New season of Doctor Who ranting (some spoilers)

[Airsoftslayer93]

The rest of the season looks promising, darn radio times spoilers, but i did prefer david tennant, you sort of felt safe with him around even when everything seemed hopeless, like when the master took over earth. the major problem i have had with the new series is the ending of every single episode, they all seem so fake, like its been a reasonable episode and they need a way to wrap it up quickly, so what do they do, slap on a fake ending, examples include children crying in the star whaleone, spitfires in space and unrequited love saving the day in the ww2 one, and the others are equally as absurd. it just doesnt seem like much forethought was put into the ending of each episode

 

[Lord George]

Oh, and you actually prefer Mel to Jack? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!

Prefer is perhaps too strong a term. Jack as a companion is quite good (note the similar man fighting between Doctor/Jack over Rose in The Empty Child and Doctor/Rory over Amy in Amy's Choice) but he's basically a Kirk/Scarlet crossbreed that has no personality beyond "Let's fuck!".
Mel maybe a insanely annoying goit, but at least she express personality.

Did you ever watch Torchwood, it explored Jack's personality and past quite a bit fleshing him out quite nicely as a character and giving him a lot of deapth. (Of course "lets fuck" remains a key staple of his character

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Did you ever watch Torchwood, it explored Jack's personality and past quite a bit fleshing him out quite nicely as a character and giving him a lot of deapth. (Of course "lets fuck" remains a key staple of his character

*nnnnghhhhh* We DO NOT mention the T word.

*twitch*

Constant swearing and Alien Lesbian Sex do NOT make a good series. Especially one that steals a whole series of programmes to make adverts out of it.

Warning: I WILL get very ranty if pushed on this

 

[dragontiers]

snip
A lot of fans (including myself) think that this particular running theme is sort of a red herring, and that there's something else going on in the background that the cracks are distracting us from.

Spoiler: Here's a hint

Did you notice that in "Flesh and Stone" when he comes back to the blinded Amy and whispers those encouraging words, he suddenly has his jacket on again? Even though the Angels snagged it a few minutes before? Is that really a continuity error, or could there be a more sinister explanation?

I really hope you're right and there is another reoccurring theme, cause if this isn't a red herring, I will be seriously disappointed.

And finally, plot wise, the group going in knew they were going to be handling (a) Weeping Angel(s), did you mean to put that in italics tags? yet all they brought with them to take care of it were guns, which for some reason even though it's the future, aren't powerful enough to do more than chip stone. I personally, would have at least brought a sledgehammer. After watching how much good the bullets did,

Spoiler: plus...

plus what becoming an Angel did to that control room Amy was trapped inside (River Song actually took a cutting torch to the door and it didn't even get warm)

I'm fairly certain that sledgehammers wouldn't work either. Now, as for why they brought guns, haven't you ever seen a movie where the militia brings guns against a monster that the audience know has no effect on it?

I know, I guess I just feel that people directly involved with the Doctor (Dr Song) should have used at least some common sense and said "Hey, I know you gotta have your guns, but you might want this too". And just fyi, it wasn't meant to be itallics, it was just supposed to show that they were expecting at least one, possibly more (I don't know how well informed they were going in).

And don't even get me started on the expansion of the Angel's powers. There are just too many flaws there for me, not to mention they feel like the bad guy version of a Mary Sue./rant Well, I don't know if you've noticed the real gimmick in the Angels' powers:

Spoiler: Even...

Even when no other character is watching them, they still can't move whenever they're onscreen... because WE are watching them.

but I think their new power fits thematically.

Spoiler: And here's why

If anything that holds the image of an Angel becomes an Angel, then it explains their fourth-wall-breaking ability in a way that makes them even scarier than they already were.

Actually, I think this portrayed them as MORE vulnerable than they were in "Blink," given that it not only portrayed a way to defeat them without tricking them into looking at each other, but also showed us

Spoiler: this

what happens to them if they starve.

Actually, the things you mentioned are things I really liked about the Weeping Angels.

Spoiler

Showing them starving was a great move, and helped to humanize them a bit, which I think is something Doctor Who does great. Giving monsters something we can understand and relate to, while still showing them as monsters is a hallmark of the series as far as I am concerned. The whole "Anything that holds the image.." bit was also a great way to ramp up the tension. It seems like a neat way for them to reproduce. And as others have said, making them statues when the camera is on them adds to the immersion.

My big issue with the "new" abilities is the ability to drain radiation from the ship to feed themselves (and unless I missed the explanation, I thought they fed off "potential energy" given off by a living creature, not some random radiation), the fact they need to actually kill people so they can get "bodies" (makes them much less scarier to me for some reason), and the way they somehow harness the vocal chords of ones they've killed, but still keep that person's personality. None of that really seemed to fit with the whole concept of the Weeping Angels to me. It all just seemed like arbitrarily tacked on powers to make them scarier, and for me it backfired.

 

[Count Igor]

The only thing I don't like about the new season so far is that they're dragging Amy's boyfriend along for the ride, which they did in the first couple of seasons with Rose and Mickey and I didn't really care for those episodes either. They should just make the companions be single or find a convenient way of getting rid of whatever attachments they have before traveling with the Doctor.

I prefer Rory to Mickey. It felt a lot like Mickey was only there for Rose to run away from in the first episode and to then go the the alternate dimention in the second series. Rory seems like he could have some interesting character growth and after Amys Choice, he will hopefully be complaining a bit less.

Overall, I prefer this season so far. I really like Matt Smith and while I find Amy annoying at times, she really does have nice legs.

You may like Rory. Some may prefer Mickey/Rickey. But we can ALL, and I'm confident here, say we prefer Wilfred. Best characterr so far, to be honest!

Snip

Actually, the things you mentioned are things I really liked about the Weeping Angels.

Spoiler

Showing them starving was a great move, and helped to humanize them a bit, which I think is something Doctor Who does great. Giving monsters something we can understand and relate to, while still showing them as monsters is a hallmark of the series as far as I am concerned. The whole "Anything that holds the image.." bit was also a great way to ramp up the tension. It seems like a neat way for them to reproduce. And as others have said, making them statues when the camera is on them adds to the immersion.

My big issue with the "new" abilities is the ability to drain radiation from the ship to feed themselves (and unless I missed the explanation, I thought they fed off "potential energy" given off by a living creature, not some random radiation), the fact they need to actually kill people so they can get "bodies" (makes them much less scarier to me for some reason), and the way they somehow harness the vocal chords of ones they've killed, but still keep that person's personality. None of that really seemed to fit with the whole concept of the Weeping Angels to me. It all just seemed like arbitrarily tacked on powers to make them scarier, and for me it backfired.

I agree with the Radiation part. That and the moving about while being watched just made them into another monster in Doctor Who, rather than this ingenious, deadly, ancient, amazing creature that appeared once, and had an amazing ending. Think about it, which was better, Blink! or Vampires in Venice?

Anyway, yes the killing does make them less scary somehow, as it makes it (As before) a normal monster. How many of the old aliens have killed in the past? Almost all. But how many send people back in time to LIVE to death? As far as I'm aware, only one. The changes, I think, severed the ties of old Doctor Who that you and others had, and so made it less exciting and memorable.

 

[Sylocat]

Actually, the things you mentioned are things I really liked about the Weeping Angels.

Spoiler

My big issue with the "new" abilities is the ability to drain radiation from the ship to feed themselves (and unless I missed the explanation, I thought they fed off "potential energy" given off by a living creature, not some random radiation), the fact they need to actually kill people so they can get "bodies" (makes them much less scarier to me for some reason), and the way they somehow harness the vocal chords of ones they've killed, but still keep that person's personality. None of that really seemed to fit with the whole concept of the Weeping Angels to me. It all just seemed like arbitrarily tacked on powers to make them scarier, and for me it backfired.

Spoiler: I thought...

I thought they only snapped a person's neck when they wanted to use their voice, at any other time they'd just displace them in time.

 

[Count Igor]

Actually, the things you mentioned are things I really liked about the Weeping Angels.

Spoiler

My big issue with the "new" abilities is the ability to drain radiation from the ship to feed themselves (and unless I missed the explanation, I thought they fed off "potential energy" given off by a living creature, not some random radiation), the fact they need to actually kill people so they can get "bodies" (makes them much less scarier to me for some reason), and the way they somehow harness the vocal chords of ones they've killed, but still keep that person's personality. None of that really seemed to fit with the whole concept of the Weeping Angels to me. It all just seemed like arbitrarily tacked on powers to make them scarier, and for me it backfired.

Spoiler: I thought...

I thought they only snapped a person's neck when they wanted to use their voice, at any other time they'd just displace them in time.

Yeah, he said that they only did that when they needed the body.

Notice the lack of spoilers and spoiler boxes. *Eyebrow-Wiggle*

 

[Disaster Button]

Wait till you see the Amy's Choice episode and then see if you can still figure it out before the Doctor .

I actually did.

After the Angels 2 parter I felt the exact same way as you but after the episodes proceeding it my feelings about it have dwindled, for now. I still think it feels really different from the previous 4 seasons though but not always in a bad way.

After Amy's Choice I feel slightly less dubious but I'm still unsure.

 

[dragontiers]

Also, I love how the seasons usually have some background thing tying them together. I never picked up on Bad Wolf until after the Doctor, and never realized how pervasive it was till they went back and showed us.

It was very subtle though. Saying you picked up on Bad Wolf[footnote]Which know you said you didn't[/footnote] would be like saying you knew Bruce Willis was a ghost.

Sure the undertying theme[footnote]Cracks in time[/footnote] is not as well hidden as the other seasons[footnote]They practically shove it into your face[/footnote] but it is there.

Mos of your complaints are about one episode though. If anything you have a problem with Steven Moffats storylines and writing.[footnote]As for more Angel powers, character/monster development I guess.[/footnote]

I know a lot of my comments are from the one episode, but that's just because it was the most recent one I had seen. As Airsoftslayer93 mentioned, another thing that bothered me horribly was the "spitfire in space". Sure, the "gravity slingshot" will fling them up there, but no atmosphere=no air=no lift=no flight. I don't know. I still like the shows, but it just seems to be missing something this season.

 

[Disaster Button]

A but I also think that some of RTD's biggest detractors haven't seen their favorite Old Who episodes in a while...

Do you REALLY think I've not seen any old Who episodes in a while? Honestly?

RTD's failings aren't his writing ability. It's his slave to symbolism while ignoring continuity. A RTD episode consists of bad Aesopping against the characterisation of the players, with the audience manipulation turned to 11.

Even when watching Black Orchid, Planet of Death or The Green Death, I've not been struck by how dumb the writers are for missing something. The actors maybe, but that's a different story.

I can even watch the horrific Mel(Bonnie Langford) with less internal ranting than fecking Rose, Jack or Marfa.

Just to spiral off topic for a second, do you visit TvTropes by any chance?

 

[NeutralMunchHotel]

Also, I love how the seasons usually have some background thing tying them together. I never picked up on Bad Wolf until after the Doctor, and never realized how pervasive it was till they went back and showed us.

It was very subtle though. Saying you picked up on Bad Wolf[footnote]Which know you said you didn't[/footnote] would be like saying you knew Bruce Willis was a ghost.

Sure the undertying theme[footnote]Cracks in time[/footnote] is not as well hidden as the other seasons[footnote]They practically shove it into your face[/footnote] but it is there.

Mos of your complaints are about one episode though. If anything you have a problem with Steven Moffats storylines and writing.[footnote]As for more Angel powers, character/monster development I guess.[/footnote]

Arguably it was as subtle as, say, the words being painted in big white letters on the side of the TARDIS in episode four.

 

[Mewick_Alex]

Wow if you liked picking a few holes in those episodes then wait until The Vampires of Venice (which I think is the next one), a horrifying number of plotholes rear their heads in that one, as well as the vamp leader being just plain thick.

On the whole I really like the characterisation in the new DW series..... but thats about it. I think the only episodes I particularly enjoyed were the ones written by Steven Moffat.

 

[dragontiers]

Snip

You're asking for explanatin on sci-fi elements...While you're there, remember that this is a show about a time travelling alien...

=]

It's not so much an explanation I'm looking for. It's more logical consistency. I don't really care how the sonic screwdriver can do everything from locking wooden doors with no locks to hacking cell phones to have (literal) universal reception. Back to the spitfire example, all they would have had to say was it created an atmospheric bubble, and it wouldn't have bothered me at all, but all they said was it could send things to space. I know I'm still over-thinking it, but lack of internal consistency always bothers me.

 

[Disaster Button]

Snip

You're asking for explanatin on sci-fi elements...While you're there, remember that this is a show about a time travelling alien...

=]

It's not so much an explanation I'm looking for. It's more logical consistency. I don't really care how the sonic screwdriver can do everything from locking wooden doors with no locks to hacking cell phones to have (literal) universal reception. Back to the spitfire example, all they would have had to say was it created an atmospheric bubble, and it wouldn't have bothered me at all, but all they said was it could send things to space. I know I'm still over-thinking it, but lack of internal consistency always bothers me.

I think they did say it had an atmospheric bubble.. or a gravity shell, I forget which although it was mentioned only once and in passing.

 

[dragontiers]

Snip

You're asking for explanatin on sci-fi elements...While you're there, remember that this is a show about a time travelling alien...

=]

It's not so much an explanation I'm looking for. It's more logical consistency. I don't really care how the sonic screwdriver can do everything from locking wooden doors with no locks to hacking cell phones to have (literal) universal reception. Back to the spitfire example, all they would have had to say was it created an atmospheric bubble, and it wouldn't have bothered me at all, but all they said was it could send things to space. I know I'm still over-thinking it, but lack of internal consistency always bothers me.

I think they did say it had an atmospheric bubble.. or a gravity shell, I forget which although it was mentioned only once and in passing.

I recall quite a bit of gravity mumbo-jumbo, but I don't remember atmosphere mentioned at all. Maybe I missed it but that's why that whole scene (in particular) threw me off.

 

[Disaster Button]

Snip

You're asking for explanatin on sci-fi elements...While you're there, remember that this is a show about a time travelling alien...

=]

It's not so much an explanation I'm looking for. It's more logical consistency. I don't really care how the sonic screwdriver can do everything from locking wooden doors with no locks to hacking cell phones to have (literal) universal reception. Back to the spitfire example, all they would have had to say was it created an atmospheric bubble, and it wouldn't have bothered me at all, but all they said was it could send things to space. I know I'm still over-thinking it, but lack of internal consistency always bothers me.

I think they did say it had an atmospheric bubble.. or a gravity shell, I forget which although it was mentioned only once and in passing.

I recall quite a bit of gravity mumbo-jumbo, but I don't remember atmosphere mentioned at all. Maybe I missed it but that's why that whole scene (in particular) threw me off.

*shrug* I didn't much like that episode anyway so that's one more thing to add to the list of why that episode sucked furniture. The only fun thing in that episode was Power Ranger Daleks.

 

[dragontiers]

Snip

You're asking for explanatin on sci-fi elements...While you're there, remember that this is a show about a time travelling alien...

=]

It's not so much an explanation I'm looking for. It's more logical consistency. I don't really care how the sonic screwdriver can do everything from locking wooden doors with no locks to hacking cell phones to have (literal) universal reception. Back to the spitfire example, all they would have had to say was it created an atmospheric bubble, and it wouldn't have bothered me at all, but all they said was it could send things to space. I know I'm still over-thinking it, but lack of internal consistency always bothers me.

I think they did say it had an atmospheric bubble.. or a gravity shell, I forget which although it was mentioned only once and in passing.

I recall quite a bit of gravity mumbo-jumbo, but I don't remember atmosphere mentioned at all. Maybe I missed it but that's why that whole scene (in particular) threw me off.

*shrug* I didn't much like that episode anyway so that's one more thing to add to the list of why that episode sucked furniture. The only fun thing in that episode was Power Ranger Daleks.

I actually found Daleks serving tea to be quite humerous, and thought the

Spoiler

robotic scientist to be quite interesting. Although I didn't like the way they defused the bomb at the end.

 

[Disaster Button]

Snip

You're asking for explanatin on sci-fi elements...While you're there, remember that this is a show about a time travelling alien...

=]

It's not so much an explanation I'm looking for. It's more logical consistency. I don't really care how the sonic screwdriver can do everything from locking wooden doors with no locks to hacking cell phones to have (literal) universal reception. Back to the spitfire example, all they would have had to say was it created an atmospheric bubble, and it wouldn't have bothered me at all, but all they said was it could send things to space. I know I'm still over-thinking it, but lack of internal consistency always bothers me.

I think they did say it had an atmospheric bubble.. or a gravity shell, I forget which although it was mentioned only once and in passing.

I recall quite a bit of gravity mumbo-jumbo, but I don't remember atmosphere mentioned at all. Maybe I missed it but that's why that whole scene (in particular) threw me off.

*shrug* I didn't much like that episode anyway so that's one more thing to add to the list of why that episode sucked furniture. The only fun thing in that episode was Power Ranger Daleks.

I actually found Daleks serving tea to be quite humerous, and thought the

Spoiler

robotic scientist to be quite interesting. Although I didn't like the way they defused the bomb at the end.

Oh god I forgot all about the tea serving Dalek, I think something inside me split with laughter when I saw that.

I also liked the new voice of the Daleks, it was very dramatic and.. throbbing, especially the scene when the Supreme told the Doctor about the bomb.