The last shot of the series made me cheer then groan.

My problem with this episode, and the idea that there was a story arc this season (There was none) is the distinct lack of story structure.

saying "Who is the impossible girl" every episode and having Clara jump into a Trapcode plug-in does not work compared to say, the series 3 arc. We've got the obligatory "lets repeat a phrase" in "Mr Saxon" The Face of Boe's message and then Professor YANA repeating The Doctor's pocket watch trick.

You can follow what's happening from the information you've been given rather then being shown things that dont make sense followed by a character turning into a leaf!

Look at Fight Club, the story makes sense the first time you watch it but when you go back looking for the twist it still works. Moffats writing lately feels like an M. Night Shyamalan film that acts really smug about having a twist.

don't get me wrong I liked the fan wank this week but it felt hollow.

This is kinda random,...

"Life is about movies; anything else is a bonus!"- Me   

I loved everything in this post, Luka.

Your interpretation completely makes sense. And it makes me very, very excited for the 50th anniversary. Although I still haven't seen the old era, I've always wanted to know more about the Time War. Ninth was brilliantly written and performed, and made me ask myself what hell the Doctor was just getting out of. We got some answers in series 3 and 4, but not all of them.

And, holy hell. John Hurt.

As for the episode, I loved it. I agree it wasn't the most spectacular season ending, but everything was done properly. Even River Song was great in this, despite the fact that I didn't care much for her arc in series 6. She only came back as the Doctor's wife, bringing back her death in Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead in a very appropriate way.

Clara's arc and its unfolding is a bit underwhelming, but I think, as Luka said, it was more of a setup to introduce what's coming next. She remains a great companion to the Doctor, and I look forward to seeing more of her in series 8 (although I have no idea how this will turn out).

Saniss, in Doctor Who continuity the Time War occurs between the 1996 TV film with the 8th Doctor and the 2005 revived series with the 9th Doctor, so we didn't see it in-screen. Watching Old Who won't get you that, I'm afraid.

And oh shit. I said nothing about River Song. She's gone! Some people believe that she will come back; there's time travel, after all. But there are also people penning all of this; narratively, It wouldn't make any sense. The whole point of that subplot in the episode was that the Doctor never got back to her after her mind was saved in the Library. Now they've said goodbye, so not only is the episode subplot wrapped up, but also their whole relationship. I actually love the character, and I find the idea of a relationship in reverse quite tragic; when you know and love him/her the most, he/she knows you the least. We've seen it in order from the Doctor's perspective, but it's even sadder from hers. Watch this video and cry.

About Clara, I'm happy too she'll simply be a companion from now on, instead of a walking plot point. Don't get me wrong, I like her very much (as does the Doctor, I'm sure... he he), but wrapping up the "Impossible Girl" subplot may give her more room to develop as a character next season.

Tomahawk, I imagine that's the case. However, I much prefer Hurt to Eccleston, and the surprise of a new Doctor in-between is certainly welcome as a great, shocking finale for the series. So, if Hurt is really there because Eccleston didn't want to come back, I'm actually happy that happened.

Last edited by Luka Nieto (2013-05-24 18:01:36)

Oh yeah. Ok, that's true

Anyway. What do you people think about each Doctor? I'm pretty sure the 11th is my favourite in most cases, although Tennant's intensity is unmatched.

BTW, I made a Youtube video with the Eleventh Doctor a while ago. It's just clips of him being badass, really. "The Eleventh Doctor is a Badass." It has a lot of views so you'll find it easily. I hope you like it. It's outdated as hell, unfortunately, but when I uploaded my updated version BBC America automatically shut it down. You can download the updated version from the description, so there. Maybe I'll upload it to some other place...

Last edited by Luka Nieto (2013-05-24 18:23:06)

Not a lot of good "big balloon project" photos come across my desk. (Sturgeon's Law. All "big balloon project" photos come across my desk, for the same reason this one did. Got a lot of folks on the internet sending me the balloon photos they come across. Most aren't great.)

But, anyway. This is one of them. The 5" rounds on the joins are a sloppy choice, but ya gotta cover your joins somehow. (I tend to go with small apple twists with regular 260s.) That said, this is a technically impressive balloon that I would be proud to show people. A lot of work that looks simple but is subtly impossible to pull off. For instance, the lines are amazing, and the sheer consistency of the vertical weave over that long a spread is really impressive. This took a helluva lot of focus to complete, and wasn't an easy gig; way harder than most of the "big balloon projects" you see. Props heretoforth delivered. Totally dropped the ball on the Sharpie work, after so much time spent on the balloon, but at least it wasn't an all-out Sharpie cheat like you see so much of-

-oh, did we get too esoteric? It occurs to me that most people on this forum don't know that I was a high-octane professional balloon twister for a long time. Open the book of my life to the middle and all that.

Anyway, good one. Get the fuck out of here with the t-rex balloon picture you're thinking of posting. 

I'm still not sold on JLC, but I will say Clara's backstory is about a million times better than what Moffat gave us for River Song. I don't think the mystery was handled well during this series, but the payoff in the finale really worked for me.

I'm glad we got to bid farewell to the River Song of the Library, who was lovely and interesting, rather than the somewhat annoying character she turned into in series 5 and 6.

You have just made my day with this video. 

It's official, Matt Smith is leaving Doctor Who.

http://bbc.in/15q3WfB

I saw it coming, but I would have liked another series at least. Then again, leave 'em wanting morew!

Highly unlikely, but I'd love it if it was Hugh Laurie.

You're most likely looking at some minor actor, who maybe is known as that guy on that show. The third doctor did funny voices in comedies (and "covered" Danny Kay songs that sounded just like Kay but deprived him of sales), Doctor 4 was a madman in two movies (He played Rasputin, and was in one of the Sinbad movies), 5 was in All Creatures Great and Small.

They won't make him female, but, please, let the show bring in Susan. The Rani would be nice, too...

I do like that the show has moved from the single female companion. It should, now, move from the human companions from modern England. Give us another Jamie. Adric. Leela. Zoe.

It may be time for the Tardis to stop working right again. Have it go random places, so he's stuck having to deal with things instead of being able to zip about.

Prediction: John Hurt will be revealed to be the Eighth Doctor, having lived long after the events of the 1996 TV movie and ending the Time War while operating under another name.

Prediction: River Song will return with a baby. The father will be revealed to be an electronic glitch in the Library's matrix.

Prediction: Sean Biggerstaff (Harry Potter's Oliver Wood), who appeared in the Doctor Who: Shada Big Finish stuff with Paul McGann, will be cast as the twelfth Doctor.

Prediction: The twelfth Doctor's companion will be a teenage 16th century German duchess who is a lesbian.

Prediction: Daleks will take over and modify cyberman bodies or vice versa and result will be called cyberdaleks.

Prediction: Christopher Ecclestone will return for the 50th anniversary.