• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Doctor Who: Time Of The Doctor |OT| 11's hour is over now... The clock is striking 12

Status
Not open for further replies.
Seeing that weirdly made me think, the only time you really see the Doctor go on a shouty rant, at least in the Moffat era, is a) because his companion is in danger or b) people are dying. So maybe you'll get your wish about an increased body count after all!

Though I seem to remember a rumour about
Daleks in his first story
right? That'd get the juices pumping.

Regarding the bit at the end -
the first story he's FILMING is a Dalek story, and is a two-parter. It's not gonna be the first episode of the series as it isn't written by Moffat and he'll want to define his new Doctor. It's probably the first two parter of the series; episode 4/5 or 3/4 or something. Matt's first episodes were Time of Angels/Flesh & Stone, Chris' were Aliens of London/World War Three - there's a precedent!

EDIT: To the two posts directly below, GJ. Let's keep derailing decent discussion with this dumb argument and even more stupid gifs! smh.
 
Yeah, that ego isn't doing you any favors. You're very much in the wrong here.

b3kLBFc.gif
 
What's with all the antagonism and bickering on the last two pages? Time of the Doctor comes out in 3 days, everyone! We should all be damn excited.
 
What's with all the antagonism and bickering on the last two pages? Time of the Doctor comes out in 3 days, everyone! We should all be damn excited.

Yes! Let's all be excited for what looks like one of the best Christmas episodes since the shows return.

The Next Doctor was a great episode too.
 
Regarding the bit at the end -
the first story he's FILMING is a Dalek story, and is a two-parter. It's not gonna be the first episode of the series as it isn't written by Moffat and he'll want to define his new Doctor. It's probably the first two parter of the series; episode 4/5 or 3/4 or something. Matt's first episodes were Time of Angels/Flesh & Stone, Chris' were Aliens of London/World War Three - there's a precedent!

Ah right yeah that makes more sense. Definitely interested to see what that writer does with that villain for that specified number of episodes :)
 
I am way more hyped for this than the 50th anniversary for some reason. Despite the last season being lacklustre, nothing before or since top Matt Smith's first series for me. I also love Capaldi, so I'm hoping that he can revitalize the show because I have absolutely no faith in Clara.
 
I'm more hyped for this than the 50th because after 3 years, I just want to know who blew up the fucking TARDIS already.
 
Wow, what on earth did I miss? Basically had Day of the Doctor's pivotal scene wrecked for me by a magazine pullout, so fuck this. See y'all Boxing Day...
 
I do, Others.. No so much.

I'm a big EoT supporter, really. The only things I didn't like so much were the heavy-handed Obama/financial crisis joke, the shitty location for the Doctor & Master's chase & showdown (a quarry/junkyard. really?!), the method of the Master's revival and 10's victory lap, and even the latter I still appreciate.

I still think Donna beginning to remember followed by "I'm everyone! And everybody in the world is me." Followed by scores of maniacal laughing followed by Gallifrey is probably the single most exciting cliffhanger they've ever done. I also really appreciate poor John Simm's suffering for his craft, changing into tons of different costumes and cross dressing repeatedly. It's camp in all the right ways, I think.

That episode is in a sense the perfect representative melting pot of what RTD's vision of Doctor Who was - the heavy-handed political references, several incredibly heartfelt, heart-wrenching quiet dialogue scenes, silly-looking aliens, etcetera. The sci-fi concepts of that script melt when put under any scrutiny at all, but I think in doing so you sort of miss the point. The point of those episodes is to get those four or five Doctor/Wilf dialogue scenes - the Vinvocchi and the shooty alien stuff and John Simm acting like a nutter just serve as transport, and to keep the kids invested.

It's not the best episode RTD produced, but it's definitely the episode that best represents his era overall. I wonder what that'll end up being for Moffat. The Eleventh Hour represents the ideal, but something like The Wedding of River Song ends up better portraying the "often too clever/smug for its own good" thing, same way EoT portrays RTD's campness sometimes tripping him up.
 
As a total aside to this conversation (well maybe slight connection because it first aired after EoT), watching S5's first trailer is quite a thing. Obviously they cut it to make Smith seem much more actiony than he turned out to be, but more than that it strikes me that the way he carries himself and looks as 11 has changed a lot very subtly over these past few years. I really need to rewatch S5 sometime.

Also, re-watching Tennant's regeneration is a good reminder of how odd and not necessarily representative that first post-regeneration scene with a new Doctor can be.
 
As a total aside to this conversation (well maybe slight connection because it first aired after EoT), watching S5's first trailer is quite a thing. Obviously they cut it to make Smith seem much more actiony than he turned out to be, but more than that it strikes me that the way he carries himself and looks as 11 has changed a lot very subtly over these past few years. I really need to rewatch S5 sometime.

Also, re-watching Tennant's regeneration is a good reminder of how odd and not necessarily representative that first post-regeneration scene with a new Doctor can be.

I remember the storm in the fan community over the shot of him punching Bracewell from Evolution of the Daleks in that trailer was bloody massive. In general that trailer was a nightmare for some of the hardcore fans - the gun, the punch, the kissing Amy, a vastly different (and not very faithful) Silurian redesign, etc. People were melting down.

I remember at the time really loving the shot of Matt walking at 30-odd seconds in that trailer at the time, and I still do. I sort of think of that shot as the most representative of how his Doctor is different to Tennant in my mind - Smith has a sort of swagger when he's playing the Doctor mad that only somebody who was less of a nerd at school and was almost a professional footballer could have. Eccleston had it as well, admittedly, but it suits Smith far more.
 
As a total aside to this conversation (well maybe slight connection because it first aired after EoT), watching S5's first trailer is quite a thing. Obviously they cut it to make Smith seem much more actiony than he turned out to be, but more than that it strikes me that the way he carries himself and looks as 11 has changed a lot very subtly over these past few years. I really need to rewatch S5 sometime.

Also, re-watching Tennant's regeneration is a good reminder of how odd and not necessarily representative that first post-regeneration scene with a new Doctor can be.

Gosh darn it if that trailer doesn't still get me hyped. Most trailers do, to be fair, but I think S5 will always be close to my heart because, particularly coming off End of Time, I was a little nervous about whether the show was still 'for me'.

Though as for the first post regeneration scene I think Capaldi's may be more relevant to his Doctor than Matt's was. Purely since there's not such a hard cut - Capaldi's only really the new changing element going into S8. That is the bittersweet thing about all regenerations; losing someone you've loved for years and then being immediately slapped in the face by someone totally new.
 
I hope the "spoiler" is true. I even said a few pages ago that the character needs to come back for this one last episode to make things right.
 
I hope the "spoiler" is true. I even said a few pages ago that the character needs to come back for this one last episode to make things right.

To clarify this once and for all, the article makes no mention of Amy. There is precisely zero evidence that Amy is in the episode. It could just as easily be River, which is why I said I hope it's not River. A bunch of people saw the name Amy (which was fan speculation) decided that they had been spoiled, and flipped their shit, causing a painful ordeal that continues today.
 
Since some of you were talking about finales...

I liked the Master trilogy at the end of Series 3. Utopia had one of the best surprise moments in the new series, The Sound of Drums was great set-up, and while Last of the Timelords had problems with pacing, I still found things like the Toclafane and David Tennant's performance great. It's silly and dark and I honestly enjoyed it much more than either Army of Ghosts/Doomsday or The Stolen Earth/Journey's End. It felt more like it was trying to do its own thing than just fanservice.

Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways has a much better ending, but the beginning with the Satellite game shows isn't very good. Not sure about The End of Time, but I agree that the Doctor/Wilf scenes were amazing. I honestly wish that the Doctor had met up with his companions at the beginning of the episode, to show how he's already scared his death is coming and fix the pacing of the regeneration scene. I actually love seeing the happy 11th Doctor blossom out of the sad 10th Doctor and didn't feel it was jarring; after so much time being sad and afraid of what is to come, it's nice to see him get a good start to his new life.

I think my favorite new series finale is The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang. It made sense and kept an emotional core and kept new ideas coming; even with the huge gathering of old foes, it felt less like fanfiction than "Throw Cybermen and Daleks at each other". The only big issue I see is how broken time travel is as a plot device, but I think the absurdly useful time travel works in the context of that single story... It only becomes bad when you think of all the times it should have been used and wasn't. I don't some of what Moffat has done since Series 5, but I think Series 5 is up there with Series 3 as the best the new series has to offer, if not even better.

(Only part I hated was the Silurian 2-parter. That was really awful.)
 
Since some of you were talking about finales...

In a lot of ways, Doctor Who finales always remind me of the big blockbuster games of the year, case in point: Bioshock Infinite.

Prior to its release there was a huge build up, everyone finally plays it and loves it and then over the next few months opinions temper and you see a bit of a negative backlash. This time next year people will appreciate it again, to some degree, which is exactly the same thing as Doctor Who finales. (Except for End of Time. Never forget). All that is to say, on reflection, I don't really think there's ever been a terrible finale as much as people like to make out. I like elements of all of them, love some individual episodes, and have even gotten to the point where I only slightly wince at Dobby Doctor.

And to your point about time travel being broken in The Big Bang I look at it from two angles. One, in the context of the episode the universe was fudged up so the concepts of 'linear time' were more malleable (and other technobabble). Two, from a writer's perspective, why not use it? It's never really been done before in the show and probably should never be done again. Allow yourself one story cheat as long as you don't fall back on it again and again. Moffat loves those types of causal loops but then tend to be a little more plausible.

Not really sure why I've suddenly gone on a big S5 high in this thread. Probably because it's how I'll remember Matt by :(
 
To be honest I'd be very surprised (and disappointed) if
Amy didn't make some sort of appearance.

Also, was that a cheeky
Kamelion
reference in that new clip?
 
http://www.change.org/petitions/bbc-remove-steven-moffat-from-doctor-who

lol

Created by an American, as well, as if it wasn't good enough already. Though if rumours are to be believed, some big names at the BBC would gladly sign this thing!

Fans are funny.

The Doctor has been replaced by a doppelganger. This was once a relatable, empathic, pacifistic character who was willing to sacrifice himself for ordinary people. Now, he is two-dimensional, detached, violent, and has even been seen committing premeditated murder for the sake of revenge. We respect Matt Smith's brilliant acting while lamenting the creative director's bastardization of this beloved character.

Isn't that what Ten did to Mother of Mine in Family of Blood?
 
To clarify this once and for all, the article
makes no mention of Amy. There is precisely zero evidence that Amy is in the episode. It could just as easily be River, which is why I said I hope it's not River. A bunch of people saw the name Amy (which was fan speculation)
decided that they had been spoiled, and flipped their shit, causing a painful ordeal that continues today.

The spoiler isn't
"Amy/River/etc. is returning on Christmas," it was the "a fan favorite is returning on Christmas at this particular scene!"
No one would know to expect any of that, whether specific names were dropped or not, since none of it is officially released info. The only reason it's a painful ordeal is because of how obtuse you're being about it.


Damn, that's one hell of a picture. :lol

And to your point about time travel being broken in The Big Bang I look at it from two angles. One, in the context of the episode the universe was fudged up so the concepts of 'linear time' were more malleable (and other technobabble).

I think Rory even mentions that at one point doesn't he? The paradox only works because the universe is falling apart anyway.
 
To clarify this once and for all, the article makes no mention of Amy. There is precisely zero evidence that Amy is in the episode. It could just as easily be River, which is why I said I hope it's not River. A bunch of people saw the name Amy (which was fan speculation) decided that they had been spoiled, and flipped their shit, causing a painful ordeal that continues today.

Damn son, chill. I read another person's spoiler and wasn't even aware you were being gutted like a fish.

Here:

 
http://www.change.org/petitions/bbc-remove-steven-moffat-from-doctor-who

lol

Created by an American, as well, as if it wasn't good enough already. Though if rumours are to be believed, some big names at the BBC would gladly sign this thing!

Fans are funny.

Basically the worst thing ever. They could argue some of their points but when it descends to "BUBUBUT MOFFAT'S WHO ISN'T REAL WHO GAH I DON'T LIKE IT WAAAAAAH" it's beyond parody.

I hate aspects of RTD who but I'd never say it wasn't real or legitimate as Doctor Who.
 
Isn't that what Ten did to Mother of Mine in Family of Blood?
She's supposed to still be alive. Which makes it worse.

The Doctor can get really nasty when he's pissed off, ignoring his normal morals and boundaries. It's part of the reason I like the Human Nature 2-parter so much: John Smith would never do that to the Family. The Doctor would. The episodes aren't about showing the Doctor as a human so much as showing the differences between a normal human and the Doctor, and they don't always paint the Doctor in the best light.

I think the article's main mistake is the same as what many fans do: They take a few actions in a few episodes and conveniently forget everything else the character did. The Doctor is a character that has been written by many writers in many ways, ranging from a quirky nice guy to a serious plotter. There are trends (Like how 11's pep talks tend to put him in the position of an old man talking to a youngster), but it's not like any Doctor has ever been written in just one way.
 
I wonder what costume they'll go with for Capaldi. Nine's getup was down-to-Earth, Ten had showy duds and a big coat, and Eleven had a sillier, "geekier" look.

Maybe they'll go with the rainbow vomit coat. Poor Collin Baker.
Not really sure why I've suddenly gone on a big S5 high in this thread. Probably because it's how I'll remember Matt by :(
I remember when Series 5 ended and we were all excited because we thought the big mystery of the next series would be who blew up the TARDIS.

Ha. Ha. Ha. :-(
 
I'm expecting Capaldi to be in something very dapper, as he's a very fashion-minded man, based on some interviews I've read with him.

Regarding timing, they'll have to release photos in late January at the latest, as he'll be out in public locations filming, I'm sure. We saw Smith's tweed before The Waters of Mars had aired, even.
 
I wonder if the rumours of secret Capaldi filming earlier this month was for a little specially shot trailer to go after TTOTD on Christmas Day. Give us a bit of his costume and some interplay with Clara. Something along the lines of the Eleven/Amy cinema trailer.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom