Doctor Who

[Badnik Mechanic]

Perception Filters.

Episode 1: Amy couldn't see the other room due to a... Perception filter.

Episode 2: (was there a mention of one here?)

Episode 3: Not really a mention of a perception filter, other than the robot looking human.

Episode 4: "How did we not see the statues were the angels" "Some kind of perception filter!"

Episode 5: Not a mention, but they still had it.

Episode 6: The aliens are using perception filters to look like vampires.

Anyone else noticed that perception filters are being used a lot in this series?

[SuperLink]

Perception filters might be playing an important role in this series now that you mention it, very interesting.

Brilliant episode, possibly one of the best so far. I'm beginning to really like Rory, even though we haven't seen much of him, the dynamics between him and The Doctor/Amy are pretty funny, and I think Amy has redeemed herself (but there were a lot of "Poor Rory" moments). I also thought this was probably the best episode yet for Smith, lots of funny lines (a surprising amount of innuendo for Doctor Who!) and that "I CAN DO ANYTHING" action I love the series for.

Was also interesting how they linked the series' plot into the episode again, they seem to be focusing on that a lot more this time, whereas most old seasons just focused on the plot in the first and last few episodes, with the bits in between being "filler" almost (amazing filler, but filler nonetheless).

Next week's episode looks indescribably interesting, I have to say. Can't waaaiiit!!

Awesome lines:

"think of the children"

"yours is bigger"

not to mention the classic "your mum", I laughed out loud for a good few seconds at that one

"They're not vampires, they're big space fish"

Fucking brilliant xD

EDIT: Where is everyone D:

Edited May 8, 2010 by SuperLink

[-Mark-]

Did like this episode, and it did redeem Amy a little bit.

I know I'm going to get a lot of "But it's out of character for him!!" backlash at saying this, but dammit, I think Doctor Who doesn't have quite enough action in it. I mean, I was practically begging "Punch her, punch the bitch!" with that damn fishlady at times. D:

Also it'd have been a nice touch for him to try and smash that dohicky at the end, rather than just find the off switch. Hell, even if he resorted to the off switch in the end, it'd have added to the drama nicely if he couldn't find the switch, hit the machine a few times, then calmed down and found the switch, I reckon.

The Doctor has always just been frustratingly pacifistic, not using violence even when most normal people would. I thought they'd remedy that a bit with the 11th Doctor when he punched that guy in the Dalek episode, although doesn't seem like he'll be doing that again, now. D:

Oh, and since I say this every week, [insert random moan about how Smith is too similar to Tennant for my liking and how I can totally picture all these new eps with Tennant instead]. I'll stop saying it soon, promise. Not that I'm likely to think it any less, I'll just let you assume I think it every week. XD

EDIT: Everyone knows Venice is supposed to get attacked by zombies, not vampire fish-aliens. [/House of the Dead 2]

Edited May 9, 2010 by Mahzes

[Glenn]

This episode was the weakest of the season thusfar.

There wasn't enough resolution after last week's weird ending, and the vampire fish aliens weren't given enough development (again).

An overall "meh" from me, alas.

[Doctor MK]

The Vampires of Venice... an enjoyable, light-hearted episode. By no means anything mindblowingly epic, but certainly a fun little romp with some great writing.

I loved the stag-do scene. The Doctor bursting out of a cake and telling Rory that Amy kissed him (and a good kiss at that!) was hilarious. "Funny how you can say something in your head and it sounds just fine!"

At first I was a bit disappointed that the 'vampires' were actually aliens, but it led to some great lines about space fish that put a smile on my face. As I say, some very good writing on this episode.

Next week's episode looks quite interesting, but it's a shame the resolution of which world is the "reality" is probably a bit obvious. But with episodes like this you never can tell... especially with the Dream Lord about!

[Mollfie]

The Doctor has always just been frustratingly pessimistic, not using violence even when most normal people would.

I think you mean pacifist?

I enjoyed it overall. I like Amy as usual, but I found Rory pretty boring to be honest. I thought the opening with the stag-do was great, and The Doctor had some great lines.

Next week looks awesome.

Edited May 8, 2010 by Mollfie

[JezMM]

I was SO expecting the "Bwwwwoaaaaw *theme music*" to cut in as they went to bite the girl at the start, I'm so glad they went down the alternative route by having it after that awkward silence in the stag do scene.

The only thing that bothered me this episode was the horrific expositional dialogue when the girl got thrown into the water to be eaten.

"Oh no I'm in the water!" "Oh no something's touching my leg!" "Oh no something's biting me!" "Oh no I'm being eaten!" "Oh no I'm dead!"

I agree that there were tons of awesome one-liners this week. Shame they gave some of my fave ones away in the trailers.

Edited May 8, 2010 by JezMM

[TheGerkuman]

"Oh no I'm in the water!" "Oh no something's touching my leg!" "Oh no something's biting me!" "Oh no I'm being eaten!" "Oh no I'm dead!"

Better episode than I was expecting. They even made the awful teeth make sense.

Edited May 8, 2010 by Belgiumkuman

[pooshoes]

Knob gags and mum jokes. Steven Moffat, what hast thou done?

Pretty dire episode overall, with some of the worst CGI I've seen since the reboot. The scene on the tower was just dreadful. Who the fuck would climb up a tower and start messing about with a big brass ball in the middle of a thunderstorm?

Also, the aliens were vampiric space lobsters from space, not fish. Fish don't have legs or lobster tails.

[Badnik Mechanic]

Pretty dire episode overall, with some of the worst CGI I've seen since the reboot. The scene on the tower was just dreadful. Who the fuck would climb up a tower and start messing about with a big brass ball in the middle of a thunderstorm?

You've just described the ending for the Evolution of the Daleks episode.

[PSI Wind]

First, anyone know where I can watch new episodes that just appeared in the U.K? BBC UK are assholes.

Second, I hate you guys for getting me into this series.

[The Conductor]

I'm assuming you are from America so I'm gonna say BBC America. It's a few weeks behind but it's better than nothing.

As for the BBC being assholes? Why? Because they wont import a British made, British show aimed at British people to America before it comes out in Britian? That's no diferent than any other network in the world.

[Badnik Mechanic]

First, anyone know where I can watch new episodes that just appeared in the U.K? BBC UK are assholes.

Second, I hate you guys for getting me into this series.

If you've got a PS3 I would suggest trying to make a UK PSN ID and then trying to access the BBC Iplauyer but I'm not sure that would work.

Otherwise I'd try searching for ways to watch the BBC Iplayer outside of the UK. Chances are theres something.

Or youtube, it won't be there for long but it'll appear.

[Mollfie]

Knob gags and mum jokes. Steven Moffat, what hast thou done?

Pretty dire episode overall, with some of the worst CGI I've seen since the reboot. The scene on the tower was just dreadful. Who the fuck would climb up a tower and start messing about with a big brass ball in the middle of a thunderstorm?

Also, the aliens were vampiric space lobsters from space, not fish. Fish don't have legs or lobster tails.

I wondered that too. The CGI did look very much like he was infront of a blue (or is it green?) screen. Which was a little distracting. It would have been more exciting if he was electricuted too =D.

Also, yeah. LOBSTERS not fish. Once fish thing was their face.

[Patticus]

The chances of fish (particularly sentient fish) looking exactly like earth fish when they evolve on alien worlds are so infinitesimally small as to be impossible.

[-Mark-]

I think you mean pacifist?

Yeah, my bad. That's what I actually meant to type, I have no idea how it came out as 'pessimist'. >.<

[Jemnezmy]

I found it quite a weak episode, had some great one-liners though. The stag do was brilliant.

I loved that they had a picture of William Hartnell on the library card. ^^

[JezMM]

I can only think they spent all their CGI budget on the fish which is why the storm looked so naff. Pretty much anytime the Doctor climbs up to the top of a large structure to swing around in the wind for a bit before saving the day you can expect some dodgy CGI though, so I wasn't surprised.

And yes! Good memory Jemnezmy, I loved that library card bit there too.

[PSI Wind]

Greatest part of the show (so far):

I'm almost got up with you Brits >D.

[Badnik Mechanic]

Greatest part of the show (so far):

I'm almost got up with you Brits >D.

Actually... there is something that you might want to do a quick brush up on since you're getting close to it. Toorchwood and a bit of the Sarah Jane Adventures (but this one is not that essential). Mainly because in the final of Tates series as the companion the cast of Toorcwhood and Sarah Jane make a show.

With Sarah Jane I know next to nothing about it. It doesn't make this episode difficulty hard to follow at all. Toorchwoods segment is a bit more in your face so you might want to do a quick look up on that, not need to watch anything, just read a quick explanation about what the show is about.

Actually... With Toorchwood.... this comedy sketch might just fill in the gaps for you.

[PSI Wind]

^ I know about Torchwood.

[Patticus]

'Cold Blood' Synopsis:

It is the most important day in the history of Earth: the dawn of a new age of harmony or the start of its final war.

In the latest episode of the time-travelling drama, written by Chris Chibnall, The Doctor must face his most difficult challenge yet. It is a battle in which he cannot take sides and a day when nobody must die...

What a bloody cut-and-paste idenditkit synopsis that is.

[SuperLink]

Amazing episode. Where's the discussion?

I missed it on TV so had to watch it on iPlayer instead... much to my dismay I had to watch it over like THREE FUCKING HOURS because it was taking so long to load. Wasn't available on the Wii or PS3, and wasn't available in SD either

I loved the episode, imo Amy has been fully redeemed, and I'm sure that was the writers' intentions. She is now one of my fave companions again.

Very creepy with the old people zombies! Doctor Who always comes up with new ways to creep me out in utterly ridiculous ways and still make them brilliant.

The DreamLord was brilliant, and I really wasn't expecting the twist about him. I was also kinda disappointed with it, I thought he would've been like an epic returning villain, but this was also very interesting, The Doctor's dark side being brought out in a terrifyingly playful way.

Awesome.

[Patticus]

I thought that it was really ace.

Excellent set up, and some truly standout moments, as well as some of the funniest exchanges this season. The reveal over who the Dream Lord was seemed a great touch. Hopefully it's something they'll explore in the future;

The way the Doctor looked after he saw the Dream Lord's reflection in place of his own seemed to hint that he's more than aware that his dark side is going to emerge sooner or later, and it's starting to worry him.

I'm hoping that the reflection represents a shift towards the emergence of a darker side to the Doctor. There are already signs of it, and I think that this is a good thing. Tennant never really expressed that side of the doctor. Ecclestone touched on it (his anger at Rose for mis-using time travel, his anger at that nerd kid who telephoned the past, his rage at the Dalek. Despite all this, we never really saw much more it.

Smith is starting to verge towards it. He is snappy and agitated at times, often reacting in unexpected ways to the companions. His line "why does everyone expect me to know everything" it was almost angry in tone.

Better a darker Doctor, than a quack Doctor.

[Doctor MK]

Before watching Amy's Choice, I'd read a rather disappointing spoiler-free review of the episode. Despite thinking the concept of two realities - one a dream, the other reality - was a good one, understandably I wasn't expecting much. However, I am pleased to say that I was pleasantly surprised with how well they pulled this one off.

As I say, I thought the concept was a good one and they managed to make it work. Ultimately it was Amy's choice, choosing between Rory and The Doctor... surely this will have redeemed Amy somewhat in the eyes of everyone who labelled her as a bit of a whore/slut/whatever at the end of Flesh and Stone. It's very refreshing to see a romance going on in the TARDIS and The Doctor not being a part of it (instead of the Doctor/Rose/Mickey relationship in Series 1/2, for example).

My favourite part of this episode? The Dream Lord. Boy oh boy, he was awesome. Toby Jones played him magnificently, my only gripe with his character is that he did not seem to show up as much as I would have liked. You were left constantly trying to guess who he really was ("there's only one person in the universe who hates me as much as you do")... is he The Master? Is he something to do with the Daleks? No. He's The Doctor himself. A dark Doctor. To know that The Doctor has a darker side like that, especially one that seems to think very little of himself, is an interesting twist to the character. In fact, it's left many people speculating that The Dream Lord is in actual fact The Valeyard, who is allegedly The Doctor's dark side in physical form who appears between The Doctor's twelfth and thirteenth incarnations (and has perhaps shown up a bit early through physic dreams as The Doctor is nearing that point).

The regeneration limit issue is rumoured to be dealt with in Episode 11: The Lodger. If it is still a 13 regeneration limit... then who knows? The Dream Lord could be The Valeyard after all. But that remains to be seen.

Next week's episode looks... I dunno, really. It looks okay, but I can't say I'm bursting with anticipation for it. Hopefully it'll be able to match the Weeping Angels two-parter.