What sequel comic series?
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With a mind to spoilers
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I think there was a tiny bit too much monologuing towards the end of this one but I was really into the theme of knowledge gathering and distribution. I’ve been re-reading Lord of the Rings recently and this comes up constantly. Also I’ve just realised at work (in an academic library) that one of my areas of interest is the development of Open Access models and the various techniques academics and libraries are trying to use to fix the academic publishing market.
I’m also always here for a space station episode and kind of wish DW had a habitual space station that it went back to a lot. I guess there’s New Earth, but they don’t go to the same place twice.
Love how little shit Nine takes from Adam. Bit brutal, but we love him 
(we as in me, that’s probably something people could take different views on)
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They go back to Satellite 5 later…
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ohh wait is that where they are for the series finale?
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Yes you got it!
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ahh sweet, I’m rewatching that tomorrow and Tuesday (I enforce cliffhangers on myself for at least a day haha) so I’m now looking forward to seeing it again ^.^
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I get what you’re saying here. I actually felt the same for a time. It’s true enough, but I think it does Eccleston a disservice. This is a big part of why I’ve enjoyed listening to his audios so much. They really empower his Doctor and give him a full sense of “Doctorishness” (if you will). But the truth is, it was always there, in his performances on screen. It’s just that the tendency to have others solve the problem obscured this.
“The Long Game” is a particularly frustrating example of this, I’ll grant you. The Jagrafess doesn’t help much with that sense of “Doctor Who” as it can’t actually do anything. Though, as usual, many of the concepts are really good.
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Underrated. Fancy me a Kronkburger. 
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This one is deeply nostalgic for me, as it was my first DW episode… technically twice. Caught it on first broadcast by sheer happenstance, and then when UKTV was doing a marathon of the first two series in lead-up to the third’s premiere, the first episode I managed to record… yep, this one.
I won’t even pretend to be objective about this, I just think it’s fun. Simon Pegg is fun, the Doctor is fun, the Suki reveal is fun, the Jagrafess is goofy (and also fun).
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Another middling but not awful episode. Once again, the character dynamics speak to its strong suit as opposed to the plot. I love how the Doctor lets Rose do the whole time travel spiel for Adam for instance. Rose and Nine’s relationship is very strong and even Adam can recognize that. Simon Pegg plays a very Simon Pegg character and he is delightful. And I’d wager to say the message on the control of information is still as relevant now as it was when the episode was made.
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Definitely undeserving of its poor reputation.
Some great stuff here, and I feel if it wasn’t in this series, sitting alongside some truly magnificent episodes, it would be regarded very highly.
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The design and world building in this feels so lazy. I’m sure this is down to time/money being tight. But on top of the story problems I have here, I also just can’t get invested in this world. Satellite 5 is a really boring place to spend time on.
For example next time you watch this episode just look at what everyone is wearing. Most of the background characters/extras don’t feel they even went through costuming. Pretty much everyone is just wearing everyday clothes circa 2005. Even the main characters who have been costumed are just in suits. The top that Rose is wearing might be the most sci-fi looking piece of apparel in the entire episode. When the only character who doesn’t look like they’re from 2005 London is Rose, and she’s the only character who is actually from 2005 London, that’s an issue.
Even the Jagrafess feels like a lazy design
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I don’t think it’s lazy design really, but more a choice. The same happens in Midnight. Everyone is dressed like ‘normal people’. Nothing dates more than ‘space clothes’ in sci fi. I think RTD consciously chose to do it to ground it as part of his anti-‘Zogs from Planet Zog’ attitude.
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I mean it can be both lazy and a conscious choice. Choosing not to put any real effort into the costumes or overall look and design of an episode can arguably be a valid choice. But I’d also argue it’s a lazy choice.
I don’t really buy the ‘anti-‘Zogs from Planet Zog’’ argument if I’m being honest. For 2 reason, firstly RTD is happy to have wacky and colourful design elements in other episodes (The End of the World has nothing but crazy sci-fi designs in it). I agree that the designs of his future episodes often have relatively low-key human costuming. But they still usually have an actual design aesthetic, instead of looking like the extras just wore their regular clothes. It makes the world building feel very tossed off here to me.
The other reason I don’t buy it though is that yes I used the costumes as my main example, but I’d also extend this complaint to basically every design element in the episode. The monster design feels lazy. The sets aren’t much either. One of the main sets is just a big white room with a couple of food vendors and tables in it. The food vendors aren’t even that interesting to look. I swear Camden market has food vendors that feel more otherworldly than these. Just having people say Kronkburger a bunch isn’t the same as having a fleshed out world.
Even Midnight had a good set that felt futuristic and lived in. So it’s easier to excuse the regular costumes. Also that episode is set something like 500 years in the future and not approaching 200,000 years.
None of the design choices work for me in this episode, and it means I’m less interested in exploring the world of this episode. Which might be more of a me problem than it is for most people. But it is a big problem for me. I don’t like this world, nor want to spend any time there particularly.
Others of course may feel differently
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