Something I forgot to mention: The scene in the field hospital where Belinda discovers the X-ray blankets was one of the best moments in the episode. Charming (especially when the Doctor uses the blanket to reveal his two hearts) and illuminating, without a lot of heavy-handed preaching.

Belinda asks if Missbelindachandrakind having a second…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent I think you are correct on both counts, re: Omicron and its timing. This variant was much more infectious, yet less dangerous, so people began dropping their guard somewhat. And, frankly, I think isolation fatigue had set in.

As I recall, when the first wave of Omicron hit, Atlantic Canada escaped the brunt of it because…[Read more]

I enjoyed this episode despite the on-the-nose incel and coercive control terminology, which I felt was too much tell, not enough show (as in, “show me, don’t tell me”). Also, @blenkinsopthebrave I too found it odd that the Doctor causing a power outage in a major hospital was played for laughs. Had it happened in a shopping mall, OK. But that…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent Re: COVID, I’m in Nova Scotia, where we were part of the Atlantic Bubble that saw very few cases in the first two years of the pandemic, compared to the rest of Canada. Then along came Omicron and its variants, and suddenly we had a surge of cases. Before Omicron, Nova Scotia was exceptional for its lack of cases, but once Omicron…[Read more]

Back to “Joy to the World”: Something I forgot to mention in my previous post is the exchange between Joy and the Doctor, when she realized that he’d been deliberately cruel to distract her enough to release her from the briefcase. It struck me as redundant that the Doctor felt he had to explain it to her … twice. Joy’s facial expression told me…[Read more]

I’m finally holding in my hot little hands the Season 2 DVDs from the library!

I’ll start with things I disliked:

I thought it was too bad that Anita and Joy had to compete for screen time. I would have preferred Anita as the primary character. I found her more engaging than Joy (though I’d warmed up to Joy by the end).

The music was way over…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent (I’ve just found out that there was a second woman in Alien, the navigator. I’d forgotten that. They had a row about whether to let the crew back in. Who were male. So it still fails the test.)

A bit off-topic: I rewatched The Birds for the umpteenth time over the weekend. It’s a timeless classic, and I never tire of it (ev…[Read more]

@winston I love that sign! “Sorry” is firmly entrenched in the Canadian vocabulary.

@janetteb I definitely agree with you about the Paul McGann movie. I had no idea he was so good because … well, that movie didn’t offer a clue. But when I saw The Night of the Doctor, I was so impressed with him. As you say, what a difference a good script and good direction make!

@winston Yup, Mark Carney’s dance card is full … more than…[Read more]

News-ish:

Wanted: a new PM, a new James Bond, a new Doctor – and a UK that can agree on its leading characters

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/26/prime-minister-james-bond-doctor-who-uk

Much as I love Steven Moffat’s writing, I did feel that the complexity of his story arcs led to a conundrum for Doctor Who: How do you top this? Chris Chibnall tried … with largely disastrous results. His best episodes were the stand-alones that didn’t seem hell-bent on one-upping the story arcs of his predecessor.

I’d hoped that with RTD’s…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent Yes, I’d agree that patient consent is key.

@dentarthurdent @ps1l0v3y0u @winston I confess that I’d completely missed out on Peter Capaldi’s earlier work, with the exception of seeing him in Pinochet’s Last Stand (2006 TV film), which I believe we watched on HBO. And, of course, his earlier guest turn on Doctor Who. I’ll have to see if there’s a way for us to watch The Thick of It. Sounds…[Read more]

@ps1l0v3y0u It seemed to be very much about Peter being a fan, his devotion to the classic show… and adjusting to overwhelming public recognition.

Yes, I would think going from relative obscurity to international stardom would be a challenge for anyone. But Peter handled it with aplomb during his run with Doctor Who.

I was listening to CBC Radio’s Q program this morning and enjoyed this interview with Peter Capaldi, who talked about his time with Doctor Who:

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-50-q/clip/16211467-peter-capaldi-ora-cogan

@ps1l0v3y0u I’ve never seen black turnstones; I looked up photos of them, and they are quite striking.

Ruddy turnstones, in their breeding plumage, have a feather colouration much like a calico cat (which is why I called them the calico cats of the bird world):

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black_Turnstone/species-compare/64811941

@ps1l0v3y0u Now, if you want to see Turnstones in April, try the end of Southend Pier.

First time I ever saw ruddy turnstones was along beaches in our neck of the woods (southwestern Nova Scotia) in summer and fall. They are the calico cats of the bird world. Very distinctive!

@dentarthurdent Thanks for clarifying the species. Wow, 100 of them! The most I’ve seen here is three at a time. Do yours migrate or stay put for the winter? The ones we see here migrate to this area in the spring to breed, then they leave for the winter.

@dentarthurdent On our local beach at the moment, we get flocks of oystercatchers, which I think look slightly absurd with their long red beaks.

I envy you your close proximity to oystercatchers. Would these be Eurasian oystercatchers? I saw them when we visited Denmark in 2007 … though I didn’t know it at the time. Not living near the ocean…[Read more]

@whohar Thanks for that clarification!

So, refresh my memory: Was “New Earth” the first episode in David Tennant’s first season as Doctor Who? As I recall, after Christopher Eccleston’s regeneration, Tennant made his first full-length appearance in the Christmas special, and then onward and upward.

@janetteb, I’m with you. I was not overly…[Read more]