6x01 The Impossible Astronaut (Grading/Discussion) (SPOILERS!!)

[Cutter John]

I took it as a sort of 'Yeah, that figures.' statement. Like the Brig bemoaning the fact that bullets never seemed to work against monsters.

 

[Sindatur]

Hey guys, if you have Comcast and don't get BBC America HD, you might want to check On Demand. The episode is in HD and commercial-free!

Man, you come to the US and you strap a six-shooter on your side and open fire in emotional response. The bit about the Doctor's usual bluff not working on Americans was funny (if perhaps a bit insulting).

I was a bit surprised by the Sarah Jane-style narration during the opening. Not necessarily a bad idea though.

The episode had some funny moments but I wasn't really feeling the usual Who magical quality.

Comcast here in Sacramento, CA, BBCA seems to have disappeared off of On Demand a couple months ago?? Primeval's's next to last episode, I didn't get, because I relied uppn On Demand for the week I was gone, and BBCA disappeared from On Demand, while I was gone. Haven't found it, or it's programs since (yea, I get BBCA live, but, Not On Demand)

 

[Checkmate]

I took it as a sort of 'Yeah, that figures.' statement. Like the Brig bemoaning the fact that bullets never seemed to work against monsters.

She didn't say it with exasperation. She said it with understanding.

 

[tomalak301]

Hey guys, if you have Comcast and don't get BBC America HD, you might want to check On Demand. The episode is in HD and commercial-free!

I think that's how I'm going to watch this series. Watching it in SD on an HD hookup with that small a picture looks bad.

I watched the episode tonight and liked it even though it seemed rather low key for a premiere. Did like the new aliens introduced and because it was mostly set up, don't really have that much more to say about it. Glad to have the show back.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I've not been following the thread since my last post so apologies if this has been brought up but did the Silence remind anyone else of deformed Ood?

 

[Neroon]

Not me. I was thinking more of Munch's "The Scream".. which might provide a decent basis for making your own mask for a Silent costume.

 

[auntiehill]

Just watched it tonight. Really enjoyed it. I'm beginning to wonder if it IS River or is it just another version of the Doctor?

Damn near gasped when I realized that Nixon was played by Stuart Mulligan---Adam Klaus of "Jonathan Creek." Never would have recognized him if I hadn't seen him on "Confidential." So, at least one American was in the cast.

I'm looking forward to seeing part 2!

 

[Psion]

As I pointed out in an earlier post, there was an actor listed in the credits as portraying "The Silent". These are the Silents. Their intent remains a mystery, but your hypothesis is ... intriguing.

Or, you know, "The Silence" can simply be their name as a race, with "Silent" being a singular member. You know, like "knife" versus "knives." Heaven forbid.

I think BlastHardCheese was asking about why people thought the creatures were the Silents instead of some other unidentified species, not the correct plural form of the noun.

Anyone know what River meant by the line "No of course not" after she had tried to shoot the Astronaut? Maybe because the Astronaut is her?

That's exactly it. I'm all but certain. "Of course not." Because if it did work, she wouldn't be there reliving it all over again, though she clearly wasn't of sound mind at the time.

There's a reason they didn't reveal her face during that scene. If it was someone we didn't know, there wouldn't be a need to do so. This is the whole "I killed a good man" part of her life, and she's aware that something even worse is coming soon for her, even pointing out that she first meets the Doctor as a young girl where he knows everything about her (and tada, the person in the suit in 1969 is her). She all but told us this in the episode.

Chances are the suit is being used as some kind of containtment suit or artificial womb. Heck, I'm even down with her being Amy's baby, which the Doctor has to put into the suit because of the things going down in the story.

This is an interesting notion. "An impressionable young girl ... and suddenly this man just drops out of the sky. He's clever and mad and wonderful..." This could easily be little girl "Jefferson's" view of the Doctor as well. This version of River's first encounter with the Doctor also dovetails nicely with the Doctor's first encounter with River ... she was wearing a space suit then, too.

 

[Admiral_Young]

@Neroon, hmm yeah I can see Munch's "Scream" influence in there. Maybe the Silent are all inspired Ghostfaces (Ghostface from the Scream movies was inspired by the famous painting). I think I just came up with a fan fic idea. LOL

 

[DAK]

Moffat has compared them to "The Scream" painting.

http://doctorwhotv.co.uk/daleks-vs-the-silence-18151.htm

Steven Moffat added: “Humans will have been subconsciously aware of The Silence for many centuries and that awareness will have manifested itself in paintings such as The Scream.”

Scroll down a little to see the painting.
​

 

[Psion]

Has anyone else noticed that the Silents are actually pretty damned noisy?

 

[Gepard]

And they can talk, too. (ETA: Unless that's what you were referring to) Which, come to think of it, may be Moffet recycling his "alien steals victim's voice" gimmick. Again.

 

[Australis]

This deems repeating but what happens to the future doctor's TARDIS?

Future Doc's TARDIS is lodger TARDIS.

 

[Lonemagpie]

And they can talk, too. (ETA: Unless that's what you were referring to) Which, come to think of it, may be Moffet recycling his "alien steals victim's voice" gimmick. Again.

Except that was RTD's "gimmick"

 

[Australis]

I just watched it again, too. I paid particular attention to the death scene. I'm almost positive that it was River inside the suit, and this is the "I killed a wonderful man" originated from, just like a lot of people speculated. The main reason I think this is because of what River says after she shoots at the astronaut and saw that it had no effect.

"Of course."

"Of course not."

 

[Gepard]

And they can talk, too. (ETA: Unless that's what you were referring to) Which, come to think of it, may be Moffet recycling his "alien steals victim's voice" gimmick. Again.

Except that was RTD's "gimmick"

I'm trying to think when RTD used it, but all I'm coming up with is Moffet's "Silence in the Library" and "Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone." What others were there?

 

[Mitty]

.

 

[Mitty]

Okay. So putting aside the way he died and his apparent complete co-operation in the process (it almost seemed like suicide), I can actually accept that it's possible to see the Doctor die and for it to be real.

The only problem I have with it is that by the nature of what happened, it precludes anyone else from every playing The Doctor.

Which leaves us with but two choices: a) the series is going to end with Matt Smith as the Doctor, or b) somehow the death is going to be retconned out of existence meaning he can regenerate normally in some future adventure.

Someone posted in this thread a "Second Chances" Riker type theory where they said somehow two Doctors have existed since the events of "The Big Bang", both of them completely legit versions of the same man. One of them died, whilst the other is just fine. I guess that's as good a theory as any.

 

[Checkmate]

This deems repeating but what happens to the future doctor's TARDIS?

Future Doc's TARDIS is lodger TARDIS.

Or more likely it provided the seed from which the new TARDIS was growing in the Lodger.

 

[Venardhi]

The part that bothered me most about it is that River seems to have met multiple Doctors or at least suggested as much in previous appearances. She hadn't met 10 yet when she first appeared and he hadn't met her yet so all the previous doctors are out and one can assume she has met at least one other than 11. If this is so, then 11 can't be good and properly dead and she should know this.

Count me in for there being a double, or some trick being involved wherein his regenerative energy transfers his soul/timelordiness into whoever it in the astronaut suit or the like.