Arik

Melody Pond? Amy and Rory's daughter?

Seriously?

A river and a pond are two completely different things. Crazy army lady didn't have a translation for a pond, so instead of lake she picks river?

It just felt...shoehorned in. Probably because I like Amy and seriously hate River Song's character. I had overall enjoyed this half-season's arc moreso than last season. But, that just bugged me.

I'd say kill her...but Moffat has already done that...which was the best thing he did with the character.

Of course, overall, I just didn't care for the episode. Not a mystery. Not the Doctor running around being clever (which is where the show is at its best). No, the Doctor going to war. There wasn't any tension at all.

6/10. And that's being generous.

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Bean

The first bit of the episodes started off with the promise of another kick ass episode. Unfortunately once the doctor got involved it was a let down.

Make no mistake though, Rory staring down a squad of Cybermen while their entire fleet is wiped out in the background was fucking epic.

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"I haven't faced death. I've cheated death. I've tricked my way out of death and patted myself on the back for my ingenuity. I know nothing."

--James T. Kirk

Arik

Yeah, but I honestly think that's part of the problem. I can imagine the writer's room.

"It'd be really cool if..." "Ooh, and also if ... happens!"

Instead of creating a story, they move aimlessly from plot point to plot point. Fun to see the individual elements (the Doctor recruiting for instance), but when you're looking for a consistent story...much of it just doesn't fit (or, in this case, the "story" really just didn't exist).

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Bean

And that's been a danger with Moffats writing... everything he's done so far has teetered on the edge of "fan wanking". Let's hope that this episode is the only one that devolves into it entirely with no story to back it up.

Honestly, with the caliber of stories this season so far, mixed with the pure "fan wanking" moments, I'm willing to let him have a crap episode like this. Even if it's the culminating episode of the first half of the season. There's still a full half season for him to redeem himself.

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"I haven't faced death. I've cheated death. I've tricked my way out of death and patted myself on the back for my ingenuity. I know nothing."

--James T. Kirk

iamspenagain

I kinda dug it, except I'm still waiting for the part where the Doctor falls farther than he ever has before. 'Cause that didn't happen. At all. And it was a major, major point of conflict in the first half of the episode. I'm willing to play along with the River Song thing, if only until I see the conclusion of this serial, if only because a great many of Moffat's stories and ideas seem like garbage until the second half of the story is aired. "The Rebel Flesh," for example.

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Bean

Yeah, we never really saw any great "fall", and while I understand they meant that he would "rise higher than he ever has before" as in marshaling his "army" and taking Demons Rock was that point, I can think of other Doctor situations where I would consider him to have been "higher".

I don't think my problems with the episode were the fault of the episode itself, but the fact that there's been so much build up to it over the last half season, and what we got was a fairly average episode with a couple of really good moments in it.

It's like someone telling me for 6 months about the "BEST HAMBURGER EVER!!!". Repeating it on a daily basis, reminding me at every meal that it's going to be so spectacular as to destroy every other hamburger before it. Then when I eventually taste it, yeah it's an awesome fucking burger, but I don't hear angels singing...

__________________
"I haven't faced death. I've cheated death. I've tricked my way out of death and patted myself on the back for my ingenuity. I know nothing."

--James T. Kirk

Arik

Part of my problem, I think, is that they usually pull this crap on the "big" episodes. They try to be big, yet end up being anticlimactic. I can't believe that the same guy who wrote the perfectly balanced "Blink" a few years back wrote this...mess.

Oh well...no Who TV show next year. Just the specials. Guarantee I'll be less crabby about it by 2013.

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Bean

Actually in regards to next year, they haven't definitively said anything, and TPTB were quick to comment on the people who jumped to the conclusion. I can't remember where I read it. There's probably not going to be a full season, but whatever.

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"I haven't faced death. I've cheated death. I've tricked my way out of death and patted myself on the back for my ingenuity. I know nothing."

--James T. Kirk

Cymro

Maybe it has something to do with the stupid Olympics coverage. I suspect that since it's in London this year the Beeb will be devoting even more time and resources to it than usual.

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"Let me tell you something about humans, nephew: They're a wonderful, friendly people - as long as their bellies are full and their holosuites are working.

"But take away their creature comforts, deprive them of food, sleep, sonic showers, put their lives in jeopardy over an extended period of time and those friendly, intelligent, wonderful people...will become as nasty and as violent as the most blood-thirsty klingon."