# Doctor Who Season 5 US pace thread. \[No Spoilers until US Airing\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 19, 2010, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-5-us-pace-thread-no-spoilers-until-us-airing/536640 "2010-04-19T17:00:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-5-us-pace-thread-no-spoilers-until-us-airing/536640/21 "2010-04-20T07:01:22Z")
I liked it. I was of course quite tentative after the brilliance of Tennant, and after the odd looking photos of the new guy, and the change of show runners. But new Doctor doesn’t look quite as weird on ‘film’ as in photos, I love his portrayal, and I’m quite keen on the ‘fairy tale’ angle. Not fond of: the predilection of the the bad guy repeating the same obnoxious statement over and over again. Although granted, this was a common theme of other Who episodes. The theme of the season as a mysterious phrase (“Silence will Fall” - “Bad Wolf” previously) - fine, but it was executed just a little too over the top this time. The aliens were particularly bad CGI in ship form. And… I didn’t quite get why they had Dr Who bring the aliens back just to have an ego shit all over them. Granted, they were willing to take extreme measures with regards to the planet, but OTOH they were just pursuing a criminal and not out to destroy the Earth _per se_. And wasn’t the previous Doctor’s hubris the reason for his downfall? It’d be nice for the next Doc to have some humility. > [@RJKUgly](#): > > I never did like Donna, not sure exactly why, and Amy seems like she has the independent attitude coupled with a more likable personality. I hated, _hated_ Donna in the Christmas special and was so furious when she came back for good later in the series. But then I actually started liking her. She came off less shrewish and more just confident. > [@The New and Improved Superman](#): > > You know, for all the comments I’ve read about the new, young Doctor being really weird looking, I actually thought he was kind of hot, albiet in a goofy, nerdy sort of way. > [@The New and Improved Superman](#): > > Rory however a throwback to “Icky Mickey.” the irritatiing, rival love interest. Please let him get trapped in alternate universe soon. I actually quite liked Mickey and wish he had been brought on board Torchwood. But I agree that Rory is annoying, mostly as her love interest. And I suppose the guy she’s marrying in the morning? I was confused about the other guy though, the ‘more handsome’ guy. He seemed to live with her aunt? Was he her cousin? > [@The New and Improved Superman](#): > > In fact, even the new opening music & sequence I can stand. I like the new theme. I appreciate what they tried to do with making the time travel wormhole more dangerous. So lightning, fine. But making them cloudy was a mistake. That didn’t work. > [@Corner\_Case](#): > > the Doctor should fix disruptions in time without alerting the world to these fantastic events in their midst. Here in the opening we have Doctor communicating with world scientists, proving superior knowledge, and imparting a computer virus. That seemed to go somewhat overboard, usually that’s reserved for a season finale. I was curious though, about the timeline, especially since his visits were 12? and then 2? years apart. When does this take place? While in the past the Dr has been relatively undercover, with the tenth Doc and Torchwood we finally reached the point where the Dr and aliens in general were common knowledge. Why did Amy’s friends not believe that the ‘raggedy doctor’ was real if the world knows about the Dr? Why Didn’t the VIPs take the Dr’s direction based on his reputation alone? Or was this in the past? ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-5-us-pace-thread-no-spoilers-until-us-airing/536640/22 "2010-04-20T09:02:51Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > When does this take place? While in the past the Dr has been relatively undercover, with the tenth Doc and Torchwood we finally reached the point where the Dr and aliens in general were common knowledge. Why did Amy’s friends not believe that the ‘raggedy doctor’ was real if the world knows about the Dr? Why Didn’t the VIPs take the Dr’s direction based on his reputation alone? Or was this in the past? It had to be very recently as the Doctor was mentioning Twitter, Facebook, and other social media. > [@Maus Magill](#): > > He’s not just doing a rehash of David Tennent’s Doctor, but seems to be giving him a distinct personality. I’m going to have to disagree on that. He STRONGLY reminded me of Tennant’s Doctor. Of course that was only the first episode, so I expect that he’ll expand the role, but in this episode I kept thinking that the only thing different about the Doctor was his looks. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-5-us-pace-thread-no-spoilers-until-us-airing/536640/23 "2010-04-20T13:26:14Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > I liked it overall, though I thought the plot dragged a little at times. I was horribly grossed out by the food scene. Why would the doctor suddenly think it’s ok to spit food all over the floor of a stranger’s house just because he’s regenerated and is learning what foods he likes? It was disgusting and rude ☹ > [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > He’s basically channeling Six there. Or Tigger. Seriously - it’s established canon that for a little while after regeneration, The Doctor’s neurons will still be rearranging themselves, so he will behave erratically. That also explains why his personality shifts between between incarnations. > [@RJKUgly](#): > > I liked it. > > The new doctor was a little manic, but seems to be making the part his own. I hope he settles down a little, but so far I like him anyway. > > I very much like Amy, the new companion. I never did like Donna, not sure exactly why, and Amy seems like she has the independent attitude coupled with a more likable personality. She’s strong - no doubt about it. I think Smith nailed it during the fish custard scene, when he leaned in close to young Amy, and told her that must be one hell of a crack in her wall. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-5-us-pace-thread-no-spoilers-until-us-airing/536640/24 "2010-04-20T13:57:05Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > I think Smith nailed it during the fish custard scene, when he leaned in close to young Amy, and told her that must be one hell of a crack in her wall. I. Loved. That. Line. Made it feel like Dr. Who, it did! ---
**Author:** ![zeldarae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/f14d63/32.png) [@zeldarae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zeldarae)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-5-us-pace-thread-no-spoilers-until-us-airing/536640/25 "2010-04-20T15:05:59Z")
😛 He reminded me of Tigger in the kitchen scene, too, and said so to my husband. Put me in the leary of his looks category (too young and plain). I was happily surprised by how much I enjoyed it and him. I’m looking forward to the interaction between The Doctor and Amy. Great chemistry. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-5-us-pace-thread-no-spoilers-until-us-airing/536640/26 "2010-04-20T17:28:44Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > Seriously - it’s established canon that for a little while after regeneration, The Doctor’s neurons will still be rearranging themselves, so he will behave erratically. Particularly when the regeneration was traumatic (e.g.: Five to Six; Ten to 11). ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-5-us-pace-thread-no-spoilers-until-us-airing/536640/27 "2010-04-20T23:31:23Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Particularly when the regeneration was traumatic (e.g.: Five to Six; Ten to 11). Heck, it even happened with Nine to Ten. Ten was outright goofy for a bit. I assumed that was just what happens after a regeneration. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-5-us-pace-thread-no-spoilers-until-us-airing/536640/28 "2010-04-20T23:51:41Z")
Just saw it. I guess it’s going to take some getting used to, but I didn’t think this was a great episode. The sampling food scene was not easy to get through, for one. And here’s something I thought was kinda lame: Amy remembers The Doctor’s first visit so fondly that she drew him in cartoons that were accurate enough for everyone else in town to recognize him on sight when he showed up later. Then why didn’t _she_ recognize him right away, rather than hit him and handcuff him? At the very least once he came to and asked about Amelia she should have recognized him at that point - he was even wearing the same clothes. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-5-us-pace-thread-no-spoilers-until-us-airing/536640/29 "2010-04-20T23:57:03Z")
I thought she did recognize him and was pissed. He was liable to get a clonk on the head either way. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-5-us-pace-thread-no-spoilers-until-us-airing/536640/30 "2010-04-21T00:06:46Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > I thought she did recognize him and was pissed. He was liable to get a clonk on the head either way. Thats how I took it - and she didn’t want him to recognize her. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-5-us-pace-thread-no-spoilers-until-us-airing/536640/31 "2010-04-21T00:06:54Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > I thought she did recognize him and was pissed. He was liable to get a clonk on the head either way. Do not Piss Off Amelia Pond. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-5-us-pace-thread-no-spoilers-until-us-airing/536640/32 "2010-04-21T12:43:06Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > Just saw it. I guess it’s going to take some getting used to, but I didn’t think this was a great episode. The sampling food scene was not easy to get through, for one. > > And here’s something I thought was kinda lame: Amy remembers The Doctor’s first visit so fondly that she drew him in cartoons that were accurate enough for everyone else in town to recognize him on sight when he showed up later. Then why didn’t _she_ recognize him right away, rather than hit him and handcuff him? At the very least once he came to and asked about Amelia she should have recognized him at that point - he was even wearing the same clothes. I wouldn’t think Amy is quite talented enough to recognize him after twelve years, from the back, after he’s broken into her house yelling like a madman. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-5-us-pace-thread-no-spoilers-until-us-airing/536640/33 "2010-04-21T13:22:09Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > I thought she did recognize him and was pissed. He was liable to get a clonk on the head either way. I think she was more concerned that he not recognise her - she put on an English accent in that scene. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-5-us-pace-thread-no-spoilers-until-us-airing/536640/34 "2010-04-21T13:52:05Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Heck, it even happened with Nine to Ten. Ten was outright goofy for a bit. I assumed that was just what happens after a regeneration. Nine to Ten was also a bit traumatic but not as much as the others mentioned. For a smooth regeneration you need to watch Two to Three or Romana One to Romana Two. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-5-us-pace-thread-no-spoilers-until-us-airing/536640/35 "2010-04-21T15:00:31Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Nine to Ten was also a bit traumatic but not as much as the others mentioned. For a smooth regeneration you need to watch Two to Three or Romana One to Romana Two. Even D2 to D3 wasn’t that smooth. He spent a couple of episodes in that hospital bed. Someone had taken quite a bit of time and complied all the regeneration scenes available from 1 to 10 on youtube. If you search for Doctor Who Regeneration, you should be able to find it. The pop-up captions are very informative. ---
**Author:** ![ProfessorX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@ProfessorX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ProfessorX)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-5-us-pace-thread-no-spoilers-until-us-airing/536640/36 "2010-04-21T15:50:23Z")
Episode 2’s coming this Saturday on BBC America… here’s a preview of the episode: [http://bbcamerica.com/shows/doctor-who/video/new-series-videos.jsp?bcpid=72484309001&bclid=59272646001&bctid=78534162001](http://bbcamerica.com/shows/doctor-who/video/new-series-videos.jsp?bcpid=72484309001&bclid=59272646001&bctid=78534162001) ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-5-us-pace-thread-no-spoilers-until-us-airing/536640/37 "2010-04-21T18:41:36Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > I wouldn’t think Amy is quite talented enough to recognize him after twelve years, from the back, after he’s broken into her house yelling like a madman. See last sentence of quoted post ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-5-us-pace-thread-no-spoilers-until-us-airing/536640/38 "2010-04-21T19:11:11Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > Come on, no mad props for the All-Doctors recap at the finale? > > “Basically … **run**.” That was a brilliant shot, the way he’s shown essentially stepping in as part of the lineage of those who defend humanity. As to the barging in on the teleconference, I take it that it’s pretty much established in that continuity that by now (the references to social media mean it happens in the last half-decade) people are aware of some alien activity and the folks at that high level know of the Doctor (in turn he has the knowledge to plug into their teleconference from some regular bloke’s Wi-Fi ro 3G; still he had to provide some examples of alien knowledge in order to establish his bona fides. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-5-us-pace-thread-no-spoilers-until-us-airing/536640/39 "2010-04-22T01:49:59Z")
> [@LawMonkey](#): > > I had sort of thought BBC-A played DWC after new eps in the past–am I mistaken? You must be. Past seasons aired on SciFi, not BBCA, other than as reruns. They did air the post-season 4 Tennant movies, I don’t know if those had DWC or not. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-5-us-pace-thread-no-spoilers-until-us-airing/536640/40 "2010-04-22T02:08:57Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > it’s pretty much established in that continuity that by now (the references to social media mean it happens in the last half-decade) people are aware of some alien activity and the folks at that high level know of the Doctor The Doctor’s been working with UNIT at least since the 70s. (Er…[possibly](http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/UNIT_dating_controversy).) And Torchwood was created by Queen Victoria after an encounter with the Doctor. And there’s the fact that large swaths of the English government was replaced by the Slitheen several years back (during which the Doctor aided the British military, who knew who he was), and the Prime Minster who followed had dealt with the Doctor during the situation. Her replacement’s replacement was the Master, who almost started a war with the US by having ‘aliens’ assassinate the President, and, after returning from the dead (with the same face), turned every man, woman, and child on Earth (except Wilf) into a clone of himself. So, yeah, the boat has LONG since sailed on both the Doctor being unknown to those in power and aliens being a secret to everyone else. Even if the latter was the case before the new series started (I can’t remember to say conclusively), the former ended with Three, not Eleven. (Although the canon first encounter for non-time-travellers was Ten’s.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-5-us-pace-thread-no-spoilers-until-us-airing/536640.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-5-us-pace-thread-no-spoilers-until-us-airing/536640.md?page=3)