@whohar @dentarthurdent @janetteb

Time paradoxes and how to avoid them.

Timelords are time sensitive… Girl who Died… ‘ripples not tidal waves.’ Obviously no one is going for the abandoned arc/plot seeding theory… but the implication is, this IS a tidal wave and The Doctor knows it. Therefor he’s there because the Tardis done it. Malfunctioni…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent

if the hero walks into an ambush ‘now’, WHY doesn’t he just hop into his time machine and go back to yesterday and warn himself.

Classic Who had two main ways of dealing with this – the aforementioned Blinovich and also the fact that the Doc was not able to control the Tardis well enough to allow him to just go back a few hours…[Read more]

@janetteb @dentarthurdent @ps1l0v3y0u

 I think Moffat just can not resist a time paradox, his favourite narrative toy.

I think what’s interesting about Moffat-era Who in this regard was the way he used time to drive the plot. Time became almost like another character in the story. Whereas in most Who stories, time was a narrative device to get…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent Agree the relationship is subtle. Much is left to the reader to construe which is pitch perfect.

@ps1l0v3y0u Maybe the Doctor and Martha followed the spawning critters to Western Drumlins and got zapped. He was still holding the file which he had not had time to read. Or he put the file in his bigger on the inside pockets and…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent

fantasy science. Yes, it’s part of the show but they flaunt the worst possible examples so often you have to wonder if we’re being baited.

Flooding the entire Earth didn’t ought to be possible. Perhaps The Chief Sea Devil meant he would flood low lying continental margins. That might well cause the collapse of human civil…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent

fantasy science. They flaunt it so often you have to wonder if we’re being baited.

Flooding the entire Earth didn’t ought to be possible. Perhaps The Sea Devils meant he would flood low lying continental margins. That might well cause the collapse of human civilisation. Couldn’t The Doctor babble about that?

Otherwise, the known…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent

Legend of The Sea Devils

LotSD is not Eve but it’s not most of the dross from series 11 & 12 neither. Which probably means it’s there with T’floox, neither boring us to death nor making very much sense.

There is a jewel which the Sea Devils need, so they can wipe out the land crawlers, somehow. And they get it during some runni…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent @nerys

An Android Princess became Romana 2.

Lots of reoccurring thesps in less prominent but varied roles…

The War Lord and Solon

Poule and Mawdryn

David Troughton got in a few times.

As for 12’s face… it’s specifically to do with Ashildr, who he recognises, and acts so weirdly around that Clara calls him out. And in the…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent

Flustered hormonal Sally got a telephone call from older Billy, right after she left younger Billy safely next to the Tardis in the police pound, and some angels. I think.

Not sure how the angels then, and only then, moved the Tardis back to Wester Drumlins. Or why. I think Sally had the key. As we now know (but didn’t then) an…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent

second thoughts…

The sun shut off can only happen BECAUSE The Doctor is separated from The Tardis.

So. Either The Doctor didn’t read the file. Maybe it happened straight after the Lizard and long bow thing. Or… The Doctor had to risk the shut off to prevent the paradox. Or… the Tardis stitched him up for the same reason.…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent Twelve came out looking like a significant figure from his past that he had failed to save.

But, didn’t the Doctor save him? For me, that was what was so poignant about Twelve choosing that face. Donna’s tearful pleading with the Doctor got him to save Caecilius and his family. I always thought he chose that face as a reminder…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent

Blink, The Doctor’s timeline.

Sally Sparrow gives The Doctor the Wester Drumlin file.

He either doesn’t read the file,

Or he does read it but goes to Wester Drumlins anyway to avoid a time paradox,

Or does, but goes there because the sun might (probably) get shut off,

Or does or doesn’t but The Tardis takes him and Marth…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent @whohar @janetteb

RTD2: we seem to be mid arc. Lots unresolved. The Disney money flushed away. The Susan tease…

Would Russ rather have Gatwa still in harness? Yes, the adjustment to Reality War seemed rushed. But Russ effectively shrugged his shoulders at Ecclestone’s departure. And even the most generous Gatwa fans must adm…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent and @psiloveyou…. (Oops)

I think that description of “the mind is the monster, any mind” is a great interpretation. I’m reminded of “not every ….statue but ANY statue.”

I also think “too clever” was a bitter throwaway at Moffat & I recall many mothers in the 70s yelling: “don’t be so clever” which may’ve meant arguing either very…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent

‘Duck. Sally Sparrow!’ Well the Doctor’s got Sally’s notes. Which presumably mention Wester Drumlins so The Doctor either had to go or set up a paradox, or he (more likely) he forgot. All Moffat’s first run of stories were super but Blink was genius level. The best thing you can say about Sally and Larry is it was downbeat,…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent

Whether deliberate choice or subconscious, the fact remains that the Doc’s new regeneration is (possibly, we don’t know for sure) the face of an old companion. And one to whom he had romantic feelings. And it’s not even the same face. It’s an older version. I find it odd, and I really don’t like it. I understand that there are…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent @nerys

I WAS being picky. ‘Eve’ is a worthy effort. Perhaps, if T’floox was itself an improvement but err… confused, Chris was learning, trying to up his game, maybe (in my mind) telling The Corp to back off: the notional post Moff straightjacket was too tight.

But not all Who falls apart upon inspection. And this was ok. Sally…[Read more]

@whohar I doubt Billie Piper would play the Doctor for long. I suspect she is a “filler’ as there is no certainty as to when the next series will be and she stepped in as a favour to RTD and the show, and fans. I do think she could be good and would like to see her run with the role for a couple of episodes then hand on the baton to the next…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent With Chibz’ Doctor, one got the impression it was there simply to make it ‘sound sciencey’ or maybe make up for something that should have been better plotted.

I agree. That’s why, for me, this episode stands out among the Chibnall-penned ones, because the Doctor’s observations were pertinent, not just filler.

@ps1l0v3y0u Also…

[Read more]

@dentarthurdent

Eve of The Daleks

Thank you. You rescued me from 5; I was about to watch Warriors of the Deep, just to snigger at The Myrka. This is MUCH better. It comes with a high rep. The long cold start works. Chib’s dialogue practically sparkles. The set-up intrigues. It has urgency. Everyone… well five people… get zapped again and again…[Read more]