DW--Dinosaurs on a Spaceship--Reaction Post

[amberfocus]

*sighs*



This episode was just...kind of lame. I had higher expectations, but it was really just messy. I think it was trying too hard to be funny and it kept missing the mark by just a little bit, like the person who always gets the punchline of a joke just off enough that you know that it was supposed to have been hilarious, but didn't quite make it there in the delivery. The robots just seemed like they were trying too hard. First thing my kids said when they came on the screen was "Transformers!" They said it in unison even. What else seemed ripped off? Well, the engine being powered by waves seemed an awful lot like the Infinite Improbability Drive on the Heart of Gold.

I've never much cared for episodes that start with a lot of implied history, but nothing is explained about it, and they managed to do that for two characters and for Rory and Amy, now that I'm thinking about it. This would have been more fun if they had had a full ep with Ridell and then a full ep with Nefertiti (is Moffat afraid of a true historical episode?), and then brought them both together in this. I might have cared more about the characters then. As it was, I didn't care much for Ridell. Was he supposed to be real? Am I like Amy and I've just never heard of him? This could have totally been done with just Amy, Rory, Brian, and the Doctor.

Queen Nefertiti was in love with her husband in real life so I don't like the way they had her talk about him here and I don't buy her being all hot and heavy for the Doctor (who is just not that attractive in the little boy mode he's played in, even if Matt Smith is nice to look at, nobody that strong in their feminine self is going to fall for that never grow up thing). She did a lot of important things, like help unite Egypt in it's first polytheistic religion. She carried out many duties that were normally carried out by the pharoah and there is a lot of speculation that she was the real power behind the throne. She was very powerful and loved her country. Fifteen minutes in the King Tut exhibit taught me that. Could they not have done a little more research here? I just don't buy the way she was written here. I don't think she would have abandoned her country and her kingdom for the Doctor. I know she disappeared from the annals of history sometime during the 14th year of her husband's reign, but I really didn't like this plucked from history type of ending to such a powerful character. Nice hair at the end, though.

Eleven is basically killing people now. Okay. Who's full of blood and anger and revenge now? What's next, him actually using a gun on someone? Well, I did see the previews, and there are guns so maybe so. If so, I'm going to be more disappointed in SM's who then before.

A dinosaur playing fetch? So it's basically a dog? Gah.

The villain was awful and skeevy. I am tired of villains being skeevy for what appears to be shock value alone. Plus, wouldn't raping Nefertiti to break her spirit lower her "value?" I mean, the way they were going on...just ew.

I did like Rory's dad. I did like the two of them flying the ship together, because how cool is that? I liked Brian asking to see the Earth from space, because I would totally do that (and the rings of Saturn). I liked Rory carrying nursing supplies and lying to his dad about the shot hurting, but then nothing else would after it. I liked Amy saying she was Rory's queen, LOL. Rory's reaction to the Doctor kissing him was hilarious. Although how come Rory rates a lip kiss and Amy only rates a forehead kiss? I also liked Amy saying she was as good as any two men to Ridell. The dinosaurs were pretty. Yeah, that's about it.

I really do not know what is going on here anymore. After last season's hot mess, I had hoped we'd at least get something more like season five which had plots and story arcs, even with giant crack anvils. But I don't think we will.

I really wish SM would leave Who. I'd like to see someone else, someone better writing Eleven. I think the character could still be salvaged. Smith has these flashes of brilliance that better writing could polish. It's just so sad to me to see what this show has become in the last couple of years. There's still so much potential here and it's being utterly wasted with this showrunner and writer's like Chibnall.

Comments

[auntiesuze.livejournal.com]

Weirdly, I really liked this episode. Though after the hot mess that was the premiere, my bar was set very, very, VERY low. ;)

I don't know jack about Nefertiti, so that didn't impact my viewing, though I can see how it would irritating anybody who knows more about her.

I definitely agree with you on the killing thing. I was like...um...WTF? Not even an attempt to justify letting Solomon be killed? It seems to me that they could have imprisoned him and sent the ship off on its own to attract the missiles. Makes no sense.

I also agree about wishing SM would leave. I've been really unhappy with the way he's run the show. I know there are those who think he's great, but it's just not doing it for me. :\

[lunawho.livejournal.com]

I agree with the above comment. Compared to Asylum of the Daleks, this was SO much better.

I do agree that there were a whole mesh of characters that didn't really seem to have any need to be there. I mean, as much as I love Rupert Graves, I think he could have been much better utilized in another episode. I think they just needed an early 20th century guy brought in to have an excuse to be misogynistic and to have someone flirt with Nefertiti.

UGH. This is why that show needs more female writers or at least a male writer who understands that a woman is powerful in more ways than that she can give birth (as Moffat hinted was the only thing that was important about a woman in Doctor, Widow, and the Wardrobe.)

I really hope that show gets turned over to someone like Mark Gatiss soon -- a man who both understands the Doctor and understands female companions and knows how to do a good history episode.

The only real plus side to the episode (and the reason I enjoyed it more than the other three episodes Chris Chibnall has written) is that it was kind of a nice, fun adventure. And, as you said, Mark Williams' character of Brian was amazing. And something tells me that if Toby Whithouse writes as emotionally charged of an episode this coming week as he has a history of having done before, I'll need this passed week's "light" episode to come back to in order to center my emotions.

[charlottetrips.livejournal.com]

Even my optimistic self couldn't overlook the messiness of this episode. I don't know if it's possible to have Dinosaurs on a Spaceship and not have it be some kooky little kid thing. But again, this is a family show.

You basically liked all the stuff I liked. Along with the "Brian Pond" comment. Eleven's so stuck in that :P

The Doctor killing is definitely not something I like seeing but it just harks back to the Doctor of "The Family Blood". After they killed those innocent people, he took it upon himself to be the Judge and the Jury. Solomon killed all the Silurians on the ship, shot Brian just because, killed the triceratops to show his "prowess", kidnapped and demeaned Neffie and decided to abandon all the creatures and people on the Silurian ship. The Doctor in this shows that he does think himself detached from other species in that it's his responsibility to punish while also at the same time proclaiming himself worthless.

I do so love Matt Smith as the Doctor and how far he's come in making the character his own but I agree - I need some story/character arcs in this season and while I get a smidgen here and there, it's not enough to feel cohesive. But, we're just on episode 2 so maybe it'll improve.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_thirty2flavors/]

Yeah this episode was standard Chibnall IMO: mostly boring with a sprinkling of grossness on top. Hooray.

The back end of this episode would've been more interesting if it was indeed the Doctor that Filch wanted, ~last of the Time Lords~ and all ought to have some value. And I can see the Doctor being all "well fine take me if it'll save Earth" or whatever. And then we could've had the "gang" working together to save his dumb ass. But no, instead we got Nefertiti -- who seemed to be there almost exclusively to be a sex object -- be literally treated as an object for sex, with implied rape and everything. Yay? Also, didnt' like that her and Riddell's "flirting" was basically "dude makes sexist remark, woman reprimands him but secretly she likes it", or that they left together because Nefertiti wants to bone this guy more than she wants to be the motherfuckin' Queen of Egypt. ????? The hell.

On the bright side I did really like Amy in this episode, I thought she was quite fun and I liked seeing her take charge and show off some stuff she learned from the Doctor and sort of "be" the Doctor in her own sense. I was less keen on learning that she "can't not wait for him", but at least that suggests they'll go somewhere with it. And she's not a model anymore? IDEK.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_thirty2flavors/]

OH and lol I meant to add, since it also bothers me so much, that Nefertiti being alllll over Eleven was super gross as well. Like you said, it makes no sense that they consistently write Eleven to behave as a "cosmic five year old" and then at the same time have women like Nefertiti and Mata Hari throw themselves at him. It seems very telling of a male writer IMO -- like "of course women would love him! look how smart he is! they can't help themselves!" Uhhh, bit more complicated than that buddy.

[mkejenkins.livejournal.com]

I have to agree with you sweetie. This episode just left me completely wanting.

The biggest issue for me was the Doctor killing Solomon. He just doesn't do that! He might imprison someone for hand them over to local authorities to see that they face justice, but he never resorts to cold-blooded murder. This is NOT the Doctor that we know.

If makes no sense unless Moffat is setting things up for the Doctor to go insane shortly after his next regeneration and become the Valeyard (and heaven help us if Moffat lasts that long).

[six.livejournal.com]

Based on the previews, I watched the episode thinking they were Lestrade, Filch and Arthur Weasley, so I enjoyed it more than I normally would've and let a lot of things slide because of it.