Well, didn’t Cold Blood end unexpectedly? Discuss your thoughts in the comments section (and remember: NO DISCUSSION OF EPISODES THAT HAVEN’T AIRED IN NORTH AMERICA!), and check out our TARDIS File!
Posted by Graeme on Sunday, June 20 at 1:00 am
Rise And Fall (Spring 2011 season reviews): Enlightenment reviews the stories from Season… um, it’s 6.1 this year, right? Plus:
We’ve had a number of queries from members regarding the delayed publication of Enlightenment this year. The DWIN Executive wants to share the following message concerning Enlightenment with DWIN members. Read more
For the first time in Canada, the Doctor Who Christmas Special will actually air on Christmas Day! December 25 at 9pm
Following the wedding at the top of an Ancient Ameri-Egyptian Pyramid, you are now cordially invited to attend the reception below…
The TARDIS Files are popping in to see an old friend before they have to go…
16 Comments...
Sadly, I was unable to avoid the spoilers on the twin twists (Rory and the Tardis piece) because once they aired in the UK everyone went ga-ga over there. As well they should! As the first actual ongoing companion to be killed since Adric (we won’t count Captain Jack), Rory’s demise came as a bit of a shock, especially since Moffat was getting some stick for not killing people off!
Other great points - two Neve McIntoshes for the price of one! Some interesting timeline tweaks with the 1000 years later thing. And some interesting political discussion too. (And Stevie Fry thinks this is a KIDS show!). Actually, I have to go back but I thought I heard one of the characters use the S-word! (“There’s a s—-load of them outside!” was more or less the line.)
Excellent episode. Only complaint is things wrapped up a bit too quickly. This one might have been worthy of a third part.
Posted by Alex on 06/20 at 02:19 AM
I want to go back and watch it again - there was a lot going on there!
Especially after seeing some more recent episodes, I really want to go back and watch this.
Posted by JJ on 06/20 at 01:53 PM
^ Alex - I thought I heard a character say sh*t, then I realized the line was “a shed-load of them.” At least, I think so.
I had inklings that something like that happened to Rory, though I wasn’t sure. The TARDIS piece took me completely by surprise!
Posted by Pharaoh on 06/20 at 05:10 PM
I was so sad to see Rory go. I would have liked to have had a bit more time to grieve before the TARDIS piece was shown. And did anyone else find it strange that the Doctor put his hand into the crack without being erased, whereas Rory was just lying there? Maybe the crack has “selective erasing powers” or something. Still. This episode was very well-executed.
Posted by Demosthenes on 06/21 at 12:00 AM
I did enjoy this episode, although the two parts as a whole didn’t quite live up to what I hoped for after seeing only part 1. However, Nasreen continued to be wonderful (she would make a great companion), Ambrose continued to be a horrible woman for whom I felt zero sympathy (and I wasn’t convinced at the end that she’d change her feelings and help Elliot start to ‘spread the word’), and the resolution where the Silurians would go back into hibernation for 1000 years made sense, if a little predictable.
But what made this episode such a ‘wow’ after all, was obviously the death of Rory. When I first saw it, I can honestly say that’s the first time this series that I let out a very loud “noooo” and was almost moved to tears. Rory was brilliant and a definite highlight of recent episodes, it won’t be quite as enjoyable without him.
Let’s just hope that in this wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey Who world, that we’ll be seeing him again some day soon.
I hesitate to go quite as far as to say Amy’s tears for Rory weren’t genuine, but once again (just like in Amy’s Choice) she only seems to show how much she loves him when he’s gone. Something very wrong with that girl.
And, the bit at the very end where we see that what The Doctor pulled out of the crack was a piece of the TARDIS - well, that was another ‘wow’ moment. Not quite on the scale of Rory, but it did elicit an “oooooooohh”. LOL - the only two of those sort of moments in this series for me, and they both happened in the same episode and separate from the main storyline.
There was something that stuck out like a sore thumb in this episode (at least for me) - about 38 minutes in, when The Doctor was sticking his hand into the crack, there was a piece of music playing that jumped right out, as it was definitely ‘Tenth Doctor’ music. This was unusual because the music this series has basically all been new, with the exception of the odd familiar piece that’s associated with a returning character or enemy (ie the Daleks).
So anyway I got out the soundtrack discs and replayed the scene a few times, and the piece is definitely from ‘The Runaway Bride’ (and identical, not revamped or just similar), in fact if memory serves me it’s what’s playing as The Doctor takes the TARDIS down the motorway and rescues Donna from the taxi.
I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out what this might mean - assuming it means anything at all, perhaps Murray Gold was short a few bars of music and just stuck it in thinking it was a good fit.
But even that makes no sense, as the scene in The Runaway Bride and the scene it’s used for here in Cold Blood, have absolutely no similarity in either tone or emotion.
The only thing I can come up with is that Amy is sort of a runaway bride herself, and perhaps in some weird disjointed way it’s supposed to be foreshadowing what happens immediately afterwards, when Rory is lost.
I know - pretty lame theory - if anyone else has any ideas I’d love to hear them!
Posted by Julie on 06/21 at 12:29 AM
This was a good end to the story I believe. And I like how things settled down enough for them to try and “talk” things out. I was hoping for an all around throw-down-your arms and smile-on-your-brother like in “the Doctor’s Daughter”, but when you look at how violent and stubborn some of the characters were acting… Did anyone else notice it was the female characters escalating the conflict? (Ambrose, Alayna and her sister). I was surpised that Rory died, and I was sad; not only does Amy lose the man she loved, she also loses all memory of him. For those that are wondering about the Doctor sticking his hand in the crack, notice the hankerchief started glowing before he stuck it in. It was probably some time-travel/anti-paradox/parallel-dimension fabric. And the TARDIS piece at the end, maybe the Doctor should take the TARDIS to a mechanic for a check up?(Just to be safe.)
Posted by Mr.E on 06/21 at 03:30 AM
Defenately a good one. So far the best episodes this year are the 2 parters. Yep the Rory moment was a jaw dropper for me. The part where he is erased by the crack was an amazing effect and moment. Although I wouldn’t be surprised if we see him back at the close of the season. Don’t get me wrong, its not that I have jumped ahead for spoilers or anything its just my own theory.
On an unrelated note, I have read somewhere that the DVD release of this season will not have the “Next Time” clips included. A shame I think as I enjoy them for some strange reason.
Posted by Doug Grandy on 06/21 at 04:58 PM
Well unlike many of you here. This episode left me “cold”. Goodbye to Rory. When he died I pumped my fist and shouted “yes”. I never liked him as a character. The actor who played him was of course excellent. As to why I didn’t like the episode I could list dozens of faults and oddities. To name just one how come grandpa who looked so sick in some scenes moved around as if nothing was wrong in others? I also felt that everything was too rushed. As someone said here this story might have been better as a three parter. More time to develop both characters (Nasreen?) and situations. Also I am finding the crack to be a tiresome plot point to me. You can only tantalize your audience for so long before it becomes boring.
Finally don’t agree about the Next Time previews. They destroy the ending mood completely and remind me of previews at the end of the schlocky Irwin Allen TV series of the 70’s. In this case instead of ending with a somber scene of the Doctor examining that broken piece of a Tardis, we get a fast moving frenetic peek at the next show which involves Vicent Van Gogh somehow. Gives the whole thing the air of a kid’s adventure show. That is NOT what the last three Doctors have been about. (I’ve written to Space and asked them to stop the previews or at least move them after the credits).
That’s my two cents.
Posted by The Observer on 06/22 at 06:57 PM
Observer: You do make a valid point about the “Next Time” trailers possibly ruining the moment and perhaps it would be better to always place them after the end credits. (Occasionally they do) Althought I do not think SPACE has control on this matter as they get what they get from the BBC. And if SPACE were to edit the Next Time bits or move them to the end of the credits it would look horribly hacked, something that would annoy WHO fans even more.
Posted by Doug Grandy on 06/23 at 05:25 PM
The second part was not as satisfying as what the first part led me to expect. Once again, too much material stuck in for the assigned length, which left point plots hanging or not connected as tightly as they should have.
For example, the opening narration implies that an alliance was struck between humans and silurians, but one does not get the impression that Nasreen and Eldane managed to truly bring their discussions to a workable agreement. Unless they did not go to sleep for the full 1000 years as the rest of the settlement did and thus got the opportunity to finish the work, something which may be implicit in the closing narration, but is not made clear in the rush to conclude the episode. Just as Malohkeh’s disappearance is not even noted by the other characters.
Speaking of the scientist, he gets a rather easy pass from the Doctor who expresses his admiration for him, whereas just minutes ago he was on the verge of vivisecting Amy after having already done so to Mo.
Amy gets stiff competition as the most annoying character of the week as written and/or performed. First from Mo when they are exploring the caves, but also from stupid Ambrose and of course from Alaya and Restac, although since they are sisters and are portrayed by the same actress, they might be counted as one.
Last time, I wrote that Rory was probably not with us for long, meaning I thought he would be going back to his own time and wait for Amy to rejoin him. I did not expect something as radical as what we saw. A shocking and unsettling twist, compounded by the Tardis fragment, which truly raises the bar for the rest of the season.
I hope the Doctor takes Nasreen’s up on her invitation to look in on them, if only to see how solid the truce is. I have my doubts that the work from Ambrose and Elliot would be enough to guarantee success, despite the Doctor’s apparent confidence in them.
As for the Next Time trailers, can’t one just change channel or turn the TV off when the trailer begins? After all, their start is easily detectable.
Posted by Florinaldo on 06/23 at 06:33 PM
florinado, I’m a bit of an oddball when it comes to credits. I always sit through them both on TV and at the movies. I like to see the names scrolling and marvel how so many people can work together to produce a fantastic work of art. When I worked (I’m now retired) I was in charge of groups of about 5-6 people at the most. I found it a challenge to keep everyone on the same page. How someone keeps a crew of a hundred or more people in synch just fascinates me. I also think all those people deserve some respect from their audience for their efforts so I stay in my seat.
doug, I see you your point about moving the previews if Space had to do it. It would probably look like a bad hack job. I just wish they’d cut them out.
Posted by The Observer on 06/23 at 09:17 PM
While I broadly agree that the “Next Time” trailer has been poorly integrated into this season’s episodes—personally I preferred how the previous regime did it by having it tie in with the cliffhanger sting and closing theme—the problem isn’t with Space at all.
The “Next Time” sequence is exactly how it appeared on broadcast in Britain. Space doesn’t cut it or do anything to it, and frankly, given the number of fans who complain when they do cut something out, I think that’s pretty sensible of them. So if you have a problem with it, take it up with the BBC!
Posted by Graeme on 06/23 at 09:26 PM
Darn it all! I just realized I typo’ed. That’s what I gert for thinking faster than I can type. The above should have said:
“Althought I do not think SPACE has NO control on this matter as they get what they get from the BBC” What a difference leaving one word out can make.
Posted by Doug Grandy on 06/24 at 05:03 PM
And I have got a double negative in that sentence too. Sheesh!
Posted by Doug Grandy on 06/24 at 05:05 PM
I’m just going to stop talking now.
Posted by Doug Grandy on 06/24 at 05:06 PM
It’s okay Doug - it made sense the first time! lol!
)
(I’ve been there many a time
Posted by Julie on 06/25 at 03:33 PM
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