I hate to start off on bad fitting but it cannot be avoided. Death In Heaven was an absolutely crap episode. It made no sense, jumped around needlessly and added layers plotlines that were unnecessary.
I have spent several days pondering it and sorting it in my noggin’ and the conclusion is the same. it’s a let down of epic proportions.
First, I have issues with how The Cybermen continue to get rebooted and reimagined? They are almost laughable now. Every time they are on the show the plot gets more and more preposterous and stupid. Making Cybermen by pollen is rain. If they could do that they would not even need to invade the planet in the first place.
Second, I found the Cyber Brigadier to be completely ludicrous. It was an absolutely stupid plot device and frankly it was embarrassing at how laughable it was. If the Brigadier comes back as a Cyberman wouldn’t all of the Doctor’s other dead companions as well? Not to mention Ianto Jones? Cyber Brigadier is stupid. Cyber Sgt. Benton would also be terrifying. Also, if Donna Noble heard the Doctor was President of Earth would it cause her to fry her brain?
Third, the pacing was wonky. The first episode was rushed to such an extent that Missy’s reveal was almost secondary. Jenna Coleman and Sam Anderson were good in it. If it was tightened up and they there the entire plane sequence out and replaced it with more plot development it would have been better.
Missy is not dead (see below). That would be too cut and dry and the story had a lot of loose ends that this smells like a launching part for an arc.
My guess is that both Missy and Osggod have been teleported to somewhere else, possibly her TARDIS. What you may see happen next is Osgood somehow becomes brainwashed by Missy into believing The Doctor is not a good man. so the next time we see her she could be in a Delgado-ish Nehru jacket. There will be a climactic battle of wills and then Osgood will come back to the good side, realizing she was misguided by Missy.
I think it would have been better as just a straight on Master story without any Cybermen in it.
I really wanted the season to end on a high note. Instead we got a rather flat one.
Despite this Peter Capaldi was really amazing!
Michelle Gomez chewed up scenery and was delightfully diabolical as a nemesis for The Doctor.
MISSY RETURNING
In the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine Michelle Gomez confirmed that she is returning for Season 9.
Everything about making the Master [into] the Mistress kind of ups the ante….It makes everything that little bit more dangerous. It blows open this Pandora’s box.
MICHELLE GOMEZ INTERVIEWED
In an interview with Gay Times UK Michelle Gomez talked about how playing the Doctor’s arch-enemy has its perks!
The other day I did get some croissants because there was a woman in Brooklyn that liked ‘Doctor Who’ so she gave me some free pastries … I went in for a baguette and I went out with seven croissants!
Link: http://www.virginmedia.com/tvradio/news/story/2014/11/24/michelle-gomez-doctor-who-has/
CHRISTMAS SPECIAL 2014: WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR
With just a few weeks until the 2014 Christmas Special there is wide speculation about what lies ahead in the Whoniverse.
Here’s a few bits and pieces of what we know…
It is called Last Christmas
Steven Moffat wrote the script.
Nick Frost plays Santa.
Jenna Coleman is back.
Part of the special is set at the North Pole.
BEN WHEATLEY INTERVIEWED
Den of Geek has an interview with director Ben Wheatley. In it he discusses working on Series 8 and what he has taken away from directing the show.
Wheatley talked about working on Doctor Who after reading the scripts for the first two stories.
Once I realised I was going to get to do it then I started to become terribly afraid because it was quite a big deal to do the first two with Capaldi. Initially, just knowing I was going to work with the new Doctor as well, that has a whole level of terror to it. Then reading the scripts and seeing how involved they were in terms of action and stuff… oh God. Once I met the team and they started to talk me through it all, it was fine.
Because the show is different every episode as well, so you can drop different styles into it and it’s not going to damage the series. I couldn’t believe I got a Dalek episode, and I got to shoot in a power station. The only thing missing was a quarry.
DEATH IN HEAVEN RATINGS
The final numbers are in for Death in Heaven. It was seen by 7.60 million people. This figure includes those who saw the initial transmission and those watching within seven days.
The overnights indicated that it scored a 23.3% share of the total audience when it first aired.
The Audience Appreciation Index score for the episode was 83.
DARK WATER RATINGS
The final ratings for the first part of the season finale, Dark Water, are in. It was seen by 7.34 million viewers. This includes those watch it when it was first on and those who watched it seven days of transmission.
It was watched by approximately 22.4% of the total TV audience.
Its Audience Appreciation Index score was 85.
SEASON NINE GETS FEMALE WRITER
It’s been six years since a female writer was selected for Doctor Who. That is changing next season with the news that Catherine Tregenna. The writer and playwright has written for EastEnders, Law & Order: UK and penned four episodes of Torchwood (Out of Time, Captain Jack Harkness, Meat and Adam). Captain Jack Harkness was nominated for a Hugo Award in 2008.
Although Season Eight featured female directors Sheree Folkson and Rachel Talalay, none of the stories were written by a female writer. Neil Gaiman is one of the prolific names who joined fans in criticizing the program’s lack of female writers. Hopefully this will remedy that situation and maybe give us one less cruddy Moffat story for the season.
SELFIE CANCELLED
Selfie, the ABC sitcom starring Karen Gillan and John Cho just seemed to be gaining momentum. Seven episodes aired before the axe fell which, in the eyes of the show’s fans seemed premature.
The cancellation comes despite its being recognized with a People’s Choice Award.
It appears that the two big hurdles the show had to leap was it’s not so great time slot and it’s title. many critics have said that many potential viewers may have been turned off by the title.
As of now 13 episodes of Selfie were filmed. It is unclear if the unaired ones will be shown.
Entertainment Weekly lamented on the loss of the show: http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/11/11/selfie-canceled-in-memoriam/
CHICAGO TARDIS ADDS GUEST
Chicago Tardis, the largest Doctor Who event in the Midwest has announced the addition of Annette Badland as a guest. Badland is best known for her role as Margaret Blaine/Margaret Slitheen in the 9th Doctor era.
She appeared in three stories, Aliens Of London, World War Three and Boom Town. She also has appeared in Wizards VS. Aliens.
Chicago Tardis is being held this weekend (November 28-30, 2014) at the Westin Lombard Yorkshire Center.
Link: http://www.chicagotardis.com
THE THIRD DOCTOR RETURNS
One of the most beloved eras of Doctor Who is coming back next October thanks to Big Finish Audio’s The Third Doctor Adventures. In it Richard Franklin reprises his role as Captain Mike Yates, along with Katy Manning as Jo Grant, one of the classic series’ most popular companions. The voice of the Third Doctor will be portrayed by Tim Treloar.
Two stories, have been confirmed so far but no casting information has been given. The former is A UNIT story called Prisoners of the Lake from Justin Richards. The latter is Andy Lake’s space story entitled, The Havoc of Empires. Both episodes were directed by Nicholas Briggs.
Link: http://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/the-third-doctor-boxed-set
TENNANT WINS AWARD
David Tennant has won a Scottish BAFTA as Best TV Actor for his performance in The Escape Artist.
Tennant proudly accepted the award but gave credit to the show’s writer too.
You win these prizes sometimes for not necessarily being the best, but landing the best job. At least half of this belongs to the writer, David Wolstencroft….As Scots, we are not known for our sentimentality. Maybe I’ve gone soft because I’ve been in London for a while, but this really means an awful lot.
Link: http://www.scotsman.com/what-s-on/film/mcavoy-and-tennant-big-winners-at-scottish-baftas-1-3606896
Next Time: News, Big Finish, Season 8 on DVD, Broadchurch and more!
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