@craig, @jimthefish, @ps1l0v3y0u, and everyone else on the forum from the UK,

I hope all goes well.

It just so happened that I was watching “Inferno” where the Pertwee Doctor is transported to an alternative fascist Britain. It seemed like science fiction back in the ’70s. I really hope tolerance wins the day tomorrow.

@craig, @ps1l0v3y0u, @WhoHar,

Voting is essential for a civilized society. I grew up in Australia, before moving to Canada late in life. As such, I grew up with compulsory voting and I have always been in favour of it, just as I am in favour of rules and expectations that we all are told to stop at traffic lights. Does it mean the most worthy…[Read more]

@winston Yes, it was a magical film. And for me, the most emotionally uplifting film I can imagine. When I watched again a couple of nights ago I could feel my eyes starting to water up.

@nerys Perhaps your local library might have it. It comes with a 5 star Blenkinsop recommendation. Here is the…[Read more]

After expressing my discomfort with the way RTD2 has moved Who into the realm of fantasy and magic, I start to think about those who have successfuly combined fantasy, magic and something very British. For me, the one movie that stands out is Powell and Pressburger’s wonderful 1946 prduction, “A Matter of Life and Death”.

Not only did I watch it…[Read more]

Have had a couple of days to reflect on this–ie, on the question of how a run of pretty good stories  that seeded a range of potential future resolutions crashed and burned so catastrophically with the last instalment.

The only way I can describe it is that I think it was a case of RTD2 wanting to have his cake and eat it too. I have the…[Read more]

SPOILER, SPOILER, SPOILER...

SPOILER, SPOILER, SPOILER...

BBC APPROVED SPOILERS...

@mudlark

After reading your post, I am reminded of my initial response to the episode–that perhaps we should rebrand the subtitle of the Forum to: “Theories even more dramatically satisfying than what’s actually happening”

BBC APPROVED SPOILERS...

BBC APPROVED SPOILERS...

I know it is highly unlikely to happen, but I do hope  that RTD2 has second thoughts about all the magic malarky.

I confess that I do not really want to see fairies on Who (except, perhaps, the Cottingley Fairies). An episode where the Doctor has to break it to Conan Doyle that he was duped sounds pretty great to me.

But alas, I fear I may be wa…[Read more]

Perhaps this has been answered above (if so, apologies), but if Ruby’s mother points at the road sign as a way of naming her, who is aware enough of this to have it put on her birth certificate?

Watched “The Giggle” again last night and it shows that RTD2 can write an excellent episode if he wants to. Which make “Empire of Death” even more…[Read more]

The final scene with Mrs Flood: Is there anyone out there who has both better equipment and better reflexes to focus on the ring on her finger? Is it similar to one of the Doctor’s rings?

@mudlark Ha! Well, given the choice between engaging in collective and convivial bonkerizing, and the dubious charms of coming up with script ideas that would guarantee sufficient viewing numbers to satisfy the suits at Disney+, I vote in favour of doing just what we have been doing and enjoying on this wonderful site for the last decade (can it…[Read more]

I know. I wasn’t impressed. And I am probably hoping for too much. But, nonetheless, here goes:

Mrs Flood at the end.

Was she covered in costume of…snow flakes?

Was she like an epilogue figure in a Shakespearean play? (And the one that comes to mind is “The Tempest”.)

@juniperfish

Totally agree that it all may have worked better if it had multiple episodes to develop, as in the early days of Who. On the other hand, perhaps he did have multiple episodes, but chose to prioritize other issues in those episodes. Stuff like the snow, Ruby’s relationship to music, etc , were left strangely unfilfilled.

Love the…[Read more]

@bunface re: the brilliant Eastenders line–no that wasn’t me. It was the incomparable @whohar.

On the question of Gatwa’s performance that you raised @bunface, when I compare him to Tennant (also not my personal favourite) Gatwa can do charm effortlessly, but I don’t feel he can do anger all that well. Yes, he can scream at the seeming death of…[Read more]

@ps1l0v3y0u

 UNIT seems horribly Fam like, saved only by Jemma.

Yes, indeed, but did you not see Kate and Col. Ibrahim reach out and hold each other’s hand after they miraculously come back to life. My heart sinks about where that might lead.

And as for everyone on Earth as well as the entire universe miraculously coming back to life, the more…[Read more]

And in the cold light of morning…still totally underwhelmed.

What was the Doctor’s line: “The death of death is life”…or some such nonsense. Come on…even at the level of fantasy, this is simply stupid. And Ruby discovers her mother’s name because the fascist Welsh Prime Minister has conveniently ordered everyone in the UK to have a DNA…[Read more]