November 4th, 2018
183 comments
We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.
Poll – What Did You Think of The Tsuranga Conundrum?
Now that the fifth episode of series 11 has aired what did you think? Was it everything you had hoped for or not what you expected.
“Risk to life: absolute.”
Injured and stranded in the wilds of a far-flung galaxy, The Doctor, Yaz, Graham and Ryan must band together with a group of strangers to survive against one of the universe’s most deadly — and unusual — creatures.
The Doctor Who Site
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Merchandise
Flickr
YouTube
Anonymous
November 10th, 2018 - 8:46pmI have to watch this show on a delay as I have 2 kids under 3 and work full time. I’ve been putting this episode off as I saw all the negative comments and expected it to be terrible. But I have to say, I enjoyed it! I’m not sure where all the terribleness is coming from. After years of near omnipotent doctors, I’m really enjoying seeing a Doctor that is vulnerable and unsure of herself but is still committed and capable. I also like how they are reinforcing the theme of family. The man giving birth provided the avenue to discuss Ryan’s issues with his father. Then we had the brother and sister who told each other how much they meant for the first time in a while. Overall I thought this episode was good! I agree that the villains have been a little light but I feel like this show is just getting started. They are trying not to rely on previous big bads which is a good thing!
Anonymous
November 10th, 2018 - 8:35pmAs an American I feel like I can say that having a writers room does not guarantee good television. Most American shows are very much character driven with ensemble casts now a days. Just like what we’re watching here that you seem to passionately hate.
Anonymous
November 10th, 2018 - 3:44pmI love it when I find people who at least liked it because I Love Doctor Who and I just don’t like seeing stuff about not liking Doctor Who currently/always. I know people have opinions
R1ch1e
November 10th, 2018 - 3:07pmThis episode is not a classic but for me the rest of the series has been very good. I think Jodie is brilliant. The stories are a little lacking something I admit but I’m not going to let that get in the way of my enjoyment of them. It’s Doctor Who for a whole new generation. I’m actually quite excited that there are new fans.
Seriously if you don’t like it then there is no need to make yourselves miserable. Just stick a Pertwee DVD on tomorrow night or something.
Doctor Stu
November 10th, 2018 - 11:04amEpisodes 1,3 and 4 have been really good, it’s only 5 that hasn’t matched up, it wasn’t awful but it hasn’t been the same quality as the others, but it was definitely better than episode 2
Anonymous
November 10th, 2018 - 9:06amJust means they want to give their detailed thoughts.
Anonymous
November 10th, 2018 - 9:05amNo the title had nothing to do with it
Pats86
November 10th, 2018 - 8:05amIf only it was that simple, no it’s a terrible episode and the whole series is exceptionally poor.
I thought the first episode was reasonable the second slightly more interesting, and then it was down hill from that point onwards.
After watching h episode one again I don’t think it was that reasonable anymore. It was just the excitement off have Doctor Who back. What a let down, this looks like it will go down as the worst season EVER!
Doctor Stu
November 9th, 2018 - 11:49pmIt’s definitely not as bad as people are making out but here’s a question, would people have appreciated it more if the title was a bit different, say it was called the Tsuranga Debarkle for example? If the title was a bit goofy would people have been more appreciative of the fact that the plot was a bit light hearted and wacky? I think people saw the trailers and went in thinking it was going to be this massive conundrum with terrifying monsters and were just let down when it wasn’t what they were expecting. I’m thinking people were angrier at expectations that weren’t met rather than the actual plot itself
Anonymous
November 9th, 2018 - 9:31pmSarah Jane Adventures had nazi racism, alien who kill humans and use human skin and kidnap a boy yo use his abilities, aliens being enslaved and abused and humans in a dystopian future, androids trying to kill Sarah and the others, and this is an actual kid show.
techmki
November 9th, 2018 - 8:04pmJust looking through this and the last few weeks and have noticed seems a very small minority of people who post repeatedly just during one week giving a somewhat skewed vision of the new series. Not only that, they post these massive essay long posts that I bet hardly anyone except a very small group could even be bothered to read. Bit sad really.
Dalek Eye Stalk
November 9th, 2018 - 5:59pmI recall adult themes in children’s tv I watched in the early 90’s. In fact one of those series was written by Russell T Davies. So having adult themes in Doctor Who actually isn’t the issue. It’s the fact Doctor Who is now within a kid show format. Jodie Whitaker is light weight and lacks any gravitas the role requires. So when the Doctor is required to show strong condemnation against a foe, Jodie sounds more like it’s just a little inconvenience. Hence, kid friendly. But we seem to be at a point where Chibnall recognises this and creates poor weak villains, for a weak Doctor.
Pats86
November 9th, 2018 - 1:21pmTracy Beaker a well known kids programme that deals with adult issues, only better that Doctor Who at the moment.
This series would look out of place on CBBS at this present time.
Doctor Stu
November 9th, 2018 - 10:32amAlien trophy hunting humans and ripping their teeth out, a woman falling to he death, a raw look into a grieving grandson and husband, the remnants nearly choking the guy to death in the second episode, a whole episode about racism with explicit terminology and an alien white supremacist, giant spiders pinning down and cocooning humans to string up and eat and someone’s sister dying last episode of a heart condition, accelerated by the doctors intervention. This doesn’t seem like a kiddy show to me
Lorraine
November 8th, 2018 - 10:56pmSurely people don’t have to prefix every comment “in my opinion” simply because what else can it be. Perhaps just IMO to keep the peace which is quite difficult at the moment. It is a personal evaluation of stories, characters and monsters whether you have been watching since 1963 like me as I am an old crock now or have recently joined our little band. Comments get heated because if you are not a fan you would not visit this well run site. Personally very disappointed with this series so far IMO. Consequently have been revisiting quite a few old episodes to get my fix.
The Moffat Paradox
November 8th, 2018 - 10:20pmWhen the episode synopsis said “The Doctor, Yaz, Graham and Ryan must band together with a group of strangers to survive against one of the universe’s most deadly and unusual creatures” I though, and probably many others as well, that this was potentially going to be the big break out moment with this current series that would be quintessential Who and if so then shut up us sceptics convincingly. That we might see something new, fearsome looking and memorable as well as highly dangerous (and not ridiculously sized). Instead we got……….well we know what we got.
The Moffat Paradox
November 8th, 2018 - 9:38pmNearly just all on his own and including the Pting on that basis currently 17% Now Chibnall can get lame aliens and monsters nearer to 100% whether the episodes are written by him or not on this showing And to think he once griped about the Vervoids back in 1986.
Mick C
November 8th, 2018 - 9:00pmDr Stu what I was trying to get at is that the Alien was a being that lived in open Space and could attack a Space Ship in flight to get at its energy source none of those you named can do that.
I just thought it was a missed opportunity to create a new Monster on the scale of the Daleks, Cybermen, Weeping Angels that offer a different kind of monster to anything that has come before and they come up with a joke.
The problem with the Classic Monsters is coming up with a new Story, just about everything I can think of has been done, Dalek Invasions, been done to death, Cybermen annihilation been done to death.
We now have a combined total of 37 seasons of Dr Who and coming up with fresh ideas seems to be getting harder and harder.
Blungering Hinklesburn
November 8th, 2018 - 7:26pm– The Prydonian
You happen to be wrong, but that’s okay.
Nothing duddish (my latest contribution to the English language, don’t think it’ll stick) about the opener this year, nor Rosa, nor the spider episode. All very good for their own reasons.
The Ghost Monument was…all right. Tsuranga really isn’t all that bad on re-watch. It’s by no means a standout, but it’s not half as bad as some are making out.
I haven’t been watching since the sixties, I’m not old enough. But I’ve watched plenty of stories from the classic series, and by that I mean loads. As well as all of the new series. I’m plenty qualified myself with regards to being a fan, and I say it’s okay to good so far.
What everyone should do of course, me included, is remember to say “in my opinion” a lot more.
Dalek Eye Stalk
November 8th, 2018 - 7:13pmOver the next five Sunday evenings I’m going to watch the five stories of Season 11, and NOT the final five episodes of series 11. This current series of Doctor Who feels like a light weight kiddies version, with inferior weak villains. This is NOT my Doctor Who. This has sadly gone the same way as other long running Sci-Fi. Too much change that deviates away from what is long established, and basically doesn’t think or care about the core fan base already well established. We’ve seen it with ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ and the new ‘Star Trek ‘. Now the same has been done with ‘Doctor Who’. It’s a great shame. I will get round to watching the rest of series 11, but I’m in no rush to see them opening night anymore. It’s a show now I can take or leave. I don’t look forward to new episodes anymore. And I’ve been a fan for some considerable time, and NEVER felt like this towards my favourite series, even through some low creative moments in it’s history. Pertwee’s final series, Season 11 isn’t his best. But it’s Doctor Who in a way that this current version by a long way isn’t. Yes, I know the Dinosaurs in ‘Invasion of the Dinosaurs’ aren’t great, and neither are the spiders in ‘Planet of the Spiders’, but what they lack in some of the visuals, is more than made up for in script and performances. So it’s Season 11 for me the next five Sunday nights, starting with ‘The Time Warrior’. I’m sure that will be more entertaining.
Doctor Stu
November 8th, 2018 - 6:45pm29 monsters I listed, there are 4 from Chibnall written episodes. So not a good few just 4/29
The Prydonian
November 8th, 2018 - 4:16pmThere have always been duds. Absolutely. It’s inevitsble. However this whole series has been one massive dud. Terrible Doctor. Terrible chemistry between main characters. Terrible non stories. Does not feel like Doctor Who. 42 and the Power of Three were better than this dross. I’ve been watching since the late 60s. I feel I understand what it can or cannot achieve. When DW gets it right nothing can touch it but this series has some way to go – by a cosmic mile.
The Moffat Paradox
November 8th, 2018 - 11:51amAh.And a good few of them were part of Chibnall written episodes whatever else might be said.
Dalek Eye Stalk
November 8th, 2018 - 6:23amChibnall writes great boring mediocre Doctor Who.
Doctor Stu
November 8th, 2018 - 12:54amThat may be your opinion but it doesn’t change the fact that the Suns article was completely false
the ergon
November 8th, 2018 - 12:54amDon,t let cheryl baker hear you saying that?
the ergon
November 8th, 2018 - 12:25amDon,t shoot the messenger. This is ‘The Sun’ we are talking about. Anything to fill a page. Just running with what i saw on the news page.The official figures should be due any day now. Once tallied up with all other media viewing ‘i,m’ guessing around the 7 million mark.Or is that being optimistic?
The Moffat Paradox
November 7th, 2018 - 9:34pmStarting to look like, as we suspected, Moffat at his worst is better than Chibnall at his best.
Pats86
November 7th, 2018 - 9:12pmYour true feelings have to be respectful, I myself could be much more vocal but I would not be allowed to post such strong views on this forum, and rightly so.
I do try to get my opinion across respectfully as possible, I know some don’t like my views but the again I don’t like some of the the positive comments! I often feel some would like this current debacle no matter how bad it gets.
Problem is I have seen better and expect better!
If you like what we are getting at the moment fine, the rest of us will keep waiting for something to be positive about.
Pats86
November 7th, 2018 - 9:01pmDalek Eye Stalk I couldn’t agree more.