Doctor Who opinions
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SickleClaw
Well-Known Member
I really liked the Christmas Special...it was a fitting conclusion to the character of River Song in my opinion. In addition, I am now looking forward to which new companion is selected for the next season!
Solo4114
Master Member
I'm definitely looking forward to a new companion. I've really been waiting for Capaldi to have his "own" season since he came on the show.
He didn't really come into his own in his first season, and Clara seemed to dominate the show. But I figured "ok, so, now that he's established, next season will be a lot better." Then they announced that Jenna Coleman was probably leaving.
So, when the second season started, and it seemed to be even more about Clara, I was ok with it, because it all seemed to be leading to her departure. And when that season wrapped, with Danny Pink dead, and Clara wandering off along a street to go find herself and make Danny's sacrifice meaningful, I really dug it.
And then she came back.
But I figured, ok, so, maybe they'll show the overall effect on her that Danny's death had, and the events of last season will resonate into this one. But no, instead, she's just a danger-junkie who thinks she's the Doctor, and who ultimately dies because of it.
And then she came back, only to finally sail off in her own TARDIS and whatnot. Ok, fine, super, great. Good riddance. Are we done now?! Can we please move out of Clara's shadow?
I continue to hope that this coming season will be better, but I have to be honest that my interest really waned this past season. I wouldn't say it felt like a chore to watch the show (although the first episode this season certainly was), but I just...wasn't that excited. I didn't care. They weren't really doing anything with her, and the best episode of the season were the ones where she wasn't in them (e.g., The Woman Who Lived, and Heaven Sent). So, now that she's hopefully gone for good, I'm ready to get down to the Doctor really being the Doctor, the show focusing on him, and a new companion who is fresh, interesting, and well-written.
He didn't really come into his own in his first season, and Clara seemed to dominate the show. But I figured "ok, so, now that he's established, next season will be a lot better." Then they announced that Jenna Coleman was probably leaving.
So, when the second season started, and it seemed to be even more about Clara, I was ok with it, because it all seemed to be leading to her departure. And when that season wrapped, with Danny Pink dead, and Clara wandering off along a street to go find herself and make Danny's sacrifice meaningful, I really dug it.
And then she came back.
But I figured, ok, so, maybe they'll show the overall effect on her that Danny's death had, and the events of last season will resonate into this one. But no, instead, she's just a danger-junkie who thinks she's the Doctor, and who ultimately dies because of it.
And then she came back, only to finally sail off in her own TARDIS and whatnot. Ok, fine, super, great. Good riddance. Are we done now?! Can we please move out of Clara's shadow?
I continue to hope that this coming season will be better, but I have to be honest that my interest really waned this past season. I wouldn't say it felt like a chore to watch the show (although the first episode this season certainly was), but I just...wasn't that excited. I didn't care. They weren't really doing anything with her, and the best episode of the season were the ones where she wasn't in them (e.g., The Woman Who Lived, and Heaven Sent). So, now that she's hopefully gone for good, I'm ready to get down to the Doctor really being the Doctor, the show focusing on him, and a new companion who is fresh, interesting, and well-written.
cboath
Master Member
Don't know if it's true or not, but, seems like 3 years is the new norm. Eccelston was the outlier at 1 year, Tennant, 3 years and 4 specials, Smith 3 years, Capaldi will be hitting his third year in 2016. Probably have them sign a 3 year deal up front and go from there, but still.
Solo4114
Master Member
It makes sense that an actor would want to step away from the role after around 3-ish years. I could see a 5-year run max, but beyond that, they start to overstay their welcome. For that matter, I think the same applies to the rest of the cast, as well as the showrunners. They should only do, like, 3-5 seasons and then move on. It'd keep things fresh.
madmikeee
Sr Member
madmikeee
Sr Member
You have pretty much said everything I have been saying for the past 2-3 seasons in regards to Clara. It kills me that she can EASILY come back at any time and ruin yet another episode. They should have killed her off when she jumped into Smith's time stream and just kept her as a strange anomaly that showed up from time to time. I think the funniest arguments FOR her were the comparisons to the Amy and Rory era. Not ONCE did I EVER feel that the Ponds were running the show, Their characters were interesting and entertaining. The actors performances were great and really made you feel. In regards to Clara, after her first 5-6 showings her character was just an annoying know it all control freak that I was BEGGING to be killed off in the most violent and spectacular way imaginable. Moffett must have had a real soft spot for her because not only did I find the character annoying I found the acting completely one dimensional. There was NO growth, NO surprises, Nothing. The supposed love of her life was killed and she mourned for about 30 seconds after he died the second time and was back to being her old self. When Rory then Amy were taken by the Angels I FELT what they were all feeling. The acting in that scene was spectacular and so far (in the new series anyway) the chemistry between doctor and companion has only been matched by Tenant and Rose. I honestly think Moffett is too comfortable now. He worked his ass off in the beginning to bring it back and he did spectacularly. Now that he knows he is set he isn't trying anymore.
Solo4114
Master Member
I think Jenna is a very capable actress, but she was working with a poorly conceived, poorly implemented character. She was intriguing when she was the "impossible girl" but she wasn't a character, really. Just this figure who shows up and then disappears relatively quickly, until she became a full-fledged companion.
In that first season, she wasn't all that clearly defined, though. She was more of an "object of fascination" for the Doctor. She was charming and pretty, but beyond that...we didn't get much sense of her.
In the next season, Capaldi's first, we establish her as a control-freak thrill-seeker, who is torn between some kind of domestic bliss with Danny, and a life of adventure with the Doctor. She's also now a schoolteacher. In this season, she was pretty well established and executed. Her behavior generally made sense within the context of what I've listed as her personality traits. And at the end of it, when Danny dies and she walks away from the TARDIS, it made sense that she had turned a corner in her life.
But then, whoops, hey, presto, she's back! We saw literally, like, 5 minutes at the start of the 2014 Christmas Special where she's mopey about Danny being dead. After that, during this past season, she's just off jaunting about, pretending to be the Doctor herself. The control freak aspects aren't really addressed anymore. It's like that part of her personality just vanished. There's zero further fallout from having dated Danny. It's as if that never happened at all, either. This is why I say she was poorly characterized. Her character is inconsistent from season to season and the only core components about who she are are more attributable to Jenna herself than to the character of Clara.
In that first season, she wasn't all that clearly defined, though. She was more of an "object of fascination" for the Doctor. She was charming and pretty, but beyond that...we didn't get much sense of her.
In the next season, Capaldi's first, we establish her as a control-freak thrill-seeker, who is torn between some kind of domestic bliss with Danny, and a life of adventure with the Doctor. She's also now a schoolteacher. In this season, she was pretty well established and executed. Her behavior generally made sense within the context of what I've listed as her personality traits. And at the end of it, when Danny dies and she walks away from the TARDIS, it made sense that she had turned a corner in her life.
But then, whoops, hey, presto, she's back! We saw literally, like, 5 minutes at the start of the 2014 Christmas Special where she's mopey about Danny being dead. After that, during this past season, she's just off jaunting about, pretending to be the Doctor herself. The control freak aspects aren't really addressed anymore. It's like that part of her personality just vanished. There's zero further fallout from having dated Danny. It's as if that never happened at all, either. This is why I say she was poorly characterized. Her character is inconsistent from season to season and the only core components about who she are are more attributable to Jenna herself than to the character of Clara.
Raphael Argus
Active Member
I love Peter Capaldi as the Doctor. He works best alone and is good enough that he really doesn't need a companion. He could simply have a character in each episode follow him around as he solves the mystery at hand.
I also want more of him giving a lesson to the viewers at the beginning. It could be played off as a personal log or whatever and not truly break the fourth wall.
Also, I really dislike Clara and Me having their own Tardis. And before people start calling me sexist, it's a Timelord thing, not a gender thing. If Romana had one, I wouldn't care.
I also want more of him giving a lesson to the viewers at the beginning. It could be played off as a personal log or whatever and not truly break the fourth wall.
Also, I really dislike Clara and Me having their own Tardis. And before people start calling me sexist, it's a Timelord thing, not a gender thing. If Romana had one, I wouldn't care.
timelordjedi777
Sr Member
This!!!
Zombie_61
Master Member
This is the way I felt about the show through the entire run of Matt Smith's tenure as The Doctor, though I've since come to the realization that was probably due to Moffat more than Smith. Then again, Smith, Karen Gillan, and Arthur Darvill had wonderful chemistry together, but more often than not that chemistry turned into frenetic energy on the set and I often felt I was watching "Doctor Who On Methamphetamines". That's fine if the story warrants it, and in small doses, but too often it was like watching three children playing Doctor Who and getting it wrong.
I hope Capaldi sticks around a while because I really like him in the role, especially now that Moffat has stopped making The Doctor play second-banana to Clara. I like Jenna Coleman, but Clara was a horribly written and misused character.
Solo4114
Master Member
I think the "three children playing Doctor Who and getting it wrong" part is fairly accurate. I tend to think of Moffat as the biggest fanboy of Doctor Who, and that -- at his worst -- the writing or overall conception of the show is sort of a fanboy's approach to Doctor Who, rather than a storyteller's approach. At it's worst, it's fan fiction with a big budget and extremely talented actors. But it can be so, so much better, and that's why I get so frustrated with the show. I've seen it done better, and it just bugs me that they can't be that good the bulk of the time.
I guess when it comes down to it, my issue with this show -- as with many other things that I watch -- is that I take storytelling seriously, even when the subject matter itself isn't that serious. You can tell an unserious story, and be serious in your approach to telling it, in your approach to crafting the story. Like, ok, you're gonna make cupcakes. Not exactly haute cuisine, but hey, fine. Go make a cupcake. But if you decide to do so, maybe don't just use the Betty Crocker mix that you throw together in 5 min. Take the process seriously. Make your own batter, maybe make some butter cream to put on top, or get some really awesome berries or chocolate to put in the center, whatever. Make it well, even if the end result is still a cupcake. Even then, I don't expect all entertainment to be crafted that seriously at all times. But when a show or film franchise, or an individual artist or creative team has shown me that they can put out serious, well-crafted entertainment, that's what I want and I see no reason to not expect them to do so.
Moffat has shown himself able to write literally some of my absolute favorite Doctor Who episodes. He's a terrific idea man. And I've enjoyed (overall) his work on Sherlock. But he tends to either indulge himself or just not care that much about the crafting of the show, and allows it to get sloppy, and then seems to pass it off with the notion of "Well, who cares? It's only Doctor Who, right?"
madmikeee
Sr Member
See this is where we will disagree. If she was a capable actress she would have developed the character herself. What is put on paper for an actor to use is not what or who that character is, it is just the words they say with a guide as how they should emote. It is the actors job to take that character and make it real. She is also responsible to bring it to the directors attention when the character is not being portrayed properly. That being said, I fully understand that Directors can make or break a scene/character by ignoring key points so she is not entirely at fault but I never felt like she was even trying to develop, she just said what she was supposed to, moved around a bit and collected her paycheck until it was time for her to move on to other projects.
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THIS SECONDED!!!!
Solo4114
Master Member
Yeah, I agree that some of this is down to the actor in a general sense. Actors are responsible for creating their own performances. But they still have to mostly "color within the lines." If those lines are narrowly drawn or outline a rather dull figure, there's only so much an actor can do to give it some oomph.
I think Clara in Season 7 was pretty poorly defined. She was an enigma. She was bubbly and vibrant and charasmatic, but otherwise, she was a complete enigma. I don't think there was much of a character outline for her at all, really.
That said, I thought Jenna did quite well in Season 8, and a lot of that was down to giving her better material with which to work.
Riceball
Master Member
So, what are people's thoughts about this year's Christmas Special? I have to say that I really enjoyed and thought that Capaldi and Alex (Kingston) really had great chemistry together, possibly the best of the 3 Doctors to have worked with her so far. The only disappointment was that the sonic sunglasses were back in this one, luckily he didn't use them all that much and relied on River's sonic trowel more, and it's a pity that the sonic at the end was for River and not the Doctor's new one. Didn't we get a quick look at his new sonic at the end of the last regular episode this season or am I just imagining things; if he did have a new sonic then I wonder why we didn't see it this episode, possibly continuity error from the Special possibly being shot before his sonic sunglasses broke and he got the new sonic screwdriver?
Zombie_61
Master Member
I thought the Christmas Special was okay, but take it as a "just for laughs" stand-alone episode that will ultimately have little or no impact on The Doctor's story in the long run. I suppose one could say it gives closure to River Song, but the show is about time travel so they could still bring her back any time they wanted to and just say her final meeting with The Doctor hasn't happened yet.
As for his new screwdriver, I could have sworn he used it briefly in this episode. Am I wrong?
As for his new screwdriver, I could have sworn he used it briefly in this episode. Am I wrong?
timelordjedi777
Sr Member
I can't believe that they had made such a big deal about Gallifrey being lost and then bang it's back. No big deal. Lazy writing in my opinion.
macman27
Well-Known Member
You're not wrong, he used it VERY briefly towards the end while the ship was going down.
