Monday, May 23, 2011

Mark Watches 'Doctor Who:' S06E05 - The Rebel Flesh

A solid episode that I don't believe will ever be heralded as the best ever this season, but still no where as fail as episodes past *cough*LoveandMonsters*cough*.

So what did you think? Did you find the Flesh Clones kinda creepy looking? Was it weird how fast they all wanted to kill each other? Are you looking forward to the Doctor having to eat his tolerant words with the arrival of the Flesh!Doctor? (There is absolutely no way those two are going to be able to share the TARDIS. Hence, insanity shall ensue.)

Also, we have two new mods in psycicflower and affableevil! Congrats!

Comments (64)

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I am a big pile of meh on this episode, so instead, HDM thoughts!

HDM spoilers in the reply
12 replies · active 732 weeks ago
Sort of relevant to this topic spoilery comment for HDM in the reply
11 replies · active 732 weeks ago
Also, congrats to our new mods! :D
3 replies · active 732 weeks ago
I rewatched The Rebel Flesh this morning for the bits I missed and to take notes like usual and I'm still not overly bothered by the episode. It wasn't great, it wasn't terrible, it was just there. There are some good lines in there but I'll just have to hope that the second part improves the first.
1 reply · active 732 weeks ago
I liked it. It's one of those episodes that make you think.

And there was something REALLY OFF about the Doctor at the beginning. I don't think he came to the monastery/factory by accident. Remember his thinly veiled attempt to get rid of Amy and Rory? And touching the Flesh! I'm sure it was deliberate and not really a spur-of-the-moment thing.
8 replies · active 732 weeks ago
I've seen a lot of hate for the episode, but i didn't find it that bad. Not amazing, but not terrible. I think part of the reason people don't like it is because it came after The Doctor's Wife. It's hard to come after an episode like that. It's the same with The Curse of the Black Spot. It came after a pretty awesome two parter, it's no surprise it would be a bit of a let-down.
I actually really liked this episode. It seemed perfect that the topic at hand was doppelgangers (they're you but they're NOT YOU) because everyone seemed to be not quite themselves.

Rory was concerned for the welfare of an almost stranger and was willing to risk Amy's wrath to protect her, even willing to run away from Amy to protect her. He was more in control and independent (albeit shit-scared) than I think we've seen him. It's like he's stopped saying 'I'm a nurse' every episode and actually decided to go and be a protector and helper on his own initiative. Also, he wants him some Ganger a little bit.

Amy was therefore on the back-foot. She was having to react to Rory's behaviour and not the other way round. The look she gives him when he hugs Jennifer is amazing. I've never seen her look like that, kind of surprised and impressed but defensive at the same time. She can't get her head round not bein Rory's only priority.

And the Doctor, being irresponsible, getting things wrong again, being a bit... off, as Tauriel said.

It's like their behaviour was mirroring the Ganger theme and not quite being themselves even though they looked like themselves.

And, THEORIES ABOUND:

For my money, duality is the big over-arching theme of this season. This might have been said here before so I do apologise if that's the case.

Amy is pregnant and not-pregnant. Rory is Auton and not Auton. The Doctor has died but he has not died yet. Someone is looking at Amy from another world. They accessed another world onboard the Black Pearl. Everything is happening in pairs, as if two worlds are colliding. And now the Doctor has a Ganger.

So I reckon... the two worlds of Amy's Choice were not just hallucinations. They may have been representations of the Doctor's dark side but they were also real. They had to choose between a world in which Amy was pregnant and Rory was dead and a world where they were all fine and not pregnant. Now, Amy's kind of pregnant and Rory keeps dying, over and over.

I think when Amy brought back the world in the Big Bang, her memories of Amy's Choice meant that that alternative world was also brought into being. They can't co-exist, so the two realities are bashing into each other.

See also: the extra Tardis.

Of course, none of this explains River or the little girl or the astronaut or the silence... but the Doctor who got shot (if he's not the Doctor!Ganger, could be the Doctor from Amy's alternate universe.
2 replies · active 732 weeks ago
It really does not sit well with me that another mod over there is using terms like "crazy" and "lame" and I'm not sure what the correct thing to do about it would be.
12 replies · active 732 weeks ago
For those who might be interested, there's a Torchwood: Miracle Day trailer on YouTube now.

I think it looks intriguing, and the closing bit of the trailer did make me cackle.
5 replies · active 732 weeks ago
Guys, guys, have you seen this BRILLIANT new clip from the next episode?
http://blogtorwho.blogspot.com/2011/05/almost-peo...

:D

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