@DenValdron, my sympathies. It is part of life but a very hard part. It sounds as though there is comfort to be had, but even leaving aside all the many difficult things that must be dealt with in the aftermath, we miss our loved ones after they are gone. I’m sorry for your loss.

@denvaldron  Thanks for the extended take on the decline of the Viking/Norse culture — absorption as a far corner of Europe sounds about right.

I am sorry to hear about your father’s death.  I hope you’re able to take some rest when and as you can.

@denvaldron: Condolences, you are always welcome here among us.

@denvaldron Deepest condolences

@jimthefish  On which note, I for one am very glad that she didn’t turn out to be Susan, or Jenny, or Romana or whoever.

Me too.  Too much backstory, better to move on to something new, IMO.  @denvaldron  Thanks for the Viking overview — densely packed and concise; only what, exactly, does kaput mean in this context?  A swift and somewhat catast…[Read more]

@221Badwolf
I felt that when Ashildr was telling the Doctor about always being different
it struck a cord in him. As a very young Doctor he may have been approximately
the same age when he had those same feelings. Therefore when she died that might
of been in his mind and so hit him particularly hard. That might to be in part
why she was…[Read more]

@DenValdron

I think Robert Holmes meant the Kasterborous Sector, or System, but somehow ‘constellation’ slipped through and got thoroughly stuck in Who legend.

@PlainOldDave  @purofilion  @DenValdron

In Vancouver, I starting watching DW in the mid-eighties, except that it wasn’t on PBS, but on a local indy station out of Bellingham, Washington, that used to show a lot of things in syndication. They were showing late era Tom Baker at the time I discovered the show, but they ran up as far as they had (wh…[Read more]

Great points and thoughts here as always. Some replies.

@Juniperfish    Yes, it did seem as though the Doctor might have known or guessed what would happen to Ashildr, and I was waiting for Clara to call him out on it. As far as Clara wondering why he wouldn’t give her the chip (especially in light of their earlier conversation), he clearly does…[Read more]

@pedant

My bad. The pedantry crown is still yours!

@ScaryB – oh, I did not twig the music quotes in the baby speak until you mentioned it – nice.

@DenValdron Maybe the electric eels was another music gag?

There was a punk-ish band called the Electric Eels with a Viking connection! This (from the Wikipedia page):

“Eventually the electric eels…[Read more]

@ScaryB

No worries 🙂 Great minds and all that…

I loved your thought that we are watching Who episodes because the Doctor (or maybe one of his companions) has uploaded their live recordings of his adventures to the “Galactic Hub”. Maybe that’s why this Doc breaks the fourth wall and talks “to camera”! Very meta indeed.

@Ozitenor

Missy…

[Read more]

More random thoughts…

It’s all Donna’s fault! (Though it was great to see her again in the flashback).  Now the Doctor has to live with the consequences of “saving just one”.

So who is Ashildr going to reward/curse with the other “chip”?  Wild thought – what if she gives it to Clara? I could be (ie probably am) wrong but I thought Clara was g…[Read more]

@DenValdron

Look at the design of the Vervoids.

Noooooo! Please. Not the Vervoids!!

😈

Looking forward to your take on the Angels* and the Silence

*Now there’s a brilliant concept for production team practicalities – dancers and actual statues

ah – interesting that there’s some sympathy with my rambling (or thanks to people being kind! 🙂 )

Really interested in hearing about Angels and Silence @denvaldron as I’m curious about their similarity to children’s’ games.

But as I have no kids or relations that young I have no idea idea if it worked like that (ie if kids played as Silence or…[Read more]

@whisht @scaryb @jimthefish @denvaldron

Yes, great comments. I’d particularly point to Jim’s point that 80s who lost some currency because those touchstone references became too distant.

When you look at the first appearance by the Daleks, they not only refer to the war Holmes, Dicks and Nation lived through, but the ultimate war to come. A…[Read more]

the whole “what makes a good monster and what makes a good villain” thing is interesting.
I’ve not really thought about the production issues as much as @denvaldron and I’m grateful to you for making me think about practicalities.

To be honest I’ve not thought deeply about anything in a few decades which is a shame on me. I’m actually jealous of…[Read more]

@DenValdron

The Sea Devils were personally a very successful monster, I lived a stones throw from the sea and a monster who literally waded outof the sea was very freaky.

Not all monsters/villains/neredowells necessarily make the grade but I would theorise that most of them hit the grade with some of the audience ( exception being the liquorice…[Read more]

@DenValdron

The hearse wasn’t Tivolian either – Prentis says it’s Arcateenian – the invaders who came after the Fisher King, who initially liberated the Tivolians then realised they were so annoying they enslaved them as well! The funeral arrangements were according to Arcateenian custom for a vanquished enemy. Prentis was just carrying out…[Read more]

*waves @everyone!*

Late to the party… again! But thoroughly enjoyed catching up with all your thoughts; much to ponder on.

I really enjoyed this one, I found it compelling and very creepy, though I agree with those who suggested that the Fisher King is  a bit underdeveloped. I liked the character design, especially in the shadows, beautifully…[Read more]

@DenValdron    🙂 Yes, well, speaking as someone whose significant other is now employed by a company involved in the sausage biz, I can say that principle is sound.

Seriously, I don’t actually think that Moffat sat down and asked himself, “What thematic ideas can I mine from the Tarot?” More that those underlying themes are present in lots of…[Read more]