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@dentarthurdent You asked about passports. I have two, U.S. and Canadian. I use the Canadian one when flying in Canada or entering Canada from an international border. I use the U.S. one when entering the United States. That’s the strictly legal way of doing it. I’ve been told it’s not really necessary to have a U.S. passport, that dual citizens enter the United States using their Canadian passport and are never questioned on it. I guess I’m too much of a “by the book” literalist to do that!

And yes, I could renounce, but it is quite pricey. Also, following the “Who knows what the future will bring?” mantra, I’m not sure I want to burn that bridge. What if someday I need to return to the States to live permanently? I don’t have plans to do that, but … who knows?

P.S. Oops, I typed “musical director” above. That would be appropriate for stage musicals, but not a church music director.

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@thane16 Thank you for sharing your thoughts on your mother, and your pain over missing that last visit. Because, how could you know? How could any of us know what was coming? I remember you writing about her after she had died, but these reflections bring it home even more.

I had a similar experience with my father, though mine was more drawn out. I had flights booked to Indiana for April 2020. We all know what happened. So, the last time I saw my family, in person, was April 2019. My father had health issues, life-limiting but not life-threatening. Then, almost a year ago, both he and my stepmother tested positive for Covid. Thankfully, both were mild cases, and my stepmother recovered completely. However, my father never really did. Once he was hospitalized, he never returned home. While he did not suffer the worst ravages of that disease, he had to endure two 14-day quarantines, multiple moves to different hospitals and too much isolation. I suspect, though don’t know, that he might have been suffering from long Covid. He just never really recovered. Ultimately he developed two types of pneumonia and died last January, with those two types of pneumonia listed as the official cause of death.

I was not vaccinated at the time, and because my little corner of Nova Scotia was, and is, relatively safe, my father did not want me to fly down to visit or, especially, come to the funeral. “That’s just for show,” is how he put it to me on the phone. He didn’t really mean it like that. After all, he had meticulously organized his funeral, as he did everything else in his life. So obviously it was important to him. But he also said that he knew I loved him, and that I knew he loved me. That was what was most important. And, he was still being my father. He knew I was safer here than there, and he wanted me to stay that way. Protective, as ever!

One great thing about the Internet is that my husband and I were able to watch the live stream of Dad’s funeral service. It’s not the same, but in some strange way I felt that I was there, communing with everyone else in grief. The only drawback was that when it came time for the congregation to sing in that lovely communion of voices joined together, they had their musical director singing into a microphone, so his voice was amplified over all the others and really the only voice audible in the stream. At at a few points, he stopped singing, and so I was briefly treated to that chorus of voices echoing through the sanctuary, a sound my father loved so well.

Technically I could have come down; the border was closed to nonessential travel, but as a U.S. citizen I was allowed to cross the border. However, Dad and I agreed that it wasn’t a good idea, given the high Covid case numbers there. When he and I talked about it, I think that he thought perhaps he had more time than he did (though he seemed to have a prescience about time growing short). As it turned out, time ran out.

Syzygy, I understand so well that “unfinished” feeling you are going through, the circle still broken. Whenever I used to think about getting “the call”, I worried about all sorts of things: the main one being, hastily booking flights, but not getting there in time to say goodbye. Never in my wildest imagination did I ever consider that I would not be there at all … not even for the funeral.

As you say, this pandemic has had a terrible impact on end-of-life situations. My heartfelt condolences to you as you work your way through this grieving process. I understand much of what you are going through. That’s why I feel I must make this trip. Yes, it will be long and tiring. But I need to do it. There’s a saying along the lines of, “Would you rather regret doing something, or regret not doing it?” My missed opportunity in April 2020 is regret enough.

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@dentarthurdent And someone should tell Jodie that goggling at something with her mouth open makes her look like a goldfish. It does most people. The director really should have caught that.

OK, here’s where I’m going to cry foul. I know what you’re talking about. I can also think of many, many instances in which the NuWho Doctors (Tennant, especially) had nearly identical facial expressions. My problem wasn’t with Whittaker utilizing it, but rather that it seemed derivative, rather than inventive. She could have done so much more, as we have seen her do elsewhere. I have a feeling she was directed to react in that way, because “that’s what the fans expect!” But I am only guessing at that. What I do know is that Whittaker has a much more extensive acting range than we were shown during her time with Doctor Who.

Emma Peel? Ah, yes, one of the all-time great female action heroes. But I’m not sure anyone will ever play her as well, or as memorably, as Diana Rigg.

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@blenkinsopthebrave Oh my, I can hardly imagine a citizenship ceremony as a Zoom event. And having to cut up your permanent resident card in full view during the ceremony? Wow! I didn’t have to do that at mine. Seems to me they instructed me to do it, and I did. But I think they just trusted me to do it. One nice thing is that you no longer have to renew your permanent resident card every, what was it, every five years?

What motivated me to become a Canadian citizen was finding out rather late in the game that the United States is one of only two countries in the world whose tax system is based on citizenship, not residence. So a U.S. citizen’s income is subject to U.S. taxation no matter where the person lives. The good thing is that there is a tax treaty between the United States and Canada. Because I pay more taxes in Canada than I would in the States, I owe no U.S. income tax, but I still have to fill out a U.S. tax return. Oh, and I must also submit that form in which I report the highest yearly balances in all my financial accounts. (Thanks, but no thanks, to Americans far richer than I who hide their money in offshore accounts.) I have more protection from this in Canada, as a Canadian citizen, than I did as a permanent resident, so that was my motivation for getting my Canadian citizenship. But I’m so glad I did. Citizenship does confer a greater sense of belonging, somehow, than permanent residence did.

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Yippee! I saw this news on Facebook and immediately clicked on the “love” icon. What a relief to know that the good Doctor’s writing and direction are in good hands.

I am saddened that Jodie Whittaker was generally let down by less-than-stellar writing, and who knows what all was going on behind the scenes. @phaseshift You provide a superb analysis for why this happened during Chris Chibnall’s time as showrunner. But, better days ahead!

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@thane16 The Good Place comes highly recommended. Thanks for adding your praise of it! I will have to look it up once we finish Unforgotten.

@missrori There’s not much I can add to what’s already been said. I’m glad that it at least helps for you to express your thoughts and feelings here.

@blenkinsopthebrave Congratulations on your Canadian citizenship! I took that step in 2014. I don’t guess that you had the privilege of a citizenship ceremony, as I did. Several years before I got my citizenship, I accompanied two friends to their citizenship ceremony in Ottawa. I was quite moved by it then, so I really looked forward to mine when it happened in Halifax. It was every bit as moving as I remembered. And isn’t it great to be able to vote? I didn’t think I would appreciate it as much as I do. I still vote absentee in the United States, and I vote here.

@winston Maple syrup is the best! And not just on pancakes. Hubby uses it as in ingredient in many dishes (salad dressing, glazes, etc.).

@janetteb and @dentarthurdent Your travel stories remind me of two travel mishaps my husband and I had (and how trivial they seem now). In 2007, we had a flight booked from Denmark, where we had chosen to celebrate our 10th anniversary. At that time, we lived in a small town in southeastern Ontario, right along the New York border. Our departure was out of Syracuse, only a two-hour drive from our home. However, we had to cross the border. We’d never encountered any problem before. It was a Sunday afternoon, and wouldn’t you know it? As we approached the highway ramp that would take us to our border crossing, we saw traffic backed up almost to the highway. We knew we would never make it, so we tried backtracking in the other direction, trying to figure out a way (sans GPS) to get there in time. Long story short, we didn’t make it. Our flight took off while we were still on the road. After much hand-wringing and cursing, we stopped by a hotel, booked a room, and hubby called to rebook our flight. Luckily for us, we paid only a few small penalty charges and got our flight rebooked out of Montreal. At that moment, my husband sighed, visibly relaxed and said, “OK, our vacation starts now!” And so it did. It was a glorious August afternoon, and we enjoyed a lovely dinner, slept well, then took off the next morning in glorious weather to drive to Montreal, and away we went. Denmark is one of those very special experiences that neither of us will ever forget. If Denmark is my only trip to Europe, it will always remain one of my favourite memories.

Our other mishap happened when we took our second trip to Newfoundland (the first, when we visited the northern peninsula, was an experience just as magical as our Denmark trip). We had bookings for a week-long driving vacation all around the southeastern part of the province, but somehow neither of us had remembered to book a rental car! We were sitting in the airport, when hubby thumbed through our travel folder containing all our printouts and asked, “Where’s our rental car reservation?” I’m sure I had a blank look on my face. We went through the “I thought you took care of that/No, I thought you took care of that” back and forth, and then he got on his cellphone. Nothing was available. Turns out St. John’s, Newfoundland is one of those places where it’s almost impossible to rent a car at the last minute. So, all through our flight, we felt quite anxious. After we arrived late on Saturday, none of the car rental places were open. And, unbeknownst to us, they were also closed on Sunday. It’s a good thing we didn’t know that. Hubby tried calling some of the local car rental places early Sunday morning, but got no answer. At 10 a.m., I went to his notebook and called the first place on his list. Luckily for me, a young woman named Andrea answered the phone. I explained our situation. Andrea told me that technically, they were closed. The only reason she was there was to tabulate intake from the previous night’s rental returns. She didn’t think she had anything available. (My heart dropped.) But if she found a car, she would make sure we got it. I thanked her, hung up and felt pretty pessimistic. Twenty minutes later, hubby’s cell phone rang. Andrea, our guardian angel, had found us a car! I think we literally got the last available rental car in St. John’s. The feeling was much like when we missed our flight to Denmark, then discovered we could rebook with only a few penalties. Both times, the relief was overwhelming. Now our vacation really starts!

Nova Scotia is in a relatively good position because Dr. Strang, our chief medical officer (Nova Scotia’s director of public health), has taken a slow, cautious, measured approach to the pandemic. All along, his approach to reopening has been based on two things: the number of Nova Scotians vaccinated, and the epidemiology. We would enter Phase 5 reopening (our highest level during the pandemic) only if 75 percent of Nova Scotians are vaccinated, and the number of cases we have is low enough to support fully reopening. We were scheduled to enter Phase 5 on Sept. 15, because we are almost at 75 percent vaccinated, but unfortunately our case numbers started going up the week before. Most of our cases now are unvaccinated 20- to 40-year-olds. So we are still in Phase 4. Sadly, our neighbouring province, New Brunswick, has gone back into lockdown due to skyrocketing case numbers.

Even once we get to Phase 5, people will need to show proof of vaccination to use any non-essential services (eating out at restaurants, etc.). So there will still be restrictions on what people can do, to protect the public health.

Nova Scotia’s case numbers, while higher, still are not nearly as alarming as other places. We currently have 169 active cases, with two active cases in my particular health network (which covers three counties; neither case is in my county). So I am fortunate to live in a rather protected bubble. But there’s a reason why it’s protected; it didn’t just happen by accident. It’s due to that reluctance to reopen until the vaccination and case numbers justify it.

On that note, I am driving to the States late next month to visit my family. Three and a half days there, three and a half days back, through four provinces and seven states. (How I wish that ferry between western Nova Scotia and Maine was running!) Also, two different routes there and back, because I must stop where family lives six hours south of the border to get my PCR test done in order to be allowed back into Canada. So it will be interesting, to say the least. But I have to do it. My mother is 90, with health issues. My stepmother is turning 90. With all she did, taking care of my father, and all she has been through, I want to be there for her. Especially since I could not be there when my father died. So it’s time. I just have to be as careful as I can be on the way there and back.

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@missy Generally speaking, I agree with you that the U.S. should not redo British shows. They’ve managed to ruin a fair number of them. However, The Office is one exception, maybe because I started watching it before I watched the British original. I enjoyed the U.S. version, but toward the end it seemed to be chasing its own tail and wasn’t funny anymore.

@dentarthurdent Belated happy birthday wishes to you! COVID Alert is Canada’s tracker app. Like yours, ours only runs on more recent smartphones using Bluetooth. I have it installed on my smartphone. I’ve never received any exposure notifications, but then my county has had no cases of COVID-19 (that we are aware of), and our region has had only 19 cases total, with one case currently active.

On a completely different topic: We watched the fourth season/series of Unforgotten, which aired recently on PBS’s Masterpiece. What an amazing series! I have liked Nicola Walker ever since we saw her in Touching Evil back in the late ’90s. Had no clue Unforgotten was going to end the way it did. I don’t want to spoil it with any details. We hadn’t seen any of the previous seasons, so now we are catching up by getting the DVDs from our local library. We just wrapped up Season 1. I’m sure we watched it with a very different perspective than we would have before seeing what transpired this season.

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@dentarthurdent Thanks for posting that additional info. I had already read through it, and I appreciate that they did think of non-techy people … to a degree. If they really wanted to consider non-techy people, then they would allow for printouts. But, the bottom line is that you still must upload the information, whether it’s using the smartphone app or via some other computer device. And you must do it within the 72-hour window.

The problem is, if I’m flying and I don’t receive my test results within that 72-hour window, then uploading issues are moot; I must rebook my flights. If I do get the test result back in time, I still have to upload it to the official government website (which is, effectively, the ArriveCAN app, in whatever way you access it).

If I were to drive it, I couldn’t have my test done where my family is, because it takes me 3.5 days to get there, and that’s outside of the 72-hour window. Even if I got the test result back that same day, it wouldn’t be in time. So I would have to find a location where I could get a test done (theoretically within a day’s drive of the border), stay there until I receive my (hopefully) negative test result, then upload it to the government website before I would be allowed to re-enter Canada.

On to happier things: @missy I too love that line! Capaldi delivered it brilliantly.

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@dentarthurdent @thane16 Ah, if only it were so simple. I would like nothing better than to simply have a printout to show them. But no, it must be uploaded to the official federal government app. And you have to have it within that 72-hour window. From the Government of Canada:

All travellers, with limited exceptions, whether entering Canada by air, land or marine vessel, must use ArriveCAN. You’ll need to submit your information within 72 hours before your arrival to Canada. If you’re entering by air or land, you must use ArriveCAN before entering Canada. If you’re travelling by marine vessel, you must use ArriveCAN before or upon entering Canada; this is to accommodate for Wi-Fi issues on the water.

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@blenkinsopthebrave Your new hero is my new hero! Here in eastern Canada, our Covid numbers are generally very low. For that, I remain grateful. I am wanting to visit my family in the States, but so far am daunted by the new app we are required to use before returning to Canada. Basically you must have a negative Covid test within 72 hours of your departing flight into Canada, and that must be uploaded into this app. I have never trusted technology to do what it’s supposed to, in an already stressful situation, and in the time needed.

I was speaking with a customer at work yesterday (she’s a U.S. citizen with a home in a nearby community). She said that crossing the border is extremely stressful, especially if you’re flying. Twice she did not get her Covid test results within that 72-hour window. And when she was sending her grandchildren off, they barely caught their flight, because of the delays due to trying to get their cell phone on a U.S. plan to work on the Canadian side of the border, so that they could show their uploaded Covid test result. Long story short, she encouraged me to put off going, for as long as I can (because maybe things will improve to the point where we don’t need these cross-border procedures). And, if I do go, she strongly recommended that I drive. (If you are flying into the United States, you need a negative Covid test within 72 hours of your departing flight into the U.S. But, strangely enough, if you’re driving to the States, you don’t need one. She does not understand the inconsistency; neither do I.)

People I know who have driven have had better luck. The only problem for me is, it’s a 3.5 day drive, and not very practical. I’d basically have to take two weeks off from work. And then, of course, there’s that nagging worry: What to do in the event of a positive test result prior to returning to Canada. With Delta, that’s not an unrealistic concern. So … I feel stuck here, unable to do something as simple (or used to be) as visit my family.

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@blenkinsopthebrave Too harsh?

When the shoe fits ….

I know I’m a broken record, but there were enough good episodes that I don’t consider it a total loss. On the other hand, there aren’t enough for me to consider it a successful run, either.

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And, I apologize for misspelling Jodie‘s first name. I’m having a bit of a run with name misspellings!

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@janetteb I hope that Moffat is writing the episode. Now that would be so good.

Oh, that would be brilliant!

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@phaseshift Sorry about Whittaker – what might have been,eh?

You and @jimthefish have perfectly expressed my feelings about these developments. As @janetteb noted, I’m sorry about Jodi Whittaker, but I am not sad to see Chris Chibnall leaving. While Chibnall has created some good episodes during Whittaker’s run (the historical ones are consistently his best), for the most part I would describe his work as underwhelming. Which did not serve Whittaker well. I know she is capable of so much more, but she was never given the chance to shine as the Doctor.

@jimthefish … and the way that Steven Berkoff threw a veritable hand-grenade into the filming of the episode.

Is this the same actor who was in Vikings? He chewed up the scenery every time he appeared. I never did understand why his character was there. I think he was supposed to be an oracle, but I kept wishing he would just shut up. I can’t recall enough about “The Power of Three” (the cubes episode) to remember him from that one. Was it something similar?

The prospect of Neil Gaiman taking over as showrunner would fill me with a lot more confidence than I had when Chibnall took over. I knew that too many of Chibnall’s Doctor Who episodes were mediocre, at best, so I had a bad feeling about it. Wish I hadn’t been right. Gaiman, on the other hand, has clearly demonstrated his ability to write fantasy infused with wry humour. So I think he could revive the old charm that Doctor Who lost with Chibnall in charge. In a perfect world, I’d love to see Whittaker in some Gaiman-penned episodes!

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@dentarthurdent I should note that I did eventually catch up on all those missing chunks of Doctor Who, first on Netflix and then, after Netflix dropped it, on Crave TV. But, of course, by then I was already predisposed to like Donna, given what I had already seen. I did find Rose’s departure emotionally jolting, even years later, but it had less impact than it would have had at the time. I suspect my husband would have found it all too soap opera-ish. I’m not sure he ever saw those episodes. I was doing most of the catching up in my own spare time, which is different from his. He did see Amy and Rory’s last episode and was moved by it. It was, as you say, so abrupt and unexpected that it carried an emotional wallop.

We have a space (as in living space, not outer space) problem. As a result, I resist collecting DVDs because they take up too much space. We have some, but we very carefully consider our DVD purchases. So far, despite my complaints about commercial interruptions, I haven’t resorted to getting Doctor Who DVDs. Past seasons are available on Crave, minus commercials, so if I am willing to wait, I can view them the way they’re supposed to be seen.

Hmmm, maybe I can find Good Omens on demand there, as well! Commercial interruptions are, I’m sure, what give it a sort of frenetic vibe because the flow is interrupted. So the transitions are not what they are supposed to be. Same thing happens with Doctor Who.

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@janetteb I had read that there was another season/series of Good Omens! I really need to watch that without commercial interruptions. Sadly, as with Doctor Who, when there are constant commercial breaks, it really disrupts the flow of the program. It gave Good Omens an overly frenetic, almost frantic vibe, which I do not remember from the book. It will be interesting to see what they come up with for a new season/series.

@dentarthurdent I could never really warm up to Donna after her first appearance at the end of Doomsday when the Doctor was grieving the loss of Rose and Donna literally burst on the scene.

Ah, dem’s fightin’ words! Just kidding. Donna is one of my favorite companions. But I think the reason I didn’t have the same reaction you did is because of something quite silly. We were watching Doctor Who on cable, and this was in the pre-DVR days. The Space Channel (now CTV Sci-Fi) kept moving Doctor Who around in its schedule. We had our VCR programmed to a certain day and time. Space would move it, and we couldn’t figure out when it was on. So there were these big gaps in our viewing, till we finally managed to track down Doctor Who again. It just so happened that we missed all the angst with Rose going off into her parallel world. When we got back on track, it was with “Silence in the Library” … one of the eeriest Doctor Who episodes ever. And don’t get me started on “Midnight”! That’s another one I never tire of.

I absolutely agree with you on “Day of the Doctor”! Everyone involved caught lightning in a bottle. It has a magical charm that draws me to watch it again and again … and again.

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Drat, Karen Gillan. Sorry about the misspelling (and it’s too late for me to edit it).

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@dentarthurdent I guess I was so taken with Oswin’s passion that I found that lacking in Clara, at least initially. I always felt (and I know this is subjective) that Matt Smith and Jenna Coleman didn’t have the kind of chemistry Smith shared with Karen Gilliam and, by extension, Arthur Darvill. “The Angels Take Manhattan” left me so distraught that I didn’t even feel like watching Doctor Who for a while … and so maybe that was part of it, as well.

Interestingly, I loved Clara in “The Day of the Doctor” (the 50th anniversary special). It seemed to me that Coleman was taking energy from David Tennant and the other Doctors, which infused her interactions with Smith’s Doc, as well. Of course, that is my viewer’s take on it, which is probably completely unsupported by what was actually happening. When Coleman and Peter Capaldi’s Doc got going, then I felt her character really took off.

Speaking of David Tennant: Yes, Staged is the series in which he co-stars with Michael Sheen, following up on Good Omens, in which they also co-starred. They are brilliant together. It feels completely spontaneous, like the two actors are riffing off one another. Apparently they were so convincing in the first season/series that viewers felt they really were improvising. No, there actually is a writer, and so this comes into play in the second season/series. I will say no more! Staged brought some much-needed laughter into our household, for which we are very grateful.

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@dentarthurdent “Asylum of the Daleks” is one of my continually rewatched episodes. It never gets old, at least not for me. Here we are introduced to Oswin, later on Clara. I was so intrigued by Oswin, but mildly disappointed by Clara’s debut. (Not to digress too much, but it’s almost like the idea of “The Impossible Girl” was better than how it actually played out.) Anyway, there is so much to love about this episode … it remains one of my favourites!

I think we can discuss other non-Doctor Who shows here, yes? My husband and I just finished watching the second season/series of Staged. What a great comedic take (with a few dark moments) on the twists and turns this pandemic has taken in all our lives!

We also just finished watching all five seasons of Orphan Black. Wow, my hat’s off to Tatiana Maslany, who played multiple roles beautifully and utterly convincingly! Solid ensemble cast and storyline that looked like it was produced as planned, right through to the end.

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@blenkinsopthebrave @devilishrobby I agree with the points both of you made. I also think that whomever followed Steven Moffat was going to have a tough row to hoe.

Interestingly enough, I felt the same way about the David Tennant/Russell T. Davies era. I was certain no one would be able to rise to or surpass the standard they’d set, so I avoided watching the Matt Smith era for quite some time. When I finally started watching, I was surprised and delighted at how good the episodes were. Much of that is due to Moffat’s brilliance, which gave Smith the ideal stage on which to use his talents to the fullest.

I hoped the same would be true for Jodie Whittaker and Chris Chibnall, and that my misgivings would be for naught. But sadly, Chibnall’s run has felt convoluted and over-anxious to impress, rather than giving us emotionally complex stories that draw us into the characters and whatever is happening in their lives. To be able to write that way is a gift, one that Chibnall has shown us from time to time. But overall, his writing for Doctor Who hasn’t worked for me.

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@blenkinsopthebrave I have such mixed emotions about that report. Overall, Jodie Whittaker was not well served by her scripts. I lay most of that blame at Chris Chibnall’s feet. He’s the showrunner, and should have been able to write scripts up to Whittaker’s impressive talents. He’s done it before with Broadchurch, but it seems that whenever Whittaker would start to hit her stride, the rug would be yanked out (or so it felt to me) and she’d have to start all over again. Or resume a few steps back from where she’d been. Such a missed opportunity, in my opinion. Because she’s had some brilliant moments. But not enough, I fear, to hold her in good stead in the Doctor Who lineage.

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@dentarthurdent @blenkinsopthebrave @winston Thank you for your kind thoughts! In happier news, Nova Scotia’s Covid numbers are coming back down, so the greater numbers of people getting vaccinated + adhering to public health guidelines + the mini-lockdown are all having a good effect. We’re still not down to where we were in March, when we were reporting only one or two cases per day, but we’re heading in the right direction.

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Greetings, @winston @blenkinsopthebrave @janetteb and all! Yes, hubby and I are fine. I had my first jab last Tuesday, and hubby (who is nine years younger) gets his first one tomorrow. So we are finally getting past that hurdle.

The timing between first and second doses in Canada is somewhat controversial. Mainly this came about because Canada was experiencing a shortage of vaccines, and wanted to ensure that the general population had access to a first dose. Now that we are getting more supply, I wonder if the timing will change. As of now, my second dose is scheduled for August. Here’s a CBC News story explaining it.

Nova Scotia is going through a rough time. We’re nearing our second week of a two-week “circuit breaker” lockdown … which isn’t really a true lockdown, or at least not the way it was a year ago. Basically folks came into the province, didn’t self-isolate the way they were supposed to, and brought the variants in with them. Same old song, different verse. Nova Scotia was doing so well, and then this. Many are mentioning how weary they feel. I feel the same way. Working in a supermarket, I find it very difficult to deal with the deniers. Just today I had a customer in my checkout who said she would never get a vaccine. There’s not much I can say to that. Though, sadly, my own sister (who is a home health-care nurse) has decided against getting vaccinated for the time being. She is fearful about whether the vaccine will affect her DNA, even though all available evidence refutes any genetic impact. So, I don’t know what to say to that, either. When someone I love, who is an intelligent person, believes this with such conviction, there’s not much I can say to refute her opinion. Our mother (whose sister, if she were alive today, might well have had a similar opinion) is baffled and concerned. I’m sure our father, if he were alive, would be baffled and concerned, too.

I called my mother and stepmother in Indiana yesterday to wish them a happy Mother’s Day. We had good talks. As ever, I am grateful for the freedoms a telephone affords me. In Indiana, universities are holding graduation ceremonies, and people are celebrating. Streets, sidewalks, restaurants and bars and filled to capacity. It’s hard to imagine, but I guess vaccinations are far enough along that people feel safe doing that. Here in Nova Scotia, we are not there yet. And I don’t think about the prospect of when we will get there. I take each day as it comes.

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Well, different strokes and all. I have enjoyed all the post-gap Doctors and appreciated them in different ways. I slowly grew to love Capaldi’s Doctor, mainly because of the way his Doctor evolved before our eyes, right up to his regeneration.

“The Timeless Children” was a good idea, in concept. But having the Master explain everything to the Doctor, in such excruciating detail, really took the dramatic wind out of the episode.

I agree with the video commentator who says Whittaker is held back by Chris Chibnall’s nearly humorless scripts. There is too much tell, not nearly enough show. In my opinion, the balance between “show and tell” was far better in the Russell T. Davies and Steven Moffat eras. Writing throughout those eras created a believable tension between the Doctor, companions and antagonists. It seems far more cartoonish and explainy now, with little in the way of comic relief. Contrary to what the video commentator says, Doctor Who doesn’t need better actors. The actors are fine. But the writing can use a boost.

(Kudos to the video commentator for mentioning “Midnight”, one of my favorite episodes!)

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@oochillyo I am sorry to 13th Doctor and Jodie Whittaker fans but for me Sacha Dhawan’s Master out classes or out shines Jodie’s Doctor.

I am not sure if Sacha Dhawan has any other acting roles to note but in Doctor Who at least he seems like a really good actor and is my fav portrayal of The Master so far with Missy very close behind unless both finals change my mind.

Oh yes, Sacha Dhawan has an extensive filmography … including An Adventure in Space and Time, a wonderful Doctor Who film!

I have mixed feelings about his Master. I so enjoyed Missy. Michelle Gomez’s portrayal was deft, giving us a convincing mix of menace, humor and pathos that made her an effective antagonist for the Doctor. Dhawan’s Master is a throwback to John Simm’s portayal, which felt very over-the-top to me.

In my opinion, the writing of Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor does not always serve her talents well. Sometimes it feels like she’s still finding her feet in portraying the Doctor, which shouldn’t be the case this far along. Having said that, I think she’s had many shining moments, and I appreciate what she has done thus far.

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@missy I enjoyed those early entries in the Stephen King oeuvre, too!

I can read horror fiction before bed. Obviously I’ve been doing it since my return to Stephen King. But there are times when I read something so unsettling that I find it difficult, if not impossible, to fall asleep. Usually it’s something that takes me unawares. When I’m reading Stephen King, I have a pretty good idea of what I’m in for! But if I’m reading something that I think is going one direction, and then it unexpectedly diverts into unpleasant territory, then I have a harder time processing it. And, since my usual reading time is before bed, that’s when I’m processing it.

@winston Dear Lord, Night of the Living Dead terrified me … as an adult! I can’t imagine what it would have done to me as a child. (Well, yeah, I can. Because of all the other movies that kept me awake as a child!) I don’t envy you having to deal with that in your youth. And you are so right about the Weeping Angels having a similar impact!

I so agree with you about the emotional resonance of “Everybody lives!” I think that’s when I fell in love with Doctor Who. It seemed to be heading to a very dark place, ending-wise. But then the Doctor’s jubilance at being able to save everyone, just this once, was so endearing and uplifting. One of my all-time favorites!

@dentarthurdent “Last Christmas” is another favorite. It, too, seemed headed in a rather dark direction, but swerved at the very end. I was fine with that, bad makeup job and all!

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@winston I was in Grade 7 when I saw The Godfather. My parents took me to see that, if you can believe it. I guess they didn’t want to leave me at home alone (my older sister was working at the drive-in). I would have been far better off without seeing that. My mother and sister especially loved scary stuff. I think they got an adrenaline rush from it … and maybe they still do. I had to learn to live with it, because it was always part of our household.

I’m OK with horror fiction. I loved reading Stephen King on into my young adult years. Then one of his books (I think it was Gerald’s Game) just didn’t enthrall me the way the others had, so I took a hiatus. Just this year, I got back on the Stephen King train and am enjoying it. I am amazed at his continuing ability to create new stories in the horror genre.

Back to The Godfather: You know what’s weird? Now I love that trilogy of films (though the third is vastly weaker than its predecessors). What changed it for me was when NBC ran Parts I and II as a miniseries, in chronological order and with scenes not included in the theatrical releases added in. The violence was muted, because it was for a television audience. Somehow, seeing it in that way made me understand the family story that was told, and I could see the brilliance in the acting, writing and direction. Without that miniseries, I doubt that I would have learned to appreciate those films. For decades now, I’ve been able to watch them without my childhood terrors creeping in to repulse me.

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@missy I too am part of the “afraid of the dark” club. Like @winston, I suffered from night terrors as a child. Horror films and scary TV shows (The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits) would keep me awake with night sweats for weeks on end afterward. Seeing The Godfather, a story of human monsters, at a drive-in movie theater nearly did me in. I kept pulling up the blankets all night long, imagining that poor horse’s head at the end of my bed. Jaws was the last film to have that effect on me … thank God!

To all who remember the power of “Midnight” … it is one of my favourite episodes, for the very reasons everyone has cited. The monster was unseen, rendering it even more frightening by leaving most of the details to our imagination. The fact that it was produced in such a streamlined way, almost like a play, made it even more effective. I was totally riveted by the acting, especially between David Tennant and Lesley Sharp. The moment when Sky’s mimicry of the Doctor meets, then precedes him is terrifying. But the monster in us, the mob mentality that threatened to destroy them all, proved most terrifying.

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Most of our snow is gone. But this is what it looked like in our neck of the woods on Sunday:

https://www.theweathernetwork.com/photos/view/beautiful-weather/sunshine/35366210

That’s my photo. I’ve posted quite a few of them to our televised weather service network.

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@devilishrobby I’m sure it is. However, I am a wee bit on the cheap side. Not to mention, space-saving/”don’t accumulate stuff” side. And “I’m already paying for this, so why aren’t I getting it?” side. Which brings us back to “cheap” … LOL!

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@devilishrobby Thank you! I guess I will have to rely on info from the kind posters here. I tried logging in online to my streaming service and watching the season finale. The episodes all show up, but when I try clicking on it, there’s no play arrow. Rather frustrating! And all that’s available via my cable box is “Revolution of the Daleks” (it used to be that all the post-gap seasons were available). I wonder if this is due to licensing restrictions from the BBC?

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@devilishrobby I agree, it could have been better.

Having said that, I finally got around to a second viewing yesterday, and I will admit that my opinion of it improved. One of the things that bugged me first time around was what seemed like an interminable wait to finally get to the Doctor and her companions. All that buildup to what the bad guys/gal were doing seemed to take forever. I didn’t even recall that the very first scene was from a previous episode. So it took me a long time to realize that this was a continuation of Season 11’s “Resolution” holiday special.

So, once I knew all of that, and wasn’t trying to get my bearings as we went along, I could appreciate the episode more for what it did offer (rather than what I felt was lacking). The best scenes were the personal ones. They really felt personal to me, not there simply to move things along. And the goodbye from Ryan and Graham didn’t feel as tacked on as it did on first viewing.

Jack was still a highlight … as always! And Whittaker’s Doctor continues to gain ground with me. I think her musings over her identity were not to answer questions; those were already answered by the Master. But her familiarity with her “self” is knocked completely off its foundation. She had to get herself back to that realization that, no matter what her past is, or where she really comes from, she is still the Doctor.

Can someone remind me: Where did the extra TARDIS come from? I know it featured in the season finale, but for the life of me I can’t remember the details. “The Timeless Children” may be due for a rewatch, too!

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I finally got to watch the presidential inauguration ceremony Friday evening. I was amazed at how relieved I was to feel hope again. Yes, I know the inauguration is largely image, but it’s an image many of us desperately need right now. I do think it’s a rocky road ahead for Biden and Harris. The stark divisions that have split the un-United States are not going away anytime soon.

But Biden is old school, from a time when reaching across the aisle was the norm, not the exception. Hopefully there are enough Republicans who remember that, or are willing to learn it, that the federal government will return to getting work done, rather than finding ways to impede that process.

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@devilishrobby I agree with you that this would have worked much better as a two-part special. Too much was shoehorned into one episode, which resulted in a rather incoherent narrative. I wonder why it was not done as a two-parter. Maybe that was the original idea, and the BBC wouldn’t roll with it? I still haven’t done a second viewing. I have Monday off, so I will watch it then.

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@janetteb That’s part of why my father planned his funeral service well in advance. That way, everyone knew what he wanted, and the service would follow his wishes. And it did!

@winston @dentarthurdent @thane16 Thank you for your thoughtful condolences. It seems like we are all in this same general age range when the death of a parent is expected. Not welcome, but we know it’s coming. And, for many of us, it has.

Dad was a French horn player and music ed major in university. So music was one of his passions. He chose every organ piece and every hymn, along with the bible readings. I found the music to be the most moving parts of his service, because it resonates with my childhood. I know what the music meant to him, and so it’s deeply meaningful to me, too.

Dad always took notes during the pastor’s sermons. If he liked one well enough, he would type it out on his computer. Included in Dad’s packet of funeral instructions was a printout of a sermon from several years ago. Dad told the pastor, “If you want to do that one again, I’m good with that!” The pastor did not recycle his sermon. But he was impressed with Dad’s attention to detail. As he said, he’s amazed when people remember his sermon from a week ago. But from years ago? Yup, that was my dad!

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@blenkinsopthebrave @winston @janetteb and all, thank you for your kind thoughts. Dad’s funeral service was wonderful. My father was a retired university professor of counseling and psychology, teacher education and statistics. Before that he was a high school band director. So teaching was his life, and as such, he was one of those very organized, methodical teachers. Dad had meticulously planned his funeral service, down to the last detail, all instructions neatly typed.

There were a few little winks in his obituary, and in the service, that made us laugh. For example, he specified in his funeral instructions to make sure the candlesticks were filled with oil prior to the service; apparently he had witnessed services with the candles went out because someone forgot to fill them. His obituary said that he “enjoyed family gatherings, traveling (especially in Europe), Volksmarch walks, live music performances and brief obituaries.”

Because of his religious faith, he was not afraid of what was coming. He took comfort in “knowing what comes next.” So I take comfort in that, and also that his physical suffering was relatively minimal and not prolonged. Small mercies.

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I have sad news about my father. He passed away early Saturday morning. His funeral is in one hour. Because of Covid, I can’t be there. But fortunately they are live-streaming the service, so I do have that.

Can I blame Covid for his death? It’s hard to say. Dad was 93, with a pre-existing health condition. Five years ago, when he was diagnosed with a mass on his kidney that caused a subsequent gradual decline in kidney function, we knew this was the eventual outcome unless something else got him first. When he contracted Covid, we all worried that that was the something else. Fortunately he contracted a mild case, so he did not suffer the physical ravages of the disease. However, the two 14-day isolation periods, combined with multiple back-and-forth trips between various hospitals (never to return home), did him no favours. Covid seems to be the last peg that got pulled out from under him, causing his health to collapse.

Dad knew his time was limited, so over the past few weeks we had the good talks we needed to have. He leaves behind countless wonderful relationships that he cultivated during his time on this earth. And he went about as “gentle into that good night” as we humans can hope to go. I am grateful for that.

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@bluesqueakpip @miapatrick Thank you for that clarification. I’m from the States, but live in Canada, which has a parliamentary system similar to the UK’s. The “secretary” designation raised eyebrows for both me and my Canadian husband.

@blenkinsopthebrave I may have to bite the bullet and go the purchase route. Or be prepared to be patient through the interminable waiting period, till the uninterrupted version finally lands in my cable streaming service.

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@bluesqueakpip Thank you for that excellent analysis. It arms me with a lot more context for a second (and hopefully more appreciative) viewing.

Question: Did I hear correctly that the security official, who eventually became leader of her party and prime minister, was called Secretary? Is that correct, in the UK? I would have thought she’d be called Minister. Secretary is more of a U.S. term (as in, Secretary of Homeland Security).

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@missrori I hope you are feeling completely well again soon! It’s good that you your essential needs are met. As you say, it can be so much worse. I am glad that you are comfortable, all things considered, and managing your way through this.

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@missrori @ichabod I agree with both you about the “too much explaining” going on in Chibnall’s dialogue. Yes, the Doctor has always been wordy, but it wasn’t always to explain each and every thing. I sense a lack of connective tissue in the writing. Which, given Seasons 1 and 3 of Broadchurch, surprises me. Clearly Chibnall is capable of writing dialogue that doesn’t whack us over the head with THE POINT. But, in my opinion, he keeps falling short with Doctor Who. I keep hoping, and there are moments that rise to the occasion and deliver emotional punch (the conversation between Jack and Yaz being one of them), but it’s not sustained throughout an entire episode.

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OK, I’m going to have to watch this again when there’s not a grumpy spouse in the room who can’t remember the last two episodes of last season, is going “What?” when the Doctor says she’s not who she remembers, and is honked off at any messing around with the Doctor’s origin story. (Like that’s a new thing in the Whoniverse.)

My usual complaint, watching it in Canada, has to do with the commercial interruptions, which completely disrupt the flow of an episode. That is probably my biggest issue with any new episode of Doctor Who, watching it as I do on cable during the current season. It’s not a problem once a new season has started and the uninterrupted episodes become available, on demand. But I have to wait for that to happen.

Because of those interruptions (and grumpy spouse giving colour commentary throughout), the episode didn’t flow for me, emotionally. There were parts that I knew were meant to have emotional pull, but they didn’t move me as much as I would have liked. Maybe on second viewing, they will.

Captain Jack Harkness is such a breath of fresh air! I had forgotten that only the companions met him last time around, but the Doctor missed out.

Jodie Whittaker exuded more power this time around, which I liked. I would love to see her Doctor and Jack in more scenes together!

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@winston @blenkinsopthebrave @mudlark @dentarthurdent I echo your sentiments for a Happy New Year. Here’s hoping that 2021 will be an improvement on its predecessor.

One bit of wonderful news from our corner of the world: A friend of ours has polycystic kidney disease (which she inherited from her mother, who died from it). Her kidney function had declined to 10 or 11 percent, meaning that she would have to start dialysis. Another friend of ours came to the rescue and donated one of her kidneys. What an amazing gift! Donor and recipient are doing well. The recipient posted a photo of her empty plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce. It was the first time in a very long time that she’d been able to eat anything with tomatoes. She’s home now. I’m so happy for her and her family, and I’m in awe of our other friend who donated her kidney.

I must say, this news has been a much-needed ray of light for our little town. The fact that it happened at Christmastime makes it even better!

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By the way: I’m sure this is ancient news, but I just found a delightful book in my public library system’s Overdrive collection. It’s called Doctor Who: 12 Doctors, 12 Stories. I just completed the first one. Wonderful stuff!

12 Doctors, 12 Stories

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@arbutus We get Crave with our cable subscription, so as far as I know, that’s still the same. We have a combo package that includes HBO, so that gets us most of the programs, films and specials we want to watch.

As for my dad’s recovery, we think this is his last day of isolation. But now my stepmother is faced with the task of finding him a spot in some sort of nursing facility, and hoping that this time she can make it work. I don’t know if the previous facility, with whom she’d already had everything arranged, will still be able to take him after this delay. My sense is that no, they can’t, since she told me she’s back to Square One.

@missrori Oh, gosh, you have been through the wringer! My heart goes out to you, your parents and your boyfriend, and all the deprivation you are enduring. I’m glad that your health has been restored, but I am sorry about your father’s health having suffered in the aftermath of Covid.

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@blenkinsopthebrave I do have cable, and so I watch Doctor Who via the CTV Sci-Fi channel. Which reminds me: I need to check to see when the holiday special is airing!

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Thank you, @dentarthurdent! Dad is recovered from Covid. He also happened to develop pneumonia after he’d recovered from Covid, probably due to his inactivity while being hospitalized for so long. So it looks like he has recovered from that, as well. His 14th day should be Sunday, Jan. 3. So hopefully he will test negative on Jan. 4, and then plans can proceed from there. Fingers crossed!

Congratulations on being Covid-free! That still appears to be the case in my neck of the woods, as well (southwestern Nova Scotia). We too are having a bit of topsy-turvy weather, though that has been my experience of winter weather since we moved here in 2011. We benefit from oceanic Gulf Stream currents that tend to moderate our temperatures year-round. So, while the U.S. eastern seaboard got dumped with snow during a nor’easter a couple of weeks ago, we received very little snowfall from that storm. If you look at a map, you’d wonder how it’s possible that we missed out. It’s because the Gulf Stream current that flows between Nova Scotia and the U.S. East Coast tends to keep those storm systems west of us. They will push up into New Brunswick, but more often than not we are spared. Not that I’m complaining!

The negative effect I have seen, in terms of climate change, is that our part of Nova Scotia is being hit with summertime droughts. Again, hard to believe, since we’re surrounded by ocean water, but it’s happening with increasing frequency. And part of what’s so difficult is that very few towns and rural households are on any kind of municipal water supply. Most people rely on their wells. Drilled and artesian wells seem to hold their own through these droughts, but many shallower dug wells run dry. It’s bad enough during normal times, but the last thing we need during a pandemic is people unable to wash their hands because they don’t have a potable water source at home.

My streaming service in Canada is Crave. Weirdly, in my cable lineup for Doctor Who, all I see are the Christmas specials, no other episodes. However, if I log in, I can view all of the episodes via the Crave website. That one’s a bit of a head-scratcher! But since I was already logged in, I watched the episode that way. Jenna Coleman’s elder makeup job doesn’t look as bad on my computer screen as it does in HD, LOL!

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Hello, all! We enjoyed a good, quiet Christmas. We gathered with a small group of “bubble” friends for dinner on Christmas Eve, then took our annual Christmas Day beach walk. It was 15F/59C here, so our walk was quite pleasant.

Dad’s health continues to improve. Probably because of all his inactivity after being hospitalized for Covid, he then contracted pneumonia, but he has recovered from that. He is finally off all medical devices. No oxygen or IV! And he seems to be doing well with his physiotherapy exercises.

The bad news is that Dad is still in hospital. He was supposed to be transferred to a nursing facility this past Monday, but the day of the transfer, they tested him for Covid, and sadly he tested positive. No surprise, since he was diagnosed with Covid on Nov. 10. He has no symptoms, but could still be carrying the virus. So he could not be admitted to the nursing facility, and instead was transferred to yet another hospital. I think this is his third one in nearly two months. And, he is once again in isolation. So this was not the happiest of Christmases for him or my stepmom. Not to mention that today is their 31st wedding anniversary. First time they’ve been apart on their anniversary. But at least they are both healthy and can talk on the phone. That’s something!

I’m currently watching Last Christmas, my favourite of the Doctor Who Christmas specials. I often forget about The Gift of the Magi aspect of the two lies the Doctor and Clara told one another at the end of Death in Heaven. I forget, that is, until I am reminded of them again in this Christmas special.

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Hello @arbutus and all! I’m sorry you have had health problems to deal with, but it sounds like that is mostly resolved.

Dad continues his slow progress. He was moved to a rehab hospital, then another ailment popped up, so he was briefly transferred back to the main hospital. Then, last week, he was moved back to the rehab hospital. He believes he will be there for 10 days, and then we’ll have to see where he is. He is discouraged by the fact that he can walk only a few steps before becoming winded. Both of his late sisters had chronic lung issues (emphysema and COPD), so I’m sure that is preying on his mind. He’s never had to deal with breathing issues before, other than asthma (which he more or less outgrew). We all hope that he will build up enough strength to go back home … but we will have to wait and see.

Nova Scotia continues to fare reasonably well, compared with the rest of Canada. The provincial government has been very good at cracking down immediately, as soon as an outbreak occurs. So areas that are experiencing community spread are immediately required to follow greater restrictions, while the rest of the province is still operating under the protocols set before the second wave began. Nova Scotia has 1,383 total confirmed cases (dating back to the spring), with 78 active cases currently.

As far as I am aware, my little corner of the province has had only one confirmed case from back in the fall: a university student at Université Sainte-Anne in Church Point, Nova Scotia. That’s about an hour-and-40-minute drive from here. The student was tested and already isolating, as university students here are required to do upon entering campus, so there was no community spread.

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@dentarthurdent Dad has had books, crossword puzzles and Sudoku to keep him busy. Oh, and the dreaded TV, too. But he told me that doing those things felt more like having to do them, rather than wanting to do them. That’s the toll isolation takes, I think.

However, I received very good news yesterday: Dad’s oxygen levels are up where they need to be, so he was transferred yesterday into a different Covid unit, with the plan of transferring him to a rehab hospital soon. So things are looking up!

@winston My small town in Nova Scotia has experienced something similar. Halifax is undergoing a similar tightening of restrictions starting on Monday. But even before that, people from “the city” were driving here, and elsewhere along the South Shore, because it’s “safer” to shop here. Of course, we worry that they will bring the virus with them, to a region that up until now has had only one assigned case of Covid (a university student who had arrived on campus, was tested and was in isolation with the positive result came back, so there was no community spread). Now hairdressers and other small business owners/operators are asking their clients if they have visited Halifax recently. I know people will be upset by that, but it has to be done.

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