Doctor Who Series Five: UK pace thread [edited title]

After the rather turgid specials that was quite refreshing. The techno babble solution was fairly logical too for such a show, but its hardly a deal breaker for most people I’m guessing.

One thing though, I think we might dispense with the “I’m the Doctor, BOO!” routine. Its one that could be turned pretty quickly on him with a “He’s the Doctor, SHOOT!”.

Might we also dispense with a young female companion who’s rather unsure of her feelings towards the Doctor? Another Donna please. Although Dad did get a laugh out of the reference to the kissograms other outfits and he usually dreads a dose of science fiction.

So, it seems the Doctor made a special point to go back and see Amelia as he promised.

What does that mean for Amy? Is she still the same embittered & distrustful adult? If she loses that edge is she still as interesting?

While people here and elsewhere have certainly drawn parallels with Moffat’s previous Doctor Who scripts, I thought there was a possible unremarked connection with The Girl in the Fireplace. The sense of time travel making it possible for the Doctor to abruptly jump forward through a girl’s life.
But rather than repeating himself, I took this as Moffat moving forward. The Girl in the Fireplace is ultimately very sad, so the Doctor has learnt from that experience in the previous incarnation. Realising that something similar is happening again, he takes the opportunity to make her the “it’s a time machince, where do you want to go” offer. He now realises that if he doesn’t offer the companionship, she’s screwed up for life for having met him as a child.

That was a dream. The noise of the approaching TARDIS while Amy was sleeping induced the event in the dream.

safe for work

Sexy companion Amy and comparisons with previous companions.

…the story is also reminiscent of Moffat’s “What I Did on My Christmas Holidays by Sally Sparrow”, from the 2006 BBC Doctor Who annual.

Fantastic little story, and I loved how it grew to become Blink. Doctor Who is in safe hands with Moffat, I greatly look forward to this series…

That’s a typical Daily Mail article. On the one had the paper is always going on about the moral decline of the country, but it still publishes sexy photos of nubile young women.

Did anyone else get the feeling that the new doctor is a bit of a jerk? Barging into other people’s homes, demanding food, and spitting it on the floor is hardly good manners. There was also that whole “That was 2 years ago? Ah well, whoops.” The doctor always had a slight air of superiority over inferior creatures, but it seems stronger in this incarnation than the previous two.

I don’t mind it at all personally, as I think it’s a good way of distinguishing him from Tennant’s version. Even though I’ll probably never stop thinking about the previous incarnation as “The Doctor”, I’m enjoying this one quite a lot.

Glad it’s not just me that hated the new chune.

I feared I wouldn’t warm to Matt Smith but by the end I had accepted him (despite him looking “like a skull”, according to my sister).

Amy’s combination of short skirt + seamed stickings (probably tights, really) was perfectly acceptable. Perhaps a return to the daring days of Leela?

I think that was intended as part of his state of flux so soon after the regeneration. He hadn’t settled into a suitably empathetic personality level.

There’s also the part that implies that the Doctor was lying about his reasons for wanting a companion. He says it’s just because he’s lonely but the scope in the background implies he’s lying.

33 secs into the video

How so?

Speaking of cracks, I assume everyone spotted the “crack” pattern in the oscilloscope thingy at the end, which the Doctor quickly switched off.I’m all for recurring themes but it was a very “Joe vs the Volcano” moment.

They didn’t reveal much in the Dr Who Confidential. I had gotten spoiled watching Russell T. Davis on Confidential. He usually explained references or at least pointed them out as important.

The last Doctor never got over Rose. He reluctantly accepted Martha Jones and Donna. After that, no more companions. The show is better when he has one. I’m glad the new Doctor is willing to start fresh.

One bit of triva from Dr Who Confidential. The little girl that played Amelia is the real life cousin of Karen Gillan (Amy Pond). That’s why there is a real resemblance.

He says the reason for bringing her is that he’s lonely.

She says “Just that?”

He says, “Just that, I promise.”

There is a ominous note in the soundtrack and the scene focuses on a scope behind him showing a dip in a line. The note is continued and he turns the screen off.

It’s pretty clear to me there’s some foreboding there.

The dip in the line may not be directly because he’s lying, it may be a result of something happening for which she is needed but either way it’s clear (at least to me) that there is a lot more there than he is saying.

This article is repeating what was said in Dr Who Confidential.

Correct me if I’m wrong, somebody, but as noted above I thought the “dip in the line” matched the shape of the crack in the wall and that this was going to be a recurring thing throughout the series.

(I don’t know why I’m still spoilering that, but better safe than sorry.)

Yeah, I can sort of see some cues there. I’m not sure I’d go so far as you, though. To me it looks like it was showing something and he turned it off - but not that it was linked to what he was saying at the time.

When he turns it off, there’s a sort of buzz, a flash, and the whole screen jumps. The Doctor looks surprised.

Amy’s bf Rory’s badge says it was issued Nov 30, 1990. Nineteen years earlier. That would make him nearly 40 (assuming he got the job at age 20). Yet he doesn’t look older than 25.

I think the crack did something to time in that village. The Doctor seemed genuinely shocked that 12 years had passed. Then 2 more years passed that the Doctor didn’t expect.

I haven’t worked out why Rory hasn’t aged much since 1990. I think we’ll see him again this season and learn more.