st Doctor technically isnt the 1st Doctor and I hate that

Its also odd that the Doctor referenced the MCU. I bet he flipped out when he saw Nebula

[uneven grail]

I think I saw some of that, but there was other stuff going on which just went over my head

like, what was the bet they were talking about?

Did that happen in an episode or is it supposed to be generally well known mythology?

[charred wedge]

i think that was just something that came up this episode. he and Dionysus got so drunk that they caused a drought in Athens, watched every single Marvel Cinematic Universe movie with Saga, lost to Bastet in chess, and won a bet with Anansi to marry one of his daughters

if any of that happened in an episode of classic who Ive forgotten

[molten sorrel]

Yeh I wasn’t a massive fan of this week’s episode

Preferred the last two/three weeks over that

Fugitive Doctor appearance was cool but idk how needed that character is.

Just a bit too convoluting and trying to be complex when the story is intriguing but ultimately not layered amazingly well

[uneven grail]

also, no b plot, and that really doesn't help with pacing

[molten sorrel]

I guess the b plot was the stories within the barbershop

But yeah pacing was very poor

[uneven grail]

but that's been a theme this season. the pacing is always off

[gentle coral]

This was probs my fav of the season ngl

[charred wedge]

Old companion Steven might be right here: https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-too-sophisticated-peter-purves-newsupdate/

[gentle coral]

You think?

That hasn’t been the show’s format in at least 53 years now

[uneven grail]

There is a kernel of truth though.

Even I was losing interest in last night's episode. I couldn't imagine a kid watching it all.

Not when compared to a Ten ep

[molten sorrel]

Sadly so

[molten sorrel]

And tbh RTD is just recycling Ten arcs for the 15th tbh

Except last nights

The rest follow very thematically similar to episodes were seen before

The only episode which I’ve enjoyed a lot was The Pit but as much as it is its own thing it’s still a legacy sequel to one of the strongest standalone entries in 10’s arc

And in a way it would of been cooler had it been a sequel to The Waters of Mars

[gentle coral]

How so?

[molten sorrel]

The episode would of kinda been better if The Barber had a final form, like shapeshifted into Anansi or smth

And it shows that you’re dealing with a writer who writes for the stage rather than for television imo too, they’re still rather different mediums

[gentle coral]

Meant to say how so?

[gentle coral]

Sure but he wasn’t Anansi - he was just a footsoldier for the Gods of Stories

[molten sorrel]

Yeh just not sure that reveal was as satisfying as it could had been

Did provide a pretty funny moment though

[uneven grail]

I like the concept of the episode, but I feel the execution was severely lacking.

[molten sorrel]

I meant recycling as in the storylines might look slightly different but I’m pretty sure we’ve had relatively similar episodes before

Like Lucky Day reminds me in parts to School Reunion personally

[gentle coral]

In what way?

Lucky Day has some similarities to Love & Monsters

[molten sorrel]

And obviously similar to Love and Monsters

[molten sorrel]

SJA aspects of the episode basically but without reviving that character per se

Nothing that massive

[gentle coral]

But School Reunion is a Classic Who crossover ep with K9, lots of Doctor and big bat aliens

[molten sorrel]

I agree with this summation tbh

[gentle coral]

I don’t really see the connection is all

[gentle coral]

I think the animated mirror was lovely, the dialogue was crisp and the braids trick was a very Doctor Who solution

It’s the closest this era has come to actually having a deeper point about any of the topics it gestures towards

I miss when Doctor Who could be more than surface thrills

[molten sorrel]

Sort of but also I think The Well had some deeper points

Which that episode deserves some credit for

[gentle coral]

The Well you mean?

[molten sorrel]

Yup 🫥

[gentle coral]

The Well is my second fav of the season, but the deeper point is essentially “don’t turn your back on vulnerable people”

Which is great

And I really like it

But it’s a simple genre adventure

[molten sorrel]

lol there’s a whole subtext on the damages of tourism too

[gentle coral]

There’s not a huge amount of meat on those bones

[gentle coral]

Eh barely

[molten sorrel]

A world once with diamonds is just a large barren rock planet

[gentle coral]

Sure but that’s a very loose reference

Like

Yeah capitalist tourism sucks

Moving on

It doesn’t tie in to anything else going on

The supporting cast are soldiers, not civilian tourists

[molten sorrel]

Loose for you but I think it’s there enough that a deeper discussion could actually be discussed after the episode with a younger viewer

[gentle coral]

Even the victim is staff

[molten sorrel]

Point is

[gentle coral]

What’s the discussion

[molten sorrel]

Doctor Who doesn’t always need the deep subtext right there

Sometimes it’s meant to a be a discussion starter

[gentle coral]

No but I’m saying it’s nice when it does

As in TSATE

It’s refreshing

[molten sorrel]

When it’s done right yeh

What I will say

This is a better episode than the Punjabi episode in Jodie’s run

The episode set in India

[gentle coral]

What’s the agenda in this episode AJ

[molten sorrel]

This episode was definitely miles stronger than that

Every episode of DW is agenda pushing lol

That’s what progressive television does

Not always wrong with doing that

[gentle coral]

I’d agree, in part cos I think the Whittaker era as a whole just struggled to deliver quality - the cast, filmmaking style and script edits just weren’t up to scratch

Even good stories were squandered

[molten sorrel]

The execution was just patchy at best

Even though I personally enjoyed a lot of the Flux arc

The same writer still wrote The Timeless Child episode which was at best a very messy convoluted retconning of 60 years of DW that could of been done better or not at all

Tbf part of the show’s appeal has been never finding out The Doctor’s actual origins

[uneven grail]

its always supposed to be a mystery, and they killed that

[molten sorrel]

Yup 😭

I think thats the grain of truth in what Purves is saying

If you keep things simpler, then we don’t need these unneeded explanations

Easier to follow, making it easier to build on those foundations of each story

Personally this season and last season the focus is very heavy into the arc of the Gods and Parthenon’s yet whilst its intriguing and ambitious, is it also kinda overcomplicated and convoluted in its execution

[gentle coral]

What’s overcomplicated about it

[molten sorrel]

Its just not really been that well explained imo

[gentle coral]

They’re gods with themed power sets, who announce themselves via a Harbinger and a Giggle

It’s pretty standard folk myth stuff

Same set of rules

[uneven grail]

I think the fact they're been rather unimpressive has not helped.

The Toymaker felt like a genuine threat, and the cartoon one looked cool, but the others I'm not doing so well remembering

[gentle coral]

There’s only been a few tbf

Sutekh was bad

But the other three were all pretty cool

[uneven grail]

they just don't really feel like gods

[gentle coral]

They’re just powerful reality benders I think

God is just the word attached to them

Dr Who isn’t a doctor

What’s the agenda in the latest ep AJ

[void pasture]

That's how I think of them aswell

[void pasture]

Fr The Toymaker is still my absolute favourite

[molten sorrel]

Let’s all sing this song

||if you’ve seen the leaks you know what is happening ||

😭

spoilers btw

[charred wedge]

JESUS H FUCKING CHRIST

After half a fucking century it finally happened!

Just out of the blue fucking Susan!

*That * was Doctor Whos best episode since Capaldi

The future, on a space station, return of an original companion, the fucking Rani bi-generated... jesus

Speculation, but i think i know why theyre bi-generating. Time Lord DNA must be in tune with how many Time Lords there are in the universe. Since theyre all mostly dead, i guess bi-generation is just a way to repopulate the species?

[gentle coral]

Grim

[charred wedge]

grim?

[molten sorrel]

The leaks are pretty much right then

Just great

[charred wedge]

im so glad i didnt rea them. id have been pissed atmyself the second i read them

[molten sorrel]

Tbf Winston you should of probably spoiler marked some of the above

[charred wedge]

we're in the spoiler channel

[molten sorrel]

The ep doesn’t actually broadcast on TV until a bit later

Still doesn’t matter

You dropping spoilers before anyone who watches it on actual tele is a bit rich

[charred wedge]

it posted on disney plus therefore it aired

i avoid spoiler channels until ive seen the episode so i dont get spoiled. i expect others to do the same

[gentle coral]

Yeah just a bit like

Marvel-y

I hate cameo stuff

[charred wedge]

youve seen classic who?

[gentle coral]

I have

Susan was rubbish then

[charred wedge]

its ben 50 years since weve seen this original companion, sure theyre going to milk it a bit

[gentle coral]

She was written out for a reason

It’s nostalgia alone, nothing more

[charred wedge]

ah, so you just hate Susan, got it

[gentle coral]

Vicki was better in every way

[gentle coral]

I’d dislike if it was Ian or Barbara either

Just a bit lame

[charred wedge]

and Jamie and Nardole were better than anyone

[charred wedge]

seems a bit odd how mrs flood would instantly take a subservient role to her bi-generated twin. when the doctor bi-generated one didnt instantly worship the other. i guess we'll see

itll also be interesting to see how the Doctor and Susan reunite. the guy really had no excuse for just abandoning her and literally never dropping in. id imagine shes gotta be at least a little pissed

[uneven grail]

Definitely Ncuti's strongest ep, though Bel's appreciation for the Doctor felt kind of unearned.

Proper spectacle though. Part of me kind of wishes that everyone didn't live again, but apparently that's how it is now

The pacing was actually good too

thinking about it, this could have easily been a Ten and Donna episode. The dynamic was right

[charred wedge]

Im not up on my Rani lore... is there any chance she was always just a regenerated Susan?

[void pasture]

Why did they leave the reveal for the post credits scene💀

Kinda bummed it wasn't more of a big reveal like a 2 parter but I get that

The episode itself was really great, the cinematography was great (that shot of everyone floating in space above the arena was amazing). We got to see a darker 15 and a solid alien non pantheon villain

[molten sorrel]

Cuz she’s now the lesser form of the Rani

It makes sense considering how when the 14th bi generated he was basically just assisting 15th in his plan against the Toymaker

Decent episode

Though I don’t get why Susan was appearing

And The Doctor went dark usually he’s against violence

Also believe that’s the most expensive episode of Doctor Who

https://metro.co.uk/2025/05/17/doctor-will-continue-even-disney-drops-a-devastating-catch-23102714/amp/

Also reports changed

We are getting S3 and S4 but likely won’t air until 2027

Ig 2026 will be for that spinoff show

[molten sorrel]

Also gonna manifest The Trickster’s return in next week’s episode

[uneven grail]

No, deffinitely not

It's also kind of funny how I had never seen the Rani episodes, I knew nothing about her until I read the wikipedia article, I was just aware of her through osmosis. But as soon as Mrs Flood regenerated I was like, 'Oh, it's the Rani'. 😄

If anyone would like to get up to speed:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rani_(Doctor_Who)

[uneven grail]

It looked it, but in a good way

[molten sorrel]

Isn’t the Rani basically a Hindu word for God

Ig that’s how it links back into the Gods and Parthenon theme again

[molten sorrel]

True for a change it was a positive here

Kinda wish they went for the massacre thou

[uneven grail]

same. The lack of death (besides The Well ep) has been annoying

[molten sorrel]

It’s probably intentional considering the early airtimes for most eps except The Well which I think was 7.30pm instead of 7.10pm

[uneven grail]

I'm not sure that really makes a difference? It's just them trying to stay positive, I guess

There was a nice callback to mavity too, which was fun

[uneven grail]

Honestly, the break is probably a good idea. they need to work out the issues the new run has had. and up the epsiode count.

[molten sorrel]

I don’t know how they can’t make just 10 episodes tbh

[molten sorrel]

Perhaps

I mean the 15th Doctor is very energised, happy go lucky kinda personality

Outside of the brief angry moments tbh

[uneven grail]

aah, this post really hits it on the head

https://www.tumblr.com/galileosballs/783605251685122048/talking-to-a-friend-about-this-helped-me-to?source=share

And that's what 15 is lacking. Normal Episodes. In the crunch of the too-short 8-episode seasons, RTD has clearly prioritized the Weird Ones. And there have been some great Weird Ones! But without the Normal Ones, the Weird Ones lose their punch.

also

It was a very pretty ep

[molten sorrel]

Accurate

Ncuti’s the best actor as the Doctor for a coupe of regenerations

His scripts just need a bit more normal classic Who in them

Like are we seriously going into a third season

Without a Dalek/Cyberman etc encounter

https://tenor.com/view/doctor-who-dr-who-love-and-monsters-abzorbaloff-abzorbalovian-gif-20411666

Also bring this guy back

Did anyone else notice the pig creatures in the Song Contest episode

Pretty close likeness to the ones in the Daleks in Manhatten episode

[molten sorrel]

Visually it’s one of the best in a while tbh

[glossy osprey]

Yeah I don't think any of Ncuti's episodes have struggled in bringing out his greatness as the doctor

We just need more episodes atp

9 is not enough

[molten sorrel]

It’s just too truncated for a sci-fi show

[uneven grail]

When your premise is a different location/time period every week, you need more weeks

[molten sorrel]

Tbf I don’t get why we don’t have some smaller scale episodes

Ie a cabin in the woods

Settings that won’t actually be as expansive

Could easily work as bottle episodes tbh

Wondering whether the 9eps thing is a Disney compromise slightly

Since they upped the budget but essentially are doing less

[charred wedge]

please be good, please be good, please be good...

[final wind]

hey this is the episode where we find out what happened to earth i presume

since its the date that they mentioned i believe

unless that was last week

im not caught up on the last couple episodes

[charred wedge]

welp... that was an episode of TV...

i dunno what the show needs, new showrunner (someone whos never written for the show b4) or a long hiatus like in 1987

the last episode would have to be like the best episode of the entire series to save this season

[gentle coral]

Best of the season

Top three of the era

Loved it to bits

Actual smart social commentary, great worldbuilding (the mugs, the dinos), three good villains and a wonderful cliffhanger

I’ve been hoping for something like this from Russell since the specials

Thank god it’s a big step up from last week

Loved that the homophobia and ableism of Conrad’s world are so rooted in his personal stupidity - he doesn’t hate disabled people, he just doesn’t think of them

And The Rani not only knowing that a right-wing podcaster’s ’Wish World’ would fail, but counting on it to unleash Satan, is really really funny

[charred wedge]

wasnt a fan. too much exposition and just too much stuffed into 45 minutes for me

[charred wedge]

Skeleton At-Ats? Why?

[charred wedge]

also, Mrs Flood being subservient to the new Rani doesnt make sense to me. why would any version of the Rani be subservient to anyone, even her own bi-generated self?

thats like if Tennants Doctor was subservient to Gatwas Dcotor. why?

[gentle coral]

Did you think?

There wasn’t much exposition at all, I didn’t think

Lots of dialogue, sure, but it was alt-reality world building and off-kilter weirdness

It’s nice to actually spend time in a Who world instead of speeding through it as usual

[gentle coral]

Seems pretty clear to me she’s playing along while it suits her

[charred wedge]

why would that trick the new Rani tho, theyree the same person?

[void pasture]

Kinda like TLORS but worse in my opinion, big lore reveals and it's getting me worried about the last episode

[gentle coral]

You could say the same about the two Masters

They’re nuts and self-interested

[gentle coral]

Oh much better imo - Conrad’s fake reality is a lot more interesting than 20 characters standing around a desk for 40 minutes

What were the lore reveals?

[void pasture]

Truee, but i don't know something feels less polished about this one for me, maybe it's negative recency bias lmao

[gentle coral]

Yeah fair

[void pasture]

Atleast the last ep will be an hour and a bit

Hopefully RTD doesn't screw it up

[gentle coral]

To me this is the most interested I’ve been in a scenario all season - it’s the most fleshed out story, and I like how dark it gets with Conrad’s tradwife/bigoted ideals

[void pasture]

Yeah, The Rani's plan is actually pretty well explained and the villains isn't some big unstoppable god

[charred wedge]

just felt too much to stuff into so short a time. Conrads back, Rubys back, Doc and Bel are married, Earths fucked, new baby Pantheon god, Skelton At-Ats all within 43 minutes

[void pasture]

I mean how did they defeat Sutekh again💀

[void pasture]

So much that Rogue was just a tv cameo lmao

[gentle coral]

Great

It’s nice to have too many ideas

Last week had nothing

Interstellar Song Contest had about 4 minutes of plot

Where were the camp songs? The monsters? The running about?

It was one zero grav sequence and then the ending

[void pasture]

Terrible lyrics aswell😭🙏

[gentle coral]

Innit

[void pasture]

I felt the last song in the ep was trying to be like Song of Freedom but the language doesn't actually exist

[uneven grail]

talk about convoluted.

There was a whole 8 minute exposition dump

that's not good storytelling

But if they have any sense, they'll let the Rani survive in some way. We need a proper recurring villain

though why the hell she wants what she's doing is anyone's guess.

From what I understood, she was a scientist willing to go to deadly extremes to get what she wants.

and yes, she has gone to deadly extremes, but I'm still not understanding the grand plan

[final wind]

yknow for what was supposed to be a soft reboot for the series, these new seasons sure do have a lot of classic who lore ingrained in them

like way more than any nuwho stuff

i was hoping that this would serve as a fresh starting point for new viewers

[uneven grail]

yeah, this is waaaay more connected to canon that any show since it came back in 05

this is not a reboot at all

like, even I don't really know that much about classic Who, but I feel so sorry for anyone who joined with Ncuti. It's not a fresh start.

[charred wedge]

just so much in 43 minutes

Im also starting to worry that the Doctor and Susan wont have a single conversation 😦

[charred wedge]

my only guess is she worships Omega as hes basically the god of the Time Lords. he was in The Three Doctors with doc #1, 2, and 3. He also fought the 6th at one point

[uneven grail]

or maybe she's trying to restart the Timelords? that would seem appropriate

[final wind]

i mean i've only seen the show starting with the 9th doctor and im lost all the time

i have no idea who the rani is

or any of the other characters

and i shouldnt have to

[uneven grail]

yeah, these are references my dad would get

[charred wedge]

yeah its odd that they decided to lean so hard on classic Who when probly the majority of the audience hasnt seen it

[gentle coral]

Where

Lol

Feel like I’m going crazy, cos that episode for me was the smoothest of the bunch

There was the Rani trying to rejig the Doctor’s memory, but only cos waking him up means the end of the world

If anything it’s weaponised exposition

[gentle coral]

They said it? She’s bringing back another old Time Lord called Omega

[gentle coral]

Good, Carole Ann Ford can’t act

[uneven grail]

I mean, I understand that the classic monsters have been done to death and I'm perfectly happy to not see another Dalek or Cyberman. And the Rani is probably the next best choice because she's someone who has always been mentioned since the 05 reboot. But she's a little obscure. I think I would have liked a bit more in the way of build up. Just a bit more groundwork.

The Master didn't need it becasue he was as iconic as the Doctor. Everyone knows who the Master was.

But I guess it all comes back down to episode count. 8 is just not enough

[gentle coral]

Did they know who he was in 2007

He probs wasn’t as iconic as the Doctor back then

[charred wedge]

yeah i felt all the things that happened in this episode shouldve been at least 2 epis

[charred wedge]

i know you hate the actress and the character, but its just silly that he has never once gone back to see his only family, especially when he said he would. he just straight up abandoned her

[uneven grail]

It goes back to the link I posted last week - there haven't been enough 'normal' episodes to make the special episodes work.

[gentle coral]

If she dies and regenerates into a better actress then it’s fine

[charred wedge]

like theres so much shit to resolve, i doubt the Doctor will even have time to have a proper reunion with Susan within an hour. Their reunion shouldve been an entire episode with not much else going on. Now itll be in the midst of a ton of convoluted shit

[uneven grail]

one week we get this

And the next we get CGI hell

[glossy osprey]

I still think Ncuti is the sauciest doctor

He just has this vibrance to him that I love

He feels so adventurous

And I do love the whole changing outfits based on what time period we're in thing

It always makes the characters a bit more visually interesting to me!

[gentle coral]

That’s not CGI btw he’s a real guy

[final wind]

hence why they specified that the hell was cgi

"cgi hell"

he's in a poorly green screened hell world

[gentle coral]

Was it

[final wind]

i mean he's pretty clearly on a green screen....

that doesnt take away from my enjoyment of this episode though

definitely one of the best of the season

[uneven grail]

It is nice to see more than one costume. And he still has a style making him cosplay-able

[glossy osprey]

Yeah!

[glossy osprey]

Seeing Rogue was a boost of serotonin i didn't know I needed

I absolutely loved him in that episode and the chemistry he and the doctor had

It was so like innocently sweet

And the "I'll find you"

Unironically some of the most romantic stuff I've ever seen

Wish he came back sooner

[uneven grail]

I can't say it did too much for me, but I think that was due to what I feel was poor pacing.

but nice callback, I guess

[final wind]

i liked rogue but i wish his relationship with the doctor had been developed over multiple episodes

though when you only have 8 or 9 episodes to work with i can understand why they werent able to take their time

[glossy osprey]

Yeah

Most of the show's issues stem from the 9 episode season

[final wind]

i think what someone was talking about earlier sums it up well: with so few episodes, there's no room for "regular episodes"

in the original series you could have filler episodes that were quick and cheap and just helped flesh out characters and relationships

in the new season, every episode is either a huge event or feels like its wasting time

when you only have 8 episodes, 2 or 3 of them being filler is huge

versus 2 or 3 of 13 episodes

[charred wedge]

I, WinstonWolf, absolutely, and 100% GUARANTEE that tomorrows episode will go down as a one of the best episodes of Doctor Who in the shows history!

i base this on nothing whatsoever other than blind hope

[final wind]

what time does the new episode drop?

oh 3 hours from now

yikes

might not be awake then

[charred wedge]

yeah like 2am cst

ill watch when i wake up around 6am

[final wind]

yeah i'll probably just watch first thing in the morning

[charred wedge]

ah, new episode is dropping later than usual, 12:50 pm CST

[gentle coral]

Omega and Susan and The Rani and the other Rani and the Seal Of Rassilon and the Space Babies and Ncuti Gatwa regenerating into Billie Piper

Yeah sounds like a cracking hour of TV

Would love if there was some form of plot/story in there

And if it was set somewhere other than UNIT HQ

Very tired of all the continuity wanking

Would love to see an original villain

Or if you have to bring back Susan, I'd love to see her played by a new actor who can actually have a take

Bringing back The Master works cos each new actor plays it totally differently

Bringing back Carole Ann Ford is just - "hey remember her from the 60s?!"

[molten sorrel]

Technically spoilers if the leaks are to be believed

[molten sorrel]

Peter Capaldi should of been Doctor Who for like 20 years tbh

Same with Missy

And instead of the Doctor and Missy fighting they become lovers and it’s happy ever after

[uneven grail]

oh extra long ep tonight

[molten sorrel]

Oh yeh

Might not be a bad thing though

Feels like they need a longer runtime this time around

[final wind]

oh shit they actually did it

that's kinda peak

i was surprisingly happy to see 13 again, her series sucked but i really liked her as the doctor

[molten sorrel]

Just why

[molten sorrel]

That was probably one of her best sequences

[uneven grail]

well that was anticlimatic ending to the Rani

and this whole repeating of actors is getting old now

Really hoping that the break allows them to actually write good stories again, to stop relying on so much continuity, and get the goddam pacing sorted out

and more episodes, of course

Much like with the end of season 1, it's like they were expecting us to feel all these big emotions, but it's just like, we don't know these characters.

why should we care?

[final wind]

filming two seasons before the first one released was such a bad idea because it meant they couldn't take any criticisms from season one and apply it to season 2

hopefully they take some time now to evaluate what people did and didnt like about seasons 1 and 2, and make appropriate changes

and PLEASE GIVE US 12 EPISODE SEASONS

[uneven grail]

Like, this show actually needs 12 eps

we need character moments. We need situations that cause dilemmas and clever thinking

we need run-of-the-mill episodes and simple villains for the Doctor and his companion to beat

[uneven grail]

It's kind of sad that Ncuti's arrival was overshadowed by a former doctor, and now his exit is overshadowed by a former companion

[charred wedge]

I was so wrong. I have no magic left.

I absolutely hate the idea of the doctor regening into a former companion. I mean I like Rose enough, but why?

The Rani being eaten was pretty funny, i lol'ed

[uneven grail]

but such a shame to lose such a fantastic charcater like that

[charred wedge]

Rose was fine as a companion, but wasnt my favorite. if hes gonna regen into a former one, id rather he turned into Nardole. or Amy Pond

Ncuti only lasted 18 episodes. is that the shortest tenure for a doctor?

I did enjoy the scene with Jodi tho

[uneven grail]

Eccelstone was only 13

though number 8 only had a TV movie and an online short

but he was technically the longest

[gentle coral]

It’s so so fucking over

Jesus

That regen was rough

[charred wedge]

and i kinda dug the last scene with Belinda

like it wasnt the worst episode ever, it was just kinda meh

[uneven grail]

The woman who expressed no desire for children is suddenly saddled with one

Killing the Doctor in the process

Would have been better for poppy to be forgotten imo

[charred wedge]

im gonna be pretty skeptical of the show whenever it comes back tho. Ncuti walked into some terrible writing and only got 18 episodes 😦

they should have her find David Tennant and convince him to be her companion

[dim warren]

Hi not really new here, just never got to use this discord for anything until now. so allow me to rant for a little bit:

Russel really cannot escape from his original doctor who show really, he first brought back david tennant and instead of letting him regernate he made bi-regeneration to make sure david tennant is going to be around. Well he is "Retired" so ncuti gets to play his main part in the show but we really know that they have david there for a reason and people are gonna wonder about him most of the time.

NOW, season 1 and 2 felt way too short to introduce ncuti as a doctor, literally bare bones character development and the most annoying thing of all gaslighting the audience with a the big secret around ruby sunday. I will say it is the most underwhelming reveal i have ever witnessed, its not clever if you subvert the mystery if the mystery you have been building up to ended up not being a big deal is making the audience waste such care about it.

Season 2 is much better than season 1 in my opinion but there are some issues with it.

But thats no what i wanna talk about, Billie Piper. WHY!???!!!! You could of picked any actor, i would of been fine with the fugitive doctor cause we get to atleast see her in full action but nooooooo we need rose to come back and wait remember david tennant. YAY Rose and the doctor back again undoing the work of Russels entire run of doctor who at the start.

[void pasture]

What

Why rose

I was genuinely flabbergasted lmao

Also did RTD suddenly lose his writing talent or something? One minute Poppy is real, but then she's not, but then she's real again, only for her to be not real, but she's back to being real? What was that

I was just starting to get Ncuti's vibes as The Doctor but noo, blame the series failure on the actor

I mean at this point just bring back Moffat bro😭🙏

[void pasture]

I just remembered about Susan lmao

She was never mentioned at all😭

[molten sorrel]

That will only open if the deal with Disney ends

That’s practically causing the truncated episode count

Also what was the point of bringing Carole Ann Ford in to that previous episode when they barely utilised her

And RTD had the perfect opportunity to bring back The Trickster👿

I think we need less RTD and more guest writers

[charred wedge]

yeah, that was disappointing

[molten sorrel]

Cuz whenever there was a guest writer this season the show kinda picked up a bit

And also the last 2 seasons have had some real Classic Who lore so it feels like bringing back Rose is just like an attempt not to neglect NuWho fans tbh

[uneven grail]

It's been such a mess

[uneven grail]

Apparently they've not been very happy so it well might

[molten sorrel]

I just don’t think a show like Dr Who needs a massive budget

The fact that BBC basically pushed Disney into this deal and went away from just their distribution deal with HBO Max seems to have done a lot of damage