Spoilers The Pyramid at the End of the World (Grade & Discussion Thread)

[CorporalCaptain]

Nuclear Catastrophe.

I wanted to delete the episode without finishing it when the scientist took off his protective suit in the lab.

Same, when, to a person, the three military leaders agreed to capitulate. They were nothing but useless.

Lots of other things, but why bother? Really a bummer.

 

[Starkers]

The line where the Doctor says he's not God but it's an easy mistake to make? That's how Moffat sees this character - have enough faith in the Doctor and you will be healed.

But isn't that exactly how RTD saw him? You could even argue that perception in the classic series, predominately with Seven but with others; Four's "I walk in eternity" line for example, or the original perception of the Timelords as seen in The War Games.

You could argue the Doctor is the God who chose to leave heaven, of course you could follow that train of thought and suddenly The Doctor, The Master, The Monk, The War Chief, and The Rani are potentially all fallen angels but let's not go down that road...

 

[The Wormhole]

This episode did nothing for me. Earlier (before seeing it) I commented the plot just seemed like someone saying "look at us we can watch the news" which I made in response to the plot centering around a location which is a hot spot with a heavy military presence from the Americans, Chinese, and Russians. I feared this was going to be another heavy-handed analysis of current events which oversimplified what are very complex issues, much like season 9's Islamophobia parable with the Zygons. Thankfully the political side was severely downplayed, unfortunately the episode just wasn't that good.

For the most part, the episode was just there, not really striking any strong reactions either way. If anything, it's the end that just irritates me so much. As far as I'm concerned, Bill's "consent" still originates from fear. And furthermore, it doesn't even follow what was previously established. The Monks said humanity would consent to being conquered to save itself. But by the time Bill consented, the crisis was averted. That is, the Doctor sealed off the lab and had set the timer on the incinerator which would destroy the virus. Bill consented humanity to be conquered to save the Doctor, not humanity.

I got to say, this story arc really is not living up to the hype, and that's taking into account the hype was mostly just Moffat hyperbole to begin with. Part 1 was just a simulation within an alien holodeck, Part 2 felt like filler, and Part 3 looks like it'll be a re-tread of Last of the Time Lords, and I'm pretty certain this is going to end with a reset button of some sort. Hell, with five characters in this episode killed permanently, that's awfully bloody for an episode written or even co-written by Moffat. That alone leads me to believe this will get negated when all is said and done.

 

[Pindar]

Can somebody explain the 'automatically venting into the atmosphere with no emergency shut-off' ridiculousness?

Yes, this was my main problem, why on earth would it vent to the outside in an emergency, and why didn't the door have a standard keypad instead of the weird bike lock spinners.

 

[StCoop]

The problem with this three-parter is that it actually started life as three seperate stories with three seperate villains until Moffat decided to put the Monks in all of them. So we get a first part that has no effect on the second and a second which now is 95% filler just to set-up the third.

 

[StCoop]

...and why didn't the door have a standard keypad instead of the weird bike lock spinners.

That was actually the only part of the Lab setup that made sense. If the power went down you'd want a mechanical lock rather than an electronic one. Pity it looked like it was made out of cardboad though...

 

[The Nth Doctor]

The problem with this three-parter is that it actually started life as three seperate stories with three seperate villains until Moffat decided to put the Monks in all of them. So we get a first part that has no effect on the second and a second which now is 95% filler just to set-up the third.

Where did you read that Moffat took three episodes and just added the Monks? First I've heard that.

That being said, good point about "Extremis" having no effect on this episode. The Doctor's foreknowledge about the Monks played no part in resolving the crisis.

 

[StCoop]

Where did you read that Moffat took three episodes and just added the Monks? First I've heard that.

It was in a pre-series interview with him in one of the recent issues of DWM. Obviously more changed than just the villains but you can see how with not too many changes both parts so far could have been wrapped up at the end of the story. And don't forget the Doctor wouldn't have been blind in them either, so that's another linking element that was added down the line.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Ah, thank you for the info. Not terribly surprising given the structure of the three episodes. The arc probably would've worked better if it had built from the ground up instead of forcibly linking three independent stories.

I wonder if this episode was originally just Harness before Moffat decided to make it middle episode of a trilogy.

 

[The Wormhole]

Another thing that's been bothering me, aren't the military officers too young for their positions? Well, the American you can get away with if he is indeed a Colonel despite clearly wearing General's insignia. Although, the problem with him being a Colonel is that this is something that should have a General in command, though not necessarily a four-star one. The Russian and Chinese officers, even if they are meant to be Colonels are definitely on the young side.

The problem with this three-parter is that it actually started life as three seperate stories with three seperate villains until Moffat decided to put the Monks in all of them.

On the one hand, a lot of the one-off villains we get are so lousy that it could help to establish something by having recurring villains, even if they're just the Saturday morning cartoon "we always defeat you but you're still a threat" variety. On the other hand, the Monks are just so obviously knock-offs of the Silence that the only reason I can think of for not revisiting them is that this is meant to generate new action figures.

I wonder if this episode was originally just Harness before Moffat decided to make it middle episode of a trilogy.

A strong possibility, especially since Moffat hasn't been credited as a co-writer on any other episodes so far this season.

 

[Samurai8472]

Deleted scene from "The Pyramid At the end of the World"

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Mentioned a terrorist attack

 

[cultcross]

Another thing that's been bothering me, aren't the military officers too young for their positions? Well, the American you can get away with if he is indeed a Colonel despite clearly wearing General's insignia. Although, the problem with him being a Colonel is that this is something that should have a General in command, though not necessarily a four-star one. The Russian and Chinese officers, even if they are meant to be Colonels are definitely on the young side.

Yeah, that was my thought too, especially the Russian guy, he couldn't have been much over 35, but claimed he commanded the Russian army at one point.

why on earth would it vent to the outside in an emergency,

When I worked in a lab some moons ago, the fume cupboards did exactly that - albeit, I was looking at seabed samples, not deadly bacteria.

 

[Spot261]

Another thing that's been bothering me, aren't the military officers too young for their positions? Well, the American you can get away with if he is indeed a Colonel despite clearly wearing General's insignia. Although, the problem with him being a Colonel is that this is something that should have a General in command, though not necessarily a four-star one.

I took them to be the officers given operational command in that particular theatre at that precise point, but yeah, still noticeably out of true

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Deleted scene from "The Pyramid At the end of the World"

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Mentioned a terrorist attack

Hmm...too bad they took out that bit. The segue from war to terrorist attack to bacteria is more natural that way. I guess they removed it because of the recent bombing in Manchester, which is perfectly reasonable.

 

[Venardhi]

Seems pretty unreasonable to me, but apparently I'm heartless on this issue.

The lack of support staff or any kind of outside communication between the military leaders and their government made them feel like symbols of power rather than characters. Casting some weightier talent in the roles might have helped but there was just nothing to them.

The monks' refusal to actually say anything of substance is more frustrating than ominous. That isn't interesting storytelling. Their insistence on consent doesn't make sense because one person can't consent for others and that undercuts their whole concept of wanting to be loved by the conquered. Others will still resist, including the Doctor for whose power she represents.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Yes, this was my main problem, why on earth would it vent to the outside in an emergency, and why didn't the door have a standard keypad instead of the weird bike lock spinners.

That was actually the only part of the Lab setup that made sense. If the power went down you'd want a mechanical lock rather than an electronic one. Pity it looked like it was made out of cardboad though...

Also handy if you've broken your glasses , or came to work still drunk .

 

[Mr. Adventure]

The Doctor needs to up his game, I was able to determine this with free software of my iPad:

TapTapSee if you're curious.

 

[Snaploud]

I also don't understand why the Doctor and Norbitt went to the deadly bacteria facility without protective suits. The Doctor then just casually comments to Norbitt that he (Norbitt) could be affected and then sends Norbitt back into the TARDIS (to, I assume, spread any bacteria to the TARDIS and then humanity?).

I also agree that it's frustrating when idiots in virus/bacteria movies take off their protective gear because they're a little uncomfortable. Beyond the risk to his own life: that's got to be a fireable offense in any laboratory in the world.

 

[Photoman15]

Who is NORBITT? Do you mean Nardole?

 

[StCoop]

Who is NORBITT?