I'm a fool who puts spoilers in his titles... (Dr Who)

Big Orange · Post by **Big Orange** » 2007-11-04 07:23am

Here is what the "old school" Sontarans originally looked like:

Now the revamped Sontarans for Season Four:

Link

Perhaps a little on the shortside, maybe make the colour scheme darker, but I like the high-tech appearance of the suit and carbine...

Big Orange · Post by **Big Orange** » 2007-11-04 07:29am

Fix the damn link - Here

Post by **NecronLord** » 2007-11-04 08:11am

Fixed your title for you.

Some of us (though Dartzap had already spoiled it for me with some title along the lines of spudheads return to menace the Doctor or some such a while back) actually don't want to be spoiled by your damn thread title.

EDIT: And again. The original one was a bit strong.

As for the Sontaran. He looks kindof gormless. Maybe that'll be cleaned up in production, though. It could be because he's just standing there, rather than moving.

Big Orange · Post by **Big Orange** » 2007-11-04 09:25am

NecronLord wrote: Some of us (though Dartzap had already spoiled it for me with some title along the lines of spudheads return to menace the Doctor or some such a while back) actually don't want to be spoiled by your damn thread title.

Oh, it's not as if the Sontarans being the main feature in Season Four has not been telegraphed ahead on the Internet and in official media sources for six months straight already, although to be fair I should've titled the thread as "New Look for Old Enemy" to avoid any hassel and maintain some mystery...

As for the Sontaran. He looks kind of gormless. Maybe that'll be cleaned up in production, though. It could be because he's just standing there, rather than moving.

It is said that the Sontarans are cloned beings, churned out quickly in cloning plants and hurriedly programmed with narrowly calibrated wetware, so they're perhaps not the sharpest tools in the box (like the Judoon). I'm just worried on how squat and somewhat un-intimidating they are in appearance, since the Judoon were a complete opposite in that respect (although how the Sontarans are acted and depicted could compensate for their slightly comical look, like the Daleks). But they've got that streamline high-tech yet uber-utilitarian apperance that I like - that Sontaran seems more refined and sophisticated than a Judoon (but I would've chosen purple instead of blue).

Post by **NecronLord** » 2007-11-04 09:48am

Big Orange wrote:Oh, it's not as if the Sontarans being the main feature in Season Four has not been telegraphed ahead on the Internet and in official media sources for six months straight already, although to be fair I should've titled the thread as "New Look for Old Enemy" to avoid any hassel and maintain some mystery...

Yes. It's a spoiler. We spoilerise things that are in the next episode preview for some shows here. What's more, I've only seen it here, and have been deliberately avoiding anything 'telegraphed ahead on the internet.' Some of us don't go looking for these things.

It is said that the Sontarans are cloned beings, churned out quickly in cloning plants and hurriedly programmed with narrowly calibrated wetware, so they're perhaps not the sharpest tools in the box (like the Judoon). I'm just worried on how squat and somewhat un-intimidating they are in appearance, since the Judoon were a complete opposite in that respect (although how the Sontarans are acted and depicted could compensate for their slightly comical look, like the Daleks). But they've got that streamline high-tech yet uber-utilitarian apperance that I like - that Sontaran seems more refined and sophisticated than a Judoon (but I would've chosen purple instead of blue).

Yes. Sontarans are clones. They used to be a bit taller, though. I think tall and broad would suit them better than short and squat. Of course, you can't have every race being tall and broad...

Soontir C'boath · Post by **Soontir C'boath** » 2007-11-04 09:52am

Jeez, the hair on Catherine Tate makes her look like Sarah Jane Smith.

The sad eyes on the new Sontoran as well as the suit makes him looks ridiculous.

Post by **NecronLord** » 2007-11-04 09:57am

Hopefully they'll keep their helmets on in most scenes. A good helmet could make or break the credibility of that suit, I'd say.

Manus Celer Dei · Post by **Manus Celer Dei** » 2007-11-04 10:09am

Soontir C'boath wrote:Jeez, the hair on Catherine Tate makes her look like Sarah Jane Smith.

I thought it was Sarah Jane Smith. Eh.

And yeah, I really hope they have helmets to cover that stupid potato-head. I like the rest of the look, though.

Dartzap · Post by **Dartzap** » 2007-11-04 11:40am

Yeah, I thought it was SJS as well, heh.

Apparently we're in for some extra-super-dooper emoness from Martha this time around. According to some rather strange people who stare a tad too much, you may notice a ring on a certain finger...

And NL, I did apologise when it happened, do I need to beg and grovel for forgiveness?

Post by **NecronLord** » 2007-11-04 11:44am

Dartzap wrote:And NL, I did apologise when it happened, do I need to beg and grovel for forgiveness?

I'm NOT SEEING ANY LAVISH PRESENTS TO SHOW YOUR COMMITMENT TO REFORM!

Dartzap · Post by **Dartzap** » 2007-11-04 11:48am

Will a pint down at the local Wetherspoons do it? Only they have a Real Ale festival at the moment and a pint is actually less than two quid for a change....

I'm currently looking forward to the Planet of the Ood eps. Alein worlds! Woo!

Post by **NecronLord** » 2007-11-04 11:50am

Unless you happen to be around Liverpool, I doubt it's worth it.

Dartzap · Post by **Dartzap** » 2007-11-04 11:54am

Ye' gads. We actually have a Scouser? Blimey, we must have someone from all of the major cities now....

We demand an EBC forum! So we can moan about the weather!

Patrick Degan · Post by **Patrick Degan** » 2007-11-04 03:48pm

What is it with modern SF productions that everything has to be overly detailed? Have none of these designers ever twirled the concept of "less-is-more" in their heads?

At least the suit doesn't have rubber nipples on it.

All that aside, it will be interesting to see what they do with the Potato-Heads this coming season.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2007-11-04 04:16pm

Didn't the Sontarans used to be taller? Like about 6'5" or so in the original show?

Poor dumpy up there looks to be about five and a half with boots on...

andrewgpaul · Post by **andrewgpaul** » 2007-11-04 04:26pm

I don't think so. The 3rd Doctor referred to them as "nasty, brutish and short". Granted, Pertwee was 6'3", so everyone is short compared to that, but still. Plus, the actor playing the Sontaran is very short, so, there we have it, I suppose

Oh, and Dartzap, what's that about a ring? Is she married?

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2007-11-04 04:33pm

From what I recall of my several Sontaran related serials (and I have all them), Sontarans actually were pretty short. Commander Linx, for example, was not noticeably taller than any of the male characters in The Time Warrior, while Field Major Styre was only vaguely taller than Sarah Jane in The Sontaran Experiment (which made him very much shorter than the Fourth Doctor). In The Invasion of Time, Stor and his enforcers from the SSSS weren't super tall in comparison to the Time Lords, certainly not the Doctor or Borusa. And finally, in The Two Doctors, Group Marshal Stike and Major Varl were not very tall in comparison to anyone else.

Them being short and stocky is what they're supposed to be. They're natives of a high-gee world, after all, even if they are cloned in the hundreds of billions to feed their war. However, like everyone else, I require a good, featureless dome helmet, and hand-to-hand combat between him and the Doctor - it's just not right if the Doctor encounters a Sontaran and doesn't get violent with him.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2007-11-04 04:39pm

I just want to know if they still have a) silly wand-pistols and b) giant 'Kill Me' holes in the back of their heads.

andrewgpaul · Post by **andrewgpaul** » 2007-11-04 04:40pm

Looking at the third pic above, the answer to your first question appears to be 'no'. Looking at it, the design of that gun reminds me of something, but I'm buggered if I can remember what.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2007-11-04 04:43pm

Heaven forbid any galactic-war fighting species have more than one gun, right? They were *always* sidearms, and clearly 3 fingers = silly gun layouts.

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2007-11-04 04:51pm

Stark wrote:I just want to know if they still have a) silly wand-pistols and b) giant 'Kill Me' holes in the back of their heads.

If they don't have the probic vent, they just aren't Sontarans.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2007-11-04 04:55pm

'Power point' does not have to be 'giant death switch'. The Sontaran Experiment thing is fine, just not 'whack the invincible power armour in the socket and hurt the Sontaran'.

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2007-11-04 05:00pm

Patrick Degan wrote:All that aside, it will be interesting to see what they do with the Potato-Heads this coming season.

Hopefully, they make use of a Sontaran's prodigious ability to be clever, as opposed to a loud, hulking monster. Sontarans were loud and hulking, but Linx was manipulating Irongron like a pro, and Styre was a proper evil scientist.

'Power point' does not have to be 'giant death switch'. The Sontaran Experiment thing is fine, just not 'whack the invincible power armour in the socket and hurt the Sontaran'.

At least no Sontaran ever died from getting hit on the socket; only by tossing a knife into it, or shooting an arrow into it. It's still silly of course, but this is Doctor Who. On the upside, this Doctor, and his companions, probably don't have the balls to go at it with a Sontaran.

Darth Yoshi · Post by **Darth Yoshi** » 2007-11-04 05:01pm

I love the Doctor's expression in the middle pic.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2007-11-04 05:03pm

It's a bit sad that the armour probably looks so... naff... because they'd already used 'featureless black armour' on those rhino guys in season 3.

Styre was awesome, and using the charge socket to kill him by fucking with the charger is cool. I just think the 'it's their weakpoint' thing was stupid and both poorly and overused, and hopefully they won't mindlessly inherit it.

PS, does Necron Lord really use the phrase 'Dr Who'? I find that *hilarious*.