Calling All Whovians!

[tinyplasticdinos]

Instead of hijacking the "What was the last movie you saw ??" thread with a tangent on Doctor Who, I thought I would start a new topic! I feel like participating geeky (and awesome!) fandoms sort of comes with the territory of being a teenage / adult Neopians, so with so many of those around I'm wondering who around here is as much of a fanatic as I am!

 

My roommates and I sprung for a cable package last year when we realized it included BBC America so we could legally watch "Doctor Who" as it was airing rather than watching it other ways. We were pretty much on the edge of our seats the entire last season and we're still in denial that we'll never see the Ponds again :(

 

For us the jury is still out on whether we're enjoying the new companion. What do you guys think?

[andaraen]

After an internet reviewer made a comment about people who don't know who Tom Baker is should turn in their nerd cards, I gave a sigh and started watching New Who on Netflix.

And I thought it was AMAZING. I don't know how I went so long without ever hearing of the show. (If you can believe it, I only first heard of the existence of the show two years ago.)

 

Then, I got to the point in the show where the Ninth Doctor regenerated. I knew it was coming. It was inevitable. But I was still crushed. When Ten showed up, I (mentally) crossed my arms and told myself/him, "You're not the real Doctor! Bring the real Doctor back!"

 

But I kept watching and he slowly grew on me. After a while, I absolutely adored him, though I thought he had moments of stupidity from time to time.

 

Then I started one particular episode, not knowing there were movies before it. And the Tenth Doctor was gone. Replaced by some impostor! I had to resist the urge to point at the screen and shout, "WHO THE <BLEEP> ARE YOU?!" It was jarring to say the least. But he grew on me a little more quickly than Ten did.

 

Of the companions, I've seen, I like Captain Jack, Donna, and (if he counts as a companion) Mickey. Jack is just plain fun to watch! In the case of Donna and Mickey, they started off as unpleasant and unlikable people, but both of them realized that there's more to life than what they had and decided to work toward something greater. Why did Donna have to get such a miserable ending? /cry

 

I didn't mind Rose so much. She seemed like someone I could be friends with and she had a few moments I really liked, but I didn't find her interesting. It was heartbreaking both times the Doctor left her.

 

Does anyone else think AU!Doctor is going to be absolutely miserable without his TARDIS? I don't see him settling down and being human with all of his memories intact.

 

 

And the Ponds...I don't like them. They're just...boring. Also, I didn't care for how the show seemed to relish putting Rory down for no apparent reason. From calling him Rory Pond instead of Rory Williams to saying that he looks more like Amy's brother... (I've been told that I looked like my husband's kid sister before and believe me, it hurts.)

 

On a side note, Nine and Ten are still alive in my head canon. They've gone to an alternate universe where beloved characters go when they die. Nine chose Rachel (from the Animorphs series) as his companion. The jury's still out on who would make a good companion for Ten, but I'm leaning towards Aximili (also from Animorphs).

 

And before I finish, here's a plug for an internet reviewer I like: http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/teamt/blockbuster-buster/blockbuster-buster/37753-honest-review-the-11-doctors'>The Eleven Doctors

[tinyplasticdinos]

I have a fair number of older cousins who grew up saturated in Old Who and I've been exposed to it from a fairly young age (And Red Dwarf, and Monty Python, etc etc.), so when the reboot happened I pretty much didn't have a choice but to watch it. I would have been pestered into it eventually if I refused, so I decided to embrace it. And obviously I loved it.

 

I had the exact stubbornness toward Ten, but with my cousins guiding me I did not have the same misfortune you did of missing the gapfiller/stand alone stuff between any of the seasons (hopefully you've gone back and watched them now! "The Waters of Mars" is brilliant!).

 

Also, can we take a moment to appreciate the tenth doctor's cultural references? I just rewatched "The Shakespeare Code" last night and "EXPELLIARMUS!" thrills me every time. Good ol' JK. Also when he starts quoting "The Circle of Life" by accident I giggled pretty hard. There's plenty more, those are just two of my favorites.

 

Aww, I find the Ponds so lovely! I do agree that Rory got a bad rap, but I think he really came into his own as the Last Centurion. I also really appreciated his father ('sup Mr. Weasley!) making the appearances he did, that was delightful. And I really appreciate the "love can overcome all" message they were giving with Rory and Amy. But my biggest love though is River Song, which is really why I hated to see that set of companions go. Alex Kingston is such a phenomenal actress, I pretty much squealed every time I heard "Hello Sweetie".

 

It's quite pleasing that both Nine and Ten are confirmed for the 50th anniversary, I can't wait to see how Moffat tries to destroy our hearts by having all the modern doctors at his disposal. It's much easier to be conniving and horrible when you have more than just old clips to work in. I am looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time.

 

I am not familiar with Animorphs so I can't give an educated opinion on the AU companions, but I will be checking out that reviewer!

[andaraen]

Also, can we take a moment to appreciate the tenth doctor's cultural references? I just rewatched "The Shakespeare Code" last night and "EXPELLIARMUS!" thrills me every time. Good ol' JK. Also when he starts quoting "The Circle of Life" by accident I giggled pretty hard. There's plenty more, those are just two of my favorites.

Yes, we can. I loved "The Shakespear Code". Especially the parts where Ten was telling him what quotes he could and couldn't use. x3

 

It's quite pleasing that both Nine and Ten are confirmed for the 50th anniversary, I can't wait to see how Moffat tries to destroy our hearts by having all the modern doctors at his disposal. It's much easier to be conniving and horrible when you have more than just old clips to work in. I am looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time.

 

Really?! The last I heard, Christopher Eccleston said absolutely not to the 50th anniversary. If he shows up, I will squee like no fangirl has squeed before!

 

 

 

I am not familiar with Animorphs so I can't give an educated opinion on the AU companions, but I will be checking out that reviewer!

 

Think Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets Saturday morning kids shows. One book can be wacky and lighthearted, the next can be downright heartbreaking and disturbing. If you can, I recommend you check it out.

[tinyplasticdinos]

Really?! The last I heard, Christopher Eccleston said absolutely not to the 50th anniversary. If he shows up, I will squee like no fangirl has squeed before!

 

Oh no, I hadn't googled recently. Apparently he decided against doing the project after all :( What a fickle being, that Chris.

 

Think Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets Saturday morning kids shows. One book can be wacky and lighthearted, the next can be downright heartbreaking and disturbing. If you can, I recommend you check it out.

 

I know that the books exist, I didn't realize that it was also a television show. I will certainly have to check it out!

 

All this talk of Doctor Who made me to decide and start season three over, so I'm watching "Smith and Jones" while I eat lunch.

 

"Barefoot on the moon!" :D

[karmacow]

The eleventh doctor is the one I had trouble accepting. He has grown on me, but I don't fully appreciate him. He's too far over on the crazy scale for my taste. He's not a terrible doctor, but I'm not going to be sad when the time comes for him to change into a new body. But I kind of miss the Ponds. I liked them. I think I like the new companion, but let's see what she's all about. I look forward to getting to know her :)

[tinyplasticdinos]

The eleventh doctor is the one I had trouble accepting. He has grown on me, but I don't fully appreciate him. He's too far over on the crazy scale for my taste. He's not a terrible doctor, but I'm not going to be sad when the time comes for him to change into a new body. But I kind of miss the Ponds. I liked them. I think I like the new companion, but let's see what she's all about. I look forward to getting to know her :)

 

I agree, Eleven is too zany. Nine and Ten both had their quirks and humor, but they both got very serious and emotional on multiple occasions. Eleven almost comes off like a child, when he tries to be serious it's almost like he's being forced to and his face always looks like at any moment he'll burst out smiling. And that's why I appreciated the Ponds so much. They were serious and emotional and brought a balance to his weird antics (It's the end of the world and he says, "I wear a Fez now, Fezes are cool."). The plotline with the Ponds was the drive that kept the show going, and the writers just haven't convinced me that the new companion will be as compelling. I haven't watched "The Rings of Akhaten" yet, so maybe my opinion will be completely different in a few hours.

[kabit]

"The Rings of Akhaten" was a bit of an... almost disappointment to me. It wasn't as good as Ten's random visit to alien planet episodes, and it wasn't as clever as the Bells of St John. I'm a bit let down so far by the new season which is awful because I feel like I've been waiting forever for it.

 

I'm so excited for the anniversary episode, I might go and see it in a cinema if it screens near me. Dr Who! In a cinema! :D

[karmacow]

I quite liked The Rings of Akhaten. It's not the best ever, but I enjoyed it. It made me feel something, which is always a good sign. And I've decided that I like the new companion :)

[Wildbreeze]

I started watching the show in December after much nagging from an obsessed friend, and I fell in love with it. I'm currently in the middle of season 6. One thing I've found is that even when I've had everything spoiled (and I have), the emotions of the show still affect me.

 

I knew already that River was Melody, but I still cried when it was revealed.

 

See, nobody ever told me that Doctor Who was so darned sad. I think this show has made me accept that I'm an emotional wreck. :P

I love all the companions, but Rose was my favorite. I always find it hard at first to accept new companions or regenerations. 9 was my favorite Doctor, but 10 won me over when he started quoting Lion King. :laughingsmiley: 11 was a bit harder for me to accept, but I think Amy fits so well with him that it made the transition a bit easier.

[wolfheartmoon]

I JUST started watching it and getting attatched to Amy, and then boom, gone. 0.0

[tinyplasticdinos]

"The Rings of Akhaten" was a bit of an... almost disappointment to me. It wasn't as good as Ten's random visit to alien planet episodes, and it wasn't as clever as the Bells of St John. I'm a bit let down so far by the new season which is awful because I feel like I've been waiting forever for it.

 

I'm so excited for the anniversary episode, I might go and see it in a cinema if it screens near me. Dr Who! In a cinema! :D

 

I think that they did okay as far as showing me some of the character development I have been looking for in Eleven. The lack of continuity between Ten and Eleven has bothered me quite a bit. Ten was very big on helping children and I like that they're carrying that over with Eleven. I also appreciate that they acknowledged his granddaughter, and when he was making the big emotional speech he referred to his whole past and didn't forget to mention all of the people that came before the Ponds. But I still feel like I am not attached to Clara, and that's a problem for me. So I do agree with feeling like you've waited forever only to be disappointed.

 

And I am super jealous that you might be able to see it in theaters! I don't know if they're doing that Stateside, but if they are I will trek to NYC if I have to!

 

 

See, nobody ever told me that Doctor Who was so darned sad. I think this show has made me accept that I'm an emotional wreck. :P

I love all the companions, but Rose was my favorite. I always find it hard at first to accept new companions or regenerations. 9 was my favorite Doctor, but 10 won me over when he started quoting Lion King. :laughingsmiley: 11 was a bit harder for me to accept, but I think Amy fits so well with him that it made the transition a bit easier.

 

Oh man, whoever ushered you into DW should have warned you about the emotional roller coaster. It has laughs! it has tragedy! It has weird aliens from every planet in the galaxy! Also rhino policemen! I hope you've adjusted by now to the ups and downs, I've learned to just sort of take it as it comes, which is why I still haven't given up on this season. :P

[Wildbreeze]

Oh man, whoever ushered you into DW should have warned you about the emotional roller coaster. It has laughs! it has tragedy! It has weird aliens from every planet in the galaxy! Also rhino policemen! I hope you've adjusted by now to the ups and downs, I've learned to just sort of take it as it comes, which is why I still haven't given up on this season. :P

I think the biggest lesson I had to learn was that one major theme of this show is change. Yes, it's hard. Yes, it hurts. But sometimes it's necessary and leads to bigger and better things. It's not just a happy show, and I think that's great. That's more realistic, anyhow.

[the_microwave]

Ah, a Doctor Who thread! Wonderful! My favorite Doctor is 10 and my favorite companion is Donna! Their episodes are my favorite of the series and I miss that season so much. I have to say, I've been enjoying the Moffat seasons much much less than the RTD seasons...which is disappointing, since Moffat's individual episodes used to be so good. Now it seems like he's replaced some of the character development of the RTD era with big action. I do like Clara (so far), though, and I've enjoyed the last two episodes more than I expected, so I'm starting to have hope again.

[tinyplasticdinos]

Ah, a Doctor Who thread! Wonderful! My favorite Doctor is 10 and my favorite companion is Donna! Their episodes are my favorite of the series and I miss that season so much. I have to say, I've been enjoying the Moffat seasons much much less than the RTD seasons...which is disappointing, since Moffat's individual episodes used to be so good. Now it seems like he's replaced some of the character development of the RTD era with big action. I do like Clara (so far), though, and I've enjoyed the last two episodes more than I expected, so I'm starting to have hope again.

 

I absolute adore Donna from start to finish. Her sass, and her will to be her own person but at the same time wanting to be loved. She is such a well developed character. Her family is also excellent and I pretty much find her amazing constantly. Now that I'm thinking about her episodes I'm probably going to have to watch them while I do house work today.

 

And I agree on the RTD to Moffat transition. I've stated before that Blink is honestly my favorite episode as a stand alone and I don't think there were any of his individual episodes that I didn't enjoy. But you're right, he has forgotten about the character development in favor of big action. It's his specialty that made the individual episodes so good, but I find that pretty disappointing that he hasn't found the balance. I hope he will, though! He writes on Sherlock as well so I feel like he knows how to do it, it's just a matter of applying it to DW.

 

After watching "The Rings of Akhaten" I have warmed to Clara quite a bit. And of course I admit I am super curious to find out how she's been in multiple timelines. I think we're definitely in for a wild ride.

[the_microwave]

I absolute adore Donna from start to finish. Her sass, and her will to be her own person but at the same time wanting to be loved. She is such a well developed character. Her family is also excellent and I pretty much find her amazing constantly. Now that I'm thinking about her episodes I'm probably going to have to watch them while I do house work today.

 

And I agree on the RTD to Moffat transition. I've stated before that Blink is honestly my favorite episode as a stand alone and I don't think there were any of his individual episodes that I didn't enjoy. But you're right, he has forgotten about the character development in favor of big action. It's his specialty that made the individual episodes so good, but I find that pretty disappointing that he hasn't found the balance. I hope he will, though! He writes on Sherlock as well so I feel like he knows how to do it, it's just a matter of applying it to DW.

 

After watching "The Rings of Akhaten" I have warmed to Clara quite a bit. And of course I admit I am super curious to find out how she's been in multiple timelines. I think we're definitely in for a wild ride.

 

I almost mentioned Sherlock in my first comment on Moffat! I love that show (although I have to say, Elementary has stolen my heart as my favorite Sherlock Holmes adaption, but that's not relevant here), and it frustrates me to know that Moffat is clearly an incredibly talented writer AND showrunner when he isn't transferring those skills all the way to Doctor Who.

 

I know there were a lot of people who didn't like the character-development-heavy style of some of the RTD seasons, and I'm sure there are some who prefer the new action-heavy episodes, but...I'm definitely not one of them. I liked Amy well enough, but she never had the same development of any of the other companions, particularly Rose and Donna. And I've always felt like the development of the companions is one of the key parts of the show, so it's sad to see it fade. Hopefully Clara will get character development instead of just being a means to plot development.

[tinyplasticdinos]

I know there were a lot of people who didn't like the character-development-heavy style of some of the RTD seasons, and I'm sure there are some who prefer the new action-heavy episodes, but...I'm definitely not one of them.

 

Off the top of your head, what are your top five favorite episodes? Mine would have to be "Blink", "The Empty Child", "Silence in the Library"/"Forest of the Dead", "Vincent and the Doctor", and "The Girl in the Fireplace". And my favorite Christmas special would have to be the Titanic episode with Kylie Minogue.

 

It's of course difficult to narrow it down, because the moment I have five I'm like "but wait! this one! and this one!" but those came to my mind first.

[Novelista]

*peeps in*

 

I'm guessing that the Eighth Doctor is persona non grata here, given that the movie was American made, had American companions, the Master in an American body and--oh yeah--took place in San Francisco.

 

Nu?

[tinyplasticdinos]

The movie was an attempt to transition Doctor Who and keep it alive. It failed, obviously, but it is canon and I don't think it negates the Eighth Doctor. There is the weird issue of the movie saying he's "half human on his mother's side", but I think most Whovians tend to ignore that bit after the jumble the writers made of that later on.

The thing that bothers me is the weird Peter Cushing "Dr. Who" stuff. It makes absolutely no sense and is pretty much an embarrassment. He's not a numbered doctor, he's human, and all of it was just lame to me.

[andaraen]

The movie was an attempt to transition Doctor Who and keep it alive. It failed, obviously, but it is canon and I don't think it negates the Eighth Doctor. There is the weird issue of the movie saying he's "half human on his mother's side", but I think most Whovians tend to ignore that bit after the jumble the writers made of that later on.

One theory I've run into was that Eight was suffering from post-regeneration trauma, if that makes anyone feel better.

[Novelista]

The trouble I see with calling the movie canon is that "little slip" (if you would call it that) is basically the whole premise of the movie--that his half-human nature is what makes him capable of opening the Eye of Harmony.

 

Actually, now that I think of it, that's pretty f-ed up. The Master was inhabiting a human body. Why couldn't he look in the eye? Was it due to the reptilian change that took place? And there was no explanation of Gallifreyan genetics versus human...are we to assume that, were he actually half-human, the human genes would supersede the Gallifreyan genes, thus enabling him to look into the Eye?

 

 

(Wow, I really sound like I've earned my "Whovian medal", don't I? But I promise I only have a W...a Certain Someone dragged me in and I had a hard time letting go. Ahem.)

[eightbitdimwit]

I honestly can't stand Clara. "I'm improbable and strange!" is her entire personality; she has little human or lovable about her like the others. Just throwing it out there.

[tinyplasticdinos]

I honestly can't stand Clara. "I'm improbable and strange!" is her entire personality; she has little human or lovable about her like the others. Just throwing it out there.

 

I am just so confused by the seemingly random plotlines of the episodes this season. It's been said that there have been clues about Clara scattered in long before we knew about her and I am anxious to see how they tie it all together with the finale. I am hoping there is a huge "aha" moment that will make me understand why the writers want me to like her so badly.

 

(additionally my friend has a theory that we're meant to be annoyed with how perfect and quirky Clara is because she's too perfect and quirky and that is weird/should tip us off? idk)