Spoilers Doctor Who 2024 (spoilers)

[Dire Bare]

It felt like a near-constant stream of winks-to-the-audience (sometimes literally) which made it very difficult to not be knocked out of the fiction and try to take any of the events seriously.

This is the first time in a very long while, perhaps ever, that I've watched Doctor Who and thought "this really wasn't made for me."

There are a lot of Doctor Who episodes that are hard to take seriously . . . but I think that is the point.

I mean . . . "space babies"? The day is saved by making the space station let out a huge celestial fart? The monster is made of boogers? A fun episode that had heart, scares, and the job of introducing the new Doctor and his companion, but . . . not a very serious episode.

 

[Hussar]

Anyone who bitches that this is bad Doctor Who needs to shut up now.

 

[Dire Bare]

I have not seen them, but after seeing that Disney took over and the 4 part special- I was thinking that it is not for me anymore.

Honest question . . . I'm not a die hard Whovian . . .

Did Disney take over ownership and/or production of Doctor Who? Or is Disney+ just where you can watch Doctor Who now in the US?

 

[Dire Bare]

Anyone who bitches that this is bad Doctor Who needs to shut up now.

Whoah.

So, it's either agree with me or shut up? What a great way to discuss the show.

 

[Hussar]

Whoah.

So, it's either agree with me or shut up? What a great way to discuss the show.

That was some fantastic Who. People have been banging the “Go Woke Go Broke” drum since the first two eps dropped last week.

Those people? They need to shut up.

 

[Dire Bare]

That was some fantastic Who. People have been banging the “Go Woke Go Broke” drum since the first two eps dropped last week.

Those people? They need to shut up.

Okay.

There's a difference between . . . "I don't think this is good Dr. Who." and "Go woke, go broke."

I'll certainly agree it would be nice of the go-woke-go-broke crowd would fade away . . . but they won't, so just do your best to ignore them. They haven't learned yet that entertainment like Dr. Who becoming more inclusive doesn't lead to financial failure . . . it's more like "Go woke, gain a broader and younger audience, and make some money!"

 

[MarkB]

That was some fantastic Who. People have been banging the “Go Woke Go Broke” drum since the first two eps dropped last week.

Those people? They need to shut up.

It is possible to think that it isn't fantastic without that having anything to do with woke-ness. A blanket "agree with me that it's fantastic or shut up" is no less dismissive than those you're setting out to criticise.

 

[Tonguez]

I really liked Boom with its Daddy AI and bad corporate ambulances - back to form and a custard and fish fingers reference too

Honest question . . . I'm not a die hard Whovian . . .

Did Disney take over ownership and/or production of Doctor Who? Or is Disney+ just where you can watch Doctor Who now in the US?

The Disney company bought the international distribution rights for Doctor Who from the BBC, its still being produced and owned by the BBC but with Disney money

 

[Mallus]

Space Babies was fine in terms of story & theme, but it leaned hard into the bad kind of ridiculous RTD loves and I don’t. I was channeling Jules Winnfield by the end. “Say Space Babies one more g——mn time!”.

But The Devil’s Chord was something else entirely. It felt more Neil Gaiman channeling Moffat, or vice versa. Like this season’s arc is going to be the Doctor versus The Endless. I kept wondering if the Doctor’s universe is being turned into fiction. There’s a lovely throwaway line where Doctor hears something in the hall and remarks, “I thought it was nondiegetic”.

I liked the musical number at the end. It was joyous, but also a challenge to what audiences will accept in a genre show. Somewhat counterintuitively, I think a completely meta break into song-and-dance is easier in a realistic cop show (if it’s a one-off) than in a series about an ancient, two-hearted, time-traveling alien.

Haven’t seen Boom yet.

 

[Hussar]

Okay.

There's a difference between . . . "I don't think this is good Dr. Who." and "Go woke, go broke."

I'll certainly agree it would be nice of the go-woke-go-broke crowd would fade away . . . but they won't, so just do your best to ignore them. They haven't learned yet that entertainment like Dr. Who becoming more inclusive doesn't lead to financial failure . . . it's more like "Go woke, gain a broader and younger audience, and make some money!"

Note, I didn't say, "I don't think this is good Doctor Who" (also note, he's not actually a Doctor. Dr. Who is wrong.). I specifically used the word "bitches" which is a tad stronger than "oh, I don't think this is good". To be fair though, I was typing quickly and didn't expand on my point. I thought it would have been clear in context, but, sorry, guess not.

It is possible to think that it isn't fantastic without that having anything to do with woke-ness. A blanket "agree with me that it's fantastic or shut up" is no less dismissive than those you're setting out to criticise.

Again, not what I said.

But, to absolutely clarify, because, apparently, not being 100% perfectly clear means that I'm being "dismissive" and will have people interpret what I'm saying in the least charitable ways, let me be 100% crystal clear:

If you are criticizing Doctor Who because you feel it's being "too woke" and that it's "abandoned fans" in favor of social agendas, I don't want you in my fandom. You (the person who is claiming that Doctor Who is pandering to the woke crowd) are everything wrong with fandom. You are no longer welcome. Doctor Who has ALWAYS been progressive. It has ALWAYS taken a stand against any sort of bigotry or racism. It has ALWAYS been "woke". To all those so called fans who endlessly bitched about Doctor Who being played by a woman, a person of color, a gay man, or whatever? Go away. You aren't welcome in the fandom anymore. You're going to stop watching Doctor Who because it's taking a stand? Good. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.​

Now, is that clear enough about who I'm referring to and what I'm talking about? Does it need further clarification?