Doctor Who - The Unquiet Dead

[raven]

First of all, did anything happen in Naples on December 24th, 1860? Why did the Doctor want to go there particularly, if only to show Rose the past? And really, how big is the Tardis?

Now that's out of the way, I've got to say that this was a very weirdly paced episode. It starts off breakneck - scary dead people! Charles Dickens! Rose gets kidnapped! - and then abruptly slows right down, enough for two long, carefully crafted conversations - between the Doctor and Dickens, and then between Gwyneth and Rose. And then breakneck speed again, scary blue aliens, corpses rising, world in peril, exploding cellars, disappearing Tardis. The plot was a little skew-wiff, as well - surely it was a total coincidence, the Doctor and Rose arriving at exactly this point, and then meeting Dickens of all people? - and am I missing something about why the story was set in Cardiff? Did something actually happen there on Christmas Eve 1860? Other than that, something just seemed off; the whole plot didn't gel.

Enough carping. Stuff I liked:

-Rose's observations on the Doctor at the beginning. She's beginning to realise the enormity of what she's now a part of, and exactly how powerful the Doctor is.

-The shippiness. Aww, Doctor/Rose OTP.

-Rose in general. I wasn't expecting to like her, or Billie Piper, but I really do.

-Charles Dickens says: "What the Shakespeare is going on?" So impeccably delivered, I giggled for too long.

-The Doctor smirking in the background when Rose has a good go at Sneed.

-The Gelth, the evil blue aliens, still speak with Welsh accents! Brilliant.

-The explosion at the end. I was a little miffed that Gwyneth makes her sacrifice, and then it's all for nothing 'cause the aliens are Teh Evil. But the striking of the match was a good touch.

-"I always like a happy medium."

"I can't believe you just said that." Heh!

-When they're behind those bars together, Rose bewails the fact she's going to die. So does the Doctor. From which I feel I can deduce that Rose doesn't know the Doctor can regenerate. She's in for a surprise.

Also, next week's previews have Mickey in them! The television screen with the UFO footage and a BBC News 24 helpline (ahahaha, so British) was intriguing, but I am shallow and more interested in the reaction of the dopey ex to the sharp, ultra-cool Time Lord Rose now has her eye on.

Oh, this show is fun. And that's it, that's all I have to say.

Comments

[purplerainbow.livejournal.com]

Dammit, I missed it again. And I have utterly no excuse this time - I was simply absent in mind. I think Dr Who and I are just not meant to be. :)

[manynames.livejournal.com]

I think the reason that it happened in Cardiff was that the whole thing was filmed in Cardiff, and there are only so many times they can say, "That's London, that is," before the natives starting getting a bit pissy!

[onlyoot.livejournal.com]

Actually, i watched the Documentary afterwards, and a lot of it was Filmed in Swansea!

[manynames.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know but that was only this week's exterior shots. The interior ones were all the theatre in the centre of Cardiff, as were all the external shots without the London Eye in the first week, and all of the second epiosde was in Cardiff. I've been going through playing Spot The Shop.

[cat4ian.livejournal.com]

omg am i the only person who doesnt watch that? my brother was watching it. they are trying to convince people that billie piper is 17 and it doesn't work. i watched the first one and it just didn't appeal to me at all.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Nineteen. The Doctor states it in this episode. She's actually twenty-three, which isn't so bad.

[cat4ian.livejournal.com]

oh ok, wow is she only 23. So she must have been 17 when she had a pop career. i remember useless things.

[eternalwings.livejournal.com]

Firstly, WHAT IS GOING ON IN YOUR ICON?!
Okay I loved it!
and a happy medium, cracked me right up. And there is a very sweet little bit of Rose/Doctor going on.
TRhough the Doctor tends to be COMPLETLY OBLIVIOUS
*sniggers* and I like Billie Piper although I cannot help it *sigh*

[cat4ian.livejournal.com]

you don't like lostprophets so i'm not going to tell you an plus i'm not speaking to you

[eternalwings.livejournal.com]

But...but it looks perverted cath, you know you could make it longer so it don't look as weird

[cat4ian.livejournal.com]

no i couldn't make it longer as it would hav been over 40kb. an i like it looking perverted

[eternalwings.livejournal.com]

Okay just released thats a person now it makes sense

[cat4ian.livejournal.com]

what, now you've lost me, realised whats a person. an if its an insult i will murder you

[eternalwings.livejournal.com]

Someones on someones shoulders I thought he was just grabbing something but hes not.

[cat4ian.livejournal.com]

it took you long enough to realise that

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Bicker in my real life, I can throw you out. Bicker in my journal, I can ban you both.

Just a heads-up. :)

[cat4ian.livejournal.com]

ok sorry, but she did start it.

[pinkishmew.livejournal.com]

And really, how big is the Tardis?
Huge. Enormous. And even bigger than that.

The plot was a little skew-wiff, as well - surely it was a total coincidence, the Doctor and Rose arriving at exactly this point, and then meeting Dickens of all people? - and am I missing something about why the story was set in Cardiff? Did something actually happen there on Christmas Eve 1860?
The TARDIS goes wrong with the date/time. It gets it wrong, but instead, sets the Doctor down where something scary/horrible/wrong is just about to happen. In Cardiff because the series was set in Cardiff and Russell T. Davies wanted to have it one episode. The Doctor has met many historical people at one point or another, so Charles Dickens is no exception. And Mark Gatiss tends to put historical figures into his Doctor Who stories, and he was the writer of this week's episode.

When they're behind those bars together, Rose bewails the fact she's going to die. So does the Doctor. From which I feel I can deduce that Rose doesn't know the Doctor can regenerate. She's in for a surprise.
Yeah - hang on a minute - he can regenerate! Why did he forget that? ... how very strange. (Well, sometimes regenerations go wrong and they nearly don't work or something. He tends to need people to take care of him after he regenerates and if he was just going to get taken over by the blue ghosts, then... yeah, it could make sense.)

Anyway, woo yay!

[bekkypk.livejournal.com]

Kibble told you basically what i'd have to say in reply in N_W :)
xx