6x06 The Almost People (Grading/Discussion) (SPOILERS!!)

[Jaster]

The more I think about it, the more the Doctor's actions at the very end of this episode piss me off.

They spend two episodes trying to convince prejudiced humans (and by extension, the audience) that the "gangers" are functionally real human beings with the right to life and freedom - regardless of whether or not there's a human plugged into them controlling them.

So what does the Doctor do? He frigging LIQUIFIES ganger-Amy. Without even telling her of his suspiscions beforehand or trying to help her to come to terms with it.

Nevermind that her ganger may have been capable of independent thought and action and might have wanted to live.

Nevermind that keeping the ganger alive might have been a way to trace back the psychic link between it and the real Amy.

Nevermind that killing the ganger opened Amy up to the absolute horror of imprisonment in a tiny chamber, suddenly pregnant and in labor with the implication that she has been raped (forced pregnancy on an unwilling or unknowing host is still rape, regardless of the method).

For once in my life I'm sad to say that I don't like the Doctor at all, and wouldn't ever consider travelling with him.

I see what you saying, but on reflection, I think this is the whole point of these two episodes, and this is why:

1. The Doctor went to island knowing the Flesh was there, in its "earliest form". He knew something was up with Amy from the negative/positive pregnancy scan, had a theory about Amy being a Ganger and perhaps even knew how to disrupt her form.
2. He did want to do this until he was sure of what he was dealing with, so the visit was to a little research into the Flesh technology and expand his knowledge before acting on his thoughts about Amy
3. "Shenanigans" occurred, making up most of parts 1 & 2, including the fact the Flesh in its earliest form had life in its own right.
4. At the end, the Doctor drops the remaining 2 off at the company Morpeth Jetsan, urging them to tell them about the Flesh and do something about it - perhaps redevelop the techonology to eliminate this "life potential" from it, leaving it purely as a vehicle for a human controller in dangeous situations, as originally intended.
5. The Doctor has deduced Ganger Amy is later "Flesh" technology, following the changes made to eliminate the "life potential" and now knows, following his little trip + "shenanigans" that he can safely "melt" Ganger Amy without killing any sentient life, or chance of it.
6. In this context, it is a very Doctor thing to do - don't risk harm to a living organism if you can possibly help it.
7. The events in the TARDIS at the end of the episode are the whole point of the rest of the passed 2 episodes - "is it safe to melt Ganger Amy?"

Thats my take on it.

 

[Jaster]

Well, I'm giving up here, so long NuWho.

A sad loss.

 

[Jax]

Well, I'm giving up here, so long NuWho.

See you next week then

Since we saw the eye patch lady in episode 2, that means Amy was kidnapped after the christmas special but before season 6 began right?

 

[Lonemagpie]

pregnant and in labor with the implication that she has been raped (forced pregnancy on an unwilling or unknowing host is still rape, regardless of the method).

People on LJ seem to read the episode this way, but I think we can be pretty sure it's Rory's kid as a result of their honeymoon!

 

[StCoop]

Since we saw the eye patch lady in episode 2, that means Amy was kidnapped after the christmas special but before season 6 began right?

There's also the three month gap between Episodes One & Two. Remember in Part One Amy tells the Doctor she's pregnant, something she then denies in Part Two.

And on the subject of the "killing" of Amy's Ganger the following by someone who's seen next week's episode might be worth reading if you don't mind the mildest of Spoilers.

http://www.radiotimes.com/blogs/132...le-matthew-graham-frances-barber-sarah-smart/

 

[StCoop]

People on LJ seem to read the episode this way, but I think we can be pretty sure it's Rory's kid as a result of their honeymoon!

I'm betting there's been a bit of the Doctor (artificially) added in the mix too. Probably the reason for the line in the first episode about there being "people out there who would tear this planet apart just for a single cell".

 

[Lonemagpie]

People on LJ seem to read the episode this way, but I think we can be pretty sure it's Rory's kid as a result of their honeymoon!

I'm betting there's been a bit of the Doctor (artificially) added in the mix too. Probably the reason for the line in the first episode about there being "people out there who would tear this planet apart just for a single cell".

That and the line last night about "some of the Smith molecular structure might survive" makes me think that the little girl who regenerated in DotM is a later-technology ganger of Amy's child, made from a later version of the Flesh that still has some of that ganger-Doc molecular stuff, enabling limited regeneration ability.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

I don't like the idea of a ganger Amy daughter, because that would make too many gangers, and I don't see the point.

---

As regards to what the Doctor did, he simply broke the link with Amy's ganger, he had no choice but to do this, whatever the sequences for the Flesh would be. Are people really suggesting that he should have left Amy linked to her ganger for all eternity or left her give birth while oblivious to what is happening while still feeling the pain? All moral issues concern the creation of the gangers, not the subsequent attempts to fix the mess. The Doctor said he'll try to be as humane and possible, broke the link and the Flesh lost its shape because the link was gone. There's no contradiction to what he said previously. It's also possible that people eventually fixed the issues with the Flesh as mentioned above, but that doesn't matter.

An observation: Jenn exploded, the Doctor and Cleaves melted, and Amy melted or lost shape. When Amy melted, most likely the Flesh remained behind alive like the rotting gangers we saw earlier. This leaves the possibility that the Doctor and Cleaves survived in a similar way to some point, although probably the choice of effects was only to create certain feelings, and is unlikely to be significant.

Oh, and how is the ganger link able to communicate through time?

 

[Mr. Adventure]

So was Amy the first ginger ganger?

 

[Capt_Pickirk]

Well, I'm giving up here, so long NuWho.

See you next week then

Ew, no. Fuck off

 

[Psion]

pregnant and in labor with the implication that she has been raped (forced pregnancy on an unwilling or unknowing host is still rape, regardless of the method).

People on LJ seem to read the episode this way, but I think we can be pretty sure it's Rory's kid as a result of their honeymoon!

Hmmm ... why wasn't the Ganger Amy pregnant with a Ganger fetus?

 

[Mr. Adventure]

What if Ganger Amy had hooked up with Auton Rory? The mind boggles...

 

[DimesDan]

Then go and watch Britains Got Talent, you know, that beacon of brilliance

Yeah coz that makes sense - instead of watching Who I'll watch a programme that isn't even on tonight and that I've never watched before in my life.

You're a real genius.

dont be too harsh on Dimesdan I would have said BGT was on tonight as well, some of us dont check the ITV scheulde with great regularity.

I've not seen anything on ITV in months, I did download Law and Order UK recently and watched the season four opener of Primeval back around Christmas, but that's about it.

Given the amount of media saturation that damn show has (Britain's Got Talent) it was the first programme that popped into my head, forgive me for going for the obvious choice.

Anyway, watched the episode earlier as didn't get in till three (damn inconsiderate bastard chucking themselves under a train yesterday evening meant the last few trains didn't run) and didn't fancy watching it drunk at that time and really rather enjoyed it when me and the missus sat down to watch it.

Most of my thoughts have been said already. I really liked the cliff hanger, even though I pretty much knew what was going to happen, seeing it happen like that sent chills down my spine.

I really can't wait till next Saturday, I don't have anything on so should be watching it live.

 

[Jax]

Doctor Who took a sizable hit opposite pre CL Final buildup + the start of half term so people not at home though it was still 2nd most watch of day. Just over 5 million in the overnights so based off the BARB finals probably 7 million though the numbers could be off more. Next week Doctor Who starts just after ENG & I mean just after so I expect the ratings to be hit hard...

BBC really need to sort their act out they try to use Doc Who to help their other VERY low rated shows when its a waste of time. Doctor Who should stay in the 7pm slot for every single episode

 

[SG-17]

Well, I'm giving up here, so long NuWho.

See you next week then

Ew, no. Fuck off

People like you always will watch and come back, regardless of what they say.

 

[Capt_Pickirk]

See you next week then

Ew, no. Fuck off

People like you always will watch and come back, regardless of what they say.

Not really. I'll probably do something better than watch tripe. Like bake a cake!

 

[Saul]

Ew, no. Fuck off

People like you always will watch and come back, regardless of what they say.

Not really. I'll probably do something better than watch tripe. Like bake a cake!

It's difficult to give up drugs and Who.

 

[Newspaper Taxi]

No, she told the real Doctor. They swapped shoes and the real Doctor was pretending to be the Ganger Doctor all along. He said so at the end, plus the way he said "But we aren't invited to this one" at the end.

Yes! That's right. When I was putting two and two together I overlooked that fact. Cool.

 

[DAK]

I thought it was a bit better than last week, so ... average. Given how bad I thought last week's was I wasn't really looking forward to this episode. As it was, I had to watch it in 2 pieces because I was so bored half way through.

Was it just me or was a lot of the dialog really hard to hear? I feel like I missed half of what they were saying; they were either talking too fast or mumbling.

Brilliant episode, despite a blooper or two (there are two Sonics in the middle of the episode)

Yeah, I noticed that too. Continuity, what's that?

Also was there a reason why the screw driver could not lock the door so they could all get away?

The sonic seems to work on just about anything, unless it's convenient for it not to. Like here for instance. Not to mention they all had plenty of time to get in the TARDIS before the Jenny thing got there.

Just when did the Doctors have time to swap shoes?

It seems to me that the Amy ganger was their one link to the real one. Now that the Doctor dissolved that, where does he even begin to look for her?

The only bit that elicited a little bit of a was the Doctors magic solutions at the end. "Da-dah, you're human now! Oh, and I just happen to have a cure form brain clots right here under the console. Oh, and have a balloon."

Yeah, that part made me too. And makes the fact that he couldn't save a supposedly drowning Rory a couple of weeks ago stand out even more starkly.

The best part was the surprise ending. I'm looking forward to next week's at any rate, at least it's Moffat-written so it has to be better.

 

[RevdKathy]

I thought it was a bit better than last week, so ... average. Given how bad I thought last week's was I wasn't really looking forward to this episode. As it was, I had to watch it in 2 pieces because I was so bored half way through.

Was it just me or was a lot of the dialog really hard to hear? I feel like I missed half of what they were saying; they were either talking too fast or mumbling.

Brilliant episode, despite a blooper or two (there are two Sonics in the middle of the episode)

Yeah, I noticed that too. Continuity, what's that?

Also was there a reason why the screw driver could not lock the door so they could all get away?

The sonic seems to work on just about anything, unless it's convenient for it not to. Like here for instance. Not to mention they all had plenty of time to get in the TARDIS before the Jenny thing got there.

Just when did the Doctors have time to swap shoes?

It seems to me that the Amy ganger was their one link to the real one. Now that the Doctor dissolved that, where does he even begin to look for her?

The only bit that elicited a little bit of a was the Doctors magic solutions at the end. "Da-dah, you're human now! Oh, and I just happen to have a cure form brain clots right here under the console. Oh, and have a balloon."

Yeah, that part made me too. And makes the fact that he couldn't save a supposedly drowning Rory a couple of weeks ago stand out even more starkly.

Or a kid with TB, for that matter, which is perfectly cureable by Amy & Rory's own time.