0dd1 watches Doctor Who (2005) for the first time (w/ a friend's help)

TL;DR: I'm watching the 2005 Dr Who for the first time, with my fanatic friend guiding me along the way. Tune in for my thoughts on each episode as I watch them. Until I get to more recent episodes, there will be unmarked spoilers.

Also, I decided not to do these formal reviews here anymore since they take too long to write and they'll probably bore you anyway. Expect extemporaneous reactions from now (8/14/2012) on.

So, the other night, my friend Chris and I were hanging out and something came up that reminded him of a moment from a Doctor Who episode. We went on You Tube later and couldn't find a clip of it, so we decided to look up the episode on Netflix. Long story short, he got the idea to make me watch the entire series from start to finish, since I had never seen a single episode despite having been meaning to for a long time.

And that we did!! (Or at least, started.) About a half hour ago we went through the first two episodes of the Ninth Doctor. And, I decided that since this forum is full of Dr Who fans, I might as well "blog" my experience with it here. I'll give my own opinions and (if possible) some stray observations from myself and Chris. So, here we are:

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Series 1, Episode 1: "Rose"
The Plot, According to Me: Now this is a story all about how Rose Tyler's life got flipped upside down, and I'd like to take a minute so chill your nerves, because she meets the Doctor and helps him save the Earth.
My Opinion: For a first episode of a new series/reboot, it certainly worked for me in terms of being entertaining and introducing some basic concepts. (I did feel like if I didn't really have any background info then I'd be a tad confused about the Sonic Screwdriver, though.) I will fully admit that I didn't really find Christopher Eccleston as engaging as I would've hoped, but I acknowledge that it's a common complaint people have about the first series. Rose seemed fine enough, and the supporting cast was just alright to me, though I do feel like I could've gotten a better sense of everyone. One thing that seemed a bit strange about Rose to me is that it almost seemed like one second she was very confused about her situation, then a second later she would be hyper-competent. In terms of enjoyment, though, this didn't really get in the way. I thought it was fun.

And, of course, I can't neglect to mention the glorious special effects. But, then, it's cheesy British sci-fi, so I really can't ask for more
Stray Observations:

• Trash cans don't burp!
• Chris noted that the man who had been obsessively tracking the Doctor didn't seem to have any pictures of any of his previous incarnations, which one would think he would have, especially considering that he knows him to be a Legacy Character (even if he was mistaken about how it works).
• The skin color of the alien who copied Rose's boyfriend keeps changing from shot to shot. Not even due to the lighting or anything, it just randomly gets lighter and darker on a whim.

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Series 1, Episode 2: "The End of the World"
The Plot, According to Me: After busting their asses to save the Earth, Rose and the Doctor go over 5 million years into the future to watch it asplode. I think the moral of the story is plastic surgery makes you evil.
My Opinion: A perfect second episode, I'd say. Not only do we get a bit more backstory on the Doctor and learn a bit more about Rose's personality, but the series' main gimmick is fully taken advantage of, that being the TARDIS, showing exactly what the writers are able to do with the plots. It is a very navel gaze-y episode, and I don't think that it's a coincidence that they decided to dedicate an episode to the Earth's eventual end right after the protagonists prevented it from happening prematurely. I especially love the parts with Rose just contemplating about the situation, looking down at the Earth and realizing how insignificant the entirety of its history seems in the grand scheme of things. The episode's main plot was decent enough, with Cassandra being the perpetrator being a twist I legitimately did not see coming but didn't feel like it was too out of left field. I do feel like Rose's "The Reason You Suck" Speech that she gave her lays it on a bit thick, but it's whatever. Didn't really detract from the episode as a whole for me.

I have to admit, though, the jukebox gag was immensely silly.
Stray Observations

• Chris and I both had to wonder: Why the hell would you make it so that your only protection from the dangerous exploding star in front of you can be disabled with the click of a single button on a keyboard?!??
• I was a bit perturbed by the Doctor just letting Cassandra wither away like that. Maybe that was intentional? I dunno.
• The Steward reminded me of C3PO.
• Heh, Repeated Meme. That's clever.

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Tune in next time for the next two episodes!

edited 13th Aug '12 9:54:00 PM by 0dd1

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Ah, this should be interesting. Let's see if I recognize any of my initial thoughts in you.

Other than the basic premise and concepts, I had no idea what I was getting into. I did some research after starting, though.

edited 27th Jul '12 8:55:13 PM by Mort08

Looking for some stories?

Thanks, I'm hoping it turns out interesting here

I should note I'm not going in completely blind. I've done some research about the show, and thanks to that and my friend, I know little tidbits of backstory here and there. And I generally have an understanding of the show's basic concepts (e.g.: the TARDIS, regeneration). Plus, I did watch the first episode of series 6 the other day, so my jumping-on point isn't exactly the most "at the beginning"-ish.

Insert witty and clever quip here. My page, as the database hates my handle.

Generally, I don't know what I'm getting into regarding the plots and the characters at least.

Insert witty and clever quip here. My page, as the database hates my handle.

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Series 1, Episode 3: 'The Unquiet Dead'
The Plot According to Me: In Cardiff, England in 1869, there's some Scooby Doo shenanigans going on (except real).
My Opinion: I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. The idea of combining ghost folklore and aliens is probably something I should have seen coming here, but it really did catch me off guard and thought it worked well. Wasn't too into the twist that JK WE'RE ACTUALLY EVIL, but I did like the solution that was used to defeat them. I love how Charles Dickens was integrated into the episode especially (I assume other Historical Domain Characters are used in a similar way?), and the way that they used aspects of his life that not many people probably know about just makes it even better. Kind of bittersweet how he becomes reinvigorated right before his death, though, but it works as an ending.

It's like 2 in the morning right now and I'm kind of tired, so I'll probably have more insightful stuff to add once I've gotten some sleep and some time to let my thoughts settle.
Stray Observations:
None from Chris this time, since he fell asleep halfway through (since we started watching at about 12:45 AM).

• The scene with the Doctor and Dickens in the carriage was hilarious, especially, "I thought you were a fan." "Well, if you can't handle criticism..." That should be a meme if it isn't already.
• Before falling asleep, Chris noted that Gwyneth is played by someone from Torchwood whose character there is named Gwen. After looking at the recap page for this episode... "A young psychic maid named Gwyneth (identical relative of one Gwen Cooper)..." Well, how 'bout that.
• @ the scene where Rose and the Doctor are about to heroically sacrifice themselves trying to attack the possessed corpses: D'awww. Even though they've only known each other for like three days, but still d'awww.

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edited 28th Jul '12 10:52:45 PM by 0dd1

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You liked how they used Dickens?

Wait until you see Eleven and Van Gogh.

It is one of two television events I can think of to get me to cry any tears in the past decade.

The other was the series finale of Battlestar Galactica.

"Lock up your girlfriends, lock up your wives, Grim's on the loose so run for your lives." - Pyrite

I actually haven't seen Battlestar Galactica, but it's on my list.

Van Gogh...y'know, just knowing that they use Van Gogh in an episode excites me. Anything with him ought to be interesting.

edited 28th Jul '12 11:09:30 PM by 0dd1

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It's one of the most inspiring, heartbreaking, amazing episodes of television I have ever seen.

Also, watch BSG. Because just do it.

"Lock up your girlfriends, lock up your wives, Grim's on the loose so run for your lives." - Pyrite

Looking forward to it. And okay. Anything I should know before watching it?

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Yeah.

It sucks

—runs before he's caught—

We made gods and jailers because we felt small. We let them judge us and we allowed ourselves to be sentenced. See! Now! Our sentence is up!

@0dd: Juan hates it, therefore, less cynical people will love it.

But seriously.

Gaius Baltar and Kara Thrace are two of my favourite fictional characters ever.

They are deeply, deeply flawed.

This is why I love them.

"Lock up your girlfriends, lock up your wives, Grim's on the loose so run for your lives." - Pyrite

Figures Juan would be the one to say that

THAT'S RIGHT, WE KNOW YOUR NAME, AND YOU LEFT YOUR T-SHIRT, YOU ARE SO DUMB and I'm gonna stop quoting memes now.

I shall keep that in mind (all of it ).

edited 28th Jul '12 11:18:49 PM by 0dd1

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Oh come on why do people think I'm such a cynic.    SPREAD ANTI-LIFE   

ok i can see where you're coming from.

Anyway my issues with Galactica were pacing, really. In the middle of season 2 it seems to lose all the momentum that the season one finale creates and there's nothing left except a bunch of characters who seem to fluctuate between riveting and boring depending on the time of the day really.

I dunno. I do like idealism. I mean the big reason I love Doctor Who's because it's such a genuinely idealistic show, really.

And it's pretty much a superhero comic. :p

We made gods and jailers because we felt small. We let them judge us and we allowed ourselves to be sentenced. See! Now! Our sentence is up!

@Juan: From episode 12 to episode 18 of season 2, BSG was weak. I will give you that.

Season 3 made up for this.

Season 4 made up for it a hundredfold.

Even the finale, as much Internet Backdraft as it caused, I loved.

"Lock up your girlfriends, lock up your wives, Grim's on the loose so run for your lives." - Pyrite

I'm not sure when I quit Galactica but I think it was around that period yeah.

What I remember is that there was a mutiny in one of the ships on the fleet and that's when I went "Fuck it, Imma watch Firefly or something"

We made gods and jailers because we felt small. We let them judge us and we allowed ourselves to be sentenced. See! Now! Our sentence is up!

The refinery ship mutiny?

Yeah, that was kind of a wasted arc.

As was most of season 2.5.

The last two episodes of season 2 were great, though.

Honestly, my advice: blitz through the mediocre episodes in one sitting. They're slightly more tolerable that way.

Then, watch the finale of Season 2, and season 3's starting consecutively. Those four or five episodes will either completely renew your faith in the show, or tell you for sure that BSG is not for you. But don't judge it on the lowest point in the series.

edit-> ON the actual topic...

Eleven is my favourite post-2005 Doctor. I need to see more original series episodes to judge among the first eight.

edited 28th Jul '12 11:35:22 PM by Grimview

"Lock up your girlfriends, lock up your wives, Grim's on the loose so run for your lives." - Pyrite

Fair enough. I'll put it in the bigass list of things I have to partake on.

We made gods and jailers because we felt small. We let them judge us and we allowed ourselves to be sentenced. See! Now! Our sentence is up!

I've really got into Battlestar Galactica recently. The second series definitely sags after Episode 12, but episode 18 completely drew me back in with its focus on Cylon life and Caprica!Six.

Anyway, Doctor Who. I thought the 2005 series was great when I first watched it, but I was 9. Rose is a bit annoying upon re-watching the episodes.

"Steel wins battles. Gold wins wars."

So I watched the that two parter about the gassy body snatchers the other night. Still haven't found the time to write my formal reviews of the two episodes, but I liked them. I had some issues with them, though (especially in the first part).

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Most people do. Finding issues, I mean. The villains weren't that great, but I liked the stuff Nine did.

edited 3rd Aug '12 1:27:52 PM by Mort08

Looking for some stories?

The toilet humor was especially something that grated on me very quickly. Although it did lead to the hilariously epic quote, "Excuse me, but do you mind not farting while I'm saving the world?"

Part of my problem with it, though, was the beginning. Why didn't Rose and the Doctor just simply go back 12 months after realizing the miscalculation in time? It's not like they don't have the ability to do so. I liked how they explored the consequences that Rose's absence had on the people around her, but a simple fix could've undone this.

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I think it stems from the Tardis's irrationality. It's a bit out of its depth, so to speak. They were lucky to be 12 mo out.

I suppose...but it still kinda bugs me.

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You're not allowed to go back on your own personal history or Really Bad Things happen.

And according to Rose's personal history, from the moment she saw her mom again, she had been missing for a long while.

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."

Okay, that makes sense. I would've appreciated if that'd been explained within the episode though.

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