Good TV Shows

[Numbers]

Kin. Kin good.

Yeah, I enjoyed that too, for anyone who hasn't seen Dopesick which was originally on Disney it's now on BBC iPlayer, it's very good.

[Son of Mathonwy]

Kin. Kin good.

Yeah, I enjoyed that too, for anyone who hasn't seen Dopesick which was originally on Disney it's now on BBC iPlayer, it's very good.

Yes, I hadn't seen Dopesick before - really good TV.

[Son of Mathonwy]

New season of Doctor Who. It's really not good. Space Babies is about as good as the title suggests, and seemed to be aimed at 8 year olds. It really isn't worth analysing. The Devil's Chord was better but was just a story about magic - anything could happen - and in the end seemed to be about who could ham it up the most. And the Doctor and Ruby - I'm not blaming the actors here but, Jesus if they could stop bigging themselves and each other up for a moment we might get a story.

Third episode - Boom. There was some reason to think this might be good - it's the first story written by Steven Moffat since 2017. Unfortunately, there's no sign that he spent much of the last 7 years thinking of this one. It has to be his worst. There's an okay idea in there and some nice lines, but everything else, almost everything that actually happens in the story is simply stupid. And this narcissistic new Doctor is starting to irritate. Despite this it's probably the best episode so far, or should I say, the least bad.

[Puja]

New season of Doctor Who. It's really not good. Space Babies is about as good as the title suggests, and seemed to be aimed at 8 year olds. It really isn't worth analysing. The Devil's Chord was better but was just a story about magic - anything could happen - and in the end seemed to be about who could ham it up the most. And the Doctor and Ruby - I'm not blaming the actors here but, Jesus if they could stop bigging themselves and each other up for a moment we might get a story.

Third episode - Boom. There was some reason to think this might be good - it's the first story written by Steven Moffat since 2017. Unfortunately, there's no sign that he spent much of the last 7 years thinking of this one. It has to be his worst. There's an okay idea in there and some nice lines, but everything else, almost everything that actually happens in the story is simply stupid. And this narcissistic new Doctor is starting to irritate. Despite this it's probably the best episode so far, or should I say, the least bad.

73 yards was also extraordinarily average - I hate stories where literally everything is undone at the end and not a single person remembers. What was the point of me watching if none of it mattered or even happened and there has been no effect on anyone whatsoever? The annoying thing is that there was almost a good episode in there and that's been the same with all of the first four - there's good ideas without ever coming together into a good episode.

However the latest one, Dot and Bubble, is excellent. Could eaily have been a clunky allegory with the subtlety of a brick through a window, but I thought it was very much back to the quality that we were expecting of RTD. I did enjoy the reveal at the end, which I did not pick up on the clues for at all.

► Show Spoiler

It was a very interesting choice to have the Doctor's first on-screen experience of racism come from the future, not the past, which I think is what almost everyone was expecting, and not having it be the focal point of the whole episode, but the ending which makes a lot of sense in context. It was also perfectly delivered - not hatred or anger, but just completely internalised disdain. I shudder to think of what Chris Chibnall would've done if given the same brief - probably had the Greek chorus of cardboard companions loudly narrating each microaggression and social allegory as it happened and making the Doctor have an earnest conversation with the wall/Graham afterwards.

Puja

[Son of Mathonwy]

New season of Doctor Who. It's really not good. Space Babies is about as good as the title suggests, and seemed to be aimed at 8 year olds. It really isn't worth analysing. The Devil's Chord was better but was just a story about magic - anything could happen - and in the end seemed to be about who could ham it up the most. And the Doctor and Ruby - I'm not blaming the actors here but, Jesus if they could stop bigging themselves and each other up for a moment we might get a story.

Third episode - Boom. There was some reason to think this might be good - it's the first story written by Steven Moffat since 2017. Unfortunately, there's no sign that he spent much of the last 7 years thinking of this one. It has to be his worst. There's an okay idea in there and some nice lines, but everything else, almost everything that actually happens in the story is simply stupid. And this narcissistic new Doctor is starting to irritate. Despite this it's probably the best episode so far, or should I say, the least bad.

73 yards was also extraordinarily average - I hate stories where literally everything is undone at the end and not a single person remembers. What was the point of me watching if none of it mattered or even happened and there has been no effect on anyone whatsoever? The annoying thing is that there was almost a good episode in there and that's been the same with all of the first four - there's good ideas without ever coming together into a good episode.

However the latest one, Dot and Bubble, is excellent. Could eaily have been a clunky allegory with the subtlety of a brick through a window, but I thought it was very much back to the quality that we were expecting of RTD. I did enjoy the reveal at the end, which I did not pick up on the clues for at all.

► Show Spoiler

It was a very interesting choice to have the Doctor's first on-screen experience of racism come from the future, not the past, which I think is what almost everyone was expecting, and not having it be the focal point of the whole episode, but the ending which makes a lot of sense in context. It was also perfectly delivered - not hatred or anger, but just completely internalised disdain. I shudder to think of what Chris Chibnall would've done if given the same brief - probably had the Greek chorus of cardboard companions loudly narrating each microaggression and social allegory as it happened and making the Doctor have an earnest conversation with the wall/Graham afterwards.

Puja

73 Yards had a good atmosphere and some nice ideas (if not exactly original), but was ruined by the end which didn't even attempt to explain anything in the story. And it was not just ambiguous - it didn't make sense - there was no explanation which would have tied it all together. Although some have said that was deliberate I think it's more likely that RTD didn't have a great explanation either, so simply left it that way. I get that it was a *magic* story but you can't just say *magic* whenever something doesn't make sense.

Agreed, Dot and Bubble is the best so far, in fact is the only good episode so far. I wouldn't go as far as calling it excellent but it was good.

► Show Spoiler

The basic idea was a good one, and broadly speaking held together, even if the whole thing was painful on the eye and having follow the cretinous Lindy around was not a joy. Although it made the episode a bit different, it didn't make sense that the Doctor and Ruby couldn't get into the city to help. Killing, very slowly, in alphabetical order didn't make sense, nor did engineering slug creatures to do it if the dots themselves could have killed their owners and had the whole thing wrapped up in 1 minute. The rascist twist at the end was an interesting surprise but for me it kind of made it easy to hate the finetimers when they might otherwise have been a more rounded bunch of characters. Also, if the Doctor was so desperate to save them he would have given up on Lindy (who was hardly their spokesperson anyway) and addressed the rest of them.

[Puja]

Third episode - Boom. There was some reason to think this might be good - it's the first story written by Steven Moffat since 2017. Unfortunately, there's no sign that he spent much of the last 7 years thinking of this one. It has to be his worst. There's an okay idea in there and some nice lines, but everything else, almost everything that actually happens in the story is simply stupid. And this narcissistic new Doctor is starting to irritate. Despite this it's probably the best episode so far, or should I say, the least bad.

73 yards was also extraordinarily average - I hate stories where literally everything is undone at the end and not a single person remembers. What was the point of me watching if none of it mattered or even happened and there has been no effect on anyone whatsoever? The annoying thing is that there was almost a good episode in there and that's been the same with all of the first four - there's good ideas without ever coming together into a good episode.

However the latest one, Dot and Bubble, is excellent. Could eaily have been a clunky allegory with the subtlety of a brick through a window, but I thought it was very much back to the quality that we were expecting of RTD. I did enjoy the reveal at the end, which I did not pick up on the clues for at all.

► Show Spoiler

It was a very interesting choice to have the Doctor's first on-screen experience of racism come from the future, not the past, which I think is what almost everyone was expecting, and not having it be the focal point of the whole episode, but the ending which makes a lot of sense in context. It was also perfectly delivered - not hatred or anger, but just completely internalised disdain. I shudder to think of what Chris Chibnall would've done if given the same brief - probably had the Greek chorus of cardboard companions loudly narrating each microaggression and social allegory as it happened and making the Doctor have an earnest conversation with the wall/Graham afterwards.

Puja

73 Yards had a good atmosphere and some nice ideas (if not exactly original), but was ruined by the end which didn't even attempt to explain anything in the story. And it was not just ambiguous - it didn't make sense - there was no explanation which would have tied it all together. Although some have said that was deliberate I think it's more likely that RTD didn't have a great explanation either, so simply left it that way. I get that it was a *magic* story but you can't just say *magic* whenever something doesn't make sense.

Agreed, Dot and Bubble is the best so far, in fact is the only good episode so far. I wouldn't go as far as calling it excellent but it was good.

► Show Spoiler

The basic idea was a good one, and broadly speaking held together, even if the whole thing was painful on the eye and having follow the cretinous Lindy around was not a joy. Although it made the episode a bit different, it didn't make sense that the Doctor and Ruby couldn't get into the city to help. Killing, very slowly, in alphabetical order didn't make sense, nor did engineering slug creatures to do it if the dots themselves could have killed their owners and had the whole thing wrapped up in 1 minute. The rascist twist at the end was an interesting surprise but for me it kind of made it easy to hate the finetimers when they might otherwise have been a more rounded bunch of characters. Also, if the Doctor was so desperate to save them he would have given up on Lindy (who was hardly their spokesperson anyway) and addressed the rest of them.

Yeah, 73 Yards really did feel like someone had a couple of really cool ideas and didn't get enough time workshopping to turn it into an actual cohesive story.

► Show Spoiler

I'm willing to handwave the slug creatures on the basis that the dots were supposed to be sentient and sentient creatures aren't usually thrilled about the idea of using their physical bodies as blunt force projectile weapons - massively increases the chance of getting damaged. Far better to kill everyone slow and steady - none of their victims would even have known if it wasn't for The Doctor's intervention/Ricky September switching off regularly. The alphabetical order thing? We'll call that, "They're computers so it makes sense because reasons."

Lindy was a powerful influencer in their society though - that was why they communicated with her in the first place. She could be understood as representative, plus the guy who did nominate himself leader of the "Pioneers" escaping Finetime dismissed The Doctor's last bout of begging with, "Turn away ladies, before you're contaminated," so I don't blame 15 for not feeling that continuing would get him anywhere.

Puja

[Son of Mathonwy]

73 yards was also extraordinarily average - I hate stories where literally everything is undone at the end and not a single person remembers. What was the point of me watching if none of it mattered or even happened and there has been no effect on anyone whatsoever? The annoying thing is that there was almost a good episode in there and that's been the same with all of the first four - there's good ideas without ever coming together into a good episode.

However the latest one, Dot and Bubble, is excellent. Could eaily have been a clunky allegory with the subtlety of a brick through a window, but I thought it was very much back to the quality that we were expecting of RTD. I did enjoy the reveal at the end, which I did not pick up on the clues for at all.

► Show Spoiler

It was a very interesting choice to have the Doctor's first on-screen experience of racism come from the future, not the past, which I think is what almost everyone was expecting, and not having it be the focal point of the whole episode, but the ending which makes a lot of sense in context. It was also perfectly delivered - not hatred or anger, but just completely internalised disdain. I shudder to think of what Chris Chibnall would've done if given the same brief - probably had the Greek chorus of cardboard companions loudly narrating each microaggression and social allegory as it happened and making the Doctor have an earnest conversation with the wall/Graham afterwards.

Puja

73 Yards had a good atmosphere and some nice ideas (if not exactly original), but was ruined by the end which didn't even attempt to explain anything in the story. And it was not just ambiguous - it didn't make sense - there was no explanation which would have tied it all together. Although some have said that was deliberate I think it's more likely that RTD didn't have a great explanation either, so simply left it that way. I get that it was a *magic* story but you can't just say *magic* whenever something doesn't make sense.

Agreed, Dot and Bubble is the best so far, in fact is the only good episode so far. I wouldn't go as far as calling it excellent but it was good.

► Show Spoiler

The basic idea was a good one, and broadly speaking held together, even if the whole thing was painful on the eye and having follow the cretinous Lindy around was not a joy. Although it made the episode a bit different, it didn't make sense that the Doctor and Ruby couldn't get into the city to help. Killing, very slowly, in alphabetical order didn't make sense, nor did engineering slug creatures to do it if the dots themselves could have killed their owners and had the whole thing wrapped up in 1 minute. The rascist twist at the end was an interesting surprise but for me it kind of made it easy to hate the finetimers when they might otherwise have been a more rounded bunch of characters. Also, if the Doctor was so desperate to save them he would have given up on Lindy (who was hardly their spokesperson anyway) and addressed the rest of them.

Yeah, 73 Yards really did feel like someone had a couple of really cool ideas and didn't get enough time workshopping to turn it into an actual cohesive story.

► Show Spoiler

I'm willing to handwave the slug creatures on the basis that the dots were supposed to be sentient and sentient creatures aren't usually thrilled about the idea of using their physical bodies as blunt force projectile weapons - massively increases the chance of getting damaged. Far better to kill everyone slow and steady - none of their victims would even have known if it wasn't for The Doctor's intervention/Ricky September switching off regularly. The alphabetical order thing? We'll call that, "They're computers so it makes sense because reasons."

Lindy was a powerful influencer in their society though - that was why they communicated with her in the first place. She could be understood as representative, plus the guy who did nominate himself leader of the "Pioneers" escaping Finetime dismissed The Doctor's last bout of begging with, "Turn away ladies, before you're contaminated," so I don't blame 15 for not feeling that continuing would get him anywhere.

Puja

Yeah, 73 yards could have done with a script editor. Being written by the producer means quality control may be lacking. RTD has perhaps taken on too much, writing 6 of 8 episodes.

► Show Spoiler

if the Doctor wanted an influencer, he should have gone to Ricky, surely? Lindy seemed to be Ms Average, not a big influencer to me.

Genetically engineering a new life form to do the killing been all they had to do was make a slightly more spiky dot seemed a strange way to go.

But . . . details, details, at least the overall story basically worked.

[Son of Mathonwy]

73 Yards had a good atmosphere and some nice ideas (if not exactly original), but was ruined by the end which didn't even attempt to explain anything in the story. And it was not just ambiguous - it didn't make sense - there was no explanation which would have tied it all together. Although some have said that was deliberate I think it's more likely that RTD didn't have a great explanation either, so simply left it that way. I get that it was a *magic* story but you can't just say *magic* whenever something doesn't make sense.

Agreed, Dot and Bubble is the best so far, in fact is the only good episode so far. I wouldn't go as far as calling it excellent but it was good.

► Show Spoiler

The basic idea was a good one, and broadly speaking held together, even if the whole thing was painful on the eye and having follow the cretinous Lindy around was not a joy. Although it made the episode a bit different, it didn't make sense that the Doctor and Ruby couldn't get into the city to help. Killing, very slowly, in alphabetical order didn't make sense, nor did engineering slug creatures to do it if the dots themselves could have killed their owners and had the whole thing wrapped up in 1 minute. The rascist twist at the end was an interesting surprise but for me it kind of made it easy to hate the finetimers when they might otherwise have been a more rounded bunch of characters. Also, if the Doctor was so desperate to save them he would have given up on Lindy (who was hardly their spokesperson anyway) and addressed the rest of them.

Yeah, 73 Yards really did feel like someone had a couple of really cool ideas and didn't get enough time workshopping to turn it into an actual cohesive story.

► Show Spoiler

I'm willing to handwave the slug creatures on the basis that the dots were supposed to be sentient and sentient creatures aren't usually thrilled about the idea of using their physical bodies as blunt force projectile weapons - massively increases the chance of getting damaged. Far better to kill everyone slow and steady - none of their victims would even have known if it wasn't for The Doctor's intervention/Ricky September switching off regularly. The alphabetical order thing? We'll call that, "They're computers so it makes sense because reasons."

Lindy was a powerful influencer in their society though - that was why they communicated with her in the first place. She could be understood as representative, plus the guy who did nominate himself leader of the "Pioneers" escaping Finetime dismissed The Doctor's last bout of begging with, "Turn away ladies, before you're contaminated," so I don't blame 15 for not feeling that continuing would get him anywhere.

Puja

Yeah, 73 yards could have done with a script editor. Being written by the producer means quality control may be lacking. RTD has perhaps taken on too much, writing 6 of 8 episodes.

► Show Spoiler

if the Doctor wanted an influencer, he should have gone to Ricky, surely? Lindy seemed to be Ms Average, not a big influencer to me.

Genetically engineering a new life form to do the killing been all they had to do was make a slightly more spiky dot seemed a strange way to go.

But . . . details, details, at least the overall story basically worked.

The latest episode, Rogue, was not great. It seemed to be one third 'ooh, it's like Bridgerton', one third fan fiction of what would happen if the Doctor pulled Jack Harkness, and one third dismal, unoriginal, shape-changing alien threat.

Production values were very good, acting good, but that's about it.

Jeezus. The Doctor's main goal for the first 20 minutes is how to get off with the charming man he finds, before beginning to think about taking some urgent action to save lives (too late for some). I get that each Doctor has his or her or their own personality but they are broadly the same person. This doesn't seem right.