The second episode of a new Doctor is, in some ways, more meaty and discussable than the first! Join Erika, Lynne, and Tansy as we mourn for Deb’s leaky basement and dig deep into all kinds of important aspects of this new era of Doctor Who.
What do you think of the opening credits, music, Doctor, companions, writing, TARDIS, and anything else so far? Let us know in the comments!
^E
Happy things:
- Tansy and her family lol over the Honest Trailers for classic and modern Doctor Who!
- Lynne now owns a 13th Doctor coat!
- Erika boggles at the viewing figures for the first Jodie Whittaker episode!
Riley Silverman (one of the fab writers of the Honest Trailers!)
Radio Free Skaro (a source for stats!)
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Download or listen now (runtime 1:32:09)
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Comments on: "Ep 177 – The Ghost Monument Valley Girls" (19)
Oh how I love Jodie Whittaker! Oh how I love the new friends! Oh how I am waiting for an episode written by someone else… Not to say I didn’t enjoy this episode, but I guess I got conditioned by Moffat style writing to expect plot point A to lead to D, then to J, then back to C and maybe we’ll hit the points in the middle sometime. This is a new style, and it will take some time to get used to a little less timey wimey-ness! That said, I loved the new opening, and I am excited for some longer shots and more time spent in the new Tardis. And I am definitely still on board, I just wish I was loving the writing more than I am. One note – I am writing this BEFORE listening to the podcast, so you fine folks might change my thoughts about all of this! (it has happened before) Love you all. Stephanie R.
Whittaker’s an interesting Doctor, but that’s all I can say, because the head writer has no clothes. No, I can add that Chibnall, despite being lionized as brilliant with character work, is handling the Doctor’s friends about as adeptly as anyone ever handled the Davison Doctor”s multiple companions, and Yaz is possibly Nyssa. No, I’m not impressed by the Bold New Era that’s allegedly better than anything that came before it. For those who say that we’re two episodes in, yeah, that’s two out of ten, or one-fifth. Maybe the other eight will be surprisingly wonderful? No, some of those will be (co)written by Chibnall. Oh, how I look forward to several years of this.
Also, I miss the late Michael Pickwoad’s TARDIS interior so much. Whatever this orange cave is, it seems to be really awkward to film, and is too obviously a set (if that makes sense).
I’m not totally in love yet either. I hope that I feel differently by the end of the (short) season, but if I don’t, that is ok too. I know there were lots of folks who didn’t love the Capaldi era, but they didn’t ruin it for me, so I’m going to try to support the joy that the Whittaker era is bringing others, even if I’m not there with them! 🙂
Sarah 42: You and me, pal. Not keen on the Tardis interior. Maybe the engineer in me just loved the functionality of Pickwoad’s design, coupled withe the awesome bookcases and chalkboards. Plus one on the cookie dispenser for 13, but 12’s had a drinks cabinet, so no contest!
As I see more of it, I’m sure I’ll see some positives, but right now, the win goes to 12.
Reblogged this on Confessions of a Curator, Editor, Geek and commented:
New Verity!
Follow up – THANK YOU! I think I was wearing those oversized Moffat clothes during my first viewing; time to rewatch this episode in my smartly tailored Chibnall outfit. Have a lovely week!
To me, this season feels like rolling around in a rooomfull of cashmere. It feels like the pot of chili you’ve had simmering on the stove all day, like your favorite bathrobe, like a pair of pants that fit just right. It feels like coming home.
(In less poetical points, it’s the Planet of the Lethifolds!)
An effervescent #177!
Loved all the joy and excitement.
A round of Custard Creams on the house!
Erika, I too have been like a put-out cat with regard to change in Doctor Who and this time is no different. It’s weird, because I’m aware of it so I’m second-guessing a lot of my reactions. Did I not feel too interested in the actual stories of the two episodes we’ve had, or is it just my inner cat hissing at change? I will say that it’s better than the last time. It took me until Flatline to get over myself.
I liked this episode more than The Woman Who Fell To Earth. I liked that the pace wasn’t as hectic and we got a few still moments where people could just talk to each other. It kind of struck me as a story that Big Finish would write now for a Classic Doctor, except they’d have more time to play with and could maybe open the world out more. Did anyone else feel like Epzo could have come straight from an Eric Saward story? He technically wasn’t a mercenary, but he had a very similar shtick. I adored the moment where the Doctor finally reached the TARDIS. If anyone else used to watch Lost, I felt very similarly to the moment where Desmond and Penny met on the rescue boat. I was afraid it would phase out before she would reach it.
I’d like to note that this episode featured a Northern Irish actor! Only the fourth (I think) in 55 years, after Harry Towb, Jonjo O’Neill and Michael Smiley.
Everything Doctor Roberts said – I agree (the story fit the allotted time, no guns as a strategic choice, etc.).
I actually had to turn off the podcast around the 35 minute mark. It seems that you are defining any mascuinity as toxic, and admonishing Ryan’s character for trying to take an active role whilst praising Graham’s character for his utter subservience to the Doctor. This distresses me…….
If you’re reading Graham as “utterly subservient” and think picking up a gun at the first sign of trouble isn’t toxic masculinity, then it’s probably best that you turned off the podcast.
graham is portrayed as comic relief or bumbling, and picking up a gun to defend yourself against armed attackers is not not toxic masculinity, its not even masculinity, its common sense
Graham aside, if faced with threat of armed attackers, and I had a weapon nearby, I’m fairly sure I would arm myself as well. I don’t think that’s a flaw in my character, just fear. (I haven’t tested it out, but I don’t think I can regenerate.)
Maybe the criticism is in the quickness of the counter-attack by Ryan. The dashing out and firing at the attackers like a video game seems to speak to his inexperience with battle situations. (of which I have no clue, just surmising.)
i agree sonja. it was the labelling of this a toxic masculinity that angered me. not everything is the fault of men, but this particular issue of the cast seemed to revel in the blaming of men for everything bad
I think part of this is the struggle for new language to express situations. Toxic masculinity is a term that can seem pretty hostile, and I think it’s meant to be, but it may have been over the top for Ryan’s actions. OTOH, many people are fed up with an ‘I don’t like something, let’s go kill it’ response. I guess that what makes Doctor Who so attractive, the thoughtful response first.
In any case, don’t give up on the podcasts. I’m hoping male perspective is welcome, even if at first read, it comes off sort of troll-ish.
( I’m hiding under the bed. I must be offending someone, hopefully it’s not fatal).
I’m going to have to go with Erika on this one. It’s one thing to arm oneself, it’s another to grab a gun and run away from cover and into the face of an unknown enemy with experience and training gained entirely from a computer game. Ryan was rightly the buffoon here, and worthy of criticism. I would definitely agree that grabbing a gun and running willy-nilly as he did to be a symptom of toxic masculinity in society. From a Watsonian perspective, Ryan is worthy of that critique. From a Doylian perspective, one assumes that was Chibnall’s point with putting it into the story.
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LOL