Doctor Who

[Exoduso]

So.... we're gonna be waiting around 8 months now? :/

[Kaslo]

So.... we're gonna be waiting around 8 months now? :/

Welcome to British Programming.

[TummieGaruda]

So.... we're gonna be waiting around 8 months now? :/

Filming starts next month and the premiere is most likely going to be in August again. We were spoiled in season 6 with a split series (First half of the season > 12 week break > last half of the season > 12 week break > Christmas episode) but I prefer a full run with no breaks.

[Byrthnoth]

I just saw the Doctor Who christmas special.

Holy shit. I really hate Moffat.

[Marootsoobutsu]

So, I first saw Doctor Who about 3 months ago. When my kids went to the grandparents for a week, I basically binge-watched everything through half-way through this season. I get the hype, especially from Tennant. I like Capaldi a lot, too... I just hate the scripts he's been given.

Literally the only thing I liked about the Christmas special

Spoiler: show

Was Danny shouting, "NO! I saved Clara. The rest of you just got lucky." I know it was her dream, but her image of him was pretty dang accurate. They had an opportunity for a great "Goodbye" for Clara, and squandered it. The rest was "meh" at best, though I guess I chuckled at "It's bigger on the inside." For the season as a whole, I loved Missy. "Tell me something nice" is a great sadistic tagline. But mostly, I agree that Moffat's stories have been terrible of late, and Clara really got disappointing by the end.

Still, glad I've been around for the ride. Wake me up when Moffat's gone.

[Exoduso]

I really don't get this "let's hate on Moffat" bandwagon lately. I like his storytelling.

[Qalbert]

the man doesn't know how to do anything other than standalone episodes with interesting ideas

[Deftscythe]

I really don't get this "let's hate on Moffat" bandwagon lately. I like his storytelling.

It comes from the fact that he very clearly doesn't know who he wants clara or capaldi's doctor to be, nor what overall story he wants to tell with them.

[Byrthnoth]

Spoiler: show

Danny has about as many post-death appearances as pre-death appearances. I'm just waiting for the episode where the grouchy doctor and the prim little miss of a companion venture out to find the dragonballs and wish him back to life.

Spoiler: show

Also, the "Town Call Christmas" debacle where he felt the need to tie every plot point from the last few years together and put a "barely made sense" bowtie on it? Or the special after that with the War Doctor?

Holy shit, how does anyone even tolerate the man?

[Kaslo]

It was the End of Matt Smith's era, it deserved a bowtie on it

[Iono]

Bowties are cool

[synistar]

And stetsons.

I think we all miss Davies as the show runner.

[TummieGaruda]

I really don't get this "let's hate on Moffat" bandwagon lately. I like his storytelling.

RTD's storytelling is completely different from how Moffat does each series. Aside from the first series and Badwolf, RTD's series plots were more subtle in the opener and weren't brought up at the end of each episode as a reminder to the audience.

Spoiler: show

He would often include some very vague reference in an episode or two that the audience would forget about that had some connection to the finale (Torchwood in Series 2, Saxon in Series 3, Doctor Donna Series 4). This caused the writers had a bit more freedom with their stories without the series plot hovering over them and it made for a better series in my opinion. Also you have the fact that Davies was writing for two series (Doctor Who and Torchwood) so he was developing and expanding the Who universe with both series which were very much connected to each other (The season finale of Torchwood Season 1 leads directly into the Doctor Who episode "Utopia")

Moffat on the other hand likes these long series plots (often a question) that are introduced in the series opener with most of the episodes ending with some slight revelation or reminder of the plot. Series 5 had the cracks, Series 6 was the Doctor's Death and why the Tardis showed Amy failing and passing a pregnancy test, Series 7b was about the Impossible Girl Clara, and Series 8 was about Missy's identity.

Moffat's storytelling is in my opinion modeled after series with long running seasons (20+ episodes) and I think that the series would do better if he would abandon these long story arcs and put in small clues to the plot in 2-3 episodes and then have everything come together in the end. This doesn't mean that Moffat isn't a good storyteller. Some of the most memorable episodes came from the RTD era when he was just a regular writer for the show (The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances, The Girl in the Fireplace, Blink, Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead) so he has the capacity for a good story just not as the showrunner.

[Myrrh_Quetz]

I miss those subtle hints to the season finale. After each season, it made you want to rewatch the season to see exactly what you missed. That was great for a show like Doctor Who IMO. I hate how Moffat slaps you in the face with this huge reminder every episode about the plot. Plus, I'm not a fan of a majority of episodes since Moffat took over. He's great at doing single episode stuff(Don't Blink), but for season long stuff, he just doesn't know how or what to do.

[TummieGaruda]

The in your face plots seem to be more better suited for american television I think. The subtle plots are perfect for Doctor Who because you can enjoy the episodes more without thinking too much about solving a long series arc plot, plus as you said it makes it more fun to rewatch to find the little clues. Maybe now that the relationship between the Doctor and Clara has been somewhat resolved, maybe we will go back to that kind of a series, but I doubt it if rumors are correct that this is Moffat's last run as he will most likely end his tenure with the conclusion of a search for Gallifrey arc.

[Siatdiat]

I don't think the last 2 episodes of the regular season happened.

Santa Claus shows up at the end of the last episode and says that the Doctor and Clara are in trouble, there's now way to be sure how much of the previous was also dream. The doctor also continues to wake more than once at the volcano. Michelle Gomez said in an interview about the season finale that "Nothing that seems to be happening is actually happening" or something similar. The tangerine at the end of the Christmas Special could mean that they are still in a dream as well. I think that season 9 will blow peoples minds. The only thing that sucks is Clara is still going to be around.

[fliprock]

what i missed was the surprise reveals that made you go back and look at the clues, ie river songs identity, revealing why amy wasn't showing her pregnancy, etc. none of that happened in this series, the only mystery was missy

[Silenka]

I finally watched the christmas special.

I hate Moffat's showrunning as much as the next guy but I think this special was much better and more interesting than some of the previous christmas specials (even though I figured out the big twist almost right away). Doctor Who doesn't historically have strong christmas specials and there was a lot to like about this one in my opinion, aside from a couple stupid Moffat jokes (please leave the fucking car remote joke travesty in season 8. Please.) Actually, if anyone's to blame for this special being FAR less than it could have been

Spoiler: show

it's Coleman. Writing a bittersweet scene like near the end where Clara has aged and the Doctor didn't realize how much time had passed/how old she had gotten was PERFECT, and taking it away in the next breath is completely horrible. It would have been a PERFECT end to their time together. And I really, really wanted a new companion... not that Clara's bad, but some fresh blood is needed.

Of course, the big issue is still that it doesn't feel like the Doctor's show anymore, it just feels like a show with the Doctor in it. I don't expect anything to change in season 9, unfortunately.

[Siatdiat]

Yes please get rid of Clara. I think the dancing girl from the Christmas special will be back.

[Siatdiat]

I started rewatching season 8 last night. There are really good moments and episodes that I never noticed because I was so focused on how much I hats Clara and wondering why the doctor put up with her. "Listen" was really good. I had forgotten how Clara was there during the doctors childhood and reassured him when he was scared of the dark. My only fear so far is that the doctor is going to wake up in season 9 back in London with the dinosaur prowling around and realize all of season 8 was a dream.