You know I never subscribed to yes sir, no sir [aka DW 7x01]

[giallarhorn]

So right, Doctor Who time despite some technical hiccups that occurred!

The episode was lukewarm, with varying degrees one way or the other depending on how much weight you decide to put on something. There were good parts, there were bad parts, and the bad parts were made worse due the compounding of things from S6, but the good parts were good and

Comments

[aim2misbhave]

When I realized who was playing Oswin... hands-down, that's got to be in one of my top 5 favorite surprising moments in television so far

[giallarhorn]

I was kind of baffled that they had JLC this early on.

Seriously though, that no one spoiled it, given the nature of the internet? That has to be one of the most incredible feats in of itself.

It really did feel pretty over the top- even the music didn't seem much like Doctor Who and much more...movieish? Like, it didn't detract from the story, but it felt kind of odd.

Moffat's concept for driving motivations in women seem to be either 1) to get married, 2) to get with male X (cough see the Nina phase comment), or 3) something related to kids and babies and pregnancies. Not to say that you can't do something like 3 right, but in this case, it just came off a lot like 'You don't deserve this I am less of a woman go find someone else'?

JLC is really odd. Because if you look at her character, it's more or less Moffat's standard female character, but JLC does it in a way that...idk. It feels more natural and organic and likable and charming?

[aim2misbhave]

Yeah, I'm not sure whether the Nina comment was Moffat's heavy-handed attempts at being progressive, or what... it was baffling and annoying.

The one frustrating thing is that Oswin, like River, starts out totally cool and badass, and then ends up dying for the Doctor at the end of the very first episode that she's introduced. I'm going to be quite annoyed if Oswin does end up being a companion and she's basically like River 2.0.

[giallarhorn]

Idk, Moffat's had his characters make comments like that in the past (River Song, etc), that make it seem like a more problematic trend. It doesn't help that he's not the best at watching his responses to things like this on twitter.

That's where I'm hesitant too- but on the other hand, I don't know if Oswin is actually supposed to be Clara, or if there is actually a relationship between the two? I'd rather not have her go through a time loop that ends with her dying for the Doctor, because oh look Potentially Awesome Female Kicks the Bucket for Male Again, version 4.

[aim2misbhave]

Yeah, but it mostly looks like I mentioned about Sherlock, Moffat's habit of "Oh, look, this character might be gay. Kidding! Not gay after all."

And the other thing I noticed, was that even though she's always been referred to as "Amy Pond", with many mentions of "Rory Pond" or "Mr. Pond", when Amy signs her name on the divorce papers she signs it "Amy Williams".

[subtlynice]

I'm worried that Moffat just doesn't have any original ideas for Amy and Rory anymore. How many times has he done Rory-finally-realises-that-Amy-does-love-him-after-all now? Off the top of my head, I can think of at least three previous episodes in which Rory and Amy have gone through this. I adored them in season five, but yesterday's episode barely made me feel anything towards them. At the very least, he could have drawn it out. It felt way too rushed.

Loved Jenna-Lousie's introduction though. However she's introduced later as Clara, Oswin gives me some hope that we won't have yet another seemingly ordinary companion from the 21st century.

[giallarhorn]

Well, if we count all the instances that it has happened...Vampires of Venice, Amy's Choice, Pandorica Opens (maybe?), Day of the Moon, and probably a little more in S6. Like, I understand we're supposed to care abut these things, but the fact that we didn't see a buildup to the revelation made it really hollow and forced. Also their apparent inability to communicate at all.

JLC's intro was adorable and charming, even if it was all of Moffat's usual traits in a female character rolled into one. But is Clara actually supposed to be an entirely separate entity from Oswin?

[subtlynice]

I'm hoping that Clara really is Oswin, because I adored her... but knowing Moffat's love of convoluted characters and storylines, I'm guessing she'll be someone entirely new. Still, I was a bit wary of JLC, having seen her acting in Emmerdale a few years back, but she's completely won me over.

[giallarhorn]

I'd really like to have Clara=Oswin, under the condition that it would occur without another River style time loop. But from the way that they seem to talk about, it seems like Oswin was an entirely separate entity that was written apart from Clara?

This was the first time I had seen her in anything, but she's done the most mysterious thing of all, which is somehow make all of the traits that we've seen before in Moffat's women likable.

[spaciireth]

Yeah, I am still in two minds about the whole Rory/Amy thing. If it had been developed over a few episodes, it would have made more sense, but as it is, it was just, "ooh! how can we add some conflict for the Ponds?" The fact that is was so quickly resolved I think is what bugged me most about it.

Oswin was great! I think she is supposed to be a separate character from Clara? Though no one is really sure anymore because no one was expecting her here. I did read one theory somewhere that perhaps the Doctor changes the time line so she never becomes a Dalek, which also undoes the Dalek mind-wipe and they go back to being enemies. Which could work. idk. I'm just going to wait and see.

[giallarhorn]

I feel like it could've been developed really easily across Pond Life, but instead, it wasn't and just kind of a way like you said. It was kind of like it was there to get the initial emotional shock and resolution value. That quick of a resolution also really kind of cheapens the supposed impact of the divorce, to say the least.

I would personally prefer that time warp as opposed to the potential for another River Song esque style loop, because blah. Personally, I'd be all for her getting back her body on her own, since she's been indicated as such a genius.

Or it may just be that the two of them aren't related in any way, shape, or form.

[spaciireth]

Yeah, I don't want her to be River 2.0, particularly immediately following the River arc. I mean, I know Moffat reuses stuff, but that just seems lazy. I like the idea of her fixing things herself, that would be awesome.

[giallarhorn]

River 2.0 would as you said, just be lazy. And it'd be another situation where we see the potentially awesome character end up giving herself up for the Doctor.

But I mean, it may just be that she's an entirely different entity from Clara, which would probably be more of the case since the Doctor never actually saw her.

[openmicnights]

When did Rory say he wanted kids?

Exactly. I mean, they can't just have Amy say "You've always wanted kids, ever since you were a child" and think that it suffices. Come on, Moffat.

Pond Life could've been used to back this up instead of just making fans smile because of Oods and lunch boxes.

[giallarhorn]

It bothers me that it could've been so so easily fixed, and patched up via Pond Life to actually set up the plot. But that they didn't makes it feel like it was just there for the convenience of the episode's plot so that the Ponds would have something to argue about, except it wasn't really examined in the episode except in a very short time.

Sometimes I feel overly critical, but these are just so easily remedied things.