I posted a review on Mondas, will stick it here too.
Jodie over-playing the "SNAP!!" card game moment was when I wanted to shoot the television.
She has dialled back the scronch-faces (which she should never have been doing in the first place), but continues to be totally miscast imo., a black hole that will only disappear with her departure.
What was Chibnall thinking when he honestly thought she was right for the role? :?
I can't look at her as the Doctor. I just see an actress in the headlights who has yet to win me over.
I do think that changing the Doctor's gender was stupid in the first place, but why cast someone who wouldn't even be a believable Romana? And the accent kills any hopes of this being a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. Useless.
The Doctor's "upgrade" comment should have been struck from the script imo. Just wrong. In the same way it would be wrong if the gender dig was reversed.
Any seeming improvements I would suggest are cosmetic. The regulars were finally split up as a "fam" and given something to do as individuals. In Tosin Cole's case he was allowed to react quite well and in Mandip Gill's case she was finally able to show us that Yazz is a plank of wood that can actually shed one tear and wipe it away.
The mortorbike chase scene was rubbish. Lenny Henry was I thought a little too earnest in showing us that he is a proper actor now, far removed from the condensed milk sandwiches of TISWAS. I haven't forgotten your "Ooooo-kayyyyyyyy!" and "Katanga!" days, Lenny, even if you seem desperate to forget them, Mister Luvvy Thesp. :(
Like much of New Who, while this seemed to be an improvement, I would suggest that it is not something that will stand up to repeat viewing.
The new actor playing the Master is wonderfully unhinged and gleefully, insanely dangerous in the role. At least so far. Let's not forget that he wanted to play the Doctor when Capaldi was leaving......
When asked if he was interested in the part, Sacha said:
"Oh my God, I'd absolutely love to. I SO would love to. I've worked with Mark Gatiss quite a lot, and I think I'd bring something really exciting to it. It'd be incredibly nerve-wracking to do, to be honest. It's quite a lot of pressure. When the list came out, I was so honoured really that I was even considered. And that alone was kind of good enough. But who wouldn't want to do it? It's Doctor Who."
But - at the end of the day - I can't bring myself to give it more than a 1. Jodie's central miscasting and flailing (albeit now scronch-free) incompetence in the role is a black hole that undoes all the hard efforts of other professionals working on the show. Take her out of the equation and I could give it a higher score. :(
He wanted to play the Doctor? Really? You know, he would have been a good choice. IMHO. At least they gave him a consolation prize in the Master.
The throwaway lines -- did you know the Doctor was a mother? NO NO NO NO NOOO that is WRONG William Hartnell was the First Doctor absolutely so say I!!! I refuse to acknowledge the Doctor was a woman before!! Show don't tell guys!!!
Totally agree. I wish they had just kicked off in 2005 as a total reboot, with Eccleston as a brand new first Doctor, then they could have happily gender-changed all they like and it wouldn't have affected the Classic Show. But the sneaky retconning they are doing now is ridiculous.
Agree about him having the qualities to play the Doctor too. His Master seemed unhinged in a Joker way. Who knows what quality thesping he could have brought - or still might (a la Colin in ARC OF INFINITY, so there is that precedent there! ) - to the role of the Doctor.
