The Friendly Dalek

@Wrong Name So what did you think of the Ghostbusters trailer?

Oxygen- A return to form after the disappointing previous episode. Jamie Mathieson is an excellent writer for Who, and this episode is further proof of that. This is a very well written, tense, base-under-siege style story. The space setting certainly adds to the creepiness of the episode, and the "zombies" provide some great visual horror. The pacing is fantastic, as are the visuals. The key concept of this episode is very interesting, the idea that oxygen is a commodity. Although it is at times a very unsubtle slight against capitalism, the episode surrounding it is so good that I can forgive the lack of subtlety. As far as the acting goes, the core trio are great, and Pearl especially gets some really good moments to show off her acting ability. The supporting cast are fine, although there isn't much depth to their characters, but that's more of a writing fault than an acting one. Spoiler- The twist reveal that The Doctor is still blind at the end of this episode gave me chills when I saw it for the first time. It's such an interesting way to take this character, and we haven't seen it done like this before on since, giving him a lasting physical impairment for multiple stories. Overall- 9/10. This is a very well made episode, with excellent visuals, an intelligent and fast paced script, and some intense sequences. My only issues really are the relatively simple supporting characters, and the occasional lack of subtlety regarding the episode's core theme and message.

Thank you and yes, it was great. It was my third time trying to meet David, I finally managed it and it was well worth the wait. He was amazing. Only Capaldi and Whittaker left now.

David Bradley

Hello, I'm afraid you're going to have to edit your post to remove the name of the other convention that you mentioned.

Last time he was here in 2017 I managed to get him without a vq. I imagine he'll be relatively busy throughout the day but nothing crazy. If you get to the event a few hours before you'll have no issues at all getting him.

Awesome announcment, he was lovely to meet back in 2017. Think I might get an Alien poster for him and Veronica.

Make that ten. Nearly there.

Twenty minutes to go.

I wouldn't have a clue where the actors are staying, but I imagine lots of fellow Trek fans would also be staying in nearby hotels as it is more convenient to get to the event from them.

Knock Knock- The main thing to praise here is the performances. Capaldi and Mackie excel, and the supporting cast are good. David Suchet is absolutely brilliant. The sound design is great, as are the sets. The house is spooky, and it creates much needed atmosphere for an episode like this. It plays almost like a low-budget horror film, and it works very well from a production standpoint. The music is great, and also adds to the tension. The key issue comes from the writing. Although the acting is fine, none of Bill's friends are particularly memorable. The Landlord's motivation seems like it would work well on paper, and Suchet plays it excellently, but in execution it does seem silly and forced. The Dryads are forgettable as well. If it wasn't for the performance from Suchet I get the feeling that this episode wouldn't be any where near as good, he really does save it. There are multiple attempts at humour which falls completely flat, and the visual effects are average in my opinion. The pacing is also off at points. There isn't really much else for me to say about this one. The characters are weak, the story is generic, and it has a resolution which didn't feel earnt in my opinion (the Eliza reveal comes out of nowhere and had too little build-up). The episode is saved by good performances and the excellent technical aspects, such as the set and sound design, which all comes together to create a middle-of-the-road episode which I never have any desire to re-watch. Overall- 5/10.

I'm doing something quite exciting next weekend which makes up for it, but thanks. Hopefully John will come back down to Bristol or somewhere close so I can go to another show of his.

Yeah the ticket will be automatically refunded.

I was going to the Bristol one, but the rescheduled date is for Oxford, and I can't make it there.

My weekend was going pretty well until I received an email saying John Barrowman has cancelled his show tonight. He's injured himself apparently, so I hope he recovers quickly.