SciFi has actually ripped chunks of the show out to cut the time.
In the World War 3 episode, where we meet Jack for the first time, they completely cut out the part about the healing Nanobots in the cloaked ship. Some would argue isn’t a big deal but when it’s the primary clue to the ENTIRE EPISODE… well that’s a problem.
They mostly edit for time, which is stupid because the show only runs 45 minutes anyway. And yeah they’ve done some pretty boneheaded edits before like the example given.
I have it on pretty good authority that from opening credits to closing credits the shows average around the 45 min mark. Is 25% commercials in an hour long block really not enough time for Sci-Fi? Sheesh!
Plus, there will be running through corridors! to activate the foozle.
Most US “hour-long” shows are around 42-43 minutes long.
I also loved season one the most, but I also liked last season - definitely better than this one, although if the last 2 episodes hit it out of the park, that could change.
Nothing annoyed me as much in season 2 as the Dalek two-parter in season 3, and I also hated Gridlock. I liked Impossible Planet/Satan’s Pit and Girl in the Fireplace more than anything this season, and even the mediocre stuff like Army of Ghosts/Doomsday was better than the mediocre ones this season (Lazarus Experiment and 42), and Season 2 also had School Renunion, tooth and Claw which were pretty good. I didn’t like the initial cyberman 2 parter, but it was nowhere near as bad as the Dalek one this time around.
But the last 3 episodes of this season have almost redeemed the season. If they’re as good as the last one I’ll feel a lot more charitable towards the mediocre ones early (but right now they’re tainted by proximity to the Dalek and Gridlock episodes).
And the last remnants of humanity will live in an abandoned power plant!
Yeah, this episode was a classic in a lot of ways.
DISCO ARMAGEDDON! 00ntz 00ntz 00ntz 00ntz 00ntz 00ntz 00ntz 00ntz
<whogasm>
What a great episode. The Master is just awesome. I assume he was more like Derek Jacobi and less like this guy in the old series? I like him this way better.
If you don’t like this episode then you’re obviously watching the wrong show.
Holy crap, they packed a lot into that one.
Fun episode. The “Techno Armageddon” thing reminded me of this in a good way.
I wonder whether the “Toclafane” will turn out to be a whole new race, or something that previously showed up in the Whoniverse.
Yeah, guys with silly Gallifrey outfits are back!
It’s been a long, long while since an episode of anything ever made me geek out.
This one did.
“Are you asking me out on a date?”
Ready for my crazy theory? Somehow they’ve got something to do with Gallifrey, and that they’re the remnants of the Time Lords or somesuch.
I just get the creeping feeling that the Time Lords are coming back.
But man, what an episode: Gallifrey realized! Jelly Babies! More history of the Time War!
I think that too. It’s the best explanation for his line that the Doctor’s hearts would break if he knew the truth. The next episode IS called “Last of the Time Lords”, though.
My prediction: The Doctor forcibly turns The Master into a human again and drops him off somewhere out of the way, sans watch but with Lucy (who could potentially figure something out so that we can get more Master goodness next season).
I liked it, but it was a little over the top, and a wee bit too fan-service to me. I’ll probably like it more after it sinks in though.
There were a lot of screamingly funny bits, but it almost was like a parody of itself, yanno?
Oh, something that bugged me in particular. Why was Winters the “President Elect” of the US? If that were really the case he wouldn’t be able to fly around on Air Force One, etc.
I noticed this too, and just figured it was a mistake by the writers, who probably heard the term “President Elect” before and just figured it was another word for “President.”
What struck me as weird was all the talk about “voting for Saxon” as if they had elected him straight into the seat of the Prime Minister. They didn’t come right out and say this, though. I figure it was a concession for the US audience.
There was also the first season “Dear UN, please let us use our nuclear weapons!”
Which, of course, would never happen.
Also, I’m very glad this episode had lots of running.
They have a Hellicarrier! I can’t believe they brought back the Time lord hats! And they actually treated Time Lord society seriously for just about the first time since 1975! Captain Jack trying to break the neck of the Master! They just wiped out at least 600 million people - so much for a happy-go-lucky show!
Also liked the tension between the Doc and Martha - very different dynamic compared to Rose, who really worshipped everything the Doctor did.
Interesting take on the Master - very different from the seriousness of Roger Delgado, but then the Doctor was serious at that time too, so this lighter version has symmetry with Tenant’s Doc. Anthony Ainley started out as an imitation of Delgado’s version, and then just got more over the top maniacal.
Where the hell was Martha going, and why didn’t Jack go with her? Didn’t seem like much of a plan.
It’s not like he has much to lose by staying, being immortal and all, so he probably figured it would be better to stay and help the Doctor any way he could.
