In the seventh episode of the third series of Doctor Who, the Doctor intercepts a distress call from a spacecraft that is spinning towards the sun, where he discovers a mysterious illness and the fact that they all have just 42 minutes until they get burned up. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Doctor Who.
I’d like to take a moment to talk about storytelling and why it’s so fantastic.
I think that, growing up, my nerdiness/geekdom/whatever you want to call it was routinely thrown the same insult (and I largely consider it one for myself), time and time again:
“You just want to escape the world. You don’t want to deal with it.”
It angered me because…YES. YES I WANT TO LEAVE THIS WORLD. I don’t need to delve into specifics right now, especially since so many of you have read about me opening up about my childhood during Mark Reads Harry Potter. (For those who haven’t WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING RIGHT NOW.)
There is always going to be a slight element of escapism to my love of science fiction, of fantasy, and of the beauty of the written word, of the celluloid (and digital!) images on a movie screen. Whether I’m experiencing a world that could never exists or one that feels like it’s right next door, I love reading, and I love watching movies/television, especially when it can take me somewhere I’d never considered or thought I could live in or live by or live through.
But to simply erase the idea that there is so much more to the experience was always really insulting to me. Being entertained is something that differs from person to person. I know people who saw Winter’s Bone last year and thought it was too slow and boring. I get that. I want to smack them on the head and say BUT U DON’T GET IT MASTERPIECE OF CINEMA, but I don’t. We are all entertained by different tropes, by different devices, by varying styles of storytelling, by an assortment of themes and messages and subtle innuendos and plot twists and surprise endings and tone shifts and narrative techniques and narrative shifts (MY FAVORITE) and I could seriously go on and on.
Not everything I’ve ever enjoyed fits the model that “42” does, and I feel the need to admit that before pressing on. Some of my friends make fun of me for liking weird, artsy, and “boring” foreign or independent movies (to which I routinely yell RACIST) that tell stories in challenging ways. I like when a film or TV show isn’t necessarily easy to follow or that it doesn’t satisfy you in ways you come to expect, especially modern American television. (Momentary High-Five-Let-Me-Recommend-Interesting-Shows Moment: Rubicon and The Wire. Carry on.)
The thing that I really love about fiction (and sometimes even non-fiction; check out Zeitoun by Dave Eggers, the best of his books and something that does this very well) is the way that a story can suck you into its world and manipulate your emotions and expectations in a way that can shock and surprise. It’s funny how “You are not prepared” and “Shit just got real” have become catchphrases associated with me because they represent something that I adore about storytelling: when writers keep you on your toes.
It relates to why I have such a strict spoiler policy on this site, and why I get so upset when it’s broken. I understand that it’s absurd concept when I essentially wave my UNPREPARED PRIVILEGE in your face and tell you not to talk about what you so desperately want to talk about. Seriously, I am not being sarcastic: I completely understand it. But the whole point of hijacking this review from its normal format was to lead to this, to giving some insight into how spoilers affect how I consume media.
First off, this episode is among one of my favorites episodes of any show ever. HYPERBOLE INTENDED. I love that they toyed with the element of the show existing in real-time (42 minutes) and I love that they managed to combine heartwrenching, emotional scenes mixed in with absolute fucking terror. (Also, is this show one giant reference to Douglas Adams? I never read Hitchhiker’s Guide and I might someday, but I know spaceships headed to the sun and the number 42 play heavily into the first novel, yes?)
But here’s the real kicker: I’ve asked you not to tell me about future companions, plot twists, deaths, etc. All of it. I have told you not to spoil all of the things. And, by and large, you all have been quite good at it. (EXCEPT YESTERDAY. JESUS CHRIST GUYS SHUT UP. Also, that’s not entirely why I’m writing this review this way. But yes, SHAME ON A LOT OF YOU FOR MAKING THE COMMENTS A SPOILER BATTLEGROUND JESUS IN HEAVEN WHY)
I know some very, very general spoilers for the future. Such as Donna coming back, but I figured that out after the Christmas special, since I’d seen so many GIFs/images online and she didn’t become this series’ companion. I know Matt Smith and Amy Pond take over at some point I CAN’T WAIT BTW, and I know that I am awfully close to Moffat’s “Blink” and I am considering a night-time liveblog of it next week on the night before the review goes live. DOES THAT SOUND ACCEPTABLE ok of course it does i love you all so much.
So, what was my whole point for this giant word vomit of a review? Ah, yes. For a moment, I actually believed this was Martha’s last episode. I actually believed, by the sheer power of the storytelling, that her and Riley would plummet into the sun and die. Even thinking about it now, it’s still entirely plausible to me: it would be a great commentary on the way the Doctor has been treating Martha this series. It would allow him to seek out Donna to ask her to come back and be his companion. It would motivate Martha’s mother to further side against the Doctor with those mysterious folks in suits who seem to be working for Mr. Saxon.
Because no one spoiled Martha’s character arc, I believed the story and I believed the risk. And that made all the difference to me; the episode was much more exciting and compelling to me. It made Martha’s phone call to her mother so depressing and bleak. It made the moment of silence as the escape pod detached from the S.S. Pentallian all the more horrifying.
I know it may seem silly to you that I don’t want even the vaguest of spoiler. I understand it. But if someone had told me about who the future companions were and when they showed up, using the familiar, “Oh, it’s not really a spoiler because I didn’t tell you the details,” then this episode would have just been good. Not really, really, really good, or spectacularly good, or particularly frightening or nightmare-inducing, not emotionally heavy or depressing or bleak or saddening.
Frankly, it probably would have ruined the experience. So thank you. You know, for not saying anything.
THOUGHTS
- WHO THE HELL IS MR. SAXON.
- The sun was a living organism. AS;DLFKJASD;FLKASADFS I WOULD NEVER HAVE CONSIDERED THAT. Chris Chibnall, who wrote this episode, please allow me to give you all the hugs.
- I don’t think I ever want to hear the Doctor cry out, “I’m scared! I’m so scared!” ever again. EVER. Seriously, this also contributed to why I thought this episode would CHANGE EVERYTHING. Ugh, so frightening.
- “Humans! You grabbed whatever is nearest and bleed it dry!”
- “Don’t they teach recreational mathematics anymore?”
- “The wonderful world of space travel. The prettier it looks, the more likely it is to kill you.
- The idea that the codes to the doors are answers to a pop quiz? BRILLIANT. FUCKING BRILLIANT.
- oh god i am so close to “Blink” oh my god
OH GOD I AM SO EXCITED FOR YOU! I think I pretty much love all of the season 3 eps left. SO EXCITE YOU HAVE NO IDEA.
Sucks people were spoilery yesterday. I missed it on account of my Tuesdays and Thursdays sucking beyond belief (seriously, just give me my degree now, I don't need these last 3 months of classes, really).
I find the image of Martha in the window as the capsule floats away to be extremely chilling. Poor Martha. I love that she grabs herself a kiss on the way out the door.
Yes, I love that image of Martha floating away, and the silence. Something you rarely see on TV, complete silence. Well, something you rarely *hear*…well, *don't* hear…oh bugger, you know what I mean!
KK said it all – there are bits I don't like as much in the remaining eps, but basically you're now careening to the end of this series and wahey… When I checked out the series guide the other day and realised 1) 42 was coming up and 2) which eps were left in the series, I just got all happy. Some of my all time favourite moments coming up. Cannot WAIT for the Mark Watches experience on them 😀
Anyway. I haven't seen 42 in a while, as a friend's had my DVDs, but I really like this ep. Not perfect, but some great moments, Martha floating away and I seem to remember them freezing the Doctor which (excuse the pun) I also found pretty chilling.
I'm glad you enjoyed 42. Some aspects of the story were pretty ridiculous, but overall, I really liked it. The sun-organism was a great twist.
"Matt Smith and Amy Pond"
Amy Pond's actress is Karen Gillan, for future reference. =)
Good point. I'd missed that. 🙂
Honestly, if there just a show where they had a camera pointing at Matt and Karen whenever they were together, it would still be fantastic. Those two are such lovable doofuses behind the scenes.
That would probably be my favourite show ever.
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PS: This is just from one of the Confidentials, but if it's considered spoilerly for whatever reason, let me know and I'll delete it.
I WILL NEVER WANT THAT GIF TO BE DELETED EVER.
Oh god I love that gif, they are TOO CUTE AND MENTAL AND OMG
<3 <3 <3 LOVE THEM SO MUCH.
More than anything else, this gif makes me want to see Eleven in action. I'd been avoiding it, because I didn't think I could deal with the loss of Ten. But I'm going to watch it so I can comment along with you all! And now also, BECAUSE OF THIS GIF.
You…you haven't watched it yet!?Are you going to watch it along with Mark, or before Mark gets to it? Because if the answer is the latter, you should watch it like, right now.
I'm either going to watch it RIGHT NOW or VERY SOON. I'm also slogging through Castle trying to catch up to current, because it's a solid procedural full of AWESOME. AND NATHAN FILLION.
I want to be Karen Gillan so bad. I think when Mark gets to their episodes, I'm going to be fangirling so hard. Because I pretty much do already.
Similarly, being Matt Smith would be awesome. I'll be right there beside you, fanboying it up over S5.
I will have to restrain myself from fangirling too much, I think. I haven't really had anyone to discuss those episodes with, so it's a bit pent up. I also have an ABUNDANCE of gifs. SO EXCITE!
It's so far away! Still a whole two season's worth of episodes…but we must be strong, and KBO.
Oh yeah, I will be there front and center, fangirling the hell out of those episodes. I have rewatched them so many times already and have tons of loving ~thoughts~ and ~feelings~ to share, I will probably make comments so long they break the server, lol. XD Can't wait!
That would be my go-to comfort show. Why does this not exist?
lol. Sorry Mark. I'm glad that you enjoyed this episode, but this episode and The Lazarus Experiment are in a dead heat for my least liked episodes of series 3.
This episode was written by Chris Chibnall. Chibnall has written some decent episodes of Life on Mars, some mediocre episodes of Doctor Who, a couple brilliant episodes of Torchwood, and some absolutely horrific episodes of Torchwood. So while this episode isn’t the best of his stuff, it’s not as bad as it could have been. The dialogue is still pretty cringe worthy at times, unfortunately, and the plotting is just weird and unnatural. Also, the secondary characters all just feel like so much wasted potential. Still, not the worst thing that Chibnall has ever written.
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An example of Chibnall’s ~riviting dialogue:
The Doctor: That sun's alive. A living organism. They scooped out its heart. Used it for fuel and now its screaming!
Kath McDonnell: What do you mean? How can a sun be alive? Why is he saying that?
The Doctor: Because it's living *in* me.
The plot is… meh. A lot of the tension comes from incredibly obvious and artificial plot devices, specifically that of the sealed doors between the crew and the auxillery engines. It just seems incredibly stupid and contrived in order to generate tension as opposed to really evolving organically from the story. Same goes for the tension created by Martha and Riley jumping into an escape pod. It seems so stupid. Surely Riley knew that was an escape pod. Why would he jump in there when he knows that the thing is trying to kill them and has the ability to override controls? As far as plot goes, the whole “crew getting possessed by an alien life form” is unoringinal. Or maybe I just watched too much Star Trek growing up.
The secondary characters are just kind of… there. Contrast this to “The Impossible Planet” where I felt like I really got a feel for those characters in such a short time. Also, I think that a lot of stuff that Chibnall does with these characters is done a bazillion times better in a later episode.
But I think the thing that makes it hardest for me to enjoy this episode is Martha. It’s not that I don’t like Martha. I do. I love Martha! But in this episode we see both a not too flattering side to her, imo, as well as an exploration of how dysfunctional the Companion/Doctor relationship here is with Martha and Ten and why they just don't quite fit together.
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First off, I feel like she kind of treats Riley the exact same way that the Doctor treats her. I get the impression that Riley fancies Martha a little bit. Their connection and interaction in the escape pod was really sweet. But then when Riley mentions maybe meeting again sometime, Martha is just like “yeah… maybe…” And then kisses him with no intention of ever seeing him again.
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The Doctor: I'm scared. I'm so scared.
Martha Jones: Just stay calm. You saved me, now I return the favor. Just believe in me.
It’s also interesting that Martha says “just believe in me”, but that doesn’t really help the Doctor to calm down. He doesn’t have that same faith or trust in Martha (yet) that he did in “The Satan Pit” when he said (regarding Rose), that if he believes in just one thing, “I believe in her”. For most of series 3, I really just am not a fan of the Doctor and Martha as a Doctor/Companion relationship. They’re just not on the same page with regards to each other so it’s always a bit awkward. This doesn’t make the Doctor or Martha bad people, I just really don’t think they worked together as a Doctor/Companion relationship. And no, this doesn’t make Martha inferior to Rose. As we’ve seen before, Martha is plenty awesome and badass in her own right. She just isn’t the right fit for the Doctor, at least not at this stage in his life.
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The scene where the Doctor gives Martha the key to the Tardis, to me, encapsulates everything that is wrong with the Doctor and Martha as a Doctor/Companion relationship. She worships him. The way that she receives the key with this look of utter reverence isn’t good. (Compare this to when the Doctor gave a key to Rose as a matter of course, an ordinary thing because the Doctor and Rose function as equal partners.) The Doctor needs someone who thinks he is a bit of a tosser sometimes and will call him out on it. Martha idolizes the Doctor too much in series 3, I think. Even though theoretically it should be the New Series relationship that is closest to being between equals, the way that it plays out is the least equal of the relationships. Martha comes from a fairly wealthy background and she is well educated. On paper she is a much better match for the Doctor than working class Rose who never got A-levels. But Martha accepts the key like it is some great gift from a person so superior to herself.
Oh and I should probably mention the Francine and Saxon storyline bit. It is always nice to see what happens to those left behind (like in “Love and Monsters), and I do think having Francine be used by Saxon’s goons was an interesting choice. But whatever, she was the one who put her faith in Saxon over her daughter’s decision making abilities. And now she’s gotten in over her head.
Totally agreed on the secondary characters. They kept killing them left and right to create tension and fear, but it just didn't work for me because they were just there. Even her crying over her husband left me a bit meh.
Also, this is my least favorite Martha characteristic. To me it just doesn't seem in her character to worship him as she does. I wish they had gone more first episode style Martha. Unrequited love? Sure! It works after Rose leaves. But making it such a huge part of her behavior and motivation bothers me.
Hmm, I viewed Martha's awe at receiving a key at simple shock and delight. Like, she probably hadn't even expected the Doctor to do that, because she thought he was just ignoring her so he could moon over Rose. She doesn't need to be unequal to him to be elated at him FINALLY placing some trust in her. So she was just really, really happy.
I haven't seen the episode in a while though…my mental image of the way it was done might be a bit off.
It's just occurred to me that Martha kissed Riley etc. because she was feeling so pent up and annoyed about the Doctor. Nope, didn't get it at all before…
I seem to recall RTD mentioning that Martha's great flaw is that she never says what she's really feeling. She keeps it to herself, which is why I guess she hasn't sorted out things with the Doctor.
There's no way you can be the family go-between and express your feelings. Absolutely impossible.
Yet another reason Martha's infatuation with the Doctor is doomed before they ever even met.
"I seem to recall RTD mentioning that Martha's great flaw is that she never says what she's really feeling. She keeps it to herself, which is why I guess she hasn't sorted out things with the Doctor. "
Considering that's also one of the Doctor's flaws, no wonder they're not too good for each other.
It's like a vortex of noncommunication.
Maybe it's just a Doctor thing…
This definitely bugs me lots about their relationship. Lots.
As we’ve seen before, Martha is plenty awesome and badass in her own right. She just isn’t the right fit for the Doctor, at least not at this stage in his life.
Why are you always so right? I love Martha, but she and the Doctor seem to be looking for different things. She idolizes him, but the Doctor's feelings about Rose pervade pretty much all of his interactions with Martha. I wish they were on an even keel, but I don't think it can happen while he's still obsessed with Rose. They're both flawed, but it's most awkward that Martha is STILL worshiping him. I think I can side-eye the writers a little about that.
My sister and I both hated Martha because of this. At the beginning of Series 3, I felt she fell in love with the Doctor waaaaay to quickly. By the second episode, she has a huge crush on him. You've known this man for a few hours, calm down. Rose and the Doctor slowly had a friendship and then slowly fell in love. And instead of confronting him about it, Martha hides it and lets the Doctor treat her like dirt. She doesn't stand up to him like Rose. A lot of the time while watching Series 3, I wanted to reach through my TV and slap her. The Doctor is not going to like you Martha, get that through your brain. He is hurting over Rose. So get over it and move on! Martha just comes off as so sad and pathetic, mooning over the Doctor.
*I don't mean any disrespect to anyone that likes Martha. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions.
I can't hate or even dislike Martha for her crush on the Doctor because… I have totally been in that position before. haha. Gaaah. I'm so pathetic when it comes to booooys and I have the most ridiculous crushes. Like, I am a 23 year old grown ass woman. I should not have these school girl crushes. And yet…
heh. So I do find it really frustrating because I hate seeing my own flaws reflected in Martha, but I can't dislike Martha because of it.
This is nothing against Rose or Nine, but I think if she had started off her adventures with Ten as opposed to Nine, we would have seen a crush/love story move along more quickly. He's just an attractive man on top of being the Doctor. He's also a massive flirt, so the responses of both companions are pretty understandable for me.
Also, I think it was implied in the last episode by Martha's family that hanging about with a guy is really out of the norm for her. She's been far more focused on her studies than having a social life. She really doesn't seem to have much experience in this area. Lol, I guess I see myself in a lot of her responses and empathize with her. :-/
That's exactly why the unrequited love storyline was so loathesome – it was used to undercut and "humble" Martha at every turn. The Doctor/Companion relationship is never one of equals unless the Companion is Romana, but this goes beyond that. It's not even a relationship of mutual regard and respect. And it is just crazy-making. Martha Jones, you deserve so much better.
"Martha Jones, you deserve so much better. "
Agree with this post so much (well, I don't loathe the unrequited love story, I just dislike it), but especially that last line. This storyline, by itself, is making me dislike Ten more than I ever did originally.
I love the parallels you're able to draw- the "believe in me" bit especially, between two very similar episodes.
It's funny, I like Martha better in this episode, to each their own I guess. I don't see anything she does in this episode that shows a worse side to her than what we've seen thus far. I might be remembering wrong, but I thought when Riley asks if he'll ever see her again, she actually tells him, "yeah, probably not," or something along those lines- which leaves a lot more closure than just a "maybe," and made the kiss, imo, more of a goodbye, i'm-resolving-our-sexual-tension-before-we-part thing than her leading him on. This is a lot different than what's going on between Martha and the Doctor, with the Doctor switching so quickly back and forth between warm and cold it's almost abusive. I got the feeling it was a situation where she did like Riley, but not enough to strand herself so far away from home to see him again, not that she was substituting him for the Doctor. Unlike the Doctor with Martha, she hasn't tried to recreate their roles, and Riley himself is so different from the Doctor that I don't see where she would be projecting on to him. I'm actually curious, was there something besides her interactions with Riley and her Doctor worship that bothered you about her in this episode?
This episode makes me like her more too, you're not alone!
Agreed. I love Martha in this episode. Unlike others, I don't see that her feelings for the Doctor compromise her strong, independent side. On the contrary, it makes her more real, more human and the companion I would most like to spend time with.
The kiss makes sense in a way, because Martha's just spent the previous 40 minutes plummeting towards death pretty much and likely been thinking about all the things she'd never get to do and the people she'd never see again when she died. For me, she was seizing the moment.
Plus, Riley's really cute. 🙂
Awesome summation of things as always!
It says something that I forgot this episode existed, although I also remember enjoying it at the time. It just doesn't stand out to me as the best of what s3 has to offer.
"Their connection and interaction in the escape pod was really sweet. But then when Riley mentions maybe meeting again sometime, Martha is just like “yeah… maybe…” And then kisses him with no intention of ever seeing him again. "
Well, she said "not really", actually, as in she was just flat out telling him they're never going to see each other again, which is true, so I don't know what else she could have told him then. In the escape pod they thought they were minutes from dying so I couldn't really read that as her using him. The kiss didn't really make me think less of either of them, she can't invite Riley on the ship so things just weren't meant to be, that's how life is sometimes.
Honestly, I think there are too many comparisons to Rose in your review. If everything has to pass the "this isn't how it went with Rose" test, then all things might be less enjoyable (especially if you a hardcore shipper).
Martha and Riley were sweet and endearing. And their conversation at the end was:
Riley: No chance I'll see you again?
Martha: Not really. (looking a little disappointed) It was nice not dying with you. I reckon you'll find somebody worth believing in.
Riley: I already did. (looking at Martha pointedly)
Martha looks surprised at the compliment and then she kissed him. It was a sweet moment for her. He acknowledged that he saw something special in her and she was flattered. She certainly wasn't treating him in any disrespectful manner.
As for the "Just believe in me" comment, I don't think the Doctor would have been calm no matter who was saying it. He was clearly in a lot of pain. He certainly showed he believed in her by giving clear instructions and counting on her to follow through. He even calls out for her in the brief time she was reading the instructions on how to work the stasis machine. "Martha, where are you?!" He may not be that great when it comes to her crush on him (why, oh why did they even have to introduce this element!), but he certainly is showing that he cares for Martha as a friend. He doesn't have to be in love with her or not mourning Rose to show Martha care. Look at the way he stood at that window as the pod floated away: "I"ll save you!" And don't forget how he told that dude "I'm not going to lose her". Martha means something to him and it has nothing to do with Rose. They even share a gleeful, glompy hug where they both look properly elated to see each other.
As for the moment with the key, I just don't see it as reverent worship of the Doctor. She just walked in the door after being highly complimented by Riley (and a hot kiss!) and she makes a little joke. The Doctor is looking all serious and gloomy and she apologizes because she feels she may have been insensitive. He starts out doing the usual avoidance by being chipper and bright. She rolls her eyes thinking it's more of the same, but then he surprises her with a key and a thank you. He didn't have to say he believed in her in that moment, he just showed her he did. Another compliment for one Ms. Jones.
Great comment and well said. I agree with the first point, I think it takes away some of the enjoyment if you're still clinging to what's gone. I can totally understand it and have done it before with another show, to the point I had to stop watching.
Companions come and go, the Doctor remains.
"Companions come and go, the Doctor remains."
It is so true.
I wish I could give this more than one thumbs up. It pretty much perfectly sums up how I read the entire episode. To agree with some of the comments above, this episode also increased my affection for Martha.
I disagree with you a bit there, because I think series 3 is MEANT to draw out the Rose parallels. The Doctor has been comparing the two of them from the start, and a lot of the events in this series mirror events from Rose's run while sort of turning them on their head. This episode in particular shows that. The similarities to The Impossible Planet/Satan Pit are obvious from the start, and as such, I think the "Just believe in me" vs. "I believe in her!" bit was a very much intentional thing on the part of the writers. I really love Martha, and I do think she sometimes gets the shit end of the stick, but episodes like this are there to stress the differences between her and Rose. The Doctor cares about Martha a lot and that much is also obvious, but he's too busy dwelling on his own angst to view her as her own person yet. By no fault of her own, she's sort of a… rebound companion, and the writers don't want us to forget that.
I apologize for the rambley stream of consciousness there. I couldn't seem to get those thoughts into a more organized format. @_@
" I think series 3 is MEANT to draw out the Rose parallels."
Gosh, my answer to this will only seem spoilery. Not because I want to spoil anything that happened, but because it begs the question of the ultimate point of these parallels.
http://markspoils.blogspot.com/ feel free to post your answer there if you want to!
Thanks, I put it in 42. 🙂
i replied. I should have told you to post in one of the later episodes where intensedebate has been implemented for neatness' sake, but ah well.
haha. I should learn to look back. I replied again. But if you have more to say go ahead and put it in a later one. Just let me know where. 🙂
I moved my response into the "Sunday Summary – February 6-12" page
ArrogantSage = Sarah
Weird, how that happens.
I totally disagree, the Doctor is calling out for Martha and she says "I'm here" because he knows he can rely on her. I wish people would stop lumping the Doctor's relationship with Rose into everything especially his relationship with Martha. I think he couldn’t let Martha go after “The Lazarus Experiment” because he does care about her yet he feels guilty about it that's his behavior is consistent regarding Martha but it also doesn't help that Martha is written allowing the Doctor getting away with too much in their relationship. I would have felt better about the series if Martha had fought back and set him down a peg or two, but I think the writers were afraid that people wouldn't like her. Yet by the end of series 3 it was as though the real story was about an abusive relationship and how to “get out” of it.
You have the most amazing gift for eloquently expressing my only real issue with Martha's character, thank you!
Welcome to the only thing that Chris Chibnall has ever done in the Whoniverse that I actually quite like.
Also. Um. The Doctor in screaming agony?
Sexy.
Yeah, I said it.
42 was definately one of the better episodes of this series, in my uber-privileged opinion. I'm so glad you like it, Mark. I love seeing your joy, terror, excitement, and sometimes sadness at this awesome sci-fi wonderseries.
Question, it says we're free to email/contact you with questions/concerns, but I have yet to find a link that will allow me to do that.
For instance, what are we to do with some spoilers? Some people believe that down-arrowing or drawing attention to spoilers is a no-no, but on the spoiler policy it mentions that these things will happen. Which is better for YOU? I'm really awful, because I'm going to exclude everyone else and only worry about your opinion on this matter. (OhmigoshIdiscriminateagainstspoilers!)
Liveblog of Blink? Definitely!
YES PLEASE
Agreed times100!
Hell yes.
Oh my Rowling, yes! Liveblog of Blink in the dark!
Depending on timing I am definitely up for that.
I will clear my schedule for this!!
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OMG YES
I'd love the live inside to your head, Mark, but in your interest I recommend you to watch Blink in a darkened room with no computer screen to distract you.
I'm so afraid that I won't be able to watch because of exams. *cries*
Oh- wait. I can still read the comments later. Yes!
I'm going to go against the grain and say no, don't do it.
Blink is an episode, more than maybe any other in Who history, that should be watched utterly free of distractions. Typing away and effectively half watching it would rob it of a lof of it's impact.
So please Mark, please don't Live Blog it without having watched it through first. It's a good enough ep to watch twice anyway but I really think you'd spoil it for yourself by watching it that way.
I totally agree with this. Watch it without distractions first.
Agreed so hard! I want him to experience it the way it should be experienced.
I totally agree with this. Maybe watch it once on your own and then do it as a liveblog.
This is a good point. And then we wouldn't have to worry about spoilers too.
watch it yourself first. On your own. With the lights off.
Then watch it with us.
Agreed!!
+28 for this solid reasoning against a live blog now, twice the number for the original post, I hope Mark sees this. Put your own enjoyment first, Mark! 🙂
YES, A THOUSAND TIMES YES!!!
***I don't know if this is spoilery or not since Mark has already mentioned Blink? If someone feels like it is, let me know and I'll take it down.****
I watched Blink for the first time last week. I thought, oh it's Moffat, there will probably be something creepy, but I'm not that concerned.Saying that I was unprepared doesn't cover what-the-f*ck-ever I was. Holy Mother of God. I'm really glad I didn't know that it was supposed to be an intense episode, though. I like being surprised into nightmares.
Mark, I 100% agree with you about how much more powerful an episode is with no spoilers! I have an unfortunate tendency of spoiling myself via the internet, which is really irritating, lol.
You haven't read Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING. So good. (And I say that pretending the random 6th one written by Eoin Colfer never happened. I mean, it wasn't awful, but it wasn't H2G2 either).
Also. I have an image I want to post SO BADLY relating to Blink but I WILL WAIT.
Yeah, you should probably add this to Mark Reads <3
I don't know…Hitchhiker's really isn't the type of book that lends itself to review. Its one big absolutely brilliant joke; there's not really any coherent plot. XD (And I love it for that).
When I read that sentence by brain did a little blip at the thought that Mark had not read Hitchhikers Guide, as I never even considered such a possibility. You could say Mark was punching me in the face with an unexpected plot twist I suppose!
READ IT! READ IT READ IT!
Seriously just read it, you don't even need to bother doing a Mark Reads for it, just read it!
No don't READ IT, listen to the original radio episodes. They came first and were by far the best way to enjoy Hitch Hiker!
Sort of OT, but did anyone ever play the online text-based H2G2 game? So frustrating, ugh, I think I only once got as far as leaving Earth, and I don't even know how I did that.
The Hitchhiker's Guide text game is notoriously impossible! I was able to leave Earth OK, but usually was blown up fairly shortly afterward.
When the Doctor gets scared, you know things are about to go down the crapper!
(Also, David Tennant has a gift for making me want to hug him, pat his back and say "It'll be ok" whenever I see his Traumatised!Doctor- Face.)
Tennant's Traumatised!Doctor face are responsible for some of the most disturbing scenes in all of the new series. Just seeing the Doctor (whichever) scared is disturbing enough, but Tennant – especially his eyes – just make me want scream "STOP!" and make it all better. I can only imagine the kind of things Joss Whedon would do with this ability of his, since he used to love threatening Willow and Kaylee.
(Also, I'll make use of the anonimity in the intertubes to assume that I find scared Tennant hot in a hurt/comfort kinda way).
As much as I love Joss Whedon, I'm very glad he doesn't get to have anything to do with Doctor Who. As someone said on here awhile back, if Joss was in charge every companion would die tragically and the Doctor would be regenerating every three episodes.
Oh, I know, I also don't want Joss Whedon anywhere near Doctor Who. I like Buffy and loved Firefly, but the man should learn ending tropes other than Deus Angst Machina (as TV Tropes would say). I meant more in the sense that I think he would REALLY enjoy torturing the audience through Tennant if there was a role in, say, The Avengers, for David.
Now that I think about it, maybe Whedon could do something for Torchwood. Jane Espenson is already writing for it and it seems to me (never having watched the show, just from what people say) that it would be a much better fit.
Also, since I've never forgiven him for what he did to both Oz and Tara, I don't want him absolutely anywhere near certain characters in the current series that have gone through enough already. (I hope this isn't spoilery, if it is, scream at me and I'll delete.
That's funny—although it's true that for Whedon happy characters make boring shows (a line of thought I tend to agree with), I always thought he was really bad at killing off characters in appropriate, plot-driven and plot-driving ways, especially in stuff that made him the most famous. (E.g., on Firefly everyone always makes it through OK and then WHAM BAM! People die all over the place in the movies just for the pain's sake? BAD JOSS BAD. That is not how to kill characters! GOSSIP GIRL does a better job at character death than you do!!!!)
There's a LOT of stuff I could say about character death/non-death in Buffy but I will hold off until Mark actually watches Buffy! 🙂
Dollhouse and Doctor Horrible lead me to believe he's getting MUCH better about using character death well. But yeah. Actually I think many fewer people would die if Joss Whedon had a hand in DW.
Hello this is my first comment! I just want to say Mark, your reviews are entertaining and wonderful! Please keep doing this! =}
OMG LIVEBLOG OF BLINK YES YES YES.
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_3lVOb8wvDlE/TKAhK21vsiI/AAAAAAAAAKM/LqZsTzF-5ME/friends_ross.gif">
ALSO MARK YOU SHOULD ABSOLUTELY DEFINITELY IMMEDIATELY READ THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY. Then we can add "don't panic" to your catchphrases!
Perfect GIF choice, may I say
FINALLY I get to post my FAVORITE WHO-RELATED IMAGE EVER:
<img src="http://i54.tinypic.com/1zlgccm.jpg">
By the inestimable nostalgia-lj at Livejournal.
Spelling/Comedy fail
*gasp* I can't believe I forgot about Nos's picture recaps. I used to love those things.
Upon seeing this I loudly burst out in laughter and I HAVE NO IDEA WHY.
*snigger* 😀
You're so close to Blink, yes.
OHMYGOD!
And as for the Spoilers thing… I'm sorry for anything I may have said ever that might have spoiled you in any way. I'm probably going to give a lot of thought to my comments from now on, and possibly not commenting at all sometimes to keep my DIRTY DIRTY SPOILING HANDS from typing anything spoiler-ific.
Not even clever comments that are only spoilers if you've seen the show before. I shall be as a monk, that has taken a vow of silence.
I will however say… enjoy the rest of the season. I hope every episode fills you with as much enjoyment as 42 did (also, I have read Hitchhiker's Guide and I'm not really sure if it is a reference. If it is, I didn't notice it).
42 is almost always a nerd reference. You can assume that the writers of DW or Lost (where 42 was one of the numbers) have read The Hitchhiker's Guide, especially since Douglas Adams once wrote an episode of DW. So even if it's not a direct reference to the book, it's probably intentional.
Yeah, I forgot to mention. I know that the number 42 is almost always a reference, no matter the context. I just wasn't sure if there were other references in the episode. I don't see any, if there are.
The other is that the ship was flying into a sun. This also happens in I think the second book? of the Hitchhiker's Guide and involves a light show at a rock concert.
Huh… I might need to reread it then. It's been a while since I've read the series.
"Oh no, whatever shall I do? Now I guess I'll have to read the whole series again… how unfortunate" 😀
Ha, I didn't remember off the top of my head either. I just happened to read the wiki page for this episode earlier today and it points out the reference. If only I were so clever.
Adams more than once wrote an episode – he wrote two, cowrote one, and was script editor for season 17. (Thank you, tardis.wikia.com. I knew it was more than one but not what exactly.)
(The one he co-wrote was City Of Death, which Mark has Watched!)
Thanks, I don't know as much about classic Who.
Isn't Mulder's apartment number in X-Files 42?
I am SO GLAD you liked this episode, because so many people think it's rubbish and I don't. It's awesome. Once again, Martha saves the Doctor's life (she getting quite a record), he learns to appreciate her, she has an existential journey about her family and the impact her decision to travel with the Doctor could have (on her and on them), it's got humans being brilliant and humans being horrible all in one go, it has the Doctor being vulnerable which I both HATE and ADORE at the same time, and it's all laid out in (almost) real-time. Brilliant.
And yes, you're getting closer to Blink. But tyu've got some awesomeness coming up before you get there, though. I can't wait.
Yeah- I don't know why this episode gets forgotten so much. I suppose its because it has many of the elements from 'The Impossible Planet'/'The Satan Pit' and some people find Ten's possession silly. I love it though. (Actually, I love the rest of the series as well. Fun times from here on in!)
I pretty much love this episode, too. I think it's the vulnerable Doctor thing, which I was needing at this point in the story. The Doctor has been semi-vulnerable, but never helpless. Here he gets to be helpless. And yes, I do both hate and adore it at the same. But it makes me happy in the end.
Oh my gosh I too totally thought Martha was going to die. I was slightly disappointed when they didn't because I was thinking of all the amazing things they could have gone with that but it's okay because Martha is AWESOME.
I wish I loved this episode as much as you but to me it felt immediately too much like "The Impossible Planet"/"The Satan Pit" and I loved that two-parter so much I kept comparing them. I hope on rewatch I enjoy it much more than this time.
Best part of the episode? Martha and the crew members answering the trivia questions. SO MUCH MARTHA AMAZINGNESS.
I love Martha calling up her mom on the "Elvis or the Beatles?" question, although I did have a minor quibble that the answer to that question would probably not be the same in the future as it was in 200X.
It was "before downloads" though, which I took to mean "before iTunes etc existed."
I assumed that 'before downloads' meant before downloads were counted as part of the official top 10/20/whatever. Before 1 January 2007 (according to the internet) downloads weren't counted apart from the first week, only hard copy sales, where as now it's a combination.
Funny you should mention The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit, because while I was watching those episodes I kept waiting for the part with the pop quiz and all the door locks, lol. Once the episode was over, I was like, oh wait, that was a different one??
"Wait! I have to oxygenate the next section before you can proceed. Also, who had the most number ones: Elvis or the Beatles? That's *pre*-download. "
"Wai-what?"
"You have to answer or I won't open the door."
"But the Ood are co–"
Would have ruined the tension a bit I think.
Having seen blink, I have to say that I would never watch it at night, but that is because I am the biggest scaredey-cat ever and I find that episode terrifying in daylight. However, I applaud your bravery and can only advise that you keep a spare pair of pants on hand.
I cannot wait for you to meet Mr. Saxon, because he is truly epic. I really, really hope nobody spoils the Saxon stuff for you.
I think this is spoilery. Mark doesn't know anything about Blink yet, just that people talk about it a lot and generally love it.
The fact that he specifies liveblogging it at night implies something, I think
I think it specifies that he wants to do a liveblog during the week instead of on the weekend like usual, and it makes sense to do it at night because people won't be at work.
I said I would be liveblogging it at night because that's when I get off work, since I can't do it during the day. That's all.
Thanks for reporting this comment, folks, but I think I'll leave it. Don't do this in the future, though!
🙁
But what about us non-US Time Zone-ians (yes, I just made up a fantastic new word)?
WHATEVER WHATEVER I DO WHAT I WANT. I'll just wake up the next morning and post a super long and awkwardly late comment on the live blog post hours after everyone else has finished watching.
I promise I'll read it 🙂
I just peeked into my crystal ball and saw an exploding head. Could it be Mark's head next week?
Find out IF YOU DARE.
(Seriously, I just found two different "Greatest Doctor Who episodes/serials ever" lists. Both lists included the exact same two Tenth Doctor stories, and both of these stories are coming to Mark's screen very soon to melt it with their awesomeness.
SO EXCITE)
YES YES YES to Blink liveblog. It’s still my favourite episode ever and I approve of this idea!
I’m on my way out from work, I shall write more later.
Okay between my sore throat and the flickering lights that make me think I'm due for a power cut I should probably keep this fairly short:
I've always been a bit indifferent to this episode. I keep getting stuck on the structural similarities to Impossible Planet/ The Satan Pit: Doctor Companion find themselves on a space station/ship where the crew slowly get picked off by this week's villain. But at the same time it's probably the only Chris Chibnall penned episode I actually enjoy.
Apparently I missed a bit of a fuss yesterday? I may now have to go back and see just how bad people were.
"I know that I am awfully close to Moffat’s “Blink” and I am considering a night-time liveblog of it next week on the night before the review goes live. DOES THAT SOUND ACCEPTABLE ok of course it does i love you all so much."
Oh god that sounds SO ACCEPTABLE…except I won't be able to join in (It's my grandfather's 80th birthday the next day. I should probably be, you know, awake for that). The liveblog still sounds like an awesome idea though.
I want to make this very clear and be certain there is no mistake:
I. Hate. Chris. Chibnall.
No, really. HATE. The ONLY Doctor Who writer who I have anything near actual animosity for.
THAT BEING SAID, I love this episode.
The characters are deep and commanded well, the plot is instantly immersive, the story juggles well, the series arc manages to wriggle itself in well, the Doctor isn’t a dick to Martha about her not being Rose, Martha isn’t drooling over the Doctor, the suspense is a rush, the mystery plays out well, the plot resolution wasn’t contrived, the monster of the week was creative and debatable as to whether or not it was actually a monster or just a living being trying to resist pain, the silence after the pod was jettisoned was absolutely HARROWING, and Riley is sex on a stick.
I am able to separate my hatred for the writer for my enjoyment of this episode.
It’s probably not, like, in my top 5 favorites and it certainly has its faults (we’re less than 100 miles distance from a great whopping sun, how about we stare right at it for five minutes without blinking?! Also, it relies a lot on suspension of disbelief), BUT IT’S WONDERFUL I LOVE IT DON’T JUDGE ME.
Riley is soooo frickin' HOT. And so is Corwin. Good lord, the pretty was making me clutch my pearls!
Mark I really appreciate your explanation of your spoiler policy especially in regards to this episode. I saw this episode and knew that Martha wouldn't die, and I never felt anywhere near the terror and tension you obviously did watching this. A Blink liveblog would be AWESOME.
But to sum up: only ever watched 42 the once, but now want to watch again!
This ep was just kind of meh for me. But Blink…oh blink is awesome. I can't wait for you to see it.
Mark you are awesome! That is all I have to say.
And here is another case in point for avoiding spoilers like, "The next episode is AWESOME / CRAP / MEH / AVERAGE / YAWN / WHATEVER". 42 is generally rated pretty average by fandom. (God knows why. I thoroughly enjoyed it on rewatch.) But just because the `accepted wisdom` is good/bad/indifferent doesn't mean Mark will share that view. We must let him form his own opinion uncluttered by preconceptions.
The Blink nightime liveblog idea gets my vote, even though as a Brit I will miss it due to being in bed. (Unless it's a late night for you and an early morning for me!)
I'll you what though – this series is hotting up! (Blatant pun alert!) 🙂
I have found my friends/family and I agree more with Mark than any of what I have heard of the fandom. Eesh.
I really really like this episode. The fact that the sun is a living organism is GENIUS (and makes such a refreshing change from the standard guy in prosthetics/CGI monster of the week). And the Beatles references! 😀 I’m a HUGE Beatles fan and when the Doctor said “Where were we? Here comes the sun… No!” I laughed so hard! Best Beatles song reference ever. 😀
Oh, and the scene between Martha and the Doctor as her escape pod was detached was utterly heartbreaking… :'( :'( :'( Great performances by both Davey T and Freema.
Experimental fractured scaphoid post (it's a broken wrist, so I haven't been commenting since I did it).
Yes, Hitchhikers does feature the number 42 and a spaceship crashing into the sun. The original radio series is probably the best way to experience it, but there was also a TV series as well as the various novels. The first two novels cover the original iteration (although they later did radio versions of the other novels as well).
The other joke is that 42 is 24 reversed.
I'm glad you liked this one – I always have, and am baffled by the negative reaction it gets in some quarters. It does what it does really well, I think, and although you wouldn't want every story to be like this one, it's great where it is, I think.
Regarding spoilers, part of the pleasure of reading these for me is your unspoiled reaction and lack of pre-conceived ideas about how things should pan out. Long may it continue – it isn't just a privilege for you that your insisting on, it's a privilege for your readers.
I hope your wrist heals well. 😀
"The other joke is that 42 is 24 reversed."
Holy crap, I never noticed that. Thanks.
In the continuing adventures of Martha makes the best faces
<img src="http://i55.tinypic.com/6tfrys.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
Martha on the phone with Francine is one of my favourite parts of the episode, from her frustration (who doesn't get like that on the phone, esp while waiting) to their potentially last conversation to the intrigue with Francine and Saxon back on Earth, the calls cover a lot about their relationship.
I also love that Martha is now a proper companion, TARDIS key, special roaming priviledges and all.
‘Please kill me now.’ Those are some unfortunate last words.
I really like how the episode is in real time and the quick fixes are gotten out of the way like the TARDIS (poor girl) and deadlock seal doors. While the scene was tense between the silence and then the Doctor hanging out the open door to space (All the Strange, Strange Creatures love) I never thought Martha would die. Maybe I was just thinking too positively and assumed they wouldn't kill the main companion off half way through the series but I think your idea is intriguing.
‘It was nice not dying with you.’ Martha/Riley FTW!
<img src="http://i52.tinypic.com/2m4pued.gif" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
Also Martha/Instruction Manuals.
I love that first gif. Who HASN'T done that while on the phone with their mom?
"We're out of toilet paper" is more unfortunate as far as last words go!
Seriously I feel like I want to comment on this but I don't have much to say besides total agreement and applauding your GIF choices.
It was really nice to see Martha crushing on/kissing someone else!
That last gif has me wondering if there's fic out there where Martha manages to go back and visit Riley again
While the scene was tense between the silence and then the Doctor hanging out the open door to space (All the Strange, Strange Creatures love)
This scene is when I decided I loved and wanted to own this music. SO GOOD. Surround sound + volume up = being sucked in and goosebumps. LOVE that scene so so so so so so much.
I love this episode. I LOVE THIS EPISODE. I have this leeeetle thing for possession, so I was very happy when the Doctor was possessed.
Also, BLINK LIVEBLOG YES PLEASE, but…I probably won't be able to do it because of school D: D: D:
Spoiler policy? Got it. Understand it. Fine with it.
"42" might also be a referernce to "24", because each episode of 24 occurs in "real time." 42 minutes to die, 42 mintue episode. I love it when a writer can do this and pull it off so wonderfully.
"Living sun" has been done before, but very rarely. Works very nicely.
Yes, "Blink" is coming soon, but there are a couple of episodes in between here and there. They are not to be overlooked! YOU ARE NOT PREPARED FOR THE REST OF THIS SERIES.
Not much else to say about this excellent episode, and yes, if you aren't spoiled, the risks seem so very real. And the risks are real. Kath loses her husband, then her own life. Three other crew killed, picked off one by one. This episode works every bit as well in the horror genre as it does in science fiction.
There really aren't any holes to poke at. Just wonderful!
So, I'm reading this at my desk in between yelling over the cubicle wall at a coworker instructions on how to contact bla bla something work-y.
Then I read this bit:
I am awfully close to Moffat’s “Blink” and I am considering a night-time liveblog of it next week
And I straight up hand flailing and shout, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! DON'T!"
And coworker says, "I JUST SENT IT!"
And I had to explain I wasn't talking to her, I was telling you BLINK IS NOT ADVISED FOR WATCHING AT NIGHT.
By shouting at the computer monitor. Which is totes how computers work, right?
Again, pretty sure telling Mark that Blink is scary IS A SPOILER.
I guess since he knew it was Moffat and everyone has been telling him that Moffat is routinely terrifying it's not…that bad?
Thus starts Chris Chibnall's continued love affair with stealing the plot from The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit and slapping it together in different ways!
I'm watching you Chibnall. I have carefully honed by Chibnall detection device for any and all future endeavours of yours.
<img src="http://i47.tinypic.com/bijvio.jpg" />
As much as I love Anthony Head, that gif makes me laugh a lot.
HAHAHAHAHA THAT GIF.
<img src="http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/825/anthonyheadlick.gif">
BAHAHAHAHA WTF?
I like this episode, but that's really true.
OMG THIS GIF!
Ahh, I forgot how awesome this episode is. Totally going to have to rewatch it again when I get home. 😀
Talking about narrative. There's a fantastic bit in Neil Gaiman's Sandman (specifically, the 'Midsummer Night's Dream' chapter) that has the best point about narrative. I think the comment is something like "This is true. It never happened, but it is TRUE." To me that speaks to the whole point of fiction– yes, it can help you escape from reality, but it can also help you deal with reality by allowing you to identify with characters who are often going through the same or an even worse situation. That may not be the best explanation, so here's another quote that sort of illustrates the point I'm thinking of — it's something like "fairy tales don't just tell us there are dragons. They tell us that dragons can be defeated." That's the beauty of fiction, and specifically fantasy.
(On that note, you should totally read The Sandman at some point, if you haven't already. It's a fantastic work.)
I think Sandman is on the list for Mark Reads!
If it isn't already it has to be. So much love for that series.
I suppose I hadn't thought of it from a non-spolied perspective. That would definitely up the tension. All in all, I don't really enjoy this episode that much. It's okay, but not great. I feel like they were trying to recreate the success of "The Impossible Planet"/"The Satan Pit," (complete with Tennant in a space suit :D) but didn't quite pull it off. It feels like it should be, but the monster isn't that intimidating to me. Maybe it was because I was trying to watch it with a non-Doctor Who fan the first time around, but I found it a bit confusing.
That being said, I adore the silent scene in which the escape pod carrying Martha and Riley drifts away from the Doctor. Also, RTD really nails the emotion of the small scenes, like Martha and Riley's conversation about family (btw, Freema was fantastic this week).
I also love the Doctor's absolute terror when he's being possessed by the sun entity. Ten really is the most human Doctor, and I just don't see this scene flying with anyone but Tennant. It's heartwrenching though. It's in that moment when he tries to tell Martha about a "process" that we realize he really believes he's going to regenerate.
All in all, an okay episode with great emotion, but (for me at least) a bit of confusion and a non-threatening monster.
Whhhyyy has no one mentioned that Riley is HOT yet?
I really enjoyed this episode when it first aired, mainly to do with the great tension.
I TOTALLY mentioned it, but you posted faster than me!
I can't imagine why Mark didn't note it though. Seriously, that man is distractingly attractive.
Meh. He's not my type. Attractive, but Martha can have him.
Apparently she didn't want him either. I've decided this means he's up for grabs. Excellent.
May I provide you with this image? <img src="http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c225/imperialphoenix/Excellent.jpg">
THIS IS FULL OF WIN.
I only wish it was animated so that his little 'hands' went back and forth.. WHY DOES MY BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS DEGREE NOT COME IN HANDY? *kicks her worthless and out of date programs*
NICE
Um, yes. I expected him to mention too! Was kinda thrown off…
Well, we can't all be attracted to the same types.
What like 1/3 of the comments mentioned this.
I should watch this episode again.
What do you mean "has no one mentioned that Riley is HOT yet"?
Was "Riley is sex on a stick" too vague?
This episode rates a 5 for scariness.
True story time.
My brother was baking cookies when we were watching this episode. He doesn't use a timer, because his inner clock is pretty good. He's never off more than a minute. Anyway, he was so enthralled by this episode, that he forgot the cookies until, "BURN WITH ME." was a repeated line, and well, the cookies were a little burnt, but we still ate them.
Blink liveblog?
Well, that'll be interesting.
While I'm sure there's some Douglas Adamsy stuff going on, I suspect the 42 is closer to the actual amount of time they have for any given episode. I mean, once you factor in the credit sequences, it's going to be darn close to 42 minutes. Maybe the 42 gave them the main story plus some framing wiggle-room.
I do enjoy this episode, but it also reinforces the feeling I get from the Doctor's (televised) adventures with Martha, that they're all kind of variations of his time with Rose. This one echoes "The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit," visiting Shakespeare was kind of like visiting Dickens, two different trips to New New York. There's even a hospital adventure for each of them. I end up feeling kind of let down a little because of it.
Poor Martha, getting derivative adventures.
At least she got a lot of awesome book adventures! I agree with the wish that they could have been more creative with the episodes, though maybe part of it is due to cost. Re-using old sets/costumes has to be cheaper than the alternative.
As someone else commented on an earlier episode, Martha is Ten's replacement goldfish. He can't stand the thought of being alone, but he's really just using Martha as a tool for working through his grief. Which is understandable but also pretty shitty of him.
Also, DO NOT CLICK ON THE DOPPLEGANGER REPLACEMENT LOVE INTEREST LINK because (amusingly enough) it is an OH SO APROPOS SPOILER for DW stuff.
OH MY GOD please do a Blink liveblog
DONE.
<img src="http://i51.tinypic.com/2gw9f83.gif" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/kretch1967/gifs/Harry%20Potter/tumblr_l4w36hPmyA1qaqmly.gif" border="0" alt="Photobucket">
THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v603/sqwonk/000324xz.gif" border="0" alt="spaced,win">
"I don’t think I ever want to hear the Doctor cry out, “I’m scared! I’m so scared!” ever again. EVER. Seriously, this also contributed to why I thought this episode would CHANGE EVERYTHING. Ugh, so frightening."
THIS. I just watched this episode for only the second time (I've rewatched pretty much all the others multiple times, EXCEPT LOVE AND MONSTERS BECAUSE HATE) because that whole thing with Terrified!Doctor freaks me the hell out. It's bad enough when we see a brief moment of him truly frightened, as with Nine when he realized he was trapped in a locked room with a Dalek, but this is far worse. Genuinely disturbing, and I am not easily disturbed by fiction.
I don't know if the "42" thing has anything to do with Douglas Adams, but I like to think it's a sly little sideways nod to him. He did write for the classic series, after all.
I really love what you wrote about sci-fi being an escape, Mark. That's why I love it too. I have a massive obsession with Ursula K. Le Guin (I got to meet her a few years ago, she signed several of my books and was generally awesome) because she creates such intricate worlds. I like my escapist sci-fi, sometimes things here on Earth kind of suck. It's more fun to read or watch something that is somewhere entirely else (where things also often suck, but at least I personally don't have to deal with them).
Oh, and "Blink" liveblog? YES PLEASE.
Last thought on this episode: if Martha doesn't want Riley, can I have him? SEXY.
Oh god here's hoping I'll be around for the liveblog. *stoked*
I think I'm at odds with popular opinion a lot. I love this episode, I really do, a lot, but I always mix up parts of this and the Impossible Planet in my head, I think I was mostly distracted first time around by how pretty Riley is(don't judge.) Somehow I'd totally forgotten that Martha saves the Doctor at the very end of this too, which makes it 100x as awesome.
Also, after all the "Rose would've…" convos we've had over here all I could think of when 10 was sitting at the edge of the ship reaching for the fusebox or whatever it was all I could think was "9 would have been able to reach it." I'm a horrible person.
"Also, after all the "Rose would've…" convos we've had over here all I could think of when 10 was sitting at the edge of the ship reaching for the fusebox or whatever it was all I could think was "9 would have been able to reach it.""
<img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/a0uryx.gif" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
^ This gif? This is me, right now.
It is the best suprised out of you laughter gif out there.
I also sometimes imagine Hassibah's comments in a really smoke roughed Wonder Woman voice and it just makes everything extra funny.
imagine Hassibah's comments in a really smoke roughed Wonder Woman
I get that a lot, somehow. Maybe it's my posture.
I like 10, I swear I do, you guys are just warping my brain a little, in a good way. Where is that gif from?
I just have to say I love your profile pic. Kate Beaton FTW!
Does anybody not like Kate Beaton? Seriously I do not think it is humanly possible.
Well I love Hark A Vagrant so your pic catches my eye everytime so it usually ends up in my head as I'm reading.
It's from Supernatural. I think it's the gag reel, if not it's something else from behind the scenes of the early series. Jared Padalecki has changed a lot over the course of that show.
I don’t see why there’s a big mystery for some people as to why the Doctor treats Martha the way he does. She’s the unhealthy rebound relationship that happens after a bad break-up… like say after your lover gets trapped in another dimension.
@ Mark
"(Also, is this show one giant reference to Douglas Adams? I never read Hitchhiker’s Guide and I might someday, but I know spaceships headed to the sun and the number 42 play heavily into the first novel, yes?)"
Yes. Douglas Adams was involved in the writing of Classic Who back in the day, so the title is a nod to him.
Reasons I would not be a good Doctor:
1. I am not British.
2. I am not male.
3. I am not ginger.
4. I would misplace the TARDIS from time to time and/or lose the key and would be found pounding on its door, begging it to let me in. (Honestly, it would probably be "and." I can be extremely scatterbrained.)
5. I love the sonic screwdriver but I would either lose it or put it on the ground for a second, forget it's there, step on it, and then fall. Don't judge, similar things keep happening to me.
6. I would totally time travel to all the awesome book and movie releases in the past and future and might ignore the whole saving the world thing that I would probably need to do.
7. My solution to many Doctor dilemmas, such as in this episode, would be to shepherd everyone into my super awesome TARDIS (you know, after I remember where I parked it and found my key) and just travel to safety. Problem solved.
EDIT: 8. Oh yeah, I'm also not a Time Lord (Time Lady?) as far as I know. That little detail.
Dreams crushed.
Can I continue this list?
– I would also use the TARDIS like public transportation. NEXT STOP: MARS.
– I would also CONSTANTLY visit my timestream and be banned by the Time Lords within a week.
– I would probably offend every alien race ever.
– I would help ALL THE PEOPLE ALL THE TIME and probably die from it.
– where does the doctor sleep
On the last point: The TARDIS is MASSIVE. You've only seen the control room (i.e., the place where 99% of scenes in the TARDIS take place) and the wardrobe (when Ten was picking out his clothes). Presumably there are bedrooms and bathrooms and god knows what else in there.
I have always wondered about the rest of the rooms in the TARDIS. I want one episode where the Doctor just wanders about the rooms or gives a grand tour. How MUCH bigger is it on the inside?
I don't think anyone knows. Apparently big enough so that one incarnation (might have been Five? can't remember) once trailed thread behind him when he went looking for something in some out-of-the-way corner of the TARDIS so he'd be able to find his way back to the control room. That kind of big.
So it's basically a maze? AWESOME. They should totally do an ep featuring a random monster in a forgotten room or something.
In the Fifth Doctor story "Earthshock", three Cybermen end up in the TARDIS. The Doctor manages to do away with two of them, but we never see the third again. Fan theory is that it's still back there, lost.
There's also "The Invasion of Time" featuring the Fourth Doctor and Leela (set on Gallifrey I might add) the last two episodes of which include a lot of running around the TARDIS being thoroughly lost. Of course, the Doctor insists he knows where they're going, but it's quite obvious that they pass through the same little room with the staircase about half a dozen times (http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/reviews/81/…). It doesn't look all that great really, although I love the room with the pool.
>Apparently big enough so that one incarnation (might have been Five? can't remember) once trailed thread behind him
Yes, it was Five in his very first story, and the thread came from unravelling his long scarf from when he regenerated. That's not spoilery because it has no bearing on plot or story. It's just a billiant little touch.
"There's a wardrobe through there. First left, second right, third on the left, go straight ahead, under the stairs, past the bins, it's the fifth door on your left. Hurry up!" – Pretty big I'd say.
I'd love to see more of the inside of the TARDIS as well. I think classic!Who used to show some of the rooms though.
They should totally just have a bottle episode done on the Tardis.
There is one, way back with the First Doctor. Called "The Edge Of Destruction". Pretty creepy, actually, in a psychological thriller sort of way.
Unfortunately the point of a bottle episode is that it cuts down on the budget by only using existing sets (and characters where possible). And since they don't already have all the sets for the rest of the Tardis, it would have to be set entirely in the control room!
This is some (awesome) fanart of the TARDIS – it says set in the 11th Doctor era, but it's one of those things that is probably only spoilery if you've already seen it. Check it out at your own risk.
A Partial Map of Your TARDIS (Subject to Change)
Oh man you beat me out by 15 minutes! I love that thing. It's such a good representation of the scope, absurdity, and abstract nature of the TARDIS. I think any spoilers would probably be lost upon people who they are spoilers for because it all seems so random, without special attention given to anything.
The comments are definitely spoilery though, so SHIELD YOUR EYES. It is worth it.
Those are awesome, thanks for posting that!
The fanfic I've read is rather constantly dealing with the subject of bedrooms in the TARDIS…
…The Doctor sleeps?
Oh 7 definitely. After a week of traveling I'd have the entire TARDIS packed with beings I've saved by running away.
7: Yeah, but then you have all these people taken out of their timelines, and you can't just leave them somewhere else, because they could screw up other timelines or become their own grandfathers, and then there are demons everywhere and people are disappearing, and you're the only Time Lord/Lady, and you can't fix all these holes on your own!
I couldn't do it because, like Martha, I'd be too worried about stepping on butterflies. TIME TRAVEL IS TOO STRESSFUL.
But I wouldn't take them out of their timeline, I'd just shuffle them to the left a bit. Like I'd let this ship be reabsorbed by the sun and put everybody else on the nearest safe planet. Because that couldn't change anything, nope.
But yeah, add the stress to the list. I don't think I'd do that excited Ten gleeful cackle of "Ohohohohoooo" (not like Santa at all) but would go and cry in the corner instead. That'll help, right?
Ahh, me too, for so many of these things.
Some more:
-I'm not quite brave enough to be the Doctor. I mean, I like to think I try to help people when they need it, but I'm not as fearless as the Doctor and I definitely freeze up sometimes.
-Not a genius
-I would be so enamored of the Tardis, I would spend lots of time when I should be saving people and things just exploring it (her?)
-I would have major trouble not visiting people places times from my own timeline.
Mark mentioned your 4th point too. I was under the impression the TARDIS wouldn't let me go to my own timeline. Not sure how I got that idea. But if I could, I would totally visit myself all the time and be all "Ron is Dumbledore from the future"-y.
Yeah to that bravery issue. If I was the Doctor, there'd be a lot more fleeing in panic than there is currently.
I would be so enamored of the Tardis, I would spend lots of time when I should be saving people and things just exploring it (her?)
Would you be a Tardis stroker like the Doctor though?
My sonic screwdriver arrived today from Amazon!
Absolutely loved this episode, but this was the one where I started wondering if the writers didn't have some sort of fetish for making poor Ten scream and writhe in pain. I marathoned the first three series over Christmas so maybe that's influencing me, but they seem to have Ten in these sorts of situations a lot so far.
I think it's more of a generalized "Let's traumatize Ten as much as possible". The poor guy gets more traumatic experiences in this incarnation than in several others combined.
Yeah, that's it exactly. I just suck at verbalising these things.
On rewatch I do appreciate this episode more. The scene with Martha in the escape pod, saying goodbye to her mum was so sad and Freema completely sold it.
Also that scene where she orders them to jettison the fuel? BAMF.
Freema rocked the hell out of this whole episode.
Martha: Do it. NOW!
I created a blog just for spoilers over at blogger. http://markspoils.blogspot.com/
Only rules are spoilers there instead of here.
Oooo.. Upvoting this.
You should probably make sure Mark knows, so he can publicize this.
Also, love that fish thing on the right.
42 isn’t an Adam’s reference- it’s a reference to the 42 minutes of real time the characters have to save the ship.
Well, it's possible for it to be a reference to both things at once.
Hahaha, apparently this person thinks it can only mean one thing.
and as soon as you can prove that it’s an Adams reference, I’ll take it more seriously than the opinion of some sci-fi geek wanna-be who hasn’t read the basics like The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy…. or even watched original Who before now.
This blog?
<img src="http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/2462/communitybrittabitchfre.gif">
If you're a troll, go away. If your comment was sincere and you think you're contributing to the conversation, learn to play nice or go away.
EDIT: I just realized that this your original thread, so I think your post might be in response to Mark poking fun at you. I understand the instinct to retaliate back, but your comment is 1, disproportionate to the original offense, and 2, the content of your post is a tired argument about trying to win geek cred, and I doubt anyone cares who's the better fan.
So I figure you're not a troll, and do have things to contribute. Just, this response isn't the way to go about it.
<img src="http://i52.tinypic.com/spg58j.png" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
I love this episode. The first time I saw it, I felt it was building upon the potential for awesome laid down by episode 6. And that potential kept building until it finally exploded into an Awesome Card. When I re-watched it a few months ago, I, too, was struck by how unnerving it is to see the Doctor utterly scared and helpless. The fact that the episode went to such an uncomfortable place is fantastic.
BTW, when I refreshed the site to see if the review was posted yet, there were 42 comments. I lol'd.
"I know that I am awfully close to Moffat’s “Blink” and I am considering a night-time liveblog of it next week on the night before the review goes live. DOES THAT SOUND ACCEPTABLE ok of course it does i love you all so much."
My real reaction:
…Oh my God…
OMFG. WAIT, WHAT. I READ THAT RIGHT, RIGHT? OH MY GOD!!!
I LOVE YOU TOO, MARK!!!!!!!!! <333333
You definitely need to read/watch/listen to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. It's brilliant! And very similar to Doctor Who in many ways, so if you like Who I'd be very surprised if you didn't like Hitchhiker's. Seriously, just read it. And, yes, the number 42 plays a big part in the first book. And when I first saw the title of this episode it made me think of Hitchhiker's, but I don't think it's actually a reference to Hitchhiker's since there are no big plot or theme similarities between the two things that I can think of off the top of my head. So if it is a reference, the reference is just the title of the episode. Well, there is a little bit about a spaceship crashing into a sun in the second book, but I don't really think it's a reference to that. Could be wrong though.
I adore Dr Who in all its incarnations, yet Hitchhiker's Guide leaves me cold. Always have, and I've listened to the radio-play and reaad the book(s) a couple of times – I keep thinking I'm missing something cos everyone else seems to think it's utterly awesome.
I really like Chris Chibnall's stuff. I recommend Life on Mars, which he wrote, if it's not already on your list of stuff to watch …if you have enough time for it anyway. It's brilliant!
Chibnall only wrote 2 out of 16 Life on Mars episodes. He didn't write the series as a whole. IDK, credit where credit's due.
And the fact that he might kill the rest of the crew.
The best part about Martha is the way her family acts. It seems very human and understandable. From her mother's perspective, she ran away with a strange, nonsense-spouting man who came out of nowhere, leaving her whole life behind. Then she starts making bizarre phone calls from heaven knows where.
If this happened in the real world, the most logical explanation would be her being brainwashed by a cult.
I never read Hitchhiker’s Guide
WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING RIGHT NOW.
I'm pretty sure I dug "42" a lot because it reminded me of "The Impossible Planet." I like it when the Doctor gets stuck on a spaceship or a space station. I think it's that confined space and the danger of that entire space being destroyed by a black hole or a living sun or whatever.
Also, I completely understand what you mean about storytelling and surprises and not wanting to know ANYTHING if you can. We are as one on that. Think about "Ariel." You knew Jayne wouldn't die because you knew Serenity existed and Jayne was in it. But for me, who saw it when it aired, I truly believed it was possible for him to die because I had no knowledge of the future. And stories generally depend on the audience's not knowing future events. (Except for Lost S4, which brilliantly SPOILS THE FINALE IN THE PREMIERE and yeah.)
I love that you thought Martha could bite it in this episode. I'm pretty sure I never considered that option. I assumed a Companion would last till the end of the season. But great storytellers love to play on your assumptions.
I'm also really glad you don't know exactly when Matt Smith and Amy Pond (a.k.a. Eleven and Karen Gillan, ha) take over. When I watched the first season, I knew Nine regenerated in the finale, but as Ten's tenure went on, it wasn't clear when he would regenerate. But it's the sort of thing that's hard to keep secret. I hope you truly have no clue when it happens.
i didn’t see yesterday’s and havo’t had a chance to read through, but i hope nothing was too spoiled! Interesting to see what you already know, sounds you’re in almost the exact same position i was in watching this last year. You can’t help knowing some things i guess! Anyway, i remember really liking this episode, but i haven’t had a chance to rewatch. Enjoy the rest of the (hopefully unspoiled) season!
Mark, if you do a live blog for Blink that would be so awesome because I was with my friend when she watched it for the first time and it was so fun seeing her reactions.
I will honestly say that I can't remember much from this episode because I think I'm only watched it once or twice. It's one of those that I just forget about, I don't know why. There are some episodes that I really should rewatch sometime.
I'm getting super excited now that you're on the second half of the season. 😀
Oh yeah. I always forget I never saw this episode. My mom and sis just advised I skip it because it wasn't any good. Huh.
Maybe it's just me, but I've always said about DW: "For every good episode there are two mediocre ones. For every GREAT episode there are four mediocre ones."
But don't get me wrong, I love Doctor Who to death.
Sucks that you are now kind of prepared for Blink. When I watched it I had no idea what was going to happen and… well you all know. Also, I think the next three episodes are the best new who have done. Enjoy!
Me too. I knew absolutely nothing about it. You can imagine how that went.
Blink was actually the first Doctor Who ep I'd ever seen. So, completely unprepared. I think my sister and I just kind of sat there after watching it. Then we marathoned the rest in like a week. 😀
Yeah, I actually specifically checked it out before I'd seen most of the show because I'd heard it was awesome-and it was-but it probably would have totally floored me a lot harder if I hadn't had it hyped up for me beforehand. I still love it and can rewatch it forever, but them's the breaks.
I can't help it, when I think of you watching "Blink", I get this mad grin on my face and kind of cackle uncontrollably. >_> Pity you're not going in as unprepared as I'd like.
As for this episode: BLAH I NEVER WANT TO SEE IT AGAIN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE T_T I just… ick. Let me explain. I have Summer SAD, meaning that I get depressed (literally) in the summer due to the excess light (whereas people with the more common form experience it in the winter).
I marathonned this whole show last summer, which was literally the hottest summer of my life, reaching record temperatures down here in southern California, where I live. This episode is… about being really close to a sun. SO YEAH. I was already feeling bleh, and this just made me want to hide in a cold dark room FOREVER by the end. Gaaaaaah.
Of course, it didn't help that I also didn't like any of the minor characters, didn't feel any tension whatsoever as to whether or not Ten would die and regenerate right there, etc. Chibnall is… not the greatest writer, let's just say that. 😛
"I have Summer SAD, meaning that I get depressed (literally) in the summer due to the excess light (whereas people with the more common form experience it in the winter). "
Wow, I took a class on Circadian Rhythms once, and we talked about how light therapy is a very real thing (a very effective therapy) for Winter SAD and also, interestingly, for breast cancer, so you're kind of blowing my mind since I never knew this existed. Now I need to go look this up. Curse you science, for being so intriguing and complicated!
I never really knew about it either until last year. I mean, I knew how I reacted to summer and excessive light, and how I felt throughout the summer and then in autumn and winter… but I had no idea it wasn't just me until I started doing some research online. I particularly remember reading what a woman said about how she doesn't feel like herself again until October, when things start to cool down and everything, and I just started crying because I knew what she was talking about, she was describing how I feel. I've felt so much less alone ever since. I mean, I still feel pretty alienated from the rest of the human race because most people LOVE hot sunny weather and summer, but I know now that I'm at least not the only one who doesn't.
Did some quick searches on PubMed for scholarly articles, and really couldn't find much of anything about summer/reverse SAD, so it's not well studied at all, and so no surprise it's not well known/publicized. I found one article comparing chemical differences between the two disorders, but no comment on light treatment, which is what I was interested in, and nothing about cause either (whereas I know winter SAD has genetics at play, and probably has to do with melatonin).
I did, however, find one abstract saying summer SAD is more common in left-handed people, and winter SAD is more common in right-handed people. I wouldn't put much stock in it, but it's still kind of interesting.
Anyway, I'm just geeking out, but I'm glad you feel better knowing you're not alone. And I'm from Southern California, too, and try to avoid the sun as much as possible, since I don't like being hot and I don't want to get burned. So at the very least, I feel you on the weather aspect.
Yeah, it's really not studied much at all. I wish I remembered the links I found, but unfortunately I don't. :/ That bit about left-handed vs. right-handed people is odd, I hadn't heard that before. And it wouldn't apply to me, since I'm right-handed, heh.
Thanks. 😀 Yeah, I hate the heat here. I feel so cheated by this winter, oh man – I suffered through that long, horrible summer, and then we've been getting stretches of 80 degree F weather in December and January. 🙁 I knew it wasn't going to be great, since it's a La Nina year, but this is worse than the last one. Also, last year's El Nino sucked compared to the one from the '97-98 winter, so it really feels like it was NOT worth all this…
Let me explain. I have Summer SAD, meaning that I get depressed (literally) in the summer due to the excess light (whereas people with the more common form experience it in the winter).
Holy crap, I had never heard of this before but you are DEFINITELY living in the wrong part of the world. *hug* Come to the UK. Or move to Alaska, or Canada, or Scandanavia. You'd never have to worry about TOO much sun here. 😀
Can I trade places with you? I live in Wisconsin and I get SAD in the winter. Southern California sounds wonderful!
I LOVE this episode! So freaking good!
I never read Hitchhiker’s Guide and I might someday
YES YOU MUST OMG! Now I have the urge to reread the series.
Oh my goodness, pleasepleasePLEASE do a liveblog of Blink!!!!!!!!!!!
BURN.WITH.ME.BURN.WITH.ME.BURN.WITH.ME.BURN.WITH.ME.BURN.WITH.ME.BURN.WITH.ME.BURN.WITH.ME.BURN.WITH.ME.BURN.WITH.ME. (okay okay i'll stop now)
I love this episode!
The plot isn't particularly complex, but it's fast and creepy, and drags you along whether you want it too or not. As soon as you realise the Doctor's body has been taken over it's like 'shit, we're screwed, let's just run around screaming and panicking!'. I always find it far more scary when the Doctor is physically incapable of doing anything.
This is the episode where i see the differences between Rose and Martha. In The Impossible Planet, Rose barely batted an eyelash when the Doctor got them trapped on the planet, she was completely okay with staying there as long as she had her Doctor with her.
The Doctor gets him and Martha trapped on the ship and she yells at him, and is a little bit cold towards him for a few minutes. She is far more outspoken than Rose, far more willing to the see the Doctor's mistakes and faults, and isn't afraid to tell him a few of them. Rose's adoration of the Doctor and her belief that he can't do wrong does get irritating, so whenever someone calls him out for making a mistake i want to high-five them. High-five Martha!
David's amazing in this episode, the way he's screaming it's like he's in total agony. I'd feel like a numpty if i had to do that! How cute does he look in a spacesuit?! *sigh*
And Freema's brilliant too, she hasn't really had a lot of emotional scenes so far, but she's really believable with her emotions.
Forget Blink, i'm far more excited for you to watch the next two episodes! They're two of my absolute favourites.
A liveblog for Blink would be awesome!, but if it's nightime (your time) then it would be well, well, well past midnight (my time) *epic sadface*
I can't tell you how glad i am that you know Donna is coming back at some point, because i can finally reveal my self as a Donna Noble worshipper, i adore that woman! There are not enough hearts in the entire universe for Donna Noble. <3
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy: Are you psychic Mark? Last week i decided i was going to read more, and Hitchhikers Guide is on my list of books to read, i ordered it a few days ago. Please can you do a review for it? I've never read it before and would love to read it along with you. Please with sprinkles and cherries and fluffy bunnies and kittens wearing bows.
She is far more outspoken than Rose, far more willing to the see the Doctor's mistakes and faults, and isn't afraid to tell him a few of them. Rose's adoration of the Doctor and her belief that he can't do wrong does get irritating
See, a lot of people have the exact opposite reading of Rose and Martha re calling out/noticing the Doctor's flaws, that I'm kind of amazed at how different interpretations can be. I don't know if your reading is more popular or not, but I'm glad to see it expressed, anyway, just for the love of discussion.
This is the episode where i see the differences between Rose and Martha. In The Impossible Planet, Rose barely batted an eyelash when the Doctor got them trapped on the planet, she was completely okay with staying there as long as she had her Doctor with her.
The Doctor gets him and Martha trapped on the ship and she yells at him, and is a little bit cold towards him for a few minutes.
I hadn't really thought about it before, but maybe some of that is that for Rose, she didn't have that many prospects back home – she's younger than Martha, a bit aimless, doesn't really have much of a plan for her life other than working in that shop for the immediate future, living with her mum and going out with Mickey. Martha's going to be a doctor. That's already taken some serious planning with picking the right A-Levels, doing well in them and sticking it out with a medical degree. That's investment in a plan for the rest of her life… so yeah, she's going to be concerned if she's definitely not going back (aside from the bit where yeah, she's going to die. Rose and Martha are both not keen on the dying).
And I think I can really identify with both viewpoints, at least from a shallower view – I saw Alec Empire when I was 16 and was completely deaf for an hour afterwards and was totally unconcerned at the time. At no point did I think that it wouldn't get sorted out. Now? I am hugely protective of my hearing after suffering from a few bouts of bad tinnitus after a gig and I get annoyed with myself when I forget my earplugs or don't realise an event I'm going to will be loud.
I stayed out of the fray yesterday after I sat here wanting to ban people myself for spoilers, oh my god.
But holy fuck, I love this episode. I actually forgot about it, so when I rewatched it, it was like a hidden gem of awesome. The first time I saw it, I had only been spoiled for the fact that Donna would be back, and I'd seen various little rumours online about very vague and nonspecific things (NONE of which I will repeat here, tyvm.) I was absolutely fucking convinced Martha was going to be fully jettisoned into the sun and die, and holy crap I actually started crying. I had gotten used to her, and reeeeally just started liking her, and she was going to DIE? I think I stopped the episode a couple times, I was in such a rage about it. I knew I liked Donna via The Runaway Bride, but what a shitty way to get rid of Martha, yeah?
But despite the raging, I love this episode. Living sun? Genius. And I like that there's no easy way out via the TARDIS, though the poor ship gets stuck in some crappy situations, doesn't she? Shipped away during a quake during The Impossible Planet/Satan Pit last series, and now trapped in a boiling room that just keeps getting hotter and hotter.
Blink liveblog? Oh God Mark, you have read our minds! (BTW, watch it in the dark. Better that way).
I'm really glad you liked this episode, because I do to, even though it often gets forgotten. It really has brilliant suspense, and all the moments as Martha is plummeting to the sun are amazing. The moment of total silence is simply beautiful, and gets me every-time. Martha's conversation with her mum reminds me a lot of the one with Jackie in 'End of the World', but I feel is even more emotional. Martha thinks she's about to die. So much tears.
I think seeing the Doctor possessed is incredibly scary. Some people thought those scenes were silly and namy, not me. It was chilling to see the Doctor overwhelmed and helpless.
And the whole pop quiz thing makes me laugh so hard. I can just imagine the crew getting drunk one night and thinking, "Y'know what'd be fun, guyyys? If we, idk, put random questions on every door!" "Yeah! Great idea, man!"
XD
Now, to finish, only one thing can be said in preparation of next week; YOU ARE NOT EVEN REMOTELY PREPARED!
Hitchhiker's reference ahoy:
<img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/riwxup.jpg">
Also, "recreational mathematics" and "here comes the Sun" are the best lines Chibnall has ever written.
Also, Martha is a badass forever and ever.
Hey Mark. I've been deliberately hunting for non-spoiler trivia. It's harder than you'd think.
A. 42 was postponed to the 19th of May (rather than the 12th) because of the BBC's broadcast of the Eurovision Song Contest.
B. 42 is also the approximate length, in minutes, of a new Doctor Who episode. Sweet.
C. Now this one is pretty sweet. The number 42 has many significant meanings in Earth pop culture and in relation to the Doctor Who franchise (although whether any of these were intentionally referenced by the episode title is a matter of debate):
* 42 was the answer to life the universe and everything according to Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Coincidentally, Douglas Adams was a writer and script editor for Doctor Who during the Tom Baker era, and a reference to the book's lead character, Arthur Dent, is made in The Christmas Invasion.
* Elvis Presley died aged 42.
* 42 minutes was the length of the Beatles' last performance atop Apple HQ.
* Doctor Who returned to television during 2005 – the 42nd anniversary of the franchise.
D. Yes a spaceship to the sun was a plot point in the 2nd Hitchhiker's book. Also WHY ARE THEY NOT ON MARK READS YET AS A FUTURE PROJECT?!
E. One of the questions to open the deadlocked doors was "What is your favorite colour?" a reference to the questions asked by the bridgekeeper in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
F. 42 is somewhat similar to the movie Sunshine. Both of these involve a delivery ship, both of these involve possession and both of these involve a ship going out of control to the nearby Sun. Also, the DVD commentary states the ship's original name as written and filmed was the "Icarus", just as in Sunshine, until they edited the name out of the final episode to avoid confusion.
G. Amazingly the Ood were planned to return in this episode.
The final ratings for this episode was 7.41 million watching.
I was just about to hit enter on a comment referencing another shout out to Monty Python and the Holy Grail, when I realized that, no, that shout out occurred in last night's Community episode, which I have been watching compulsively since I got home from work.
More on topic, these factoids are so awesome, fusionman! I always look forward to these posts.
Community: great show, or greatest show?
GREATEST SHOW. Why don't more people watch it?
GREATEST! I could rewatch just about every episode every day. How is it so awesome? And last night's episode absolutely killed.
I think I've rewatched that one Abed/Annie scene a dozen times already.
You and me both. Not only was it one of the funniest things I've ever seen, it was also weirdly hot.
Have a gif!
<img src="http://image.com.com/tv/images/genie_images/story/2011_usa/GIFs/community_dnd.gif"/>
That scene! It was already hilarious but then Troy started taking notes and I died.
Also, this is Doctor Who's first and only numerical title to date.
I enjoy these trivia posts too. But you really should get rid of the big Hitchhiker's spoiler about what 42 is, in case Mark wants to read Hitchhiker's sometime.
2 things.
A. I can't delete posts.
B. Everyone knows what 42 is. Even Google spoils it.
Just thought I'd add some behind the scenes stuff. (I was too tired to bother, yesterday.)
One of the trickiest problems while fliming was that it was freezing on location (a paper mill) so the actors' breath was visible. Understandably, none of them were keen on the usual methods of putting ice cubes in their mouths or eating ice cream. In the end, they just battled through it, while getting away with a little bit of breath.
The `sweat` was achieved by smearing baby oil all over the performers. (Eww!)
For many drafts of the script, the space ship was in the Peony System, until the readthrough where it was pointed out that this was dangerously close to `Penis System`. And so it was changed to the `Toraji System`.
The `pre-download` qualifier for the Beatles/Elvis question was not in the script and had to be added in ADR.
The phone tapping at Francine Jones' house was scripted to be done by the Sinister Man from The Lazarus Experiment, but had to be changed to the Sinister Woman when the male actor became unavailable.
Just thought I'd add some behind the scenes stuff. I was too tired to bother, yesterday. And today's earlier attempt got swallowed by the system that allows F**k but not P***s
One of the trickiest problems while fliming was that it was freezing on location (a paper mill) so the actors' breath was visible. Understandably, none of them were keen on the usual methods of putting ice cubes in their mouths or eating ice cream. In the end, they just battled through it, while getting away with a little bit of breath.
The `sweat` was achieved by smearing baby oil all over the performers. (Eww!)
For many drafts of the script, the space ship was in the Peony System, until the readthrough where it was pointed out that this was dangerously close to `P e n i s System`. And so it was changed to the `Toraji System`.
The `pre-download` qualifier for the Beatles/Elvis question was not in the script and had to be added in ADR.
The phone tapping at Francine Jones' house was scripted to be done by the Sinister Man from The Lazarus Experiment, but had to be changed to the Sinister Woman when the male actor became unavailable.
A. 42 was postponed to the 19th of May (rather than the 12th) because of the BBC's broadcast of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Normally, I get really put out when Doctor Who is moved about but that week? That week I was cool with it. I LOVE Eurovision.
Actually, the number "42" as the answer to life the universe and everything was made up by Graham Chapman, one of the Pythons. 🙂
OOOOH GOODIE GOODIE GOODIE –
this is one of my favorite episodes, and I totally loved how they did the realtime thing. And I'm so glad no one spoiled this one for you, because that feeling of "oh shit… there goes Martha…" was so REAL for me when I first saw this one. I felt like one of those "Monster Truck" radio ads where they tell you to pay for the entire seat, but "YOU'LL ONLY BE USING THE EDGE!!"
And the scene where it's all quiet as the escape pod drifts away, the silence, and Martha's FACE, with the Doctor SCREAMING "I'LL SAVE YOU!!"
OH MY GOD!!! BRILLIANT!!!!!!
And Mark: "WHO THE HELL IS MR. SAXON."
If we told you, you'd have to kill us. Just chill, baby.
Must admit I never liked 42… great idea with some nice twists but it never worked for me. Not sure why, maybe it just felt a little too rushed, or a bit throwaway somehow… just never clicked with me.
I was working out the likely episode sequences a couple of weeks ago and good LORD Mark you've got the sort of week coming up that would probably be fatal to long-time fans if they came to it fresh. Really looking forward to your updates on.. actually on all of next week's stuff!
Personally, I look forward to all of Mark's updates.
*cheeky grin*
one word:
BLINK! ahh. excite.
Chris Chibnall's writing is the soul of mediocrity, and this episode just got…too shouty for me to like it, but you're absolutely right, Mark, about the impact of Martha in that pod. I think the (blessed) silence of that sequence did a ton of work, as well as the use of color – Martha's little spot of blue in all that gold and red.
Otherwise this really wasn't a good example of the "base under siege" plot type, as others have pointed out. There was very little differentiation between the characters and therefore very little reason to like them, and the LOUDNESS from beginning to end prevented tension from building over the course of the episode. "42" was definitely an episode that could have benefited from better direction, and I'm sorry to say that because Graeme Harper has done much better work for the show in other instances.
BUT. But but but. Mark, the season only gets stronger from here. You are not even remotely prepared. Your head is going to explode and it is going to be glorious. My only objection to a "Blink" liveblog is that your own viewing experience would be better, I think, if you experienced the episode of a piece instead of being distracted by typing out your responses in real time. But if you do tons of note-taking during your first watches of episodes anyway, go on and liveblog. 🙂
BLINK IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE DOCTOR WHO EPISODE EVER AND I AM SO EXCITE TO READ YOUR REVIEW OF IT.
I really liked this episode too, though.
I done my happy dance when I realised how close to doing Blink you were . I AM EXCITE. Also, I don't think I've ever actually watched this episode, I never really got into David Tennant (controversial I know, but OWELL) because I missed Christopher Eccleston too much, I managed to get into Matt Smith though (HNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGG) ANYWAY, hurryup and get to blink, it's one of the few Tennant episodes I've seen, and I only watched it for the first time earlier this year.
Also, I vote against a "Blink" liveblog. I really think you should experience the episode undistracted your first time. It's the kind of episode where you need to be paying attention and not typing away during it.
Yeah there's no reason why the liveblog couldn't be for the second viewing, somehow I doubt he'll just want to watch it once. For some reason I thought that was what he had planned but I misread.
Oh yeah, "Blink" is also the kind of episode you want to watch over and over. Or, well, at least I do. XD *has watched it about a billion times*
Yeah, don't spoil it by blogging. Just watch.
Too bad you couldn't have gone into Blink next week with no expectations.
As far as Hitch Hiker's Guide, I would recommend the first four books of the trilogy, the fifth made me unbearably annoyed, and I haven't read the posthumous sixth.
The sixth is okay. Eoin Colfer is no Douglas Adams, although I love his style as well. Colfer admits that it's pretty much just authorized fanfiction, but it's still worth a read.
I cannot even imagine watching this and having no preconceptions about Martha finishing off the season, that must have been awesomely dramatic for you! I always had faith that no one involved in Who would have the guts to kill off a companion mid-series, and then try to up themselves for the series finale. Your innocence is precious!
As others have said, this episode really reminded me of The Impossible Planet/ Satan Pit- minus ties to religious figures, yay! For some reason I thought I remembered that the Captain was having an affair, and that's what she thought her husband was talking about when he said it was "[her] fault". Am I mixing up stuff from those episodes, making up something entirely or did I miss lines referencing that this time around?
I don't have much more to say- I really liked Martha in this one, though her reaction to finally getting full-on companion status with the Doctor only to be immediately stranded without the TARDIS, death imminent, was kind of… understated? I'm surprised there weren't more consequences for that, but I guess they probably wouldn't be convenient for what the writers were planning? I'm pretty sure the Doctor freaking out freaked me out the first time around, but in retrospect I just can't find it as scary/ emotional.
I just have two things to say about next week, Mark: YOU ARE NOT PREPARED. SHIT GETS REAL.
I think you're right on with the Douglas Adams bit. I would add that pub quiz questions being needed to open the doors seems like something he would have loved, although I can't recall if it's specifically from any of his books.
I hope I've done a good job at not spoiling you, though I am afraid I might have maybe said something once that was a tad bit spoilery. Can't think of which review or which comment, but hopefully it wasn't too bad. I am with you on spoilers. I do have a bad habit of reading them for several of my favourite tv shows. I think it's made worse by the fact that I follow so many of the actors from those shows and they tweet photos from set. One show, I've read so many spoilers for this season and yet I haven't even watched it from the 5th or 6th episode. And I have friends who have told me things about certain books I'm attempting to read, so it's made it difficult for me to get attached to certain characters or pay too much attention to certain details because I already know where it leads. I've got to learn to control myself when it comes to spoilers.
I had to think really really hard on this episode, before I started reading your review so I'd know which episode it was. And there were still a couple of things that I was like, "Oh yeah, that was happening wasn't it." because I really didn't remember this episode at all. Not sure if that's because of what I initially thought of the episode or if in my rush to get through all of NuWho, I just forgot about some of them after watching them.
Also, I agreed with a comment above, but I'm going to re-state here that I think it's better if you watch Blink alone first. Then Liveblog with us, so you get the full viewing experience. Especially if you watch it at night, in the dark, all alone. Then again, a lot of DW episodes are best watched at night, in the dark, and all alone. You should be doing this anyway!!! IMHO.
Um, sorry, I didn't really care for this episode. Having read the whole Hitchhiker's Guide series, I remember being disappointed because I assumed, and people were saying, it was an homage to Douglas Adams. But it really isn't even close to him, especially in tone. But really, Douglas Adams is a big name to live up to, so perhaps my expectations were too high/different.
DW does a lot of possession-type stories, doesn't it? I mean, I totally get that it's an easy way to introduce an alien while still having a human body and minimal special effects, but I wish there were a more in-universe explanation for it.
And I don't know which is worse, "feed me" from season 2 or this ep's "burn with me." Sorry, I just think this episode was too overdone.
Also, the whole "pub quiz" aspect of the plot feels really contrived.
Although I do appreciate seeing more of a multi-ep plot line (the one with Martha's mom), since I got tired of the random seasonal "word drop" that was never as well integrated as it could have been.
And since I know hater's gonna hate, Martha yelling in frustration at her mom seems totally reasonable since she figures she has less than an hour to live. And I like that she got to have a nice, sincere moment with her mom after that.
Also, the Doctor giving Martha the key right after he brushed her off does look to me like he realizes Martha's feeling insecure and what have you. So I don't fully accept that notion that he's totally oblivious to her feelings.
Actually, I love Martha's interaction with her mom in this episode. She's generally awesome in this one.
Also: Did the trivia to open doors remind anyone else of internet security questions? I can't help thinking that if it wasn't supposed to be sending it up, it was at least the inspiration.
When I first watched this ep, I remember comparing it to Pokemon Red/Blue and the Cinnabar Island gym. I doubt that was the inspiration for this ep, though.
I feel exactly the same way as you do about spoilers and I HATE when people just can't understand why others don't want to be spoiled.
Having said that, Mark, you just spoiled me. =/ Thanks a bunch. I've only seen to this episode and know *nothing* about future episodes. But I unfortunately read the beginning of your "here's what I know" part and now I know things I didn't before..
YES BLINK LIVEBLOG YESSSSSSSSSSSS
I really loved this episode! It was super amazing and the "BURN WITH ME" really freaked me out. It was nerve-wracking!
The sun being a living creature was pretty cool to me, but it was really just another step up from the Space Whale trope.
Wait…You NEVER READ Hitchhiker's Guide?! Is that even LEGAL?! I noticed that it has not been rec'd on your "suggestions" thread, but I think that many people (like me) just assumed you'd already read them. So yes. READ THEM! And even more important, READ THE DIRK GENTLY BOOKS. Because one of them has a Time Lord in it.
I should be hopping over to book recs right now to suggest them!
And I know! I read Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, and couldn't help but think "Geez, this dude seems like a Time-Lord!" Turns out that Douglas Adams had just recycled a DW script that they never managed to finish filming.
I have also never read "Hitchhiker's Guide," so those references are lost on me (though I would support a Mark Reads version of this because I could read along with you!) I figured it was a "24" reference (which was my favorite until it got canceled – but if it hadn't been canceled, then I never would have looked at Doctor Who, so yay!), but I didn't think this episode pulled off the real time stuff very well. I was actually bored with this episode … then the Doctor got possessed by the living sun and was screaming that he was scared and I wanted my blankie because the Doctor was scared and that's NEVER good.
While I am excited about "Blink" (and Mark, you should be), the stuff between now and then is FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!! Don't skimp on these next few episodes just because you're anxious to get to "Blink" because – well, I'll just let you watch. Thou art preparedest not!!
(that was me trying to add pizzaz to the old stand-bys… but failing miserably)
Douglas Adams actually wrote for Doctor Who, as I'm sure a million others will have said by now.
I think you'd like Hitchhiker's Guide, Mark. They're funny and they are science fiction.
First of all, re: liveblog of Blink, OH DEAR GOD PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LET THIS HAPPEN WHEN I HAVE A NIGHT OFF! (For real, though, this would be happening Wednesday, yes? Any thoughts on what time? Because I will totally try to rearrange my work schedule if necessary I am not ashamed.)
Second, I always think of this episode as the point in Series 3 where oh god shit started getting real, and most of that is due to the absolute horror that came with the Doctor being so openly terrified. If I may, I'll compare it to the lake scene in Half-Blood Prince and Dumbledore's reaction to drinking the potion. Both characters are so wise and strong and . . . perhaps not all-powerful, but always able to pull a rabbit out of their hats at just the right moment. Scared? The Doctor can't get scared, he's the Doctor. But he does, here, and it's all the more frightening because he's been horrified, nervous, grief-stricken and desperate before, but I could probably count on one hand the number of times he's actually been visibly afraid.
I'm looking forward to your review of the next two episodes to an extent that you would not believe, even more than I'm looking forward to Blink. They're probably my favorites of the entire show's run so far, and I can't even say why because of spoilers and OH GOD THIS IS RIDICULOUSLY DIFFICULT. *deep breath* Right. I'm a grown-up. I have self-control. And if all else fails, I have the ability to sit on my hands until the urge to talk about it passes. But yes. Great enthusiasm.
No, it'd be Tuesday night, I believe.
Unless he's doing a review and a liveblog on the same day, it would be Wednesday, I think?
Well, Blink's review would go up on Wednesday, and he said a night-time liveblog the night *before* the review goes live, so I figured he meant the liveblog would be Tuesday night, and then the proper review would be Wednesday.
Ahh, yes. I can totally do simple math. Really. 😆
That makes utter and complete sense, thanks!
But I work on Tuesday AND Wednesday nights :/
Oh Mark! You have no Idea of all the superspecialawesome things that are in your future. Yes you have Blink coming up but you also have so much more to look forward to. Sound of Drums and Midnight just to name a few. (OMG I cannot tell you how much of a fangirl I will be come then YESPLEASEYES to a live blog, it will be the first one I will be able to watch)
Oh and Please (when you have time in your oh so busy schedule) do pickup Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. It is one that I am sure you you will enjoy. If I am not mistaken, I am pretty sure that Douglas Adams wrote some things for early Dr. Who. It is such a fun ride, straight up your alley.
I have followed you for so long now and have read almost all your reviews except for the whole Twilight saga. Yes not even you could make me relive that terror. I think that when it comes down to it that is what is so compelling about this blog and keeps me coming back again and again. Its not just your terrific writing skills and wit or the amazing way you analyze the material. For me, it's the fact that through you, I can recapture some of the pure Wonder of theses stores. I get so excited FOR you that it's almost like I'm experiencing it for the first time all over again.
So Thank You!
It may not feel spoilery to give your opinion about upcoming stuff, but it's still considered spoilers for the purpose of this blog. So, the references to specific episodes and your reaction to them is why you're getting downvoted, fyi.
I totally agree with your spoiler policy, but shit, I remember watching this episode and even knowing Martha didn't die I was pretty convinced she was going to. I didn't love everything about this ep but I did appreciate their ability to pull that off.
I've never understood the hate for this episode. It's good, fast, has a wonderful concept of an anti-piracy strategy (loved the moment when somebody temporarily wasn't sure what his favourite colour was). Everybody got a chance to answer a question, Martha got one, the Doctor got one.
Martha was awesome here. She handled the situation, sorted out the pub quiz questions, READ THE MANUAL before operating complex futuristic machinery and saved the day. Plus had a moment when she realised the implications of what it would mean for her family if she died in her travels (just vanishing and they'd never know what had happened).
It's rare to see the Doctor genuinely terrified. He was possessed by something and losing the battle and knew it. So much so that he was trying to explain regeneration to Martha whilst obviously terrified as to what it might mean if he regenerated while possessed. Mind you the Doctor screaming was done a lot in Classic Who, we got to see the fillings of most of the previous Doctors rather a lot.
I suspect that this episode wouldn't have worked with a more pedestrian director. The direction was brilliant here (and shows why Graham Harper was the only director form the classic series to be invited onto the new one). The silence as the pod drifted away, the pace, the energy. So many examples of brilliant direction in here.
Also it's another used-future look. Shabby, second-hand spaceships which look industrial (even down to the concrete floors…), lived-in and used.
Apparently this was a tricky one to film, as it was being filmed in the middle of winter in a disused factory. Trying to avoid frosty breath whilst acting being burned up by a sun caused all sorts of difficulties.
what the hell happened here people?!
Haha sorry that was meant for the lazarus thread, that place was out of control!
BOYCOTT AMERICAN WOMEN
Why American men should boycott American women
http://boycottamericanwomen.blogspot.com/
I am an American man, and I have decided to boycott American women. In a nutshell, American women are the most likely to cheat on you, to divorce you, to get fat, to steal half of your money in the divorce courts, don't know how to cook or clean, don't want to have children, etc. Therefore, what intelligent man would want to get involved with American women?
American women are generally immature, selfish, extremely arrogant and self-centered, mentally unstable, irresponsible, and highly unchaste. The behavior of most American women is utterly disgusting, to say the least.
This blog is my attempt to explain why I feel American women are inferior to foreign women (non-American women), and why American men should boycott American women, and date/marry only foreign (non-American) women.
BOYCOTT AMERICAN WOMEN!
WTF is this? GTFO and take your fail with you.
Personally, I say we boycott JERKS. YOU FIRST.
WHY did I click on the link? Although, actually it was kind of hilarious. Don't worry, guys, no self-respecting American (or women from anywhere, really) woman would have anything to do with you!
Too busy boycotting misogynists, sorry.
<img src="http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/1508/pddniceguy.jpg">
Gee. Do I need to relay my absolute heart break when the man I loved and thought I was going to marry was flirting with some little bimbo on the side? When he 'slept through' one of our dates more than likely to hang out with her? When he just broke up with me, out of the blue, after telling me he loved me days before? When I only found out today that he was now dating said Bimbo and she had NO CLUE what had happened to me?
And yet, if he was to show up on my doorstep, I'd probably hug him, smell his leather jacket and find myself at peace once again because I love that man.
Yeah. American women are cheaters and the whores. MY HEART BROKEN ASS.
I am just as picky about spoilers myself. If I have decided I want to watch/read something, then by god I do not want you to tell me anything about it. ANYTHING. I refuse to watch trailers for some movies that are highly-anticipated (by me).
I do my absolute best not to spoil in any comments, which means that I don't comment a lot of the time. Most of the time all I'd be able to post is that I am, at the present moment, cackling wildly at your state of unpreparedness. And that gets repetitious.
I know your anger that people don't understand what a spoiler is, and I wish you had a way of filtering your comments so you could only see pre-approved non-spoilery ones.
For a moment, I actually believed this was Martha’s last episode. I actually believed, by the sheer power of the storytelling, that her and Riley would plummet into the sun and die.
I actually love that you are almost a complete void of Doctor Who, because this is amazing to read about. For me, it's entirely different – I'm familiar with the series, I don't avoid spoilers and so I generally know when to expect something like a character's last episode (although BBC Robin Hood? That one was a surprise pretty much every time).
Also omg. William Ash. He's actually made of cute. And like Billie Piper, he was in one of the Shakespeare Retold episodes.
I waver between really liking this episode for the things it brings out in Martha, and hating this episode for the extreme similarity it has to Satan Pit. (Limited time before they crash into somethin and all die, and the Doctor wears the same spacesuit, oh and there's the same hug at the end)
But really though, I think in the end, I end up loving it, just for that phone call.
Oh, and the fact that HAPPY NUMBERS AND HAPPY PRIMES ARE COMPLETELY REAL.
Huh. I truly had forgotten this episode exists. I was like "42? wtf? is that like a spoiler-free naming convention or something?" heh.
Selfishly I would love a liveblog of Blink, but really really don't pollute your experience by distracting yourself with looking away at the computer throughout it.
I am awfully close to Moffat’s “Blink” and I am considering a night-time liveblog of it next week
Oh my God, ARE YOU SERIOUS? Are you actually serious? Oh my God. You are not prepared, Mark. I am deadly serious. Not prepared at all.
You actually thought Martha would die in the sun? Wow! I never thought that because God knows that the Doctor would have plunged into the deep end of the Angst Pool and never come out again. Okay, so this episode does feel a bit like a rip off of The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit but I love Martha's various conversations with her mother, they are SO REAL. I love Freema's expressions of frustration and "OMG WHY", they are perfect. I love that Martha not only helps to save the Doctor but actually gets a great big HUG at the end of it and the Doctor is really happy to see her. I feel like in this episode, while the Doctor still acts like a git, he REALISES it and corrects himself when he sees the effect it has on Martha and that is progress. I wish Martha wouldn't act so grateful for the key but can't have everything. Have you noticed how most of the male secondary characters have been hitting on Martha up to now? On the one hand, it's a good way of showing us that she's attractive; on the other, it makes the Doctor seem more insensitive and idiotic because he doesn't. :/
As for the living sun?
Somebody already went there…
YOU ARE NOT…
…
PREPARED.
Tonally and thematically, this reminded me a bit of The Satan Pit? This is not really problem, because I love those episodes.
I have Zeitoun sitting there waiting to be read, your recommendation might help inspire me to get on with it and read it 🙂
Aaaand this is why I will continue calling out spoiler-hounds, even if it'd be good if people would just, y'know, stop doing it.
I'm a little bit concerned that the new few episodes might be seen as a bit of filler to wade through before Blink. I think that every episode of this season so far (and those to come) all have their merits (and occasional demerits) and all may be thought as worth consideration in their own right, for different reasons.
BLINNKKKK. BLLLIIINNNKKKK.
i liked this episode better than the others *nod*