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locker_monsterI keep thinking it's Saturday simply because Doctor Who was on today. :-) Too bad the episode was, well, meh.
Really? A superhero story? And not even a good superhero story at that. You'd think Moffat would have done something clever, like a deconstruction of your typical superhero movie, but it was very formulaic. Or a poor man's Superman. I think this would have been better off as a 45 minute episode, because it didn't need to be a full hour. Nothing really happens. The invasion plot is kind of muddled and we really don't go beyond the Harmony Shoal building and Lucy's apartment. Not much scope for a rip-roaring adventure. On top of that, the Doctor is almost secondary to Grant and Lucy's story, which is really weird. I don't care about this guy and his unrequited love for his high school crush and his superhero double life. I want to be with the Doctor and see how he's dealing with losing River. After a year of no new episodes, we should be with the Doctor right from the first second. The story is always better when there's a personal element for the Doctor and there wasn't enough of that here.
And honestly, Grant is the worst nanny ever. Who leaves a baby on her own? I don't care if the guy is out fighting crime and defending bad guys but still carries around a baby monitor. A baby cannot fend for herself when she's clearly not even a year old. And then, at the end, Grant goes rushing up to the roof to save Lucy, when really, he should have been downstairs with Jennifer and making sure she was someplace safe before confronting the bad guys. Lucy can clearly fend for herself for five minutes. At least the Doctor hung around to change Jennifer's diaper.
And I'm really confused as to why Nardole is suddenly the secondary Companion. I didn't think he was interesting at all when he was introduced last year. What does he add to the show? He does seem slightly competent when it comes to future technology, but for most of the story, he just kind of bumbles around in the background. Do we really need to add a comedic character ahead of the introduction of a new Companion? And it wasn't like the Doctor deferred to Nardole like a typical Companion. I saw in passing that Nardole is like the Doctor's "valet", but since when does the Doctor need a valet? I guess I'll reserve further judgement until I see more episodes, but it's still odd.
There were some places where I laughed, but it wasn't enough to make up for the lacklustre plot. The first episode in a year should have more of a punch. I really hope this isn't an indication of things to come.
Random: I do believe this episode was entirely studio bound. The fakey New York City street looked like a very cheap backlot. Does the Doctor have a new coat? It still has a red lining, but it looks like black velvet instead of navy wool. And speaking of his clothes... The red velvet coat with a hoodie and a holey jumper? Really? The red velvet coat should be his formal look. Do not take it down by adding a hoodie. I don't have high expectations for the Doctor's costumes come season ten. Some of the stuff I've been seeing online makes me shake my head. The Doctor mentions that Harmony Shoal has a building in every major capital city. If so, how come there isn't a building in Ottawa? I'm pretty sure there wasn't a a marker in Canada. You have a Canadian in the cast for heaven's sake! You could at least acknowledge his homeland on a map. The Doctor made a Pokémon joke. Oh boy. Christmas didn't make up a large part of this episode. It's there in the beginning, but the bulk of plot didn't seem to be set at Christmas time. At least is wasn't shoehorned in. I won't go in to how Grant was able to stop a crashing spaceship with one hand. Logic and science in combination was never the show's strong suit.
At least we got a Coming Soon trailer. You don't get a great sense of what's coming, but hey, at least it's new footage!
So the Doctor's teaching at a university? Does that mean Bill is a university student? Then there's stuff involving spacesuits (new ones!), Victorian era stuff or some past era, and Daleks. Oh, and the Doctor punches someone. Wait, was the introduction short for Bill actually part of an episode? Or they just threw in the footage because they had it? I didn't get a definite sense that Bill's from the past, but it's hard to tell when everything is going by so fast. Please let her be from the 1980s.
Wait, is this Moffat's last Christmas special? Not exactly an example of one of his best, but these things are hit and miss. Maybe his Sherlock episode will be better.
Really? A superhero story? And not even a good superhero story at that. You'd think Moffat would have done something clever, like a deconstruction of your typical superhero movie, but it was very formulaic. Or a poor man's Superman. I think this would have been better off as a 45 minute episode, because it didn't need to be a full hour. Nothing really happens. The invasion plot is kind of muddled and we really don't go beyond the Harmony Shoal building and Lucy's apartment. Not much scope for a rip-roaring adventure. On top of that, the Doctor is almost secondary to Grant and Lucy's story, which is really weird. I don't care about this guy and his unrequited love for his high school crush and his superhero double life. I want to be with the Doctor and see how he's dealing with losing River. After a year of no new episodes, we should be with the Doctor right from the first second. The story is always better when there's a personal element for the Doctor and there wasn't enough of that here.
And honestly, Grant is the worst nanny ever. Who leaves a baby on her own? I don't care if the guy is out fighting crime and defending bad guys but still carries around a baby monitor. A baby cannot fend for herself when she's clearly not even a year old. And then, at the end, Grant goes rushing up to the roof to save Lucy, when really, he should have been downstairs with Jennifer and making sure she was someplace safe before confronting the bad guys. Lucy can clearly fend for herself for five minutes. At least the Doctor hung around to change Jennifer's diaper.
And I'm really confused as to why Nardole is suddenly the secondary Companion. I didn't think he was interesting at all when he was introduced last year. What does he add to the show? He does seem slightly competent when it comes to future technology, but for most of the story, he just kind of bumbles around in the background. Do we really need to add a comedic character ahead of the introduction of a new Companion? And it wasn't like the Doctor deferred to Nardole like a typical Companion. I saw in passing that Nardole is like the Doctor's "valet", but since when does the Doctor need a valet? I guess I'll reserve further judgement until I see more episodes, but it's still odd.
There were some places where I laughed, but it wasn't enough to make up for the lacklustre plot. The first episode in a year should have more of a punch. I really hope this isn't an indication of things to come.
Random: I do believe this episode was entirely studio bound. The fakey New York City street looked like a very cheap backlot. Does the Doctor have a new coat? It still has a red lining, but it looks like black velvet instead of navy wool. And speaking of his clothes... The red velvet coat with a hoodie and a holey jumper? Really? The red velvet coat should be his formal look. Do not take it down by adding a hoodie. I don't have high expectations for the Doctor's costumes come season ten. Some of the stuff I've been seeing online makes me shake my head. The Doctor mentions that Harmony Shoal has a building in every major capital city. If so, how come there isn't a building in Ottawa? I'm pretty sure there wasn't a a marker in Canada. You have a Canadian in the cast for heaven's sake! You could at least acknowledge his homeland on a map. The Doctor made a Pokémon joke. Oh boy. Christmas didn't make up a large part of this episode. It's there in the beginning, but the bulk of plot didn't seem to be set at Christmas time. At least is wasn't shoehorned in. I won't go in to how Grant was able to stop a crashing spaceship with one hand. Logic and science in combination was never the show's strong suit.
At least we got a Coming Soon trailer. You don't get a great sense of what's coming, but hey, at least it's new footage!
So the Doctor's teaching at a university? Does that mean Bill is a university student? Then there's stuff involving spacesuits (new ones!), Victorian era stuff or some past era, and Daleks. Oh, and the Doctor punches someone. Wait, was the introduction short for Bill actually part of an episode? Or they just threw in the footage because they had it? I didn't get a definite sense that Bill's from the past, but it's hard to tell when everything is going by so fast. Please let her be from the 1980s.
Wait, is this Moffat's last Christmas special? Not exactly an example of one of his best, but these things are hit and miss. Maybe his Sherlock episode will be better.
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Date: 2016-12-27 07:46 pm (UTC)I agree with almost everything - except I'm not a River fan and I like hoodies - and I'm surprised to see the praise the episode gets. To me, it lacked emotional depth, and I expected a play on the superhero genre, not a copy of Superman. Thank lord series 10 looks good at the moment.
no subject
Date: 2016-12-29 04:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-12-30 03:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-01 03:23 am (UTC)As long as his last special is enjoyable and not a bloated mess, then I think it'll be okay.