Doctor Who

[Ruki]

I kept expecting them to pull a "Gotcha!" in regards to Clara's death...something to make it not so perminant. But...if it is? I'm glad to see her go (as she has been stale for awhile), but that was a good end. Maybe a little drawn out...but still good none the less. Will be interesting to see how the Doctor gets back to Earth to get the TARDIS, and to see if Mayor Me shows up again. I loved Maise Williams in this show, she was great.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Missy coming back at the end of the series would not upset me.

[Benji]

I can't see her not doing with the way the second episode ended and all the stuff about the confession whatchamacallit.

[Skummy]

Spoiler

I loved that episode. Had no idea going in that it was going to be such a significant one, was expecting a bit of a fun romp! The basic premise felt to me like Doctor Who Does Neverwhere, which is no bad thing.

I don't dislike Clara as much as most, but she wasn't the best companion at all. She's had an interesting arc this series, though, which all came to a head here - she convinced herself, despite everything, that the Doctor always wins, and that he always wins by being reckless and believing he's going to win. Last week, we saw the Doctor emphatically not win. Every other episode, we've seen examples of his failings - whether that's his failure to eliminate the Daleks, or his failure to save multiple people throughout the series, or the entire Zygon peace treaty, but Clara still believes it, and behaves recklessly, as she's become more and more like the Doctor. And it costs her, as we've known all series that it would.

I actually think Jenna Louise Coleman did a great job in her closing scene, as melodramatic and drawn out as it was, the tone was right, and it felt like a genuine emotional farewell for a character that - while not hugely liked by a lot of people - has been a significant part of the current run. Her final scene was probably her best. But, and I know I always bang on about how great an actor Capaldi is, what took Coleman pages and pages of hurried, frantic emotive dialogue to put across, he managed with red eyes, a wobbly lip and a whispered "...Clara". He lends the role a gravitas it hasn't had in New Who and, frankly, is probably a better actor than the show deserves. 

I do think that's Clara legitimately "dead", though wouldn't be surprised if we see Coleman again in a cameo, as a Zygon replica, in a flashback, hallucination or whatever.

 

I'm curious who the "they" Me was talking about were - my first thought was the Time Lords, but the constant mentioning of Hybrids throughout this series, and the Confession Dial, reminded me that the last time we saw Missy she was trying to parlay with the Daleks. I'm rather expecting a Time Lord/Dalek alliance.

 

[GhostMachine]

12 has gone from 2's pants to one of 3's jackets. So I guess he'll be wearing a long coat or a big floppy hat next season, since I don't see the long scarf happening due to what he said in his first episode and Oswald already wearing one.

Seriously, though, the new outfit is a definite improvement. 

Edited November 26, 2015 by GhostMachine

[Benji]

For the first time in ages, I'm really looking forward to Saturday. Dropping the anchor that is Clara should make the show far more enjoyable again.

[GhostMachine]

Oh, I don't believe for a second she's dead for good.

I hope she is, though. They haven't permanently killed off a companion since Adric, so it is about damn time.

[Rich]

Yeah.... she's dead.

Dat, Ending.

[TheWho87]

Spoiler

I liked the episode even though it did make it a little obvious at the start, the eternal loop was something I don't think they have done before, my only question is if the tower/castle resets when the Doctor arrives how come the diamond wall gets worn down over time?

 

[theshadow]

Spoiler

I took it as the time it took to break through that wall was his prison sentence.

 

[Colly]

That were right good.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Fantastic episode. The standout of the series for me.

[DFF]

Loved it. 

[GhostMachine]

So....

 

Spoiler

Are we back to the Doctor being half human? 

 

[Skummy]

That was extraordinary. A classic episode full of what makes Doctor Who great, while being entirely unlike any episode we've ever seen before, and playing to Capaldi's strengths beautifully. Utterly incredible. A justification for the continued existence of the BBC right there.

[Lineker]

Thanks Skummy!

[Benji]

It's not, but I wish that was a really big troll and by "Me" he was talking about Maisie Williams' character :lol:

[GhostMachine]

To me the episode proved one thing:

Spoiler

The Time Lords are douchebags. If they're going to be conquered by the Doctor, its because they're a bunch of a-holes.

I just don't like the comment the Doctor made at the end probably meaning the Doctor being half-human, from the tv movie, is back in play. That bit should be ignored permanently. 

 

[Benji]

Eh, I've got no issue with The Doctor being half-something, I think that kind of stuff is just nerd-rage, and if he's half-human it explains his obsession with earth and humans.

Besides, they confirmed the movie is in continuity with the 50th anniversary stuff and his regeneration cycle being where it was.

[Steeb]

One of the finest episodes of Nu-Who, if not the finest. Just a cracking hour, with few flaws.

 

Re: The diamond wall not resetting:

The best explanation I've seen is that as it was the 'portal' to getting out of the confession dial, it didn't actually exist within the construct, and was more of a bridge, so whilst everything within the stone reset, the diamond did not as it fell outside of the dial's 'remit'.