Dr Who Series 1: Episode 3 - The Unquiet Dead

Spoilers as usual. Sorry for being late on this one. Homecoming weekend and all that jazz. Couldn't miss out on the festivities.

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Episode 3: The Unquiet Dead

Annnnd we open the show with an open casket. That is never a good sign people. Never… And of course I’m right because then the dead lady has creepy blue floating stuff around her before she opens her super creepy eyes and wanders off [not before killing her son of course]. And we find out there have been more…. These are some pretty shady things going around this morgue dude. Personally, I think he should be a little more freaked out than he is.

Then we go to a shakey TARDIS. Seems the good, ole’ Doctor has less control over the machine than originally speculated in this blog. Either way, they land in 1869 [though they think it is 60’[?] for a little while]. And Rose would attract attention with her outfit. She would be considered the town whore and she really isn’t for our times. So back to the room with all the pretty outfits and picking out one that appropriate… Because everyone knows exactly what people wore in those times… >.> Or maybe it is all labeled.

We bounce back and there are more shady dealings and pushing unwanted demands going about. Then there is suddenly Charles Dickens! Oh snafoozle!

Back to the Doctor and Rose, we see our leading lady putting her first footprints into 1869 snow [though I don’t know how different it is from snow now….]. Lots of fun walking around.

Back to Charlie Dickens’ little show/lecture/whatever. We play the “Can you spot the spooky lady in the crowd” game. If you haven’t played it before, it’s quite fun. There is quite a bit more flashing between the Doctor and Rose and the Charles Dickens’ thing until the converge into one epic thing. There were also carolers… Singing Christmas carols… And yes, I had to put that in there.

It is revealed by the Doctor that the ghost-y things are really gas-y things. And while Rose tries to “save” the old [dead] woman, she is kidnapped [for lack of a better word]. And the Doctor is clearly too enthralled by Charles Dickens to really notice. He is a fan of Mr. Dickens’ works of course. Finally the Doctor puts his thinking cap on and runs to the nearest carriage [AKA Charlie’s] and they start a wild chase for Rose. Not without some demanding on Mr. Dickens’ part though.

We arrive back at our starting point, the morgue of DOOOOOOOM. Rose is trapped in the bad room with two dead bodies while the creepy guy from earlier hides and his worker/servant girl tries to deter the Doctor and Dickens. And of course those bodies become reanimated. And the Doctor saves the day… And finds out the gas things aren’t really what they seem… AKA aliens. And we learn there is a rift [which = a weak point in…something] … On this house/morgue place. Which kind of makes it a haunted house which is perfect for this Halloween time coming up.

Some how, this leads to a happy Doctor and Charles Dickens looking for strings to prove it’s all a hoax. There is also some Rose and servant girl talk. Boys is a pretty universal and safe topic, right? Either way, it leads to Rose being called a wild thing [well, she did decide to go time traveling with a crazy Doctor… Also, cue “Wild Thing” song]. And we learn more about servant girl. A slightly religious girl wanting to go to Paradise with her departed mum and dad. And her power which was eluded to in the beginning… Apparently she can read minds or something. It’s never clarified except she has had this ability as a child and it was probably caused by the rift. Either way, she brings up the fact that Rose’s dad is probably waiting for her too in Paradise. So I little more insight into Rose but still leaves us with questions on that topic…

Of course, all of this leads into a séance [dunno if that’s spelled correctly…]. And the servant girl is in charge. She sees them! She feels them! And the aliens finally get a chance to talk. They need her to make it through the rift and all that jazz… Because their actual bodies were destroyed… IN THE TIME WAR [more about that in the questions section]! Which apparently destroyed many “higher” beings and not so much the “lower” ones.

From here, there is the first mini battle of Rose versus the Doctor. He’s ok with the aliens using the dead people while she is not [maybe because of her father?]. And of course, the Doctor gets it sooooo wrong. After getting servant girl to the arch to let the gas things through the rift, they start demands. Need more bodies, must kill you all, blah blah blah. *insert more hand holding here*

Charles begins to run off but eventually thinks “Oh snap, gas!” And he runs back and helps save the Doctor and Rose. Rose and Dickens run off in the sunset out of the building while the Doctor tries to save the servant girl. Of course, he realizes she already died and clarifies she probably died as soon as she stepped in the arch. But that doesn’t stop servant girl from lighting a match and blowing up the place and the evil ghosts aliens. Booya!

And now we get the hard part… Departing from Mr. Dickens. The writer asks questions that the Doctor cannot answer… Because even the Doctor cannot explain who he is. Cause it’s complicated. End of discussion for now. But he encourages Dickens and tells him his writings last forever! Cause that’s pretty sweet yo. Of course, Dickens wants to write about aliens now but thankfully, he dies soon… Cause that would be bad…

And previews! We wander back to Rose’s time! Dunno if it is soon after she left or what but some bad stuff is going down!

Remaining Questions:

What exactly makes a war a Time War?

Seems like there were definitely other aliens involved, otherwise there would have been no demolition of other "higher" beings. Still no indication of which ones were involved outside of the Time Lords

What happened to Rose's dad?

We are given the knowledge that he is indeed dead. However we don't know the whole story at this point. We also don't know how it may have affect Rose or her [somewhat desperate for a man] mother. There isn't really any indication that his death is important... Maybe he inspired Rose to take opportunities as they come?

Questions yet to be answered:

Who fought in this war that destroyed the Time Lords? What was it all about?

How long has the Doctor been in this form?

How old is Rose?

Dr Who Series 1: Episode 2 - The End of the World

Again, some warning that this contains spoilers! Part of my commentary includes summing up all that has happened in the episode! Includes the questions from my last post that haven't really been answered as well as a new question!

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Episode 2: The End of the World

Of course, we start with the typical “What happened last episode” bit which I love. I’m one of those people who completely forget usually what happened the previous episode. Which means I hate when they have the “what happened” bit but it’s a mixture of everything that has happened so far in the show in random bits that the writers/producers have determine are important.

And we’ve got Rose and the Doctor, who happens to be super excited when he is driving the TARDIS. He’s much more enthusiastic and knowledgeable than the current Doctor. And of course, it’s a surprise where they are going because apparently, Rose can’t pick.

And we’re billions of years into the future! Just before the sun explodes to be exact. I do like that some scientific knowledge  incorporated in this show but mostly because I knew this little tid bit. Makes me feel less like a moron when it comes to science and it’s… stuff. What is even more interesting is that a bunch of aliens are coming to watch!

And we are now introduced to another Doctor product, psychic paper. I love how everything gets explained here. And how it gets re-explained for every other Doctor as well. Here is where I  wonder if James Cameron had seen this episode and may have acquired some inspiration….

And during the introductions is where I’m sure many were inspired to write some Doctor/Tree Lady [name escapes me] fanfictions. Because everyone knows that when something like that is simply handed out, there is a fanfiction about it.

And we get to the gifts. Essentially, the only ones that really capture my attention are the shiny silver balls from the creepy cloaked Dementors aliens. Well, I guess the jukebox iPod was funny. “Tainted Love” is simply one of those songs you just suddenly start humming during some important examination. It is most definitely a mingling tune. Oh, and I didn’t know that ostriches could shoot fire out of their nostrils! I will be weary of them for future notice.

Here we get a little more Rose time. After a minor freak out around the aliens, she comes across another blue one. This one seems nice enough and is evidently a plumber. Guess it would be comforting to know you aren’t completely in a strange environment…  And of course, as soon as Rose disappears, something happens to our dear blue plumber! In the same time, the tree alien lady takes a picture thingy of the Doctor and tries to find out where he is from!...

And then more questionably questionable things from Rose… Mostly the fact that she seems to only be realizing now just how strange the Doctor may be. Also, she finds out that the TARDIS is in her mind!!! Ooooo! Oh and that talk of the Doctor’s home planet seems to be a no-go topic [for now]. And that he does jiggery pokery. Strangely, it seems as though time is continuing on for Rose’s mum. Or maybe jiggery pokery gives your phone time-warping abilities.

This is when there is a mysterious shaking of the ship, which only the Doctor seems to realize that the blue head dude was lying about. And for his deception, he is burnt to a crispy blue chicken nugget. Remember kiddies, turning off the sun filter = bad.

And more Doctor/Tree Alien fanfiction was produced around this little scene, especially with Rose giving them permission. Also, there are the Titanic references here that will definitely make this fanfiction worthy [maybe I should be the one to write it…] We find out the Tree Alien lady knows the Doctor is a Time Lord and apologizes for his loss.

We flash sideways over to Rose, who is telling off the “last human” lady. This is probably more commentary on someone’s part about plastic surgery and how it can destroy a person… But then again, I suspect the fleshy, “human” creature was probably a bitch before that anyway.

Again, we get to see an emotional Doctor, this time being sadness… And Rose being unconscious.

And the Doctor finally finds the buggers I didn’t mention before that emerged from the super shiny balls given out as gifts earlier. Yeah, they are kind of destroying the ship and killing people/aliens/things. What to do, what to do?!

Of course, we come back to the main room and Britney Spear’s “Toxic” is playing in the background… Never really considered end of the world music myself… Maybe end of humanity but not the world…

And our tree friend’s labeling device comes into play [again] and helps the Doctor solve the mystery! Of course those dementors cloaked creatures were remote controlled droids! And of course it’s all the “last human’s” planning! And of course it was all for blackmailing purposes! Just chill, the stretch of skin is just going to let the exploding sun kill you all.

Of course, the Doctor wanders to the emergency switch room with the Tree Alien lady to switch the switch that will turn the awesome, sun-resistant shields back on… But it’s getting too hot for our tree friend, who holds on to the switch to slow the air conditioner [a totally different switch entirely]. So while the Doctor saves the day, he doesn’t save his lady love tree friend. Again, insert more fanfiction here.

And the Doctor gets back to the main area. And of course, there is a secret device in the ostrich egg that brings the stretched skin back. Who proceeds to dry out and pops… or explodes… or breaks… or something. Either way, it was really kind of gross. D;

This leads up to more Doctor and Rose hand holding as well as a philosophy and history lesson from the Doctor. We learn he is the last of his kind [Superman-esque] and his planet is no more due to war…

And then the next episode preview comes up! I’m much more excited for this one because I’ve noticed I prefer past episodes than future ones.

Remaining Questions:

Who fought in this war that destroyed the Time Lords? What was it all about?

The war is mentioned yet again in this episode. We get a bit more of a glimpse into it. Obviously other aliens know of this war but were they involved? Again, we are getting the details piece by piece at this point.

Questions yet to be answered:

How long has the Doctor been in this form?

How old is Rose?

Dr Who Series 1: Episode 1 - Rose

Just a forewarning this blog contains spoilers. Don't read if you  don't want to know! Also, this will probably be the set up for these comments/commentary/episode guids. I take handwritten notes of the episode and then form what you see below. I'll probably always have some questions about each episode that I will keep track of at the bottom of every post. Hopefully they will be answered through the series. May or may not do some character analysis as I go along as well. We'll see.

Have fun reading!

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Episode 1: Rose

From the get go, I was interested… Mostly because the opening music is still essentially the same from season to season as well as the opening credits [with minor tweaks]. But I definitely need to pay attention because the first 5 minutes or so is jumpy. Girl wakes up, goes to work, has lunch with boy, goes back to work, store is closing, and needs to turn in lottery stuff… Which the lottery stuff alone was strange because most clothing stores in the U.S. don’t sell lottery tickets or anything or the sort.

So of course, the girl [Rose] goes in the super creepy basement with the super creepy mannequins [which I noted before anything happened with them]. It was very horror movie-esque in my mind. Well, except that someone probably knew she was down there [even if said someone would not have been able to help]. And of course, the mannequins start moving and kind of move like zombies [BRAIIINS! OM NOM NOM!]. But when that one mannequin does a karate chop, I did chuckle a bit. Really, a karate chop?

And magically a mysterious man appears, grabs Rose’s hand and manages to help get her away from the [flesh eating] mannequins. And the man introduces himself as the Doctor. I get the feeling he is a little more eccentric than the current Doctor… And has some definite human traits to him [outside of his appearance]. Oh and he blew something up within the first 10 minutes of the show… Pretty awesome if I do say so myself.

And then he is gone. Rose is left with the mystery arm which should have been destroyed right away. But of course it wasn’t. That’s logical.

The next day, strange sounds come from the cat flap… Which I wonder why there is a cat flap in an apartment. The whole concept boggles my mind but I’m also a dog person… And as Rose is investigating the cat flap, POOF! The Doctor appears yet again. We see a little more of Rose’s mom [desperately lonely single woman anyone?] and more strange sounds which everyone assumes is a cat… Which does not sound like a cat at all in my opinion but maybe that’s just me.

Anyway, random attack from creepy mannequin hand and we’re off! As in Rose follows the Doctor to a random place. There is talk of what the world revolves around [which it turns out to be the Doctor] and we get our first glimpse of the TARDIS. <3 Of course, it possibly could have been overlooked if you did not know anything about the TARDIS. Here, I get more feelings that this Doctor is much more of a lone-ish wolf.

So flash forward to Rose randomly showing up at her boyfriend [what’s his face] and needs to use his computer… Which boggles my mind as well because I feel like every person and his/her mother owns one [again, possibly an American thing or a slight time difference thing]. And mysteriously searches [technically not googles because she is not using google] for information on the Doctor.

And finds Clive, who is probably some sort of crazy conspirator who needs a better hobby. Do agree with what’s his face that this man could be a basket case [yellow punch buggy!]. Here we see some photoshopped pictures of the Doctor throughout time… And a people eating trash can. Throw in some speculations of the Doctor and Rose finally decides to leave. In the car of a very different looking boyfriend [but maybe I can tell the difference between plastic people and people people].

Now in the restaurant, the Doctor pops up yet again to take out the plastic boyfriend [not that kind!]. And we finally get to see the inside of the TARDIS! Super exciting if not a little plain. But again, I’m watching this having seen the latest season of Dr. Who. So blah blah blahing… And looking for the plastic super center, there is some hand holding while running to the entrance… Which just draws my attention and I can’t figure out why.

Anyway, we get down the plastic blob and the Doctor tries some negotiations which not surprisingly do not work well. And the attack of the mannequins commences! And since when do mannequins secretly have guns in their hands? Kind of worrisome if you ask me. This is all very Y2K-ish except not electronics going berserker. And I kind of hope Clive will be OK after it all… I know, strange but he does have a family.

But all is well in the end, with the blob getting the anti-plastic and all. And the Doctor offers Rose a trip of a lifetime. Which is first refused which makes me go WTF MATE?! And then, in a span of maybe 20 seconds and the Doctor mentioning that the TARDIS goes through time, Rose changes her mind… And the real adventures begin!

I can honestly say I don’t know if I would have continued on with Dr. Who had I seen this season first. Nothing too captivating with it yet.

Comments on the Doctor:

1.       Blunt and not very whimsical

2.       Forgetful [he’s got a lot on his mind… a conscience perhaps?]

3.       Definitely melodramatic

4.       What a big nose! I didn’t really notice it the first time I watched but the second time… Wow…

5.       The [p]leather jacket certainly suits him. Very Rebel Without a Cause… Except older.

6.       He seems to know much more about the TARDIS than the current Doctor. Kind of assume he’s been in this form for a while then.

Remaining questions:

How old is Rose?

I suspect she is late teens, early 20’s but I can’t really pin point it. If I recall the British/English laws, the age you have at least be 18 in order to drink. Of course, there could be some cultural stuff going on here as well.

How long as the Doctor been in this form?

He seems to know how to operate the TARDIS much better than the current Doctor.

What’s up with the multiple references to the war the supposedly happened?

I assume it was an alien war but war always has a back story. Hope they don’t wait forever to give out some details about it. Maybe let little things come out here and there through the series.

Stop... Change of scenery!

I'm  tired of writing about how depressing my life is at this moment. So I'm going to try something new.

Many people who know me know that I enjoy watching TV. I'd consider myself an average viewer, with a few shows I watch regularly and others that I watch when I catch them. So that's what I want to write about...

Ok, if I haven't completely lost you yet, I want this blog to be commentary/quips/whatever I think of on shows. Except, I don't want to just do one episode of a show and that be it... I want to do whole seasons... Ambitious for someone who has such a small attention span as myself. And somewhat expensive if one isn't careful.

That's why, once a week, I'm going to get a TV show episode from Amazon video on demand. Each week, I will buy/rent a TV show [maybe a movie every once in a while in order to keep my interest] and just write what I think as I think.

And I've been thinking about my first show to start with... And it has been on my mind for a while. Actually, I've been thinking about it all day! So the first show I'm starting with will be.....





Dr. Who: The Complete First Series! I'm a newbie [for lack of a better word] when it comes to the Dr. Who saga. I've recently watched the latest series [fifth series with Matt Smith as the Doctor] and I'm quite interested in the rest of it. So once a week, I will be buying an episode of the first series and posting my thoughts and findings here. I guess I should set a day for actually posting this stuff.


So I guess I'm going to try and post every Saturday... So this Saturday will be my first post... Quite exciting. ^_^ Maybe I'll be able to get a nicer, more appropriate look for this place in the future as well.