Doctor Who Season 6 Thus Far - Two Points of Discussion and My Postition on SPOILERS

[chloris]

I have a couple of things I want to discuss about recent Doctor Who episodes but first I want to come out quite strongly on the side of SPOILERS and the freedom of fans to talk about them. I know that Moffat (and RTD before him) HATES them and thinks it's vandalism for the information to get out there before the episode. (See his recent rant about

Comments

[wyntereyez]

LOL, yes... someone needs to explain to the people who make the trailers about spoilers... I don't mind them on principle, just as long as I have a choice in whether to know them or not, but having all the interesting parts of a show or movie revealed in a trailer is annoying.

As for point 1... yeah, I, personally, love a bit of dark, when it's well-handled. But the Doctor's reaction to it ruined it for me. He didn't seem to care that he was turning humanity into a bunch of killers because, hey, it's not like they'll remember, so it's apparently okay.

Point 2 would make the episode more interesting and relevant, anyway...

[chloris]

Trailers are the absolute worst! For any show that I want to be surprised for I always shut it off before the trailer starts.

Yeah, it's all about what he is doing to the humans that gets me. Killing hostile aliens? Okay. He has done that without worrying about it before. But if the Silents were wrong to mind control humanity, the Doctor is not right to do the same thing. I hope that it all hangs together better once we have the whole story!

Point 2 can't make a bad episode good but at least it would have a point! *g* Like The Doctor's Daughter - not a very good episode (though I liked it quite a bit more than Curse), but I have trouble writing s4 thematic meta without referencing it a number of times.

[luinel]

My brain went into finals mode so i wasn't able to give voice to what was bothering me exactly, and this is a big part of it. I think that Elevensies will regret his choice eventually...and not because he gets killed for it (presuming that doesn't get changed). I've also come to the realization that Moff's season arcs annoy me. Maybe it's because i saw RTD's eps on DVD back to back and didn't have to wait as long for payoff, idk.

I'm rather perplexed, i don't go searching for spoilers and when i have i haven't been able to find anything really. I mean, 30s of Alex Kingston's stunt double falling off a tower into a padded pit among really loud fans, but that's about it. I wish i knew what was going on but i would rather theorize about it...which only leads to me sounding ridiculous because TPTB always have different ideas (and i usually prefer my own, which is what leads to fanfic).

I never saw any BSG previews, whose death did they spoil? Was that the finale?

[chloris]

I do think that watching the Moffat seasons would be improved by basically mainlining them. There is A LOT of set-up in his episodes -- some of which pays off and some doesn't. But if you could watch it all at once, you wouldn't have time to stew over the problems and what doesn't fit for long before you had the answer. As for RTD's seasons, they were more stand-alone so you could enjoy each episode for itself but you could also pick up themes, recurring symbolism, and plot arcs.

If you go to Outpost Gallifrey, they have a spoiler section where anything out there is going to be posted fairly quickly. (Huge forum and lots of spoiler hounds.) That's where the plot synopsis for episodes 1&2 was posted just before the premiere.

It wasn't the finale, or at least I have no idea about that trailer since I had sworn off watching the trailers by that point. It was in The Ties That Bind but I don't want to say who since it's a spoiler! :D

[luinel]

Oh i've seen them all now, did i not say? xD I've seen all of Caprica, too, and was pretty excited about it at the beginning but didn't particularly care for where they took it. I'm not surprised that it got cancelled as it seemed directionless and over-angsty and focused on the less enjoyable elements more than the enjoyable ones. Now that finale was a mindfrak.

[chloris]

I could not get into Caprica. I tried but the show didn't do it for me. Part of it was that I still hold a bit of a grudge against BSG for the way it ended and it made me grumpy about the new show. :D

[caz963]

I'm pretty much with you on the spoilers issue. I don't tend to actively seek them out, but I might read them if I'm interested enough in the show. But I can see how annoying it is for people who DON'T want to know in advance if they come across them without warning. Over here with the soaps in particular, it's possible not to watch them at all - and I don't - and yet still be aware of major plotlines, because they're all over the place. That, I could do without because I couldn't be less interested in them.

We've probably been reading the same posts regarding the "genocide" issue. I'm made most uncomfortable by the idea of people not having any choice as to whether they kill the Silents or not. You're right in that they might not have weapons to hand, but thinking about it what the Doctor's done is likely to cause more Humans to die, isn't it? If the Silents haven't legged it off the planet (and given what they said about how long they've been here, I should think that was quite unlikely), then I'd have thought the idea that any

[chloris]

I'm actually the opposite when it comes to spoilers. If I love a show I don't look for them but if I just like a show (say Castle) then I'm happy to read them. Since we watch most shows a few days or even weeks after they aired, it's easy to find a good recap to look at.

Heh. I agree about the spoilers for shows that I Don't Care About At All. Get out of my entertainment media!

what the Doctor's done is likely to cause more Humans to die, isn't it?

It seems like it to me. If it turns out that his plan worked perfectly I'm going to be rather peeved! It shouldn't work really -- even if it succeeds in pushing them off Earth it should result in human deaths and in an angry Silence.

I watched all of RTD's episodes as they aired, so I can definitely say that it's not that. Yep. I watched them in real time too and they were more satisfying in and of themselves as opposed to being satisfying as part of a season arc

[caz963]

Ah. Well that'll teach me to read slower :-)

[tempusdominus10]

Now now.. .most books about hypnosis tell you that you can;t do something that's been suggested if it's not in you to do it to begin with. It's the survival instinct, kicking in. And war is not pretty. Neither does it color in the lines. Remember that Moffat is a very psychologically minded writer, and that's part of why kids and adults like this show with him as forerunner

[radiantbaby]

Now now.. .most books about hypnosis tell you that you can;t do something that's been suggested if it's not in you to do it to begin with. It's the survival instinct, kicking in.

That was exactly my read on the situation, but then I'm friends with a bunch of hypnotists (who labor said point, trust me -- especially my friend who is a 'show/performer' hypnotist at local cons), so I didn't even think twice about it. *shrug*

Deep, tasty stuff we are getting into here. AT least it seems that way to me. Could be wishful thinking though.

I love all the deep psychological elements of this season as well. It's got me very, very excited!

[tempusdominus10]

exactly! Nom nom!

[chloris]

Hmmm. Unless there is some on-screen confirmation that Silent induced suggestion is just like regular hypnosis I'm going with the idea that everyone, everywhere, of every belief and morality will be influenced to kill the Silents. The science of hypnosis does not necessarily have anything to do with alien mind control on Doctor Who. And, even if it does, the Doctor still made some people unconscious killers. And did it with a sense of gleefulness.

[redknightalex]

(Here via who_daily, btw)

"And they have a plan."

Yes, RDM, what plan might that be, because I believe the "plan" cause was abandoned mid-season 2 or so...and don't get me started on the finale or "The Plan" movie. *grumble grumble

[chloris]

Oh the plan! We thought there really was a plan but he was just screwing with us! Damn, it's amazing how I can still get annoyed about BSG!

I think so long as spoilers are kept hidden from those who don't want to see them, it's no big deal to me! What I hate is having them thrust upon me -- in trailers and magazines and other places.

My favorite dark episode, at least from what I've seen, is, hands-down, WoM.

Though Midnight is my favorite dark episode, WoM is an amazing episode. It was so emotionally resonant from being the result of years of build-up. TIA might become emotionally resonant once we see the rest of the season but we don't have enough information yet. (Though there was a great deal about the episode that I enjoyed! I've found that I watch Moffat's Who quite differently than I watched RTD's Who. It's a new show in many ways.)

they never existed it that form. Nor the River we may have known, because of the actions on that beach.I really have no idea where he is going with the whole time line issue! Is it that the

BSG + DW == Overexcited Comment

[redknightalex]

Theoretically, there was a "plan" that the Cavil's orchestrated but it eventually fell apart...somewhere. I'm not entirely sure where. All I remember from "The Plan" was the awesome music. And there was going to be another TV movie I thought...wonder where that went. lol