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| The Doctor |
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| Tardis |
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| Avengers: Age of Ultron |
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| Batman Begins |
- Children of Rassilon - (DW & Blake's 7 Fan page)
Children Of Rassilon Homepage - Kapla (Home)
Comments from others will be framed with "***" - (Feel Free) -
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| The Avengers |
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| Star Wars |
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| The 12th & 13th Doctors - Jodie Whittaker & Peter Capaldi |
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| The 15th Doctor - Ncuti Gatwa |
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| "Blake's 7" - Scorpio |
***What happened to Lore at the end of "Datalore" in "STNG?"***
ReplyDeleteDidn't watch much of that ep.! I didn't like the stealing of plots and storylines from the original "ST!" How many twins did we have; Picard, Data, & Riker? ;-(
***Agreed, too many twins. At least Riker's wasn't evil.***
After all these years I still don't or can't remember the conclusion of the ep. where Picard's double was installed on the ship! Picard was locked up somewhere w/ other prisoners IIRC, but I for the life of me have no idea how it was resolved! Riker and Troi may have looked at each other quizzingly about commands being received from the twin!
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***The ep. w/ Max Headroom...Why not just take back the items he was trying to steal and then let him go on his way? Seems cruel to make him stay in a century he doesn't belong to, no?***
What would stop him from perpetrating "his fraud" on someone else and still get his hands on technology to take back w/ him? That would influence the future so much, the Enterprise may not have been built! Being a "Doctor Who" fan, IMO someone taking air from someone in the past or future could change events irreparably! ;-)
***I see your point, but I still felt kind of bad for the guy. He seemed very distraught at the prospect of being stuck in the wrong X period.
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I have not the last clue about why they did this movie; "ST Into Darkness."***
Funny there was a "ST" marathon on over the weekend just in X for the TNT telecast of "Into Darkness!" I never saw it; had no idea it was just an updated version of "Wrath!" They've really lost it out in Hollywood; nothing original! Just get young actors and animate it w/ plenty of CGI special affects! Even the Tribbles? ;-)
***What are the chances Khan's blood regenerates throughout a new host, at some point rendering that host super human? Like Kirk, or the little girl at the beginning, or even the Tribble? Well, that one would be super Tribble, not super human, but you get the picture.***
I think the level of regenerative power is proportional to how much is needed to rekindle the life! If dead, it probably maxed out bringing Kirk back! If the person was healthy, they might convert and become superhuman for a while!
***It's not that I don't like the "alternate timeline;" it's just extremely poorly executed. JJ Abrams in all his fake Trekkie glory, never knew much about Star Trek before making these movies; admitted it. Orci made things his way and he clearly had no respect for fans who called him out on his lack of logic.***
My biggest problem w/ this timeline is the same as I had w/ the series "Enterprise" I refused to watch b/c TECHNOLOGY was too advanced! They promised they would pull back, but more and more; esp. w/ this movie set in the past, they're already "warping" around the galaxy utilizing Scotty's formula!
***...What did Spock reveal to him that he defeated Kahn? To Lie. He's half human; he's allowed to.***
Sorry, but that would be illogical! lol! I think Prime Spock Prime just told Quinto Spock not to trust anything Kahn said or promised!
***Star Trek: - I'm still trying to figure out why rebooted Kirk--a man w/ no experience or qualifications, a guy who never even finished academy training--is granted and later confirmed captaincy of a starship. That alone undermines the entire franchise. That the captain's chair is just given to anyone who w/ an ounce of aptitude and some good fortune. These new movies are substance-less eye candy. They're glitzy and impressive and pumped full of lens flare w/ the expectation that you'll be too busy rubbing your scorched eyes to notice that everything about them is completely nonsensical, illogical, and scientifically impossible.
ReplyDeleteAbrams essentially took the Star Trek title and plastered it onto a pair of stories that bears zero resemblance to anything that anyone who likes Star Trek would recognize. He added the iconic character names and threw in a few quality fanboy references....and then removed everything else of substance and quality that made the series beloved for half a century. ...The character Khan Noonien Singh was a Sikh from the Asian subcontinent. Ricardo Montalban isn't exactly from India either, but there are people from New Jersey w/ a darker tan than Benedict Cumberbatch.
In his original background (which s/b unaffected by the reboot timeline shift), Khan was a genetically enhanced human from the late 20th century. The original character served as a focus on the morality and perils of genetically engineering humans. That's a ?? we kind of face today. We genetically modify our foods to produce greater yields and to better survive droughts and cold snaps. The same science c/b applied to humans. ...Khan is still supposed to be a human subject to the laws of humanity and physics. That's the loose concept. He's physically and intellectually superior, but only in the way that The Rock is physically superior to you or me. It'd be like giving the Rock steroids plus an IQ of 250. He's strong and wicked smart, but not an unstoppable one-man wrecking crew. You wouldn't want to face him in a brawl, but if he jumps off a 30-meter building, he's still going to shatter his legs and torso into oblivion. He's just genetically enhanced.....he's not invincible.
For comparison. Original Khan was defeated by a pipe to the back in a fistfight w/ Kirk. 1980's movie Khan was killed when part bridge of the ship he was on collapsed on him. Rebooted Khan is apparently a super-Jedi that can bring X dead beings back to life w/ a couple drops of his magic blood. One of these things is not like the others.
The problem is people like me still remember things from the past. ST has partially laid dormant under the crushing weight of 40 years and 500+ hours worth of episodic history. I understand that it's hard to write believable new story lines with that many canon constraints tying you down. Like trying to draw something artistic in coloring in a book that's already totally filled in.
Alright, Abrams. You went to all that trouble and bought your artistic freedom from all the historical canonical constraints. Now boldly go forth. And the first new story you tell w/ your hard-fought freedom is....a dumbed-down reprise of "Wrath of Khan"--in some parts, stealing lines exactly word for word. Are you kidding me?
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Khan was never est. as being a Sikh from anywhere, other than in the imaginings of Marlene McGivers, who said, based on precisely nothing, that he was probably a Sikh from northern India. She painted him in a turban, but Khan himself displayed none of the characteristics of a Sikh (beard, long hair) and the name itself is uncommon amongst Sikhs, used largely by Muslims and some Hindus, although Singh is thrown in and that is Sikh by and large. In short, he's est. as nothing definitively.***
***Was Renata a maid or a hooker in "CA: Winter Soldier?"
ReplyDeleteOCO; she had to be Pierce's housekeeper! I just wonder why she practically snuck back in w/o saying something? It might have saved her life instead of just waltzing back in like that! When I live w/ people, tell me you're coming! I'm easily startled!
***This was such a good movie, so much better then the original, and I finally say "Avengers: Age of Ultron;" was still way better.
2nd, at the very end when Romanov is revealed to be the old women wearing a magic face mask, they should of just let it be the old women. After she beats everyone up she can say something like, a few of us worked up from the bottom of Shield to get where we are.***
That was a tough scene; mhb nice if it was really the old lady working over those assassins! What ticked me off is, Pierce was allowed to wander about! He shb made to sit and I definitely wouldn't allow him to get to his CELL! That made no sense to me!
***Yeah, and you're not the 1st to say that about the old lady. Black Widow could have simply entered w/ Fury.
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Hon. screening of CATWS w/ the Russos (clip) - Some interesting pts:
- Falcon was already in place in the script before the Russos came on board
- They specifically pushed to give Black Widow a larger role
- They also made a conscious decision to keep Cap/Widow platonic, as they felt it w/b too predictable to go the romance route
- They approached the Cap & Bucky storyline as the romantic B plot instead
VIDEO: - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9lUWV6j6MM -
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That has been a running joke w/ the Russo Bros. Anthony Mackie in another interview felt that Bucky was moving in on Cap.
To which Joe asked Anthony Mackie if Steve & Bucky are Stucky? What would that make Falcon & Bucky?
Of course it got a big laugh.
===
How did Thor get back to Earth? We saw in "Thor" that the rainbow color bridge got destroyed in the end, and Thor wouldn't be able to travel back. - There is a line by Loki that it's significance not everyone catches. After Thor takes him from the quinjet and they go to the mountaintop he says to Thor:
"W/ the Bifrost gone, how much dark energy did the Allfather have to muster to conjure you here, your precious Earth?"
The official tie-in prelude comic to Thor: The Dark World also goes into this a bit more (it details some of the X before and during the 1st Avengers film of what was going on w/ Asgard since the end of the 1st Thor movie). In it, Frigga has a vision of Loki and they end up learning that Loki has taken the Tesseract from SHIELD. Odin says there is "another way" to get to Earth w/ the Bifrost destroyed and the dialogue in the comic proceeds as follows:
______
Thor: Father, if there is a way to travel btw worlds w/o the Bifrost, why did you not tell me?
Odin: There are a great many things I do not tell you. And there are some things I wish I did not know of...
Thor: You speak of Dark Energy. You can harness it?
Odin: Yes, but not w/o a cost.
Thor: Father, your health...
Odin: To both of us.
Thor: Ah.
Odin: I will transport you to Midgard. Retrieve the Tesseract at all costs. Only w/ it's power can we rebuild the Bifrost. Bring it, & Loki, home.
______
So it appears it's not something easily done and not preferred t/b done often, due to the cost of the 1 wielding the Dark Energy as well as the 1 being sent somewhere w/ it (the comic shows Thor arriving about the X of Loki's speech in Stuttgart, but he arrives unconscious)***
***Black Widow tried to garrote the Winter Soldier. Wouldn't she have taken his neck off and or severed his throat and windpipe if she had successfully gotten around his shoulder w/ the force of her weight alone? That was a chilling & lethal scene to me. She only had 1 shot so I get it, but that whb a stunning dev. if Steve had seen the result of that!***
ReplyDeleteAhhhh...and? He had been trying to kill her & Rogers! WS wasn't exactly conscientious about the mayhem created putting so many innocent citizens in harm's way! I'm surprised they cared when that TV helicopter was hovering! At least in Batman, true criminal behavior is going on mostly under cover of darkness! I'm not sure BW was even aware Steve was still alive! Loved the scene; esp. when she threw that electronic sting @ his bionic arm! He was PO'd; big X! She shot him in the face, breaking the visor of his mask & temp. disabled his arm! Can you imagine how a villain thought of all that going on vs him w/ all his advantages? She made him look real bad!
***That was a very good scene in showing that Law Enforcement did try and respond and WS was determined to complete his mission. Just another intense scene of his mayhem and resolve. WS actually told his henchmen to pursue Rogers and he personally went after Widow as if they had some unfinished business. Again just something that raised the stakes. He wanted Widow dead and she wanted him dead too. The bullet proof eye-wear spoiled a perfect headshot! I'm not sure that she made him look bad, but it did make Widow show how formidable she is as a SHIELD Specialist.
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Avengers' still the undisputed champion of the genre. No one's even debating it @ this pt to date. - Nolanites are. They think that the 5th, 6th & 7th X's Batman's on the big screen is more impressive than tying a bunch of characters and movies together into 1, huge movie. Of course, they also can't explain why, if it isn't a big deal then, why did DC change their plans and make Batman vs. Superman?
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Started to edit all of the MCU films together last night (Just the films not the Agents of SHIELD, Agent Carter, Daredevil & Jessica Jones eps or the Marvel 1-shots). God it was tough figuring out the timings around Iron Man 2, Thor & The Incredible Hulk. Even the '88, '89, & '99 prologues from Guardians of the Galaxy, Ant-Man and Iron Man 3 was tough remembering about those sections as well.
So far I have:
Thor: The Dark World Prologue - Battle w/ the Dark Elves.
Thor Prologue - Battle w/ the Frost Giants AD.
Captain America: The First Avenger from Norway to when Cap crashes the plane.
Guardians of the Galaxy '88 Prologue
Ant-Man '89 Prologue
Iron Man 3 '99 Prologue includ. the voice over w/ the suits blowing up.
The Incredible Hulk intro - basically the origin of The Incredible Hulk.
Iron Man includ. the Post-credit scene.
Iron Man 2 prologue - Vanko makes the whips.
The Incredible Hulk - start until he makes it to Culver Uni.
Iron Man 2 - Up until Coulson goes to New Mexico.
Thor - from the coronation to when Loki tries to lift the hammer.
Iron Man 2 - up to where Stark becomes the consultant.
Thor - the Warriors 3 come to Midgard until Loki drops into the universe.
The Incredible Hulk - Culver Uni. battle to when Blonsky opens his eye.
Iron Man 2 - The Consultant scene.
The Incredible Hulk - Up until Hulk leaps into the path of the Helicopter light.
Thor - Up until the start of the credits.
The Incredible Hulk - Until the end credits.
Thor - Post-credits scene w/ Selvig and Fury.
Captain America - Modern day bookmarks.
The Avengers - Full film.
From here I will be assuming it goes: Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man in that order. I haven't included the Iron Man 2 post-credit scene as that takes place in Thor. Captain America Post credit is a trailer for Avengers.***
***Best Doctor Who Story Per Season:
ReplyDeleteSN. - Ep.
1. The Daleks
2. The Dalek Invasion of Earth
3. The Daleks' Master Plan
4. The Power of the Daleks
5. The Enemy of the World
6. The Invasion
7. Inferno
8. Terror of the Autons
9. The Sea Devils
10. Frontier in Space
11. The Time Warrior
12. Genesis of the Daleks
13. The Brain of Morbius
14. The Talons of Weng-Chiang
15. The Invasion of Time
16. The Pirate Planet
17. City of Death
18. State of Decay
19. Earthshock
20. Arc of Infinity
21. The Caves of Androzani
22. The Two Doctors
23. Mindwarp
24. Time and the Rani
25. Remembrance of the Daleks
26. Battlefield
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1. The Aztecs
2. The Dalek Invasion of Earth
3. The Dalek's Master Plan
4. Evil Of The Daleks
5. Fury From the Deep
6. The Invasion
7. The Silurians (or Inferno)
8. The Mind of Evil
9. The Day of the Daleks ("fave" - Curse of Peladon)
10. The Three Doctors
11. Planet of the Spiders
12. Genesis of the Daleks
13. Pyramids of Mars
14. The Talons of Weng-Chiang
15. The Horror of Fang Rock (or Invisible Enemy)
16. The Pirate Planet (or The Ribos Operation)
17. The City of Death
18. Warrior's Gate
19. Earthshock (or The Visitation)
20. Enlightenment
21. The Caves of Androzani (Frontios a personal fave)
22. Attack of the Cybermen
23. Terror of the Vervoids
24. Delta and the Bannermen
25. Remembrance of the Daleks
26. Ghostlight (or Curse of Fenric)
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1) The Daleks
2) The Dalek Invasion of Earth
3) The Dalek Masterplan
4) The Tenth Planet
5) Tomb of the Cybermen
6) The Invasion
7) Inferno
8) The Daemons
9) The Curse of Peladon
10) The Three Doctors
11) Planet of the Spiders
12) Genesis of the Daleks
13) Pyramids of Mars
14) The Talons of Weng-Chiang
15) Image of the Fendahl
16) The Pirate Planet
17) City of Death
18) The Leisure Hive
19) Earthshock
20) The Five Doctors
21) The Caves of Androzani
22) Timelash
23) Terror of the Vervoids
24) Delta and the Bannermen
25) Remembrance of the Daleks
26) Curse of the Fenric (Battlefield my actual fave)
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My list is more of a 'favorites' rather than some sort of objective 'best of'
01. The Aztecs
02. The Dalek Invasion of Earth
03. The Celestial Toymaker
04. Power of the Daleks
05. Tomb of the Cybermen
06. Seeds of Death
07. Inferno (only just over SFS though)
08. Terror of the Autons
09. The Sea Devils
10. Planet of the Daleks
11. Time Warrior
12. Genesis of the Daleks
13. Seeds of Doom (w/ Pyramids as a close runner up)
14. Deadly Assassin (only just over Talons)
15. Horror of Fang Rock
16. Androids of Tara
17. Destiny of the Daleks
18. Keeper of Traken
19. Earthshock
20. The Five Doctors
21. Caves of Androzani
22. Vengeance on Varos
23. Terror of the Vervoids
24. Delta and the Bannerman
25. Remembrance of the Daleks
26. Curse of Fenric
1. The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances
2. The Girl in the Mirror (or Tooth and Claw
3. Smith and Jones
4. Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead
4.5. Planet of the Dead
5. Vincent and the Doctor
6. The Girl Who Waited
7. Cold War
8. Mummy on the Orient Express
9. Heaven Sent
===
In the Tennant and Smith eras, the companions were strong, but the Doctor was always better as it s/b. Clara takes over...***
There are X sides of The Doctor in complete contradiction to his persona! One moment he's all omniscient, then the next he's totally dependent on a companion! River brought him down a peg or 3 seeming to know more about what's going on than him; usually trumping The Doctor w/ "spoilers!"
***DW. Classic Series. S16: “The Key To Time” Original broadcast: 9/2/78 – 2/24/79. For the prev. season, Graham Williams took over as Ex. Pr. and continued for a total of 3 seasons of which “The Key To Time” was the middle. ...Today, about 35 yrs later, I think that the Williams/Adams era is universally loved by Whovians.
ReplyDeleteThis is the 1st season in the show’s history that had a season long story arc. The Doctor and his comp. Romana (a know-it-all recent grad of the TL Academy) are given the task of going to 6 planets and collecting the 6 hidden pieces of the titular Key. They don’t have an easy X finding and getting away w/ any of the segments.
S 1: “The Ribos Operation” by 1 of Who’s best writers, Robert Holmes, this title is noted for its sense of place and atmosphere and vivid characterizations brought to life by Tom Baker and Mary Tamm as The Doctor and Romana w/ accomplished character actors Ian Cuthbertson, Paul Seed, Nigel Plaskitt, Robert Keegan & Timothy Bateson.
S 2: “The Pirate Planet” by Douglas Adams. The Doctor & Romana go up against the mad Pirate Captain (w/ a mechanical killer parrot on his shoulder), his asst Mr. Fibuli, & the secret power behind a rogue, space-jumping, hollow planet that swallows and destroys whole worlds.
S 3: “The Stones Of Blood” by David Fisher. The Doctor & Romana land in England at an ancient Stonehenge-like rock formation w/ a history of shifting rocks whose #'s change w/ each counting. For a nominally designated show for children, DW throughout its history has racked up a pretty high body count w/ a lot of innocent people dying (often, but not always, off camera). “The Stones of Blood,” I believe, contains the most casual and callous killing of 2 bystanders that I think I have ever seen on a broadcast TV channel series. (Well, there m/b a couple that almost match it in S21’s “The Resurrection of the Daleks”.) This is a good story, otherwise, but I still had to force myself to watch it again.
S 4: “The Androids Of Tara” by Fisher. This “Prisoner of Zenda” spoof was the very first Doctor Who I ever saw, back in '83. At 1st Tara looks like Earth in medieval X's, but the swords zap you when you’re struck and it is an android, rather than a human imposter who is to replace the king. Tune in for a fine comic performance by Peter Jeffery as the villainous Count Grendel.
S 5: “The Power Of Kroll” by Holmes. This is easily the weakest of the stories, although written by Holmes. The main reason to watch is for Philip Madoc. Madoc was a well known player to British TV audiences. He appeared 4 X's in DW series stories and in 1 of the 2 low budget b&w DW theatrical films from the mid ‘60s.
S 6: “The Armageddon Factor” Written by Bob Baker & Dave Martin. This is the longest of the stories this season. It originally ran 6 weekly eps which comes to 2:20 of continuous watching. The problem w/ it is that there is too much good stuff. It is filled w/ great ideas; way too many. They tumble over each other. It can actually wear you down if you try to go the whole hog at 1 sitting.***
I think I started watching DW right in the middle of this season in college! Was hooked and began collecting them on Beta format; nice of them to go back to Baker's regeneration in "Robot" right after it concluded on my PBS channel back then!
***"The Five Doctors" - How nostalgic these anniv. specials mhb for people who have been Whovians for decades. Hopefully I'll find out in like '2038 when the 75-year special drops; or 2063 obviously!
ReplyDeleteThe 1st Doctor introduces Susan to the 5th! I mean, huh? That's still his granddaughter and she hasn't even regenerated so why in the world would it occur to introduce her? Do Time Lords randomly forget their offspring? I know continuity isn't DW's specific forte, but surely this is overdoing it. I'm also surprised that Susan didn't seem to be familiar w/ The Master. It's also odd to see the 1st Doctor referring to the 5th as "young friend" or "dear boy" since he knows he is indeed the older version of himself regardless of appearances.
As for timelines, as far as I have been able to figure out One obviously must come from sometime after Susan left. ...Wonder what eventually caused his regen. into the 3rd Doctor? Thoughts?
As to the monsters, that warrior robot? Creepy! There are very few monsters I find genuinely scary in DW (Cybermen in Tomb of The Cybermen - it's that darn music which is amazing and atmospheric and great visuals, Weeping Angels in Blink) so that thing came out of nowhere for me. Such a shame that Tom Baker decided to not be in it, & Frazer Hines wasn't available (?) for a longer time b/c if we had gotten Two and Jamie (my fave duo!), Three and Brigadier; and Four and Sarah Jane it whb even better. Although SJ meeting Pertwee!Doc was one of the coolest reunions ("it's you".) Have to hand it to Troughton and Pertwee, it's like they had never left. And it was very cool seeing the companions w/ diff. Doctors and each other. I haven't really been feeling Davison as the Doctor; feels more like 1 of the companions. But in the end of this ep. when he goes on the run again he felt very Doctor-y to me.***
Well it m/b sacrilege, but I always thought Troughton's regeneration was forced as punishment for interfering in the events of "War Games" even though I've only seen finale where we see The Time Lords for the 1st X passing judgment on him!
***That's not sacrilege - that's the actual explanation surely? Which retrospectively makes the Time Lords executioners of the Doctor.
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If we consider 6B "canon" (as reinforced by the Five Doctors and the Two Doctors) then that sentence wasn't carried out immediately in those final moments of "The War Games," so I wondered what The Doctor eventually did in order for the TL's to go "yeah that's enough now, may your exile begin and you t/b, well, executed." Harsh!***
In Clara's exit to the Time Lords, she spewed how hated they were around the universe! Not like she should really know! The Doctor shouldn't have even been traveling around in that stolen TARDIS, but to blatantly alter the results of something that big in "WG," he's lucky they didn't take all his regens away instead of "forcing" one! They are reputed t/b cold & unfeeling so I def. thought; "boy, he dodged a bullet!
***No, quite definitely not. The War Games was itself a major case of interference, and, once alerted to it, the TL's intervened in no uncertain terms. The Doctor was then tried for his own interference prior to his involvement in the War Games.
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Did you want Davros and the Dr t/b genuine in "The Witch's Familiar?" Before he was Davros the monster he was Davros the man and it w/b nice if there was still a little left in there as the ending seems to suggest.***
Seeing Davros from the beginning in "Genesis," I just didn't think it psssible! He was always plotting even in suspended animation it seemed! I didn't think it was such a grandiose plan as was perpetrated, but at least trick the Doctor in extending his life; that's for sure!
***Captain America: Civil War - I felt the movie was all over the place.
ReplyDeleteFor those who know me you guys know I'm genuine and honest w/ my theories, reviews, and opinions. Unfortunately "Civil War" didn't do it for me. I had fun w/ it alot and give it a solid 8 out of 10. It had a lot of inconsistencies, felt rushed, and overall the pacing sort of killed it for me. A lot of sequences were all over the place and I will elaborate on some.
-Hawkeye and Antman felt rushed and sort of came into the fray w/ no proper exposition.
-Wanda was extremely not likeable.
-The shaky cam intro and rushed subplots took me away from the overall scope.
-Zemo was just another generic MCU villain. He wasn't Hydra, but an angry vengeful Sokovian. I felt the team wanted to fix what went wrong w/ "Age of Ultron" making it bigger than what it was.
-The constant jumping from location to location also sort of took me out of the conflict.
-Vision just vanished from the airport fight for a good portion.
But overall I enjoyed it, but it didn't have the magic and the wow factor The AVENGERS had for me back in 2012.
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-Wanda refused to see the whole situation from the views of everyone. For starters she isn't an American citizen and she was bickering w/ Vision in American affairs & b/c "Cap" needed her help she suddenly went rogue again.
-The Zemo subplot, the accords subplot, the Winter Soldier subplot, & Crossbones subplot felt rushed to me.
Zemo was a vengeful Sokovian whom happened to have info on secret Hydra files that Hydra forgot about? Why did Alexander Pierce awaken the 5 Winter Soldiers when project insight was in motion?
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You don't need exposition to explain why every character arrives; it's called inference. The last thing you want is for a movie to xplain sequential & trivial details to you that don't actually affect the plot, esp. when they c/c inferred. If Tony can recruit, then it's easy to infer that Rogers would reach out for some friends too. As for Ant-Man; Falcon mentions that he knows a guy that can help them.
Aside from the shaky cam, of which I agree, but also went away after the 1st 3rd of the film, I feel that the rest is personal & subjective; not stuff that bothered me or that I agree w/, but you are clearly entitled to your opinion on them.
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Zemo was what he needed t/b; not some over the top threat or maniacal cartoon character, rather just a guy and byproduct of their actions. I believe that the point WAS that he was JUST some guy was more powerful and relatable. I feel folks seem to always want some crazy character w/ off the wall I've tends as villains all the X and this was a film that didn't need 1. He was the embodiment of their sins come home to haunt them and fester. Much like the Pierce character in "Winter Soldier," in his own mind he felt he was doing the right thing for the right reasons. He didn't want to take over the world, he just wanted to destroy the Avengers so that they couldn't hurt anymore innocent lives w/ their reckless actions.***
Thanks!
***Voyager vs. Deep Space 9:
ReplyDeleteWhile Voyager meandered along, making the same alien-of-the-wk stories solved by miracle tech. that is forgotten by the next ep. DS9 got consistently better across it's run, & the stakes got raised & it's characters got fleshed out & explored properly. Sure it has a lot of TV soap moments, & that's why I called it DS9, but it built itself to a crescendo by the finale, rather than Voyager's whimpering end.
While Voyager is someX's OK, it never achieved the quality or the fan base of TNG or TOS. If you want a list of the better DS9 eps, drop into their forum.
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I admit that Voyager did someX's introduce new tech. that was forgotten in the following ep, but they did keep some. OTOH, the mobile emitter, astro-metrics, the Delta Flyer, & the Anti-8472 Nanoprobes. The only 2 pieces of tech I remember being dropped were the cloak tech from the dinosaur race & the coaxial drive the body jumper was using. However, both of those eps mhb dismissed from canon, as was the case w/ the infamous "Threshold" ep.
Voyager should have gotten stronger & more technologically advanced than it did. That's a valid pt. But I think this only makes Voyager not as good as it chb. It doesn't actually make it bad.
...How did the characters in DS9 get fleshed out & explored properly? In a recent ep, Odo basically got character assassinated. Apparently he has lost his ability to shape-shift, & is revealed t/b complacent while impersonating a Cardassian on the station during the occupation. He's shown to have allowed the execution of 3 innocent Bajorans. And where is he as a character after all this is revealed to Sisko, Dax, Garak, & Kira? I mean, Kira seemed kind of devastated by the revelation, & implied that she couldn't handle any more bad stuff than that. This should have humbled Odo, but in the next ep. he's back to being the same condescending self-righteous douche. He's even openly hostile vs Quark, supposedly for all the crap he pulled during the occupation, yet Odo was there & did nothing about it. At least Quark gave the Bajorans jobs.
O'Brien & Worf were imports from TNG, & I think it was done to bring TNG fans over to the show. Dax is a trill, which are just weird, creepy, & emo. Quark is okay, but he's usually weighted down by his brother who's just dumb, goofy, & annoying. Odo's a douche. Kira's naïve. Sisko is basically the black version of Kirk only w/o the coolness. His acting is terrible, his delivery's clunky, & melo-dramatic. Bashier's ordinary & mostly annoying. Garak's okay, but he seems like a side character who only pops up at certain X's. So unless I'm forgetting someone important, the DS9 cast is rather small.
DS9's "crescendo" mhb it going from garbage to avg. Voyager was good, & then @ the end it started to get bad, but it ended shortly after. And I think the reason for it getting bad was so fans wouldn't complain about it ending. So I think the writers intentionally lowered the quality so that people would accept its nec. end.
But it is undeniable that Voyager's ending sucked. They just arrive back @ Earth & the credits roll. There was no fanfare or celebration. The crew seemed shocked that they were actually back. It was more surreal than exciting. And we didn't get to see where the crew members ended up. ...However, Voyager's sucky ending doesn't take away from the fact that most of the eps were really good. As for the fanbase, we aren't comparing Voyager to TOS or TNG. I have admitted elsewhere that TNG edges Voyager out in terms of overall quality. But Voyager's eps are on par w/ TNG. (cont.)...***
...What "mandatory" court-martial would Janeway be facing? A future self helped the crew get back to Earth yrs ahead of schedule! She would have to admit an Admiral in the future gave them the tech & knowledge to get back home sooner! Being a "DW" fan, time shifts, paradoxes, & alternate futures are my specialty!
ReplyDelete***Seven wasn't a gimmick. She mhb used to draw in male viewers, but her looks were secondary to what she was, which was Borg. She had a unique storyline put behind her. Seven was also never used for promoting or displaying lesbianism. The closest she ever came to that was biting B'Elanna on the face while under the influence of a male Klingon persona, which isn't something our society sees as sexual. She was a complex & well-written female character who was nice to look at. Dax's sexuality was sensationalized as a means of appealing to a base carnality.
As for complexity, is DS9's story complex? First I assume you're excluding all the irrelevant side stories & interpersonal drama, & referring mainly to the war w/ the Dominion & the tensions w/ the Klingon Empire. Well, how's this any diff. from TNG in which the Federation was @ war w/ the Romulan Empire & had a precarious alliance w/ the Klingons?
None of the characters are interesting & the plot certainly wasn't serialized. The plot about war w/ the Dominion or the skirmishes w/ the Marquis are broken apart, & btw each of these installments are several "filler" eps that are completely irrelevant to the arc.
Peeling away the utopian veneer of Trek? I'm pretty sure it isn't a veneer. Fed. civilization is in fact quite utopian. J/b conflict exists w/ other civilizations doesn't mean it isn't utopian.
While Garak did in fact seem like the most interesting character on DS9, he certainly doesn't beat Harry Kim, who has X traveled, died, been genetically altered & restored, sent a message back in X to prevent Voyager's destruction, & has even come so far as to go behind the captain's back, & that's just up to S 5. Later on he'll also act as captain to an alien transport ship. Harry's the most interesting "regular" person on the ship, & he beats most of DS9's main characters.
Also, Garak isn't a side character. He is part of the main cast picture for the series. But he does seem like a side character what w/ how much he is overlooked in the story.
Voyager was more of a serial than DS9 in that every ep was tied to their mission of getting home. Yes, there were diversions & side stories along w/ it, but that hardly falls under the category of "monster of the wk."
In the most recent ep, there was no enemy to fight. It was about Harry Kim getting involved w/ an alien woman w/o following Starfleet protocol about intimate relationships among newly discovered species. Along w/ that personal storyline, the Voyager crew was trying to find a way to restore warp capability to an entire spacefaring civilization that was going thru its own internal struggle of what kind of destiny they would set for themselves. This led to a disaster onboard their ship that could have destroyed them & Voyager had it not been for Harry's quick thinking. No monster to fight, but still plenty of character development, danger, & interesting storyline.
And that's what this comes down to; interesting storyline. Which series has more of that? Voyager's consistently good, w/ a few cheesy eps now & then. DS9 is constantly bad, & only has a few regular episodes.***
***What happens if Starfleet meets a species that has Androids/Robots? - Data & the Androids in TOS were a great concept & idea, but there would have to have someone else that has invented Robots using AI for cheap labor.***
ReplyDeleteI seem to recall an ep from TOS where Kirk had to deal w/ "Harry Mudd" & a planet seemed t/b run by robots! They just wanted to take care of "us!"
***That ep was REALLY funny; esp. when Kirk & Co. had to overpower the robots w/ illogical activity!
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Is Janeway A Bad Character? I think she was great, the ep where the ship has to go thru a nebula & Seven is the only 1 who can survive to work the ship while the others are in stasis, she gets lonely & isn't used to it. There were other female Borg on TNG. They didn't look like expensive hookers. - 7 of 9 was eye candy. It whb better if she didn't look like a dominatrix.***
Some make it seem like Janeway walked around Voyager dressed "all in white" w/ cleavage down to her navel like Servalan of "Blake's 7!" Bad character? She overdid it by being more honest & keeping her promises which sacrificed their getting home sooner!
***Being more honest you say? ...It seems to me a miracle that Kirk & Picard's Enterprises lasted as long as they did if they shared Janeway's own attitudes.***
They have to overcompensate on Voyager since 1/2 of the crew were literally "mercenaries," bordering on "terrorists!" Janeway had to lead by example & I thought it impractical @ X's, but what "hero" doesn't go that extra mile? ...
***That w/b fine except....she didn't have to put any of these people in any position of authority. I give a pass to Chakotay somewhat, but the others? No way. There's no reason to put Torres in charge of Engineering. She's not officer material for one, & there are already plenty of loyal Starfleet officers to put in that position, such as Lt. Kerry. ...
I'd never have given the Maquis uniforms either or ranks, b/c a captain wouldn't have that kind of authority to bestow (being a field-grade officer) & there has t/b a stern reminder that these are not officers. Regardless of how we may feel about the Maquis & their goals, they're not officers in the service.
You could say that integrating them into the crew the way she did might've changed their mindset so completely, which is what happened, since by the end of S 1, the whole Maquis/Starfleet issue was completely gone. But there's no logical reason for that, even if they are stranded 75,000 light yrs from home. Rather, it ought to have been the reverse! They all should've been plotting & scheming from the get-go to take over the ship & kill Janeway for being a complete lunatic or idiot for stranding them there for no good reason in the 1st place.
The producers went out of their way not to have this kind of dilemma challenging Janeway b/c she's a woman, out of fear that such issues m/b construed as PI. It's very rare that there's ever any serious challenge to her command ability throughout the series for this reason; after all, Kirk & Picard didn't get that kind of scrutiny all the X, & when they did it was rather obvious that they were not behaving as themselves. Here, we have a situation where if Janeway were male, she would've & ought to have been challenged on her abilities, & rightly so. Had they had any courage, they might not have ever needed Seven of Nine to create some tension & interest in the show.***
If they had overthrown & killed Janeway to take over the ship; "mercenaries" w/b quite apropos as a moniker! They would end up being like that savage "universe" where Kirk had to behave as a barbarian to "get by!"
***I think you exaggerate. The Maquis were not mercenaries or pirates, but rebel combatants fighting for their homes vs the Cardassians (& unfortunately, the Fed). Most of them were former Starfleet officers. If they had conducted a successful mutiny & chucked Janeway out the airlock, it's very likely they still would've continued to journey back home. It might've taken them longer, though.
ReplyDelete...W/ Janeway gone and the Maquis in control, the rest of the Starfleet side would've fallen right in line w/ the new command. This situation is extraordinary, and isn't what they signed up for; stranded by an incompetent commander on the other side of the galaxy. If they get back to the Alpha Quadrant, they m/b court-martialed for their coop., but who cares? They're alive, and in that situation nobody would blame them.***
It wouldn't be ST if any of your scenario took place! People would run off screaming! Majel alone would nix all of it! In an alt. universe that came back to sanity w/b acceptable; sorta when Voyager's double was destroyed, but a baby salvaged!
***Well, maybe not, but if I were to fix Voyager, the threat of a mutiny from the Maquis elements would always be there, right up until the last season. I'd never give it up b/c it's the main source of drama. I'd make Janeway sane, but a little over her head given the situation, and I'd have fixed Caretaker to where there really was no choice but to strand the ship in the Delta Quadrant, among other things.
But where have I gone wrong? If in the event of a successful mutiny, my scenario is logical. If Chakotay is put in charge, he'd get rid of Tuvok and Neelix. ...It wouldn't be too hard to overthrow Janeway; indeed, given how horrible a person she is, the Maquis might have help from the Starfleet elements. Tom Paris wouldn't have too much of an objection, and Harry Kim doesn't have the guts or the expertise to do anything about it anyway.
If done early enough, this leaves Seska w/ a quandary. W/ Janeway gone, she has nothing to do but to go along for the ride. And there'd be no need to make crazy deals w/ the Borg since Chakotay is neither stupid nor crazy.
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Dr. Pulaski's role was that of a female Dr. McCoy. She brought a certain humanity in her role as the doctor. Her interaction w/ Data changed & it became almost as familiar as the interaction btw McCoy & Spock. I can't imagine she would feel anything but grief over the loss of Lal; esp. if she achieved emotion. My guess also is that she whb right in the middle of the argument w/ Picard & Vice admiral Haftel, probably telling Haftel to go to hell.***
Muldar was a much better actress & brought back memories of the original series, but she so offended me being cold to the sentience of Data! It may have changed later, but it was hard to get over for me anyway! He was lit'l more than a soda pop dispenser & calculator in her mind! In "Tim Man," Tam treated Data w/ more respect & he w/o a doubt was 1 of the rudest visitors to the ship!
***Maybe she had a fetish for advanced sex-toys.***
The idea took me back to my childhood & a movie from '62 called "Creation Of The Humanoids!" The star's sister was "in rapport" w/ an artificial being! Sounded appetizing @ the X, but I'm over it! ;-)
***I just think they used Data too much. He was always just there. Should've dialed him back a tad.
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...Also that guy that Dick Jones grabbed in the bathroom was piloting the EXCELSIOR in ST III***
That guy? He's Jose Ferrer's son, Miguel! He's 2 yrs older than me & starred in many a movie & series! And as you said appeared as a starship helmsman in "ST III, TSFS!"
*** - http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/USS_Excelsior?file=Excelsior_bridge_2285.jpg -
Found it odd that a 23rd Century captain w/b carrying a swagger stick.***
Thanks! Probably the last X he looked cute! Poor thing started losing his hair very early on!
***As shown in the movie, Apocalypse chooses 4 Horsemen to serve him in each age. Death, War, Famine & Pestilence (in no particular order).
ReplyDeleteDuring the Ancient Egyptian era, they specifically had those names (although it certainly wasn't revealed in the minimalist dialogue that these filmmakers like to use), but in the modern age, which character was assigned to which role? How do we match Angel, Storm, Psylocke & Magneto to Death, War, Famine & Pestilence?
In the behind the scenes documentaries on the Blu-ray, the director says he researched cults & he said they pass on their ideologies thru Politics, Military, Youth & Sex. Magneto was Politics, Angel was Military/War, Storm was the Youth movement, & Psylocke was the Sexual revolution aspect. Doesn't really link w/ Death, War, Famine & Pestilence, but Singer is really another self absorbed, semi-literate Hollywood guy, so obviously he's not going to think about that & wants his own translation & nobody else's. Thanks for the No Help, Bryan.
So if we did a literal linking, how would that work? Here's how I *think* it would work, but if there's actually an "official" categorization, please feel free to add:
Angel = Death: This mainly comes to mind b/c of the "Angel of Death" archetype & I think in the comics, Archangel really was supposed to represent Death.
Magneto = Famine: I'm assigning this to Magneto b/c he feels "starved" as his family is continuously taken away from him. He wants others to feel the same emptiness as he does. This is esp. noted in the speech he gives at the foundry before he tries to kill everybody there.
Storm = Pestilence: The weather c/b a source of pestilence when you think about it. Excessive droughts & storms can cause a lot of hardship & Storm can control all of this.
Psylocke = War: This is mainly just process of elim. & War is all that's left. I guess you can say that she represents War b/c of her swords (both metal and psionic), but I don't really see that any other aspect of her personality follows this. She & Angel could almost trade titles, but I'm not 100% sure on that one.
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Magneto: War. He was born in war & his entire existence is the pursuit of a war btw man & mutant.
Psylocke: Death. She's a hired goon assassin & really the only thing good for is killing.
Storm: Famine. She did what she had to do coming from poverty & her hunger drove her to crime. Her abilities allow her to cause famine on a global scale too.
Angel: Pestilence. He's poisoned by his past & it's killing him. He becomes consumed by his self hatred & becomes a pest upon the planet.
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The Wolverine Trilogy Title Analysis - It makes sense:
X-Men Origins: Wolverine ----> Original Timeline
It works as perfect prequel to the original trilogy. It's both the birth of "Wolverine" & an X-Men prequel.
The Wolverine ---- 2nd Timeline (Intermedium)
The X-Men disbanded yrs before, Wolverine is alone & more feral. He must fight t/b Wolverine again.
Logan ----> 3rd Timeline (Post-DOFP)
The Death of Wolverine & the "rebirth" of a more human Logan.***
Logan just can't carry a movie my himself! I won't watch his lone offerings; just not entertaining to me & obviously others! He does a lot better in the group; & not leading! He's supposed to be a beast! I'm still wondering why they decided to start featuring him in the animated series as well 10+ yrs ago! Cyclops was the field leader of the X-Men w/ Storm 2nd in charge! That's canon IMO!
***Can anybody think of a single fact about Daleks that hasn't been contradicted in a later story?
ReplyDeleteThey need static electricity to move about. (The Daleks, The Power of the Daleks.) Contradicted in nearly every story, notably Death to the Daleks in which they use telekinetic power - but only in that story.
They were originally called Dals. (The Daleks.) Contradicted in Genesis of the Daleks, in which it was changed to Kaleds.
They have squidlike creatures inside them. (The Daleks, Power of the Daleks, Dalek and many others.) Contradicted in Destiny of the Daleks in which the Dalek is established as a robot.
They have trouble w/ stairs. (The Chase, according to Ian Chesterton (who was presumably stating the obvious) & (sort of) in Destiny of the Daleks.) Addressed rather than contradicted in Remembrance of the Daleks, Revelation of the Daleks (sort of) & Dalek, although arguably various serials suggest that they manage it somehow.
Skaro was destroyed. (Remembrance of the Daleks) Contradicted in the TV Movie (although arguably it chb set in the past) & Asylum of the Daleks (clearly "contemporary" in the usual Who sense of the word). The Daleks also met their "final end" in Evil of the Daleks, which didn't include the destruction of Skaro.
They have no concept of mercy. (Genesis of the Daleks.) Contradicted in The Witch's Familiar - & treated as if it's the 1st ever contradiction involving Daleks. Bloody Moffat!
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I remember something like that. I can hear the voice saying "mercy," but I think the 1 particular Dalek was unwell & returned to the normal "exterminate" as soon as it was able to connect w/ the other Daleks (or it was a ruse).
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No, the one in Big Bang was asking for mercy just seconds before River killed it. She even goaded it into repeating the word a few X's before firing the fatal shot.
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When did Doctor Who 1st air in the US? Which Doctor? Was it Tom Baker? That was my 1st exposure to any of the series; 1st on VHS & then on PBS. And I'm guessing it 1st aired on PBS in the US.
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I remember seeing 1 ep from "The Ambassadors of Death" (as I later found out) back in '72 or '73. This was on PBS. I just happen to remember where I was living @ the X & the circumstances that led me to watch it so I can date it w/i a yr or 2.
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Don't know the definitive answer to your ??, but I 1st watched Tom Baker stories around '82 or '83 on San Jose, Cal's, PBS affiliate KTEH (now KQEH) when I lived in the Silicon Valley. "The Seeds of Doom" is the 1st 1 I remember. A few yrs later, I'd moved to So Cal & rediscovered DW on 1 of the PBS affiliates, probably KCET or KOCE, as they were airing the Sylvester McCoy stories. "Paradise Towers" was the 1st 1 I remember then.***
For us in Chgo back in the mid 70's, it was a late nite Sunday PBS telecast; end of a British invasion w/ lead-ins of "Monty Python's Flying Circus, The 2 Ronnies, Dave Allen, & maybe Bennie Hill!" I'm strange & apprec. their humor collecting eps of "Agony" & "Are You Being Served?! Unfortunately it's on BETA format so donated them w/ a player to local library! Too old to carry around those heavy tapes; not like my VHS collection is any lighter!
***NEW STAR TREK TV SERIES COMING JAN. '17 - CBS TV Studios announced today it will launch a totally new Star Trek TV series.
ReplyDeleteThe next chapter of the ST franchise w/b distributed concurrently for TV & X platforms around the world by CBS Studios Int'l. The new program w/b the 1st original series developed specifically for U.S. audiences for CBS All Access, a cross-platform streaming service that brings viewers 1000's of eps from CBS’s current & past seasons on demand.
The brand-new ST will introduce new characters seeking imaginative new worlds & new civilizations, while exploring the dramatic contemporary themes that have been a signature of the franchise since its inception in '66. Alex Kurtzman co-wrote and produced the blockbuster films Star Trek ('09) w/ Roberto Orci, and ST Into Darkness ('13) w/ Orci and Damon Lindelof. Both films were produced & directed by J.J. Abrams.
Star Trek, which will celebrate its 50th an. in '16, is 1 of the most successful entertainment franchises of all time. The original ST spawned a dozen feature films & 5 successful TV series. Almost half a century later, the ST TV series are licensed on a variety of diff. platforms in > than 190 countries, & the franchise still generates > than a billion social media impressions every month.
Born from the mind of Gene Roddenberry, the original ST series debuted on Sept. 8, '66 & aired for 3 seasons – a short run that belied the influence it would have for gens. The series also broke new ground in storytelling & cultural mores, providing a progressive look at topics including race relations, global politics & the environment.
...The new TV series isn't related to the upcoming feature film ST Beyond which is scheduled t/b distributed by Paramount Pictures in summer '16.
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What kind of a First Officer would Data have been?***
I think Data could perform the job of a 1st Officer quite competently! The problem w/b select crewmembers who would object; esp. if he was ordering the risk of human lives! There was an ep. where Data commanded a ship where sev. were being implored to scan, secure, and maybe prevent the movements of a Romulan ship being commanded by Tasha's daughter! Data was giving orders & this jerk-ass kept ??ing every order b/c it put the crew in jeopardy in some way! "We're not machines that can ...!" He shb court-martialed on the spot! ;-)
***When, exactly, did the hate for Wesley begin? ...It's 1 thing if you have an in, as Wesley does.***
There existed the polar opposites of ridiculousness; an able enough chap w/ such a lack of personality, a computer program would seem more lively to the other extreme of a child more able than any of the ship's personnel! They took it further giving them "god-like" powers in their own personal eps! It was hard to watch 1st run; catching most of the episodes in syndication! The same w/ "Voyager!" - The only X I've seen Wil since leaving the show was a celebrity edition of "The Weakest Link" w/ the other "STNG" & his short-lived Sci-fy docu-series! Only saw a couple of eps 2 or 3 yrs ago!
***Rate the Star Treks:
1. TNG
2. Voyager
3. Enterprise
4. DS9
5. TOS
6. Discovery
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I've only seen some eps of the TV shows so I'm going to have to rate the movies:
- Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan ('82)
- Star Trek: First Contact ('96)
- Star Trek III: The Search for Spock ('84)
- Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home ('87)
- Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country ('92)
- Star Trek: Nemesis ('02)
- Star Trek Generations ('94)
- Star Trek: Insurrection ('98)
- Star Trek: The Motion Picture ('80)
- Star Trek V: The Final Frontier ('89)***
***The mystery developed nicely in "The Pilot" & it was a welcome change to not have the fate of the world or universe in the balance. My one quibble was a cast-off bit of someone's spaceship being able to almost instantaneously follow the TARDIS across billions of parsecs & millions of yrs. I'm pretty sure that = the Master isn't capable of casually doing that. So the Doctor leads something that can zero in on him flawlessly to the Daleks?***
ReplyDeleteYou noticed? Around the X of "The Destiny Of The Daleks!" We hadn't heard of the Movellans & couldn't believe the producers went to all that trouble aesthetically making them attractive w/ the dreds & hot space suits!
***This makes me like the ep = more. I confess I didn't recognize them, it's been a long X since I've watched that ep. ...I was annoyed that the Doctor would just pop into the Time War to get rid of the alien tailing him. Imagining Baker's somewhere right around the corner makes the ep = >er.
...When we are seeing things from the Doctor's pov instead, the show suffers I think. So it's the relateable people who make the best companions - So I like Bill so far, but I'm waiting to see if she continues t/b written well or if Moffat finds a way to ruin her.
Mystery remained unsolved: wow, that space goo was super high tech. It can follow the TARDIS thru space & X? What were they doing in Bristol?
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Wow, some Who fans ...they'll react out of sheer hate of a character.***
The most hated it seems for all X goes back to the original companion being "knocked off" in "Earthshock;" Adric! I still tear up, but he was such a dick the way he was written & it appears in real life as he alienated everyone behind the scenes!
***One thing I wondered about was River having dossiers on all 11 previous Doctors, but no knowledge of Capaldi's. Did the Time Lords' intervention in "The Time of the Doctor" from outside the universe mean that the Doctor's survival is itself an acausal event that wasn't reflected in the timeline as a whole? Does every action the 12th Doctor takes anywhere change history, ...?***
That's what bothered me the most about River; "all knowing, all seeing," except when Capaldi's right in front of her! Looked as if The Doctor was getting a kick out of seeing her manic state & a lit'l out of control! Normally she's 2 steps in front of him going back to "The Library!" What an idea; 2 entities living in oppo. directions, but her knowing more than him throughout their brief encounters!
***Why would she know any other Doctor before Tennant? She "met" him when she was about to go straight to the "Library" to "die"/be saved; was born during Smith's incarnation & "met" Capaldi some where in-btw.
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...It took me forever to warm up to Capaldi, & now that I have of course there's a companion I just can't stand. And it makes me sad b/c I have loved this show since the reboot, including the companions.***
Been w/ it since the 60's & the 2 Cushing movies; have to go w/ the flow! Sooner or later it gels into something you'll like! Heaven knows the McCoy yrs were lost on me; the 1 Dalek & Cybermen eps saved his tenure!
***...All of a sudden there's a FINITE # of regenerations?***
Well in "Hell Bent," Rassilon mused about "how many regenerations did we give you? I have all night" as he raised the Glove of Rassilon to take the Doctor's life again & again when he was demanding info about "The Hybrid!"
***Oh I know, & likely it'll j/b retcon shit-canned by future writers if they have any sense.***
***...Pompeii where the Doctor has to set off the volcano.***
ReplyDeleteI can still hear Donna imploring the Doctor; "you can't just leave them!" W/i the last couple seasons, I seem to remember they invoked Capaldi's image from that ep. to make it seem it wasn't haphazard his last regeneration! Anyone? I just don't watch the eps again & again like I did w/ Classic Who! They were more entertaining & you didn't have to think! Nu-Who is so complicated, I may never be able to take on the nuances of what happened b/c I don't watch them relentlessly to learn WTH's going on! The Time War is a lot more complicated now than during era of "Keys To Time!" & "Genesis Of The Daleks!" The arcs w/ Moffet can go on for yrs; some < surprising than others! I think everyone knew that was River as the lit'l girl earlier before shooting The Doctor in the astronaut suit! I turned 60 last month & it just isn't sinking as well as it used to!
***I wouldn't say they are complicated; more like needlessly convoluted.***
I was trying to give Moffet the benefit of the doubt, but "convoluted" is how I describe Nu-Who to friends!
***Overall I thought "Lie Of The Land" was pretty good. Certainly >er than "Pyramid," but given how much of a mess that ep. was overal, I guess that's not a big accomplishment. I couldn't help seeing the Monks as a lot like the Silence, what w/ their supposed long history w/ humanity, not to mention shooting electricity out of their hands, & like the Silence, were pretty nonsensical in the end & their defeat was easily dispatched. It's like Moffett has great ideas for stories, but isn't always sure of how to end them.***
I definitely got a "Slience vibe" & posted as such! It's like they're running out of ideas & to keep the show going, they've given up & said "go w/ the formula; change the names & costumes, then be done w/ it!"
***I'm not convinced that Missy is on the road to redemption. The Doctor w/b foolish to believe that she's sincere & not playing him. Also, why did he describe the 2 of them as the last of the Time Lords? Did the memory wipe in "Hell Bent" make him forget that he found Gallifrey?
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The Time Lords moved Gallifrey 4+ B yrs into the future to avoid things like resuming the Time War w/ the Daleks & presumably aren't going t/b traveling back to what's now their distant past to mess that up. From the perspective of anyone who doesn't have a TARDIS, the Doctor & the Mistress are the last of the Time Lords.
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Moffatt is excellent @ short stories, but he destroys any extended story spiraling out of control. This was proof for me. This one ep. would have worked >er w/o the trilogy. What purpose did the 1st 2 eps serve? I can barely remember them. Sure the story was beyond stupid, but I so enjoy Twelve, Nardole & Bill. There's a great dynamic btw the 3 of them. I love Nardole & Bill paired together. I love '12' when he's having fun. That smile!
I despised the elaborate fake out that they pretended was to prove Bill was on the right team, but was really just to fake out the audience. It worked, as I wondered if the Doctor really would regenerate. I almost wish that had been true b/c it m/b interesting to see Bill deal w/ the Doctor after having shot him thinking she c/b killing him. I did like Bill's willingness to take responsibility for being the reason the Monks took over & deciding she had t/b the one to end it. I got very misty @ her good-bye scene w/ the Doctor. Bill has become my 2nd fave companion after Donna. Despite the crappy storylines, I'm still loving this season.***
That's what it is really, "spiraling out of control;" sorta like that Xmas special where it's a dream w/i a dream! lol!
***Weird. How can you like & not-like a show all @ the same X. ...***
ReplyDeleteIt's quite easy to have a "love/hate" relationship w/ a show that's gone from what was considered a kid's program in the 60's to a reboot going against all kinds of "canon!" There were 2 feature films w/ Peter Cushing back in the 70's, a continuation of the British run thru sev. Doctors; some more successful than others, went on hiatus, Fox producing a movie 10 yrs later, now the current re-boot 10 more yrs after that! Not sure I've seen any program go thru so many incarnations; sorta like the Doctor himself!
***I've been a fan of DW since 4-yo me watched Tom Baker fall off a radio tower & turn into Peter Davison in '81. ...I know all about the ups & downs this show can go thru, and'll always love it. But there are nonethe< certain eps & eras that just don't work for me. ...I don't need the show t/b perfect, but has to hit the right notes. ...I agree about the show failing most when I dislike the companion - I couldn't = watch the show toward the end of Clara's run, I'd come to dislike her so very intensely. ...This season, I don't really like Nardole, although he's growing on me slightly, but I love Bill & her relationship w/ the Doctor. I guess loving the characters isn't enough for me after all. I need the story to hold together enough to not destroy my suspension of disbelief as well.***
The companion situation is what's been the drawback since the beginning w/ ROSE when I started watching the re-boot! His affection for her was nauseating from 9 & 10, then worse w/ Clara from 10 & increasing in his passion w/ 11! The Doctor is willing to overlook every moral code he has to keep her safe or save her life! Past Doctors could very well walk away from impeding doom of a volcano which he knows will wipe out a family he's met! It's one thing to change history, but for Clara he's willing to put the whole universe & X in jeopardy! He legitimately went insane traveling around for too long on his own; goes overboard w/ the companions that interest him in the least! W/ Bill, she's probably = more use< than past companions, willing to give us all up to oblivion to save the Doctor! Call me a cold fish, but 1 life "ain't" worth all that; = the Doctor's!
***It's not uncommon in fiction for a wounded soldier to fall for his nurse; for the Doctor coming off the Time War, Rose was that nurse. But Bill did that out of faith in the Doctor. He's always been a sucker for people looking up to him.***
But these companions always seem to cause death & destruction! "Dalek" comes to mind w/ Rose having compassion for a machine, touching it & causing an entire underground base t/b decimated! Amy & Clara just as bad! Bill's incessant ??s is what's driving me bonkers more than anything! It never seems to stop, = under gunfire!
***I'm willing to have some plotholes and allowthings to be waved away if the basic core of the story is worth it and makes sense, but this is just a repeat of the Silence w/ the Monks. And then you have the fact that if Bill is removed from the transmitters, then people will break free from the control. Last X I checked, the TARDIS was not exactly in this dimension so why not put her in there to break the connection & have them lose their anchor? Oh & there's Bill holding onto the truth when the world has fallen under the sway of a dictator. Where have I seen that before...hmmm...oh right, Martha walking around the world telling the story of the Doctor. At least they let Bill stay home. If Moffat's going to repeat his stories, @ least he could work out the kinks.***
***Doctor Who Commences Another Long Goodbye
ReplyDeleteI wasn't watching DW while Russell T. Davies & David Tennant were making the long, dragged-out limp to the end of their shared tenure on the show.
But while Moffat, who wrote this ep., seems unlikely to send Capaldi parading around X & space to moon @ all of his ex-companions, he's certainly not above raiding the show's past. ...ranking of this wk's ep's classic Who source material, from least obvious to most.
Dr. Who & The Daleks & Daleks' Invasion Earth, 2150 A.D. ('66)
They also featured Cushing as a character who called himself DW. ...Moffat has mucked about w/ Who mythology pretty shamelessly over the yrs, but leaving us saddled w/ the knowledge that the Doctor's mysterious real name is actually "Dr. Who" m/b grounds for excomm.
"The Ark" ('66)
The new ep. is set entirely aboard a gargantuan colony ship that seems to have X independent biomes, not unlike this serial from late in the 1st Doctor's run. Not t/b confused w/ 1975's "The Ark In Space," which was a whole diff. & much better thing.
...
"Spearhead From Space" ('70) thru "Planet Of The Spiders" ('74)
...Apparently his old Venusian aikido skills came back to him this wk, just in X to help him flip Jorj to the deck.
Castrovalva ('82), Time-Flight ('82), The King's Demons ('83), etc.
The Master went thru a stretch when part of his brand included being a master of disguise. ...This fits w/ Bill's long sojourn w/ Mr. Razor, a scroungy & disreputable-looking hospital drudge who speaks as though in a 2nd language. He also gets all the best lines. ...But honestly, who would go to the trouble of staying in character for yrs to hide one's identity from someone who's never seen their current face?
"Terror Of The Autons" ('71) thru "Survival" ('89)
As originated by Roger Delgado & carried on by Anthony Ainley, the early Masters always sported a sinister pointed goatee. (I'm disregarding the 2 Tom Baker-era serials in which the Master lacked facial hair b/c he also lacked facial skin.) It wouldn't = be anachronistic to call it an evil-Spock beard.
The 3 Doctors ('73), The 5 Doctors ('83), The Day Of The Doctor ('13)
Having more than 1 portrayer of the same Time Lord onscreen @ the same X used t/b reserved mostly for spec. occasions like decade anniv. ('85's "The 2 Doctors" is both an outlier & rather silly).
"Revenge Of The Cybermen" ('74-75)
Maybe there are earlier examples of companions being converted to Cybermen like Bill has been.
"The Sound Of Drums" ('07)
The return of John Simms as the Davies-era Master is accompanied by his old musical motif of the 4 drumbeats symbolizing the cardiac rhythms of a Time Lord. It also indicates that Missy's rehabilitation may have just struck a major hitch.
"Genesis Of The Daleks" ('75)
Some Dalek stories are better than others, but "Genesis..." to witness (& attempt to stop) their creation was perhaps the best ever. ...One can, however, blame Moffat for trying to borrow its reflected glory. By now the Cybermen have so many origin stories -- includ. @ least 3 home worlds -- that 1 might think they just arise spontaneously, like fruit flies or dictatorships.
"The 10th Planet" ('66)
No-brainer. Not coincidentally, William Hartnell's last serial as the Doctor was also the 1st pre-regen. story of the series. It was also the 1st appearance of the Cybermen, & Earth's twin planet Mondas, their doomed (1st) home world. If these famous original Cybermen were introduced in '17, they w/b unlikely to catch on. ...***
***Was there any hint in this ep. about Capaldi's X in Pompeii during his pre-Doctor days? I was waiting for it, but had a hard X hearing/understanding some parts of the ep.
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No, & there's no reason there s/b since Caecilius was just a random person the Doctor met once, not 1 of former past selves - & he has visited the Roman era more than once, = lived there for sev. months in his 1st incarnation. He did refer to having lived in the Roman era once, but did not mention his trip to Pompeii, which was wise - the more they reference the fact that this Doctor is played by an actor who played another role in the show previously, the harder it is to maintain the 4th wall & suspension of disbelief.***
I could swear they did look @ the Pompei character & tried to tie it into the reason the Doctor looks the way he does now! I'm pretty sure it was brought up, though briefly in 1 of the Doctor's long soliloquies explaining why something is the way it is! ...Nu Who has been so convoluted, I don't = try to figure it out & keep ARCs str. in my head @ 60! If you listen close, it appears the "Time War" has been going on the entire series; just coming into prominence w/ Tom Baker in "Genesis Of The Daleks!"
***Yes, it was referenced once - the 12th Doctor w/ Clara (in that 1st ep. w/ Maisie Williams, when he made her immortal) suddenly 'remembered' where he'd seen his own face previously, & theorized that he'd subconsciously taken that appearance to remind himself to help people. ...Repeated references would do nothing but draw attention to the contrivance. And yeah, Nu Who really does want us to believe that the Time War has been going on forever & that "Genesis" was the start of it - yet that really isn't the case.***
Thanks!
***They've kind of cheapened the Time War as X has gone on (distilling it down to a Dalek fleet shooting @ Gallifrey thru a planetary force field), but my original impression from the 1st season of Nu Who was that both sides were using X travel as a weapon, repeatedly changing the past in attempts to gain advantage over each other. So the war was happening everywhere, in the distant past & far future, causing universe-wide disruptions as history was rewritten again & again.***
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I'm as frustrated as ever w/ this Bill character! Her last breath w/b a ??!
***...At 1st I thought the nurse was adjusting that patient's medication in "World Enough & Time." ***
So Bill was just as unsympathetic as the nurse by turning the vol. down on those 2 candidates who were further along! Unfortunately, b/c of the X discrepancy, like Amy, "she waited" too long for The Doctor! Sad, but it was inevitable! No companion finds trouble faster & w/ more consequences to the well being of human kind than Bill! Any sympathy for her character faded when she turned over the Earth to The Monks so she could selfishly hold onto the Doctor!
***I, for one, like Bill & can do w/o the Master, Daleks, & Cyberman FWIW in any incarnation. I really hope this is not the end of Bill. - I like Bill as well, & will def. miss her if this is the end. I think that she was much more interesting & likeable than Clara who irritated me after her 1st season. Bill's crying is what made the newer Cybermen's eyes have what appears t/b teardrops.***
It's Bill's inquisitive nature that "frosts my cake!" Why would anyone touch equipment like that anyway? In this scene, instead of being able to ask 1000 ??'s, she wanders about the hospital, not knowing what might happen waiting for the Doctor! She drives me to distraction & won't miss her if The Doctor's unable to reverse this & bring her back!
***I understand what you're saying. Bill has been a polarizing companion from the beginning. I guess if I wasn't so charmed by her I'd also see her touching the equipment as problematic.***
***Each of this season's eps has made me a lit'l sadder. Not b/c it was bad or an overall waste. On the contrary, I enjoyed it greatly, includ. the refs to Classic Who like the pic of Susan on the desk, Alpha Centauri's cameo, a whole bunch of Ice Warriors instead of a lone 1 in a sub (w/ also a nod to "Tomb of the Cybermen" which features a very similar sleeping chamber).
ReplyDeleteNo, what makes me sad is that we're coming ever so closer to Capaldi's departure after the next Xmas special, who quickly became one of my 3 fave actors in the role, but who was saddled for a long X w/ that narrative phagocyte, Clara; eps in which she was < present or separate from the Doctor allowed PC to shine & he really came into his own this season & last Xmas.
Last wk's trailer had spoiled the return of the Master's previous incarnation so I was keeping an eye out for him & couldn't decide if the attendant Bill befriends was indeed him under that heavy make-up; I kept going back & forth b/c JS did an excellent job of masking his usual voice and inflexions. The disguise was an amusing call-back to the old Master's inclination towards disguises on Classic Who.
So Missy & the Master can coexist together. I guess the Blinovitch Limitation Effect is truly for the dustbin of history, although it always seemed that Time Lords were immune to it despite the Doctor's dire warnings to to contrary & only the poor Brigadier was really shown to suffer its effects. We also get back the very 1st incarnation of the Cybermen; they certainly are much creepier than the lastest version who're basically just lead-footed big robots. But these are still very close to their original nature; there's flesh under those wrappings.
I will also be sorry to say goodbye to the Tardis crew we have now; I find the dynamics well balanced & they allow for an interplay that serves both the storytelling & the characters. Bill is still the wide-eyed assertive newbie, while Nardole has traveled to a lot of planets & is more of the Doctor's world than the former c/b; he certainly is not the Doctor's =, but he can chide him if nec. when he falters in his mission to guard Missy, acting as a sort of Jiminy Cricket. I expect him t/b gone soon, but I do not really believe that Bill will stay in her Cyberman state permanently.
The +tion of Missy to the Tardis in "World Enough & Time" raises some interesting possibilities: will she remain faithful to her newfound compassion & = sacrifice herself for her new allies, or will she revert to her evil character? The time distortion premise of that long spaceship wasn't completely convincing, but the one true false note of the ep was the "Doctor Who?" banter @ the beginning; it was not = remotely as witty as SM must have figured it would come across.
So mixed feelings in expectation of next wk: it has to deliver quite a punch, but it w/b PC's last bow during a regular season.
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I'm taking it for granted that the male Master is a Mondasian Master thus not "real." I'm also holding out hope there is going to be some kind of Deus ex Machina to save/un-Cyber Bill. I really don't want Pearl Mackie t/b another one-and-done companion. I'm just getting used to her & she's GONE? And we not only have to get used to another Doctor but another companion as well?
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But Mondas isn't another universe, it's just another planet; Earth's twin. There can't be a 'Mondasian' Master; the Master is Gallifreyan. This is actually very typical of the character - you think you've seen the last of him, and then he pops up again. As for how he got out of the time lock, well, a) we already knew he'd got out somehow, b/c that's the only way Missy c/b running around the universe, and b) the whole of Gallifrey is also out of there now, isn't it - wasn't that the takeaway from the end of last season.***
***"The Doctor Falls" - In the season finale, the Doctor makes a final stand vs an army of Cybermen to protect a tiny band of humans from destruction.
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I loved everything except the Heather/Bill resolution--that felt clumsy rather than poignant to me. The Master & Missy together were a hoot; wish we could have seen more of them, though their ending was so fitting. Happy Nardole went out a leader, a hero. And I'm glad Twelve got some beautiful moments here: his sadness @ knowing that he got Bill into this mess; his speech about doing what's right, being kind; his reaching out to Missy. I was esp. moved by his regret that he couldn't see the stars as he was dying.
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So Nardole is basically stuck being the leader of a group that sooner or later are going t/b overrun by Cybermen? When Missy was walking away from the Master, I was shouting @ her to not turn her back on him. I somehow can't see her being gone for good - although presumably w/b in a new incarnation next X. Glad that Bill got a happy ending, but I wish that the Doctor could find out somehow that she got uncyber-ised.
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I caught references to the following regens:
1 > 2 (the Mondasian Cybermen being responsible)
5 > 6 (all the prev. companions & The Master shouting The Doctor's name)
10 > 11 ("I don't want to go.")
11 > 12 ("When The Doctor was me.")
Were there any I missed?
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That was epic & odd. Basically, Bill is now kinda/sorta sentient water like her crush from "The Pilot." And they're going to explore space & X together. Now I'm wondering if they'll bump into Clara & Ashildr?
You gotta admit, if we don't see any incarnation of the Master for some X, this w/b the perfect end. Two scorpions stinging each other to death b/c that's what they are. Also liking Missy's weaponized umbrella.
I like the idea of the Doctor coming full circle, though I wonder if this w/b during or before One's adventures. ...what if the Doctor becomes brain-damaged/amnesiac, regenerates into something younger & female, & the 1st Doctor adopts her as his granddaughter? And the next season picks up after "The Dalek Invasion of Earth?"
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...Missy killed the Master to regenerate into Missy. The Master killed Missy so nobody knew about her choosing good. Nardole will get killed by Cybermen. Bill died, but was rescued by deus ex hydro. And the Doctor died, but was also rescued by magic water. Nobody got a happy ending & Missy's arc was wasted. ...Centuries have passed in the rest of the universe so Mondas never gets their desparately needed colony ship, so they make their own Cybermen and invade Earth in the 10th Planet.***
***Seven & Chakotay don't = make it onto my radar.***
ReplyDeleteIt was still some great lines in the finale invoking their relationship. Adm. Janeway says to her Captain self, "Seven of Nine is going to die. She w/b wounded on an away mission! She'll make it back to the ship & die in the arms of her husband; Chakotay."
***I loved the character of Tom & thought the actor was excellent in the role.***
He was ok. Can't think of him in much else besides the punk kid in "Masters Of The Universe." Dolph Lundgren was a lot more impressive as He-Man.
***"ST: Voyager's" Kazons = Really Tall Brown Oompa Loompas.***
...and "whipped!" Seska treated them all like weak, 2nd husbands! How tough were they?
***Or the fact they were known t/b backstabbers & liars. Other worlds listen to them when they said: "Don't trust Voyager, they're worst than us!"
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The thing that irked the Hell out of me was that in 2/3 yrs, they were still meeting Kazon, but they think that the "NW passage" will get them safely thru all of Borg territory. Then, after a few days of working w/ the Borg in "Scorpion" & beating Species 8472. They were acting like they were home free. Yes, Kes had to send them ahead 10 yrs, but @ the end of that ep. & the start of "The Gift," they don't give any indication that they w/b spending yrs going thru Borg space. Just putzing along @ impulse & de-Borging the ship. Like, there was no indication of preparations ...it was just lalala, oh! Borg space! We shall just waltz on thru! And, there were no terrorized planets prior to running right up to the Borg. Like, the guys that just swap people out of their ships 2 eps earlier--no indication that they're worried about the Borg expanding into their terr. or were = aware that the Borg were a thing. But, the Kazon have 3 yrs worth of terr. & are known throughout them? And = if they're just far-flung sects, why did Voyager keep running into them?
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Yes, encountering the Kazon & Viidians for so long was stupid. But time to traverse space has always been an issue in Trek (the Enterprise travelling from the Romulan border to Earth before the battle w/ the Borg was done, anyone?). But "Voyager" was the worst. Encountering the Hirogen in S6 (Janeway mentions detecting a hunting party as if it's perfectly normal they're in that region of space) & worse, in S7 encountering the same Hirogen she gave the holo-tech to in S 4. As if it wasn't bad enough they had been travelling away from the Hirogen for 2-3 yrs, both of these encounters occurred had made X 'jumps' in "Night," "Dark Frontier," "Timeless," "The Voyager Conspiracy" & "Dragon's Teeth" that had taken them almost 20 yrs closer to home. They encounter the Heirarchy almost 2 yrs after their initial run in w/ them; also after the jumps in "The VC" & "D's Teeth." And of course there's the Talaxian colony 35,000 light yrs from their home plant that they dump Neelix on. "DS9" was the only 1 that was halfway realistic w/ travel X's. It's mentioned a couple of X's it takes 2 wks to get to Earth. In "The Ship," Kira says it'll take a wk to retrieve Sisko from the Gamma Quadrant. And Kassidy mentions it takes 8 wks to traverse the Fed (meaning Voyager shbd w/ Kazon in < than 8 eps since it's unlikely they're as big as the Fed). Of course = it broke the Xing logic when it met the story (in "Paradise Lost," Sisko has the Defiant come to Earth & it's clear the elapsed X wasn't anywhere near 2 wks). As for the Borg, that's 1 thing they made a half-assed attempt to explain. They invented the Nekrit Expanse which was supposed t/b a sort of border. They start to encounter signs of the Borg shortly after crossing it & the races on the other side are generally more technologically advanced).***
***The Doctors Ranked (Worst to Best):
ReplyDelete- 1. Matt Smith - The 11th Doctor ('10-13) Best Ep: The Eleventh Hour, Worst Ep: Let's Kill Hitler
- 2. John Hurt - The War Doctor ('13) Best Ep: The Innocent Worst Ep: The Name of the Doctor
- 3. David Tennant - The 10th Doctor ('05-10) Best Ep: The Waters of Mars / Utopia, Worst Ep: New Earth
- 4. Christopher Eccleston - The 9th Doctor ('05) Best Ep: Dalek, Worst Ep: Aliens In London / World War III
- 5. Peter Davison - The 5th Doctor ('81-84) Best Ep: Frontios, Worst Ep: Enlightenment
- 6. Paul McGann - The 8th Doctor ('96-03) Best Ep: The TV Movie, Worst Ep: N/A
- 7. Colin Baker - The 6th Doctor ('84-86) Best Ep: TOATL: Mindwarp / Attack of the Cybermen, Worst Ep: TOATL: Terror of the Vervoids
- 8. Tom Baker - The 4th Doctor ('74-81) Best Ep: City of Death, Worst Ep: The Leisure Hive
- 9. Jon Pertwee - The 3rd Doctor ('70-74) Best Ep: Inferno, Worst Ep: The Time Monster
-10. William Hartnell - The 1st Doctor ('63-66) Best Ep: The Gunfighters, Worst Ep: The Keys of Marinus
-11. Peter Capaldi - The 12th Doctor ('13-17) Best Ep: World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls, Worst Ep: Hell Bent
-12. Patrick Troughton - The 2nd Doctor ('66-69) Best Ep: The War Games / The Faceless Ones, Worst Ep: The Abominable Snowmen
-13. Sylvester McCoy - The 7th Doctor ('87-96) Best Ep: Ghost Light / Remembrance of the Daleks / Survival, Worst Ep: Time and the Rani
-HM. Richard E. Grant - The Shalka Doctor ('03) Best Ep: Scream of the Shalka, Worst Ep: The Feast of the Stone
-HM. Peter Cushing - Dr. Who ('65-66) Best Ep: Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 AD, Worst Ep: Dr. Who and the Daleks
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Yeah, in the 80s they used to go to really great lengths to hide the fact that the Master was going t/b in an ep, crediting Anthony Ainley under false names until he'd been formally unveiled on-screen. If only we could manage that kind of spoiler-avoidance today - just imagine how epic the reveal whb in this ep if Simm's return as the Master hadn't already been leaked ages ago! Although they did do a very good job of covering him up so that it really didn't look or sound like him to keep people guessing.***
During the Delgado era, it wasn't unusual for The Master t/b behind every plot against the Earth since the Doctor favored it so much! It c/b Sea Devils or Silurians, but somehow The Master was able to shape events! When Ainley started showing up again & again, it almost became as comical! He had almost destroyed "everything" in "Logopolis," but during a regeneration of the Doctor from Baker to Davison, he shows up again in "Castovalva!" My eyes rolled more than a lit'l bit! I was starting to think producers were losing it & running out of ideas & plot! I started feeling the same way about the overuse of Daleks & Cybermen in NU Who when we were lucky to = see them once in a season of Classic! He was supposed t/b @ the end of existence, but he's somehow thrived w/ & w/o the help of The Time Lords! I wasn't unhappy to see 2 Masters, but concluding w/ the apparent double suicide/regens took it to new heights! We'll see him/her again I'm sure!
***I'm disappointed that the Master was spoiled b/c as soon as I saw that the janitor I knew he was the Master. There was no other reason to have an actor in some kind of old age makup/disguise like that. B/c of this, the scene where he & Missy meet was more of a "lets get this over w/ & move on" scene for me since I knew what was coming. Everything after that, however, was golden! The Master & Missy were quite the dastardly duo.***
***In the future the Doctor really should make sure the TARDIS isn't in flight during a regeneration.***
ReplyDeleteHe's supposed t/b so smart, but I SMH every X when he purposefully goes into the TARDIS & puts the ship "in flight" when he knows the consequences of his regeneration! It's huge w/ many rooms; why not go to the POOL area & let that get destroyed?
***What is it w/ this show's obsession w/ The Great War? Mark Gatiss just looked so perfect as the WW1 officer--I loved the historical detail. Actually one of my all time favorite episodes is when The Doctor became John Smith at the Public school (and his sweet romance with the widowed Nurse--a great way to treat a Doctor romance if you must.) One other note, the actor playing the 1st Doctor did a great job, but I couldn't stop thinking of Hogwarts.***
How many were surprised he was a Lethbridge-Stewart? He = looked like the Brigadier! I do love when they relate past characters & events to something in the future! W/o = seeing or remembering some Classic Who, I'd bet The Doctor is responsible for the Tower Of Pisa leaning to this day!
***I think this past yr was really great. I didn't hate Clara as much as a lot of people, but the show greatly improved w/ the intro of Bill & I find myself retroactively disliking Clara b/c we could have had more of the Doctor & Bill.***
Bill was about as annoying as Clara; m/b = more so! There c/b explosions going on w/ people dying around them & they're still "asking ??s!" I prefer companions that do more than that; like Nyssa & Turlough of Classic Who, Harkness, Martha who was doctor, and of course Nardole! The others are more like damsels in distress that the Doctor has to rescue b/c they don't watch where they're going & fall into HOLES like Bill did in the "Empress Of Mars" ep. last season!
***I really try to like the Doctor Who comics, but haven't gotten into them. I need to give them another shot....***
Never tried them; barely watched a couple animated eps on You Tube! Pretty much have only watched show on PBS since the late 70's, taped them on VHS & Beta formats, & read a few novels back in the 80's! Not sure how much I'm looking forward to Jodie taking over, but will give it a chance! I know they got us ready for the possibility w/ 2 regenerations going from male to female w/ The Master/Missy & the TL General, but would have preferred the Doctor continue as a man!
***A lot of people are saying that both she and the showrunner may quit after this season; her b/c she can't handle the sched. as a new mom, him b/c apparently putting out 10 shows a season is too much.***
...And women wonder why they don't get the great jobs or assignments! It's always something w/ them; call me a male chauvinist pig! COOL!
***Well, I think "It Takes You Away" was one of the >er eps. Felt bad for lonely Frogiverse. Still, unidentified monster noises in the forest & the Doctor runs away? Sure, tell the others to get inside for their safety, but confront the thing, like a... Doctor.***
...W/ a sonic screwdriver her only weapon! lol!
***Don't forget her weaponized intellect. It's a Doctor thing. You wouldn't understand.***
I'm well aware of all things Doctor! Been watching since I was in college back in the late 70's & have taped every ep. since '81 on Beta & VHS formats! Pls! I know how he has the gift of gab & talked the frog out of sending her back to her dimension! I just didn't go into it b/c it's so abstract & most wouldn't understand the Doctor c/b stripped naked & still save the universe! The Doctor's done it enough X's; from "Logopolis" to this past adventure, "It Takes You Away!"
***Mmmkay... so running away from an unknown monster? Not Doctor-like. The Doctor's confronted many a foe "w/ a sonic screwdriver her only weapon." It bugged me.***
***...You'd hope they wouldn't FK w/ canon just to amp up a mini-story arc in a random season. Hartnell's Doctor stole the TARDIS & FK'd up the chameleon circuit so it always looks like a police box. They can't place this new Doctor prior to that, so...***
ReplyDeleteThis thing w/ the Doctor possibly regen. into a woman was only explored in the last few yrs! I remember Smith pulling his hair down looking when regen. & exclaiming, "I'm a girl!" Then we actually saw the Gallifreyan Gen. from old man to young Black woman during Capaldi reign when he was blasted by the Doctor! I really can't recall them invoking the possibilities of regen. into either sex in those old days during the era of Hartnell thru Davison! Of course it was w/ The Master/Missy that it 1st actually happened IIRC! It wasn't = a shock since the Master always seems t/b around @ the least lit'l opening when needed; someX's re-enforced w/ the Daleks!
***...I didn't watch the fundamentally changed Dr. Who from a guy to a woman. Am I too rigid? It seems that politics was > important > the art. Can't stand that.***
I've been a serious "DW" devotee for decs! Baker was "the man" & I knitted my own DW scarf by '83 after seeing the pattern in the newspapers! I stayed w/ it thru the lean yrs w/ Colin B. & McCoy, survived that horrible movie in '96, & looked forward to a rebirth when re-booted in '05! I creating a fan page +ing other faves of "Blake's 7" & "Earth: Final Battle!" I felt they were testing out having a woman as the Doctor yrs ago; esp. when The Master came back as Missy! I've 1/2-heartedly watched, but haven't taped it as reliably as I'd've in the past!
***Jodie’s lookin’ foxier & has settled into The Doctor role a lot >. Good to see.***
I guess you haven't heard, Whittaker's about done w/ the role of the Doctor! It's been rumored & reported she m/b out! She's copping, using the precedent of 3 seasons/ Doctor! I guess she forget Eccleston jumped ship after just 1 season! I don't think he believed the reboot would succeed after so many yrs in hiatus w/ just the 1 movie in 2 decades!
***Yeah, I read something about that this wkend. There were rumors that she's leaving after this season & the netwk. didn't dispute the claim. They should try a non-humanoid Doctor. Heads would explode; or not. The NY'rs special had about 4.5 M viewers in the UK - not sure if that's a good or bad # though.
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Babylon 5 > every Star Trek series & film.***
Never got into "B5!" Not sure what could've kept me busy watching & recording other programs! "DW" was on a decade long hiatus until a movie was produced, then the Series re-booted 10 yrs after that! "Andromeda" & "Earth: The Final Battle" hadn't premiered yet! I caught up w/ "TNG, DS9, Voyager," & "Enterprise" later! It was interesting seeing them borrow storylines from one another! Chk'n out a marathon of "DS9" now! Never cared for Kira N.; one of the > damaged of characters! Even while being pregnant w/ the O'Brien child she couldn't control her vengeful nature in "The Darkness & The Light!"
***Interesting problem for "Star Trek: Discovery" casting. Given extrapolation of trends in interracial marriage, would there be any Caucasians left by the X of Star Trek?***
What a way to think, but it's true! I read an old sci-fi novel from Piers Anthony 30 yrs ago called "Mute!" Part of the intro described the society where it was against the law to marry someone of their own race to promote a more homogenous society! It's happening anyway w/o prodding which has Trump & his followers "up in arms!" In my day, mixed marriages were just becoming common; now a way of life for this gen.!
***They really only started toying w/ the idea that Time Lords could gender swap recently though. The 11th Doctor mentioned a fellow Time Lord called "The Corsair" who was both genders in various incarnations. Then they had the Master turn into Missy. So I think they were setting it up.***
ReplyDeleteI've been a fan since college in the mid 70's on PBS, but remember 2 DW movies w/ Peter Cushing from the 60's! When Smith became the Doctor 10 yrs ago, he pulled his hair down into his face & exclaimed, "I'm a girl!" Then you had Capaldi shoot the old Gen. on Gallifrey who regen. into a Black woman! That was the 1st gender change that happened we actually saw occur on screen!
***The 2 movies made by Amicus were lifted wholely from Wm Hartnell serials. They really don't work well b/c Cushing played the character totally diff. > Hartnell did. But they hinted @ cross gender regens long B4 they actually did one for the Doctor.***
Well they figured us old geezers would've died off by now, burying all the canons of DW while they thoroughly abuse & overuse The Cybermen, Daleks, & of course The Master/Missy! I'm still hanging in there @ 64 &'ve been watching the "up & downs" of the show for over 40 yrs! I actually knitted a DW scarf in '82 when the pattern posted!
***...I hear JW was a train wreck as The Doctor anyhow.***
IIRC, JW was another one of those actors who had no clue about the subject matter being taken on; HOW ICONIC?! I don't think she ever watched it in the past! The writing gave her the convo skills & cadance of speech to cont. annoying everyone out thinking, "TMI!" It was enough to see the Doctor exist out in space & then put on a suit upon re-entry to Earth, but they actually had Whitaker crash landing w/o = that in her 1st ep.! I guess the transfor. needed from that made her a woman! I knew it was a poss. in the future since prod. had already utilized that plotline changing the sex of the Master & a Gallifreyan gen.!
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***So, are we going to acknowledge the fact that a big chunk of the universe just gotten eaten up by the Flux? Mils or = bils are presumably dead, includ. all of Karvanista's people who were killed by the Sontarans. Guess its going t/b a smaller universe from now on?
There are def. some plot holes. I'm still annoyed that the show has decided to keep the ridiculous Timeless Child story, but still enjoyed the Flux a lot. I think I might like it = > watching this all together. ...Its DW, just chalk it up to Timey Wimey & enjoy the ride, which's easy in a story like this. The ending wasn't quite as satisfying or as epic, but I still feel mostly happy; esp. if they follow up > later on the post Flux universe that is 1/2 gone.
Its pretty rich of the Daleks to get all upset about being betrayed. You know they were just waiting to betray the Cybermen & Sontarans the 2nd they got the chance. No way they're all gone. They certainly aren't going to off 2 of their > iconic villains, esp. w/ such lit'l fanfare.
The Grand Serpent turned out t/b quite unnec. didn't he? A most unnec. character that didn't serve much purpose besides giving Vinder some closure. Although if his flashbacks means the return of Kate & UNIT, I'd say it was worth it.
...The cast was huge, but thanks to the writing & actors they all really made an impression. I like how much they ended up mixing up characters & subplots. It +ed a lot of fun while things were getting crazier & > serious in the last few eps. The > stories & characters, jumping around to all kinds of X periods & planets, really made for a fun & exciting story. I also thought this was a > arc for Jodi. She was a lot of fun as the 3 Doctors & I really felt her reconnection w/ Yaz @ the end.***