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Spoilers The Giggle grade and discussion thread

How do you rate The Giggle?


  • Total voters
    73
That companion puppet show scene between The Doctor and the Toymaker has become a meme template
I've seen the memes. And I've seen the criticism that the memes are incorrect (usually) because WELL THAT IS ALRIGHT THEN! is supposed to be sarcastic and usually it was applied literally in the meme.

Maybe that's how the Toymaker meant it. But Amy really did die of old age. And Clara got presumably a longer life and one travelling through time and space. So, they really did seem alright to me.

Still, I guess the Toymaker was just trying to get under the Doctor's skin.
 
I'll give you the ending of Girl in the Fireplace and the Doctor's funk in The Snowmen in response to losing Amy and Rory. Though a recurring problem regarding death in Moffat's scripts is that he can never seem to leave dead characters dead. And worse, he resurrects characters despite having no further plans for the characters. Like the Paternoster Gang killed off in Name of the Doctor and resurrected in the same episode. They then come back only one time afterwards, in Deep Breath which at the time it aired Moffat made it very clear that would be their final appearance, and it turned out he was telling the truth as here we are nine years later and they haven't been back. Or Osgood, killed in the finale of Capaldi's first season, sort of resurrected the next season and never seen again.

But I've argued over Moffat's weird attitude regarding death of characters many times and have never come to a satisfactory outcome to that argument, and I don't expect to this time either. I will add that Moffat's frequent use of the "everybody lives!" ending many of his episodes have is that each time it's used, it retroactively cheapens the ending of The Doctor Dances. The whole reason "just this once, everybody lives!" was such a powerful moment in that episode is because it's accurate, for once everyone lived and the rarity of such an ending made it feel special. However, twelve years later when Moffat's term as showrunner ended and we got several more "everybody lives!" endings no longer feels like a unique instance, other than being the first time Moffat used what has now become a worn out trope of his.

Another thing I wondered, was RTD perhaps criticizing Moffat's thing of only sort of killing characters with the bit where the Toymaker was reviewing Amy, Clara, and Bill's fates, with the Doctor explaining how they only sort of died and the Toymaker scoffing "well, that's alright then!"

Yeah even as I wrote it I was doubting myself. I don't know, maybe it's just that Moffat is a bit more nuanced about it and RTD a bit more in your face.

And of course it isn't like "they're not really dead" is a trope that was born with RTD and Moffat. How many Trek/Buffy etc characters return from the dead over the years?
 
And of course it isn't like "they're not really dead" is a trope that was born with RTD and Moffat. How many Trek/Buffy etc characters return from the dead over the years?

Characters in comics, both heroes and especially villains dating back to the 40s, daytime dramas (aka soap operas) even before television, during the era of radio. Shoot, Sherlock Holmes! Supposedly died fighting Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls, but readers demanded his return and Conan Doyle eventually capitulated. I'm sure there are even earlier examples.
 
Characters in comics, both heroes and especially villains dating back to the 40s, daytime dramas (aka soap operas) even before television, during the era of radio. Shoot, Sherlock Holmes! Supposedly died fighting Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls, but readers demanded his return and Conan Doyle eventually capitulated. I'm sure there are even earlier examples.
Jesus? Lazarus? Hardly a novelty.
 
I enjoyed this one for the most part. NPH is always good. And when Donna said “…to come home”, well, let’s just say I must have gotten something in my eye….

Minor quibbles about the game of catch (??) and using a giant mallet to create a new TARDIS. Bi-generation? Uh…

Anyway…

Ready for the next Doctor!

“B”
 
A bit late for the party, but here goes...

I liked Wild Blue Yonder better. It was scary, mysterious and intriguing in just the right amount.
The Giggle's first half was on the same level. But then it's like RTD went: "oh wait, this is a regeneration episode!" and the Toymaker became a side note to be dispensed with as soon as possible so we can focus on 14 and 15.
The Bi-generation is stupid, but I do like the change of a Doctor not dying and getting to "retire".
 
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