Doctor Who S32E1, "The Impossible Astronaut"

[FaxModem1]

In regards to spoilers next time – clearly, The Doctor spends some time as a prisoner, what with the chains and beard and all – I'm assuming he's held by the Americans. Which is puzzling, because in 1969 America how could the US keep The Doctor confined against his will? This is a guy who saves the universe barehanded, no plan, no backup, no TARDIS, not even his screwdriver sometimes. Unless he lets himself be held? Or maybe the Americans don't rely on fancy tech and just has guys with guns stand around him for a long time? The other thing – if they do hold him that long they have to figure out at some point he's not human in which case where's the guys in the white lab coats who want to do a dissection?

Alright, I'm probably overthinking this....

Doctor: You aren't going to shoot me, I just got in the Oval Office.
River: Doctor, They're Americans
Doctor immediately surrenders.

Keep in mind, unlike the Daleks, Cybermen, whoever, Americans shoot.

[Srelex]

Shaky start but otherwise a solid and interesting start to the season.

How many black Secret Servicemen would there really be at the time?

[Iroscato]

It only had 6.5 million viewers, compared to the usual 8 million. I hope Doctor Who doesn't get cancelled again, I'd have seizures. Then cry.

[DaveJB]

I wouldn't read too much into that; we've just been having some unusually favourable weather on this particular holiday weekend. In fact, no show that was aired on Saturday night (barring Doctor Who and Britain's Got Talent) gathered more than 4 million viewers, so Doctor Who actually outperformed everything except BGT by a vast margin.

In fact, this isn't anything new, really. We also had some unusually warm weather near the back end of last May, which caused the Silurian two-parter to post the kind of crappy overnight ratings that we saw back in Sylvester McCoy's era. When figures from the iPlayer were plugged into the equation, the audience figures were actually pretty healthy for that story.

[Lord Woodlouse]

Also, it is an earlier showing than normal. RTD used to get angry with the beeb for putting it on earlier than 7.

Apparently its part of their strategy to get people tuning in earlier, because DW attracts a lot of viewers.

[Broomstick]

How many black Secret Servicemen would there really be at the time?

The first black secret service agent assigned to presidential security was Abraham Bolden, picked for that role by John F. Kennedy. So it is plausible that Nixon could have had a black agent on his security detail, and may well have had one or a few.

[PREDATOR490]

Fairly good episode.

Bit at the start, pretty much gave it away with the 'I'm X years older than I should be'.
I suspect a reset button is going to be pushed somewhere down the line but maybe a decent one given the foreshadowing going on.

River Song = I dont mind her so much and the character is really a mandatory requirement from the bullshit introduction so they HAVE to get her over and done with. That said, this relationship between her and the Doctor is getting all sorts of fucked up into extremely annoying territory.

'The last day I meet the Doctor it will kill me..." - Har har... I see what you did there !

Kinda amusing how they keep hinting a relationship will form between River and the Doctor yet... he tells her straight out he dosent trust her. Suddenly in the future he is going to find out what really happens then suddenly trust her enough to have a relationship... except she will continue to get younger and know the Doctor less.
On the one hand... its an interesting time travel dynamic to play with but on the other its kinda creepy.

[FaxModem1]

I actually rather like River Song, I don't know why other people don't like her.

[Iroscato]

I actually rather like River Song, I don't know why other people don't like her.

Exactly, I like the way she's a match for the Doctor, she has a clever idea behind her character (meeting each other back to front), plus she's a great actress. Go us

[TC Pilot]

I didn't particularly like this episode. On its own, it seems to fall flat. The English cavalier bit was the only funny one at the start (though the painting was weird); botching a WW2 POW prisonbreak isn't particularly good material and he seemed to be trying to upstage Laurel and Hardy.
Spoiler

His death scene also seemed too drawn-out and played for effect, given that we all damn well know he's not really "dead" (one way or another)

I'm also sick of psychic aliens with semi-biotech and tormented children. The bipolar Doctor act also wore a bit thin here. Seriously, it seems like every line is either him talking in overly dramatic hushed tones while staring into the distance or him flailing about spouting semi-coherent half-sentences like a 7-year old high on sugar. The shifts are so jarring and they really start getting exhausting after awhile.

Though, the future-soldier thinking America was an obscure planet and the Doctor freaking out when he realizes it's Americans pointing guns at him was funny.

[Shroom Man 777]

Yeah, the crazy Doctor is a bit grating. We've had four seasons of that already, we've had more than enough of it with Tennant and now Smith. Give us some of Doctor Destro's proper non-git-ness, man. Maybe Doctor Destro was on mood stabilizers, and Ten and Eleven are what the Doctor is like when he runs out of Time Lord Ritalin or something.

I hope Moffat's other episodes won't involve little scary children or strange camera trick aliens that play with sight/sound/memory. I mean, that's becoming one of his tricks already. It's either scary children in masks, or freaky aliens that can't be seen/stay in the shadows/optical illusion stuff. We've seen all the permutations, from the Doctor Dances, to Blink, to the Library episodes, to the Eleventh Hour, to now this. Kids, masks, optical illusions and camera tricks. Kid voices to add creepy effect, along with the masks and tricks. To build tension. The first few times, he was hailed as a bloody genius for it, and good. But now? Come on. These plot devices for suspense are becoming to him what senseless akshun and deus ex machinas are for RTD.

At least Christmas Carol was good in that it had very little of this. Yes, it had a kid, but that kid was an actual character rather than a device to create spookiness. And we had more characterization of characters than, again, created spookiness.

Admittedly the Tall Thin Man creatures were quite creepy. But Moffat's in danger of losing his touch. He's over-using it.

Next thing we know there'll be Shadow Angel Children with Gas Masks who can Blink at the Corner Of Your Eye and copy the forms of coma patients with their chameleon circuit or whatever, calling on the telephone for their mommy who was elected president.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Comcast re-did its on demand, now I don't get BBC America for free. Where can I see this online?

[open_sketchbook]

I don't mind crazy doctor, especially considering Eleven is supposed to be a homage to Two. Besides, it hasn't gotten old for me yet; I think I might just have a higher tolerence for ADHD-ness. I do feel Moffat might be overdoing his tricks, but on the other hand they are tricks that work pretty well. Honestly, the Doctor's whole thing is to outsmart villains, so villains with features that are puzzles or perception tricks are good opponents for the Doctor, as opposed to having the Daleks point guns at him and make loud synthetic ultimatums.

[Iroscato]

I don't mind crazy doctor, especially considering Eleven is supposed to be a homage to Two. Besides, it hasn't gotten old for me yet; I think I might just have a higher tolerence for ADHD-ness. I do feel Moffat might be overdoing his tricks, but on the other hand they are tricks that work pretty well. Honestly, the Doctor's whole thing is to outsmart villains, so villains with features that are puzzles or perception tricks are good opponents for the Doctor, as opposed to having the Daleks point guns at him and make loud synthetic ultimatums.

Hear hear, I think Matt Smith is enough his own man to bring something different to the show. He's a different kind of crazy to Tennant, more alien and mad-professor-like. It would be nice if the next Doctor is a little moodier though, to keep things fresh.

[AMT]

I don't mind crazy doctor, especially considering Eleven is supposed to be a homage to Two. Besides, it hasn't gotten old for me yet; I think I might just have a higher tolerence for ADHD-ness. I do feel Moffat might be overdoing his tricks, but on the other hand they are tricks that work pretty well. Honestly, the Doctor's whole thing is to outsmart villains, so villains with features that are puzzles or perception tricks are good opponents for the Doctor, as opposed to having the Daleks point guns at him and make loud synthetic ultimatums.

Hear hear, I think Matt Smith is enough his own man to bring something different to the show. He's a different kind of crazy to Tennant, more alien and mad-professor-like. It would be nice if the next Doctor is a little moodier though, to keep things fresh.

I think Matt did that pretty well this episode, and other times. It's just so rare because when he brings it out, he really brings it out.
His whole "Do not play games with me, you'll never win" (butchered the phrasing there, but if you saw the ep you know what I speak of) was pretty moody and showcased his true nature, hidden under the facade he usually keeps out, I think.

[NecronLord]

I could go for an older Doctor. Like Third or Seven, and either of them would be excellent in turning down the eccentricity.

That could just be because they were basically "my Doctors" growing up in what videos I could get, mind.

[Broomstick]

Initially I didn't like Matt Smith but he quickly won me over. I'm sure some will disagree with me when I say I like him better than Eccleston but I do. I really don't want The Doctor being too moody or edgy or angsty, I like some of the eccentric goofiness. Smith's Doctor can be a capering clown, but he really does have a deeply serious side. I think he's a lone survivor, last of his species with a memory full of horrific events trying to enjoy life and find the fun/humor/happiness in things, as well as keep a certain perspective via his companions' fresh view of the universe, but capable of being the horrifying and scary thing that unified all the bad guys in the universe to stuff him into a box for safekeeping.

What annoys me: they steampunked the TARDIS. Yes, it really annoys me. I though the earlier NuWho TARDIS just fine. I don't like the steampunk version.

[Serafina]

Spoiler

I just wanted to say that the Doctor can't possibly (stay) dead, or he would have died almost exactly 24 years after my birth - within a single hour, depending on how much time passed between the meeting and his death.
That's too much of a coincidence, hence it must be some kind of plan

Spoiler

Also, Amies pregnancy was foreshadowed "you've put on a couple of pounds, i wasn't gonna mention it.

[Broomstick]

Yes, but WHY was it so important for Amy to Spoiler

tell The Doctor that she is pregnant?

I thought she was going to Spoiler

tell The Doctor about the Grey/Slender Man/Whatever The Hell It Is and suddenly it's about her being pregnant?

[Crazedwraith]

Some fun stuff from Mark Sheppard's Character.

But that first bit is a really stupid way to create some cheap drama. I hate it the same way I hate that Regeneration tease at the start of Journey's end. There's no way it can stand.

And River's little speech was nauseatingly 'cute' writing. Not endearing me the character at all.

[Serafina]

You know, i think it'll be interesting to see the time where River will know less and less about the Doctor. That'll give her character a completely new layer.

Also: Spoiler

Since the futureDoctor clearly traveled to the 22.04.2011 via TARDIS, and so did the presentDoctor - shouldn't there be an additional TARDIS sitting around somewhere? That could cause some trouble in the future, i doubt the Silence will be fooled by a perception filter.

[NecronLord]

You know, i think it'll be interesting to see the time where River will know less and less about the Doctor. That'll give her character a completely new layer.

Also: Spoiler

Since the futureDoctor clearly traveled to the 22.04.2011 via TARDIS, and so did the presentDoctor - shouldn't there be an additional TARDIS sitting around somewhere? That could cause some trouble in the future, i doubt the Silence will be fooled by a perception filter.

That's not really a spoiler, as it's speculation.

It's possible that the future Doctor destroyed his TARDIS or sent it to somewhere inaccessible before going to the beach, if he knew he would die. It might die like it did in Turn Left.

For extra headfuck, it could be that the Silence's TARDIS-alikes are retro-engineered from the Doctor's TARDIS at some point in the future.

[Broomstick]

Unless Future DoctorSpoiler

actually was a duplicate dropped off somewhere to be in place before

the Younger/Present Doctor shows up with his "special straw, the one that makes extra fizz" and thus Spoiler

there would only be one TARDIS

Or...Spoiler

if a re-write of history is involved, then the extra TARDIS is edited out.

Or... Future Doctor used a time vortex generator, or someone else's TARDIS technology, or... my head hurts.

[Serafina]

Well of course they won't keep two TARDISes around, i was just pointing out that, from the information we currently have, there should be two of them - and i was wondering what would happen to the extra one.

Also, why is the death of the Doctor not to be considered a spoiler?

[Crazedwraith]

And why do we not just have a general spoiler tag in the title, like we usually do? So we don't have to use these frelling stupid boxes?