'Once, Upon Time' Review - Doctor Who: Flux (Series 13)
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- Опубликовано: 1 окт 2024
- We're half-way through Flux, and it feels like the momentum has slipped. As time and space continue to be fluxxed up, it feels like the writing took a hit too. But it's not over yet. Some BIG things still happened this week... What did you think? Let me know in the comments!
#DoctorWhoFlux #OnceUponTime #DoctorWho
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Yaz and the Doctor 'playing' a video game looks the same as when a nephew of mine was too young to play, but would pick up an unconnected controller so he could pretend to play a single player game with me.
That's an uncle trade secret!
I laughed so hard with the weeping Angel's stalking Yaz in the video game.
During halloween my 3 year old watched "Blink" and has been enamored with the angels. To the point that we go "Angel Hunting" around the town when driving to and fro.
But she never really saw them stalk someone like they did in this scene.
She got close to the tv and was smiling saying "there's weeping angels!"
Poof! Out the box and into the living room.
My daughter went screaming out of the room "NO ANGEL! NO TOUCH ME!"
it spooked her good. And I got a good laugh. My wife had the wtf is going on look on her face.
Which made me laugh even more.
Thank you for the story. I had a huge laugh
Another generation hooked! And traumatized behind the couch..
Thanks for the context. Guess sometimes we should remember that it's technically still a kids show
@@jayanderson9375
It warms my hearts!
OMG that's awesome. Reminds me of my nephew. First and only time he saw Blink, years back he screamed so loud running to his room. Funniest thing ever. My brother's wife didn't think it was too funny.. He'll never live it down. He's 23 and we still crack up over it.
Chibbers really doesn't seem to like the idea of a small cast does he? I was keen for just the Doctor and Yaz, but Dan won me over and I thought "Well, two companions isn't too bad". But now we not only have Vinder but also his partner sucking up screen time. I really hope RTD takes us back to just one well-developed companion when the time comes.
I'm also really worried that Flux isn't going to tie up all of its storylines. Remember when Series 12 was coming out and we told ourselves "They'd never introduce a whole new Doctor and then not resolve that before the end of the series!".
Don't forget that there is still 4 specials coming next year !
Don't forget Karvanista. He's pretty close to a companion at this point, too.
The last time i had fun with a huge cast, there was psycho potato named strax
With respect to those with a near opposite opinion to mine I hated this episode so much so I can't be bothered explaining all my reasons why. I am glad others enjoyed it but for me it's a 3/10. I am being generous too.
Agreed
Total garbage. A montage of 20 second clips to fill up 50 minutes.
@@williamgeorgefraser That's exactly how i viewed it. I think your description is very accurate.
The CGI Daleks in the 2005 9th Doctor finale look better than those Daleks at the start of the episode. That is shocking.
How did an Angel get into the "timestorm"? Why are new characters being introduced when the current ones are practically one-dimensional? Why is there so much random filler in a 6 episode series? Surely cutting down the episodes should make them more focussed?
I'll take your Dalek annoyance and raise you a "13 holds the triangle thing in her right hand and turns away from camera, while Ruth holds it in her left hand and opens her body to camera".
I mean 'one-dimensional' is a bit harsh, although the fact that even after 3 episodes we are still introducing new characters (including even more charecters introduced in what appears to be a mostly standalone Weeping Angels episode) is very worrying. Its a sign of lack of direction, and I'm not sure how exactly they are going to wrap up ALL of the loose threads by the end (gonna call it now, they probably won't)
@@calumbishop7082 It's like they go "well this character didn't work out, let's introduce another and try to make the audience care about them". Yaz has had hardly any characterisation in 3 series, only in Demons of the Punjab and Can You Hear Me. I can't think of the last time she did something that affected the plot of an episode.
@@TheAppeyes Poor old Yaz keeps getting the "Shut up Wesley!" treatment these days.
I think it's now obvious the Weeping Angels are Time Lords, or a related race. How does the one in the TARDIS know how to fly it?
@@TheAppeyes With Series 13 (assuming she leaves at the end of the Series), the character of Yaz will of been in more episodes than Rose, Martha, Donna, River Song, Rory, Bill and Nardole. And yet I would argue all of those characters were more developed (even Nardole who was a more comic relief companion).
All I’ll say is this. That time in college some friends and I dropped acid and watched “The Happiness Patrol” on Iowa Public Television was far less confusing than this weeks terrible episode.
So far I love the 3 Episodes since they all follow the same scheme: All 3 episodes have a non-linear Storytelling, which makes the progress interesting. This non-linear Storytelling even makes sense, since time is broken which means that Time is unable to progress straight
I almost chocked laughing when you said he angered Eccleston to leave in 2005. I totally agree, we needed more Eccleston
I'm seriously mixed on this one, because it felt like everything happened but also nothing at the same time, meaning it was full of intrigue but wasnt terribly interesting
Thanks for defining an exposition episode lol
You are not mixed on this one, you really liked the episode, one of your fav
@@hothemeep1219 maybe your right, im starting to come around 😆
I get the impression that everyone wants everything spoon fed to them and be able to walk away from each episode feeling contented and that they've had a satisfying story. I don't think each episode this season can be judged individually but as a whole. At least that is my impression for this season so far.
So true. I actually liked the episode. Yes there are some unnecessary scenes but I think it the end it tied up nicely. I don’t think it should be judged by its own. This season has different narration. It’s time flux, time should be confusing.
i loved this episode, it’s the exact timey wimey shenanigans that works for a serial, but as i watched it i knew people would dislike it; it’s not linear, it’s pretty complex and barely any thing is explained. People complain about chibnall spoon feeding us and then he doesn’t and it’s bad
Everyone is just so used to the standard Doctor Who formula that they forget every series that has one plot over a series of episodes is like this
Even though I'm still kinda undecided on the Timeless Child plotline from last series, seeing Ruth's Doctor back was definitely the highlight for this episode for me. It was literally the only time during this episode that my interest was peaked. Unfortunately, though I liked the first episode and loved the second episode, this one definitely felt more like "classic Chibnall Who", which is not a good thing. I really enjoyed the moments with the Doctor and getting glimpses of her past, but overall I thought the episode was needlessly complex and they could have done a better job explaining what was going on from the start; I spent most of the episode just confused as to what exactly I was watching. I did enjoy Bel's character and am interested to see where she and Vinder's story will end up, and both Dan and Yaz are entertaining as always, but I remember how last series when Graham and Ryan left, we thought that finally the show would be able to give one companion more focus, but now we've got three companions again, sort of, and Yaz in particular is getting left out of the spotlight again. And the blue swarm CG was absolute crap; I've seen better effects in Eccleston's run. Sadly, this is the kind of episode I was expecting from Chibnall as he's been pretty consistent with the poor writing for his run, but I was really hoping after last week's episode that we might finally be getting back to good Who again. Hopefully the rest of the Flux gets better, but I can't wait for Russell T. Davies to take back over.
I have a horrible feeling that given the Arc etc - Belle and Vinda's child with all the "timey-wimey" stuff going on is gonna be "The Timeless Child".......It's still been - to me - a non-exciting story.
No ! In fact, you are very excited about the current series and the timeless child arc!
I agree pretty much, I got taken out of the story by the awful time storm cgi and thought it was wasteful. Also they mentioned almost nothing about the previous episodes, nothing about the sontaran part anyway which was frustrating. The vinder backstory was alright but felt kinda irrelevant, I’m not sure why we should care yet. Also they could’ve handled the timestream stuff better to make it a little more clear what was going on. The old woman at the end of that section seemed important but it’s yet another character to keep track of. The angels episode could be good but they clearly didn’t have a plan to include them, which is why it was so jarring at the end when they took control of the tardis for a forced cliffhanger. Lost touch with jodies portrayal again too, jo Martin had much more authority. Script felt like a first draft, could’ve done with someone to look over it again.
I enjoyed this on the most part, it's definitely the weakest of the series so far, but it's following the old TV trope of serial based shows like GOT for example, it's an exposition episode.
Yeah the dalek cgi annoyed me, and I don't get how some people say its fantastic. The composition and lighting is all wrong. Dalek neck bins do not rotate. The model was incorrect.. the final shot of the line dalek was better. Though they should of just had dalek voices in the background, it would of achieved the same effect, maybe made it better. I hope this is improved when they return for the final of chibbs dalek trilogy.
I did like the Bel story and her purpose of showing how screwed the universe is and that its really only the sontarans, cybermen and daleks via for control. Guess the draconians, ice warriors got wiped. I am also very glad the baby is so far nothing to do with the doctor. But YAY for jo Martin!!
I ending up settling on 5.5 for this story, for the lack of Yaz's development, the cgi daleks. Not show more the the doctors blue jacket, I much prefer that. Also for adding yet more questions like are swarm and azure actually not the main big bad, but are a means to an end? Who is the woman?
This may initially sound like an over reaction, but hear me out.
I genuinely feel this was possibly the worst episode of New who to date.
Not because it was shockingly awful or utter shit,
But because it just felt like nothing and a mess.
At times it just felt like an episode made up of bits that were left on the cutting room floor. That were just shoved together in a way of ramming everything in “just in case” the already loaded exposition wasn’t enough.
It just felt incredibly stop start and mostly unnecessary?
Like we are mid season now things you’d think would be beginning to start ramping up and getting us invested and intrigued.
And not coming away from an episode feeling meh or was that necessary or worth the watch?
I’m happy to be proven wrong if all the gumpf turns up to have a much deeper meaning. But right now it feels it won’t and adding so many more characters seems convoluted, I could maybe understand if he had another long season ahead of him to tie these back in but he doesn’t.
And that leads me back to saying it’s possibly the worst episode.
Because truly bad episodes you can be angry about or upset or annoyed or disagree with storylines or decisions
Great ones make you smile cheer laugh enjoy look forward to more of what you’ve enjoyed
But this truly just felt empty nothing literally “meh” no show should leave you feeling nothing in the slightest?
To generate no emotion or intrigue seems an utter failing.
I’d rather be annoyed and know where I stood 😂
Oh my God - if Bel and Vinder are the Doctor's parents, I'm done with this show I swear...
I think you nailed it with this review. The bad was dreadful, the fluff went too far and was confusing om a bad way,, the good was interesting. I don't know what to rate this episode. It's been my fav so far but that's because I felt "meh" on the 1st two and at least I felt something this time
I've agreed with your opinions on all 3 episodes so far. This felt like a step in the wrong direction when last week was so good. Also i don't think your "silly" gripes with this episode are silly at all, its just downright laziness, while the problems with CGI can be explained by lack of funds, there's genuinely no excuse for getting something wrong that would have cost nothing and taken to additional time. Another great video, keep it up!
Am I the only one who was really bothered by the fact the recording has no proof of foul play but very clearly on that recording will be Vinder protesting not to end the recording… would that not give credence to his claims of foul play?
That guy was shady af he probably edited Vinders comments out in a way Noone would notice or the whole system is corrupt enough to ignore the problems in the tape.
Im surprised, everyone seems to dislike this one😂. The first two seemed worst to me, the use of Bel to show how terrible the universe has become gives us a good perspective of things. I also liked Carvanista's reveal in the flashback(even if that does create a massive plot hole😅).
So ya I'd of Said more like a 5.5, interesting times🤔
What plot hole?
@@Jansenbaker Well it migth not be a pothole by the end but it certainly needs explaining why Carvanista was trying, very hard, to kill her in EPisode one, while refusing to talk to her whatsoever.
Don't get me wrong maybe the Ruth doctor did something terrible to him but it seems he goes to some fairly extreme lengths to kill an old friend😅😅
@@5thar Don't Forget, The Division was hunting The Doctor down for Abandoning her Post and betraying them. Karvanista probably either felt betrayed by The Doctor, Or The Doctor did something to him originally. Unless he didn't even know if it was the same Person.
@@silentwraithuk sure thing, like I said we won't know till the end of the season but he clearly knew her by name in EP one and since has been a bit inconsistent. He chases them with lasers off his ship one minute but in the next he's talking fleet formation orders off her without question 😅.
@@5thar I mean, She had a plan to try and Save the Humans which the Lupari are sent to do, so he was doing it to save the human race
I'm inclined to suspect that the lighting of the blue particles might have been intentional. If they're some sort of space/time anomaly (which seems likely) then they might be neither a lightsource *or* affected by external lighting. They look unnatural, and that may be the point. It's a bit hard to assume that, given how badly they borked other CGI in this episode, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's the case.
This episode seemed more disjointed than others. Maybe I'm a bit slow, but they didn't give me enough time to join the various threads before the end. I did like Dan a lot, I fell in love with Bel, Vinder was great, Yaz was better last episode, and I still find it difficult to decipher Jodie's dialogue. She talks so fast and her accent kills any attempt by me to follow what she's saying.
This episode reminds me of Broadchurch series 3, where there were more mysteries after one is resolved. And yes, that was one of the things mentioned in the program. I liked some of the disjointed elements with the main characters, being it lived up to the name of the title. As you mentioned, introducing a new character was not a good idea. For a laugh on the dodgy CGI moments, the first time the Doctor is in the time storm, I felt it looked like a 90s music video.
"Doctor Who: Fluff" pretty accurate description really!
Agreed that there's way too much "stuff" and some very weak threads holding everything together.
The only things keeping me watching are the Ravagers and the fleeting hope that the timeless child story ends up being from an alternate timeline or something.
Oh yeah and jeez that Dalek CG, that's some cheap outsourced VFX if ever I've seen it.
I’m sorry I didn’t notice the 2 players 1 player thing. I was detracted by the other bs trop of the “fake gamer girl” who only plays games to impress a guy.
Also the gardener woman is the Valiard… calling it now!
3:37 F*ck, that *is* something Chibnall is likely to do. The possibility of th euniverse being a loop could have had the possibility of resvoling the issue of Chibnall revealing so much about Gallifray's past, but this would something that I can't really think of a workaround for. RTD and Moffat really championed the idea that part of the Doctor's thing is to not go so much into her past. If-- oh, I just realized that he could be setting up a name reveal ._.
The Cybermen have form for giving away their mission plans. In episode 6 of "The Wheel In Space", the Doctor asks them about their plans & one replies, "You know our ways". The could have said nothing, but didn't.
There's one part that just, royally pissed me off. And it's to do with the whole video-game scene, I hadn't picked up on the fact its two players playing what is clearly a single-player fps. Yaz's sister actually complains when Yaz calls them video-games and says "No one calls them that anymore"... yes we do, wtf else are you meant to call them?? Over-all parts that were exciting a lot of parts that were boring, but that whole video-game scene was god awful.
I wholeheartedly agree. This episode was straight up insulting.
this episode was BORING, it was 50 minutes of exposition. The way he's connecting everything feels really disconnected. its like short stories happening for the sake of rather than 1 connecting story. I am enjoying the overall story so far but this episode was boring indeed until the angel took the tardis, which makes me believe it could've been for help
I honestly just feel like we are all holding our breath while Chris is still running the show and can finally breath once Russell is back. I know doctor who has always been silly and sci-fi but there are times when everyone is serious and it covers serious issues, just look at family of blood and how adult that felt. It often feels this show is aimed at the wrong audience and I really hope Russell does brings it back to form. Don't get me wrong I have liked a few of Chris' episodes but I've never cared about any of the characters the way I have previous seasons. Let's hope New New who delivers a new, better crafted experience.
(I'd also fully accept it if Russell's first ep is the 10th doctor walking back in the tardis and revealing Jodie and the fam were just slitheen pretending and it was all just a dream)
_"Could Bel and Vinder be the Doctor's parents, or could a whole chunk of this episode be dedicated to a completely irrelevant plot point"._ False dichotomy. It's obviously not the second one, Bel and Vinder's child is undoubtedly significant. But that child being the Doctor is only one of many possible directions the story could go with that.
This season so far has felt like a very well crafted time waster. I mean... with the promise of the return of RTD this season was always gonna be a seat warmer for the show. But I want to like it since it's obvious that Chibnall and the show itself is really trying here... It's something the show has never tried before and so I like the absolute boldness of the season.
But I am starting to suspect this is gonna fall apart. Unless Chibnall has something planned (He may) it's never a great sign to be halfway through a story and still introducing new characters. Especially in terms of a Chibnall written story since he has a track record of loading his stuff with too many characters...
I'm hoping that maybe this is all in service of something great. But I'm worried it'll fizzle.
I was actually a bit underwhelmed by what _Can you hear me?_ did with Yaz. It gave us a neat bit of her backhistory, but that didn't seem to have any connection to her current character or actions. It's presumably why she became a police officer. But we're never given any indication that she sees that job as a way to help people like Anita helped her. Yaz was apparently bullied when younger(?) but that doesn't feed through to anything either. It has the same basic issue that a lot of Chibnall's 'characterisation' seems to have - it's random biographical trivia rather than a trait that feels an organic part of the character we see onscreen.
I got the impression Bel was meant to be somehow ‘working’ the cyberman, you can hear blips and blops like she’s using her baby emoji device to Bluetooth with it, but you’re right you don’t see any reason for it onscreen, it just starts talking.
I hope we get some answers on Ruth soon. I don't think she's pre Hartnell because she has a blue police box Tardis. I'm thinking in between Troughton & Pertwee. The season 6b Doctor.
Really liked the first 2, and this one was so naff. As the credits rolled I was genuinely laughing at his poor it was, just a jumbled mess. I commend the bravery but that's all the niceties I have to say
Chibs is good at building up a story but has always been bad with pay offs. Remember the 11th Doctor cube takeover episode? Yep.
Rich, am thinking Chibnall wanted his "Bond Villan" moment, where they tell them the entire plan, think it went a bit wrong. i see you follow the Ecil Dan story on twitter!
Rich Could you send me a Morse code message on what's going on , it might be easier to follow
I actually cheered when Ruth Doctor appeared, I was so hoping Jo Martin would reprise the character.
For me this reinforces the idea that the Ruth Doctor is an incarnation between Troughton and Pertwee, we know from The Two Doctors that Troughtons Doctor was working for the timelords in some clandestine way, so regenerating into Jo Martin then her regenerating into Pertwee fits for me.
Except it shatters the 12 regeneration limit rule that 11 ended up bound by and needed the timelords to save him with a new cycle in time of the doctor. Of course, the Doctor's regeration limit has already been burned up by the Timeless Child stuff, so now anythings possible and all those previous stories and riles around regenerations are kinda meaningless.
We know from last series that the Ruth Doctor is the last Division Doctor. They say they will release her in this episode. So Ruth is just the incarnation before 1st
@@arthemis1039 I really really hope they are not going down that "Pre Hartnell" pass. Putting her between Pertwee and Troughton would be fine to me and it would fit the second Doctors story in "Two Doctors" as mentioned. But if the roumors are true and the Doctor had possible a billion lifes before Hartnell .... well in that case C.C. would go down in history as the man who (just by himself) destroyed the longest running TV series just for fun and his ego
I agree, it seemed weird that the cyberman just talking to the enemy? Plus the daleks looked like toys and rubbish and it's strange as they nailed it in the new year. The episodes story was okay but deffo the weakest in the series but not a bad episode!
Your comment @1:40 sums up this whole episode !! WHAT... BS Episode
This was shite , really just shite . Worst series that I remember, and I was there for Sylvester McCoy.
Your videos are becoming a weekly highlight, Rich!
I just want more Ruth, to me, she's The Doctor! she should be the next doctor or at least get a big finish series.
“Theme park sex lords” love it. You been on Wicker Man yet? Great fun. I found this episode a bit of a mess honestly which is a shame because I really liked episode 2. Episode 4 is directed by the woman who did the Haunting of Villa Diodati so I’m cautiously optimistic about it.
Went during Scarefest this year and rode Wicker Man for the first time in the dark. Holy shit, what a coaster.
Am I the only one who thought this was the best chibnall episode so far, still suffers from terrible green screen but I actually surprisingly enjoyed it
Have to give a pass on green screen as basically it has taken over from locations due to filming restrictions
The time spent in each individuals timeline:
* Vinder - explain his situation (disgraced grunt, etc)
* Dan - show his budding relationship with Diane, which is why he's so determined to get her at the end
* Yasmin - we already know a lot about her, her "story" was 100% about getting an Angel onto the tardis through her phone
* The Doctor - well, obviously, explains the history Swarm and co have with the Doctor
Sure, it was a little confusing with Yasmin turning up in Vinders past, and all three in the Doctors past - but overall, I think it all worked to a satisfying episode conclusion
Oh, and I do like the idea of Vinder and Bel being the Doctors parents
Diane - Has a bag over her left shoulder. She's going to what with that coffee? Anyone who has ever attempted that, has the bag slide in moments, and coffee is now everywhere.
Wish we would've stuck to exploring the doctors time line instead introducing yet another character and explore Yaz s timeline with an event that never happened
9/10 for me. Yes that high and after series 11 and 12, I didn't think that was possible. The tension throughout the whole episode did not wane in the least. I particularly liked the idea that time and timelines are so messed up that events happen in the wrong order, day suddenly becomes night and the same events happened but with different characters. Not a surprise seeing the weeping angels thrive under the circumstances.
I think it will only be possible to properly judge each episode once the whole series has finished. My criterion for success will be if CB can repair the damage created at the end of series 12 by the concept of the timeless child, and satisfactorily portraying it in a manner that is not only a good piece of fiction but in keeping with classic Doctor Who. Unlike series 11 which was frankly dull, here he has given himself the opportunity to do so and retrieve his reputation.
I've said this on a couple of other channels but I actually believe Vinder and or Bel are the Doctor's parents. I think this because Bel is pregnant and I just got this feeling they are going to reveal that Vinder is the Doc's parents. Whether or not that means the Doc is a paradox I don't really know. But I just got this feeling they're his/her parents.
I think it makes more sense if they are Susan’s parents. That would explain why it’s a blue box for Hartnell and the name.
It’s a grandfather paradox like Capaldi said
@@ceezyjeffezy2213 I hear what you are saying but I still have this feeling that they will be the Doctor's parents. Whether or not either one of us is right I don't really know but we will find out in a few weeks when this thing wraps up. Either way, I think it is a very safe bet that Bel and Vinder are related to the Doctor in some way.
@@josephcooter5763 I feel Ike Vinder is going to be in the specials. That Grand Serpent story seems ripe for exploration
Like any series this was a less action more story episode. We needed context for the mori, to see the doctors background with karvanista, to bring back the Dan relationship. As you said last week we shouldn't judge one episode of a serial (or something like that). I am looking forward to binging 6 episodes at once in 3 weeks time and seeing how it hangs together as 1 story!
I thought the episode was boring... very boring...
Hey! You have your own channel now? Nice! Subbed.
I personally really enjoyed this episode. For the first time in year's Jodie had some good scene's, it felt like chibnalls vision coming together and I was left wanting more.
If I may ask, wanting more of what?
@@laviarray more Dr Who
The universe is dying. The Cyberman must be broken
Good luck to any kids trying to follow this crap..
This episode really drove me away and im probably not gonna watch until it's all released. That episode took away every piece of excitement I had from the previous episode too.
I have theories/predictions.
1) The old woman is Teck Tay Un.
2) The Division represents time and the skull people represent space in some sort of war.
Following on from that, the division (doctor?) made the flux to destroy space and the blue priks were made to fight time.
This, for me was the weakest episode so far, but head and shoulders above season 11 and 12
Other way around. Swarm was pretty clear that he was fighting to free time from the oppression of space (the Division/Time Lords). They are the lords of time because they control it, not because they give in to it or worship it.
Oh thanks, the theory still stands (i think) but the flux destroys time and blue pricks destroy space
To add to the "but THAT'S just not how they bloody work" fuckery trope fest, let me take your gaming one #valid and add...BINOCULARS. For the love of God, when you look through binoculars you see....say it with me kids...a single circular edge to your frame of vision and notnotNOT a binocular-two-circles-smashed-together shaped one. I need to go and lie down for a bit now...🙄🙈
Dialogue was horrendous. Everyone was explaining what they were doing, as they were doing it, like we need an explanation. We're not 5 year olds but there was so much exposition and explaining that it was ridiculous. Nobody speaks like that.
The Flux was supposed to be a major thing that destroys plantets. Absolutely obliterates them but now Earth didn't get destroyed because some random ships covered it? Lmao, it's tragic. Even Vinders planet wasn't destroyed by the Flux, it was just like a bomb went off. So inconsistent it's rubbish.
Can't understand how anyone thinks the acting is good from the main cast? It's so forced and absolute cardboard from everyone apart from Swarm and Azure.
The entire VFX from this series has been terrible and looked like a student vfx made them.
And don't worry about everything getting wrapped up. It's Chinball so everything will be wrapped up in the last 5 minutes of episode 6 with a lackluster or canon-breaking reason.
Terrible.
Was disappointed this week. The episode felt all over the place. Alot was packed in but at the same time felt like nothing happened. And it was very exposition heavy.
IMHO it needed a scene to ground the story every couple of weird time 'things' - also think they should have had Mrs. Bucket be the 'i know everything you are doing and we did this on purpose' lady
So why is this not on whoculture? Wait whoculture did and ups and downs. What’s going on? Talking of tropes … people saying “Wibbly Wobbly”.
It was an ok episode. I feel we are going to get filler episodes until part 6.
Honestly I've been pretty critical of the Whittaker Era, but the last 2 episodes have been pretty dang good! While it was technically a lil fillery & the CGI was rough, the dreamlike atmosphere was really cool. Cant really say I'm not all that attached to Vinder or his lady friend, but 13 really shined here
could Bel speculate about Vinders appearance for 1 of these reasons? 1: its the future and they haven't actually met 2. Vinder is a soldier, It possible he might have sustained horrific injuries
I was super confused on what was going on for the entire episode and feel as it’s the weakest of the series so far, with the second sontaran one being the best
I hate the timeless child crap.
If I was only shown the first 2 mins and the last 10 mins of the Who episode that would have been enough. Everything else was a load of gobbledygook!
DW is a ratings disaster. *BBC, PAY ATTENTION; HERE IS HOW YOU FIX THE RATINGS OF YOUR DISASTROUS FLAGSHIP PROGRAM BEFORE THE SLIDE BECOMES IRREVERSIBLE.* I have 40 years, since my late teens, of higher-end creative experience in major market NYC in various capacities including in recent years producer and director, and this includes features for the likes of Universal Pictures and 20th Century Fox and I am also the Managing Editor of the oldest and most prestigeous name in movie journals, Films In Review, founded in NYC and Hollywood in 1909, and it is becoming obvious from the handing of DW that I obviously know more than you do, so listen up as I try to help you fix the current Titanic-sized disaster.
1. *MOVE PRODUCTION BACK TO CENTRAL LONDON* where the talent is because you are now asking too much of the world to have the best talent go out to nowhere to be in a show which has the current reputation in the industry as a certified bomb.
The secondary actors are for the most part plainly in over their heads and most fans not on your threads have recognized the fact.
This also goes for everyone including the camera and directors whose work, while pretty in clarity and color, is terrible in composition and cinematic expertise. Off-composition shots telling a horribly-written story in amateur cinematic terms is what you are now putting out to the world. Get back to where the talent is. NOW, before it is truly too late.
Conventional industry wisdom is that a viewer number slide of this horrendous magnitude is irreversible, but we can still play-pretend that that isn't true if the problems are corrected quickly.
2. *CANCEL THE DEAL WITH DAVIES*. DW is heading into viewership oblivion and Davies made a statement we can only believe he meant: he loves Chipnall's work and Chipnall is his hero. The show needs a new showrunner who can say, "I admire the effort and dedication Chipnall put into the show but the audience is saying they want a return to classic Doctor Who", not "Chris Chipnall is my hero "
3. *THE PRODUCER MUST NOT ALSO BE THE SCRIPT EDITOR OR HEAD WRITER*. A show with the special requirements DW has is not "It's A Sin" drama. The producer has enough on his plate The head writer turning the show over to Associate Producers to realize was easily predicted to be tepid at best because the show needs a producer to tell the script editor, "Your story stinks", "It cannot be properly filmed, change this and that" and any number of other realities that the writer is certain not to impose upon himself. *This is basic.*
The producer must function as the guard at the gate to keep the creatives under control. There has not been a single reboot story that has the wide admiration of the best of Holmes and Hinchcliff despite today's massive improvement in technology; indeed, even simple word processing they did not have back in the day to quickly create and revise - now with spoken word to text - makes the quality of today's Doctor Who scripts particularly pathetic (by the way, check your archives; John Nathan-Turner called me in the 1980's and discussed with me buying my screenplay for the Sylvester McCoy-era Anniversary story which was eventually deemed too elaborate multi-Doctor story so I know both sides of that Doctor Who coin. )
Matching the quality of the best of classic Who stories should be easier than it was then, not more difficult. Any amateur with a $10,000.00 camera and a little color grading software can make the show screen image look like a movie, today. That was not an overwhelming accomplishment.
Davies is clearly not up to the job of fixing this disaster and the world is filled with terrific producers who need not know the history of the show as long as the script editor does.
You were right to get rid of Chibnall (no one but a fool would believe the "We took an oath of only 3 years" story. You should never hope that your audience could be naive to the point of practical stupidity... that is a road to real-life ruin). DO NOT REPEAT THE SAME MISTAKE WITH DAVIES.
4. *DROP THE WOKE AGENDA*. You will not change the world preaching to an audience of 3.9 million believers and severely dropping. People are telling you that they do not like the content and they control their TV remotes, not you,. Approps that, BIG CORRECTION:
DOCTOR WHO HAS NOT ALWAYS BEEN PROGRESSIVE.
Hartnell's Doctor was always a conservative traditionalist, of course.
In the 1980's Two Doctors, Robert Holmes (the best the show has known) was plainly politically middle of road. A decade and a half earlier the hippies and some adults in the UK and US really had an "all-natural world" movement going and were really pushing to eliminate technology and turn everyone into farmers and craftsmen and much was going on in the US congress and UK parliament between progressives and conservatives and Pertwee's Doctor sided with the conservatives: the answer is to take the world you've got and make the best if it" directly repudiating much of the hippie movement. Colin Baker's Vengence On Varos sees a planet run by gigantic media corporations televising executions in a damnation of reality television, at a time then as now when the corporations that invented such things were (and are) run by political and social progressives.
These are a few that spring automatically to mind. By the way, in Invasion of the Dinosaurs the progressive villains want to kill Sarah Jane to keep her from influencing the others on the fake spaceship just as today social media bans and censors conservatives on a now-recognized wholesale basis. So Doctor Who was not only not progressive, but has been prophetic in warning about progressives in control going out of control
DROP THE PROGRESSIVE AGENDA, IT HAS TOO MANY NEGATIVE ASSOCIATIONS AND RUNS CONTRARY TO THE THREAD OF THE SHOW. Imagine if in 1970 John Pertwee had a cosmic electric guitar and he played it to destroy monsters while singing bad rock and roll. Woke is not the future, it's another stupid, transitory pop culture fad and the audience understands that and mostly hates it.
5. *Speaking of race, DROP THE ANTI-WHITE MALE ROUTINE: THERE IS A FINE LINE BETWEEN RACIAL INCLUSION AND RACIAL EXCLUSION. THE SAME WITH GENDER*. Making Martha Jones black worked very well although her acting could use improvement. Saying, "The Doctor has been a white male long enough" is not inclusive, it's strident exclusive snobbery . You may somehow mean well but considering the Doctor has been a white male for over 50 years, the unambiguous pronouncements have come across as exclusionary and offensive to the majority of citizens, hence your near- death blow in the ratings. *Create a spin-off with a female and / or minority Time Lord, but the character of the Doctor must return to previous form and the change in cannon cleverly reversed or erased.*
On the issue of race I agree with the majority and find your use of it as a an issue to be corrected in society personally offensive: the very beautiful woman I married many years ago is a gorgeous bronze color. I plainly am no racist but making the Doctor anything but a white male is proving to be a ratings fiasco you cannot afford unless your aim is self-destruction at the alter of self-hating virtue signaling and there are less humiliating ways to commit television suicide than that.
6. *DO NOT HIRE ESTABLISHED STARS AS THE DOCTOR.* For a character as iconic as the Doctor, the audience must see The Doctor, not his previous TV character. That hurt as fine an actor as Colin Baker.
The Doctor must be played by an actor who brings the eccentric look and manner to the table automatically by playing themselves. The two most iconic Doctors, Tom Baker and John Pertwee were relatively obscure unknowns who had the right look and admitted to playing themselves as the Doctor. The third best, in my opinion, Matt Smith, was also unknown and brought the look and personality to the role automatically. Known actors play-pretending to be eccentric is a corny loser for so iconic a role.
In terms of US ratings, DW only got 300,000 US viewers on the premier on BBC America when Fox News averages 2.2 million 5 days a week in the US and Doctor Who is supposed to be THE international TV series from the BBC, THE flagship television network in Britain.
I could turn this ratings disaster around in 6 months. So could half a dozen other producers I know personally. Finding good writers is not an insurmountable task. Keeping Doctor Who alive on the shows current trajectory is. I'll be around to say, "I told you so." You now have no excuse to fail.
PLEASE DO MANY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE A HUMANE FAVOR AND FIX IT. No one should be satisfied by watching people suffer.
Got to be honest - it was a mess. I suspect a large number of people will have switched off after 10/15 mins and missed the saving graces (yes, I'm talking Ruth, here). Dan was relegated to an NPC, Yaz was irrelevant and....well, the only good thing apart from Ruth was the doctor's dark coat. Now THAT rocked!
(my thoughts partially pasted from somewhere else)
i feel like the portions of this episode featuring our main characters were the worst parts of the episodes because nothing. happened. at all LMAO
at least the doctor's story introduces the solution and stuff about passenger, but
1. i dont get how having the mori there was the solution, what about them being there meant that swarm couldnt teleport away from the zappy cage axe gun?
and
2. we probably couldve learned about passenger from the moment we see diane taken by passenger
and some secondary issues even if those weren't there
3. the "oh em gee this is the doctor's timeline!!" bait and switch is annoyingly cheap because i've already put it back together by the time we see her again. the only reason i got any shock was because (for whatever reason), even though the doctor KNOWS THAT SHE PUT EVERYONE IN THEIR OWN TIMESTREAMS, and she SEES THE DIVISION WEAPONRY, and she KNOWS THAT SWARM MET HER IN HER PAST, she *insists* that it can't be her timestream. so then im like "oh i must have misunderstood" only for her to then have the revelation that this is her timestream for a little "haha, gotcha!:
and
4. i just felt so disappointed that jo martin was so underutilized here. imo, since the doctor doesn't *actually* remember this, it would be really interesting to see jo martin take the scene, and *thirteen* gets sort of "spliced" in, reacting to the situation, whether verbally or not. it would also fit in with the "some new man sauntering off in my body" idea that RTD brought up and moffat (sort of) continued! it was just really disappointing to feel like the ruth doctor didn't actually do much of anything this episode 😔
side note that i just now realized, it's a little weird that she also called herself the doctor, when even that name was chosen by the doctor in her early first doctor days. guess we can add it to the list
also im mad because i actually LOVE bel so so so much, but it's really frustrating for her to be not only the millionth thing added to the story, but the opening? for some reason? also feels like a continuing trend where the side characters are pretty consistently better written than the main characters
Please stop referring to Doctor Woke as being Doctor Who. It hasn't been Doctor Who since Peter Capaldi left.
Apart from people like Bowelstrek and Heels vs Babyface both taking one for the team, I can't understand why upwards of four million viewers tune in to such sh!t ever week, knowing how bad it will be. I gave up after the rubbish scrapyard Dalek and being preached to every week. How could they have Martin Luther King as a background cut out character and focus on the woman who, in the scheme of things, didn't really matter.
BTW Twitter is irrelevant, always has been.
I nearly picked the wrong time to have a mouthful of Coke when you said "These death particles...no wait, been done already... These blue pricks...". Nearly went over my desk...
Also, glad you picked up on the video game. I didn't considered the lighting for the Daleks, but I did think "2 controllers, one player..."
I found this episode confusing and predictable, at the same time! Following all the discussion about time vortexes and the More got confusing, or maybe I was just bored. Predictable in that I made the connections between Bel and Vinder, Doctor and Doctor, Vinder and Swarm long before the reveal. I usually regard the Doctor as quirky and charming, in a somewhat childlike fashion, but this episode I saw her as self-centered and playing favourites, which is still childlike I suppose. I agree with your final number.
Some of this episode looked great, location wise. But we had almost constant expositional monologue delivery from Jodie, who really hasn't got the authority to scare anyone into surrendering. And we had the waspy attitude and the name dropping of historic figures again. And she's always overwhelmed. Jo Martin's Doctor had presence and gravitas with every line she spoke, which is more like what the show needs. So it looked mostly great. Some interesting ideas, but handled haphazardly.
This programme died when Chibbs & Jodie took over for the sake of BBC wokeness agenda box ticking, like millions of others I checked out completely in Jodie's 1st season. Can RTD save it, depends if the wokeness remains and if the BBC have any say in it. Somehow I'm not hopeful.
Ok. This may end up up being an unpopular theory but, I have an idea to explain Flux. It's a transitioning moment. Pretty soon, Russel will back at the reins again running the show, and they need a good transition to set up for the next series premiere. This will require the universe the Doctor is in to die. The Doctor is the the doctor. But the patient dies anyways. Here's the thing, she's also the timeless child. Time and Space probably wouldn't mean much to her, if part of her somewhere already exists outside that particular universe's time and space Matrix. Hence why we got the old lady in what suspiciously looks like either a form of the TARDIS itself, like maybe the original one, or a Nexus space between universes and timelines. A Crossroads Dimension if you will. I have also noticed like many others that alternate versions of the Doctor do exist pre-Hartnel, and even post Hartnel. But, if the Doctor has also been from another universe, or more accurately, if she has already outlived one universe before the Mouri finished making this one by controlling time and thus also space, wants to stop her from outliving two or three or even four universes prior? After all, that one organization she's seen working with in the past as Ruth, was said to have dirty secrets according to Swarm and Azure. And they were also responsible for tampering with all her past memories pre-Hartnel. Makes me wonder how many times this particular cycling of the universes has been going on, because when a universe dies, time and space, matter and anti-matter, none of it matter if someone outside of it all decides to flip the switch. But, you see, I think that's what they're hinting at. What if the Doctor has had to be the one to hit that switch before, and what if she is being made to play that same role as before just, in a different cycle of events that lead to the same ending because time is not linear. Just an idea. I may not even be seeing it from the right point of view but, idk. I particularly liked this episode. Even if it was just mostly fluff and background. And I'm super excited to see just how scared the Angels are of the Flux in the next episode. They need the Doctors help. The whole Universe does and it's all crying out at once for help.
Joseph Williamson keeps popping up although very briefly. It will be interesting to see if the show gives a reason for all the miles of tunnels he had constructed under the Edge Hill area of Liverpool along with his unusual approach to designing houses.
By the time of the Crimean War he had been dead for 13 years so not much point in looking for a link there...
Although Mary Seacole did visit London in 1821 there is no evidence that she ever met Williamson.
The episode seemed like a extremely high buget fan film in parts. But I cant lie. The Fugitive Doctor scenes were pretty interesting. But I find it hard to sustain my excitement. Because I just know Chibs will find a way to destory everything in the end. Its Ironic. Chibnall is alot like the Flux of this show.
So many people questioning this one so much is bemusing to me. I don’t think it’s up to anyone who’s not seen episodes 4-6 of 6 to say whether portions of episode 3 of 6 contains superfluous material. As none of us has seen 4-6 yet (presumably), we have literally zero idea where any of this is going. So how would any of us know how irrelevant or otherwise any of episode 3’s content actually is?
The first bit where we saw the doctor grab Evil Dan and tney both jump onto the podiums was complete bullshit.
Plus the cyberman talking to what's her face was dumb af
Other than that though I quite enjoyed this episode. Cant wait to see the final 3.
Also I have a batshit theory.
The angel hijacked the Tardis not for nefarious purposes but because they need the doctors help.
As I've said on other sites, if I had made a montage of the most insane moments in my dreams over the past year, they would have made more sense than this nonsense. This is just a dog's dinner of clips, trying to introduce as many aliens as possible. I suppose I should have expected it as Chib is the writer of all 6 episodes. He is barely capable of writing down his own address. It looks as though his aim is to kill the whole series before RTD returns. Maybe he has been promised a spot on ITV at the same time as the Dr Who slot. Besides "to chib" someone means to stick a knife in them and he is certainly doing this to RTD.
So what was good about the episode? It finished after 50 minutes. That's all I can say.
I’m finding the whole season disappointing so far. I really was so looking forward to it, but with the ropey CGI and the confusing plot, I’m finding it hard to stick to. Not to mention the incessant use of the sonic screwdriver. 🙄 I just hope things start coming together and we get more answers, rather than more questions. Love your reviews though each week. Xx
I just don't think Chibnall gets why the best episodes of Dr Who work. You can see him trying by having a character talking about love and showing devotion and by having Vinder who is honourable and loyal and having Dan who is honourable and loyal and having Daleks and Cybermen and, oh yeah, people loved weeping angels didn't they? Blink would not have worked if it had tried to introduce a new villain and a new companion and feature 3 previous enemies and add some more companions. The point is nothing has room to breathe. Yaz has no chance to connect with the Dr. The Dr is still keeping everything to herself which is kinda dumb after 3 seasons. Dan is lost in the shuffle and almost nothing has emotional resonance because how could it with all the competition?
Hi Rich, love the videos, would love to know your thoughts on classic who serials and also your thoughts on some of the big finish stories (if that’s your thing), maybe even some thoughts on the Virgin New Adventures books too? (again, if that’s your thing?)
Chibnall's total inability to write dialogue and character strikes again. Are we really supposed to buy the story about a woman who is so bored by her date that she falls asleep face down in a pizza?
Are we really supposed to accept that a gun-toting wise-cracking homicidal destroyer of Cybermen would look like someone who just left school? The main cast continue to be dreadful. There's not much point doing all the good work of catering to diversity and representing regional accents if you're going to hire people who can't act and then forget to give their characters personalities.
I’m really over people just hating on the season, how to say you’re sexist, without saying your sexist. The first season I agree was a tad underwhelming however, the introduction of the timeless child means doctor who can continue for years to come. They introduced the time war in 2005 and no one batted and eyelid, it’s the fact she’s a women, and I’m over it. Why can’t we just enjoy the seasons and not spout utter bs on RUclips
Nah don't agree with your score. It was brilliant. The disaster and devastation seems to be the Doctor's doing and that realisation was wonderfully played by Jodie.
I don't get your problem with new characters being introduced either. Vinder and his wife clearly have an arc and unless both are never mentioned again that arc is clearly going somewhere and I want to see where.
Also Yaz and Dan had a chance to shine in other roles and the idea of showing the past through their timelines really worked well.
9/10 from me.
This episode was just a mess and made no sense. Even a middle episode of a bigger story arc, it still needs to give some semblence of order and be enjoyable. This was neither. As for the CG blue flying things? They looked unfinished. It looked like they'd done the blue element to the background element but forgot to actually add the foreground effects over the top. I know that isn't right 'cos the background is generally green or blue screened, not the effect itself but it just looked completely unfinished and a mess.
It isn't team tardis ,its team tedious. You used the word twat were you referring to chibnall? Never mind its all crap anyway. I am writing it all off, and most who fans agree with me check out the viewing figures. Chibnall has wrecked the best franchise the BBC ever had. The merchandise doesn't sell and it was all done for ideological reasons and not done well.T
You Tube seems to be being saturated with these kinds of Doctor Who videos as are the free papers; creating the impression that far more people are still watching the show than is actually the case.
The theater is empty, the audience has left, (myself included and I'd watched it from the very beginning,) and the show is over.
Was it explained who the passengers in each "Passenger" are? Are they they Timelords saved from future Gallifrey who end up becoming their own ancient ancestors?
Agree 100% with what you said.
A very 'Meh' episode.
I would have given it 2/10..
Based on 20% ok 80% naff
A lot of people reacted to episode 1 of Flux with "Wow that was a lot of stuff - couldn't Chibnall have left some of that to introduce in later episodes?". Now it turns out that Chibnall *did* leave some of it to reveal in later episodes, and people are complaining that it dropped so late into the story. xD Poor guy cannot win.
7/10 from me.....which is amazing for a chib.....but yes it had numerous issues.......the main one for me was that I dont think that this can possibly cater to a diverse range of fans....to any kids it m,ust be unfathomable, to ardent classic fans it must irritate them and so on......
I thought this was the best episode of the three. It was calmer and I could understand it far easier. There actually appeared to be a bit of a plot. Some of the CGI was a bit dodgy. Again the music got too loud and random when people were talking. But a more enjoyable watch
What if the Fugitive Doctor was really a future Doctor after all? When the Doctor explains that she's hidden Yaz and Dan in their own timelines, she mentions that it's their pasts and futures, but do we see anyone's future? If not, why would she mention that?
I stopped watching the episode when when it was obvious they were double-downing on the Timeless Child retcon, only gonna make it harder to fix that mess after Chibnall leaves!