[polishgenius]

The way I told my brother, who wanted to start watching with the latest season because of all the hype but didn't have the time nor particularly the inclination to watch the entire RTD era, to do it was watch the Silence in the Library two-parter first, then go to 5 (he also watched Midnight because it's on that disc and also totally standalone). It's not especially spoilerific for the rest of that season and is the only thing really essential to getting Moffat's run.

I can see why someone would be interested in starting at season 5, because it is an entirely different style.

[Sir Thursday]

polishgenius, on 04 September 2011 - 10:36 PM, said:

The way I told my brother, who wanted to start watching with the latest season because of all the hype but didn't have the time nor particularly the inclination to watch the entire RTD era, to do it was watch the Silence in the Library two-parter first, then go to 5 (he also watched Midnight because it's on that disc and also totally standalone). It's not especially spoilerific for the rest of that season and is the only thing really essential to getting Moffat's run.

I can see why someone would be interested in starting at season 5, because it is an entirely different style.

I agree that's probably the best way to go if people don't want to watch all of the RTD stuff. Midnight is my favourite episode in Season 4 (in no small part because it features little to no Catherine Tate, but also because I liked the concept), so that's also a good call . It might also be worth showing him Blink though - (a) it's a great episode, and ( it provides some extra background for the WA episode in Season 5. (Also, IIRC that's where the "wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff" phrase was first use, though I may be wrong). I'd be tempted to try and squeeze in The Waters of Mars as well, because it's a great standalone and is quite a good primer on who and what the Doctor is and why he feels like he needs a companion to keep him in check. But that one's definitely non-essential.


ST

[polishgenius]

He'd seen Blink beforehand, for some reason; agreed, that one could be fitted in before the two WA eps in series 5, but it's not totally necessary.

[QuickTidal]

Here is my full review of the latest episode

http://icebergink.bl...ht-terrors.html

[QuickTidal]

Yeah, I had gotten my gf into the RTD era, so that when we were going to start watching Series 5 when it stared to air, she wanted her sister to watch, but she knew that she'd be a tad lost on a few things, so we got her to watch BLINK (cause I knew the WA were returning), THE SILENCE IN THE LIBRARY, THE FOREST OF THE DEAD (for the River Song intro) and then WATERS OF MARS because it was our fave of the specials and Sir Thursday is right it definitely showcases the "why the Doctor needs a companion to temper him" thing.

She was fine with that and has watched all Series 5 and 6 with us now.

[polishgenius]

The Girl Who Waited: really, properly good. I've seen a lot of people complaining about standalones, but I really don't get why, when Who gets them right we get episodes like this, Blink, Midnight and The Doctor's Wife.

[Primateus]

This was a proper good episode, best episode since Blink if you ask me!

[tiam]

Until the end of the episode with the twist I didnt like it. Standalone episodes annoy me because Amy didnt mention her daughter once. She was just like yeh lets go on holiday. The twist near the end was very good admittedly but uptil that...

[Centzon Totochtin]

If you think about it, the new Dr Who has been mostly stand alone episodes. Character development and hints throughout but no real overall story except for Doctor travels with Companion. Then a really good 2-3 part finale that brings it all together. It is only season 5 and 6 that have done the overall storyline.

[tiam]

I only watched a handfull of Ecclestone and Tennant tbh. I liked Tennant but only really got into it this series so like the story arcs.

[QuickTidal]

I really liked THE GIRL WHO WAITED...I would definitely put it up with the best episodes for the whole Moffat WHO-run....BUT ONLY because of (like Tiam said) the twist at the end and the heart-rending scene with Rory and old Amy through the TARDIS door was some of the best acting those two have delivered on the show yet. Impressive is an understatement. GREAT ep, one of the best all season.

[McLovin]

It was a really good episode. We've seen the slow-fast Amy/Rory split before, but here they took it a bit further and added some clever stuff. Brilliant acting, especially Karen Gillan who has to play two very different versions of Amy. And props to whoever did Karen Gillan's "Old Amy" makeup.

[QuickTidal]

McLovin, on 15 September 2011 - 12:55 PM, said:

It was a really good episode. We've seen the slow-fast Amy/Rory split before, but here they took it a bit further and added some clever stuff. Brilliant acting, especially Karen Gillan who has to play two very different versions of Amy. And props to whoever did Karen Gillan's "Old Amy" makeup.

Indeed, I think she shines, but I kind of think that Arthur Darvill steals her thunder a bit cause he is SO very good here.

[Use Of Weapons]

There's been a lot of duplication this season, and for me it's getting a bit tired.

[McLovin]

At least they stopped killing Rory.

[QuickTidal]

McLovin, on 16 September 2011 - 12:46 PM, said:

At least they stopped killing Rory.

Mostly. I think I recall even hearing Darvill say he was tired of his character dying all the time.

[Sir Thursday]

All those jokes about the glasses were at Arthur Darvill's expense, right? IIRC he wears something like that in real life, so naturally they kept telling him they looked stupid .

I thought The Girl Who Waited was a great episode on the whole. My only real complaints: the robots weren't really menacing enough, and the impact did feel a bit weakened for the fact that Rory is supposed to have waited several millenia for Amy, yet she starts complaining about a measly 36 years. It felt weird that he never brought that up. Anyway, apart from that, excellent acting and a nice moral dilemma to round things off. Quality episode of television.


ST

[Cyphon]

Sir Thursday, on 18 September 2011 - 02:04 AM, said:

All those jokes about the glasses were at Arthur Darvill's expense, right? IIRC he wears something like that in real life, so naturally they kept telling him they looked stupid .

I thought The Girl Who Waited was a great episode on the whole. My only real complaints: the robots weren't really menacing enough, and the impact did feel a bit weakened for the fact that Rory is supposed to have waited several millenia for Amy, yet she starts complaining about a measly 36 years. It felt weird that he never brought that up. Anyway, apart from that, excellent acting and a nice moral dilemma to round things off. Quality episode of television.


ST

Yeah I think it was at his expense.

You expect consistency in Human beings?!

[QuickTidal]

Sir Thursday, on 18 September 2011 - 02:04 AM, said:

All those jokes about the glasses were at Arthur Darvill's expense, right? IIRC he wears something like that in real life, so naturally they kept telling him they looked stupid .

I thought The Girl Who Waited was a great episode on the whole. My only real complaints: the robots weren't really menacing enough, and the impact did feel a bit weakened for the fact that Rory is supposed to have waited several millenia for Amy, yet she starts complaining about a measly 36 years. It felt weird that he never brought that up. Anyway, apart from that, excellent acting and a nice moral dilemma to round things off. Quality episode of television.


ST

Oh man I thought I was the only one who thought about him waiting a millenia for her! LOL

I also agree the handbots weren't nearly freaky enough.

[Traveller]

Ok, I haven't watched it yet, but having seen the trailer, I'm surprised no one has mentioned all the similarities with The Shining? (Kubricks version).

Hotel from Hell? Weird shots up corridors fro ground-level; odd things/people in masks behind hotel room door, an empty bar room...

I have to watch it now, just in case they even managed to fit a reference to room 237 into it somewhere.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 18 September 2011 - 10:10 PM