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If Robin Hood had assaulted the Doctor with a quarterstaff, with a full-on "Ho! Ha Ha! Guard! Turn! Parry! Dodge! Spin! Ha! Thrust!", I perhaps would have bought in.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
If Robin Hood had assaulted the Doctor with a quarterstaff, with a full-on "Ho! Ha Ha! Guard! Turn! Parry! Dodge! Spin! Ha! Thrust!", I perhaps would have bought in.
Isn't the crucial part of this episode Clara's comments to the Doctor about his sonic screwdriver? How it has become his solution to everything and not having much of an idea how to escape without it?
It looked like he lost the Matt Smith one in Robot Of Sherwood. Does this mean he will be getting a new model? Or will Clara's barbed comments about him being too reliant on it lead him to go sonic-free for a while and rely only on his spoon?
Could this be why a new range of sonic cutlery has been released?
I couldn't disagree with you more that Gatiss simply swapped Capaldi in for Smith. Matt Smith's Doctor would have *adored* finding himself in a Sherwood Forest that reflected the vim and vigor of the traditional tellings of the tales! (Think about how much fun he had finding himself among "vampires" in Venice, for instance, or all the times he uttered "I know!" when wowing the kids with cool stuff in "The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe.") I can't imagine the 11th stopping to be skeptical, as the 12th was (remember, Matt Smith's Doctor fell hook, line, and sinker for the Pandorica ruse — skepticism not always his strong suit, especially when he's having fun). No, I think we got a very different Doctor in this episode, one who has, for the time being, lost all joy in life. When he barks at Robin and the Merry Men for laughing, he's showing that he, himself, is currently unable to find any reason to laugh, let alone smile. (He doesn't even quite manage to do so when shaking hands with Robin at the end.)
At any rate, though I disagree with your take on the episode, I enjoyed your comments, as ever!
Despite the reservations, Chip, wasn't this at least the silly episode you were making the case for back on 2MTL 351?
An excellent point, James. Everything's subjective, of course, but I found it to be too silly to fit in my mental definition of "cleverdumb."
What little I've heard about "Time Heist" has me most intrigued, though. It might be exactly what I'm looking for.
Now didn't you say in a previous 2MTL that you wanted to see Capaldi do some light comedy? Granted this wasn't a "great" episode, but the season only just begun, who knows maybe you'll look back on this episode laster with some light hearted comedy … but who knows…
🙂
Touché! But I think I was specifically asking for "joy," and there are some varieties of silliness that don't strike my sense of humor.
That said, I have high hopes for "Time Heist."
I understand what you mean by the swap. I don't think you take it far enough, though. My feeling is that this Doctor is suffering a Time Lord version of depression and is genuinely surprised when someone shows kindness toward him. (And I think Eleven would have been DELIGHTFUL—and honestly, better—in this episode. He would have brought a joi de vivre that Twelve is so desperately lacking.) It was nice seeing Clara do something besides be a very rude, petulant brat as well.