Television Doctor Who

Just caught up woo.

I don't have much to say about Hide, I didn't like or dislike it. I've been kind of underwhelmed by the episodes lately, to be honest.

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They've been GOOD, just not great, nothing has really gripped me since it restarted aside from the speech in Rings. I don't like that Clara is basically nothing, either. I know that, obviously, they're creating suspense in finding out who (or what) she is, and that's fun, but so far she's had some really passive roles in a lot of the episodes. She'll get a few minutes to shine but overall, not a lot.

I think it's really essential in the first few episodes with a companion to establish some kind of defining trait. For Rose, it was her sympathy (End of the World), her dedication to the Doctor, and her family; Martha was clever (Smith and Jones) and infatuated with the Doctor; Donna the fact that she wasn't romantically interested in the Doctor (Partners in Crime); Amy was daring (Beast Below). They of course can and do evolve into more than that (Donna was the most important woman in all creation, Rose the Bad Wolf, etc.), but they need some kind of running trait. So far Clara hasn't really had that, to me. Which is really disappointing considering how gripping she was in Asylum & Snowmen.

But, mid-season filler and all. I'm really excited for this weekend's episode, hopefully it will delve more into Clara's relationship with the TARDIS. Maybe the TARDIS traps her inside in an effort to figure her out? Show her something?

Also I agree with Enzy about the finale

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I can't see them truly revealing the Doctor's name. I wouldn't want them too. I would, however, love to see this be when River finds out.

 

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I have to agree with you on the Clara front. When I saw her in Asylum I loved her character as she was strong, clever and not swept-off-her-feet at the doctor. In Snowmen, she was a Sherlock character with her intellect and I found her trying to figure out the Doctor's plans to be brilliant and was really excited to see more of her intellectual sparing with the Doctor which we haven't really had. She's done a few things but I feel that she needs to save them in some way- she did rescue the Doctor in Hide (which I didn't understand as Emma was reforming the psychic link to bring the Doctor out as well) but I kind of want more than that. It's nice to show the Doctor as a hero but it also shows him as reliant on others, both to stop him when he goes out of control and help him in times of need.

I think another thing is she's obedient, she listens to the Doctor which is good but you also want her to actually think "Well that's a stupid idea" and then walk off and do her own thing. All the other companions seem to do it but Clara is very still and I hope that changes.

 

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I always thought I just wasn't that over the Ponds yet, but I suppose my thoughts on Clara do have some basis after all.
Well, if there's anything that sets apart Clara, it's that she's 'the girl twice dead', but underneath that anomaly which even she's not aware of, I agree that there isn't much defining her as a person. I mean sure she's a little brave (standing up to the Parasite God, convincing the TARDIS to take her to the pocket universe), a little scared, as Emma said, (which is why I think she listens to the Doctor), kind (helping Merry) and maybe even a little defiant and independent (the 'we're all ghosts to you' and 'I'm not competing with a ghost' speeches), but none of them really stand out more than the other to make her character something defined. And yeah, that incredible wit and clever attitude Oswin and Victorian Clara had just doesn't happen with companion Clara, and it's a shame to see how her character sort of died down once she became the companion. I suppose we've got a couple more episodes until the end of the series so we'll see.

 

Read more about The Name of the Doctor earlier and I am quite scared of what Moffat is going to do.

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And apparently, nobody has gotten the Clara theory right. Again, I'm scared after reading about it. And as much as I don't want to believe it, I think Clara might be

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a Time Lord, maybe even River. The only thing that makes me think that is "All I can say is that Clara hasn't just met the Doctor three times before." She might be from Classic Who, and I'd really prefer that to be totally honest. This had better not ruin Clara's character for me...

And I'm so sorry if my thoughts seem all jumbled up. I'm just having a hard time coping with all these things Moffat is throwing our way.

 

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HASN'T JUST MET HER THREE TIMES, WHAT? MOFFAT WHY. This is driving me nuts.You know, I think this whole mystery surrounding Clara is what's limiting her development as a character sometimes. Also, maybe it has something to do with the cracks in the skin of the universe? I mean that plot has yet to be explained, so that would tie together Prisoner Zero's prophecy into one neat interrelated package.

It's okay, I'm flipping out in a bad way to D:

 

I dunno man, she's doing fine but she's not standing out.. Don't get me wrong I love Clara D:
He won't reveal the Doctor's name, that's for sure.

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'Silence will fall when the question is asked.' It doesn't say when the question is answered. Is it safe to assume this is some kind of fail-safe the Doctor prepared in case he was put in a position where he can't not answer?

 

I strongly believe the prophecy isn't what we think it is. Fall doesn't necessarily mean death or regeneration. Perhaps something even more terrible than losing the Ponds happens to him?
Moffat wouldn't, he can't. You change the whole premise of the show, and though he says what happens in this episode changes the show, it can't be that coz that would render even the title of the show pointless.

 

Okay, so I just watched the 1996 Movie.

Spoiler: Thoughts

The movie was god awful. It was NOT Doctor Who. It was too... "American". I mean, motorcycle chases? Don't get me wrong, I loved that in the Bells of Saint John (haven't seen it, but I think that happens based on all the pictures of Clara and the Doctor on motorcycles).

Anyway, Paul McGann was an amazing Doctor, and I don't blame the movie's failure on him. He worked with what they gave him and tried to make it good-- It almost worked.

If they were to have given Paul a series of his own, with Russell T. Davies being head writer, it would have been much better. I don't much care for Christopher Eccleston's Doctor as I have never seen Series 1, but I would have preferred McGann to start off New Who.

The Master was terrible in the movie and I am ashamed that this country butchered him so badly.

The Asian kid? He dies and I dislike him.

Grace? She was a good companion! She should have been in the series that McGann was in! I really liked the Chemistry she had with the Doctor. "I finally meet the right guy, and he's from a different planet!" She was right.

It's a shame the the movie was such a hit-and-miss, because they had good actors to work the parts of the Doctor and his companion :/ Oh well.

 

Couldn't agree with you more! I loved the 8th Doctor and it would be amazing for him to return in the 50th if Eccleston isn't but that's not my decision. I really want to see more of him and apparently he is brilliant in the audio adventures which I am quite tempted to listen to.

On Moffat's "THE SHOW WILL NEVER BE THE SAME!" He won't reveal his name, don't worry- how could you possibly choose a name that would fit! There is no name in the world that could be satisfying and satisfy the majority of fans. There has to be some secret behind it, he must have done something terrible to hide him name. I was thinking could any of this be about the Time War but he had the name even before the war. They will most likely reveal something about the Timelord race, some dark secret about the Doctor's past or something to that effect. Moffat knows not to do such a stupid thing and I trust that.

Anyway, Journey to the centre of the TARDIS!

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I was worried to begin with because I read a review earlier in the week that was rather negative but I thought it was brilliant! Better than the last 2 episodes in my opinion. It really introduced you to the TARDIS and really showed you it's real size! It's beauty and you get to see the Eye of Harmony again! Woo!

I know that in the end the episode was pointless because it didn't happen- will the Doctor still remember that conversation will Clara about how she's normal, obviously she won't remember his name but what does leek through?

I thought it was a lovely episode but next weeks isn't exciting me that much.

 

I have to say "Journey to the Center of the TARDIS" was an absolutely fantastic episode.

Spoiler: Spoilers Doctor, Spoilers

I started freaking out when he "turned on" the self-destruct sequence. Of course he wouldn't do that, but obviously the engine was exploding anyway. We got to see the return of a familiar face as well. Mister "Crack in Time and Space" shows up in the episode. We almost get to hear The Doctors name. Clara learned and lost information that no other companion has known. I was waiting for the ship to be called Trenzalore. The added touch of the episodes "foils" was nice. I was shocked in a way, but in a way I expected it, to find out they were them the whole time. The idea of time being able to leak through was mind boggling. I just loved everything about this episode. This season is fantastic, and Clara is outstanding ^^

 

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Yeah, the episode had just enough sequences to please us fans with references, parts of the TARDIS we'd never seen before, the room with Amy's box TARDIS and the crib, the swimming pool and the library (with Encyclopedia Gallifrey) AND EVEN THE VOICES THAT LEAKED OUT OF THE TARDIS CONSOLE! ;_______; And it also had just enough story and suspense to strike a perfect balance. It was a shame that it all had to be deus ex machina'd away, but of course we can't have Clara running about knowing the Doctor's real name.
Seeing as the Van Baalen Brothers' situation was still changed, I think Clara might subconsciously remember, and it may or may not suddenly pop back into her head once the question is asked in Trenzalore...... D:

I wasn't all too excited for next week's episode either, but then my sister pointed out something good: the Doctor will be taking companion Clara back to Victorian England, so people who have met Victorian Clara will meet her and she will be in a part of time where one of her previous selves existed. Vastra will definitely have something to say, and perhaps like Hide, they didn't come for the action, but to learn even more about Clara?

 

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This never even crossed my mind! Ahh, that's brilliant, I hope they do it well and don't brush over it which I'm sure they won't.

Also, has anyone else noticed any growing negativity among the Who fans recently? I've been looking a lot at new news and reading comments and so many people are being so negative about it. It's good to critisise the show in a healthy manner but completely tearing it apart and being nitpicky is just silly. Of course, you are allowed to dislike an episode (I personally have never watched an episode that I've disliked- there have been ones that I don't enjoy as much but I would never say I hated it) but being aggressive to the creators and telling them they are all terrible is just too far. Does anyone else agree or do they think these people all have a point? Initial viewing figures have decreased since The Snowmen as well.

 

I have noticed the negativity, and while I LOVE LOVE LOOOOOVE Clara, I feel that her episodes are a bit weaker than previous' companions.

I think it's mainly that reason that people seen to be nitpicky.

That, and I've been reading reviews where they think the modern Clara isn't as good a character as Oswin or Victorian Clara. I have no problem with her, but the newest episodes aren't... They just don't make me as emotional as they used to.

 

I have to agree with those reviews you've read, yeah. I mean, Oswin was all, 'Guys look I can hack the Dalek mainframe Nina now who wants a soufflé?' and Victorian Clara's all like ninja carriage stalker finding the TARDIS nanny secret life, but companion Clara, okay she has a little backstory with the leaf, she's funny, sweet and fiesty, got this very questioning and defiant attitude to the Doctor, but I can't think of a way she stands out like the other two. (I still love her though)

Nonetheless, I'm still having a great time with Series 7 part 2 overall. Could be improved sure but hey, it's still pretty great as it is and as Enzy said, hating on the creators is too much. I'm sure they're trying their absolute best to bring us a good story, this Clara plot could literally go anywhere.

On another note, guys my sister is 11 and she's also gone ahead and watched some Classic Who. Plus there's that incredible fact about next week she noticed, so I'm so very proud of her ;_____;

 

This is the case with me. While I've absolutely adored present day Clara's character (relatable and thrown into adventures with a mad man with a box), she's felt a bit, to put it lightly, irrelevant in recent episodes. She gets a moment or two of glory and then disappears into the backdrop until the Doctor solves everything and she puts in her two cents (or less) on the matter. While I feel like she became a much more important character in "Journey to the Center/Centre of the TARDIS," many fans have probably been turned off already due solely to the fact that the one-off Claras seemed far more clever and played much bigger roles in the solving of their respective problems. The only episodes to really get Clara's character right so far, in my opinion at least, have been The Bells of Saint John and Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS, and the writers will have to do an extraordinary job of pulling fans back in with this next one.

Though seeing Strax, Jenny and Vastra in action is going to be a treat in itself.