Enjoying the new series but questioning the choice of having so many companions. Keep Graham, jettison the rest.
edit: I suspect the larger core cast will reduce the overall depth of character development. Graham is fantastic with his mix of skepticism and willingness to take new experiences as they come wrapped up in a societal position you might not expect that in. Oddly enough, an old white male companion could actually bring something new. There just doesn't seem to be much to Ryan and Yas.
I love that a lot of Graham's most admirable character traits are things he's actively trying to work on and not just his natural personality.
One of them at least is going to get the short end of the stick. Yas is the loser in that so far.
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Dark Raven XLaugh hard, run fast,be kindRegistered Userregular
I expect they'll be rotating who gets the focus around, so these early episodes have been heavy on Ryan and Graham, I bet Yas will be getting her own episodes where the other two take a back seat.
Also, while he is undoubtedly the best and I want him to stick around the longest, wouldn't be surprised if Graham is just here for the first series. His actor is on some gameshow, and Doctor Who is conflicting with it? Could totally see him getting a noble sacrifice towards the end, where Ryan finally calls him grandad.
I think as a point of comparison Matt Smith's first episode is a gold standard for introducing companions and so far the new series compares poorly in this regard.
That episode does a lot of work introducing new characters and pulls it off.
I expect they'll be rotating who gets the focus around, so these early episodes have been heavy on Ryan and Graham, I bet Yas will be getting her own episodes where the other two take a back seat.
Also, while he is undoubtedly the best and I want him to stick around the longest, wouldn't be surprised if Graham is just here for the first series. His actor is on some gameshow, and Doctor Who is conflicting with it? Could totally see him getting a noble sacrifice towards the end, where Ryan finally calls him grandad.
Graham announcing that he had cancer, along with the two of them having relationship problems was kinda a huge red flag that hes going to find it came back, then sacrifice himself to save the grandson.
I think a Return of the Rani is a likely thing in this incarnation. if for novelties sake if nothing else.
I don't mind the new companions thus far. They didn't do anything in the second episode to win any points, but the episode also didn't win any points. Plus I reserve judgement for companions for season finales.
I just watched it yesterday. It wasn't as bad as you guys are saying. Its not like Yaz was measuring family tragedies and trying to come out on top. She was commiserating over family troubles and how her scale of bad family stuff just got shifted... she used to think her sister stealing her room was the worst that could happen. Alien genocide is a completely new thing for her to consider.
What were the floaty cloth monsters saying to the Doctor before she burned them all? Something about her being abandoned or cast-out? I missed the full speech and didn't bother to rewind and listen again to not break the pacing of the show.
What were the floaty cloth monsters saying to the Doctor before she burned them all? Something about her being abandoned or cast-out? I missed the full speech and didn't bother to rewind and listen again to not break the pacing of the show.
Something about something called the Timeless Child, which sounds very much like a season long arc kind of thing that we weren't supposed to be getting.
What were the floaty cloth monsters saying to the Doctor before she burned them all? Something about her being abandoned or cast-out? I missed the full speech and didn't bother to rewind and listen again to not break the pacing of the show.
Something about something called the Timeless Child, which sounds very much like a season long arc kind of thing that we weren't supposed to be getting.
Quote from the exec producer is "In terms of a story arc, there's a few little treats in there if you watch every episode, there's a few little things, but no – mainly it's standalone."
So maybe it's just recurring mentions of the Stenza or the Timeless Child? A bit like the Bad Wolf thing wasn't really an "arc".
What were the floaty cloth monsters saying to the Doctor before she burned them all? Something about her being abandoned or cast-out? I missed the full speech and didn't bother to rewind and listen again to not break the pacing of the show.
Something about something called the Timeless Child, which sounds very much like a season long arc kind of thing that we weren't supposed to be getting.
Quote from the exec producer is "In terms of a story arc, there's a few little treats in there if you watch every episode, there's a few little things, but no – mainly it's standalone."
So maybe it's just recurring mentions of the Stenza or the Timeless Child? A bit like the Bad Wolf thing wasn't really an "arc".
It may be a hint that the Doctor is something more than the Doctor.
What were the floaty cloth monsters saying to the Doctor before she burned them all? Something about her being abandoned or cast-out? I missed the full speech and didn't bother to rewind and listen again to not break the pacing of the show.
Something about something called the Timeless Child, which sounds very much like a season long arc kind of thing that we weren't supposed to be getting.
i was kind of hoping they were talking about clone doctor daughter
What were the floaty cloth monsters saying to the Doctor before she burned them all? Something about her being abandoned or cast-out? I missed the full speech and didn't bother to rewind and listen again to not break the pacing of the show.
Something about something called the Timeless Child, which sounds very much like a season long arc kind of thing that we weren't supposed to be getting.
i was kind of hoping they were talking about clone doctor daughter
Up to Catherine Tate’s first regular episode on my rewatch. RTD really gets across her character in one episode. Family situation, why she’d want to go, how she reacts, everything. Same with Rose, I think. He didn’t manage it with Martha in the same way, but his ability stands in contrast to the way the new companions have come across.
Up to Catherine Tate’s first regular episode on my rewatch. RTD really gets across her character in one episode. Family situation, why she’d want to go, how she reacts, everything. Same with Rose, I think. He didn’t manage it with Martha in the same way, but his ability stands in contrast to the way the new companions have come across.
That's fair, but RTD only dealt with one companion at a time. Plus, Ten was firmly established by the time Donna appeared. I'd agree that the new companions haven't come into their own, but we're also two episodes into the season and establishing a new Doctor. We'll have to wait and see before comparing it to things the Davies era was doing in its prime.
What was the disaster that people were expecting? It's hard to believe they'd look at going back to meet Rosa Parks and not realise what screwing it up would mean for them.
So that rogue time traveler - something tells me that wasn't the last we'll see of him?
When Graham shot him through time he said "I set it as far back as it would go". Did that mean far into the past or far into the future?
Either way, I was expecting the Doctor to go back/forwards at the end and grab him as soon as he arrived, then dump him back in his time.
I've got to think that attempting to tamper with history would be treated harshly in any era that has time travel.
Though given that he apparently served his time for killing a couple thousand people and doesn't appear to be 100's of years old, the future might not give much of a shit.
What was the disaster that people were expecting? It's hard to believe they'd look at going back to meet Rosa Parks and not realise what screwing it up would mean for them.
I wasn’t expecting a disaster, but I was really hoping they’d get it right. I certainly didn’t think they’d want to screw it up.
What was the disaster that people were expecting? It's hard to believe they'd look at going back to meet Rosa Parks and not realise what screwing it up would mean for them.
Haven't watched the episode, so can't say how they did, but I believe the concern was "white woman helps Rosa Parks solve racism" optics. The civil Rights movement was very much a "for black people by black people" and injecting a "white savior" into one of the more iconic moments could go very badly.
Maybe I'm a bad person but I thought the horns during the bus scene were a little much. It is a bit jarring that for many of the other historical periods they put on a costume and maybe get a brief spiel about fitting in, but in this episode they just blithely wander out as they are. Of course, The Doctor forgetting about the existence of racism was established with Martha and Bill, and as far as I can recall the other episodes started off as tourism rather than responding to science readings, but still, come on, Doctor. This is almost as irresponsible as that time you left Madame Pompadour to pine her whole life. I continue to be profoundly disturbed by no cold open.
What was the disaster that people were expecting? It's hard to believe they'd look at going back to meet Rosa Parks and not realise what screwing it up would mean for them.
Haven't watched the episode, so can't say how they did, but I believe the concern was "white woman helps Rosa Parks solve racism" optics. The civil Rights movement was very much a "for black people by black people" and injecting a "white savior" into one of the more iconic moments could go very badly.
Yeah, but the Doctor is an alien. That kind of overrides her whiteness. I see what you mean though.
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edit: I suspect the larger core cast will reduce the overall depth of character development. Graham is fantastic with his mix of skepticism and willingness to take new experiences as they come wrapped up in a societal position you might not expect that in. Oddly enough, an old white male companion could actually bring something new. There just doesn't seem to be much to Ryan and Yas.
I love that a lot of Graham's most admirable character traits are things he's actively trying to work on and not just his natural personality.
Also, while he is undoubtedly the best and I want him to stick around the longest, wouldn't be surprised if Graham is just here for the first series. His actor is on some gameshow, and Doctor Who is conflicting with it? Could totally see him getting a noble sacrifice towards the end, where Ryan finally calls him grandad.
That episode does a lot of work introducing new characters and pulls it off.
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Yaz: "Yeah I hear that, my sister's a real bitch and she's trying to steal my room"
???
Graham announcing that he had cancer, along with the two of them having relationship problems was kinda a huge red flag that hes going to find it came back, then sacrifice himself to save the grandson.
I think a Return of the Rani is a likely thing in this incarnation. if for novelties sake if nothing else.
yeah, that was crazy
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So maybe it's just recurring mentions of the Stenza or the Timeless Child? A bit like the Bad Wolf thing wasn't really an "arc".
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Wouldn't be the first time a one-off bad guy got away clean because the Doctor was unable to find them RE: "Mummy on the Orient Express."
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That's fair, but RTD only dealt with one companion at a time. Plus, Ten was firmly established by the time Donna appeared. I'd agree that the new companions haven't come into their own, but we're also two episodes into the season and establishing a new Doctor. We'll have to wait and see before comparing it to things the Davies era was doing in its prime.
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That is that dark British humor.
When Graham shot him through time he said "I set it as far back as it would go". Did that mean far into the past or far into the future?
I've got to think that attempting to tamper with history would be treated harshly in any era that has time travel.
Though given that he apparently served his time for killing a couple thousand people and doesn't appear to be 100's of years old, the future might not give much of a shit.
I wasn’t expecting a disaster, but I was really hoping they’d get it right. I certainly didn’t think they’d want to screw it up.
And they didn’t!
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Haven't watched the episode, so can't say how they did, but I believe the concern was "white woman helps Rosa Parks solve racism" optics. The civil Rights movement was very much a "for black people by black people" and injecting a "white savior" into one of the more iconic moments could go very badly.
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Edit: I just remembered. There was "Human Nature/The Family of Blood". Martha had to be a maid.
And now out of the three of them I’m starting to think Graham might be the one I like best.
Yeah, but the Doctor is an alien. That kind of overrides her whiteness. I see what you mean though.