Dr Who

I think Flatliners was pretty good, there certainly seems to be an improving trend so I'm starting to have higher hopes for the finale.

The ending was maybe a bit over-dramatic but, still, it was good to see him properly kick ass for once.
And the Tardis on the railtrack bit was a bit silly but you can get away with that in a good episode. In a poor one it would have been ridiculous.

Onward and upward (hopefully)

That was a bit of a drop-off after the last 2 weeks. At least things might pick up now we're getting to the business end of the season.

Quick, everyone go hug a tree .....

Never work with children or plants (

Mixed feelings about Forest of the Night.

On one hand it's a different idea to have a problem caused by over-forestation of the planet and having the story told mainly from the perspective of a child. The writers deserve some credit for trying that approach to the series.

The other side is that it was difficult to get as engaged in the story due to a lack of a real enemy. The forest was everywhere yes, but I never really got the sense of danger that we had last week with Flatline, and the reveal at the end was slightly anti-climactic and a little frustrating.

Capaldi's playing a darker doctor, a doctor who finds it difficult to engage with people, a doctor who after all his centuries of trying to save stupid humans he's probably entitled to be a bit pissed off. The trouble is that such an attitude doesn't allow a story featuring children to engage the viewer. It wasn't bad, but after the high of last week's story I wanted a bit more than an average episode, I wanted Flatline's excitement to continue.

Hopefully building to a barnstorming finale and if they are, they might still be able to save this series from being a disappointment.

I can see they were trying to do something different here but I still find the characters too weak and the storylines over complex in their design but bizarrely simplistic in their telling. All that confusion about an over grown London when in fact all they had done was materialise in Regents Park zoo
Clara seems to know more answers than the Doctor which just isn't right and as for her love interest storyline zzzzzz. Mr Pink and his pc correctness is on a par with the tedious River bloody Song. He would make great Dalek fodder though....along with Grand Master Moffat. Must get the script written and sent off to BBC headquarters.

Don't people get the subtly of writing on this thread? or does it all have to be Micheal bay.

And exactly what is wrong with sending out an environmental message to young viewers? Does it all have be kill or be killed? What did they say about war in the episode?

(26-10-2014 14:12 )Regenerated Wrote:  ...
Capaldi's playing a darker doctor, a doctor who finds it difficult to engage with people, a doctor who after all his centuries of trying to save stupid humans he's probably entitled to be a bit pissed off.
...

The way I've always interpreted it is that the Dr has a 'special relationship' with earth and humans. Part of this is because of the 'spirit' of humanity, the compassion, the never say die attitude. This was shown in the battle with The Master, where Martha travelled the earth supposedly assembling a weapon, but really just spreading the word to have everyone think 'good thoughts' for the Doctor to use at the allotted time to escape the Masters spell and beat him.
There have been other examples that escape me now, I vaguely recall incidents with both Matt Smith and David Tennants Doctors where mention has been made of this kind of 'spirit of humanity' and how anyone attacking earth must go through him first etc.
Yet, Capaldi's Doctor suddenly has this almost contemptuous attitude towards humans, and acts as if he doesn't have any real understanding of them, despite having spent so much time on earth, or defending earth, and travelling with human companions. It just doesn't really make sense, seems like just another Moffatt lack of continuity.

subtle messages tend to stick out where there is no genuine drama or story. There is nothing wrong with those elements, but the way they are doing it is like a high school drama production, it's Doctor bloody Who, give it some welly and let the characters sort out the ethical elements without acting like they need it explaining to them. Kill the Moon was the main example of subtlety failure, and the Forest episode was up there.

The previous two episodes written by Jamie Mathieson contained just as many ethical issues, but it was within a more complete sci-fi entertainent drama.

Yes munch I hear you and for the most part, I agree with you. Here, I was just trying to think of a reason as to why this incarnation of the Doctor has been written so different, almost unrecognizable from previous eras.

I guess I'm just finding it really difficult to relate to this show for the last two / three seasons now. Maybe I'm just getting older and the holes in Moffat's plot lines are becoming more and more apparent. I can always hope that it gets better again - it's just since this bloke took over as the boss the stories on the whole, frankly haven't been good enough and that's poor because he has written some fabulous stories for Eccleston and Tennant.

Bottom line - since Matt Smith took the role the writing has just not been good enough overall and that's the biggest disappointment in a show I used to adore.