Review of First Season

[Dave]

There is a review of the first season (or is it the 27th season?) here:

http://www.strangehorizons.com/revie..._to_the_.shtml

[obcooke]

[Originally posted by Dave: There is a review of the first season (or is it the 27th season?) here]

I haven't read the link yet, but I wanted to comment on the 27/1 "controversy".

I like to think this is Season 27, although I respect the fact that the new season is capable of standing on it's own, it really doesn't.

Since this is a discussion of the entire season, I assume that spoilers for Season 27/1 are okay -

The Daleks alone would not be as good without their history with the Doctor (not to mention the Sonic Screwdriver). And seeing the Cyberman's head would be meaningless without the past.

Would humanity - yes, the entire planet - be as interested in the new shows without what went before? Twenty-seven seasons make Dr. Who the phenom that it is.

I understand the inconsistancies and outright contradictions of the past. There is no way to really reconcile all the stories into one tale without anomolies. But I don't think that that has to be the obituary to the past. Even shows like Buffy and Angel with only 5-7 years of stories had problems keeping everything consistant.

I love the totality, warts and all, because as the saying goes - "What is past is prologue."

The "Season One" point of view was stated rather pithily by a Dr. Who panelist at DRAGONCON who said -

"If you adopt all the past stories then you have to accept Eric Roberts as The Master."

Oh well, despite that, make mine Season 27, please.

[ray gower]

The review has very little to say about the episodes themselves, more of a high browed critical appraisal of the efforts of Russell T Davies. But probably best avoided until the end simply because it doesn't make sense otherwise.

What the review does say and is certainly not a spoiler, is that Davies is great at writing actors into characters and building interactions and has made this series into something so substantially different to any previous incarnation. So I wonder if this is a good starting point for calling this series New Doctor Who series 1?
Especially if we were to compare say Stargate and Stargate Atlantis? Which offer different actors and names, slightly more make-up, but the same story and characters.
Or any flavour of Star Trek?

But then every Doctor has signalled some form of shift in presentation and style, so I've never worried about what the series number is.

[lordoftime]

The Bad Wolf story arc was less spectacular than I hoped it would be. I think they really just made a mess of things with how they resolved it. Too many plot holes left open and of course it seems now the subplot has been generally abandoned. A good season overall, the Slitheen are just silly, and the ending sucked, but overall we had some great moments for the Ninth Doctor and his friends.

And I was disappointed that this was the first Doctor to not meet the Master onscreen since the creation of the character in the early 1970s.

[Dave]

Originally Posted by lordoftime

And I was disappointed that this was the first Doctor to not meet the Master onscreen since the creation of the character in the early 1970s.

Do you think the Master is dead; died in the Time War? Or do you think we will eventually see him appear? *spoiler alert* Apparently, the Rani is going to appear.*end spoiler*

Do you think there will be a further, more detailed explanation of what exactly happened during the Time War?

[lordoftime]

I think the Master is still alive, I dont believe he fought in the War. I have theories about him no longer being stuck in the Eye of Harmony/Heart of the Doctor's Tardis.
As for the War itself, it looks like RTD is leaving that to the fans to figure out. I man, many already asume the Eighth Doctor regenerated from injuries sustained in the War, but that is just assumption. Almost nothing is known about it except brief comments in both the 2005 and 2006 seasons.

The Face of Boe has yet to reveal his great secret to the 'Lonely God' ie the Doctor, and I am guessing it might be that the Doctor is not the only Time Lord left, ie a perfect way to bring either the Master or the Rani back.