Space Pirate
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Atlanta
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Seriously.
2 minute character development, breathless 12 second expositions, and so many deux es machinas I don't know where to start. I want to see somebody break the FUCK out of his sonic screwdriver. They did it once before in the history of the franchise, when it became an obvious writer's crutch. At the end of every episode I have NO FUCKING IDEA WHAT I SAW. Seriously, I could not tell you what happened in an episode from 3 weeks ago, but could remember scene by scene elements from old Tom Baker and Jon Pertwee episodes. I get the feeling that this mewling mosh pit of modern fandom would clap and cheer at anything. The actor is fine, the production design and effects are fine. It's the goddamn writing. Plenty of shows with lesser pedigrees tell more compelling stories with self-contained stories plugging into longer arcs. The less I hear of "timey wimey" the better. ... |
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Queen of Confrontation
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Ohio
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I only started watching the show when David Tennant took over and am more of a casual fan, but I agree, this season doesn't seem so great. I DVR the new episodes, but I'm not that great about keeping up with the new stuff. I really liked the Ponds. Not so sure about the new stuff.
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Yarp
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Road Warrior
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It's been a mixed bag for me. A lot of the recent episodes have had a lot of things I've liked, but they've been a lot more 'junk food' caliber where it might be immediately satisfying in ways but doesn't really leave you with anything after it's done. A lot of it feels like they are trying to do too much with too little, and that the show has been a little "Americanized" for lack of a better word. Like, with the older 2005-era reboots, Eccleston and Tennant, I dunno, there was just a feeling that you really got your money's worth with every hour of TV, and that there'd be appropriate usage of two-parters to stretch important or interesting storylines and it felt like the occasional ~70 minute runtime episode was not uncommon. More recent episodes have seemed like they are trying to cram a feature length movie's worth of everything into exactly 44 minutes, so where there might be a lot of 'cool' moments or ideas or whatever else, it just winds up being a bit of a blitz and leaves you somewhat satisfied with parts of it but then mostly confused/annoyed in the long run.
On top of that, I think the recent string of episodes have been geared to be more 'monster of the week' and move away from story arcs which, while that is a refreshing change of pace in some respects, is also fairly inappropriate to today's television trends that are basically all built around story arcs, as well as Doctor Who's previous seasons that tended to have a big story arc throughout. The only real 'big' recurring theme in the recent episodes was "who is Clara?" and while I am content with how they resolved that, it did feel pretty scattershot how it was put together. I agree that the sonic screwdriver is used a bit too much like a magic wand at times, and the way that Matt Smith waves it around is the most pretentious compared to his immediate predecessors. Another thing that I've been sick of is the recurring 19th century England setting, seemed like every other episode had at least some reference to that victorian era stuff, like they just happened to have a warehouse full of era-clothing and needed to use it. I'm tempted to blame the show runner, Moffat. I think he is more than capable of creating creepy and original monsters and he can sketch out a workable 'horror' aspect, but I don't think he has much sense in terms of procedural drama and I don't think he understands women or how to write female characters. Also, he is a little obsessed with the idea of "The Doctor" and filters everything and everyone through him in a way that isn't usually 'the point'. The last thing I would say is that the show feels like it is holding its punches repeatedly. This ties into the 'americanized' feeling. But I mean, that old saying about Doctor Who that you're supposed to watch it from behind your couch, where was that at all this series? There were a couple of really great monsters and settings for really effective horror, but without fail every time something would go down they'd cut away or modify it in some way to not be gory or unpleasant. Sterilized it basically, made it G-rated. There are so many moments from previous Doctor Who series where they wouldn't shy away from depicting someone being melted or incinerated or tortured or enslaved or dissolved or whatever. It's one of the staples of the show, death. But now it feels like most characters don't really 'die' and if they do they come back or the death scene is completely inferred rather than shown. By sterilizing that aspect of the show it makes the Doctor's personification more like a willy wonka or I dunno, Dumbledore or something. Silly man in a blue box, and it really makes it harder to relate or care about the 'huge' portents or scenarios that they still try and throw in there about the Doctor's past or why he is running or who he is or whatever. - Still, I was able to enjoy the recent series in a similar way to how I'm able to enjoy junk food on occasion, which, is regrettable I guess because it is one of my favorite shows and so many intellectual properties and storied and venerable franchises have undergone similar transitions from being interesting and exciting into hollow junk. Who isn't necessarily there yet, but it's not difficult to see the trends. |
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Space Pirate
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Atlanta
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Do you suppose our sentiment is widespread?
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Yarp
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Road Warrior
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Amongst the three or four diehard Whovians I know, they're more or less on the same page about it being a mixed bag with some great presentations and a lot of potentially great ideas and scenarios that were just generally mishandled. Couldn't really say for sure if it's widespread amongst more casual fans, I don't know a lot of people who are casually into Who. I guess, part of what makes this stuff stand out a bit too is that even if you water Who down and make it lowest common denominator and appealing to the median fluff entertainment, it's still a pretty difficult show to just get into what with the whole anywhere in time and space concept and the multiple doctors and the companion as well as all of the 'big' concepts about the universe and time travel and whatever. Dunno, I think it's ratings have been good though, so people are watching it, if nothing else :/
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¡Damned!
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Purgatory
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Clara is too pretty. It distracts me.
I mean, there hasn't been a lack of pretty companions this go-round – Rose, Amy and especially Martha are all very attractive (Donna wasn't, but her personality made me fall for her too), but Clara is something else. I don't mind the allusions to The Doctor maybe having a shag in the back room of the Tardis (half-wondering about Amy's child was a fun little side-arc... ("Time-head" and "It's mine." The crib, it's mine" ), but I feel like Clara's just a little too sex. I dunno. I've been so busy lately that I haven't been able to get through the whole season piled on my DVR yet. Hopefully there's not a straight up fucking scene ahead... I kind've like my Doctor somewhat sexualized but I really don't want to know who or when or what he's sexing. Selfish me. So it goes. |
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Space Pirate
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Atlanta
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Damn. Now all I can think about is Clara and the sonic screwdriver.
Thanks, Grey. ... |
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Veteran Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
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Clara. Rob Stark is one lucky prick.
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¡Damned!
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Purgatory
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The way 11 spastically points that damn thing around all willy-nilly he's bound to find the G-Spot eventually. I reckon he's just incredibly lucky at unlocking doors the way he waves it around so.
So it goes. |
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¡Damned!
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Purgatory
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Veteran Member
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Clara = smirking plank.
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Hates the Infotainment
Join Date: May 2004
Location: NSA Archives
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Am I to assume from Captain Drew's original post, that there was a time when Dr. Who didn't suck? Because I remember this:
...and I'm reasonably sure it sucked. (And Downton Abbey sucks too and no I will not watch a single episode. Not unless the networks forcibly put Jersey Shore, Hillbilly Handfishin' and Call of the Wild Man on every other channel.) ...into the light of a dark black night. |
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Space Pirate
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Atlanta
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TOM BAKER NEVER SUCKED!!!!!
not on purpose, anyhow ... |
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Veteran Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
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For the umpteenth millionth damn time.
IT'S DOCTOR WHO. NOT F'ING ABBREVIATED. |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Fredericton, New Brunswick
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Yikes. I can only imagine your rage upon hearing the news that the jokes weren't just jokes, and that Moffat is indeed casting Jason Statham as the next Doctor.
"The things that will destroy us are: politics without principle; pleasure without conscience; wealth without work; knowledge without character business without morality; science without humanity; and worship without sacrifice." - Mahatma Gandhi |
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Hates the Infotainment
Join Date: May 2004
Location: NSA Archives
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I wonder if Doctor is his first name. Doctor Oswald Who.
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Space Pirate
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Atlanta
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Fredericton, New Brunswick
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Rocket Surgeon
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: The Canadark
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Hey guys! Stop the presses! The new Doctor Who is, get this, another white guy. And he's Scottish. What radical casting decisions they make. Those crazy guys.
Oh, and by the way, they retconned away the 13 regeneration limit. So no worries about the franchise there. (It was a pretty throwaway concept,after all. It has only been mentioned 5 times across 4 different series and the movie.) |
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Yarp
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Road Warrior
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It's kind of interesting to see how this is the iteration of the Doctor that finally really gets people noticing/upset/talking about it being Another White Dude. Doctor Who has always been one of the most progressive shows with regards to support characters and special guests and all but in a perfectly British way is firmly 'post-colonial' within that all of these diverse and varied support roles are gently guided by a dependably White Male. Ouch, was that too cynical?
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Space Pirate
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Atlanta
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I for one am glad that he's older.
Now all they need to do is DESTROY the sonic screwdriver and stop writing scripts that are timed out for a Vine video. ... |
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Veteran Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
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Thank god it wasn't Ron Weasley.
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Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2004
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What? No scathing bitching about the mini-episode released today?
Son, I am disappoint. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U3jrS-uhuo (I about peed my pants when [REDACTED] hove into view. Amazingly dense bit of continuity stitching!) |
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Selfish Heathen
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Zone of Pain
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¡Damned!
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Purgatory
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I can't watch any of that. I'm not up to speed yet on Clara.
She's on my DVR, waiting, but I dunno. I kind've lost my oomph with The Doctor after Amy and Rory went away. I'm sure Clara's fine, if distractingly gorgeous, and does all the right companion things. But still. I have a hard time letting go of Doctors, so the more I push this last season away the more time I have to ease in. So it goes. Last edited by 709 : 2013-11-15 at 09:49. |
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Hates the Infotainment
Join Date: May 2004
Location: NSA Archives
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http://youtu.be/agL3NHgb8Rk?t=3m6s Because of this I feel qualified to expand on the disappoint, at Michel Therrien's request. He too finds this show intolerable. Hot chic alone on spaceship, in distress and in need of teleporting, you've got the love-booth right there... on the ship! What does he do? Turns her off cold with his British sense of humor and they crash. This man is a failure. He could've been flying through space-time making the sweet sweet love. Instead he ends up in a cave with some angry lesbian bent on blackmailing him with her 4 minutes of life elixir. I knew there was a reason why this show sucked. 100% of real men directors / script-writers would've ended that episode with boob pressed gently against the flying phone booth, backdropped by swirling nebulae and moans of passion. In fact I think I've invented a new genre: WHO-pron! ...into the light of a dark black night. Last edited by Moogs : 2013-11-15 at 11:34. |
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Hates the Infotainment
Join Date: May 2004
Location: NSA Archives
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Space Pirate
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Atlanta
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Moogs, the genre of slash fiction is no doubt well older than YOU!!
Thanks for the link, Kick- I'd missed it! Nice to see them integrating McGann back into the timeline, officially. ... |
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Hates the Infotainment
Join Date: May 2004
Location: NSA Archives
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I am talking about a man (the supposed "Doctor," not to be abbreviated, and his flying phone booth), and the woman he tried to rescue out of the crashing ship. Unless I've been duped and she was one of the chics with dicks that The Randall talked about... ...that does not seem probable however, given her body type, voice and lack of giant adams apple. So you see, I am suggesting the good Doctor grab this vixen, toss her in his magic time transport booth before the ship crashes (yah I like how neither of them were burned to a crisp upon impact), and while traveling to the nearest convenient dimension... lovin. Surely you must've been thinking the same thing as you watched that knob joke his way into what should've been a fiery crash from which the series itself could not recover. Seriously though does anyone have to look any deeper into this show beyond the flying phone booth to know the show sucks? Couldn't he have been granted a flying Aston Martin or something appropriately British like that? ...into the light of a dark black night. |
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Space Pirate
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Atlanta
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I thought slash included traditional boy/girl stories too?
Because there's plenty of Doctor-on-Companion fanfic out there. There just has to be. ... |
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