This episode is very Moffat. His tropes are everywhere. Even specific moments are very similar to those of past Moffat episodes. The Doctor speaking to unconscious Ruby mirrors Heaven Sent, the man talking as a hologram after he dies mirrors Silence of the Library and the episode even uses a line very similar to "where there's tears there's hope". I think the Moffatisms get on my nerves with the "power of love" resolution and the ending speech didn't really do it for me. Also the Doctor being in such a hurry to leave at the end doesn't make sense when the point of the 60th was that the Doctor would stop doing that. Another issue I have is that the Doctor and Ruby's relationship felt unearned; they just speedran their introduction with Space Babies then had a time jump meaning they haven't had any development yet. But other than that this episode is really good. It really puts you in the moment and goes through the logistics of what's going on. And my favourite part about it is the script gave Ncuti so much to work with and he bloody well delivered. It feels like this is the first episode which actually explores 15.
Absolutely agree, felt like it was a recycled Smith/Coleman script in places. I cannot fault Gatwa and Gibson, their performances are amazing, but there are times when they don't sound like them. I think I'd just seen too much Moffatt to enjoy this one, all that manipulative heightened drama being piled high so you don't notice the plot holes. Also genuinely feel like the child was written as a lot younger than the actor that played her (no fault with the actor at all, but did nobody else in the entire production think she came off as way too infantile?).
Honestly everyone raved about this episode, and Gatwa is elevates everything just like Capaldi & Smith did, but this episode was so goofy. It has all of Moffat's kinks; Clergy, War, evil medical technology, AI that randomly expresses sentience, obligatory heterosexual romance, the doctor dealing with something that's already been resolved. The final shot of moffat's ideal family unit at the end made me laugh out loud, a hologram father, a brainless child & a woman with a big gun. Boom is really a concentrated burst of his entire tenure.
"Hologram father, a brainless child & a woman with a big gun" is an absolutely filth read of Moffatt and I can't disagree. It's not even romance with Mof, just horniness. Oh, and daddy can fix everything by just loving and not actually doing anything.
Folks may think this is dramatic, but chattel slavery was real. That's capitalism US™️ ultimate goal. The U.S. is obsessed with returning to a low paid/no paid working class. See the defunding of public goods and services in combo with increased incarceration rates, criminalization of homelessness, and increase in legalizing child labor. This episode's premise is not unbelievable and feels very possible. "Healthcare" is a business here and insurance companies make decisions like the "ambulance" all the time, weighing the cost of life for profit.
You're not getting it wrong about the Doctor's different tastes - Doctor two was playing the recorder all the time, none of the other Doctors have thought that was a good idea. I guess it's just that you noticed the "basically, basically... " as a vocal tick of Matt Smith's Doctor and then 5 minutes later he's talking about fish fingers and custard, which is the iconic Eleventh Hour scene. Other people have remarked that some of the dialogue between Ruby and 15 made them think of 12 and Clara. I guess it's just a style Steven Moffat gets into when he's doing a Doctor Who script.
I think Moffat wanted references to his Who in there, but I wish he had reined it in so as not to undermine the current era. Perhaps another character could have said they liked fish fingers and custard and the Doctor could have said that used to be his favourite, too. That would have even tied in with the theme of death not being the end, because 11 is in some senses dead, but 15 lives on remembering what it was like to be him.
The weird thing about the fish fingers and custard thing was it was Matt's Doctor figuring out what this new Doctor liked and disliked so having ncuti saying it's his favourite just ignores the entire point of that whole 11th Doctor intro completely.
speaking of plotholes - Doctor made such a big deal of Ruby to not come close to him and not give him the casket because "she will be in a blast zone", when 10mins later we find out that if the mine goes off it will take half of the planet. The viewer didn't know that, but Doctor did, so why that first tense scene - unnecessary drama, thats why. I love the new season!! as well as and Ncuti and Millie performance!! but this episode felt like cheap thrills. When you watch it, it's great (because performance is amazing), when you think back at it, the questions start popping up.
Didn't the doctor only know that after asking the clergy soldier the mechanism the mine uses? He might have had his suspicions that it could be cellular, but I feel it's implied he didn't Know for sure, unless I'm misremembering the episode
This episode is very Moffat. His tropes are everywhere. Even specific moments are very similar to those of past Moffat episodes. The Doctor speaking to unconscious Ruby mirrors Heaven Sent, the man talking as a hologram after he dies mirrors Silence of the Library and the episode even uses a line very similar to "where there's tears there's hope".
I think the Moffatisms get on my nerves with the "power of love" resolution and the ending speech didn't really do it for me. Also the Doctor being in such a hurry to leave at the end doesn't make sense when the point of the 60th was that the Doctor would stop doing that.
Another issue I have is that the Doctor and Ruby's relationship felt unearned; they just speedran their introduction with Space Babies then had a time jump meaning they haven't had any development yet.
But other than that this episode is really good. It really puts you in the moment and goes through the logistics of what's going on. And my favourite part about it is the script gave Ncuti so much to work with and he bloody well delivered. It feels like this is the first episode which actually explores 15.
Absolutely agree, felt like it was a recycled Smith/Coleman script in places. I cannot fault Gatwa and Gibson, their performances are amazing, but there are times when they don't sound like them. I think I'd just seen too much Moffatt to enjoy this one, all that manipulative heightened drama being piled high so you don't notice the plot holes.
Also genuinely feel like the child was written as a lot younger than the actor that played her (no fault with the actor at all, but did nobody else in the entire production think she came off as way too infantile?).
Honestly everyone raved about this episode, and Gatwa is elevates everything just like Capaldi & Smith did, but this episode was so goofy. It has all of Moffat's kinks; Clergy, War, evil medical technology, AI that randomly expresses sentience, obligatory heterosexual romance, the doctor dealing with something that's already been resolved. The final shot of moffat's ideal family unit at the end made me laugh out loud, a hologram father, a brainless child & a woman with a big gun. Boom is really a concentrated burst of his entire tenure.
"Hologram father, a brainless child & a woman with a big gun" is an absolutely filth read of Moffatt and I can't disagree.
It's not even romance with Mof, just horniness. Oh, and daddy can fix everything by just loving and not actually doing anything.
And?
It's the performances that make this episode, but it was very much a retread in character and plot.
Folks may think this is dramatic, but chattel slavery was real. That's capitalism US™️ ultimate goal. The U.S. is obsessed with returning to a low paid/no paid working class. See the defunding of public goods and services in combo with increased incarceration rates, criminalization of homelessness, and increase in legalizing child labor.
This episode's premise is not unbelievable and feels very possible. "Healthcare" is a business here and insurance companies make decisions like the "ambulance" all the time, weighing the cost of life for profit.
You're not getting it wrong about the Doctor's different tastes - Doctor two was playing the recorder all the time, none of the other Doctors have thought that was a good idea. I guess it's just that you noticed the "basically, basically... " as a vocal tick of Matt Smith's Doctor and then 5 minutes later he's talking about fish fingers and custard, which is the iconic Eleventh Hour scene. Other people have remarked that some of the dialogue between Ruby and 15 made them think of 12 and Clara. I guess it's just a style Steven Moffat gets into when he's doing a Doctor Who script.
Now i have to go listen to Basement Jaxx "Scars"
Is this speedy version because of copyright issues? It’s really not working as a viewer tbh and doesn’t do the performance justice.
Yes. When I watched over it I was annoyed how it came out in some areas. Something I'll balance better in future.
But when is the next Buffy ep coming out?
I don’t know why there aren’t more views for this reaction!
Well, if you think this is too Moffat for ya just wait till you see how Russell Davies the finale is.
I think Moffat wanted references to his Who in there, but I wish he had reined it in so as not to undermine the current era. Perhaps another character could have said they liked fish fingers and custard and the Doctor could have said that used to be his favourite, too. That would have even tied in with the theme of death not being the end, because 11 is in some senses dead, but 15 lives on remembering what it was like to be him.
Years have passed and Moffat still can't write women.
You're not wrong 😂 but he's better than the other guy
Or children
The weird thing about the fish fingers and custard thing was it was Matt's Doctor figuring out what this new Doctor liked and disliked so having ncuti saying it's his favourite just ignores the entire point of that whole 11th Doctor intro completely.
no such thing
speaking of plotholes - Doctor made such a big deal of Ruby to not come close to him and not give him the casket because "she will be in a blast zone", when 10mins later we find out that if the mine goes off it will take half of the planet. The viewer didn't know that, but Doctor did, so why that first tense scene - unnecessary drama, thats why. I love the new season!! as well as and Ncuti and Millie performance!! but this episode felt like cheap thrills. When you watch it, it's great (because performance is amazing), when you think back at it, the questions start popping up.
Didn't the doctor only know that after asking the clergy soldier the mechanism the mine uses? He might have had his suspicions that it could be cellular, but I feel it's implied he didn't Know for sure, unless I'm misremembering the episode