Machie wrote:To be honest, like Chaos
> I'm more than happy to see her go. I think Chris makes some valid
> points.

Bah! I have too many names :) You can't remember them all!

She left because she felt she had to look after her family and follow her own path.

In a way she is a bit like Ace, a challenge for the Doctor, though obviously not as cool as Ace was!  But I think it's healthy to have someone to question the Doctor and not be too phased.  Her character was so much better in Torchwood now that she's settled in to UNIT and I think it will show an improvement in next week's episode too.  She's now more in charge of her own life and helping UNIT.

I think we'll see the Sontarans, but it might be with their helmets on for most of the episode.  Expect some cloning and a big link to the end of the series.

What's all this bee stuff about?

I'm a little worried that we wont really get to see the sontarans until the last 30 seconds, so it'll be 2 weeks till we get the better episode :)

My memory is poor, did Martha leave the Doctor because she fancied him and he didnt fancy her and she couldnt deal with that? I wonder what changed her mind. To be honest, like Chaos I'm more than happy to see her go. I think Chris makes some valid points.

Not sure about bees, but there's a giant wasp coming up.

Martha's only in the next 2 and at the end of the series, though I didn't mind her at all last season.  Donna reminds me a lot of Tegan though and Martha is probably nearer to Adric...

I really enjoyed this weeks episode, as others have said before me Tate isn't as bad as I thought she was going to be.

I'm going with the thinking that the Doctors song will be 'ended' with his reuniting with Rose come the end of the series. I'm also thinking all the bees going missing will lead to something in those episodes also.

What has happened to all the bees??

I am looking forward to the return of the Sontarans though, should be another good'n next week.

pb wrote:
> It may actually be the journey to find Rose (his own particular
> song).

That's probably the bingo. They always do hint at the finale in every episode, the Pompey one "She is returning" for example. I'm sure there was one in the one before it too, but it slips my mind.

Machie wrote:
> I'm surprised neither of you have mentioned Martha. I wonder how
> she'll feel about meeting Donna.
>
> As for Donna she's starting to grow on me, she's different from
> Martha and Rose.

It upsets me that she's coming back. I found her really annoying as an assistant, probably because she was too smart too soon. I always like the air of The Doctor to be up and beyond his assistant in terms of intelligence, but that the assistants slowly learn and begin to keep up.

Plus Martha was really boring as an actor :(

If you forget about Tate's infamous "Am I bover'd?" and other catchphrases, I've found her to be a really good assistant, and quite amusing too :)

Long live Donna & Rose! =D

I'm surprised neither of you have mentioned Martha. I wonder how she'll feel about meeting Donna.

As for Donna she's starting to grow on me, she's different from Martha and Rose.

It may actually be the journey to find Rose (his own particular song).  There are those that have 'seen' him filming bits for the next Christmas special already, but also those rumours of extermination...

He still has one in the bag (right?), but I reckon it's more a hint towards his death.

Warning: Obvious joke:  I thought that episode was gOOD...


Anyway, yes, an interesting look into the Ood homeworld, certainly gives them more character.  That warning at the end though "I think your song must be ending soon."  hmm. A regeneration still on the cards?

Machie wrote:
> Looks like you were wrong Chris :) I think next weeks episode is
> the double.

Yeah, I thought that was episode four, guess next weeks one is.

> So come on, what did you all think of the episode? What about
> Captain Darlings demise? The Oods second brain and the return of
> the Sontarans. :D

I missed the first half hour of this episode, so I didn't follow it as I'd of hoped.

As for the Sontarans, I've never seen them before, the only old episodes I watch are Dalek ones.

Looks like you were wrong Chris :) I think next weeks episode is the double.

So come on, what did you all think of the episode? What about Captain Darlings demise? The Oods second brain and the return of the Sontarans. :D

Machie wrote:
> Another Dr Who on tomorrow and I'm quite excited. Is this the one
> with the Ood?
>
> Hopefully you'll share your thoughts on it this time pb and
> Chaos ;P

Heh, maybe... I'm betting this one is going to be a double epidode, so I'm bound to end up here ranting on the annoyances of such episodes.

I really want them to go to Japan, in the future. Like that level in Timesplitters.

But I doubt it will ever happen =|

Another Dr Who on tomorrow and I'm quite excited. Is this the one with the Ood?

Hopefully you'll share your thoughts on it this time pb and Chaos ;P

Thank you pb, you're an absolute star!

Let's see.

Skaro
Skaro is inhabited by the Thals and Kaleds.  The Thals are pretty much almost wiped out and leave Skaro while the Kaleds, becoming mutated already by the land, are turned into Daleks by Davros.

Skaro, although a dead planet, was mined by the Daleks for natural resources before they moved on to other planets.   It re-appeared in the 7th Doctor story Rememberance of the Daleks and was subsequently destroyed by the Hand of Omega, being set to feed a destruction pattern by the Doctor.

The 8th Doctor takes the Master's remains from Skaro, but this seems to be set prior to the time when Skaro is destroyed.

Davros
Davros is found on a prison ship by the 5th Doctor after the Daleks have yet again rebelled against him.  He was released by a renegade team who wanted his help in finding a solution to a virus that was killing everyone.  He used the chance to control the daleks minds and in retribution for their earlier actions, changed the virus to kill daleks but suffered from it himself.

Yet again escaping, he's found at Tranquil Repose (a funeral planet) as The Great healer.  Somehow he altered his body to allow bolts of electricity to fly from his hand.   He uses the dead body tissue to create new white and gold Daleks that are loyal to him, but the renegade grey daleks arrive and take him.

There are then several audio plays set between the times of Davros's earlier and last appearances which try to fill in the gaps but don't offer much more background.

Rememberance is the next time we see Davros on TV, where he is leading his white and gold daleks to find the Hand of Omega.  The 7th Doctor stops him amidst a battle between the grey renegade daleks and Davros's own White and Gold ones.  The last time we see him, Davros's ship and Skaro itself is destroyed by the Hand, but a Dalek communication states that an escape pod has successfully been launched.

An 8th Doctor audio story, Terror Firma, then sees Davros lead an army of Daleks, taking over Earth.  But now Davros has severe mental issues and this leads him and his Daleks to eventually abandon their conquest.  Whether this will be referred to when the new series brings him back, I don't know.

Wow, I'm so out of touch with the old episodes :)

Can anyone give me a brief run down of Skaro/Davros since Genesis of the Daleks?

What did you think of last nights episode pb? :)

Still no rush for them to bring back Gallifrey but you're right it's probably something to do with E-space.

Talking of Davros, didn't he get away? So we know he's around somewhere. The Master always finds a way to survive but if he's dead does that mean he's turn up looking like someone else now?

I'm looking forward to having the fifths daughter in the show playing the Doctors daughter, that'll be great, I hope she's attractive like Romana II.

Skaro was apparently destroyed by the 7th Doctor with the hand of Omega (Rememberance of the Daleks) but it appeared in the 8th Doctor TV movie and then was referenced in the Time War.

The Doctor himself didn't destroy Gallifrey, it was destroyed in the war and he couldn't stop it, but being the only survivor he feels responsible for it.

As explained in this weeks episode, and prior to that in other episodes and in the books, he can't intervine in situations where things are supposed to happen, he can see what is supposed to be and what isn't and if any of this changes it threatens to tear the fabric of time apart (read: not good).

A good excuse for hiding Gallifrey/Skaro/Timelords already exists in the form of E-Space.  E-space is an area the Doctor and Romana visited and it's somewhere that doesn't appear on Timelords 'radars' as it's an alternate universe of sorts.

Well I think they'd maybe have to change alot for Gallifrey to be a full time addition, as they make alot of the Doctor on his own premise.  So I'd bet Gallifrey exists in the void where they now have an extreme non-invention policy as a result of what happened in the time war and thus are leaving the rest of the universe to get on with it.  Of course the Doctor wont be able to accept this as they wont help him save whoever needs saving on that particular day.  Thus they can introduce Gallifrey but at the same time maintain the Doctors isolation and keep his one man crusade going around fixing stuff. :)

Garin wrote:
> I was pleasantly surprised.

Agreed, an improvement on the last episode (poor RTD) I understood how they could predict the future but I'm not sure how they communicated like that. I was a little freaked out when the guy joined in and mentioned Gallifrey.

> Well hes supposedly responsible for the destruction of Gallifrey
> in ending the time war, I guess that killed a few innocent
> people.
> (although as I've said previously, I think they'll decide
> Gallifrey still exists)

Good man, I'm a strong believer that it's utter rubbish and both Skaro and Gallifrey are still there. Okay maybe not Skaro.

It's so long ago I can't remember what happened in Sylvesters last series. I did see Remembrance of the Daleks and apparently Davros destroyed Skaro by turning Skaro's sun into a supernova.

But according to the new series Skaro and Gallifrey destroyed each other (or by the Doctor?) and for some reason he's unable to go back despite having a time machine. Who decided that one? RTD? The Daleks don't need Skaro but I think the series does need Gallifrey.

Machie wrote:
> Alright, how did you all find that episode?

I was pleasantly surprised.

> I wonder, is this the
> first time the Doctor has killed so many innocent people?

Well hes supposedly responsible for the destruction of Gallifrey in ending the time war, I guess that killed a few innocent people.
(although as I've said previously, I think they'll decide Gallifrey still exists)

Alright, how did you all find that episode? I wonder, is this the first time the Doctor has killed so many innocent people? Except Dr Who brand water pitols in stores this summer. :D

Lets hope it won't be the same, one guy on a podcast I listen to said he didnt like it when David kept shouting and gritting his teeth or was that Sylvester I can't remember now :) just one more day to go, what time is it on now, it's getting confusing with them changing the schedule. I'm guessing 6:45?

I read a few comments on Digital Spy, some are keen to see RTD take a break and let others get on with it. How do you feel about that?

Machie wrote:
> Garin, any chance you could share your thoughts? You know I like
> to hear your opinion on the new Dr Who episodes.

As you said, good start.  I think Tate works quite well actually. The series needs that type of character as it gives it plenty of opportunity for it not to take itself too seriously.  I dont think I could take another companion giving the doctor meaningful looks all the time either. 

Having said that, I'm sure my complaint about the series will re-emerge in the coming weeks and it'll become entirely formulaic and uninspiring.  I notice in the preview for the next weeks episode we had Tate shouting for the doctor, we were just lacking Tennant running down some nondescript corridor.  Doesnt exactly bode well as far as I'm concerned.  Heres hoping though. :)

I quite enjoyed the April Fool 'leaked' episode...

I thought it was a good episode :) I've watched it twice now.

I'm still a little worried about Tate but she did get a few laughs out of me. We'll see what happens in the next episode.

As for Rose, I was surprised but I think they should just leave her out, I'm getting tired of these romances with the Doctor. I don't mind the one off (Rose) but not every single female companion. :/

Overall good start and I hope things just continue to get better :)

Garin, any chance you could share your thoughts? You know I like to hear your opinion on the new Dr Who episodes.

So much better than I thought it would be.

Another well paced episode and a good start to the series.  One of the reasons I love Doctor Who is the way the stories can vary so much in look and feel and this episode shows the lighter side of the show, which works equally as well as the big, loud episodes, or the nasty dark ones.

Donna seems to be a better thought out character this time and far less annoying than I ever thought possible. 

And Rose...my guess is that she's used Torchwood in the other dimension to find a way to get across and she's looking for help from The Doctor.  She'll pop up in all the modern-day earth episodes and finally get through at the end of the series....

So much better than Martha :D

And Rose! Yay! But... hey, what?

And the Adipose! I want one!

Thought I would set up a new thread for the latest Dr Who series which starts tonight on BBC1 at 6:20PM.

What did you think of tonights episode?