Spoilers Lucky Day grade and discussion thread

[CaptainWacky]

I thought it was possbily the worst episode since RTD returned, maybe tied with Space Babies. Nothing after Conrad's turn made much sense and was way too rushed. How did Ruby not know he was a conspiracy theory podcaster? His "think tank" thing must have already been known given that he's streaming live to his followers and they have their own t-shirst. She didn't Google him? Did he run a fake reasonable podcast for a year just to fool her?

Did he genuinely think the aliens were fake or was it all just a grif to get money out of his subscirbers? He saw the TARDIS appear and disappear and didn't seem that surprised when he met the Doctor at the end (even telling him about Belinda), so that made me think he was lying all along. But what was his plan when he infiltrated UNIT then? If he knew aliens are real he couldn't have expected them to admit they were fake to on his livestream.

UNIT really did hold guns to people who were just dressed up in costumes and Kate nearly killed Conrad (deserved or not) both on camera, so they didn't actually come out of this looking good, did they?

Didn't think it was a very good episode for Ruby's character either, she didn't really end up doing much.

I liked the first three episodes of the series so was very disappointed by this.

 

[The Wormhole]

Continuity error I picked up on. It's said Conrad applied to UNIT and was interviewed by Kate "eight years ago." Given this episode is set in 2025, that means Conrad applied and was interviewed in 2017. But according to Flux 2017 was when the Grand Serpent shut UNIT down and Kate faked her death and went into hiding.

How did Ruby not know he was a conspiracy theory podcaster? His "think tank" thing must have already been known given that he's streaming live to his followers and they have their own t-shirst. She didn't Google him? Did he run a fake reasonable podcast for a year just to fool her?

We're supposed to infer Conrad did have a fake online presence, given we see Ruby's grandmother on her laptop Googling him and Ruby's mother has apparently found nice looking shirtless pics of him online. Even if Ruby hadn't Googled him, her family has and didn't find out about Think Tank.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I actually enjoyed this episode when it was focused on Ruby's post-Doctor life and finding herself involved with someone who had a chance encounter with The Doctor. I liked the quiet little story and the direction it was going with the Shreek coming back to haunt both of them in a kind of timey-wimey situation. I enjoyed the twist on the Doctor-light episode but focused on a former companion instead of the current.

But then it changed. And, for me, for the worst. Yes, it's great to see Kate and Shirley again, but I was honestly less then thrilled UNIT came crashing into the quiet countryside, even if they were seemingly saving the day. Instead, the whole episode took a wrong turn in Albuquerque and focused on how Conrad was a racist, sexist conspiracy nutjob. Right at that moment, the bottom fell out and I immediately stopped caring. And that was before he had the gall to call Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart a coward. Fuck off.

Yeah, Conrad got his at the end and of course he didn't learned any lesson from his experience with the Shreek, even after one of them bite him in the arm. And yeah, it's probably not even the last of him based on that scene with Mrs. Flood. Meh.

Even though the episode did eventually find itself back to the original core premise of Ruby coping with her post-Doctor existence, the whole experience left a bad taste in my mouth. Which is a shame since the first three episodes this season have been spectacular and even this episode started off well.

As an aside, before the Shreek's reveal, did anyone else think we were going to get a surprise Auton episode? Yeah, I know they don't growl but that would've been a fun reveal for them. Ah, well.

 

[The Wormhole]

before the Shreek's reveal, did anyone else think we were going to get a surprise Auton episode?

Yeah, I thought Autons when Conrad first entered that abandoned store.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

This was indeed excellent (and such a step up from McTighe after the lacklustre, to put it mildly, Kerblam! and Praxeaus)

Funny you say that because I greatly enjoyed both of those episode and strongly disliked this one.

Two final thoughts: the monsters reminded me of the ones from Ghostbusters.

I was also reminded of the Demon Dogs, right up to the point that I feel like the resemblance was deliberate.

Yeah, I thought Autons when Conrad first entered that abandoned store.

I'm glad I wasn't the only one!

 

[Xerxes82]

Frankly, I thought Conrad was an excellent villain. A pathological liar for whom "truth" is whatever gets him rich/famous/attention and who is willing to manipulate and empower crazy conspiracy nuts in order to get his personal gain, damn the consequences to anybody else.

A bit on the nose, in the current climate? Maybe. But well executed within the episode itself.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

 

[26138]

So far, I'm liking this season more than last season on average.

 

[26138]

I still think it's "Ncuti Gatwa" on screen from time to time and not "The Doctor" - however i might be slightly biased, as I've only seen decent amounts of him and Capaldi prior to them being cast as the Doctor. I just keep getting Eric from Sex Education vibes sometimes with Gatwa.

Trying to think - I saw Eccleston in 28 Days Later prior to the 2005 revival, so i guess that counts? But there wasn't much to go on. Capaldi I had seen in Skins as Sid's dad, and I'd seen several clips of him in The Thick of It... oh and also his 5 episodes of Torchwood and his appearance as the dad in The Fires of Pompeii.

So I watched Casanova after watching some of Tennant's Doctor Who episodes, so I had a reverse sensation with Casanova - I kept thinking it's the Doctor cavorting around lol.

Just random thoughts at 12:30 AM.

 

[Chakoteya]

Continuity error I picked up on. It's said Conrad applied to UNIT and was interviewed by Kate "eight years ago." Given this episode is set in 2025, that means Conrad applied and was interviewed in 2017. But according to Flux 2017 was when the Grand Serpent shut UNIT down and Kate faked her death and went into hiding.

We're supposed to infer Conrad did have a fake online presence, given we see Ruby's grandmother on her laptop Googling him and Ruby's mother has apparently found nice looking shirtless pics of him online. Even if Ruby hadn't Googled him, her family has and didn't find out about Think Tank.

Flux is a rejected reality. Or mavity is a rejected reality. Take your pick.

Think Tank - http://www.chakoteya.net/DoctorWho/12-1.htm

This one is 2.0 for the digital age.

 

[jaime]

Flux is a rejected reality. Or mavity is a rejected reality. Take your pick.

Think Tank - http://www.chakoteya.net/DoctorWho/12-1.htm

This one is 2.0 for the digital age.

Thing is, McTighe knows the continuity (which is sort of why it’s weird hearing old lines in Conrad’s mouth at the end) so he should know Think Tank has previous use. Maybe it’s part of it. Maybe it will actually make sense in the finale.

ATM, we’ve got a kid from bad abusive background, turned villain who’s a bit… moustache twirling and silly. And not in the good way Who can do.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

Funny you say that because I greatly enjoyed both of those episode and strongly disliked this one.

Kerblam! could've been decent if it didn't decide at the end to go all bourgeois with the Doctor defending the system at the end, one of the most fundemental betrayals to the Doctor's character ever. Until then, the rest of it was actually an okay mystery. But the less said about Praxeus the better.

And while I agree that the Ruby-as-a-normie was more interesting to watch, I wasn't turned off by the second half. I though McTighe or whoever handled it well enough, so that the tonal and narrative shift didn't feel sudden and the whole feels cohesive, which is paramount to me. My only complaint at the end might be that he's too casually dismissive of the Doctor at the end, when he should be more disappointed with himself because he realises how wrong he was. Ah, well.

I was also reminded of the Demon Dogs, right up to the point that I feel like the resemblance was deliberate.


I'm glad I wasn't the only one!

 

[jaime]

I think *almost* every episode, this included, suffers from a rushed nature that didn’t used to be there. It’s as though everyone suddenly can’t handle the 45 minute episode format anymore. It requires leaps of logic, or contains weird things that make no sense, and a sort of hope that the viewer doesn’t notice. (Which in a world of instant home media release via streaming, is a daft hope)

 

[bdub76]

I think *almost* every episode, this included, suffers from a rushed nature that didn’t used to be there. It’s as though everyone suddenly can’t handle the 45 minute episode format anymore. It requires leaps of logic, or contains weird things that make no sense, and a sort of hope that the viewer doesn’t notice. (Which in a world of instant home media release via streaming, is a daft hope)

Last week, I went back and rewatched Midnight, and it felt less rushed than its sequel, but then it sorted of ended without a whole lot of resolution. Lots of build up and quick ending.

Shows with 50+ minutes tend to breathe a lot better these days.

Of course, only 8 episodes for the whole season is pretty bad for the viewer, and it's not good for the crew who then need to find more work. The worse show for this so far this year has been Wheel of Time. Let's cram two one thousand page books into 8 episodes. Season three of Wheel of Time is really hard to follow as a consequence.

 

[jaime]

Last week, I went back and rewatched Midnight, and it felt less rushed than its sequel, but then it sorted of ended without a whole lot of resolution. Lots of build up and quick ending.

Shows with 50+ minutes tend to breathe a lot better these days.

Of course, only 8 episodes for the whole season is pretty bad for the viewer, and it's not good for the crew who then need to find more work. The worse show for this so far this year has been Wheel of Time. Let's cram two one thousand page books into 8 episodes. Season three of Wheel of Time is really hard to follow as a consequence.

I haven’t watched wheel of time, but as to Who this season, every single one has been something where I can see a half decent two modern episode story in it (not that I particularly want more of it sometimes at the moment) apart from maybe Lux, which whilst wrapped up fast, was efficient storytelling and didn’t necessarily *need* the extra time. (Though it would have benefit from, for example, fleshing out Pye and making the reveal of Ringading/Lux a more drawn out — pun intended — series of scenes)
The others, aside from really needing that extra time (some ‘co—star’ billed characters basically being bit parts, like the Pex tribute in Robots, and with a less known and loud actor, Cassio in the Well) have all had really clunky bits that make you feel the lack on attention being given.
It’s possible that some of the janky stuff from Conrad might be evened out by his later appearance, but I had hoped some of last years Jank would be smoothed by the finale — and we all know how that turned out.

 

[Mr Awe]

I gave it a 7. It was there. It passed an hour. I was going to say that I didn't actively dislike it (usually my minimum qualification for being a 7), but I did dislike parts of it. Almost gave it a 6 except for its message and the Doctor's speech at the end boosted it.

Really?! A Doctor-lite episode in a season with 8 episodes?!

I didn't enjoy the soapy stuff with Ruby. I like her character. And, yes, I realize that companions are likely to have that type of reaction after traveling with the Doctor. But that's not why I watch Doctor Who.

I actually thought it was funny when Conrad agreed with me that it was a freaking slog! Points for self-awareness in the script! Kind of like when the DW fans agreed with me about the rating of 7 for the other episode!

The direction, editing, and music for UNITs arrival in the town made it all seem cheesy as heck.

I didn't buy Kate's action near the end. While I understand her frustration, it didn't seem in character.

As a whole, this episode was meh. I like the message but the story fell flat.

 

[Mr Awe]

I think *almost* every episode, this included, suffers from a rushed nature that didn’t used to be there. It’s as though everyone suddenly can’t handle the 45 minute episode format anymore. It requires leaps of logic, or contains weird things that make no sense, and a sort of hope that the viewer doesn’t notice. (Which in a world of instant home media release via streaming, is a daft hope)

I've noticed this same thing and really detracts from the stories. One thing I liked about The Well was that it seemed to avoid this problem.

 

[jaime]

I gave it a 7. It was there. It passed an hour. I was going to say that I didn't actively dislike it (usually my minimum qualification for being a 7), but I did dislike parts of it. Almost gave it a 6 except for its message and the Doctor's speech at the end boosted it.

Really?! A Doctor-lite episode in a season with 8 episodes?!

I didn't enjoy the soapy stuff with Ruby. I like her character. And, yes, I realize that companions are likely to have that type of reaction after traveling with the Doctor. But that's not why I watch Doctor Who.

I actually thought it was funny when Conrad agreed with me that it was a freaking slog! Points for self-awareness in the script! Kind of like when the DW fans agreed with me about the rating of 7 for the other episode!

The direction, editing, and music for UNITs arrival in the town made it all seem cheesy as heck.

I didn't buy Kate's action near the end. While I understand her frustration, it didn't seem in character.

As a whole, this episode was meh. I like the message but the story fell flat.

They tried to make you buy it by suggesting it’s cos he insulted her dad — except that only means something to the fairly hardcore fans, and there’s no logical reason for why Conrad would even *know* who her dad was in the first place. (Never mind the idea that he somehow built UNIT, which is likely going to annoy the fans who do know who he is. Oh, then giving Conrad a Gordon line at the end…) We also don’t have enough understanding of Kate (because while she’s been around a while, her own characterisation is a bit all over the shop) to really link her emotions around her father into what she does next.
It makes sense as a resolution to the story, and maybe in the moment, but that’s it. And only if you don’t think too hard about it, the motivations, the handy coincidences. Otherwise it’s just cut-price SkyFall, a Jurassic Park reference, and a gender flipped playground argument where someone has just said ‘your mum’.

And remember kids, it’s ok to objectify women now because #hottasergirl.