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

1) Three 'ongoing plot threads' in as many episodes (cracks in time, Amy doesn't recognise Daleks, 'silence is coming') - really has me hooked. Liked the conspiracy link, btw, I think they may be onto something...

2) Was I the only one worrying not only about how they outfitted the Spitfires so quickly, but how they flew in a vacuum? I mean, even if they had an air bubble, they're only moving the air around inside the bubble...

3) Mixed feelings about the new Daleks, but they are clearly another way Moffat is making his mark on the series - expect to see them again this season.

4) Daleks this week, Weeping Angels *and* River Song next week - Moffat is playing his big cards early this season.

An OK episode - and nice to see Winston as slightly untrustworthy. I suspect that grieving flight controller will be important - was her bf Amy's father / grandfather, and if so has his death caused the time rifts? And nice to see how the Doctor and Winston were both slightly callous in different ways at the end (Churchill ignoring the crying woman, the Doctor refusing to shorten the war by helping Churchill).

Gif

that was fun.
If we're going to poke plot and logic holes in Doctor Who then this thread is going to rival the 'no no no' one very quickly.

Spitfires in space, much silliness, very fun.

New Daleks - my immediate feelings were
1) They're the Duplo Brick Daleks to the existing Lego Daleks
2) If they 'regenerate' the Daleks much more their voices will be inaudible to humans (they seem to get deeper every time)
3)

Mucho interest around the Amy storyline. Tis quite clear now that the cracks are following her. Interesting how The Doctor is now the father of the Daleks in a way.

Shaping up quite well I feel.

I want Airfix to bring out the Camo-Dalek and "new" Spitfire.

Coloured Daleks - horay a return to the 60's style movie/TV21comicones. They may be chunky but what are they hiding in the "bustle"..and the new eye is alive !!

Just watched the ep on iPlayer: gets a resounding meh from me.

Can't say there was a single thing I particularly liked. It wasn't bad (mostly - Amy kept on hitting the wrong note and it seemed like they'd tried to stretch 25 minutes of story out), it just wasn't good either.

If I was to compare it to a DT episode, it'd be 42 or the Idiot's Lantern. Not bad, just wasted.

Oh well.

Interesting factet about the design of the RTD daleks on Confidential: their height was based on Billie Pipers height such that the Daleks big eye was at the same level as Rose's eye line. Hence, they were short-arse daleks.

I think we need to give a few episodes for everything to settle in. Moffat needs to put his mark on the series as all story editors have and teams have done before. I'll wait for the full season before giving my overall view on everything.

I see a fair bit of t'web has already named them the iDaleks

So it is the Mighty Morphin Power iDaleks then?

FB

Just as an aside...do people prefer Dr Who episodes set on Earth (either present-day-ish, whether this "reality" or an alternate one, or historical settings) to those set in far future/different planets?

I definitely find it a bit unrealistic when he meets historical characters. Yes, I know it's all unrealistic. But I find it even more so.

RF

I think the Doctor meeting real historical figures is a bit overdone these days.

I did notice they made a recurring thing of Churchill's cigars while never even hinting at any form of alcohol at any stage.

I'd like to see the new Daleks having a design flaw. They're a new type, with absolutely no pre-testing, so some mechanical problem could easily crop up. As long as it isn't the key to a Deus Ex Machina ending, it could make an interesting plot.

I've been wondering whether the iDaleks might be some kind of Health & Safety-ism... "we need to make the Daleks bigger because the operators might get a bit too hot" or something.

Robert Thompson or Just Bob
I did notice they made a recurring thing of Churchill's cigars while never even hinting at any form of alcohol at any stage.

Yes, I noticed that too. The cigar is part of Churchill's image. The alcohol was just part of the pressures of the job I think...he did drink a tad too much.

To quote him:

“'You are drunk Sir Winston, you are disgustingly drunk. 'Yes, Mrs. Braddock, I am drunk. But you, Mrs. Braddock are ugly, and disgustingly fat. But, tomorrow morning, I, Winston Churchill will be sober.”

I think the Doctor meeting real historical figures is a bit overdone these days.

At least this meeting wasn't a random landing by the TARDIS and the Dr actually was meant to see Churchill and had, teasingly, met him and worked with him before.

I do like the fact that they never explained that any further.

just read the backlog

one question about the spaceship brittain episode

how did amy leave herself a message in the voting booth/MIB forget ray

as to the dalek episode

the android is going to blow,...........take it to the dalek ship and dump it there.....boom......goodbye new daleks

amy...oi churchill, can i get cheaper car insurance

I was dreading them making him say "Oh yes!" but that would have been a more RTD thing.
I heard that Churchill was heavily alcoholic through most of his life, including the War years, partly as a consequence of bipolarity.

<>

With the "Record" button.

Gif,

>>1) Three 'ongoing plot threads' in as many episodes (cracks in time, Amy doesn't recognise Daleks, 'silence is coming') - really has me hooked. Liked the conspiracy link, btw, I think they may be onto something... <<


Ditto. I wondered about the shot of Amelia sat on the suitcase in 11th hour, but in the manner probably intended, dismissed it.

The clever-clever twist of an overarching narrative of time disrupted is so entirely plausible, it's probably correct: especially since it predicted Amy's blank "Er...wot's a Dalek?" mug shot.


>>2) Was I the only one worrying not only about how they outfitted the Spitfires so quickly, but how they flew in a vacuum? I mean, even if they had an air bubble, they're only moving the air around inside the bubble... <<

Didn't think of that. Kudos.

>>3) Mixed feelings about the new Daleks, but they are clearly another way Moffat is making his mark on the series - expect to see them again this season. <<

Confidential was at pains to make clear the whole Drone, Scientist, Supreme, Eternal bit was a brainstorming session b'twixt Messers Moffat and Gatiss; like some kind of hierarchy that can be made use of later. Ever since RTD's "Dalek" with Chris Ecclestone, it's been a rehabilitation of a creature as this work-horse tank: scheming deceptive, but basically a tank and plugging that into the Time-War. Here they are going for something different. The thing I couldn't help but notice, the sleek 'pepper-pot' design has now acquired sort of 18th century ladies bustle-rear.

I am utterly failing to find a picture of it online - but if you can get Iplayer, check out 22.37 minutes, or 23.09 for a comparison.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00s56d2/Doctor_Who_Series_5_Victory_of_the_Daleks/

http://www.ushist.com/img/ladies/images/lfhp_ladies_dress-day_1870s_yellow_l.jpg

Otherwise, like Iago - my overriding emotion was one of basic indifference, everything about it just fell kind of flat.

Confidential was chore n' all - all pride for war heroes and how great and fab it was to use real spitfires...well replica spitfires... and to have Winston churchill - WINSTON CHURCHILL! - chewing up the scenery, Gatiss's tour of the cabinet office, felt like being there. (i.e dragged underground by your parents when it's sunny and you want to be outside, for some "culture", it's dull and dingy you're dying to go to the loo but your have to wait till the end and people around you going "ooh" and "aah" and you wondering what all the fuss is about.)

Let's face facts, it was a shoddy episode all round. I gave up when the white Dalek came out of the DNA-cloning-gizmo, followed by the blue Dalek. At this point I started whistling 'Self-preservation Society' and shouting 'Yer only supposed to blow the bloody TARDIS up' at the telly...

Hoping for much better next week. I lurrrve the Weeping Angels.

B

There have always been different coloured Daleks in Dr Who. They have simply brought them back and each colour represents a different type of Dalek.

The episode inspired quite a lot of indifference in me. But then when I saw the clip last week, I thought "Not again. Enough with the Daleks!". And the fact that they won - I just didn't care. Except that it gave me the nasty feeling they'd be back for the finale.

And I'm sorry to say, I like Amy less each week. Of course, I'm a woman and completely uninfluenced by the legs! *whispers* I preferred Donna *ducks*.

Love Matt though!

Deb