June 22nd, 2024
20 comments
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Doctor Who Season 1 Episode 8 Empire of Death
Saturday 22/06/2024 on BBC iPlayer at 00:00 and 18:40 on BBC1
The Doctor has lost, his ageless enemy reigns supreme, and a shadow is falling over creation. Nothing can stop the devastation… except, perhaps, one woman.
The Season 1 Steelbook is available to order from www.amazon.co.uk.
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The Temporal Jelly Baby
June 25th, 2024 - 1:43pmUnfortunately, I found that to be a somewhat disappointing finale. The resolution to the threat was unconvincing and the answer to the main mystery of the series was bordering on insulting. It’s not all bad by any measurement. There were absolutely some good scenes in there. Alas, despite a promising setup, this has turned out to be RTD’s weakest finale.
Overall, I very much enjoyed season 1. Looking at the episodes individually, I found most of them to be ranging from good to very good.
It’s when the season is looked at as a whole that it sadly falls down a little. With the limited episode count and Ncuti Gatwa’s filming schedule, I never properly felt the connection between the two main characters despite them both delivering some seriously impressive acting. And it’s a shame the main season arc ended up falling a bit flat.
I’m loving Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor. I have one or two minor quibbles about how he’s been written (e.g. the regular crying was a tad excessive), but Gatwa himself has done an amazing job. They chose well!
Snowman
June 25th, 2024 - 12:50pmIs this is the sort of program RTD wants to put out for children then I agree with other comments below that the show should go on another long hiatus. Id sooner have no Who than this if I’m totally honest.
Cully’s Pal
June 24th, 2024 - 12:12pmAnyone noticed how quick the online Radio Times is making excuses for the poor ratings show on the current batch. Fair enough but some similar support might have been nice when the serious was under attack from Michael Grade who was citing poor ratings – when they were more than three times what the show is getting now. Course it was the head of the BBC laying into the show then not its fans.
Mrs Croot
June 23rd, 2024 - 1:36pmAs someone who has enjoyed every episode so far of this new series, I am quite disappointed by this final episode. It was enjoyable to watch in the cinema and I had fun watching it, but unfortunately I can have fun watching something and not like it at the same time.
Great moments sprinkled in there and Gabriel is as great as ever, but it was a huge step down in quality from the great run of 73 yards to legend of ruby Sunday. Suppose after 4 great episodes in a row you’re going to get a stinker like this.
The Moffat Paradox
June 23rd, 2024 - 12:17pmI was hoping that Mrs Flood would be someting like Kronos.
One God/”monster” powerful enough to defeat/destroy another?
RPG74
June 23rd, 2024 - 10:59amThe fake holo Tardis became real due to what-magic? Ruby’s mother was wearing a cloak on that fateful night because, what, she wanted to be inconspicuous? If Ruby was so insignificant then how”d she scare the Hell out of the Maestro? If Sutekh had wrapped himself around the Tardis, wouldn’t that have been Fourteen ‘s original Tardis, and not Fifteen’s Looney Tunes copy model? How can the complusory DNA database of 2046 still exist if everyone was wiped out years before? If Sutekh was flying around the Time Vortex for years without being harmed, then how is it suddenly fatal when Fifteen drags him through it a second time…?
I could go on, but I think we all get the picture. Badly plotted, poorly resolved, and at times, seemingly mocking it’s audience, this was easily RTD’s worst series finale, and a fitting cap to a generally lousy series. I hate to say it, but at this point I think a hiatus would be for the best.
.
Anomie
June 23rd, 2024 - 9:26amBrilliant. Ncuti and millie are fantastic. Judging by the reactions on YouTube this was well received.
Obi what
June 23rd, 2024 - 9:12amI found that totally boring and the acting by the two leads was dreadful. Last weeks was a step up but still met down by Gatwa. He has no presence and doesn’t own the screen. Very unconvincing and cringey to watch. Story rubbish and like others a let down. Started off well but we all knew killing everyone off at the beginning wasn’t going to last. It was nowhere near what RTD promised. The series as a whole has been some of the worst tv I’ve ever seen and have no interest in a follow up. It’ll obviously recommissioned for a third series but by god it doesn’t deserve it!
Anon
June 23rd, 2024 - 9:02amGreat episode, loved the series. Can’t wait for Christmas and the next series
Lets do Knitting
June 23rd, 2024 - 8:42amEnjoyed this series but the final fell a bit flat for me, some unanswered questions maybe for the Christmas special
Lewis
June 23rd, 2024 - 7:01amGreat build up to the final which was pretty good, felt a bit long winded at the end
Tom’s cabbage
June 22nd, 2024 - 10:40pmWhat a let down this was, been a fan since the sixties and can’t believe how bad this season has been, the conclusion was a let down, sutekh been in the tardis since tom baker fought him, come on,
And why does the doctor keep crying, sure the 10th doctor cried but his was so well acted, feel very let down by BBC and RTD,
David
June 22nd, 2024 - 10:34pmWow that was a fantastic season finale.
Anonymous
June 22nd, 2024 - 10:30pmGreat season finale.
Cully’s Pal
June 22nd, 2024 - 10:08pmI wonder if that woman at the end is the Rani, isn’t her name Flood and don’t flood’s come from rain and can’t you get rain from Rani ? Well it’s no weirder than sutekh coming from stardis.
Cully’s Pal
June 22nd, 2024 - 9:57pmoh and when he was being dragged through the vortex I found ‘evolved’ Sutekh to be rather like a deranged version of Scooby Doo 😀
Cully’s Pal
June 22nd, 2024 - 8:02pmThe thing I really disliked MOST about the episode was the music it’s absolutely awful. Once again the solution was the equivalent of waving a magic wand and once again there’s the awful nu-who boo hoo – over senitmentality. RTD needs to give Dalek Invasion of Earth and Green Death another view. They got the sentimental bits just right. Trying to think of something good to say. Can’t really.
Doctor Sy
June 22nd, 2024 - 7:49pmCouple of cute moments, good scenes that would be better with a much better cast and Ncuti still being poor in every scene, he’s still not the Doctor, just a guy who nicked the second hand TARDIS from 14. Better than series 11, still an utterly awful series. So congrats on that I suppose, it wasn’t the most dreadful bunch of Doctor Who we’ve ever had but still terrible. It’s such a shame, with all the promotion, all the attention, the push to worldwide streaming and RTD decides to sabotage the whole thing by filling it with the things 99% of the audiences hate. If he’d just cast the right Doctor and not decided to force things so far down your throat they touch your toes, this could have been great.
But the wrong actors, and the wrong forced messaging and the whole thing cannot be salvaged. Disaster. Such a massive shame. All that potential wasted, because ‘progressiveness must win’
WhoCollector
June 22nd, 2024 - 7:06pmHey, just checking for clarification – the new comment rules, does that mean fans cant criticise the weaknesses or rather questionable choices in the stories? E:G they can only praise the stories? Just wanted to check for further clarification, as i am still struggling to understand several of the stories creative choices regarding the God of Deaths motives and place in the story – also regarding the whole Tardis Revelation from Pyramids onwards, 12 hours after watching. I get the impression this story is going to be divisive
booboo
June 22nd, 2024 - 7:05pmThey are not new rules, they have been there for ages, just ignored by some, there is no reply facility in the news we do not have the capacity for debates, arguments and conversations here. You need to find a forum or social media (which we are not) for such activity.