I always warn you before spoilers, don’t I?
Well, if you haven’t seen Doctor Who season 8 episode 1, I have only one two things to say to you:
- WHAT WHY NOT
- Well, don’t come back until you do.
Last Saturday night, I sat in a dark room full of Whovians; the kind who get so excited that no one really cares that they’re slowly turning the back room of a Japanese novelty shop into a sauna.
It began with a girl dressed as a steampunk Dalek standing up to announce that the episode was beginning, and once it did, there would be no mercy on commentators. There was a murmur of assent from the viewers. The episode commenced. Not a peep was heard for over an hour, save the odd hushed “Awwww” or “ohmygoshohmygosh.”
It was glorious.
For many of you, I do not have to tell what happened in the episode.
Seeing it through strictly unfeeling eyes, it was the usual:
- Doctor offends people
- Clara stamps her foot
- SUBTEXT SUBTEXT
- Viewers are scared
- Characters are scared and then die
- Doctor voices some variant of “He/She/It was scared”
- SUUUBTEEEXT
- Hands are held
- Hugs are had
- Chips are consumed
But of course there was the one prominent difference:
The new Doctor.
This dork.
Look at him
Really look
Let me explain: Eleven was my Doctor. Under such circumstances, I thought it was going to take more than a shouty “I’M NOT FLIRTING BY THE WAY” directed at a rampaging dinosaur to win me over.
The Doctor wears his new face well. And hey, as far as the rest of you go, I understand (in theory) if he hasn’t grown on you yet. But just
Look at him.
No, I suppose that’s not what I mean. Don’t just look. The Doctor said it himself. See.
That moment killed me. In fact, I am actually writing to you at this moment from the mysterious fountain garden on the other side.
I’ve wanted to hug a lot of fictional characters before, but this moment must have topped the list. So of course they had to stab at that particular ventricle of my heart.
“I don’t think I’m a hugging person now.”
*Collective scoff from fandom*
But in any case, I didn’t come here to gush over the Twelfth Doctor.
While I did indeed come here to gush over the Twelfth Doctor, there are other Doctorial things to be addressed. Such as?
- SKIN BALLOON wHAT
- How one little blow-torch droid set fire to an entire dinosaur
- The frankly alarming number of space ships skipping around replacing machinery with human remains (I had no idea this was such an epidemic)
- The umbrella woman in the weird afterlife fountain garden
Oh come on, what else am I supposed to call her?
Mediocre Fact: I actually had to Google “deep breath umbrella woman” to get anything like what I was looking for. I got a lot of weird artwork and one heroic bit of information that told me that the umbrella woman is actually called Missy.
The “Gatekeeper.”
Cool! If anything, I know less than I knew before.
I feed off of your speculation and inside knowledge; please, let me have it. I would absolutely love to discuss this episode with you. I mean, there it was after all, the excellent first episode of what looks to be a very promising season.
So, what do you think?
Just {Blank} To Be Here 
I CAN’T READ THIS YET. AND I HAVE ALSO JUST REALIZED I CAN’T GO ON THE INTERNET EITHER. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH MY LIFE NOW?
*Coldplay music starts*
I will tryyyy to fix you!
(translation: CHECK YOUR MESSAGES DO IT NOW)
THANK YOU, LOVE!
Loved the episode and the review – can’t wait for the next episode – he is growing on me 🙂
Yaaay! 😀
Yay! Someone to discuss it with, too! 😉
Love it. (and unfair/jealous at getting to do the theater thing!)
But so many questions/feels! Such as Twelve being flippant right off the bat and coaxing humor/sympathy right away through one-liners and struggling to recover/find himself. To say nothing of the ‘you don’t see me’ stuff (and that cameo!). ;_; I think he’ll do fine… nice mixing-up.
Plus all the Sherlock refs… hee. And what the heck… that /woman/? (the ‘gatekeeper of the nethersphere’, if google didn’t tell you the whole thing) Creepy mary-poppins guardian for new arc? (and how does that tie in anyway to the hinted story they left off with, of Gallifrey still standing?? I’ll be a little disappointed if they do nothing with that)
OMAGARSH the cameo wow ugh pain ouch
Haha, Mary Poppins was EXACTLY whom I thought of when Missy showed up! 🙂 Of course, I then tried to banish the thought because I love Mary too much, but still, it was there.
I was actually talking to a friend last night and she suggested that Missy might be Rani (renegade Time Lady) from Classic Who! I would adore that so much, and it would even tie in to the whole “Gallifrey is out there” theme that yes, I really hope they get into soon…
Ha, yes… see a bunch of people wondering about Rani! And, gah, you darn lady, you, showing up again in ‘heaven’!!1 o.0 Is she ‘saving’ those who were sacrificed for some reason? What is she –doing–?! (besides looking just as intriguingly creepy as him and flummoxing the guy again: http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2014/7/7/1404749026831/Doctor-Who-011.jpg) ;P
Eeeeeee… but throwing more new ‘friends’ into the mix already and more ‘sharpness’ of personality and growing on us with playing things a little different and Robin next week and yaaayy!!! ;D
aaaaa you make my day when you send me set picturessss
I’m so excited for the Robin episode! 🙂 Clara looks adorable as always in her new costume!
And yeah, the heaven thing?? Your theory (people sacrificed for the Doctor) was my theory – but how exactly is that supposed to work? Is she blocking souls on their way out or what because even THAT sounds ridiculous (even for Doctor Who). Ugh. Guess I’ll just have to wait and see.
You know what’s interesting about the ‘saving the sacrificed’ thing, though? If true, it means the vague standoff between the cyborg and Doctor really -did- end in a self-sacrifice, and not being pushed or something. “Sexy” /kind/ of makes sense – easy for her to be watching, to want to help, to grab people to her consciousness (now I’m reminded of the Library… :PPP). Having seen very little ‘classic’, don’t really know Rani other than who she is? And would work with the ‘Gallifrey’ story? We’re probably thinking too much again, and it’s someone brand new. (like Danny… who seems awesome, btw) ;D
Yeah…. to concur with the below – my head hurts too. ;P
Okay so… I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF NOW THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HELPING ME SEE THE GLORY. I actually had no problem with this lovely twelfth face. My hearts are just still breaking from missing Eleven. As for the umbrella-Mary Poppins-heaven-Gatekeeper person, WHEN DID THE DOCTOR BECOME HER BOYFRIEND. I heard her say the boyfriend thing and the first thing out of my mouth was “Sexy!” but I am not sure how sound that theory is… But I already adore this Doctor and his Scottish-ness. And I seriously cried when the Doctor called and MATT SMITH WHY ALL THE FEELS I DON’T NEED THESE!! But anywho. I loved it. So stinkin’ good.
I’M SO PLEASED YOU SAW THE GLORY AND ENJOYED IT
but YEAH RIGHT Missy calling the Doctor her boyfriend threw me for a loop. He is MARRIED.
LIKE
TO SEVERAL WOMEN
so maybe I should stop using that excuse. but still, what is she doing here? Yours is the first suggestion of Sexy that I’ve heard! Could be! That would be fun. and MATT SMITH WHYYYY
It just all hurts my hearts and my head tooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much.
I loved the episode and was, too, hesitant to accept the twelfth doctor. Just like you, I’m an eleven girl myself. It’s like no trace of him was left, but the twelfth doctor had qualities that made him stand out. He’s a slightly no nonsense man who doesn’t want to admit that he’s actually quite a hugging person. He’s also very stubborn, still very wise, and every once in a while the eleven in him will come out. “It’s times like this, I miss Amy.” or “Do you have a children’s menu” because you know eleven will ask for one every single time…that is if there was no fish fingers and custard.
Mmm, YES TO ALL.
The things that mark him as different are so important, but there’s no way we should overlook the things that make him the same man, always. 🙂