Doctor Who s12e05 Fugitive of the Judoon [spoilers]

[mr friendly guy]

A better effort, but with caveats.

Now they managed to do some interesting twists ie the fugitive wasn't the obvious suspect at the start, the fugitive turns out to be some other version of the Doctor. The thing is, this could potentially be all gimmicky. Like what is the reason Ruth doesn't remember Whitaker's Doctor (assuming she is a future version). Was there a stupid mindwipe? It worked for the Day of the Doctor, but I think doing this too many times makes it lame. Same principle if Ruth turns out to be a past version of the Doctor. What might work is if Ruth is an alternative time line version of the Doctor.

Also bringing John Barrowman's Jack Harkness back for a brief cameo was nice, even if it was clearly just to drop plot points for the Doctor, like "beware the lone Cyberman."

So this has potential setting up some mystery for Who, but the pay off could potentially be lacklustre. However since I am judging it episode by episode rather than seasonwide, I am going to give this a 4/5.

[Bedlam]

Well I got the continuation of the arc that I asked for last week.

The Jack Cameo came off as a bit contrived to me I hope he comes back again later in the season. I think it sort of highlights some of the problems with the current three companion model on a 50 minute show, you have to find something for them all to do, in this case just grab them from the story and sideline them so the Doctor can get her own plot. I wonder when he's supposed to come from as well, he seems a bit more up beat than he was port Torchwood, although how canon between the two works isn't all that clear.

The 'other' doctor was an interesting idea I didn't see coming. At the moment I'm thinking alternative time line seems most likely given her and the other Gallifrayan (interesting they didn't call her a time lord) didn't know anything about the various destructions of Gallifray. I do wonder if the twist might be that 'our' Doctor might be in the wrong universe right now, maybe after she was taken to the aliens home dimension in the second episode, it might explain the Earth bring messed up in Orphan 55.

[mr friendly guy]

It occurs to me the Doctor could have asked an obvious question if she didn't want to do a Time Lord mindlink with Ruth. Ask her what incarnation Ruth is?

[Bedlam]

Good idea.

Interestingly the look of the Tardis, and to some extent the 'other' doctors costume makes me think of the third Doctor (with a bit of 6th mixed in) which does with the more aggressive, action Doctor.

[madd0ct0r]

The master has built a paradox engine before. A split timeline with gallifrey simeltenously destroyed (twice) and present seems feasible.

It was a good twist. Poor splattered companion.

Jack harknes brought a whole lotta cocaine to set clearly (again). What ship was he in? It was a call back to something...

[mr friendly guy]

I don't believe it was a call back to anything specific. However Jack in his first appearance clearly got hold of tech from dubious sources, and in this case he pretty much admits he stole it.

---------------------

Good idea.

Interestingly the look of the Tardis, and to some extent the 'other' doctors costume makes me think of the third Doctor (with a bit of 6th mixed in) which does with the more aggressive, action Doctor.

Well the third and fourth Doctors were somewhat more martial in their fights. The Pertwee doctor obviously with his "venusian aikido" which was no doubt a reference to the martial arts craze striking the UK in the 70s (The Goodies also did a parody episode of this during that time). Tom Baker's doctor did do lots of fight scenes as well - remember his sword duels in the Masque of Mandragora, his duel in Androids of Tara, and also his action scene in Seeds of Doom where he crashed through a window, disarmed the guy and rescued Sarah Jane from being turned into an alien plant.

Colin Baker's doctor didn't strike me as that action orientated aside from using firearms on occasion. However, IIRC his reign was marked by complaints about how the show was violent. I had the pleasure of seeing him live when he visited Perth, like a decade or so ago. He did talk about those violent scenes (IIRC it was Vengeance of Varos), and in typical Colin Baker humour he remarked when someone was trying to push him into acid, it was common sense for the Doctor to get out the way (thus the bad guy ended up melting in acid). But yeah, you're right, the costume does harken back to Colin's colourful costume.

Edit - added reply to Bedlam

[B5B7]

Best episode of the current season so far. Gat and Lee are/were possibly agents of the CIA (Celestial Intervention Agency).

[mr friendly guy]

I never thought of the Celestial intervention agency. Possibly Ruth is a clone of the Doctor using all the data Time Lords had on each other. We know from Arc of Infinity the Time Lords store enough data about every molecule of a Time Lord.

[SpottedKitty]

which was no doubt a reference to the martial arts craze striking the UK in the 70s (The Goodies also did a parody episode of this during that time).

Someone else who remembers the ancient Lancastrian mystical martial art of Ecky Thump!

Here, I'll demonstrate — stand there an' I'll hit you with this black puddin'...

[The Grim Squeaker]

First episode this season that I really enjoyed and felt like watching. (I hated the new master and messyness of that episode, and haven't been loving Chibnall era so far).
Also, silly question, was the fire alarm she smashed to regain her identity at the end holding a pocket watch/clock? i.e the same prop/device as in Family of Blood?

[Broomstick]

They also used the pocket watch prop/device in "Utopia" for the Derek Jacobi Professor Yana/Master.