Doctor Who

[Glenn]

The latest episode made me cry. Not huge big full-on tears cry, but cry all the same.

Dark. To all those saying it has young stars and a new look "for the kids", rubbish nonsense. Very dark.

Good, too.

Not Tennant-good, but good.

[EuroMIX]

I want a Space Whale to carry me across the stars on it's back...

[The Conductor]

Personally, I adore the new series, adore it.

So far both episodes have been great, Matt is a great Doctor and Karen is a great companion. The theme tune is great, it's mixing of the style of the RTD theme and the OLD OLD OLD theme, which I feel complements the series well as thats the kind of thing I think Moffat is aiming for.

On a side note, why do Americans keep calling them Darleks? Do they get called that in the States? Or is it just a coincidence that the four or so people I've seen do it are American?

[Doctor MK]

My verdict on The Beast Below...

If I'm totally honest, I was a little disappointed on first viewing. It was a good story with a dark and emotional resolution, don't get me wrong, but it initially just seemed to lack something. I suppose after a run of big, epic stories as of late (such as The End of Time and The Eleventh Hour) it just felt small in comparison, but that's fine - not every episode has to be as big and as epic. Besides, we have the Daleks, the Weeping Angels and River Song in the next three weeks, they're bound to make up for it

As for Matt Smith as The Doctor... I like him. He's not a David Tennant beater in my eyes, but he's not a bad Doctor. They could have picked far, far worse.

...oh, and did anyone else notice the crack on the Starship UK at the very end of the episode? They're really building up this whole "crack in the universe" arc...

[Flyboy Fox]

Yeah, the crack's been mentioned a few times already (;

I finally got to see The Beast Below and I sorta have mixed feelings on it. It was very atmospheric - the ambience was wonderfully done, very spooky. But it didn't really feel like anything we've not seen a hundred times before. The 'smilers' could have been any other mask-faced mechanical/voodoo-type things from any number of previous shows. And the space whale, while a gorgeous idea, didn't seem all that realistic to me in how it continued to help so willingly even after all of the torture. I can understand its initial intentions, but after all of that, to just carry right on? But worst of all for me was how quickly Amy seems to suddenly know and understand the Doctor. Really. To understand the depths of his psyche, to hug him that way, to hold him and tell him "I've got you" so soon... It just kind of feels like a kick in the teeth to the other companions who took SEASONS to get to that place with him.

Having said all that, it was an enjoyable episode. Liz 10 was great, and the idea of Great Britain in the sky (minus Scotland, lol), connected by tube stations, was epic. I always do feel a little odd, though, when 'future' Earth still has the same icons... same lollipop lady signs, same tube stop emblem... it didn't really seem like it could be THAT many years in the future. But the Doctor's detective work with both the glass and with Liz 10's mask was good.

I also really liked the voting booth idea. Democracy in action, indeed!

Finally, my opinion on Matt Smith as the Doctor. I like him. Much more than I expected to. I like that he's a little... odd-looking. He's not conventionally handsome. He also has an... almost... a sort of speech impediment that's really cute. He can't always say "th" and says it closer to "f" ("I fink..."). Dunno if anyone else noticed, but it's kind of endearing. He still seems kind of unconfident in his new body, which is understandable. It's more realistic that way. But I'm enjoying him so far, even if Tennant has a special place in my heart (and loins :3 ♥).

[SoniClub]

I really loved the last episode, it was really satisfying and it gives me great hopes for the new series. This new writer, forget his name, is absolutely brilliant in my opinion. His stories are almost like mini mysteries and always have a really clever way to resolve it all. I've loved his previous episodes, in particular "Blink" and "The Library", which were both gems of their own and I really can't wait to see what he makes out of a whole series!

I found the turning heads and the buttons to be really creepy and I think they're a very interesting concept, so I hope we get to see more of them in the future!

Bit disappointed by the Daleks are returning yet again... They seem to "bring them back" twice or even three times a series! It's been done to death so i'm just hoping this new writer will have made it more interesting!

[Flyboy Fox]

Well, the Daleks ARE a Doctor Who staple... probably THE biggest one. It makes sense that the Doctor should have to face them repeatedly and in each of his incarnations. How well its done is the potential deal-breaker.

[Badnik Mechanic]

Anyone else noticed that the Daleks can be quite funny at times?

Like when they fought against the Cybermen some of the dialogue exchange was quite funny.

Rose: You didn't need to kill him!

Dalek: Neither did we need him alive!

Cybermen: You have declared war upon the Cybermen!

Dalek: This is not war! This is pest control!

Cybermen: we have 5 million cybermen, how many are you?

Dalek: four

Cybermen: you will destroy the cybermen with four daleks?

Dalek: we would destroy the cybermen with one dalek, you are superior in only one respect

Cybermen: what is that?

Dalek: You are better at dying

But nothing in the Doctor Who universe can beat the comedy stylings of Dalek Caan

[Doctor MK]

Speaking of funny Daleks...

Cup of tea, anyone?

"I. AM. YOUR. SOLDIER!"

[Patticus]

I can't even tell you what I'm posting a picture of, on account of it spoiling an element of the story this weekend. It's on the Radio Times cover though.

It's the new look Daleks!

And the images;

http://www.radiotimes.com/content/features/galleries/doctor-who-daleks/01/

I like it, it's all retro-style like the new Tardis and new logo/credits/music.

[The Conductor]

It would appear that Doctor Who is getting some recognition in the states as the new series will be airing this saturday.

[Mollfie]

I hate darleks, I've always found them really boring. But I understand why they're there. I just hope they'll do something more interesting.

I loved the whale. It stayed because it loves the children. I think that's a good enough reason. I also thought that Amy didn't work out The Doctor too quickly, it's pretty obvious isn't it? Plus I thought it came across partly that she genuinely thought it and partly that she was being nice because she didn't want him to be angry with her and also make her go home. She'd also seen The Doctor being very kind throughout the episode, and she knows he's very old. So saying it to him isn't exactly a huge step lol.

[Flyboy Fox]

I also thought that Amy didn't work out The Doctor too quickly, it's pretty obvious isn't it? Plus I thought it came across partly that she genuinely thought it and partly that she was being nice because she didn't want him to be angry with her and also make her go home. She'd also seen The Doctor being very kind throughout the episode, and she knows he's very old. So saying it to him isn't exactly a huge step lol.

He's always been leery of letting any of his companions get too close too fast, so letting her hug him and comfort him like that so quickly just didn't sit right with me. I've always loved how each of the companions grew to understand his loneliness and need over time, so for her to understand so quickly like that just felt cheap.

[Mollfie]

^maybe he's changed, realising that it's ok to let people get close to him sometimes? Maybe he's still not quite back to his usual self? Maybe he fancies her pants off and fancies a roll in the...tardis?

[Flyboy Fox]

It just seemed to me like a slap in the faces of all the other companions who have had to EARN that privilege. I just don't think that Amy deserves that yet, that's all.

[Mollfie]

Yeah, maybe they'll explain it later? I didn't like the other companions (except Donna) so I dunno... we shall have to see!

[Patticus]

Mark Gatiss has apparently directly referenced Patrick Troughton's first story - The Power Of The Daleks. In an interview with the Radio Times, he claimed that there will be elements of it in the style of his episode and his presentation of the Daleks. This is great news as that's a very well liked Who story.

[Mollfie]

Oh, also, they'd just nearly died so I can understand them hugging in a way. You'd be pretty damn relieved you hadn't died, and he'd also be relieved that he hadn't killed the whale, and they'd be relieved that no one else had died when Amy took that chance.

Just a random thought.

Still, I'm hoping they'll explain it at some point.

[Velotix von Skruviktorrius]

Personally, I think the fact that he was in one of his occassional "Humanity Sucks I Hate All You Guys" moods and then got thoroughly pwned by a human Taking a Third Option in a way he never could - it probably reminded him of Rose. That would easily make him warm up to Amy lightning fast. Plus up until then he was quietly raging about taking her home in disgrace at the end of the episode until that point, so to u-turn like that he had to be seriously impressed.

Just a thought. :3

[-Mark-]

Hmm.

I reckon this was certainly the weakest episode of the series so far to be honest. Maybe because these days, you know that no matter what happens, the Daleks are never going to be 'beaten for good'. The very fact that the Daleks were even in the episode made it almost instantly predictable.

Also am I the only one who thought 'Power Rangers' upon seeing the new Daleks?

I must say though, I do think that Amy seems too... comfortable with her new situation already, almost unnaturally so. Maybe that's down to the fact she'd been dreaming of it since childhood, but still.

[Doctor MK]

So, Victory of the Daleks.

I thought it was average. Amazingly average. I had high hopes for this episode, but I feel disappointed by what was allegedly the "best Dalek story since the show's revival".

The main problem was the same as in The Beast Below - the story just seemed to rattle through without much pause for breath and without much explanation. I'm sure if I sit down and watch the episode again I'll take more things in, but it didn't keep me gripped at all. It wasn't a bad episode or even a bad concept, something about it just didn't entirely click for me.

I love the new look Daleks though. They are some bad-ass intergalactic mofos.

And why didn't Amy remember the Daleks? The story arc becomes more and more intriguing... as does the crack in time. Dun dun DUN.

I'm more hopeful for next week's episode, if only because it's a two-parter... 45 minutes just doesn't seem to be cutting it for a Doctor Who story in this Moffat series. The Eleventh Hour was brilliant stuff, but the other two episodes so far have just felt rushed to me. I really hope things start to pick up soon.

Verdict: 3/5

[SuperLink]

Agreed with what's been said, weakest episode so far, predictable, power rangers, new Darleks look pretty damn awesome, etc etc.

Also kinda agree about Amy being too comfortable. That's one thing I really don't like about the companions, they're just average kids but sometimes they act like they're really smart or great. I mean I guess The Doctor can't stop telling them how great they are, so it goes to their heads, but maybe they should tone down the "I think I'm helping" thing. Aaahh I dunno.

Also I thought the crack was a bit too obvious this time...

But anyway, the Darlek humour was brilliant as always, if there's one awesome thing about the Darleks, it's that they can be as hilarious as they are terrifying. The Jammy Dodger bit was awesome too.

Looking forward to and dreading next week. I'm going to have nightmares for months. ._.

[-Mark-]

The reason that the Daleks suck now is because you know that they're never going to be killed off 'for good' because they're far too iconic to the series for that to ever happen. Anyone too main to the series basically has plot shield. And the fact that the Daleks have said plot shield just makes their continued appearances seem tacky, predictable and relatively boring, if you ask me.

I mean, since the 2005 series started, it's basically been a rinse-repeat cycle of 'last surviving Dalek/ small group of survivors- said survivors escape and cultivate millions more- millions more get a kicking and are whittled back down to a small group of survivors'. It's just getting so repetitive, and the fact you know that, no matter what the plot might try and make you think, it's never 'the end of the Daleks', and they're never beaten for good. It just makes it hard to take any Dalek plots seriously.

At the same time, it's the same fact they're so iconic to the series that makes it a case of 'you can't not include them'- which in itself is a very difficult position, really. They're so deeply ingrained in the series that you basically have to include them once in a while- but at the same time, it's that importance to the franchise as a whole that prevents anything drastic ever happening with them (i.e., actually ever being killed off for good), and thus leads to this annoying cycle that we seem to be stuck in, really.

If you ask me, they need to cut down on Dalek appearances, and mix things up a bit when they do actually show up. I still think Doomsday at the end of series 2 was the last 'memorable' time the Daleks did anything, for me. To be honest everything after that was just a case of "Oh, they're back.". Hell, I can't even remember all the individual instances they've appeared since. I only remember a part in either series 3 or 4 (can't remember which) because there was a Dalek speaking German and it was funny.

You know what I think would be an epic finale sendoff for them (although I have no idea if the idea was touched upon in the classic series at all)? Actually going to the Dalek planet (or a new one, again, if the idea's been done) and blowing it up and finishing them all off somehow.

Edited April 18, 2010 by Mahzes

[Doctor MK]

If you ask me, they need to cut down on Dalek appearances, and mix things up a bit when they do actually show up. I still think Doomsday at the end of series 2 was the last 'memorable' time the Daleks did anything, for me. To be honest everything after that was just a case of "Oh, they're back.". Hell, I can't even remember all the individual instances they've appeared since. I only remember a part in either series 3 or 4 (can't remember which) because there was a Dalek speaking German and it was funny.

You know what I think would be an epic finale sendoff for them (although I have no idea if the idea was touched upon in the classic series at all)? Actually going to the Dalek planet (or a new one, again, if the idea's been done) and blowing it up and finishing them all off somehow.

Since the 2005 revival the Daleks have appeared in the following episodes:

Series 1 - Dalek, Bad Wolf, The Parting of the Ways

Series 2 - Army of Ghosts, Doomsday

Series 3 - Daleks in Manhattan, Evolution of the Daleks

Series 4 - The Stolen Earth, Journey's End

Series 5 - Victory of the Daleks

They also had a brief appearance in the Waters of Mars, in one of Adelaide's flashbacks to the events of Journey's End.

Journey's End is the episode with Daleks speaking German, by the way. Exterminieren, exterminieren!

And I agree the Dalek plots have become all too predictible. It really has become a case of "small number of Daleks who survived by some random plot convenience bring back lots more Daleks, are defeated, then run off again" - rinse and repeat.

Also, hasn't Skaro already been destroyed in the Time War, along with Gallifrey?

Edited April 18, 2010 by MK:UK

[TheGerkuman]

At least the Daleks had the upper hand throughout this episode, and didn't stupidly give The Doctor any weakness to exploit. That's what carried this episode for me; that and I think Gattis a good Doctor Who writer.

Exterminieren!

Edited April 18, 2010 by New Gerkuman