Doctor Who - Series 10 (Spoilers)

[IndigoPrime]

Again, it comes down to a weakness of script editing. Really, they need a showrunner providing an arc and guidance, but a really powerful script editor to make sure the writing is consistent, coherent, and otherwise decent.

[Dandontdare]

Life under the monks didn't seem too bad.

I had to read this a few times to be sure it wasn't some kind of ironic satire - if it isn't a joke, than all I can say is 

[Steve Green]

With the DUP coming in to prop up May, it's all relative.

[Huey2]

I had to read this a few times to be sure it wasn't some kind of ironic satire - if it isn't a joke, than all I can say is 

Okay, sorry, perhaps I was being a tad flippant and, no, I wouldn't want to live in Monkworld. Sorry if any offense was caused
But,... I do think that if you are going to tell a story about the population living under an oppressive evil dictatorship then you have a responsibility - especially to the younger viewers - to show that this would be a really, really bad thing. I don't think the writers did this.

if I think of other times Doctor who has plonked down into evil regimes - the Dalek Invasion of Earth, the Sunmakers or Vengeance on Varos are a few that instantly spring to mind - the story always does 4 things.
1). It makes it really obvious why this is a bad place to live.
2). It gives us an everyman character who lives here. They show us how they are suffering in this world and also introduce us to the set-up
3). They give us a villain to hiss and
4). Throughout the tale we get plenty of other reminders as to why this is a really, really bad place.

They didn't do that. We do get an introduction where a nameless character is carted off for thought crimes. And then that's it. No other reminders why this is a bad place, no named who live here ( I think the stupid guard got a name but his sole characteristic was stupidity) and no understanding of why the Monks were such bad people.

After the set up we got distractions.
Bill and Nardole have very little problem getting to the Doctor. The Monks are aware that he is the biggest threat to them and yet they don't jail him or torture him as would happen if he was the biggest threat to any real fascist regime. They give him an office and ask him to make their promotional materials. He can have gunfire going off in his office and they don't bother to check what's going on. After that, his merry band can swan off when they feel like it. Deliberately crashing a huge boat instead of sneaking about also doesn't bring any heavy pursuit. Basically, the Doctor appears to have a lot of freedom.

This whole section seems to be there because it's got lots of cool things for the trailer: Bill can shoot the Doctor - with very, very little provocation and the Doctor can fake a regeneration - pointless if Bill has never seen a regeneration before. And then he gets to argue that democracy is a bad thing. Fine, if a counter argument is used - it isn't. This speech goes unchallenged even if the Doctor clearly doesn't believe it himself.

Distraction 2 is the visit to see Missy because they've got to crowbar the story arc in there. We learn that Bill is the only link the monks have to the real world but rather than ensure her safety by keeping her locked up - she's able to live outside. The idea that the only way to save the world was to sacrifice Bill wouldn't be a bad one if we saw more of what she was saving the world from.

And then, our heroes accompanied by unnamed cannon fodder sneak into the Monk headquarters with very little problem until a gunfight is needed to kill off the redshirts.

In there we see how the Monks are keeping the population brainwashed. And here is the only character we ever see actually suffer on screen - a Monk. These alien overlords aren't living a life of luxury feeding on the blood of the people. One of the poor sods is stuck in a chair 24/7 so that his thoughts can keep the population under control. Why? What's in it for them?

Then there's some nonsense which saves the day. The end scene which follows reveals that no magic reset or time reversal is needed - people just forgot about it. Literally. Nothing clever. Nothing timey-wimey. So the evil, alien dictatorship can't have been all bad can it?

I'm sorry to have ranted but the opportunity to tell a 1984 style tale can't happen every week and this seems a really bodged chance. Three weeks earlier the target had been corporations who put profits before workers. They managed to do that. this was a much bigger target.

[Taryn Tailz]

I thought the Movellans were an unlikely comeback, but...Alpha Centauri?

[Huey2]

Big Finish episodes on iplayer now.

[Richard]

...carted off for thought crimes. And then that's it.

Er, isn't that bad enough?

[Jimmy Baker's Assistant]

I really liked the Ice Warriors episode. Very old school, but that style still works. The segue into Curse of Peladon was awesome as was "God Save The Queen" on Mars (a variation on the opening of First Men In The Moon, which has stuck with me since childhood).

I've noticed a huge improvement in Gatiss's scripts since the early days and this was possibly his best yet. Shame he's not taking over as showrunner, really, except that would have represented "more of the same".

[Lobo Baggins]

I thought the Movellans were an unlikely comeback, but...Alpha Centauri?

Not as big a surprise as it was to spot it was voiced by the same actress as it was in 1972 - 92 year old Ysanne Churchman coming out of retirement just to put a surprised smile on the faces of old school Doctor Who fans!

[Taryn Tailz]

I thought the Movellans were an unlikely comeback, but...Alpha Centauri?

Not as big a surprise as it was to spot it was voiced by the same actress as it was in 1972 - 92 year old Ysanne Churchman coming out of retirement just to put a surprised smile on the faces of old school Doctor Who fans!

Indeed...making her the oldest person ever to make an appearance in Doctor Who in the process.

[sheridan]

I thought the Movellans were an unlikely comeback, but...Alpha Centauri?

Not as big a surprise as it was to spot it was voiced by the same actress as it was in 1972 - 92 year old Ysanne Churchman coming out of retirement just to put a surprised smile on the faces of old school Doctor Who fans!

Indeed...making her the oldest person ever to make an appearance in Doctor Who in the process.

I recognised who it was supposed to be, but had no idea it was the same actress!  Must also make it the longest time between appearances (possibly for any show, not just Doctor Who).  Three episodes in 45 years!

[Jimmy Baker's Assistant]

Roman legion episode was okay. Obvious filler, but perfectly watchable.

Have to say that this season Missy has been awesome. Please don't screw this up, Moffat!

[dweezil2]

Roman legion episode was okay. Obvious filler, but perfectly watchable.

Have to say that this season Missy has been awesome. Please don't screw this up, Moffat!

Couldn't agree more.
The episode was pretty run of the mill, but the final scene with Capaldi was electric, with stunning performances from Capaldi and Michelle Gomez.

[DrRocka]

Oddly enough, I'm in the opposite camp- I really enjoyed that episode, after a couple of ropey ones, but I've really not bought into any of the Missy In The Vault Becoming Good stuff. It feels to me like they've not given her enough motivation to do so, or is that what the execution scene was setting up a few episodes ago?
Whatever, this season's still been the best one since Tennant left for me - here's hoping Moffat doesn't screw it up with one of his LOOK HOW CLEVER I AM finales.

[M.I.K.]

My mum once had a pet crow that could say her name.

Also, several decades ago, a supposedly wild crow overheard my grandmother telling my dad to "hurry up" and loudly repeated the words, closely followed by the addition of "...or you'll be late for the school!" My dad was in his twenties at the time.

Quite a few nods to actual folklore in that episode.