6x01 The Impossible Astronaut (Grading/Discussion) (SPOILERS!!)

[RevdKathy]

I think River knows a lot more in that scene than she is letting on. She's the one who holds Amy back from intervening. There's the "Of course not" when she can't shoot the spacesuit. And the whole "We're the Doctor's Friends. We do what the Doctor's Friends always do: as we're told" speech. If there's a leader at that point, with some idea of what's happening, it's River.

 

[jbny67]

Does anyone know if there will be a prequel video for this weeks episode? I saw preview clips on the BBC website but not one of the prequels. I can't remember if there were tardisodes for both halves of the two part episodes during the season that they were made.

 

[Neroon]

I think River knows a lot more in that scene than she is letting on. She's the one who holds Amy back from intervening. There's the "Of course not" when she can't shoot the spacesuit. And the whole "We're the Doctor's Friends. We do what the Doctor's Friends always do: as we're told" speech. If there's a leader at that point, with some idea of what's happening, it's River.

But she holds Amy back because of what the Doctor had told them just before - don't interfere (sic). Even after the Doctor is shot the first time - or was it two - there's still a chance for regeneration and consequently his order to "not interfere" was still in force. Once he's shot during the regeneration, all bets would be off - hence the screams and River's running down to them

 

[Worf2DS9]

Here's my take on the episode, including screencaps:

http://kiramowett.livejournal.com/533256.html

Nice recap. I too loved that funeral shot at sunset you included showing the burning boat on the lake and Rory, Amy, Delaware and River watching from the beach. Just a gorgeous image, right up there, IMO, with that shot from the end of "Flesh and Stone" on the dreary beach with the TARDIS on the left side and the figures of Amy and the Doctor over on the right.

 

[Haggis and tatties]

Anyone know what River meant by the line "No of course not" after she had tried to shoot the Astronaut?

Don't you know? Guns never work against aliens when you really need them too!

Mr Awe

The brigadier can attest to that.

 

[Mr Awe]

^^ Yes he can!

 

[Kira's Mom]

Here's my take on the episode, including screencaps:

http://kiramowett.livejournal.com/533256.html

Nice recap. I too loved that funeral shot at sunset you included showing the burning boat on the lake and Rory, Amy, Delaware and River watching from the beach. Just a gorgeous image, right up there, IMO, with that shot from the end of "Flesh and Stone" on the dreary beach with the TARDIS on the left side and the figures of Amy and the Doctor over on the right.

The funeral shot and Amy clinging to the Doctor's body were so heartbreaking.

 

[danellis]

I'm not sure if this has been noted elsewhere, and I really have no idea if it may have been a possibility or not, but a friend of mine noted that it was probably unlikely that there were any black secret service men in the White House in 1969. I'd like to be proven wrong however.

I had the same thought. It did seem a bit anachronistic to me. But maybe I'm wrong.

I had the same thought until I remembered a scene in the Kennedys series recently showing JFK signing in a black secret service agent. A fuss was made in the scene about this being the first "negro" member of the Presidential Protective Detail. A quick web search brings up Abraham Bolden (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Bolden).

dJE

 

[Count Zero]

Read the last 2 or 3 pages, danellis.

 

[Neroon]

The funeral shot and Amy clinging to the Doctor's body were so heartbreaking.

According to the Confidential, Gillan's performance in rehearsal made quite the impact on the crew.

 

[Joy]

So, when the Silent first appeared in the White House, it didn't really affect me like it did all the friends I was watching it with. I guess I just don't scare easily.

But DAMN if it didn't freak me the freak out when he said, "Joy. Her name was Joy."

<--

In other news, I've got an observation to put into the conversation that I posted on Livejournal yesterday...

The color purple. That is my observation. I noticed it last night on second viewing, but am noticing it even more now during my third.

Last season, the Doctor wore two colors; red for stories set in the future, blue for stories set in the past (though there were a couple exceptions, IIRC).

In this week's episode, the Doctor is wearing purple. This is red+blue. It's hard to tell the colors for most of the episode due to lighting, but in the beginning, when they're out in the bright desert sunlight, you can see the purple in his bowtie (it's a very grayish-purple), the purple of his braces, and his shirt bears a pattern of white and very light purple stripes. Although, now that I'm a bit farther in, I'm starting to wonder if perhaps Age909!Doctor is actually wearing dark gray braces and bowtie; from the time 909!Doc enters the scene, they just don't look purpley anymore (then again, we don't get bright desert sunlight again, either, but the lighting in the Oval Office is pretty good...).

I'm still trying to think of what the significance could be, but... the Doctor is not the only instance of purple. Old!Canton also sports a shirt that has purple mixed into the pattern, and his ballcap is a nice deep purple as well. The neon light blinking into the window when they arrive at Jefferson/Adams/Hamilton is purple.

I don't know if there is a significance to the colors or not, but I figured I'd call it now, before anyone else does (at least, I don't think anyone has yet).

***

Last night, lying in bed, I was thinking over all this purple stuff, and then the crackiest thoughts started:

The emphasis on TARDIS Blue (that of the newest incarnation of the TARDIS, a very dark, red-toned blue). Amy is a redhead. Blue + Red = Purple. Amy *maybe* being pregnant.

Yeah, you can figure out where the thoughts went from there. I'm kinda starting to freak myself out with all these speculative thoughts. I've never done this level of thinking and postulating for DW before, and some of it is getting REALLY cracky.

 

[I Grok Spock]

Side note:

The Doctor's car in the episode is the infamous Edsel:

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

^ That's OK, his is the Edsel of TARDIS' (TARDI ?)

 

[Admiral_Young]

The Doctor's funeral pyre kind of reminded me of when The Tenth Doctor burned the Master. Quite a nice scene.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I think River knows a lot more in that scene than she is letting on. She's the one who holds Amy back from intervening. There's the "Of course not" when she can't shoot the spacesuit. And the whole "We're the Doctor's Friends. We do what the Doctor's Friends always do: as we're told" speech. If there's a leader at that point, with some idea of what's happening, it's River.

But she holds Amy back because of what the Doctor had told them just before - don't interfere (sic). Even after the Doctor is shot the first time - or was it two - there's still a chance for regeneration and consequently his order to "not interfere" was still in force. Once he's shot during the regeneration, all bets would be off - hence the screams and River's running down to them

Yeah, the screaming and the later slap of the Doctor shows this isn't something she at all expected.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Wow, that's a really cool observation, Joy.

Now I'll have to go back and pay more attention to all of episodes from last season.

 

[Admiral_Young]

^ Indeed.

 

[Kira's Mom]

So, when the Silent first appeared in the White House, it didn't really affect me like it did all the friends I was watching it with. I guess I just don't scare easily.

But DAMN if it didn't freak me the freak out when he said, "Joy. Her name was Joy."

<--

In other news, I've got an observation to put into the conversation that I posted on Livejournal yesterday...

The color purple. That is my observation. I noticed it last night on second viewing, but am noticing it even more now during my third.

Last season, the Doctor wore two colors; red for stories set in the future, blue for stories set in the past (though there were a couple exceptions, IIRC).

In this week's episode, the Doctor is wearing purple. This is red+blue. It's hard to tell the colors for most of the episode due to lighting, but in the beginning, when they're out in the bright desert sunlight, you can see the purple in his bowtie (it's a very grayish-purple), the purple of his braces, and his shirt bears a pattern of white and very light purple stripes. Although, now that I'm a bit farther in, I'm starting to wonder if perhaps Age909!Doctor is actually wearing dark gray braces and bowtie; from the time 909!Doc enters the scene, they just don't look purpley anymore (then again, we don't get bright desert sunlight again, either, but the lighting in the Oval Office is pretty good...).

I'm still trying to think of what the significance could be, but... the Doctor is not the only instance of purple. Old!Canton also sports a shirt that has purple mixed into the pattern, and his ballcap is a nice deep purple as well. The neon light blinking into the window when they arrive at Jefferson/Adams/Hamilton is purple.

I don't know if there is a significance to the colors or not, but I figured I'd call it now, before anyone else does (at least, I don't think anyone has yet).

***

Last night, lying in bed, I was thinking over all this purple stuff, and then the crackiest thoughts started:

The emphasis on TARDIS Blue (that of the newest incarnation of the TARDIS, a very dark, red-toned blue). Amy is a redhead. Blue + Red = Purple. Amy *maybe* being pregnant.

Yeah, you can figure out where the thoughts went from there. I'm kinda starting to freak myself out with all these speculative thoughts. I've never done this level of thinking and postulating for DW before, and some of it is getting REALLY cracky.

I saw that at the lj doctorwho comm- I post there too! I'm kiramowett there.

 

[Joy]

Haha! I thought there may be some BBS'ers over there!

And man, I can't stop thinking about the "Joy. Her name was Joy" bit. Every time someone posts about the Silent and Joy on Tumblr, it makes me shiver.

 

[Neroon]

The Doctor's funeral pyre kind of reminded me of when The Tenth Doctor burned the Master. Quite a nice scene.

Or Vader's or Qui-Gonn's