27.07: The Long Game

[Dave]

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The TARDIS takes the Doctor and Rose to the year 200,000 AD, where they arrive on Satellite Five, a huge satellite broadcasting system that transmits news to a million households through out the Human Empire. However, they soon discover that something sinister is going on in the television agency...

[Dave]

A 'Monster of the Week' epsisode, and I thought, a rather poor one. The monster itself was an improvement on the 'old' Doctor Who, as have all the monsters and aliens in this series.

Simon Pegg (Spaced, Shaun of the Dead) is cast to type as 'the Editor' working with some undead people whose minds are used to process information. There was some analogy to corporate hierararchical structures, but I didn't get the point. Don't go near the Boardroom I think.

Last week, Adam seemed like an intellligent guy, but this week they turned him into another idiot like Mickey/Rickey. Idiots must be Rose's type.

As regards the computer/human interface that he had fitted: when we discussed these before on ascifi, it seemed like everyone wanted to join the queue to have one fitted, so he is not alone there.

They left him behind at the end, which led to a funny scene in his house.

[ray gower]

It is my sage like observation, that the more attractive and otherwise intelligent the female, the closer the object she attaches herself to will be related to the missing link. (The girl who hitched up with my son showed deceptive levels of judgement. discretion and good taste. But there is always an exception to any rule. )
Either way, Rose is performing to form in her selection of male friends.

Which brings us to Adam. Who I believe very neatly shows the difference between being clever and being smart. You could see the little cash registers going around in his eyes as he launched himself at attempting to gain an easy buck, stealing knowledge he has no right to.

If you can manage to avoid the high levels of hate and scorn for the gormless prat (very difficult), then I think the actual episode is actually quite good! With some nice little starts and surprises as things evolve.

Which brings us to Dave's moral, which I think should perhaps be; "Make sure you know what sort of large blooby creature it is that lives on the top floor and what its dietary requirements are, before you join."

[little smaug]

Definately not one of the better episodes. It did have it's moments, but over all, there didn't seem to be a whole lot of plot.

I was upset that they turned Adam into yet another idiot. At the end of the last episode, I would have been quite happy for him to join Team TARDIS. By the end of this episode, I was yelling at the Doctor to smack him one. But I guess it's like Ray says - having brains isn't the same as having common sense.

But I was a little surprised that the Doctor would just take him home, and leave him with a head that opens every time anyone snaps their fingers. What's he going to do, wear a hat for the rest of his life? Also, how come the Doctor blew up the answering machine? Couldn't he have just taken the tape? Or even better, pressed the 'erase' button?

I think the high point of the episode was Simon Pegg. He does 'diabolically evil' very well. Actually, he'd make a great Bond villain. I could just imagine the Editor with a white long-haired cat under his arm. :lol:

[ray gower]

Watching Dr Who Confidential after the Sunday repeat (not sure I approve of shows that try to explain what things were supposed to be about, but that is just a gripe), they were saying that the point that the story is about the power of the media to distort the truth. Which it did, but not as well as James Bond.

For me it is more about how dangerous a little knowledge is.

[Krystal]

This episode was good, I enjoyed all the story about the media etc. and it was entertaining, although I would admit that the alien doesn't make it for me so I agree with the monster week observation.

Krystal