The (Regenerated) Doctor Who Thread: Reverse the Polarity!

[Conscentia]

How can you people like that episode?

Vikings with horns?
Peasants calling themselves vikings? Viking meant "pirate".
An advanced civilisation, that apparently has sufficient medical technology to prevent death indefinitely, disintegrating people to get chemicals that they should be able to synthesise?
Electric eels in Northern Europe? They're from the Amazon.
Electric eels providing enough electrical power to be used for such a scheme?
Electric eels causing lightening-like sparks?

[Nude East Ireland]

How can you people like that episode?

Vikings with horns?
Peasants calling themselves vikings? Viking meant "pirate".
An advanced civilisation, that apparently has sufficient medical technology to prevent death indefinitely, disintegrating people to get chemicals that they should be able to synthesise?
Electric eels in Northern Europe? They're from the Amazon.
Electric eels providing enough electrical power to be used for such a scheme?
Electric eels causing lightening-like sparks?

If you're complaining about historical accuracy, remember that a dinosaur, a reptile woman, and Strax live in Victorian London.

[New Waterford]

Why do the Vikings have horns of their helmets?

This is annoying me.

Because the writer, director and costume designers have virtually zero knowledge of Norse religion, armour design or culture and absolutely no respect for any of it.

Or the Norse language either, judging by the pronunciation of 'Ashildr'.

That made me cringe.

[Conscentia]

How can you people like that episode?

Vikings with horns?
Peasants calling themselves vikings? Viking meant "pirate".
An advanced civilisation, that apparently has sufficient medical technology to prevent death indefinitely, disintegrating people to get chemicals that they should be able to synthesise?
Electric eels in Northern Europe? They're from the Amazon.
Electric eels providing enough electrical power to be used for such a scheme?
Electric eels causing lightening-like sparks?

If you're complaining about historical accuracy, remember that a dinosaur, a reptile woman, and Strax live in Victorian London.

The dinosaur was dragged there by the Doctor, and Strax and Vastra are permissible within the Sci-Fi setting.

And those aren't just historical inaccuracies. Even ignoring that list, the episode wasn't good. The only bits I liked where the "I'm not in the mood for Vikings" part, the "Viking" leader guy being disintegrating, and the part where the Doctor was training the peasants to use swords. Which leaves 90% of episodes which was either daft or dull.

[Chelta]

How can you people like that episode?

Vikings with horns?
Peasants calling themselves vikings? Viking meant "pirate".
An advanced civilisation, that apparently has sufficient medical technology to prevent death indefinitely, disintegrating people to get chemicals that they should be able to synthesise?
Electric eels in Northern Europe? They're from the Amazon.
Electric eels providing enough electrical power to be used for such a scheme?
Electric eels causing lightening-like sparks?

It was fun. As far as "romps" go, it was a good one. And I honestly can't bring myself to get annoyed about such minor details as those. Granted, vikings with horns is embarrassing, but it didn't really diminish my enjoyment of the episode at all.

[Conscentia]

How can you people like that episode?

Vikings with horns?
Peasants calling themselves vikings? Viking meant "pirate".
An advanced civilisation, that apparently has sufficient medical technology to prevent death indefinitely, disintegrating people to get chemicals that they should be able to synthesise?
Electric eels in Northern Europe? They're from the Amazon.
Electric eels providing enough electrical power to be used for such a scheme?
Electric eels causing lightening-like sparks?

It was fun. As far as "romps" go, it was a good one. And I honestly can't bring myself to get annoyed about such minor details as those. Granted, vikings with horns is embarrassing, but it didn't really diminish my enjoyment of the episode at all.

(Apparently super-charged) electric eels from the Amazon rainforest being inexplicably present in Northern Europe is not a minor detail. It's a major plot point - without the eels, they'd have all died. Ashildr wouldn't have been the hero - she'd be the stubborn idiot who got herself and everyone else killed.
And what exactly was fun about it besides the attempt to train the peasants being a disaster?

[The Flutterlands]

Just to tag, like I've said in the last thread, it was a fun episode.

[Telintar]

Don't know if you've seen this, but it is pretty cool.

[Chelta]

It was fun. As far as "romps" go, it was a good one. And I honestly can't bring myself to get annoyed about such minor details as those. Granted, vikings with horns is embarrassing, but it didn't really diminish my enjoyment of the episode at all.

(Apparently super-charged) electric eels from the Amazon rainforest being inexplicably present in Northern Europe is not a minor detail. It's a major plot point - without the eels, they'd have all died. Ashildr wouldn't have been the hero - she'd be the stubborn idiot who got herself and everyone else killed.
And what exactly was fun about it besides the attempt to train the peasants being a disaster?

Not really. Take away the eels, insert something else electric (like a storm or something, idk) and modify the fight scene a bit, and you get the same result. A major plot point wouldn't be the specifics of how the villagers defeated the Mire, it would be that they defeated the Mire at all. The villagers were always going to defeat the Mire, and for some reason the writer(s) chose electric eels as the means. Perhaps a questionable choice, given what you've pointed out, but, like I said, I can't bring myself to be bothered by it. I was too busy being entertained by the Mire being zapped by the eels.

If you didn't find the episode fun, I'm not going to be able to convince you it was, but just for my part I found it a very enjoyable and engaging story.

[The Flutterlands]

Anyone else thought of Monty Python when the Mire leader appeared in the sky?

[The New Velociraptor Empire]

The BBC chooses now to crack down on VPNs, now I'll be out of synch with the rest of you again.

[Aqizithiuda]

Because the writer, director and costume designers have virtually zero knowledge of Norse religion, armour design or culture and absolutely no respect for any of it.

Or the Norse language either, judging by the pronunciation of 'Ashildr'.

That made me cringe.

True, true. Besides that, Líf would have been a much better name for her, given the ending.

[Nationstatelandsville]

I adored it.

An atrocious take on Nordo-Germanic culture, yes - and I speak as one with Odin the Wanderer as my phone background - but then, I expected that. In terms of actual plot and resolution, especially fake Odin, it kind of sucked.

But the dialogue and character development more than made up for it. The scene where the Doctor translated for the baby and Clara touched his face is one of the best scenes Twelve has had thus far, and he is basically an unstoppable train of Tom Baker-esque glory at this point.

"Mother, I hear thunder. Mother, I hear shouting. Mother, you are my world, but I hear other worlds now. Mother, beyond the folding of your smile, is there kindness?"

[Nationstatelandsville]

It was fun. As far as "romps" go, it was a good one. And I honestly can't bring myself to get annoyed about such minor details as those. Granted, vikings with horns is embarrassing, but it didn't really diminish my enjoyment of the episode at all.

(Apparently super-charged) electric eels from the Amazon rainforest being inexplicably present in Northern Europe is not a minor detail. It's a major plot point - without the eels, they'd have all died. Ashildr wouldn't have been the hero - she'd be the stubborn idiot who got herself and everyone else killed.
And what exactly was fun about it besides the attempt to train the peasants being a disaster?

Vinland's way further south than we thought, you guys.

[Ameriganastan]

God, people taking this episode so damn seriously. Of course it's not historically accurate. It's Doctor Who for cripes sake. Learn to have a little fun.

[Aqizithiuda]

The episode was the equivalent of the Doctor visiting London in 1850, where everyone, from the tiniest baby to the oldest woman is called "sailor", everyone is wearing fancy clothing from 17th century Bulgaria, the entire populace has access to Dreyse needle rifles, everyone is a 16th century Puritan, there are piranhas in the Thames and all this is presented as a normal, entirely accurate depiction of mid 19th century London.

[Ameriganastan]

The episode was the equivalent of the Doctor visiting London in 1850, where everyone, from the tiniest baby to the oldest woman is called "sailor", everyone is wearing fancy clothing from 17th century Bulgaria, the entire populace has access to Dreyse needle rifles, everyone is a 16th century Puritan, there are piranhas in the Thames and all this is presented as a normal, entirely accurate depiction of mid 19th century London.

The Vikings had horns. Big frigging deal. This is not a major issue you're raising. For fricks sake, last week they basically said Twelve was Beethoven. Didn't see any complaining then.

[Aqizithiuda]

The episode was the equivalent of the Doctor visiting London in 1850, where everyone, from the tiniest baby to the oldest woman is called "sailor", everyone is wearing fancy clothing from 17th century Bulgaria, the entire populace has access to Dreyse needle rifles, everyone is a 16th century Puritan, there are piranhas in the Thames and all this is presented as a normal, entirely accurate depiction of mid 19th century London.

The Vikings had horns. Big frigging deal. This is not a major issue you're raising. For fricks sake, last week they basically said Twelve was Beethoven. Didn't see any complaining then.

It goes way, way beyond the horns.

Also, they definitely didn't imply that Twelve was Beethoven. In fact, he went to great lengths to point out that it was only an analogy.

[Ameriganastan]

My new response to all the "It wasn't historically accurate!" people.

If you want historical accuracy, you're in the wrong show.

[Aqizithiuda]

My new response to all the "It wasn't historically accurate!" people.

If you want historical accuracy, you're in the wrong show.

So you'd be perfectly fine if everyone in 2015 was suddenly depicted wearing 11th century clothing, worshiping Inanna, speaking Yolgnu Matha, riding around on hoverboards and this was taken as a given and was not some weird time flux thing?

[Nude East Ireland]

My new response to all the "It wasn't historically accurate!" people.

If you want historical accuracy, you're in the wrong show.

So you'd be perfectly fine if everyone in 2015 was suddenly depicted wearing 11th century clothing, worshiping Inanna, speaking Yolgnu Matha, riding around on hoverboards and this was taken as a given and was not some weird time flux thing?

For the record, I would be completely fine with this.

I want to live in that world.

[Ameriganastan]

My new response to all the "It wasn't historically accurate!" people.

If you want historical accuracy, you're in the wrong show.

So you'd be perfectly fine if everyone in 2015 was suddenly depicted wearing 11th century clothing, worshiping Inanna, speaking Yolgnu Matha, riding around on hoverboards and this was taken as a given and was not some weird time flux thing?

Yes. Cause I know I'm watching a show about an alien in a flying phone box.

[Aqizithiuda]

So you'd be perfectly fine if everyone in 2015 was suddenly depicted wearing 11th century clothing, worshiping Inanna, speaking Yolgnu Matha, riding around on hoverboards and this was taken as a given and was not some weird time flux thing?

Yes. Cause I know I'm watching a show about an alien in a flying phone box.

Given that you complain about almost everything in the show, I really find that hard to believe.

[Nude East Ireland]

Whether or not you liked the episode, the explanation of Twelve's appearance was pretty good.

[Ameriganastan]

Yes. Cause I know I'm watching a show about an alien in a flying phone box.

Given that you complain about almost everything in the show, I really find that hard to believe.

I complain about characters. Or it being boring. Like everything Clara did last season.