Doctor Who (41) - 2.05: The Story and the Engine.

[nixie]

Overall I enjoyed this one, disappointed with the end but I liked the sci-fi and mythology vibe the episode gave.
When I seen the giant spider, it reminded me of Neil Gaimen.
Oh and happy to say Mrs Flood didn't pop up at the end although she did appear halfway through.

 

[Dave]

This was an odd episode. The other recent thread about the comments of Peter Purves (former Companion) and how the stories are too complicated would apply to this. If it is aimed at children, then it should be simple - monster - threat - some kind of handhavium and the Doctor saves the day. These recent stories are unfathomable for children, and above the heads of many adults too. No running down corridors just stuck in a locked room. I'm also sure that I didn't understand it all. Were they Gods, lesser Gods, creators of Gods, mortals who worked for Gods, or a giant spider? The other big different with these new stories is how they all play with the idea that we are aware that we are watching a story and that the Doctor is only a character, rather than a time-travelling, human-loving alien.

Recently, this show has begun (much more than ever before) to tell us that the Doctor has had far more adventures and lived much more years than we see on screen. He lived an entire year in a hotel room in one episode, but a Century passed by in another. Here we find the Fugitive Doctor (Ruth Clayton) had swapped stories before with Abena.

Mrs Flood didn't pop up at the end although she did appear halfway through.

She told Belinda that she was just getting her tablets. So, Belinda knows her? You only collect tablets in a hospital if you are being discharged. Did Belinda treat her in hospital? What was her ailment? Was it Chronic Character Fatigue Syndrome?

 

[Matteo]

Pfft...if that story had been told in the chair that space spider thingy would have gone nowhere!. (Mrs Matteo).

As @Dave says; I can't see any kid making sense of that episode. I was struggling. Who exactly was the main character? And the whole "gods" thing was brushed over in a few lines.

I don't mind so much when we see glimpses of adventures that were never episodes but learning that the Doctor was in Lagos long enough to make firm friends seemed odd. When did it happen?

And seeing the Doctor as a character? No. Just no. Stop it!

On the whole, it felt like there was the nub of a good/interesting idea but it was executed poorly. Maybe it needed a double episode - to flesh out the background a bit? Or maybe that still would not have worked.