Dr Who

Good episode last night following on from last week and for the younger members watching another plea to clean up the planet and perhaps get them to put pressure on people on getting rid of plastic, but a timely reminder also about how much we consume in microplastics in food and drink-scary but the amount you would have to eat or drink would be huge to affect you. Interesting gay sideline which is normally attributed to Russell T Davies but obviously they wanted a twist so Chibnall and his co-writer did what he would have done.

Best episode of the Chibs era by a country mile tonight. Some genuine originality (e.g. animation in NuWho who'd have thunk it) and darkness to the plotting; real threat and creepy menace to the villians; excellently sparky dialogue at times and a decent twist leading to the climatic action. As with much of NuWho the doc extricates everyone and dispatches the baddies a little too easily (put the pissing sonic away ffs ) but that can be forgiven when so much time and effort is put into retconning character onto the previously skimply sketched TARDIS crew. Their codas may have been a tad long at the end but with so much praiseworthy about this well directed entry it would he carping to bring attention to such minor faults.

Has Whittaker and her showrunner finally found their feet?

Maybe I missed something but what was that all about her sister? Perhaps someone can remind me maybe I didn't remember something from the last series? Anyway this episode was good, some really scary monsters(I was never one for hiding behind sofas) to scare the kiddies and two fairly credible villains. Nice idea to bring Graham's wife back into it again-not for the first time, and the end bit with the girl finding the copper after all that time to give her the 50p. I think it has been a good series(and let's face we had to wait two years) and I can't wait to find out if any loose ends are tied up in the last two episodes.

Two thoughts.
1. At least it wasn't a brexit 50p.
2. If you lock someone up with a dangerous beast for eternity, then either it kills you quickly and you're not there for eternity, or the beast isn't really harmful at all.

Finally bothered with this. Nice to have some good character moments, and malevolent baddies too (albeit using the same FX (CGI?) as also seen in the current series of Supergirl). A pity the resolution was over in such a short time, leading to some nice padding.

The Cyberman episode is the last one of the series in two parts. I wonder if Captain Jack will re-appear for that?

Pretty good once again this latest one. As with last week's there was weight and meat here to the actual fantasy. Decent well realised monsters, chills and threat (the death of the nurse-maid was the nastiest in Who in a long time). Less shoe-horned agenda - only crafted moments individual representation (Bryon's piece putting him straight at the end was actually well done) instead of blanket pandering to the suffocating MESSAGE of the week. 

Someone seems to have given the story creatives a kick up the arse towards the end of production on this season. Hopefully it holds for the two-part finale.

Most pleasing of all: The scene with the Doc (still occassionally too goofy and gurning) in the cellar. This was the absolute standout; seeing her berating Ryan for his casual numbers game over the choice of ending Shelley's life was easily the best thing written and played for Whittaker's doc to date. 13 finally came alive as she skewered the 'team' bollocks to the wall for the patronising claptrap it always was. Sure humans can help the Doc, they can ground the character and make the time lord see what they might not see in some cases... but the idea that they are equal contributors to Team TARDIS (yuk!) was always utter garbarge and a disservice to everyone that they ever decided to put that onscreen.

Is the true alien arrogant prig Doctor back at last now? Can they pull off a miraculous turn around here? Next two weeks are key for this show's very future.

That was Jodie's best performance, to date really well done, one of the better episodes of Chibnall's run. Had a look at who Maxine Alderton was & aside from 3 episodes of a remake of the children's tv series The Worst Witch she has spent her entire career writing for Emmerdale.

Hopefully this will give her the opportunity to branch out a bit more as she is clearly capable of better

How did that angellic cherub of a baby not scream its head off in that 'storm' - I know I would have done. I did think that the Cyberman would give Mary Shelley the idea for Frankenstein but it wasn't implied. Good effects and a great cast made for an enjoyable episode and setting up the eagerly-awaited 2pt finale. Can't wait.

(17-02-2020 02:50 )GMach1 Wrote:  How did that angellic cherub of a baby not scream its head off in that 'storm' - I know I would have done. I did think that the Cyberman would give Mary Shelley the idea for Frankenstein but it wasn't implied. Good effects and a great cast made for an enjoyable episode and setting up the eagerly-awaited 2pt finale. Can't wait.

I thought they did imply it ?

Didn't she ask him "are you a man, or a composite of many men" or something to that effect ?