Strangers and Aliens: Science Fiction & Fantasy from a Christian Perspective

Episode 28 — “Doctor Who Revisited”

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The first half of this episode is a spoiler-free discussion between Ben & Steve and Dr. Jayce, as Dr. Jayce puts on his teacher hat and grades his co-hosts on their performance in our previous Doctor Who episode (episode 26).

The second half of the episode is spoiler filled! Chock full of spoilers! Tom and Christa rejoin Ben and Steve in a discussion of Doctor Who season 7 part 1, or whatever they are calling it. How does the final leg of Amy’s (and Rory’s) journey stack up? Satisfying? Unsatisfying? It’s a fun filled — and SPOILER FILLED!!! — conversation!

Also, we open up the mailbag, quibble about grammar and the new Star Trek movie title, and revoke Steve’s man card.

~ Ben

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4 responses to “Episode 28 — “Doctor Who Revisited””

  1. Mike Poteet Avatar
    Mike Poteet

    I enjoyed your discussion, as always, but: on the point of whether the Doctor actually goes back to tell little Amelia the whole story… that’s a point I just don’t understand, hard as I try. No, there is no scene of him doing so in “Eleventh Hour,” but there is that moment of the TARDIS sound and Amelia looking up into the sky. But in what way is it brilliant? I don’t get it. It causes all kinds of complications: if Amelia now knows her own future, does it change that future? Does she still go see psychologists for 12 years? How does that affect her relationship to Rory? Are seasons 5-7a now undone? I would like to understand in what way it is “brilliant” for them to have done this, but I just don’t. Please enlighten me!

    Re: River Song… I have this crazy theory that she will somehow turn out to be Susan, the Doctor’s granddaughter, from “An Empty Child” in 1963 (only neither she nor the (First) Doctor will know it at the time), because there is still this massive unresolved hinting that the Doctor raised her in the TARDIS (how does she know the Doctor’s cot/cradle? did she learn how to fly the TARDIS simply by watching him as she grew up? the song from last season had a line about “he cradled and he rocked her,” apparently in reference to the Doctor and River). I also have a hope that we will see the Doctor find a way to get her out of the Library computer. But who knows?

    Reply
    1. Ben Avatar
      Ben

      I am TOTALLY confused about River Song right now. When I feel like I need to watch some Doctor WHo while I wait for the rest of Season 7, it’d be interesting to watch all the River Song episodes.
      Why would the Doctor visiting little Amelia in that first episode be brilliant? Because it would show the type of forethought I like seeing in time travel shows.
      Bad example: Back to the Future. They went back and combed through the first movie to find things to use for the following movies.
      Good example: In Red Dwarf, Lister sees a glimpse of his future, and we’re left wondering how that will play out. Then we get an episode a few episodes later, seeing it all play out.
      I like circular storytelling (not just in time travel — Terry Gilliam is the master of bringing stories around full circle, right back to where it started, and I think that’s his biggest influence on me own writing, or at least the influence most obvious to me — and while there are a few time travel stories he did, the circular storytelling is evident in most of his movies) and this would be a perfect example of it — that a little thing happened in that first Amy Pond episode that was fulfilled in the last one.

      Reply
      1. Michael Poteet Avatar
        Michael Poteet

        I grant that it would show forethought that they filmed a scene that wouldn’t pay off until later. But what does it add to the story? How is it brilliant on a thematic or even a plot level?

        Reply
        1. Ben Avatar
          Ben

          On a thematic level, this was a little girl who was waiting for life to come . . . and (if I remember) the time between that and when the Doctor came, it wasn’t a very fulfilling life for her. So it goes along with this theme of the child who has life ahead of her and has no idea what is waiting for her. Amy is telling her to tell her that there is an amazing life just around the corner. Truth be told, IF he did it and did not give specifics, it could actually lend more motivation for her to be waiting for that moment when that life is coming.

          Again, this is all without having gone back yet to see if it’s even there! I need to go back and look . . . I may be WAY off!

          Reply

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