The Pilot (Grade & Discussion Thread)

[Xerxes82]

Quite liked this. Not sure what I was expecting with Bill, but this was positive. I won't say I like her yet, but I like her interactions with the Doctor so far. Capaldi's Twelve has really softened since his debut. It was noticeable throughout last season as well, but the previous two X-mas specials and this really point it out.

The water creature was intriguing. I was glad it wasn't an invasion or anything though. And Heather was cute. Like really, really cute.

 

[Mr Awe]

I thought it was kind of meh. The story was mostly non-existent. Bill is OK. Didn't make much of an impression either good or bad. She was just kind of there. I thought the music was horrible. Distracting.

Here's hoping the season improves.

 

[The Wormhole]

This episode was really mediocre. Bill herself is an okay character, and she and the Doctor make a good team, as does Nardole. Unfortunately the plot of this episode just wasn't that great. So, the alien puddle just kept following Bill because it thought it was supposed to, and that's it. Throw in the Contractual Obligation of the Daleks, and that's more or less the episode. The episode is also very derivative of others gone by. The whole thing about the puddle latching onto Heather because of her desire to leave is basically the reason why the people in The Lodger were attacked, Puddle-Heather is reminiscent of the Flood-infected people from Waters of Mars. We had the whole repeating dialogue thing lifted straight out of Midnight. Probably some other things I'm forgetting at the moment.

While I am glad and thankful for the lack of monologues, I have to say, it still takes Moffat way too damn long to get to the point. It was very obvious to me right away the mystery of the puddle reflections is that they weren't mirror-reversed. But of course it was milked out with Heather pointing out the oddity, Bill missing it completely, eventually getting the Doctor involved who has to investigate things for a few minutes before finally providing a lengthy explanation. The Moff could use some work on subtlety too. Was it really necessary to constantly cut to the photos of River and Susan as often as they did?

So, I'm guessing that for this season anyway the university is going to be sort of the Doctor's base or home on Earth, kind of like UNIT HQ in the Pertwee era, only this time we also got the mysterious vault beneath the university which I'm guessing will eventually be an important plot point. Random observation, does the bolt falling off Nardole mean he's in a robotic body? I guess that makes as much sense as anything.

Not a bad episode, but there's quite a bit room for improvement.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I kept thinking of "Shada" and Professor Chronotis with the Doctor's retirement to a college.

It didn't occur to me that Moffat was borrowing from Lawrence Miles, too; Heather was essentially turned into Compassion (a human TARDIS hybrid).

 

[Guy Gardener]

Remember on the moon when he picked Martha who asked smart questions, who was standing next to someone else who was asking dumb questions who he did not pick...

Bill asked a lot of dumb question.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Shit, I unreservedly liked that. I liked Bill a lot here, immediately likable and I liked that the story ultimately resolved without violence. I thought the episode was shot well to boot, making it all come together nicely. The story was basic but it was nice to see Moffat do a solid episode that didn't sacrifice for the sake of being needlessly clever.

I wonder if the title isn't additionally alluding to being a new start i.e. a pilot episode.

Not a bad way to have the Daleks without having to do revolve an entire episode around them.

Intriguingly, there is a piece of the Mary Celeste down in the mysterious cellar.

 

[The Wormhole]

The Daleks being in the episode seemed odd and out of place, did BBC need to use them? I know in the past they had to show them at least once a season or something as part of the licensing deal from the estate that own the rights? if memory serves.

The Nation Estate story is said to be a myth, but it does more or less seems someone at BBC is insistent on having the Daleks show up every season, and Moffat usually tries to have them appear as early as possible so he can get the Dalek appearance done with and out of the way.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Movellans!!!!!!!!!

 

[The Nth Doctor]

The Moff could use some work on subtlety too. Was it really necessary to constantly cut to the photos of River and Susan as often as they did.

To be fair, that's not necessarily his fault, but rather the fault of the director, Lawrence Gough. It's possible Moffat asked him to highlight the frames in such a way, but it's not fair to immediately blame Moffat for that.

The Nation Estate story is said to be a myth, but it does more or less seems someone at BBC is insistent on having the Daleks show up every season, and Moffat usually tries to have them appear as early as possible so he can get the Dalek appearance done with and out of the way.

Indeed and it certainly felt forced in this episode, which was the only thing that really bugged me about the episode. Aside from using the Movellans as a throwaway.

 

[kirk55555]

I thought the Dalek scene worked fine. I like the Daleks, but if that's their only appearance this series I wouldn't mind.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Why'd they need a live Dalek?

Plenty of unattended gun sticks laying about throught history... Did the Emperor Dalek have a huge gunstick?

If anything, you'd think that 13 would throw random stuff between 10a and the Dalek that zapped him, just to make sure that he only half died like history said he did.

Platform One = Toss it onto the Exploding Earth.

 

[Lonemagpie]

I kept thinking of "Shada" and Professor Chronotis with the Doctor's retirement to a college.

It didn't occur to me that Moffat was borrowing from Lawrence Miles, too; Heather was essentially turned into Compassion (a human TARDIS hybrid).

Immediately thought Shada, and of course the human TARDIS thing got done on TV in The Doctor's Wife as well.

 

[Lonemagpie]

To be fair, that's not necessarily his fault, but rather the fault of the director, Lawrence Gough. It's possible Moffat asked him to highlight the frames in such a way, but it's not fair to immediately blame Moffat for that.


Indeed and it certainly felt forced in this episode, which was the only thing that really bugged me about the episode. Aside from using the Movellans as a throwaway.

TBH, I think they did the Dalek bit to fit in with the mini-scene from Bill's announcement - you could just about squeeze that scene in there. some of the dialogue was even the same.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Plenty of unattended gun sticks laying about throught history... Did the Emperor Dalek have a huge gunstick?

He doesn't get any complaints.

 

[auntiehill]

I enjoyed it; it was sweet, charming, fun and exciting. I loved the banter and I liked Bill--something I didn't expect. I'm looking forward to the rest of the season.

 

[Australis]

Probably because most of us talked about each of those in earlier threads in this forum.

Ah see, no ads and whatnot Down Under, so no see.

 

[Defcon]

I wonder if the title isn't additionally alluding to being a new start i.e. a pilot episode.

It is. Moffat mentions it somewhere in this interview:

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[tomalak301]

I wasn't sure if I was going to watch this season but I figured it's Capaldi's last year and I haven't seen an episode of Doctor Who in almost a year and a half. Might as well give this season a try.

I thought the first half hour was really really boring. Once they got into the TARDIS and was flying around the universe things began to pick up and I found myself really liking it. Not really warmed up to Bill yet but I'm willing to give it a couple more episodes.

I also saw Doctor Mysterio for the first time tonight and really liked that episode more than I thought I would. It had a lot of likeable characters and just a nice plot. Hopefully they continue with that this season.

 

[TommyR01D]

Well, it started badly, it tailed off a little in the middle and the less said about the end the better. But, apart from that, excellent!

1. This episode takes place at St Luke's University, Bristol. Was St Cedd's College, Cambridge not available (and does Bristol have two ex-polys now)?
2. The water creature resembled first Armus, then Odo, then the Gangers.
3. Some parts of this episode felt like a shoddy horror film (and the dramatic music over the run to the puddle could have been a Five Who Fans parody).
4. Heather terrorises a group of holidaymakers, turns into a Dalek, then takes the companion on a mind-meld acid trip with intent to kidnap. By my reckoning that's still no worse than Clara's relationships.
5. The Daleks could not have been more forced, the Movellans likewise. This is more of the writing-for-Tumblr issue.
6. Given we had the Movellans fighting the Daleks, it's a shame we didn't see their virus in operation (though the Heather-Dalek had a similar visual).
7. Malcolm Tucker's funny run carries through.
8. The Doctor's lectures give Sheldon Cooper a run for his money.

 

[KennyB]

OK---I will echo what many have said. I went in with low expectations. I did not really like Bill's vibe in any of the promos, but I warmed to the actress and character really quickly. While I couldn't call it an instant classic or vote it a 10 it WAS a very strong start to the season I think. I am now excited to see what they do from here.