Any Doctor Who fans?

[Blahblah]

Ok, just read the book. Set in the 1950s -Clara's mum/dad/both?

[formergothardite]

I loved the line about how the Doctor had visited there with his grandaughter before! I hope that this is setting it up to talk more about the Doctor's past family.

I'm really bummed that Christopher Eccleston won't be coming back for the 50th anniversary.

[CrankyCatLady]

Ok, just read the book. Set in the 1950s -Clara's mum/dad/both?

Clara's mum was Ellie, wasn't she? Possibly Clara's grandmother?

[Blahblah]

I loved the line about how the Doctor had visited there with his grandaughter before! I hope that this is setting it up to talk more about the Doctor's past family.

The grand daughter Susan travelled with the very first Doctor.

[Blahblah]

Clara's mum was Ellie, wasn't she? Possibly Clara's grandmother?

True. Got my generations mixed up.

[CrankyCatLady]

The grand daughter Susan travelled with the very first Doctor.

Yes, but from what I've read, he just referred to her as his granddaughter because he thought it would be too odd for him to be traveling with a much younger girl. I've tried watching the first ever season of Doctor Who, but Netflix doesn't have them all and what they do have is rather laughably bad.

[formergothardite]

Yes, but from what I've read, he just referred to her as his granddaughter because he thought it would be too odd for him to be traveling with a much younger girl. I've tried watching the first ever season of Doctor Who, but Netflix doesn't have them all and what they do have is rather laughably bad.

I've never heard of that theory. Didn't the 10th doctor mention having kids at one point? So I always just assumed he had a wife, kids, and grandkids and lost them all for some reason.

[Megan]

I think the showrunners for the 1st doctor made Susan the Doctor's granddaughter because they thought it would be weird for an older man to be traveling with a younger girl. I recently saw an interview with the actress (I think it was posted on ONTD this week) who played Susan and she mentioned that the runners for the 20th anniversary special didn't want her calling the doctor "grandfather" because it would remind people that the doctor had once had kids (and therefore think of sex?) and that she laughed at them and made them put in the grandfather references because it was ridiculous.

[Blahblah]

http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Susan_Foreman

More info than I thought possible about Susan. Someone has too much time on their hands.

[CrankyCatLady]

Oh the TARDIS Wiki is insanely detailed. I thought I was a pretty rabid fan until I found that site.

[CrankyCatLady]

I've never heard of that theory. Didn't the 10th doctor mention having kids at one point? So I always just assumed he had a wife, kids, and grandkids and lost them all for some reason.

Yes, he did, but I always got the impression that they were all killed in the Time War.

Does anyone know if the older episodes address the Time War? I'll go check the Wiki, but it's such a convoluted rabbit hole....

[formergothardite]

The episode last night scared me. I was clutching my blanket and hiding my eyes during parts. But I did like it. I like that Clara wasn't all yeah lets run off and chase a scary ghost in a dark house, it makes her more realistic.

[Blahblah]

I watched with my kids and the 8 year old was terrified. I had to google and spoil the episode for myself because I needed to reassure her about what was happening. When I told her it wasn't a ghost but a time traveller being chased by an alien, she perked right up and thoroughly enjoyed it. (Because obviously aliens and time travelers are much more acceptable to 8 year olds than ghosts.)

I really didn't get why the Doctor was all scared and freaked out though. He's faced much worse than a scratchy noise in the trees before, including "Satan" himself (David Tennant episode).

Clara is becoming more likable with every episode though. Can't wait to find out her backstory.

[CrankyCatLady]

I loved Hide. It scared the bejeebus out of me, but it was great.

I didn't get why the Doctor was scared, either. Seemed to be an odd thing for him.

[formergothardite]

The Doctor doesn't seem to be himself this season, at least to me. It was weird that he was scared and then looked horrified when he saw the monster, usually nothing bothers him.

[No Cure for Stupid]

I just recently started watching Doctor Who again since having started when Rose left. I've been DVRing every episode, and they're all out of order so I kind of feel like a Time Lord when I watch it.

So far, I don't really like Clara. She seems kind of annoying to me. Although, I did like her as Oswin in the Dalek prison episode.

[Rita]

Has there been any hint of Donna coming back? I really enjoyed her as a companion, and also in the Christmas short where she beat out the Shakespeare, and, OMG, there was a staging where she and Tennant played Beatrice and Benedick! Ahem, I am not a crazy fan girl. I just like Donna, and have no BBC.

[Blahblah]

10 and Rose are confirmed for the 50th, as is Unit. No mention of Donna anywhere that I can find.

John Hurt is the big guest star and has been seen wearing a leather jacket very similar to 8 and 9's jackets so lots of rumors around that. Also an actress has been seen wearing Tom Baker's scarf. Red herrings being seeded by the producers possibly?

[formergothardite]

I'm excited for the season finale and seeing River Song again.

[Blahblah]

The finale needs to get back to business. The last couple of episodes have been odd. Journey to the Centre of the Tardis saw the Doctor turn into a scaredy cat again. And the sonic screwdriver is a cross between a light saber and a magic wand at the moment.

The Doctor isn't using his legendary intelligence to solve things at all this season. He's just running around panicking, waving the sonic screwdriver at things, and using last minute cop-outs - ie last night - erase the whole nasty series of events with a time bomb gadget? Seriously?

I love the Doctor but these script writers need to get their act together.

[Joan of Snarc]

I thought the last couple episodes were odd, too.

I'm just not enjoying Matt Smith.

I wish they'd bring back The Master. He's hot.

[CrankyCatLady]

Since RTD left, the writing has gone noticeably downhill. It's weird - I loved the Moffatt-penned episodes that 9 and 10 were in, but now that he's running the whole show, it's gone off somehow.

I did like Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS a lot, but I agree that the Doctor is not being the Doctor all that much anymore. And I'm so tired of Matt Smith. So. Tired.

[formergothardite]

It is time to get rid of the sonic screwdriver for a couple of episodes. It has gone from opening and locking doors to doing all things. I hope that there is a good reason that the Doctor is acting all strange and it isn't just poor writing. They need to get a new Doctor and some new writers or they are going to kill the show.

[Patsy]

God I hate Moffat. He comes from the "wacky coincidence = enthralling" school of writing. He's definitely capable of other stuff, and has produced some fantastic storylines, but evidently he's burnt out now so it's all WHOA, VOLDEMORT IS ACTUALLY HARRY'S DAD!!!!! shit now.

Season goes like this: no real theme to season, nor motif. For motif, replace with equivalent of massive fluoro sticker slapped on top of each episode's final scene. Reveal in final or semi-final episode that fluoro sticker is actually some big thing we've never heard of and we don't care about. Play big music so we'll care about it. Don't bother making the writing make us feel those things, or if you do, at the very least don't depend solely on the writing. Instead, tell us to care, and that we should care. That is good writing and it is how you make people feel things. After you have yelled "FEEL THINGS! FEEL THINGS!" fix the problem with a deus ex machina. Don't bother concealing it.

You are allowed some cool episodes of various types throughout the season, but make sure to dampen each, and the potential for 100% eps like this, by wedging in this season arc.

Nine spoke to a chavvy couple taking refuge at their friends' shotgun wedding and gently chided them for calling their relationship "nothing special". "I've never had that" he said wistfully.

Nine and Ten routinely uncovered what would historically be treated, in stories, as monstrosities, and declared them beautiful.

Ten had a companion who was "nothing but a temp", but she was "the most important person in the universe".

The entire show is not about -- is ANTI -- blood kin and wacky coincidences washing away all need for plot; the entire fucking point of the companions is that the Doctor CHOOSES his family, that your chosen family can, in fact, be far more important than those born to you or those you are born to, and that EVERYONE is special and beautiful.

So on top of Moffat's "WHAT DOES IT MEAN? It means there's a thing or some shit and it's important because I just told you it is so it is! You should feel emotions because I am telling you to!", we now get "People matter because it turns out they're related to someone by blood!" which is actually antithetical to the show itself.

I mean FFS "Who is River Song?" I don't give a shit who her family is, I give a shit who she is, what she studies, why she -- oh, it's all because she's related to someone? And her marriage itself - the thing that connected her to the Doctor directly - was actually the wacky motif fluoro sticker of this season, and it had no emotional meaning or resonance whatsoever? Okay, Moffat. Keep telling us how you understand women.

I read that Moffat said that (very minor spoiler about Clara's identity)

the Doctor has actually met Clara more than three times

which makes me think that

(separate spoiler tag for the ultra-ultra-avoidant -- my conclusion doesn't necessarily lead back to the spoiler about Clara so you can click it :))

she might be River. It will shit me to tears if that turns out to be the case. I was thinking it's dumb, right? Because we saw Melody born, we saw six-ish Melody begin to regenerate in an American alley, we saw 20-ish Mels regenerate into River and we've seen River's death. Plus we've seen Clara's birth! But now I'm starting to think that the snow thing might be like the Silence in the Library computer thing, and it might have implanted River after her death into the universe as - SURPRISE! a young, sexy companion, so even fantastic-looking middle-aged ladies need not appear on your screen!

Yes, it's very possible I am completely underrating Moffat by speculating thus. Perhaps he won't write out an older actress like that. But the shitty writing aspect of this possible scenario fits fine.

[Blahblah]

Can't remember where I read it but there is a theory that Clara is a physical manifestation or breakaway piece of the Tardis. The Tardis has been much more of a character in and of herself over the last few episodes.