[nerys @replies]

Re: the wildfires in Canada, I’m heartbroken to read the latest news about Jasper, Alberta. My husband and I vacationed there in 2002 and loved it. But it looks like the town suffered devastating fire damage, and the beautiful national park may be a charred ruin, as well. As @winston noted, the threat to wildlife is awful to think about. One can only hope that many animals can outrun or outfly the fires and escape to safety. But where is safe?

[nerys @replies]

@dentarthurdent A quote in a BBC News story captures the contrast between Harris and Trump about as clearly as it can be stated: “US Vice-President Kamala Harris has gone on the offensive against Donald Trump in the first rally of her White House campaign, portraying November’s election as a choice between a former prosecutor and a convicted felon.”

I’m feeling much more hopeful than I was on up through Saturday. John Oliver is going to have to change his tagline from “It’s been a busy week” to “It’s been a busy day”! His latest episode, filmed Saturday, was already outdated!

Sadly, even though we in Nova Scotia are not directly impacted by wildfires so far this year, my husband’s youngest brother and his wife, who live near Calgary, Alberta, are on evacuation standby. A wildfire 25 kilometres west of their home has been deemed out of control. So their precious possessions are packed up, their horse trailer attached and the dogs are going to their grandparents’ home.

As for climate change, consider me woke … a long time ago. I remember that years ago, there was some type of global action taken on climate change. Probably the Paris agreement. So I was feeling hopeful that maybe we could finally turn a corner on this thing. When I said as much to my mother, she gave a reply that I found very cynical. Now, I’m sorry to say, I fear she was right: “I think we’ve screwed up the planet too badly to ever be able to fix it.”

[nerys @replies]

@janetteb Thanks for asking. We’re fine here. I’m in eastern Canada. We haven’t had a recurrence of last summer’s wildfire, thank goodness. The worst fires are out west, which is how it seems to be every summer … and getting worse.

[nerys @replies]

Anonymous, I think you missed the point. No one is “forbidden” from discussing what they want. Simply choose an existing thread that pertains to your topic and then post your thoughts. I believe you were looking for K9 sound files. There are plenty of existing threads in which to do that, and you did. There was no censorship.

And, as @dentarthurdent pointed out, many of us go off-topic plenty of times. The Winchester is the perfect place to do that, but we also do it in other threads. I’m certainly guilty of it, yet I have never been admonished. But I do try to be careful and not overdo the privilege.

However, limiting the number of threads does make life easier for the administrator, and I think it also adds a level of discipline for us members so that we are not randomly starting new threads when existing threads will suit our purposes. This system has worked well for many years, and those of us who have stuck around appreciate it.

[nerys @replies]

@janetteb I second that. I have always been impressed with how well managed this forum is. The rules encourage members to be respectful and stay on-topic. Many other forum administrators would do well to take a page from @craig‘s book.

[nerys @replies]

@adrian1 I could be wrong, but I don’t think we forum members can post new threads. Rather, we reply to existing ones created by @craig. So you might search the forum for the thread most suitable to your topic.

[nerys @replies]

@mudlark Spot-on analysis of Project 2025 and Trump. You explained that far better than I would’ve. Thank you!

[nerys @replies]

@ps1l0v3y0u I think you’re right about this tracing back to the ’80s. Margaret Atwood wrote The Handmaid’s Tale in reaction to that very thing. Scary to think how prescient she was (and still is). It doesn’t matter to me if Trump is the author of any of this. I highly doubt that he is. But he’s happy to ride on its coattails and enable whatever brings him the power and attention he craves.

As for the climate, we here on Canada’s East Coast seem to be enjoying a fairly nice run of summer weather. Today is a bit warm and soupy for my tastes, but as long as it doesn’t stay that way I can handle it. We haven’t had abundant rainfall, but we’re not in a drought either. And no wildfires in our neck of the woods this summer. That’s a relief. We did not want a repeat of last summer.

[nerys @replies]

@ps1l0v3y0u It’s not the chronology that worries me, so much as the reality we face. The thought of a far-right autocracy is scary. What’s worse is that even if Trump is not elected in 2025, Project 2025 will be waiting in the wings until a Republican is elected. So it’s not going away.

[nerys @replies]

@mudlark Project 2025 is terrifying. It’s as if the Self-righteous Right read “The Handmaid’s Tale” and took notes. People think the president doesn’t have that much power because of the balance of power between the three branches. But if you can reclassify thousands of federal civil service workers as political appointees, then those employees will do what the president wants, thus creating an autocracy.

That doesn’t even address making appointments to the Supreme Court, whose justices can serve for a lifetime and make legal decisions that support a particular individual (as we just saw). And, as for Congress? Whatever balance they have provided in the past seems to be teetering toward veneration.

[nerys @replies]

My Canadian husband is very much in favour of proportional representation, and was pleased when Trudeau promised that his government would replace “first past the post” with proportional representation … then disgusted when Trudeau dropped it like the hot potato it was. Reportedly there was and is no consensus among Canadians about electoral reform and which system to chose, so we remain stuck with one that few seem to like.

[nerys @replies]

@winston @ps1l0v3y0u Trump appeals to a segment of the population who feel they have been ignored by the liberal elite and/or big government. There’s certainly a fair bit of truth to that, but what they don’t seem to realize is that Trump is not their guy. He’s only using them to get what he wants, which is power at anyone’s expense but his. He’s very good at telling people what they want to hear, so they genuinely believe he is connecting with them. Trump is hardly the first politician to achieve that, but he is certainly one of the most baffling at being able to achieve this con job on such a massive scale.

Trump is a grifter and a snake oil salesman. Sadly, those occupations have a long history of success in the United States. His fans don’t seem to care that he completely lacks any moral or ethical code, and that he’s willing to ignore or break laws to get what he wants. (“But he was framed!”) If anything, findings of ethical or legal wrongdoing seem to endear him to his fans even more because he’s defying conventional mores. If we were a society of substance over style, then none of this would matter. But we live in an age of “reality” TV … and this show is playing out in real time.

[nerys @replies]

I was just grateful for a distraction from the political mess in the United States. It now looks dreadfully imminent that the path to the White House is cleared … and not for the incumbent. It doesn’t bring me comfort to know I haven’t lived there since 1996. We share a border with the U.S., and I have family and friends living there. It’s all deeply troubling.

[nerys @replies]

@blenkinsopthebrave Thank you, I will look it up!

[nerys @replies]

@thane16 To follow up on the rest of my “avoidance of collecting more stuff” comment:

I’m taking a painting class and mostly coming up with more stuff that either has to go into a storage bin or in the garbage. So, while I like the process of painting, so far I’ve only been happy enough with one that I’m willing to hang it on a wall. Which means I’ll probably drop the painting class. *sigh*

@winston I’m glad that you’re healing, but sorry that you have had to go through this. I know what you mean about wishing for a time machine to enable us to go back and avert a life-changing event. Sadly life doesn’t give us those do-overs.

Currently I am wishing for a do-over on the last band concert I was able to perform in earlier this month (our director is retiring, and concert bands are few and far between in our area). I have been blaming my arthritic right hand for the problems I had during our concert. And it may well be the culprit. But, after having sent my clarinet off for repairs (third time now, to address the same problem), I’m wondering if these repairs might take care of it. However, I won’t know until I get my clarinet back from the shop.

[nerys @replies]

@thane16 Yeah, I’m just at that point in my life when I’m tired of acquiring more stuff, especially something that for me is only for temporary use, and then having to figure out what to do with it all when we move yet again. It really makes me want to just not get more stuff.

(See the rest of my reply in The Winchester, so as to try to keep from going too far off-topic here.)

[nerys @replies]

(Moving this reply from the BBC Approved Spoilers thread, since it’s an off-topic discussion.)

@winston I’m sorry you had to deal with the extreme heat. I’m glad it didn’t last. How is your leg doing? I hope your healing continues and you make a full recovery.

And, I’m sorry about the Oilers. It just didn’t go their way in that final game.

The move went OK, but we had to do it hastily. The timing was bad, as I’d just returned from two weeks away in Indiana visiting family and friends. As moves go, it was easier than most. We moved, literally, across the hall. So we never had to load a vehicle and drive our stuff someplace else. But even though it was a short distance, we still had to move everything from one place to the other. Basically we were asked to move in order to facilitate other things that needed to happen in the building. We weren’t forced to move, but I got the sense that we were expected to move, to make way for these other changes. So we did.

We were fortunate in that we had only a few days of heat and humidity. Now we’re back to more seasonal temperatures, and fortunately we’re getting some rain. May had turned quite dry, and I was worried that we were in for a repeat of last year’s horrific wildfires, or almost as bad, the severe drought of 2016. But with some much-needed rainfall occurring in the past couple of weeks, I think we’re OK.

I have seen plenty of spoilers because I can’t help but read what the good folks here have to say about all things Doctor Who. Maybe enough time will have passed, by the time I get to see the DVDs, that I will have forgotten all about it. I suppose that’s an advantage to waiting.

[nerys @replies]

@blenkinsopthebrave It’s less about the cost of the player and more about having more stuff. And not just the player, but I’d have to buy the DVDs, too. I wouldn’t mind renting them, but after having to move again (and in a situation that wasn’t our idea), I’m trying to minimize our accumulation of stuff as much as possible. The only way I buy books these days is if they’re digital. If I buy a hard copy, an old copy has to go. If we don’t do that, our limited living space starts to overflow.

If there was a way to rent Doctor Who on its own, without having to subscribe to Disney+, I’d do it. And yes, I tried VPN, but BBC iPlayer seems to have wised up to that and won’t allow me to watch if VPN is turned on. Of course, if VPN is off, I’m in the wrong region and can’t watch anyway. So I’m stuck.

@winston (see The Winchester for my reply)

[nerys @replies]

@blenkinsopthebrave Given their limited budget, I doubt it. It’s just sad to me that in an era of supposedly unlimited choices, we are limited in this way. Yes, I could subscribe to Disney+. But for one show? I don’t think so. Our monthly cable budget is bloated enough.

@whohar We just moved. Always great fun. We’ve had limited space for the last dozen years, and so I really don’t want more stuff.

[nerys @replies]

@bunface Oh, I do keep wanting to say that I find the death of death thing intensely maddening. Not only because, as others have said, it’s nonsensical, but beyond that I find any cultural inability to accept death offensive and troubling. So it alarms me that RTD seems to be pushing the idea that we can all live forever, even if he means through imagination and art and memory.

I feel a bit odd chiming in here, given that I am in Canada, refuse to subscribe to Disney+ and seem to be in for a very long wait until DVDs/Blu-rays are released in Region 1. But I read your comment and was instantly reminded of, “Everybody lives, Rose! Just this once, everybody lives!” I think the Doctor grows so weary of his humans dying on him that he can’t help but celebrate when he is able to save them. That is one of my favorite moments of Doctor Who, and is actually the two-parter that made me a fan.

But I take your point that in general, our culture is so distanced from death that we don’t know how to deal with it. Hopefully that’s not RTD’s mindset for Doctor Who. It’s normal to want to avoid death, if we can. But none of us are getting out of here alive, so as unwelcome as death is, we need to come to terms with the fact that dying is as natural as being born. I do like the idea that as long as there is someone to remember us, we live on.

[nerys @replies]

I’ve been waiting for the 14th Doctor specials DVDs/Blu-rays to come to my library, but I guess I’m in for a very long wait, since those media have been released only in Region 2, and I don’t see a release date for Region 1. Not only that, but there are no Region 1 release dates for the 15th Doctor specials and episodes. Just Region 1. Makes me wonder how long this is going to take. *sigh*

[nerys @replies]

@pufferfish There are two tabs atop the upper right of the posting window. If you paste text, switch from the default Visual tab to the Text tab. That way you won’t get the formatting code interspersed with your text.

[nerys @replies]

I’ve been checking in every now and then, trying to be careful to avoid spoilers and failing miserably. But I have enjoyed reading everyone’s comments. As @janetteb says, feels like old times. I’m still waiting for the specials DVDs to arrive at the library!

[nerys @replies]

@ps1l0v3y0u If you listen to the stacked vocal harmonies, overdubbed by Karen and Richard and sung perfectly in tune, that’s a result of Richard’s vocal arrangements. It was as characteristic of their sound as Karen’s solo voice. And, because I have hearing loss that started in childhood, I think those vocal harmonies were part of their appeal to me. Because of the overtones created in the vocal harmonies, my brain caused me to hear more sound than was actually there.

Karen’s eating disorders are well known, sadly. Richard had his own issues and had to enter rehab for Quaalude addiction, which is when Karen recorded her solo album, which A&M shelved, which led to her disastrous marriage, worsening her anorexia nervosa and bulimia … though she made a halfhearted attempt to get treatment. Anorexia nervosa wasn’t well understood then, but anyone who had experienced it knew, even then, that it couldn’t be cured through an hour-long outpatient session.

People have forgotten that, besides being a remarkable singer, Karen was also a good drummer … at a time when it wasn’t really accepted for women to play drums. I have always believed that Karen having to largely give up her beloved drums, in favor of sending her to the front of the stage as the star singer, is part of what led to her descent into eating disorders. The sheer joy on her face as she played shows me how much she loved it. This is one of my favorite clips of her singing and playing live: The Ed Sullivan show

@winston Yes, Karen could sing it all. It’s sad to think of what might have been, had she lived. The music she could have made? But beyond that, I like to think that her life would have been richer and more rewarding. Such a tragedy.

[nerys @replies]

@dwnerdfrommars Karen and Richard suffered from an image problem, especially in the United States. The image was largely manufactured by their record company, A&M, who recognized a cash cow when they saw it and wanted to keep the middle class money rolling in. So the PR department really laid it on thick, when it came to describing the “wholesome” image. Part of this was because they also had no idea how to promote a brother-and-sister act.

After Richard and Karen both suffered physical setbacks, Richard’s arrangements less inventive, more “by the numbers.” By the time they were both back in the studio to record their last album together, radio had entered the synth-pop age, and the Carpenters were trend-chasing in the hope of regaining their U.S. chart popularity. It just didn’t work.

But for me, the music is what it’s all about, and they were consummate musicians and professionals. Most of their studio albums reflect this. If people can get past the image and really listen, I think they can hear it. Even if “silly love songs” are not your thing, every artist or group has done them. The Carpenters did them especially well.

[nerys @replies]

I know the Carpenters are not everyone’s cup of tea. I was a fan as a kid, drifted away when their song choices and arrangements got more syrupy in the late ’70s to early ’80s, then reclaimed their music after Karen died in 1983. I’m currently listening to the 5.1 remixes of their complete Singles 1969-1981 SACD album on YouTube. I love the crystal-clear audiophile quality of these mixes.

Listening to this through headphones really helps me appreciate one of the all-time great singing voices. Karen sang like no other, and Richard really knew how to arrange, especially for those stacked overdubbed vocal harmonies that he and Karen sang. Hearing her warm, uniquely intimate voice nestled in his superb vocal and instrumental arrangements is an exquisite listening experience … at least for me.

[nerys @replies]

@winston @dentarthurdent I also find myself liking what I see of the Doctor’s companion. She reminds me of a (bottle) blonde Clara. I say that without having seen “The Church on Ruby Street” yet. The trailers are all I have to go by. As of now my public library only has DVDs up through the 13th season, so it may be a while before I get caught up.

[nerys @replies]

I must say, the trailer looks good. It captures the Doctor’s whimsy and charm, while also delivering a sense of danger posed by … who? The enemies aren’t made clear, but I didn’t see any Daleks or Cybermen, so maybe it’s a whole new cast of characters.

[nerys @replies]

@blenkinsopthebrave I love the trailer. And thank you for sharing that Radio Times article. Both make me feel more enthusiastic about taking up with Doctor Who again. But, as I’ve said before, I really don’t want to subscribe to Disney+, so I’ll have to wait for the DVDs to make their way to my library. (If we didn’t already have too many DVDs, I’d consider buying them.)

[nerys @replies]

@dentarthurdent The first time I saw Quantum of Solace in the cinema, I was so disappointed … but only because I felt it didn’t measure up to Casino Royale. However, on second and subsequent viewings, I came to love it.

I think it’s incredible that they achieved what they did, given the fact that the writers’ strike meant they had to work with a bare-bones script. I think that’s why we got some of the “low attention span” editing in several scenes, to try to compensate for the lack of script development.

But other than that, I really do enjoy the film. Like you, I liked Mathis and was sad to see him go. Bond’s handling of Mathis’ body got a lot of flack at the time, but it made sense to me, given who Bond was. And with Jeffrey Wright playing Leiter, you can’t go too far wrong. He’s such a good actor. I’m glad they brought him back for No Time to Die. (Though, speaking of Mathis ….)

I just saw Olga Kurylenko in The Water Diviner, a 2014 film that marked Russell Crowe’s directorial debut. I thought it was a very good film, and she was very good in it.

[nerys @replies]

@ps1l0v3y0u I like ZChib. It’s a keeper.

[nerys @replies]

@dentarthurdent As to why the Doctor’s doing this (‘adopting’ Bill), I’d hypothesise that he needs the companionship. Who was it who said the Doctor shouldn’t be alone, it wasn’t good for him. River?

I seem to recall both Amy and River telling the Doctor he should never travel alone. And then in “Listen” (after the Doctor goes on a tangent about whether anyone is ever truly alone), Clara asks, “How long have you been traveling alone?” We saw that when Tennant’s Doctor was alone for so long, it did not go well for him. So perhaps that made him realize how much he needs his companions.

[nerys @replies]

@dentarthurdent Yes, Silva was the one with the island and “mommy issues” with M. Bardem played him beautifully!

I didn’t much care for the Brosnan era (though I do respect the fact that he helped to bring Bond back from the brink of extinction). As I recall, Tomorrow Never Dies is the Bond film of his I liked best.

Before Craig, I didn’t really like Bond films at all. The two that did appeal to me were For Your Eyes Only (Roger Moore) and The Living Daylights (Timothy Dalton). After Casino Royale, I reviewed the earlier Sean Connery films and developed a respect for the first four.

[nerys @replies]

@dentarthurdent Oh, right, thanks for the correction! Quantum of Solace is one I tend to forget. At first I was disappointed in it, then on subsequent viewings came to appreciate it. It was marred by a couple of things: the writers’ strike and disjointed editing of the chase sequences. Apparently Marc Forster was aiming to put the audience into the action, but it had the opposite result for me. And maybe he was trying to compensate for the bare-bones script he was left to work with. But, after I got over my initial disappointment, I still found a lot to like.

Blofeld was strangely portrayed. I think that was a missed opportunity with Christoph Waltz, who is usually so good. Even in Spectre, he wasn’t as intimidating as I expected. The best arch-villain in Craig’s arc was, in my opinion, Javier Bardem’s Silva in Skyfall. He ticked off all the Bond villain character trait boxes with a gleeful menace.

[nerys @replies]

@dentarthurdent I loved No Time To Die. It’s a natural culmination of the Daniel Craig era, though I admit I was surprised that they ended it the way they did. Having watched all four of his Bond films (Casino Royale was the one that hooked me), I felt that there was a tragic trajectory. I think giving Bond a daughter, only to have him sacrifice himself for her and Madeleine, was not a universally popular decision, but the story gave Craig a richer emotional palette to work with than he’d had in the previous three films.

One criticism of the film is that Rami Malek’s character was not particularly menacing. I disagree. Unlike past Bond arch-villains, I don’t think the point of his character was to focus on him being a global threat (even though he was). When he picked up Mathilde and carried her around, he was absolutely chilling. I really didn’t know what he was going to do … and neither did Bond. That scene was beautifully played by Malek and Craig.

And isn’t it poetic that when Bond turned back to retrieve Mathilde’s Dou Dou, it sealed his fate?

Last night we watched Get Out, a 2017 horror film written, co-produced and directed by Jordan Peele. What a brilliant directorial debut! I love any film that makes me think, and when one from the horror genre achieves that, I appreciate it. It also stimulated lots of emotions, mostly sadness and dismay at what the main character goes through. I’ll be contemplating this one for a good long while.

[nerys @replies]

In the “what have you been watching lately” vein:

Still Alice from 2014, a deftly devastating portrayal of early-onset Alzheimer’s and its impact on the individual and her family. The film affected me so much that I couldn’t sleep that night.

I was surprised to learn about one of the co-directors, Richard Glatzer, having ALS and being unable to speak. Watching the “making of” documentary was a remarkable revelation of how everyone, cast and crew alike, made this work.

There was one scene among the deleted scenes that I wish they could have kept in, because it showed the intrusion of the disease into Alice’s professional life. This scene made it clear how intelligent and incisive she had been, and what Alzheimer’s was inexorably stealing from her, her colleagues and her students.

Julianne Moore is amazing in everything I’ve ever seen her in. I think the first time I saw her was in Magnolia, still one of my favorite films. (Though, in my opinion, neither she nor Anthony Hopkins could redeem Hannibal, which I felt was just cashing in on The Silence of the Lambs success. Same with Red Dragon. That whole franchise was, for me, an unfortunate development … though, given its box office success, I’m sure the studio was quite happy with it. I’m probably alone in this, but I consider Michael Mann’s Manhunter to be a vastly superior film adaptation of Thomas Harris’s Red Dragon novel.)

Enough about that. Though this train of thought reminds me: We recently rewatched a film I have long loved: 84 Charing Cross Road from 1987. Anthony Hopkins has done so much brilliant work. But here he shines in a movie about letters, which must be one of the most challenging subjects to depict in a movie. I’m guessing that at least half of the film is done in voice-overs. He and Anne Bancroft (plus Judi Dench in a supporting role that still surprises me because of how subdued her character is) are so skilled that I find myself forgetting about the voice-overs.

The only part that doesn’t quite work for me is the ending. The film was based on a stage play, which in turn was based on Helene Hanff’s book of correspondence between herself and a London bookseller. There are a few instances of breaking the fourth wall, including one at the end. I have a feeling it worked better in the stage play than in the film. But I find the rest of the film deeply moving, nostalgic in a way that perhaps is over-romanticized, and yet it resonates with me.

And, speaking of Anthony Hopkins, I’m sure The Father has been discussed here. I rewatched that a while back. It’s another heartbreaking portrayal of the impacts of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Olivia Colman is stellar, as always, but Hopkins delivers a stunningly believable performance.

[nerys @replies]

@winston @ps1l0v3y0u I tried to like it, and wanted to, but mainly found Chibnall’s tenure wanting. My favorite episode was the “Eve of the Daleks” New Year’s special. It caught the magic, I thought … then dumped it. Such a shame.

[nerys @replies]

@ps1l0v3y0u Yes, I thought Jack Robertson in “Arachnids in the UK” and “Revolution of the Daleks” was the character most obviously based on Trump. Like so much during Chibnall’s tenure, the writing was handled in too heavy-handed a manner to be effective.

[nerys @replies]

Does anyone here watch True Detective on HBO? (It’s quite violent, so might not be everyone’s cuppa tea.) It launched its fourth season on Jan. 14. I was a little underwhelmed by the first episode. Too much tell, not enough show. But I get that they had a lot of characters to introduce and ideas to get across.

With that behind us, the second episode was much better. And, to my surprise, whose name did I see in the opening credits? None other than Chris Eccleston! So far his character is not very likable. But then again, few characters are in this series. Good to see him again!

[nerys @replies]

@ps1l0v3y0u I just hope, loon that he is, The Master has been told it wrong.

Now, wouldn’t that be providential? The Master as an unreliable narrator. Except that it seems too easy, in the same way that “it was all a dream” was a cop-out for Dallas (but brilliant for Newhart).

[nerys @replies]

@ps1l0v3y0u Midnight: bbc iplayer has an embarrassment of riches on this side of the pond. Hope it’s there for a while!

Sadly, I don’t think I can access it unless I pull some shenanigans. I’m sure I can access the DVDs via our public library system, so I’ll go that route.

[nerys @replies]

@ps1l0v3y0u “Midnight” remains one of my all-time favorite Doctor Who episodes. I would love to watch it again … except I can’t, since it’s no longer on Crave. Maybe I can get it on loan from the library. *sigh*

[nerys @replies]

@ps1l0v3y0u Yeah, the endless exposition is one of many things that doomed “The Timeless Children” … if you have to explain everything (and have the Master, of all people, doing it), then that’s probably a clue about the quality of the storytelling. “Show, don’t tell.”

@dentarthurdent Yes, you and I were discussing Layer Cake. It may be worth a second watch for me, too.

The only other thing I can recall seeing Jodie Whittaker in was Broadchurch. She was part of a large ensemble cast, not the star of the show. But her character was so pivotal that she got a fair bit of screen time in a demanding role, and her acting impressed me.

[nerys @replies]

@ps1l0v3y0u But Jodie Whitaker was unfairly served by her scripts. That’s down to Chibnall. And there were a lot of other problems.

I absolutely agree with this. For those who criticize her Doctor, I believe she could have done so much better with scripts that measured up to her talents. That didn’t happen. I have no idea why. Too many cooks in the kitchen? But whatever the reason, a show’s success or failure usually ends up at the feet of the showrunner.

There were some good episodes. Just as I felt a season was gaining momentum, it fell flat. Repeatedly. “Eve of the Daleks” was the one standout episode, for me. The plot, the humor, the acting, the chemistry between the characters all came together like a proper Doctor Who episode. I wish more of Chibnall’s episodes could have been like that one, but that’s the one by which I choose to remember Jodie Whittaker’s tenure.

[nerys @replies]

@cedarbranchtardis Doctor Who will not be available on BBC America. The BBC continues to air Doctor Who in the UK, while elsewhere Disney+ is the only service streaming Doctor Who.

[nerys @replies]

@blenkinsopthebrave Oh, that does look good! I refuse to subscribe to Disney+ simply to keep up with one series I love, so I will have to wait and see if our library system will be getting it in digital form. Up to this point, they’ve been very good at adding each season’s and the specials DVDs and Blu-rays to their collection. I don’t know if the change in Canadian distributor will change that. I hope not.

[nerys @replies]

@craig Just a heads-up: Looks like a spammy post in The Winchester.

[nerys @replies]

@dentarthurdent Layer Cake – I didn’t really like it, didn’t dislike it, but I couldn’t stop watching – just had to see how it all worked out. And I have to say I was expecting a bad ending, but then there were several reversals in the last few minutes and I thought XXXX was going to get away with it and the final shock came from a totally unexpected (but in hindsight quite justified and predictable) quarter.

That pretty much sums up my thoughts. I saw it through to the end, confused by a fair bit but still able to roll with it. My husband was more frustrated by the ending. Like you, I found it to be a fairly plausible outcome, given all that had happened.

(Sorry to take so long in replying. I haven’t seen the new Who specials yet, so I have been trying to avoid spoilers.)

[nerys @replies]

@dentarthurdent I have never watched the series, but I loved Neverwhere the book. You mentioned you saw the series first. Did it measure up to the book?

My husband was watching Benediction on Crave. It too features Peter Capaldi. I want to watch it, and so I hope to do that soon.

[nerys @replies]

@dentarthurdent What did you think of Layer Cake? I found it just a little too complicated for my tastes. If it weren’t for the three principal actors — Daniel Craig, Michael Gambon and Colm Meaney — I think I would have given up on it altogether. My husband hated the ending.

But, having said that, I can see why this was the film that made Barbara Broccoli think Daniel Craig would make a good James Bond. And she was right.

[Author]

Posts