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Last week’s The Pyramid at the End of the World steered DOCTOR WHO S10 into supremely Moffaty territory, with a discussion worthy, introspection provoking installment which more or less appears to act as a parable to how humanity interacts with its various religions. What prices are extracted from us by ‘higher powers’ as a levy for our receiving the nurturing or absolution we may desperately need? And what happens when the price we pay is not justified by what we actually receive back in this transaction? These are lofty explorations for any show, and atypically sweeping thematics for even DOCTOR WHO, which has never shied away from social commentary, or expirations of the human condition in the past. The ‘Monk’ arc of S10 represents an admirable, ambitious effort to be sure, but it is in the landing/payoff of bigger conceits like these that (some feel) the Moffat era has been most challenged. Will S10 break this trend? We’ll come one step closer to finding out this weekend with The Lie of the Land. The Lie of the Land marks the first DOCTOR WHO directorial assignment for Wayne Yip, although he previously brought us two episodes of the WHOverse DW spinoff CLASS. Thus, he’s not entirely unfamiliar with what he's stepping into here. TLotL marks the seventh DW script from Toby Whithouse. His last writing for the show was S9’s Under the Lake and Before the Flood, neither of which did much for me (in an <I>‘I remember that they existed, but could tell you nothing about them…’</I> sorta way. Wasn’t there something about Russians in one of them?) Welcome our The Lie of the Land discussion boards. All are welcome, all are encouraged to participate, always. PLEASE NOTE: We warmly invite and encourage an open discourse and free exchange of ideas, but will enforce a strict zero tolerance policy regarding trolling, disrespect, or hate speak of any kind.
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SPOILERS FOR EXTREMIS (DW S10E06) BELOW! DO NOT READ THIS PIECE IF YOU HAVE NOT VIEWED EXTREMIS! Last week’s Extremis brought forth a number of big reveals, including the identity of who, exactly, is being kept in that vault - and the introduction of a new species which appears to be S10’s predominant dramatic foil. If its not a ‘foil’ - it’s safe to assume this species is an ‘instigator’ - or ‘facilitator of a far larger narrative’ - at the very least. The reveal that Missy/the Master was the individual locked away in the vault…and that the Doctor was fulfilling an oath to watch over him/her for a thousand years…fell flat and felt predictable to many. But Extremis’ overall story arc of invading aliens creating a (MATRIX-like) simulated Earth to rehearse an invasion of our actual reality was potent, unexpected, and opens up a number of possibilities for S10 and beyond. How, or whether, the Missy reveal and the alien agenda intersect has now become a chief mystery of S10. Given how DOCTOR WHO tends to work, it seems likely that these two plot strands will ultimately inform each other in some way, although it’s difficult to see just how… yet. Is the Doctor playing a long-game, utilizing Missy/the Master as a pawn in a grander equation than we’re able to discern at face value? Or is Missy/the Master secretly orchestrating these events towards nefarious ends? Ends which may well result in the Doctor’s regeneration? Trailers for The Pyramid at the End of the World, this week’s episode… ...and official promo images... …indicate we’ll see more of Extremis’ ‘invaders’ this weekend. I strongly suspect said invaders may not be as clear-cut/one-dimensionally ‘bad’ as first impression would suggest. Daniel Nettheim (who brought us Extremis) also helms Pyramid, which is co-scripted by The Mighty Moff and Peter Harness. Harness has previously written S8's Kill the Moon for DOCTOR WHO, as well The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion. The two Zygon tales were, incidentally, also directed by Nettheim. I found the Harness/Nettheim Zygon collaborations a bit uneven, and many folks didn't enjoy Kill the Moon (which I, personally, didn't mind), so it'll be interesting to see how Pyramid shakes out this week. Come what may, setting aside some story quibbles, Nettheim directed Extremis very nicely, crisply, and smartly. Hopefully such sensibilities will convey into Pyramid on Saturday. The Pyramid at the End of the World discussion board is now built and ready to occupy. The only here rule is the same rule as always... PLEASE NOTE: We warmly invite and encourage an open discourse and free exchange of ideas, but will enforce a strict zero tolerance policy regarding trolling, disrespect, or hate speak of any kind. Thanks for joing us! Welcome, and enjoy... This week finds DOCTOR WHO S10 reaching its halfway point in Extremis. 
BBC’s official description reads thusly: In the Haereticum – the Vatican’s secret library of blasphemy – there is an ancient book known only as The Veritas. Throughout history, anyone who has ever read it has immediately taken their own life. Now a new translation is online, and the danger is spreading. The Vatican appeals to the Doctor. Will he read The Veritas? But can even the Doctor survive the ultimate truth?
The episode is one of four S10 adventures scripted by current WHOmaster Steven Moffat, and will see the return of Michelle Gomez’s ‘Missy'/'Master.’ This appearance, according to a recent interview with Radio Times, will be among her last performances on DOCTOR WHO. In fact, given that we know John Simm’s Tennant era ‘Master’ will also be appearing this Season/Series, it would seem conceivable that Extremis might well mark Gomez’s final bow in the role.
Daniel Nettheim will helm Extremis, marking his first directorial effort on DW since S9’s The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion. If the team-up of Nettheim and Sir Moffsalot is to best last week’s atmospherically unnerving, allegorically rich Oxygen - an installment giddily evocative of vintage and ‘classic’ DOCTOR WHO - both talents will need to bring their ‘A Game’ to Extremis. The stakes are high but the possibilities are immense. I can’t wait to see what we get here.
Will the Doctor’s eyesight, lost in his exposure to the vacuum of space last week, return this week? Or, will my theory that the impending Capaldi regeneration will be a slow burn, torturous affair be borne out? With his failure to regenerate eyesight being the first stage in a regeneration that will be presented as something of a critical illness...
Will we learn more about who, or what, is in that vault? Or about whatever oath the Doctor took which is (supposedly) keeping shackled to Earth? If so, how will any of this impact Capaldi's remaining tenure as the Doctor? So many questions - so much to mull and imagine! Our Extremis discussion boards are now active! If you're lurking and feeling shy about jumping in and contributing, don't be! Both regular contributors and newcomers are always warmly welcomed here, and there's just one simple rule: PLEASE NOTE: We warmly invite and encourage an open discourse and free exchange of ideas, but will enforce a strict zero tolerance policy regarding trolling, disrespect, or hate speak of any kind. Enjoy! I’m struggling to come to terms with the reality that we’re now (almost) halfway through through the 10th Series/Season of DOCTOR WHO. It’s going by so, so quickly. And it's also driving me completely mental. Well, more so than usual. On the whole, I’m enjoying it very, very much - but I’m suspicious that it can’t possibly ‘stick its landing.’ Will the ball be dropped upon the reveal of who, or what, is locked away in that vault? Will the much-ballyhooed ‘regeneration unlike any regeneration before it’ (paraphrasing interviews and press descriptions) truly be amazing and inventive? Or…? After all, in the past, show runner Steven Moffat’s payoffs to big build-ups haven’t always equalled or rewarded the journey to such reveals. On the other hand, S10 appears more self-assured and clearly focused than DOCTOR WHO has felt in a long, long time - so hope shines brightly that it will go down in as one for the ages. Being half-way through S10 also means we’re THATMUCH closer to the (presumed) departure of Peter Capaldi - an incredibly, frustratingly bittersweet affair all around. While his acting has been (expectedly) solid throughout his tenure as the Doctor, many…myself included…have sensed that he never truly found the ‘pulse’ of this character until now, here in S10. Meaning, just as he hits his stride…he’s going to leave? That’s something of a kick in the nuts to those of us who’ve been in his corner all along. Presuming, of course, The Powers That Be aren’t pulling fast one… So, I’m finding S10 to be filled with hugely conflicting emotions - it is, perhaps, the most bittersweet Season/Series of DOCTOR WHO I’ve come across since beginning my journey with the show. So many lingering tendencies and issues seem to have been corrected. So many misgivings addressed and smoothed over. Sure, DOCTOR WHO has, first and foremost, always been about change - but why do such macro changes (new lead, new show runner) have to come about when Moffat and Capaldi appear to have finally found such strong, loud, communal voices? Should we be thankful to have had this apparent turnaround at all? Or frustrated and angry that the need for such adjustment wasn't identified and implemented sooner? Or, both? Arrrrrrgggghhhhhhh!!!!! It’s enough to drive one batty. Which, I suspect, would make The Moff smile diabolically. Which careens us towards Oxygen, this week’s Space Zombies adventure. 
As described by BBC… The Doctor, Bill and Nardole answer a distress call in deep space, and find themselves trapped on board space station Chasm Forge. All but four of the crew have been murdered – and the dead are still walking! In a future where oxygen is sold by the breath, and space suits are valued more highly than their occupants, the TARDIS crew battle for survival against the darkest evil of all… Oxygen is scripted by Jamie Mathieson, who previously wrote Mummy on the Orient Express for DOCTOR WHO, as well as The Girl Who Died, and…well…Flatline. Helming this installment will be Charles Palmer, who DW fans may recall from the David Tennant era, in which he directed Human Nature/The Family of Blood (which offered one of my most favorite DW endings ever 1:40 -->)
...Smith and Jones, and The Shakespeare Code. So, this time around we have some well established…but admittedly inconsistent…DOCTOR WHO veterans leading the charge. It’ll be interesting to see how how Oxygen plays out, and on on what side of that inconsistency this duo lands. Based on promo images released thus far, I do dig the aesthetic of this episode… Geeklectica’s DOCTOR WHO: Oxygen discussion boards are now available. As always, regulars and newcomers alike are warmly welcomed and hugely appreciated. And, as always, our singular, Golden Rules remains in place: PLEASE NOTE: We warmly invite and encourage an open discourse and free exchange of ideas, but will enforce a strict zero tolerance policy regarding trolling, disrespect, or hate speak of any kind. Greetings! And, enjoy!
The tenth Season/Series of 2005+ DOCTOR WHO continued last week with Thin Ice. The hugely enjoyable tale felt a tad less inventive, focused, and consistent than the two episodes which preceded it. When weighed on the whole, however, its strengths outshone its weaknesses, and the adventure emerged as another solid entry in a run of S10 stories which has felt remarkably well-considered and self-assured to date.
Not surprisingly, the powerhouse teaming of Peter Capaldi’s ‘Doctor’ and Pearl Mackie’s ‘Bill’ resulted in Thin Ice’s most memorable moments - scenes which may (arguably) be considered among the more powerful exchanges yet seen in DOCTOR WHO on the whole. In particular, the moment in which Bill calls out the Doctor for his presumed indifference to death is both potently conceived and strongly executed. As I noted in a post on our Thin Ice boards, Capaldi's blend of emotional paralysis and egotistical dismissiveness - while saying so little - somehow manages to be chilling, touching, and inspiring all at once. This exchange alone may well encapsulate, and single-handedly justify, Capaldi’s tenure as the Doctor.
Will the quality streak continue with Knock Knock this weekend?
The official synopsis of the episode describes it thusly… Bill is moving in with some friends and they’ve found the perfect house – so what if it’s strangely cheap to rent, and the landlord is a little creepy? The wind blows, the floorboards creak, and the Doctor thinks something is very wrong. What lurks in the strange tower at the heart of the building – and why can’t they find any way to enter it? Thin Ice helmer Bill Anderson returns to direct this tale as well - which at the very least would appear(?) to be a plus. Knock Knock will represent Mike Bartlett’s first-ever DOCTOR WHO script - I can’t help but wonder how it would feel to be an incoming writer on this particular show. Not only does one have to contend with 50+ years of dense in-universe mythology and history, one must also squeeze themselves into the specific tones and confines of the existing showrunner, while also being hawked over by legions of nitpicking fans and orbiting press. What a tough, fascinating, exhausting, and amazing experience such a juggling act must be... [a gallery of Knock Knock promo images] The awesome David Suchet - whose diverse resume ranges from the exceedingly crappy WING COMMANDER movie to Hercule Poirot - appears as ‘the Landlord’ in this week’s episode... 
...looking like a genetic splicing of Derek Jacobi and John Colicos. Geeklecticas’s DOCTOR WHO: Knock Knock discussion boards are ready to go! Click ‘Comments’ and have fun! As always, newcomers are happily welcomed and warmly encouraged to join in the hugely respectful, hopefully insightful discussions which occur herein. There is only one rule: PLEASE NOTE: We warmly invite and encourage an open discourse and free exchange of ideas, but will enforce a strict zero tolerance policy regarding trolling, disrespect, or hate speak of any kind. |
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