Doctor Who Series 8 Wrap Up

Episode 5:  “Time Heist”
A classic bank caper with a twist.  The Doctor, Clara and others wake up in a chamber suffering from memory loss.  The only thing they know is that a being called “The Architect” has recruited them to rob an alien bank.  The twist is that they agreed to have their memories wiped.  It was a fun fast-paced adventure with some surprises.

Episode 6:  “The Caretaker”
Clara is trying to live two lives, one with the Doctor and the second as a school teacher with a boyfriend.  The Doctor appears at the school as the new janitor/caretaker.  He meets Clara’s boyfriend and has an immediate dislike because he was previously a soldier.  The Doctor, Clara and Danny (the boyfriend) work together to stop an alien threat.  Once again someone who dies in an adventure awakens at the end and is now in the “Promised Land”.  The mystery continues…

Doctor Who Time Trips: A Handful of Stardust

Author:  Jake Arnott

First Publication:  2014

Source:  NetGalley

Summary:  The TARDIS is diverted to England in 1572, and the Sixth Doctor and Peri meet John Dee – ‘mathematician, astrologer, alchemist, magician, and the greatest mind of our time’. (‘Only of your time?’, the Doctor asks, unimpressed.) But what brought them here? When the Doctor discovers that Dee and his assistant have come across a ‘great disturbance in the cosmos, in the constellation of Cassiopeia,’ he realizes that they are all in terrible danger.

Jake Arnott is best known for his crime novels.  Based on what I could see this is his first time writing science fiction or Doctor Who.  Arnott does a good job with this short story.  He does an excellent job of capturing the feel of a very good Sixth Doctor episode.  The dialogue and characterization was spot on.  I especially like the way Arnott incorporates the various morality discussions concerning imperialism and colonization.

Highly recommended.

Peril on the Screen: "Listen"

Doctor Who

Season 8

Episode 4

Story No. 245

“Listen”

Written by Steven Moffat

Watched as part of “the Peril of the Screen” for R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril IX



From Carl’s R.I.P. post:  Stories can make us look back over our shoulders and question every creak and groan on a dark, quiet night. Stories can cause our hearts to race with ever-increasing tension as we forgo sleep to rush towards a surprising conclusion. Stories can make us suspicious of every character as we challenge the protagonist to be the first to solve the crime. Stories can make us sleep with the lights on, make us pull the covers just a little bit tighter, and can make every shadow seem menacing.

This is a perfect summary of the Doctor’s story in this episode.  He theorizes that we have constant companions that are always just out of our sight.  When the hair stands up on the back of your neck?  It’s them.  The sounds you hear when the lights go out?  It’s them.  When you are sure you put a cup on the end table but find it somewhere else?  They did it.  He drags Clara along on a journey from a children’s home, to the end of the universe, to a barn to try and solve the riddle of our invisible companions.  And the scene in the barn is a surprise that caught me off guard.

If I had to compare this episode to another, I would say it is similar in mood and atmosphere to the classic “Blink”.  The main differences being this one focuses more on the Doctor and the twist ending takes this one in a different direction.

The parallel story being told features another form of scary story.  The first date where everything goes wrong.  Clara finally goes out with her co-worker Danny and every comment is the wrong thing to say. But that is a different kind of horror story.

Another excellent episode in what is shaping up to be a great season.

A New Doctor in the House

I was concerned with Matt Smith leaving Doctor Who.  His energy and interactions with the various companions (Amy and Rory then Clara) swept me up and made me a fan of his incarnation of the Doctor.  It was obvious that there was an attraction between the Doctor and Clara.  With Peter Capaldi taking over, it was announced that those days were gone.  Let’s take a look at the first three episodes of the new season and see how the show is doing.

Using one of River Song’s favorite phrases…SPOILERS

Episode 1 (or overall story #242):  “Deep Breath” by Steven Moffat. 
Some have complained about the fantasy element Moffat has used in this series but I do not have a problem with it.  In my mind when you are dealing with a main character that is this old some of the adventures would seem more like fantasy.  I always think of the show as more of a science fantasy than a straight science fiction series.  “Deep Breath” started out as a somewhat disjointed, confusing episode to reflect the Doctor’s state of mind.  He has just regenerated and is still recovering.  Moffat made a good choice of giving us some popular familiar characters to help Clara this time around.  Clara also suffers confusion trying to deal with the loss of the man she was in love with.  Capaldi turned in an excellent performance in his first full episode.  I liked the mix of confusion, humor, and the parts that show this is a darker Doctor.  Among my favorite segments are the return of the Paternoster Gang, the Doctor (and others) confusion concerning Clara, the link between the androids and an earlier episode, the hints of a “promised land” and the surprise guest appearance near the end who convinces Clara that the Doctor needs her more than ever.

Episode 2 (Story #243):  “Into the Dalek” by Phil Ford & Steven Moffat.
Another example of the new “dark” Doctor.  His treatment of the soldiers on the military station in space was something we did not see from the previous doctors.  I liked the idea of a damaged Dalek, nicknamed Rusty by the Doctor, becoming good.  Things go terribly wrong when the Doctor tries to fix him.  One of the high points of the series is when Rusty calls the Doctor “a good Dalek”.  Calpaldi nails the expression and makes the viewer feel his pain.  Once again we see a short scene tying into the “promised land” subplot from episode one.  Danny Pink is introduced as a co-worker/love interest for Clara.  Based on the Doctor’s treatment of the soldiers on the station, it should be interesting when he meets Danny.  One of the other things that impressed me with “Into the Dalek” was the way it was the thematic  connection between this episode and Clara’s first appearance.  In that episode, the Doctor tries to rescue a woman who is trapped on a Dalek station.  It turns out that she is a damaged Dalek who thinks she is a human woman.  In this one the Doctor and Clara physically journey into the mind of a damaged Dalek in an effort to help it.  I will be curious if this is connected to Moffat’s arc for Clara.

Episode 3 (Story #244):  “Robot of Sherwood” by Mark Gatiss.
Following a very dark episode is one that is more in line with the previous two Doctors.  “Robot of Sherwood” is a fun romp that starts when Clara wants to go back in time and meet Robin Hood.  The Doctor argues with her that he is a myth.  He takes her back to prove it to her and the first person they meet is Robin Hood.  An epic sword fight occurs between Robin and the Doctor.  The twist is that the Doctor uses a spoon instead of a sword.  The conflict between the Doctor and Robin had me cracking up.  It was a fun break from the darkness.

Summary
I am enjoying the Peter Capaldi Doctor.  It is interesting watching as the Doctor and Clara figure out what their relationship is.  Steven Moffat has shown, once again, why he is one of my favorite creators for this series.

Doctor Who Time Trips: The Bog Warrior

Author:  Cecelia Ahern

First Publication:  2014

Source:  Netgalley

From Amazon:  Arriving on the planet Cashel, the Tenth Doctor witnesses a strange masked ball. To guarantee peace, Prince Zircon has to choose a bride from the Bog People - dead men and women who have been resurrected as slaves. Or as warriors. But Zircon is in love with the enslaved Princess Ash, whose parents were deposed and executed by the current Queen. As usual, the Doctor has walked right into trouble, and it's up to him to sort it out.

Adapting fairy tales, especially in the Steven Moffat era, as Doctor Who stories is not an unknown concept.  In many ways, Moffat has played around with fairy tales during the Matt Smith era.  What determines the quality of it is the way the author handles the characters.

I enjoyed the previous "Time Trip" I read.  In "Into the Nowhere" author Jenny Colgan nailed the characterization and dialog of the Doctor and Clara.  Here we see the Doctor teamed up with various beings from the planet Cashel.  Unfortunately for me, the story seemed to be going through the paces with a lack of real suspense.  And the characterization seemed to miss the mark.  The mystery of the Queen's power was the most interesting part of the story but it was not enough to excite me about reading the story.  I finished it because it was short.  If it had been a full length novel, I probably would have stopped reading it.  

I would recommend skipping this one. 

Doctor Who Time Trips: Into the Nowhere

Author:  Jenny T. Colgan

First Publication:  2014

Source:  Netgalley

First off, let me say that I have been a huge fan of Doctor Who since the reboot by Russell T. Davies.  The latest Doctor and his companion Clara have been some of my favorites.  When I had the chance to read and review this title, I could not pass it up.

This is a rare case of the Doctor and the T.A.R.D.I.S. landing on a planet that neither one can identify.  The planet appears to be a giant death trap with large snakes, walking skeletons, and other deadly surprises.  

The author does a great job of capturing the voices of the characters.  When I was reading their lines, it sounded like the actors were saying them.  The Doctor was spot on.  Clara seemed a little more afraid than usual but then I remembered that this was mainly told from her point of view.  Usually we did not see that in the television series.

Unless I missed something at the end, we were never told the answer to one of the big mysteries.  Due to that omission I would not rate this book as high as I thought I would when reading most of it.  It is still highly entertaining and worth the read but this is a case of the journey being better than the resolution.  In typical Doctor Who fashion, the resolution was not scientific but was brought about by human emotion.  We have seen this in the television show so it is a traditional ending in some respects.

Recommended.

30. Summer Falls by Amelia Williams

Writer:  Amelia Williams (J. R. Hartley)
First Publication:  2013
Challenge:  Once Upon a Time VII


“Summer Falls” is a very interesting take on meta-fiction.  In an episode of Doctor Who, Clara (the current companion) is talking with a child who is reading a book with this title.  The BBC decided to have one of their author’s ghost write that book.  Amelia Williams is the name of the previous Doctor Who companion.  She was Amy Pond, real name of Amelia, who married Rory Williams.  Amy and Rory were trapped in the past.  Speculation is that it contains clues to future episodes of Doctor Who.

So what is the story about?  It features a young girl who acquires a painting called “The Lord of Winter”.  Through various events, the Lord of Winter is summoned to the village.  The adults disappear and she is forced to rely on two boys she befriended.  But then she receives a call from the museum curator.  If the Lord of Winter succeeds, the village will be trapped in winter forever.  One of the characters will receive eternal youth, but at what cost?

If you are a fan of Doctor Who, it is easy to figure out who the Doctor is in this story.  Various clues are given that reveal his identity.  If you are looking for a short novel for someone who enjoys adventure tales featuring young characters, a talking cat, possible magic (or maybe not…) this is a fun book.  It definitely falls in the fable/mythology genre.  I read it while vacationing in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and it was the perfect setting for such a story.  It brought back memories of stories I read in my younger days.

Doctor Who 7.04-The Power of Three

What happens when the Doctor decides to stay with the Ponds?  An invasion of course.  The catch this time is that little black boxes appear all over the Earth...and do nothing.  Months later they have still not done anything.  But then things go bad...

Doctor Who 7.03-A Town Called Mercy

The Doctor accidentally lands in a town in the American West c. 1870 where he discovers an alien, Jex, acting as the town's doctor, who is being sought by the Gunslinger, a cyborg. 

Doctor Who 7.02-Dinosaurs on a Spaceship

The Doctor attempts to prevent the destruction of an unmanned spaceship with a cargo of dinosaurs alongside Amy, Rory, Rory's father Brian, Queen Nefertiti, and big-game hunter John Riddell.

Doctor Who 7.01-Asylum of the Daleks

Doctor Who is back!  After eight long months we finally get the first episode of season 7.  Was it worth the wait?  Without a doubt.  "Asylum of the Daleks" had all of the classic Who elements.

Villains?  Check.
Surprises?  Oh yeah.
Scary scenes?  Some of the best since the reboot.
Running?  Lots of it.

Classic Doctor Who: Season 1: Episode 1: An Unearthly Child Part 1

As readers of this blog can see, I am a big fan of Doctor Who.  I have watched, and will be reviewing, all of the "new" series.  My interest in the classic episodes has grown.  I decided to go back to the beginning of Doctor Who (first broadcast on November 23, 1963). 


"An Unearthly Child" starts in an alley.  We see that the T.A.R.D.I.S. is there.  Later, two teachers are discussing a student named Susan.  Susan is amazingly intelligent in some respects but does not know some of the basic facts of life.  She lives with her grandfather.  The teachers follow her home only to find the T.A.R.D.I.S.  They make their way aboard only to find that her grandfather is the Doctor.  


What becomes quickly apparent with this incarnation of the Doctor is his lack of patience with humanity.  He comes off as more severe.  He is very critical of his granddaughter's love of humanity.  In the new Doctor Who revival (beginning in 2005) the Doctor loves mankind.  I would imagine that we will see this develop as the series progresses.  One of my favorite parts of this series is the way each incarnation of the Doctor adds different aspects to the story.  Another obvious thing with the William Hartnell Doctor is the age.  He appears to be an older gentleman and that fits the grandfather role he plays in this one.


Carole Ann Ford plays the role of the Doctor's granddaughter (Susan Foreman) to perfection in this episode.  She rattles off some complicated formulas then turns around and does not know if the metric system is in use.  It is not revealed, at least in this episode, who her parents are.  We also do not find out the identity of her grandmother.


On a curious aside, the musician Susan is listening to is named "John Smith".  "John Smith" is the name taken by the tenth Doctor in the two part story  called "Human Nature/The Family of Blood".


It was a great start to the classic Doctor Who.  "An Unearthly Child" is definitely worth watching.

Doctor Who Season 6 Episode 3: The Curse of the Black Spot

The TARDIS is marooned onboard a 17th-century pirate ship and the Doctor is soon being forced to walk the plank at gunpoint. But things are about to get much, much worse...

Beset by terror and cabin fever, the pirates have numerous superstitious explanations for the appearance of a mysterious Siren. The Doctor has other ideas but as every plan of escape is thwarted, he must win the trust of the implacable Captain Avery and uncover the truth behind the pirates' supernatural fears - and he must work quickly because some of his friends have already fallen under the Siren's spell...

(from the BBC site)

It's time for me to do some catching up.  Another episode has aired since this one appeared.

It is obvious that "The Curse of the Black Spot" was done to help pull in fans of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie.  Does that make this a bad episode?  Not necessarily.

Any time a pirate gets cut, a black spot appears on their hand.  Shortly thereafter the Siren manifests and takes the pirate.  When the Doctor and his companions (Amy and Rory) arrives he knows that there has to be a logical explanation.  Rory gets cut and the action kicks into high gear.  Amy goes all out to become a pirate and try to save the boys.  She does a good job with the action sequences.

"Curse" is a more traditional straight forward Doctor Who episode.  Some fans will like it more than the two parter that opened the season.  I liked this one but enjoyed the two parter more.  The storytelling in it was challenging and demanded more from the viewer.  

Once again the special effects are fantastic for a television series.  This season has featured some of the best effects.

A solid episode that will be followed by "The Doctor's Wife" (the Neil Gaiman scripted story).

Doctor Who Season 6 Episode 2: Day of the Moon

The Doctor is locked in the perfect prison. Amy, Rory and River Song are being hunted across America by the FBI. Terrifyingly powerful aliens have invaded Earth. And it's about to get much, much worse.

In the stunning conclusion to the adventure that began with The Impossible Astronaut, the Doctor must mount a revolution to drive out the Silence. But he's got help in the form of President Nixon... and Neil Armstrong's foot.

(From the BBC site)

As much as I liked the season opener, this episode was even better.  It contained the trademark horror that Steven Moffat has become known for.  

The Silence are fantastic, seemingly unbeatable enemies.  Like the Weeping Angels (another Moffat creation) are most deadly when you don't look at them.  As soon as you take your eyes off of them, your memory of seeing them is erased.  One of my favorite sequences in this episode is when Amy finds the Silence hanging like bats from the ceiling of the orphanage.  

The Doctor's plan for defeating the Silence is a stroke of genius.  I did not see that one until he reveals it at the end.

The Doctor's final conversation with Richard Nixon is great.  The David Frost comment was a classic.

Even though Amy says that Rory is her true love, the way she looks at the Doctor seem to tell a different story.  Only time will tell.

The prison built for the Doctor parallels the trap used in the season ending two parter from last year.  I think this was Moffat's way of telling us that things were not the way they appeared.

Based on the very short flashbacks the Doctor saw, it looks like the Silence were first hinted at in three different episodes from last year.  Leave it to Moffat to have plot lines crossing various seasons.

One of the most jaw dropping moments was the final scene in the alley.  Someone besides the Doctor is regenerating.  I can't wait to see how Moffat develops this story.  He definitely has me hooked on this season.

If you are not watching this show you need to start.  At least go back and watch the previous Moffat episodes and join the Doctor for an amazing ride this year.

Doctor Who Season 6 Episode 1: The Impossible Astronaut

The Doctor is back in the biggest, most mind-blowing series opener ever. Amy, Rory and River also return for an adventure that combines humour, shocks for our heroes and one of the creepiest creatures they've ever encountered...

The Doctor is engaged on a quest that takes him from the visually stunning Utah desert to the White House where he's enlisted by President Nixon himself to assist enigmatic former-FBI agent Canton. His mission - save a terrified little girl from a mysterious spaceman.

Prepare for the return of the galaxy's greatest hero. Prepare for excitement. And prepare - if you can - for the Silence...

(From the BBC site)

The start of a new Doctor Who season is always one of the high points of my year.  I have been a big fan of the Doctor since the reboot that began 6 years ago.  I know that sometimes the show gets sentimental, sometimes the aliens seem hokey, and other times the stories can be silly but for the most part I have found something to enjoy in every episode.  Many of my favorites were written by Steven Moffat.  When the announcement was made that he was the new show runner beginning in season 5 (counting the seasons based on the new version of Doctor Who), I was excited.  Although some were disappointed with his first season at the helm, I liked it.  At some point in the future, I plan on going back and reviewing all of the "New Who" seasons.  This episode shows that you need to re-watch some episodes to pick up on all of Moffat's clues.

I am sure that a visit back to River Song's previous appearances will help.  Of particular interest is "Silence in the Library".  It features River's first time on the show (depending on who she really is).  With the big villain for this season being "The Silence", I am confident that the title is showing us that Moffat is connecting the episodes.

The Silence is an intriguing race.  When you quit looking at them, they vanish from your memory.  I can't wait to see how the Doctor counteracts this ability.

"The Impossible Astronaut" sets many plots in motion.  Based on Moffat's history, some of the questions will be answered next week.  Others will continue to develop during the season.  A few will carry over until next season.  And that is part of what I like about this series.  All of the questions are not wrapped up by the end of the episode.  I like the way Moffat builds the suspense and plots over each individual story but allows it to continue to build throughout the season.

For now, many people are speculating on the true identity of River Song.  With the main companion named Amy Pond, fans are thinking that she is connected (River-Pond).  Two theories seem to be taking the lead.  One is that River is the future version of Amy.  Another is that River is Amy's child. At this point I tend to side with River being Amy's daughter.

Even new fans can jump aboard with this episode.  It can be enjoyed "as is" but many of the "Easter Eggs" planted by Moffat will only appear after you have watched the previous episodes.

Overall, it is an excellent start to a new season.