"The New Doctor" or "Matt Smith Is Terrible Forever"

[Seil]

So I was t alking to people and I was like "The new Doctor is rubbish. Tennant, Eccleston, McGann - every doctor before was just so much better!" and they're all like "The new guy Matt Smith, is actually pretty decent. You should give him a look." So I bought the box set, Matt Smith's first season. And what does he do?

T7RetBw-Zvw

He crashes the TARDIS. Which, I'll admit, is understandable, what with the regeneration and all, but he totals it in (presumably) Scotland, and forces a young girl to cook for him while insulting every dish. "Are you trying to poison me?" She cooks him bacon, and he doesn't like it. The Doctor doesn't like bacon. While this is going on, he jabbers on, most likely seeming to the little girl (and the adults who're going to come home and find all the food in the house spat upon their floor) like a mental patient, claiming it's a "new body."

Everything is terrible forever.

[CABAL49]

Christopher Eccelston was fantastic!

[greed]

Tennant wasn't that great. I like the new guy better. And Eccleston better than both of them. Haven't seen enough of the older ones to rate them really.

[TDK]

All of the doctors have been great and anyone who thinks otherwise is a terrible person.

[Doc ock rokc]

To be fair Tennant didn't do a good job in his first episode. He slept all the time then He sulked about not being ginger, rips off lion king, is rude to everyone. Its the first time the character comes into action no one has a firm grasp of what he is to be yet and thus he doesn't sell it. Matt gets better with time...but he still is a boosting manipulative man child compared to the bipolar scatterbrained smartass that was.

[Seil]

I loved Tennants first episode. I loved him figuring out the new body and all that. I loved the jokes and things, because it seemed like he was a genuinely nice guy, with other people's best interests at heart.

Based on some of the Youtubes and episodes I've seen of Mr. Smith, he's just trying to be eccentric. And he's rude. He's like a more subdued Colin Baker.

[Seil]

"I'm the Doctor: do everything I tell you, don't ask stupid questions, and don't wander off."

"You're Scottish, fry something."

[katiuska]

Fun fact: I read the last Dr. Who thread when it happened, thinking "Well, it doesn't matter because I'll never watch it," because apparently I haven't learned what happens when I do that. Four seasons later, here we are. I probably would have watched seasons 5-6 by now if I wasn't scared by all the discussion about how terrible some of the storyline execution was in general and River Song in specific.

And yeah. One of my friends linked me the food-demanding scene to show me how awesome Smith is (and this is the scene that made him love him); it really just highlighted the difference between what we find charming because all I could think was, "Wow, what a dick." I've been finding other clips and he's starting to grow on me, but that wasn't the best first impression. There's a fine balance for me when it comes to characters being dicks--Nine could swing occasional dickishness with his casual can't-be-bothered attitude, and Ten's tended to get lost under the torrent of disarming enthusiasm (he's like a 5 year old, absolutely delighted by everything! I can't not like that). In fact, the least likeable thing about Ten for me is his failure to appreciate how much of a dick he can be, so I liked that his story arc focused a lot on all the damage his cavalier ways caused and how it ate away at him as he started to see what he did to the people he touched. Because he really did just want to be what he seemed to start out as--a gregarious, life-loving dude who hops around with his friend saving the universe and having fun.

As for the Christmas episode, I actually thought the Children in Need special did a better job of establishing his character, in a shorter time span.

To be fair Tennant didn't do a good job in his first episode. He slept all the time then He sulked about not being ginger, rips off lion king, is rude to everyone. Its the first time the character comes into action no one has a firm grasp of what he is to be yet and thus he doesn't sell it. Matt gets better with time...but he still is a boosting manipulative man child compared to the bipolar scatterbrained smartass that was.

Apropos of nothing, "Sad David Tennant in the Rain" never fails to make me laugh every time I see it. I just want to give that man a hug.

[BitVyper]

All of the doctors have been great and anyone who thinks otherwise is a terrible person.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/BitVyper/470colinbaker2_470x470.jpg

[TDK]

"I'm the Doctor: do everything I tell you, don't ask stupid questions, and don't wander off."


In his defense, knowing his past history with companions makes this a pretty reasonable thing to say.

[Seil]

"Laptop gimme gimme!" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBasUfDHQv0&feature=related)

[Professor Smarmiarty]

RAAR I'M TENNANT.RAAR I'M ANGRY.

[Seil]

MMM FISHSTICK CUSTARD BOWTIES ECCENTRIC LOOK AT MY FEZ DO YOU SEE HOW QUIRKY I AM?

[Azisien]

The almost-comprehensive [due to not seeing Season 6 yet] Azisien thoughts on Doctors:

Any Doctor Before 2000s: Fuck old things.

Eccleston: Probably my favourite actor overall, but I admit he had style problems. He seemed too casually dressed for a Doctor Who.

Tennant Season 2: And my problem with Eccleston is probably spawned from Tennant's wardrobe, which I absolutely love. I had trouble digging Tennant at this point, still going through Eccleston withdrawal, and he seemed to be having trouble "nailing down" his character.

Tennant Season 3: Okay I end up actually liking Tennant a fair bit too. Or maybe this was just a fun season, but he also seemed to act more confident in WHO (LOL) he was.

Tennant Season 4 + Specials: Nah never mind fuck that Tennant guy. No seriously a lot of this season and the specials are like big printed signs of "ROFL WE CHANGING DOCTORS SOON, BUT WHEN??????????????????" Tennant turned kind of mopey and wow I just don't give a fuck if Doctor Who characters are sad because this is a goofy show.

Smith Season 5: He's all right I guess. If anything I was rather underwhelmed with Pond, after all the talking up from my other Who friends and online, etc. I mean, she's like stunningly beautiful and all, but I could not get into her as a character.

[Seil]

Oh boy, color-coded Daleks! They're like iMacs, only Daleks. They're iDaleks!

Also, really? Really?

Eccleston: Daleks should be feared and respected. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GJD_OKvVI4)
Tennant: Daleks are to be feared and respected. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2vQ7vqaOhY&feature=related)
Smith: Daleks can be fooled by tea-cakes. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDrwMa27Xyw)

[rpgdemon]

It was shown immediately beforehand that the Daleks just fooled the Doctor into reviving their entire race, and he was trying to show how terrifying and horrible they were to Churchill.

I mean, the Daleks have always been sort of, "Yeah, terrifying, but also kind of oddly silly/comedic." Take, for example, the Dalek vs Cybermen smack-talk showdown from the same episode as the 10th Doctor example you showed.

I mean, it's like you've gotten into your head that you hate him, and refuse not to hate him.

The first episode that I saw of Doctor Who ever was the second one of Season 5, I think, so I've got a soft spot for Matt Smith, since I watched all of his season before everything else.

[greed]

Pretty sure the colour coded Daleks is an old Who thing too. Remember seeing some stuff involving candy red and white daleks from the old series. But no really Tennant was sort of this overacting melodrama machine which just got grating pretty quickly to me.

Current Doctor is a jerk sure. But I want to watch him have adventures not date him, so him being a dick is great and hilarious.

[Archbio]

Oh boy, color-coded Daleks! They're like iMacs, only Daleks. They're iDaleks!

They accessorize with iStalks.

[Professor Smarmiarty]

The best thing about the new doctor is at least he is having fun. The Doctor should be having fun. Tennant started out this way but then plunged into Serious Raar serious. If I want serious Sci-fi I'm not watching Doctor Who. Doctor Who is supposed to be fun little romps not brooding melodrama.
Also Daleks have always been comical. I thought that was the point- the jarring disconnect between all the characters thinking the Daleks are scary/Dalek conqueirng lots of things and their inherent ridiculousness.

[EVILNess]

Yea, the Doctor is a bit of a jerk now, but he was always a bit of a jerk. Matt Smith's Doctor just is a bit more direct with it, which to be honest is kinda refreshing. I don't care what anyone says, the 11th Doctor knows how to have a good time, and boy can that man dance! :D Plus the bits where he speaks baby were hilarious.

Amy Pond was cool in the first episode, then kinda boring, then she got cool again.

Rory was a pleasant surprise for me, and I love how they show him winning the Doctor's respect over time. His scene with the Cybermen made me cheer.

[Seil]

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u59/Poetisch/Weeping_angels_by_BugsyXoX.gif (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kokvIMWEuFM&feature=related)

Okay, the Weeping Angels are pretty great.

[Doc ock rokc]

I have realized that The 11th doctor is an exact evolution to the 10th.
Roll with me here. The 10th doctor needed to keep companions to help his thought process (bouncing ideas off of them) and keep his sanity. The 11th doctor is desperate because he literally cant think without them. Every time matts doctor is alone he desperately talking to anyone he meets. Like the mall cyberman episode where he randomly went of on anyone like they where old companions. Often times realizing and stopping himself.

[Fifthfiend]

I once tried to explain what my problem was with Christopher Eccleston, hit upon "it's like if when you were a kid you got up one day and turned on Pee-Wee's Playhouse and it was hosted by Robert DeNiro", and then I was like wait fuck now I have to like Christopher Eccleston.

[Fifthfiend]

I originally hated Matt Smith and his incessant underacting but it's grown on me a bit I guess.

[Seil]

I originally hated Matt Smith and his incessant underacting but it's grown on me a bit I guess.

You should see your Doctor about that.

Alright, so what've we got here? Deam Lord? Really? Dream Lord? Also they're recycling stuff now:

David Tennant: "What do monster have nightmares about?" "Me!" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB-ULH6Zlgk&feature=related)
Matt Smith: "No, they're scared of me." (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLlv4siP8qo)

Smith is just like "Yeah, whatever." Tennant was like "Fuck yeah I'm David Tennant!"

[Pip Boy]

Oh my god. One iteration of a character said something in one season that was similar to something said by a different version of the very same character just one season before! Shock and alarm!

[EVILNess]

I think Seil is trolling us. Which is odd, because I don't generally associate Seil with trolling.

[Seil]

I think Seil is trolling us. Which is odd, because I don't generally associate Seil with trolling.

Thank you. It's because I'm a good person. (And you should always watch out for the good ones.) Truth is, Matt Smith is not terrible forever! (Just for a few years. A hundred years. A hundred thousand years.) I really liked David Tennant because he was a fantastic actor; and then this young upstart comes and starts a new season?

Could it be I hate him because he reminds me of my brothers and I've always had an inferiority complex there? Could it be because his first season episodes are always sort of slap-dash, hit or miss? Could it be because he seems less Sherlock and more Curly?

I mean, yeah - he's got a few good moments. Yes, he's still the Doctor. Yes, the Vincent Van Gogh (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xdkmyd_doctor-who-2005-5x10-vincent-and-th_shortfilms#rel-page-1) and the Weeping Angels (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kokvIMWEuFM&feature=related) episodes were awesome... But he won't use his intelligence to figure things out - it's always presented to him and he's all like "Oh, it's them? Then it's this." Also he's rude. And I there's bad jokes what with "I'll be back before you can say where's he gone? ...A bloogy woogy woo! Not that fast, but pretty fast." And Tennant was a better actor.

Also, this is brilliant:

FUCK YOU, I'M THE DOCTOR! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xjnht1k8M7w)

[Seil]

Okay, so all of a sudden, the Doctor's like "It's okay to go back in time to warn everyone about everything as long as nearly the entire universe is destroyed?" What's that about?

[Malek]

The universe was so completely and terribly fucked, that no amount of paradoxical time fuckery could make it worse, and it was possibly the only way to fix things.

[Nique]

Is this a 'I love to hate this character but this is still a good show' thing or a 'becuase this character has traits that I personally dislike/ different than what I am accustomed to then I am deciding that everything about this show is objectively horrible' thing?

EDIT: Because, yeah there are objectively crappy things about Doctor Who but Matt Smith is not one of them even if he isn't your favorite Doctor.

[Seil]

Six of one, half a dozen of the other.

Matt Smith is okay-ish, and I understand that in his first season there's gonna be a few hit and misses, and a lot of what I dislike is based around the writers, like that particular line (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvyFHQzNCvA).

I just think that while the crack in the wall was set up well, referring back to it throughout wasn't as good as the Bad Wolf or the drumming. I mean... really? The Doctor sacrifices himself to save the universe because all of his enemies allied together for the sake of the universe even though the Daleks were gonna blow it up last season... And then he gets saved by the power of friendship or something like that. Also, he's far too manic.

[Nique]

Yeah they've toted the universe destroying plot too much, hopefully the specials will provide a nice break from that.

My only real problem with him being so manic is that they don't explore it in a meaningful way.

[rpgdemon]

I just think that while the crack in the wall was set up well, referring back to it throughout wasn't as good as the Bad Wolf or the drumming.

Wait, seriously? Since I thought that Bad Wolf was totally a cop out, based on how much they kept foreshadowing it, and then suddenly, "Nope, it's nothing at all of consequence, handwaved away in seconds."

[Doc ock rokc]

I kinda wish they explored the universe rebooting a bit more.

Also does anyone else feel that the "Ultimate Question" is a bit of a let down.

[BitVyper]

I kinda wish they explored the universe rebooting a bit more.

Also does anyone else feel that the "Ultimate Question" is a bit of a let down.

Lets be honest: There was absolutely no chance it was gonna be anything but what it was. In fairness, it IS the oldest question in the universe after a fashion. It's just not one billionth as clever as the writers clearly thought it was.

[The Sevenshot Kid]

I kinda wish they explored the universe rebooting a bit more.

Also does anyone else feel that the "Ultimate Question" is a bit of a let down.

I just don't get how the answer to that question can be 42... What the fuck?

Doctor who? 42.

Is that some kind of joke?

[Fifthfiend]

I just don't get how the answer to that question can be 42... What the fuck?

Doctor who? 42.

Is that some kind of joke?

It rhymes.

[Archbio]

There's a small but crucial different between "blowing up the universe" and "blowing up the universe except the Daleks."

[Seil]

I just don't get how the answer to that question can be 42... What the fuck?

Doctor who? 42.

Is that some kind of joke?

I think you ought to know I'm feeling very depressed.

[Kim]

Bad Wolf was dumb as shit.

[EVILNess]

I like that this Doctor is kind of a jackass. After all the angst they put Tennat's Doctor through, I half expected him to be full on misanthrope honestly, kind of like a Time Traveling House M.D. Another thing that I have noticed is that this Doctor is much more likely to use Time Travel to solve his problems, and as a result there is mountains more Time Travel WTFery in this series than the 9th and 10th Doctor's series.

On a related note, I would totally watch House Time Traveling M.D.

[Seil]

It's never black plague.

[The Sevenshot Kid]

I think you ought to know I'm feeling very depressed.

Have you lost your towel?

[Seil]

Genghis Khan is shouting at me. It's very troubling.

[DarkDrgon]

I just got a netflix account and I can't stop watching. I hate you all for getting me hooked on good shows.

[Doc ock rokc]

I just got a netflix account and I can't stop watching. I hate you all for getting me hooked on good shows.

You can thank us later.

[Seil]

Wait, seriously? Since I thought that Bad Wolf was totally a cop out, based on how much they kept foreshadowing it, and then suddenly, "Nope, it's nothing at all of consequence, handwaved away in seconds."

I thought that it was a particularly well bit or writing, from the foreshadowing to the actual episode to Rose absorbing the Time Vortex and murdering her some Daleks, especially since every episode concentrated on something completely different, and how it built up to this cool two-parter season finale. Also, Eccleston's pretty great, and it resulted in the first revived series regeneration bit, and a progression of the Doctor and Rose's relationship.

A seperate complaint on Smith's season is that pretty much every episode is a two-parter, which is terrible. Also, the first episode, they're like "Check out this crack!" then the second episode it's like "There is a crack do you see it there there it is." And then in the Angels episode it was like "Hey look it's that crack again look at the crack check it out we're great at foreshadowing" and then the Vampire episode it's like "Hey the crack is still doing stuff isn't the crack neat?" And then every single enemy The Doctor has ever had joins together, because that was something they never tried before, which totally succeeds... except that The Doctor escapes... five or six seconds later because of time travel, and saves Amy, because she's the token girl, and then the universe does explode but it's saved by the magic box, because it... it's magic, okay? And then the Doctor gets erased by ti... oh wait, no he doesn't, he's saved because someone remembers him.

So while 'Bad Wolf' had a few mentions that wasn't really integral to the individual episodes, ending in a satisfying finale where they irreversably change some of their characters (Jack becomes immortal, Eccleston changes into Tennant) at least the Daleks never joined the nonsensical Legion Of Doom. (Which I can wager, even though it was totally out of character (and worked!) will probably never happen again.) At least characters were put in situations where they couldn't time-travel/sonic screwdriver/remember away. But hey, Amy and Rory get married. Everyone loves a wedding. And badass speeches.

[The Sevenshot Kid]

They ended both of Matt Smith's seasons with weddings. And fucking Craig.

What the fuck? Do they have a fucking season formula?!

EDIT: The more I reflect on Matt Smith's second season, the more I hate it and for much of the same reasons I liked his first one.

[Seil]

I haven't seen any of his second season for the fact that I dun have the box set yet. Also, is there a box-set, or must I wait? I think Matt Smith's second season was the latest, so I might have to wait until the box becomes available.

EDIT Showed me mum the Vincent Van Gogh ending - she was more impressed by the fact that she was actually in the Muse D'Orsee once upon a time. But in searching for Smith's quote, I found this (http://disabledfeminists.com/2010/06/14/doctor-who-the-doctor-and-disability/#fnref-3386-1):


[I went with the smaller size because otherwise it dominates the page like woah. Anyway, final warning: Here be spoilers.]


Previous posts on disability and Doctor Who/Torchwood:
Bloody Torchwood, by me.
Davros, Daleks, and Disability, by Guest Poster CapriUni.
Doctor Who and the Evil Wheelchair Users of Evil, by Chally.

I don’t mind telling you that I’ve spent a lot of time watching the new series and cringing, waiting for something to go terribly, horribly wrong. We’ve had two characters show up on the screen with a disability, and neither of them have been evil or horrible, and neither has died valiantly so that more worthy folks can live. It’s been kinda awesome.

Doctor Who is, of course, a kids’ show. I don’t say that to sound disparaging – I plan my whole week around my Doctor Who viewing and discussion time, so I do think it’s for adults and kids, but the original mandate of the show was for kids to watch it and get more interested in history and the like. The Doctor really is supposed to teach us something, which is a small part of why the constant “Disability = scary” message has distressed me.1 It’s not that I just think the show has a responsibility – the show does have one, explicitly mandated by the BBC.

This is why I think the two explicitly disabled characters that have shown up in the new series are very important. One, Elliot, is a kid – a normal kid, who does normal kid things, and then gets kidnapped by “monsters”. He also has dyslexia – not exactly uncommon in both kids and adults. The other character, Vincent van Gogh, is deeply depressed – perhaps even having manic depression.

Elliot’s story is in the two-parter “The Hungry Earth” and “Cold Blood“. We’re first introduced to Elliot when his father is reading to him, trying to get Elliot to start reading himself. Elliot refuses, and it’s soon clear that Elliot has dyslexia.

I admit, at that reveal, I started tensing up. The last fictional media representation of dyslexia I had heard of was in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, where having dyslexia is because of one’s special nature and not just because some people have dyslexia.

Elliot, for once, just has dyslexia. He wasn’t some hidden secret agent from the “monsters” who had dyslexia because his brain was wired to “monster”. It wasn’t so that the Doctor could learn a Very Special Lesson About Dyslexia. It wasn’t because of anything. Elliot has dyslexia because Elliot has dyslexia.

In the second part of the serial, we find Elliot has been put in stasis by the “monsters” in order to study him. “Ack,” I thought. “They’re going to cure him, aren’t they? Oh, child, you are flawed by your human standards, let us give you what you most want in the world!” Certainly that is not an uncommon storyline. But again, Doctor Who both surprised and delighted me by not going there. Instead, there’s no indication that Elliot is changed at all by his experience…. Well, no more than anyone else would be changed by being dragged beneath the Earth’s surface by a reptile-like species.

There is no magical cure. And having dyslexia does not prevent one from going on adventures. It just is. I can’t tell you how much that pleased me.

The second explicitly disabled character is Vincent van Gogh. Vincent’s story is a lot more complicated that Elliot’s, being the main focus of the episode “Vincent and the Doctor” In this episode, the Doctor and his companion, Amy, arrive near the end of Vincent’s life, investigating a strange thing in one of Vincent’s painting. They arrive to find the “greatest painter of them all” disliked and reviled by his community, unable to sell a single painting. They immediately befriend him, the Doctor determined to find the “monster” that was hidden in one of Vincent’s paintings, and Amy determined to help the painter she worships sort out his life.

This episode does a lot of interesting things. Vincent is besieged by an invisible monster that only he can see, that’s killing people in the village and making him even more reviled and hated because people blame “the crazy man” for the killings. Even the Doctor cannot see the monster without a magical do-hickey, and he needs Vincent’s help in order to defeat it. Ultimately, the person who slays the invisible monster is Vincent himself.

As a metaphor for depression and other mental health conditions, an invisible monster that no one else can see to help you fight, and one that makes other people distrustful of you because they can’t see the monster, only what it does, is a pretty good one. I admit to having been a bit uncomfortable with it at first – oh, I see, a monster that only the crazy person can see. How stereotypical. And yet, the episode didn’t really go in that direction. The monster was real, it was serious, and the Doctor couldn’t defeat it – only Vincent could, with the help of others.

But what I also liked about this episode was: Good things don’t make everything better.

Amy spends a lot of time in the episode trying to be cheerful and helpful and make everything better for Vincent. She brings him large amounts of sunflowers. She and the Doctor bring him into the future, so he can see how much people respect and admire his paintings, and hear someone describe him as the greatest painter of all time. She tries so hard to make it all better for him, so that things are different. So he isn’t sad. So he doesn’t kill himself.

But she can’t change what’s already happened.

While she’s crying, the Doctor says:

The way I see it, life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa the bad things don’t always spoil the good things and make them unimportant. And we definitely added to his pile of good things.

Depression, like other mental health conditions, doesn’t magically go away because “things are better now”. It’s something that people live with every day. Those of us with mental health conditions are not going to get magically better, although we may have an easier time or a harder time depending on circumstances. But it doesn’t go away.

I really appreciate that Doctor Who said that, so clearly.

[TDK]

I think we should talk about how Jack Harkness is awesome for a while.

[Kim]

Jack Harkness is a sexy, sexy man.

[The Sevenshot Kid]

Miracle Day was pretty awful.

[The Sevenshot Kid]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118046098)

[Seil]

FEr0BPOfVw4

[DarkDrgon]

just finished netflix's season one, and I wasn't a fan of the bad wolf ending. I was expecting more to come out of it, but it was basically rose getting some flash of information. I see no way that the words bad wolf being everywhere lead into what she did next.

[rpgdemon]

Bad Wolf was just a big anticlimax.

"See this thing we've been building up to all season? No, it's nothing of importance, I just wrote myself a note to remember something."

[Seil]

At least it makes sense.

[Doc ock rokc]

I recently watched the rebel/and the almost people episodes. Easily one of the best in the entire series. However, I really hated how it flip-flopped. I mean the first one had a pretty good dynamics of the gainers in the humans. however in the second one a completely flops around. it's really strange how some characters just completely took the places of others and one of them just drops off the map doesn't really have a speaking roles after that. it kind of annoys me because the first one was so well written.

[DarkDrgon]

I think I just got whiplash. The sword fight in the first episode with Tennant seems so out of nowhere. We'll see how this one goes.

[Seil]

Are you going for broke here, Mister Drgon?

[synkr0nized]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118046098)

Ah.
I was going to come in and basically post about the same thing. Regardless of how one feels about Smith, as the thread starts out, I think we all can agree that there is a terrible idea.

[Seil]

...I'm okay with this.

...

...Now, before you crucify me, let me say this: this. Okay. Also there are other words: I liked the other Doctor Who movie. I am. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y9_-6l7bOk) Do you know why? No, of course you don't. It's because I like Paul McGann.

vDOMy98R9hk

The (apparently) BBC written, BBC produced, FOX aired Doctor Who movie (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116118/) was my first Doctor Who bit. While I can safely say that I love most things that turn people on (to Doctor Who) I should say that Paul McGann (http://unrealityshout.com/files/images/paul-mcgann-doctor-who.jpg) turned me on. (To Doctor Who.) Also, it wasn't that bad of an idea, that The Master (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws-HwDZ4TIA) destroys everything. They did that... what, two or three times as a season finale in the new Who?

[Seil]

xofXLKqQdSo

Really, where else are you going to get something so terrible and yet so brilliant?

[Nique]

Hey that looks fun!

Awful, but fun!

[Nique]

I totally love the TARDIS interior in that movie and hope they bring that back becuase all of the TARDIS sets I've seen besides that are kinda medium sized and that takes away from the 'it's bigger on the inside' thing.

[BitVyper]

Oh my god, this is the best. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9_OkgWaRIs&feature=related) I love McCoy's frowny face.

[Seil]

Oh, the frowny face! I remember that one! ...Bit saggier than I remember, though. That's 'cause of me, though: the two of us together has shorted out the time differentials... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWzt7cmWImY)

[BitVyper]

I like Davison a lot, but he ain't got shit on McCoy, least of all in terms of frowny faces.

[Azisien]

Unless my eyes deceive me this is the youngest Doctor Who thread. So I will use it.

I don't watch Doctor Who week to week, I wait for the DVD release. In fact, I do that with pretty much all shows, because I hate waiting for new episodes [waiting for the entire season is much less painful (edit: as a total tangent, this is COMPLETELY at odds with my A:TLA fanboyism and how I will choose to view Legend of Korra)] and waiting has the unintended effect of forgetting possibly important details. I will follow the season's narrative much better if I am watching it in a row. This also allows binges. I am a binge on games and movies kind of guy. On that note, Season 6 of the new series is out on DVD, and I have started watching it.

If you did ever read my past posts about Doctor Who - which you most certainly did not because why would you? - you would find that I have a pretty strong...like/hate with the show. I think it's pretty overrated most of the time. It's goofy but not in my preferred way and that usually pans out a little more negative than positive. Not my cup of tea, to translate to British. That being said, I have sat (sometimes bored) through all five seasons.

At first I did not like Season 1, my introduction to the series, but it grew on me. Looking back, it has some of my favourite content. Same thing happened with Tennant, though that rebounded and I thought his departure episodes were marked with...well...shitty episodes. I have grown to like the Daleks though, and I am always mad if they are not behind whatever the Episode's Universe-Ending Plan is. Harkness is excellent. I have liked qualities of every female companion to date. At the end of the day though, I toss Doctor Who into my "meh it's pretty okay I guess" folder above most anime and below...hmmm...fairly good anime.

Sitting down to watch Season 6 worried me because I did not like Season 5. I did not warm up to Matt Smith, and I flat out don't like Amelia Pond. I mean I'd let her buy me a drink, IF YA KNOW WHAT I MEAN, but I am entirely turned off by her character. She is the epitomy of "cry moar" and have unexplained random shit happen to her, then also cry a bunch. On the attraction note one last time, attraction takes a nosedive when someone is crying. Other then that, I guess there isn't ONE episode in Season 5 where I was like "yeah, huh, that was pretty fun." Not one.

And that's why Season 6 has been an absolute treat! Did they get a new head writer? I bet they got a new head writer. I like every single episode I've watched so far, and I've watched six. Oh, one exception. Curse of the Black Spot, with the siren, was a shitty episode. Like really, really bad. Can't think of a worse one. Fire that writer specifically. But I'm really enjoying this season so far. Looking forward to watching the rest.

[Nique]

That's interesting becuase I felt that the last half of the 6th series was total shit.

[The Sevenshot Kid]

That's interesting becuase I felt that the last half of the 6th series was total shit.

Truth.

[DarkDrgon]

would it be ok to talk about torchwood in this thread? cause oh man 3 eps in and i love me some torchwood. Captain Jack is fucking awesome

[Archbio]

That's interesting becuase I felt that the last half of the 6th series was total shit.

The answer to the oldest question in the universe is total shit.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

would it be ok to talk about torchwood in this thread? cause oh man 3 eps in and i love me some torchwood. Captain Jack is fucking awesome

It would be ok, if everything Captain Jack appears in these days didn't turn into "Captains Jacks homosexual conquests show." Not that there's anything wrong with anybody being gay, but god damn he sure does like to ram it home just how gay he actually is in real life.

That and the character did turn into a massive dick during the finale of Childeren of Earth, what with willingly sacrificing his grandson without a moments pause.

[DarkDrgon]

after finishing season three, i liked Jack too much to contain it. he's too much fun! Also, Rose grew on me halfway through the first season when she got competent at adventures. I didn't really see that kind of growth from martha (other than the one episode with the family, when the doctor was hiding as human)

[Nique]

Jack's not gay.

[Doc ock rokc]

Jack's not gay.

He is Omnisexual
http://i.imgur.com/kaIO2.jpg

[Kim]

So, apparently next season is Karen Gillian's last.

You may all proceed to party down and break out the funky beats in celebration.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

Jack's not gay.

No, but John Barrowman is, and he want's to make sure everybody knows it.

[Doc ock rokc]

No, but John Barrowman is, and he want's to make sure everybody knows it.

So? Do you hate NPH because he is openly gay?

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

No, as I said originally;

It would be ok, if everything Captain Jack appears in these days didn't turn into "Captains Jacks homosexual conquests show." Not that there's anything wrong with anybody being gay, but god damn he sure does like to ram it home just how gay he actually is in real life.

That and the character did turn into a massive dick during the finale of Childeren of Earth, what with willingly sacrificing his grandson without a moments pause.

EDIT; And that's all I'm going to say on the matter before people start taking what I said the wrong way even more than they apparantly already have.

[Fifthfiend]

No, as I said originally;



EDIT; And that's all I'm going to say on the matter before people start taking what I said the wrong way even more than they apparantly already have.

If you don't want the things you're saying taken the wrong way you probably shouldn't say them in such a cryptic, confused, and contradictory manner.

[Fifthfiend]

"There's nothing wrong with being gay, just being TOO gay much like this gay guy is being by not being gay but instead being bisexual as part of the agenda of the actor who plays him to broadcast his too-gayness via his character being bisexual"

"what why is everyone taking my statements the WRONG WAY when I have been so perfectly clear in expressing my views on this matter"

[Nique]

I haven't watched Torchwood but for maybe 2 episodes. So if Jack has somehow turned into a terrible gay stereotype in line with, I dunno, let's say Perez Hilton, then I can kind of understand that being irritating inasmuch as a token black guy character would be irritating. But I never saw the character portrayed that way in Doctor Who.

Jack is played as kind of a slut and if I recall some people felt that plays into some stereotype about gay dudes and infidelity and I'm fairly certain that I agreed that this could be a valid criticism of the character. But that really only works if Jack wasn't basically a pan-sexual, time traveling version of James Bond.

I mean, does Jack's sexuality really come up in the show anymore than how often straight relationships are portrayed in science fiction? Or does he just make out with dudes and ladies and dudes as much as James Bond makes out with ladies and ladies and guns?

[Azisien]

That's interesting becuase I felt that the last half of the 6th series was total shit.

Welp, as per my post, I haven't gotten there yet. Though the last episode I watched was pretty meh (haunted cupboard kid thingy). And I have five left I think.


So, apparently next season is Karen Gillian's last.

You may all proceed to party down and break out the funky beats in celebration.

Well, I for one am happy. Bring back a companion that cries less.

[Azisien]

Just finished the sixth season. I liked the finale. Good season overall. My grading:

9 good to great episodes
3 shit episodes (Siren, Night Terrors, That Time Glass One)

Final Score: 9/12 - B+

[EVILNess]

I actually like Amelia Pond, but Rory really is probably my favorite character. He is so awkward, but at the same time he gets all the best lines and I love how he gets more assertive over the show.

Also, does anyone else think that the Doctor is a bit of, well not a background character, but more of kind of a backseat driver to the story now? Tennant's Doctor was always in the center of the limelight, but Smith's Doctor exploits are a lot more subtle in the way they are portrayed to the viewer, I think. Like the whole thing with Marilyn Monroe in that Christmas episode. There was a whole thing there, would have possibly made for an interesting episode, but the focus during that bit was on the Xmas episode.

That is something I like, the adventures in the adventures that sometimes crop up.

[Doc ock rokc]

Yeah I really like the River Doctor mechanic they worked into this season.
It definately feels Timetravel-y
I love it when they play around with the TimeyWhimy ball.
like in this
OXCEOr9Pz8g

[MFD]

I second the Rory love. Arthur Danville needs to play Richard in a Neverwhere remake. Karen Gillan as Door is strictly optional.

Would have watched the second half by now, but the postal service lost Season 6, Volume 2, Disc 1 I got the slip of paper with my address on it. And then Disc 2 two days later. Mocking me.

Great...

[Doc ock rokc]

Rory is basically a memetic badass
http://i.imgur.com/sML73.gif

[Nique]

HA! The 'Punched the 11th Doctor/ The first one felt it' was pretty good.

[Doc ock rokc]

thats why its at the end

[Nique]

looping gifs have no end

[Kim]

Well this Christmas special was rather meh, but not overly annoying meh. Just blah. The ending was at least pretty decent. Starting to feel like I may give up on watching Who in the future, though.

Also, the whole "followed me home" thing came off as creepy stalker issues and I genuinely have to wonder what the hell is wrong with Moffat.

[TDK]

The Doctor is lonely and doesn't fully understand/care about human social rules. Hence the following. Nothing stalker about it.

[Kim]

I wasn't talking about the Doctor.
I was talking about the completely human man that the lady in this Christmas special was married to.

[Doc ock rokc]

Yeah that came off as stockerific
Otherwise the special was obviously more geared for children then adults this time around. However I really enjoyed it as a breather episode considering A)the season ended in a huge bang last time and B) both the last Xmas Special (which was In my honest opinion one of the best Xmas specials and 10's last special (THE END OF TIME) where quite enough Holy shit on their own.

[Nique]

I'm having a hard time pinpointing the problem with this special - maybe it was just boring but it was also basically companionless. Like... is this Doctor just not entertaining without Amy and Rory? Cause I was looking forward to seeing him without Amy for a while and now I'm wondering if Matt Smith just isn't that great without someone interesting to play off of.

Or maybe it was just a boring special.

EDIT: Great idea. 11th Doctor's new companion - Stormaggedon.

[Doc ock rokc]

EDIT: Great idea. 11th Doctor's new companion - Stormaggedon.

I actually won't mind that guy(stormaggedon's father) Coming on as the Doctor's companion after all he knows more about the doctor then most people do and he plays a PERFECT Watson-ish charactor (which was the role roy fell in before he went all uber Badass on us).

[EVILNess]

Cause I was looking forward to seeing him without Amy for a while and now I'm wondering if Matt Smith just isn't that great without someone interesting to play off of.


Last Doctor had the same problem in my opinion, but I feel that it is more about who the Doctor is as a person at his core.

When 11th is alone he gets excited for a second, then realizes that no one is there, and then kind of wilts because he knows what is going on and there is no one to enlighten and to share the moment with.

No one but himself, and he absolutely hates that guy.

At least he doesn't do like 10th did when alone, which was basically mope and go on power trips.

[Archbio]

I hereby demand.

Robert Sheehan as lets get these character away from the Rudy please as the Twelfth Doctor.

So shall it be.

[Azisien]

I would like to see Patrick Stewart return as the Master.

[TDK]

I hereby demand.

Robert Sheehan as lets get these character away from the Rudy please as the Twelfth Doctor.

So shall it be.

I endorse this because he shares my surname and I can use that to get all the Doctor Who bitchez.

[EVILNess]

Why is everyone I talk to so keen on getting to the 12th doctor? They are burning through his regenerations too fast as it is.

Aren't Timelords limited to 12 regenerations? I seem to recall that the Timelord ruling body could give more, but they kinda aren't around anymore...

Or did they just kind of drop that? (FAKEDIT: Apparently they did, with a throwaway line on a spin-off.)

Also, I posit that had Sherlock not been a thing on BBC that the gentleman playing Sherlock would have made a fine Who.

[Seil]

Hey, got the new season and it's

What the crap lake astronaut viking funeral?

[Fifthfiend]

Why is everyone I talk to so keen on getting to the 12th doctor? They are burning through his regenerations too fast as it is.

Aren't Timelords limited to 12 regenerations? I seem to recall that the Timelord ruling body could give more, but they kinda aren't around anymore...

Or did they just kind of drop that? (FAKEDIT: Apparently they did, with a throwaway line on a spin-off.)

Also, I posit that had Sherlock not been a thing on BBC that the gentleman playing Sherlock would have made a fine Who.

Everyone wants to get to the 12th doctor because they want to see what shameless bullshit the writers come up with for why there's actually gonna go on ahead and be a 13th-24th doctor.

[Doc ock rokc]

Hey, got the new season and it's

What the crap lake astronaut viking funeral?

Generally that is the only good responce to that episode. Although Being Doctor Who it will all make sense eventually.

Wibbily wobboly and and all that.

[Seil]

The most terrible slow motion thing in the history of everything. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQfRHkon1Vc)

[Seil]

"Doctor, I'm pregnant."
"Whhhhaaaaaat aaaaarrrrrreeeee yyyyyooooouuuu dooooooiiiiiiinnnnnngggggg?"
"Saaaaaaavvvvvviiiiinnnnnggggg yooooouuuuuuurrrrr liiiiiiiiiiiiffffffffffeeeeee!"
*BAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGG*

Also, when did we start watching Buffy The Vampire Slayer? (http://buffy.wikia.com/wiki/The_Gentlemen)

[Seil]

Okay, The Silence were pretty rad.

Crazy dude in an orphanage abandoned save for a few dozen aliens what live on the celing in the abandoned dormitory? Check.

Bit where you tie in the marks and memory wipes, making a proper horror, if only for a scene? Check.

Bit where the Doctor has caught on and has a plan, but you haven't and it's lovely 'cause you're waiting to see what he does next? Checkmate.

Although I coulda done without River swinging around firing her lazor, though. It was like she was on a rotating pedestal. Counter-check!

(Oh and whatsisface the third was absolutely brilliant for an FBI agent living on the edge.)

[Bard The 5th LW]

Ive been watching this show with my little brother on DVR recently, pretty swell show all in all!

[EVILNess]

Although I coulda done without River swinging around firing her lazor, though. It was like she was on a rotating pedestal. Counter-check!


I am kinda on the fence about River, she is kinda Mary Sue-ish sometimes (Really no more than the Doctor, but he is the Doctor so whatever.) but she does have some fun moments.

[Seil]

Retraction! While Matt Smith is still terrible forever, his second season isn't. Not. Is not.

Addition! The Silence are great, the almost people birthday line is great and having the TARDIS talk to the Doctor was a nice touch, even if the execution is terrible.

Complaint! The first time we get a look into the TARDIS aside from the control room and it's terrible linear corridors.

Seil!
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u59/Poetisch/tumblr_llnfbaunfF1qj90lho1_500.png

[Seil]

In the immortal words of John Henry Tennant XXVI,

fHGTppKiLjE

[EVILNess]

WHAT?


No offense, but that didn't exactly drop out of the sky.