That's interesting, Tom. I had the opposite with Smith: I understood and enjoyed him about halfway through his first episode. But, I lost interest as the season progressed. I don't recall what, but there was something I really didn't enjoy about the Pandorica. Then, the impossible astronaut had a terrible resolution and I disliked River Song more over time (she reminds me of Miss Piggy now). I've enjoyed all of Tennant's run since "Smith and Jones" (my first 2005 episode). But, his earlier episodes are ruined for me by Rose.

I think I'm just hyper-critical of story shortcomings. If the basic story doesn't make sense to me (plot holes and contrivances), then I can't engage with the emotional story (if I'm thinking "that is BS" I can't also be thinking "aww, this is so precious"). I know Davies and Moffat let logic fall by the waysidein favor of an emotional story or a 'stylish' or 'cool' moment; But, I loved 'Silence in the Library'; So, I guess some stories are better than others.

PS: My wife is loving the Lego Movie Extended episode.

I don't get the comment, Faldor. But, I'm tired from yard work. Feel free to explain it.

I think the episode is baseline Dr who. The plot is simple; The scenes are in a linear arrangement; The cast is great and i laughed a few times. I don't feel I can complain about Who nonscience, unless they make an attempt to explain it. So, they told the story they meant to tell and I got it. There were a few groans and I still don't understand the Doctor's 'soldier' issue (I'm assuming it has a War Doctor angle and some self-loathing). And, saying the black guy must be a PE teacher seemed more racist than anti-soldier to me (I knew some brilliant people when I served). But with my general dislike for the previous episodes of this season, it's hard to complain. I am glad to see a simple, straight-forward episode of Dr Who.

I kind of liked Mars Needs Moms. They make some interesting choices if I recall correctly.

Wiki says "The film was a commercial and critical flop, and is the second biggest box office bomb in history, grossing less than $39 million on a budget of $150 million." That alone ought to make you curious.

It mostly is. That's why I prefaced it saying none of it kills the episode.

The main problem is, there is no payoff. We have mysteries but we can guess what's going on. We just don't know the goal of the titular 'Heist'. Not knowing the goal, it's hard to care about it and we certainly don't spend time explaining it's importance or savoring the win. It's a bit of a slog for little reward.

This is discussed on a podcast I listen to: http://thedoctorwhorewatchpodcast.blogs … -time.html I love that you can read this as "the doctor whore watch podcast".

Overall, I think we agree. It is flawed. But, it's in the right direction.

This episode was a great follow-up for WTF with Judy Greer. She talks a bit about her projects and pilots, etc.

Teague: I really enjoyed Almost Human. As for your work, I did not see even a single bad effect. It's no surprise that the series received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Special and Visual Effects. So, of course...FOX cancelled it. I think it is well worth watching and has an obvious Asimov/"Caves of Steel" feel to it. Thank you for the good work. 

Listen

I think I started to get my hopes up again, as I am once again disappointed.

The Good:
Capaldi is better. Clearer. He reminded me of a number of previous Doctors, Baker most of all.
The acting is pretty good.
Very nice sets and lighting and cinematography.

The Ugly:
Lens flares.

Invid: I absolutely think Moffat needs a producer or someone to ask him "why?" a dozen times a day. when you have a transient writing staff of 12, the show is likely watered down to mediocrity but adding 1 exec could fix a lot for this show.

Feel free to start flaming me. I don't like Legends of Korra or Gravity, either.

My Norwegian sounds just like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmOdI80sC5U

In all seriousness, I guess I'm just not into people doing accents. It bugs me when I notice and everyone slips up from time-to-time. Even John Barrowman's American accent slips into something odd sometimes. If one must attempt an American accent, I think the key is to try to practice a very specific local accent, as no one speaks 'Standard American', 'Standard Southern', etc so it always sounds odd. Even then, you'll be lacking regional vocabulary and won't know how to pronounce words you haven't heard. Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQqozmwlE00

Most of all, Norwegian is a cool accent. Why change?

Yeah. There are a lot of 'book Stannis' fans who have been upset about this for a long time. The tone of his arrival in the north is the inevitable result of the showrunners changing the character. Stannis is supposed to be a lot like Ned Stark: honorable, loyal, obedient, conventional, and...boring to many people. The show Stannis is made more creepy with his Red Woman attachment. He is more whiny about being king. He is portrayed as a negligent husband and father (rather than someone who is a bit cold and very concerned with doing what is proper). In short, HBO Stannis has been built to be a menace and it is hard to reverse that to make him a savior and ally.

In my view, Stannis in the book IS a menace. But, he is not meant to be overtly menacing. There is no malice in what he does. He is unforgiving and an implacable adversary. And, as Jon Snow is trying to rally the Watch, Stannis' arrival is both helpful and hindering. It's great to have more fighters. But, Stannis' motives are in question in the show (in the book, I recall it being less of a calculated power grab and more of a 'that's what the kingdom needs most').

As Stannis believes he is supposed to be king, they are heading to a direct conflict. I think the reader is meant to wonder who would be a better king: Jon, emotional and inexperienced but a good guy; or Stannis, emotionless and experienced, can be a bastard if it is necessary.

A Touch of Cloth. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Touch_of_Cloth

Series 3, episode 2 blew me away. I am used to 1 in 3 jokes making me laugh (or less). Usually, I mostly enjoy the background posters and signs and touches like the back of heads on the back of the work board. But, this episode hit me again and again. It was as though someone said there won't be another series and the writes said 'F*ck it! Let's do all the jokes." And when I thought it was over, they ran a 'next time on...'. And that was all funny, too.

The Smoking Room. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Smoking_Room

I think Robert Webb is funny. He is central to the show but it is still an ensemble piece. I don't laugh out loud often. But, there is a lot of familiar workplace material. I also like seeing how characters change as episodes reveal more about them. For example, in the pilot, Barry is nervous about a promotion interview. I felt for him. By episode 4, I've learned he is an incredible screw-up and, by the Christmas episode, he's completed an entire crossword without having a single correct answer. I can't think of many shows that so effortlessly establish and then change characters with a single conversation.

My main point was agreeing with BigDamn: Quill isn't wielding the stone safely because he's half magic alien. His father barely comes up in the comics and doesn't give him any powers. Repeat: 'Star-Lord' has no powers.

So, Quill survived the gem with friendship and whatever. But, the Nova chief thought 'there must be something more to him' and looked into the medical records. She saw half alien genes and said 'that's why a skeevy human survived the power gem'. Racism. [I actually think they were just bookending the movie with father teasers, but the way they did it looks like racism.]

These guys are a pair of knuckleheads but eventually stumbled into what I consider the biggest problem.

http://thedoctorwhorewatchpodcast.blogs … -into.html

At the ending of the last episode, I felt Clara was being written inconsistently: she really likes Dr smith but is uncomfortable with Dr Capaldo; She sacrificed herself to help Dr Smith but won't give Dr Capaldo the benefit of the doubt; etc.

So the premier ends with her giving Capaldo a chance (since Smith told her to) and they go for coffee. Then, as mentioned in the second episode: CAPALDO DITCHED HER. FOR THREE WEEKS. She only grudgingly is accompanying him, presumably to make up her mind during a chat and coffee. But, he leaves. As far as I know, that would be the end of her interest in him. Instead, she accompanies him again and just bickers a bit. She agrees to shrink and enter an alien killing machine on behalf of an unfamiliar space army which threatened to summarily execute her and the Doctor. Worse, she is constantly saying knowledgeable things like 'he's crazy and right' while also maintaining she doesn't know him and if 'he is a good man'. The writing in general has been inconsistent but Clara is the glaring example.

The Whinecast also pointed out this is basically the same story as the Eccleston episode 'Dalek'.

Sold! I'm going to check out season 1 of Justified.

I agree on Breaking Bad, also. I keep wanting to see it, but I am rarely in the mood for the subject matter (I usually catch up on classics like The French Connection, instead).