Doctor Who S34E1: "Deep Breath"

[DaveJB]

I don't think that Clara was especially freaked out by the regeneration itself, more the fact that the new Doctor looked substantially older than the previous one. Even assuming she knew the intricate details of all the Doctor's regenerations, only two incarnations (the Third and Sixth Doctors) have looked noticeably older than their predecessors, and even then the difference was more like 5-10 years, not 30-odd.

That said, spending pretty much the entire first half of the episode having Clara whine about the Doctor being an old fart was waaay too much. All they needed was for Vastra to explain that new regenerations sometimes look older than their predecessors (though usually not to such a large extent, which to be fair the Doctor himself did seem to acknowledge in the alleyway scene) and for Clara to realize that while she might have had some desire for the Eleventh Doctor, she never really held any romantic feelings for him, both of which could have been done in one or two scenes.

[Crazedwraith]

Speaking of the Alley scene. Was anyone else side-eying the 'this face is familiar' bit? I do hope they're not going to acknowledge and write some significance into the fact Capaldi has been on the show/torchwood before.

[Captain Seafort]

Speaking of the Alley scene. Was anyone else side-eying the 'this face is familiar' bit? I do hope they're not going to acknowledge and write some significance into the fact Capaldi has been on the show/torchwood before.

Agreed, but it might be interesting to at least acknowledge the occasional tendency of involuntary regenerations to resemble individuals he's encountered before.

[madd0ct0r]

makes sense really - sort of time lord protective camouflage.

[NecronLord]

I note that at least two other doctors have in-universe dopplegangers The Abbot of Amboise and Ramón Salamander, that they came face to face with.

Both Romanas also had dopplegangers Princess Strella and Princess Astra.

It's possible Time Lords don't really have their own 'faces.'

This Doctor, as well as Caecillius, also appeared as a permanent secretary in Torchwood. Perhaps Time Lords tend to take the visages of rulers.

[Captain Seafort]

The Doctor and Romana never met the Abbot of Amboise, Salamander, Strella or Frobisher before assuming their appearances, while Romana deliberately mimicked Astra's appearance.

The Doctor had met both Caecillius and Maxil before regenerating into a form identical to theirs, and did not do so intentionally (given that Twelve (Fouteen? One Mk 2?) only found his new face vaguely familiar, and Six reacted with horror).

[DaveJB]

Six didn't actually say anything to suggest that he even remembered who Maxil was, much less that he now looked like him. His initial comments were all about how much more handsome he was than that ugly bastard Five.

He did react with horror to his face later, but that was in the middle of his attempt to kill Peri, so he likely had more than a few screws loose at the time.

[Tychu]

It's a little different but you can say that Tennant's doctor had a doppelgänger. In the episode where the Doctor and Martha meet 'ol Billy Shakespeare, the Doctor seems to have read or watched the Harry Potter novels. Martha seems to have been a fan and it could have been throwaway lines (they talk about it throughout the episode) but Tennant's did have a major role in the film series

[Tychu]

I am also debating on going to the movies tonight to see the episode in 3D. Any added scenes or any worth in doing so?

[The Romulan Republic]

I pre-bought a ticket to see it in a theatre, but then I saw it on TV and was disappointed. I'm debating weather to try to cancel my ticket and get my money back or see it again anyway.

Another factor is that if I go I'm going to miss the Emmys tonight.

[NecronLord]

The Doctor and Romana never met the Abbot of Amboise, Salamander, Strella or Frobisher before assuming their appearances, while Romana deliberately mimicked Astra's appearance.

The Doctor had met both Caecillius and Maxil before regenerating into a form identical to theirs, and did not do so intentionally (given that Twelve (Fouteen? One Mk 2?) only found his new face vaguely familiar, and Six reacted with horror).

No no I am saying they appear as specific humans do through some unknown process, but that the number of dopplegangers is very high. Only Romana II seems to have chosen to do so, and I am not saying they consciously choose to do so (Destiny of the Daleks is terrible, simply terrible), but this is obviously hanging a lantern on that.

There is by the by, a David Tennant doppleganger in the Dalek Empire series, who even appears on the CD cover, if non-TV lore floats your boat.

[The Romulan Republic]

It's a little different but you can say that Tennant's doctor had a doppelgänger. In the episode where the Doctor and Martha meet 'ol Billy Shakespeare, the Doctor seems to have read or watched the Harry Potter novels. Martha seems to have been a fan and it could have been throwaway lines (they talk about it throughout the episode) but Tennant's did have a major role in the film series

It doesn't say anything good about Ten's psyche if he modelled himself after Barty Crouch Jr.

[Tychu]

It's a little different but you can say that Tennant's doctor had a doppelgänger. In the episode where the Doctor and Martha meet 'ol Billy Shakespeare, the Doctor seems to have read or watched the Harry Potter novels. Martha seems to have been a fan and it could have been throwaway lines (they talk about it throughout the episode) but Tennant's did have a major role in the film series

It doesn't say anything good about Ten's psyche if he modelled himself after Barty Crouch Jr.

Maybe the tenth doctor was modeling himself on Barty Crouch's actor. Stranger things have happened. Tennant is married to a woman who played his Doctor's "daughter" who happens to be a previous Doctor actor's real life daughter… wibbley wobbly timey whimmey stuff

[The Romulan Republic]

Well, I suppose one couldn't really blame the Doctor for wanting to resemble David Tennant.

[Havok]

I liked it and am totally sold on Capaldi. Reminds me of Eccelston's Doctor and that is well more than enough for me.
And yes, they are certainly going to touch on the face issue. Especially given the context of where, when and why he saw that face; realizing that he caused Mt Vesuvius to explode, realizing that he truly can't change history and realizing that he is predestined to be involved in events. It's a pretty fucking significant revelation.

I can do without the lizard lady, the girl and Strax anymore though. They have nothing left to offer. The episode would have flowed much better without them, although I liked Clara's initial reaction as she most certainly did have a romantic attraction and attachment to 12... 11? Smith. I mean Rose dealt with Eccelston to Tennant, that's a fairly easy transition, but Smith to Capaldi? That's like a 30 year jump almost. And yes, Clara understood about and had even seen ALL the other Doctors, but they weren't her Doctor. They also weren't all Clara in the other time periods. She doesn't have the memories of all the other Claras.

All in all, it's a good start and I'm looking forward to the first half of this season.

[Enigma]

I very much enjoyed the premiere, Capaldi being the Doctor and Clara's reaction to the new Doctor. I didn't mind Vastra and Jenny but while I'm usually amused with Strax, I feel that Moffatt decided to go "full retard*" on him. I'm surprised that Strax can take two steps without falling flat on his face or that he considers shoes to be a hat and wears one.

I like the Tardis' new interior. I find it amusing that not because the Doctor 'suddenly' remembers how to fly the Tardis but does it so smoothly that not even Clara knew they were traveling until they reached to her home.


*Tropic Thunder reference.

[InsaneTD]

Yeah, he's finally learnt to take the hand brake off. I liked the stabs at marriage equality.

[Iroscato]

Gave it a three - not a masterpiece, but solid enough with some classic Moffat moments and a healthy smattering of easter eggs. The Matt Smith cameo was actually rather nice, worked better than I thought it would when I first heard a description of it a few months back. And I'm loving Capaldi's harsher, more abrasive Doctor, helps keeps things fresh.
But still, daleks next week ALREADY? Merde...

[Captain Seafort]

I like the Tardis' new interior. I find it amusing that not because the Doctor 'suddenly' remembers how to fly the Tardis but does it so smoothly that not even Clara knew they were traveling until they reached to her home.

Or rather, failed to reach her home, and ended up in Glasgow again.

[Havok]

I like him deciding he is Scottish. And then instantly not liking the English.

[Eternal_Freedom]

And the references to "attack eyebrows," that cracked me up.

[Havok]

Oh was that an actual reference to something?

[Enigma]

I like the Tardis' new interior. I find it amusing that not because the Doctor 'suddenly' remembers how to fly the Tardis but does it so smoothly that not even Clara knew they were traveling until they reached to her home.

Or rather, failed to reach her home, and ended up in Glasgow again.

Derp. Forgot about that. Still, he managed to easily pilot the Tardis without so much as a hiccup when it was meant to be piloted by six TLs.

[Hillary]

Still, he managed to easily pilot the Tardis without so much as a hiccup when it was meant to be piloted by six TLs.

Let's forget that finale ever happened, shall we? :thehorror:

[Eternal_Freedom]

Oh was that an actual reference to something?

Mainly to Capaldi's fearsome eyebrows. Although the following about about how said eyebrows would probably declare independence from the rest of his head was also hilarious.