Hold your breath!
Doctor Who Series 10 episode 5
This has got to be my favourite episode this series so far! For one that I thought was going to be a typical zombie romp or so based on the trailer (which mind you I didn't genuinely pay attention to) it turned out to be a cracker. I have never found Doctor Who to be scary, but for the first time, there was a scene that did make me fear and want to call out "Get out of there!".
Spoilers!
This episode is commendable for its motifs and statement on capitalism and more specifically corporate business. For naturally occurring resources which we all take for granted such as water, air, sunlight, the concept treating oxygen as a commodity with a price tag is very interesting, and one that if a business model could be created and made feasible I'm sure there will always be a few that would want to take advantage of it with disregard for human rights let alone the value of human life. Oh the negativity, I hear you screech! But the line, "You're fighting the suits" is just so good. They're physically fighting against the AI programmed spacesuits but also the faceless businessman in suits.
I mentioned that this is the first time I've actually been frightened while watching an episode of Doctor Who. The scene which did it was of course the one where the Doctor, Bill and Nardole find themselves in a room with the dead corpse standing or more specifically been propped by the smart-spacesuit. Not knowing what was going to happen at such an early point in the story but knowing that the corpse do move some how was truly terrifying and creepy, as the corpse predictably would animate at any moment!
In this episode we also get to see more of the dynamic between Nardole and the Doctor. Nardole being ever so snarky to the Doctor was so entertaining. I'm sure we can all agree the Doctor needs someone to keep him in check and that job can't be Bills, who's here only to be spoiled with adventure. Of course with adventure, dangers come in suite, and as a price the Doctor pays a hefty one this time. The Doctor loses his sight and the stakes heighten!
Saturday, May 27, 2017
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Smile/Thin Ice/Knock Knock
Whoops, I was falling behind on the reviewing but then I actually fell behind on the watching. Never fear! All caught up now.
Having just watched the episode 'Knock Knock', I can safely say I am enjoying the banter in the TARDIS between Bill and the Doctor the most. The two have a great dynamic, one that comes off very natural and is very refreshing to see. Just in this episode the Doctor assists with Bill's moving and the conversation casually leads into one about Time Lords and their funny dress sense. It is such a delight to watch, as Bill has so much still waiting for her to learn about the Doctor.
For this review I thought I'd do a combo, saves me time ;p
***Spoilers!
Doctor Who Series 10 episode 2,3,4
So the last three episodes were 'Smile', 'Thin Ice' and 'Knock Knock'. I feel there is some very back to basic titling system going here and I can say I'm digging it. Getting into it, of these three episodes the standout was of course 'Thin Ice'. There were some great moments and scenes in all of three but in the end the watcher must always take way the entire feel of the episode and the story it tries to tell. By comparison, 'Thin Ice', was well paced and compelling touched on real world issues giving the story weight and dimension. The stand out scene was when the Doctor delivered his eloquent speech on the true measure of human progress.
A common theme, noticed throughout all three of these episodes, and also the first episode 'The Pilot', is death, or more specifically death by being eaten. In 'The Pilot', Heather is eaten by the alien fuel/water, in 'Smile' the skeleton crew is devoured by the Vardy; in 'Thin Ice', poor civilians become fish food and in 'Knock Knock', we have unsuspecting renters becoming the food source for alien-wood-lice! As the Doctor says, “Hardly anything’s evil. Most things are hungry. Hungry can look a lot like evil from the wrong end of the cutlery. Or do you think your bacon sandwich loves you back?”. What is interesting to see is how Bill reacts in the various episodes in the face of these fatalities. With Heather, Bill seems to have brushed it off fairly quickly, despite knowing that Heather was dead. Perhaps seeing the alien had taken Heather's image and form, lighten the impact? Understandably in 'Smile', the remoteness of the skeleton crew would merely invoke a respectful condolence, in contrast to 'Thin Ice', where is Bill brought to primal horror and shock as she witnesses the death of the small boy at the Frost Fair. Her utter disgust of the Doctor and his indifference was much warranted and wake up call in the midst of all the fun and games with time travel. But her reaction in 'Knock Knock' is one that is the most out of character to date. In 'Knock Knock', Bill also witnesses a good friend die less than a metre in front of her but her reaction is some how tamed in comparison to the one we see in 'Thin Ice'. Yes, everyone is saved in the end... but still.
...Seems I'll have to leave it here for now. I know it falls short of a review but I think I may have become a bit rusty!
Ta
Having just watched the episode 'Knock Knock', I can safely say I am enjoying the banter in the TARDIS between Bill and the Doctor the most. The two have a great dynamic, one that comes off very natural and is very refreshing to see. Just in this episode the Doctor assists with Bill's moving and the conversation casually leads into one about Time Lords and their funny dress sense. It is such a delight to watch, as Bill has so much still waiting for her to learn about the Doctor.
For this review I thought I'd do a combo, saves me time ;p
***Spoilers!
Doctor Who Series 10 episode 2,3,4
So the last three episodes were 'Smile', 'Thin Ice' and 'Knock Knock'. I feel there is some very back to basic titling system going here and I can say I'm digging it. Getting into it, of these three episodes the standout was of course 'Thin Ice'. There were some great moments and scenes in all of three but in the end the watcher must always take way the entire feel of the episode and the story it tries to tell. By comparison, 'Thin Ice', was well paced and compelling touched on real world issues giving the story weight and dimension. The stand out scene was when the Doctor delivered his eloquent speech on the true measure of human progress.
The Doctor: Human progress isn’t measured by industry. It’s measured by the value you place on a life. An unimportant life. A life without privilege. The boy who died on the river, that boy’s value is your value. That’s what defines an age, that’s… what defines a species.
A common theme, noticed throughout all three of these episodes, and also the first episode 'The Pilot', is death, or more specifically death by being eaten. In 'The Pilot', Heather is eaten by the alien fuel/water, in 'Smile' the skeleton crew is devoured by the Vardy; in 'Thin Ice', poor civilians become fish food and in 'Knock Knock', we have unsuspecting renters becoming the food source for alien-wood-lice! As the Doctor says, “Hardly anything’s evil. Most things are hungry. Hungry can look a lot like evil from the wrong end of the cutlery. Or do you think your bacon sandwich loves you back?”. What is interesting to see is how Bill reacts in the various episodes in the face of these fatalities. With Heather, Bill seems to have brushed it off fairly quickly, despite knowing that Heather was dead. Perhaps seeing the alien had taken Heather's image and form, lighten the impact? Understandably in 'Smile', the remoteness of the skeleton crew would merely invoke a respectful condolence, in contrast to 'Thin Ice', where is Bill brought to primal horror and shock as she witnesses the death of the small boy at the Frost Fair. Her utter disgust of the Doctor and his indifference was much warranted and wake up call in the midst of all the fun and games with time travel. But her reaction in 'Knock Knock' is one that is the most out of character to date. In 'Knock Knock', Bill also witnesses a good friend die less than a metre in front of her but her reaction is some how tamed in comparison to the one we see in 'Thin Ice'. Yes, everyone is saved in the end... but still.
...Seems I'll have to leave it here for now. I know it falls short of a review but I think I may have become a bit rusty!
Ta
Monday, April 17, 2017
The Pilot
New companion, new series, yes!
Doctor Who, Series 10, episode 1, The Pilot was perfect for an opener to the series and new companion, Bill Potts and to some extent a new Doctor with his memory wiped of having his first travelling companion since regenerating. If the show keeps this up then we may actually have a series arc deserving of the 12th Doctor. I guess it's no surprise that the last 2.5 series hasn't resonated with me (ergo the lack of posting). I feel the changes introduced in the show, starting even as earlier as the departure of the Ponds to Clara's character and the transition to the 12th Doctor, it never really found it's groove. The reason would be a combination of factors, which I am hoping the 10th series will learn from and correct itself. Given this first episode, it looks like it's off to a great start.
The episode
I feel the story itself was simple enough that it gave room for the new character, new setting, new character dynamic and relationships to grow. The story borrowed from other past adventures, such as the concept of the finding a compatible pilot similar to The Lodger, but extending the concept to acquiring passengers. Although, the latter extension, was weakened when it was twisted to match a more sentimental conclusion, a human promise made to not leave without another, taken out of context by an alien system protocol. Nevertheless, the simplicity of the plot lets us spend more time to learn about Bill and her reacting to the Doctor and his world.
The new companion
Bill Potts, portraited by Pearl Mackie, was fantastic and exactly what we needed in a new human companion to the Doctor after the know-it-all-intelligent-almost-comparable-to-the-Doctor, Clara. Bill to some extent was like Rose, an everyday, young woman who spends her day working, down time partying, and has her own family complex. But from her interactions with other characters in the episode we get to see her own personality shine through. We see her sense of mischief, from her little anecdote of the girl she unintentionally fattened by rewarding her with extra chips for each perve, as she served her at the canteen. Haha! Her curiosity and intelligence which she some how charms the Doctor into tutoring her and proves as she aces all her assignments. Her desires and fancies, as we notice her crushing on Heather and the chip girl she had fattened. Her level headedness and strength, as she composes against the Doctor's insult to her serving chips for a living. Her vulnerability, as we learn of her being a foster child and never having known her mother who passed away when she was only a baby. Her imagination and positivity, when she accounts that her mother use to say "you can smell the wind in some peoples coats", also revealing her aptitude in reading the Doctor. Lastly, her very human fear and disbelief when the world she thought she knew turns upside down and all is revealed.
The Doctor
Not too much is revealed about what the Doctor has been up to since we last saw him. Only that he has some how landed a gig as a university lecturer, accompanied by Nardole who he has fixed up with a bionic body of sorts; and is investigating a mysterious vault he has hidden on campus. What can we say but that the life of the timelord continues. There are more questions than answers and given the nature of the show the questions don't always get answered.
Doctor Who, Series 10, episode 1, The Pilot was perfect for an opener to the series and new companion, Bill Potts and to some extent a new Doctor with his memory wiped of having his first travelling companion since regenerating. If the show keeps this up then we may actually have a series arc deserving of the 12th Doctor. I guess it's no surprise that the last 2.5 series hasn't resonated with me (ergo the lack of posting). I feel the changes introduced in the show, starting even as earlier as the departure of the Ponds to Clara's character and the transition to the 12th Doctor, it never really found it's groove. The reason would be a combination of factors, which I am hoping the 10th series will learn from and correct itself. Given this first episode, it looks like it's off to a great start.
The episode
I feel the story itself was simple enough that it gave room for the new character, new setting, new character dynamic and relationships to grow. The story borrowed from other past adventures, such as the concept of the finding a compatible pilot similar to The Lodger, but extending the concept to acquiring passengers. Although, the latter extension, was weakened when it was twisted to match a more sentimental conclusion, a human promise made to not leave without another, taken out of context by an alien system protocol. Nevertheless, the simplicity of the plot lets us spend more time to learn about Bill and her reacting to the Doctor and his world.
The new companion
Bill (out of breath): Why do you run like that?
The Doctor: Like what?
Bill: Like a penguin with its arse on fire!
The Doctor: Ergonomics.
Bill Potts, portraited by Pearl Mackie, was fantastic and exactly what we needed in a new human companion to the Doctor after the know-it-all-intelligent-almost-comparable-to-the-Doctor, Clara. Bill to some extent was like Rose, an everyday, young woman who spends her day working, down time partying, and has her own family complex. But from her interactions with other characters in the episode we get to see her own personality shine through. We see her sense of mischief, from her little anecdote of the girl she unintentionally fattened by rewarding her with extra chips for each perve, as she served her at the canteen. Haha! Her curiosity and intelligence which she some how charms the Doctor into tutoring her and proves as she aces all her assignments. Her desires and fancies, as we notice her crushing on Heather and the chip girl she had fattened. Her level headedness and strength, as she composes against the Doctor's insult to her serving chips for a living. Her vulnerability, as we learn of her being a foster child and never having known her mother who passed away when she was only a baby. Her imagination and positivity, when she accounts that her mother use to say "you can smell the wind in some peoples coats", also revealing her aptitude in reading the Doctor. Lastly, her very human fear and disbelief when the world she thought she knew turns upside down and all is revealed.
The Doctor
Not too much is revealed about what the Doctor has been up to since we last saw him. Only that he has some how landed a gig as a university lecturer, accompanied by Nardole who he has fixed up with a bionic body of sorts; and is investigating a mysterious vault he has hidden on campus. What can we say but that the life of the timelord continues. There are more questions than answers and given the nature of the show the questions don't always get answered.
Saturday, April 15, 2017
DW Series 10
Finally, this is the first tidbit I've seen that has actually made me want to watch Series 10! I must say all the trailers have undersold Pearl Mackie's Bill, the new companion. But her performance here, looks fantastic! I like how she stumbled a little as well in her complete awestruck reaction to the TARDIS. Oh and the Doctor's little smile in his excitement and anticipation of showing off his beloved time machine. It's the first TARDIS/companion introduction in a long time that hasn't felt forced. It's these little moments of expression that bring this scene to life. The way the TARDIS was lit up in sections as the camera pulled back to reveal the console in all its glory, wow, it definitely brought back the sensation of seeing the TARDIS for the first time! This looks promising.
Friday, April 14, 2017
Happy Easter, 2017!
Good Friday! Literally too!
It's been too long. I may have dropped off the planet, and have just popped back to say 'hi!' for the festive occasions?
Happy Easter! And surrender to the sea of chocolate! xp
It's been too long. I may have dropped off the planet, and have just popped back to say 'hi!' for the festive occasions?
Happy Easter! And surrender to the sea of chocolate! xp
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Happy New Years, all alike
Greetings all and happy new year! And a happy Chinese new year! May this year be a thriller! ;p
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Batman Beyond Rebirth #1
I feel like I'm missing a big chunk of the picture picking up this issue. ...which is frustrating.
Only having dived into the Batman Beyond animated series a couple months ago I was a little disheartened to find the series abrupt end at Season 3. I watched the Return of the Joker special but that was not enough and so I've dived further down this DC rabbit hole and tried to bridge the gap with the Justice League series and its sequel Justice League Unlimited. FYI this renaming is too confusing. I've only recently completed the two seasons of the Justice League and am just starting the Unlimited series. I know there will be a crossover with Batman Beyond and that will be my glorious cake. However, until that time comes, I can't help myself and have jumped to the comics.
I haven't read comics in years, when I last gave up on Season 9 Buffy and A&F. Alas, the wait for each issues was too long!
With this issue I can't be more confused. There are so many questions to be asked and answered. Some I'm hoping to be answered when I complete the strangle entangle that is the Unlimited series. So I won't bore you with them here.
Let's jump to the art.
Cover art: as always there are two covers.
The first is a close up of the traditional Batman Beyond in the black suit, bright red bat symbol across the chest and white menacing eyes; in front of a matching red backdrop, which interesting enough is a tad smeared and dirty in contrast to the clean lines of Batman. The cover is clean and simple. Our Batman of the future is back!
The second cover is more out there. The exaggeration of form and muscles, the spikes, the overall mechancial enhancements of the suit. A very metallic, spidery looking Batman for all I can say. Is this spider-bats? Aside from the pointy spikes, two things I did notice: the red glowing eyes and the red soles to his boots. The red soles aren't a thing that continues into the rest of the comics but the red eyes are. When did he get red eyes?! ...and err... I don't like them.
Venturing further, the art in the rest of the comic was great. The colour, compostion and illustrations were amazing throughout especially the action scenes. The grainy flash back panels were also a contrast used to great effect.
I won't comment on the plot for now as I'd like to evaluate it from the full arc. There's still so many questions to be answered... and so I guess I shall leave you here. Ta.
Only having dived into the Batman Beyond animated series a couple months ago I was a little disheartened to find the series abrupt end at Season 3. I watched the Return of the Joker special but that was not enough and so I've dived further down this DC rabbit hole and tried to bridge the gap with the Justice League series and its sequel Justice League Unlimited. FYI this renaming is too confusing. I've only recently completed the two seasons of the Justice League and am just starting the Unlimited series. I know there will be a crossover with Batman Beyond and that will be my glorious cake. However, until that time comes, I can't help myself and have jumped to the comics.
I haven't read comics in years, when I last gave up on Season 9 Buffy and A&F. Alas, the wait for each issues was too long!
With this issue I can't be more confused. There are so many questions to be asked and answered. Some I'm hoping to be answered when I complete the strangle entangle that is the Unlimited series. So I won't bore you with them here.
Let's jump to the art.
Cover art: as always there are two covers.
The first is a close up of the traditional Batman Beyond in the black suit, bright red bat symbol across the chest and white menacing eyes; in front of a matching red backdrop, which interesting enough is a tad smeared and dirty in contrast to the clean lines of Batman. The cover is clean and simple. Our Batman of the future is back!
The second cover is more out there. The exaggeration of form and muscles, the spikes, the overall mechancial enhancements of the suit. A very metallic, spidery looking Batman for all I can say. Is this spider-bats? Aside from the pointy spikes, two things I did notice: the red glowing eyes and the red soles to his boots. The red soles aren't a thing that continues into the rest of the comics but the red eyes are. When did he get red eyes?! ...and err... I don't like them.
Venturing further, the art in the rest of the comic was great. The colour, compostion and illustrations were amazing throughout especially the action scenes. The grainy flash back panels were also a contrast used to great effect.
I won't comment on the plot for now as I'd like to evaluate it from the full arc. There's still so many questions to be answered... and so I guess I shall leave you here. Ta.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)