# The Day of the Doctor Watch-along Thread (Open Spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 23, 2013, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636 "2013-11-23T19:37:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [November 23, 2013, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/41 "2013-11-23T22:38:24Z")
> [@BrokenBriton](#): > > Or genocidey-widey, perhaps. Is that how I talk now? (or whatever the line was) ---
**Author:** ![BrokenBriton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@BrokenBriton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrokenBriton)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/42 "2013-11-23T22:39:29Z")
For me the good episodes are those where the kid level and the big kid level both really deliver, and I thought they did in this. Fwiw, I don’t think there are too many people on the planet who coulod shape good stories, resolve everything Moffatt did and stay reasonably honest, there was a lot done here and it hung together well. I not a great fan but he deserves a shed load of Bitcoin credits for this one. ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/43 "2013-11-23T22:39:35Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > eta: …and has anyone recognized who John Hurt’s Doctor was regenerating into? I wasn’t sure if they were superimposing another face, or not, during that very brief sequence. It was the face of Ecclestone. You could make it out, though it was only for a second or so. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/44 "2013-11-23T22:42:25Z")
> [@PaulParkhead](#): > > It was the face of Ecclestone. You could make it out, though it was only for a second or so. Okay, thanks. That does fit with the line-up during the credits. So are they going to officially re-number the Doctors, now that Hurt’s is no longer _‘the one we don’t think about’_…? ---
**Author:** ![BrokenBriton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@BrokenBriton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrokenBriton)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/45 "2013-11-23T22:45:20Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > Is that how I talk now? (or whatever the line was) I don’t know what you mean, about you what? The post was a reference to timey-wimey? ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/46 "2013-11-23T22:47:47Z")
> [@BrokenBriton](#): > > I don’t know what you mean, about you what? The post was a reference to timey-wimey? Smith refers to something as “timey-wimey” and Hurt says “Is that how we talk now?” Tennant then says something along the lines of “Yeah, I’ve no idea where he picked that up.” ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/47 "2013-11-23T22:49:42Z")
> [@Jennyrosity](#): > > … > > And funny! Some great lines! > > “What’s our cover story for this?” > “Derren Brown.” > “Again?” > “We sent him flowers.” > [@Cayuga](#): > > So I did hear it right. Sure didn’t understand it, though. Is it a Brit thing? Derren Brown is an illusionist who has had several series and specials on UK TV. As he says up front, he uses a combination of misdirection, hypnosis and sleight-of-hand. He also does thorough research and has a fantastic memory. Plus he’s a jolly polite chap. And the reason I know this is that I appeared on one of his TV specials 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/48 "2013-11-23T22:52:43Z")
> [@BrokenBriton](#): > > I don’t know what you mean, about you what? The post was a reference to timey-wimey? > [@PaulParkhead](#): > > Smith refers to something as “timey-wimey” and Hurt says “Is that how we talk now?” Tennant then says something along the lines of “Yeah, I’ve no idea where he picked that up.” In the glorious episode ‘Blink’ (starring the Weeping Angels,) Tennant referred to Time as ‘a ball of timey-wimey stuff’… ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/49 "2013-11-23T22:55:37Z")
> [@glee](#): > > In the glorious episode ‘Blink’ (starring the Weeping Angels,) Tennant referred to Time as ‘a ball of timey-wimey stuff’… Thus the comic irony. (Moffat having written “Blink,” too, he no doubt felt free to play, a bit.) ---
**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:** [November 23, 2013, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/50 "2013-11-23T22:57:00Z")
I really hope this works outside the UK. It’s directed by Peter Davison, and it’s about the 50th anniversary > **[BBC One - Doctor Who, The Day of the Doctor, The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01m3kfy)** > > A star studded special written and directed by Peter Davison. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/51 "2013-11-23T23:04:43Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Thus the comic irony. (Moffat having written “Blink,” too, he no doubt felt free to play, a bit.) There’s a bit of even more metahumor as really, timey-wimey isn’t even the doctor as he was reading off Sally Sparrow’s script. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/52 "2013-11-23T23:12:31Z")
I thought it was great!! This episode felt like what Doctor Who has been missing for the past couple years. I don’t know if it was just Tennant being back but I had **fun** watching it. It had the right balance of humor and sadness, of joy and excitement and intelligence. For some reason I had thought it would end with the regeneration into Capaldi, I guess that is to happen at Christmas? There was no preview at the end saying when The Doctor will return. I only wish that Eccleston (no final E in his name btw!) had been willing to be involved. For a moment there I really thought we were gonna get a quick bit of him after the regeneration, and that the BBC had managed to keep his appearance a huge secret, but alas it wasn’t to be. Sad because I like him as an actor and wish he held the show in a higher regard. ---
**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 23, 2013, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/53 "2013-11-23T23:20:00Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > I really hope this works outside the UK. It’s directed by Peter Davison, and it’s about the 50th anniversary > > [BBC One - Doctor Who (2005–2022), The Day of the Doctor, The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot](http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01m3kfy) Works for me in Aus. The very final scene is amazing! ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/54 "2013-11-23T23:22:56Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Thus the comic irony. (Moffat having written “Blink,” too, he no doubt felt free to play, a bit.) > [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > There’s a bit of even more metahumor as really, timey-wimey isn’t even the doctor as he was reading off Sally Sparrow’s script. Ah, Sally Sparrow (swoon.) She should have been a companion! But although the Doctor was indeed reading off Sally Sparrow’s script, **they were still his words**. He’s telling Sally that he’s a time-traveller trapped in the past and how she needs to help him urgently or the Weeping Angels will get hold of the time energy in the Tardis (with terrifying results.) It’s a brilliant use of time paradox - as seen from Sally’s point of view: - Sally finds only the Doctor’s side of a conversation as an ‘Easter Egg’ on all her own DVDs - then she actually has the full conversation with the Doctor (and gets it recorded and transcribed) - much later she gives the transcript to the Doctor (who hasn’t met her nor been sent back in time by the Angels yet) ---
**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:** [November 23, 2013, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/55 "2013-11-23T23:28:53Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Works for me in Aus. The very final scene is amazing! It’s one of the most wtf things I’ve ever seen 😃 In a good way. ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/56 "2013-11-23T23:34:25Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > I really hope this works outside the UK. It’s directed by Peter Davison, and it’s about the 50th anniversary > > [BBC One - Doctor Who (2005–2022), The Day of the Doctor, The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot](http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01m3kfy) > [@GuanoLad](#): > > Works for me in Aus. The very final scene is amazing! > [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > It’s one of the most wtf things I’ve ever seen 😃 In a good way. it was Brilliant! ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/57 "2013-11-23T23:36:00Z")
> [@glee](#): > > Ah, Sally Sparrow (swoon.) She should have been a companion! > > But although the Doctor was indeed reading off Sally Sparrow’s script, **they were still his words**. > He’s telling Sally that he’s a time-traveller trapped in the past and how she needs to help him urgently or the Weeping Angels will get hold of the time energy in the Tardis (with terrifying results.) > > It’s a brilliant use of time paradox - as seen from Sally’s point of view: > > - Sally finds only the Doctor’s side of a conversation as an ‘Easter Egg’ on all her own DVDs > - then she actually has the full conversation with the Doctor (and gets it recorded and transcribed) > - much later she gives the transcript to the Doctor (who hasn’t met her nor been sent back in time by the Angels yet) _Blink_, IMHO, was the first and last time Moffat successfully used time travel as a plot device. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/58 "2013-11-23T23:40:32Z")
Oh, and I got a bit weepy when all three had their hands on the Big Red Button. “If you have to do this, at least you won’t be doing it alone”. I figured there probably was going to be the other way, but I wasn’t sure… Brian ---
**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:** [November 23, 2013, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/59 "2013-11-23T23:45:55Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > _Blink_, IMHO, was the first and last time Moffat successfully used time travel as a plot device. Did you not rate _The Girl in the Fireplace_? I think he’s done two stories that time travel is integral to. ---
**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:** [November 23, 2013, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/60 "2013-11-23T23:48:21Z")
> [@anyrose](#): > > it was Brilliant! I think the odds of a certain hirsute New Zealander director doing an episode of Who have shortened considerably. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636.md?page=4)