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

So this one didn't capture the hootoo imagination then? I'm surprised.

FB

It was an interesting episode. I didn't really figure it out before the Doctor revealed all, but it seemed as if they were trying to do something very subtle with the acting, especially the Muslim woman 'turning'. I'm left with the feeling I would find it breathtakingly awesome, if only I could get into the right mindset. Some things like this have faux-depth, but this felt like the real thing.
I quite liked how random the back-story was: it's just the childish whimsy of a super-powerful being who took it into his mind to go anti-religion. The implication is that there are lots of these playthings floating around the universe, preying on (or perhaps catering to) anyone (un)lucky enough to stray too close.

I thought it was fantastic: really powerful and that was before the twist. I was impressed with how respectfully Whithouse dealt with religion and made Rita such a compelling and tragic character. I only realised after the episode they had to tackle faith because the Silence is a religious order - I thought that was nicely done.

I think they missed a couple of tricks: Rory does have faith, he has absolute faith in Amy - a faith that sustained him for 2000 years of waiting. While I liked the idea Rory wouldn't be scared because of everything he's seen with the Doctor, I think it would have been more compelling if Amelia waiting had been his fear because of what it meant for their relationship. It didn't really make sense for it to be Amy's biggest fear since she lived it and was happy to do so.

For me one of the best parts of this half of the series has been the slow accretion of fact: Rory and the Doctors disagreement, Amy as the Girl Who Waited and the Doctor terrified of what will happen to Rory and Amy.

I think hygenicdispenser was very close to it when he (? Sorry, not sure of gender) predicted Amy and Rory would leave because they simply didn't like the Doctor any more, I just think the Doctor beat them to the punch. Rory was certainly heading in that direction and we saw last week Amy has the potential to go that way and after the Doctor gave her a big push, I think he got her out of the TARDIS rather than seeing her start to hate him.

Did anyone pick up on the nerd boy's theory about Norway? About the Earth being on a collision course with another planet? The line was delivered as a throwaway so will probably be incredibly significant in coming episodes, given the Moff's track record.

I think they tried to distinguish between what Rory feels for Amy and "faith". Perhaps it's something more like hope. The more I think about it though, the more tenuous such a distinction seems.

It all seemed rather... forced, the reasoning behind it all. I quite liked the concept, but even at the time I found myself furrowing my brow and being a bit confused by the random reasons for stuff.

Reminded me of an old series ep - I won't say which, as it might tie in to a potential spoiler (from IMDB).

Good ep, nice ending. Is it just me, or has *every* ep this series had a 'it'll be significant at the series end' feel?

And what was with eating the fish?

And more importantly... who was in the Doctor's room? (I'm guessing it was The Doc... and maybe that ties in to the Doc's death... but shouldn't the room's contents have vanished with the hotel... unless there are more hotels... AARGH! I give up!)

Gif

The episode was really good. I did like the fact that Rory has no faith in anything. Of course, he has more life experience than the Dr having hung around as a Roman for 2000years, yes the universe rebooted and he became human again but he did not lose his memory of that period and when you're twice as old as the Dr (sort of) and survived that long I suppose the perspective of somethings do change.

The Dr might have seen his death possibly in the room...it is pretty much the only thing that would scare him. Unless it was himself...

Hmmm a bit Meh for me. They really havn't half castrated the Cybermen. They post no threat whatsoever any more.

FB

Very meh for me. I'm really tired of them putting in something major at the end in an attempt to make the entire episode worthwhile. Last week it kinda worked because last week was a good episode and the end bit related to the main bit of the episode. This week's episode was poor (mostly just baby jokes, gay jokes and James Corden) and the end bit was totally unconnected to the rest of the episode.

It'd have much rather seen one of the last two episodes given over the the main plot arc and one of the stories told in full (the God Complex being that story, obviously). Half and half isn't working for me.

I'm actually quite nervous about next week - I expected I'd be slavering in anticipation.

Did you see The Doctor struggling to get free from that cyberman? I seem to recall reading in the Target books that they had the strength of ten men ... not in that episode.

Do we know how Amy became famous as the girl who waited?


What was the connection between The Silence and eye-patch woman? I must be slow on the uptake not to have noticed that it's Lake Silencio!

>>Do we know how Amy became famous as the girl who waited?<<

I'm not sure she was, she was famous because of her perfume. I did actually like that and the name of the perfume ("Petrichor") was Tarantino-esque. I'll also be naming my first child Stormageddon, Dark Lord of all.

Sadly, those little bits were the best parts of the episode.

I assumed that Amy was given a perfume deal (like most modern female stars are) because of some other fame.

Or was there a specific reference to her perfume made during the series?

I assumed she'd just done a bit of modelling work. I suppose it's a step up from kissagram, which she wwas doing in her first episode.

Well, that was (deletive-expletive). To become a Cyberman we've gone from lots of thrashing blades carving peoples brains out of their skulls to two halves of a mask closing shut on their face and that being them converted. Pssshah!

Kids episode.

People can be converted in whatever way the writers chose for the story...it's fiction.

Yes, but these days people expect their fiction to be consistent.

""Yes, but these days people expect their fiction to be consistent.""

so you are saying they should have just stuck a headset on him like they did the cyber queen in the xmas 2Dr.s special??????

Mr. Dreadful - ACE - The stars are nearly right...


Moffat said on an early message board back in the early 2000's that when you have a block in a blue box travelling through time and space nothing is carved in stone.

Also, stuff 'people these days'...boohoo what a shame, never mind...they also want every single plot point wrapped up which doesn't happen, never has happened and won;t happen...unless of course you watch soap operas.