Doctor Who S32E2, "Day of the Moon" [spoilers]

[NecronLord]

Objective Interim Spoiler Policy: All prior episodes of Doctor Who up to and including this one may be discussed without spoilers. Recent EU publications and upcoming episodes must be spoiler tagged and labelled. Previews (as released on BBC, website, etc) are not spoilers, nor is speculation derived from them.

[Jon]

Really endearing episode in the end, loved it.

[Crazedwraith]

Right so we're supposed to think the Doctor knocked up Amy under the silences orders. Only eventually it'll turn out to be for some other reason.

This is getting worse and worse. Doctor/Amy/Rory triangle was always the worst part of last season.

[Bounty]

Right so we're supposed to think the Doctor knocked up Amy under the silences orders. Only eventually it'll turn out to be for some other reason.

This is getting worse and worse. Doctor/Amy/Rory triangle was always the worst part of last season.

And you know this how?

I thought the episode was awesome. Really great stuff.

[NecronLord]

You need to tape everything that happens in this office.

Alas, though, they didn't have Nixon involved with UNIT, which I thought they were going to with that "no you're not safe" thing.

[Bounty]

Laugh-out-loud moment for me: "say hello to Frost".

[Jon]

Loved the scene between Nixon and Canton at the end. Mind fucked by regenerating child. The episode seemed to fly by but the pacing was fine and the doctor's dealing with the silence was quite inventive, actually. Actually starting to appreciate what has turned out to be a multi-season arc in the relationship between the Doctor and River.

[Crazedwraith]

And you know this how?

The scene with the pictures implies it's Amy's kid. The final scene shows said kid regenerating implying its part Time Lord. Hence The Doctor's kid since he's the only extant time lord.

The rest is just speculation on my part.

[Revy]

Ugh. 3, and that's being generous. I figured out the Doctor's plan to use the moon landing to broadcast a suggestion the second he mentioned Armstrong's foot. If I can work out what he's going to do in advance, it'd be nice if the super devious villains could as well. But then I guess they did have to save the day in the end.

The start was a mess. It was way too rushed.

River. I hate River. For god's sake why can't someone erase her from existence? Oh, and apparently the Silence *lose* their awesome mind wiping powers towards the end, because River is able to shoot one of them without even looking at the fucking thing. *headdesk* I hate River. She's not cool, and turning her into some kind of shooty action hero doesn't make me like her.

The kid surprised me though. I expected her to suck that tramps life or eat him or something, not ... that. You know, if they really wanted to mess with people, maybe they could actually kill the Doctor off for real and replace him with a new Time Lord character. Wouldn't that just mess with everything? Even if they only did it for a one-off season or something.

[J Ryan]

And you know this how?

The scene with the pictures implies it's Amy's kid. The final scene shows said kid regenerating implying its part Time Lord. Hence The Doctor's kid since he's the only extant time lord.

The rest is just speculation on my part.

Based on what they were saying in the episode though and the TARDIS giving her a reading as pregnant and not at the same time, I thought it was more being pregnant and going hoping through time and space, does in fact give kids a Time-Head.

[Crazy_Vasey]

I liked the American bloke. Hope he recurs in future episodes. It'd make some sense for him to do so as the Doctor sets things up for the starting point, I think.

[NecronLord]

River. I hate River. For god's sake why can't someone erase her from existence? Oh, and apparently the Silence *lose* their awesome mind wiping powers towards the end, because River is able to shoot one of them without even looking at the fucking thing.

She could see where Rory was looking.

[NecronLord]

Incidentally, whoever was saying that Americans could hold the Doctor when no one else could... hah.

[Revy]

Wasn't there a short story that had the same plot as this? I remember a story where this guy goes on stage with a hypnotist, and is told to "wake up". He does, to the point where he can actually see thousands of aliens walking the earth that humans have been brainwashed not to see, and there are hypnotic suggestions everywhere telling us how to behave. In the end he manages to make a broadcast using their powers telling the whole world to wake up in the same way he did, and humanity fights the aliens off. But he still dies on a Thursday the way he was told to at the start of the story.

Does anyone know that one?

[HMS Sophia]

Wasn't there a short story that had the same plot as this? I remember a story where this guy goes on stage with a hypnotist, and is told to "wake up". He does, to the point where he can actually see thousands of aliens walking the earth that humans have been brainwashed not to see, and there are hypnotic suggestions everywhere telling us how to behave. In the end he manages to make a broadcast using their powers telling the whole world to wake up in the same way he did, and humanity fights the aliens off. But he still dies on a Thursday the way he was told to at the start of the story.

I've read various very similar stories. One of the best involved tiny robots simulating a town. I think the author was lautner, or laufner... something like that, in a collection of short stories.

In terms of the episode... it was quite fun. I certainly enjoyed it. The kid at the end, I was very surprised. Cant wait to see where that goes.

[Lord Woodlouse]

Good episode, though it's full verdict won't be known until the season finishes.

Would have liked to see some degree of to and fro between the Silence and the Doctor in their quasi-TARDIS (STARDIS? :p), was a touch off to have the Doctor not offer them a genuine chance to back down. Though it was possibly because he felt they were too entrenched.

[Drooling Iguana]

So is the kid Susan Foreman, then? In an earlier (or possibly later) regeneration?

[PREDATOR490]

5

Heh, good episode although I was expecting things to be more pro-tracted into a long season arc.

The ending really pisses me off and the implications of the silence being around for .... how long ?
What... the Silence were around when Daleks were invading.... when Tennant was around ?

As for the girl - I'm guessing Amy was pregnant and the child has mixed Timelord heritage somehow. Silence trying to create a new Timelord race or something blah blah. On the one hand - fair enough but if this season is going to play off like this it wont be really judgeable until the end.

River Song - Here we go again with that fucked up situation of her throwing herself off a building but what the hell. I'm going to politely smile and grit my teeth in the hopes this season is going to do away with her. I'm getting the distinct vibe River Song is going to be heavy this season as a means of getting her done and out.
Apparantly the Doctor is going to be kissing River from now on.... and that was the 'last' time for her.

Alternative possibility: The little girl is the product of River Song + Doctor. Amy's child - fuck knows.

[mr friendly guy]

So how does the Silence become such a big threat later on? How do they develop TARDIS like technology if all they can use is scavenge alien tech? In fact how did they get hold of alien tech if they are stuck on Earth? So many questions? I sure hope they are answered. However tentatively I gave this episode a 4.

I am going to get pissed off if that girl turns out to be the Doctor's love child or some shit.

[Drooling Iguana]

So are regenerations going to be the "Bad Wolf" of this season? We've had one in every episode so far.

[Broomstick]

So... in 1969 when I was watching Armstrong set foot on the Moon live on TV and my sister Nancy turned to me and said “Remember this, it's important” this is what she meant?

!!!BLAM!!!!

Huh... why did I just....

“Remember this, it's important” this is what she meant? Oh, wait – didn't I just say all that?

Anyhow, why are there two 3's in the poll but no 4?

Right so we're supposed to think the Doctor knocked up Amy under the silences orders. Only eventually it'll turn out to be for some other reason.

According to canon Time Lords can't knock anyone up, not even other Time Lords. They're all made on “genetic looms”, whatever the hell those are.

Now, an engineered child... that might be possible.

So is the kid Susan Foreman, then? In an earlier (or possibly later) regeneration?

I would put that down as one possible explanation.

Alternative possibility: The little girl is the product of River Song + Doctor. Amy's child - fuck knows.

Amy's carrying River's and The Doctor's child? After all, jail is hardly a good environment in which to have a baby....

This is getting worse and worse. Doctor/Amy/Rory triangle was always the worst part of last season.

I thought it was a different sort of Doctor/companions thing than in the past. I didn't mind it. I even enjoy it sometimes. But there's no disputing taste, or the fact I'm pretty damn weird.

Wasn't there a short story that had the same plot as this? I remember a story where this guy goes on stage with a hypnotist, and is told to "wake up". He does, to the point where he can actually see thousands of aliens walking the earth that humans have been brainwashed not to see, and there are hypnotic suggestions everywhere telling us how to behave. In the end he manages to make a broadcast using their powers telling the whole world to wake up in the same way he did, and humanity fights the aliens off. But he still dies on a Thursday the way he was told to at the start of the story.

Does anyone know that one?

Yes. Twlight Zone or Night Galley, one of the Rod Serling hosted shows. Gosh, haven't seen or thought about that one in a long, long time. You know, I think that episode may have run back in '69, '70.... naw, couldn't have been inspired by – no, not possible.

Laugh-out-loud moment for me: "say hello to Frost".

For me it was “Oh, they'll never forget you!” No, we haven't....

River. I hate River. For god's sake why can't someone erase her from existence? Oh, and apparently the Silence *lose* their awesome mind wiping powers towards the end, because River is able to shoot one of them without even looking at the fucking thing.

She could see where Rory was looking.

That was my take on it – you could see Rory start to react, so River knew there was Something Awful behind her.

I can't say I like River, but I don't find her as annoying as a lot of other folks do. Really, it's a bittersweet relationship at best, like with their kiss this episode being the Doctor's first with her, and River's last with him at the same time.

The ending really pisses me off and the implications of the silence being around for .... how long ?
What... the Silence were around when Daleks were invading.... when Tennant was around ?

Well, yeah – it's just that no one could remember seeing them.

River Song - Here we go again with that fucked up situation of her throwing herself off a building but what the hell.

“She does that.”

But it can get old real quick, I knew that she would survive it, and how.

I'm going to politely smile and grit my teeth in the hopes this season is going to do away with her.

The thing is, the first episode we saw her in she died – so we KNOW when we see her again she has to survive. The only hope for the River-haters is that they have an episode where it's her first time meeting The Doctor, because that's the only way it will be the last time for us.

Anyhow - I did think the twist of using the Silents' own post-hypnotic power against them was a nice touch, very Doctorish. Reminded me a bit of the ending of "The Family of Blood" in that when you really piss off The Doctor his solution can be both diabolical and ruthless. (Of course, it's also very different than the ending of FoB because the FoB was given a nasty immortality whereas the Silents' are the victims of those they enslaved - nice karmic payback/hoisting by one's own petard.)

As for how the Silents get to be such a threat later on - maybe enough survived that they were able to rebuild some numbers and attempt to go after The Doctor?

[jollyreaper]

That was really a mixed bag.

Plus side -- looks gorgeous. The CGI work has really gotten top-notch. No more dodgy plywood sets, laughable costumes, and embarrassing shortcuts. Not sure why people hate River. Her concept and execution I've been quite fond of. It's nice to see a Companion who can contribute to the story instead of just standing around. Rose was probably the most progressive of the NuWho companions up to this point but she was still a baseline human. A sidekick like that's not good for much except getting captured and needing a rescue. So even if you hate the execution of the River character, you can't argue that the concept itself is bad. No, it's badly needed.

Down side -- Ugh, the script is a horrid mess. There were a few nice, quiet moments but it spent too much time trying to be clever. A proper Doctor Who mindfuck doesn't feel forced, it just comes up all natural and throws your brain sideways and you're left with a silly grin saying "Gorblimey if that aint a pisser!" A poorly done mindfuck just leaves you feeling disappointed and offended. "That's supposed to be entertainment? M. Night Shyamalan called and says quit ripping him off."

[TimothyC]

Why does everyone assume that Time Lord DNA has to come from the Doctor?

There is a second Time Lord still in existence - Jenny. If the Silence got her DNA, and implanted it into Amy, well there you go, instant Time Lord kid.

[PREDATOR490]

Some of the comments I am seeing being bandied about made me sick.

Here's my guess: The little girl is Amy's daughter--- River Song!

Doctor knocks up Amy.... and is River's father.... oh for fuck sake

On the one hand... River did indicate she had known him since childhood and from here on... we should be seeing River Song getting younger as she begins to know the Doctor less and he knows her more. Folks do seem to think River is going to kill the Doctor which would make this hilariously ironic. Of course, the alternative source for timelord DNA would be the Master. Either in full return or a remnant acquired when he was around.

[Broomstick]

Some of the comments I am seeing being bandied about made me sick.

Here's my guess: The little girl is Amy's daughter--- River Song!

Doctor knocks up Amy.... and is River's father.... oh for fuck sake

Oh EWWWWWWWWWWWW! That would be incest! AGH! ::::scrubs brain furiously, adds bleach, scrubs more::::

Seriously, you have to be VERY fucked up to even think that.