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Underground > Film, TV & Theatre >

Doctor Who: Season 2 UK

  
  

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Regrettable Juvenilia
18:37 / 10.06.06
Everything about this episode was great, with only one exception: Tennant really, REALLY needs to stop the gurning.
 
 
Paolo
18:39 / 10.06.06
Also the torchwood references might be more than just setting for the spin-off. It could be the "Bad Wolf" of this season

Tonights was a damn fine episode. I did think that the whole story was wrapped up in the past ten minutes and was half hoping for another cliffhanger and the first 3 part story of the new Doctor Who run - although the Doctor who geek in me knew it was just a two parter.

I so wish Kenneth Grant and Michael Bertiaux would collaborate on a story.
 
 
Mourne Kransky
20:30 / 10.06.06
Super duper!

Liked the Beast's broken right horn. Liked the beast, full stop. Splendid two-parter that was, even if it did dwindle into Tardis ex Machina at the end there but, hey ho, that's the Tardis' job.
 
 
STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK
20:54 / 10.06.06
If you're fighting Satan, a Deus Ex Machina seems only fair...
 
 
Spatula Clarke
21:24 / 10.06.06
The problem with the Torchwood shit isn't that it's there, it's that it's so in your fucking face all the time. Just as you're settling into an episode, the writer shoehorns a Torchwood reference in and you're sucked straight out. Every example of it so far has been woefully cack-handed. And probably entirely unnecessary. Bad Wolf at least had some subtlety to it (up until the end).

And if it is another Bad Wolf, then fuck that shit. Why do we need it? Are we now going to have every single in every single series littered with uncomfortable links to their respective concluding episodes? I bloody well hope not. Doing it two series in a row would be rubbish - that kind of thing only works if it catches the audience unawares.

Other than that, great episode.
 
 
Lama glama
21:28 / 10.06.06
This thread should be rammed right now.

RAM!

I was afraid that the second part wouldn't hold up to the first, but fortunately it surpassed it in most respects. I didn't think Tennant was gurning (or at least not to a Sylvester McCoy extent, anyway) and felt that this was his best performace since The Christmas Invasion. His disquiet as he descended into the pit was tangible in his eyes and if an actor can express such a nuanced state of mind as disquiet with few words, then he's doing something right-something that is very distant from gurning.

The director went for that style last used in Tooth and Claw during the pit scene; the style utilising quick cuts to represent the Doctor piecing everything together. Rose's performace was equally as meritorious, especially in the tunnels and when she believed the Doctor was dead. This was the second time the new season of Who has made me teary (the first time being the end of School Reunion), a feat the first season only accomplished with Father's Day.

Once again, the additional cast were great and the deaths of both crew members were brilliantly shot and performed. The sight of the Ood from behind, just as it was about to pounce on Jefferson was quite unsettling. Speaking of unsettling, this was undoubtedly the "scariest" of the new season, thanks to the excellent lighting during the Ood/Beast speech at the beginning, great CGI for the beast, music and so on.

Great to hear the Lonely Timelord musical cue again and for the fanboys out there, references to the Timelord's creation of black holes was pretty nifty too.

Not too sure about next week. Seems to me like it could be a Jackie-centric episode. If it is, I'm not sure she can carry an entire episode on her own. It's been widely reported (@mods, delete this if it breaks the no spoilers remit) that Tennant and Piper only have minimal roles in this episode and Jackie always works best when playing off against those two. I'd love to see more of Jackie and The Doctor playing off of each other-their brief exchanges in the Christmas Invasion were amazing.

Peter Kay looks a bit..pantomime in the black outfit and (*sigh*) twirly moustache. Still, it's not like pantomime doesn't have a place in New Who. Anthony Head was pretty over-the-top in School Reunion, but most people seem to believe that he was an excellent villain. I'm just hoping that the next episode is acceptable. After such a strong group of episodes (everything after the middle of the road Cybermen two parter) it'd be a shame to interrupt the flow of top quality.

Can't believe the season is nearly over, but at least we'll have Torchwood to enjoy 'til this year's Christmas Special.
 
 
Tryphena Absent
22:21 / 10.06.06
But I would PAY the scriptwriters to stop him saying "you humans, always stepping over the edge, what is it about you?" EVERY BLOOOOOODDYY WEEK.
 
 
Bed Head
23:29 / 10.06.06
Yeah, I agree that the humans are amaaazing stuff is Too Much, and argh I hated to see the return of the Tooth And Claw-style editing when the Doctor was figuring it all out, but dammit, I still totally *loved* this episode. Loved the visual economy of having them crawling around in tunnel after identical tunnel, and successfully wringing all the tension out of that, and leaving the doctor dangling in blackness for what seemed like the longest time, and then having all the really *special* special effects, complete with prog-rock-shaped rocket ship, straight off a Yes album cover, coming in a big special rush at the end.

(Also. The recurring thing that I *do* like this season is all the references to the doctor’s immense age. In every single episode. ‘Cause, really, that’s something I was worried about when lovely, wrinkly-smiled Eccles left and Tennant, who looks so bloody smooth-faced and young, took over. But I think they’re pretty successfully convincing me that this Doctor is actually much older than Eccles was. And I’m more inclined to let them off for ramping up all the Doctor and Rose couple-y stuff if they’re going to keep emphasizing the ludicrous, bazillion-year age gap like this. I particularly liked Tennant's line in School Reunion, the "I’m soooo old now... I used to have so much mercy" line, but this episode, a rather awesomely ancient monster pops up and it all gets properly cosmic and stuff. Yayness. I do like my Doctor Who to be really, really old. In a really really REALLY old universe, no less.)
 
 
Regrettable Juvenilia
00:29 / 11.06.06
I didn't think Tennant was gurning (or at least not to a Sylvester McCoy extent, anyway) and felt that this was his best performace since The Christmas Invasion. His disquiet as he descended into the pit was tangible in his eyes and if an actor can express such a nuanced state of mind as disquiet with few words, then he's doing something right-something that is very distant from gurning.

Tennant was excellent during the descent into the pit, sure - the gurning came later, during the patented "Doctor figures it out and rants at the baddie" bit.

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned the Beast's prediction that Rose is going to die in battle. Foreshadowing or misdirection, that's the question...
 
 
■
07:42 / 11.06.06
I thought it was great. Not quite as good as the previous episode (a few too many bits where I was thinking "get on with it!") and it did seema little callous to kill off the Ood. Otherwise very good. I particularly liked the way you really didn't know what was going to be in the pit. Right up to the point the CGI kicked in I was still half expecting the Master or someone pulling the strings Wizard of Oz-style. Rose's solution was brilliantly unexpected, unlike the Doctor coming across the TARDIS (we all knew it was down there, didn't we?).
Yes, top two-parter which I think is unlikely to be bettered this season. I'll be very happy if it is, though.
 
 
Ruchbah me, Armaduras
13:20 / 11.06.06
That was fantastic. Even the bits with the Tardis were cool because of how the Doctor got hold of it, the way he absolutely risked everything for it. (Which was always my defence of its D.E.M. stuff in last year's finale - yeah, go to the edge, tear everything apart: you're allowed your magic wand.) Plus, Miss Tyler, about to die in battle? Eep! Reminded me absolutely why I love this series so much, especially with the Tesco's gag.
 
 
Are Being Stolen By Bandits
19:53 / 11.06.06
the Doctor coming across the TARDIS (we all knew it was down there, didn't we?)

Yes, but I for one would have appreciated some attempt to explain precisely how it came to be there, since the Pit had been sealed up at the time the TARDIS fell down into the bowels of the planet. I'm going to assume that it fell down into the Pit when the planet started to break apart, but something onscreen to that effect (even something as simple and unobtrusive as, say, having the TARDIS half-buried under freshly-fallen rubble when the Doctor comes across it) would have been nice.

Still a cracking episode, though - taken as a two-parter, possibly my favourite bit of Who since the revival ('The Girl In The Fireplace' was probably a marginally-superior piece of television, but this slotted into the classic Who milieu rather more neatly which, as a long-term fan of the show, pleased me).
 
 
STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK
20:55 / 11.06.06
I'd been wondering how they'd deal with the whole "reality or otherwise of Satan" issue without totally demystifying the thing, too... I think they did a bloody good job on that.

Incidentally, it was episodes like this that were the reason my parents didn't let me watch Who when I was a kid (until they realised I was reading all the novelisations and they may as well just let me see the show...)
 
 
Spatula Clarke
20:59 / 11.06.06
I'm going to assume that it fell down into the Pit when the planet started to break apart, but something onscreen to that effect (even something as simple and unobtrusive as, say, having the TARDIS half-buried under freshly-fallen rubble when the Doctor comes across it) would have been nice.

This was explained in the first part. The TARDIS fell into the bowels of the planet during the quake. It was in the section of the base that went over the edge. The Doctor even did a mad, frantic corridor-run to check it out.
 
 
STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK
21:02 / 11.06.06
The explanation that laws of physics were being broken left, right and centre RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING was also a nice touch, as were the Doctor's repeated "but that's impossible"s. A nice little disclaimer which let 'em have some good old-fashioned space-horror fun without having to worry about people tearing the science to pieces later.
 
 
sleazenation
21:14 / 11.06.06
I thought it was great. Not much I think I can usefully add beyond that. You could see all the influences there on the screen and that as all part of the fun.

Four more episodes to go...
 
 
Triplets
02:45 / 12.06.06
I liked how the captain gave the Ood their due at the end. With honours.

Best bit: Toby's "shhhhh" in the tunnels.

Next week: Geeky Whospotters. Yay.

But, I really, really don't think I can take Peter Kay seriously. I mean, Amarillo... I just don't think I can.
 
 
Whisky Priestess
12:03 / 12.06.06
Tennant really, REALLY needs to stop the gurning.

Sorry, I'm totally with Flyboy on this. I only caught the last 10 mins of this episode (the Doctor works it out bit) and it was pretty much wall-to-wall gurn. I was getting sympathy pains in my face, in fact.

Somebody needs to gently remind Mr. Tennant that he isn't actually playing Captain Hook in the Norwich Playhouse Christmas panto ... but if he keeps up the facial gymnastics, he soon will be.
 
 
Saveloy
12:16 / 12.06.06
Ah, but he's playing someone who likes to act as if he's playing Cpt Hook at the Morris Playhouse, isn't he? An essential part of the character, I reckon.
 
 
Elijah, Freelance Rabbi
14:40 / 12.06.06
I thought this episode was a great ending for the two parter, but I think the first half was stronger.

I don't dislike the quick edits when the doctor is figuring things out, because that means I dont have 45 seconds of a single angle on Tennant looking like an angry bird of prey.

The tunnels bit was pretty good, but the rules for when the doors could close and when the air could be moved around seemed to change mid scene. "We can't close the door behind you without sealing the one in front of you...we can't open the door in front of you without closing the on behind you first..."

Over all, very good as a 2 parter, and I may watch it through again tonight.
 
 
sleazenation
15:59 / 12.06.06
I want more on the Ood now...

I guess the story I'd like to see would be slower and less action-packed than your average Dr Who episode and thus unlikely to ever happen, but hey, I guess that is what fanfiction is for...
 
 
Regrettable Juvenilia
08:30 / 13.06.06
The biggest problem with the Doctor at the moment is the way his attitude to humanity is the same as that of Sam to her fellow Big Brother housemates: "you're amaaaazing!" Ecclestone was saddled with a lot of this as well, but he was a bit angrier and nastier about it - calling people "apes" - and so less annoyingly twee. But I don't know whether to blame Tennant's delivery in this case, or the fact that this incarnation of the Doctor is written to be annoyingly gushing, or whether it's just worn thin... All I know is if he goes "You humans, eh? What WILL you think of next?!" again, I will scream.
 
 
Saveloy
09:48 / 13.06.06
I agree. I seems unlikely that after all these years, after umpteen series of it not being questioned, someone on the production team decided that they ought to provide the Doctor with a reason for dedicating himself to defending the Human race (and not some other species). But it *feels* like that.
 
 
Regrettable Juvenilia
10:39 / 13.06.06
Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but my memory of previous Doctor Who episodes set in space was that they often featured alien races who looked exactly like humans (not even painted blue!). Whereas even now we've got off planet, the new Who is always about teh huuuuumans.
 
 
Saveloy
11:01 / 13.06.06
Would this be RTD imposing a pet idea? I'm guessing that old Who didn't have this 'themes spread across an entire season' business - each 4 episode story was more or less independent of the others. Or is that not true?
 
 
Our Lady Has Left the Building
11:47 / 13.06.06
Well, there was the Key to Time series, the Revenge of the Black Guardian trilogy, the Trial of a Time Lord, a season of Doctor Gummidge had the Master in each story, the last season of the fourth Doctor had a loose theme of decay versus evolution (and really theoretical maths), there was a purpose given to Ace in the Seventh Doctor's era as being one of the Wolves of Fenric, so it's been done before to various degrees.
 
 
Whisky Priestess
12:01 / 13.06.06
And stop saying "Yerssshh!" in that annoying way, Dave Who. The word is "yes". Apart from that (and the Rubber-Faced Man spasms), jolly good, carry on.
 
 
sleazenation
16:28 / 13.06.06
There were a fair few episodes that focused on alien races the ones with the alhpa centauri spring to mind, and some of the silurian stories...
 
 
Our Lady Has Left the Building
19:00 / 13.06.06
I really liked last Saturday's episode. Mind you, that might have been due to the pretty pretty boys and the banter, they could sell me anything, ID Cards, the War on Terror, the Met's right to shoot anyone they like... Anything.
 
 
sleazenation
19:12 / 13.06.06
I take note of that for future reference....
 
 
gridley
19:31 / 13.06.06
I'm wondering if the cloying "you humans!" bit isn't setting things up for a big Doctor vs. the Humans conflict later in the season (probably involving Torchwood) that will leave the Doctor feeling betrayed and angry?
 
 
Kali, Queen of Kitteh
19:41 / 13.06.06
Oh God, please. That would be fantastic!
 
 
iamus
20:31 / 13.06.06
That would make sense, taking into account the standoff between The Doctor and Harriet Jones (specifically regarding Torchwood) at the end of Christmas Invasion.

If Torchwood follows suit of Bad Wolf, it makes it even more likely.

We'll see, I suppose.
 
 
Mister Six, whom all the girls
22:48 / 13.06.06
I'm really torn about season two.

The production value is way up in the case of the Impossible Planet/Sata Pit, but Tennant's performance is really grating and at times he reminds me of Jim Carey... which should never happen.

Aside from the principles, the season does seem more on an even level than the peaks and valleys of season one... but that leaves few peaks.

Part of the problem for me is that I share no real empathy with the Doctor and Rose. They just come off as bulletproof and very full of themselves. Maybe it's just me, I dunno... but I've heard others theorize that this is an intentional theme that leads to a big pay-off in the finale.

I find myself missing Eccleston and the sharpness of season one's ideas... but maybe it's regeneration depression... or whatever. You always miss what you had in series after it leaves, don't you?

... unless it's Matthew Waterhouse.

But I kid Matthew Waterhouse (Adric).
 
 
Seth
22:57 / 13.06.06
If he said "Puny Humans" just once that would justify the whole thing.
 
  

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