The title of the finale is The Reality War, so it definitely sounds like someone is screwing with reality.
Spoilers The Well grade and discussion thread
- Thread starter The Nth Doctor
- Start date
10 from me, I really enjoyed this one.
I was a fan of Midnight but I don't think we needed this to be a sequal.
Would have worked just as well without that part of the story.
Good performances from everyone and I though Rose Ayling-Ellis was especially good.
I am enjoying this season more than the last and don't really feel like I need to see anymore of Ruby Sunday.
I was a fan of Midnight but I don't think we needed this to be a sequal.
Would have worked just as well without that part of the story.
Good performances from everyone and I though Rose Ayling-Ellis was especially good.
I am enjoying this season more than the last and don't really feel like I need to see anymore of Ruby Sunday.
Well, about that...
I see what you did there
A really great episode, easily the best 15th Doctor story. Its probably not a coincidence that his best story has only slight connections to the seasons mystery gimmick, and that the companion isn't the center of the story (to be clear I like Belinda and the missing Earth mystery is interesting, but the mystery stuff from RTD can get tiring).
I don't worship Midnight like some people seem to but its a decent episode and I think this sequel is actually better, although it is a fairly different kind of episode. I'd say that the only part I rolled my eyes at was the Doctor taking what felt like 45 seconds to stare at the camera crying (I like the 15th Doctor a lot, but the crying is becoming a meme at this point), but besides that the episode really impressed me. No "Gods", and a story that, while it hints at the seasonal mystery, would 100% have happened regardless of the MYSTERY OR THE "Gods", was exactly the kind of story both the show and the 15th Doctor needed right now.
I don't worship Midnight like some people seem to but its a decent episode and I think this sequel is actually better, although it is a fairly different kind of episode. I'd say that the only part I rolled my eyes at was the Doctor taking what felt like 45 seconds to stare at the camera crying (I like the 15th Doctor a lot, but the crying is becoming a meme at this point), but besides that the episode really impressed me. No "Gods", and a story that, while it hints at the seasonal mystery, would 100% have happened regardless of the MYSTERY OR THE "Gods", was exactly the kind of story both the show and the 15th Doctor needed right now.
Well, that was intense!
Took a little while to get going, but once it did, riveting. Could barely take my eyes off the screen. Proof positive you don't need showy effects to engage, or blood and gore to chill. You don't even need a monster reveal. The shiver that went through me at the Midnight reveal, that sudden sense of "oh hell, this is bad"? Delicious.
Now, if only Hollywood could understand this.
3 for 3 for me, and crossing everything they keep this roll going. Also intrigued at Mrs Flood's apparent, and rather Doctor-like, ability to insinuate herself anywhere, and anywhen...
Took a little while to get going, but once it did, riveting. Could barely take my eyes off the screen. Proof positive you don't need showy effects to engage, or blood and gore to chill. You don't even need a monster reveal. The shiver that went through me at the Midnight reveal, that sudden sense of "oh hell, this is bad"? Delicious.
Now, if only Hollywood could understand this.
3 for 3 for me, and crossing everything they keep this roll going. Also intrigued at Mrs Flood's apparent, and rather Doctor-like, ability to insinuate herself anywhere, and anywhen...
Dark wings, dark words
Face the Crow.
I think it works in something like The Well because they have to get into spacesuits, but I do kinda agree.
I think you can go too far down the 'uniform' route ala some of the classic Doctors and Whittaker, but even though Capaldi's look was fairly ordinary a lot of the time, and it varied, there were some distinctive elements in there, whereas Ncuti's outfits are all over the place and the only reason it works is because you could put that guy in a potato sack and he'd look fabulous in it!
It always comes back, to me, to the idea that you can look at a scene and say ‘there’s the Doctor’ and more often than not a scene that could be from *any* show or film, period drama, SF, contemporary, and know it’s Doctor Who even if you don’t know the Doctors by face. The one fellow with what the designers in 2005 called a ‘distinct silhouette’. There are times where that’s not true in a given moment or scene (spacesuits, dive suits, disguises) but in general there should be more of that than Mr.Benn dressing up business. It’s sort of the point, the Doctor belongs everywhere and Nowhere. Think how images that are sort of silly are also sort of iconic — cricket whites in Space, the Dandy face to face with the Alien (many many times, Sontarans, Draconians) the man in the thirties Golfing attire about to ride a motorbike at a gang, the young professor holding up the (not actually a) Jammy Dodger to the alien tank.
There’s really none of that, because even his hair is changed every other episode. I don’t think they would do it with a white Doctor, if I am honest, and it sits a little uncomfortable with me, even though in so many ways it’s really nothing.
Haha, that was supposed to be crowd.
Exactly! And I know that sometimes costume changes are necessary (spacesuit, ballgowns et all, even 10 dressed for the occasion sometimes) but being able to glance at the screen and immediately pick out the Doctor bc of his iconic costume; doesn't really work with Ncuti bc he's always in period dress.
And it doesn't HAVE to be the exact same costume every day; variation is necessary; but keep the silhouette, keep to the theme.
There's no real winning this argument. Doctors from Davison onwards wear the same outfit and every is all "NO! The Doctor doesn't wear a uniform, they're supposed to change their clothes!" Gatwa wears a different outfit each episode and everyone becomes "why doesn't the Doctor have a uniform look?"
I think there's a difference between Davison and Whittaker pretty much always wearing the same thing (and more importantly it looking like it was specifically made for them) and the Doctor having a certain look. Even though Capaldi's outfits varied a lot they tended to fit into the stage magician/street magician vibe depending whether he dressed up or dressed down.
Aim in the middle, then ask yourself that again. Pertwee had loads of outfits, but we’re all on a given theme or style. Tom changed a bit, season to season, but apart from his last outfit they were all variations on the same general look and theme, and even that last terrible purple get up was still on that theme. Davison had only subtle changes towards the very end, and Baker the Second would vary small details (most obviously to show the time periods in Trial of a Timelord) whereas McCoy sort of evolved as he went, staying within an overall look and theme. The same is true of all the modern Doctors, with Capaldi having the most variation (and that doesn’t always work) but still mostly within a given look. Whitaker’s was too uniform because whilst she had different T shirt colours, hers was the most obviously a costume since Colin’s. Which is ironic, since she allegedly picked it up in a charity shop. Presumably one frequented by Rod, Jane and Freddy.
Jumping past the stupidness that is ‘we regenerated his clothes because David would look silly in Jodie’s outfit’ in the same bloody episode where Sacha was ok to wear it. That’s the Master. Think about that a minute. (And no, it would have been perfectly in keeping to have a Jodie costume made for Tennant, it’s been done before, as far back as Colin and his mud spattered Davison costume at least) Then getting to Ncuti’s introduction, well, he gets twenty minutes or so looking like he’s forgotten his PE kit, and like the show has gone back to Alzarius in some peoples heads on the production tea (the ghost of Gary Downie likely approves) and has been a clothes horse ever since. Only it’s not a clothes horse, it’s a dress up doll. It’s even been established that Gatwa allegedly asked for a particular look, but instead is getting this.
Gatwa is the *only* Doctor that has had this treatment, and lack of thought from a character perspective. The Doctor changes body… it’s always made sense from a psychological perspective that he’s not so much of a chameleon when it comes to how he dresses. It’s part of the identity of the show as well.
He does have a theme - orange color, long flowing leather/brown coats and occasionally a kilt.
But we only see those outfits when he's "off duty" and almost never when he's actually running the show.
