**Spoilers** Series 7, Episode 11 - "The Crimson Horror"

pixelburp

Well having shown that he can in fact write a quality episode of Who, we have another Gatiss-penned story this week. Which also comes with the added bonus of Diana Rigg (who btw is fantastic in Game of Thrones)

What should be most interesting is that this story involves Vastra & her gang, and having watched a Clara die in The Snowman, they might be a bit surprised to meet the Doctor's new companion...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQWfp3NAoTE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK4euPP5ebE

crazyderk

It will be interesting to see if this adds to the Clara story. I had a quick Google to see if its the same location as "Snowmen" was set in, but "Snowmen" was set in Victorian England but not in a specific location. This one is set in Yorkshire but with having the same characters as "Snowmen" surely something must be revealed no?

Das Kitty

Vastra's "sun room" is in the trailer, so I suppose at least some of it takes place in the same location as the Snowmen. It looks like they travel to this Sweetville place. (I wonder is it a crack at Bournville...)

BuffyBot

Yeah I think it's a take on the Bournville/factory villages of the age.

'Once spent hell of a long time trying to get a gobby Australian to Heathrow Airport", "Brave heart, Clara!"

- love it!

Doctor DooM

I'm pretty excited at the prospect of a Vastra episode.

Then I have Devin Townsend that night.

Gonna be a good night of mad Doctors

Daemos

pixelburp wrote: »

What should be most interesting is that this story involves Vastra & her gang, and having watched a Clara die in The Snowman, they might be a bit surprised to meet the Doctor's new companion...

I never even thought of that, to be honest. Although he did babble a bit about it to them at the end of The Snowmen, so they're not completely in the dark

pixelburp

BuffyBot wrote: »

Yeah I think it's a take on the Bournville/factory villages of the age.

'Once spent hell of a long time trying to get a gobby Australian to Heathrow Airport", "Brave heart, Clara!"

- love it!

Yeah I loved that, but especially the reply:

"What for?"
"Search me"
Poor Tegan, she gets no love, but she really was one of the worse companions during the show's long run. Never could figure out why she kept traveling with the Doctor. Or why the TARDIS put up with her whinging In fact that whole companion combo was pretty awful (Tegan, Nyssa, Adric) Anyone who complains about modern-day companions should be reminded it could have been much, much worse!

Daemos wrote: »

I never even thought of that, to be honest. Although he did babble a bit about it to them at the end of The Snowmen, so they're not completely in the dark

I think it was mentioned in passing yeah, but it's one thing to hear the Doctor's babbling, quite another to see a ghost walk out of the TARDIS & it's bound to raise some questions.

On a side note: as much as I love Vastra and her Scooby Gang (if Torchwood deserved a spin-off, that goes double for Vastra & co!), I wish the Sontarans would come back in their proper form. Strax is great comedy relief 'n all, but it feels like his race has been reduced to a joke, and it'd be good to see the potato-heads return in all their glory.

Basq

A third of the way in and no appearance from The Doctor yet!



EDIT: First episode in a long time that I switched off half way through.. was interesting but all over the place.

Will try and watch it again during the week.

pixelburp

I actually liked the absence of the Doctor; it's a nice idea, that a 3rd party would bump into the Doctor mid-mystery. Makes it feel like it's not always about him & that people could conceivably sort these things out themselves

Otherwise though, it was the weakest episode of series 7 so far; a meandering, go-nowhere plot that just felt like filling time & checking boxes. A filler episode to bide time until the climax probably, it wouldn't be the first time.

The fact they simply skirted around new Clara meeting Vastra & co. was very annoying. And the last scene seemed particularly pointless - oh, we found pictures of you on the internet, you're a time-traveller, can we come kthxbye :rolleyes:

flazio

Basq wrote: »

A third of the way in and no appearance from The Doctor yet!



EDIT: First episode in a long time that I switched off half way through.. was interesting but all over the place.

Will try and watch it again during the week.

Make sure you do because for my money this was the best episode of the year so far. After the poor performances of the Brothers Scrap last week this week everyone involved showed how it should be done, right down to little

TomTom

Fantastic episode.

Tzar Chasm

I think the end scene was the whole point of the episodes arc, clara saw photos of herself in different eras, but mingled in there was a photo of other clara in victorian London, so she's gonna ask some questions about that.

also, sonic < chair
chairs are cool

bradyle

I likd that! Not sure what my feelings are about the kids though!

flazio

bradyle wrote: »

I likd that! Not sure what my feelings are about the kids though!

Well their story will be in the hands of Neil Gaiman, so I'm not in the slightest bit worried.

ebbsy

That was not too bad at all.

Not sure if next week will be much cop, Cyberman stories in the new Who have been pretty average and Closing time was a disgrace.

bradyle

flazio wrote: »

Well their story will be in the hands of Neil Gaiman, so I'm not in the slightest bit worried.

Oooh thats next week!! Cant wait!

BuffyBot

The ending did seem a little forced, but as a concept I liked the episode. I did think we didn't get enough of the Vastra/Jenny/Clara aspect.

Diana Rigg was pretty awesome, which is to be expected (she still looks kick ass when a gun in hand, even in Victorian garb!) and Mr Sweet reminded me very much of something out of 70's/80's old Who.

There have been much, much worse IMHO.

Antar Bolaeisk

ebbsy wrote: »

That was not too bad at all.

Not sure if next week will be much cop, Cyberman stories in the new Who have been pretty average and Closing time was a disgrace.

I was thinking the same but then I realised that it's the Neill Gaiman episode which hopefully means it'll be excellent.

I enjoyed this week's episode but was annoyed that everyone just accepted Clara was back from the dead.

I thought that was cool

"wait, I've got a sonic screwdriver!" "well I've got a chair!!"
:cool:

And strax got his full frontal assault

FloatingVoter

bluewolf wrote: »

And strax got his full frontal assault

Not to mention three horses that he summarily executed then ate. Strax needs a spinoff show of his own.

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Thought this was the best of the second part of the season so far.
Great to have another episode with Vastra, Jenny and Strax.
Has me really excited for the next two.

McLoughlin

Felt like a back door pilot for an upcoming show to me featuring Ada, Vastra, Jenny and Strax.

flazio

Nah, THIS was the pilot (minus Ada)
http://www.audiogo.com/uk/doctor-who-devil-in-the-smoke-justin-richards-gid-1021578

Good fun. Worth the 2 quid download.

MrVestek

Well I guess I won't be eating cheddar for a while... I've had my fill of cheese for the next few months.

Doctor DooM

Have to say I'm with the "best of the series so far" crowd.

Plot barrelled along, full of horror and jokes, Clara story was addressed somewhat, just felt everything was good.

Strax, Vastra and Jenny are too fun, too.

Mr.Saturn

McLoughlin wrote: »

Felt like a back door pilot for an upcoming show to me featuring Ada, Vastra, Jenny and Strax.

Torchwood V: this time it's consistent.

toallthose

I never been so bored watching doctor who. I have seem to have missed what ever one else saw. I watched the ghost story one and thought it was ok, but have not watched the other two. It just feels really same-ish the whole time. It clear there setting something up with Clara, but given how poorly moffat has done with things he set up in the past, I don't hold much hope for this going any-where.

Keogg

Did anybody else catch the innuendo when Jenny rips off her Victorian garb into that leather catsuit? - The Doctor's holding his screwdriver horizontally and then he looks at her and its 'boings' up XD
I'll see if I can find a clip
EDIT: Found it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlS-q2yai7Y&feature=youtu.be&t=11s

Professey Chin

Keogg wrote: »

Did anybody else catch the innuendo when Jenny rips off her Victorian garb into that leather catsuit? - The Doctor's holding his screwdriver horizontally and then he looks at her and its 'boings' up XD
I'll see if I can find a clip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlS-q2yai7Y

SparklersJo

^
And when the Doctor kisses her after he's been cured - brilliant!

Jenny is awesome.

Keogg

SparklersJo wrote: »

^
And when the Doctor kisses her after he's been cured - brilliant!

Jenny is awesome.

She'd make a pretty kickass companion IMO

SparklersJo

Keogg wrote: »

She'd make a pretty kickass companion IMO

Fact! I thought that too. We can but dream!

Hashtag_HEEL

SparklersJo wrote: »

Fact! I thought that too. We can but dream!

There's probably some fan-fic floating around of it!

ebbsy

bradyle wrote: »

I likd that! Not sure what my feelings are about the kids though!

Cybermen and kids ? Another Earthshock perhaps ?

Very unlikely.......

Interrobang

I enjoyed the episode - good, old-fashioned fun and some great touches like Thomas Thomas, the priapic screwdriver and the Tegan reference.

I was disappointed by how they addressed (or didn't address) new Clara, though. The reactions of Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax were what I was most looking forward to from this episode and it was all a bit m'eh.

The end was a bit of a 'Noooo! Don't go there!' moment for me. Clara seeing the London Victorian photo will obviously have repercussions, but all I could think was, no, please don't drag a couple of kids into the mix. I have faith in Neil Gaiman's ability to pull a kiddie episode out of the bag, but really hope they won't become a permanent fixture.

pixelburp

I had another look at the episode, and I enjoyed it a little more the second time around; it's still a total mess, a mix of half-baked ideas or copouts, with a pretty weak resolution / third-act (nitpick: how did Strax get down from the top of the chimney to join his friends?).

I also found a lot of the musical cues to be utterly obtrusive - building up & then climaxing (uhm) at weird moments - and the problem of loudness seemed worse than normal. It's a shame because visually I think Moffat-Who has been consistently great to look at, often looking suitably atmospheric, if not cinematic & belying the reduced budgets

To be honest, like a lot of the weaker Who, it's carried by the sheer energy & vigour of the cast and their dialogue; I've said it before but when it wants to be, Dr. Who is one of the funniest / wittiest shows on TV. Also, props to Diana Rigg for taking a fairly paper-thin role and turning it up to 11. She rocks.

Interrobang

pixelburp wrote: »

I also found a lot of the musical cues to be utterly obtrusive - building up & then climaxing (uhm) at weird moments - and the problem of loudness seemed worse than normal.

Agreed. It's unnecessarily loud at times, extremely irritating and detracts from rather than adds to the scene.

pixelburp wrote: »

Also, props to Diana Rigg for taking a fairly paper-thin role and turning it up to 11. She rocks.

Yes, she does. Between this and Lady Olenna, it's great having her back on our screens. I only found out afterwards that the actress who played her daughter Ada in the episode is her daughter in real life.

K-9

Interrobang wrote: »

Yes, she does. Between this and Lady Olenna, it's great having her back on our screens. I only found out afterwards that the actress who played her daughter Ada in the episode is her daughter in real life.

Her first acting role too, which I found amazing.

I liked it, though maybe that was more a reaction to a disappointing Tardis episode. Overall, the Clara arc is stalling for me, to me it is taking away from the character development, I don't think her character has developed much at all.

That is supposed to change a bit in the next episode, though my initial thought is they've left it a bit late. Read a 10/10 review about the next episode, then again the same reviewer gave the Journey the same, and I felt short changed. This one seems more promising though, a bit of a much needed reboot for the cybermen.

mewso

K-9 wrote: »

Her first acting role too, which I found amazing.

Not sure where you got that from. Shes been in loads of stuff.

I really enjoyed this episode. I'm becoming less and less enamored with playing "spot the clues for the series arc"* game and would happily watch good enjoyable self contained episodes every time.

*obviously the arc was referred to but meh. We've probably been watching the master disguised as the doctor for the whole series or something.

Art_Wolf

BuffyBot wrote: »

The ending did seem a little forced

I liked it up to the point of the kids and how they somehow find these old pictures and figure everything out. Nah, couldn't be photoshop - I would be able to tell by the pixels. Time travel is the only possibility.

Fingers crossed they are not real kids...

BuffyBot

Well, yes - I'm hoping there is a little pay off to it. Otherwise it's just a bit lazy.

K-9

mewso wrote: »

Not sure where you got that from. Shes been in loads of stuff.

I really enjoyed this episode. I'm becoming less and less enamored with playing "spot the clues for the series arc"* game and would happily watch good enjoyable self contained episodes every time.

*obviously the arc was referred to but meh. We've probably been watching the master disguised as the doctor for the whole series or something.

Was reading a review and I thought they meant the daughter had no experience, took it up wrong no doubt!

K-9

K-9 wrote: »

Was reading a review and I thought they meant the daughter had no experience, took it up wrong no doubt!

You might have been reading something entirely different :eek::pac:

Morag

"Trouble at Mill" I roared laughing, it was a good episode and nice to see the Dr get rescued and to see more of Madam Vastra and Jenny.