@missrori — I think if the Monks Trilogy proved anything it’s that a whole-series storyline would be an absolutely terrible idea.

But I agree that there are many reasons for the show’s diminished profile at the moment and few of them are the fault of the current production team. It’s odd that the RT seem to be running two versions of essentially…[Read more]

@missrori and others

Yes Hell Bound and Heaven Sent were powerful TV. What each of us find to be the most satisfying narrative is always our own preference. None of us are right or wrong in our views on this. Exploring the difference is what is interesting and educational. 🙂

@thane15 @missrori (Puro)

Contrast Moral courage (wiki definition) :

Moral courage

is the courage to take action for moral reasons despite the risk of adverse consequences. Courage is required to take action when one has doubts or fears about the consequences. Moral courage therefore involves deliberation or careful thought. Reflex action or…[Read more]

@thane15

I dunno, I saw it as something real and genuine.

Thane

It’s a matter of emphasis, rather than what was on the screen, if that makes sense. I’m not trying lump companions into boxes. But neither am i trying to make Clara exceptional, that stands out from the rest.

From my perspective, The Doctor grieves each Companion, when they move…[Read more]

@missrori

Thanks for your thoughts as ever. I think this raises four questions for me.

1. Has Moff actually said anything about what he intended the Clara story lines mean ? If so I’d be interested in reading his thoughts, even oblique ones.

2. Are we meant to believe that because Clara was the Impossible Girl, her relationship with the Doctor…[Read more]

@ichabod @thane15 @nick and many others

Thank you all so much for the discussion above, with such insight and far better ways of expressing it than I could ever hope to achieve – one reason why I’m so quiet on the forum!

Regarding the 4.5 billion years in The Castle (and yes, I tend to agree the time period was overplayed), looking at it purely…[Read more]

@MissRori

Missy in possession of  the Doctors confession dial was  ultimately a Rassilon setup wasn’t it?

Could this be some part of the long story where she cuts another deal with him?

She delivers the Doctor to him and gets some new regenerations?  I know Missy

is a gaslighting  Queen  but I’m mulling over if she can get around the Docto…[Read more]

SPOILER, SPOILER, SPOILER...

@rorysmith  The Tardis is connected to all of time and space so she knows the Master has an important role to play.

Oh no — a Deus in Machina!  I like it.

@missrori  But this deeply personal relationship with Missy is still holding him back. Perhaps that will be key to the finale — his coming to an understanding that he needs to free hims…[Read more]

@missrori

I thought it was your idea, but I want 100 % sure !

I don’t think you can necessarily take the title too literally with Moff. I suppose, at the core, I’m suggesting that the undoctorishness is growing and will somehow reach a peak. The Doctor may make the wrong choice, or be faced with a no-win situation. I dont know and cant guess…[Read more]

@bluesqueakpip @missrori

Missy in the vault is a massive problem for the Doctor forsure. He chose, he took responsibility (physical and moral) for Missy when he refused to execute her and took her at face value and exiled her to the vault. She may escape, but the responsibility can only be his if he chooses to let her go. Whilst she has free…[Read more]

@MissRori and @Nick

I think that Nick’s put his finger on it when he says that the Doctor didn’t even try. The way it was shot, the kid’s hand was still sticking up from the ice, holding onto the sonic. Normally, what you’d expect with a shot like that is that somebody will grab the hand/wrist then either succeed or fail in pulling the character…[Read more]

@missrori

What I love most is that we all have different takes. I thought the Doctor was undoctorish in the way that he “saved” Clara. It was cowardly. As the Doctor, he can try everything and anything to save someone, and if he fails, he can suffer, but also know that there was nothing else he could do or would do differently. Clara acted nobly…[Read more]

@bluesqueakpip @missrori @jimthefish @blenkinsopthebrave @thane15

Absolutely spot on. The failure to save the young child, is the most unusual thing we’ve seen in S10 (I also thought the lack of even an attempt to save the Girl in the puddle was also problematic, although not completely outside the range of possibilities). Things have escalated…[Read more]

@Nick, @JimTheFish, @MissRori

I wonder if the other thing that has changed in the relationship – apart from Missy’s sense of it – is that the moral dynamic has changed. Pre Gap, the Doctor had a sense of moral superiority over the Master. Yes, fine, he was a thief and a rebel – but he wasn’t a mass murderer.

Oops. Or as Missy would say,…[Read more]

SPOILER, SPOILER, SPOILER...

@missrori

Instead of going bad for the sake of a good person, he does the right things for the sake of a bad one

Very good.

@scaryb

Indeed, very well put.  Which layer is ‘truth’ and who (Who?) is willing to make the effort to dig away the lies and distortions to find it, and themselves.

A fun romp with some serious themes also in play. Hammer horror meets Zulu. And a good change of pace from the Monks (sort of) Trilogy. If we’d not known the writer, I think we’d have all picked Mark Gatiss.

Greatly enjoyed what I take was a visual reference to Tomb of the Cyberman.

Bill’s right. Everybody loves The Thing.

I’m with @scaryb,…[Read more]

@Wolfweed‘s comment on costumes – interesting – back to the Tenth Planet again.

@MissRori Very true about Missy, but I’m with @Winston – I still don’t trust her! (“Realising you’ve left the cage door open…” I like it!).  And I do like a dialed down a bit Missy (at least for now). There’s amazing chemistry between Gomez and Capaldi). The…[Read more]

@nerys

I agree with you that there’s a lot the resonates with this episode, especially on a second viewing. Everything about it is about being fake, nothing is what it seems. Even the Doctor (at the start). Even Bill’s memory of her mother isn’t what it seems. It’s her fantasy of her mum (albeit enabled by the photos the Doctor took). Much like…[Read more]