wjbleming Posted January 27, 2019 Share Posted January 27, 2019 Oh, didn't realise there's a spoiler section on the forum! Entering [ SPOILER ] without the spaces does this. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Capaldi Fan Posted January 27, 2019 Share Posted January 27, 2019 Father's Day. Totally agree with your review. This is a fantastic episode. And yes the reapers are unnecessary especially if they are never mentioned again. Surely the consequences of changing something in the past is enough of a threat without showing a physical manifestation. The acting from all is sublime. 9/10. Lost the mark for the one off alien. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Friendly Dalek Posted January 27, 2019 Author Share Posted January 27, 2019 Looks like there's finally been an episode for which we have all agreed on the same rating. 41 minutes ago, wjbleming said: Oh, didn't realise there's a spoiler section on the forum! Entering [ SPOILER ] without the spaces does this. I didn't know that either, thanks for pointing that out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Friendly Dalek Posted January 28, 2019 Author Share Posted January 28, 2019 (edited) The Empty Child/ The Doctor Dances- As much as I hate to admit it, out of every episode of the show's history, this is the Doctor Who story which truly scared me upon first watch (admittedly I was much younger then but I guess it still counts ). Watching it again now for the 100th time I can still see why. The are some very chilling moments in this story, and the concept of the Empty Child is a frightening one, especially in the first part of this story in which we know nothing about them. That ambiguity in the first part really adds to the creepiness. The design of the Empty people (?) is simple and very effective, something which seems to be consistent in this show, that less really is more. Setting the story during the Blitz was an excellent idea, as it allows for some wonderfully atmospheric shots, and the costume and set design (particularly inside the old houses) are excellent. The acting is amazing, Eccleston and Piper shine. Florence Hoath is great as Nancy, and she gives a suitably emotional performance during the climax of the second part of the story. Ricjard Wilson is also very good in the small role that he has. Of course I have to mention the best character that was introduced in this story- Captain Jack Harkness. John Barrowman just oozes charisma, and is equally as likeable as he is funny. His chemistry with Eccleston and Piper is electric, and the three are always great together. The dialogue in this story is golden, and highly memorable. There isn't a bad performance in here, and the story itself is well paced. The ending of this story is one of the best and most emotional endings in a Doctor Who story, and Eccleston's acting in those scenes really shines, plus the dialogue also adds a lot to the character of The Doctor. Overall- 10/10. This isn't just one of my top favourites of modern Who, it is one of my favourite Doctor Who stories overall. I am also a defender of Steven Moffatt and his era of the show, but one thing that can not be denied is that he was excellent when writing during the Davies era. In this story he proves that he knows how to write a well paced, well written episode with excellent characters and a fascinating story. He also gave us one of the best characters in the show's history in the form of Captain Jack, so that's something. Edited January 29, 2019 by The Friendly Dalek 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wjbleming Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 Completely agree, and a rare case when the Doctor can turn and say "Everyone lives!" The smile on Chris Eccleston's face says it all when he speaks the line! A fantastic story that is fully entitled to its perfect 10/10 score! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Friendly Dalek Posted January 29, 2019 Author Share Posted January 29, 2019 Boom Town- This story is very small scale, and focuses on the characters (I believe this was due to behind the scenes budgetary constraints so this episode needed to be cheap). However, you may have worked out by now that I really enjoy smaller, character centric stories, and I do actually like this one. Firstly, the combination of The Doctor, Rose, Mickey and Jack is fantastic, and I think it is a real shame that this group was only together in this episode. The chemistry between the leads is wonderful. Annette Badland is also good in this story, miles better than in the Slitheen two-parter earlier this series. I love the scene where The Doctor and Margaret have dinner whilst discussing the morality of sending Margaret home to be killed. The dialogue is excellent. I find this episode to be one of the best regarding the comedy. Most of it lands, which I unfortunately can't say for many other Doctor Who stories. The locations also look excellent. As far as negatives go, the resolution to the story seems cheap and forced to me, and is an unsatisfying resolution to the moral dilemma which The Doctor was facing, as it is the TARDIS which ends up defeating Margaret, so The Doctor never had to make a decision regarding what to do with her. The pacing is also sometimes off, and Margaret's actual plan isn't interesting at all. There isn't much to this story, so the plot is very thin. Overall- 7/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Capaldi Fan Posted January 29, 2019 Share Posted January 29, 2019 Boom Town - A very hit and miss episode. The characters and locations are great. Excellent showcase for Cardiff. As much as I dislike The Slitheen as an alien (being very one dimensional ) I do enjoy Annette Badland's performance. I agree the story is weak. The ending is unsatisfying. Probably suffered from being stuck between Steven Moffat's first Doctor Who story and the series finale. Definitely a filler episode. 6/10 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Friendly Dalek Posted January 30, 2019 Author Share Posted January 30, 2019 Bad Wolf/The Parting Of The Ways- This is easily one of, if not the best, series finales in modern Doctor Who. Bad Wolf is a highly entertaining story (even though it has been dated by the particular game shows referenced in the episode). It strikes that perfect balance of being humorous whilst still having a sense of threat. This is gonna be a spoiler filled review so I can talk about specific things, so you have been warned. Rose's "death" scene in Bad Wolf is very well done, and I love how The Doctor reacts to it. Eccleston, Piper and Barrowman are at their best in these two episodes. Regarding the supporting cast, everyone gives a great performance, and the stand out is Joy Joyner as Lynda. Also, Lynda's death is probably one of the darkest in a modern Doctor Who episode. The body count in this story is very large, and is a number worthy of the villains. The Daleks are back in this story, and rather than just one, there is an army of them. I don't think that the shock would have been as great if we didn't have an episode with just one Dalek earlier in the series. Viewers saw what one lone Dalek could do, so seeing millions is a frightening prospect. The Daleks are ruthless, and I honestly believe that the Daleks have never been as well written in any other modern episode as they are in series 1. These are perfect Daleks. The Emperor Dalek also looks and sounds magnificent. Bad Wolf's cliffhanger is one of my favourite cliffhangers ever. Eccleston's acting is amazing, and combining that with brilliant dialogue makes for an epic scene. The Parting Of The Ways features Eccleston's best performance in this series in my opinion. Scenes such as the "coward or killer" scene are some of the best content that has come out of modern Doctor Who. If I have even one issue with this story, it is that the way that Rose defeats the Daleks seems too easy, although I don't mind the reason explain how she got the power to be able to defeat them. If you've seen the story you should know what I am on about. The regeneration scene is still my favourite regeneration in modern Who, and one of my favourites ever. The dialogue manages to perfectly sum up regeneration, and I think that, in the long run, having a regeneration this early into the show helped it because it quickly introduced new viewers to the idea of it. I love how the 9th Doctor goes out with a smile on his face, and after cracking a few jokes. It really shows the progression of his character, and how he has managed to gain a more positive outlook when compared to some of the earlier episodes in this season. I much prefer when The Doctor regenerates whilst accepting his fate and trying to remain as positive as he can about incoming change. This is why I'm not a fan of the 10th Doctor's regeneration (but more on that when we get to The End Of Time). I also don't really like the explosive regenerations of the modern era, and I much prefer the quieter and simpler regenerations shown in Classic Who. Overall- 10/10. If I was being really picky I could have picked out a few more flaws, but I love this story too much to do that. Overall rating for Series 1- 8/10. Modern Doctor Who couldn't have had a better start than this. There are a few blips such as the Slitheen two parter and The Long Game, but most of the episodes in this series range from solid to some of the best ever. Christopher Eccleston was a fantastic Doctor (pun fully intended) and I love how he plays a more damaged version of the character, which makes sense since he was the one who came immediately after the War Doctor. Other Doctors after him still had dark moments, especially Capaldi, but Eccleston's version will always be the one who stands out to me in regard. As a dramatic actor, Eccleston pulls off the serious stuff incredibly, but unfortunately he does struggle somewhat woth the comedy every now and then. His Doctor is my favourite of the modern Doctors, and I imagine he will stay there for a long time. It is amazing how he could define the character so well in just 13 episodes. Billie Piper is also great throughout this series. Unfortunately I don't think series 2 does her justice at all, but we will get to that in due time. This series does a great job at not only showing the tone and style of the RD era but modern Doctor Who as a whole, and it has to be credited fir being such a great start. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Capaldi Fan Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 Excellent review of a brilliant finale. Agree parts of Bad Wolf have not aged well. This is my second favourite finale. We'll come to my favourite later! It's a pity Christopher Eccleston didn't have a longer run as The Doctor. Although you could say less is more. There were certainly more good episodes than mediocre. I don't think I would call any of them really bad. With the expectation on special effects and the'wow' factor it's understandable why the regenerations are explosive. Definitely the best regeneration of the modern era. More in keeping with Classic Who. More acceptance of what is to come. I imagine you were a similar age for this regeneration as I was for my first Logopolis. As a fan it's something that sticks with you. Especially so if it was a great story. Eccleston is my joint second favourite doctor of the modern era proving to be a strong dramatic actor. A solid start to New Who. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Friendly Dalek Posted January 30, 2019 Author Share Posted January 30, 2019 (edited) 13 minutes ago, Peter Capaldi Fan said: I imagine you were a similar age for this regeneration as I was for my first Logopolis. As a fan it's something that sticks with you. Especially so if it was a great story. Eccleston is my joint second favourite doctor of the modern era proving to be a strong dramatic actor. A solid start to New Who. I agree with everything you said. There are some stories that I remember seeing for the first time many years ago and this is one of them. Like you say the great stories do really stick with you. Which Doctor is Eccleston joint with? I presume Capaldi. And this series was a very good start to modern Who. Edited January 30, 2019 by The Friendly Dalek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Capaldi Fan Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 Eccleston is joint second with Tennant in the Modern Who era. Capaldi is first. He even managed to knock Tom Baker off the top of my all time list. And Tom had held the position for nearly 40 years. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Friendly Dalek Posted January 31, 2019 Author Share Posted January 31, 2019 (edited) The Christmas Invasion- This is a highly enjoyable story. It was certainly a risky move to give the new Doctor so little screen time in their first episode, but I think it worked wonderfully. David Tennant is exceptional in this episode. He is equally funny as he is serious. Billie Piper, Camille Coduri, Noel Clarke and Penelope Wilton are great. Harriet Jones is a brilliant character and I am glad that she appears multiple times during the Davies era of Who. The rest of the cast are also quite good. The Sycorax are great villains in my opinion. I really like their design and their voices. The image of people lining up on rooftops preparing to jump to their deaths is a haunting one, and that alone makes the Sycorax memorable villains. This is the first proper Doctor Who Christmas special (The Feast Of Steven is a weird one which I don't count as it is a part of The Dalek's Master Plan), and the story really plays up the Christmas aspect pretty well. The plot is rather simple and generic though, and although the execution is very good it is still not that creative in my opinion. Some of the dialogue also fails, and some of the humour falls flat. Overall- 8/10. Edited January 31, 2019 by The Friendly Dalek 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Capaldi Fan Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 Agree with your review. A very solid start to the Tennant era. One of my favourite Christmas specials. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Friendly Dalek Posted February 1, 2019 Author Share Posted February 1, 2019 (edited) New Earth- This is the worst opening episode of any series of modern Who in my opinion. The setting is interesting, but the pacing is all over the place, and many points of this episode are actually really boring. The dialogue was also of an unsually low quality. David Tennant is great, but I wasn't impressed by Billie Piper in this episode. The body swap angle failed to create many comedic moments that actually worked, and as a result the whole episode is brought down by that. Cassandra still doesn't work as a good villain in my opinion, and I find her even more annoying in this sorry than I did in TEOTW. The Sisters of Plentitude are visually interesting, and the Face of Boe is the best thing to come out of this story. I remember when I was younger I was sort of freaked out by the patients, the ones covered in sores and lumps etc, but as I grew older I realised the tragic elements to them. The story regarding them and what those people are used for is a dark concept, which really doesn't fit with the comedic body swap tone that other parts of the story have. I think if they focused more on the darker ideas of the suffering of those people and the corruption of the hospital this episode would have been better. Overall- 2/10. Edited February 1, 2019 by The Friendly Dalek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Capaldi Fan Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 New Earth - In the middle of the series this would probably be quite entertaining but is not good enough as a series opener. I love the scenes between The Doctor and The Face of God - due to have more significance later (spoilers). The tone is a little odd - the mix of comedy and horror doesn't really work. And I didn't really get the'redemption' of Cassandra at the end. Overall 5/10 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Friendly Dalek Posted February 1, 2019 Author Share Posted February 1, 2019 6 minutes ago, Peter Capaldi Fan said: New Earth - In the middle of the series this would probably be quite entertaining but is not good enough as a series opener. I love the scenes between The Doctor and The Face of God - due to have more significance later (spoilers). The tone is a little odd - the mix of comedy and horror doesn't really work. And I didn't really get the'redemption' of Cassandra at the end. Overall 5/10 You were a lot nicer to this one than I was. Glad to see that you liked it more than I did though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Capaldi Fan Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 4 minutes ago, The Friendly Dalek said: You were a lot nicer to this one than I was. Glad to see that you liked it more than I did though. Went for a mid range mark as there are some episodes in modern Who that are a lot worse. I'd have to give them negative marks otherwise. Though a couple may deserve it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Friendly Dalek Posted February 1, 2019 Author Share Posted February 1, 2019 (edited) 4 minutes ago, Peter Capaldi Fan said: Went for a mid range mark as there are some episodes in modern Who that are a lot worse. I'd have to give them negative marks otherwise. Though a couple may deserve it! As you could probably tell from my rating, I think this is one of the worst episodes of modern Who, and maybe even Who I'm general. I really don't like this one. If I was able to give negative scores I can think of a few episodes which could get that score. Edited February 1, 2019 by The Friendly Dalek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Capaldi Fan Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 (edited) 6 minutes ago, The Friendly Dalek said: If I was able to give negative scores I can think of a few episodes which could get that score. Wonder if they're the same ones as mine. Only time will tell. Edited February 1, 2019 by Peter Capaldi Fan Additional Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wjbleming Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 Yeah, New Earth was a "meh" episode. The Sisters of Plentitude looked very well but the whole body switching thing was out of place. It sort of came out of left field. The bit at the end where they tried to give Cassandra a bit of humanity was a nice touch, but it kind of felt a bit too little too late. 4/10 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Friendly Dalek Posted February 2, 2019 Author Share Posted February 2, 2019 (edited) Tooth And Claw- This story is far, far better than New Earth. Firstly, the setting is great, and the set and costume design is wonderful. The cinematography in this story is gorgeous. The CGI for the werewolf still holds up quite well, which surprised me. The majority of the performances are excellent. Pauline Collins is excellent as Queen Victoria. David Tennant and Billie Piper are great, and I think this is where their chemistry really starts to become great. New Earth didn't really give them a chance to show off their ability, but this story does. Unfortunately there are a few side characters which I'm not fond of. Some of the dialogue also doesn't work for me. I also really like how this story sets up Torchwood (which is my favourite Doctor Who spin off show). I didn't really know what else to say about this one to be honest. It is a very good episode, and most of the acting and dialogue is also superb. It is one of those stories that are well made but still end up being forgotten about, and I do think this is a rather forgettable story. When I watch it I really like it, but I often forget about it, because I just don't think it is very memorable. Overall- 7/10. Edited February 2, 2019 by The Friendly Dalek 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilfMott Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 I love Tooth and Claw. I’d be interested to know which side characters you are not fond of Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Friendly Dalek Posted February 3, 2019 Author Share Posted February 3, 2019 8 hours ago, WilfMott said: I love Tooth and Claw. I’d be interested to know which side characters you are not fond of The main two who come to mind are Sir Robert and Lady Isobel. I don't know why but I just don't think they are as interesting as characters like Queen Victoria or Father Angelo for example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Friendly Dalek Posted February 3, 2019 Author Share Posted February 3, 2019 (edited) School Reunion- Firstly, the acting is great. David Tennant and Billie Piper are wonderful, and Noel Clarke is also great. I wish he was given more to do in this show, as he is great in the episodes that he appears in. Elizabeth Sladen is sublime, and John Lesson is still very good as K9. Of the supporting cast, Anthony Head is by far the strongest, both in terms of acting and how well written his character is. Mr Finch is a great antagonist, and his interactions with The Doctor are excellent. The dialogue is very well written. The best moment in the story is the first meeting between The Doctor and Sarah Jane. The acting in that sequence is wonderful, and it is very emotional, especially after having seen the older stories featuring her character. Having the knowledge of why she left The Doctor initially makes this reunion so much more effective. Unfortunately the Krillitane are not very interesting monsters at all in my opinion. I also don't really like their design. The ending is very good, and I like how it utilised K9, rather than just having him in the episode for no reason. Overall- 9/10. Edited February 3, 2019 by The Friendly Dalek 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Capaldi Fan Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 School Reunion. I agree with everything you said in your review. This is a very enjoyable episode, well written and acted. I love the banter between Sarah Jane and Rose. And when Sarah Jane realises this is The Doctor that is a lovely moment. This episode explores the effect The Doctor has on a companion's life even when they no longer travel with him. Anthony Head is brilliant in this. The Krillitane are a bit 'meh'. Overall this episode achieved what it needed to achieve. To introduce Sarah Jane (and to a lesser extent K9) to a new generation of Whovians ready for the second spin off of the era - The Sarah Jane Adventures. 9/10 - let down by the alien of the week. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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