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@winston Good news regarding your granddaughter and her family! Given the lockdown, her boredom level won’t improve much, but at least she can freely interact with her household again. And she’s healthy. That’s the most important thing.

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@miapatrick @dentarthurdent Ha, thanks for helping me out! Usually my proofreading skills are better than that. I kept staring at “snog” and thinking, “Well, I think that’s correct.” I was focusing on the wrong word and reading the rest of your post as you meant it … not as it is.

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@miapatrick Please don’t apologize for rambling! I enjoyed every word of your thoughtful analysis. It’s one of the reasons I love this group! (But I’m not seeing the typo.)

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Now we’re talking! I really enjoyed this episode. The relationship arc between Sarah and Nick built in a predictable way, yet the romantic in me wanted it to go there. Sarah’s flintiness is hard to pull off believably, but Aisling Bea nailed it. Sarah wasn’t trying to be intentionally cruel to Nick (beautifully played by Adjani Salmon), yet her words and actions hurt him and others. Seeing that realization dawn on Sarah with each successive time loop was one of the most satisfying elements of this episode.

In some ways, the relationship between Sarah and Nick felt more real to me than the relationship between Clara and Danny … which is strange, since we spent a lot more time with those two. As heartbreaking as Danny’s demise was, I was never fully convinced that he and Clara had much in the way of a relationship. It was one of the few missteps, IMO, of the Moffat era.

I was afraid yet another Daleks episode would annoy me, but I felt the Daleks were utilized effectively. And, since world domination wasn’t their ultimate aim here, just getting revenge on the Doctor by exterminating her, that upped the dramatic tension. And containing the action in just one storage building, compared with all the massive set pieces we saw in the “Flux” story arc, brought it down to a more personal level.

The success of this episode shows how the “Flux” series could have benefited from fewer characters and more intimate interactions between the Doctor and her companions.

@winston I’m glad this episode provided a welcome diversion for you.

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@scaryb and @winston I’m sorry that you have had to deal directly with Covid. @scaryb, I’m glad that your case was a mild one, and @winston, how relieved you must feel that your granddaughter is asymptomatic (though I understand what you mean about the possibility of spreading it to the rest of her family). That’s the best we can hope for with this virus.

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@devilishrobby It had a bit of a Marvel Comics vibe to it, didn’t it? It struck me as a feeble attempt to capture the spirit of The Avengers (the Marvel Studios film, which I haven’t seen … not the TV series starring Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg, which I love). It just felt like this big mob of characters stuck together in an overly convoluted plot. I never got a chance to really feel the danger the Doctor or her companions were in. When that’s lacking, it’s hard to commit to their situation and root for them to come out of it OK. I find it especially disappointing, since early on I thought this season might be heading in the right direction. Then, with the finale, it all just fell flat.

Which is such a strange experience with Doctor Who. I am a post-gap viewer, and while there might have been a hiccup here and there, I can’t recall feeling such a prolonged stretch of ennui with any Doctor or companion, starting with Chris Eccleston and continuing all the way up through Peter Capaldi. Fingers crossed that the new RTD regime can right the ship!

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@blenkinsopthebrave A quick preview: looked fabulous, was lots of fun from week to week, but was ludicrously frustrating in terms of plot, and character development, and motivation, and coherence, and…

Sadly, I agree. I had such high hopes, because the storyline had the potential to wrap up with a satisfying conclusion … and then didn’t. Part 1 set the stage: Too many characters, too much far-flung plotting, too little coherence between all the different threads. And, most importantly, too little real urgency or depth of feeling between the characters who matter to us.

I wanted to like it, but in the end I felt frustrated, as I have through much of Thirteen’s run. It’s such a shame, because it didn’t have to be this way. It’s easy to blame Chibnall, but part of me wonders about the “too many cooks in the kitchen” curse. Would it have been better, stretched out into eight episodes rather than six? I’d like to think so, but there’s been precious little in what I’ve seen to make me believe that.

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@janetteb Thank you so much for posting that story! It’s just what I needed. As you say, with so much of the news being bleak these days, it’s nice to have a break from that with this lighthearted piece.

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@devilishrobby I agree. I think I need to rewatch this season now, from the beginning, and work out my thoughts about this. @juniperfish mentioned a “kitchen sink” vibe, and that’s exactly how I felt. Everything was tied together, but it felt rushed and a little unsatisfying. Yet parts of it were wonderful. I loved the Doctor finally showing us a little something there at the end. I wished that all of the thematic and emotional threads had been pulled together similarly. But maybe that will resonate with me more on second viewing. Fingers crossed!

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I just watched the episode this afternoon. I must say, Chibnall is on a roll. I love all the bonkerizing going on here among new and familiar faces. Feels like old times!

Was everyone else as happily surprised as I was to see Kate Stewart back? I should have anticipated that, with UNIT back in the picture. I’m looking forward to next week’s conclusion … and then I will be rewatching all the episodes once the puzzle pieces have all come together!

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@mudlark I must thank you for your amazing synopsis and analysis of where this storyline has traveled so far. I had forgotten so much (particularly that mention of the Division in “The Timeless Children”), or failed to pull a lot of it together in my mind. This really helps me understand it so much better. Thank you!

This was the first properly suspenseful Doctor Who episode in a long time. The Weeping Angels are always good for a scare, and they don’t disappoint here.

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@winston I have been alarmed as I watch this disaster unfolding out west. I’m glad that you are safe. British Columbia is experiencing many of the extreme weather events happening in California, and that is disturbing. It shows the massive reach of climate change and how really, no area is left untouched.

But it seems the farther north we go, the more massive the impact. As Earth’s polar ice caps melt, climate change escalates … and that’s not a good thing.

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@craig I’m feeling a bit heartbroken for you, for feeling as you do. And yet, I can only echo what others have said. It’s also true that for me, this most recent iteration of Doctor Who has not been what I had hoped for. And yet, there have been some surprising moments. I keep hoping that this season will unwind in a satisfying way. We can only wait and see.

You have given us a great gift with this site. It’s a place where thoughtful people gather to collect and share their insights. I have enjoyed my time with this community. I hope it will continue. But really, that depends on whether you gain something from keeping it going. I will respect whatever decision you make, and remain grateful to you for all you have done for us.

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I find myself with @blenkinsopthebrave on this. I have been surprised at how much I have enjoyed these episodes, considering how underwhelmed I have felt by much of what has preceded them. I can’t explain exactly why I feel this way, except that at least there seems to be some direction in the story arc. Previous Chibnall-helmed episodes have felt either directionless or overly forced. I’m not getting that vibe here. Even though the direction isn’t entirely clear to me, at least there is a sense of momentum.

Sadly, my husband (who I know saw the Ruth episode) does not remember her. So that shows you what a strange run this has been. I think he was so annoyed by the whole “mucking with history” element, to the point that he didn’t even watch the season finale, that he jettisoned it all from his memory.

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@miapatrick I am so sorry about your mother. I’m glad that posting and reading here give you some respite. Hugs!

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@dentarthurdent Well, my long reply just vanished into the ether, so I won’t even try to retype the whole thing. But yes, N.B. stands for New Brunswick, the province to our north and west.

I drove 6,289 kilometres (3,908 miles) round-trip. ‘Twas a long one, especially doing it solo. But having the Appalachian Mountains as your backdrop (Berkshires in New York, Blue Ridge Mountains in West Virginia, Poconos in Pennsylvania, Laurentians in Quebec and the Cobequid Pass in New Brunswick) turns it into the most scenic of drives.

And to see family and friends for the first time in two and a half years was such a joy! It took a weight off my shoulders that I didn’t even realize was there … till it was gone.

Now, to bring this back on-topic: We finally received the Season 2 DVDs for Unforgotten. So, between that and new Who, TV viewing is exciting again!

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Many thanks to all who have posted and helped me make sense of these first two episodes! But yikes, alternate reality? Makes my head spin.

I did enjoy this episode far more than the first one, and the only reason I can come up with is that fewer new characters were engaged in the story. I don’t mind new characters, but having them all introduced in one fell swoop is confusing to me (and I don’t care who’s doing it). “War of the Sontarans” felt more settled in, grounded in a path forward … wherever that path is leading.

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Well, I guess I missed the memo that this season opener was going to be timed with Halloween, and yet there it was on our DVR.

Having just returned from my trip to the States, we only got around to watching “The Halloween Apocalypse” last night. Like others, I found this episode oddly paced and confusing. It felt like a big core dump of characters, none of them linked in a way that I could follow. Presumably they will become linked as the season continues, but it’s strange to have them introduced all at once in what felt like a rambling run-on sentence.

However, we watched the second episode tonight and found that one to be much better (possibly because fewer characters were engaged). On to that thread!

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So happy to be back in the land of the masked and physically distanced! My solo road trip to visit family and friends in Indiana and Ontario was well timed and enjoyable. So glad I did it!

Stuff happens in threes, right? Rear turn signal bulb burnt out (fixed in Auburn, Mass.); tire blowout (fixed in Albany, N.Y.); and muffler coming loose, damaging the catalytic converter, which may have been a casualty of the New York pothole (Band-Aid fix in Florenceville, N.B.). So my southern tour featured stops in mechanics’ garages all over North America.

On one hand, it might seem unlucky that I had these mishaps. But, on the other hand, I was able to get every mechanical issue fixed quickly, and I was safe and in good hands every time. So it felt like I had a guardian angel sitting on my shoulder the whole way there and back.

And a new season of Doctor Who started up while I was away! On to the episode threads ….

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Cleanup in Aisle 9 … er, Faces of the Doctor (2):

“t”

and

buying “something or other” online

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@cathannabel I am so sorry to see this news today. Like others, I wish I knew what to say at this heartbreaking time. I can only imagine the shock and grief you are experiencing at the unexpected loss of your husband. I’m glad that the kindness you are feeling from so many here, and out there, too, is helping. It can’t hold you in your husband’s warm embrace, or recapture the relationship you and he had. But maybe it helps to ease the harshness of (yet another) new reality.

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@mudlark I have watched precisely one episode of Call the Midwife … and it was because I was staying at my mom’s home, and she and her partner were watching it. But I know what you mean. It recalls a time when such harrowing experiences were far more common in hospitals. It’s just the way it was. Yet, in this day and age, it’s still startling to read or hear about.

My one and only sustained hospital stay, due to major surgery, was remarkably good. The food was good (says no one, ever). And my care was excellent. The hard part was (and I apologize; this is not polite dinner conversation) working my way through the days, with much pacing up and down the hallway, to when I could finally relieve my abdominal bloating. How do you spell relief? B-M!

By the way: Has anyone seen the new Bond film? We went to see it Friday night. All I can say is … wow! I was not expecting that. I will say no more, as I don’t want to spoil it for anyone.

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@thane16 and @mudlark These hospital experiences you describe are jaw-dropping. I never imagined that, in this “modern” day and age, such things could happen. Like @dentarthurdent, I am very fortunate in that regard. I’ve had very few hospital stays, and now I appreciate the kindness and care I received all the more!

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@winston Re: turning the recalcitrant non-Whovians in your family: Interestingly enough, my husband (who is nine years younger than me) is the longtime Doctor Who fan. He started watching in his youth, during the Tom Baker era, and so he was the one who marked the calendar to make sure he didn’t miss the premiere of the relaunched series. I reluctantly gave in because … well, that was what he was watching. From that first scene of Chris Eccleston’s Doctor with Rose, I was hooked. And now I am the committed viewer!

It’s wonderful news that your son has made such a good recovery from what was a very scary situation. Like @dentarthurdent, I am rather the canary in the coal mine in our household, when it comes to eating anything sketchy. It doesn’t always lay me flat, but my husband and I can eat exactly the same thing, and I’m the one who’s paying for it later on. Just the way my digestive system is.

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@leafysuburbs Catherine Tate was brilliant in this episode. It really showcased her acting range. She is my favourite companion because I find her story arc so relatable. How many good people out there in the world are lost or angry and have no idea what they are capable of?

You’ve nailed exactly why I loved Donna so much. And that’s what is so heartbreaking about her character. Donna’s discovery of what she was capable of was nullified by the Doctor’s decision to remove all memory of it. She found out how powerful she was, but was destined to return to her mediocre life because she was not allowed to remember any of what she had achieved while she was the Doctor’s companion. Later on, Clara Oswald set him straight on that matter … but it was too late for Donna.

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@thane16 I understand what you’re saying about always thinking, “I could’ve done more.” Been there, done that. Because my father had managed his health conditions (low kidney function being the primary one) so well, for so long, I adopted a pattern of thinking he was always going to bounce back … because he always had. Of course, my rational mind knew better. When he contracted Covid, even though it was mild, and he seemed to be getting better, I had a feeling he was not going to bounce back. The physical toll was just too great.

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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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