h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Didn't Tennant fire a gun in his last episode?

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No, Tennants Dr was a bit of a pussy.

Lots of people died but not by his hands.

The Dr hasn't hasn't shied away from violence in the past nor has he gone all out Bush/Blair scorched earth stuff.

Baker's Dr could have stopped the Daleks at birth but he didn't as that would have been genocide(and the end of a great enemy).

You don't live for over 900years without a bit of major fisticuffs.

I thought that episode was excellent! Thoroughly enjoyed it, and it put me a good mood for the rest of the evening.

POTENTIAL SPOILERS - My highlights:
- When we first see the TARDIS and the rope he’s using to climb out of it. For a moment I’d forgotten how big it was on the inside. Grinned and mentally kicked myself when I remembered.
- The bit when the Doctor’s describing the “better looking” friend and the boyfriend goes “oh thanks” or “oh great”, whichever it was. It hinted at a backstory in their relationship which I thought made them much more 3-dimensional.
- “If there’s no ducks, how do you know it’s a duck pond?!”
- How and why he used the phone instead of e.g. the laptop. Simple but clever, a very well written bit I thought.
- When he walks through the hologram at the end of the succession of all the past Doctors. Slightly self indulgent but it made me smile anyway.

Also, speaking of Douglas Adams, there was something in it that properly reminded me of him. Not the Somebody Else's Problem field (perception filter), though that did a bit, but something else. Ah! Amy in her dressing gown at the end! Just like Arthur Dent. Thought that was a nice nod, even if unintentional.

Did anyone else find it a bit like The Girl In The Fireplace, what with him visiting her when she was younger?

Not really. I see what you mean. I just saw it as using the TARDIS and time-travel properly in the show...i.e. using time-travel and the uselessness of the TARDIS as an accurate time-machine.

Ooh ... if we're going down that route:

- I was thinking of "Love and Monsters".
- Thought the coma patients were going to be a rerun of The Empty Child (gasmask ward).
- the toothy creature reminded me of the one from Satellite 5 in Ecclestone's season ... was it the Jagrafess?
- the opening door in young Amy's house when she went in her bedroom to pack her suitcase, very Blink.

All very Moffat cliche I thought ...

That said, liked the 'digital' bit around the green where The Doctor 'thinks' his way around who everybody is, and what they're doing there.

I thought of The Empty Child when I saw the coma patients, especially when they started calling "Doctor"

And the Jagrafess when I saw Prisoner Zero

And the Angels with the 'Corner of your eye' thing

I wonder if they'll get Carey Mulligan back as Sally Sparrow for the Weeping Angels episode, they'll have to pay her a bit more now she's a Oscar Nomenee

Just watching Confidential and they've had a tour of the new TARDIS. Thinking about it I'm not completely sold on it yet. The old one was nice and simple, the new one feels a bit cluttered. Don't remember any wide shots when the episode was on which I quite liked in the old one. I'm sure they'll make it work, but filling it with clutter rather than space, for me, sort of ruins the 'even -bigger- on the inside' thing, because there's less space. Oh well, I'm sure it'll grow on me.

I know what you mean about it being cluttered - they tried to sell it on confidential as being a place of organic movement... ehh not buying that yet.

I somehow think seeing the set as what it is on Confidential might spoil the effect; I reckon with the right camera angles, lenses and lighting they could make the place look and feel as grand as they feel, plus with this much vaunted idea of exploring the Tardis's "other rooms" the sense of clutter in by the console might be lessened. (I hope)

The drawings they showed Matt Smith looked better I thought, it reminded me for some reason of the interior of a fairground ride.

Hm. So the Doctor is going to need to call in the House Doctor for some decluttering tips ... I really don't think *anybody* is going to walk through the door of the Tardis and say, "You know, this could be quite spacious if you got rid of the clutter".

There were lots of nods to previous episodes, I thought - but in a good way.

Mol

I thought the nods to the other episodes were intentional: so much of the show has visually changed - new Doctor, new assistant, new credits/titles, new , even the new HD cameras they're using.

Reminding us of the earlier adventures, even if it's only quite subtle (and it never felt obtrusive whereas sometimes RTD shoehorned stuff in), keeps the link - this is still the Doctor, some things never change.

Similarly, I think it's important to look at what Moffat left in: there was a reference to the Shadow Proclamation, but when he gathered together all the space experts Torchwood and UNIT were noticeably absent. I'm sure this will raise a cheer from most, but the absence of Torchwood, the knowledge it's really gone, got to me.

As for the episode, I loved it. Absolutely loved it. The red herring with Amy Pond not being a copper was brilliant. Little early to decide whether I like the character of Amy yet, but she does show promise.

Early days for Matt Smith yet, but I like what I've seen so far. Tennant developed a weary edge to him, and it was fantastic, but it's nice to see a Doctor having a bit of fun. He also made the best of some sparkling dialogue.

I love the new look of the TARDIS, I think the old one was a bit too perfect, a bit too sleek. This one feels more like somewhere you could find anything, something a bit lived in.

The trailer has me utterly drooling. Looks amazing.

It takes a while to get used to a new Doctor so maybe thats why I have not been totally won over yet . The trailers at the end did wet the apatite I must say .

Let's just hope there's no soap operey type thing about Amy getting married after seeing the wedding dress hanging up.

McCoy's Dr was *arguably* the most violent - he destroyed a planet, after all.

And did I also catch a glimpse of a Stone Angel in the trailers?

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Not to give away spoilers 3Dots, but you might want to give the 7th ep a miss. The wiki description says why.

Oh ... forgot to add another obvious cultural ref ... the crack in the bedroom wall ... very Time Bandits ...

I was very pleased with the episode overall... ...But why a standard typewriter when they emphasise the Gallifreyan circular language - other than it looking good.

<BB<

I'm very relieved to realise I'm going to like the new Dr. I loved the episode

I wasn't taken in by the policewoman thing - her skirt was far too short!

My favourite bit was definitely when the door was suddenly open - that send a frisson of fear down my back.

Deb

>her skirt was far too short!

I noticed that too... and the fact that she clearly was Amy Pond but kept radioing people saying the Doctor 'knew about' Any Pond. But didn't leap straight to kisogram

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Any Pond > Any Old Pond, obviously.

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