7X11 The Crimson Horror(Grading/Discussion)(SPOILERS

[Alidar Jarok]

Hell, there's an episode where they build an advanced supercomputer in, at best, the 1980s that runs on human brainpower that created poisonous alien maggots without any future technology or alien intervention.

Here, you can at least argue that Mr. Sweet had some influence in having her develop this thing.

 

[diankra]

Besides, there's no sign that it's got any of the complex stuff... all it does is launch, go straight up, and explode. No need for guidance systems, liquid fuel engines, any of that stuff. Just a big firework (aka, a solid fuel rocket). A bit of a stretch for 1893, but not an impossible one.

 

[Slugboy]

And your problem is? It's credible for a normal person with wedding nerves who wants a last fling even without the added complication of this guy being the guy she's been obsessed with since childhood who's suddenly reapeared just as she was about to settle for 'nice but dull' (asRory then seemed...)
And then she got over it... like she would in real life the next morning with a hangover and regrets...

Exceptionally well put. Amy was realer in that moment than Rose or Martha ever were.

To add, she'd also just nearly died which likely exacerbated her feelings even more.

Indeed. As soon as the scene began where Amy and the Doctor were in her bedroom at the end, I immediately predicted (correctly) what was going to happen. I'm normally a very prudish person who doesn't go for such raw displays of, um, "affection", on television, but in this particular case, it was totally appropriate in the context of the story and a very realistic way for Amy to behave in that situation.

 

[Cutter John]

Indeed. As soon as the scene began where Amy and the Doctor were in her bedroom at the end, I immediately predicted (correctly) what was going to happen. I'm normally a very prudish person who doesn't go for such raw displays of, um, "affection", on television, but in this particular case, it was totally appropriate in the context of the story and a very realistic way for Amy to behave in that situation.

I'm the same way actually, and remember feeling a bit shocked by that scene (although if I recall, part of that was "Oh shit, not another companion in love with the Doctor!"). But you know, in the end she really did love Rory, so all is forgiven.

 

[Sci]

I really enjoyed this episode -- it's always a joy to see the Vastra gang again -- but I'm a bit dissatisfied with the character of Clara. I love watching Coleman, but something's off about Clara -- I can't get a solid sense of what she really wants out of the Doctor, and that makes it harder to buy the idea that she'd be willing to run away with this strange man in a snog box.

 

[tomalak301]

This was one of the better episodes of the season, but my complaint about last week's episode is the same complaint here. We're no closer to finding out who/what Clara really is than we were after Asylum of the Daleks or The Snowman. We just know it's "complicated". Here's an episode where we have the entire gang back together and it does seem like Clara forgot about the revelations from last week, and no one even mentioned it.

As for this episode, I love Vastra, Jenny, and Strax. I'm glad they are featured time and again. This was a fun episode and reminded me of fun episodes from throughout the series. I just wish this "arc" would be addressed other than "It's complicated".

 

[Gov Kodos]

The Doctor did say she'd forget at the end of JttCotT. I thought it was worth noting the way she touched the Doctor's face when she was dethawed. It was reminiscent the way he'd touched her face last week. I am hoping this little experience has jarred something, and perhaps a little more will be from the Victorian picture the kids found, or at least bring up a question or two. Something to wonder about was Jenna's comment here

Spoiler: Jenna on Clara

All I can say is that Clara hasn’t just met the Doctor three times before

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/doctorwhosevenbtwo/jenna-louise-coleman2.html

 

[JoeZhang]

Which ties into the alleged plot for the finale that was leaked/made-up a few weeks ago.

 

[Zero Kelvin]

Besides, there's no sign that it's got any of the complex stuff... all it does is launch, go straight up, and explode. No need for guidance systems, liquid fuel engines, any of that stuff. Just a big firework (aka, a solid fuel rocket). A bit of a stretch for 1893, but not an impossible one.

Indeed -- Congreve and improved Hale design rockets of up to 60 lbs weight were used from early in the Victorian era. Scaling up shouldn't have presented much of a problem if all it had to do was go up and explode. Probably no telemetry or ground-based guidance of course, although Hertz had already demonstrated the potential of radio waves by 1895. I think I spotted what might have been intended to represent a difference engine lurking behind the organ.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

The BBC got burned on their last experience of a season of pilots (which is what that effectively was). They came out of it OK, with Being Human, but only after a near disastrous commitment to a season of Phoo Power (or whatever it was called).

Phoo Action and I still think it's shame that never got the full series. The other series in there could have been very interesting too, and interestingly it looks like one of them was reworked in to being "Hit and Miss" on Sky Atlantic which was a good show. Oh that isn't the last time they did a pilot season, they did one for comedy shows, which led to How Not To Live Your Life and Him and Her, I think, both very popular shows.

 

[RevdKathy]

Did anyone else watch this and think "Moonraker"? (Or am I the only one old enough?)

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Did anyone else watch this and think "Moonraker"? (Or am I the only one old enough?)

I don't remember Moonraker being set in Victorian Yorkshire.

 

[RevdKathy]

It wasn't. Nor did it feature scarlet alien leeches. But it did have a sociopath creating a group of 'perfect' people to repopulate the earth after dropping poison on it from a great height. And a damned near identical "rocket launch" scene with the good guys in the launch bay when the rocket goes up.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

It wasn't. Nor did it feature scarlet alien leeches. But it did have a sociopath creating a group of 'perfect' people to repopulate the earth after dropping poison on it from a great height. And a damned near identical "rocket launch" scene with the good guys in the launch bay when the rocket goes up.

Pah! That's nothing like this episode.

 

[Pindar]

There was a bit of a fascination with some Victorians and socialist societies.

Robert Owen dreamed of building his New Harmony in Indiana after the success of his New Lanark experiment.

It was never built in the end but this episode reminded me of it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Owen

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Harmony,_Indiana#Owenite_community_.281825.E2.80.931827.29

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I thought they were just working off the ideas like Bourneville and Garden Village and the like, lots of philanthropic business owners created villages for their workers with decent living standards near their factories.

 

[T J]

Horrible episode! I don't want to say that but it was bad. I can't stand most Victorian times stories and besides that the story was bad. I tune into Who remembering some ripping stories, can't always win, much like Trek. I hold in my heart hope for the next time, as always. I'll always be back for more! This Doctor has even grown on me despite me not wanting him to in the begining.

 

[Pindar]

I thought they were just working off the ideas like Bourneville and Garden Village and the like, lots of philanthropic business owners created villages for their workers with decent living standards near their factories.

That's what Owen did in New Lanark, healthcare, education, entertainment all in the village for the workers and families.

New Harmony was to be a utopia peopled by recruits.

Madness of course but interesting.

 

[Awesome Possum]

That line about the "wrong hands" may be the best thing about this episode.

 

[Klaus]

^^It definitely was.

The discussion in Slate's Who blog noted that there was quite a bit of regional humor in this episode, playing off the typical Londoner's sterotypes of the North, and wondered how much of that was lost on the US audience. [A parallel to the North/South tensions in US culture is obvious] I'd be curious about our UK members' opinion about the effectiveness of the regional bits...