...you will become like uzzzzzz.....
7x06 The Bells of St John - review/ discussion
- Thread starter 3chordboy
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...you will become like uzzzzzz.....
you must be new to these episode discussion threads. Bones seems to have nothing but disgust for all things NuWho. which leaves many of us wondering why he continues to watch something he obviously hates.
I dunno, he doesn't seem to be being mean to anybody so let him post whatever? I get people treating me like shit all the time in the other section just for not liking JJ Abrams so I know how annoying it is being ganged up on just for having an opinion that doesn't fit in with the majority.
Where the Hell is that damned upvote button?!
I suspect Bones likes the new show more than he lets on, but revels in creative snark. I find his posts interesting because he doesn't hold back when he finds something wrong with the story or acting, and he's often right in his criticisms. On more than one occasion, he's pointed out things that I've missed.
I do, but it is at least consistent with the observed world.
I doubt you observe from the exact same angle. Move like closer to some thing, and it becomes bigger, but some other thing becomes... smaller.
It's clear you're trying to be personally derisory rather purely sticking to the topic at hand. I would insist you modify your responses to resolve the expression of this underlying attitude.
Hey, if you think he's such an awesome guy, don't tell us, tell him and talk together about whatever it is that you both like about Doctor Who.
So, just watched the episode for the second time, and I feel like I can give some comments now. Didn't want to read through 13 pages, so some of the things may have been said before.
First off, the title, once more, has absolutely nothing to do with the actual episode, aside from a brief mention. Moffat's done this before ("Let's Kill Hitler", anyone?!), and it's kind of annoying. I like subtle titles that don't just give a description of the threat, but it should have something to do with the plot.
When we last saw the Doctor, he was thrilled of the mystery that Clara represented, and decided to get out of retirement to go look for her. So, this character who's always been portrayed as someone never staying long in one place, just having spent several months in Victorian London, chooses to begin his search for Clara in a monestary, and stays there long enough to change his outfit to a monk's cowl and paint a picture of Clara. Because that helps in his search, apparently.
Having found Clara, Moffat does the "Doctor who?" gag again. And again. And again. Seriously, how stupid does he think the audience is?! Yes, it's the ominous first question, which will be important in some upcoming adventure (presumably the 50th anniversary special), we got that already. Maybe Moffat actually loves the Peter Cushing movies, because in those "Doctor Who" was the actual name of the character.
I don't think the Doctor actually invented the quadracycle, there. Those have been around for ages. Just not as common as the bicycle. I had thought the Doctor would know something like that.
So, Clara needed some help with her WiFi connection, and later makes a Twitter joke. And for some reason, that's really suspicious.
Later, the Doctor and having-no-clue-about-computers-until-yesterday Clara sit in a café, with a laptop, drinking coffee from the money they collected from tourists who saw the TARDIS appearing and thinking it to be a magic trick (which was actually a nice touch), and after that bit and the ride on the motorbike, I kept wondering: Where did the laptop come from?!
And then there's the bit where the Doctor talks to the avatars of the evil lady, and at one point, the newsanchor on the TV turns into an avatar, which makes me wonder: Didn't anybody watching the program notice? And did the Doctor just reply to the TV, and evil lady heard?!
But the episode had its good moments, too. I actually liked the overall plot. Compared to the past one and a half seasons, this episode was even kind of focused.
I liked Clara. The part of her wanting to travel but kind of staying out of a feel of obligation was something I liked very much. It brought out a human side I've been kind of missing since RTD left.
The "But,... it's bigger on the inside" bit got a nice variation here, I thought. Though, nothing beats Donna's "It's smaller on the outside".
Liked the magic trick bit, and the avatars actually were kind of creepy (though not original), up until the Doctor started talking to the TV.
Also liked the anti-grav motorbike, and the twist with the Doctor actually still being at the café.
And Richard E. Grant returns as the Great Intelligence. Hooray for that.
So, all in all, one of the better episodes of Moffat-Who, I'd say.
First off, the title, once more, has absolutely nothing to do with the actual episode, aside from a brief mention. Moffat's done this before ("Let's Kill Hitler", anyone?!), and it's kind of annoying. I like subtle titles that don't just give a description of the threat, but it should have something to do with the plot.
When we last saw the Doctor, he was thrilled of the mystery that Clara represented, and decided to get out of retirement to go look for her. So, this character who's always been portrayed as someone never staying long in one place, just having spent several months in Victorian London, chooses to begin his search for Clara in a monestary, and stays there long enough to change his outfit to a monk's cowl and paint a picture of Clara. Because that helps in his search, apparently.
Having found Clara, Moffat does the "Doctor who?" gag again. And again. And again. Seriously, how stupid does he think the audience is?! Yes, it's the ominous first question, which will be important in some upcoming adventure (presumably the 50th anniversary special), we got that already. Maybe Moffat actually loves the Peter Cushing movies, because in those "Doctor Who" was the actual name of the character.
I don't think the Doctor actually invented the quadracycle, there. Those have been around for ages. Just not as common as the bicycle. I had thought the Doctor would know something like that.
So, Clara needed some help with her WiFi connection, and later makes a Twitter joke. And for some reason, that's really suspicious.
Later, the Doctor and having-no-clue-about-computers-until-yesterday Clara sit in a café, with a laptop, drinking coffee from the money they collected from tourists who saw the TARDIS appearing and thinking it to be a magic trick (which was actually a nice touch), and after that bit and the ride on the motorbike, I kept wondering: Where did the laptop come from?!
And then there's the bit where the Doctor talks to the avatars of the evil lady, and at one point, the newsanchor on the TV turns into an avatar, which makes me wonder: Didn't anybody watching the program notice? And did the Doctor just reply to the TV, and evil lady heard?!
But the episode had its good moments, too. I actually liked the overall plot. Compared to the past one and a half seasons, this episode was even kind of focused.
I liked Clara. The part of her wanting to travel but kind of staying out of a feel of obligation was something I liked very much. It brought out a human side I've been kind of missing since RTD left.
The "But,... it's bigger on the inside" bit got a nice variation here, I thought. Though, nothing beats Donna's "It's smaller on the outside".
Liked the magic trick bit, and the avatars actually were kind of creepy (though not original), up until the Doctor started talking to the TV.
Also liked the anti-grav motorbike, and the twist with the Doctor actually still being at the café.
And Richard E. Grant returns as the Great Intelligence. Hooray for that.
So, all in all, one of the better episodes of Moffat-Who, I'd say.
Moffat actually does like the Cushing movies. i believe he's also stated the new Daleks are inspired by the ones in those movies.
I truly don't know what to make of the episode.
On a superficial level, I enjoyed the heck out of it. In the moment, it was great.
Beyond the superficial, it was a schizophrenic mess. I totally would have believed that RTD had written this, because the magic disappears with the least little bit of thought.
There are some genuinely Moffat moments -- the Doctor in the monastery (which doesn't make any more sense than the Doctor's exile to the 19th-century in "The Snowmen"), the Doctor putting Clara to bed and being a daffy Tim Burton character outside her window.
But then it's set-piece after set-piece. Occasionally it's creepy and chilling, but then the ending felt a bit flat.
The Doctor in lust is an interesting angle, and one that I wonder how the other writers will develop.
I'm glad Doctor Who is back. I wish this episode were a little deeper, and while I'm looking forward to Neil Cross' episode next week, it does look like it owes a bit to "The Beast Below."
On a superficial level, I enjoyed the heck out of it. In the moment, it was great.
Beyond the superficial, it was a schizophrenic mess. I totally would have believed that RTD had written this, because the magic disappears with the least little bit of thought.
There are some genuinely Moffat moments -- the Doctor in the monastery (which doesn't make any more sense than the Doctor's exile to the 19th-century in "The Snowmen"), the Doctor putting Clara to bed and being a daffy Tim Burton character outside her window.
But then it's set-piece after set-piece. Occasionally it's creepy and chilling, but then the ending felt a bit flat.
The Doctor in lust is an interesting angle, and one that I wonder how the other writers will develop.
I'm glad Doctor Who is back. I wish this episode were a little deeper, and while I'm looking forward to Neil Cross' episode next week, it does look like it owes a bit to "The Beast Below."
The beast below/The End of Earth because the doctor's taking the companion to the future.
I also thought the little girl in the preview looked like one of the worshippers from "The fires of Pompeii"
According to Wikipedia, "The earliest recorded pedal-powered quadracycle was exhibited in 1853 at the Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations World's Fair held in New York City."
Maybe the Doctor took it for a spin? Sounds like a Doctor-y place to be.
As with Bones, it's the way you've expressed your opinions that gets the reaction you get.
He knows that.
Drive-by posting to defend the "Let's Kill Hitler" title.
There's some strong parallels inherent there. The Teselecta stopped their assassination of Hitler because they realized it was too soon - you can't kill Hitler before WWII because it would be changing time. That's one of the basic precepts of time travel. Likewise they knew that River couldn't kill the Doctor here because he dies in Utah in 2011. Likewise we knew they couldn't kill River here because we already know when she dies - in the Library.
So the "Let's Kill Hitler" title was actually an encapsulation of that entire aspect of time travel.
But I will grant you that "The Bells of St John" is a lot harder to explain. All I can come up with is that the Tardis phone is what called him back to action from his self-imposed exile which started the whole storyline off, but I'm not sure that's worth naming the whole episode after. Ah well. It's something else for us to spend pages and pages speculating over, if nothing else.
.
Unless... it's a red herring or something that will make sense later and yada yada.
In the words of Freddy Got Fingered: "He's stupid!" "Not stupid!" "He's stupid!" "Not stupid!" "He's stupid!" "Not stupid!"
I'm sorry but you don't seem to realize you listed many quite sensible details too you didn't quite catch - it's the opposite and you'd think after the complexity of the partly incoherent Series 6 there was no doubt about that...
There's nothing inherently stupid in repetition or else the tardis would be stupid it's just a matter of preference what you want repeated.
Yes I mad about calling things one finds difficult in one way or another stupid as it's not what it's supposed to mean
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You know, I can actually accept that.
In the words of Freddy Got Fingered: "He's stupid!" "Not stupid!" "He's stupid!" "Not stupid!" "He's stupid!" "Not stupid!"
I'm sorry but you don't seem to realize you listed many quite sensible details too you didn't quite catch - it's the opposite and you'd think after the complexity of the partly incoherent Series 6 there was no doubt about that...
There's nothing inherently stupid in repetition or else the tardis would be stupid it's just a matter of preference what you want repeated.
Yes I mad about calling things one finds difficult in one way or another stupid as it's not what it's supposed to mean
So, you liked the way they did the "Doctor who?" bit these past episodes?!
Tell you something, dropped occasionally, I like it, too. I liked how it was done in "Boom Town", or "The Christmas Invasion". Because they did it once, the viewers catched it, smiled, and the show went on.
What I don't like is rubbing it in. It's like "Hey, fans, look, I just said the name of the show on-screen, and now I'll do it again. That was fun, saying it on-screen, right?! Let's do it again."
So, if you are entertained by this stupid bit, that's fine. I'm entertained by a lot of stupid bits. But let's call it what it is: Stupid.
I'll call it what it is: a humorous year-long tease for the season finale, in the spirit of the series 50th anniversary.
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