Doctor Who - Discussion Thread II

My point is that one dimensional characters are an integral element of how the show is and has always been written, so why bring it up in the 6th season as if it's only true of Oswin? It's a light entertainment show, not a deep character piece.

My point is that one dimensional characters are an integral element of how the show is and has always been written, so why bring it up in the 6th season as if it's only true of Oswin? It's a light entertainment show, not a deep character piece.

That is a general malaise of modern TV though. Most characters (especially in situational shows like Dr who and sitcoms) are a list of characteristics. Just easier to write episodes that way: present a situation, each character reacts in their cookie cutter way, conclude the episode. Then pepper with a few references and long running jokes.

Its a valid criticism of Dr Who but its also a valid criticism of Big Bang Theory, Misfits, How I Met Your Mother, Merlin, Dexter and countless other shows.

I'm not asking for The Wire, I'm asking for well written characters with real emotions, thoughts, feelings and reactions so that I can believe in them when I'm watching them. It's easier? Well Moffat obviously spends a lot of time thinking up convoluted puzzle plots, can he not spare the time to write proper characters too?

I beg to differ I think there have been some well written characters that weren't one dimensional over the years. Watching Doctor who these days feels like watching a bad fanfiction, that's how badly written some of the characters are. If I wanted to read fanfiction, I'd go and read fanfiction, but I want to watch Doctor who. That's all I ask for.

Completely agree, the pandorica opens is a perfect example of an episode which had a fan fiction feel to it, would elaborate but I've just found a massive spider in my room


Posted from TSR Mobile

What an excuse.


I know who Clara is. Blatently the female Rory with her dying and coming back to life all the time.

depends what sort of spider it is, certainly I wouldn't stop to talk if this was in my room:

I'm not asking for The Wire, I'm asking for well written characters with real emotions, thoughts, feelings and reactions so that I can believe in them when I'm watching them. .

I finally got round to watching it. There were bits that were great and then bits which were just beyond awful.

I liked the Sontaran - genuinely funny comic relief. I liked the cloud and I liked the evil looking snowmen. The Sherlock Holmes bit was funny and I liked the doctor's initial apathy.

I would have liked the villain to be more fleshed out. Some hint of redemption, some hint of doubt, some hint of his motivation. I think it would have been better if he had come to secretly hate the snow as he had gotten older, and if he had contributed to a resolution.

The end was beyond a deus ex machina. The only thing that could drown out the existing emotion in the snow is, of course, an entire family crying on Christmas Eve. I've gotten slightly tired of Moffat writing himself into a corner. It can be excused across an arc but not within an episode. Would have been far better if the villain had pulled the plug somehow.

The worst scene was the 'one word' scene. So ridiculous and pointless. If it wasn't bad enough to have the stupid 'answer with only one word' with no explanation of the point of it, Clara then somehow knows that 'pond' will get through to the Doctor. I'd bet that the entire subplot with the frozen pond came about because Moffat wanted a reason to put the word 'pond' in like that.

Overall, I think there were too many characters. The lizard woman and her wife were not needed, for example, and that time could have been spent making more of the villain.

I do like the Oswin riddle but have little faith it will be resolved adequately, as none of Moffat's other puzzles have been really.

Not sure how I feel about the Oswin character though. I liked Amy but I don't feel like we need an Amy clone - the only difference is that Oswin is also Sherlock Holmes. This might sound weird, but I think it's time for someone who is not so bipolar. Someone who doesn't lurch from prozac happy to crying all the time. Someone a bit calmer. It's weird as Donna is my favourite companion and is definitely not calm, but I want a change. (side note: out of all the episodes of companions embarking on their journey with the doctor, Donna's is my favourite).

I liked Donna. No sexual tension, just a bit of light hearted fun.

Sent from my phone, please excuse all tpyos

I watched 10 minutes of the Christmas episode, I got bored.
I just feel it's too childish for me to watch now..which is a shame.

I liked the Christmas episode.

It wasn't the best plot ever, but as it was mainly focused on Oswin I think that can be forgiven. I really like Oswin so far and can't wait to see how that mystery unravels.

The only stupid bit was the whole 'pond' scene. How would she know? 0.o

Maybe she doesn't know consciously, but maybe something leaked through from the Oswin we saw in AOTD? Like the Souffles or the 'Remember Me'.
I think I'm right in saying she would have heard The Doctor say Pond in AOTD?

She said Pond, because of the frozen Pond!

Yeah, it was just a coincidence that there was a pond relevant to the story. That whole one word thing was a bit stupid though.