S28E02 - Tooth and Claw

[Eiphel]

I really like(d) the slight hint of steampunk-technology, both visual (diamond-powered weapon) and verbal (coal-driven spaceships), and hope this theme will continue into Cybermen and future episodes.

Oh yes, forgot to mention this, but I liked that, too.

The single glaring flaw for me continues to be Tennant's delivery -- wildly quippy/silly/snarky, moreso than any other Doctor besides perhaps McCoy's most manic performances.

I didn't really mind him in this episode. Some moments were quite nice. Rose, though, reverted to almost what I first expected when hearing that she would be played by Billie Piper.

Queen's final reprimand to them about "gallivanting recklessly through these realms of stars and magic, all fun and games, without regard for this world or its people" seems almost like an embodiment of character-criticism or possibly a deeper/maturing story-arc wherein the Doctor realizes he's been taking things too lightly.

That would make for a nice arc, similar to, yet different from, Ecclestone's leaving-without-thinking-about-consequences arc.

I thought it LOOKED absolutely great. Some of the best special effects seen on a television program ever!!!

Mm, no, I have to agree with Sven, the werewolf was passible at best, and the CGI telescope stuck out like a sore thumb on both the interior and exterior shots. The cinematography, on the other hand, was pretty good. As were the prodouction values.

Is it some kind of rule, by the way, that any time travel story has to feature people being shocked by modern fashions?

Poor Eiphel...

What? Whaaaaat? What's going on!? Am I on fire!? Tell me!!!

[Sven]

Poor Eiphel...

What? Whaaaaat? What's going on!? Am I on fire!? Tell me!!!

(i misread sundance's post as being an eiphel post, threw another rant, error has been corrected)

[Sundance]

It hadn't occurred to me that it'd been corrected, or that you hadn't seen the basis for my observation.

No worries, young sir, you're not on fire. As far as I can tell from York anyway...And if you need someone to tell you if you're on fire then my observation 'poor Eiphel' stands

That was a rant? I commend your diplomacy, Sven

[loup-garou]

Yeah There were some distinct improvements. But this storyline was too good for one episode. Could have made more of every aspect of it: the Kohr-i-noor (spl?) technology, the monks, the mistletoe. Shame, a damn shame. I hope torchwood will be good.

Rose gets two thumbs DOWN for her puerile baiting of owd vikki - I was glad when she banished them, bloody hell
*sounds worrying like a Harry Potter fan*

I think i'm getting a wee, tiny, tiny, little, small, smidgin, bit more fond of tenant. But we need more baddies like this to draw it out of him, please no more Alice in Wonderland cute-cats with telescopic claws .

[Sven]

Much discussion on the boards as to whether the Doctor and Rose's flippant attitude as portrayed in Series 2 is going to come back to haunt them...

Truthfully, though I don't like Tennant's hyperactive/too-much-sugar comedy routine, I guess I will eventually get used to it after a year or two.  =)

Your commentary gives me pause for thought, however -- it's not just the Doctor whose behavior has changed (which could be explained away via regeneration), Rose is acting somewhat different as well, shifting abruptly from scared-newbie and accusatory who-are-you-really-Doctor to make-jokes-about-past-history-even-when-it's-threatening-to-kill-you.  I'm certain this is just fluctuations in writing, rather than any actual in-story device... but it gives rise to an interesting possible story-thread where a Companion either loudly complains or outright leaves the Doctor owing to dissatisfaction/friction with his new persona.  ("Is this you?  Is this who you are?  You're not the Doctor I signed up with last year...")

Seems like this gets swept under the carpet very conveniently ("Um, you've changed... well, okay, I guess you're still the same old Doctor, we'll just keep going like nothing has happened"), with only a handful of very small easily-dismissed exceptions (the Rose/Tennant one-liners about "Do you still want me to come along", Colin Baker's hysterically-badly-written attempts to strangle Peri, etc.).  Could make for some new interesting material if worked into an end-of-season or regeneration-story.

-- Sven

[Timbo13]

There is suggestion that the time-travelling duo are becoming too self-confident and smug for their own good, and that at some point in series 2 there is going to be a ?tragedy? which will shock them out of their little comfort zones and make them (and us) reassess their (and our own) attitudes.

Evidence touted in support of this includes:"there is no higher authority"; "the Lonely God"; general flippant attitude (as mentioned earlier).

I cross my fingers that this is correct, because otherwise we are going to end up with a Tom and Lalla double act again.

[Sundance]

I never saw the Tom and Lalla double-act. Was it bad?

[Timbo13]

A bit too much of a love-in.

[Sundance]

Ah. In which case I see your point, and hope fervently that the current incarnation doesn't descend that far.

/* In an off-topic way, does anyone know why Ace refers to the Doctor as 'professor'? */

[Kronk]

Well this is going fairly off-topic...

But if there is to be a tragedy - what about something befalling Mickey?

That'd be a real shock to Rose, the Doc & the viewers.

[Eiphel]

And it'd make me happy...

[Abs]

Agreed.
Well, Abs has seen T+C twice now, and OMG I took notes the second time, so as to make the discussion all the sweeter. So here, for your delights, is the tidy version:

- beginning: feels too choreographed avec la stable hands and, as Eiphel says, looks like the beginning of the BBC.
Cage - why? and also WHY ARE THEY SCREAMING? It's just a man in a cage, so why scream? What's he doing? Um... sitting. PHEAR!

'attatched to my thumb; wee naked child, hill and dale, timorous beastie' - I think this was noted so I could quote to Saint Ben afterwards.

Point of Importance 1: DAVID TENNANT IS A MUCH BETTER DOCTOR WHEN HE'S SPEAKING IN A SCOTTISH ACCENT. Let us see how it goes with a better script. Also, I like him, both as an actor and a doctor, so I guess I'm swimming against the tide.

Wolf - excellently done, considering my knowledge of CGI, but I liked it. ENOUGH OF THE BAD WOLF ALREADY, we get it, yes, let's move on...
Oh, and whilst I loved the actor's portrayal of 'the host', there's a line along the lines of "you burned like the sun but all I need is the moonlight" in which he does an excellent impression of a rabbit that would no doubt have won Oscars, were it not for the fact he's trying to be distinctly lupine. But all werewolves should look like this. Most triumphant.

Point of Importance 2: Doctor's Reaction to Wolf = ! If anyone (and by anyone, I mean all of you) watched Confidential, the bit in which RTD says 'he's different from normal heroes - he travels because he loves it, and here we get to see him seeing something utterly new' made me think a wee bit. Me thinks this Scotch accent is contagious. Och. Anyhow, "that's beautiful"? Well, each to his own, I suppose... CE liked trees; DT likes wolves...

victoria is dc? - no idea what this means, but I expect it was an interesting thought at the time.

MISTLETOE? - well, I liked it. And is this licking going to be a recurring theme - bad sight but good taste? Idea of books as weapons, tres bon, and I agree with Eiphel that the scene in the library was good. Liked 'Chapter Seven; In which The Doctor has an idea.' Mmm, manic...

Nice wrap up. Then written in silly letters: 'sir doctor of TARDIS lolz'. At least, I think that's what it says, I can't read my writing...
And then 'BANISHED?' Anyone else getting another 'trial of a timelord' idea? - 'You were banished from England, now you will be tried' etc... and a cross-over with Torchwood... in which Cpt Jack, as has already been suggested, is torn between loyalties/is prosecutor?

Princess Anne - indeed we'll say no more. But I thought that bit was a little silly.
And then eeek twood, which I presume was mindless squeeing over the ending, and then, in ominous letters: are they going to find out?

Aside from a doodle of a scimtar, mistletoe, Rose's hair (which made me laugh) and in big writing 'TORCHWOOD ZOMG', that's it.

I liked the Tom-and-Lalla thing, meself. But I admit in this one, Rose was being a little 'scream, aaah, oh Doctor, please save me'.

CGI: Tres bon. 5/5
Performance: Aussi, except for Billie. Much better last week, whereas the Doctor was better this week. LET HIM KEEP THE ACCENT. It's sexy.
Script: Much better... but not good. So 3/5.
Idea/Plot: 4/5, coming on for a 5.
Bonus point for the inclusion of a slander at the Royal Family, and another for the accent.
Overall: 3.5/5.

So these are my ramblings. Interpret at your own peril.
Peril, eh? Let me go and handle this peril...
No, it's too perilous!
Can't I just have a little peril?
No!
... bet you're gay.
I AM NOT!

[loup-garou]

Point of Importance 1: DAVID TENNANT IS A MUCH BETTER DOCTOR WHEN HE'S SPEAKING IN A SCOTTISH ACCENT.

Thankyou. (see my review of New Earth)

[Kronk]

I must say, as a Londoner, I have no issues with Tennant's accent.

Wouldn't think twice if I met someone talking like that down here.

A poss problem with regional accents is they can be a bit hard to understand, esp when people are speaking excitedly. And doubly so if you're not a native Brit used to the variety of accents.

[Eiphel]

CE liked trees

And bananas!

I quite liked his reaction to the wolf, by the way.