Thin Ice (Grade & Discussion Thread)

Discussion in 'Doctor Who' started by TommyR01D, Apr 28, 2017.

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How do you rate this episode?

Poll closed May 6, 2017.
  1. Capital

    16 vote(s)
    25.8%
  2. Spiffing

    29 vote(s)
    46.8%
  3. Treading Water

    12 vote(s)
    19.4%
  4. A bit frosty

    4 vote(s)
    6.5%
  5. I'd rather drown

    1 vote(s)
    1.6%
  1. The Wormhole

    The Wormhole Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Except the knocking in this episode is in sequences of three. Except the final sequence, which is seven knocks.
     
  2. The Nth Doctor

    The Nth Doctor Infinite Possibilities... Premium Member

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    Oh, I know. I referenced that inconsistency in my review.
     
  3. Turtletrekker

    Turtletrekker Admiral Admiral

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  4. The Nth Doctor

    The Nth Doctor Infinite Possibilities... Premium Member

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    Yup, I picked up on that (and mentioned it in my review). It's a nice callback to all of the other times The Doctor has visited the Frost Fair of 1814.
     
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  5. Burning Hearts of Qo'nOs

    Burning Hearts of Qo'nOs Commodore Commodore

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    I'd like to think that the Tardis specifically arrives at times/locations to avoid meeting past incarnations, like on opposite sides of the fair at least.

    Imagine if Clara and 12 were there and she just bumps into contemporary 12. He only eerily recognizing her and her wondering who Bill is.
     
    Last edited: May 4, 2017
  6. publiusr

    publiusr Admiral Admiral

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    I thought I saw an Ice Warrior in some previews--this was the one I thought the Ice Warrior would appear

    It sounded a little hollow after seeing him snatch the sonic away from the doomed kid

    This fooled me into thinking we'd see the kid again--what with the Doctor all but asking to be eaten. As if some folks were in the maw of the creature as Pinocchio was swallowed by Monstro--perhaps inspiring that tale.

    Only so much dung to go around. after all--they probably mined the old deposit to depletion--explaining why they had to feed the beast.

    By letting the creature go--she gave us the future in Star Trek IV the Voyage Home. We have whales here in our universe--but that thing would have eaten them all--even if it did make that happy wahle song in the end--that was its acoustic lure. ;)

    Only half-joking--more in a minute

    We've seen this Doctor Who episode before. The thieves are good, businessmen are bad--the "ice isn't melting" a reference to AGW denialism.

    I was hoping for a bit more. I might have played the villain a bit differently--waiting for the Doctor to finish his speech--then refer back to him snatching the sonic away. The Doctor would ask how that was known--and the response would be that I had a fortune teller give me names of everyone who was going to die soon--have them live a few days--then sacrifice them to the creature. Without me--all these folks die sooner--not to mention in coal mines--and how this thing would eat everything in the ocean. Maybe it was also wicked--why was it imprisoned--as a junk species? The dung is cleaner as a fuel--less polluting

    In truth--the only responsible thing to do--if I had to give the Doctor some orders--would be to tell him to get on the TARDIS--find the biggest spacecraft and biggest transmat there is--and do a Voyage Home deal--and return the thing to its native planet--not let it loose here. Tell them how to replicate the clean fuel--but that might mess up the time-line.

    There is a way this story could have been made more morally difficult.
     
  7. TommyR01D

    TommyR01D Captain Captain

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    Given the nature of the Doctor's big speech, Sutcliffe's response and the specific utterance of "whitewash" early on, I think this episode was purposely designed to be as one-dimensional as possible. It makes the war rant from The Zygon Inversion look subtle and nuanced.

    The poll close today. Thin Ice was rated as Spiffing.
    The poll mean was 3.89, which gives it +0.09 compared to Series 9.
     
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2017
  8. Brefugee

    Brefugee No longer living the Irish dream. Premium Member

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    Are the same amount of people voting now as they did 18 months ago?
     
  9. The Nth Doctor

    The Nth Doctor Infinite Possibilities... Premium Member

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    Certainly a logically expectation, as already talked about. You did see them in the trailer and they appear in the episode "The Empress of Mars."

    I thought the same thing for more ore less the same reason. I figured Sarah Dollard was going to walk back the violence (at least against the child) for the sake of people like Mary Whitehouse. Although that did end up happening in another episode... :-\
     
  10. TommyR01D

    TommyR01D Captain Captain

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    There were sixty-two votes cast on this thread. There were seventy-three votes on Before the Flood.
     
  11. Brefugee

    Brefugee No longer living the Irish dream. Premium Member

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    And was the poll open for just a week?
     
  12. TommyR01D

    TommyR01D Captain Captain

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    It's still open now. I assumed the role of thread-starter for The Return of Doctor Mysterio onwards. The earlier ones are not under my control.
     
  13. The Nth Doctor

    The Nth Doctor Infinite Possibilities... Premium Member

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    Yeah, because you start the threads two days in advance. :p

    And is it really necessary to close the poll after a week? Not everyone is going to see the episodes right away. When I was in the Navy, I didn't see some episodes until weeks or months later and I know I would've been annoyed if I wasn't able to vote because of some artificial poll closure.
     
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  14. Brefugee

    Brefugee No longer living the Irish dream. Premium Member

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    Then your numbers comparing the episodes now to then are meaningless I'm afraid.

    There are numerous reasons why the average is down, most specially the poll is still open from 18 months ago and you close yours after seven days.

    I'm feeling the same, plus very little thought seems to go into the actual OP, no synopsis of the episode or image, the rare review threads I start, I do atleast the former and my thoughts on the episode. Of course he (I assume they are a he) doesn't mention the fact it's a review thread with the wee red button!
     
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