Doctor who series 9 episode 3: Under the lake.

[rosac]

I want to open this thread by saying: Thanks doctor who, I didn't want to sleep tonight anyway.

The villains are actually terrifying, and the fact their motive is relatively unknown makes them even more so. Add in the clifhanger and you've got a solid episode. The characters are actually all quite well rounded from the cowardly scientist to the rather obvious couple of signer/deaf commander (unless they do a bait and switch and she's actually more bothered about another crew member.)

The setting is great and adds tension without being too over the top as well as having safety features that make sense for a change.

Also, sonic glasses are still awesome.

 

[Gizmo1990]

As much as I have disliked the show over the last 5 years or so I actually mostly liked this episode. The villains were good and while we are only a few episodes in it actually feels like Doctor Who and not The amazing Clara Oswald show.

Speaking of Clara she has improved alot over last year already seeing as she is not being a bossy, controling, self righteous ***** who think she knows better than the time traveling alien super genius she hangs out with so enjoying that.

My only complaint, other than not knowing it was a 2 parter and now wishing I had simply waited until next week and watched both in a row, was the ending itself. The Doctor is going to die. Again. This has been used far too much in the last few years and they need to give it a rest.

 

[Thaluikhain]

I thought it wasn't that bad. Some annoying parts, but mostly reasonable. Didn't think the ghosts were scary, though, and how good this ep is very much depends on how good next ep is.

But, I wish killing off a main character who isn't really going to be killed off wouldn't be the cliffhanger.

 

[Fieldy409_v1legacy]

Nice interesting mystery episode... and finally the return of two parters! I dont know if its actually been long since one that isnt a season ending, but I feel Theres been so many Doctor Who episodes in recent years that felt waaay too crammed into one episode that felt like they should have been two parters. You barely get to figure out whats going on before the Doctor Deus Ex'es the shit out of everything.

 

[Skip Bittman]

Very old school and an enjoyable base under siege romp, really bored of Clara as a companion tho.

 

[Mikeybb]

Really caught the feel of the classic doctor.
Also enjoying the two parter setup right now, though would be happy to see one or two throwaway one shots mid season for a lighter story.
Balance of humour and horror was spot on.
The flash cards were my favorite gag of the night.

Was it just me or did Capaldi sound a bit like Baker at a couple of points?

 

[madwarper]

Except it left the question why does the Deaf Woman need a dedicated signer when she can lip read quite that well ?

I would question just how "quite that well" her ability to read lips was, seeing as she was only able to recognize that the "ghosts" were saying the same thing over and over, then figure out what it was when she was watching them on video. She couldn't do it when they first saw the ghosts.

But regardless, even if she could read 100% of the lips 100% of the time, that only benefits her. Her ability to read lips is of no benefit to the rest of the crew who wouldn't have any way of receiving the orders of their acting commanding officer, other than through the signer.

 

[Superbeast]

I quite enjoyed it, and it is an interesting cliff-hanger. The two-parters are working out quite well so far - was really disappointed by episode 1 but the last two have been interesting.

Of particular note is that the Doctor's "ghost" is floating underwater and the teaser for the next episode involves the shattering of the dam, whilst the one of the time that we have seen the doctor actually dead was in "Turn Left", where in the alternate time-line sudden flooding killed him before he could begin to regenerate.

However, there were some major plot-flaws/moments of stupidity that stood out to my partner and I:

1) Why do they have audio-only warnings and notifications and a deaf crew-member/commander? Also, they have all been on the base for an extended period of time yet only the interpreter signs - that's really rude of the others.

2) Why did they use the commander's interpreter in their "bait" plan, given that everything falls apart if he gets killed, given the aforementioned lack of sign-language amongst the rest of the crew?

3) In the explanation for what changes in "night mode", why does the base shut down the diagnostics on the electromagnetic doors overnight, the doors they explain are to stop the complex flooding and the crew being killed, whilst the crew is presumably asleep? That seems like the last conceivable time you would want to have such safety precautions turned off. In fact I can't even understand why they need to be turned off in the first place.

4) They killed the black guy first. I'm not sure whether to be amused at the trope or annoyed by it.

5) The sonic sunglasses...fuck off.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Didn't they establish last season that the afterlife was actually a Cyberman recruiting program?

 

[Uncle Comrade]

2) Why did they use the commander's interpreter in their "bait" plan, given that everything falls apart if he gets killed, given the aforementioned lack of sign-language amongst the rest of the crew?

I think it was more a case of he was the only one they could use, they needed three runners to distract the ghosts, the technician woman had to stay on the bridge to control the doors, and the deaf one wouldn't be able to hear instructions over the intercom.

Also, the ghosts only go after those who've seen the writing inside the ship, and if I remember correctly, he was the only one who didn't go in for a look when they opened it up at the start, so he's probably safe. In fact, I bet that's why the ghost didn't kill him when it had him cornered.

 

[Selucia]

I think the deaf woman knows more than she is letting on she didn't let the guy who hasn't seen the writing in the ship at all even before the ghosts started to appear and the ship killed the captain although she could just be overprotective. Hoping they have put effort into answering all these mysteries left by the cliff hanger.

 

[elvor0]

Didn't they establish last season that the afterlife was actually a Cyberman recruiting program?

Yup, and they blew it up.

 

[Bobular]

4) They killed the black guy first. I'm not sure whether to be amused at the trope or annoyed by it.

When we were watching it, as soon as we saw him we were having bets if he'd be the first one to die. We all agreed that he would but were actually shocked when it happened, we didn't actually expect them to kill the black guy first so blatantly.

5) The sonic sunglasses...fuck off.

Also this. I was seriously hoping it was a throw away joke in the last episode. I mean its such an iconic peace of kit, and to replace it with something that looks like it was picked up out of a pound shop just boggles my mind. How do they expect to sell thousand to fans when you can pick them up anywhere already (I think I have a pare that look just like them somewhere).

Complaining over, I do believe the actual episodes them selves have been quite good this series so far, so will look past sonic sunglasses for now.