Regarding the big hugging scene near the end: Yes, the big whale is like the Doctor. That’s a neat parallel. Yes, as you said, the big whale is like the Doctor. Thanks. Big whale, Doctor, the same. Thank you. You can stop explaining now. I understand. Whale, Doc, same. Shut up now, please.
In general, I liked this episode; it had some nice creepy imagery. Plus, the revelation at the end combined a nice optimism about aliens, with some wonderfully negative cynicism about the human race.
Frustrated, horrified, frightened, dismayed, disgusted, appalled....
No worries, Dianne. We're all frustrated with the current situation. (Or I am, anyway.)
I apologize for my last comment. Trump's election is the fault of Trump voters and no one else (well, Putin,…
And thank you everyone who decided that Biden wasn't pure enough for you and stayed home: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/incoming-trump-team-is-asking-white-house-national-security-council-civil-servants-about-their-loyalty Incompetent NSC means…
_Railsea_ by China Mieville has ampersands as part of the story-- both text and symbolism. A genuinely weird surrealist novel.
I think it would have been a far, far better episode if the Doctor had pointed out to Amy that, from his perspective, all humans (regardless of their chronological age) are children.
After all, his interest in protecting Earth (which was made clear in last episode’s confrontation with the Big Eye Creatures) is clearly more about a fondness for its people (including very old men) than about a liking for small, teary-eyed children.
I see your point. Although thinking of it that way does make the romance with a human just a couple of seasons ago seem rather creepy.
Thought it was fun – though the bits (the old-curiosity-shop style robots with their ivory-carved faces) I liked were fairly peripheral to the plot.
In the first episode the new Doctor adopted that bad habit the last one had of bragging about what a formidable protector of the earth he is and how aliens should think twice before messing with him etc. etc. The next time he comes out with a similar fanfaronade, I hope the alien-of-the-week vapourises him on the spot. He doesn’t have super-powers or anything, one good zap would do it, honestly.
Re: that stuff about the doctor and the whale at the end, though – what was she getting at, do you think?
Ampersand
No one tell Hugo Schwyzer.
(No bagging on Hugo on “Alas,” please.)
I very much agree with you about the bragging. The new Doctor — and by “new,” I edit to add, I don’t mean just the current incarnation, but the last several seasons — seems very full of himself.