6.5X09 Night Terrors (Grading/Discussion) (SPOILERS)

[Alidar Jarok]

Since this episode was filmed for the first half of the season, it's hard to say what they truly care about.

But getting Baby Melody could possible overwrite their own history. If Melody didn't grow up the same time Amy grew up, Amy and Rory might never have started dating and gotten married. Now that's a paradox you don't want to start.

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Yeah, Melody has done a Marty McFly on them...

 

[Professor Zoom]

Since this episode was filmed for the first half of the season, it's hard to say what they truly care about.

See that explains it. This episode could've been meant for a preGanger slot, you know? Before Amy's pregnancy was revealed.

But getting Baby Melody could possible overwrite their own history. If Melody didn't grow up the same time Amy grew up, Amy and Rory might never have started dating and gotten married. Now that's a paradox you don't want to start.

I don't fear paradoxes! Bring'em on!

 

[Trubinator]

I'm sick and tired of the RTD era fans whining every single week. The arc episodes are part of why seasons five and six has been so amazing. But that said, this week's episode was very, very good. Not quite a Geronimo ... but definitely A or A-. I liked the pacing of it and the brief return to more standalone-ish episodes.

 

[wamdue]

But getting Baby Melody could possible overwrite their own history. If Melody didn't grow up the same time Amy grew up, Amy and Rory might never have started dating and gotten married. Now that's a paradox you don't want to start.

that is a good point

 

[Winterwind]

I'm sick and tired of the RTD era fans whining every single week. The arc episodes are part of why seasons five and six has been so amazing. But that said, this week's episode was very, very good. Not quite a Geronimo ... but definitely A or A-. I liked the pacing of it and the brief return to more standalone-ish episodes.

In your opinion. I frequently lead the RTD bashing charge but the reality is, in my opinion... must always add that... that Moffat is nowhere near as clever as he thinks he is, that's he's an arrogant asshat better suited to penning one episode a season and that his arc is boring, S5 and S6 have been largely shit and that nothing he has done even comes close to amazing. The series under Moffat, up until the return last week was "The Amy Pond-River Song Melodramatic Shitfest with Special Guest Star The Doctor".

Yeah, that's really amazing.

Almost as amazing as those idiotic fans that vote EVERY SINGLE episode 10/10.

 

[G2309]

Not the best of the season but an enjoyable standalone. Loved Rory's comment about lighting.
About Moffat I never thought he;d come across as arogant in interviews.

 

[Worf2DS9]

I loved this! The doll-things were creepy as hell, as was their house environment and Amy & Rory creeping around. Surprised me when the landlord actually turned into one of the things. Without the heavy load of the main arc weighing it down, this ep had a straightforward Doctor Who feel to it. One of the best of the season.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Decent episode and not nearly as bad as some people make it out to be. While it has some similarities to "Fear Her" and "The Idiot's Lantern," "Night Terrors" is not nearly as bad as either of them. Honestly, I think "Night Terrors" suffers from the same problem as "Love and Monsters," i.e. great idea but terrible execution. I think the biggest problem I had with the episode was that I wanted to be scared like "Blink," but the music didn't allow for it. It was far too upbeat and didn't play along with the atmosphere the story was trying to invoke, especially inside the dollhouse.

 

[Haggis and tatties]

Great episode and a nice pace from last weeks warp speed adventure.

 

[Stevil2001]

I appreciate that the show gave us a standalone horror episode.

Would have been better had there been the slightest bit of tension, though.

 

[auntiehill]

Below average to average. Cute, but just too heavy on the cheese. A little too much taken from previous episodes to make this interesting.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

I couldn't work out why the parents had apparently given George a dollhouse. Were they trying to make him gay or merely metrosexual?

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Why do you think he was soooo scared? Lol

 

[Starkers]

I'm sick and tired of the RTD era fans whining every single week. The arc episodes are part of why seasons five and six has been so amazing. But that said, this week's episode was very, very good. Not quite a Geronimo ... but definitely A or A-. I liked the pacing of it and the brief return to more standalone-ish episodes.

Wow now there's a sweeping statement.

It is possible to be a fan of both the RTD and Moffat eras you know, or to be a Dr Who fan rather than a fan of a specific historical niche within the show. I loved last week's ep, but found this week's dull as dishwater.

And it wasn't because of the pacing. I like slow paced stuff, but just slowing the story down doesn't automatically generate tension or drama. There was no sense of danger here, nothing to inspire that the very normal looking world was just wrong, or off kilter. Maybe it wasn't the writing, maybe it was the direction and music (see Blink for how to do it right!) but for me this just came off as an uninspiring riff on Fear Her and The Idiot Lantern, only with people absorbed into a dolls house rather than a TV or a drawing.

One thing I will give it, we seem to have got past the RTD era's obsession with crappy dads at least, which is nice to see.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I'm sick and tired of the RTD era fans whining every single week. The arc episodes are part of why seasons five and six has been so amazing. But that said, this week's episode was very, very good. Not quite a Geronimo ... but definitely A or A-. I liked the pacing of it and the brief return to more standalone-ish episodes.

Wow now there's a sweeping statement.

It is possible to be a fan of both the RTD and Moffat eras you know, or to be a Dr Who fan rather than a fan of a specific historical niche within the show. I loved last week's ep, but found this week's dull as dishwater.

And it wasn't because of the pacing. I like slow paced stuff, but just slowing the story down doesn't automatically generate tension or drama. There was no sense of danger here, nothing to inspire that the very normal looking world was just wrong, or off kilter. Maybe it wasn't the writing, maybe it was the direction and music (see Blink for how to do it right!) but for me this just came off as an uninspiring riff on Fear Her and The Idiot Lantern, only with people absorbed into a dolls house rather than a TV or a drawing.

One thing I will give it, we seem to have got past the RTD era's obsession with crappy dads at least, which is nice to see.

Personally I loved series 5, 6 isn't doing it for me though. Not that I'm a fan of a specific era, there's RTD stuff that doesn't work and Moffat stuff that doesn't work. Series 6 has had moments but in general has just left me cold and I'm not entirely sure why. I guess, as I said earlier, it does have the Voyager feel of not quite right, to it.

 

[Starkers]

I think the split doesn't help to be honest. The show feels a bit all over the place at the moment, I suspect there are reasons behind the scenes for this.

I don't think its quite Voyager levels yet (though I'd say for me that's how it felt by the end of RTD, just very repetative) and to be honest even if it was I'd still enjoy it. It's if it goes down to Enterprise levels of blandness that I'd worry--I'll never be a great fan of Voyager but it rarely bored me at least.

If I compare S6 with the previous five full series I'm probably in about the same place re the % I like vs the % I don't.

 

[Lonemagpie]

I couldn't work out why the parents had apparently given George a dollhouse. Were they trying to make him gay or merely metrosexual?

From the style of it, it was probably just his mother's orginally - I know when I was that age, my mum's old dollhouse (about the same size) was still in a cupboard somewhere (and just the right size for Airfix 1/32nd scale soldiers to have to storm and defend!)

 

[Cutter John]

Thats a good point re the break Starkers. The two month gap really broke the flow of the series.

What the show could really use right now is a fun, lighthearted episode. Things have gotten way too dark of late.

 

[mimic]

My biggest issue with this episode is that once again the Doctor shunts Amy and Rory to the side. This week he had no real reason to tell them to search other floors after he'd spotted the scared kid, other than maybe he likes doing this sort of thing sans Amy and Rory. In that case, why bring them anywhere?

It would be nice if for once Amy or Rory were the ones to solve the problem - that hasn't happened all that much this season.