Doctor Who: Where did I leave the Tardis?

[Ruger]

To be honest, I’m getting disappointed by how frequently the Angels show up. It seems like every new episode they get, they have some new trick that makes them more adaptable than before, as if the baseline “Blink” Weeping Angels weren’t already enough.

That was a kickass episode, though. For all the grief that Thirteen’s run has received, she’s  has had some really fun, gothic horror-esque episodes that I’ve really enjoyed.

I’m not sure what the plan is for after the Flux miniseries, but I kind of hope that they hold on to the nearly destroyed universe subplot. It could be really cool to watch the next Doctor pop around half dead planets, trying to save the survivors.

I’m honestly not sure what is happening when this season. Part of me is thinking that Vinder and Bell end up becoming Ruth and Lee, and/or that the destroyed universe leads to one survivor, the Timeless Child found outside that portal.

Ruger

[ActionButler]

I’m honestly not sure what is happening when this season. Part of me is thinking that Vinder and Bell end up becoming Ruth and Lee, and/or that the destroyed universe leads to one survivor, the Timeless Child found outside that portal.

Ruger

I am increasingly certain that Vinder and Bell are going to end up being the Doctor’s parents, that the old lady we saw in one scene was Tecteun, and that she’s going to send the infant Doctor back in time. Whether Vinder and/or Bell are already Time Lords, or the old lady is going to do something to the infant to create a Time Lord, I’m not sure. Maybe the Time Lord-ness will come from exposure to whatever Swarm and Azure are up to.

At this point, all we know about the Timeless Child is that they came from *somewhere*.

A bootstrap paradox of the Doctor being sent back in time (instead of popping through a different dimension) would be consistent with recent plots. It would also tie everything up very quickly, on Chibnall’s terms, without introducing the need for a “find the Doctor’s original universe” side quest.

[Lorcan Nagle]

Yeah, I'm leaning towards a similar theory to ActionButler's

[gyedid]

Yeah, I'm leaning towards a similar theory to ActionButler's

I'm seriously hoping they do NOT go that route.

Still, of all of Jodie Whittaker's series, this is the one that has really felt the most like Doctor Who should.  Not perfect by any means, but I honestly didn't think Chris Chibnall was capable of putting together something like this (the fact that there seems to have been a significant boost to the effects budget certainly helps). But the story is just so sprawling that it's hard to see how they can wrap it up with just two episodes left to go.

cheers,

Gabe

[Luciora]

Trapped in the past time, the Doctor Beckett finds herself leaping from life to life, putting things right that once went wrong and hoping each time that her next leap, will be the leap home.

That sound about right?

[Mecha82]

Based on that seems to me like Chris Chibnall might be secretly fan of Quantum Leap. 

[Wrangler]

Sounds like it's going to be a mess for the plot. 

[YingJanshi]

So ran across this fan theory while perusing Reddit earlier. It's one fan's attempt to make sense of all of Doctor Who's continuity. TV/novels/Big Finish. Everything. And make The Timeless Child make sense.

And honestly. I think they came up with some quite interesting ideas. Interested in hearing what others think of it:

The Complete and Total History of the Time Lords and Gallifrey

[ActionButler]

I saw that post, too! It’s an extremely impressive dissection of the possibilities. I haven’t finished reading all the way through yet, though.

[Lorcan Nagle]

Details on this year’s New Year’s Special: https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/christmas-tv-2021

The Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) and friends will kick-start 2022 with an action-packed spectacular episode set to air on BBC One on New Year’s Day. The festive special will feature guest stars Aisling Bea (This Way Up, Living With Yourself, Quiz), Adjani Salmon (Dreaming Whilst Black, Enterprice) and Pauline McLynn (Father Ted, Shameless).

Sarah (Aisling Bea) owns and runs ELF storage, and Nick (Adjani Salmon) is a customer who visits his unit every year on New Year’s Eve. This year, however, their night turns out to be a little different than planned…

The festive episode is the first of three Doctor Who Specials airing in 2022. The second Special airs in Spring and Jodie’s final feature-length Special (in where the Thirteenth Doctor will regenerate), will transmit in autumn 2022 as part of the BBC’s Centenary celebrations.

So it looks like either Flux is going to be fully done in episode 6 or they're going to take a break for the apocalypse to have a nice Christmas/New Years'.  Also, between Thaddea Graham in Flux, and now Aisling Bea and Pauline McLynn here, Doctor Who is gonna be 100% Irish in a couple of years.

[rjhancock]

So it looks like either Flux is going to be fully done in episode 6 or they're going to take a break for the apocalypse to have a nice Christmas/New Years'.  Also, between Thaddea Graham in Flux, and now Aisling Bea and Pauline McLynn here, Doctor Who is gonna be 100% Irish in a couple of years.

Flux is a 6 episode run with 3 specials before the next big change. Wonder who it'll be?

[ActionButler]

I’m sure they’ll pick someone great, and my gut says that it will probably be another female lead, but I will never give up hope for either Richard Ayoade or Colin Salmon to one day take the TARDIS controls.

[rjhancock]

I'm sure they will. I've never seen a bad Doctor.

[Mecha82]

I’m sure they’ll pick someone great, and my gut says that it will probably be another female lead, but I will never give up hope for either Richard Ayoade or Colin Salmon to one day take the TARDIS controls.

Honestly I would be fine either way. That said having another female Doctor wouldn't be bad thing at all and it would also help to show that they wouldn't give up on it because of vocal minority didn't like it. 

[Ruger]

Surprised no one has mentioned it (at least today), but today is the 58th anniversary of the initial airing of Doctor Who.

Happy Birthday Doctor!

Ruger

[YingJanshi]

Stayed up late finally getting caught up last night. And...well...

First, there is never a time that I don't enjoy Jodie's portrayal of the Doctor. She captures the Doctor's essence so well in every scene she has.

I just wish her stories lived up to her talents. I'm not feeling this whole Division storyline. It just doesn't interest me in the slightest. The individual stories so far are pretty hit or miss.

The Sontaran one would have been pretty good on its own. Nice to see the them being turned back into a proper foe and not just comedic. Also enjoyed all the throw backs to the Pertwee era.

The one with the Angels was probably the best WA story since Blink. Not that that's say much given just how over used they've been. Plus the whole "what captures the image of an angel becomes an angel" gimmick is pure rubbish imho. (Also, WA work best as a single threat. The more you throw on screen, the less of a threat they feel to me. It just seems less and less likely that you could keep them all in view.)

Not a fan of Swarm or Azure. I know they are supposed to be hugely dangerous, but I really don't get that. Plus their costume design is rather bad.

Am looking forward to the return of Kate Stewart though.

[Ruger]

Looks like The Abominable Snowmen is the next original serial to be animated, and will be released next year. There’s a brief trailer available for it now.

Ruger

[ActionButler]

I don’t know how the fandom feels about them in general, but I absolutely love the animated recreations. I’m a big fan of the Second Doctor, so if this is the easiest way for me to get to see those stories, I’m there.

[Ruger]

I don’t know how the fandom feels about them in general, but I absolutely love the animated recreations. I’m a big fan of the Second Doctor, so if this is the easiest way for me to get to see those stories, I’m there.

Same. I also heard that a new version of “The Web of Fear” was released (at least in Region 2) with animated versions of the missing episode 3 rather than just telephotos and the like with the audio. Not sure if I will get another of this though.

I just wish they would do “The Wheel in Space” so I can complete my Cybermen collection. I also wish they would re-release “The War Games”. It’s the only Second Doctor serial that’s been released commercially that I’m currently missing.

Ruger

[Wrangler]

Getting tired of all these rumors of whom the next doctor will be on the web. The latest one comes from bet makers, thinking Helena Bonham Carter is possible candidate.  This was posted on Bleeding Cool.

[Ruger]

Saw several of the reveals in the first half hour coming before they got there. Still fun to have them confirmed.

Ruger

[Cannonshop]

Getting tired of all these rumors of whom the next doctor will be on the web. The latest one comes from bet makers, thinking Helena Bonham Carter is possible candidate.  This was posted on Bleeding Cool.

I often find that site's title to be misleading as hell.  'bleeding cool'...you know what would be bleeding cool? if the next doctor comes as a surprise, some no-name who doesn't command 7 figures just for their brand recognition, and is hungry enough to really immerse themselves in the role.  THAT would be 'bleeding cool'.

[Wrangler]

All I can say is I hope they can hire decent people to run and act in the franchise. Writing has been horrible for 13th's run. Jodie is good, but you can't save a show by acting a lone.

The next crew is I hope is decent and I hope is on hand NOW for 3 special transition period. Chris's grandiose writing & ideas probably would make a mess and continue to do so if remains writing further episodes.

[Cannonshop]

All I can say is I hope they can hire decent people to run and act in the franchise. Writing has been horrible for 13th's run. Jodie is good, but you can't save a show by acting a lone.

The next crew is I hope is decent and I hope is on hand NOW for 3 special transition period. Chris's grandiose writing & ideas probably would make a mess and continue to do so if remains writing further episodes.

there are two ways to react to knowing they're not renewing your contract because you ****** up.

Method 1 is to be pissy about it and deliberately leave a disaster behind.  We'll call this the 'Reddit revenge story' method.  it's surprisingly common among people who don't think past the end of their noses.

Method 2, is to try and leave on a high note by really buckling down to do a good job for the remaining time in hopes of salvaging some professional reputation and/or because you expect that a callback might happen, or to avoid the nasty word-of-mouth that can leave you unemployed for the rest of your career.  We'll call this one, the 'actual grown up and professional' method.

I don't know Chibnall.  It could go either way (it's possible, stop laughing).

but is method 2 actually likely?  I'm not sure, given the entire rest of his tenure, seems doubtful, seems more likely he's going to go out as a Redditor Revenge story than do the actual grown up and professional thing.

Just...it's still possible.

[gyedid]

Well, I really fell behind in my viewing and just got through with _Flux_. 

I really hate to take any ideas from Quebec separatist politicians, but after the recent Canadian election, which produced another minority government that looked remarkably like the previous one, Bloc Quebecois (you know, the party that wants to kill Canada from within) leader Yves-François Blanchet said of it, "Tout ça...pour ça?" ("All that...for that?")

Pretty much sums up my feelings about _Flux_.  Given the lack of discussion about it here, I guess most others felt the same way.
So much underdevelopment of both plot and character. So many missed opportunities.  So many storylines that either went nowhere or were so convoluted you needed GPS to find your way through.  This was the first all-season continuous story since "Trial of a Time Lord", and I suspect it'll be looked at as uncharitably years from now.

Still, Chibnall deserves a modicum of credit for doubling, tripling, even quadrupling down on his Timeless Child background and pre-Hartnell backstory for the Doctor, and making it impossible for RTD to just ignore or handwave away when he retakes the reins. After 2 seasons of being accused of promoting a woke agenda, he clearly wanted to show he could be just as epic and fantastically escapist as Moffat. But as for the actual result, I think Shakespeare describes it best:  "...vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself, and falls on th'other."

There is one thing I did want to comment on, something that should've been given a LOT more weight in the story than it received:  Doctor Who has now given us its first genocide.  And strangely, it wasn't committed by the Daleks (who have always been played up as the ULTIMATE FASCISTS IN SPAAAACE!), but by the Sontarans, who are now the show's worst monsters in my books. (Yeah, you can split hairs, it was circumstantial, not premeditated, but it doesn't change the fact that the Lupari were savagely wiped out except for a single survivor.)

BTW, was the Universe actually reset?  Because if not, it's going to be a pretty empty place now.

cheers,

Gabe

[gyedid]

I try not to be too influenced by nerd-culture pundits, but I have to say I really like what Andrew Blair has written at Den of Geek concerning the 13th Doctor's run.  He's absolutely spot on here with everything that's wrong with how characterization has been handled (not just for the Doctor):
 https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/doctor-who-the-thirteenth-doctors-character-arc-is-too-little-too-late/

It's a real pity Whittaker is leaving; I would really like to have seen what she could do with RTD calling the shots again.

Cheers,

Gabe

[Ruger]

So, next special to air on April 17, and have the Sea Devils in it for the first time since 1984.

And I got my blu-rays of the Galaxy 4 serial and the sixth season of Tom Baker. And as the end credits of the fourth episode of the Galaxy 4 serial are rolling, the screen on my tv fades to black, with sound still going. And this is before I can get to the Tom Baker stuff.

Tried multiple suggestions to get it to reset itself or otherwise get the screen back on. Nothing seems to have worked. Guess it’s time for a new tv.

Ruger

[Ruger]

OMG!!!!


They’re bringing Sophie Aldred back for the next special!!!!

ACE IS BACK!!!


Ruger

[mikecj]

OMG!!!!

They’re bringing Sophie Aldred back for the next special!!!!
ACE IS BACK!!!

Ruger

COOL!

[Mecha82]

OMG!!!!


They’re bringing Sophie Aldred back for the next special!!!!

ACE IS BACK!!!


Ruger

Well I guess that's nice for those that grew up watching old Doctor Who. I have no connection to that character because of starting with NuWho so that doesn't really mean anything to me.