Doctor Who (13th Doctor)

[Rately]

I really, really want to love the series, but it is just one disappointing episode after another.

Great cast, a writer who is capable of brilliant work but something is just missing. A real shame as Jodie Whittaker is never anything less than brilliant and charming in the role, and deserves much better storylines.

[Colin YNWA]

Well it was better, but a bit dull. And while idea of mirrorings Tesla's relationship with Edison had potential it was all a bit meandering and events lurched from one thing to the next. Even giant scorpions running amok in turn of the century New York couldn't save it - and that's a sentence no one should have to write. If giant scorpions running amok through New York doesn't make something worth watching folks making the giant scorpions run amok need to take a good long look at themselves. Its like the writers / directors have lost the ability to craft a thread through a well paced and structured story. Just basics really.

Such a shame as the performances were excellent with what they had. And I'd love to see a season of Tesla traveling with the Doctor, fella-me-laddio who played him was excellent I thought.

[dweezil2]

Well it was better, but a bit dull. And while idea of mirrorings Tesla's relationship with Edison had potential it was all a bit meandering and events lurched from one thing to the next. Even giant scorpions running amok in turn of the century New York couldn't save it - and that's a sentence no one should have to write. If giant scorpions running amok through New York doesn't make something worth watching folks making the giant scorpions run amok need to take a good long look at themselves. Its like the writers / directors have lost the ability to craft a thread through a well paced and structured story. Just basics really.

Such a shame as the performances were excellent with what they had. And I'd love to see a season of Tesla traveling with the Doctor, fella-me-laddio who played him was excellent I thought.

Yeah, Goran Višnjić's commanding performance as Tesla really threw into stark contrast just how flat and stilted some of the other performances were in this episode, he was easily the best thing in it.
An improvement over last weeks, with some nice production values, but still rather plodding.

[JamesC]

Some good performances but a crap story and script.

This is not a family sci fi drama anymore, it's just a children's programme. And not a very good one.

It's like they decided to tell kids a bit about Nicola Tesla but put in lots of running around, monsters and being silly just so they wouldn't get bored.

[von Boom]

Better than last week but that's not saying much. Goran Višnjić was the best thing as Tesla and it's becoming clear that Bradley Walsh is being made redundant. He was the bright spot last series but now they're reducing him to comic relief.

[IndigoPrime]

Mm. Unlike last week's episode, which was flat-out awful, this one was just... flat. Višnjić was good. The big bad was rubbish – something the director/editor seemed to realise, given how little was seen of her. (Also: like a copy/paste from the Racnoss in 2006.) The story was lazy. Bar the first episode, everything here so far has felt like a first draft. We're also, what, nearly halfway through the second series of this Doctor, and I still don't really know who she is (other than a Doctor that's anti-gun, but apparently sometimes... pro-genocide). I realise Doctors can take a while to bed in, but Whittaker desperately needs better material.

[Dandontdare]

(Also: like a copy/paste from the Racnoss in 2006.)

I noticed that, and it kinda makes sense, but they could have mentioned it - The Racnoss were an arachnoid race from the earliest days of the universe, and these scorpion-critters (also arachnoid) are described as "one of the ancient races", so just like Silurians and Sea Devils were linked in original-Who, it's credible that they are related species.

I rewatch 9th-12th Doctor episodes continually (even if they feature James Corden!), but apart from the first one, I have never had any enthusiasm to rewatch any of these - they're just dull.

[Jim_Campbell]

these scorpion-critters (also arachnoid) are described as "one of the ancient races"

No, they're not. The Orb of Thingie belonged to one of the ancient races. The scorpion-beasties just scavenged and repurposed it, like the rest of their technology.

[Dandontdare]

these scorpion-critters (also arachnoid) are described as "one of the ancient races"

No, they're not. The Orb of Thingie belonged to one of the ancient races. The scorpion-beasties just scavenged and repurposed it, like the rest of their technology.

ah yes, my bad. I could rewatch to check, but ... y'know... other things to do, like staring at the wall 

[Tiplodocus]

I rewatch 9th-12th Doctor episodes continually (even if they feature James Corden!)

As I like to tell people, my eight year old nephew said at the time: "It's that bloke who is in everything"

[shaolin_monkey]

I rewatch 9th-12th Doctor episodes continually (even if they feature James Corden!)

As I like to tell people, my eight year old nephew said at the time: "It's that bloke who is in everything"

My version would just include one word:

"It's that bloke who is shit in everything"


This series is a bit meh so far, despite Whittaker being a superb Doctor.  Again it suffers from having to squeeze everything into an hour - loads of concepts and characters just not explored - just 'bang bang bang solution end of episode'.

[IndigoPrime]

It's amazing that these episodes simultaneously feel crammed and empty.

[Leigh S]

This weeks had a decent premise and thematically felt like someone was thinking at least the Tesla stuff through

But I agree IP - I felt your comment:

It's amazing that these episodes simultaneously feel crammed and empty.

particularly applied to the alien threat - both barely an afterthought in terms of realisation (can you do those spider things again?  That doesnt fit, but we could make them scorpions?) and motivation b(the concept is strong, but then think through what elemtns of their backstory would lead them to be in the position they are desperate enough to go after Tesla but not advanced enough to do this stuff themelves) .  But they were also overblown and over complicated - they can hide as people, but also can e giant scorpions, are a Racnoss queen type thing, and they could destroy the planet and they have a ship hovering over the City and and... .  If they'd kept them as the creepy guys who stole their "shape" or inhabited the dead Judge Death style and kept it at that - more virus than race, in space more by accident than design? 

Otherwise, it was lifted by good performances from Tesla and Edison and the main cast (though Ryan still drains the life out of me whenever he is centre stage, he wasnt too bad here)

[judgeurko]

Caught up with this season. Great fun.

[pauljholden]

Can't decide if I enjoyed that episode or if was so stuffed with things I didn't really get a chance to think overly long about anything.

LOVED the judoon. I want more Judoon. In fact, I'd be very happy to draw a Judoon comic. They're lots of fun. Thought the actor playing the leader did a great job, really expressive body language and the prosthetics were great too.
(And as a dad I can't help love there's a Platoon of Jadoon beside the Moon...)

[spoiler]
While I'm not fussed at all about Captain Jack. my wife loves him and she's not been a great fan of this series (or even any since Matt Smith left) she loved Captain Jack coming back, and I think the startling second doctor held her interest. (While watching it, once the Docter turned up at the beginning she turned to me and said "I was enjoying that episode until the Doctor turned up")

As far me, loved the Judoon, unbothered by Captain Jack. Weirdly the whole while through the Bourne Docter I was thinking "I can't believe they've just lifted the whole thing of the Doctor hiding himself and not knowing who he is and used it on a different character, which is VERY LAZY" - but on the reveal it was Oh blimey, that's cool.

[/spoiler]


One weird thing, I think is, you never get a true sense of how big those tardis interiors are - I suspect it's because the camera is always going to mid/close up shots, so it's rare you get to see a whole human being in context of being inside the tardis. (Mind you I might be wrong, and I'm just being daft)

-PJ