I loved it.  I don’t care how bad the science is (or isn’t), or whether there’s no real monster, or whatever the complaints are.  I love the whole idea of the trees watching out for and saving humanity over the centuries.  I thought the character development was wonderful, the interactions with the kids was great, the fairytale feel was well do…[Read more]

@Bluesqueakpip Ha!  I did not know that!  Curse you, Smithy’s knee!

I did notice on a rewatch that they sort of crawl away at the end, which presumably is supposed to mean “getting the hell out of the timestream”, but I completely missed it the first time around.

@pedant – I agree that the show is generally about why rather than how (and yes, in retrospect it doesn’t matter how they escaped the Doctor’s timestream).  But still, we were told that jumping into someone’s timestream meant certain destruction, and jumping into one’s own timestream could erase your existence entirely.  So I found it a litt…[Read more]

@thommck Adding more fuel to your excellent fire.  Wasn’t the T-Rex in Deep Breath killed because of something desirable in the dinosaur’s optic nerve?  Doesn’t seem like such a throwaway in retrospect.

@Barnable @purofilion You know, I was never satisfied with the end of Name of the Doctor.  Dickiebow finds Clara in his timestream, they see Grandpa, Dickiebow makes his little speech (“not in the name of the Doctor!”), credits.  I spent the months leading up to the 50th Anniversary assuming that Day of the Doctor would be about 11 and Clara t…[Read more]

Amusing that, due to a statistical anomaly, Paul McGann is statistically your favorite Doctor. 😉

Yes, don’t leave us in suspense!  Which 4th Doctor season came out on top?

It’s interesting how personal preference can differ even among people who generally love Doctor Who.  Of the AG seasons, 6 is my favorite (Impossible Astronaut through Wedding of River Song) for exactly the same reasons why many people dislike it — brain-popping plot t…[Read more]

@purofilion In siege mode, air pressure is lost -eventually

To be even more @pedant -ic, I believe these two things are unconnected.  My understanding was that the TARDIS went into siege mode because it was having its power drained by the Boneless, but at the same time, the loss of power caused the life support to fail (he says “life support…[Read more]

@purofilion – You’re undoubtedly correct.  The other downfall is that, if Missy is inside The Doctor’s head (literally or figuratively), she can’t also be the Woman In The Shop, and that connection is just too delicious to pass up.

Rather, (Theory Number 2!) I suspect a Moffat Loop in play.  Because of something that happens later this season (…[Read more]

Missy is the seagull!!!

Kidding.  After a couple weeks of work and travel, I’m finally caught up and can contribute again!

I loved this week’s episode.  First off, I think the effects were some of the best I’ve ever seen on DW.  The 3D creatures were completely believable and creepy, and the scene with Clara & Rigby in the hanging chair while th…[Read more]

@Arbutus – Ah!  You do indeed learn something new every day.  So, alas, we are not neighbors (or neighbours, as the case may be), but it’s a lovely tree.

I guess I should try to get back on topic.  I agree that the Doctor still lies, but never maliciously.  Like any good parent, the Doctor lies when he needs to to protect you.

@Arbutus – It was indeed!  Overall, however, Wagner was not my thing because my voice was not big enough to sing it! 😉  Give me La Bohème or Carmen any day. 🙂

While we’re on digressions about names, yours doesn’t by any chance refer to the suburb of Baltimore, does it?

@purofilion – To be completely clear, you were in no way lecturing or hectoring.  I’m new here and didn’t know the story — I asked an honest question and was grateful for your answer.  No worries!

There is a quote, attributed at times to either Rossini or Mark Twain, that “Wagner has some beautiful moments, and some lousy half hours.”  But I ki…[Read more]

@purofilion Cheers from one digressive naughty romantic to another! 🙂

I also don’t view 10 as “sociopathic” in The Waters of Mars — the word I would use is “nihilistic”.  He’s lost all reason to care about the consequences of his actions.  He feels oppressed by all of the Time Lord rules he has been forced to follow, even subconsciously — d…[Read more]

@Arbutus – I thoroughly agree that 12 seems to incorporate something from just about all of the previous Doctors.  Perhaps his identity issues arise from the fact that he now has so many different personalities trying to operate within him.  Sometimes it’s the haughtiness of 3, the hostility of 6, the surreal humor of 4, the sneakiness of 7, the w…[Read more]

@Timeloop – That 11 tribute is so wonderful!  All the feels!

@purofilion – Possibly, I want the Doctor to be perfect: I did that with 10 and 11 too – what’s my psychosis I wonder?

Interesting.  Personally, I find the Doctor to be much more interesting when he is not perfect.  I think, in fact, that that is my biggest issue with 10 – he’s just so perfect and unflappable.  My favorite moments of 10 are when…[Read more]