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 Captured by Vikings, the Doctor and Clara must help protect their village from space warriors from the future, the Mire. Outnumbered and outgunned, their fate seems inevitable. So why is the Doctor preoccupied with a single Viking girl? Peter Capaldi is the Doctor in The Girl Who Died. X X X X X Cast The Doctor - Peter Capaldi Clara - Jenna Coleman Ashildr - Maisie Williams Odin - David Schofield Nollarr - Simon Lipkin Chuckles - Ian Conningham Lofty - Tom Stourton Limpy - Alastair Parker Hasten - Murray McArthur Heidi - Barnaby Kay Written by: Jamie Mathieson and Steven Moffat Directed by: Ed Bazalgette Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNlUdwAMm_Y Gifs by: J-Ru X X X X X The Girl Who Died is a different sort of episode – the first part of a two-episode serial that could truly act as its own individual story. A basic plot is mixed in with some solid performances and the answer to a question that's intrigued fans for two seasons, but by and large the events of this episode would have remained self-contained if not for the last few minutes, where the Doctor makes a decision that radically alters a character's life.  Vikings, a legendary group of Earth pillagers and conquerors. Not a warrior group the Doctor enjoys dealing with. The Mire, a legendary group of intergalactic pillagers and conquerors . Not a warrior group the Doctor enjoys dealing with. The two groups collide in a small 10th century village as the Mire harvest the town's strongest warriors. But Ashildr, angered by the slaughter of her friends, declares war upon the leader of the Mire. In 24 hours, the Mire will return to fight the ten strongest warriors of the village...but the remaining villagers have never picked up a sword in their lives. The Doctor faces a dilemma. If he leaves, the villagers will be horribly massacred by the Mire. If he helps defeat the Mire, they will return to Earth again and again seeking new challenges, putting Earth in the intergalactic cross hairs years before they're ready...   There's a pattern to the stories of Jamie Mathieson – the Doctor and his companion are thrust into a basic situation (murders on the Orient Express, an invasion of two dimensional aliens, the impending attack of a race of alien warriors), there's a major impediment put in their way (an alien only those about to die can see, the Doctor being trapped in the TARDIS, villagers who have no idea how to fight), and a sudden burst of inspiration at the very last minute saves the day (the Doctor deducing the mummy is a fallen soldier, Clara using the aliens' energy to recharge the TARDIS, the village harvesting electric eels). The plot of The Girl Who Died reminded me a lot of movies like Seven Samurai, The Magnificent Seven (or its anime counterpart Samurai 7) and Battle Beyond the Stars, all movies where a group of ragtag warriors are recruited to defend a poor village from an overwhelming force. Mathieson's script (along with a co-writing credit from Steven Moffat) works on a very simple level – a powerful alien threat (the Mire who look menacing in what could have passed as Iron Man's armor if he was around during the Golden Age of Comics) with a sneering and overconfident leader (David Schofield as Odin), secondary characters who, if we never learn their real names, make some sort of impression (Lofty the Blacksmith and Heidi who faints at the thought of the sight of blood), and an over-the-top plan that somehow manages to work despite everything to the contrary. Throw in a couple moments of humor (the Doctor's initial meeting with the Vikings and the smash cut from giving the trainees real swords to the village on fire), and what Mathieson gives us is a basic and workable blueprint to enjoy the story from. There are a couple of moments however that don't quite click – a Viking village with electric eels? The village suddenly being able to craft and put together all kinds of weird crafts and puppets (it reminded me of the “we can sew” line from Three Amigos!)? The Doctor translating the baby's cries as a moment of dramatic tension? They don't mean much in the long run, but it's enough to keep this story from attaining the lofty heights of Mathieson's earlier stories.  (For the record, "eeeeeeeeeeels" is definitely no "treeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees") With the story laid out, it's once again up to the cast to elevate the script and make the episode something special. The Girl Who Died contains my favorite Jenna Coleman performance so far this season as Clara runs the gamut across a wide variety of emotions and character tics. We have the panic as Clara realizes something in her spacesuit, her banter with the Doctor as they're hauled in chains into the Viking village, her quick thinking in order to keep her and the Doctor from being harvested, her attempts to drive the Mire away – Clara's turn in this story touches upon so much of what she's picked up during her travels with the Doctor, encapsulating all her adventures and experiences into this one episode. This story really does show why Clara is a good companion for the Twelfth Doctor, someone who picks up on his traits while doing her best to keep him grounded and as “human” as he could possibly be. Mathieson's script specifically serves to highlight one of the most important aspects of Clara's feeling about the Doctor – her absolute and utter trust in him. This is the point that Clara keeps hammering home all episode. The Doctor will find a way to win (a call back to Missy's words in The Witch's Familiar), even if he doesn't know it at the time. Coleman gives an easy sincerity to Clara's bedrock faith. It's just so casual the way she delivers the news to Ashildr that the Doctor has a plan but just doesn't know it yet. To me, Peter Capaldi's best acting moment as the Doctor comes during the end of Dark Water when he realizes Missy is the Master. In terms of episodes however, The Girl Who Died is perhaps Capaldi's best singular acting performance. The beginning of the episode sees the Doctor confident that his usual schtick will work to shock and awe the Vikings. But when he realizes that he's dealing with the Mire and that the village is trapped in a “damned if you do/damned if you don't” situation, Capaldi REALLY shines. Twelve has been a pragmatic Doctor, one who has been brutally honest about a person's chances of survival even as he grabs at the faintest strands of hope. When there is no thread to grab, the melancholy Twelve falls into is a bit shocking. Viewers have seen the Doctor confused, or trying to puzzle out a solution of some sort, but here the Doctor just can't find a way out, as the only way out of training the villagers will still lead to certain death. It's a testament to Coleman and Capaldi's chemistry together during the scenes where Clara tries to...not cheer the Doctor up, but kick him in the arse a little bit to get him going. I've said earlier that the big “aha” moment involving the presence of electric eels is incredibly silly, but what sells the moment is Capaldi's sheer joy at the realization that the Doctor can help the villagers save the day, as is wont to happen with the Doctor around, using VR overlays, Google Glass, and magnetic anvils. It's JUST over-the-top enough to work and not detract too much from the episode... Then the mood whiplash hits when he realizes that in this moment of happiness is a moment of sheer sorrow (as is wont to happen with the Doctor around). All the joy leaves with a powerful scene as the Doctor proclaims once again his sickness at the fact that he can't save everyone no matter how hard he tries, that for all his smarts and brilliance people still get hurt because he can't change time to save them all...  ...it is a question that was asked way back during Deep Breath. Why the the Doctor take the face of Caecilius from The Fires of Pompeii?. He did it to remind himself that he could always save people. It's a bit heartwarming and also smacks a bit of Ten's “Time Lord Victorious,” which ties into the fact that it was Ten who saved Caecilius. As the Doctor follows through with this realization, there's the hope that things are going to be ok, that just maybe the Doctor has saved someone that shouldn't have been saved... ...and then the realization hits as Capaldi quietly states to Clara that he acted on pure emotion.  There was a lot of fan interest in the casting of Maisie Williams in this episode. Was she a lost Time Lord? An incarnation of Missy, or perhaps even Jenny? A future companion? None of those came to pass (so far...) and I'm going to half to wait until the second part of this story, The Woman Who Lived, to pass judgment on Williams' turn. Her performance in The Girl Who Died was adequate, but there just wasn't anything special in it. It suffered from what I call “Katie Holmes Syndrome.” During the whole Katie Holmes/Tom Cruise fling in 2005, Holmes had a significant role in Batman Begins, but while watching the movie every time Holmes came on screen I found myself saying “oh, that's Katie Holmes.” Nothing in her performance in that movie made me think for the duration of the film that she was her character and as such I kept seeing her as the actress (for another example, see Paris Hilton's turn in House of Wax). There was nothing beyond “proud Viking girl” that established Ashildr as anything more than a character we've seen in countless other stories and serials. Now, the reason I'm willing to reserve judgment is because of this story's ending. At first glance this episode reminded of The Doctor's Daughter, where Jenny rockets off into the cosmos for new adventures, but we never see or hear from her again. This story could have fallen into that area, where Ashildr goes on to live her life without the Doctor seeing her again. Or, ala River Song, perhaps seeing her again in a later episode. But instead, The Woman Who Lived will take place directly after The Girl Who Died, so both the viewers and the Doctor get to see the immediate aftermath of the Doctor's decision. But, it looks like it's going to be in a completely different era of history with a completely different cast, leaving the Viking village behind. It's the same scriptwriter and same director, so I'm definitely intrigued with how things might shake out...it's definitely one of the most unique cliffhangers in this show's history! The Girl Who Died could have been a standard and solid episode of Doctor Who, with a good plot, interesting aliens, and moments of humor and melodrama. It's the last few minutes that really make this episode an interesting one, as the Doctor's actions to save one life has the potential for grave consequences. It speaks a lot about this incarnation of the Doctor, and seeing how he deals with the fallout of his decision in the next episode is what intrigues me the most...  Random Thoughts - Fine. The sonic sunglasses are gone. I hope you people are happy. I hope you people are all wearing huge happy hats.  - “What's the one thing that's true about gods, huh? They never show up!” - If the Twelfth Doctor took Caecilius' face as a reminder that he could always save people, then what does that say about the Sixth Doctor taking Commander Maxil's face? - The parallels between Ashildr and Captain Jack Harkness are there, and the Doctor's treatment of Ashildr next episode is what currently intrigues me...  Cobi's Synopsis – A different type of first episode, The Girl Who Died is standard fare anchored by Peter Capaldi's best performance yet as the Twelfth Doctor and a haunting final shot that speaks volumes about how the second part of this story might turn out. Next Up - The Doctor is forced to face the consequences of his actions as he encounters someone who refuses to let him turn his back on the things he has done... Peter Capaldi is the Doctor in...The Woman Who Lived CobiWann fucked around with this message at 09:19 on Oct 19, 2015 |
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Oct 18, 2015 21:28
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The_Doctor posted:I really need to watch this episode again, so I can see this great wonder I apparently missed. Thats what you posted earlier but you never said what you didn't like. It's OK not to like something, plenty of other people didn't like it just so you don't feel alone. CobiWann posted:The plot of The Girl Who Died reminded me a lot of movies like Seven Samurai, The Magnificent Seven (or its anime counterpart Samurai 7) and Battle Beyond the Stars, all movies where a group of ragtag warriors are recruited to defend a poor village from an overwhelming force. You know that all of those movies you referenced are remakes of Seven Samurai right? Mr Beens fucked around with this message at 21:46 on Oct 18, 2015 |
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Oct 18, 2015 21:39
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Three good episodes in a row! If this keeps up I might stop being embarrassed to be a Who fan again!
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Oct 18, 2015 21:41
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Mr Beens posted:You know that all of those movies you referenced are remakes of Seven Samurai right? I don't understand the question and refuse to acknowledge it. I do. I own them all.
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Oct 18, 2015 21:56
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I mean this as constructive criticism, but thisCobiWann posted:
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Oct 18, 2015 22:08
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Attitude Indicator posted:I mean this as constructive criticism, but this It is. It's taken directly from the BBC's website for each episode's page.
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Oct 18, 2015 23:07
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Good review, but I take exception to one minor point:CobiWann posted:the answer to a question that's intrigued fans for two seasons Was anybody REALLY intrigued/desperate to find out the reason why the Doctor had the same face as Caecilius?  - I mean as "explanations" go it was perfectly fine and a nice little moment, but did anybody really think it was a question that NEEDED to be answered? Or even asked?PS. The reason was that they cast the same actor 
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Oct 19, 2015 00:22
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I would have been perfectly happy if it had never ever been explained or even referenced. But when it was revealed that we would be finding out; I was intrigued by the possibilities.
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Oct 19, 2015 00:24
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To me it was a case of "Moffat mentioned it and some of the fandom ran with it." Kind of the whole "who will Maisie Williams REALLY be playing" theories that ended up going nowhere.
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Oct 19, 2015 00:55
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CobiWann posted:Kind of the whole "who will Maisie Williams REALLY be playing" theories that ended up going nowhere. Clearly she will grow older and more bitter over the centuries until she becomes the very personification of evil itself, and in an ironic twist takes on the same serpent form she used to scare the Mire as well as a bastardization of their name. Maisie Williams is.... THE MARA!
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Oct 19, 2015 00:57
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Jerusalem posted:Clearly she will grow older and more bitter over the centuries until she becomes the very personification of evil itself, and in an ironic twist takes on the same serpent form she used to scare the Mire as well as a bastardization of their name. Maisie Williams is.... THE MARA! I kinda like this.
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Oct 19, 2015 01:01
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For a highly advanced and supposedly renowned warrior race, these guys sure were nonthreatening. Their peashooters couldn't even break through the wood walls.
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Oct 19, 2015 01:08
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I liked it! Except for Donna. 
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Oct 19, 2015 01:32
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Amppelix posted:For a highly advanced and supposedly renowned warrior race, these guys sure were nonthreatening. Their peashooters couldn't even break through the wood walls. I wonder if they originally thought to use the Sontarans and decided against it? Because that's the Sontarans' whole thing - having this reputation of being the ultimate warrior race despite being vulnerable to deckchairs, right?
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Oct 19, 2015 02:19
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Jerusalem posted:Clearly she will grow older and more bitter over the centuries until she becomes the very personification of evil itself, and in an ironic twist takes on the same serpent form she used to scare the Mire as well as a bastardization of their name. Maisie Williams is.... THE MARA! The Mara is the thing from Old Who that hasn't come back yet that I'd want to see.
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Oct 19, 2015 02:28
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Wheat Loaf posted:I wonder if they originally thought to use the Sontarans and decided against it? Because that's the Sontarans' whole thing - having this reputation of being the ultimate warrior race despite being vulnerable to deckchairs, right? I would think that post-Strax Sontarans would be expected to have individual personalities, and this story, like most Seven Samurai riffs, calls for a faceless enemy. You can still do stories where the Sontarans are the enemy, but I don't think they would have worked here. Aren't there multiple ultimate warrior races now, too? Either the guys with the shark heads or the guys with the rhino heads were supposed to super soldiers, I think.
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Oct 19, 2015 02:32
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Jerusalem posted:Was anybody REALLY intrigued/desperate to find out the reason why the Doctor had the same face as Caecilius? I am suddenly very grateful that JN-T/Ian Levine never felt the need to have it explained why Colin Baker's face looked suspiciously like that of Commander Maxil.
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Oct 19, 2015 02:46
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Amppelix posted:For a highly advanced and supposedly renowned warrior race, these guys sure were nonthreatening. Their peashooters couldn't even break through the wood walls. These guys seemed to rely a lot on spectacle and fear, so I'd wager a lot of their thing is bluster, intimidation and bullying. They're still dangerous and highly advanced, yes, and they're picking on a very comparatively primitive village, but I wouldn't be surprised if their weapons weren't actually all that great. I can't imagine a CGI snake would be that terrifying to the actual most dangerous warrior race in the universe. If all this is true, then I love these guys. A race legendary not because of what they're actually capable of, but because 'well they look big and scary, claimed to be pretty important, shouted a lot and beat the poo poo out of that other guy, so I better not mess with them'.
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Oct 19, 2015 02:47
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Amppelix posted:For a highly advanced and supposedly renowned warrior race, these guys sure were nonthreatening. Their peashooters couldn't even break through the wood walls.
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Oct 19, 2015 02:49
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jivjov posted:I would have been perfectly happy if it had never ever been explained or even referenced. But when it was revealed that we would be finding out; I was intrigued by the possibilities. I had no idea it was coming, and if you had spoiled it for me prior to transmission I would have written it off as a very silly idea that didn't need explanation. The fact that it actually worked for me as an emotional beat with resonance and thematic ties to the Pompeii episode is just a pleasant surprise.
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Oct 19, 2015 03:05
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So, rewatching the part where he realizes why he has that face.... who would be out there, listening, and having a problem with the Doctor breaking the rules of time? I guess Gallifrey is back again, but even when the Time Lords were gone, he was wary of breaking the rules of time.
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Oct 19, 2015 03:10
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thexerox123 posted:So, rewatching the part where he realizes why he has that face.... who would be out there, listening, and having a problem with the Doctor breaking the rules of time? The Reapers showed up last time he Screwed Up Time Real Bad<tm>, and the Guardians are probably still a thing. More than likely, though, it's just a crazy old man shaking his fist at the heavens.
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Oct 19, 2015 03:15
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Chokes McGee posted:The Reapers showed up last time he Screwed Up Time Real Bad<tm>, and the Guardians are probably still a thing. Yeah, I'd be very surprised if the new series brought back the Guardians or the Eternals.
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Oct 19, 2015 03:16
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thexerox123 posted:So, rewatching the part where he realizes why he has that face.... who would be out there, listening, and having a problem with the Doctor breaking the rules of time? Well when he pulled the Time Lord Victorious stuff, it came back to bite him on the rear end pretty spectacularly. Happily things went much better in Day of the Doctor, though they were far more careful about maintaining the illusion that everything happened the way everybody always thought it did, whereas in Waters of Mars he was thumbing his nose in the web of time/the universe's face and saying,"I SET THE RULES NOW!"
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Oct 19, 2015 03:46
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CobiWann posted:During the whole Katie Holmes/Tom Cruise fling in 2005, Holmes had a significant role in The Dark Knight, but while watching the movie every time Holmes came on screen I found myself saying “oh, that's Katie Holmes.” She was in Batman Begins, get your act together CobiWann  .This was actually one of my favorite episodes this season, and got the biggest laugh out of me so far with the Viking just snapping the Doctor's Sonic Sunglasses and him just being like "Well, we're going with the Vikings!" Also, I'm surprised no one has pointed out another quick little moment of Clara acting just like the Doctor. I'll make an  transcription of this exchange that happens after the Vikings have been turned into goo on the ship and Clara and Ashilder are talking to the vile leader of the Mira, after Clara has pointed out that she has super advanced tech with her (broken sonic sunglasses) and that the Mira shouldn't go to war with them:*Evil leader takes a swig of testosterone and adrenaline harvested from the Vikings* Clara: Okay, you mashed up Vikings to make warrior juice. Nice. Ashilder: They what? Clara (not missing a beat): Why play god? *Evil leader philosophizes about how farmers are gods to cattle, etc.* Clara: You're not a farmer, you're a thief. Caught in the act. Ashilder: I don't understand! Mashed up? What are you saying?! Clara: Hush. Go, now. Go find Vikings on other planets. Blah blah blah... Ashilder: You'll pay for what you've done here today  .So in summary, a little girl has seen a big group of the strongest warriors in her village, warriors she worries about whenever they leave and hugs when they come back, turned into goo and then watches a guy drink her cherished elders, and Clara basically says "Shut up, I'm talking." I could totally see Twelve having this same reaction and conversation. It's also interesting to note that Clara doesn't really want to try to bring the Mira to justice for the mass murder of innocent Vikings, and that the Doctor similarly doesn't care about proper revenge. One humiliating fight and a blackmail video is getting off pretty light for killing a dozen or so people. Remember, the bad guy in Dinosaurs on a Spaceship got directly killed by the Doctor and the worst thing he did was kill a bunch of hibernating lizard people and take over their ship (though trying to enslave Cleopatra wasn't too nice either). Oh, and we just saw the Doctor step headlong into a bootstrap paradox to save Clara. Aliens kill a bunch of Vikings, and Clara wants them to just go away and the Doctor's #1 plan is to have everyone hide in the woods for a week. It's a sensible enough response given what they know about the big picture, but even if they weren't trying to sell running away to Vikings I think most villages would be pretty salty over having around a third of their population slaughtered like cattle. CobiWann posted:Good news? I'll go ahead and attribute that to the patented Maisie Williams bump.
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Oct 19, 2015 06:07
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If this is Clara's last season, I'm interesting how they have her leave. I mean they haven't killed a companion yet. They've sent them to alternative universes, had them join unit, erased their mind, sent back in time, but not dead.
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Oct 19, 2015 07:55
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As someone that was very "no, gently caress off you idiots, you don't need to explain that" when Moffat first started saying they were going to address the fact that Capaldi was in Pompeii and is now also the Doctor, I liked how that was handled well enough. Very low-key compared to my imagination where they were going to make some big, stupid fanwanky Thing of it. Also, episode was fun. Liking this season a lot more than the previous so far.
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Oct 19, 2015 08:43
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twistedmentat posted:If this is Clara's last season, I'm interesting how they have her leave. I mean they haven't killed a companion yet. They've sent them to alternative universes, had them join unit, erased their mind, sent back in time, but not dead. Clara will be the new Adric
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Oct 19, 2015 11:23
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^^^ Haha, I came so close to making an Adric joke  twistedmentat posted:If this is Clara's last season, I'm interesting how they have her leave. I mean they haven't killed a companion yet. They've sent them to alternative universes, had them join unit, erased their mind, sent back in time, but not dead. I'm getting the impression that the departure when it comes is going to be Clara facing up to the fact that she's been desperately trying to fill the hole in her life that Danny left with adventure and excitement with the Doctor, and that she does need to stop and reflect some more to be mentally and emotionally healthy. We've seen the Doctor awkwardly try to broach the subject and Clara "breezily" wave it away (while clearly being far too eager to change the subject) and I think it was last week's episode where she almost let slip that her adventures with the Doctor are pretty much the straw she has grabbed at to try and keep from facing up to reality. I think there is a mixture there of guilt over the idea of somebody new after Danny, as well as a subconscious reaction to the ordinary, mundane way in which he accidentally died suggesting the universe is a cold, uncaring and chaotic place and that being "normal" gets you nowhere - so she's seeking purpose/hope/a sense of reason with the Doctor, as we saw in Last Christmas he is basically her Santa Claus, the fairy-tale man who lets her escape reality. So I think the season will end with her either choosing or being forced to face up to the fact she's not all right and she does need help, and maybe seeing that a clean break from the Doctor may in fact be the one thing she really does need. Or she could become President of the Galactic Federation or join the Shadow Proclamation or something! 
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Oct 19, 2015 11:27
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Hope we get a good episode at some point this season... so much better when it was darker. I'm very tempted to drop it atm.
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Oct 19, 2015 11:30
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NowonSA posted:She was in Batman Begins, get your act together CobiWann Sorry, I get the movies confused. You see, Kevin Conroy is my Batman.
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Oct 19, 2015 11:32
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PriorMarcus posted:Nah, that's Eleven's first one. But, yeah, supposedly were due one this season or maybe in the Christmas special. You're looking at it. It's the added roundels which were there from the start of the series. echoplex fucked around with this message at 11:43 on Oct 19, 2015 |
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Oct 19, 2015 11:33
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Rocksicles posted:Hope we get a good episode at some point this season... so much better when it was darker. Have you tried watching the first 5 episodes of this season? They have all been varying shades of good.
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Oct 19, 2015 11:34
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PriorMarcus posted:So, interesting bit of gossip; Nine's inclusion in the 50th got as far as the story boarding phase for the entire episode, with The Moment being played by a young Amy - called Raggedy Girl, rather than a Bad Wolf possessed Rose. Honestly I think getting Billie Piper/Bad Wolf back actually works to the story's credit in the end. It gives the idea that the first time round things went as-advertised with The Big Red Button, but this is just one last little thing influenced by her to try and change reality for the better for the Doctor at his very worst moment. echoplex posted:You're looking at it. It's the added roundels which were there from the start of the series. They really need a new one. The current one looks okay with just the Doctor and Clara around the console, but even with just one extra person it starts getting crowded fast. The surrounding gantry is even worse if you have more than just one person on it side-by-side because it's so narrow. To be fair, adding the books and blackboard made it look at a lot better than it did originally, but it's still a very cramped set.
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Oct 19, 2015 12:28
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Neddy Seagoon posted:They really need a new one. The current one looks okay with just the Doctor and Clara around the console, but even with just one extra person it starts getting crowded fast. The surrounding gantry is even worse if you have more than just one person on it side-by-side because it's so narrow. To be fair, adding the books and blackboard made it look at a lot better than it did originally, but it's still a very cramped set. I remember pointing this out last season, but the main reason the set seems cramped now is because they put a bunch of stuff into an already small set. Twelve's console room is basically Eleven's second one with more things in it, but the set itself wasn't really designed for that, it wasn't built with the bookcases, tables, blackboards and whatnot in mind. And those decorations are not only causing the space issues, they're bringing focus to it. Eleven's version of it felt more spacious not just because there was less in it, but because there was less to do in it; our attention wasn't called to the size of the overall room because everyone was always in the center. Now, though, we've got the Doctor explaining things on chalkboards, taking out and reading books, fooling around with a guitar amp. The edges of the TARDIS set aren't dressing anymore, they're part of the actual stage, but they weren't really designed to be.
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Oct 19, 2015 12:45
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Yeah they were - it's designed to be shot from every level, and the cramped nature with more people is intentional. It's not the Enterprise - if there's more than the Doctor and his pal in that space then it means Something Is Happening so it makes sense on a dramatic level to make it feel dense/cramped. I actually think they use that space really well - the beginning of Ep4 especially. There's effectively 4 levels to that set and each one has a purpose - I think it works well. My Rembrandt for Ep 4 finally showed up in the background of Ep 5 in the upper gallery, but far too fleetingly for my liking 
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Oct 19, 2015 12:48
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Senor Tron posted:Jack is essentially a glitch in the Universe created by the TARDIS being used to do something it never should, a medical device is entirely different. Jack was truly immortal, he couldn't be killed. Ashildr is "functionally immortal," as long as she doesn't gently caress up and get sent through a meat grinder she won't die. Thats a pretty big difference. Anyways, I disliked the episode. A lot of the jokes were pretty poo poo and had to be sold by having Capaldi over-act. Thats a pretty standard new Who complaint though I guess. Didn't like Coleman's or Williams' performance in this one. I suppose that Clara wasn't an outright hindrance to the episode but it definitely wasn't Coleman's best performance either (I never find myself convinced when she tries to scare people off.) Maisey WIlliams though, wow, I felt nothing in any of her scenes. She looked miserable being there too. The Doctor getting emotional and trying to save one specific person, who was already dead as far as we can tell was eye-rolling, just because of how much death goes on in the show that doesn't get dwelt on. How is Ashildr any different than all of the other people he sees die on his adventures? I mean look at this episode, a whole room full of vikings got disintegrated. The first one's death was played as a joke. Well whatever, here's hoping the next one is better. I do like the whole two parter format we've been on so far. edit: And I like this version of the Tardis, it would be a shame to see it changed.
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Oct 19, 2015 13:38
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echoplex posted:Yeah they were - it's designed to be shot from every level, and the cramped nature with more people is intentional. It's not the Enterprise - if there's more than the Doctor and his pal in that space then it means Something Is Happening so it makes sense on a dramatic level to make it feel dense/cramped. I actually think they use that space really well - the beginning of Ep4 especially. There's effectively 4 levels to that set and each one has a purpose - I think it works well. Except that it's the TARDIS. The whole premise of the set is "bigger on the inside", and going for something that feels cramped doesn't gel well with that. (Yes I know; it's inside a phonebox to start with, but relatively speaking). Plus at the end of the day, it's still a centerpiece TV set that doesn't give the actors proper room to move around in. Saying "it has 4 levels" doesn't work at all either, because at best you're only ever going to see two at once, and the others will never be in the same shot. They can't even manage a decent wide shot of both the central console and the gantry either, because except for very specific angles the Console itself gets in the way.
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Oct 19, 2015 13:56
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Box of Bunnies posted:As someone that was very "no, gently caress off you idiots, you don't need to explain that" when Moffat first started saying they were going to address the fact that Capaldi was in Pompeii and is now also the Doctor, I liked how that was handled well enough. Very low-key compared to my imagination where they were going to make some big, stupid fanwanky Thing of it. This was a classic case of a thing where if there is some narrative mileage in the explanation then it's worth going back to, but if there isn't then it's worth ignoring forever. I figure Moffat looked at the coincidence and decided there was something there that was worth exploring, and I agree with him that it was. It was a good moment. As an example of the latter, consider the consequences of now dredging up and explaining that one Torchwood character who was ALSO played by Capaldi.
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Oct 19, 2015 14:13
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| # ? May 14, 2024 12:11 |
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They didn't really go into it much but the fact that Ashildr "died" as a result of something The Doctor told her to do has to sting more.
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Oct 19, 2015 15:17
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