5x011 The Lodger (Grading/Discussion) SPOILERS!!

[davejames]

Thought it was a pretty fun episode overall. I can't say I found the mystery upstairs all that compelling, but the Doctor's antics more than made up for it. Smith as ever was a blast to watch.

As to the question of whether he should have been more familiar with human customs than that, it seems apparent to me that this particular regeneration didn't go down quite as... smoothly as the previous ones for some reason. We've seen several instances of this Doctor slapping himself for being too old and slow and forgetful.

Clearly his brain is more jumbled up than it's ever been.

Either that or, if each regeneration is a "new man", this one just happens to be a lot wackier and more forgetful than the previous ones. lol

I was expecting to see the kid who won the competition on Blue Peter to be featured.

So was the contraption the Doctor built made in his room supposed to be the girl's design? If so, it looked nothing like her drawing.

I kinda feel bad for her now...

 

[davejames]

Why did the Doctor have to headbutt Craig to impart information about himself, while we've seen him do it in a much less painless manner (Reinette for instance)?

Probably because there's more than one way to transfer memories, and this Doctor just happens to prefer doing it the wackier way.

What was the significance of Craig, then Sophie, touching the console, and why was the Doctor so insistant that they had to kiss? And why did the ship then start to self destruct?

Something about the fact that previous victims (such as the crying black lady) didn't have a strong connection or need to stay around on Earth, and were thus much better candidates for the machine. Craig and Sophie were both in the same boat at first, but when they finally realized their love and desire to stay it short-circuited the machine somehow.

 

[Sci]

There's a lot of things I didn't get about the story:

Why did the Doctor have to headbutt Craig to impart information about himself, while we've seen him do it in a much less painless manner (Reinette for instance)?

I'm sure it's a matter of speed and specificity. Reinette got into his head without him knowing it at first, and the information she got was more abstract -- that he hides his name, and that he had a lonely childhood.

What was the significance of Craig, then Sophie, touching the console, and why was the Doctor so insistant that they had to kiss?

The Doctor explained that. The ship's systems were partially telepathically controlled, and it was trying to lure people who wanted to escape their circumstances to be its pilot. Every time it tried, it fried them. Sophie wanted to escape, so it tried to use her; because Craig did not want to escape, he could use it safely (as the system wasn't looking to over-tax his brain). The Doctor insisted that Sophie and Craig kiss because the kiss allowed them both to focus on the idea of not wanting to escape their lives' circumstances.

 

[wamdue]

I was expecting to see the kid who won the competition on Blue Peter to be featured.

So was the contraption the Doctor built made in his room supposed to be the girl's design? If so, it looked nothing like her drawing.

I kinda feel bad for her now...

I think so yes.

 

[commodore64]

Really fun! I loved that the Doctor was so incredibly goofy and yet brilliant. I think I want him as a roommate.

 

[Cyke101]

There's a lot of things I didn't get about the story:

Why did the Doctor have to headbutt Craig to impart information about himself, while we've seen him do it in a much less painless manner (Reinette for instance)?

I'm sure it's a matter of speed and specificity. Reinette got into his head without him knowing it at first, and the information she got was more abstract -- that he hides his name, and that he had a lonely childhood.

What was the significance of Craig, then Sophie, touching the console, and why was the Doctor so insistant that they had to kiss?

The Doctor explained that. The ship's systems were partially telepathically controlled, and it was trying to lure people who wanted to escape their circumstances to be its pilot. Every time it tried, it fried them. Sophie wanted to escape, so it tried to use her; because Craig did not want to escape, he could use it safely (as the system wasn't looking to over-tax his brain). The Doctor insisted that Sophie and Craig kiss because the kiss allowed them both to focus on the idea of not wanting to escape their lives' circumstances.

To further the point, the machine didn't go after Sophie at first because she was largely content to stay. It was only after the Doctor convinced her to chase her dreams that the machine began to target her. So yeah, she was almost killed because of the Doctor

 

[Starkers]

The football match was great. And the Doctor's shirt was number 11,.

I'm just going to go shoot myself because I didn't actually get that until you said it!

I thought ths ship looked like the City of Death ship too.

Anyway, thought this was a great episode. Not brilliant, but very enjoyable. Now in the main this was down to Smith, who was utterly brilliant (as always) and was very funny. Loved the football scene, especially when the Doctor ran and took Craig's penalty for him, and the call centre bits were very well done as well. Corden wasn't remotely annoying (wow get that like many actors he can play someone different to himself-shock!)

The only real let down for me (aside from not enough Amy) is that the ending was somewhat remenicent of The Girl in the Fireplace, but then I've noticed that, good writer though he is, Roberts does seem to reuse a lot of stuff.

Anyway, sweet and funny and I think it's quite obvious now that Smith has potential to be one of the greatest Doctors ever. I really pity the fool who gets to be #12.

 

[Sci]

The only real let down for me (aside from not enough Amy) is that the ending was somewhat remenicent of The Girl in the Fireplace, but then I've noticed that, good writer though he is, Roberts does seem to reuse a lot of stuff.

I'm sorry, I'm just not following. What's the resemblance to "The Girl in the Fireplace?"

 

[Starkers]

The only real let down for me (aside from not enough Amy) is that the ending was somewhat remenicent of The Girl in the Fireplace, but then I've noticed that, good writer though he is, Roberts does seem to reuse a lot of stuff.

I'm sorry, I'm just not following. What's the resemblance to "The Girl in the Fireplace?"

A spaceship suffers a catastrophe, the living crew are killed and all that remains is onboard AI that decides (being thick) to replace what's been lost/damaged using people.

 

[Chaos Descending]

Just out of curiousity, when was it actually said that this episode is the one that would feature the Blue Peter contest winner's TARDIS?

Everything I have read makes it sounds like one of the next two episodes would be a better candidate for that.

 

[Sci]

The only real let down for me (aside from not enough Amy) is that the ending was somewhat remenicent of The Girl in the Fireplace, but then I've noticed that, good writer though he is, Roberts does seem to reuse a lot of stuff.

I'm sorry, I'm just not following. What's the resemblance to "The Girl in the Fireplace?"

A spaceship suffers a catastrophe, the living crew are killed and all that remains is onboard AI that decides (being thick) to replace what's been lost/damaged using people.

Aaah. Okay, I see what you mean. I just tend to evaluate these stories more in terms of their character arcs/emotional arcs than strict plot, and in that regard they're nothing alike.

Though I should also point out that it was Gareth Roberts who wrote "The Lodger," not Steven Moffat, so it wasn't Moffat who reused any ideas.

 

[DangerMouse]

I loved the Star Trek Voyager ref... "please state the nature of the err emergency... you're a hologram!"

Cool

Best yet.

 

[captcalhoun]

according to the TARDIS wiki, the BP kid's console was not used.

 

[DAK]

Thanks davejames and Sci, there was a lot of dialogue in that scene that I couldn't make out.

 

[Saul]

Why are people assuming the new TARDIS was an alien construct? There was more than one Time Lord in existence at one point. This one could have been what was left from an attempt to break out of the Time War like Dalek Caan or whatever his name was. Except this Time Lord didn't fare as well, burning to a crisp rather than just going batshit insane.

Afterall, he specifically called it a TARDIS. Not a "time machine from a rival species" or anything like that. Does he call the Dalek's time travel capabilities TARDISes? Nope. And that's why, because they're not.

Hummm, didn't the Daleks have a DARDIS?

 

[RevdKathy]

Hmmm. Apart from the really bad architectual gaffe in using a turn of the century row of houses which would never have included a single story building, this one worked.

A few reflections: the 'Voyager' reference is addressed to a hologram. In Voyager, that hologram is The Doctor, without a name (just the Doctor). Whose TARDIS is this again? But it can't be, can it... the Doctor's TARDIS is still in one piece...

Did I read somewhere that Matt Smith used to play footie professionally before an injury?

Did anyone else get a very 'Sapphire and Steel' vibe from this? The repetition about having found a suitable pilot even sounded like the voiceover at the beginning of Sapphire and Steel. Not to mention that 'something scary at the top of the stairs' would have been right up their street.

I liked the story. I liked the soppy ending (two soppy endings two weeks running!) and I liked the 'fun' element. I get the feeling this is all building up to the grand denouement, though.

 

[3chordboy]

really enjoyed it. was worried because of Corden but another stellar performance from Matt Smith put him well and truly in the shade.

i did enjoy the variation on the 11th Doctor's theme during the football match...and the fact he was number 11

and whoever mentioned it in another thread about "bowties are cool" becoming the 11th's catchphrase rather than "Geronimo"... i agree with you!!

 

[Bacl]

and whoever mentioned it in another thread about "bowties are cool" becoming the 11th's catchphrase rather than "Geronimo"... i agree with you!!

That was me, but since Craig shouts "Geronimo!" when he hits the control panel, I think that makes it 100% clear that "Geronimo! is intended to be the 11th Doctor's catchphrase (one of them). He sure doesn't say it a lot though.

 

[The]

I was expecting to see the kid who won the competition on Blue Peter to be featured.

So was the contraption the Doctor built made in his room supposed to be the girl's design? If so, it looked nothing like her drawing.

I kinda feel bad for her now...

I think so yes.

Is this the same "Design a Tardis" contest featured in the DWM magazine? If so, the winner of that designed Matt's current console. Complete with Ketchup and Mustard dispensers. I'm pretty sure they even showed the console sketches (complete in crayon) in DWM one month recently...

 

[Starkers]

I'm sorry, I'm just not following. What's the resemblance to "The Girl in the Fireplace?"

A spaceship suffers a catastrophe, the living crew are killed and all that remains is onboard AI that decides (being thick) to replace what's been lost/damaged using people.

Aaah. Okay, I see what you mean. I just tend to evaluate these stories more in terms of their character arcs/emotional arcs than strict plot, and in that regard they're nothing alike.

Though I should also point out that it was Gareth Roberts who wrote "The Lodger," not Steven Moffat, so it wasn't Moffat who reused any ideas.

Sorry I should have been clearer, it was more that Roberts has reused certain Who ideas, not just his own. There's an episode of Sarah Jane where people are controlled via their star sign which is very similar to the blood control of The Christmas Invasion, and the least said about the unicorn and the wasp's similarities to the far superior Shakeapeare Code the better!