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Doctor Who

Doctor Who – 2013 Season: The Bells Of St John.

Doctor Who: 2013 Season

observations by: GF Willmetts

As with the SFCrowsnest Forum in recent years and this time there and here on the SFCrowsnest.org.uk, my comments on the latest season of ‘Doctor Who’. These will mostly be impressions – here’s my Doctor one, still ‘Geronimo!’ – rather than intentional plot spoilers. If you’re living in a country that hasn’t seen these episodes yet, read with caution but I’m not going to give too much away. If you can watch it first, that’s even better.

The Bells Of St John by Steven Moffat – 30 March 2013

The title is a bit of a misnomer as it doesn’t have anything to do with the story other than the unexplained reason why the Doctor went clerical back in 1207.

I’m glad I don’t use Wi-Fi. Those of you who do and press any unfamiliar option, take this story as a suitable option to break the habit.

Clara Oswald is still a governess of sorts. I suspect show-runner Steven Moffat is creating an arc to see if you can out-think either him or the Doctor although  I doubt if there’s any free trips in the TARDIS if you do. I do have one particular ponderance as to her multitudes. Expand her abbreviated initials.

The intro music has returned the rather distinctive original bass guitar beat into the mix.

Ep 6: The Bells Of Saint John
Ep 6: The Bells Of Saint John

The plot revolves around a being whom we don’t see until the end wanting to download personalities into its mind cloud for some nefarious use. It selects Clara Oswald and the Doctor has to rescue her. The head of the operation, doesn’t even have a name until the end which considerably reduces her overall threat value. Beware of spoon-headed people.

Watch how both the Doctor and Clara type as neither of them appear to have head of a space key. Where the Doctor is concerned, he seems to have taken a leaf out of ‘Independence Day’ and got a programming language without downloading anything.

I do like the new aspect of the new TARDIS console, that being the musical roundabout top. It’s lost a lower level and gained a lot level to it instead.

A bit puzzled how considering that in past regenerations the Doctor could fly anything and yet this time have difficulty with a conventional aircraft.

Oh, you have seen the real villain last season. Is that enough of a spoiler.

The show still moves along at breakneck speed, so if you’re going to think about anything, it pays to do it after the show. I really wish they’d get away from the frustrated sexual attraction thing that’s been added in the new shows. It didn’t need it in the original series run. It’s an interesting start but also looks like a giveaway about the true menace behind the entire season. The Doctor doesn’t seem to care who was behind it. Maybe his years are catching up with him.

GF Willmetts

UncleGeoff

Geoff Willmetts has been editor at SFCrowsnest for some 21 plus years now, showing a versatility and knowledge in not only Science Fiction, but also the sciences and arts, all of which has been displayed here through editorials, reviews, articles and stories. With the latter, he has been running a short story series under the title of ‘Psi-Kicks’ If you want to contribute to SFCrowsnest, read the guidelines and show him what you can do. If it isn’t usable, he spends as much time telling you what the problems is as he would with material he accepts. This is largely how he got called an Uncle, as in Dutch Uncle. He’s not actually Dutch but hails from the west country in the UK.

2 thoughts on “Doctor Who – 2013 Season: The Bells Of St John.

  • Nice observations Geoff. I wasn’t too keen on the episode and found myself distracted during it which hasn’t happened while watching Doctor Who for a while. I do like the chemistry between The Doctor and Oswald more than the relationship he had with Amy Pond but I agree that it’s not necessary in order for Who to be entertaining.

    With just eight episodes in this run, do you think the villain arc that was revealed in tonight’s episode will run on into the 50th anniversary special or finish up at the end of this series? It seems a bit rushed if it’s the latter.

    Reply
  • Hello Aidan

    As the national papers have revealed its The Great Intelligence, it’s no longer a spoiler except for those abroad and they’s have read about it elsewhere on the Net by now.
    That’s an interesting question. Logistically, it would make sense because then we would see the return of the robot Yetis, although that would mean a story set in the Himalayas. If I was going to edge my bets, then I would look to Vortis because I always thought the Animus was the Great Intelligence. If they did that, it would explain a gathering of regenerations but they’d have to bring the Daleks to the 50th anniversary party.

    Geoff

    Reply

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