Full Term report!

pixelburp

So then, we did the half-term report; what do people think now that the season is over?

Myself, in a nutshell? I think the season was strong enough in all fairness, certainly when compared against other 'debut' seasons for the new Doctors. The finale was a bit of a let-down definitely, but there have been much worse ones than this. Otherwise, there have been some genuine classics mixed in with decent, solid stories. 'Forest of the Night' was probably the weakest story by far, but again, a long way off the show's worst moments.

As for the man in the blue box, Capaldi dominated the screen after a slightly shaky start (but again, no more than previous incarnations) though his darker, angrier doctor is definitely at the whim of the writers and their respective abilities to find the balance between being horrible and eccentric.

What about the future: where do people think the show should go now? While next year is the 9th series of the new run, would you believe it's going to be 10 years since the show came back? I wonder if they'll do anything for that mini-anniversary.

flazio

It had it moments. I haven't really warmed to Capaldi but I get the feeling that they are writing the character as someone you're not supposed to warm to anyway.

TheDoctor

I do enjoy Capaldi and his cutting one liners.

Doctor DooM

I've literally enjoyed every Doctor more than the last since the series (I notice the older the skewl the fanboy the less time it takes to get over regeneration ) and Capaldi is no exception. I really get his Doctor and enjoy every moment of him.

Series was... ok to good? Two episodes I absolutely hated, 3 I absolutely loved, to be honest that's about normal for me.

chrislad

I enjoyed it overall, but less so when it went too whimsical (Sherwood and that London forest episode). I found the Doctors reaction to the Missy kiss a bit out of character, and it seems more like an Eleven reaction than a Twelve. I was disappointed that Danny didn't get a lot of time, but I liked the arc overall. Like most Doctors, it takes a season or so to get to grips with the change, I know I certainly didn't warm to Smith until halfway through Season 6 or so.

I think that they start to thrive when they shed all the old Doctors baggage, so I'm looking forward to Clara leaving, even though I did like her as a companion.

Mr Bloat

I'm really liking Capaldi's take on the Doctor. His one liners are delivered perfectly and his grumpiness is endearing. He's like a moany old Grandad that gives out about everything but yet always has a packet of Werther's Original in his pocket (or maybe jelly babies... ). It has been interesting to see his and Clara's relationship grow over the season, from the Doctor being standoffish and calling her a control freak to one of respect (he tells her to buck up in the final episode, saying he needs "sceptical, clever, critical. I don’t need mopey") and friendship ("Do you think I care for you so little that betraying me would make a difference?") but yet never crossing that line of flirtation that some of the others had.

Taken as a whole, I was disappointed with writing this season. I generally like Moffat's work but I think he left a lot of threads loose this season. Taking each episode separately, there is something in almost all of them that should be explained but wasn't:
Deep Breath - Did the Doctor push half face man or did he kill himself?
Into the Dalek - Obviously set up for Rusty to return another time with an agenda and there was a reference to the Doctor being a "good Dalek" in the final episode, so this one is ok, although the Internet was buzzing with speculation over the brother and sister having the name 'Blue' with Danny 'Pink' also around, therefore putting 2 and 2 together to make 5.
Robot Of Sherwood - A frivolous episode with no reference to anything.
Listen - Clara is back as the Impossible Girl, delving into the Doctor's timeline and influencing him. No real explanation of Orson Pink and why he is featured. He gives Clara the toy soldier and seems to suggest that she is his great grand mother. No explanation of the thing under the bed spread. Internet explodes with speculation.
Time Heist - Standalone episode, no real continuity
The Caretaker - Continuity is done well here, references to the Doctor being an officer and able to push 'troops' to acts they wouldn't normally do, which is obviously taken up in the finale
Kill the Moon - Meh!
Mummy on the Orient Express - Who is Gus? Again, the Internet is awash with speculation over Gus and Frank Skinner's character. Are they in league with Missy?
Flatline - Setting Clara up as the Doctor, getting her ready to be tough for the finale. Missy comments that she has 'chosen well' with Clara, letting us think she was the woman in the shop that gave Clara the phone number of the Tardis.
In the Forest of the Night - Missy is disgruntled when the Earth was saved from the flare and says that it was a 'surprise'. Why would she be annoyed at the end?
Also - the blackboard in the Tardis was constantly shown but nothing made of.

Why were all of these things put in to various episodes but nothing made of in the end? At least in the days of Bad Wolf and Amy's pregnancy, the loose threads were tied up in the end but not here. It's as if Moffat went out of his way to put these things in purely to rile up the Internet and get message boards speculating. It worked very well for that but it's frustrating as a viewer!

If anyone can shed some light on these holes, I'd be delighted to have them closed off.

Doctor DooM

Mr Bloat wrote: »

If anyone can shed some light on these holes, I'd be delighted to have them closed off.

I'd say wait for the Christmas special before you decide he's leaving them unclosed. Last years sealed up a whole lot of stuff.

The One Doctor

Fairly poor as Capaldi's first season. Overall, worse than average. Clara's boring and The Master was just pathetic.

Slutmonkey57b

Not wholly convincing but overall quite good, I thought.

Listen was the first Who episode I ever found scary.

Danny Pink was a brilliant character, brilliantly played. Clara had a decent, steady arc this series where they seemed to have some sort of plan for her. She always seemed like someone you'd want to take along in the Tardis, which I never felt as much with Amy.

Cole Hill school was a good addition, it brought the series back to somewhere it was rooted in (kids) and showed why it's different nowadays.

Capaldi was good, but has a very tough act to follow.

The series was beautifully shot, that's one thing that modern doctors have as a massive advantage over the old ones. Even the gap in production values between when Tennant and Smith were doctors is stark.

Agent Coulson

Season 8 is now on Netflix Belgium.

I think I will rewatch the whole season over the weekend and only judge it then.

pixelburp

The way in which TV is watched really has changed: the BBC released figures on how people are watching Doctor Who and on average, only ~60% of people are actually watching the show now as it broadcasts, the rest catching up on digital recording or the iPlayer. Looks like these are just British figures too, not taking into account the popularity overseas. Whatever else about the relative narrative merits of the show, and the successes or failures of series 8, Doctor Who is still a money / ratings spinner for the channel.

http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2014/11/series-8-live7-figures.html

Agent Coulson

I have to say Doctor Who is one of the very few shows I will go out of my way to sit down on watch when it shown on TV for the first time.

My fewing habbits have really changed due to Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, BBC iPlayer, RTE player etc etc.

The_Valeyard

Good season, disappointing finale.

Agent Coulson

So watched it fully again and enjoyed it more on second viewing.

Capaldi has great potential to have a dark side which I think all Doctors should have and has been missing from Tennant and Smiths Doctors.

The writing for the season was weak, The whole Danny Pink story really never lead anywhere.

Clara had her moments but not many of them she really could have/be a great companion for Capaldi given the right story line.

Overall a C+ It took a while for it to get into its stride and the whole Missy/Master was a let down.