tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685723882144479396.comments2024-02-26T21:15:28.308+00:00Ray Hardgrit's Sci-Fi AdventuresRay Hardgrithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436491500347661133noreply@blogger.comBlogger1762125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685723882144479396.post-69922831580354281822024-02-26T21:15:28.308+00:002024-02-26T21:15:28.308+00:00That comment about "no need for a minor Narn ...That comment about "no need for a minor Narn character any time soon..." is a trifle ironic since the Narn in the Streib ship returns in seasons 3 and 5 swearing loyalty to G'Kar!actionsubhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04908121736753717795noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685723882144479396.post-43480930764821214802023-12-27T10:54:32.051+00:002023-12-27T10:54:32.051+00:00Crikey!
I liked it, although the genre switch to ...Crikey!<br /><br />I liked it, although the genre switch to outright fantasy is a bit odd. That said, it's all apparently still to do with the Doctor throwing the salt at the end of the universe or something, so I'm willing to see where they are going with it.<br /><br />(I suspect the musical number was a homage to the aforementioned <i>Labyrinth</i>, which is a semi-musical itself, although their Goblin King is better looking.)<br /><br />Doctor 15 is great. Love him already, although all the best Doctors are Scottish so that's no surprise. I'm a little unconvinced by Ruby, as Gibson is Very Much Acting in this first episode, but maybe she settles down.<br /><br />I have no idea what that post-credits scene is about. The fourth wall break is maybe (?) a homage to the Hartnell episode "The Feast of Steven" as that was also a Christmas episode, but beyond that I've got nothing.thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685723882144479396.post-13828422917494683652023-12-24T11:49:17.552+00:002023-12-24T11:49:17.552+00:00Oh, and Zingo is obviously going to be a thing. Bu...Oh, and Zingo is obviously going to be a thing. But what? And is it a coincidence that it's almost an anagram of Zygon?<br /><br />(Maybe it is an anagram of Zygon; we never see Zingo spelled, so maybe it's Zyngo.)thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685723882144479396.post-39355137786147105862023-12-24T11:46:46.258+00:002023-12-24T11:46:46.258+00:00The word 'galvanic' can relate to electric...<i>The word 'galvanic' can relate to electrical currents generated by chemical reactions, or something sudden or dramatic. I'm thinking that the second meaning is more relevant.</i><br /><br />Apparently the gun is powered by something something the episode "Midnight" but I sort of lost track of RTD's explanation.thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685723882144479396.post-28930422043532571962023-12-24T11:46:34.084+00:002023-12-24T11:46:34.084+00:00"The One Who Waits" is mentioned as bein..."The One Who Waits" is mentioned as being someone else's story, and I thought "Ha! A cheeky <i>Loki</i> reference, because people keep saying <i>Loki</i> is <i>Doctor Who</i> with money!" but then I remembered in <i>Loki</i> it's He Who Remains. Never mind.thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685723882144479396.post-19757739687777415272023-12-24T11:46:17.997+00:002023-12-24T11:46:17.997+00:00I loved seeing Mel again this episode. It's fu...I loved seeing Mel again this episode. It's funny, Langford has a bit of a wonky reputation in <i>Who</i>, and it's true that she's not great in her original episodes, but then again, no one else is either, so I think it's the overall production that's the problem. She was absolutely fine in this episode and I look forward to seeing her again. In the "unlikely" event that happens, obviously.thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685723882144479396.post-17308638053441134322023-12-24T11:45:49.809+00:002023-12-24T11:45:49.809+00:00John Logie Baird is fairly well known, due to inve...<i>John Logie Baird is fairly well known, due to inventing television and so on</i><br /><br />I was convinced that Baird was someone under heavy make-up. I thought maybe it was Neil Patrick Harris, but then I thought it looked like Mark Gatiss, and then NPH again.<br /><br />I waited until the end and looked him up. It's neither. It's John MacKay, who also played Baird in <i>Nolly</i>, which was also written by Russell T Davies, and is where RTD got the idea of using the puppet as a <i>Who</i> monster.<br /><br />Aaaand that's a lot of trivia for one comment.thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685723882144479396.post-35914444044943069552023-12-24T11:19:16.290+00:002023-12-24T11:19:16.290+00:00Although it *is* a bit weird for everyone to be su...Although it *is* a bit weird for everyone to be surprised given it has (sort of) happened before. Donna especially, since she was right there the last time it happened.thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685723882144479396.post-61710253897165679922023-12-24T11:15:46.152+00:002023-12-24T11:15:46.152+00:00I don't mind the bi-generation. The Doctor has...I don't mind the bi-generation. The Doctor has been shown to have weird regenerations before -- 1 to 2 and 13 to 14, with the clothes, 4 to 5 with the Watcher, 10 to 10v2 -- and it's been established that what the Time Lords know about regeneration is derived from experiments on the infant Doctor, so even their knowledge is incomplete. And both the Master and Romana have been shown to have odd, non-standard regenerations, so the Doctor budding off is fine by me.<br /><br />A bit of uncertainty is good, I don't like when things get nailed down with the Doctor. They are supposed to be mysterious and different.thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685723882144479396.post-42081433224431154982023-12-23T08:02:07.806+00:002023-12-23T08:02:07.806+00:00The Toymaker claiming he "took the doctor'...The Toymaker claiming he "took the doctor's past and made a jigsaw puzzle out of it" could also mean several things - either he took it apart and put it back together how he felt like, changing or leaving out what he didn't like, or that it is still in pieces and we're still a far way from seeing the whole picture. I think it's RTDs way of throwing the whole Timeless Child situation into uncertainty again, which I am frankly more comfortable with. I didn't like the Timeless Child reveal and its implications at all to be honest. El despertandohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05118364076533041282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685723882144479396.post-84346086289842985472023-12-23T07:56:55.262+00:002023-12-23T07:56:55.262+00:00Neil Patrick Harris absolutely nailed the role and...Neil Patrick Harris absolutely nailed the role and turned a character who used to be an interdimensional copy of Fu Manchu into a new manic, energetic, supernatural force to be reckoned with. And he got to play to his strengths of being both a Broadway actor and a hobby magician as well. He definitely had a ball with this role.<br /><br />I really liked the episode - right up until the invasion of UNIT. The whole thing being set to "Spice up your life" and bullets being turned into rose petals was just way too goofy for me to be taken in by the actual creepy aspects of it. The bi-generation also felt like a bit of a cop-out for me... Like "okay, we have a new doctor and he's black now, but just in case things don't work out with him, don't worry, fourteen is still around..." It's nice to see a doctor having a bit of a happy end to his character arc for once, but it feels like RTD is trying to keep a safety net around just in case. Also, of all the games with a ball they could've gone two against one a the, they go with catch, first one who drops the ball loses? I feel like they could've gone with literally any other ball game and have more of an advantage in such a situation, but whatever.<br /><br />I like Gatwa's doctor though, from what little there was on display there. He got swagger, he got energy, he seems like fun, not wacky (and not a perpetual sourpuss either). I'm curious how he will fare in his first solo outing. tEl despertandohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05118364076533041282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685723882144479396.post-276076809754603932023-12-18T13:11:23.269+00:002023-12-18T13:11:23.269+00:00I obviously need a Flux refresher. Has it really b...I obviously need a Flux refresher. Has it really been two years? Yeesh.Naked Bunny with a Whiphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17674140134395884069noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685723882144479396.post-7850988533191904182023-12-18T13:10:18.401+00:002023-12-18T13:10:18.401+00:00invoking a superstition at the edge of the univers...<i>invoking a superstition at the edge of the universe where the walls are thin could have horrible consequences.</i><br /><br />Like that TNG episode where they accidentally fly to the edge of the universe and their imaginations start becoming real, except I guess on a larger scale.Naked Bunny with a Whiphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17674140134395884069noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685723882144479396.post-41548751730195176282023-12-17T22:23:15.470+00:002023-12-17T22:23:15.470+00:00I'd say this was leaning a bit close to fantas...<i>I'd say this was leaning a bit close to fantasy here</i><br /><br />I have some bad news about the 2023 Christmas special and the episodes beyond...thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685723882144479396.post-87512514241462863892023-12-17T22:23:05.057+00:002023-12-17T22:23:05.057+00:00That's the one where the Doctor loses his soni...<i>That's the one where the Doctor loses his sonic screwdriver and helps start the Great Fire of London</i><br /><br />Which the Doctor remembers, luckily for Newton.<br /><br />I didn't dislike the teaser. It was a bit pointless, but inoffensive. And I suppose it did have a sort of purpose; a bit of whimsy before the horror of the main episode.thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685723882144479396.post-17096845058488789682023-12-17T22:22:04.118+00:002023-12-17T22:22:04.118+00:00It was a tiny bit earlier for me, when the Fake-Do...It was a tiny bit earlier for me, when the Fake-Doctor came in and sat down, in complete silence. The Doctor is never that quiet!thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685723882144479396.post-55089993134750518712023-12-17T16:01:59.699+00:002023-12-17T16:01:59.699+00:00I would rate this episode the best of the three 20...I would rate this episode the best of the three 2023 specials, mostly because it manages to find a mood (creepy and unsettling, save for that teaser) and sticks with it. The other two veer to hard all over the place and lack consistency. And having only 2 (times two) actors make the story even more reliant on the strength of the writing, the dialogue and the chemistry between the actors, and in this instance that worked out pretty well, even if some things were just left completely unexplained. A solid 8 from meEl despertandohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05118364076533041282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685723882144479396.post-55294967363554900972023-12-17T15:56:25.090+00:002023-12-17T15:56:25.090+00:00The sequence in the orange and blue rooms was so w...The sequence in the orange and blue rooms was so well done. Starts harmless, then feels more hopeless and forlorn, then a certain creepiness sets in (I started to realize something was amiss when the Doctor in the orange room said something along the lines of "so you like food? Interesting."), and suddenly *BAM,* there's the body horror. Up until that point I wasn't sure what to make of the episode (mostly because of that stupid misleading teaser opening), but from that moment on I was hooked.El despertandohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05118364076533041282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685723882144479396.post-51301211016560251402023-12-17T15:52:18.288+00:002023-12-17T15:52:18.288+00:00Yeah, I *really* didn't like the teaser. It wa...Yeah, I *really* didn't like the teaser. It was way too silly and didn't even compare well with other Doctor Who minisodes (and those generally also lean too much into silliness for my tastes). Revisiting the "mavity" thing was a nice throwaway gag, but you could've left out the entire sequence and nothing would've been missing. Maybe they thought opening a horror themed episode with levity and silliness would make what comes after hit even harder - it certainly didn't make me expect what was coming next - but it is pretty Much the lowest point of the entire episode, which is not a good way to start things.El despertandohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05118364076533041282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685723882144479396.post-47965623200078418112023-12-15T13:52:38.151+00:002023-12-15T13:52:38.151+00:00They're UNIT, I would never assume anyone they...They're UNIT, I would never assume anyone they shoot at is dead.Ray Hardgrithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18436491500347661133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685723882144479396.post-60187817403442964312023-12-15T13:21:23.190+00:002023-12-15T13:21:23.190+00:00It was great to see the old team back, it was love...It was great to see the old team back, it was lovely to see the old <i>Doctor Who</i> comics being recognised, it all looked great, and I appreciated the progressive messaging. That said, the handwavey plotting was a bit irritating, and the messaging -- although very welcome -- was a bit muddled and confused at times.<br /><br />I think 6 is fair, although I'd probably lean towards a 7.thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685723882144479396.post-17413025451660679792023-12-15T13:16:00.213+00:002023-12-15T13:16:00.213+00:00The Doctor and Donna realise that the memories wer...<i>The Doctor and Donna realise that the memories were always in Rose, in her subconscious, and it's been influencing her without her realising. She chose the name Rose, her shed is like her TARDIS, and the toys she makes are all the creatures they met together.</i><br /><br />And the name Rose used to have, that Donna chose at her birth, means "healer", "physician", or... "doctor". Although that's her deadname, so I'm not sure if we're supposed to think that's neat or not.thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685723882144479396.post-47440529508157752832023-12-15T13:14:18.758+00:002023-12-15T13:14:18.758+00:00Major Singh's squadron arrives to find Colonel...<i>Major Singh's squadron arrives to find Colonel Chan's troops fighting bug-eyed monsters, though some of the brainwashed soldiers find the time to turn and shoot at them too.</i><br /><br />So it's revealed that the hunters are using non-lethal weaponry, but the brainwashed UNIT soldiers aren't, so... are Singh's people dead?thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685723882144479396.post-53346460536500021302023-12-15T13:13:56.245+00:002023-12-15T13:13:56.245+00:00Not just Barbie; Gatwa was finishing up Sex Educat...Not just <i>Barbie</i>; Gatwa was finishing up <i>Sex Education</i> (which got delayed) too.<br /><br />I was wary about the return of Tennant and Tate and RTD, despite liking their previous <i>Who</i> very much, because it did feel -- from the outside -- that it was the BBC course-correcting after the Chibnall run and all the grousing that received. It felt like a bit of a concession of defeat, and a bit desperate.<br /><br />As it happens, whatever the reasons for going back to what worked in the past, it worked in the present too, so it's all good.thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685723882144479396.post-45996754033583064592023-12-15T13:13:40.710+00:002023-12-15T13:13:40.710+00:00The roads healing themselves did bother me. There ...The roads healing themselves did bother me. There were many other ways they could have shown the danger passing that would have been better than that.thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.com