8X03 "Robot of Sherwood" Grading/Discussion)(SPOILERS!)

[Joel_Kirk]

I liked it. I thought it was 'good.' However, I'm still waiting for that mind-blowing episode. (Of course, we are still in the early stages).

I thought Clara was beautiful as always (those dimples!) She is stepping in the shoes of Sarah Jane (and in some ways Peri) as she transitions from one Doctor to another. Although, Clara seems more assertive in her relationship with The Doctor.

The Doctor reminded me a bit of #4, a bit of #6, and a bit of 'the original'(in that order). I look forward to seeing a more serious side of this particular Doctor in future episodes. Here, he seemed to be very sarcastic in a light-hearted manner.

'Robin' reminded me of Cary Elwes, who ironically portrayed Robin Hood in a Mel Brooks film.

As for the upcoming episode? It looks interesting.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

http://imgur.com/YtWkOVj.jpg

That's what I am talking about. Look at the anachronistic clothing. The two totally don't match. How can we be know that the makers of Doctor Who aren't themselves time travellers? And you can tell at least one of them is a robot. Nobody is that pretty. Besides, not even his ears match – the left is not even there.

 

[Cyke101]

Personally I liked that the Doctor had to solve the problem without the sonic screwdriver.

me too. he hasn't really used it much thus far. which is a nice change from the overuse of 11.

Now that you point it out, I think it's funny that the only times the screwdriver was used in this episode, it was to help the Doctor try to prove an ultimately incorrect guess

Anyway, I finally got around to watching it, and I have to say, I enjoyed it more than the previous two episodes -- I was okay with the premiere but pretty bored with Into the Dalek. I realize that I might be in the minority about it, and even AV Club disagrees with me, but that's okay.

Finally, we get the Malcolm Tucker-style witty comebacks (sans the swearing, of course), but it took a rival to get that out of Twelve. Also, the actor who played the Sheriff could easily play Anthony Ainsley if there was ever a behind-the-scenes movie about his run on the show.

Kinda gruesome to show the Sheriff's hands coming out of the gold vat, but the original cut had decapitations, so I guess it counts.

I don't doubt that Robin Hood made that nearly-impossible shot with the golden arrow, but the idea that the itty-bitty arrow simply touching the ship was enough to push it to the max was hard to stomach. If that's all it took, there'd be no need to mold it, or even melt it.

Another thing that really took me out of the episode was that, when the TARDIS disappeared, Marian didn't give it a second thought. Hell, Robin Hood at least had a few questions about it when it appeared in front of him, but Marian ran straight to Robin because it made for better TV. Even if the Doctor and Clara explained the TARDIS to her, it's not fair for the viewer to try to rationalize it on behalf of the writer, because then they're doing the writer's work for them.

However, all in all I enjoyed the episode. Yes, I want a darker Doctor, but this kind of lighthearted adventure is always a nice respite.

Interestingly, AV Club points out that this is the first "historical" episode since Vincent Van Gogh four years ago, which is a bit jarring to think about since RTD had at least one per episode. And while I'm generally not the biggest fan of these types of episodes, they tend to do a good job of showing legend vs. "reality" (at least as far as fiction goes), in that what we learn in schoolbooks tends to be very different from the real person.

 

[Captaindemotion]

I was surprised not to see a Missy appearance, given the Promised Land theme resurfacing.

Not every episode connects to the arc. Bad Wolf wasn't in every season 1 episode, not every season 2 episode had a Torchwood reference. The cracks weren't in every season 5 episode and in the first half of season 6 Madame Kovarian was absent from The Doctor's.

I realise that and I wasn't expecting her for the first half of the episode but the Promised Land theme seemed to be part of her arc.

 

[davejames]

It feels like a modernized Sixth Doctor and Peri to me. There's something broadly spiky about their relationship. Which is a risky strategy to take, given that many fans reacted negatively to Six and Peri at the time, feeling it lacked the warmth we expected from a Doctor Who partnership.

I'm not saying their dynamic doesn't work at all, and there is some fun in watching the fun and bubbly Clara bounce off this more surly Doctor.

But somehow it still doesn't feel to me like the most ideal kind of companion for Capaldi's Doctor, the way Amy and Clara seemed so perfectly matched with Smith's Doctor. It feels like he needs someone a bit older or slightly more serious next to him perhaps. Like maybe a Liz Shaw.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

In my opinion this Doctor needs a Tardis gang, and I think the original formula would work very well for him: a young ingenue, a skeptic and an action man.

 

[Starkers]

I gave it a good but I'd rate it personally as 4.5/5. Another really good episode. At the beginning when the Doctor had a sword fight with a spoon, I though "oh crap, here's the typical Moffat silliness again" but other than that nitpik it was a really good episode, very enjoyable!

I thought the spoon seemed very Doctor-y to me, I don't know. I could envision Tom Baker doing something like that. Though it would've been amusing if he had pulled a sword out of his pocket.

I agree I loved the spoon!

Personally I liked that the Doctor had to solve the problem without the sonic screwdriver.

me too. he hasn't really used it much thus far. which is a nice change from the overuse of 11.

Now that you point it out, I think it's funny that the only times the screwdriver was used in this episode, it was to help the Doctor try to prove an ultimately incorrect guess

Anyway, I finally got around to watching it, and I have to say, I enjoyed it more than the previous two episodes -- I was okay with the premiere but pretty bored with Into the Dalek. I realize that I might be in the minority about it, and even AV Club disagrees with me, but that's okay.

Finally, we get the Malcolm Tucker-style witty comebacks (sans the swearing, of course), but it took a rival to get that out of Twelve. Also, the actor who played the Sheriff could easily play Anthony Ainsley if there was ever a behind-the-scenes movie about his run on the show.

Kinda gruesome to show the Sheriff's hands coming out of the gold vat, but the original cut had decapitations, so I guess it counts.

I don't doubt that Robin Hood made that nearly-impossible shot with the golden arrow, but the idea that the itty-bitty arrow simply touching the ship was enough to push it to the max was hard to stomach. If that's all it took, there'd be no need to mold it, or even melt it.

Another thing that really took me out of the episode was that, when the TARDIS disappeared, Marian didn't give it a second thought. Hell, Robin Hood at least had a few questions about it when it appeared in front of him, but Marian ran straight to Robin because it made for better TV. Even if the Doctor and Clara explained the TARDIS to her, it's not fair for the viewer to try to rationalize it on behalf of the writer, because then they're doing the writer's work for them.

However, all in all I enjoyed the episode. Yes, I want a darker Doctor, but this kind of lighthearted adventure is always a nice respite.

Interestingly, AV Club points out that this is the first "historical" episode since Vincent Van Gogh four years ago, which is a bit jarring to think about since RTD had at least one per episode. And while I'm generally not the biggest fan of these types of episodes, they tend to do a good job of showing legend vs. "reality" (at least as far as fiction goes), in that what we learn in schoolbooks tends to be very different from the real person.

Well to be honest I'm glad, RTD's series were quite repetative in that way, the light hearted opener, and ooh look it's the famouse person from history episode, regular as clockwork. Also sooner or later your run out of the really famous people from history and have to drop down to the people you'd need to google

 

[Mage]

I dunno..... I kinda liked it. It was kinda weird. I like Capaldi's acting, not sure if I like this take on The Doctor.

The show seems to be getting very gimmicky, the threats don't feel very dangerous. It's as if the show wants to be more and more funny, and less edgy. There were times during Eccleston and Tennant that you could feel a real danger to the Doctor, and even Smith on occasion channeled that. But during Smith's 'reign', things already felt like they were more about goofy moments and quirky one-liners, and less about real plot, a real story to be told.

I don't like blaming things on one person, but another show that suffered from gags and goofs was Sherlock Season 3, where the first two eps were basicly about fan-gratification. It was less about the actual characters, and more about goofing around. And I can't help but feel Moffat doesn't care about good shows anymore, just fan-gratification.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

Well to be honest I'm glad, RTD's series were quite repetative in that way, the light hearted opener, and ooh look it's the famouse person from history episode, regular as clockwork. Also sooner or later your run out of the really famous people from history and have to drop down to the people you'd need to google

"Brilliant! I've always wanted to meet Robert C. Baker, the man who invented chicken nuggets."

 

[RoJoHen]

I'm absolutely loving this season so far, and Clara is on the fast track to becoming one of my favorite companions. She is much more confident that she was last season, and Jenna has so much more presence. Last year it seemed like she was just around because the show needed a companion; this year she's actually become a real character, and I love the dynamic she has with Capaldi.

Also, was it just me, or the did the Doctor flip Robin the middle finger in the beginning when he was putting on his glove?

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I was surprised not to see a Missy appearance, given the Promised Land theme resurfacing.

Not every episode connects to the arc. Bad Wolf wasn't in every season 1 episode, not every season 2 episode had a Torchwood reference. The cracks weren't in every season 5 episode and in the first half of season 6 Madame Kovarian was absent from The Doctor's Wife.

I have a theory that Missy is only going to be in episodes Moffat wrote or at least co-wrote, and that the reason he is listed as a co-writer on a few episodes is because he's inserting Missy scenes into what is otherwise someone else's script.

Well, this episode did reference the ongoing plot (by referring to the Promised Land). It just didn't explicitly have Missy. Although there was no one really worth rescuing this time, it seemed.

I dunno..... I kinda liked it. It was kinda weird. I like Capaldi's acting, not sure if I like this take on The Doctor.

The show seems to be getting very gimmicky, the threats don't feel very dangerous. It's as if the show wants to be more and more funny, and less edgy. There were times during Eccleston and Tennant that you could feel a real danger to the Doctor, and even Smith on occasion channeled that. But during Smith's 'reign', things already felt like they were more about goofy moments and quirky one-liners, and less about real plot, a real story to be told.

Oh come on. The whole having to hold your breath or else your organs would be stolen thing was pretty terrifying. Certainly as real as any threat faced by any other Doctor.

 

[USS KG5]

Also sooner or later your run out of the really famous people from history and have to drop down to the people you'd need to google

You'd be surprised who people would need to Google, I once dated a girl who didn't know who the Nazis were!

 

[Starkers]

Also sooner or later your run out of the really famous people from history and have to drop down to the people you'd need to google

You'd be surprised who people would need to Google, I once dated a girl who didn't know who the Nazis were!

There's currently a trailer for the new series of Bad Education which features a gag that a teenage boy thought Hitler's first name was Heil!

Every few months you do see these surveys where they say 25% of 16 years old think Churchill is a fictional character or Nelson was king or nonsense like that...

That said given how ingrained in popular culture the Nazis are that is surprising!

 

[Photoman15]

This is one of the few episodes where I like Clara. I don't not like her because of Jenna, I don't like the pick up/drop off companion. In this episode, she was with the Doctor in the TARDIS at the beginning and at the end. If you just watch this episode, you don't see the "occasional companion". I didn't like it when Amy & Rory were pick ups in the beginning of Season 7 either, but we were already acquainted with them before the TARDIS became a taxi service. I don't know why Moffat thinks this is what a companion is supposed to be.

 

[Starkers]

Well in many ways if the Doctor were real and did pick up companions from Earth and given he has a machine that travels in time and space this is exactly how such a relationship would work in many instances.

Seriously unless you had nowhere to call home (Adric, Nyssa, Ace I guess also) or the Doctor's control over the Tardis was a trifle ropey at the time (Ian and Barbara, Tegan) then why would you leave friends, family, pets and your possible career behind forever when you could have the best of both worlds? (always assuming you don't end up aging 20 years in 2 from your friends' perspective)

For all we know the 4th Doctor was dropping Sarah Jane off all the time to file stories and feed her fish etc, maybe we just never saw the dropping off/picking up?

I agree it can be a trifle annoying, but it might also be the most realistic portrayal of a companion we've ever had!

 

[Mr Awe]

^ Sort of agree but I don't watch Doctor Who for realism! I hope the dropping off/picking up stuff ends soon. I just prefer the idea of them traveling the universe together.

Mr Awe

 

[1001001]

I was somewhat skeptical when I saw a Robin Hood episode coming up, but it was pretty good!

The scene where they're shackled and arguing made my son and I laugh so hard we had to stop it and rewind it a couple of times. We thought that was hilarious.

 

[Haggis and tatties]

I enjoyed this immensely, seems to have a mix of Hartnell and Troughton, and i am thinking the Dr might still even be cooking, seems to be a lot of stuff about what and who he is this gen, quite interesting to say the least, could the face he chose be a key to this mystery, is there more than one arc going through this, or am i seeing stuff that is not there. lol

Oh well, end of the day i am loving this.

 

[The Wormhole]

Of the many complaints people have had about the Moffat era (more than a few I do agree with) I've never understood the one about the companions (mostly Clara) just being along for a "day trip" every week. It's not really making the show any different than it used to be, keep in mind not every episode shows the Doctor picking her up at the beginning and dropping her off at the end, and as for the ones that do, so what? Why does it matter? From an audience perspective, why does it matter if we know the companion is only there for a weekly day trip as opposed to permanently staying in the TARDIS? They're still going to get into all manner of adventures and troubles during the course of 45 minutes regardless, and that's all that really matters in the end.

Maybe it can be problematic for when it comes time for the companion to leave, since you either have to come up with some idiotic sort of explanation for why they can't join the Doctor anymore which doesn't hold up to scrutiny at all, like they did with Amy and Rory, or some kind of falling out between the Doctor and the companion, which I get the impression is going to happen with Clara.

 

[Starkers]

Of the many complaints people have had about the Moffat era (more than a few I do agree with) I've never understood the one about the companions (mostly Clara) just being along for a "day trip" every week. It's not really making the show any different than it used to be, keep in mind not every episode shows the Doctor picking her up at the beginning and dropping her off at the end, and as for the ones that do, so what? Why does it matter? From an audience perspective, why does it matter if we know the companion is only there for a weekly day trip as opposed to permanently staying in the TARDIS? They're still going to get into all manner of adventures and troubles during the course of 45 minutes regardless, and that's all that really matters in the end.

Maybe it can be problematic for when it comes time for the companion to leave, since you either have to come up with some idiotic sort of explanation for why they can't join the Doctor anymore which doesn't hold up to scrutiny at all, like they did with Amy and Rory, or some kind of falling out between the Doctor and the companion, which I get the impression is going to happen with Clara.

This has been a major problem with the show since it's come back. Look at the convoluted way RTD had to split up the Doctor and Rose, or the Doctor and Donna. Really the only old school companion exit we've had since 2005 was probably Martha's "You don't fancy me so I'm off"

I really sometimes do wish The Wedding of River Song had really been last time we saw Rory and Amy (though I do love the last couple of minutes of the following Christmas special.)

I think a lot of it comes down to the Doctor having way more control over his Tardis these days.