Arachnids in the UK (Spoileriffic)
Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2018 2:44 am
I liked this one! It probably helps that I'm not much of an arachnophobe, lol.
I wonder at the title. It seems a bit weird. Is it riffing on Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, Snakes on a Plane, etc?
Previously I've wondered if three companions is too many. I still think it might be, but honestly so far they're doing okay with it. Lady Cop is still a bit of a blank, but the others are pretty interesting characters and it's fun to watch them. Grandpa remains my favourite, and I'm coming to like Wobbly Boy more than I did. I love the way their relationship is gradually developing, with Wobbly at first being quite resistant to Grandpa - and I adore the way Grandpa reacts to that. Every time Wobbly gives him anger or rejection, he just calmly accepts it and stays completely supportive, letting the kid do what he needs to do. And because of that, it was very nice to see Wobbly get the letter from his dad this week and respond angrily to the "real family" comment.
I've been wondering if they would play the "can't find Earth" thing over the whole season - which idea was soundly torpedoed by this episode! Interesting to see the Doctor so obviously wanting to hang around with the gang once she gets them back home, though. The Doctor has asked people to come along before, obviously, but I don't know that I've ever seen him/her so obviously keen to hang out with people that it almost bordered on desperation.
Of course, giant spiders are impossible. Scale a spider up 10x and it wouldn't be able to move. Most likely its legs would snap off if it tried. 100x, the body would collapse under the weight. But screw it, it's Doctor Who. Roll with it. And I like that the Doctor wanted to treat the spiders with dignity, though that is a little undercut by the fact that they're killing people.
And oh my god, could the Trump expy be any more on the nose? It kind of bothered me, actually, though not massively so. And I had to laugh at his frustration with the lack of gun culture in the UK.
Seeing Lady Cop's mum obviously suspicious of the Doctor was a bit weird. It seemed to almost be a re-run of the Martha Jones situation, where her family were conned into thinking the Doctor was some alien threat by the Master. I wonder if it was just there to drive Lady Cop away, or if it's going to develop more later.
They were back into the same area of Sheffield again! Those flats are called Park Hill flats, and I used to live in a house right behind them when I was a student. At the time they were pretty awful places with a lot of crime - I asked an insurance guy about insuring my stuff once, and when I told him where I lived he literally laughed and told me it wasn't going to happen at any price. This was twenty five years ago, mind - they're a lot nicer now, apparently. That hill that Grandad's house is on, with the view overlooking the city? That used to be my favourite place in Sheffield when I lived there. I'd often stop on my way home and gaze out over the city, just taking in the view and thinking deep thoughts. It's so weird to see Doctor Who happening in places I know well from the old days. Ian actually went to the same university that I did, five or so years earlier, so he knows that area well too.
Anyway, I think I'd give this a 7. This season has actually been pretty consistent - four in and not a bad one yet. At the same time, though, it hasn't really excelled either. I'd love for this season to come up with something to rival The Empty Child, Blink, Listen, Heaven Sent, Vincent and the Doctor, The Eleventh Hour... but honestly I have the feeling that it won't. At least so far, I think this season will be looked upon as the workmanlike season... all good, but nothing inspired.
But hey, who knows. The next few weeks will tell!
I wonder at the title. It seems a bit weird. Is it riffing on Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, Snakes on a Plane, etc?
Previously I've wondered if three companions is too many. I still think it might be, but honestly so far they're doing okay with it. Lady Cop is still a bit of a blank, but the others are pretty interesting characters and it's fun to watch them. Grandpa remains my favourite, and I'm coming to like Wobbly Boy more than I did. I love the way their relationship is gradually developing, with Wobbly at first being quite resistant to Grandpa - and I adore the way Grandpa reacts to that. Every time Wobbly gives him anger or rejection, he just calmly accepts it and stays completely supportive, letting the kid do what he needs to do. And because of that, it was very nice to see Wobbly get the letter from his dad this week and respond angrily to the "real family" comment.
I've been wondering if they would play the "can't find Earth" thing over the whole season - which idea was soundly torpedoed by this episode! Interesting to see the Doctor so obviously wanting to hang around with the gang once she gets them back home, though. The Doctor has asked people to come along before, obviously, but I don't know that I've ever seen him/her so obviously keen to hang out with people that it almost bordered on desperation.
Of course, giant spiders are impossible. Scale a spider up 10x and it wouldn't be able to move. Most likely its legs would snap off if it tried. 100x, the body would collapse under the weight. But screw it, it's Doctor Who. Roll with it. And I like that the Doctor wanted to treat the spiders with dignity, though that is a little undercut by the fact that they're killing people.
And oh my god, could the Trump expy be any more on the nose? It kind of bothered me, actually, though not massively so. And I had to laugh at his frustration with the lack of gun culture in the UK.
Seeing Lady Cop's mum obviously suspicious of the Doctor was a bit weird. It seemed to almost be a re-run of the Martha Jones situation, where her family were conned into thinking the Doctor was some alien threat by the Master. I wonder if it was just there to drive Lady Cop away, or if it's going to develop more later.
They were back into the same area of Sheffield again! Those flats are called Park Hill flats, and I used to live in a house right behind them when I was a student. At the time they were pretty awful places with a lot of crime - I asked an insurance guy about insuring my stuff once, and when I told him where I lived he literally laughed and told me it wasn't going to happen at any price. This was twenty five years ago, mind - they're a lot nicer now, apparently. That hill that Grandad's house is on, with the view overlooking the city? That used to be my favourite place in Sheffield when I lived there. I'd often stop on my way home and gaze out over the city, just taking in the view and thinking deep thoughts. It's so weird to see Doctor Who happening in places I know well from the old days. Ian actually went to the same university that I did, five or so years earlier, so he knows that area well too.
Anyway, I think I'd give this a 7. This season has actually been pretty consistent - four in and not a bad one yet. At the same time, though, it hasn't really excelled either. I'd love for this season to come up with something to rival The Empty Child, Blink, Listen, Heaven Sent, Vincent and the Doctor, The Eleventh Hour... but honestly I have the feeling that it won't. At least so far, I think this season will be looked upon as the workmanlike season... all good, but nothing inspired.
But hey, who knows. The next few weeks will tell!