Category Archives: The Doctor 101- Doctor Who

A collection of posts about Doctor Who for newcomers to the show

The Doctor 101: Why Clara Needs to Stay

kinopoisk.ruA couple of months ago, I was very excited to hear that Jenna Coleman was going to be done with Doctor Who after the Christmas special. Series 8 had not been kind to Clara, and quite frankly, I thought it was time for her to go. I did not like how her character had interacted with Capaldi’s Doctor up to this point, and the love triangle story between her and Danny Pink and the Doctor was clunky and awkward at best. I couldn’t wait for a new companion. Don’t get me wrong, I am not a Clara hater. I liked her with 11, and was excited that she was going to be back with 12. That just added to my wanting her to go. They had already all but ruined a character I liked quite a bit, so I didn’t want to see it get any worse.

61314Then something great happened. Less than two minutes into the first part of the season finale, Danny Pink died. I don’t mean for that to sound cruel. I liked Danny, just like I like Clara, but I didn’t like the way Clara was with the Doctor when she was with Danny. I didn’t like how the Doctor and Danny didn’t like each other, even though they were both pretty decent people. In the end, although a good man, Danny just wasn’t a good fit for the series. It was a good thing when he died. His death opened the door for Clara to possibly stick around unhindered. She wouldn’t be torn, she wouldn’t have to lie to Danny and the Doctor any more. She could just go with the Doctor, like she did before. And she needed to find a way to stay and go with the Doctor. She needed to stay because if she didn’t she was going to become the next Martha.

Martha_jonesLet me explain what I mean by that. Martha had the unenviable task of following a very popular companion. Everyone loved Rose, including, most importantly, the Doctor. Everyone wanted to see Rose somehow end up with 10, and it was heartbreaking when he had to leave her behind in another universe, never to see her again (I know, they saw each other again, but he didn’t know that). Now Martha is supposed to step in and take her place. She wasn’t Rose. I am probably way in the minority here, but I always like Martha more than Rose. I think she was very clever, very pretty and somehow more relatable for me. I get, however, that I am alone in that. The rest of the Whoniverse really did not like Martha. She would never be Rose, and everyone wanted Rose back, including the Doctor. As a result, Martha’s time in the TARDIS was short. She remains one of the least popular companions. And really, who’s companion was she? I mean she was only with 10, but no one really considers her to be 10’s companion, that would be Rose, or maybe Donna, but never Martha. That is what it means to be a Martha.

_57366021_drwhoSimilarly, Clara had to step in to the companion shoes left vacant by two very popular companions: The Ponds. They weren’t just companions, at the end of it all, they were family. Who didn’t love these two? Amy was fiery and always in charge. Rory was faithful to the end and as lovable as can be. The two of them with 11 was just awesome. Some of my favorite episodes involved that trio, and I cried when they left the show. It was just so sudden and so awesome, Amy following Rory back in time to live out the rest of their days together. It was kind of beautiful. Excuse me while I wipe down my keyboard from the tears. Then enters Clara. Like Martha, she had lots of spunk and personality, and then added to that, she was the impossible girl. Despite all of that, though, she wasn’t the ponds. She had chemistry with 11, but the Ponds will always be his companions, not Clara. It was Amy he saw at the very end, the face that face first saw. Amy always had the Doctor’s heart. It was good that their time together was short.

Series-8-TV-launch-trailer-32Enter Capaldi as 12. This was Clara’s opportunity to shine and become someone’s companion. Like, THE companion. And 12 could have become HER Doctor. Unfortunately, Danny Pink came along and was so anti- the Doctor and the TARDIS and everything, that it just made the whole rest of the season miserable any time he was involved. When it was rumored that she was leaving the show after the Christmas special, I was thrilled. She needed to go, because what had become of her was bringing the whole show down. That was sad that i felt that way. I was pulling for her to really shine during series 8, win over some of her detractors. Unfortunately, the writing prevented that from happening. I couldn’t wait to hear who would be stepping into her shoes and move on to the next companion. Clara would have just become the next Martha. A filler companion until the next good one came along. She deserved better.

Then Danny died, and the whole dynamic changed. Then the Christmas special happened. Right before it aired, it was announced that she would be back for at least one more season. I was upset. Then I watched the Christmas special, and I got to see what the Doctor and Clara could be like post Danny, and I loved it. It made me excited for what is going to happen next. She has nothing to hold her back now. She is all in, which means she won’t be holding the Doctor back, which means we will really get to see Capaldi settle into the role, and I think all of that will be great.

Clara needs this. She needs to become Capaldi’s companion. No one deserves to be the next Martha. Martha didn’t deserve that. Clara has been saved. Now let’s hope the writers and directors do something good with it. Let’s hope they don’t ruin it. The Doctor really cares for Clara, and Clara has realized now that even though he looks different, she really cares for the Doctor. Series 9 could be stellar for the pair of them. I hope it will be.

We Need More 8!- The Doctor 101

The original Doctor Who television series ran from 1963 to 1989, ending with Sylvester McCoy playing the Doctor in his 7th form. The show simply was not resonating anymore with its target audiences, so it was canceled. 26 years is a pretty good run for any show, but it is a stellar run for a show that wasn’t even supposed to last a year. Doctor Who had endured, and its fans were a big reason why. There was devastation when the series was canceled, and this ushered in a dark age where the Doctor was lost from the television airwaves for 15 years, until 2004 when Christopher Eccleston took up the mantle and successfully brought the Doctor back into our homes. He didn’t just bring the show back, but he laid the foundation for it to reach heights it never had before. Those 15 years were hard for any long time Doctor Who fan. They were all hoping that Eccleston could be the Doctor to bring the show back. They had reason to be concerned, because the Eccleston/Davies reboot was not the first attempt to bring the show back.

8th-doctor-4In 1996, Paul McGann became the chosen actor to pick up the role of the Doctor and hopefully relaunch the series. He was young, hot actor, and seemed like a great choice. And he was. However, the attempted reboot was an utter failure. It was supposed to begin with what is now called the Doctor Who Television Movie, and then lead into a weekly serial. It only made it as far as the movie. Why? Well, it wasn’t McGann’s fault. If you have never seen the movie, please find a way to watch it, and treat yourself to some amazingly bad cinema. The story was just so out of the norm for Doctor Who, that it just doesn’t seem to fit with the rest of canon. In the first few minutes of the film, the Doctor gets gunned down by a gang member in San Francisco. He gets shot! Really? He has faced Cybermen and Daleks and all sorts of big baddies, and then some low life gang member with a gun gets him? It was bizarre, and only got more so as the story goes on. The whole story takes place in San Francisco, in an attempt to attract more of an American crowd. The Master is supposedly dead, although we know that never quite works out, and he comes back possesses some guys body, so he’s now an American. The weirdest part, is we discover, at least according to this movie that the Doctor may be half human. What!? The whole thing was just strange, including the appearance of the Doctor. Sylvester McCoy regenerates into Paul McGann, who finds himself naked in the hospital morgue. Somehow, the clothes he finds are the very modern looking clothes he is wearing in the above picture. If the goal was to connect to the younger, American crowd of 1996, dressing him like that was not the answer. As I mentioned before, all of this led to this being the only appearance of the 8th Doctor on-screen, leading into 9 more years of total Doctor darkness.

But it wasn’t McGann’s fault. They got the right actor to play the role, they just didn’t know what to do with them, or the character or any of it. McGann would go on to develop his Doctor character through Big Finish audio recordings, much to the acclaim of fans everywhere. He became a fan favorite through those recordings, making many wonder what a series with him as the Doctor would have been like. When the new relaunch was announced in 2004, it was announced that Christopher Eccleston would be taking the role. He would be the 9th Doctor, and would go on to successfully re-establish the character for younger audiences. It looked like McGann would never see the screen again as the Doctor. Until Moffat gave us all a treat just before the release of the 50th anniversary episode. He gave us a mini-episode called “Night of the Doctor” and it featured McGann as the 8th Doctor and he got to regenerate on-screen. And he looked awesome:

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I have a feeling if he had looked like this in 1996, the show may have gotten off the ground. Not only did he look awesome, he was awesome. If you have never seen it, here it is in its entirety:

Since I saw this mini-episode, I have been obsessed with the idea of seeing a series with McGann as the Doctor. This would be a fantastic spinoff, and the time is ripe for a spinoff like this. We could see the Doctor at the beginning of the Time War, see how it breaks out and how he was involved, even before the War Doctor that we saw in Day of the Doctor. We could see how he came to the point that he was on this ship with Cass, alone, without a companion. It would be very different form the Doctor Who we know and love now, and it could be awesome. Plus, it would give McGann the opportunity to really work this character over and show the world his Doctor.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that is ever going to happen. There are always rumors swirling around that it could happen, or that they are in talks to make it happen, but they all turn out to be just rumors. At Salt Lake Comic Con last September, Paul McGann was one of the guests, along with Colin Baker. He was asked if any of those rumors were true, and he said that none of them were to his knowledge. That’s too bad.

Whenever I am in San francisco, I think of that made for TV movie, and then I think of Night of the Doctor, and I wonder what could have been. I think of what could be. I would love to see it happen, but for now, I just need to get my hands on some of these Big Finish recordings and get to know 8 better that way. Any suggestions for where to start on those?

 

FanX 2015 Brings us The Doctor Who Ultimate Xperience

Geeks are a funny breed of human.  One thing that defines us is our passion.  We don’t just like our fandoms, but we love our fandoms with an undying devotion and passion.  It is the reason why all across Utah, Whovians were glued to their Facebook and Twitter feeds this morning.  Salt Lake Comic Con had teased that they might be breaking the internet with an announcement today, and left just a picture of the TARDIS.

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This picture appeared from Bryan Brandenburg to the Salt Lake Comic Con page on Facebook, driving Whovians throughout Utah into a frenzy.

 

That was all.  That was enough.  Whovians throughout Utah could not wait to see what today would hold  for them.  The anticipation was so much for some that they couldn’t sleep. I literally saw someone post that they could not sleep last night in anticipation for this announcement.  I predicted that maybe we would get a two for one announcement, and they would announce both Karen Gillan and Matt Smith.  I knew that Bryan had teased before that maybe Karen would be back, which would be big news, but not break the internet big.  I figured the only way they would do that was by announcing both.  I think most of the fans out there thought the same thing.  I am not a particularly smart person, so I am sure other people figured out the clues.

Then there was panic on a Salt Lake Comic Con group page.  Someone had found out that Karen Gillan and Matt Smith were already scheduled for the 31st at Walker Stalker Con in San Francisco. This caused some to assume the worst. If they were already scheduled to be at one con that weekend, how could they make both. A few were a bit calmer about it and were able to talk them away from the ledge. San Francisco is not that far away from Salt Lake. It takes less than 2 hours to get there on a plane (trust me, I fly that all the time), which means it was still possible that the 2 of them could come here on Thursday and Friday and then fly to San Francisco on Saturday. Celebrities do stuff like that all the time. In fact last year, when Karen came, she came the first day straight from the airport. It is not that strange.

This, then led to each of us checking our Facebook pages every hour to see what Salt Lake Comic Con was posting, since they post at the top of each hour. 9:00 brought some Doctor Who facts, but no announcement. 10 am gave us an ugly DeLorean, which my eyes cannot un-see. This left us with the obvious theory that they would announce Matt Smith at 11 am, since he was number 11. Nope.  They announced Karen instead.  People were excited, but this just fueled the idea that maybe, just maybe both were going to be here. I thought maybe they were waiting until noon, since he was technically the 12th Doctor now (thanks, Moffat). However, they threw us a curve ball by announcing him first on TV. Once that happened, word spread like wildfire throughout Facebook that it had been announced, they were bringing us the Doctor and Amy.  I do want to point out that the Facebook announcement did hit shortly before noon, so maybe I was right.

Of course, almost lost in all of this was the fact that we already had a pretty solid Doctor Who guest previously announced. Billie Piper was already announced as a guest.  So now, that means we have two of the most popular modern companions and Matt Smith, the 11th Doctor coming.  There had to be some kind of major panel announcement, right? Similar to the Star Trek TNG experience last year.  How could they pass up such a great opportunity?  Within hours, they announced that there would be the Doctor Who Ultimate Xperience. Which should be pretty epic.  Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, and Billie Piper. It will be pretty amazing, but will it be ultimate? I think it might be.

Lat year, as they announced all the Star Trek folks coming, there was one face missing from the crowd.  Patrick Stewart, and everyone was hoping that he would make it.  He didn’t for the panel on Thursday night, but at the panel, it was announced that he would be there on Saturday only. I don’t think they knew for sure until right before the panel that he was coming for the one day. These folks are super busy, and even if they want to be there, sometimes they are not sure if or when they can make it. Behind the scenes, even though the con had begun people were still working on getting another big name guest, and their handwork paid off.

Why do I bring that up?  I think they are still working behind the scenes to bring in number 10. I think they want this experience to really be the ultimate experience, and David Tennant would make it that, even more than it already is. I would buy my tickets now (I actually already did), because they will sell out, and you might be kicking yourself when they announce that Tennant will be there.  That’s all speculation on my part. I don’t have any kind of inside source, but that is my guess. Salt Lake Comic Con posted their video of Billie Piper, as a reminder that she would be there too, and then said there was possibly more coming, they may have something else up their sleeve. Some think it was the Ultimate Xperience, but I think that was a foregone conclusion. I think they are working on getting David here, and they might just make it happen. Have faith, my fellow geeks, they can and will deliver.  Today was a big day, but we still have 20 more days until the con itself.

After everything was announced, I just wanted to find a corner and another Whovian or 2, and just sit and geek out. It’s what we do. We get excited, and then we want to share that excitement with other people who are equally excited. I wanted to do this so much, that I spent a few minutes inside an FYE by my house. They normally carry quite a bit of Doctor Who stuff, and it happened to be right across the street from where my daughter’s girl scouts meet, and I was early and had some time to kill. I wasn’t the only one. I walked by a couple walking through the store, and the gentleman was in full on 11th Doctor cosplay. It was awesome. There was another young geek there who was just out of his mind excited about Doctor Who and everything Doctor Who. It was great. We were all out, celebrating today. It reminded me of the opening scene in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, when all the magical folks are out in the open in the muggle world. That is what my trip to FYE was like. It made me happy to be a Whovian, in Utah, a place that didn’t even exist on most geeky maps until recently, and is quickly becoming the geek capital of the world. Go us.

No Happy Endings

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Well, here we are, at the end of series 8 of Doctor Who, and it looks like Clara is staying for at least one more series.  Those that have followed my blog will know, I’m sure, that I have not been a big fan of Clara this series.  I have not enjoyed the way that she and the new Doctor have been interacting with one another.  This whole idea that Clara can’t stand this Doctor because he looks different has never sat well with me, and it hasn’t helped their chemistry.  Then, when you throw in a love interest for Clara who doesn’t approve of or like the Doctor, it just starts to get messy.  To the point, that when the rumors started going around that Coleman was leaving the show after the Christmas special, I started doing a happy dance.  Which is all very sad, really, because I liked Clara before.  They just butchered her character this series, and I didn’t like her. Now, however, it appears that Clara is sticking around, which could be good or bad news.  I am optimistic since Danny is out of the picture now and she has finally warmed up to number 12, that Clara will be better in series 9.

One thing that may have bothered some folks was how it looked like it was all going to end between Clara and the Doctor at the end of “Death in Heaven.”  It certainly wasn’t an ending that gave you the feels.  Now that she will be back, many of you may be hoping that we will get one of those warm, fuzzy send offs for Clara.  To those who are hoping for that I say: Don’t hold your breath.  That just isn’t how it has gone so far for the Doctor’s companions since the series relaunched with Eccleston.  Don’t believe me?  Let’s take a look:

Rose Tyler

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Some might argue that leaving her with her mum and her dad, the two of them together now, so she could live happily ever after is a good thing.  Except she was left with her mum and her dad (from a parallel universe) in a parallel universe, forever cutoff from the Doctor, who she was head over heels for, and who may have felt the same way toward her.  That kind of sucks.  Yes, she is safe, but she is cut off from the Doctor forever.  I mean except for when she got back over into this universe and then she was stranded there by the Doctor again, with a copy of the Doctor, which I suppose could make it all better.  I would argue it doesn’t.  That Doctor that she was left with is not her Doctor, I mean not really.  Plus, it still really is crummy for the Doctor who is cut off from Rose.  In any case, it’s one of those tragic happy endings, at best.  There is of course some deleted scene circulating about with some kind of home made TARDIS.  Deleted scenes don’t count and are not canon.

Martha Jones

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Martha always got a bad rap.  I liked Martha.  I thought she was a great companion.  She was smart and witty and everything a companion should be.  The only thing she wasn’t was Rose Tyler, which is why, I think everyone can’t stand her.  It’s also why the Doctor didn’t like her.  Her exit didn’t seem so bad.  She walked away from the Doctor and from the TARDIS all on her own. IT was her choice.  Except, I wonder, if there wasn’t some part of her that wanted the Doctor to try to talk her into staying.  I think that is the real sad part here.  She walked away, and the Doctor was totally fine with it.  As were the fans.  Poor Martha.

Donna Noble

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One of the saddest departures was Donna’s.  Her mother had always told her she would never really amount to anything, and she proved her wrong by running off with the Doctor and seeing the Universe and being just brilliant. Then she had it all stripped away from her because of the whole Doctor-Donna thing.  Her memory is totally gone as far as anything to do with the Doctor, and unfortunately, anything to do with being brilliant.  Now, she is back to being a temp again and living the life she had before, never knowing about her untapped potential.

The Ponds

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Two of my favorites.  I loved the Ponds, and just like everyone else, I was sad to see them go. The way they went didn’t help matters any.  To have them just ripped away from the Doctor and River, just kind of sucked. The Angels had been a menace for the Doctor for a while now, and he and his companions always seemed to just barely get away.  It was only a matter of time before they got someone.  Unfortunately, that someone was Rory.  Of course it would be Rory. It was only like the tenth time he had died. The big shock was when Amy decided to go with him, and just like that they were gone, and the Doctor could never go back to see them (one of those convenient Time Lord rules).

Looking at these examples, I think it is safe to assume that whatever ending the future holds for Clara, it will not be a happy one.  The awkward conversation in the diner at the end of “Death in Heaven” may be as close as we come to a happy ending.

 

Gifts from the T.A.R.D.I.S.

It’s that time of year. Black Friday is next week, and Christmas is just around the corner. Not sure what to get that special geek in your life? Have no fear, your friendly, neighborhood, Geeky Mormon is here to help. Each day over the next week I will be releasing a list of 10 gifts to help you out. Each day will be a different fandom, starting today with Doctor Who. If you see something you like, just click on the picture and it will take you directly to a site where you can buy it. As a disclaimer, I am not sponsored or affiliated with any of the sites listed and I am getting nothing in return for this, just here to help you out. I also just want to say that since writing this post I have been made aware of custom face shorts which would make a pretty funny present if you used the doctor’s face; something to consider for those with a good sense of humour! There are also custom mugs which you can design yourself with anything Doctor Who related, which would be a great gift for any office worker who’s a fan of the show. The possibilities really are endless! But without further ado, here’s my complete list of Doctor Who themed gift ideas:

1. The Complete Matt Smith Years on Blu ray

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So much Matt Smith goodness, definitely a great buy for any Whovian.

This is the dream collection for any fan of the 11th Doctor, especially those that are still struggling to adjust to the new Doctor. The suggested retail price is $150, but you can find it now at Overstock.com for $101.73. This may be a small package, but with the hours of entertainment, and all the adventures, this set is definitely bigger on the inside. Relive each cooky, heartfelt moment of the 11th Doctor from “The Girl Who Waited,” to “The Time of the Doctor.” I would live to find this under my tree.

2. Doctor Who: Season 8

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So much Eyebrows. Just eyebrows.

Whether they want it on Blu ray, DVD or streaming video, the holidays are the perfect time to sure this gift with a loved one. Get to know the newest Doctor, and relive each of his adventures as you prepare for the Christmas special. Who’s up for a Doctor Who Christmas day marathon? Who wouldn’t be up for it. On Amazon right now the Blu ray is going for $64.96, DVD is $54.96 or Amazon streaming video for $29.99. When trying to stream Doctor Who, it might be region locked for some. Consider using a Disney Plus VPN to unlock region-locked content. Your choice, but whatever format you choose, it will make your Whovian’s Christmas.

3. 10th Doctor Costume Pajama Set

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For those times when it’s bed time, and you just don’t want to go.

When I was a kid, I loved my family’s tradition of opening one gift on Christmas eve, and that gift was always new pajamas. I used to think that my family was the only family in the world that does this, and then I found out everyone does this, so a little bit of the coolness wore off. In any case, we still do this at my house, and who wouldn’t love to receive a set of pajamas like this. Perfect for Christmas eve, and for staying in all day, waiting for the Christmas special to start. On sale now for $19.99 at ThinkGeek.com Nothing like a great set of Christmas jammies:

4. Doctor Who Electronic T.A.R.D.I.S. Cookie Jar

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No sneaking cookies from this jar

Do you find that the cookies always seem to go missing from your cookie jar? I know with our 5 little monsters we have zero luck keeping any sweets or cookies in the house. The minute our backs are turned, they have their hands in the cookie jar sneaking away the cookies. Not only is this jar stylish, but it eliminates that from happening. The electronic part is the T.A.R.D.I.S. sound effect each time the jar is opened. Plus, it is bigger on the inside, so you could keep dozens and dozens of cookies in there. (Note: The jar is not actually bigger on the inside) The jar can be yours for $49.99 at SuperHeroStuff.com.

5. Monopoly: Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Edition

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Because sometimes, the family togetherness gets to be too much.

Ahhh- Monopoly, the game that has breaking friends and families apart for decades. Now you can play it with a Doctor Who twist. This is the 50th Anniversary edition, so it has elements that will make the classic Who fans and the new Who fans happy. This is a great gift to open and then use to while away the hours until the special is on. It is available right now on Amazon for $36.66.

6. K-9 Slippers

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Stylish. Warm. Loyal. Smarter than you.

Need something to go with your new Christmas jammies to keep your feet warm? What could be better than your very own pair of K-9 slippers? Nothing, that’s what. I love this little robot dog, and wish he was still around. These slippers are an exclusive to the ThinkGeek site, and retail for $29.99.

7. TARDIS Fridge

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I know it looks small, but I can fit a couple 12 packs of soda in here, ’cause it’s bigger on the inside.

Who doesn’t have stuff they want to keep cold? Everybody has stuff they need to keep cold. And now, with this awesome mini-fridge, you can keep that stuff closer to you than before. Have an office downstairs, but the fridge is upstairs? This will solve that problem. Now the sodas will be kept cold right in your office. Awesome. $149.99 at ThinkGeek.com.

8. TARDIS Hoody

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Who wouldn’t look good in this?

This might be number one on my gift wish list this year. I like the color, I like the look, and I love hoodies. The hoody is available in sizes Small to XXXL on Amazon.com. Hoodies like this are going to be hot commodities this year in Salt Lake, since FanX is taking place in January. It’s going to be cold, and you will need to bundle up, and with this you can bundle up and look awesome.

9. Doctor Who: The Essential Guide to 50 years of Doctor Who

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For the person who doesn’t know it all, but would like to.

Great book, and now only $12. Celebrate 50 years of the Doctor. Great coffee table book, and what fan wouldn’t want this. Get to know the Doctor even better. Maybe you only know the new stuff, now you can get to know all 11 Doctors (11 at the time of the 50th). Nice hardcover book. Worth checking out.

10. Sonci Screwdriver Universal Remote Control

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Your very own sonic that actually sonics something.

Tired of losing all of the remotes? The basic, boring, universal remotes don’t really do it for you? Then check out this beauty. Impress your friends as you wave your sonic to activate your television viewing device, or wave it again to control the volume or start a movie. It’ll control all of your devices, and you’ll look great doing it. This is available at Amazon.com for $100.

There you have it. 10 great gift ideas for the Whovians in your life. Come back tomorrow as we cover 10 gift ideas from the realm of Middle Earth.

Doctor Who Event: Review of “Blink”

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To pass the time between now and Christmas day, the time when there is no new Doctor Who, I decided it might be fun to view some “classic” new Doctor Who episodes together.  If you missed it, we decided to start with “Blink” and viewed it last night at 8 pm MST.  If you would like to join us for future viewings, please like my Facebook page, where we will be posting details about the “events”, or follow me on twitter or on Google +.

We decided to kick it off with a real classic.  “Blink” is the episode, I think, that people always refer new to Who viewers to watch first.  I don’t know if I agree with that, but it is a great episode, and a fun way to start off our little viewing parties.  I am going to review each of these episodes in my “Day Late Review” format, providing you with the good, the bad, and the final verdict.  Let’s get to it.

The Good

This is one of the most quoted episodes out there.  There are more memes that involve lines from this episode than any other out there.  We get the “Don’t Blink” line, “Timey-wimey, wibbley-wobbley,” “The Angels have the phone box,” which leads to Larry saying that he has that on a T-shirt, which of course has led to it actually being on a T-shirt:

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An actual “The Angels have the phone box” T-shirt, available at ThinkGeek.com.

This story was Moffat at his best.  This was, of course, back when he was a lowly writer and not the show runner.  It was also back when he contributed some of the best stories, instead of strange, plot hole filled tales like “Death in Heaven.” (see my review of his latest here) The story is fun and very well written, feeling more like a suspenseful horror film than an adventure in space and time.  It works as a one-off episode. In this case it works really well.  I remember hearing about this episode as I was first going through the Doctor Who stories, and hearing how  it really didn’t have the Doctor in it very much at all.  I thought that was strange, and I guess it is, but it really works here.  The main protagonist, Sally Sparrow, is excellent.  She is clever and does a great job carrying the story. When I watch this episode, I don’t find myself thinking, ” I wish the Doctor was in this more.”  Not even a little bit. You don’t miss him in this episode at all. I mean, he’s there, but he is not the main character.

This episode flows so well from scene to scene and the timey-wimeyness is excellent.  People going back in time, and Sally not realizing it, and then she gets word from them, from the past, and it is just so cool.  I love when Kathy’s grandson shows up with the letter while Kathy is still in the house.  In fact, him showing up is what causes Sally to leave her alone in the house.  If he doesn’t who up, Sally and Kathy probably would have both been sent back to 1920.  Then Billy gets sent back, and she immediately gets a phone call from him, as he is lying on his death-bed 40 years later, but it is the same rain because it was really just a few minute later, just cool stuff.

The Angels are excellent.  This is the Angels at their best.  I feel like Moffat keeps bringing them back, and each time he does, they get a little cheesier and less creepy.  As a one time monster in this episode they are scary, plus you’ll never walk be a statue the same again.  What could be creepier than a creature that looks like a statue, never moves when you are looking at it, and then bam!, you’re in you current time one second, and the next you wake up somewhere totally different.  Just terrifying.

The Bad

Since last Salt Lake Comic Con, and I went to the Colin Baker/ Paul McGann presentation, the weeping angels have almost been ruined for me.  Mr. Baker has come up with an almost full proof way of dealing with the angels.  You just close one eye at a time, keeping the other eye open, in other words, don’t blink, wink!  It actually works, I think.  It’s so simple, and makes the angels less daunting.

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I only bring that up because there is not a lot of Bad in this episode.  This is probably the 5th or 6th time I have seen the episode and it is just as enjoyable as the first time.  If I were to pick out any of the bad, it would be nitpicking, and I just don’t feel like it is worth it for this episode.  It isn’t perfect, but it comes close.

The Final Verdict

This is, unsurprisingly, one of my favorite episodes.  From start to finish, it is just very enjoyable.  It is the best that the rebooted series has to offer.  I can’t think of an episode I enjoy more.  There may be some that I enjoy as much as this one, but none that I enjoy more.  I would rem mend this one to watch again and again and again.  I love it.

What did you think of “Blink”? Is it as good as everyone says, or is it overrated?  Let us know in the comments.  Stay tuned for details on our next Doctor Who viewing event, which will be happening next Saturday, that is this upcoming Saturday.

A Day Late Review of “Death in Heaven”-Doctor Who Series 8

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Here it is, the finale, the last part of the finale, the finale to the finale for series 8 of Doctor Who. Last week we got “Dark Water,” and you can see my review of that here. Now we get all the answers to our questions in the thrilling conclusion, is what I should be writing right now.  But I’m not.  “Death in Heaven” epitomizes Doctor Who in Steven Moffat era: Lots of build up, little reward.  It felt like so many of the Matt Smith story lines, which makes sense since it was the Doctor who changed, not the people writing and running the show.  Of course, it wasn’t all bad. Following my same format, I am going to give you the good, the bad, and my final verdict.  As always, I am assuming you have seen the episode, so there will be spoilers.  If you are trying to avoid spoilers, please don’t read on.

The Good

The episode finally seemed to have a good Clara mix in it.  It reminded me of why I used to like her quite a bit, which is a big change from the rest of the season when it seemed like they were trying to get us to not like Clara at all.  Even if they weren’t trying, they were succeeding.  This episode reminded me that for the most part, she was a fine companion, and I could almost excuse her recent not fineness.  Almost.  It wasn’t all good from Clara, but it was enough.

We did get at least one question answered.  The question everyone was speculating about.  Missy was the woman in the shop who gave Clara the Doctor’s number, all the way back in “Bells of St. John.” Thank goodness that question was answered.  Sadly, it was the only one that was well answered.

I really wish that I could say here that this episode really did a great job of wrapping up the whole series 8, and was a great finale.  I can’t say that.  The whole series had an almost obsession with robots that was not explained.  They were all looking for the “Promised Land,” and although Seb says that the cloud they are all in is the Promised Land, we don’t see the robots playing any role whatever in the finale.  Anyway, not to go on, because not wrapping up the series really falls under the bad, and not the good.

The Bad

Did you ever put off a major school project or paper until the very end?  The paper is due the next day, and you decide to start it that night?  I have a feeling Steven Moffat has done that, because it feels like that is how he does his finale’s.  The sad part is that he spends so much of the series building up to the finale and throws in so many questions for us to make us curious, and then doesn’t deliver on half of them.  This finale is classic Moffat, then.  I was hoping for some kind of connection between all the robots and the afterlife, but they were never mentioned.  I was hoping for an explanation of why the Cybermen and the Master (sorry, Mistress) were working together, and got one, but it was lame and half thought out.  These are the kinds of things that should be better planned, but they weren’t.  Missy spends all this time trying to create an army for the Doctor?  Just to try to convince him that he is just like her?  It makes the Master character look desperate and obsessive, and not at all the equal to the Doctor that the character should be.  I always wondered why Moffat never had number 11 square off against the Master. Now I get it, Moffat has no idea how to write the character.

Death.  So much needless, pointless death.  Danny Pink is probably the most justified death from the story stand point.  The unfortunate thing with that is that he dies multiple times.  So that ‘s always fun.  Then there is Osgood.  Why bring her back for the finale just to kill her for no reason.  None, whatsoever.  It was not crucial to the story, and it just seemed like a waste of a likable side character.  The Master/Mistress is another great example of dying just for dying’s sake.  Is that really how it ends for the Master/Mistress?  The Brigadier shoots her in his Cyberman form?  And then read that last sentence.  Really?  You are going to bring back one of the most beloved characters from the history of Doctor Who as a Cyberman?  Just didn’t feel right to me.

The ending.  Can we drag out Clara leaving anymore?  I mean, seriously, she’s been threatening it since “Mummy on the Orient Express,” and they have been dragging it out since.  The scene in the coffee shop at the end of the episode was just bad, and obviously it couldn’t end with the two of them lying to each other, but for a moment it appeared to.  Then Santa shows up, and gives each of us a giant lump of coal for Christmas in the form of yet another final Clara adventure for the Christmas special.  Just make it stop, already.  Let’s all just move on.

The Final Verdict

I am a big believer that you need to watch every episode to get the whole story.  That is especially true for finale’s.  I just wish we didn’t have to suffer through this one.  There were way too many things going on in the episode, too many loose ends to be tied up, and it felt that way.  The master regenerating into a woman is now part of canon, which is fine.  I just wish the character would not have been so wasted.  Is the Master really dead now?  Was that the last we will see of him/her? Plus, we don’t get word one of Gallifrey this series until this episode, and what we get here was almost an afterthought.  Oh yeah, I did mention Gallifrey isn’t really destroyed last year.  Better write it into the finale.  The whole thing was laced with good intentions, and then just poorly executed.  I would say, you are required to watch it simply because it is the finale, but you are not required to enjoy it.

A Day Late Review of “Dark Water”-Doctor Who Series 8

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I don’t normally avoid spoilers when I write these reviews, and this time is no different.  However, I do want to call it out for sure this time.  If you have not watched “Dark Water” yet, please be advised that there will be spoilers in this review.  If you don’t want any of it to be spoiled, then please don’t read the review.  If you have already seen the episode, or the internet has already spoiled it for you, or you simply don’t care, then read on. As always, or at least, as of late, I will not be offering a recap of the episode, but simply, the god, the bad, and the final verdict.

The Good:

We got some questions answered.  Finally.  We know who Missy is.  Some people may not be happy about it, some people (including myself) may have been totally caught off guard, but we now know who she is.  We also got a glimpse of the promised land and how Missy ties into people dying and the afterlife.  Granted, these were only half answered questions, but it gives us hope that maybe answers are forthcoming.  I do realize that this is Moffat we are talking about, and he seems to like to answer his questions by creating more questions, but one can hope right?

Missy is the Master. Major spoiler here. At least it would have been for me, if I were reading this before I saw the episode, but that would actually be impossible to have happen, since it would create a paradox loop.  In another review of this episode, on the web site Stranger Views, the author mentions that the internet blew up with people who knew Missy was the Master.  I am with Mr. Ridley on this one, I had no idea.  I just wasn’t expecting that.  Now that it has happened, I am all for it.  I think it will bring a whole new dimension and dynamic to the Doctor/Master relationship, and I am hoping Missy will be around for a while.  This also puts to rest any lingering questions about whether the Doctor could possibly change genders through regeneration.  Moffat has definitely made that a possibility.

The Bad

All the other surprises, or at least the other big 2.  Danny Pink dies. Right out of the box.  There he goes, dead.  I was shocked.  He was by far the best thing about Clara this series, so it was sad to see him go, even though that is the event that sets this whole story in motion.  Still wish it didn’t have to be this way.  Of course, this is Moffat, so the nonchalance with which he dies should surprise no one, and he could very well be back, since Moffat’s characters rarely stay dead (see Rory, Clara, Sherlock, Moriarty, etc.).

The other big surprise was the cybermen.  Of course none of us had any idea that the skeletons were cybermen. Well, except for all of us who saw the promos.  The only person who was in the dark was the Doctor himself.  Apparently he had not seen the promos or the artwork that came out prior.  Obviously, the cybermen were the worst kept secret ever, in the history of keeping secrets.  Either this was just sloppy on the part of the producers, or this isn’t really the big surprise.  Maybe Missy was the big surprise, but I feel like there is more coming.

I say that, in spite of the fact that this episode almost didn’t end like a two parter.  The only real cliffhanger was whether Danny is going to delete himself or not.  Frankly, not enough to bring me back next week.  I mean, I will be back, but I would have been back regardless of the cliffhanger.  I am just not anticipating or wondering what is going to happen, and I feel like I should be.

The Final Verdict

This was part one of a two-part finale, but it felt like it was front loaded with all the surprises.  What is left for part two?  Will it all just be resolution to the Doctor and Clara relationship?  If so, I will poke my eyes out now.  I don’t think I can sit through an hour of that.  There are still a few questions that need to be answered, like is Missy the woman in the shop who gave Clara the Doctor’s number?  Personally, I say no.  I don’t see how that would serve her purpose.  Plus, in one of the promos, Clara is saying something about how she never really existed.  What is that all about?  Maybe it will be resolved in the finale.  Or the finale could just be one big set up for the Christmas special, which will be Clara’s last adventure.  Or, it could be that Moffat asks all these questions, and never gives us adequate answers just to mess with us.  I wouldn’t put it past him.

Peter Capaldi So Far

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In the spirit of Series 8 winding down, I thought it would be fun to take a look at our newest Doctor and what we have seen from him so far.  I am going to treat this like a day late review, offering up the good, the bad, and the final verdict.  It seems like Capaldi’s Doctor has been almost divisive amongst fans.  He’s not you dad’s Doctor, and he’s not your sister’s either.  So where does he fit in? Let’s take a look.

The Good

He’s older.  I mean, obviously, each regeneration of the Doctor is older than the last, but I mean he looks older.  This is in the good category for me, because this limits the potential romances between the Doctor and his companions.  Finally.  Don’t get me wrong, I have like Eccleston, Tennant, and Smith and their portrayals of our favorite Time Lord, but the one thing I never liked was the romantic aspects.  It always seemed to add a creepy element to the Doctor.  Think about, here comes this guy from space who is over 1000 years old, and he finds these “companions” who are in their early 20’s and takes them away in his magical box, and they all fall in love with him.  The age difference goes way beyond a “December-May” relationship.  In the previous versions of the Doctor (since the reboot), in my opinion, the best companions were Donna and Amy with Rory.  The only acceptable romance was River Song.  So the fact that this Doctor is older and there doesn’t seem to be any romance between him and Clara is a huge positive for me.  Does he care for Clara?  Yes, but I feel like it is more of a fatherly relationship than an “in love” relationship.  I know he doesn’t care for Danny Pink, but it’s not because he sees him as competition for his love.  As a father of 3 girls, I can tell you it will be hard for me to find any man acceptable for them, especially if I can see all the things I don’t like about myself in them, things that actually make me a good man.  That’s where the Doctor is with Danny.  He is not sure that Danny is good enough for Clara, especially because Danny was a soldier.  We know how this Doctor feels about soldiers, because of how he feels about his life as a soldier in the Time War and after.  That is a very fatherly attitude.

This Doctor is alien in a very different kind of way.  Matt Smith played a quirky alien version of the Doctor, but Capaldi’s is still very Alien, and he seems less intent on blending in with people.  It can almost seem snooty, but he feels like he is better than the human race.  Considering what he has done and seen, he is.  I like this characteristic of this new Doctor, and I think Capaldi plays it well.  There is never any doubt that he is different, but it’s not ever really over the top.

The accent-  I love the Scottish accent.  I wonder sometimes if David tenant is sad when he hears the new Doctor speak in a Scottish accent.  Tennant never did as the Doctor.  I wonder why Capaldi does.  I don’t know, but I love it.

The eyebrows.  I love that the eyebrows get called out as often as they do.  It’s kind of fun.  Similar to Matt Smith’s chin, or Tennant’s being super skinny.  The eyebrows have become the defining feature of Capaldi’s Doctor.

The doctor always does the right thing in the end.  This will lead a little bit into the bad, but I just want to point out that Capaldi’s Doctor always does the right thing in the end.  He always saves as many people as he can.  He always ends up being the hero.  There may be times along the way where we question it, but in the end, he is still a good man.

The Bad

The Doctor just doesn’t seem to care as much as the others. This was a huge negative for me at first.  Matt Smith was just so lovable, but Capaldi is playing the Doctor as very prickly and not lovable.  That was a big adjustment.  My wife was very excited about the new season of Doctor Who, until we watched the first episode.  I think she just doesn’t like this new Doctor as much as she liked Mat Smith’s, and I think it is because he is so different.  I keep telling her to watch some more, but she won’t.  I think it has been harder for her to get into it as much.  The Doctor doesn’t seem to view and value life the same as previous regenerations have.  He is much colder and more calculating, more analytical.  Clara has described herself as his conscience, which isn’t accurate, but shows us that others view him as cold and uncaring.  He comes across that way, and it can be hard to warm up to him as a result.

Clara.  Clara has been so awful this series.  I loved Clara in the last bit she did with Matt Smith, but Clara with this Doctor does not work.  They just are no good for each other, and the drama that has come as a result of that has just been over the top.  I have a theory, and I hope it’s right, that the writers and Moffat are doing this on purpose.  I have felt that way for a while, because it is so blatantly bad, it must be on purpose.  It appears, looking at the preview for the finale which starts tonight, that Clara may not be so good after all.  If that is the case, then they have been working very hard for us to just not like her and want her gone.  They are turning her into a villain.

The Final Verdict

There is no final verdict yet.  It has only been one series, and we are not really at the end of that yet.  So far, i would say he has grown on me.  I really did not know what to think about this new Doctor when he appeared for the first time in “Deep Breath,” but now he is really coming along and we are seeing more and more of his character and the depth that is there.  The hard part at the beginning of the series was that here were some stinker episodes.  The episodes have gotten better as the season has gone on as well, which helps for the actors and the show in general.  I am excited to see where Capaldi goes with the character, and I hope he will be around for a long time.

A Day Late Review of “Mummy on the Orient Express”-Doctor Who Series 8

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This episode, where to begin?  This episode was just a lot of fun for me.  I really enjoyed it, more than I have enjoyed Doctor Who in a long time.  It felt like an older new episode, circa David Tennant.  I don’t know why it felt that way for me, but it did, almost like “Voyage of the Damned.”  I suppose it was a similar concept, but with a mummy that appears and only one person can see them.  Anyway, here is my review, containing the good, the bad, and my final verdict.  Beware of spoilers, but I assume you knew that already.

The Good

There was a lot of good this time out in the TARDIS.  I don’t know if one blog post can contain it all, so I will try to sum it up.  First of all, it was a mystery.  I think the Doctor is at his best when he is solving a mystery.  The mystery format just seems to fit his particular skill set quite nicely, so any episode that is a mystery is typically pretty solid to start with.  That might be a broad statement, but just remember, the type of story sets the foundation, and a crummy house can be built on a good foundation, but a good house cannot be built on a crummy foundation.  But, since this episode had nothing to do with houses or foundations we will move on.  It was a decent mystery.  The story flowed well and moved at a good pace.  There was relatively little of the Clara/Doctor drama in this episode, which I think contributed to that good pace.  The episode also had some great nods to Doctors passed, like when he offered the Alien Mythology expert a Jelly Baby, or when he sees the mummy and says, “Are you my mummy?” Not only was that a classic pun, it hails back to “The Empty Child” story from the first series of the reboot.

I enjoyed the supporting actors quite a bit as well.  The chief engineer was great, and the type of companion I think this Doctor both needs and would appreciate.  Speaking of supporting actors and companions, this episode had very little Clara in it.  Yes, she was there, but she played a very small role, which right now was a needed change of pace.  I could not take another episode of drama between the two of them.  While this episode had a little bit of that, it was very little bit of it compared to the last few weeks.

There were also explosions, and deaths and excitement, and in the end, the Doctor solves the mystery and saves all the survivors.  It was a good happy ending.

The Bad

The bad in this episode was the little bit that Clara was in it.  I know it seems like I have been harsh on her the last couple of weeks.  Please understand, i like Clara, I just don’t like Clara and this Doctor together.  I don’t like the recent drama, and I am looking forward to a permanent change in the companion department.  All of Clara’s part revolved around this being their last adventure together.  As they discussed, I began to wonder if Christmas had come early this year to my house.  Unfortunately, it didn’t.  Now she has lied to both Danny and the Doctor and she is staying on for few more adventures.  I am begging Steven Moffat (Like he reads my blog), please end our misery.  Bring us a companion that works with this Doctor.

The only other bad in this episode was the way the Doctor reacted to the people that died.  The victims of the mummy.  It was a blatant apathy.  He really did not care.  Somehow, he had worked out that he could not save them, so he simply moved on and that was it.  I could not imagine any of the newer Doctors reacting this way, and this is something I am having to adjust to.  I keep feeling like we need to give him time, and we will begin to understand him better, but it is starting to look like he really doesn’t care at a certain level.

The Final Verdict

This could be the gem of the season.  Go and watch this episode.  And you will probably want to watch it again.  Overall, the bad gets drowned out with the overwhelming good, and the episode shines.  All I have to say about that is that it’s about time.  This should be what we should expect each time out.