What's this, what's this!, this is a local meh episode, for local board Who fans, we'll have no enjoyment here. 
"Sleep No More" Grade and Discussion Thread
- Thread starter The Nth Doctor
- Start date
When I saw the trailer for this episode, I immediately figured it would be boring (oh look, random people running around a random space station trying to escape random monsters!). I won't get to see the actual episode for a couple days, but at least reading these comments won't have me expecting much.
This whole season is proving to be a huge disappointment.
This whole season is proving to be a huge disappointment.
well, if Soft Cell and Britney Spears can survive till the year 5,000,000,000 Mr Sandman can survive till the 38th century.
"Face the Raven" tv trailer
[YT]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W4ePv6HBdk[/YT]
[YT]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W4ePv6HBdk[/YT]
It was okay, it just sort of stops though.
Amazingly they seem to have assumed that people would love it so much that we'd wait for them to finish it off with another episode in 16 months or so.
I'm already choking up. When she reached out to his face, my eyes got watery. I'm going to be a mess next week. An absolute mess.
I don't want her to go.
Not bad. Although I'm not typically a fan of found footage stories, this did at least give a unique spin to what would otherwise have been a very generic Doctor Who story. Although the constant shifting from perspectives and the static got very annoying very quickly.
Although, this does summarize what is going wrong with Doctor Who nowadays, there seems to be some sort belief that there always has to be a monster and so we always get one inserted, despite the fact the story could have been so much more interesting without one. It happened earlier this season with The Woman Who Lived which could have been better served had it just been a character drama between the Doctor and Ashildr without the pointless lion man inserted into it. And this episode could have easily left out the sleep-crust monsters and focused on the mad scientist having an evil agenda and had to be stopped.
And really, blind monsters that track by hearing, therefore making the solution to "don't make a sound. Don't even make a sound." We've already had too many Blink copycats already.
The news of a sequel doesn't necessarily concern me. While the episode and story are shockingly generic, the world they created of 38th century Sol system is interesting enough that it's worth revisiting and developing. Hopefully next time as a proper story.
I found Clara's negative reaction to the Grunt being a grown soldier very strange. This is basically the same thing the Sontarans do, yet Clara has never reacted this way around Strax. Okay, so her anger seemed more directed at humans for basically creating a race of cannon fodder, but why is she getting pissed off at these people? They aren't the ones who made the decision to do this, and the Grunt seems to be a valued team member. Well, at least Commander Nagata wasn't willing to risk the Grunt just to save everyone else.
Loved the in-joke about the name of the Silurians. Especially since it was subtle compared to all the annoyingly obvious in-jokes we had based over our heads the past two weeks in the Zygon story.
Although, this does summarize what is going wrong with Doctor Who nowadays, there seems to be some sort belief that there always has to be a monster and so we always get one inserted, despite the fact the story could have been so much more interesting without one. It happened earlier this season with The Woman Who Lived which could have been better served had it just been a character drama between the Doctor and Ashildr without the pointless lion man inserted into it. And this episode could have easily left out the sleep-crust monsters and focused on the mad scientist having an evil agenda and had to be stopped.
And really, blind monsters that track by hearing, therefore making the solution to "don't make a sound. Don't even make a sound." We've already had too many Blink copycats already.
The news of a sequel doesn't necessarily concern me. While the episode and story are shockingly generic, the world they created of 38th century Sol system is interesting enough that it's worth revisiting and developing. Hopefully next time as a proper story.
I found Clara's negative reaction to the Grunt being a grown soldier very strange. This is basically the same thing the Sontarans do, yet Clara has never reacted this way around Strax. Okay, so her anger seemed more directed at humans for basically creating a race of cannon fodder, but why is she getting pissed off at these people? They aren't the ones who made the decision to do this, and the Grunt seems to be a valued team member. Well, at least Commander Nagata wasn't willing to risk the Grunt just to save everyone else.
Loved the in-joke about the name of the Silurians. Especially since it was subtle compared to all the annoyingly obvious in-jokes we had based over our heads the past two weeks in the Zygon story.
Was anyone else thinking about the Justice Dept. sleep machines from Mega City One?
I'm still not sure what happened. The scientist was already dead before they got there? And they were just using the footage to get their signal out? But how does a monster survive as a signal?
I'm still not sure what happened. The scientist was already dead before they got there? And they were just using the footage to get their signal out? But how does a monster survive as a signal?
Perhaps the one time in a very short list that the Doctor lost..
They basically all ran off in the TARDIS..
BTW they didn't have opening titles but they did do this. Did you catch this bit?
All the character names are in that block of text, as well as the name of the base, if you look.
I'm still not entirely sure what went on in that episode. Very strange. I thought it was going to be another two-parter, but then it just...stopped.
It wasn't bad but it wasn't that good, either. It certainly held my attention, right up until the end, where it turned into The Ring. WTF?
I was very happy to see Reece Shearsmith, as I just finished The Widower fairly recently. The man is a master of "creepy," but I think he was a bit wasted here.
It wasn't bad but it wasn't that good, either. It certainly held my attention, right up until the end, where it turned into The Ring. WTF?
I was very happy to see Reece Shearsmith, as I just finished The Widower fairly recently. The man is a master of "creepy," but I think he was a bit wasted here.
I think the found footage gimmick took me out of what was going to be an interesting story. I actually got excited that we are going deep into the future and there was a part of me that was reminded of those episodes like "End of the World" and "Long Game" from season 1 because of that monster eerie feeling. Unfortunately it was all the scrambling that was done and when the Doctor said at the end "None of this makes any sense", I was like "Yeah Doctor, I feel the exact same way".
Honestly, I'm ready for this season to be over. I'm probably in a minority, but I haven't enjoyed this show at all this year and we only have 3 (4 counting the Christmas special) left. I was bored during this episode and with three episodes to go into the season, is it really the fact that the only thing we have to look forward to is Clara dying? There's been no theme taking us to the finale this year like the Crack in the Wall or who was Clara the impossible girl or Bad Wolf. There's just been two parters, and then this episode which felt like it was just put in the season for shits and giggles. I should be getting excited for what is to come but I'm not, and that's been my issue all season long. I barely care anymore.
Honestly, I'm ready for this season to be over. I'm probably in a minority, but I haven't enjoyed this show at all this year and we only have 3 (4 counting the Christmas special) left. I was bored during this episode and with three episodes to go into the season, is it really the fact that the only thing we have to look forward to is Clara dying? There's been no theme taking us to the finale this year like the Crack in the Wall or who was Clara the impossible girl or Bad Wolf. There's just been two parters, and then this episode which felt like it was just put in the season for shits and giggles. I should be getting excited for what is to come but I'm not, and that's been my issue all season long. I barely care anymore.
The two-parter format has killed the season. I know Classic Who fans will disagree with me all day, but it sucks. It gives the impression of scattershot successes mixed in with complete duds. And when the duds are half the story, and you're still waiting for the payoff...
I dunno. If this was an experiment, it largely hasn't worked. It feels like the season has zoomed by and we haven't had much time to spend with the characters. Maybe the quality will be amped up in the next three episodes, but yeah...it feels like "Oh we're near the end already? Well we haven't been on many adventures so far."
I hope series 10 goes back to the conventional format. We wait a long time for this show to come around. I'd like 12 or 13 stories, not 6 or 7. Especially when a few are always write-offs or duds.
I dunno. If this was an experiment, it largely hasn't worked. It feels like the season has zoomed by and we haven't had much time to spend with the characters. Maybe the quality will be amped up in the next three episodes, but yeah...it feels like "Oh we're near the end already? Well we haven't been on many adventures so far."
I hope series 10 goes back to the conventional format. We wait a long time for this show to come around. I'd like 12 or 13 stories, not 6 or 7. Especially when a few are always write-offs or duds.
He didn't!
