7X04 The Power Of Three (Grading/Discussion) (SPOILERS!)

[BlastHardcheese]

I thought it was a nice breather episode where the Doctor wouldn't have to make yet another moral choice on whether or not it's okay to kill the big bad of the week.

That said, Matt Smith is really beginning to annoy the heck out of me. Not even Tennant or Eccleston displayed a complete inability to sit still for an hour. They (like all the doctors before them) were actually able to sit down and shut up for a while.

Is it too much to ask for a thoughtful introspective Doctor who knows how to conduct himself in social situations? Even Tennant, for all his wangsting, was still able to relax. Why can't they let Matt Smith relax? We don't need an ADHDoctor to keep the show fun and interesting.

 

[Sindatur]

So, from Amy's perspective it's been ten years since she first started travelling with the Doctor. Meaning she's now 31 and the year is 2020. No, I'm not trying to make a point, just making the observation.

No, that's precisely Amy's point. It's not 2020, and their friends are noticing them aging faster. Have an Anniversary Party, travel 6 months during it, Run off for an adventure and travel 9 months... I think at the very most, we count Amy's 10 years from when she and the Doctor actually started traveling together full time due to her crack in time. Seems like she ages 3 years a year, looked at on average (Though, maybe all but the first two years have been this season alone?)

 

[Samurai8472]

Also on the music front, I noticed in the scenes set in December there was a Christmas song playing that was also heard in The Runaway Bride and Turn Left. Is this an actual song, or just something recorded for specifically for the show?

Yes I also brought that up too

http://www.trekbbs.com/showpost.php?p=7000108&postcount=26

 

[BlastHardcheese]

No, that's precisely Amy's point. It's not 2020, and their friends are noticing them aging faster. Have an Anniversary Party, travel 6 months during it, Run off for an adventure and travel 9 months... I think at the very most, we count Amy's 10 years from when she and the Doctor actually started traveling together full time due to her crack in time. Seems like she ages 3 years a year, looked at on average (Though, maybe all but the first two years have been this season alone?)

I'm reminded of a great Cracked article about time travel, and the reasons why it would suck. The first they give is this exact issue with Amy aging 10 years. I don't know if linking other websites is against the rules so I'll quote:

To borrow from Professor Rufus of Bill and Ted University, "No matter what you do, no matter where you go, that clock, the clock in San Dimas is always running."

So you get in your DeLorean and you leave 1985 to go on an adventure in the past. Say it takes you six months to accomplish your goal (ie, nearly making out with your mom) and when you're done, you go back to your own time. Maybe you go back to the very moment you left.

But you are six months older. There's no way around it. The time machine can't adjust your age backward--if it did, it would be altering your brain at the same time, wiping out the memories of what you experienced. No matter how many rejuvenation clinics from the future you visit, you will always age along your own timeline just as certainly as Marty did throughout Back to the Future.

When you get to the core of it, traveling through time is pretty much a deal with the Devil. Yes, it will enable you to save John Connor and get to Muggle Studies on time, but it will shave several months to several years off your life depending on how much you abuse it. These are precious moments from your twilight years that you will never get back: one last weekend with your wife, your granddaughter's graduation and the inevitable cloning of John Candy.

In short, when you've managed to hit age 89 in seven years and you're lying on your deathbed, will it really have been worth seeing everything time had to offer just to miss out on your own life? Sure, things may suck now, but you have no idea what it's going to be like in the future. By rewriting it all, you may just end up missing out on your own God-authored happy ending.​

​

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

You're right, I'm just being a prudish stick-in-the-mud. Next week I hope River frigs herself off with the Doctor's sonic screwdriver. After all, kids are neither clueness nor innocent.

Cool it on the graphic analogies. You can make your point without them.

It is a nice graphic analogy. Reminds me of Joanna Lumley in Curse Of Fatal Death, "Oh look, it has three settings!"

 

[Similitude]

I enjoyed it. Really liked seeing the Ponds normal life as well.

 

[auntiehill]

I gave it a "Good." I liked the idea of the little cubes everywhere, and really liked the look at their normal lives, with Brian included.

 

[Trubinator]

Wow, I think this may be one of my favorite DW episodes of all time! The pacing was great, the jokes were funny and all the character beats were absolutely lovely. It was awesome to see a plot examine The Doctor's real effect on the Ponds and how much they mean to each other. A+

 

[Trubinator]

Just had a thought regarding the ten years. Which time periods are counted here for Amy`s doctor live?

Starting with the Eleventh Hour.

Surely not the "5 minutes" time he got a bot wrong.

Does the Atraxi/Prisoner Zero adventure already count?

Cause the Doctor went off to fly in the ne TARDIS and missed 2 years of her live again.

So only 8 years would remain.

Then they are on continously until A Good Man Goes to War when River drops them home. Let's say this was more or less real time, so 2 years.Do we know how long the Doctor was away?

Next big break is after Wedding of River Song until the end of Widow, Wardrobe... which covers another 2 years?

Pond Life is what 5 months?

That leaves 3.5 years, one of which is covered by the latest episodes...

Did I get that about right?

The chronology of the series is a bit murky. I think they've botched it a few times, but ultimately The Doctor has known Amy since she was about 7 years old, and she appears to be in her mid-to-late-twenties. It wouldn't be far off base to say 10+ years but is likely more.

I'll try to do a full accounting of the time that has passed since The Eleventh Hour once the angels episode has aired.

 

[Starkers]

So looks they swapped the running order of the last two episodes around, as we see Rory losing his phone charger in Henry VIII's bedroom this week after it being referred to it last week. (It also explains why there was no "Picking up the Ponds" scene in that episode.)

There's also the theory floating out there that "A Town Called Mercy" happens during the wedding anniversary party in this episode.

I like this theory even more and it probably fits better, too.

And don't forget kids, when Moffat does move on Chibnall's almost certainly going to get his job...

You don't know that, in fact not so long ago you were saying Whithouse was a shoe-in to get the job. He's written eps in every Moffat series after all? Chibnell hasn't.

I'm not sure I want either of them, but frankly Chibnell has written two enjoyable episodes this year, so if he did get the job I'd at least give him a chance.

I'm not sure I want either of them, but oddly enough, if I had to choose one, it would be Chibnall. I know I sound like a broken record about this (and who thought I would be such a Chibnall defender?), but he has written great stuff for Life on Mars, Law & Order: UK and even Torchwood. I think he's well-rounded enough to take over Doctor Who if he's offered the part.

That being said, I think I would much rather have someone from outside the house of production to take over from Moffat. Just to change things up a bit.

Well I’ve never watched Being Human so my appreciation of Whithouse as a writer is based solely on his Who episodes, which, on the whole, have been very good/Excellent (School Reunion, The God Complex) good (Vampires of Venice) and average (A Town called Mercy)…actually I didn’t realise he wrote a Torchwood s1 episode, and not a great one (titillation aside).

Chibnall obviously bears a lot of responsibility for the crime that is Torchwood series 1, and a fair few of his episodes were shite (Though in fairness I’ve only ever seen them once) in particular Cyberwoman…that said I actually liked Countyricide (or at least admired it for being a little different) and the s2 episode with the people lost in the rift was really moving, a highpoint of the series pre-Children of Earth. Plus S1 of torchwood was patently not worked on enough/needed polish. Obviously he wrote a couple of episodes of Life on Mars, and as far as I recall they were good. His Who output has been variable. 42 was dull, as was the Siluruian 2 parter, but I’ve liked both his episodes this year. I’ve never seen Law and Order London or Camelot.

If it was a toss-up I’m really not sure. I think Chibnall obviously has more experience production wise, but I have a sneaking suspicion Whithouse has more vision, which I think the showrunner needs. Whatever you think of Moffat and/or RTD, they had a clear idea what their version of the show should look/feel like. Chibnall I have a feeling would be a very workmanlike show runner (and I have nothing to base that on aside from the episodes I seen them both right).

Of course it could be someone else entirely. Could be Gatiss for all we know or could be a complete outsider (which may/may not be a good thing) and I guess whoever it is, if they surround themselves with good people it might not actually matter that much.

Hell for all we know the BBC might decide to rest the show for a while after Moffat!

Aren't they being a bit too complicated about why the Doctor feels so attached to Amy because she was the first one he saw after regenerating? Never mind the Doctor has never been too attached to people just because they were the first he met as a particular incarnation, would the far simpler explanation that he's her son-in-law wor much better?

But he was attached to her before he even know who she was. I think the other thing to remember about Amy is that he first met her when she was a child, that’s (as far as we know) a bit of a first, and is probably a better explanation for why he’s so fond of her.

And of course Rose may/may not be the first person the ninth Doctor met. We don’t know.

Also on the music front, I noticed in the scenes set in December there was a Christmas song playing that was also heard in The Runaway Bride and Turn Left. Is this an actual song, or just something recorded for specifically for the

I'm astonished at how many posters in this thread don't know the song. Must be getting old.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xg9bx3_slade-merry-christmas-everybody_music?search_algo=2

I’d accept Americans not knowing this, but anyone in the UK, Ireland and maybe a few other places who claim never to have heard this song are patently alien infiltrators and should be arrested immediately…

 

[ATimson]

And the Doctor can never see again. Between her and Rose I get the feeling that RTD doesn't like people playing with his toys.

From reading The Writer's Tale, I suspect that had RTD known Catherine would be willing to return in the future her fate would've been different - that it was a way to explain why she wasn't returning in future return-of-all-the-Companion episodes, rather than breaking his toys on the way out.

 

[StCoop]

From reading The Writer's Tale, I suspect that had RTD known Catherine would be willing to return in the future her fate would've been different - that it was a way to explain why she wasn't returning in future return-of-all-the-Companion episodes, rather than breaking his toys on the way out.

You know what I'd really love them to do next year. A "missing episode" from Series 4 as part of the Anniversary celebrations. Tennant and Tate love working together and the US Office will be done shooting (for ever) next March or April.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

And the Doctor can never see again. Between her and Rose I get the feeling that RTD doesn't like people playing with his toys.

From reading The Writer's Tale, I suspect that had RTD known Catherine would be willing to return in the future her fate would've been different - that it was a way to explain why she wasn't returning in future return-of-all-the-Companion episodes, rather than breaking his toys on the way out.

If true that seems both short-sighted and somewhat misguided (rigid adherence to logic seems not to be a top priority in Who). Even so, a noble(ahem) sacrifice would've been more worthy of the character progression and growth than to have all her fabulous experience stripped.

 

[Mitty]

Loved this ep, loved the Doctors conversation with Brian and Brian's question about all his companions. Cant wait for next week.

 

[Brent]

I loved this episode! BTW, was this the first mention of "Artron" energy in nuWho? I like it if it was, find it interesting UNIT can scan for it though. I don't think people watching nuWho who haven't seen the classic series will know how important this energy is to the TARDIS.

This was a nice episode, I didn't mind the "quick fix" to the problem by waving his magic wand this time because the episode wasn't really about that, it was about the interaction of Rory and Amy with the Doctor and them deciding which life they want to live, with the Doctor or their real life. Them realizing they are getting older and aging faster than everyone around them in their "real life" is what is bothering them.

I find it fascinating that this aspect of companions traveling with the Doctor is being explored in nuWho, it was never talked about or discussed in the classic Doctor Who, but it is a big issue that surrounds the companions of The Doctor. I'm glad to see it explored.

I'm also glad to see that it is recognized that a lot of time can pass with the companions and the Doctor outside of their real life. I.e. the weeks that Amy and Rory were gone with the Doctor during that party at their house. In the span of a few minutes they lived several weeks, it's fascinating to explore that aspect. THIS is what the episode was about. It wasn't really about the invasion at all, that was secondary to the whole thing.

 

[Brent]

So, from Amy's perspective it's been ten years since she first started travelling with the Doctor. Meaning she's now 31 and the year is 2020. No, I'm not trying to make a point, just making the observation.

No, because she ages while with the Doctor, and it's been shown they can be 'away from Earth' for months at a time. So she's aging during all that time. The Doctor though always brings her back to the same time period she left from, but now she is aged older. Therefore, she can be 31, but yet in 2012 or 2013 or whatever, because she was dropped off only minutes after her leaving

I think that is the big issue with her and Rory, the fact that they keep aging while away, then they come back, and they are older, but their friends aren't.

 

[The Wormhole]

Therefore, she can be 31, but yet in 2012 or 2013 or whatever, because she was dropped off only minutes after her leaving

Well okay, but the year is likely 2016 by now. After all, S6 was set in 2011. The Ponds' cameo in the Christmas special was "two years later" making it 2013. There was no indication when Asylum of the Daleks place, though logic suggest it has to be sometime within 2014. Since Pond Life part 5 is in August, Asylum could be as well, or perhaps September since that's the month when it aired. Dinosaurs on a Spaceship is ten months after Asylum, making it June or July 2015. Since The Power of Three goes from July of one year to July of the next, we can assume it's July 2015 to July 2016. So, Amy is 31 four years before she should be.

 

[Sindatur]

Finally got to sit and watch the entire episode (3rd attempt, and said to hell with the phone ringing and the door being on)

Is it wrong, that the first thought that occurred to me when Kate she said was Science running UNIT, that it could've been Liz Shaw? I really liked the Brig's daughter, and thought that was a great addition to the Episode.

Very well put Brent, it definitely is a NuWho thing the Doctor gives much thought to not wanting to lose Companions, or it mattering to the Companions when they part (Sarah Jane and Jo Grant-Jones didn't get to voice their disappointment with being completely dumped for so many years until NuWho and SJA) and it's definitely good for Drama and closure.

 

[The Wormhole]

Sarah Jane and Jo Grant-Jones didn't get to voice their disappointment with being completely dumped for so many years until NuWho and SJA.

It's a bit inaccurate to say Jo was "dumped" since she chose to stop travelling with the Doctor. I think her main issue was that the Doctor never checked in on her in all the years since.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Ten years seems like a really long time to be travelling.