Saturday, May 16, 2020
I finished watching Doctor Who Season 12 last weekend.
I absolutely loved episode 8 - definitely my favorite episode of the Season. I love episodes with historical figures in general, and it is fun to see another take on this famous night (I enjoyed the "Highlander TV series version too where Byron was Immortal and Methos was the Doc). Plus it was a creepy house story and a creepy Cyberman story where I actually felt the threat to the characters. Olivia was watching with me (which is the second time in as many weeks she watched some version of Frankenstein with me). She insisted she wasn't scared and was mainly really worried about the baby. She was watching wide eyed when the Cyberman picked the baby up. She had to go eat her snack so she missed the last part of the episode but then she came back and wanted to make sure that the baby would be ok. I showed her the end where the baby was fine. :)
I did enjoy the mystery and in general I though it was a great set-up for the finale, although the whole 'Cyberium' was very eye rolly - really show.
The finale itself, both episodes 9 and 10 were meh for it. I'm just tired of either Cybermen or the Daleks being in the finale - it is not like the doctor will lose. I don't know why the show had to destroy Gallifrey when they spent so much time getting it back and getting the Doctor get over it. Not sure why the Master wanted to really destroy it when he also wanted it back at some point. Disappointment that he wasn't the special child? I don't mind the change in mythology but it makes me wonder why the Doctor didn't ran into earlier versions of itself before - seems like that can happen with many earlier versions around. And how exactly can Time Lords make someone a child again? But then again, I don't watch this show for its methology and it does need new ideas to keep building and most of the things on it don't make sense anyway.
Graham was coming up with a lot of smart ideas on that Cyberman carrier - I'm so used to seeing him in the background, mostly reacting, that it was nice to see him competent.
Also, as an aside, whenever the Doctor wanted to drop off the Companions in 2020 or dropped off those last humans at the end, all I could think about - that is not a good year to go to for safety.
Overall, I only really didn't like 1 episode of this season (the 3rd one at the fake resort) and mostly liked others and loved episode 8. This season felt pretty mild though. I don't remember much of it already. Still it was entertaining to watch.
I also watched "Never Have I Ever" on Netflix and I highly recommend it. I was ambivalent about checking it out since I'm mostly too old for high schools shows but I got sucked in right from the start and binged the second half in one day. The show is about a 15 year old Indian-American girl Devi, who lost her father and had a traumatic reactions to it. She is starting her sophomore year and is trying to be cool. It is just a really good show and it made me cry at the end (in a good way). It is 10 episodes, 30 minutes each, so it is not a long show but really really enjoyable and funny, but doesn't stay away from sadness either, in a good way.
This week I'm reading "Network Effect" by Martha Wells and I'm about 100 pages from the end. I'm really enjoying it. It has all the humor of the novellas and good plot and characters while allowing for some character growth. The first 150 pages are basically non stop action too and it says a lot that it was an interesting read.
I really need to finish the last 4 episodes of "The Flash" for this season but I don't have much motivation.