29.12: The Sound of Drums

[Lenny]

Harry Saxon becomes Prime Minister, but his dark ambitions reach beyond the stars.

---

Time Vortex Manipulator! I told you!!

First comment - Martha's family, locked up. Booyah!

Second comment - Gallifrey! Hey-oo!

Third comment - catchy rhythm.

Good episode, again. Gave some nice background info on Gallifrey, and a bit on The Master. But it really makes me wish that the Beeb would show these things as doubles - we did, after all, have to miss a week for a bunch of fella's in sparkly costumes to sing in a foreign language.

I don't suppose any of the watches of the original series have come across those sphere before? Or the Toclophane (sp?)? I'm curious. Very curious. Meow.

 

[the_faery_queen]

sorry, i wa sbored senseless and by the end i was indifferent and couldn't care less.
martha proved what a great actress she is, what a cool character.
the doc was ok.
captain jack irratated me. is there ANYONE he doesn't fancy, cos that got bored reallly fast. i wish someone had told russel that making a character fancy everyone and immortal (or unkillable) doesn't really make them interesting, or a bit of a lad/rogue whatever he was going for. at least to me. it just feels like he's all tell and no show.
john simm was ok as the master. he was funny and cute, but not nuts enough.
yeah. took too long for me. i wa sbored by the end. i think last weeks episode and part of this should be shoved together to make one, or something, cos it was dragged out too long and now i don't care if everyone dies
actually, a bored part of me would like that

 

[Foxbat]

I enjoyed it. Good to see all those small hints from earlier episiodes slowly unravel TM's dastardly plot.

A bit too much humour from the evil genius (but I did love the scene where he was watching the Tellytubbies). I agree that Jack is like Bleach (a mild irritant) but the rest of the cast was fine.

On the whole, a good extension of last week's story.

 

[MsGudBod]

come on faery queen couldn't have been that boring.
Not with that yummy goodness they call doctor in it.
I haven't gotten to see the new season yet. Doesn't start till next month here. I just love the new quirky "doc"

 

[sanityassassin]

I was disappointed with this episode and i found myself drifting also, I was really looking forward to this episode after last weeks but it let me down in substance. The Master I thought was a big disappointment he didn't come off as the evil genius he should have done more of a fool

 

[Tillane]

Oh, and it was all going so well...

Sorry, but I didn't like this at all. Right from the kick-off, with Simm grinning hammily at the camera I just groaned. Then groaned some more at the ever-so-brief "here's how the Doctor got back" explanation and the Doctor's explanation of how the Master came to be evil.

There were one or two grabsome bits, like Martha's folks being bundled into the back of the van by Sinister Woman's men, but they were - in my opinion - completely overshadowed by an awful lot of naffness (hidden for those who missed it and don't want spoilers):

John Simm's constant, OTT hamminess. He's supposed to be an evil genius, not an insane game-show host.

The Valiant. Or should I say Cloudbase. (anyone here old enough to remember Captain Scarlet? Sorry. Anyone else?)

The Doctor being aged. Could that have been any more naff?

And the ending. Anyone else yelling at the TV "you missed one! She's behind you! She's right there...oh forget it."

 

[The Ace]

There was one good bit;

The Master; Here they are the girlie and the freak, who can tell which is which ?
Captain Jack's sexuality I can live with, otherwise he gets so far up my nose he parts my hair.

 

[the_faery_queen]

it was that boring im afraid. david tennant is lovely, but not lovely enough to make it any good. he's the only reason i watch new doc who, in honesty, and the only reason i will keep watching it despite the ever so many snoozy episodes. but he's not enough to make a snooze interesting.

and captin jack just irratates me. i love LOVE gayness usually, but the whole, sleeps with anything character just sets my nerves on edge. i had an ex like that. he will chat up ANYTHING and it doesn't make him seem cool, or rogish, the look i think they're going for with captin jack (his look certainly says that) all he (my ex) seemed was desperate, horny little dog. and i just want to hit him on the nose and say, stop that. and when doc did say that, at first, that was amusing. but when captin jack tried it on with THREE people (well did the, you're attractive look to three people) last week, and then it's the, oh i fancy the doc too, thing it just gets a big yawn, you're trying too hard, hit on the nose, type thing it's not rogish, or edgy, it's sad and cheesy. it's like one of those guys in a bar who chats up every girl until they get some. and then his whole, i can't die, im so great and important, also buigs me. im so disappointed in his character. he's so pretty, but i can't stand the character

tho i do wonder, did he fancy the doc when he was chris eccleston, is it just david gtennants doc he likes

 

[Alienweirdo]

I'm personally having a problem with the whole genicide thing again.

This is like, the forth time millions of people have been killed in the same timeline, first with the Slitheen (ok, maybe not millions, but...), then the Christmas episode, and then the Dalek/Cyberman War in Doomsday, and now this. theres going to be nobody left on earth at this rate! i hope this gets reconciled.

As for jack, yeah... well...ok...

Tennant Still Rocks in my opinion, i hope he stays for much longer.

I'm starting to warm to Martha, i liked it when the doctor was explaining how those keys worked 'like somebody you fancy not noticing you' ahhh the bitter irony...

The Master... Hmmm, reminded me of Jack Nicholsen's Joker from Batman. He was good, needed a goatee though.

Little orb things, aesthetically lame.

Overall average episode methinks.

 

[Dave]

I wasn't bored, but there was a lot of filling in this episode. I'm also not always sure I like this new Doctor Who, but I don't know if I'm just too old.

I actually liked the explanation of how the Master became evil. At least there is one now. How the Doctor got back? Well, as Lenny already said, he guessed that last week. Cloudbase - yes I thought that too.

That Cloudbase was run by UNIT is a nice touch. Many people think Torchwood is an abomination to Doctor Who, because UNIT already existed, but there is obviously room for both.

I agree about John Sim's hamminess and that he looked foolish. Unfortunately, he's always going to be Sam Tyler to me anyway. I also agree with the Captain Jack Harkness comments.

I thought that Martha was going to blame the Doctor for bringing the Master to Earth. She had the same look as the School Nurse in the earlier episode, who said much the same about the scarecrow aliens in 1913. But I was longing to tell her that the Master has been here before. He's spent time in prison on Earth, and already attempted to bring all manner of aliens to power before. So, nothing new there. It just appears that the government was much better at covering these things up in the sixties and seventies, whereas everyone is now aware of the Battle of Canary Wharf and the Army of Ghosts, and the destruction of St Stephen's Tower (Big Ben clocktower). And it's hardly the Doctor's fault that her mother is so stupid.

 

[the_faery_queen]

i think i missed the part where it explained why they kept showing these kids this big fat chasm that made some go mad and others run off. why do they do that? and where are the others who ran off or went mad? if they ran off, wouldn't they have been off the planet when it was destroyed? and if they were mad, wouldn't they, perhaps, have done the same stuff as the master and maybe also been alive?

and yeah, i agree, im kinda tired of them destroying earth. and with SO much stuff happening on earth, especially in the uk, you'd think people would be more wary (mr us president for starters) and perhaps find a way to counter it more obbviously than sneaky torchwood?

 

[Lenny]

Something I'm surprised no-one has commented on, yet - the use of the song Voodoo Child ("Here come the drums, here come the drums..."). Cheesyness to the extreme!

When the heads of UNIT were killed in the first Slitheen episode, was it not said afterwards that UNIT was destroyed? I thought it was, for some reason, and so the inclusion of UNIT in this episode surprised me a little.

One thing I'm a-wondering, is, what happened to The Master's TARDIS? And what will the Doctor do now his has been cannibalised and he permantly set the co-ordinates to that time?

 

[HoopyFrood]

Something I'm surprised no-one has commented on, yet - the use of the song Voodoo Child ("Here come the drums, here come the drums..."). Cheesyness to the extreme!

I haven't watched the episode yet, but I've had that song in my head since I saw the title of this thread earlier.

 

[The Ace]

Well, mainly it actually shows the destruction of London. I can live with that.

 

[HappyHippo]

it's nice to know I'm not alone - I was on the phone to my sister for 40min explaining why this episode was NAFF!
I agree with previous comments, The Master was sooooo irritating! Like, you're an evil genius, you've got this cool plan to take over the world (has anyone noticed that the Who writers have a real bias against mobile phones? As in the cyber earphone things, and this embedding?), and you're just basically Bruce Forsythe.
And what's with Mrs Saxon? I kept thinking she was meant to be more obviously relevant than she seemed to be... is she an 'evil' companion? Do all time Lords have one?
The orbs sounded a bit like the Gelf.
There is entirely too much gurning, larking about, snogging and looking emotively distantly to the left of the camera for my liking. I miss the good old days!
And, I could be showing my age here, but I found the cardboard and bubble wrap monster of the eighties a lot scarier than the CG ones.

what a whinger! sorry!

 

[Serin]

Tillane, I agree with you about Captain Scarlet. I'm looking forward to seeing next week's episode.

 

[Talysia]

I'll be interested to see what happens in next weeks' episode, especially after all of the hype. I wasn't particularly impressed by the aliens, though, and it did seem a bit overdone, in my opinion. Not a bad episode, though.

 

[The Ace]

Errr HH, mobile phones are the work of the devil.

 

[PTeppic]

Jelly babies. Anyone fancy a jelly baby: nice touch!
And I guess the vortex used to initiate the Gallifreyan kids is meant/bound to look like the opening credits vortex thingy.
Agree with the above about Tellytubbies and Mrs Saxon.

I guess there are only so many times you can wear a dodgy beard and moustache, the latter of which you twirl, as you try to take over the country. Overwhelming charm, charisma and humour are more appealing. Maybe the Master's realised/learned that smarmy politicians get elected: it worked for certain people I can think of who retire imminently.

I agree they're over-using the "world in peril by creatures which zap/interfere with half the population". How can you keep the series "real" when it drifts so far away from "real life". There needs to be some rapid characterisation of the little orb things, to justify their three-year-old voices/mannerisms too, or they become non-credible.

Also agree with the above, the Master's TARDIS must be loose at the end of the universe where he was hiding. My assumption is that, like the Doctor, he hid it when he became human, assuming he'd be able to recover somehow (the Doctor had the advantage there, by using/trusting Martha) and then regain his ship. So if they can reach it, the Master's TARDIS must be available, if they can find it, open and use it. Presumably once he gets his hands on it, the Doctor will be able to fix the TARDIS. Maybe, now he's arrived, the Master can/could have/has... the main thing was to limit that first single jump? He's been able to make himself a nice laser screwdriver after all! Ah - just remembered: possibly important clue - the TARDIS can only jump between present day and end of the universe? Will we see them jump back for some reason? Imprison the Master there as a human again?

And why, after all his plotting is the Master doing this? What have these flying footballs got that help him. He's unlikely to have done it against his will. Since RTD is a lover of back-story, I guess we may find more about why the Master hates the Doctor so much. Apart from repeated foilings of plots: he's as bad the Scooby gang... (in both shows): I'd have got away with it if it weren't for you pesky Doctor and that meddling companion/K9/TARDIS.

Also, what is the paradox: all they've done so far is open a rift in time, space or both.

Finally - what are the sound of the drums. He has obviously used them to help ensnare the people of England but did he create them? I get the feeling not. I think there's a whole new thing out there. Even he probably doesn't know what it is - unless it's the footballs, which seems slightly lame. I think we deserve some bigger, grander and something the Master doesn't know he's bringing in...

PS. A laser screwdriver - he has to go one better. Love it.

PPS. I'll see your "use a souped-up-by-the-Doctor vortex manipulator" and half-raise you "the Doctor will have done something with the sonic screwdriver to the controls" (though obviously not quite as far as a return-to-sender mode). Although more obvious, their way works better, as it gives the Master his vortex equipment to build the paradox machine and deprives the good-guys of their blue box.

As for niggly bits; you can't build something as big as the Valiant that would fly under gravity. It would be too heavy to take off. And no single person could have had sufficient influence. Modern military processes, and the size of the task, the only people who are "in charge" or called "chief engineer" are so high-level they only make decisions, not actually design things. Even if built by a single "company" (prime contractor) most of the work would actually have been sub-contracted out to the large, internationally known firms to do smaller bits.

And I will never look a conference phone in the same light again... though very Goldfinger, really...

 

[rune]

Ive enjoyed the last two weeks episodes, and especially this one. I think The Master character as been well casted, very well acted and he did make me laugh at times - LOL