Dr Who S33 episode 6: The Bells of Saint John [Spoilers]

[2000AD]

Wondering where they're going with Richard E Grant as the big bad face at the end, if it'll tie in with the Christmas special.

[The Imperator]

"Under my protection- the Doctor"

OK, so we're not keeping a low profile anymore? The whole fake your own death was what again??

Just gotta point out he has time travel. Thus, unless the enemy is someone who is from outside of time, they wouldn't know that he was from after his "death." And if the enemy is from outside of time, then it doesn't matter if the Doctor keeps a low profile or not.


I thought the episode was pretty good, much better than every episode in this season except the Christmas episode, which I would rank about the same. I enjoyed the episode, it was fun, and I didn't think about any errors or plot holes that popped up. Which is MUCH better than the last few episodes,w hose plot holes and errors were like 100 ft. tall neon lights. I also liked that the hacking thing was explained for Clara, and if it carries through her different selves, it would make sense that future Clara could hack the Daleks. Overall, good episode.

[Lost Soal]

"Under my protection- the Doctor"

OK, so we're not keeping a low profile anymore? The whole fake your own death was what again??

Just gotta point out he has time travel. Thus, unless the enemy is someone who is from outside of time, they wouldn't know that he was from after his "death." And if the enemy is from outside of time, then it doesn't matter if the Doctor keeps a low profile or not.


I thought the episode was pretty good, much better than every episode in this season except the Christmas episode, which I would rank about the same. I enjoyed the episode, it was fun, and I didn't think about any errors or plot holes that popped up. Which is MUCH better than the last few episodes,w hose plot holes and errors were like 100 ft. tall neon lights. I also liked that the hacking thing was explained for Clara, and if it carries through her different selves, it would make sense that future Clara could hack the Daleks. Overall, good episode.

There was no "death". He never existed, thats why River was no longer in jail. The episode with the Daleks gave him the idea to start erasing himself from computers.
He must have left some intack on present day Earth so that UNIT could still verify and respond to him.

[The Imperator]

There was no "death". He never existed, thats why River was no longer in jail. The episode with the Daleks gave him the idea to start erasing himself from computers.
He must have left some intack on present day Earth so that UNIT could still verify and respond to him.

Meh, personally I believe the Church officials were never really friends with Kovarian, and the Demon's Run thing was just what made them realize the stupidity of trying to take down the Doctor. Of course, that belief relies on the events of Kovarian kidnapping adult River happen before they take the baby So it's really just head canon.

The whole "erase myself" thing was stupid IMHO. Really stupid, and I'm glad Moffat is not really sticking with it.

[Stark]

The only thing worse than stupid writing is destroying continuity by ignoring it. If only Moffat had disagreed with it BEFORE IT WAS FUCKING FILMED he wouldn't have to compound his error by 'ignoring' it.

[The Imperator]

The only thing worse than stupid writing is destroying continuity by ignoring it. If only Moffat had disagreed with it BEFORE IT WAS FUCKING FILMED he wouldn't have to compound his error by 'ignoring' it.

Personally, small little flubs like that are OK IMHO if they allow a better story to be written. While yes, in a debate I may rant about continuity, I watch the show to be entertained, not to nitpick and obsessively follow connecting plots. I may enjoy that interconnectedness, but it is simply a bonus for an already fun show.

I agree though, wish he would have realized how stupid it was before he tried to make it a plot point.

[Stark]

I guess he's just a shit producer who doesn't even bother reading drafts. What a surprise?

Bonus points for bringing up continuity and then insulting everyone who cares about it, by the way.

[The Imperator]

I guess he's just a shit producer who doesn't even bother reading drafts. What a surprise?

Bonus points for bringing up continuity and then insulting everyone who cares about it, by the way.

He's not all that bad. I generally enjoy his episodes for the show. I feel, though that you are correct in that he should not have become producer.

[Stark]

He's not all that bad at what? I'm speaking of him as a producer, so in context I don't give a fuck about his episodes. If he didn't notice a story he wrote conflicted in some way with a story one of his writers made, he's a fucking idiot.

I don't know why I'm even wasting my time responding to someone so obviously uncritical.

[The Imperator]

He's not all that bad at what? I'm speaking of him as a producer, so in context I don't give a fuck about his episodes. If he didn't notice a story he wrote conflicted in some way with a story one of his writers made, he's a fucking idiot.

I don't know why I'm even wasting my time responding to someone so obviously uncritical.

I misread your post, thought you said he was a shit writer. Yeah, he's not a good producer. Multiple tabs open, kind of skimming as I read, etc.

[Starglider]

I thought it was a solid although by-the-numbers episode. Very much written and directed to the standard Dr Who contemporary-sci-fi-family-horror pattern, but quite well executed, on a par with as 'The Power of Three' or 'The Idiot's Lantern' (which it reminded me of). Clara is ok in terms of screen presence, if an utterly generic 'plucky sassy contemporary young woman', but so far she is detracting from stories by forcing many minutes of screentime to the Doctor reacting to or contemplating her 'specialness', without her actually being special in any way. I'd much prefer a genuinely unusual companion to a completely stereotypical one who we are just told is interesting by the writers (effectively).

[Crossroads Inc.]

Yeah "Preasent" Clara is more then a a bit of a let down...

"Future" Clara was smart, creative, and unusal (ok sure she was a Dalek) but she was something new.
"Victorian" Clara was IMHO even better. Someone from the past who had no problems with the Doctor, she didn't run away screaming at wierd things, accepted all sorts of things right away, and seemed to throw the Doctor for a loop "It is smaller on the outside. Is there a Kitchen?"

Preasent Clara I find (granted only from one show) to be ditzy, bland, and mostly in the same mold as Rose, Amy, and many other similar female members of the show.

By the way, for those saying that it is better to have companions from the 21st century so we can 'relate' better.
In the past the Doctor has had several companions from the 1800's from the far far future and one (leela) from, a primitive tribal society. (granted Lelaa was from 'the future' but lived in a tribal society where she thought all tech was 'Magic')
And some of THOSE companions are widely regarded to be among the most popular.

[PREDATOR490]

3 - Typical bullshit episode designed to cock-tease the audience with fore-shadowing while ultimately being a source of the same stupid shit.

Doctor magically waving his sonic screwdriver at EVERYTHING - This has become so fucking annoying it is unbelievable they cannot see how stupid it is.

Nice stupid mistake - Doctor drives out of the TARDIS on a bike, leaving the doors wide open -Camera cut- Doors have magically closed on their own.
This goes rather well with the stupid line about not wanting to take the TARDIS into battle because its dangerous, but apparantly leaving the door wide open and attracting huge attention to where the TARDIS is.

The irony is that scene could have been really good if they had followed through with the Doctor being able to click his fingers to close the doors.

The 'new' companion is just a rehash of what we have seen before but they seem to have upped the ante by turning the Doctor into a really creepy bastard.

[Jade Falcon]

I find the whole overuse of the sonic screwdriver to be downright bloody annoying now, it just seems that its a magic 'I win' for everything.