I like a good filler episode now and again when they actually explore some interesting sci-fi tropes.

This was boring as fuck though.

 

New series will start on April 15th...and it'll be Capaldi's last. Leaving at Christmas.

 

I'd put money on it not being a white actor. New Doctor, new showrunner, new era - possibly new companion? - not sure if they've given any indication how long this new one's supposed to be staying - and it's bound to happen sooner or later.

 

I liked his doctor, but Moffat wasn't really doing anything interesting with it. Bowing out now is a smart move. Protect the legacy and give new doctor/showrunner a fresh start.

 

Has there ever been any serious talk of cancelling the show in the last decade or so? Or is it just a forgone conclusion that the show is eternal? I know most other shows rely on ratings to get renewed? Does the same thing happen with Doctor Who or is it basically tenure for TV?

Despite it's waning quality, I myself don't want to see the show cancelled but it's a far cry from what it was during Tennant's (and even some of Smith's to be fair) episodes. I feel like Moffat and everyone else have just become lazy and/or don't really bother anymore.

 

There's constant rumours, but as far as I'm aware the ratings have never been bad enough for it to be a serious consideration. Besides, even if the ratings slide, it's still a huge money spinner.

 

For some reason Capadi's time as the Doctor, even after two seasons and third one upcoming, have this transient, temporary feeling. Like he was going to stop playing this role at any time and now he finally does.

After a rather weak introduction season and an uneven, but with a lot of realized potential, middle season, I wish him a definitive final season that once and for all makes his Doctor shine. And even if it doesn't, at least he will always have one of the best episodes ever, Heaven Sent.

As for the next Doctor, the bookies' (who managed to got it right the last time) best bet is Ben Whishaw. Not a bad choice if they want once again a younger Doctor and without a controversy. A black Doctor could work too, but Idris Elba's salary would probably take half of the series budged.

And to be honest, while I agree with many arguments against a female Doctor, it could work depending how they handle it. I already posted somewhere my opinion that at least the first season of such Doctor should only have episodes that don't make a big deal out of it and maybe even completely ignore this aspect of his/her regeneration.

Lastly, whatever they choose, there is an easy way to establish variety of faces that the Doctor can wear without choosing them for the Thirteen. All they need to do is have an episode with the regeneration happening at the beginning and the Doctor changing forms similar to Romana, but probably with a lot less control, until he finally settles for the one that feels right for this point of his life.

 

I really enjoyed Capaldi, I think he fit a lot of the right themes but was sadly pushed in ways that weren't really the best by the plots of the episodes.

Regardless, my greatest fear is that they'll try to make something "new and interesting" with choosing a new Doctor and just fuck things up.

 

I dunno. Show could use some 'new and interesting'. Like something could go violently wrong with the regeneration, the Doctor gets torn apart, and lo and behold, you've got multiple Doctors. That would be a good way to ease fans against having a female doctor into accepting the inevitable gender swap. Bonus: you could probably finally write the Valeyard into a situation like that as well.

 

Couple things to note about upcoming season

New companion char played by Pearl Mackie is apparently openly gay. So that could be interesting (but probably won't be). At least she wont be falling in love with the Doctor (assuming they dont regen him into a lady).

Jon Simm will be coming back as the Master along with Michelle Gomez as Missy. So fun time hijinks incoming.

The Who spin off 'Class' has already been cancelled by the BBC, pre US premier. Poor ratings and apparently not very good.

 

Class tried - but Doctor Who without the Doctor is the reason most of those spin-offs don't work.

It had its moments, but annoyed the hell out of me for the most part. I can forgive that in Doctor Who - not sure why - but other shows don't get a pass, even shows set in the same universe.

 

That's a shame. I was hoping for another successful Who series that could do some crossover content. Like... for all its faults, I really enjoyed Torchwood.

 

I liked Torchwood. If only for Children of Earth, and Miracle day to an extent.

 

I didn't watch Class, so take it with a pinch of salt, but it just didn't seem to make any sort of impression on anyone. None of the Doctor Who focused Tumblrs I follow seemed to post anything about it, and it barely got mentioned in the media that I saw. I wonder whether it might have done better if it hadn't (IIRC) been relagated to the online only BBC 3?

 

I just wrote up a quick review for the new episode-

Spoiler

As much as I wish that I could say that I was optimistic about this episode, I have to admit it was the exact opposite. I was dreading this episode, preparing myself for my already abysmal expectations to not be met by a wide margin. Thankfully, I doubt that I ever could have expected it to be this good!

Spoiler

Firstly, let’s examine the performances: Peter Capaldi is a great actor- he has proven himself to be a great incarnation with the Doctor, always making the most of what he’s been given to work with. We can add this as one of the many examples of why he is one of the greatest incarnations of the character that has entertained audiences for over half a century.

Pearl Mackie’s Bill Potts was one of the aspects of the series that I was dreading; not because of any bigoted reason, but because of how she was marketed. In fact, the entire show has suffered from this problem this season, from Missy dabbing to emoji-monsters. However, I can safely say that I like what they’re doing with her so far. She doesn’t appear to suffer from the new-era’s issue of making the female companion the most important person in the universe, for one thing. Another is that Bill has a character that would work incredibly well with the Doctor, due to but not limited to: her wonder at everything (that scene of her petitioning the Doctor near the end was phenomenal), her attitude to others, and an intelligence that allows for comedic scenes that are not, in my opinion, overdone.

And then, we have Matt Lucas’ Nardole: he was not as bad as I feared he would be, though I fear for his continued presence in the show (that is, though, my own biased fear).

Now, we progress to the story:

Rather basic in its premise, I have to say I was impressed: not overly complicated or contrived, but not overly simple and dull- the perfect balance. What’s more, the foundation has been set for the different dynamics between these characters: arguably the most important job of this episode was to build a solid, competent foundation, which they not only succeeded in but did so magnificently.

The direction and cinematography of the episode was, in my opinion, nothing incredible- it was certainly decent and more than good enough, but there were opportunities that I believe should have been pounced upon, even if I’m not an expert on the matter.

To conclude, ‘The Pilot’ has left me with a sense of hope and optimism for the season to come! A solid 8/10- now, I’m just going to re-watch that ‘Coming Soon’ trailer.

 

That was a really solid start to the series. Bill was instantly charming, and the new trio seems like a good combination. Bill is the wide-eyed companion, and Nardol's doing a good job of combining comic relief with knowledgeable back-up; seems like a good mix. Capaldi seemed to have softened a bit more, but I'm not too against that. On top of that, some genuinely laugh out loud moments, a scattering of cool moments, a creepy alien, and a surprisingly affecting romance at the heart of it. Certainly by the standards of new companion intros, very well done.

Spoiler

When I stopped to think about it, it did seem a little weird that the Doctor could and would just pop back to what I assume was a battle from the Time War to take advantage of a Dalek - surely there's other times he could have used? That said, at immediate viewing, I was grinning too much at the scene to mind, as I've long thought that the Daleks are kinda done as a serious, episode-centric threat, and that they'd work far better as a backdrop to another story.

 

May I just say it's freaking awesome to have 3 people on the Tardis again?