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Bicyclops posted:I'd find it hard to do a top and bottom 10, especially without grouping the two-parters together. Or with using actual episode titles so I, for one, didn't have to spend a while working out what episodes you meant in some cases 
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Dec 1, 2014 22:31
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seriously not enough Gridlock on those top ten best lists, guys.
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Dec 1, 2014 22:31
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And VotD is not based on a Holocaust story, it just completely insensitively uses the same title as one. Imagine if there was an episode of Doctor Who called Schindler's List, which was about a ship called Schindler leaning to one side. That's about how much connection there is between the two (RTD is riffing on The Village of the Damned, I'm pretty sure)
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Dec 1, 2014 22:33
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MrL_JaKiri posted:And VotD is not based on a Holocaust story, it just completely insensitively uses the same title as one. Imagine if there was an episode of Doctor Who called Schindler's List, which was about a ship called Schindler leaning to one side. That's about how much connection there is between the two (RTD is riffing on The Village of the Damned, I'm pretty sure) Ah okay, thanks for clarifying. Still, pretty grating. And I started to type the names of the two parters and decided not to because I'm a lazy jerk-rear end.
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Dec 1, 2014 22:34
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Voyage of the damned is a pretty generic sounding name.
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Dec 1, 2014 22:37
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DoctorWhat posted:seriously not enough Gridlock on those top ten best lists, guys. what the hell, man what the hell
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Dec 1, 2014 22:37
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Bicyclops posted:Ah okay, thanks for clarifying. Still, pretty grating. The explanation of you not including the full names has twice as many characters as the difference between the full names and what you typed 
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Dec 1, 2014 22:39
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Toxxupation posted:what the hell, man Gridlock is generally well regarded, you're pretty much the only person I've encountered who's hated it (or even disliked it beyond "eh it wasn't that great") [edit] Oh wait, I'm thinking of another guy who surprisingly hated it at the time MrL_JaKiri fucked around with this message at 22:47 on Dec 1, 2014 |
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Dec 1, 2014 22:41
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MrL_JaKiri posted:Gridlock is generally well regarded, you're pretty much the only person I've encountered who's hated it (or even disliked it beyond "eh it wasn't that great") ? Gridlock's on his top 10 list.
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Dec 1, 2014 22:43
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I wish that I could get past my bigotry against cat people enough to enjoy Gridlock as much as Doctor What wants me to, but my irrational weirded-out-ness response to cat people forces me to form the opinion that the episode is "meh," even with the Face of Boe redeeming it.
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Dec 1, 2014 22:44
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I'm a sucker for the 4th Doctor's horror/gothic episodes, so the list below probably isn't a surprise knowing that. Also, I can't separate two parters in separate episodes to rank, they all work as a whole for me (with one exception). 10. The End of Time Part 2 I don't care for 1st part of this story or the 1st half of this episode, but there's such a powerhouse of acting between Tennant and Cribbins that I can't leave it off. Tennant's goodbyes take as long as The Return of the King's, but I think he earned it and they'll all felt like nice cappers. The 10th Doctor burned bright and fast and his death is earned but still bitter. 9. Dalek The strongest entry for the Daleks in the RTD era and it only has one Dalek in it. Also shows us just how much the Doctor suffered in the Time War and is probably the first real show of Eccleston's acting chops in Doctor Who. 8. The Girl in the Fireplace A fun episode overall with a bittersweet ending and a strong guest performance. And Mickey gets to be a poo poo about things. It's also the spiritual prologue for ... 7. Human Nature/The Family of Blood A wonderful job by Tennant to play a completely separate character from the Doctor while still being the Doctor. And the script was willing to show the realities of this man and didn't shy aware from his bad edges and the craphole era they lived in. 6. Blink This applies to all of these episodes, but I really don't know what I can say about this that hasn't already been said a million times. 5. Midnight The Echo is one of my favorite Who monsters. Completely inscrutable, no idea what its goals are and, best of all, never shows up again to be watered down. In contrast with Occ, I actually thought the guests were solid and held their own in the episodes, especially the Echo's victim. 4. The Fire of Pompei This should be higher on the list, but the top 5 still exist. Donna pleading and screaming for the Doctor to just save one person is incredible. 3. The Waters of Mars Even "Gadgetgadget" can't keep this off my list. The height of Ten's arrogance, an awesome monster, an awful situation, capped off by Ten saving the day only to be seen as a monster himself and show just how terrible he can be. 2. The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances Eccleston's best entry into Who lore and the episodes that make me wish he'd gotten another season. Imagine him in any of the other episodes on this list and tell it wouldn't have still been amazing. 1. Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead Best of the best. River Song's first appearance is a tour de force, especially considering that she's depicting a woman who is in love with and knows everything about a man who hasn't even really met her yet. The Vashtu Nerada are a terrific concept that's scary as hell.
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Dec 1, 2014 22:46
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DoctorWhat posted:seriously not enough Gridlock on those top ten best lists, guys. Well then, make one. Oxx more or less speaks for me with his list. I'd probably put The Impossible Planet in for Silence In The Library, because I'm not big on plots involving false consciousness realities or whatever you want to call them (TVtropes uses the term "Lotus Eater Machine" but whatever.) Also, I think the "who turned out the lights?" guy is a real shame because they're a waste of a shadow monster, and shadows seem like the perfect Moffat Monster Idea. We all have them, and they're created by an absence of light, and you can't really hide behind the couch to get away from them. I love the episodes where The Doctor is essentially inserted in a horror or mystery that looks like it might be a regular movie of the week without him, and disrupts it like a Douglas Adams satire of other writer's works. And Midnight is my favorite of the RTD run because it takes all the literary crutches those episodes lean on to justify The Doctor being accepted in these scenarios, and just blows them up.
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Dec 1, 2014 22:47
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Toxxupation posted:what the hell, man You get your credit, man. I'd make a list but I'm stuck phoneposting because seltzer got into my laptop's keyboard. Now my laptop keyboard's slathered in rice and covered in more clingfilm than Roy Orbison, and will remain in such a state for the next few days at least. Which sucks.
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Dec 1, 2014 22:56
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DoctorWhat posted:You get your credit, man. If you slander Roy Orbison again I will strangle you with your own coat
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Dec 1, 2014 22:59
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Who the hell just drinks seltzer?
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Dec 1, 2014 23:06
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Okay all the prizes for the winners are out on my end, I still got four games left to give out (Terraria, Steamworld Dig, Jazzpunk and Gone Home) so let's go Bsam (because he's the one who lost the most) andwhatiseeisme (because i liked his post with the little asides about what I'd pick), Regy Rusty (because of the face of boe stuff) and little_whore (for running the contest) for the extra junk let me know what you want itt and ill gift you it
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Dec 1, 2014 23:22
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Oooh, are we doing rankings and bickering? The Fungah! Top Ten Memorial Station 10. Impossible Planet/Satan Pit 9. Fires of Pompeii 8. Dalek 7. Father's Day 6. Midnight 5. Utopia (but not the other two) 4. Girl in the Fireplace 3. Blink 2. The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances 1. Human Nature/Family of Blood Hon. mentions off the top of my head: Doomsday (Daleks vs. Cybermen was dumb as poo poo and I loved every minute of it), Gridlock, School Reunion These are the bad ones 10. Let's go with New Earth 9. Last of the Time Lords (but not the other two) 8. Stolen Planet/Journey's End 7. The End of Time Parts 1 & 2 6. Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks 5. Love and Monsters 4. The Shakespeare Code 3. Fear Her 2. Voyage of the Damned (Not only is it total butt trash, the name's in appallingly bad taste) 1. Planet of the Dead Dishon. mentions: 42, The Idiot's Lantern, Partners in Crime, Smith and Jones Fungah! fucked around with this message at 23:25 on Dec 1, 2014 |
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Dec 1, 2014 23:23
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armoredgorilla posted:If you slander Roy Orbison again I will strangle you with your own coat I'm so glad someone caught that. Big Mean Jerk posted:Who the hell just drinks seltzer? I the hell just drinks seltzer. Raspberry, Wild Cherry, Mandarin Orange - it's good poo poo, until it BETRAYS YOU.
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Dec 1, 2014 23:49
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Toxxupation posted:Okay all the prizes for the winners are out on my end, I still got four games left to give out (Terraria, Steamworld Dig, Jazzpunk and Gone Home) so let's go Bsam (because he's the one who lost the most) andwhatiseeisme (because i liked his post with the little asides about what I'd pick), Regy Rusty (because of the face of boe stuff) and little_whore (for running the contest) for the extra junk Thank you for the pity prize  I already have Terraria and Jazzpunk so I'm happy with either Steamworld Dig or Gone Home.
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Dec 1, 2014 23:52
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Big Mean Jerk posted:Who the hell just drinks seltzer? The BEST people. 
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Dec 1, 2014 23:53
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Toxxupation posted:Okay all the prizes for the winners are out on my end, I still got four games left to give out (Terraria, Steamworld Dig, Jazzpunk and Gone Home) so let's go Bsam (because he's the one who lost the most) andwhatiseeisme (because i liked his post with the little asides about what I'd pick), Regy Rusty (because of the face of boe stuff) and little_whore (for running the contest) for the extra junk Aw shucks. I'll take Jazzpunk. I'll send you a steam friend request.
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Dec 1, 2014 23:57
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Question for Occ. If you'd only agreed to review the pre-Moffat stuff, would you keep watching the show?
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Dec 2, 2014 00:02
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Fungah! posted:Question for Occ. If you'd only agreed to review the pre-Moffat stuff, would you keep watching the show? Come on, man, don't go asking if Santa Claus is real.
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Dec 2, 2014 00:03
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armoredgorilla posted:Come on, man, don't go asking if Santa Claus is real. Nope we need to know the truth. I think the answer's yes anyway.
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Dec 2, 2014 00:05
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Fungah! posted:Question for Occ. If you'd only agreed to review the pre-Moffat stuff, would you keep watching the show? are you kidding? of course i would if only for completion's sake ed: also steamworld dig and terraria's left
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Dec 2, 2014 00:07
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I think we're beyond the point of wondering whether Occ actually likes the show now. I don't think he'd have been doing this much writing if he was just biding time.
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Dec 2, 2014 00:10
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Sometimes I feel bad for Oxx, but then I remember that he did this to himself. YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW
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Dec 2, 2014 00:45
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Why do you feel bad for him being turned on to a good show 
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Dec 2, 2014 00:56
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Top and bottom ten lists, eh? Well, I do like lists. I prefer the Moffat era, so this may be a bit difficult, but I'm going for it anyway. I'm counting two-parters together, though, if only because I don't think it's fair to judge one half individually. Top Ten: 10. Army of Ghosts/Doomsday - Objectively, these episodes aren't amazing, but this story holds a special place in my heart, since footage of the Dalek/Cyberman trash-talk is what got me into Doctor Who in the first place. I've been a major mark for the Daleks ever since. Besides, it was the last we saw of Rose...for a bit, anyway. 9. The Runaway Bride - Donna is fantastic. The Doctor drowning the spider babies still sticks with me. What more can I say? 8. Blink - Sure, this one gets a tad overrated, but there's a reason it's so highly acclaimed. Gotta love the Weeping Angels. Gotta love a Doctor-lite story that makes effective use of the Doctor not being there much. 7. The Waters of Mars - I don't understand why this was so much better than every single other special. It's the exact opposite of pretty much all four others: everything is well-acted, well-written, and well-thought-out. The Flood still make me uncomfortable just looking at them. 6. The Fires of Pompeii - If the preceding "Doctor goes to the past early on in the series and dicks about" episodes were this good, they'd probably be on this list too. Plus, again, Donna. 5. Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead - It didn't quite grip me the way other stories did, but there's still no mistaking this for anything but gold. Makes me wish Donna had a longer run. Plus, I actually like River Song. 4. Dalek - Considering literally everything that preceded it, this was almost too good for the show itself. Again, I'm a major Dalek mark, and even knowing that they'd return later didn't take away from this episode for me. Nine is so good. 3. Human Nature/The Family of Blood - David Tennant playing a completely different part than he does in every other story. Amazing villains. The Fury of the Time Lord. What's not to love? 2. The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit - I may be overrating this story a bit, but it really is one of my favorites. Very much of this has stuck with me, and it's the kind of story you can just jump into and watch even if you have very little knowledge of the show at large. 1. The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances - This may be a rather common answer, but I can't lie. Up until this point, I hadn't seen any Doctor Who stories that convinced me I was watching something truly special, but this swept me off my feet. A genuinely creepy monster, great acting and writing all around, and, of course, "EVERYBODY LIVES!" Even if I were to include Moffat-era episodes, this would most likely still top the list, or at least be in the top three. Honorable mentions to The Girl in the Fireplace and Utopia. Bottom Ten: 10. The Stolen Earth/Journey's End - Much like with the tenth spot on my top ten list, I'm probably being biased about this one, but seriously, gently caress the ending. Rose gets everything she ever wanted, Donna gets the worst possible end to her character arc. God loving drat. The Daleks were good though. 9. 42 - This one is just complete nothing. Nothing notable, nothing fun, nothing exciting, nothing memorable, nothing to talk about. Nothing. Just nothing. The actual concept is neat but it does very little with it. 8. Turn Left - Sorry, folks. I get what this episode was going for, but it did nothing for me. This one probably shouldn't have happened. 7. Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks - My nature as a Dalek mark prevents me from rating this TOO low, but let's be real: this was stupid. Terrible end for the Cult of Skaro. 6. Voyage of the Damned - Every minute of this episode was either boring, offensive, stupid, or all three. I get that it was a Christmas special and everything but that's no excuse, most of the other Christmas specials are MUCH better than this. This didn't need to happen at all. 5. Rose - PUH-PUH-PIZZA. I love Plastic Mickey but this was pretty much the worst start the new series could have had. Just not good or fun or much of anything. 4. Planet of the Dead - This is even more nothing than 42. This entire drat thing didn't need to happen. There is absolutely nothing of consequence in the entire goddamn thing. I didn't even remember anything from this one when it came time for Occ to review it, and after refreshing my memory, it's no drat wonder why. 3. Bad Wolf/The Parting of Ways - The Daleks couldn't save this story. Rose becomes the god of crappy CGI and that's the last we see of Eccleston. I don't know how this show got picked up for a second series. 2. Aliens of London/World War Three - I REALLY don't know how this show got picked up for a second series. As great as some of the stories were, LOOK AT THIS CRAP. Even if it hadn't been for the fart jokes, the Slitheen still look like giant green babies. Nothing that happened made any sense and this was not worth two episodes. It really wasn't even worth one. 1. Love & Monsters - Again, definitely the cliche answer, but UGH. This episode is loving trash. Even before the concrete blowjob scene, there's nothing here worth watching. There's something to the premise, but they execute it in a terrible, boring, poorly-acted way. There hasn't been any other episode, even in Moffat's run thus far, that has made me think "Stop. Please stop. For the love of God, just end the episode already." Then when it DID end, it was punctuated by a talking overweight Tenga Egg. To make matters worse, I have a friend who has refused to give Doctor Who another chance after this was, by chance, the first and only episode he saw. gently caress this episode. "Honorable" mentions to The Next Doctor and The Shakespeare Code. (I understand that this isn't my thread, so if a mod wants me to cut this post down to size, I will.)
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Dec 2, 2014 01:03
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I don't mind which one, so if andwhatiseeisme has a preference he can have it.
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Dec 2, 2014 01:03
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Toxxupation posted:Okay all the prizes for the winners are out on my end, I still got four games left to give out (Terraria, Steamworld Dig, Jazzpunk and Gone Home) so let's go Bsam (because he's the one who lost the most) andwhatiseeisme (because i liked his post with the little asides about what I'd pick), Regy Rusty (because of the face of boe stuff) and little_whore (for running the contest) for the extra junk You're good people Toxx 
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Dec 2, 2014 01:04
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Gonna interrupt list frenzy with a  SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT.To celebrate the return of Toxx's episode reviews we will be simulwatching Matt Smith's inaugural episode The Eleventh Hour on January 3rd 2015 at 6PM EST(time may be subject to change) This will be occurring on the TVIV IRC Channel. You all have one month to prepare for this event. Godspeed. (Toxx, maybe throw this on the OP until it happens also let me know if the time doesn't work okay that's all bye.)
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Dec 2, 2014 01:16
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I'm not going to call this best/worst because, hey, this is Doctor Who, there is no truth or beauty involved. These are the episodes I remember loving and hating. I know I'm going to flunk the "guess Toxx's reviews" game for the Eleventh Doctor, because he adores several episodes that had me yelling at the TV. Hated: 10. Gridlock. Dull dull dull. A bottle plot, and it shows. Stupid premise, too. I cannot be softened by the Doctor being cute with kit- awww. Cute kittens. Cute Tennant. What was I saying? 9. Family of Blood. Wastes much of the setup of the previous episode. In particular, the World War I parallels of sending unprepared children to combat are pounded into your head with a shovel. The Doctor exacts cruel, premeditated, unending revenge, and the show never revisits that. Some of the nastiest things I've ever seen the Doctor choose to do, and apparently from the show's viewpoint it's just one of those stages a Time Lord's gotta go through. 8. Tooth and Claw. Rose and the Doctor flail through a stupid stupid plot while making hilarious-to-them leaden jokes. Comedy ending: The entire royal family are werewolves! What a giggle! This is the ep where I started thinking "Ah, they're setting up Ten's hubris to punish it later." Ha-bitter-ha. 6/7. Aliens of London/World War Three. Fart jokes. Why did it have to be fart jokes? This comes out surprisingly low on the hated list solely because of the wonderful Harriet Jones, MP Flydale North. 4/5. Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks. A racially integrated and socially homogenous 1930s shantytown. American accents that exact the last full measure of revenge for Dick van Dyke. A stupid plot. 3. Last of the Time Lords. Tinkerbell Jesus Doctor. The brave Martha Jones is finally given agency, and what is her goal? To get all of humanity to worship the Doctor. EWWWWWYUGGH. 2. End of Time. Self-indulgent wank. Get a room, Russell. The combination of the Doctor's endless whining and RTD's desire to give every good child a cookie runs on and on and on. As I said earlier in the thread, collapse the Tenth Doctor's last two episodes into one and you would have just enough plot material to do something decent. 1. Love and Monsters. For the first three-quarters, this was shaping up to be one of my favorite episodes. I loved the way that the fan group was shown, simultaneously horrible/embarrassing intellectually and wonderfully kind emotionally. Then the Abzorbaloff showed up. It was an attempt at body horror that failed miserably; it was designed by a nine-year-old child who won a competition. Then the whole thing went poo-shaped with Elton's voiceover and the pavement-slab blowjob. What a waste of Shirley Henderson. Loved: 10/11 BECAUSE. Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead. Creepyscary in the best way. River Song. Flails on the dismount, though; who thought being left alone inside a computer was anything approaching a good ending? Admittedly, alone in a computer with all the books in the universe. Hmmmmm. 9. The Unicorn and the Wasp. A nice standalone romp. Goes rapidly downhill when the wasp shows up, but still fun. It's hard to write a Christie mystery plot unless you're Christie, and this episode doesn't manage a plausible ending. 8. Runaway Bride. One of the rare Christmas specials that is fun. Donnadonnadonna. 7. School Reunion. This is an old-school Third/Fourth Doctor fan's delight. Sarah Jane Smith was one of the best of the Doctor's old companions, and seeing Elisabeth Sladen as wonderful as ever was a gift. Anthony Stewart Head's villainy made Tennant up his acting game in the confrontation by the pool. 6. Girl in the Fireplace. Surprisingly historically faithful, considering it's Doctor Who; a useful reminder of the emotional damage the Doctor does with his love-em-and-forget-to-come-back ways. The evil automata are exquisite. Fine guest performance by Sophia Myles. 5. Fires of Pompeii. Great acting by Tennant, Tate, and Capaldi; a good solid script, high emotional stakes, and superb mise-en-scene thanks to the standing sets of Rome. 4. Father's Day. A first-rate rendition of the standard-issue "can't change the past" time-travel plot. The monsters are scary, the stakes are high, and I cried both when the Doctor hugged and forgave Rose and when Rose's father admitted that he'd been a terrible father. 3. Blink. Scary as hell. Charming guest star. The ending with the closeups of all the statues goes on a little too long, but that's the only reason this isn't first. 1/2. The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances. Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Arsenic Lupin fucked around with this message at 01:41 on Dec 2, 2014 |
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Dec 2, 2014 01:38
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Kurtofan posted:Voyage of the damned is a pretty generic sounding name.
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Dec 2, 2014 02:35
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Toxxupation posted:Okay all the prizes for the winners are out on my end, I still got four games left to give out (Terraria, Steamworld Dig, Jazzpunk and Gone Home) so let's go Bsam (because he's the one who lost the most) andwhatiseeisme (because i liked his post with the little asides about what I'd pick), Regy Rusty (because of the face of boe stuff) and little_whore (for running the contest) for the extra junk  Seriously, thanks. I don't have a preference either, so flipping a coin lands me terraria as my prize. I am currently transitioning computers at the moment, so I'll send a steam friend request sometime later this week.
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Dec 2, 2014 02:36
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Toxxupation posted:are you kidding? of course i would if only for completion's sake Assuming the revival lasts as long as the original run, I look forward to the 2030 edition of your review thread. 
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Dec 2, 2014 02:56
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For completion's sake is a very dangerous prospect when it comes to Doctor Who. I look forward to reading about Toxx's adventures into Zimbabwe to try to obtain the fabled existing copies of the destroyed episodes from the 60s.
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Dec 2, 2014 03:00
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Toxxupation posted:Probably not; firstly everyone tells me it gets worse from here and secondly, except when it's firing on all cylinders, doctor who is IMO a real bad show Toxxupation posted:are you kidding? of course i would if only for completion's sake Something something won the battle over himself
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Dec 2, 2014 03:13
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Bicyclops posted:For completion's sake is a very dangerous prospect when it comes to Doctor Who. I look forward to reading about Toxx's adventures into Zimbabwe to try to obtain the fabled existing copies of the destroyed episodes from the 60s. For any other show, this would be a silly joke. It's amazing to me that you're actually being serious right now.
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Dec 2, 2014 03:18
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| # ? Jun 10, 2024 14:46 |
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Jurgan posted:For any other show, this would be a silly joke. It's amazing to me that you're actually being serious right now. Someone's got to murder Mugabe to take them from his cold, dead hands. Toxx is the perfect man for the job.
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Dec 2, 2014 03:45
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