6x03 The Curse of the Black Spot (Grading/Discussion) (SPOILERS!!)

[Checkmate]

Why was the TARDIS dematerializing such an "abandon ship" moment anyway? Dematerializing is what it does. I mean, I know it was so that they could work in "abandon ship" in a seafaring episode, but jeez, they could at least have tried a little harder to come up with something plausible. The rest of the story wasn't much better. I mean, now instead of the different universes being blocked off, they collide on a regular basis and you can basically just step through? Just to make this one little shoddy story possible? I was okay with the lack of the paradox monsters showing up every time the Doctor was interacting with himself and fumbling with his own timeline, but it's getting a bit silly how they're just flat-out ignoring all the limitations that were put on during the revival.

Amy in pirate garb and being all sexy as a result was the only highlight for me. And it was over as quickly as it came.

(And why the hell would a medical hologram put someone with a bruise into a coma anyway? Bah. Oh well, at least it opens up a "space pirates" show for the future. Not that this episode was even remotely enticing enough to spark such a thing.)

 

[Eyes]

Oh well, at least it opens up a "space pirates" show for the future. Not that this episode was even remotely enticing enough to spark such a thing.)

I definitely wouldn't be receptive to a sequel to this episode, but having Every and his crew show up at some point as minor bits in a bigger story, to save the Doctor or some such, wouldn't be too bad.

If anything is going to come of this episode ever in the future, that is, which is unlikely.

 

[Count Zero]

And why the hell would a medical hologram put someone with a bruise into a coma anyway?

I think they were all infected with some alien disease or at least I seem to remember that something to that effect was mumbled at one point. That doesn't explain, however, why the Doctor and Amy weren't affected, why they weren't put in stasis like the others and why the TARDIS sickbay (which seemed to work fine last season) couldn't heal the boy who was suffering from typhoid fever, a disease which even humans have known how to treat for more than a century.

 

[Shatnertage]

^ Yeah, I assumed that I missed the explanation for all of that.

 

[Worf2DS9]

^ Yeah, you'd think a police box with a St. John Ambulance badge on the door would be able to offer some service in that regard.

 

[wamdue]

Wasnt it to do with the EMH Doctor not knowing how to treat humans.

 

[Psion]

Why was the TARDIS dematerializing such an "abandon ship" moment anyway? Dematerializing is what it does. I mean, I know it was so that they could work in "abandon ship" in a seafaring episode, but jeez, they could at least have tried a little harder to come up with something plausible. The rest of the story wasn't much better. I mean, now instead of the different universes being blocked off, they collide on a regular basis and you can basically just step through? Just to make this one little shoddy story possible? I was okay with the lack of the paradox monsters showing up every time the Doctor was interacting with himself and fumbling with his own timeline, but it's getting a bit silly how they're just flat-out ignoring all the limitations that were put on during the revival.

Well, I *think* they were abandoning ship not because the TARDIS was dematerializing, but because it was heading off towards parts unknown "... we could end up anywhere!" And yet, as you say, that too is what the TARDIS does. Whole seasons of the original show were devoted to random wanderings in the blue box. But maybe the Doctor was concerned about abandoning his companions in the middle of an adventure, or something.

Now ... as far as the other part about different universes colliding, I got the impression this wasn't so much a many-worlds issue (with an infinite number of parallel realities), but two objects occupying the same space as if squeezed dimensionally together. The Doctor's explanation wasn't particularly clear and he ultimately dismissed it anyway, but I don't think they were in a parallel universe.

 

[DWF]

The idea of the two ships existing side by side reminded me of The Stones Of Blood. Overall though it was a pretty good story it's too bad they didn't get Kevin McNally to come back for it.

 

[Cutter John]

And this weeks numbers are in:

1 …. 10.4 (42.2%) …. Britain's Got Talent 20:00 ITV 1
2 …. 6.2 (30.9%) …. Doctor Who 18:15 BBC One
3 …. 4.6 (20.2%) …. Casualty 21:30 BBC One
4 …. 4.6 (23.0%) …. BBC News 22:15 BBC One
5 …. 4.1 (20.1%) …. Sing If You Can 19:00 ITV 1

Wasnt it to do with the EMH Doctor not knowing how to treat humans.

Pretty much how I understood it. Someone needed to find and press the the 'Cure Patients' button. Either that or put them in stasis until the ship reaches a port with proper medical fascilities. Actually makes more sense than Voyagers all knowing computerized doctor.

As for the Doctor 'abandoning ship', I just assumed he didn't want to be carried off somewhere while Amy and Rory are still in danger.

 

[Shatnertage]

Yeah, but would it really matter where you were carried off to if you were inside a ship that could travel anywhere in time and space? Wouldn't you want to stay with that ship to make sure you didn't lose it?

I'll admit that I didn't catch a word of dialog between the Doctor and pirate captain in the Tardis, so if they explained this, please let me know.

I also think it's funny that the Tardis control console has a wiper fluid reservoir on it--it's that plastic container filled with pink liquid.

 

[The Wormhole]

A decent episode, although it was rather predictable right from the beginning that the one's marked by the black spot weren't actually killed by the Siren. The fact that Rory was among the first marked made it pretty obvious, but when the Captain's son was also marked, that settled the matter. Also, it seemed rather convenient that as soon as the Doctor and the Captain worked out that it was actually anything reflective the Siren could emerge from is when Amy, Rory and the boy became in danger. And it is a bit odd that a simple cut or bruise is enough for the alien ship to consider you in need of drastic medical care.

So if the Siren is basically the alien ship's EMH, why isn't she dressed as a doctor should? Honestly, I wouldn't feel too comfortable walking into a hospital and the doctor treating me was only wearing a night gown. I suppose this could be an alien thing, maybe that's the way everyone on the alien crew dressed. Still, if the Siren/EMH's programming altered its appearance to mimic human form, shouldn't have made some approximation of human clothes?

I see Amy's pregnancy and the mysterious woman with the eyepatch are going to be the arc for the season, much like the cracks last year, Bad Wolf in the first year and so on and so forth. I'm not going to bother speculating on what any of this means, since I'll likely be wrong as hell.

An observation about the music, we seem to be getting shades of the RTD era back. The Siren's song (for lack of better term) is very similar to the Doctor's theme from the RTD era, and at one point near the beginning I thought the background music very closely resembled All the Strange, Strange Creatures. No, I'm not trying to make a point, like I said, it's just an observation.

So now pirates are roaming space in an advanced alien starship? How cool is that?

 

[Neroon]

I rather enjoyed the episode, though I do agree with some of the shortcomings mentioned so far. This may be like "The Beast Below" was for me last series: A changeup thrown at the viewer immediately after a flashy fastball. The eeriness of the setting intrigued me, as did the Doctor's theory of the overlapping universes: an idea that has actually been postulated IRL, I think. Maybe it's not as strong as last week's, but I still enjoyed, which is why we watch these in the first place.

 

[Samson88B]

Boring. Another episode that seemed to revolve around AMY LOVES RORY. Then The Doctor lets a bunch of murdering, raping, pillaging pirates fly off with FTL.

I do admit like you and others on this board have previously stated....It does seem that this season seems to be more about Amy than the Doctor. Aside from that...I though this episode was excellent.

Yes Yes I know the show had plot holes and some questionable ideas but all in all I would have given the show a Mermaids vote. However...For some reason I really think that production and direction did a really good job in making me feel like I was on a real pirate ship IMHO... and because I thought the rendition of the ship and scenes were so good it bumped the entire episode up for me,

 

[Winterwind]

Boring. Another episode that seemed to revolve around AMY LOVES RORY. Then The Doctor lets a bunch of murdering, raping, pillaging pirates fly off with FTL.

I do admit like you and others on this board have previously stated....It does seem that this season seems to be more about Amy than the Doctor. Aside from that...I though this episode was excellent.

Yes Yes I know the show had plot holes and some questionable ideas but all in all I would have given the show a Mermaids vote. However...For some reason I really think that production and direction did a really good job in making me feel like I was on a real pirate ship IMHO... and because I thought the rendition of the ship and scenes were so good it bumped the entire episode up for me,

The atmosphere they had with the ship was one of the only things that worked for me in this one.

And to touch on PhilyB's pillaging point... two stories into the season, the Doctor has encouraged the human race to hunt/kill the Silence and yes, is now letting some raping, pillaging, murdering pirates from the 17th century roam around space. But then, maybe they're "good" pirates.

 

[Saul]

Wasn't a bad episode, just nothing compared to the last two episodes. I think they need to try a bit harder with these story of the week episodes to keep people interested.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

And to touch on PhilyB's pillaging point... two stories into the season, the Doctor has encouraged the human race to hunt/kill the Silence and yes, is now letting some raping, pillaging, murdering pirates from the 17th century roam around space. But then, maybe they're "good" pirates.

What makes you think the pirates are raping anyone?

 

[od0_ital]

So if the Siren is basically the alien ship's EMH, why isn't she dressed as a doctor should?

Here's a better question - why would an alien EMH even look alien when we saw the alien skulls that were obviously not human?

I'll tell ya! The system tapped into the pirates' perceptions of how a siren should look, and the program altered the EMH's appearance accordingly.

 

[Psion]

So if the Siren is basically the alien ship's EMH, why isn't she dressed as a doctor should?

Here's a better question - why would an alien EMH even look alien when we saw the alien skulls that were obviously not human?

I'll tell ya! The system tapped into the pirates' perceptions of how a siren should look, and the program altered the EMH's appearance accordingly.

The Doctor said, "... protein circuitry means she can change her form and become a human doctor for humans. Ooo! Sister, you are good!"

But we're free to "ignore all his previous theories."

 

[WillsBabe]

I've no idea what other people feel about this episode but I turned it off before the end. I thought it was rubbish. Matt Smith did his best as always, and Hugh Bonneville was his usual engaging, proficient self. Afraid the rest of it did nothing for me.

 

[DAK]

^ Yeah, the best part of this episode was a wet Matt Smith.