34.01: Deep Breath

It's almost time. Today is the day that the Doctor returns, with a new face, in a new series (and one that will not be split into two! Feels like years since we last had that luxury...).

Trailer, first:


Blurb second:

In late-1890s London, swashbuckling detectives Vastra, Jenny and Strax are summoned to the banks of the Thames for a big surprise, and then an even bigger one. A new Doctor is in town, with mayhem in his wake. As Clara struggles to recognise the man she thought she knew so well, killers stalk the capital. A slaughterhouse restaurant and a buried spaceship lead the Doctor into a confrontation with a long-forgotten foe... but how far is this new man ready to go to protect his friends?

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http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2014-08-22/steven-moffats-doctor-who-episode-guide-deep-breath

Thank goodness we're back in Victorian London - I've almost forgotten what it looks like...

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The Beeb are doing their usual thing of giving Doctor Who an irregular timeslot (yeah, yeah, BBC, we get it, character travels through time so let's keep people guessing what time he'll be on TV. Hohoho, hehehe, hahaha, hilarious).

Tonight, the Doctor is in from: 19:50.

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So, what can we expect from this new Doctor, who has the audacity to buck the reverse aging trend?

Well, the UST that has permeated the past half a dozen series has been booted, with Capaldi himself telling the writers to pack it in with the flirting.

We've also got a new style (obviously), and trailers suggest that the TARDIS has had yet another makeover.

How about the Doctor himself? If there's anyone who can pull off a cantankerous Doctor who hasn't the time for silliness, Capaldi can. The trailers and teasers haven't given much away, here, so I guess we're going to have to watch the episode to find out!


Personally, I'm hoping for something more like Eccleston's reign (never thought I'd wish for RTD's return!), than Smith's or Tenant's. Sure, Ten and Eleven had some great moments, but the bouncy, bouncy, happy, happy, hey ain't that cool? thing really started to grate after a while, and the characters themselves quickly became almost caricatures of themselves.

I guess we'll see. To be honest, I'm more excited to see Clara again.

Really wasn't looking forward to this episode after the last season, but figured I'd give it a chance.

Glad that I did. Thought it was a brilliant episode. Sharp dialogue, sharp characters, and loved the whole focus on the face as a means of identity - the doctor, the lizard woman and her veil, and the clockwork man.

Thought Peter Capaldi carried out the mannerisms great, and even enjoyed the sentimental phone call at the end.

Thumbs up.

I thought it was good. In the past, if I recall correctly, not much effort was spent on other characters reaction to the doctor's change. Clara's reaction did feel human.

Thumbs down here. Capaldi didn't excite. I thought the plot was hard to follow, the bad guy unconvincing and the link to the best episode practically ever (Madame Pompidou) advertised its weaknesses. Even my kids barely mustered a 7 out of 10.

But, for me, Davy Tennant has ruined it for anyone else...

Funny in places and entertaining but I'm not sure he is doctor, hopefully he will grow on me. Lets see how he handles the daleks next week.

Glitch said:

I thought it was good. In the past, if I recall correctly, not much effort was spent on other characters reaction to the doctor's change. Clara's reaction did feel human.

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Yet to see this episode, but on the subject of others reacting to the change, did we not see the reaction of Jackie Tyler (and maybe Mickie/Rickie) when Eccleston changed to Tennant?

Definitely think Capaldi's got the potential but I'm still not keen on Clara. Nice that he nipped the "companion-in-love-with-doctor" thing in the bud quickly though. "I am not your boyfriend".

I really didn't rate the setting or the plot at all. My eyes lit up for a second as soon as Mme de Pompadour was mentioned, now THAT would've been a great plot-twist. Alas, no, just Victorian London (AGAIN).

The trailer for next time doesn't look promising either. What happened to a good old time-travel-with-a-couple-of-very-smart-villains episode?? It's been far too long since we've had a decent "Blink" or "Girl in the Fireplace" and I'm starting to lose hope :\

Who am I kidding? I'm still living in a post-Tennent state of mourning. (I know it's been 4 years, but I've had a hard time letting go and Smith never really did it for me)

Off to watch The End of Time and have a sob...

(Must say I really did like the new opening titles though!! My other half couldn't control his laughter when the episode started on account of my mesmerized gaze at the screen. I'm a big fan of the cogs and timey-wimey. 10/10 from me!)

Lenny said:

Yet to see this episode, but on the subject of others reacting to the change, did we not see the reaction of Jackie Tyler (and maybe Mickie/Rickie) when Eccleston changed to Tennant?

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I don't really recall their actions. I was more thinking about people perceive him as a different person, not just accepting it when told sort of thing...

I agree that David Tennant is the current gold standard, but I think Capaldi might do a good job. At least he's not letting Mr Moffat bully him into being a creepy paedo! Having said that, I was typing away at my WIP through the first 30 mins or so because nothing seemed to be happening apart from killing off a traditionally bad Sfx TRex. I put the iPad down from the moment Clara and the Doctor sat down in the restaurant though...

Growing up in the era of Jon Pertwee the grey hairs don't bother me.

Looking forward to seeing how the new doctor progresses.

Glitch said:

I don't really recall their actions. I was more thinking about people perceive him as a different person, not just accepting it when told sort of thing...

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Fair point. I've just scanned through Tennant's first episode, and aside from Jackie making a "Doctor who?" joke, and Mickey saying something along the lines of, "Stick with me, I'm dependable. Won't go changing on you like him", the only character who really reacts is Rose (I'd forgotten she broke down in tears when she realised her Doctor was gone - "The old Doctor wouldn't do that, he'd wake up").

I'm even more interested to see Clara's reaction, now - only the second companion out of the six nuWho companions to experience two different Doctors.

Actually, I guess River Song, too... but she saw it as a game, having gone into the encounter knowing it could happen.

OK, enough for now - off to watch!

tl;dr: Not a bad episode, maybe a good forty minutes in amongst it all. Moffat still doing the infuriating stupid stuff. Like the new Doctor - scares me a little. JLC/Clara was awesome. Surprisingly did not hate the phone call. More timey wimey?

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Hrrmm.

As introductions to new Doctors go (NuWho, at least), I'd probably rate this second of four - at number four is Tennant's soap opera nonsense (there's the RTD we know and love...), Smith comes in third with something that I can't remember having much substance, and Eccleston's introduction is top because it was such good fun (I remember going into it with the cynical, "Why on earth are they rebooting?" attitude, and coming out thinking, "OK, maybe I'll watch the next episode").

There was a lot I didn't like, mostly from the first half hour, which is mainly the stuff Moffat throws in I assume to appeal to younger audiences. I'll get that out of the way now (copying almost word for word from my notes): BOINK SOUND EFFECTS?!, "Door, boring, not me. Window, meee." NONONONONO, Jumping through a tree?, HORSE ACROBATICS?!, Give Strax The Glorious Death He Craves!.

The rest of the episode was actually not a bad forty-odd minutes. JLC particularly stood out as a highlight.

Brian Turner said:

loved the whole focus on the face as a means of identity - the doctor, the lizard woman and her veil, and the clockwork man.

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Agree with this.

Vastra's observations of the Doctor changing his face "to be accepted", and that "he looked young for everyone" gives some food for thought. I doubt it can be retroactively applied to every regeneration, but it's interesting to contemplate that the regenerated form could be developed over each previous regeneration's time to meet the needs of those the Doctor travels and associates with, or upcoming events.

Twelve's comments in the alley about why he had chosen the face make me want to watch the Fires of Pompeii episode again, to see how much of Capaldi's character in that he may have assumed.

Glitch said:

In the past, if I recall correctly, not much effort was spent on other characters reaction to the doctor's change. Clara's reaction did feel human.

Click to expand...

Glitch said:

I don't really recall their actions. I was more thinking about people perceive him as a different person, not just accepting it when told sort of thing...

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I understand what you mean now. Billie Piper had a good crack at it, but it evidently wasn't memorable. JLC, on the other hand, blew it out of the water. Clara is not a usual companion, in that the Doctor comes and visits her and takes her out, rather than Clara living in the TARDIS until her demise, and with that in mind, and with JLC's performance throughout the episode, I really did believe that she might just walk away from the Doctor and the TARDIS in the moments before her phone call.

On the phone call: I commented in the Christmas thread about "Poor Clara", after the Doctor had visions of Amy before his regeneration, despite Clara being his Impossible Girl. Whilst I'm on the fence about Clara needing Eleven to talk her into liking his regeneration, I thought it was a nice touch (even if I'm vehemently against the sentimental), because it's that final bit of closure between Eleven and Clara - he may have had visions of Amy, but he did think of Clara as he lay dying, enough to say a proper goodbye.

Kerrybuchanan said:

I put the iPad down from the moment Clara and the Doctor sat down in the restaurant though...

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Yes! That's when it started to interest me, too. Though it didn't hook me entirely until the Doctor, on the other side of the door, said: "Sorry, too slow. There's no point them catching us both". I held my breath as Clara held hers (and alerted the TickTocks long before Clara made it out of the room), feared we may be seeing the final moments of a companion as she passed out and her mind went back to the classroom (what a coup that would have been! Bring Clara in unexpectedly, wipe her out unexpectedly), and gave a mental cheer as she stood up to Captain TickTock.

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Some thoughts on this Doctor's personality (I'll be quick, because this post is getting long):

In the first half hour, before Twelve began to show himself in the alley, there were some interesting nods to Ten and Eleven (which I found awful at the time, but not so when I think back) - talking to the horse about it's pet human, and apologising over and over to the charred remains of the T-Rex.

Really like the way Twelve is going. He can be commanding, likes that his accent allows him to complain, and isn't afraid to raise his voice or show his annoyance ("planet of the pudding brains"!). He's very intelligent, and takes the time to look at things and think things through (when was the last time we had the Doctor sit for five to ten minutes and think about the situation?). He's also got his dark side ("Do you know how far I am willing to go? I do not expect to reach the promised land"), and apparently has no qualms with putting other people into dangerous situations to gain the upper hand... and that is quite scary.

Also: pushed, or jumped?

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A few final thoughts:

* Not a fan of the new title sequence. They've changed the theme again, I think. I don't like it.

* Last series, there was obvious colour choices going on - the Doctor's purple suit mixed the blue TARDIS and Clara's love of red, for example. In this episode, we saw Clara kitted out in shades of dark green. I wonder what, if anything, that may signify?

* The variation of Clara's theme on piano was perfect.

* Not a bad makeover for the TARDIS. Bookcases! An old leather chair!

* Missy. Not sure about her. There's a reek of timey wimey around. I want to think she might be some computer program collecting vanquished foes, but I fear she's real, and is the woman in the shop and the one who put the ad in the paper. The only thing that might make up for it is if she's a deranged Time Lord with a vendetta.

* GLASGOW! There exist cities that aren't London!

* Last, but not least: I am ever so impressed that Moffat managed to resist the time-old, "Doctor who?" joke.


EDIT: Very long. Sorry to anyone wanting a quick thread to flick through. I'll stick a tl;dr at the top.

SPOILERS

When Peter Capaldi first comes out of the TARDIS and shushes Strax he is without a doubt The Doctor. He fits the part perfectly.

Madam Vastra is still awesome. This episode has me convinced that the Paternoster Gang need their own spin off. If not a TV series then a comic mini series, novel or audio book.

Clara's emotional speech to Vastra was pretty good. I think she actually has quite a bit of chemistry with Capaldi in the lunch scene.

I liked the scene where Capaldi talks about the familiarity of his face. "Attack eyebrows"

I liked that the cyborg's ship was a hot air balloon. Nice nod to "The Next Doctor".

Interesting sequel of sorts to "The Girl in the Fireplace".

Nice to see them address who gave Clara the phone number of the TARDIS in "The Bells of Saint John".

Very touching farewell phone call scene with Matt Smith.

Lenny said:

on the subject of others reacting to the change, did we not see the reaction of Jackie Tyler (and maybe Mickie/Rickie) when Eccleston changed to Tennant?

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In the classic episodes "Robot", "Castrovalva" and "The Twin Dilemma" (among others) as well. I think "Deep Breath" took the companions reactions to a whole new level.

Lenny said:

* Not a bad makeover for the TARDIS. Bookcases! An old leather chair!

Click to expand...

Reminded me a bit of Sylvestor McCoy's console room in the 90's movie. I love that set!

New Doctor, new Doctor, yay! (Not that there was anything wrong with the old one, of course.)

I think he's going to be terrific. I have to watch it again in an hour and see what all I missed, and try to make out the words I didn't understand the first time, but overall I enjoyed it very much the first time.

And I am loving the new titles -- it was a "When Harry Met Sally" moment when those came on and I began shouting, "yes! yes! yes!"

In a word - very disappointed. I remember now why I stopped watching last season and it's the 'same old same old'. I got really sick of the maniacal buffoonery of the Matt Smith Doctor and I see much of the same here. I'm hoping it's simply a transition period before Capaldi stamps his authority on the character. As for the storyline - mediocre. I'm all for a bit of fantasy but when that is a direct contradiction to our own known reality(which the Doctor happens to inhabit) - i.e. the proportions of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, I have to make the observation that a fledgling scriptwriter would have been told to go back and get his facts right.
I hope things improve as the series goes on because, if it doesn't, I'll be switching off again.

I thought this was a decent open to the Capaldi era.. I was struggling to see him as "the doctor" at first - I think this is the most jarring regeneration of the new era. But by the end I was 100% on board. As others have said it was good to see a lot of emotion from Clara around this new doctor, as well has his own post-regeneration instability being played out emotionally rather than having him shooting off regen power randomly!

They are now playing very fast and loose with keeping Strax and Vastra's alien-ness hidden from the population. And the t-rex seems to be just another thing that defied all logic (from the view of the general population) yet didn't make the news/history books!! But I think we all knew what was stuck in it's throat straight away?!

Oh and re those opening credits - did you know they were fan-made? Moffat loved them so much he made them officially http://io9.com/this-fan-made-doctor-who-opening-is-so-awesome-stephen-1622434800

Start was too slow, and there's some jarring of styles (manic silliness, which grates a bit, and the cantankerous wordplay and taking the piss out of Clara). I thought the acerbic exchanges were rather well done.

I also didn't mind the nod back to the clockwork robots because it placed more focus on the Doctor, which is at is should be with a new chap playing him.

And I was amused when Vestra had her cockney totty just posing for her for no reason.

Once we are a few episodes in I'll set up a new poll to see how Capaldi compares to the others.

I think I'm going to like this Doctor. I'm not familiar with Peter Capaldi so for me he's a new face. I didn't like Matt Smith at all but I think the phone call from him was very moving. Ironic really that this is the first time I've liked him as the Doctor. I've always liked Clara. Of course a lot depends on the quality of the new stories.

I think it was good to see them back in Victorian times. I like the lizard lady and her partner, but without doubt one of the funniest and very entertaining characters ever is that dopey Sontarran Strax. I think he is hilarious and definitely has some of the best lines. I could watch him for hours.

I haven't seen the episode yet, but regarding the Doctor not quite being the Doctor -- Capaldi himself has said in an interview that he's not going to leap straight into a personality but let it develop over time.

In other news I love Peter Capaldi and I'm so looking forward to this series!