MovieChat Forums > Doctor Who (2006) Discussion > The church on ruby road thoughts

The church on ruby road thoughts

posted 5 months ago by peter_t_2k3 (979)
10 replies | jump to latest

Was an okay episode but nothing amazing and I'd have to watch again to really be sure. I also struggled with the audio levels which I also found on Wild Blue Yonder. Think it's a mix of stuff with sometimes people talking quick and quiet as well as the score being too loud.

Ruby seemed to be a decent companion but would need to see more of her. Gatwa seemed okay but I think I found him better at the end of the giggle.

I suppose the Christmas specials are always a bit silly and this is no exception. The goblins where okay although a bit over the top. Same with the musical bit. The rope stuff was interesting.

The sonic isn't really a sonic anymore and I'd prefer it being traditional. However I saw someone on Twitter comment that this would be handy for kids who can pretended their TV remote is a sonic. It seems to have different attached parts which will also be good for toys.

The episode also left us with a few mysterious. Who left Ruby and who is the old neighbor who seemed to kick off with another neighbour about him dumping a police box which he obviously hadn't only to suddenly know it was a TARDIS at the end of the episode.

I've seen some people suggest it's the Rani or Susan and also that the person who leaves Ruby is also Ruby. My wife is not a fan of the show but she was in the living room when it was on and thinks the old women is Ruby

[–] capuchin (2714) 5 months ago

Yes, a typically silly Doctor Who Christmas special. I enjoyed it, but agree it was nothing amazing -- just a perfectly acceptable bit of nonsense. In any case, I judge those episodes by slightly different standards -- because, y'know, Christmas.

I think Gatwa and Gibson are going to be a lot of fun to watch. I think they both have a lot of charisma. I feel the show is in good hands. I'm going to enjoy this Tardis crew.

I've seen some people suggest it's the Rani or Susan

People have been suggesting any unknown female character is The Rani or Susan (and Romana sometimes gets a nod too) since 2005. It never has been so far. I suspect this one won't be either. My money is on a new character hitherto unseen who is somehow associated with The Master.

also that the person who leaves Ruby is also Ruby.

Like Dave Lister in Red Dwarf? Yeah. OK. That one wouldn't surprise me.

[–] Dogiswhite (1141) 5 months ago

Good but not great. Could have done without the goblin king song. Also why are the other goblins so excited for the goblin king to eat? In the song they say we are going to eat, but it seems only the king gets to eat. Why didn't the Doctor run after the woman who left Ruby at the church? I am sure that he was interested in who that person was, so why not find out? And why so far are people calling this new Doctor good looking? Not to say that he isn't good looking, but the past new Who doctors were not looked at as Wow and amazing like this one. His sonic screwdriver seemed a bit too much, but not too surprising after 14's sonic in the specials. Davies seems to be opening the door for more magic being used in Doctor Who. Yeah I think unlike Chibnall, Davies will eventually explain how the old woman knows what a TARDIS is, but it may not be as interesting or special as it is implied.

[–] asom (6558) 4 months ago

"Why didn't the Doctor run after the woman who left Ruby at the church?" - at that moment I said in my mind "no, don't follow, don't do it" - so I understand why they chose that.

"past new Who doctors were not looked at as Wow and amazing like this one." you're kidding, right? Tenant?

[–] Dogiswhite (1141) 4 months ago

Actually Tennant's Doctor seemed to attractive to Rose and Martha not from his looks but because of who he is. Donna didn't think he was attractive at all and immediately put him in the friend zone. But Mel said Ncuti's Doctor was amazing and in front of Tennant's! So again, it seems Davies wants us to think of Ncuti's Doctor as attractive, whether we agree or not.

[–] asom (6558) 4 months ago

A bunch of woke tropes without being annoying. They got it right this time.

The gay doctor was rather funny than obnoxious, they got it right this time.

The companion ... rather well chosen and fun. Plus super hot (imho) - thick and cute.

Had some horror elements. A plus for that. Got really dark at some points (the altered timeframe) so a + for touching that as well.

A bunch of non-sense shit but ... it's doctor who, of course it does.

Overall I enjoyed it a LOT more than any other special from this year and a lot more than the previous Jodie era.

There is hope.

[–] hurricane (1922) 4 months ago

I like Gatwa from what I've seen, but I still feel I need to see him in a few more episodes before forming an opinion.

I think they're trying to make him more postive and happy than recent Doctors, and trying to remove the brooding; "Time Lords are dead" side of the character. Which isn't a bad way to move the character, for me. Either have the Time Lords around, or don't. But don't keep bringing them back, not getting on with them now they're back, killing them off for a second time, being sad about them again. Oh, The Doctor isn't really a Time Lord anyway, but we're still sad they're dead. Will we do anything with that? No probaly not... Just decide whether you're going to include The Time Lords or not, and move on.

Like you, I thought the musical number felt a bit out of place. When they had The Toymaker did his Spice Girls bit, that felt in character. And Neil Patrick Harris played it so well, it could be fun whilst also establishing him as a threat. But having The Doctor break into song when he was trying to rescue a baby from Goblins felt jarring somehow. And when you actually listen the words to the bit that the Goblins were singing, it just felt a really naffly written song. Obviously deliberate, but when you have lines like; "Baby we need, baby we feed. Eat with our teeth, better than beef", and "He's the Goblin King, yes the Goblin King. He's not a myth, he's an actual thing", even if it's meant to be deliberately campy, it's too much so in context. It just sounds like a badly written song, rather than being funny or charming.

For the most part I have enjoyed RTD being back. The Tennant Trilogy was perhaps enjoyable more through nostalgia, but that was fine. Because it was the 60th, there's supposed to be nostalgia. And I have enjoyed Gatwa for the most part, and liked Ruby Sunday. And they've left a little mystery about how the old woman next door new what a TARDIS was. So, there's stuff to look forward to, for me.

[–] peter_t_2k3 (979) 4 months ago

I'll add I do worry they added too many mysterious. Not as bad as the Halloween Apocalypse, Flux's opener, but there is a lot of stuff.

We have the meeps minions or something and their boss, the master, he who waits, Mrs flood, mavity, ruby's origins oh and the biregeneration

[–] Dogiswhite (1141) 2 months ago

Mostly good so far, but I think RTD needs a little help with the writing. The climax of each of the four shows were a bit lack luster and seeming achieved too easily. It's OK to have a two parter if the story would be better or longer episode even. Plus for me so far have been wheelchair lady from unit (although the missiles in the chair, were too much) Donna's husband (Rose is okay, but I'm sure will grow on me later as she is supposed to be in the next series at some point) and Ncuti's Doctor. Minuses have been mainly the filler scenes (stuff included just to look cool but don't really add to the stories), Rose chastising the Doctor about his use of pronouns, and the worst offender was the line about a
Non female IDENTIFYING Doctor wouldn't understand (so Rose would since she is female identifying but biologically male). The goblin song and the easy conclusion of plots. RTD can improve hopefully or the show can still be good... but only just good.

[–] peter_t_2k3 (979) 2 months ago

Yeah the male presenting timelord line was bad. If it wasn't meant to be serious it could have been seen as a parody. The doctor was female just until recently but they seem to forget that.

And the whole let it go bit made a mockery to Journey's End ending where it's life of death for Donna. I actually liked the idea of it being passed down to her daughter and the doctor never considering this, not realising it would pass down. If this was the thing that made it safer on its own then great, but surely the doctor would have considered removing it somehow.

RTD had stated with things like the bigeneration that it'll piss fans off and it's weird to hear the show runner saying this. After the previous era where we often had a big divide, surely we should be trying to bring fandom together, not trying to divide them even further. Their will obviously always be people with different opinions and who don't like stuff the show in general and particular episodes so, but that doesn't mean we should actively try to annoy them

[–] Dogiswhite (1141) 2 months ago

Those RTD comments made me think of Neil Gaiman and his thoughts on critics of his Sandman TV series. Saying fans were just being racist if they didn't like the way the show presented his characters from the comics. Thus alienating quite a few of his own fans and fans of the comics the series is based on.