# 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:** 10\ **Page:** 9
**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 27, 2013, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/161 "2013-11-27T02:57:43Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > But I remember his mawky humor as Tristan Farnon on _All Creatures Great And Small._ Remember when he played a lovable nerd on _Sink or Swim_ with Robert Glenister? And a harassed new Dad on _Holding the Fort_ with Patricia Hodge and Dickhead Dork\*? \*aka Matthew Kelly ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2013, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/162 "2013-11-27T04:17:57Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > She had some line about "I took this form from your past…or maybe your future. I can never keep those two straight. > > It was a bit dumb. Ah, ok. Thanks. ---
**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 27, 2013, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/163 "2013-11-27T06:03:03Z")
> [@leahcim](#): > > It was kind of implied in the episode where the Tardis becomes a woman that the consciousnesses of timelord tech have problems understanding the ways that regular beings experience time and make mistakes like that. I thought it was dumb there, too. Timelord tech not understanding the way we mere humans experience time, fine. Limiting that misunderstanding to a ‘cute’ gaffe about past and future? Lazy. At least have them speak backwards for a while or have a conversation with the answers preceding the questions, or something. ---
**Author:** ![plankter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ba0ec/32.png) [@plankter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plankter)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2013, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/164 "2013-11-28T15:54:33Z")
Late to the party as I couldn’t watch the live broadcast, but also because I am nearly a Who newbie. My exposure to the rebooted series came entirely from the Internet in the form of avatars, gifs, passing references, and mashups (e.g., Dr Whooves). So it’s been interesting to read the discussions in this thread pertaining to continuity, casting, and other aspects of the special and the show in general. At last I sat down to watch “The Day of The Doctor” and it was the best thing I’ve seen on television in many moons. I grinned, I frowned in puzzlement, I laughed out loud more than once, and by the end I was at the edge of my seat. “Brilliant” is scarcely adequate. The identity of The Moment was amusing in retrospect because I went online afterwards and went, “Oh, _that’s_ Rose.” Because I mainly know the companions from 'ship wars. And I first heard of Bad Wolf in the context of poorly translated Norwegian. When the TARDIS was being airlifted, was anyone else reminded of the opening of the London Olympics? By the time Queen Elizabeth was mentioned, I wouldn’t have been taken aback to see HRM parachute down to join the others. I was pleased to see Elizabeth the First portrayed as a bit of a badass, but then I realized I didn’t know if the last one left standing was human or Zygon. As a fan of Bess I’m hoping it’s the former. ---
**Author:** ![Lilacs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Lilacs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lilacs)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/165 "2013-11-28T17:10:13Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > I thought it was dumb there, too. > > Timelord tech not understanding the way we mere humans experience time, fine. Limiting that misunderstanding to a ‘cute’ gaffe about past and future? Lazy. At least have them speak backwards for a while or have a conversation with the answers preceding the questions, or something. I get what you are saying about that but I so prefer it not being Rose. I was afraid that the Rose/Doctor conundrum would hijack the episode and I really, really didn’t want this to be about Rose and 10’s undying love. Or whatever. I was so through with Rose. So, even if it doesn’t make sense, I still much, much prefer it being something Other entirely. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/166 "2013-11-29T21:52:26Z")
> [@plankter](#): > > I was pleased to see Elizabeth the First portrayed as a bit of a badass, but then I realized I didn’t know if the last one left standing was human or Zygon. As a fan of Bess I’m hoping it’s the former. Real Elizabeth. When they’re in the control room discussing the plan, then Ten turns to Elizabeth and accuses her of being the Zygon for a variety of reasons, and then she reveals the is the real Elizabeth and he has to backpedal about the unsavory comments he made. She says she got the Zygon alone and took it out with her knife, since she’s always prepared and she’s underestimated by her opponents. Because the Zygon was in a fragile human form at the time. But mainly she was revealing the Zygon’s secret plan to the Doctors (and had left the prison door unlocked) because she was trying to subvert the Zygons, but pretending to be one of them. So, real Elizabeth I. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2013, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/167 "2013-11-30T00:33:00Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Real Elizabeth. When they’re in the control room discussing the plan, then Ten turns to Elizabeth and accuses her of being the Zygon for a variety of reasons, and then she reveals the is the real Elizabeth and he has to backpedal about the unsavory comments he made. She says she got the Zygon alone and took it out with her knife, since she’s always prepared and she’s underestimated by her opponents. Because the Zygon was in a fragile human form at the time. > > But mainly she was revealing the Zygon’s secret plan to the Doctors (and had left the prison door unlocked) because she was trying to subvert the Zygons, but pretending to be one of them. > > So, real Elizabeth I. Unless she was really a Slitheen and just wanted you to think that. ---
**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 30, 2013, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/168 "2013-11-30T01:44:07Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Remember when he played a lovable nerd on _Sink or Swim_ with Robert Glenister? And a harassed new Dad on _Holding the Fort_ with Patricia Hodge and Dickhead Dork\*? > > \*aka Matthew Kelly I missed both of those. But I can totally see him as a bumbling nerd. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2013, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/169 "2013-11-30T01:56:36Z")
One of the gripes I had about the special was that the whole Queen Elizabeth thing was clearly meant to resolve the quick joke from the Shakespeare episode, where Tennant’s Doctor got chased by QE’s guards, and he had no idea why. I think those little side jokes work better when left unexplained. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2013, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636/170 "2013-11-30T03:35:48Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > One of the gripes I had about the special was that the whole Queen Elizabeth thing was clearly meant to resolve the quick joke from the Shakespeare episode, where Tennant’s Doctor got chased by QE’s guards, and he had no idea why. > > I think those little side jokes work better when left unexplained. I agree. Plus they played her too much like the pudgy queen in Cheech and Chongs Corsican Brothers. [starts at about [28 minutes](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEoVdxDAPe4).] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-of-the-doctor-watch-along-thread-open-spoilers/674636.md?page=8)