Spoilers The Woman Who Fell to Earth grade and discussion thread

[Hugo Rune]

The train stretched my suspension of disbelief from the start. Aside from the ridiculius length/doors etc, where were the police?

I think he means the British Transport Police - since the terror attacks there's often a BTP copper on a train.

BTP are probably one of the most overstretched forces in the UK. Whilst a lone copper in a car could have to cover 200 square miles (at its very worst, but admittedly in a more sparsely populated area), BTP officers have to cover thousands of miles of tracks and stations.

These days, you are lucky to see BTP at Waterloo Concourse, let alone on a train anywhere. They have become completely reliant upon the train guards and drivers calling incidents in and desperately attempting to reach the train at the next station in a half decent time (current expected response time to an immediate incident is 20 minutes). I've not watched the show so I've no idea where the train incident occurred, but most BTP officers are based at large hubs and attempt to respond from there. I do not envy them.

Not seeing a BTP officer on a train is probably one of the most believable things Dr Who has done.

Hugo - Coppers on a train? As likely as Snakes on a Plane

 

[Sparky]

I quite liked this episode and that really surprises me. Introductory stories for new Doctors are usually terrible, with the Eleventh Hour being the lone New Who exception up until now. Rose was really meh, with The Christmas Invasion and Deep Breath being downright terrible. Even classic Who had this problem, with Robot, The Twin Dilemma, Time and The Rani being godawful, Spearhead from Space and Castrovalva are decent but not great.

I liked that it was not a world threatening invasion or catastrophe that was going on, it felt smaller and more personal. Jodie *is* the Doctor, and that makes me happy. It's not all sunshine and roses though, I thought Yasmin is still very half baked in this episode. I learned and cared more about the red shirt security guard in his 30 seconds than I did about Yasmin.

One thing that did throw me off a bit is the cinematography, it didn't have the same look or feel. It was gorgeous, but felt like it belonged in a different show or even a movie in some shots.

Overall it's the second best introductory episode of New Who, and I'm ok with that.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I had never heard of dyspraxia before. Though it sound like something I might actually suffer from!

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I had never heard of dyspraxia before. Though it sound like something I might actually suffer from!

I hadn't either. I'm not even sure if the term was mentioned in the episode but I first saw it mentioned in A.V. Club's review of the episode.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I hadn't either. I'm not even sure if the term was mentioned in the episode but I first saw it mentioned in A.V. Club's review of the episode.

It was and sent me to google to find out what it was.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

It was and sent me to google to find out what it was.

Ah, very good. Was it during Ryan's YouTube video? If so, that would explain how I missed it. Like someone else said earlier, the YouTube recommendations were quite distracting.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Ah, very good. Was it during Ryan's YouTube video? If so, that would explain how I missed it. Like someone else said earlier, the YouTube recommendations were quite distracting.

I think it was in a conversation between Ryan, Grace and Graham.

 

[Christopher]

Yup, but he did amazingly well all things considered and an accredit to Troughton's performance. Power of the Daleks is one of my favorite Troughton serials and one of my favorite Dalek stories (and that's putting aside however one might feel about the recent animation).

IIRC, I found the animated reconstruction to be one of the better ones. Anyway, it is a terrific story.

Four, actually. The clockwork droids The Twelfth Doctor faced were the same ones from "The Girl in the Fireplace." So that's The Rani, the clockwork droids, and the Autons twice.

Oh yeah, that's right.

Actually, I prefer dyspraxia simply being part of who Ryan is and not some element of the plot itself. I would prefer it be utilized as just part of his character development throughout the season.

I wasn't sure how I felt about the portrayal of a disability as something you could just overcome if you tried hard enough, but I saw a Facebook comment from someone with dyspraxia who liked the portrayal. You're right, it should just be part of who a character is instead of something that exists specifically for plot reasons.

Even classic Who had this problem, with Robot, The Twin Dilemma, Time and The Rani being godawful, Spearhead from Space and Castrovalva are decent but not great.

I thought "Robot" was pretty good aside from its problematical chromakey mattes, but then, it was my first ever Doctor Who serial, so I might not have become a fan if I hadn't liked that one. And though "Castrovalva" is flawed, I like it because, like "Logopolis" from the same author, it draws on concepts from one of my favorite nonfiction books, Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas R. Hofstadter.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I think it was in a conversation between Ryan, Grace and Graham.

Huh. Well, another reason to watch the episode again (double damn!).

I wasn't sure how I felt about the portrayal of a disability as something you could just overcome if you tried hard enough, but I saw a Facebook comment from someone with dyspraxia who liked the portrayal. You're right, it should just be part of who a character is instead of something that exists specifically for plot reasons.

Yeah, I wasn't sure either about that portrayal (in retrospective reflection) but I'm glad to see at one person who thought it was a good portrayal (presumably someone who has it). Hopefully, Chibnall and company are able to present the disorder in a respectful manner throughout the season.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

So is it time for Chibnall to bring back Cyberwoman?

Women’s suspenders hold up stockings, (men’s) suspenders hold up trousers whether they are worn by a man or woman - at least in my part of the world.

However looking at Jodie’s outfit again, I think they might be buttoned and therefore braces.

Speaking as a midwestern American, I've never heard braces used to mean anything related to clothing. Though I couldn't tell you the last time I saw someone in real life actually wear suspenders. They seem relegated to geriatric talk show host and conservative political types. Oh, and probably hipsters, it just seems like that would be the case.

 

[Abi Smith]

I agree that Ryan's dyspraxia shouldn't define him and the plot shouldn't hinge on his condition but it should inform his character and his actions in a given situation, providing the audience with a greater understanding.

 

[Christopher]

Speaking as a midwestern American, I've never heard braces used to mean anything related to clothing.

US "garter belt" = UK "suspenders"
US "suspenders" = UK "braces"
US "braces" = UK "mouth brace"

I used to think that in Monty Python's "Lumberjack Song," the line "I wear high heels, suspenders and a bra" was talking about mixing and matching women's clothes with actual lumberjack-style suspenders to keep one's pants up. Once I learned what the word meant in the UK, it made more sense.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

^ though arguably less interesting...

 

[Haggis and tatties]

I actually never knew that ... I thought Doctor Who had always aired on a Saturday.

Still not enough to assuage my bitter disappointment last night, but I'll get over it sometime today, I imagine.

Who has been all over the BBC schedules, with the 80s being the most was bounced about, but by then TPTB at the BBC wanted the show gone, regardless of the fact it was always pulling in good ratings, even to McCoys last episode was pulling in 5 million.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I used to think that in Monty Python's "Lumberjack Song," the line "I wear high heels, suspenders and a bra" was talking about mixing and matching women's clothes with actual lumberjack-style suspenders to keep one's pants up. Once I learned what the word meant in the UK, it made more sense.

As George Bernard Shaw said, "Two nations, separated by a common language."

Random Monty Python trivia moment -- there's a 33% chance that the version of "The Lumberjack Song" on Monty Python's Live at City Center album features George Harrison as one of the backing Mounties. Harrison, a huge Python fan, was in New York and asked the Pythons if he could be a Mountie during the run of shows recorded for the album. No fuss was made, no spotlight given -- he just put on the outfit, sang back-up vocals, and did nothing to try and upstage the Pythons. Harry Nilsson did the same thing in a later show, but he was really drunk and a bit rude.

 

[kirk55555]

I rated it "Good". Its easily the second worst 1st new Doctor episode of NuWho after 10's first episode, but its not a terrible episode overall. I mean, it was a bit boring, they dragged the regeneration sickness out too long, all the companions are bland and boring, and the damn TARDIS better be in The Doctor's possession by the end of episode 2 at the latest, but overall it was ok. A middle of the road ok, but still ok.

Whitaker was fine as The Doctor, especially in the few minutes after they stopped the stupid "oh, what is my name" bullshit. The companions...are Martha. Not in the "in love with The Doctor" way, but in the "Extremely boring and forgettable" way. I don't give a shit about any of them, and that won't be changing (wasting all of the beginning of the episode on the doofuses was a really stupid decision, and who gives a fuck about an idiot trying to learn to ride a bike 20 years past the age he should have learned). But, that still makes them better then Clara, so there's that.

Her costume is garbage and her screwdriver easily the worst design for the device in the franchise's history, but she still dresses better then series 9 "Lazy Saturday morning" era Capaldi, and at least the stupid sunglasses are gone. Overall I'm not particularly hyped for the rest of the season, but I'm not feeling bad about it either. It could get good or become mediocre, I'll have to see it to find out.

 

[The Doctor]

She’s The Doctor, right from the off. Brilliant.

The episode was beautifully shot and I’m looking forward to all three companions who, I think, were given plenty of time to breathe and establish themselves. The music was blah, including the end credits theme and I’m missing Gold quite a bit already. The story and alien were throughly so-so but given that Tim Shaw was just there to get the gang together I suppose it doesn’t matter.

Looking forward to next week and aching to get a glimpse at that new TARDIS.

 

[Nightowl1701]

and who gives a fuck about an idiot trying to learn to ride a bike 20 years past the age he should have learned

You obviously missed the plot point about the coordination disability he was suffering. He KNOWS how to do it, but his body isn't quite following orders from the brain. He's trying his damnedest to overcome it, and now he has the death of his grandmother to get over while watching over a grieving step-grandfather whose fatal cancer could return at any point. The grandfather's the inverse of that, as he's now lost the only other person who gave his life any meaning and he's trying to help his step-grandson make his own way in life while he still has the chance to do so. Yaz is bored with being a beat cop and wants some challenge and excitement; well, she's about to get both in spades, and I'm sure we'll get more reason to care about her as the season progresses.

 

[Redfern]

Oh, concerning the move to Sundays, a member of Gallifrey Base who's a UK citizen helped explain it.

Saturday nights have long been the province of light entertainment, arguably "fluff" material for quite a few years. Whereas Sunday has become the evening for the "heavy hitters" the high profile shows. If that is actually the case, then it would make sense the production team would desire the move. If anything, it sounds that it would be a challenge to get a slot on Sundays as many series would want the spot.

 

[kirk55555]

You obviously missed the plot point about the coordination disability he was suffering. He KNOWS how to do it, but his body isn't quite following orders from the brain. He's trying his damnedest to overcome it, and now he has the death of his grandmother to get over while watching over a grieving step-grandfather whose fatal cancer could return at any point. The grandfather's the inverse of that, as he's now lost the only other person who gave his life any meaning and he's trying to help his step-grandson make his own way in life while he still has the chance to do so. Yaz is bored with being a beat cop and wants some challenge and excitement; well, she's about to get both in spades, and I'm sure we'll get more reason to care about her as the season progresses.

If they said there was some outside reason he couldn't ride a bike, then they damn sure didn't make it obvious. Regardless its still shit from a writing perspective, and I still don't and will never get a shit about Martha 2, 3 or 4. Again, they're still not as bad as Clara, but they're still not good and could easily be worse then Martha (who was just bland and boring) in the end. I'm completely checked out of any plots with them, so I don't give a fuck if he can beat whatever stops him from riding a bike, and I definitely don't care about the bored cop or literally random old guy who is only here because he was married to bike guy's grandmother. I won't be paying much attention to their stupid shit, I'll just focus on what the title character is doing and hope the idiots following her around don't take away from the stories too much.