I think this reflects the significant shift in viewing habits, with digital recording set top boxes, and of course iPlayer. Final figures will, hopefully, climb to a decent number.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially Michelle Gomez's performance.
I hope so, though I will never understand anyone who prefers X-factor to Dr Who. Ever.
I thought it was a great start and the critics seem to agree, so that bodes well.
I was a little annoyed by the "I'm not dead, deal with it" approach. I think you have to contrive some excuse, however flimsy, when you bring a character back. However given the way the episode ended I suspect that will be answered next week.
Aaah, yes! Apologies - a friend of mine controlled one of the Daleks, he was actually on set for something far less exciting. He was so excited after day one of filming he just burst out with it, forgetting non-disclosure, and the fact that I detest spoliers. I'm extremely impressed with myself that I successfully kept the "Missy is back and there are daleks too" fact to myself. Still, would be good to have a decent explanation.
Well, the Daleks are always going to come back, that's a given. I don't remember how they managed to worm their way back in as regular characters after there were only a few survivors from the Time War, but they've done it now so much I don't question it.
Spoiler-wise they announced Missy would return pretty soon after season 8 ended, so no worries there (plus several trailers). Still it would be nice to know how she survived the ending of the last season...
I thought the directing and production values of the premiere were a huge shift up from last season. They actually gave the story some time, set up some real atmosphere, and the sets and effects did much, much better jobs of aiding the writing.
Except that silly balloon head of Missy's coming out of the screen. That felt very 2005.
As a result, Capaldi's and Gomez's performances were much better supported, and it really let them shine. Especially Gomez. Just the contrast between these two lunatics who have lost all real sense of consequence and the (finaly) grim, gritty world they actually inhabit, was fantastic.
I think they'd already implemented much of the improved directing and production values last season, that's part of the reason I enjoyed it so much. Deep Breath in particular had some very long scenes, much longer than we saw in the hyperactive Matt Smith era. Looks like this season will extend and build on that.
I don't remember the balloon head but I did have a few internet glitches. Might try and re-watch it in HD before next week's episode.
I was also glad to see the focus being firmly back on the Doctor and less on Clara (who is admittedly much more interesting these days). Capaldi with a guitar did not disappoint. :D
Yeah, I think last season did a good job of rehabitating Clara, but I honestly didn't much care for much of the overarching story's writing. I found it really difficult to relate to Danny, because until Dark Water he was written in a way that made him fee like an obstacle, and, though they tried, I feel that they struggled in their efforts to establish a more balanced relationship between Clara and The Doctor.
But the big things for me were that they planted the "why this face" seed and just didn't water it at all, and that I found the resolution to the question of whether The Doctor was a good man or not to be wholly unsatisfying.
Also, the CGI really fell really deeply into the uncanny valley, and it regularly took me out of things.
But I did appreciate the shift in tone that has contined with this latest episode, and the huge improvments to the lighting and CGI.
I did find Danny quite annoying throughout the entire show. It's good to bring in someone who's not a Doctor fanboy as a companion, but they were doing that with Clara with gusto anyway.
I would have been intrigued at an answer to the "why this face" question, but I wasn't really expecting one. I actually found the answer to whether the Doctor is a good man quite satisfying : we get the Doctor's interpretation, which doesn't mean it's the correct one. That leaves me free to accept my own answer, which is a resounding yes.
What I was expecting to happen in season 8 that didn't was more of the search for Gallifrey, since this was the main conclusion from the last special. It seems very strange that this was almost entirely dropped from the series. I think they should at least try and explain how the Master escaped. This habit of dismissing important things, "because PLOTLINES !" could be potentially very damaging.
Oh yes, the search for Gallifrey, too! I forgot about that.
The face thing really piqued my interest because of Capaldi's former work playing other characters in the Whoniverse. I know RTD and Moffat have discussed this at least once, and Moffat has acknowledged that there have been several ideas to address this put forth. He's actively discussed it in the media, and in-universe now, only to drop it like a hot potato.
I'm sure it'll come up again in some random scene later this season, or next season, or something. Just pulled out of nowhere again, and I'm sure someone in the writers room will think they've been so clever for having planted that scene last season's premiere. It's a very disjointed view of continuity that we've seen from Moffat before (e.g. 'Silence will fall' just sprang out of nowhere in the 50th anniversary special, after having been forgotten for almost 2 seasons).
My worry with whatever the Master's story is between End of Time and now is that Moffat seems to be on a mission to largely retcon series 1 - 4 away, so I can't see it being overly interesting, and I'm sure Missy's survival last season will be largely swept under the rug.
Due to a small but consistent influx of spam, comments will now be checked before publishing. Only egregious spam/illegal/racist crap will be disapproved, everything else will be published.
I think this reflects the significant shift in viewing habits, with digital recording set top boxes, and of course iPlayer. Final figures will, hopefully, climb to a decent number.
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed it, especially Michelle Gomez's performance.
I hope so, though I will never understand anyone who prefers X-factor to Dr Who. Ever.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a great start and the critics seem to agree, so that bodes well.
I was a little annoyed by the "I'm not dead, deal with it" approach. I think you have to contrive some excuse, however flimsy, when you bring a character back. However given the way the episode ended I suspect that will be answered next week.
Aaah, yes! Apologies - a friend of mine controlled one of the Daleks, he was actually on set for something far less exciting. He was so excited after day one of filming he just burst out with it, forgetting non-disclosure, and the fact that I detest spoliers. I'm extremely impressed with myself that I successfully kept the "Missy is back and there are daleks too" fact to myself. Still, would be good to have a decent explanation.
ReplyDeleteWell, the Daleks are always going to come back, that's a given. I don't remember how they managed to worm their way back in as regular characters after there were only a few survivors from the Time War, but they've done it now so much I don't question it.
ReplyDeleteSpoiler-wise they announced Missy would return pretty soon after season 8 ended, so no worries there (plus several trailers). Still it would be nice to know how she survived the ending of the last season...
I thought the directing and production values of the premiere were a huge shift up from last season. They actually gave the story some time, set up some real atmosphere, and the sets and effects did much, much better jobs of aiding the writing.
ReplyDeleteExcept that silly balloon head of Missy's coming out of the screen. That felt very 2005.
As a result, Capaldi's and Gomez's performances were much better supported, and it really let them shine. Especially Gomez. Just the contrast between these two lunatics who have lost all real sense of consequence and the (finaly) grim, gritty world they actually inhabit, was fantastic.
I think they'd already implemented much of the improved directing and production values last season, that's part of the reason I enjoyed it so much. Deep Breath in particular had some very long scenes, much longer than we saw in the hyperactive Matt Smith era. Looks like this season will extend and build on that.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember the balloon head but I did have a few internet glitches. Might try and re-watch it in HD before next week's episode.
I was also glad to see the focus being firmly back on the Doctor and less on Clara (who is admittedly much more interesting these days). Capaldi with a guitar did not disappoint. :D
Yeah, I think last season did a good job of rehabitating Clara, but I honestly didn't much care for much of the overarching story's writing. I found it really difficult to relate to Danny, because until Dark Water he was written in a way that made him fee like an obstacle, and, though they tried, I feel that they struggled in their efforts to establish a more balanced relationship between Clara and The Doctor.
ReplyDeleteBut the big things for me were that they planted the "why this face" seed and just didn't water it at all, and that I found the resolution to the question of whether The Doctor was a good man or not to be wholly unsatisfying.
Also, the CGI really fell really deeply into the uncanny valley, and it regularly took me out of things.
But I did appreciate the shift in tone that has contined with this latest episode, and the huge improvments to the lighting and CGI.
I did find Danny quite annoying throughout the entire show. It's good to bring in someone who's not a Doctor fanboy as a companion, but they were doing that with Clara with gusto anyway.
ReplyDeleteI would have been intrigued at an answer to the "why this face" question, but I wasn't really expecting one. I actually found the answer to whether the Doctor is a good man quite satisfying : we get the Doctor's interpretation, which doesn't mean it's the correct one. That leaves me free to accept my own answer, which is a resounding yes.
What I was expecting to happen in season 8 that didn't was more of the search for Gallifrey, since this was the main conclusion from the last special. It seems very strange that this was almost entirely dropped from the series. I think they should at least try and explain how the Master escaped. This habit of dismissing important things, "because PLOTLINES !" could be potentially very damaging.
They've had several milk-dud duplicates in other roles. I wouldn't be surprised if the Missy who got whacked (twice!) was one of those.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, the search for Gallifrey, too! I forgot about that.
ReplyDeleteThe face thing really piqued my interest because of Capaldi's former work playing other characters in the Whoniverse. I know RTD and Moffat have discussed this at least once, and Moffat has acknowledged that there have been several ideas to address this put forth. He's actively discussed it in the media, and in-universe now, only to drop it like a hot potato.
I'm sure it'll come up again in some random scene later this season, or next season, or something. Just pulled out of nowhere again, and I'm sure someone in the writers room will think they've been so clever for having planted that scene last season's premiere. It's a very disjointed view of continuity that we've seen from Moffat before (e.g. 'Silence will fall' just sprang out of nowhere in the 50th anniversary special, after having been forgotten for almost 2 seasons).
My worry with whatever the Master's story is between End of Time and now is that Moffat seems to be on a mission to largely retcon series 1 - 4 away, so I can't see it being overly interesting, and I'm sure Missy's survival last season will be largely swept under the rug.
Sorry! I've been busy! Honest! The current doctor has endeared me ever since the Cross Eyebrow Speech.
ReplyDelete