Doctor Who, Season Two Discussion

POSTED BY: NEEDY
UPDATED: Thursday, August 24, 2006 16:00
VIEWED: 39779
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NEEDY

Sunday, April 16, 2006 2:39 PM

For all us UK viewers, I thought here would be a good place to discuss your thoughts on the new series (which started yesterday)

Spoilers are hidden at the minute, but this being a thread for UK viewers, you can be sure that one or two may slip out every now and again, so US viewers be aware.

First of all then, what did you all think to "New Earth"?

Although I felt it wasn't "fantastic", I rather enjoyed it. I also liked the fact that Russell T Davies was not content to feature a simple A-B plot for the first episode.
There was quite a lot going on that it could have been a two-part episode.

Select to view spoiler:

First, you'd assume it was about the sisterhood and their miraculous cure, but then Cassandra took over Rose's body. So there was that to deal with. Not only that, but then it turned into an episode of Doctor Who Vs Zombies.
Not only was there the return of Cassandra, but the also face of Boa who, to be fair didn't feature much, did hint at a future reunion. Maybe all will be revealed by the end of the series 2.

Lastly, Billie Piper really stole the show with her performance

Select to view spoiler:

playing Cassandra.

David Tennant hasn't grabbed me as much as Chris Eccleston had in his opening scene in "Rose", but I'm confidant he'll have won me over in no time.
The scene in which he was

Select to view spoiler:

possessed by Cassandra

was hilarious though

Bring on the next episode!

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MMMWIFESOUP

Sunday, April 16, 2006 4:09 PM

Hey Needy,

I saw New Earth last night too (I live in the North East of England) and loved every second of it. I'm very interested in seeing how Tennant progresses as the Doctor - I loved him in the Christmas Invasion, but that was a taste of things to come that New Earth didn't quite explore (though I did like his almost 'action hero' handling of the situation, particularly

Select to view spoiler:

ziplining down the elevator shaft)

I'm sure we'll see some great stuff next week in Tooth & Claw. "Bullets can't stop it!"

As for Billie - she owned the episode as far as I'm concerned. I remember when she was announced way back before the new season 1 and I wasn't totally convinced (I'm old/young enough to remember her days as a pop starlet, our UK, much-less-trashy version of Britney Spears - since she didn't go all out withthe school uniform in her first video). Throughout series 1 she impressed, but last night she blew me away - the girl's got a comic ability I'd never have expected.

So I'll be glued rigidly to my TV screen next week, and likely every week after.

-- My days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle --

CHRONICTHEHEDGEHOG

Sunday, April 16, 2006 4:37 PM

Really enjoyed the episode (which is surprising as I usually intensely dislike the Russell T Davies written episodes) though I thought the ending let it down, it just didn't seem to make any sense. Also, was very typical of the new Who with it's deux-ex like endings.

If they could cure EVERY disease, why did they need to keep the zombies in the first place? I could understand keeping them infected with diseases they hadn't cured for testing, but keeping them infected with every disease they had cured seemed weird.

For the millions of diseases that exist, there sure were only a few packs needed.

How could a solution designed to be taken IV cure people by just being applied to the skin?

By combining the liquids you'd get something completely different which wouldn't cure anything.

How did the cure get passed along? When they touched the infected, surely they'd just get re-infected not pass on the cure?

If RTD would put some work into fleshing out the plots of his episodes he'd be do much better as a writer. As it is, I still feel he'd be better running the show but letting other people write the episodes.

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ARAMINA

Sunday, April 16, 2006 6:02 PM

Needy - I liked the ep but disliked the things you liked about it (though not about Billie, I thought she was great).

I think that there was too much going on in the episode for a season opener. I wasn't sure which storyline I was supposed to be paying most attention too. Far too much crammed in.

Loved David Tennant, such infectious, genuine enthusiasm which I never felt with CE.

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WHOOPS

Sunday, April 16, 2006 6:16 PM

I missed the last 10 or so minutes of the first episode because of work but from the bit i saw Billie Piper is a good character. Plus the episode was really good i just wished it was on earlier.

As for the David Tennant i will have to watch more episodes to decide if he was as good or better than the other guy.

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NEEDY

Sunday, April 16, 2006 7:47 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by MmmWifeSoup:
Hey Needy,

I saw New Earth last night too (I live in the North East of England) and loved every second of it. I'm very interested in seeing how Tennant progresses as the Doctor - I loved him in the Christmas Invasion, but that was a taste of things to come that New Earth didn't quite explore (though I did like his almost 'action hero' handling of the situation, particularly

Select to view spoiler:
ziplining down the elevator shaft)

I'm sure we'll see some great stuff next week in Tooth & Claw. "Bullets can't stop it!"

As for Billie - she owned the episode as far as I'm concerned. I remember when she was announced way back before the new season 1 and I wasn't totally convinced (I'm old/young enough to remember her days as a pop starlet, our UK, much-less-trashy version of Britney Spears - since she didn't go all out withthe school uniform in her first video). Throughout series 1 she impressed, but last night she blew me away - the girl's got a comic ability I'd never have expected.

So I'll be glued rigidly to my TV screen next week, and likely every week after.

-- My days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle --

Ah yes, I'd forgotten about the Doctor's "action hero" scene. I really liked that too

Also, regarding your first reaction to hearing Billie was cast, I didn't know what to make of it.
I know a lot cringed at the thought of the former pop star acting (yes I remember her music too, my sister had her albums and I believe I used to like some of her stuff too *shame*), but I also heard that she was in Canterbury Tales and had pleasantly surprised many by her acting abilities, so I held off judgment.

Now it's hard to imagine the show without her

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NEEDY

Sunday, April 16, 2006 7:57 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by chronicthehedgehog:
Really enjoyed the episode (which is surprising as I usually intensely dislike the Russell T Davies written episodes) though I thought the ending let it down, it just didn't seem to make any sense. Also, was very typical of the new Who with it's deux-ex like endings.
...
How could a solution designed to be taken IV cure people by just being applied to the skin?

By combining the liquids you'd get something completely different which wouldn't cure anything.

How did the cure get passed along? When they touched the infected, surely they'd just get re-infected not pass on the cure?

I can understand where you're coming from, and I thought that too, but I just shrugged it off. Maybe I shouldn't, but I just figured its a show about adventure and fun, not about heavy science, so I try not to let it bother me.

Same applies to the ending. I know the episode wasn't perfect, but I was entertained on the whole.

Quote:
Originally posted by Aramina:
Needy - I liked the ep but disliked the things you liked about it (though not about Billie, I thought she was great).

I think that there was too much going on in the episode for a season opener. I wasn't sure which storyline I was supposed to be paying most attention too. Far too much crammed in.

ITs funny, I thought the same thing about the first episode of Alias Season 5. I hated that episode because of how much plot it crammed in, and how it shamelessly wasted what could have been an emotional story.
I didn't think that with this though. I guess it is all to do with one's opinion, but it kept me on my toes - to have him just dealing with the Sisterhood would have been dull (IMO) - the Rose subplot added a lot of humour (And a superb kissing scene) and then jsut as the sisterhood were threatening to become another lame villain, the zombies turn up and kill them.
I liked it.

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MMMWIFESOUP

Sunday, April 16, 2006 10:16 PM

Sing with me Needy...

"Why ya gotta play that song so loud? Because we want to...because we want to."

Ah, such humble Billie beginnings - she even survived Chris Evans (to our American friends, NOT the guy from Fantastic Four - I don't know who the American equivalent would be - our Evans was a ginger-haired radio and TV personality - I'm guessing maybe Howard Stern for similarities, but with less appeal?). Now she's basically the queen of Saturday night prime time.

Another reason for my love of the new Doctor Who is the fact that we Brits are finally starting to get back into the genre filmmaking arena - for years we had Hammer Horror, stuff like Quatermass etc and alongside Dr Who had a relatively decent output of horror/sci-fi, but in more recent years the focus shifted and all we seemed to do was naff comedy and poor Mockney gangster stuff. Now the new 'Who' is starting to reignite a lot of the love of genre that I always felt was dwindling a lot on our little island. Of course, we had the American shows (and I dont begin to compare Dr. Who to the likes of Star Trek, Buffy, and of course my beloved Firefly) - but I like the fact we're starting to throw our hats in the ring again. There's always room for mor horror and sci-fi on our meagre selection of TV stations and its about time us genre fans were rewarded more (come on, do we REALLY need so many series of 'Footballers Wives' - for our American cousins, a VERY low-rent, trashy and generally abysmal Dallas-meets-Dynasty-meets-The OC but with more skanks and less making of sense).

So the more 'Who' and it's ilk, the better!

-- My days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle --

RELFEXIVE

Sunday, April 16, 2006 10:39 PM

Funny thing about Billie's pop career.

Her career started in the UK before Britney arrived, and when Britney hit our charts she was described as the "US Billie".

Then Billie went away for a bit, as all popstars do, and when she returned with a new album she was hailed as the "UK's Britney Spears".

True story. And frelling stupid of the media, as usual.

Oh, and loved the ep. Fun, and a bit silly, and great with the Cassandra impersonations

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HAZE

Monday, April 17, 2006 9:57 AM

Oh Hammer… What I wouldn’t give to see a REAL version of Dracula again..

But I digress.

Its worth pointing out that Billy didn’t start out as a musician (and I use the term loosely, sorry I‘ll try and repress a muso rant) she started out as an actress. She did an advert for a pop magazine where she played the part of a pop star, and some genius thought “hmmm, maybe life should imitate fiction”.

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Who do you suppose is in there?

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