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

"Next week... "There's... something...on...the wing!" "

And actually this episode reminded me of the another episode from the TZ The Movie where the boy has power over the world. In that I recall his sister was sat watching cartoons ( I loved the way Cal sat watching everything as if it was just a Cbbc serial and you could sense her anxiety at whether they'd get away from the monsters etc ); and he'd removed his sister's mouth because she wouldn't shut up ( veil ).

Just as they don't have a Kick the Can moment ...

I didn't like the ending at all. Very disappointed in fact. For years we've seen the Doctor doing everything possible to stop Timelord technology getting into the wrong hands, and now he just walks off and leaves a sonic screwdriver sitting on a bannister. OK, so he came back for it but I still thought it was out of character for him to even consider not keeping it (and the diary) safely stored in the Tardis out of harms way. Even if the planet was being abandoned to the shadows someone or something could have worked out how to get back into the library and remove the thing.

For that matter, pulped forests or no, would the library really have been abandoned if it had the sum of human knowledge stored in it? Someone would have sent a robot expeditition or something to recover the more valuable books at the very least. I thought the ending was very hurried and ill thought out, as if it had been intended as a three parter but RTD had said 'no, make it fit into two'.

"OK, so he came back for it but I still thought it was out of character for him to even consider not keeping it (and the diary) safely stored in the Tardis out of harms way."

But presumably he would have always been tempted to read the diary in that case, no matter that he knows he shouldn't.

I didn't like part one as much as you all seemed to (though it was very good), but I thought part two was absolutely stellar.

I spent the last 2/3 of the second part with tears streaming from my face.

Loved it!


More please, Mr Moffat.

Oh and Catherine Tate was ing brilliant. (Sorry I doubted, you, CT)

Could somebody explain to me please?
Why did Riversong have to sacrifice herself near the end? It was all rushed through, so I didn't catch the drtails.
How did Evangelista get her face back?

Pass. Sorry.

Just this once, everybody lives. Seems Mr Moffat isn't a big fan of high body counts!

Oh, and by the way, nice way to put millions of kids off reading! 'Don't pick up a book, they're full of carnivorous beasties'

>>Why did Riversong have to sacrifice herself near the end?<<

It's not explictly stated, but I think it's because she's seen what he can do, how important he is to the universe and how he needs to survive. She isn't anything like as important.

>>How did Evangelista get her face back?<<

Because CAL wasn't forced to keep thousands of people alive she could just focus on those 5 I guess, and she could get Evangelista's face right this time.

I *really* liked this episode, I thought it was best of the New Who. The monsters were genuinely scary, and I feel sorry for any parents who had sleepless nights this weekend. I don't think they were just tacked on - in the first episode they were the main story - and I think they'll have a part to play later in the series, with all the talk of shadows we've had.

I loved the Doctor's line "You just killed somebody I liked. That is not a safe place to stand." and how he eyed down the Vashta Narada when they went to attack him. Although we don't see it that much (though there were glimpses of it in the Parting of the Ways and in Doomsday) the Doctor can be seriously scary - it's mentioned a lot, included in this episode with River Song's "I've seen whole armies turn and run while he just stands there."

The whole story with River Song was very, very well done and very powerful. I got quite choked up when River and the Doctor were talking at the end. If we don't see her past/his future, I'll be very disappointed because there is so much there to see. The afterlife he gave her was pretty amazing too - she's an archaeologist and now she has the whole of human history to experience.

Liked Catherine Tate again - I think she's the most well-rounded of all the companions so far and I did feel very sorry for her when her 'husband' couldn't call her name.

I'm also noticing that Mr Moffat doesn't like death, which is a bit of a change from RTD. The line "Everybody lives" was used originally in the Dcotor Dances, and we didn't see anyone die in the Girl in the Fireplace. Even in Blink the monsters killed in the nicest possible way - by letting their victims live a full and happy life.

I was impressed also by the development of Mr Lux as a character. He was initially presented as a stereotypical Who minor villain - obsessed with money/ego and not afraid to sacrifice anyone who gets in his way.

The transformation into a genuinely motivated character by the end of this episode was .

Gif

I got the feeling The Grand Moff was speaking directly to the audience though River Song at the end when she turns to camera, switches off the light and says: 'Don't have nightmares'

Having been vaunted as the author of the better and scarier doctor who stories, it struck me as just a little to self-referential to not be deliberate.

Saw David Tennant on the Sunday morning breakfast show and he was talking about the fact that they'll start filming next year's four specials in January.

I recall earlier that there was some discussion that he might be reincarnating due to the Ood prophecy of "your song is ending" ... I think we all understand that a bit better now ...

In fact rewatching that scene it goes ...
Ood: "And what of you now? Will you stay? There is room in the song for you".
Dr: "Oh, I've sort of got a song of my own. Thanks".
Ood: "I think your song must end soon" (at which point Doctor looks uneasy).
Dr: "Meaning?"
Ood: "Every song must end".

Ah!

Well spotted!

Gif

in general, enjoyed it. Didn't quite live up to the first part. And the VR ending I put in the same category as the statues in Blink - I'll ignore it thanks.

But two things I wasn't so sure of. The whole 'Look me up' bit felt like a cop out. Just felt like they couldn't find a good way of getting rid of them.

Snapping fingers to open the 'TARDIS' doors? Cheese on a stick I say. Doctor Who? NO! Doctor Fonzarelli

The everybody lives bit - deliberate echo of the Ecclestone line?

{>>Why did Riversong have to sacrifice herself near the end?<<

It's not explictly stated, but I think it's because she's seen what he can do, how important he is to the universe and how he needs to survive. She isn't anything like as important.}

there was a chance that the Dr. could be killed and as they had "not met" yet when the time line re wrote itself she would loose all of her happy memories of the Dr. so she sacreficed her future to protect her happiness in the past.

That's a much better explanation than mine.

How come she had three children at the end? That's just greedy!
I

eloisa, maybe the Vashta Nerada had got into her, and she was simply very hungry.

Actually my friend has just pointed out that it was probably the standard two you are allowed plus Charlotte Lux. Which is nice.

Juat a thought. River Song said she trusted the Doc as far as the end of the universe and she'd even been there with him. Going back to the end of the last series when it was Martha and Jack that went to the end of the universe with him. And Jack was in Confidential?? A link there to who she is??

Though I think there'll turn out to be a link with Rose too.

They probably just went for dinner at Milliways!