Doctor Who S11E01 - 'The Woman Who Fell To Earth' (SPOILERS)

[MrL1992]

A really good start that says a lot about this new series' potential.

I'll start by saying I am loving the new production sensibilities, frok cinematography to sound. The shots combined with the variety in locations really made Sheffield feel a whole lot richer compared with all the times In Londoh as modern Who has tended to favour. The music is refreshingly subdued and willing to focus more on building mood and atmosphere rather leaning too heavy on the whimsiicle or 'big bombastic orchestra (that was getting a little numbing).

This cake together to make the tone of show feel far more serious and dramatic than it ever has in the modern era, not once did it cross into 'camp'. I've been wanting this kind of refresh for a long time and it makes me excited. I've felt the show has had issues in the past with when or when not to be serious or silly. Not the case here.

The ensemble of characters are interesting in how we learn about so them though their relationships with each other rather than the Doctor herself whixh I feel was benefitial.bthey truly feel like a 'team' ynlike say Amy and Rory who were a couple (aa was the intention).


Jodie Whittaker left a very positive first impression and I am SO relieved they didn't feel the neex to allude to the gender change outside of more the Doctor taking notice (or not) at first with no silly 'gender bender' humour that would have completely undermine the new Doctor.
One misgiving i have is that I didnlt feel i 100% 'got' who her Doctor Waz by the end in contrast to her predecessor who gave me all i needed to know about him in the third act. Not the biggest deal, i try not to judge a new Doxtor too much by their debut.

The villian had a great design, voice and eas never played much for laughs (outside a few jines frok the Doctor) that really helped sell the threat. Outside of that, they weren't the most interesting in the world and will remind plenty of ''The Predator' but ij the end, the story wasn't about them, they really wwre onky there to serve a function.

Lastly, its interesting to note that the show has decided not to give us a TARDIS or even opening titles yet. I'm thinking this series will all about the search for the TARDIS and we won't get inside it til the end,

Thoughts?

[clearspira]

As I have absolutely no intention whatsoever to watch a female Dr Who I am interested to see the course of this conversation. If this forum at the end of the series agrees that she is one of the best Doctors ever then I will reconsider. As it is, I have no intention of adding even a single view to this endeavor on principle.

[nebagram]

8.2 million viewers for the video- beating the debuts of Tennant, Smith and Capaldi.

Personally, my feelings are mixed. The episode itself felt... Meh. Kinda like a less sex-obsessed episode of Torchwood (surprising, considering the writer). The whole thing felt, for want of a better word, too 'grounded' to be Doctor Who, compared to the likes of Deep Breath, which dealt with clockwork robots, a hot air balloon made of skin and a frickin' T-Rex strolling around the Thames just because. I almost miss Moffat.

The best part of the episode, by far, is Jodie Whittaker herself. Never mind the accent or the 'secondary characteristics', she really does embody the spirit of the Doctor and you can hear many of the lines come out of her predecessors' mouths, particularly Matt Smith. It definitely bodes well for the rest of the series.

[MrL1992]

As I have absolutely no intention whatsoever to watch a female Dr Who I am interested to see the course of this conversation. If this forum at the end of the series agrees that she is one of the best Doctors ever then I will reconsider. As it is, I have no intention of adding even a single view to this endeavor on principle.

Who cares what 'people' think? Our favourite Doctor lists are all far from identical.

[Robovski]

I haven't seen the episode yet but personally I find ''grounded'' a welcome change after the moon being an egg.

[Worffan101]

I'll have to check it out once I get done enjoying my burning effigy of Moffat.

If the writing's better than the formulaic, unmemorable drek that that idiot puts out, I'll watch.

[Yukaphile]

@clearspira Why? Are you one of those idiots who think SJWs are taking over and ruining everything? Dax has had multiple genders. Why should the Doctor be different? They've wanted a female Doctor since the early 1980s, back when Classic Who was still on the air, and I'm only a casual fan. Besides, from the OP's descriptions, it doesn't seem as if they're making this about her gender at all in the same way that, say, Rey from Star Wars is a May Sue Feminist fantasy who can do no wrong at all.

[Winter]

Personally I really enjoyed the episode and I like the idea of the first season being the Doctor trying to find the TARDIS and the new companions are rather interesting as well and the idea of having more then one companion is also a interesting idea an the group already have a pretty good dynamic. Also, so far I am LOVING Jodie Whittaker's Doctor as she reminds me a lot of the Second and Fourth Doctor's while still giving the character her own unique touch.

I've been wanting a Female Doctor for a while and Whittaker nailed it on her first take. I also like the fact that the episode was more horror based instead which is a nice contrast to Moffet's run which, as Chuck pointed out, more like a fantasy story like Peter Pan while here is more like Alien or Predator and yet still something the whole family can watch so while it's darker it's not to dark which is saying a lot given that the villain rips out people's teeth and wears them on his face.

Overall a good start and I'm looking forward to the next episode.

[Yukaphile]

Well, I've seen more than a few reactionary and right-wing idiots who hate the idea of a female Doctor, think it's just SJWs and RadFems pushing into areas they don't belong to create "diversity for the sake of diversity" or other bullshit like that. From all accounts, this lady did a good job. So no, sounds like she is nothing like Rey from Star Wars.

[name_here]

I'd been a bit nervous that they'd try to push "the Doctor is a woman now!" too heavily to the detriment of the story, but that didn't happen. My immediate reaction right after the credits roll was "New Doctor has arrived, New Doctor remains Doctor". I came in intending to not finalize my opinion until next week because a large enough chunk of the first episode is taken up with Regeneration Madness or replacement for same that I don't think it's enough to base a judgement on, but so far so good. Not got a distinct impression of her yet but she seems a bit more archtypically the classic run Doctor than the other modern ones and generally more a distillation of the basic Doctor traits than a unique variation.

But again, waiting for next week; given the circumstances this episode is under pressure to assure the audiences that this isn't any bigger a change than any other Regeneration story and thus to be as archtypical an episode as can be interesting. And hell, even if it stays that way there's a reason those things are the archetype. And we're going to have all-new monsters this series so it's going to be breaking new ground regardless.