(36) 10.09 Empress of Mars

[REBerg]

Old school Doctor Who! Ice warriors and special guest appearance by Alpha Centauri.

Totally fun.

 

[HoopyFrood]

I feel like the Doctor Who squad must sit down and be all "most important thing first...how does this week's space gun kill people?" Have to say being folded to death is one of the more gruesome ones that we've had!

An old school episode but a couple of questions raised -- why'd the Tardis run away? Was it just because of the treat of so many Ice Warriors, or something else? And the little bit between Missy and the Doctor at the end was odd. It could have just been her doing the 'I've turned over a new leaf and now I'm concerned about you' and him surprised that she had turned up instead of running off. But his reaction, her repetition of the question and the odd bit of music inbetween seemed to hint at something we don't know yet? Or am I missing something?

Also is it just my ears or does Capaldi get rather Tom Bakerish in his voice when he gets especially stern?

 

[Brian G Turner]

I did enjoy this episode - the Red Line on Mars?! Preposterous, but consistent with the Doctor's world. Even better, he set out to save people - or beings - and create change for the better.

This felt more like the traditional Doctor we're more familiar with. However, one of my kids said that Tennant's Doctor knew pop references whereas Capaldi's doesn't?

Echoing Hoopy, too - wasn't sure why the Tardis disappeared, why Missy was let out - and didn't try to escape - or what the implied consequences were at the end when facing the Doctor (unless this means she's breached the parole the Doctor promised she would be on to the Timelord killers about 3 episodes ago).

 

[Ursa major]

Isn't he a few hundred years older than when he was Tennant?

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Meh. I guess this one was just so much old-school that I haven't the slightest idea what it was about. I even watched it twice.

I don't know who Alpha Centauri is, and thus thought to myself, "Why would they call themselves that, when that's what we call it?"

The Doctor didn't DO anything. I'm rather partial to the Matt Smith thing where the Doctor stands there in front of a passel of aliens and tells them Earth is protected and they'd better not even think about it, or any of the recent Doctors play Macgyver and build an alien-whipping machine out of chewing gum and baling wire and stuff happens. Here, he talked to them, they ignored him, and eventually they conscripted the Brits and ... what? I don't even know. Stayed on Mars where they couldn't possibly survive, but working together? Waited to be picked up by ... whatever that was that I don't even understand? I'm lost. And the Doctor didn't DO anything. And neither did Bill.

I can see that there's obviously a lot going on behind the scenes, because we have no idea why the TARDIS took off with Nardole, nor what Missy was up to before they showed up on Mars, nor what that was all about at the end. But, unlike the Matt Smith era, I'm beginning to lose faith that they'll ever actually tell us.

 

[MemoryTale]

I am an old Who fan. When I heard Alpha Centauri's voice, I squeed. And I'm not ashamed to admit it.

 

[pambaddeley]

Wasn't quite the original voice though. Also the ice warriors should hiss and whisper more not screech - and they didn't have females at all in the original appearances, let alone a queen.

 

[pambaddeley]

Meh. I guess this one was just so much old-school that I haven't the slightest idea what it was about. I even watched it twice.

I don't know who Alpha Centauri is, and thus thought to myself, "Why would they call themselves that, when that's what we call it?"

The Doctor didn't DO anything. I'm rather partial to the Matt Smith thing where the Doctor stands there in front of a passel of aliens and tells them Earth is protected and they'd better not even think about it, or any of the recent Doctors play Macgyver and build an alien-whipping machine out of chewing gum and baling wire and stuff happens. Here, he talked to them, they ignored him, and eventually they conscripted the Brits and ... what? I don't even know. Stayed on Mars where they couldn't possibly survive, but working together? Waited to be picked up by ... whatever that was that I don't even understand? I'm lost. And the Doctor didn't DO anything. And neither did Bill.

I can see that there's obviously a lot going on behind the scenes, because we have no idea why the TARDIS took off with Nardole, nor what Missy was up to before they showed up on Mars, nor what that was all about at the end. But, unlike the Matt Smith era, I'm beginning to lose faith that they'll ever actually tell us.

Well the ice warrior background is given here - Ice Warrior - Wikipedia - but I thought the episode was tosh myself. Didn't believe in the British Army in Victorian times being able to create space suits etc or there being enough air below ground to be able to breathe. And wasn't impressed by the whole plotline with the various military characters either.