Sunday, August 31, 2014

New Episode Reaction - Into the Dalek *SPOILERS*

Hello readers. Today I will be continuing this series of posts by giving my initial thoughts on Into the Dalek. Enjoy!

About this Story

TitleInto the Dalek
No. of Episodes1
Series No.
Episode No.
Series 8
Episode 2
Broadcast Dates30th Aug
Overnight Ratings (UK)5.2 million
DoctorTwelfth Doctor
CompanionClara Oswald
The Dalek held captive aboard Aristotle



The Reaction

Highlights

  • The Doctor - Brilliantly ruthless. In fact, my quote of the week down below reflects this.
  • Daleks - I see we're back to the bronze Daleks, as opposed to the Rainbow Daleks. Good, Rainbow = ridiculous. Also, nice to see Daleks actually attacking a place, rather than just blowing it up from afar. Nice to see that classic "The door won't hold much longer" scene!
  • Similar to Dalek - This episode reminded me so much of Dalek in quite a few ways. Which is good, because Dalek is probably the peak of Dalek stories in the revived series. The idea of a captive Dalek being restored to full health by a time traveller, only for it to go on a killing spree, then to be talked down to stop the killing. Gripping and tense stuff!
  • Deaths - You might have noticed through other posts on this blog that death in Doctor Who is something that interests me. So, to have an episode with some actual real deaths that weren't reset by some wibbly wobbly shizzle was a big ups for me. Is this the end of the "Everybody lives!" era?


Low Points

  • Missy - Although I am liking how this story arc is going to be shaping up, the one thing I didn't like was how the snippet of Missy in this episode came right in the middle of the action, ruining the pace of the episode slightly, which was brilliant compared to last week's Deep Breath.
  • Clara - The second part of series seven left loads of characterisation to be done for Clara, but in my opinion, having the Doctor pick her up from Earth in every episode isn't all that good. It takes away time from the episode as we need to meet all the other people in Clara's life. I think the writers need to focus on Clara's character before they extend her life on Earth and relationships.
  • Rusty - Nope. Just nope. Why? You're ruining these classic monsters by making them allies. First ruin the Silurians and Sontarans with Vastra and Strax. Then the Cybermen with Handles. Big no.


Quote of the Week

"Yeah, my carer. She cares so I don't have to." - The Doctor



Thank you for reading! Drop a comment with your thoughts or suggestions! They will be greatly appreciated!

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Character Profile - Mel Bush

Fact File

NameMel Bush
SpeciesHuman
Place of OriginEarth, 20th Century
Associated DoctorsSixth Doctor
Seventh Doctor
Relationships
First AppearanceTerror of the Vervoids
Portrayed ByBonnie Langford



Appearances

(NC) denotes a Non-Companion appearance

Terror of the Vervoids
The Ultimate Foe
Time and the Rani
Paradise Towers
Delta and the Bannermen
Dragonfire




Mel Bush

Overview

It is unknown when Mel first met the Doctor, as the first time we meet Mel, she has already been travelling with the Doctor for some time. As part of his defence in his trial, the Doctor chooses an adventure from his future aboard the Hyperion III spaceship. Him and Mel are embroiled within a mystery, as the Doctor tries in vain to use the bloodbath as a way of defending himself.

Mel in the Matrix
However, we do know when the Doctor first meets Mel. He meets her when the Master brings her to the courtroom to give evidence in his defence. From there, she travelled with the Doctor and the Master into the Matrix, where the Doctor battles with the Master while attempting to unmask the cunning Valeyard. From there, the Doctor returns her to where she came from, so he can meet her at the correct time.

The next the time we see Mel, the Doctor regenerates and crashes the TARDIS on the planet Lakertya. Here, he is kidnapped by the Rani, who then impersonates Mel in order to gain his trust. However, Mel works with the Doctor and the locals to put a stop to the Rani's evil plans, and send back the other scientists she kidnapped to their respective time.

Mel and the Doctor
investigate Paradise Towers
Mel wants to visit a swimming pool, so the Doctor takes her to the pool at Paradise Towers. However, when they arrive, they discover that not all is as it should be. Mel is separated from the Doctor and attacked by cannibals, cleaner robots and a pool cleaning robot. However, she rejoins the Doctor and helps the residents overthrow the powerful Kroagnon, restoring peace to the towers.

On an intergalactic coach trip to Disneyland, Mel crash-lands in a holiday camp in Wales in 1959. She becomes friends with an alien woman and her baby who are under threat from the Bannermen. Mel and the Doctor have to deal with the Bannermen, saving an entire race, while getting the coach fixed.

However, Mel left the Doctor after an adventure on Svartos. Here, Mel and the Doctor met Ace and were reunited with Sabalom Glitz. Together, they worked to overthrow the icy Kane before departing their separate ways. Mel decided to travel with Glitz instead of the Doctor, and the Doctor took on Ace as his new travelling companion.

Personality

Mel forcing the Doctor to exercise
Mel is a very active individual. She partakes regularly in exercise and is often seen to be trying to get the Doctor into shape, much to his dismay. This can be seen as soon as we meet Mel, in her first scenes of Terror of the Vervoids.

Mel is also a very cheery person, who is usually pretty optimistic. This often led to her being disappointed as she usually saw the best in people, which was typically wrong. However, her high level of education and understanding means that her optimism can sometimes be dashed with realism and scepticism.

Mel is also a very clever person. It is stated in Terror of the Vervoids that she has an eidetic memory, as well has being a genius with computer science. This earned her respect from the Doctor.

Mel screaming in the Rani's trap
However, Mel is probably best known amongst fans for her unbearably high-pitched screams in the face of danger. These ear splitting shrieks can be found in most of her stories, most notably in Time and the Rani when caught inside one of the Rani's traps.

On the other hand, Mel can sometimes be found to be brave (though usually after screaming). For example, she breaks free from the pool cleaning robot in Paradise Towers and steals Pex's gun to shoot the robot.



Thank you for reading! Drop a comment with your thoughts or suggestions! They will be greatly appreciated!

Sunday, August 24, 2014

New Episode Reaction - Deep Breath *SPOILERS*

Hello readers. Today we have something new! An initial reaction to a episode that has freshly aired! Over the next 12 weeks, I hope that this can be a weekly thing. I hope you enjoy and I'd love to hear any feedback, or discussion points, in the comments!

About this Story

TitleDeep Breath
No. of Episodes1
Series No.
Episode No.
Series 8
Episode 1
Broadcast Dates23rd Aug
Overnight Ratings (UK)6.79 million
DoctorTwelfth Doctor
CompanionClara Oswald
The Doctor and Clara Oswald





The Reaction

Highlights

  • Scene with the Burning Dinosaur - This was Capaldi's first action scene and I thought it was brilliant! Capaldi played it brilliantly and he had me hanging on wondering what on Earth was going to happen next.
  • Clara and Strax's comic relief - For me, a large part of Doctor Who is it's humour. I thought that the scenes with Clara and Strax were brilliantly executed! It was great to see the bright side to Clara again, as she hasn't had much to smile about since May 2013!
  • Face recognition - I cannot wait for this storyline! I love that it is going to be a big thing (or I got that impression from the way it was acted), instead of just a passing comment such as "I picked a face I met and I liked." On top of this, the Doctor makes the Half-Faced Man wonder how he got his face, which, to me, seemed like the idea was for us to question whether the Doctor was any batter than this face-stealing droid! Brilliant!
  • Underground Spaceship scenes - I loved this! When the Doctor trapped Clara in there, it was so shocking, and Jenna's acting of the scene where she held her breath was amazing! She had me holding my breath too, except I didn't hold mine for as long... Also, big ups to Clara for offering tips to those who want to be teachers! Overall, the dark nature of this scene was excelllent, and I can't wait for mor elike it! Brilliant acting too, probably said that already...
  • Fall or Push? - Did he or didn't he? This was fantastic! It gets us wondering just how far this Doctor will go to win. He is already shown to be completely irrational earlier in the episode, so it is inferred he is certainly capable of doing this. But this "how far will he go" thing should be brilliant with the Dalek episode next week!
  • You've Redecorated - This line, I love this line. A brilliant nod to Classic Who, but I have noticed the frequency of its use rise recently. I love this kind of reference, but the same reference over and over again will get stale. So references brilliant! But constructive criticism is to use a variety!
  • Matt - Guh the feels. A brilliantly acted and well executed passing of the baton to Peter Capaldi. I feel like this was Steven Moffat's way of telling the fans to "get over it!" This is where Clara begins to trust the new Doctor, and it feels like this when we can also begin to trust him! Brilliant use of the companion to influence the audience!


Low Points

  • Pre-Titles - Personally, I think Victorian London looked massively faked. Also, that orange glow with no explanation was sort of annoying me. Was it just the sunset? Also, when Strax knocks on the TARDIS door there is no dinosaur saliva. When the door opens, saliva magically appears. Then vanishes again, reappearing in another shot... Oops?
  • Jenny's Interruption - The confrontation between Clara and Vastra was a brilliant and tense piece of drama, but I couldn't help felling that it was ruined by Jenny's round of applause after Clara's gripping speech. It kind of ruined the moment for me...
  • Stop-Start Pace - The episode overall to me seemed to be like a patchwork. Each patch worked brilliantly, but the switching between patches wasn't brilliant. We'd switch immediately from a fast paced action scene, to a slow paced scene, back to the action, then slowing it down again.
  • Paternoster Gang Entrance - In the underground spaceship, the entrance of the Paternoster Gang seemed like too much. We suddenly needed to have five characters and we couldn't everything that was happening. It all seemed a bit busy and cramped in there... Hardly ideal for a sword fight and a Sontaran with a laser blaster...


The BRAND NEW Title Sequence

The graphics are great! A breath of fresh air after spacey-vortexy stuff. I like this! The music, on the other hand, is very...Christmas-y... But it improves in the second half of the titles. Less jingle-y parts... I guess I'll learn to love it over the next 12 weeks! If not, I'll go seek solace in the Series 4 titles.

Quote of the Week

"These are attack eyebrows! You could take bottle tops off with these!" - The Doctor



Thank you for reading! Drop a comment with your thoughts or suggestions! They will be greatly appreciated!

Friday, August 22, 2014

Doctor Who DVD Files - Part Three: Issues 8-14

Introduction

Greetings! In the third part of this blog series, I will be telling you about the next seven issues of the Doctor Who DVD Files. These issues featured two episodes on each DVD which covered the whole second series, plus the 2006 Christmas Special.

Issue 8 (22/04/2009)

The DVD

New Earth - The new Doctor takes Rose to New Earth, where an old enemy lurks in the shadows.

Tooth and Claw - The Doctor and Rose land in Scotland, where they have to defend Queen Victoria from an extraterrestrial werewolf.

The Magazine

Here is a list of the pages featured in the magazine of this issue. Listed is the section it belongs to, the page title, a quick description of the page and its sorting code.

  • Episode Guide - New Earth - Rose and the new Doctor find on old enemy in New New York (EP 2.1)
  • Allies - Bannakaffalatta - Find out how this plucky little cyborg helped to save the Titanic (BK1)
  • The Doctor - Enemies of Humanity - The Second Doctor faces Cybermen, Chameleons and Daleks (Part 8)
  • Enemies - The Editor - He's smarmy, corrupt and in control of the whole human race (ED1)
  • Episode Guide - Tooth and Claw - Can the Doctor and Rose save Queen Victoria from a werewolf? (EP 2.2)
  • Enemies - Ice Warriors - Meet the Martians, scaly green natives of the Red Planet (IW1)
  • Allies - Rose Tyler - Learn more about the girl who changed the Doctor's life (RT2)
  • Behind the Scenes - Creature Features - Discover the secrets of Doctor Who's wildest prosthetics (Part 8)
  • Technology - Robot Spiders - Take a look inside Cassandra's mechanical creepy-crawlies (RS1)


Issue 9 (06/05/2009)

The DVD

School Reunion - The Doctor has a blast from the past while battling Krillitanes who want to be gods.

The Girl in the Fireplace - The Doctor, Rose and Mickey investigate a 51st Century ship with links to 18th Century France.

The Magazine

Here is a list of the pages featured in the magazine of this issue. Listed is the section it belongs to, the page title, a quick description of the page and its sorting code.

  • Episode Guide - School Reunion - the Doctor meets two old friends while going undercover (EP 2.3)
  • The Doctor - Robots and Reptiles - The Second Doctor battles Yeti, Ice Warriors and Cybermats (Part 9)
  • Allies - K-9: Faithful Hound - Find out about the robot dog's early adventures with the Doctor (K92)
  • Episode Guide - The Girl in the Fireplace - What are 51st Century robots doing in pre-revolutionary France? (Ep 2.4)
  • Enemies - Cybershades - Read all about these strange Cybernised creatures (CY4)
  • Flashback - Shop Horror! - See how the Autons fist smashed their way onto our screens (DR3-1)
  • Behind the Scenes - Cast Away - Find out how actors get roles in Doctor Who in our casting interview (Part 9)
  • Enemies - Daleks - Open up and look inside the Doctor's most treacherous foe (DL1)
  • Technology - SS Madame de Pompadour - Take a peek inside this gruesome ship run by Clockwork Robots (MP1)


Issue 10 (20/05/2009)

The DVD

Rise of the Cybermen - The Doctor, Rose and Mickey land in a parallel world, where an old enemy is threatening humanity.

The Age of Steel - With Cybermen marching he streets of parallel London, will the TARDIS crew get off the parallel Earth alive?

The Magazine

Here is a list of the pages featured in the magazine of this issue. Listed is the section it belongs to, the page title, a quick description of the page and its sorting code.

  • Episode Guide - Rise of the Cybermen - The TARDIS crash lands in hte London of a parallel worlds (EP 2.5)
  • Allies - Sarah Jane Smith - Learn all about Sarah Jane's adventures with the Third Doctor (SJ1)
  • Enemies - Davros: The Rise of Terror - Delve into the secret history of the Kaled mastermind (DV2)
  • Episode Guide - The Age of Steel - John Lumic's Cybermen are on the march to victory (Ep 2.6)
  • Allies - William Shakespeare - Meet one of the greatest writers in human history (SK1)
  • The Doctor - Monsters' Revenge - The Second Doctor faces Yeti, Cybermen and deadly seaweed (Part 10)
  • Enemies - Weeping Angels - Killer statues from the dawn of time, blink and they'll get you (WA1)
  • Behind the Scenes - Direct Hit - Director Graeme Harper takes us behind the camera (Part 10)
  • Technology - Cybus Airship - Step aboard a floating palace of the parallel world (CY2)


Issue 11 (03/06/2009)

The DVD

The Idiot's Lantern - A trip to the 1950s leads the Doctor to face off with an electrical creature.

The Impossible Planet - The Doctor and Rose land on a planet that should be falling into a black hole, but isn't.

The Magazine

Here is a list of the pages featured in the magazine of this issue. Listed is the section it belongs to, the page title, a quick description of the page and its sorting code.

  • Episode Guide - The Idiot's Lantern - Londoners in 1953 are losing their faces, but can the Doctor help? (EP 2.7)
  • Allies - Astrid Peth - Read about the companion who never travelled in the TARDIS (AP1)
  • Technology - Sonic Screwdriver - Take a look inside one of the Doctor's handy tools (SC2)
  • The Doctor - Myths and Monsters - The Second Doctor saves the TARDIS by taking it out of reality (Part 11)
  • Episode Guide - The Impossible Planet - The Doctor and Rose meet the Ood on the edge of a black hole (EP 2.8)
  • Allies - Turlough - Meet the companion who tried to kill the Fifth Doctor (TU1)
  • Flashback - The Doctor Reborn - See what happened the first time the Doctor regenerated (DR2-1)
  • Enemies - The Beast - Discover the secret history of this mighty menace (BT1)
  • Behind the Scenes - Growing the TARDIS - See how the Doctor Who art department built the Doctor's ship (Part 11)


Issue 12 (17/06/2009)

The DVD

The Satan Pit - Can the Doctor stop the Beast escaping and save Rose from the jaws of the black hole?

Love and Monsters - LINDA is in danger. Can their idol, the Doctor, save them in time from the disgusting Abzorbaloff?

The Magazine

Here is a list of the pages featured in the magazine of this issue. Listed is the section it belongs to, the page title, a quick description of the page and its sorting code.

  • Episode Guide - The Satan Pit - Can the Doctor escape the immense power of the Beast? (EP 2.9)
  • Enemies - Judoon - Get up close with the tough rhino-headed law enforcers (JD1)
  • Allies - Romana - Read about the first incarnation of this female Time Lord (RA1)
  • The Doctor - End of an Era - Bid farewell to the Second Doctor as his story comes to an end (Part 12)
  • Episode Guide - Love and Monsters - Will the treacherous Victor Kennedy track down the Doctor? (EP 2.10)
  • Behind the Scenes - Space-Suited and Booted - Costume designer Louise Page talks spacesuits (Part 12)
  • Allies - Elton Pope - Find out about Elton and the other fateful members of LINDA (EP1)
  • Enemies - Cybermen - Take a closer look at one of the Doctor's oldest enemies (CY1)
  • Technology - Sanctuary Base - Peek inside the base on Krop Tor where the Ood loyally served (SB1)


Issue 13 (01/07/2009)

The DVD

Fear Her - Rose must save the London 2012 Olympics without the Doctor to help her

Army of Ghosts - Rose returns home to find an eerie change, but all is not as it seems...

The Magazine

Here is a list of the pages featured in the magazine of this issue. Listed is the section it belongs to, the page title, a quick description of the page and its sorting code.

  • Episode Guide - Fear Her - What connects missing people with a young girl's drawings? (EP 2.11)
  • Allies - Mickey Smith: Action Hero - Find out how living in a parallel world changed Rose's boyfriend (MS2)
  • The Doctor - Exile to Earth - Read about the first adventures of the Third Doctor (Part 13)
  • Episode Guide - Army of Ghosts - Are the ghosts really as harmless as they seem? (EP 2.12)
  • Behind the Scenes - Cyber Insider - Paul Kasey opens up about what it's like to play a Cyberman (Part 13)
  • Technology - TARDIS Interior - Step into the past and see how the TARDIS used to look (TD3)
  • Flashback - Battle for the Future - Watch in horror as the Wirrn break into a space station (DR4-2)
  • The Doctor - The Fifth Doctor - Take a look at the monsters that this cricket loving Doctor faced (DOC 5)
  • Enemies - Cult of Skaro - Read about the four members of this deadly Dalek squad. (DL5)


Issue 14 (15/07/2009)

The DVD

Doomsday - The Battle of Canary Wharf rages, but who will survive?

The Runaway Bride - Reeling from the loss of Rose, the Doctor battles a giant spider, with the help of a bride.

The Magazine

Here is a list of the pages featured in the magazine of this issue. Listed is the section it belongs to, the page title, a quick description of the page and its sorting code.

  • Episode Guide - Doomsday - It's time to solve the Cyberman and Dalek problem (EP 2.13)
  • Enemies - Werewolf - Watch out for the howling toothy one if there's a full moon (WW1)
  • Allies - Harriet Jones - relive the rise, fall, and rise again of this political hero (HJ1)
  • The Doctor - Master Plans - Read about how the Doctor and the Master first came to blows (Part 14)
  • Allies - Malcolm Taylor - Meet the brainy UNIT scientist who was a big fan of the Doctor (MA1)
  • Allies - Harry Sullivan - Find out how this companion who was also a doctor (HS1)
  • Enemies - Yvonne Hartman - Profile of the Torchwood leader who became a Cyber victim (YH1)
  • Episode Guide - The Runaway Bride - Can Donna, in a dress with no pockets, help the Doctor save the day? (EP 3.X)
  • Behind the Scenes - Cyber Creators - Find out how the Cybermen could have looked (Part 14)




Thank you for reading! Drop a comment with your thoughts or suggestions! They will be greatly appreciated!

Monday, August 18, 2014

Death Count - 42

Hello readers! I have returned from my summer holiday! To get back into the swing of things, I am going to kick off the series I introduced just before I went away: the Death Count series! In this edition, I will be counting up the deaths in the Tenth Doctor story 42. Enjoy!

About this Story

Title42
No. of Episodes1
Series No.
Episode No.
Series 3
Episode 7
Broadcast Date19th May 2007
Run-Time45' 30"
DoctorTenth Doctor
CompanionMartha Jones
The SS Pentallian falling towards a living sun


Synopsis

Responding to a distress signal, the TARDIS lands on the stricken SS Pentallian. The engines have been sabotaged and the ship is falling towards a living sun, with 42 minutes until impact. The crew have stolen some of the sun's material as fuel, and it wants it back. Can the Doctor give the sun what it wants before it kills everyone on board?

The Death Count

CharacterTime of DeathDescription
Hal Korwin6' 36"Possessed by living sun
Abi Lerner12' 55"Vapourised by possessed Korwin
Erina Lessak15' 33"Vapourised by possessed Korwin
Dev Ashton17' 26"Possessed by living sun, transferred from Korwin
Possessed Ashton26' 41"Frozen in stasis chamber by Kath
Kath McDonnell37' 51"Jumps from airlock with Possessed Korwin
Possessed Korwin37' 51"Dragged out of airlock with Kath

Death Toll:

7

Death Rating:

15.38 (Mint)



Thank you for reading! Drop a comment with your thoughts or suggestions! They will be greatly appreciated!

Friday, August 1, 2014

Quick Update - 1/8/14

Hello readers! I am going on holiday today and will not be posting again until I return. I hope you have a nice week!