Getting back to watching Dr. Who

[kirk55555]

Today, I finished watching all of the Ninth Doctor's episodes, which makes it my first complete Dr. Who series (its only 13 episodes, but its still important to me). My Doctor Who watching lapsed for awhile, not for lack of interest but just because of a lot of little things, like other stuff taking priority. I watched the ninth doctor up until episode 5, took a break, watched some of the fourth doctor up to Genesis of the Daleks, then took another break. I recently decided that, since I enjoyed what I have seen so much, I should get back to it, so I've watched all of the Ninth Doctor episodes now, and wanted to post about it. Since there is no specific topic about watching modern Who episodes, or about Series 1, I figured I'd make a topic.

So, overall, I really enjoyed it. The ninth doctor seems to get some mixed feelings, but I really like him. Maybe him being the first doctor I saw is part of it, but I thought he was great. I thought Rose was also a good character. She was interesting, and while she made some stupid decisions I never found her annoying. Mikey on the other hand was pretty annoying in the episodes he was in, but not enough to screw up the episodes.

I wouldn't say this season had an outright bad episode, although The Long Game would probably be my least favorite. My favorite is hard to choose. The two part The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances story was great, but I think I have to give Dalek my choice for best episode. Even though I had only seen them before in Genesis of the Daleks, that whole episode was great. The scene where the Doctor goes into the dark room trying to help what he he just thinks is an alien, then having the Dalek respond to him and utter its "Exterminate! Exterminate!" line sent chills up my spine it was so awesome. I also liked how parts of the episode seemed to be made to stop any argument about the daleks being goofy nowadays. It seemed to fix every "problem" they had. Slow to turn around? Well, now its torso swivels. Can't handle stairs? Well it can now with its hover ability. I don't know if some of this was shown in the old series sometime after what I saw, but from the bit I've seen of the old Daleks they definitely had their limitations, although I still found them cool. This episode showed that they were definitely still a threat. I liked how it also showed an unusual side of the Daleks with this mutating one.

The two part The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances was also really good. The spreading disease zombies were spooky and cool. The charaters in the story were interesting, and we actually got a nice happy ending. Captain Jack was pretty interesting, I'm glad he stuck around after that episode. He's a character type that can easily be annoying (the cocky ladies man) but he didn't go into annoying territory to me, he was interesting and entertaining. I also liked the reveal about the girl and her "brother", I didn't call that at all.

The weirdest episode was Bad Wolf. Seeing The Doctor in a future version of Big Brother was bizarre. That said, future Weakest Link and Big Brother was definitely something I didn't expect. The Parting of the Ways was a pretty good ending. I mean, the Doctor's regeneration could have been a bit more dramatic I guess, but I still liked it, and seeing all of those Daleks as they invaded was awesome.

So, now its on to season 2 with the 10th Doctor. I'm sure I'll like him, although I don't think he'll replace the 9th Doctor as my favorite Doctor. Well, technically the 4th and 9th (the only ones I've seen) are probably tied, but for modern Doctor's I think the 9th will stay my favorite. Still, the 10th Doctor will probably be great, and I'm excited to keep going. I don't know if my Dr. Who watching will be interrupted again, but I'll probably post more here as I go through Series 2 and beyond.

 

[Sindatur]

Eccelston carried a lot of guilt and angst that Rose helped him heal from, so 10(nant) is a little lighter and carefree early on. Many NuWho fans didn't take to Tennant in his first Series, though, obviously most came around, because he became the most popular, alongside Four (The hesitancy to accept the New Doctor is a regular occurence).

As to Eccelston going out so subtly, Tennant's departure won't be quite so low on that level, since it is the departure of the initial Producer as well, along with The actor playing the Doctor.

You'll come to find out Jack is more than just a Ladies Man

Tennant's reign lasting from Christmas Special to Christmas/New Year's Special is also kinda neat.

And then of course, when Tennant leaves and Smith takes his place, you have the same loyalties challenged and Fans having a hard time accepting the new guy (As it's been all through all 11 (so far) incarnations), and Tennant's replacement had a rough time getting accepted by some, but, most came around.

 

[Timewalker]

As I recall, the Daleks' ability to hover and float along in the air was introduced in one of the Seventh Doctor stories (Sylvester McCoy era).

 

[Sindatur]

As I recall, the Daleks' ability to hover and float along in the air was introduced in one of the Seventh Doctor stories (Sylvester McCoy era).

Yea, The Daleks pretty much evolved with most of their appearances over the last time they appeared

Even in Hartnell Serials, The First Serial they were less advanced than in the second Serial

 

[kirk55555]

Ok, I've finished the first few episodes of the 10th Doctor (just watched Tooth and Claw, School Reunion is next). I'm definitely liking the 10th Doctor so far. The Christmas Invasion, the first full episode with him, was great. There were a lot of really good/funny moments. It was interesting to hear the Doctor talk about how he didn't know who he was while walking about the alien ship. My favorite line was probably after he regrew his hand.

Doctor: Do you want to know something about this hand? Its a fighting hand.

New Earth was an interesting episode, featuring the return of the creepy skin woman from early series 1. I like how the episode after it, Tooth and Claw, was a completely different setting. Variety seems to be something Doctor Who does well. There have been a lot of references to Torchwood so far this series. I know its a Doctor Who spinoff. Is it any good? I've heard mixed things about it.

The next episode of series 2, School Reunion, has me really excited. Not only does one of my favorite actors from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Anthony Head) make an appearance, but a character connected to the only classic Doctor I've watched also appears (Sarah Jane, companion to the 4th Doctor). I need to get back to the 4th Doctor, too, but there is only so much time to watch Doctor Who in the day.

 

[Sindatur]

Torchwood, S1 ans S2, tried too hard to be adult (Actually, more like a 12 year old's vision of what "adult" is), and was pretty heavy with gratuitous titillation. A few pretty good episodes here and there, but, also, quite a few that aren't so good. S3, is some of the best SciFi ever, though, for some it's too emotionally draining (you can't really properly appreciate it without having seen S1 and S2). S4 was stretched out too far, and the sum is less than it's parts. With so much Doctor Who proper in front of you, I'd stick to it, and watch Torchwood later, after you've consumed all of Doctor Who and want more Doctor Whoniverse.

SarahJane Adventures, is much more consistently good, though S1 is a bit on the Juvenile side, and of course, it stars SarahJane. Tennant Guests stars as The Doctor in one story (they're all 2x 25min episodes) and Matt Smith does as well after he becomes The Doctor

 

[kirk55555]

Yeah, that sounds like a good plan. Go through modern Doctor Who, then eventually get to Torchwood. I probably will get to it eventually, but there is still over 6 and a half series of modern Who to watch and a lot of classic Who that I'm interested in. I'll probably get to Torchwood sometime around 2030

 

[Count Zero]

All of Torchwood nelongs in the era of the Tenth Doctor, though. It's best to watch it after the third or fourth series. I only watched the third and fourth season of it, too, and had no trouble getting into it. The third season is very intense but brilliant.

 

[Timewalker]

The next episode of series 2, School Reunion, has me really excited. Not only does one of my favorite actors from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Anthony Head) make an appearance, but a character connected to the only classic Doctor I've watched also appears (Sarah Jane, companion to the 4th Doctor). I need to get back to the 4th Doctor, too, but there is only so much time to watch Doctor Who in the day.

I saw that one a few days ago, for the first time, and it was wonderful to see the reunion between the Doctor and Sarah Jane. The last time they interacted in a proper Doctor Who story was in The Five Doctors in 1983 (Peter Davison-era 20th Anniversary story).

I'm happy to find another Tom Baker fan; he's "my" Doctor (the first one I watched, and my favorite). I recommend watching The Key To Time sequence. It's a story arc that took up a whole season of six stories in which the Doctor and Romana I are on a mission to find the 6 segments of the Key to Time. These stories are:

The Ribos Operation
The Pirate Planet
The Stones of Blood
The Androids of Tara
The Power of Kroll
The Armageddon Factor

 

[Count Zero]

I prefer the earlier seasons with Tom Baker when he's still accompanied by Sarah Jane Smith. I have yet to see some of Tom Baker's run. I'm watching my way through the old show in airing order and will start season 17 some time soon.

As for the new show, funnily enough, I've also been watching the second series the last two days. I'm already up to episode 5, though. I'm glad I did because I had kind of forgotten how much fun the show used to be and why I fell in love with it in the first place. I've never really warmed to the Moffat era (even though I liked his episodes from the RTD era) and doubt I ever will.

 

[kirk55555]

I've enjoyed what I've seen of the 4th Doctor. So far, I've seen the first four serials (Robot, The Arc in Space, The Sontaran Experiment and Genesis of the Daleks). I enjoyed all of them. I'm planning on focusing on the modern Doctor who right now, but I intend to get back to the 4th Doctor, who I did really like.

 

[Sindatur]

I've enjoyed what I've seen of the 4th Doctor. So far, I've seen the first four serials (Robot, The Arc in Space, The Sontaran Experiment and Genesis of the Daleks). I enjoyed all of them. I'm planning on focusing on the modern Doctor who right now, but I intend to get back to the 4th Doctor, who I did really like.

I like Tom Baker quite a bit myself (he was my first on PBS back in 1979/1980). There's one Serial in his 5th year (Series 16) that, I think kinda failed, and One Serial in his 6th year (Series 17) that has taken a bit of an acquired taste for, after several rewatchings (Also 2 Serials in his 7th and Final Series that are an acquired taste, IMHO), but, other than that, I enjoy all of them (Many of them, I think are truly excellent), and always have. I enjoyed all his companions even "The Annoying Brat", had good chemistry with T. Baker and wasn't as annoying as he was in Davison's era.

 

[kirk55555]

I've gone farther into Series 2. I definitely like the Tenth Doctor, and the episodes have been generally good.

School Reunion was very entertaining, like I thought it would be. Anthony Head played a good villain, and seeing the Doctor's old companion was cool. The story was interesting, and the ending was pretty good. I haven't gotten to the part of the 4th Doctor's run that introduced K-9, but he was pretty cool, too. Overall, this was a very enjoyable episode.

The Girl in the Fireplace was an interesting episode. An alien ship with robots obsessed with getting the brain of an old French woman wasn't what I was expecting, but it was a good episode. The clockwork robots were cool, and the woman was interesting. The very end was done well, and pretty sad.

The Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel two parter was another good story. The parallel Earth thing was different, and I liked the Cybermen, although Rose acted exactly like I thought she would when it came to the other versions of her parents, which was a little bit annoying. I'm glad Mickey is staying there, I don't hate him be he tends to be somewhat useless except with tech stuff he does when the Doctor is too busy. This episode makes me wonder if we'll see the normal universe versions of the Cybermen pop up eventually.

The Idiot's Lantern, which is the latest episode I've seen so far, is the first stinker of Series 2. Its not outright bad, but it was average at best. It had a few good moments, but the villain felt kind of generic and the threat was just a little interesting. This will probably end up being my least favorite episode of this series.

With the characters, the Doctor has had some great moments, especially with Sarah Jane/K-9 and the French woman. I still like Rose, although I'd kind of like to go without another version of her father popping up for awhile. Next up is apparently another two parter (The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit) and I'm sure it will be good.

 

[Thestral]

I think I'm in the minority, but the Satan Pit two-parter is my favorite story in Series 2 (which overall is a bit underrated by fans, IMO). Fantastic atmosphere, some great conversations between Ten and Rose, and the introduction of a popular recurring species.

 

[Count Zero]

You aren't as much in the minority as I am - I'm counting "Love and Monsters" as one of my favourites.

I love "School Reunion" and appreciated it even more after rewatching it recently now that I've become much more familiar with the old show and Sarah Jane than I was back when I first saw it. The thoughtfulness regarding the relationship between the Doctor and his companions has great appeal, too.

The thing that struck me as different about Doctor Who from almost anything else I had seen was its weirdness. Often, the stories are like weird dreams you might have. "The Girl in the Fireplace" is a prime example of that. Upon rewatching I also thought it was interesting how all of the themes Moffat later explored as a showrunner were already present here.

 

[kirk55555]

I've watched some more episodes. The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit was a decent two parter. The villain was interesting, and the sets were also very good and convincing space station sets.

Next, Love & Monsters. I thought that The Idiot's Lantern would be my least favorite episode this series because of how average it is, but little did I know that an outright horrible episode existed in Series 2. This episode was painful basically from start to finish. The main guy was annoying, and I honestly didn't care too much about his friends getting absorbed, or the "emotional" moment at the end that just sucked. Its weird to think that the same show that has pulled off some great emotional moments (like the end of The Girl in the Fireplace, just to name one) could also do this junk. The only enjoyment I got out of this episode was the brief scooby Doo moment at the very beginning with The Doctor, rose and an alien running through doors. Besides that, this was easily the worst Doctor Who episode I've seen, and I doubt anything can dethrone it for that title (at least I hope nothing can ).

Fear her was a pretty good episode. The girl's mother was a bit annoying, and honestly I think the alien was given a bit too much of a pass by the doctor, but overall it was entertaining. Now, its on to the last two episodes of Series 2, and beyond.

 

[Starkers]

^Thats odd, because Fear Her usually ranks high in people's worst episode lists!

 

[Sindatur]

^Thats odd, because Fear Her usually ranks high in people's worst episode lists!

Yea, Love and Monsters, Idiot's Lantern, and Fear Her are about the lowest point in NuWho. IMHO, it never dips back down that low again, though there are a few episodes here and there that aren't so great, just not a string of them, and probably not even 3 per Series.

LOL, Kirk55555 said the emotional moment at the end of Love and Monsters sucked

 

[kirk55555]

I wouldn't call Fear Her a classic, but coming after Love & Monsters my judgement of quality may have been a bit suspect, since just about anything would have been an improvement I didn't think much of Fear Her honestly, but I didn't think it was bad. I'd probably say it was a bit less annoying than The Idiot's Lantern, but in the same category of being more generic/slightly annoying than outright bad. I doubt I'd ever watch it (or Idiot's Lantern or Love & Monsters) if I ever decided to rewatch the 10th doctor's stuff in the future.

As for the emotional stuff, I just thought that the whole "guy talking to his girlfriend's face in the monster" was goofy and stupid. It seemed near the end that they were trying to make you feel sad for him/the absorbed people, but at that point I just didn't care. Compared to The Girl in the Fireplace, which I felt had a legitimately well done sad ending, Love & Monsters ending just felt like they wrote it expecting you to still care and be sad for these people, but I just wanted them to go away.

 

[Sindatur]

I wouldn't call Fear Her a classic, but coming after Love & Monsters my judgement of quality may have been a bit suspect, since just about anything would have been an improvement I didn't think much of Fear Her honestly, but I didn't think it was bad. I'd probably say it was a bit less annoying than The Idiot's Lantern, but in the same category of being more generic/slightly annoying than outright bad. I doubt I'd ever watch it (or Idiot's Lantern or Love & Monsters) if I ever decided to rewatch the 10th doctor's stuff in the future.

As for the emotional stuff, I just thought that the whole "guy talking to his girlfriend's face in the monster" was goofy and stupid. It seemed near the end that they were trying to make you feel sad for him/the absorbed people, but at that point I just didn't care. Compared to The Girl in the Fireplace, which I felt had a legitimately well done sad ending, Love & Monsters ending just felt like they wrote it expecting you to still care and be sad for these people, but I just wanted them to go away.

Oh, that emotional part. I thought you meant The Paving Stone and him saying they still have a bit of a sex life