I'm happy with the 'everthing AND the kitchen sink' approach. It all feels very RTD, which has grown old enough that I'm starting to feel nostalgic for it.
Spoilers Fugitive of the Judoon grade and discussion thread
- Thread starter The Nth Doctor
- Start date
Hot damn! Now this was an episode! I love the Judoon to begin with, so knowing they were in this episode already had me pumped beyond measure, and certainly the opening of the episode did not disappoint. But then shit really gets cooking when Captain Jack shows up, Ruth turns out to be a mysterious hidden Doctor, and we get things laid down for the rest of the season's arc, with mention of a mysterious and enigmatic Lone Cyberman who is apparently last of the Cybermen or something. Granted, upon reflection the episode is mostly set-up, but damn, set-up is rarely delivered in such an entertaining manner.
This revelation of Ruth being an apparently forgotten past Doctor does bring to mind rumours circulating before the season
If they are indeed going in that direction, I'm surprised they didn't reveal Gat to be a former Master. I wonder it that may still be a possibility? I mean sure, we saw her vaporized, but if she is indeed the Master, she should be able to shrug that off easily enough without even needing to regenerate.
Nitpick: After seeing the Doctor mind meld with Gat mostly to convey the destruction of Gallifrey, this raises the question, why didn't she mind meld with Ruth Doctor in order to seek some much needed answers regarding what the deal with Ruth is?
Criticism: While Jack is as fun as ever, kind of disappointing we didn't see him flirting with the TARDIS Team more. Sure, there was plenty of flirting (and even a kiss) with Graham, and a few "looking nice" and double entendres directed at Ryan and Yaz, but there could have been more. Granted, there was a space battle going on that demanded Jack's attention, and he needed to convey plot points, but still.
This revelation of Ruth being an apparently forgotten past Doctor does bring to mind rumours circulating before the season
that they were going to reveal there was a cycle of thirteen female Doctors predating Hartnell.
Nitpick: After seeing the Doctor mind meld with Gat mostly to convey the destruction of Gallifrey, this raises the question, why didn't she mind meld with Ruth Doctor in order to seek some much needed answers regarding what the deal with Ruth is?
Criticism: While Jack is as fun as ever, kind of disappointing we didn't see him flirting with the TARDIS Team more. Sure, there was plenty of flirting (and even a kiss) with Graham, and a few "looking nice" and double entendres directed at Ryan and Yaz, but there could have been more. Granted, there was a space battle going on that demanded Jack's attention, and he needed to convey plot points, but still.
Which is only exactly what Moffat did, of course. He deliberately modelled season 5 after RTD's style so that the punters wouldn't be too confused, and then once we were mollified, he went batshit crazy with season 6.
Every new showrunner has a hell of a line to walk – they have to honour an increasingly weighty history of the show or else people will scream it's not Doctor Who, while also bringing something new to the table or else people will scream it's just more of the same. I don't envy any of them the task frankly.
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This is very true. I love the quotes from both RTD and Moffat from years ago where they both feel sorry for whoever brings Who back
Are we all forgetting "The Timeless Child"? That has to have something to do with DoctorRuth
I've been very down on this season so far, so I'm going to be very fair and say that I enjoyed this week. It felt a lot more like Doctor Who, and the whole setup with Jack and the RuthDoctor and so on felt like a classic RTD era timey-wimey plot kicking into motion. They are still struggling to get the emotional weight out of the scripts, but this was a big improvement on the season to date. I'm actually interested in what happens next. I'd guessed as soon as they found the little box that it was a Time Lord chameleon affair, but that it was the Doctor herself - good twist. The Judoon remain excellent bad guys, one of the classic races of nuWho, and they were used to good effect here.
On the more negative side, the companions feel more and more superfluous with each passing week, I think it is time to cut down to one (Yaz) and stop trying to shoehorn in three when there's barely enough for one to do.
On the more negative side, the companions feel more and more superfluous with each passing week, I think it is time to cut down to one (Yaz) and stop trying to shoehorn in three when there's barely enough for one to do.
More? That was essentially his whole part in the episode. I was desperate for him to mean something to the plot other than flirting, but it seems he is this years 'Rose on the monitor'. I'll say this for Barrowman though - he looks good. I know they cleverly established that Jack still ages (looking at you, David Boreanaz) despite his immortality, but it seems that maybe they didn't need to because apparently, Barrowman doesn't.
Pretty sure he's had work done.
Agree on the companions, as I said I like Jodie, I like the companions, but both seem to thrive when separated from the other which isn't how it should be. I'd lose Graham and Ryan and let the Doctor travel with Yaz for a while.
Yeah, that was the single thing I didn't like about the episode. It seemed like an obvious moment where they could compare notes quickly. Clearly, it didn't happen in the real world in order to preserve the mystery but I wish there had been some explanation why they don't do that.
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I was just wondering how many tins of boot polish it took to get his hair like that, since he finally let himself go grey.
Jack's thousands of years old at this point
Clothes, makeup and hair dye make a massive difference
I'm actually a little disappointed he didn't (or wasn't allowed to) go with that look because I think he looks amazing grey. It would've been a great look for Jack, too.I was just wondering how many tins of boot polish it took to get his hair like that, since he finally let himself go grey.
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Dhawan's Master remembered killing the 4th Doctor at Jodrell Bank, so unless they're intending to say there was another "fought the Master, fell off Jodrell Bank" adventure in Ruth!Doc's background, I think we can safely say he's still a direct progression from Ainley.
That's a good point. Which is why I was questioning why it was used so much earlier in the season when I don't remember it being used all that much before. I think the 'mystery' is pretty obvious now. The current Doctor is the one that destroyed Gallifrey and wiped her own memory of it. Just the 'why' remains. maybe whatever Jack warned us about controls the Doctor at some point.
And whenever I read comments on line like the show needs to be more 'RTD-like', I laugh and laugh. It needs to be poorly written with plots that make less and less sense?
He wasn't even allowed to change his clothes
Well, that's more forgivable. Who is Captain Jack Harkness without his signature coat?!He wasn't even allowed to change his clothes
Saw something on reddit that seems interesting: the 1996 TV movie was set in December 1999 and Jo moved to Gloucester in ... Dec 1999.
Co-incidence? Or is there some timey-wimey nonsense happening here where time branched out between 8 and War-Doc?
Co-incidence? Or is there some timey-wimey nonsense happening here where time branched out between 8 and War-Doc?
Where does he keep getting them? It's like Voyager and the shuttles by this point.
Did Ianto line up a factory's worth for him before the alien virus took him?
I think he'll have that look when ne returns, they could use that to hint at a huge passage of time between this appearance and the next from Jack's perspective.
I will admit I cocked an eyebrow Spock fashion when Ruth mentioned that month and year, recalling the time period of the McGann movie.
Nice catch. I completely missed that date being mentioned.
As for any significance, who knows? That said, it's nice that there are so many different possible theories to work through. Of course, we went through the same thing with John Hurt before we finally learned who he was...and it was the simplest explanation.
Obviously it's regenerated every time he dies.Where does he keep getting them? It's like Voyager and the shuttles by this point.
Did Ianto line up a factory's worth for him before the alien virus took him?
Oh, that would be a neat trick. I doubt that'll happen but it would be cool if it did.