6.5X012 Closing Time (Grading/Discussion) (SPOILERS!)

[The Wormhole]

Well, right off the bat, I have to wonder why the hell us North American viewers have that stupid Amy's opening narration for this episode. Amy and Rory have only one scence cameo in this episode so to have Amy telling us of meeting the Doctor as a child and joining him on adventures as a grown up seems really pointless in this episode. I accept Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill are still in the credits due to contractual reasons, but there was no need for the opening narration. Actually, there's never any need for it, but that's besides the point.
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Because, like it or not, it's part of the opening credits for North America right now. It also get's people who've never watched the show up to speed on the concept.....like the whole "Space, the final frontier" thing in Star Trek.

Frankly, I've come to like the narration as it adds something fresh to the opening credits without changing the main credit sequence. It'll be interesting to see what happens to it when the companions eventually change.

It was left out of the North American DVDs for the first half of the season, so it's not really "part of the opening credits." Besides, Doctor Who does not need an opening narration to explain what the hell it's about. It lasted 47 years without one. And Star Trek eventually dropped the "Space, the final frontier" intro anyway.

 

[ThankQ]

Perhaps it was lame, but I had fun watching it, and that's what I care about.

Sometimes even a bad pun is funny.

 

[Neroon]

Sometimes even a bad pun is funny.

 

[ITL]

Sometimes even a bad pun is funny.

Yeah, you just keep on whistling, mister.

As for the episode, I thought it was OK. Some good Doctor/companion moments and insights, but Corden's whiny delivery got on my nerves. I much preferred him the last time round. As for the Cybermen...meh. I've not enjoyed their appearances that much for a long time, so I was actually glad they took a back seat to Doctor/Craig. And the less said about the Power Of Love resolution the better. Good grief.

 

[Deckerd]

And the less said about the Power Of Love resolution the better. Good grief.

I'll protect you from the hooded claw, keep the vampires from your door

 

[Bob The Skutter]

And the less said about the Power Of Love resolution the better. Good grief.

I'll protect you from the hooded claw, keep the vampires from your door

Which The Power of Love are we talking about here?

Have we noticed it's a recurring thing for Craig to be saved by love? Second time in as many appearances.

 

[ITL]

And the less said about the Power Of Love resolution the better. Good grief.

I'll protect you from the hooded claw, keep the vampires from your door

But will you be around when the chips are down?

 

[chardman]

There's also the question of how Canton Everette Delaware III was not surprised that the Doctor dies at Lake Silencio and knew to bring a can of gasoline.

Presumably, he was told in the blue envelope he received. In fact, I believe he even said as much.

 

[Tom]

I'm really having a hard time beleiving that The Doctor in Closing Time is 200 years older than the one in the God Complex.

Yes, I know he is suppose to physically age slower but that slow? In the SOD/LOTTL the Master first ages the doctor hundred years and he looks really old, then 900 years to look like Dobby. Also the first Doctor went from baby to old man in less than 450 years before regenerating. It just seems off. Also the Doctor in 200 years had no companion since he was still talking about how he puts them at risk with Craig etc. There was not single thing in Closing Time to indicate he has been traveling for 200 year alone, beyond him mentioning a farewell tour.

I think the Doctor was lieing about his age being 1103 at the lake, not sure why.

 

[Kelthaz]

I'm really having a hard time beleiving that The Doctor in Closing Time is 200 years older than the one in the God Complex.

Yeah, I don't buy it either. Personally, I'm just ignoring the time skip.

 

[Skellington]

Re. The Doctor's apparent lack of ageing: It could be that he "took it down a little" as River suggested she might do in Let's Kill Hitler. The Doctor knows that his companions mistook the older Doctor for the younger one, so maybe he de-aged specifically for the occasion. If I recall, River in SITL/FOTD remembers a Doctor who appears much older than DT.

 

[Cutter John]

It doesn't seem that unreasonable, considering that about 300 years passed between Two and Four with no apparent signs of aging on anyones part.

And its been a few days and nope, still not hating the ending. Well, except maybe for the fact that cybermens heads explode when they overload. Really?

 

[Kelthaz]

There is a time skip between Troughton and Baker? I never knew that.

 

[Sindatur]

There is a time skip between Troughton and Baker? I never knew that.

Really? I love the Pertwee Era, Personally?

I understand some dislike Jo Grant, but is that enough to ignore his entire Era, including the Delgado Master and Sarah Jane (To say nothing of Liz Shaw)?

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Sindatur, we're not talking about whether or not Jon Pertwee was Doctor Who. The question is about whether there's a 300 year time gap. I think it's fair to say Kelthaz did not think Pertween was on the show for 300 years, so we're obviously talking about an in-show gap.

 

[Sindatur]

Sindatur, we're not talking about whether or not Jon Pertwee was Doctor Who. The question is about whether there's a 300 year time gap. I think it's fair to say Kelthaz did not think Pertween was on the show for 300 years, so we're obviously talking about an in-show gap.

Oh....OOPS

 

[jbny67]

I think it's fair to say Kelthaz did not think Pertween was on the show for 300 years, so we're obviously talking about an in-show gap.

6B

 

[Kelthaz]

haha, yeah. I'm not ignoring Pertwee's era at all. He's one of my favourite Doctors. I was just commenting that I never realized the original Doctor Who had an in-show time skip.

 

[Cutter John]

Sorry. I was just making the point that Two said onscreen that he was about 450 (in Tomb of the Cybermen I think). While Four said that he was around 740 in Pyramid of Mars. So obviously the Doctor can live a good century without appearing to age noticably. So Eleven bopping around the galaxy for 200 years doesn't seem that improbable.

 

[Guartho]

So I wonder how "old" Gollum-ten was when the master artificially aged him in the year that never happened.