Doctor Who S32E11, "The God Complex" [spoilers]

[NecronLord]

Objective Interim Spoiler Policy: All prior episodes of Doctor Who up to and including this one may be discussed without spoilers. Recent EU publications and upcoming episodes must be spoiler tagged and labelled. Previews (as released on BBC, website, etc) of the next episode are not spoilers, nor is speculation derived from them.

[DarkSilver]

...ok, whose the idiots who voted before the thing even done playing?

[Crazedwraith]

Best episode this half of the season and one with actual character development. Lots of people having been saying that for the other ones but this is the only one I actually agree with.

I Loved that scene with Rory and the Doctor looking at Howie's picture. Its the only time Rory's antipathy with the Doctor didn't feel tacky to me.

Odd, next week look like a standalone, The grand finale going to be only one episode as well?

P.S Voted; 4/5. I don't like giving perfect scores and the final shots dragged just slightly too much. I get it; you're going for pathos. Roll credits already!

[2000AD]

So, we going to be taking bets on companions for next season?

- Amy and/or Rory back, this just being a tease?
- James Cordon's character if reaction to next weeks episode is posotive?
- Silurian samurai and her Victorian ladyservant?
- Mark Sheppard's (Something Canton the 3rd?) character from the opening 2 parter?
- Someone else we've seen?
- Someone completely new?

[Captain Seafort]

Hmm. Ripoff, and not a very well done one. Sylvester McCoy pulled that off a lot better.

[Starglider]

Decent episode. I thought the editing detracted from the suspense though, the security camera viewpoints, cross-fade to policewoman character etc were a bit heavy-handed. Good acting but felt a bit derrivative, 4/5.

[Revy]

3

Meh. I was expecting something better from the trailer. Wasn't as scary, fast paced or clever as I was hoping. Kinda confused (it made sense but felt jumbled and higgledy piggledy?) and I actually felt bored at times. Went in thinking this was going to be a spooky sinister nightmare hotel run by something terrifyingly evil, and ... it turns out to be a slightly daft prison where the warden feeds on the abstract like the Weeping Angels. Who also had a naff guest appearance.

Really, the best bit of the episode for me was the trailer for the next episode. It wasn't a bad episode, just really disappointing.

[Soontir C'boath]

I hate dummies. I mean, I really fucking hate them. Which makes that scene in the dining hall the best part of the episode. Aside from a few other bits, the rest of the episode was kind of meh so I'll go with three as well.

[2000AD]

I liked it but was dissapointed after all the hype from the BBC website and elsewhere saying it was going to be the scariest episode yet. It wasn't scary in the slightest.

[NecronLord]

So, we going to be taking bets on companions for next season?

Richard Milhous Nixon, 37th President of the United States.

Please?

[Broomstick]

I like that we're getting back to the OldWho meme where episodes were much more stand-alone. While this one was worked into the season arc it was actually done subtly.

As mentioned, there was some character development.

I am not, however, enthused with the grimDoctor. I understand he's got reason to feel bad, but he's starting to look suicidal... which yes, does fit into the season arc. But, since there is a season 7 to come, and presumably more after that, he's got to snap out of it at some point.

[AMT]

So, we going to be taking bets on companions for next season?

Richard Milhous Nixon, 37th President of the United States.

Please?

Only if they play Hail to the Chief whenever he enters the room.

[mr friendly guy]

I will give this a 4. Suspenseful enough, and nice bit when the Doctor realised the obvious answer (it feeds on fear) is wrong. It would be interesting later on if we knew more about the civilisations that imprisoned the Nimon relative, because they seemed quite advanced to stop a Nimon (granted for all I know the Nimon relative might not be anywhere near as powerful).

[FaxModem1]

Okay, so what did the policewoman have faith in? I somehow doubt she felt faith in gorillas.

[Alkaloid]

Law? God? It doesn't really matter. It exposed them to their fears to make them fall back on faith, it didn't show their faith.

[The Romulan Republic]

I thought the episode was so-so. A pretty obvious anti-religion message, and a surprising lack of suspense for me, though I liked the references to the old minotaur myth. The negative depiction of the Doctor is getting to be a bit off-putting- the characters' flaws should be addressed, but not to the point that he ceases to be sympathetic as a protagonist. Though actually, the Doctor's actions were more heroic this time than in a lot of recent episodes. Trying to leave his companions behind to protect them though is not a good idea. Ten tried to do the same, didn't he, and it didn't work out. The Doctor needs his companions.

In any case, Amy and Rory will be returning next season, but maybe not full-time:

http://www.atvtoday.co.uk/index.php?opt ... i&Itemid=5

Arthur Darvill to remain with Doctor Who
Written by Dominic Knight
Monday, 15 August 2011 09:36
Arthur Darvill has confirmed to SFX that his character of Rory Williams will appear in the seventh season of Doctor Who.


Darvill's co-stars Karen Gillan and Matt Smith had both already confirmed their involvement in the seventh season leading to speculation the character of Rory might be written out of the series. However, in an interview with SFX magazine the actor confirmed he will be involved in series seven - but hints that he may not appear in all the episodes. “I will be coming back at some point… There is an involvement in some way.” the actor told SFX.

There is already some press speculation that Karen Gillan, who plays Amy Pond, may not appear in all the episodes of series seven. Now that Arthur Darvill has hinted this is the case for his character of Rory it does seem to strength the rumour the two companions will feature less next year. It could be that they only appear in a few episodes like Freema Agyeman who only appeared in five episodes of season four as Martha Jones - after being leaving the Tardis at the end of season three. Also lets not forget that Darvill only appeared in seven of the thirteen episodes of season five its only with season six the character of Rory has become a fully fledged companion and series regular.

The seventh series of Doctor Who will seemingly be spilt across 2012 and 2013, the shows 50th anniversary year, for unknown reasons.

[Drooling Iguana]

Hmm. Ripoff, and not a very well done one. Sylvester McCoy pulled that off a lot better.

At least they acknowledged it; that scene happened in room #7.

[HMS Sophia]

Completely average. Boring episode with some amusing or interesting sections thrown in. By the end I simply didn't care.

[Themightytom]

That red car keeps showing up everywhere.
I still don't get Rory's comments in the past tense.
I don't buy the tearful farewell either, because I know they would have given Rory more screen time if it was real, they've been building his relationship with the doctor.

The suit on the Alien Who Surrenders kept making me think of WWII jews... I. Don't know if it was just me, but the character offended me.

I got the minotaur reference immediately, and then they proceededto pummel me with it.

DW confidential, with Matt Smith jerking off to "A series of doors, with your greatest fears. Behind each one is a lovely, brilliant idea"
Yeah it was like forty years ago, now it's old hat, stop trying to convince me Doctor Who is Shakespeare.

How the crap does the TARDIS get lost so easily? I thought the doctor had a beckon call

[Alkaloid]

I like to think that because its sentient, it had its own door and went in, then wandered around for a bit trying to get eaten while the minotaur just sort of looked at it and had no idea where to start so it left it alone.

[Revy]

The prison was obviously screwing with the layout/environment to mess with everyone, so it likely rearranged the virtuahotel to prevent them from being able to find it.

Did they explain why Rory said something about them being Knights? Amy asks him about it right after he said it, but I don't think they gave a reason. What was with that? I get the feeling that they're dropping hints about something, like the future coat-wearing Doctor talking to Amy in the Weeping Angels episode. Something that they'll flashback to when we have some context for it.

[AndroAsc]

Ok that was totally out of the blue! He dumped Amy and Rory just like that!?

[Vaporous]

So, we going to be taking bets on companions for next season?

- Amy and/or Rory back, this just being a tease?
- James Cordon's character if reaction to next weeks episode is posotive?
- Silurian samurai and her Victorian ladyservant?
- Mark Sheppard's (Something Canton the 3rd?) character from the opening 2 parter?
- Someone else we've seen?
- Someone completely new?

Ok that was totally out of the blue! He dumped Amy and Rory just like that!?

The time is coming. The Age of All River Song All The Time dawns at seasons end. Gird yourselves.

[Hillary]

Not too excited by the story; as has been said, this is not exactly original. The last few episodes have left a hell of a lot of questions hanging and I hope we will get some answers in the last two for this season.

Why did the Doctor take such a shine to the Asian woman ("Amy, you're sacked")? Is this, maybe, the flesh Doctor?
What was behind the Doctor's door? We heard the Cloister bell but why was it sounding?
Why was Rory using the past tense?
Why is the rescue of Amy's baby suddenly not the No.1 mission? Perception filter perhaps?
Why leave Rory and Amy now? It's unlikely to be for the reasons given, I feel.
And, of course, the biggie. How does the Doctor survive being shot by spaceman Melody and why does he confront her when he knows what will happen?

I am really, really hoping that this all gets pulled together in the final analysis and that it all MEANS something; that this really is a build up to something big and the various strands aren't just left lying around.

All down to you, Moffat.

[Atlan]

And, of course, the biggie. How does the Doctor survive being shot by spaceman Melody and why does he confront her when he knows what will happen?

Why is everyone assuming it's Melody who kills him? River appeared to be utterly unaware of what was about to transpire that day. And if she'd already killed him, she wouldn't have gone through all that trouble in Let's Kill Hitler: As far as she would have been concerned, the Doctor would already be dead. And yet there she was, doing her best to kill his ass.
It's someone in a suit. But we've been given enough evidence to assume that it's NOT Melody/River who does the deed.