shadowhive | Entries tagged with doctor who season 8

Hope everyone has had a nice easter weekend. I’ve only had one of my eggs, a Galaxy one, but I built some Lego. Saturday I built the new AAT with Ahsoka (it seems a little small and the main cannon is too big but otherwise it’s cool) and an Easter bunny yesterday (which is so cute!)

Saturday was spent watching Castle, but I also put on a film and settled on Ratatouille which I’d never seen before. It was pretty funny and I liked it, though the end was a little sad.

On the night I put on The Dæmons, which I split over Saturday and Sunday nights (cause I was tired). It has a lot of good things to it, the white witch, Benton and Yates getting stuff to do and the Brigadier being in his dress uniform in the first ep. Plus there was the famous five rounds rapid line (which has actually become the name of a trope on tv tropes, I wonder how many tropes are named after who things) and there being a BBC 3 channel featuring is oddly prescient (albeit it didn’t come around for decades). And I always knew Morris dancers were creepy.

There were some things that I didn’t quite like. The doctor did seem pretty grumpy and the dæmons themselves didn’t get fully explained (plus that ending seemed odd).

I watched the special features on the disc, so now there’s only two special features disc left (one with more Dæmons stuff, one with more general stuff) which I‘ll likely watch soon.

Also yesterday was Midsommer Murders which was pretty good, though the TV guide is right the mask of the killer did look like something from the last singer. And seeing Mark Williams naked was... unexpected. (Although there was an odd focus on a Lego glamping set which was appropriate considering the ep featured it.)

My tummy did feel annoying yesterday though which was, ugh. And I couldn’t seem to settle at night either. Hopefully today is better in that regard.

I’m gonna snuggle and watching stuff now, maybe write and go on Story of seasons (and likely game more tonight since there’s no Maxx stream).

Current Mood: thoughtful
Current Music: Tv

So since it’s been the Waterparks gig today I’d figure I’d do them so...

Watch on YouTube

So I was gonna use the Not Warriors video, but when I was looking through YouTube I saw that there was a video for Crave. I’ve had the song stuck in my head for the last few days, but didn’t know there was a video so I decided to watch it. It’s not what I would have expected, though it does have dogs in it! More videos should have dogs! And the boys are dressed as dogs for... some reason? (*mind has thoughts*)

I’ll be honest, I didn’t really know much about Waterparks until fairly recently. I’d seen pics of them, so knew one had bright hair but that was about it. I pretty much blame

skinwalker for me starting to listen to them, so they have much more info on the boys than I do!

Something I find clever is that all their eps/lps have been in alphabetical order. So far they’ve got to G so the newest one is Greatest Hits.

Watch on YouTube

I’m also gonna add this, which is Snow Globe, their latest video.

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So last night, just a few minutes after I made the post, I had an email from amazon saying Story Of Seasons was on it’s way and due today so yay.

It turned up today, so I’m glad for that. I got the deluxe edition so it included a poster, cards and a notebook (which usefully includes an in game calendar with birthdays on it). I’ve played it a bit and it’s nice to have a farming game that’s actually got some fast progression. (Don’t get me wrong I love Stardew but one thing that puts me off getting it for the switch is the prospect of being so far behind.) In a few days of story of seasons I got a coop, fixed up a bridge and have access to getting my first pet. Another thing I love is that the pets aren’t just a choice between dog and cat, theres a variety of breeds! Plus you can give your character hetrochromia which I’ve not seen before.

We walked with the pup before i played and I got pics of the post box. Why? Because someone has crotched a top for the nearest two. This one has two gnomes, a mushroom and tree. Another one has a beach, with an octopus and palm trees. It’s cute.

I popped to the co-op and got some eggs (and chocolate for mum) I also got Fanta. There’s a new blue type, but it’s a mystery flavour. I’m not quite sure what it is but it’s sweet, kinda fruity but I can’t place it.

I decided to watch the Waterparks Gig tonight and I’m glad it did. The stream was from veeps who did a few other gigs I’d seen and the stream itself went great (no issues like the ones with the Adam Lambert one). They played songs from across their albums and the set was nice with trees and such. Geoff was cute, helping Awsten with an ear thing, then sitting on the floor during an acoustic. For some reason Awsten wanted us to listen to his throat as he swallowed water.

They didn’t play Crave alas, but they played others I like, Not Warriors and Turbulent and I Miss Having Sex so yay! Although it felt like the set flew by too.

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As I mentioned in the last post I watched Colony In Space. It’s the first time the Third Doctor has been off world, thanks to the Time Lords sending him on a mission. It was amusing that as the Tardis left the Brigadier said ‘Doctor! Come back at once!’

The ep manages to be a pretty good one and, despite being six episodes, didn’t feel like it overlong. (Though yeah it was long, but for this one it’s harder to see what would get cut). I felt sorry for the colonists, trying to make a living on this planet and everything going wrong for them. It made me wonder why they didn’t just up and leave at first but that gets explained by the ship they used being run an old one (which when it’s forced to take off explodes). Their situation isn’t helped by the mining company that wants the planet for themselves, using trickery, Murder and sabotage to try and scare them off.

And then the master arrives, pretending to be an arbiter, who is only there to gain access to a doomsday weapon. Usually said weapon being hidden on the planet would come across as just another random idea thrown in, but it’s inclusion here makes sense. It’s presence messed up the natives and it’s why the colonists crops don’t grow. (Although the end of the ep, where it’s destroyed by a self destruct, is kinda a puzzling thing itself. Why didn’t the natives not just evacuate theor city and use it ages ago?)

It’s kinda left open ended if the mining captain and his men gets away with all they did. Sure another arbitrator is on the way, but it’s implied the prices could be corrupted even then.

Next ep is the last ep of the season, the Daemons.

Current Mood: thoughtful
Current Music: Castle

After the last post I watched Falcon and the winter soldier. After an action packed start it settled into something a bit more... domestic and dealing with consequences. Of Steve leaving, Bucky’s past and the blip (what a name for a thing). I’m curious where it’s gonna go but I both support the Steve conspiracy theory and the flag smashers ideals.

Friday wasn’t too exciting then, we watched an X-File and then there was Red Nose Day during the night which... I dunno it didn’t feel too great. Then I ended up gaming a bit and watching some Bob’s Burgers (and then a stream where I won a code).

Saturday morning bought with it the elder scrolls loot crate, yay! (The tracking though, is useless as it still says it’s in America.) inside there was a little helmet replic, a scarf and hat set, socks, pin and key ring. The next one is meant to be Conjuring so that sounds like it’ll be interesting.

I finished the Penumbra Podcast story I was listening to, but of course it ends on a cliffhanger damnit. I just want Juno and Peter to go off into the sunset together.

We took Naryu for a longer walk and she was happy cause she saw all the horses, though most were far away. There was a pretty butterfly on the path that I had to pick up and move to somewhere safer.

The rest of the day was watching Castle, then continuing Who and a little gaming.

There was no song Saturday, mostly cause I forget so I might do a late one later.

Today is gonna be a lazy day, with Midsomer Murders tonight and watching the Who special features. Speaking of Who though...

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Last night was continuing the Who season 8 boxset with The Claws Of Axos. Claws is one of two DVDs I have signed, this one by Katy Manning (Jo) and she was very sweet. But anyway.

Claws is the midpoint story of the season and like every one of them, it includes the master. Unlike the previous two though, his presence feels surplus to requirements. Him and the doctor do get. Nice scene on the tardis towards the end (‘We leave together or we die together’) and his comments on the tardis are also funny but he feels kinda uneeded. The wiki (and I’m sure the making off will too) states that the original story didn’t feature him, in fact it was originally written as a second doctor one, so he was very much a later addition.

The axons themselves look pretty good, with humanoid bodies with golden faces and nice outfits, while their true form is a mass of combat tentacles. Their ship being organic is also a nice idea, leading it to look strange and unique. (Is it the first time there’s an organic ship in sci-fi? I know Farscape famously had one but I’m trying to think if anyone else did it before) It’d be interesting to see them come back in the new series (they said theirs was the only ship of their people, but as they lied about everything else...)

There’s also a man from the ministry in the form of Chinn and he’s so obstructive and annoying you get the sense that his bosses just sent him to UNIT to get him out of the way. On the other end the American agent Bill was more of a rounded character and it’s a shame he’s only in this one.

All in all though it was a pretty good ep and it was nice to watch it again. Next time, Colony In Space.

Current Mood: thoughtful
Current Music: Tv

So last night I continued the Doctor Who watch with Mind Of Evil so thoughts ahoy.

The mind of evil is all about the Keller machine, which feeds on negative emotions (and then can kill by showing people their fears) and, of course, the Master is behind it. The Mind Of Evil has an issue that some of the old Who has, it’s long. At six parts long it definitely feels too long.

The first few eps also has a plot line at the world peace conference, which feels a bit superfluous. (Why would the Master bother using the machine to influence the people there when he already had another plan?) It dies feel a bit of a shame that Chin Lee isn’t in it more, Once that part fizzles out the story becomes more focussed, on a prison riot and the master stealing a missile which he intends to use at said conference. It’s impressive that they had an actual mussel there, I hope that the making of covers how that happened.

One part did involve the master exposing the doctor to the machine and then, as tv tropes puts it, it becomes like something out of a hurt comfort fic. He definitely cares about the Doctor and that much is clear here (despite his attempts to kill the Doctor in the previous ep). They even end up working together in an attempt to stop the machine when it starts going rogue.

There’s some good things here and some funny stuff too (like the Brigadier being in disguise as someone bringing provisions to the prison and the master having his own music). And some strange things too. (Making a castle into a prison seems like a good idea but you really mean to say that they didn’t close off a secret passage?)

All in all it was an ok ep but I’m sure it’s not gonna be my fav of the season.
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After doing the song Saturday post last night I did some more Fenyx Rising and started Ares’ questline. Surprisingly the first vault I was sent to was Ares’ vault (also surprising it wasn’t combat filled) but of course it wasn’t that easy. Ares’ essence got stolen at the end by... someone, so now I have to track that down.

I watched a Bob’s burgers ep, then went to bed where I watched Buzzfeed Unsolved’s Mothman ep cause it popped up on twitter which was fun (I wanna go out there sometime!).

Current Mood: thoughtful
Current Music: Castle

So yesterday the Doctor Who season 8 boxset arrived and, instead of waiting till a Monday like an usually do, I decided to watch it last night. I think this’ll be the way I continue watching the season (the ep on Saturday and the special features Sunday) since I think it works better and will mean I won’t miss Maxx’s streams or have to watch the ep late.

The first episode of season 8 was Terror Of The Autons, which saw the return of the Autons (from season 7) as well as the introduction of some new characters, Jo, The Master and Mike Yates. While the episode’s title has the Autons in the name (and they certainly have stuff to do) the story is very much focussed on the Master. Right from the start he’s introduced, showing his hypnotic powers, his ruthlessness and his ability to manipulate people. In fact the time lords consider him such a threat they actually send someone to warn the Doctor he’s there (though just warn, they don’t give him any help whatsoever which you think they would considering how dangerous he is). As such I think it does a pretty good job of introducing him.

Jo joins in this ep as the Doctor’s new assistant, though it’s a little sad that Liz doesn’t get a send off (just getting a comment that she went back to Cambridge). The ep does a good job of introducing her though, she’s sweet and a little clumsy but she’s also quite capable. Mike’s introduced as another UNIT guy and I liked that he was mentioned to have been part of the clean up from the Autons first appearance.

As for the Autons themselves, while they appear mostly in plastic doll form they also bring with them a variety of seemingly innocuous plastic based weapons. There’s an inflatable chair that eats someone, a phone wire that wraps around the Doctor and daffodils that spray a film designed to suffocate someone. And then there the troll doll which looks... well, ugly and creepy. The original plan was they were meant to more involved, being given away from a circus, though that had to be dropped as there was issues with the guy performing the movements. I think that’s a good call because who would want one of those? Even for free.

It’s perhaps ironic that the episode ends with the Doctor and a Master on a radio telescope thing (considering that results in the fourth Doctor regenerating) although this time the Doctor convinces him the Autons will turn on him. Would they really though? It was unclear, though the Autons were definitely willing to drive off and leave him behind when he was late one time so who knows.

The addition on the blu ray came with some updated effects and I think they worked pretty well. They replaced the dolls movements (making it creepier) and I think they also improved the Nestene’s arrival at the end. I really hope that they do a similar thing when they get to season 11, improving Invasion Of The Dinosaurs.

I’m looking forward to seeing the other eps of the season too, I’ve not seen any of them in a long time. I think the last one I seen was Claws Of Axos cause it was one of the last dvds I got (and I got it signed).

After watching the ep I watched one of the special features which was a making of (clearly done for the original dvd). The first part of it was nice, covering the introductions of the new characters as well as including a few stories that were mentioned in the box set’s booklet. It was also nice that they included some clips from a Jon Pertwee interview from before his death. However there was a problem with it towards the end as it stopped being about the episode itself and became more of a comparison with the new series, which I didn’t think was either fair or fit too well.

I’m gonna watch the rest of the special features tonight, which includes behind the sofa, something about the master and something on plastic.

I was gonna read the Klaus comics earlier but I’ve been a bit headache and blah which sucks.

Current Mood: geeky
Current Music: Tv