"Under the Lake" Grading and Discussion Thread

[Gingerbread Demon]

I was hoping they'd be like the Vashta Nerada. I want an episode with them again.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

I really liked this episode--would've been great for Halloween. Witty banter, a real sense of threat, likable secondary characters and very creepy "monsters."

I just hope the payoff doesn't fall short. But if the second half is even close to the level of the first, I'll be happy.

PS...what was in the mural in the cafeteria? For a minute, it looked like Star Trek characters.

Haha I was just coming in here to ask the very same question.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I was sorry that we lost the Captain early on. He seems like he would have been a good character.

Agreed, especially since Colin McFarlane is a great actor.

I read one of the Doctor's cards said "I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN YOU DIDN'T LIVE IN ABERDEEN." Nice Sarah Jane callback.

That's awesome. I missed that particular card. I'll have to rewatch that scene.

He does. He even said, specifically, that he knew sign language

But then he said he didn't.

Yeah, he said "It's been deleted...for semaphore." I presume that referred to some knowledge loss that occurred during regeneration?

And that's a good enough explanation for me.

Yeah, it's a switcheroo to give Cass an even more important role, but it works for me. As someone else noted earlier, this isn't the first time The Doctor has lacked skills for the benefit of the plot. *shrug*

 

[Mr Soak]

Some things.

1. The town flooded becase the dam burst. Why is the town still flooded? Why didn't the water continue on down the river's path? Had someone built another dam wall on the other side of town? Explaination in part 2 please.

2. The Doctor knowing sign language. Which sign language?* DIfferent counties have different versions. Australia, the UK and the US all have their own. It's not a homogenous singular thing. The occasional recognition of that would be good.

*The intent was probably British Sign Language.

 

[TimmyWl]

It was a very good episode. I liked how British Sign Language was not translated and yet the deaf officer was wise enough to not step into the space ship with the ghosts in it - thereby giving her a degree of safety where the others (i.e. the dead captain) did not. The whole story reminded me of old Doctor Who episodes - compact and quick to the point.

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

The ghost in the top hat looks like he came from Tivoli.
That planet of cowards that keeps getting conquered.

Edit: Never mind, the Doctor said als much. ��

 

[Captain Shaw]

I was sorry that we lost the Captain early on. He seems like he would have been a good character.

Well being black on TV never goes well in a horror story.

 

[Tom]

Anyone else notice that Lun was not killed because he never saw the symbols in the spaceship. Twice in the episode Cassie prevented him from going in the ship. I wonder if that advantage will help the crew somehow in the next episode.

Also another Star Trek reference you guys may have missed. In the beginning when the Doctor and Clara explore the base, the Doctor puts his finger in the coffee, if you look at the painting behind him. You see a sailing ship getting attacked by a monster, the 3 sailors on the ship are all where TNG'ish style uniforms, One gold, blue and maroon.

 

[Captain Shaw]

This show premieres on news from the Mirror that the BBC may scrap the planned 12-episode series for 2016 and replace with a small number of movies.

Doctor Who’s decline is very worrying and needs to be addressed. At this stage all options are being *considered. Everyone accepts that drastic action may be needed.

I have to wonder if this panic, which is said to be premature by another BBC source, is reflective of the larger anxiety over the BBC's future. Capaldi had this to say,

"The organisation that makes our [Doctor Who], the BBC – is one of the great, great organisations of the world, the most special, special organisation. I think it’s under threat. I think it’s seriously under threat from the government,” he detailed.

[Larry] King [of Metro] then asked Capaldi if the BBC’s funding was under threat, to which the Scot declared, “Yeah and for its very existence. I think the government doesn’t think the BBC supports it. I think because it is not answerable to shareholders and it entertains ideas – all kinds of ideas about Britain and about history and about the world and about art – I think the government, they don’t want to pay for it.”

He continued, “It’s one of the most important things that’s happening in the country and the BBC represents the spirit of our country. It’s so important that people don’t let this magnificent thing vanish. It is that dangerous.”

Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/2468263/do...show-is-in-crisis-period/#ZslDHOov7bSmMFze.99

I would like to believe this episode, and its conclusion next week, will signify a change in the fortunes of this franchise.

It does not help that the start time gets moved around so much.

 

[kirk55555]

This was an ok episode. Nothing very special or unique, but a decent fake alien ghost story. The "deleted" sign language was really ridiculous (it all gets translated through the TARDIS, which I doubt would have to delete a language to add a new one), to the point where I pretty much just rolled my eyes at the blatant plot convenience. They should have just let him understand her, she still could have been the one to read the lips of the ghosts. Also, the sonic glasses are idiotic and I hope they go soon.

Besides that, the episode was ok. The ghosts were creepy, The Doctor and Clara had some good moments (like the notecards, which were pretty funny). Overall, this episode was weaker than either of the first two, but it wasn't bad by any stretch.

 

[Captain_Amasov]

Who reckons that the stasis pod actually contains The Doctor? Might be one of the reasons why the TARDIS didn't want to stick around.

 

[The Wormhole]

I understand not wanting the Doctor to be able to do absolutely anything but yeah, his lack of knowledge of sign language and the inability of the TARDIS to translate late it is hard to swallow.

It's an inherent flaw of the show at times. The Doctor is meant to be a genius, but when it's important to the plot he's suddenly ignorant on a particular subject matter. Sometimes this is used to comedic effect, others it's just a plot hole.

Or it might mean something later on, if the Doctor traveled back into the past he might've put the marks on the wall himself. It might work out like Time Heist did last year.

Except, we're not talking about the marks on the wall, we're talking about sign language. You know, how deaf people communicate. Or more specifically, how the deaf character in this episode was communicating.

I also though it was pretty painful that the Doctor conveniently can't read lips or understand sign language (despite being able to speak all languages including baby) in order to give the deaf character a vital importance to the story.

True, the Doctor should know sign-language. Hell, the TARDIS can't translate sign language? Even just captions sent to the sonic glasses should be sufficient.

He does. He even said, specifically, that he knew sign language

And then after attempting to follow the conversation, he admits he really doesn't know sign language.

Also another Star Trek reference you guys may have missed. In the beginning when the Doctor and Clara explore the base, the Doctor puts his finger in the coffee, if you look at the painting behind him. You see a sailing ship getting attacked by a monster, the 3 sailors on the ship are all where TNG'ish style uniforms, One gold, blue and maroon.

Actually, it was as I was going to bed last night that I remembered that and that I forgot to mention it in my review post. In light of some of the other Trek references others have pointed out, I wonder if this was intentional?

 

[MacLeod]

Looks like the overnight figures are in at 3.7m though I expect a healthy catch-up audiance due to being on against a rather important Rugby Match for the host nation.

 

[Saul]

Great episode. No annoying Missy either.
It's always the episodes I'm not looking forward to that are good.

Didn't really get what the Doctor and Clara were going on about in the Tardis with only enough space for his ego thing. I know he's worried about her but thought the scene was out of place.

 

[Mr Light]

I did really enjoy the Doctor / Clara relationship in this episode. Warm and friendly. I got so sick of the "drama" going on with her last season.

 

[TommyR01D]

It seems there might be a running theme in this series of visual references to Star Trek.

So far we've had two lookalike shuttlecraft, a trio in jumpsuits and an Enterprise registry.

Dalek shuttle in The Magician's Apprentice:

Type 8 Shuttle in Mortal Coil

Type 3 Shuttle in the Final Frontier

 

[Captaindemotion]

I thought this was a great episode in the best traditions of Who. Only got watching it today but even still, next Saturday to watch the cliffhanger seems ages away.

 

[Captrek]

1. They capture the ghosts by manipulating them into chasing Ben, Clara, Lund, and finally holographic Clara because the ghosts "play a little too rough." Why don't they just use holograms for the whole thing instead of risking Ben, Clara, and Lund?

2. We're told the Faraday cage is impermeable to radio signals. So how does Cass get a video signal from the Doctor's sunglasses? Subspace?

3. Orion's sword does not point to Earth.

4. I want a clockwork squirrel kit. I'm not clever enough to make one out of a radio.

5. The line "I want to kiss it to death" unfortunately recalls a recent episode of South Park.

 

[Pauln6]

Ha ha - I'm liking the two episode per story format and giving the supporting cast some time to run up and down corridors. A bit less procrastinating and less caring about the assistant's personal life should satisfy me the most. And finally no hugging.

 

[Mad Jack Wolfe]

A nice look at the sea serpent mural, courtesy of the Beeb.