Hell Bent Reaction and Discussion Post [SPOILERS!]

[jjpor]

Well, I don't know about any of you, but I thought last week's Heaven Sent was one of the strangest, and at the same time, most fascinating things I have seen in Doctor Who in quite some time indeed. A masterclass from Capaldi...and what a payoff... How on Earth are they going to top that? Well, let's find out this week in the hotly anticipated

Comments

[wunnerwmn]

Aw maaaan, I liked Ken Bones as the General, why'd they have to get rid of him?

Oh, I know why. Because Moffat has now established...twice...that Time Lords can change gender when they regenerate. I'm calling it now: the next Doctor will be a woman, especially if Moffat's still running the show. There's a big ol' thumbing the nose at Peter Davison.

I don't really understand why it's been canon for decades that when the Doctor regenerates he's off kilter for awhile, yet when the General regenerated, ka-bam, right back to work and fully in control.

Thank goodness the sonic screwdriver is back. I'm sure the merchandise people will be happy about that - kinda hard to sell sonic sunglasses. :)

So basically the door's been left wide open for Clara to come back after Jenna's through with her stint as Queen Victoria. I was just hoping at the end that we could finally move on from "The Clara Show" (never before can I remember a companion being written to so completely dominate the show) and move back to "Doctor Who". As in a show about the Doctor and not revolving around an actress that Moffat is entranced by. I'm not putting down her acting; I'm not trying to start an argument with her fans, of which there are many. I've just kind of resented how that character has taken over the show in the past couple of years. And I'm getting a wee bit tired of the romantic thing - Capaldi insisted when he started that his Doctor and Clara were not romantically involved, yet it's clearly where the writers (and producer) have taken it. One reason I really loved Donna is she and Ten were friends...no romance, no unrequited love, etc. And btw I figured Ten saw wiping her memories to be tragic but necessary to save her life.

I think that makes me realize too why I'm annoyed at the whole thing of, "Clara's dead...no wait, she's alive!" thing gets to me. It's dishonest somehow. Sometimes in life hard choices have to be made and you have to deal with the consequences of your decisions for good or ill. Sometimes people get a second chance...but downer though it may be, everyone comes to the end of the road at some point. Oh well, I'm getting in too deep here.

Capaldi was good as usual; but the story was just so overblown and at times nonsensical that I had difficulty getting as emotionally involved with it as some have. At least we know now why Missy put Clara and the Doctor together...basically to be a pain in the backside.

[wunnerwmn]

Wow, I was wordy, wasn't I? :) See you next season, I guess.

[dbskyler]

I don't really understand why it's been canon for decades that when the Doctor regenerates he's off kilter for awhile, yet when the General regenerated, ka-bam, right back to work and fully in control.

Yes, but it's also canon that when Romana regenerated, she had no problems at all. When River regenerated, she was in control, too. Maybe it's just the Doctor who's bad at regeneration?

[wunnerwmn]

Could be. Or maybe he just likes being dramatic. :)

[ravenskyewalker]

I think that the Doctor probably never paid attention to lessons, so never learned how to handle regeneration, and the ongoing post-regeneration trauma issues he's had are fallout from his being a terrible student, hah.

[wunnerwmn]

LOL! "Regeneration 101 grade: Fail. Student spends too much time looking at his screwdriver".

[dbskyler]

LOL! In fact, this kind of makes me want to write a cracky fic on the Doctor's report cards at the Academy. Don't know if it will coalesce into an actual fic, but would you mind if it did?

[wunnerwmn]

Go for it! I love cracky fic. Be sure to post it when you're done. :)

[dbskyler]

Awesome! If I manage to write it, I will definitely post it and give you credit for the plotbunny!

[shyfoxling]

Oh, please do.

[shyfoxling]

lol!

[tangotabby]

Since the general reaction here seems to be OMG, great episode, thank goodness Clara isn't really dead, when can we have the spinoff, etc., I have to jump in and agree with *you*!

THIS: I was just hoping at the end that we could finally move on from "The Clara Show" ... and move back to "Doctor Who". As in a show about the Doctor and not revolving around an actress that Moffat is entranced by. ... I've just kind of resented how that character has taken over the show in the past couple of years

I am so very tired of The Clara [Sue] Show, and the persistent "Clara is The Most Amazing And Important Companion EVER, superior to the Doctor in so many ways [that she should just *be* the Doctor]." The increasingly not only risky but irresponsible, "do whatever it takes to have her and damn the consequences" actions Twelve takes to hang on to her indicate that their relationship has gone from friendship/love to unhealthy obsession/addiction.

I suppose the mind-wipe was the only was to break that, but it perpetuates the Clara is superior to/more important than the Doctor theme that has been so pervasive in her time on the show.

I think that makes me realize too why I'm annoyed at the whole thing of, "Clara's dead...no wait, she's alive!" thing gets to me. It's dishonest somehow. Sometimes in life hard choices have to be made and you have to deal with the consequences of your decisions for good or ill. Sometimes people get a second chance...but downer though it may be, everyone comes to the end of the road at some point.

Yes! And having her "die" but then come back over and over and over cheapens her death and dilutes the impact; I'm now at the point of "Ok, I get it, she's never going to die. Wonder how long it'll be before she comes back the next time" *sigh*