Dr. Who Ep. 2911: Utopia [Spoilers]

Chris OFarrell · Post by **Chris OFarrell** » 2007-06-21 12:30am

Having just watched the episode, I have to say that I think the Doctor was a complete prick to Jack. I mean I know he can be one when he needs to, but generally this incarnation has shown a great deal more empathy to other people.

I mean the last time Jack and the Doctor were together, Jack had just given his *life* to buy the Doctor a few more seconds to stop the Daleks. He's brought back to life through no fault of his own, abandoned - lost in time and the Doctor is a complete asshole because of it.

Oh yeah sure they have him say 'he's strange' or what not, but I mean the guy is dead on the ground and the Doctor is just looking at him like he's a sack of fruit or something, not giving a damn about him and the stuff he's been through, snapping at him if he even opens his mouth to speak to anyone, only talking to him when he has a use for him...

It just didn't play right to me, especially not with the weak explanation of why.

Apart from that however, the episode kicks ass. I do find it weird that the Master was able to completely override the TARDIS despite whatever the Doctor wanted. Granted the Master is also a Time Lord, but those things are supposed to be intelligent right?

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2007-06-21 12:43am

I thought the Doctor's reactions to Jack were awesome. His mere presence fucks up a TARDIS, just looking at him makes the Doctor's teeth itch, he's something that shouldn't exist, and there's clearly jack shit the Doctor can do about it. It's *good* that the Doctor acts like a bizarre alien sometimes, in my opinion. He leaves people behind all the time, so why is it surprising he does so when there's a giant reason to do so and he's in the process of dying?

It's not like anything was going to happen to Jack. He's immortal. He hasn't even been scarred by his emotional experiences over a hundred forty years: he's going to be the same old cheery omnisexual guy, forever.

Dartzap · Post by **Dartzap** » 2007-06-21 03:35am

If anyone happens to look at the next eps Fact File, you will notice that the Master has managed something that the Doc has not really managed whilst being himself, heh.

Bounty · Post by **Bounty** » 2007-06-21 03:37am

Dartzap wrote:If anyone happens to look at the next eps Fact File, you will notice that the Master has managed something that the Doc has not really managed whilst being himself, heh.

What, meet McFly?

Dartzap · Post by **Dartzap** » 2007-06-21 03:41am

Bounty wrote:
Dartzap wrote:If anyone happens to look at the next eps Fact File, you will notice that the Master has managed something that the Doc has not really managed whilst being himself, heh.
What, meet McFly?

*thump* NO!

Saxon has a ball and chain!

Bounty · Post by **Bounty** » 2007-06-21 03:51am

Dartzap wrote:
Bounty wrote:
Dartzap wrote:If anyone happens to look at the next eps Fact File, you will notice that the Master has managed something that the Doc has not really managed whilst being himself, heh.
What, meet McFly?

*thump* NO! Saxon has a ball and chain!

And unless he somehow reproduced asexually, so did the Doctor. He had kids and a grandchild at some point, remember?

DocHorror · Post by **DocHorror** » 2007-06-21 05:31am

Chris OFarrell wrote: Apart from that however, the episode kicks ass. I do find it weird that the Master was able to completely override the TARDIS despite whatever the Doctor wanted. Granted the Master is also a Time Lord, but those things are supposed to be intelligent right?

IIRC the Master was always good with TARDISs, much better than the Doctor . Though as the Doctor will freely admit the Type 40 is not his, uh, forte.

Lord Woodlouse · Post by **Lord Woodlouse** » 2007-06-21 07:49am

Stark wrote:I thought the Doctor's reactions to Jack were awesome. His mere presence fucks up a TARDIS, just looking at him makes the Doctor's teeth itch, he's something that shouldn't exist, and there's clearly jack shit the Doctor can do about it. It's *good* that the Doctor acts like a bizarre alien sometimes, in my opinion. He leaves people behind all the time, so why is it surprising he does so when there's a giant reason to do so and he's in the process of dying?

It's not like anything was going to happen to Jack. He's immortal. He hasn't even been scarred by his emotional experiences over a hundred forty years: he's going to be the same old cheery omnisexual guy, forever.

Absolutely. I loved the way the Doctor acted toward Jack. I also get the feeling the effect Jack has on the Doctor is rather more than just "he's strange".

Dartzap · Post by **Dartzap** » 2007-06-21 09:34am

Arrrrrrggggghhhh. Why do I read spoilers? just why?! I swear if what I have read is true....Well, it'll be damn good.

*curses Outpost Galifrey and Digital Spy*

Big Orange · Post by **Big Orange** » 2007-06-21 12:02pm

Chris OFarrell wrote: Apart from that however, the episode kicks ass. I do find it weird that the Master was able to completely override the TARDIS despite whatever the Doctor wanted. Granted the Master is also a Time Lord, but those things are supposed to be intelligent right?

As recently as "Blink" it is implied that the TARDIS console room has security countermeasures and they didn't kick in when the wounded Master stumbled in (although it could be to do with the Doctor's severed hand that the Master stole and the Master being Gallifreyian himself). I read somewhere that some heavily armed Sontarans attempted to hi-jack the TARDIS but got turned into burger meat as soon as they stepped past the wooden doors and that you supposedly can't discharge weapons within the TARDIS' console room (which was perhaps contradicted when Jack zapped a Dalek in "The Parting of the Ways", although the Doctor may have briefly switched off that security feature).

Hillary · Post by **Hillary** » 2007-06-21 12:13pm

Big Orange wrote: As recently as "Blink" it is implied that the TARDIS console room has security countermeasures and they didn't kick in when the wounded Master stumbled in (although it could be to do with the Doctor's severed hand that the Master stole and the Master being Gallifreyian himself). I read somewhere that some heavily armed Sontarans attempted to hi-jack the TARDIS but got turned into burger meat as soon as they stepped past the wooden doors and that you supposedly can't discharge weapons within the TARDIS' console room (which was perhaps contradicted when Jack zapped a Dalek in "The Parting of the Ways", although the Doctor may have briefly switched off that security feature).

The Sontarans did invade the TARDIS trying to hunt down the Doctor in "The Invasion of Time" - the TARDIS certainly didn't zap them. The impossibility of discharging weapons in the control room also arose in this story - Andred's blaster didn't work (which shouldn't really have surprised him as he was also a Timelord). This held true until a Cyberman episode (either Davidson or Colin Baker) when a gun went off in the control room, outraging all the fanboys. Of course, "The Parting of the Ways" also pissed on this concept as you say.

As a side note, it was only the control room where this held. In the other rooms of the TARDIS, the Sontarans were able to fire at the Doctor (and a man-eating plant).

As for Utopia, the Master was obviously au fait enough with the TARDIS's operation that he was able to counter the Doctor's attempts to sabotage his escape (with a hearty "oh no you don't").

Post by **NecronLord** » 2007-06-21 12:16pm

Big Orange wrote:As recently as "Blink" it is implied that the TARDIS console room has security countermeasures and they didn't kick in when the wounded Master stumbled in (although it could be to do with the Doctor's severed hand that the Master stole and the Master being Gallifreyian himself). I read somewhere that some heavily armed Sontarans attempted to hi-jack the TARDIS but got turned into burger meat as soon as they stepped past the wooden doors

No. A sontaran was killed trying to operate an incredibly crude knockoff of a time capsule, because they lack the Rassilon Imprimatur, a genetic-code in Time Lords that lets them bond with Time Lord technology, and survive the rigours of time travel far better than other species. That would not affect the Master.

The Master has the run of the TARDIS in the TV movie, and it's demonstrated that it doesn't work for him, even when it will for humans, he needs someone else to touch the console to bring it online, and even some of the doors don't work. However, he had the Doctor's hand here, which presumably made the ship think the Doctor was there.

and that you supposedly can't discharge weapons within the TARDIS' console room (which was perhaps contradicted when Jack zapped a Dalek in "The Parting of the Ways", although the Doctor may have briefly switched off that security feature).

"The old girl hasn't done that in years" ~ Paul McGann as the Doctor, Human Resources, BB7's Dr Who radio plays, 2007.

You reffer to the State of Temporal Grace effect, which hasn't worked since, at best, the Forth Doctor's 'reign' - Earthshock being an example of a story where it fails to operate, Human Nature (TV) a more recent one.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2007-06-21 08:46pm

Even if the TARDIS is 'sentient', it's a) dumb as dogshit and b) has only limited capability to override the controls. I'm just glad we don't get any of the novel TARDIS-wank here, frankly. It's one thing to have security for people who don't know what any of the buttons do or understand the technology, but the Master is a bit beyond that. He's pretty pleased to have the hand, as well.

TARDIS: Extreme danger! I must alert the crew!

GONG!

Doctor: oh noes, extreme danger! If only it could communicate via the damn monitor or the printer here or anything other than that damn gong, I'd know what the fuck was happening!

GONG!

Post by **NecronLord** » 2007-06-22 02:29am

As I recall, The Edge of Destruction mentioned something about the TARDIS normally being able to warn people better than that, using telepathic circuits. However, the Doctor failed his exams...

Hillary · Post by **Hillary** » 2007-06-22 05:38am

Stark wrote: TARDIS: Extreme danger! I must alert the crew!

GONG!

Doctor: oh noes, extreme danger! If only it could communicate via the damn monitor or the printer here or anything other than that damn gong, I'd know what the fuck was happening!

GONG!

Don't go dissing the cloister bell, man. It communicates in morse code....just.........very.............slowly.

Possibly.

Post by **NecronLord** » 2007-06-22 12:03pm

In Edge of Destruction, the TARDIS tries to communicate danger warnings telepathically, but only succeeds in giving people headaches and making them tetchy, because said circuits are, like so much else on it, broken. It eventually, after flashing pictures on the monitor a lot and electrocuting people a few times, gets its point across.