Ultimate Doctor Who Madness

[Jim North]

Finally watched the new episode today. Glee!

I hate River Song. Hate her hate her hate her. Continuing the tradition started with her first appearance, this episode has made me hate her even more than before. I hate her stupid catchphrases. I hate that she doesn't want the Doctor to have a hat (he actually looked good in the Stetson, dammit). I hate her stupid out-of-synch gimmick. I hate how she just ties things up in knots. Hate hate HATE. IF THE WORD "HATE" WAS ENGRAVED ON EACH NANOANGSTROM . . .

I love Rory. Love him love him love him. Continuing the tradition started with his first appearance, this episode has made me love him even more than before. I have to add him to the list with Nathan Fillion and Bruce Campbell of the guys I would totally have the man-sex with. He was technically already on there, but this is, like, bumping him up from the reserves to a full-time member of the team. Seriously. I'm so invested in this, I'm actually going to go and look up the actor's name.

Okay, it's Arthur Darvill. He is my new designated man-crush.

This season has definitely started on a dark note. A dark, crazyass note. Wow. The Greys. The astronaut suit and who's inside it. The stuff that happens to the Doctor. I know we made this thread so we wouldn't have to bother with spoilers, but I really don't want to talk about all of it in exact terms just in case I don't happen to be the last person on the board to have seen it. Y'all all know what I'm talking about anyway.

I was rather surprised to see the proto-TARDIS set show up again. They mentioned the possibility of what they're dealing with possibly being from another timezone, and that would definitely fit in, but I'm wondering if it is, in fact, supposed to be another proto-TARDIS or if it's just a case of set reuse that we weren't supposed to notice. Though if it's the latter, then that was a poor play on their part considering that set was in one of the coolest episodes of the previous season and therefore imminently recognizable.

I'm actually happy that it seems Moffat has kinda done what I was hoping he'd do . . . in this episode they mentioned firmly that crossing back over your own timeline is SERIOUS BUSINESS, which makes me wonder if we're even supposed to consider the Doctor's Christmas Carol canon or not. I can certainly go for the idea that it was just a bit of fun, myself, setting it apart from the rest of the series. The idea that he would end last season with that and then start this season with this and expect them both to be taken entirely as non-contradictory . . . I really wouldn't be alright with that.

The ending of the episode was kind of ruined by the "next time on dr who" bit. Really. You end on a cliff hanger and then remove all the tension right away? Really?

Pro-tip: If the Next Time trailer is at the end of the credits instead of before, DO NOT WATCH THEM. It's been their standard practice to put spoilery trailers at the end of the credits ever since people complained their lungs out because of an episode in the first season when a pre-credits trailer was particularly spoilery. The two-parter with the Slitheens' first appearance, as I recall. The big spoiler was "The Doctor lived!"

Thankfully for me, I did not watch the trailer, so I'm all good and set for the next episode to surprise me.

That reminds me. Whats with the cloaking thing? I thought the reason it was a police call box was because it's cloaking device was able to make it fit it, but then it got stuck. So why does it have a cloaking device to make it invisible? Does it make that much sense? Surely it would be one or the other?

Meh. The TARDIS basically has any abilities it needs to have, but they hardly ever work. It's part of the charm of the machine, that everything's sort of broken down. Fully expect that the next time the Doctor tries to use the cloak - even if River is there - it won't work.

And while the chameleon circuit is a very elegant solution since it has a Somebody Else's Problem field around it as well as just looking like an everyday object, it's kind of hard to ignore a big blue box appearing right in front of you. When you absolutely positively have to kill every motherfu- er, I mean, have to make sure no one notices your entrance, the cloaking device would be a great thing to have in addition to the SEP and chameleon circuit.

Theories about who River really is.

My personal theory is that I don't give a shit who she really is and she needs to die and be forgotten. Perhaps not the best thought out or most detailed of theories, but I like it.

. . . I think it may be time for another beer.

[Joopac_Badur]

Man, Jim, I love River Song for every reason that you hate her. Admittedly, though, the "spoilers" line is getting a little old.

According to the credits, "the Greys" are actually called "the Silents." Silents will fall, eh? Hmm, makes me wonder about their connection to everything. Also, the Proto-Tardis may be the one from "The Lodger" or it could just be that all of the Silents use the same basic ship design. After all, River said that the tunnels went throughout all of the United States and there were more ships, so ... yeah ...

Also, notice how Steve Moffet really likes using children as a means to scare the audience? "The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances" and "The Silent Library/Forest of the Dead" both have little children being creepy, and now this ... Impossible Astronaut. ...

[Jim North]

Man, Jim, I love River Song for every reason that you hate her.

You have horrible opinions!

After all, River said that the tunnels went throughout all of the United States

She said what? No she didn't! Now I'll have to watch the episode again just to prove you wrong. Not that I wasn't going to watch the episode again anyway.

both have little children being creepy

Fair play to him, really. Children are creepy.

[Joopac_Badur]

After all, River said that the tunnels went throughout all of the United States

She said what? No she didn't! Now I'll have to watch the episode again just to prove you wrong. Not that I wasn't going to watch the episode again anyway.

Alright, you got me. She actually said the tunnels were going through THE ENTIRE PLANET.

[Jim North]

Alright, you got me. She actually said the tunnels were going through THE ENTIRE PLANET.

Why must you compound your lies with more lies?!

. . . I'm going to feel like a total ass when I rewatch the episode tomorrow, aren't I?

[Monkeychewtoy]

Yup.

[Jim North]

Yup.

It's probably fair.

Y'know, I just realized that the old Canton Delaware III is William Sheppard. And now I'm all like, "Holy shit, William Sheppard is still alive?!"

[Agrajag]

The set is definitely supposed to be the same as the one from the Lodger given that there's going to be a "sequel" to the Lodger (with the guest actors coming back again this season). Also if you rewatch the Lodger, there's some strong evidence that the Silence/Silents appear in it off screen:
1. People are killed by the ship through some sort of electricity attack, a very similar effect to the one used by the Silent in the bathroom this episode.
2. The ship in the Lodger creates holograms of people asking for help to lure in its victims, one is even a little girl I believe. Very similar to the astronaut girl in this episode.
3. Partway through the Lodger, Amy sees someone/something appear in the TARDIS off screen and yells at it. But then the Doctor says something to her over the communicator and she looks away, seemingly forgetting whatever it was she just saw and it's not mentioned again. It happens fast and it's pretty subtle, but the obvious conclusion given the latest episode is that a Silent was in the TARDIS. (if you have the Lodger, the scene in question happens at about 21:45).


Also yes River says the tunnels run through the whole planet. And it's cool that the old and young Delaware's were played by a father and son.

[Joopac_Badur]

3. Partway through the Lodger, Amy sees someone/something appear in the TARDIS off screen and yells at it. But then the Doctor says something to her over the communicator and she looks away, seemingly forgetting whatever it was she just saw and it's not mentioned again. It happens fast and it's pretty subtle, but the obvious conclusion given the latest episode is that a Silent was in the TARDIS. (if you have the Lodger, the scene in question happens at about 21:45).

The same, sudden creepy music that plays whenever a Silent appeared also played during that scene in the Lodger. Interesting. It's funny how what appeared to be a silly, throwaway episode is actually a pivotal moment in the Eleventh's overall story arc.

I'm curious as to how they are linked with the Doctor. The whole "Silents will fall" line and how they apparently have the power to control the TARDIS ... it's all so intriguing.

Remember in the trailers that came out advertising the new Series, there was a clip where a voice says "Fear me, I've killed hundreds of Time Lords," (followed by the Doctor's BAMF line of "Fear me, I killed all of them.") ? I wonder if that voice is connected in anyway.

[watsonlew]

You thought you loved the Eleventh Doctor now, well Matt Smith wishes to take his favourite of the Doctor's trait & take it even further- making his Doctor even more enduring.There's no doubt that Matt has made the role his own but there is aspect of his character they would adopt in his day to day life; his self confidence.

[kleptoman]

And while the chameleon circuit is a very elegant solution since it has a Somebody Else's Problem field around it as well as just looking like an everyday object, it's kind of hard to ignore a big blue box appearing right in front of you. When you absolutely positively have to kill every motherfu- er, I mean, have to make sure no one notices your entrance, the cloaking device would be a great thing to have in addition to the SEP and chameleon circuit.

Isn't the somebody else's problem thing hitchhikers? Or am I now getting really confused?

[frazzledog]

I only just joined tumblr, but this is why I love it

[Agrajag]

Somebody Else's Problem fields are Hitchhiker's guide. The Doctor Who equivalent is the perception filter.

[Jim North]

Isn't the somebody else's problem thing hitchhikers? Or am I now getting really confused?

Somebody Else's Problem fields are Hitchhiker's guide. The Doctor Who equivalent is the perception filter.

Yes indeedy. I still call it an SEP for Doctor Who as well, though, since they're pretty much identical in function and I like the name "Someone Else's Problem field" better. I would like to think Douglas Adams and the DW staff would approve of that usage, since Adams was a script editor for DW for a while, and so there are a few other HGttG things that got put into the DW canon anyway.

[Agrajag]

People on tumblr have been compiling a list of possible Silence sightings. Mostly any time someone looked confused or surprised, then looked away and never mentioned it again. Thought you guys might be interested, so I copied the most believable ones here. Spoilered for length and possible spoileriness?

Spoiler: show

The Beast Below - At around 9:25 a black figure walks past Amy. She looks confused/scared for a couple of seconds then shrugs it off. The bug-noises that accompany the Silence in Impossible Astronaut play quietly immediately afterwards.

The Lodger - Already mentioned earlier in the thread. At 21:45 Amy sees something and shouts, but then looks away and forgets.

Vampires of Venice - When the three of them go back to the TARDIS at the end, its door is already open. It shuts by itself before they notice. 46:02 You can also hear what sounds like the door being opened a few seconds before that.

The Big Bang - At 13:20 you can see shadows/cloaked figures standing behind the sarcophaguses. At 13:30, the camera pans and another shadowy figure becomes slightly in frame at the bottom right corner of the screen, but it quickly moves away.



And then here's a couple that I'm not really sure mean anything, but you can judge for yourself:

The Eleventh Hour - At 0:25 when the Doctor is hanging from the edge of the TARDIS, he looks up into the doorway and has a confused look on his face for a moment.

Also Eleventh Hour - At 42:49 Rory looks backwards confusedly at the elevator as he and Amy enter onto the second floor.

Also also the Eleventh Hour - At 1:00:08 when Amy is looking around the TARDIS for the first time, she seems to become scared at something we can't see because the camera is pointed at her face.

EDIT: Also also also the Eleventh Hour - At the end when Amelia is packing and then runs outside, there are some strange occurrences: the door in the hallway changes from closed to open, as do the drapes over her window. After she runs outside, a shadowy figure can be seen running through her room. At the time, most people thought it was Prisoner Zero, but now maybe it's actually a Silent? Since Zero should not have had any coma patients to turn into at that point in time.

Victory of the Daleks - At 34:30 the Doctor looks to his side and seems startled. Amy and Churchill also look in that direction and look surprised as well.

EDIT: Added another bit to 11th hour sightings.