# Doctor Who Season Season 11 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 7, 2018, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-season-11/822620 "2018-10-07T18:58:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/59ef9b/32.png) [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorkshire_Pudding)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-season-11/822620/241 "2018-11-02T19:47:20Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > while I know they’re harmless I’m still dropping a heavy object on them rather than risking having them loose in the house. This is literally my point. They’re harmless and they’re so much of a risk they must be killed, _at the same time_! That undisputably makes no sense, but it’s so much the accepted standard that it’s weird to take the ‘sensible’ view. ---
**Author:** ![Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/59ef9b/32.png) [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorkshire_Pudding)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-season-11/822620/242 "2018-11-02T19:49:01Z")
Anyway, this isn’t a thread about popular conceptions of spider acceptability. Consider me backed off. ---
**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:** [November 2, 2018, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-season-11/822620/243 "2018-11-02T20:25:47Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > And googling that tells me the rest of the answer–that _Anarchy in the UK_ is a song. \ **Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-season-11/822620/244 "2018-11-02T22:29:37Z") > [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](#): > > Anyway, this isn’t a thread about popular conceptions of spider acceptability. Consider me backed off. But I thank you for the answer. Honestly I don’t see a huge degree of irrational spider fear in the United States, either among real people or in media, but spiders as particularly scary seems to be a very common British theme, from Shelob of Tolkein fame, to Aragog in Harry Potter, to this. Trying to come up with a famous spider in American literature/media the first my mind comes up with is Charlotte and her web. But it seems that such a character, a loving, wise, and friendly spider, would simply never fly on the other side of the pond. (And our spider does indeed do that!) Then maybe “Itsy Bitsy” who climbed up the water spout, and our appropriated from Africa, Anasi, whose cleverness is scary I guess. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-season-11/822620/245 "2018-11-02T23:18:17Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > And googling that tells me the rest of the answer–that _Anarchy in the UK_ is a song. > [@Penfeather](#): > > I forget I’m mostly talking to Americans sometimes. I’m English and I didn’t get the joke. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/59ef9b/32.png) [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorkshire_Pudding)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-season-11/822620/246 "2018-11-02T23:29:00Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > But I thank you for the answer. Honestly I don’t see a huge degree of irrational spider fear in the United States, either among real people or in media, but spiders as particularly scary seems to be a very common British theme, from Shelob of Tolkein fame, to Aragog in Harry Potter, to this. > > Trying to come up with a famous spider in American literature/media the first my mind comes up with is Charlotte and her web. But it seems that such a character, a loving, wise, and friendly spider, would simply never fly on the other side of the pond. (And our spider does indeed do that!) Then maybe “Itsy Bitsy” who climbed up the water spout, and our appropriated from Africa, Anasi, whose cleverness is scary I guess. Oh, I do think it’s relevant, I just didn’t want to suffer indignant wrath (as has happened, on occasion) by having the “They’re harmless. You are literally thousands of times bigger than them. They eat the real vermin - which you only regard as mildly annoying - and want nothing from you, save for indifference.” -“But…SPIDERS! Ugh!” discussion again. They’re very much a popular hate figure in British culture. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-season-11/822620/247 "2018-11-03T10:50:36Z")
> [@Pantastic](#): > > Notably Martha and the Doctor had very little problem posing as an interracial couple in 1960s America during Blink. I don’t have a huge objection to it since they wanted to tell a particular story, but it is a deviation. Two points: First, we don’t know exactly where “Blink” took place, but there were places in 1960’s America where interracial couples existed - just not in the Deep South like Alabama. In the Northeast or upper Midwest, especially in the larger cities, you could get away with an interracial relationship although you’d still suffer discrimination for it. Second, a white man with a black woman was (and to an extent still is) better tolerated by the society in question than a white woman and a black man. So… Tennant Doctor and Martha would have fewer problems than Whitaker Doctor and Ryan. > [@](#): > > I find the idea of a guy 6000 years from now being agitated over black and white humans being equal about as likely as someone today getting agitated over an Assyrian vs non-Assyrian descent; there’s probably someone who does it, but it’s likely that people will regard him as mentally ill, not prejudiced per se. Yes, well, Krasko’s era found him so deviant they actually implanted a device in his brain to control his impulses. Pretty safe to assume he is/was considered “mentally ill” by his native society. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-season-11/822620/248 "2018-11-03T12:40:18Z")
Blink took place in 1960s UK, I believe. Also we see so little of the 1960 setting, that it’s not clear to me if they were masquerading as a couple at all, or what, if any, reaction they got. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-season-11/822620/249 "2018-11-05T06:52:11Z")
Wow, nobody’s even posted anything about today’s episode, that’s how mediocre it was. All the reviews are saying that it was “okay” and I agree. It had a few moments, some a bit out of place, but it felt like a filler episode, where nothing of any real consequence happened, even if it did hit some emotional beats quite hard. They are maintaining the small scope. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-season-11/822620/250 "2018-11-05T10:15:09Z")
I quite liked the latest episode. The Doctor manages to get everyone blown up, which is a novelty, and we get not two but _three_ plots - the Pting attack / risk of ship being blown up, the whole sibling (and CloneDrone) squabble, and the pregnancy/Ryan’s daddy issues thing. All rather neatly wrapped up. And we’ve gone from “big scary creature that is actually not so bad” to “cute babylike creature that is a massive threat”. I did think the Pting was channeling the gremlin from Hotel Transylvania, though; all we were missing was an “I didn’t do that”. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-season-11/822620/251 "2018-11-05T12:06:32Z")
Excellent fun episode! This one is more a call back to classic Who with some good humorous bits cutting into tension and the Doctor filling out her personality some. Back to a universe though in which the Doctor has been written about … more a volume than a chapter … said somewhat sheepishly … is that consistent now? I’ve lost track. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-season-11/822620/252 "2018-11-05T12:17:51Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > I did think the Pting was channeling the gremlin from Hotel Transylvania, though; all we were missing was an “I didn’t do that”. I thought it was channeling gremlins, but didn’t think of any [specific](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gremlins) [presentation](https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZElJxTCIsJI). ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-season-11/822620/253 "2018-11-05T12:19:03Z")
Loose end question: did we find out why the Doctor was fixated on the name “Tsuranga”? Or is this another “to be revealed” point? ---
**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:** [November 5, 2018, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-season-11/822620/254 "2018-11-05T13:08:15Z")
She’s a Futurama fan, but forgot Leela’s name doesn’t have an s in it? ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-season-11/822620/255 "2018-11-05T14:05:45Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Wow, nobody’s even posted anything about today’s episode, that’s how mediocre it was. I liked this episode a lot, it’s my favorite of the season (though I always count the post-regen episode as their own thing). They had an interesting alien threat that got resolved with a clever plan that wasn’t full of holes, one of those competent soldiers the doctor always pretends don’t exist, a major threat from automated beurocracy, interesting setting, several odd aliens and background characters, and the ending didn’t have any overly preachy bit. Also I finally noted one really unique piece of this Doctor’s personality - she’s actually willing to admit that she’s wrong sometimes, instead of continuing to bluster indefinitely. The scene where senior medical guy talked her down from taking over the ship ended with her saying ‘oh, I am being unreasonable’ which isn’t something most Doctors are capable of. > [@Gyrate](#): > > Loose end question: did we find out why the Doctor was fixated on the name “Tsuranga”? Or is this another “to be revealed” point? I think we did. She was coming out of surgery, sort of recognized the name of the ship, but recovering brain didn’t put together ‘that’s a ship, you’re not on the junk planet anymore’, so she kept looking for an exit to the planet even though there wouldn’t be one. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-season-11/822620/256 "2018-11-05T22:56:02Z")
> [@Pantastic](#): > > … > > Also I finally noted one really unique piece of this Doctor’s personality - she’s actually willing to admit that she’s wrong sometimes, instead of continuing to bluster indefinitely. The scene where senior medical guy talked her down from taking over the ship ended with her saying ‘oh, I am being unreasonable’ which isn’t something most Doctors are capable of. > > … His Chibs et al are still playing with gender roles and subverting expectations; the Doctor, Yaz, and the General running around stunning the bad guy, piloting the ship, doing the hero things; while Ryan and Graham were nuturing poor Yoss on his birthbed. The trope of “expectant, er, parent, gives birth in middle of crisis” is well-worn, but having the whole situation be an almost all-male affair was rather sweet. In addition to the Doctor admitting she was wrong - and she most certainly was - there was another subverted expectation: I assumed she fed the Pting the bomb in order to kill it. But that’s not how this Doctor rolls - her plan was to feed it, then send it on its way. Definite maternal vibe to this episode. Anyone else think that her comment about feeling so much better informed after the computer briefing about the Pting was a wink at the fact that the scene was exposition-slash-infodump? > [@What\_Exit](#): > > Not much, but “anarchy in the UK” Took reading this thread to get the pun. I knew the phrase was a reference to _something_, but I just couldn’t remember to what. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-season-11/822620/257 "2018-11-06T03:08:12Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > I thought it was channeling gremlins, but didn’t think of any [specific](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gremlins) [presentation](https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZElJxTCIsJI). I was thinking of gremlins, but also of the cute little creatures that turned out to have fangs in “Galaxy Quest” ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-season-11/822620/258 "2018-11-06T03:11:37Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > I was thinking of gremlins, but also of the cute little creatures that turned out to have fangs in “Galaxy Quest” The Galaxy Quest things were what I thought of when I saw the Pting. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-season-11/822620/259 "2018-11-06T03:36:18Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > The Galaxy Quest things were what I thought of when I saw the Pting. Of course they’re minors. They’re like three years old! Not MINORS, MINERS! ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_McQwark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@Steve\_McQwark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_McQwark)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-season-11/822620/260 "2018-11-06T03:50:42Z")
The pting made me think of Stitch from “Lilo and Stitch”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-season-11/822620.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-season-season-11/822620.md?page=14)