Spoilers Series 7, Episode 7 - "The Rings of Akhaten"

pixelburp · 05-04-2013 12:23am #1

A rare thing happening in Saturday's episode - it's a visit to a bona fide alien planet, in both location and population by the looks of things; they definitely don't do enough of those sorts of stories so I'm looking forward to it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7cum4PHd5w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB-kjz_0-wg

BuffyBot · 05-04-2013 12:30pm

Refreshing change that it's not an earth outpost/colony/ship etc etc again.

Das Kitty · 05-04-2013 3:39pm

New aliens too!

I've had it up the wazoo with humans and their foibles. Gimme some weirdo aliens.

Coldzone · 05-04-2013 11:25pm

Does this seem alittle bit like The Beast Below? 1st adventure with new companion and helping a little girl or is it just me?

coffee_cake · 06-04-2013 7:00pm

That was awesoommmmmme

Manach · 06-04-2013 8:12pm

I'm usually positive about Dr. Who episodes, but I felt underwhelmed by that. It seemed to much of an exercise on saccharine sentimentality. Still next week's Dr/Red October episode looks interesting.

pixelburp · 06-04-2013 8:28pm

I mentioned in last weeks thread that Moffats run tended towards more fairytale-like tales, whered he blurred the lines between science and magic, and this was a good example of that trend.

Dr Who will never be mistaken for being a hard sci-fi show, but I'm not always keen on the more openly fantastical stories; I enjoyed it up until the twinkly singing and prayer offerings. The vigil creatures were suitably creepy though

Next week looks pretty awesome though, even if its written by Mark Gattis, who hasn't had great form with his scripts

ebbsy · 06-04-2013 8:35pm

The bits with Clara's past were dark and interesting, the rest I could take or leave it.

Next week looks like a cracker.

bradyle · 06-04-2013 9:35pm

I really liked that.

I was wondering though if the God/Planet/Vampire thing managed to take some of the Doctor's memories maybe they took the answer to the question that must be answered

Albertofrog · 06-04-2013 10:13pm

Thought that was really good and next weeks looks excellent.
Is that Liam Cunningham in the clip?

pixelburp · 06-04-2013 10:55pm

Albertofrog wrote: »

Thought that was really good and next weeks looks excellent.
Is that Liam Cunningham in the clip?

Yup, tis the onion knight himself

BuffyBot · 07-04-2013 12:22am

I could have left the singing, but over all it wasn't awful. How far we've come from flatulent aliens with zippers.

So yeah, it could always be worse.

ixoy · 07-04-2013 12:37am

pixelburp wrote: »

I mentioned in last weeks thread that Moffats run tended towards more fairytale-like tales, whered he blurred the lines between science and magic, and this was a good example of that trend.

It's something the revived series has been guilty of: Neither RTD or Moffat ever really looked at science. RTD favoured whackiness and Moffat goes, as you say, for the fairy tale angle. The Doctor as a scientist isn't something we'll see much of I reckon!

Anyone else trying to fan check the stories mentioned by the Doctor when he was ranting at the sun-god thing?

Death/Birth of the universe: Terminus
An alternate universe with different laws of physics created by a madman: Castrovalva

Aoifums · 07-04-2013 1:05am

I loved that episode. I don't know when I last enjoyed one as much. I was really tempted to rewatch it almost as soon as it was over. I have a new favourite Matt Smith scene too.

My only problem with the episode was with the volume of the music while the Doctor was talking to the Sun/God thing. It was a beautiful scene but the music was almost loud enough to ruin it. Note the almost, it was still fantastic. I loved the music overall. I couldn't read the credits properly so is Murray Gold still musical director? I usually don't care but I have to give someone credit for it.

LoGiE · 07-04-2013 1:59am

Yet nother poor episode In my humble opinion. Asylum of the Daleks and The Snowmen blew me away but this story seemed half baked. The emotion for currency was corny and thats my second jet/space bike in two weeks.

Fingers crossed we will see a return to form with the return of the Cybermen. I'd also like to see the sonic screw driver sit one out... sure it opens doors but its fast becoming the one stop shop for finding a way out of every sticky situtation. Maybe the aliens of the week should invest in wooden bats and just beat the Doctor over the head.

MitchKoobski · 07-04-2013 2:06am

Enjoyable episode but I REALLY wanted the "old god" to end up being The Beast.

bunnymunro · 07-04-2013 4:06am

Thought that was ok not much more...Quick question for ye all ..the doctor told clara he had been to that planet before when he brought his grand-daughter! I know he has a daughter(clone or whatever) but whats with that line or am i imagining things? edit scratch that google gave me my answer iv only been watching since the reboot..on another note though do people think the daughter will ever feature again? or the replicant of the doctor?

SparklersJo · 07-04-2013 10:10am

LoGiE wrote: »

[...]and thats my second jet/space bike in two weeks.

[...] I'd also like to see the sonic screw driver sit one out... sure it opens doors but its fast becoming the one stop shop for finding a way out of every sticky situtation. Maybe the aliens of the week should invest in wooden bats and just beat the Doctor over the head.

Agreed. Please note that while most of what's to follow is criticism, I did actually enjoy the episode as a whole

How come Clara couldn't understand the other languages of all the aliens? What happened to the Tardis translator? Yet she could understand others, like Merry's.

Space moped/ motorbike through London, it's been done, a week before - come up with something new.

Why was the door heavy when opened with the sonic screwdriver? The screwdriver was tuned in to the harmonic frequency of the door, it's weight/mass would have had no effect on the screwdriver.

What the hell was the ball of green sonic/blue power thing he trapped the 3 lads in? That fight was very Harry Potter/Voldemort in the graveyard in the Goblet of Fire. There was no logic behind what the screwdriver was doing, and it did seem just an excuse to throw up an obstacle to getting out, and hey, let's get the screwdriver to fix it.

Why wasn't the Doctor absorbed by the Grandfather as Merry would've been and everything else was?

We were told the significance of the leaf, and it was kinda lame. Since when does the Doctor stalk his companions lives back through time to when their parents met; even if there is a mystery about them he's trying to figure out.

How were the Doctor and Clara breathing when they were moped-ing through space?

And finally, everyone on those surrounding planets would've died if their sun was suddenly snuffed out like that. They would all freeze to death. Good work Doctor.

Really though, despite those little niggley bits, I quite enjoyed the episode

The Tardis doesn't like Clara, just like it didn't like Jack coz he is temporally messed up, interesting...

Killer_banana · 07-04-2013 10:28am

SparklersJo wrote: »

We were told the significance of the leaf, and it was kinda lame. Since when does the Doctor stalk his companions lives back through time to when their parents met; even if there is a mystery about them he's trying to figure out.

He stalked back to see her life before now trying to find something weird or unusual to explain how she exists through timelines but, as he said, she is just a girl.

Way too sentimental and with some plot issues but okay filler.

Matt's acting during that monologue, that was stellar. I want to see more of that.

They really really need to get rid of the sonic deus ex machina though.

pixelburp · 07-04-2013 10:35am

One thing I think the episode should be praised for were the FX; I'd been a bit disappointed with how pedestrian they had become after The Mill stopped working on the show, but I really enjoyed the vistas of the asteroid field & the sun (though I am a bit of a sucker for a bit of astronomy-porn).

My only niggle would be that the sense of distance and scale was a bit inconsistent at times; sometimes it looks like the sun was right on top of everyone, other times it seems millions of miles away

SparklersJo wrote: »

Agreed. Please note that while most of what's to follow is criticism, I did actually enjoy the episode as a whole

How come Clara couldn't understand the other languages of all the aliens? What happened to the Tardis translator? Yet she could understand others, like Merry's.

In fairness, Dr. Who was always spotty with alien languages, even before they introduced the idea that the TARDIS translated things in your head, and clearly it only ever served the plot rather than the mythology. It was up to how dramatic the writer wanted to make things: maybe the way to look at it is that it's better at translating humans, or human-like forms, than the more beast-like animals.

SparklersJo wrote: »

Really though, despite those little niggley bits, I quite enjoyed the episode The Tardis doesn't like Clara, just like it didn't like Jack coz he is temporally messed up, interesting...

I presumed it was because she didn't have a key yet, no?

Doctor DooM · 07-04-2013 10:42am

Lot of stuff I really dislike in my who in this one, the resolution was all wishy washy, the screwdriver was employed far too much, space moped doesnt make sense when you have a tardis (especially when you're trying to get into a locked room ), but there was loads of nice character stuff going on which saved it for me.

I actually liked that the leaf was just a straight up memory thing for clara, not turning out to be the rani or something mad

Wibbs · 07-04-2013 12:40pm

BuffyBot wrote: »

I could have left the singing, but over all it wasn't awful. How far we've come from flatulent aliens with zippers.

So yeah, it could always be worse.

I dunno BB. The farting aliens two parter seems to be the go to episode for a low point for many and I'd disagree(and I can think of some other howlers way worse, like towing Earth through space etc). It was far more internally consistent as a story than The Rings, he only used the screwdriver the once IIRC and in that case it was a sham quickly spotted by said aliens(The Tardis was also used little enough as a plot device), whereas in this one the sonic was an anti gravity door lifting device and sonic lasso and sheild. Back in the day he couldn't even use it to ignite a bottle of scotch, when a rag and a Zippo would have done the trick.

How he ended up stopping the threat with a good oul missile strike and the help of his outside scooby gang was also a lot more "believable" than The Rings "memories of a lonely god* too much for even a living star to take" monologue, oh and the endless what ifs of a leaf.

Doctor DooM wrote: »

Lot of stuff I really dislike in my who in this one, the resolution was all wishy washy, the screwdriver was employed far too much, space moped doesnt make sense when you have a tardis

This, plus yer wan's innate ability to drive/fly said yoke with remarkable skill. I've been around motorbikes all my life, know how they work, yet if I got down the road without impaling myself in a tree I'd be lucky

I have to say the production values were bloody good though.

*though we'd kinda got past that point?

flazio · 07-04-2013 1:36pm

I agree with a lot of the points above, but the performances of the actors is the one thing that is stopping me from hating the episode. I have to compliment them by making the aliens all new, rather then bring back everything like they did in Jack's last appearance in The End of Time.
There was still a sense of, "We've seen this all before" about the episode though, The Beast Below and The Satan Pit come to mind in particular, as well as The Long Game. But as I've said, the performances have kept me interested.
For me however, was this 'Oh No I'm locked in' soon followed by, 'I can sing my way out', hmmmmm

pixelburp · 07-04-2013 11:41pm

Doctor DooM wrote: »

Lot of stuff I really dislike in my who in this one, the resolution was all wishy washy, the screwdriver was employed far too much, space moped doesnt make sense when you have a tardis (especially when you're trying to get into a locked room ), but there was loads of nice character stuff going on which saved it for me.

I actually liked that the leaf was just a straight up memory thing for clara, not turning out to be the rani or something mad

Funny thing, the screwdriver kinda makes sense within the context of Dr.-Who-as-fairytale, because essentially the Doctor has become a wizard (of science), with the screwdriver his magic wand. Whilst I agree it has become a lazy crutch for scriptwriters, it does work within the current tone of the show. Mind you, I did prefer it in series 5 when it all bubbled under the surface - the battle between the Doc & the Vigil was essentially a stand-off of magic, and a bit too Harry Potter by half.

ixoy · 08-04-2013 12:50am

Also agree on the sonic screw-driver: over used as it normally is, this episode just took the piss. We need another Great Fire of London situation quickly to get rid of the damned thing and have the Doctor use his cunning to get out of situations. Hell even just reverse the polarity of the neutron flow...

Killer_banana · 08-04-2013 12:50am

pixelburp wrote: »

Funny thing, the screwdriver kinda makes sense within the context of Dr.-Who-as-fairytale, because essentially the Doctor has become a wizard (of science), with the screwdriver his magic wand. Whilst I agree it has become a lazy crutch for scriptwriters, it does work within the current tone of the show. Mind you, I did prefer it in series 5 when it all bubbled under the surface - the battle between the Doc & the Vigil was essentially a stand-off of magic, and a bit too Harry Potter by half.

There's no way that that stand off wasn't influenced by this scene...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haZEcPbF1T0

...or possibly this tshirt...

coffee_cake · 08-04-2013 9:17am

It was funny he couldn't just wave it at an atm as usual to get local currency

Killer_banana · 08-04-2013 9:26am

bluewolf wrote: »

It was funny he couldn't just wave it at an atm as usual to get local currency

I have a feeling a lot of people didn't like the currency (I don't know why, it just seems like something some people would dislike) but the idea of it really intrigued me. Thought it was quite interesting. Might have worked better if the episode wasn't so saccharine as it was. Also Clara offering the ring seemed odd. I know it was because she had to give the leaf to the God but we'd never heard or seen anything to suggest her ring had been her mother's before.