Doctor Who S32E7, "A Good Man Goes to War" [spoilers]

[ChosenOne54]

Any idea when this episode will be released on iTunes?

[DaveJB]

Or, the way she died in the library precluded regeneration.

I can't remember her exact dialogue in that scene, but she seemed pretty sure that the Doctor would be burned to a crisp before he had the chance to regenerate. If that was the case, it's even less likely that someone who's only partially Time Lord would survive.

[NecronLord]

As a side note, I cracked up when I noticed that the Doctor's crib has a Time Lord collar on the back.

[inviz345]

good episode liked the laser sword and that they brought back laser guns.

[Minischoles]

I enjoyed it, even if I felt it did drag a little towards the middle, with a very strong open and finish, so i'll give it a 4 - could have been a 5 but it fell apart a bit.

His plan of making the human soldiers disarm themselves was pretty awesome. I liked how Doctor in one language has entirely changed just because of him, to people on Earth it meant healer and wise man while elsewhere it means Great Warrior. Interesting to think how the Doctor might be perceived by different cultures and people, managing to convince them that a Timelord would make a good weapon based purely off of his actions.

I'd like to see the backstory of the side characters filled in, especially the Silurian character - apparently their relationship is strong enough for the Doctor to tell her how Timelords were created, I don't imagine he just tells anyone how that happened.

Centurion Rory was awesome, I loved the opening - guess in this reality we've got a set of Cyberman that have a pretty large empire. The doctor talking Baby was kind of funny, as was his conversation about Rory and Amy hooking up.

[Lord Woodlouse]

Actually, hold on. What was the point of the plot of this episode? If the baby was Flesh all along, then ... I mean, were they hoping that the monks would kill the Doctor, or what?

I thought that was pretty obvious. They outright call it a trap, after all.

[J Ryan]

Maybe I missed something but how does the writing on the crib reveal anything to the doctor. If it was the doctor's wouldn't it have said doctor in time lord?

[DarkSilver]

Maybe I missed something but how does the writing on the crib reveal anything to the doctor. If it was the doctor's wouldn't it have said doctor in time lord?

The writing on the crib didn't reveal anything to the Doctor, it was the stitched leaf INSIDE the crib which revealed it to him. When River grabbed it to show Amy, it was flat, and thus the Doctor would have seen the name stitched on it.



Good episode, Lots of guess monsters, Rory was just, bad ass and every bit he could be, and I loved Amy's monologue at the beggining and how it revealed she was talking about Rory the entire time - and how so very much like the Doctor's he's become, in his own way.

I can't wait to see what happens on the return in Autumn. Damn summer break is gonna be hard on me.

[J Ryan]

Maybe I missed something but how does the writing on the crib reveal anything to the doctor. If it was the doctor's wouldn't it have said doctor in time lord?

The writing on the crib didn't reveal anything to the Doctor, it was the stitched leaf INSIDE the crib which revealed it to him. When River grabbed it to show Amy, it was flat, and thus the Doctor would have seen the name stitched on it.

But river does show it to amy until she says it's un translatable. But maybe I'm getting it mixed up and she did mean the leaf. Speaking ofshouldn't her name be song river?

[HMS Sophia]

I doubt the doctor couldn't read the language of his own people on the crib. It's just that the tardis couldn't translate it (for some fucking insane reason. Why couldn't a gallifreyan tardis translate gallifreyan?). I think the crib had her name written in gallifreyan, but it was easier for river to show amy the translatable piece.

And yeah, but names are weird in different cultures. No reason it shouldn't be like that in space.
Also, why would she pick up the name River song... wouldn't Amy keep calling her melody pond? Although she may not see her much, so I dunno...

[ChosenOne54]

Just watched the episode.

September, come faster!

[bilateralrope]

Why couldn't a gallifreyan tardis translate gallifreyan?

Won't, not can't. River's exact words were "it doesn't translate". There could be any number of reasons why the Timelords decided that the translation system wouldn't translate anything written in their own language.

[DarkSilver]

going over the episode again....I've come to the firm conclusion that Rory was the one referenced in the title, not the Doctor.

The Doctor says it himself, "A good man doesn't need rules", and the Doctor is chock full of them. The Doctor even seemed to be deferring to Rory in parts when it came to Amy, asking the Centurion's permission to hug her, to Rory being the one to recruit River and to attack the Cybermen. Rory even had the Sonic for most of this episode, using it in his assault on the Cybership and in Demon's Run itself (I'm pretty sure it wasn't the Doctor who the soldier girl followed).


I loved how the Doctor's actions in the past several incarnations have started to have ramifications in how he's seen - the Gamma Forest language has the word "Doctor" meaning "Great Warrior" instead of "Healer" - both definitions we find out that comes DIRECTLY because of the Doctor's actions over the course of his life and adventures.

I can't wait to see what is put out in September for the second half of this season/series.

[LadyTevar]

The only water in the forest is the river.

No pond, just a river. A melody is a song. Family name first is not unusual even on Earth.

Holy shit that was AWESOME!!!!!!!!

[Drooling Iguana]

Was the poem that they recited near the end of this episode an existing poem, or was it just made up for this episode?

[DarkSilver]

some quick googling seems to indicate that it was made for the episode.

[SylasGaunt]

I liked it. I wanted more....

Also, the Sontaran Nurse was fun.

"Perhaps one day we will meet on the field of battle and I will destroy you for the glory of the Sontaran Empire."

And of course..

"I can produce magnificent quantities of lactic fluid!"



That said Rory was awesome here. "Shall I repeat the question?" indeed.

[CaptainChewbacca]

I liked the meaning of 'Doctor' changing, and they even telegraphed it.

Silurian: You wanted to meet the Doctor so you joined an army?
Girl: How else are you going to find a doctor?

At the time is was a bit of a 'wat' for me, but when you find out what the word means in the girls' language you get a nice 'aha' moment.

[DarkSilver]

Maybe I missed something but how does the writing on the crib reveal anything to the doctor. If it was the doctor's wouldn't it have said doctor in time lord?

The writing on the crib didn't reveal anything to the Doctor, it was the stitched leaf INSIDE the crib which revealed it to him. When River grabbed it to show Amy, it was flat, and thus the Doctor would have seen the name stitched on it.

But river does show it to amy until she says it's un translatable. But maybe I'm getting it mixed up and she did mean the leaf. Speaking ofshouldn't her name be song river?

As Tev points out, family name first isn't a uncommon thing, even in modern times. It could be that River is using the Gamma Forest version of her name, which could put the Family Name first, followed by the Proper name. Thus Melody Pond in the language of the Forest is River Song

[mr friendly guy]

I gave this one a four and a half. What was good.

The Doctor trashing those armies after a speech by their leader saying the Doctor is "just" a man.

The Doctor humiliating that colonel, so everyone calls him colonel Runaway.

The trap failed. I was afraid we will get a two parter where the Doctor ends up being captured just like the Master stories. But it was nice how the monks got defeated.

The Sontoran nurse. Comedy galore with that one.

The bad guys being religious fanatics who don't even get the honour of dying for their god.

Rory was awesome.

River's revelation was nice.



What was not so good was

a. we didn't get much info on the Bad guy's motivation, ie why do they hate the Doctor

b. not much explanation as to why the Doctor would become hated. I am going by the same logic that project Cadmus was afraid of the JLA in the DCAU cartoons, but it would be nice if it was elaborated on.

Otherwise looking forward to it, even if the title of the next story sounds like it was the potential to be abused.

[LadyTevar]

I figured that the Doctor and/or Rory was under the hoods in several of the shots where there were just two Monks stalking about. I saw that coming a Mile Away.

The Flesh-baby I didn't get until the EyePatch Bitch started gloating. Even knowing it was coming, seeing the baby melt *hurt*.

Still... was Madame Vasharti flirting with her maid? The whole "how do you put up with me" --> tongue that reaches across the room was just so..... um,.........

[HMS Sophia]

Still... was Madame Vasharti flirting with her maid? The whole "how do you put up with me" --> tongue that reaches across the room was just so..... um,.........

I think there was the implication of a relationship rather than simply flirting. At least thats how it seemed to me. It wasn't just the tongue, but the look they shared... that was a bad (good) look

[Bedlam]

a. we didn't get much info on the Bad guy's motivation, ie why do they hate the Doctor

b. not much explanation as to why the Doctor would become hated. I am going by the same logic that project Cadmus was afraid of the JLA in the DCAU cartoons, but it would be nice if it was elaborated on.

It is interesting as the same organisation recruits the Doctor to work with them soon after (Flesh and Blood) assuming Rivers meeting the doctor backwards thing is working.

I supose this army could be a Doctor hating splinter group or a silence controled part but yes some explination as to why they hated him rather than just he makes people hate him.

[Ilya Muromets]

Five, straight up. Dammit, the next half of this season can't come too soon.

Also, I was watching this with a female cousin I introduced to Doctor Who. This Kate Beaton-inspired comic pretty much sums up her reaction to Rory this episode.

[Thanas]

The stories make less and less sense, for the very reasons outlined in this thread.

Yeah, River is a timelord now. Excuse me while I go vomit.