CraigGrannell wrote:
Despite some slightly iffy plot elements this time, I still thought it was a decent effort. Funny to see
some using it as an excuse for rantage.
He's right on a the majority of his points though.
I did like the Hath though. They were funny. Needed to be a bit more verbal though. A bit more "ARGLE BARGLE!"
My main quibble was with the bizarre feebleness of the military-spec'd cloning machine. Programmed to create humans and hath with military training, it spawns idiots who let their guns be taken off them, enable them to drown when their fish*, and create generals who literally lead from the front in a bit 'shoot me!' jogging mass like some cretinous team-building corporate paintball retreat. If they had everyone of a uniform age and held off with the instant product just a smidgeon with a clothes cladder then it would have been more plausible. Also, you could have written some better dialogue to explain it.
Doctor: "I say, you're all pretty cheerful for a warrior army trapped in a relentless struggle."
Clone: "Happy soldiers make good soldiers sir. And we're all filled with a can-do spunk!"
Doctor: "What do you know about spunk?"
Plus the combat scenes were feeble. The hath wave their guns about a bit randomly, some sparks and some extras fall over. If you're going to sell a bitter war, you've got to go a bit 2000AD with it. And though I really like Marth, did the script or plot actually need her?
Gngh. Annoying really, because the core conceit was a good one. Unfortunately it was desperately underwritten. So, not annoying like the still nadir Daleks in Manhatten, but definitely on a par with the 'ho-hum look at watch' run-around of '42'. Ie: One really good scene and a lot of meh. (Doctor talks about his kids vs Martha in escape pod.)
Ahh well. At least that Sontaren two-parter was fun, and you don't always get that with the early season two-parters. And I'm looking forward to that Agatha Christie one! Period Who usually = fun Who!
(EDITS:)
* Actually, I've just checked that one, and you can just hear the glass break of his breather - so that explains that. And quicksand would obviously clog the gills. Bit worried about how glibly Martha dismisses radiation though.
They really should have had disintegrator guns. That would explain the lack of bodies. And hold on - why wouldn't they start pondering about being surrounded by lots of obviously recent paperwork from the ship? And why was the map partly hidden? And why weren't they wondering about food supplies? And and and gngh.
I loved Gridlock because it was moving and clever. This was complete anti-biscuits.