Doctor Who Series 8

[Basel Gill]

So last night, I had heard nothing in advance about the episode other than seeing the trailer. After watching the opening scene and seeing the mummy (which had been left out of the trailer altogether), I quipped "mummy on the Orient Express" in a play on words on the mystery novel Murder on the Orient Express. Cindy then asked me if that was the title, and I told her I'd just made it up off the top of my head, but that it would make a good title now that she mentioned it.

 

A few seconds later, the opening credits rolled and this actually did turn out to be the episode title, which left me pretty surprised!

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

it's the best name for the epi tho and prolly why there was a mummy and not a vampire. its actions were more vampiric than mummificacious.

[damandred]

Good episode tonight, loved the miss paradise cliffhanger.  The plot thickens. 

[SBoydW]

I'm finding my self feeling "meh" after a lot  of the episodes this season, and I actually hate these little plot teasers their doing at the end of the episodes. They aren't really revealing anything other than that something of some sort is happening somewhere.  They sort of have the hint of something nefarious but you don't really know. I hate pointless teasers.

[Basel Gill]

I'm finding my self feeling "meh" after a lot of the episodes this season, and I actually hate these little plot teasers their doing at the end of the episodes. They aren't really revealing anything other than that something of some sort is happening somewhere. They sort of have the hint of something nefarious but you don't really know. I hate pointless teasers.

Me too. I will be so very happy whenever Moffat's time with the show is done, whether he exits voluntarily or not. He should be fired. Capaldi is excellent, but he can't save bad stories.

[Barmacral]

I thought Moffat was done at the end of this season?

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

lord I hope so.

 

I really enjoyed the beginning of the last epi and then it moffated all over itself

[Basel Gill]

I thought Moffat was done at the end of this season?

First I've heard of this.

[Zhon]

 

I thought Moffat was done at the end of this season?

First I've heard of this.

 

 

Honestly, if Moffat would just stick to darker stories he'd do much better.  All of his best stories are the ones that are dark, intense, preferably horror-related.  The moment he tries to be cheerful or funny, we get Dinosaurs on a Spaceship.

 

I mean just look at Listen.  That was PERFECTLY done.

[SBoydW]

I was feeling good util the last few lines of the latest episode...
 
 

Really the Master again? They couldn't be more original?

 

[Basel Gill]

Soy, this is a bit of an odd statement from you, considering that the Cybermen were also in this one, and the New Who has used them significantly more than the Master. In fact, this is the first time we have seen the Master in the Moffat era. I think Moffat seems to be under the belief that fans expect villains (especially major villains) from the original show to be brought back periodically, and that fans will be disappointed and underwhelmed if they don't see Daleks, Cybermen, and Master every now and then. I think he is actually right about this. Too long without one of these and there will be an outcry of "but what about the Daleks/Cybermen/Master?!"

 

It was interesting, though, to have a Time Lord regen and change genders. It was referred to a Time Lord doing this in The Doctor's Wife, and fans had been wondering about it for ages, but this is the first time we've actually seen the same Time Lord played by the other sex. And when Capaldi's time is done, the push for a female Doctor will be stronger than it ever was before.

[SBoydW]

The daleks/cybermen are your run of the mill doctor who baddies who pop up now and then get beaten and then go away. I don't know it just seems like it was a bit underwhelming...

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

I the master:

[Basel Gill]

So I'm guessing the Christmas special is gonna suck. Moffat's Christmas specials have been lame so far and this one doesn't look anh better. Although Nick Frost is a good choice for the Santa.

[Basel Gill]

Something ironic about a guy whose last name is Frost in RL being on a Christmas special.

[asha'he-man]

Wasn't the best, but gotta say I enjoyed it. really like Frost as Santa, think he nailed it

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

frost was great.

 

many major logic fails in the story but I'm used to that.

[Basel Gill]

At least all of Moffat's silly nonsensical story gobbledygook works this time. If it's all a dream, then it doesn't have to be logical. It doesn't have to make sense. Dreams don't fit together all logically. Moffat's brand of story finally found a framework that it fits into perfectly.

[Krakalakachkn]

I've only seen the first two episodes of season 8, and while the pilot wasn't painful to watch, I really disliked pretty much everything about the second episode, Into the Dalek excepting the inclusion of that military dude.  Although it seems the only reason Clara asked him out was because he's pretty good-looking.  Also, what kind of name is Journey Blue?

 

 

Moffat hasn't made a good episode since Blink.  Can't wait to see him go.

[Basel Gill]

Realistically, while I would love to see Moffat gone, I don't see it happening anytime soon. His tenure on the show has been unpopular... but people still keep watching. Moffat has taken what he inherited from Davies and kept the ratings up. I don't recall it being a worldwide phenomenon under Davies to the extent that it is now. So chances of him being fired are slim to none, because the ones who would be firing him care about the numbers most.

 

As for the odds of him leaving voluntarily, that seems unlikely. At the start of season 8, he indicated in interviews that he already had plans for how to end season 9. So he plans far in advance. I don't think he has any intent to quit soon.

[Mr Ares]

Realistically, while I would love to see Moffat gone, I don't see it happening anytime soon. His tenure on the show has been unpopular... but people still keep watching. Moffat has taken what he inherited from Davies and kept the ratings up. I don't recall it being a worldwide phenomenon under Davies to the extent that it is now. So chances of him being fired are slim to none, because the ones who would be firing him care about the numbers most.

 

As for the odds of him leaving voluntarily, that seems unlikely. At the start of season 8, he indicated in interviews that he already had plans for how to end season 9. So he plans far in advance. I don't think he has any intent to quit soon.

People are still watching, but ratings are in decline - each Moffat season has had fewer viewers than the season before. The Davies era saw a similar effect, with Moffat's first season having a spike in ratings which has since worn off. Thus, a new person in charge would quite possibly cause a similar spike in ratings for their first season, and may prove better at retaining viewers or attracting new ones. From a numbers perspective, firing him might be the best way forward.

 

Edit: Slight correction - the average ratings actually spiked for Tennant's last season (the one with Catherine Tate as the companion), and have been in decline ever since, so that's the whole of Moffat's era. That said, DW is a show that a lot of people watch on iPlayer (the BBC's online catch-up service), but that's only counted towards the ratings if people watch iPlayer on their TV, not through other devices), so I'm not entirely sure if this represents a decline in total viewership, only that the number of people actually watching on TV is in decline.

[SBoydW]

I gotta say I wasn't to thrilled with Capaldi... maybe it was because of the writing.