Spoilers Kerblam! grade and discussion thread

[Jayson1]

Best episode of the season. It's amazing how good the show can be when the Doctor gets to do something other than twiddle her thumbs the whole time. She was very good in it. Also liked he twist. That has been a big issue for me with the season is the shows have been missing that extra twist. Plaything things very straightforward to much this year waiting for the show to throw the characters a extra curve and it falls through.. Plus if your going to do issues this the way to go. Find a issue people aren't talking about all that much and explore it. It didn't hurt either that Amazon has been kind of big in the news recently with it placing it's company in New York and Washington to troll Trump.


Jason

 

[Turtletrekker]

the System probably recognized her as the Doctor after scanning her and assigned her to the department closest to Charlie.

The scan did reveal that she has two hearts. If the system knew enough about the Doctor to send the message, then it may have known that aout her as well.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

The scan did reveal that she has two hearts. If the system knew enough about the Doctor to send the message, then it may have known that aout her as well.

Which reminds me: Graham looked surprised by that revelation and I expected him to say something, but then the scene moved past the moment and he never brought it up. Maybe I misread the look on his face, but it seems odd to me for them to bring it up in that way and then not do anything with it.

 

[Starkers]

I'm glad you asked that question, because it made something clear in the episode that confused me. Why would the Doctor, who is physically and mentally superior to any human being, be assigned to janitorial duties? (until she switched with Graham). Your question made me realize that the System probably recognized her as the Doctor after scanning her and assigned her to the department closest to Charlie.

That's a very interesting point!

 

[Pindar]

That was great, I really enjoyed it. Another great performance from Bradley Walsh too.

This would have worked well as a 10/Donna story but the new TARDIS team were brilliant.

 

[Mage]

Haven't seen the episode yet so I need to clarify - seasons 1-4 as in 1963-1967? or series 1-4 as in 2005-2008? Just so I can set my expectations accordingly.

2005-2008. I've never seen OldWho, not readily available here.

 

[cultcross]

Excellent episode, quite surprisingly dark in places and some great sequences. I liked the bubble wrap reveal and the references to Amazon and Sports Direct. Is interesting how the things in the Zeitgeist move on - in Eccleston's era it was reality TV, in Whittaker's it is automation and the gig economy.

Not quite as gripping as last week, but I certainly enjoyed it a lot and I can imagine this one becoming an iconic one of Whittaker's run. Definitely expecting those hi Vis vests to appear at con.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Was that scene where the scanner showed the Doctor has two hearts a bit cut? Grahams reaction to that, or non reaction, I got the feeling there's more to that.

 

[Refuge]

That was great, I really enjoyed it. Another great performance from Bradley Walsh too.

For all my (personal) disappointments of the new Doctor and the tedious messaging in the series so far, Bradley has been like the soul. I don't for a second think he should have been the Doctor that's Jodie's gig. I think it is in the role of a companion and one of a number of companions that he is shining.

 

[Solariabsg25]

One thing I noticed on second viewing. The Doctor was originally selected to be sent to maintenance. With the knowledge that The System was what was calling for help, that means it intended for The Doctor to meet up with Charlie and unmask him.

 

[Mr Soak]

Was that scene where the scanner showed the Doctor has two hearts a bit cut? Grahams reaction to that, or non reaction, I got the feeling there's more to that.

If you watched this weeks' Whovians, Jason Haigh-Ellery has a theory that Graham is an alien who came to Earth to die. However, he got healed and fell in love. The age he gave (310) is his actual age.

If he is an alien, he could be aware of Time Lords.

 

[USS Fardell]

Doctor Who 11.07 'Kerblam!' review

Spoiler

The seventh episode of Series 11. The Doctor receives a delivery of a fez from a retailing conglomerate. Investigating, Yas discovers a call for help on the packing slip. This is a great set up for the plot of the episode. However, the overall intro sequence is rather good. Graham's lack of understanding when the 'Doc' shouts “The Kerblam! Man!” is understandable. “You're just making sounds now!” is quite understandable. (By the way, the Kerblam! jingle is quite catchy...) This a good segue into the TARDIS's landing outside the Kerblam! warehouse.
The introduction to the situation at Kerblam! is rather good. The story takes time to introduce each new character. Julie, Kira, Dan, Slade, and Charlie (more on him later). Then there is the real life parallels. (Amazon can't be the only one...) Poor conditions for workers, given unrealistic productivity goals, and automation taking jobs. (More on this later.) Team TARDIS infiltrate the company to find out what's wrong. Yas connects with Dan. The Doctor and Ryan connect with Kira, an orphan who only had one gift in her life.
Of course, Graham connects with Charlie, the Janitor. (No one notices the janitorial staff...) The background of each character is explored (some more than others), and the background of the company is explored, but what is important is what was going on. Laws requiring 10% organic workforce. (Should it be higher). The Doctor discovers, that indeed there is a conspiracy going on, which she doesn't like, and sneaks into Slade's office. Her confrontation with Slade is rather well done.
“The System isn't the problem, it is people who control the system who are the problem,” is a great line. This links in with the actual villain. Charlie. The Doctor realises what is going on, but not soon enough to save Kira from the explosive bubblewrap. Charlie's plan isn't well thought through. Such a terrorist attack isn't likely to make the Kandokan authorities to change their labor laws to allow more organic workers. However, the end point where Julie and Slade promised to hire more organic workers was good.
(Although I would have liked to see Yas give Dan's daughter the necklace.) 8/10.

 

[BritishSeaPower]

If you watched this weeks' Whovians, Jason Haigh-Ellery has a theory that Graham is an alien who came to Earth to die. However, he got healed and fell in love. The age he gave (310) is his actual age.

If he is an alien, he could be aware of Time Lords.

Oh man... I hope they don't do that...

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

If you watched this weeks' Whovians, Jason Haigh-Ellery has a theory that Graham is an alien who came to Earth to die. However, he got healed and fell in love. The age he gave (310) is his actual age.

If he is an alien, he could be aware of Time Lords.

No I haven't watched Whovians this week. If you mean the one hosted by Rove McManus, no not yet. I don't know if I like that theory but there was definitely something off about that scene.

 

[Jayson1]

Oh man... I hope they don't do that...

Me to. It would completely undercut his character. Not ever character needs to have some secret past to them. Or even a overally soap opera style trauma. His wife dying is good enough because you can relate to it.

Jason

 

[matthunter]

Was that scene where the scanner showed the Doctor has two hearts a bit cut? Grahams reaction to that, or non reaction, I got the feeling there's more to that.

If it's a non-reaction, then that's due to Grace telling him the Doctor has a double pulse back the the first ep, and he figured out the two hearts thing.

If he's reacting, then it's likely he hadn't actually believed Grace (or just thought it was something else weird about the Doctor) and has only just made the connect "Ah! THAT's why the pulse was odd!"

Since they all came round before the Doctor in the Tsuranga ep, they might have heard the medics discuss the Doctor's hearts anyway.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

If it's a non-reaction, then that's due to Grace telling him the Doctor has a double pulse back the the first ep, and he figured out the two hearts thing.

If he's reacting, then it's likely he hadn't actually believed Grace (or just thought it was something else weird about the Doctor) and has only just made the connect "Ah! THAT's why the pulse was odd!"

Since they all came round before the Doctor in the Tsuranga ep, they might have heard the medics discuss the Doctor's hearts anyway.

Well whatever it is I hope it's ordinary with Graham and they don't go down the "character with a hidden past" trope. Fiction tends to use this one a lot.

 

[Guy Gardener]

The Doctor must have been in an arms race with River.

He bought a Fez, so she set it on fire.

He bought 2 more Fez, so she fed them to a goat.

The more he ordered, the more she expunged.

He must have periodically organized the acquisition of thousands of Fez, to make certain he still had one on hand when necessary, as she kept bailing fez by the pound and ton out the front door of the TARDIS into the vortex.

 

[Starkers]

Only an AI of 81 for this one annoyingly.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

If you watched this weeks' Whovians, Jason Haigh-Ellery has a theory that Graham is an alien who came to Earth to die. However, he got healed and fell in love. The age he gave (310) is his actual age.

If he is an alien, he could be aware of Time Lords.

He could even be a Timelord. But, one we've met before or a new one?

310 would be too young for the Master, unless he was even more careless with his lives than the Doctor.