Doctor Who: Season 7 DVD Release Date

The DVD (and Blu-ray) release date for season 7 of Doctor Who has finally been announced. The happy day is September 24. I have been waiting for this for quite a while. I recorded all of the episodes when they aired on BBC American, but "The Angels Take Manhattan" was ruined when my DVD recorder started erasing the shows I recorded. Such a black time. So, even though I have all of the episodes except "The Angels Take Manhattan," I still look forward to owning the official set, since I have all six seasons of the new Doctor Who already.

I am excited for the extras on the DVD, which include:

• Audio Commentaries
• Behind the Scenes Featurettes
• Episode Prequels
• Doctor Who on The Nerdist
• Doctor Who in the U.S.
• Last Days of the Ponds
• Pond Life
• The Science of Doctor Who
• The Companions
• Doctor Who at Comic Con

Who fans, are you excited for the release of season 7 on DVD? What are your favorite episodes? Least favorite?

Please indicate if you are including spoilers in your comments. I have friends who still haven't seen the Ponds' last episode, or any of the second half of season 7. Thanks!

Doctor Who: The Name of the Doctor

 

The mystery is solved. Now we know the answer.

This was a great episode. I'm so glad that this season ended with such a strong episode. The second half of this season has been a bit iffy for me. On the whole I've liked it, but there have been things that I haven't been that happy with in most of the episodes. But "The Name of the Doctor" was very satisfying. And thank you, Stephen Moffat, for answering a question we've had ever since we met Clara (or Oswin, to be exact). And I'm glad the answer wasn't obvious. I read many theories about Clara, and no one guessed the truth.

Observations:

**Spoilers**

The beginning of this episode was so cool. I haven't seen many classic Doctor Who episodes, but even I was excited to see the first Doctor (William Hartnell) on Gallifrey stealing (or as subsequent Doctors said) "borrowing" the TARDIS with his granddaughter. And to see Clara there was even more cool.

I wonder why Clara knows each Doctor is the "Doctor" prior to the 11th Doctor, but when she meets the 11th Doctor for the first time (in "The Snowmen"), she doesn't know he's the Doctor.

It was interesting that The Impossible Girl is explained at the beginning of the episode instead of waiting until the end. Well, she's not really completely explained, because we don't know how she ended up searching for the Doctor time and space like that. Maybe Moffat just wanted to give us a teaser so that we'd go through the episode wondering how it all happened.

I loved hearing the little Scottish boy's accent. There's only one thing I like better than to hear a child with a Scottish accent, and that's a grown man with a Scottish accent. Scottish accents are cool. *wink*

The conference call with Vastra, Jenny, Strax, Clara, and River Song is pretty interesting. I wonder how that was supposed to be possible. That seems a bit "magical" to me, and Doctor Who isn't about magic. Vastra explains it by saying that time travel is possible in dreams. One sentence to explain it all. However, it met its purpose - the get everyone together to try to figure out what was going on with the Doctor.

I wonder how Vastra got a letter to Clara in the 21st century when she lives in the 19th century. Did she mail the letter in the 19th century with instructions that it not be posted until April 10, 2013? Is that possible to do? So many things unexplained.

It's very funny that Vastra puts the candle in the letter, and then also makes the letter release a "soporific" also just in case Clara doesn't trust lighting the candle. And it's funny how Clara passes out at exactly the right time when reading the letter. I loved how that scene was timed. However, if Vastra already had the soporific agent in the letter, why did she need the candle?

The big question is - how did they get word to River Song that she was needed there? I'm assuming that this is the River Song who is in the database at the Library. How could Vastra contact her there?

The Whispermen are one more of Stephen Moffat's really creepy monsters.

The Doctor can never go to Trenzalore. The only way anyone can get him there is to threaten harm to his friends. And that's what the Whispermen have done.

So, did the Doctor actually see Clara lying on the floor and think she was simply asleep, or did Angie and Artie just tell the Doctor she was asleep? Either way, why would anyone think that she would fall asleep on the floor in her bedroom? Wouldn't someone (even two kids) think that was mighty strange?

I love that the Doctor calls Angie and Artie "the little Daleks."

Aside: As I rewatch this episode, I realize how much I'm going to miss Matt Smith as the Doctor. This is the first time I've watched an episode with Matt Smith since he announced that he's leaving after this year's Christmas special. I like his Doctor so much. He is such a great actor. End of aside.

Watching the Doctor break up when he hears what Clarence said about Trenzalore was so moving. It's not often that you see the Doctor cry.

When the Doctor tells Clara that she "didn't listen... You lot never do," I think that line is also directed to us, as the audience. I think Stephen Moffat is saying that if we really listened to what has been said, we would have discovered the secret of Trenzalore.

I love that the TARDIS doesn't want to take the Doctor and Clara to Trenzalore.

It's so sad to see a crack in one of the windows on the TARDIS. The TARDIS has been damaged before - almost destroyed when the tenth Doctor regenerates into the eleventh Doctor, but this little crack made me sad.

I love that the "bigger on the inside" element of the TARDIS is reserved when the TARDIS becomes the Doctor's gravesite.

Vastra and Strax are inside the TARDIS (the Doctor's tomb). However, if it's "smaller on the inside," why is the TARDIS so large? Wouldn't it one little tiny itty-bitty room?

So, the Great Intelligence can not only travel through time and space, he can take Vastra, Jenny, and Strax with him?

It's interesting when River tells Clara that the Doctor left her "like a book on a shelf. Didn't even say goodbye." He didn't leave her like a book on a shelf. He saved her the only way he could. And he didn't even know her at that point. She was from his future, and he'd never met her before then. (I know, time travel, it's a tricky and confusing thing). He didn't "say goodbye" because he was too shocked and angry that she was dying to save him. 

The effect when the Whispermen come through River Song's image is one of the creepiest and coolest effects in all of Doctor Whodom.

River opened the tomb by saying the Doctor's name, but of course we didn't hear it. I'm so glad that we still don't know his name.

When the Doctor acknowledges River is such a great moment. We know that this is probably the last conversation that the Doctor and River will ever have. Loved it. And hated it at the same time.

I don't quite understand it when Clara says, "I blew into this world on a leaf." Does she mean that's how her parents met and eventually she was born, or was she really in the leaf? Because 21st century Clara is the original Clara - the one who is broken into a million pieces to save the Doctor. At the end, is the Doctor sending her back to her life on the leaf? In that case, is it just a circle that never ends? She's on the leaf the Doctor gives her, and then she grows up and meets the Doctor, then she sacrifices herself to save him, then he saves her and sends her back to life on the leaf?

I don't like the fact that Clara says she was born to save the Doctor. She was born to do a lot of things. Being with the Doctor is one thing she does in her life. That's not her only task. The Doctor doesn't define who she is. She's an important person on her own. Yes, I'm getting a bit existential here. No one's purpose is defined by just one person.

Quotes:

Fabian: What kind of idiot would try to steal a faulty TARDIS?

Clara: Doctor. Doctor.
First Doctor: Yes, what is it? What do you want?
Clara: Sorry, but you're about to make a very big mistake.

Clara: I don't know where I am. It's like I'm breaking into a million pieces and there's only one thing I remember - I have to save the Doctor. He always looks different. I always know it's him.

Clara: I'm Clara Oswald. I'm the impossible girl. I was born to save the Doctor.

Vastra: You have the blood of 14 women on your hands. There are no words that can save your neck.
Clarence: The Doctor.

Clarence: The Doctor has a secret, you know.
Vastra: He has many.
Clarence: There is one he will take to the grave. And it is discovered.

Scot: I'll kill ya, ya filthy wee midget.
Strax: Prepare to die in agony for the glory of the Sontaran Empire.

Strax: What is it, girl? Can't you see I'm trying to crush the brains of this stinking primitive? (to the Scot) Sorry about this.
Scot: Ach. No problem.

Jenny: Oh, I like the new desktop.
Vastra: Mm. I was getting a bit bored of the Taj Mahal.

Vastra: Strax. It's good of you to join us.
Strax: It better be important. I was in the middle of destroying some very pleasant primitives. Who else is coming?
Vastra: The women.

Clara: The souffle isn't the souffle. The souffle is the recipe.

Vastra: We are awaiting only one more participant.
Strax: Oh no. Not the one with the gigantic head.
Jenny: It's hair, Strax.
Strax: Hair.

River: The Doctor might have mentioned me.
Clara: Oh yea. Oh yea, of course he has. Professor Song. Sorry, I just never realized you were a woman.
Strax: Well, neither did I.

Clara: You know his name? He told you?
River: I made him.
Clara: How?
River: It took a while.

Clara: So, who was she? The lady with the funny name and the space hair?
Doctor: An old friend of mine.
Clara: What? Like an ex?
Doctor: Yes, an ex.

Doctor: Give me your hand. Now, the coordinates you saw will still be in your memory. I'm linking you into the TARDIS telepathic circuit. Won't hurt a bit.
Clara: Ow!
Doctor: I lied.

Doctor: When you are a time traveler, there is one place you must never go. One place in all of space and time you must never, ever find yourself.
Clara: Where?
Doctor: You didn't listen, did you? You lot never do, that's the problem. "The Doctor has a secret he will take to the grave. It is discovered." He wasn't talking about my secret. No, no, no. That's not what's been found. He was talking about my grave. Trenzelore is where I'm buried.

Clara: How can you have a grave?
Doctor: 'Cause we all do, somewhere out there in the future, waiting for us. The trouble with time travel is you can actually end up visiting.

Doctor (re: Vastra, Jenny, and Strax): They cared for me, during the dark times. Never questioned me, never judged me. They were just... kind.

Doctor: No point telling me this is too dangerous?
Clara: Not at all. How can we save them.
Doctor: Apparently, by breaking into my own tomb.

Doctor: Okay, so that's where I end up. Always thought maybe I'd retire. Take up watercolors or beekeeping or something. Apparently not.

Clara: So, how do we get down there? Jump?
Doctor: Don't be silly. We fall. She's turned off practically everything except the anti-gravs. Guess what I'm turning off.

Doctor: When a TARDIS is dying, sometimes the dimension dams start breaking down. They used to call it a size leak. All the bigger on the inside starts leaking to the outside. It grows. When I say that's the TARDIS, I don't mean it looks like the TARDIS. I mean it actually is the TARDIS. My TARDIS from the future. What else would they bury me in?

River: If it isn't my gravestone, when what is it?
Clara: What do you think that gravestone really is?
Doctor: The gravestone?
River: Maybe it's a false grave.
Clara: Maybe it's a false grave.
Doctor: Yep, maybe.
River: Maybe it's a secret entrance to the tomb.
Clara: Maybe it's a secret entrance to the tomb.
Doctor: Yes, of course! Makes sense. They's never bury my wife out here.
Clara: Your what?

Vastra: Dr. Simeon. This is not possible.
Simeon: Yet here we are, meeting again. So very far from home.

Simeon: Welcome to the final resting place of the cruel tyrant. Of the slaughterer of the ten billion. And the vessel of the final darkness. Welcome to the tomb of the Doctor!

Clara: Where are we?
Doctor: Catacombs.
Clara: I hate catacombs.

Clara: So, how come I met your dead wife?
Doctor: Oh, well, you know how it is when you lose someone close to you? I sort of made a backup.
River: I died saving him. In return he saved me to a databse in the largest library in the universe. Left me like a book on a shelf. Didn't even say goodbye. He doesn't like endings.

Vastra: The Doctor has been many things, but never blood-soaked.
Simeon: Tell that to the leader of the Sycorax. Or Solomon the Trader. Or the Cybermen, or the Daleks. The Doctor lives his life in darker hues, day upon day. And he will have other names before the end. Storm. The Beast. The Valeyard.

Doctor: Yowza!

Clara: Have we... have we done this before? We have done this before - climbing through the wreaked TARDIS. You said things. Things I'm not supposed to remember.

Simeon: The doors require a key. The key is a word. Word is the Doctor's. 
Doctor: Here I am, late to my own funeral. Glad you could make it. Jenny.

Simeon: Doctor, what is your name?

Simeon: Doctor who?

Doctor: Do you know what's in there?
Simeon: For me, peace at last. For you, pain everlasting.

Vastra: What is the light?
Jenny: It's beautiful.
Strax: Shall I destroy it?

Clara: I'm the impossible girl. And this is why.

Clara: Well, how about that. I'm souffle girl after all.

Clara: Run. Run, you clever boy. And remember me.

Clara: Doctor. Doctor.
First Doctor: Yes, what is it? What do you want?
Clara: Sorry, but you're about to make a very big mistake. Don't steal that one. Steal this one. The navigation system's knackered, but you'll have lots more fun.

Doctor: Clara's got one advantage over the Great Intelligence.
Vastra: Which is?
Doctor: Me.

River: How are you even doing that? I'm not really here.
Doctor: You're always here to me. And I always listen. And I can always see you.
River: Then why didn't you speak to me?
Doctor: Because I thought it would hurt too much.
River: I believe I could have coped.
Doctor: No. I thought it would hurt me. And I was right. (he kisses her) Since nobody else in this room can see you, God knows how that looked. There is a time to live and a time to sleep. You are a echo, River. Like Clara, like all of this. In the end, my fault, I know. But you should have faded by now.
River: It's hard to leave when you haven't said goodbye.
Doctor: Then tell me, because I don't know. How do I say it?
River: There's only one way I would accept. If you ever loved me, say it like you're going to come back.
Doctor: Well then, see you around, Professor River Song.
River: 'Til the next time, Doctor.
Doctor: Don't wait up.

River: Spoilers. Goodbye, Sweetie.

Doctor: He is my secret.
Old Man: What I did. I did without choice.
Doctor: I know.
Old Man: In the name of peace and sanity.
Doctor: But not in the name of the Doctor.

Doctor Who: Nightmare in Silver

Fans have been waiting for the return of writer Neil Gaiman to Doctor Who since writing his wonderful first Doctor Who episode, "The Doctor's Wife" in season 6. Myself included. "The Doctor's Wife" is one of my top 5 favorite Doctor Who episodes. "Nightmare in Silver" was okay, but I wouldn't put it in my top 5 or top 10. I like Porridge, and it's always good to have an episode with the Cybermen. And again, Matt Smith shines. He is so great as the Doctor, and I have to say again that I will miss him when he regenerates into a new Doctor.

Now, on to "Nightmare in Silver..."

Observations:

So, at the end of the last episode, the kids that Clara watches tell her they want to go into the time machine. And then, at the beginning of this episode, they land on a planet similar to the moon with Clara and the Doctor. I was interested in hearing Clara's conversation with the Doctor about taking the children with them on an "adventure." I wanted to see the kids' reaction when they step inside the TARDIS for the first time. I wanted to see their wonder of it all. Instead we just see them stepping onto another planet, with Angie being annoying and bratty and Artie not very excited that they're actually on a planet that's not Earth. That was a bit disappointing to me.

It's a Cyberman! Oh no.

Those little Cybermites coming out of the Cyberman's eyes is freaky. It's so Doctor Who.

I don't think that Neil Gaiman knows how to write for a teenager. Yes, they can be annoying and bratty, but most of them have some redeeming qualities. Angie is just an unlikable brat. Her vocabulary consists of calling everything "stupid," and telling everyone she "hates" them. So, is it very surprising that I'm not sorry the Cyberman took her? I think not.

Look at Clara taking charge.

The children are going to be the saviors of the Cybermen. Is that the only reason there are children in this episode? If so, it's just a waste. It would have been more interesting if they had been active participants in trying to fight the Cybermen instead of just their victims - making the Doctor have to save them.

When the Doctor is taken over by the Cybermites, Matt's actions reminded a bit of David Tennant in the episode "New Earth," when the Cassandra takes over the Doctor's body. It's funnier in the episode with the 10th Doctor, because his body is being taken over by a woman.

And we have our 50th anniversary tribute to all preceding Doctors here. It's cool seeing all of their faces flash by, just like in "The Eleventh Hour."

We have a tribute to The Seventh Seal. But instead of the Doctor playing chess with Death for his life, he plays chess with himself - for control of his brain, and basically everyone else's lives.

You know that if you see a soldier all by themselves looking for the a Cyberman, that that soldier is not going to make it, right?

That hand was freaky.

Clara didn't seem very sympathetic that Missy was in trouble.

There's a trigger in this Doctor Who episode. That's three different shows in a row to have triggers. The captain should have a chat with Malcolm Merlyn and Regina Mills. I see another interesting conversation about triggers. *wink*

I don't understand why Clara can't see the kids who are standing right behind the Doctor. Very poor direction.

I love how the Cyber-Doctor uses some of the catch-words that the ninth and tenth Doctors used. "Fantastic," from the ninth Doctor, and "Brilliant" and "Allons-y" from the tenth Doctor.

Clara really takes on the "General" role. I'm sure she's never done that before. I would have liked to see her a little more unsure of herself, and maybe a bit vulnerable. She's just so "perfect" even though things don't go her way.

The Time Lords invented chess. That's interesting.

So, we wonder how they're going to get everyone off the planet, and it's as easy as having an imperial ship just "transmatted" them onto the ship. Dang, that was just too easy.

I like Porridge.

If I had written this episode, instead of destroying all of the Cybermen by blowing up the planet, I would have had the Doctor discover a different way to destroy them while he had the "Cyberman brain." I think it was a cop out to just blow them up. I like to see episodes where the Doctor figures out how to beat the villain, and not just by "blowing them up."

Of course Angie wants to be Queen of the Universe and rule a thousand galaxies. Hey, maybe she does. I wonder if she becomes Elizabeth the tenth (from "The Beast Below" and "The Pandorica Opens"). Hmm.

Wow, Angie thanked the Doctor for her new phone, and actually apologized for saying the TARDIS was "stupid." Shocker.

Quotes:

Doctor: We've got a golden ticket. Eh, eh?

Angie: Your stupid box can't even get us to the right place?

Webley: Well, that's Dave for you. You see, unreliable.

Webley: Uniforms give me the heebie-jeebies.

Porridge: Hello. I'm the brains.

Clara: You collect funny insects?
Doctor: Yea, I'm starting to. Right now.

Doctor: Don't wander off. And I'm not just saying, "Don't wander off." I mean it. Otherwise, you'll wander off, and the next thing you know, somebody's going to have to start rescuing somebody.
Angie: From what?
Doctor: Nothing. Nobody needs rescuing from anything. Don't wander off. Sweet dreams.

Angie: I hate the future. It's stupid. There's not even phone service.

Angie: Put me down. I hate you.

Porridge: Right. Let's all spend the night at Natty Longshoe's Comical Castle.

Doctor (to the cybermite): Firstly. If anybody's watching this, those children are under my protection. I'm coming to get them. Secondly, little metal machine. You are beautiful.

Doctor: Hey! That really shouldn't have worked.

Clara: The only reason I'm still alive is because I do what the Doctor says. Can you guarantee me you'd bring me back my children alive and unharmed? [Soldier shakes his head] I trust the Doctor.
Captain: You think he knows what he's doing?
Clara: I'm not sure I'd go that far.

Doctor: Cybermen use human parts. I'm. Not. Human.

Cyber-Doctor: Incorporated. Yes. Ah, unfamiliar pulmonary setup. Nervous system - hyperconductive. Remarkable brain-processing speed. Amazing.
Doctor: Get out of my head. Stop rummaging in my mind.

Cyber-Doctor: Oh, this is just dreamy.

Cyber-Doctor: One of us needs to control this head. We're too well-balanced.

Cyber-Doctor: You understand, when I do win, the Cyberiad gets your brains and memories. All of this.
Doctor: Yes, when I win, you get out of my head, you let the children go, and nobody dies. You got that? Nobody dies!

Missy: Don't move! I'm in the army!

Cyber-Doctor: I know who you are. You're the impossible girl. Ooh, he's very interested in you.
Clara: Why am I impossible?
Cyber-Doctor: Hasn't he told you? The sly devil.

Clara: Can Cybermen fly?
Soldier: No, ma'am.
Clara: First good news of the day.

Clara: Porridge.
Porridge: Yes.
Clara: Keep yourself safe.

Cyber-Doctor: That's cheating!
Doctor: Just taking advantage of the local resources.

Doctor: Ah, hello. Could somebody untie me, please.
Clara: Do you think I'm pretty?
Doctor: No. You're too short and bossy, and your nose is all funny.
Clara: Good enough.

Angie: Look, am I the only one paying attention to anything around here?

Angie: When someone asks you to be Queen of the Universe, you say "yes." You watch, one day I'll be Queen of the Universe.

Artie: Thanks, Clara. Thanks, Clara's boyfriend.

Clara: Goodnight. See you next Wednesday.
Doctor: Well, a Wednesday, definitely. Next Wednesday. Last Wednesday. One of the Wednesdays.

Favorite Doctor Who Episodes: Father's Day

I know it’s been a while since I've done a post on a favorite Doctor Who episode. Here’s the deal. "Father’s Day" is the next one on my list, but it’s been hard for me to watch it since my own father passed away. I am a cry baby anyway, but when it comes to watching movies or TV episodes or reading stories about a father passing away I am even worse. It’s still very hard for me. So, although I love this episode, I have dreaded watching it again. I know I could have skipped it and gone to my next favorite episode, but I wanted to do them in the order they were released, so that’s my excuse.

I finally got through it (and yes, the tears did come), and I hope to get back to a regular schedule of posting about my favorite Doctor Who episodes.

Although the Doctor can travel through time, he knows how important it is not to change significant events. After traveling with the Doctor to the distant future, and back in time to Victorian England and England during World War II, Rose asks if they can travel to her own past so she can meet the father she never knew (he was killed by a hit-and-run driver when she was a baby). Rose tells the Doctor that all she wants is to be there when her father dies so he doesn't have to die alone, but when they finally get there, she can’t bear to watch him die, and saves him instead. However, by saving him, Rose creates a wound in time and space, and she has to make a hard decision to save those who wouldn't have perished if she had allowed her father to die as he was supposed to.

This episode shows the wonderful and unique relationship between the Doctor and Rose. It shows how their relationship has grown, and what they mean to each other. There's a sweet moment right before Pete is hit by the car when the Doctor grabs her hand. He cares for her so much. This is also the first time that we see the Doctor really angry. I love seeing Christopher Eccleston as the happy Doctor, but Eccleston because is such a great actor it’s quite impactful to see him angry. And he’s not angry at an enemy, he’s angry at Rose. 

The danger in this episode is very real and terrifying, and it’s juxtaposed with the joy Rose has of getting to know her father, and then that is juxtaposed with the horror of the choice she eventually has to make. The monsters are great. They are "behind the sofa" scary, and their threat is very menacing and devastating. It's also great how you don't see them to begin with, you just see what they see in a creepy red hue, and then you see what they do to people. Scary.

The supporting characters are great in this episode. I love Jackie, Rose’s mom, as usual. She is such a great, quirky character, and it’s fun to see a younger version of her (an 80’s version of her). She's still the same old Jackie. Shaun Dingwall, who plays Pete Tyler, is wonderful. His performance is so understated, and so good. I loved the scenes between him and Rose. It's also poignant when she begins to see him as he truly is, and not the man her mother always described to her when she was growing up.

It's always so funny to see fashion from 80's. The big hair, the shoulder pads, the gaudy wedding dress. It will be interesting to watch this 20 years from now and think how hilarious Rose's outfit is. And then, maybe the 80's stuff will be back in fashion. (Okay, I hope not) *wink*

Quotes:

Rose (voiceover): Peter Alan Tyler. My dad. The most wonderful man in the world. Born 15th September, 1954.

Doctor: Your wish is my command. But be careful what you wish for.

Register: I, Peter Alan Tyler, take you, Jacqueline Andrea Suzette Prentice.
Pete: I, Peter Alan Tyler, take you, Jacqueline Suzanne... Suzette... Anita...
Jackie (to the Registrar): Oh, just carry on. It's good enough for Lady Di.

Rose: I thought he'd be taller.

Jackie: I only wish there'd been someone there for him.

Rose: I wanna be that someone, so he doesn't die alone.

Rose: It's so weird. The day my father died. I thought it would be all sort of grim and stormy. It's just an ordinary day.
Doctor: The past is another country. 1987's just the Isle of Wight.

Rose: Mum always said, "that stupid vase."

Doctor: That's the first you and me. It's a very bad idea, two sets of us being here at the same time.
Just be careful they don't see us.

Rose: I'm Rose.
Pete: That's a coincidence. That's my daughter's name.
Rose: That's a great name. Good choice. Well done.

Pete: If you want a cup of tea, kitchen's down there, milk's in the fridge. Well, it would be, wouldn't it? Where else would you put the milk?

Pete: I should write that down.

Doctor: When we met, I said, "Travel with me in space." You said, "No." Then I said, "Time machine."
Rose: It wasn't some big plan.

Doctor: I did it again. I picked some stupid ape. I should have known. It's not about showing you the universe. It never is. It's about the universe doing something for you.
Rose: So, it's okay when you go to other times and you save people's lives, but not when it's me saving my dad.
Doctor: I know what I'm doing, you don't.

Doctor: My entire planet died, my whole family. Do you think it never occurred to me to go back and save them?

Doctor: Rose, there's a man alive in the world who wasn't alive before. An ordinary man. That's the most important thing in creation. The whole world's different because he's alive.

Rose: Would you rather have him dead?
Doctor: I'm not saying that!
Rose: No, I get it. For once you're not the most important man in my life.

Pete: Boyfriend trouble?

Pete: Listen, don't worry about him. Couples have rows all the time.
Rose: We're not a couple. Why does everyone think we're a couple?

Rose: I think he left me.
Pete: What? A pretty girl like you? If I was going out with you --
Rose: Stop, right there!
Pete: I'm just saying...
Rose: I know what you're saying, and we're not going there. At no point are we going anywhere near "there." You aren't even aware that "there" exists. I don't even want to think about "there," and neither do you. "There," for you, is like... it's like the Bermuda Triangle.
Pete: Blimey, you know how to flatter a bloke.

Pete: I'll take you back to the loony bin where you belong. Except I'm sure I've met you somewhere before.

Groom's dad: Is it me, or did it just get cold?

Rose: I thought you were a proper business man.
Pete: I wish. I do a bit of this, bit of that. I scrape by.
Rose: Right. I must have heard wrong. So, really, you're a bit of a Del Boy.
Pete: Oh, shoot me down in flames. You're not related to my wife by any chance, are you?

Bridesmaid (re: the bride's dress): Now, that's what I call a meringue.

Jackie: Oh, here he is. The accident waiting to happen. You'd be late for your own funeral, and it nearly was.

Jackie (re: Rose): Who's this? (to Rose) And what are you looking at with your mouth open?
Rose: Your hair.
Jackie: What?
Rose: I've never seen it like -- I mean... It's lovely. Your hair's lovely.

Doctor: The older something is, the stronger it is.

Doctor: I've waited a long time to say this... Jackie Tyler, do as I say. Go and check the doors.
Jackie: Yes, sir.
Doctor: I should have done that ages ago.

Stuart: Excuse me. Mister...
Doctor: Doctor.
Stuart: You seem to know what's going on.
Doctor: I give that impression, yea.

Sarah: I don't know what this is all about, and I know we're not important...
Doctor: Who said you're not important? I've traveled to all sorts of places, done things you couldn't even imagine, but... you two - street corner, two o'clock in the morning, getting a taxi home. I've never had a life like that. Yes. I'll try and save you.

Rose: Where I come from, Jackie doesn't know how to work the timer on the video recorder.
Pete: I showed her that last week. Point taken.

Doctor (to baby Rose): Good girl. Yes, you are. You're not going to bring about the end of the world, are you? Are you?
[Adult Rose walks up to him]
Doctor: Jackie gave her to me to look after. How times change.

Rose: I'd better be careful. I think I just imprinted myself on Mickey like a mother chicken.

Rose: I can't do anything right, can I?
Doctor: Since you asked, no. So, don't touch the baby!
Rose: I'm not stupid.
Doctor: You could have fooled me. All right... I'm sorry. I wasn't really going to leave you on your own.
Rose: I know.
Doctor: But, between you and me, I haven't got a plan. No idea. No way out.

Pete: It's my fault all of this has happened.
Rose: This is my fault.
Pete: No, love. I'm your dad. It's my job for it to be my fault.

Pete: He's not in charge anymore. I am.

Rose (voiceover): Peter Alan Tyler. My dad. The most wonderful man in the world. Died 7th of November, 1987.

Doctor Who: The Crimson Horror

For me, Stephen Moffat's time as head writer for Doctor Who has been hit and miss. As much as I love Doctor Who, some of the episodes in seasons five, six and seven just haven't been my cup of Doctor Who tea. Sometimes the episodes start out promising, and then seem to derail toward the end. "The Crimson Horror" was one of those types of episodes for me. I really liked the episode until we met "Mr. Sweet." He just didn't quite work for me.

Having said that, I do have to say that I love Matt Smith's characterization of the Doctor. He is the reason I continue to love Doctor Who in spite of some scripts that "miss" for me.

At first I thought this would be a "Doctor-lite" episode. We don't see the Doctor until about 15 minutes into the episode. There were a few Doctor-lite episodes in Russell T. Davies time as head writer, the best of those being "Blink," written by Stephen Moffat. However, Stephen Moffat hasn't had any Doctor-lite episodes during his time as head writer. This episode one is probably the closest he's come to one.

Observations:

Interesting facts: Edmund and his brother, Mr. Thursday are played by the same actor. And Mrs. Gillyflower and her daughter Ada are played by real mother and daughter, Diana Rigg and Rachael Stirling.

I wonder why Mr. Thursday went to Madame Vastra about his brother's strange death. Does she have an advertisement in the newspaper saying she investigates business of the "dark and queer," as Edmund put it?

I like Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax. I know many fans have mentioned they would love to see a spin-off with these three. It could be an entertaining series, if done correctly. Vasennytrax. Now, there's a title for you. *wink*

I love it when Edmund's brother faints after seeing Madame Vastra.

Strax is simply hilarious.

And, Mr. Thursday faints when he sees Strax. Good show.

Strange that Mrs. Gillyflower puts salt down her blouse. Hmm.

Jenny is definitely going through every locked door and ignoring "keep out" signs.

The Doctor has become a victim of the Crimson Horror.

The Doctor walks like Frankenstein's monster. However, he was Ada's monster, not Frankenstein's.

That kiss really annoyed me. The Doctor isn't one to go around kissing women, even if they just saved his life. It was very out of character to me. I'm just so glad that she slapped him.

It's interesting how the episode comes alive when the Doctor comes out of his Crimson Horrorness. Matt is such a charismatic actor.

I like the style that the flashback was filmed. Like an old movie, interspersed with shots of black and white (or sepia) still pictures.

I wonder who did Clara's hair like that. Did she really take the time to fix it up when she learned they were going to Victorian London?

I love that when the Doctor and Clara go to Sweetville he introduces themselves to Mrs. Gillyflower as "Doctor and Mrs. Smith," and they both speak in a Yorkshire accent.

So, the "crimson horror" puts them in some kind of catatonic state, except for the rejects, who retain the crimson hue and are thrown into the canal. Interesting that the Doctor is a "reject," while Clara is not. However, the Doctor lives through it, and Ada takes the Doctor, where he becomes her "special monster."

Why didn't the Doctor's white "union suit" turn red like Edmund's did?

And now we know how an image of the Doctor was burned into Edmund's eye when he died. T

Okay, I'm not sure if I like the Thomas Thomas (TomTom) joke or not. It was funny, but I don't think it had any place in a Doctor Who script. Just sayin'.

When Clara got out of the mixture, her hair was down. And the next we see her, her hair is exactly the same as it was when she and the Doctor came out of the TARDIS. Good thing they fixed it for her exactly the same way she had it, right? *wink*

Poor Ada. She really lucked out when it came to a mother. (I'm using the British form of this phrase - there "luck out" means to be unlucky - and Ada certainly is.)

If we were going to see Jenny fight, I wish it would have been a longer and more exciting fight.

A rocket in Victorian Yorkshire. Interesting.

When Mrs. Gillyflower started pulling out all the stops (literally, on an organ), I was hoping she was going to play some menacing music. Darn.

And Mr. Sweet is revealed! That "repulsive red leech."

And daughter turns on mother. I just have to say, I wonder what it was like for Diana and Rachael - playing that scene.

How did Mrs. Gillyflower get her minions to follow her? Those who were dipped in the venom were placed in a catatonic state, so what is it with the others? Were they just brainwashed?

The Doctor's response to seeing Mrs. Gillyflower fall was very strange. He just said, "ouch." As bad as she was, that was pretty cold of him.

Mr. Sweet certainly got what he deserved, but it was quite a way to go.

And Mr. Thursday faints again. I love it.

Okay, the pictures of Clara on the computer - who took those pictures?

Why does Angie say that the picture of the "other" Clara is in Victorian London? How does she know it's London? There is nothing in the background to say it's London.

Those kids are quick to believe in time travel.

Quotes:

Edmund: We must get to the bottom of this dark and queer business, no matter what the cost.

Mr. Thursday: I have no interest in the deplorable excesses of the Penny Dreadful.

Vastra: According to my research, Sweetville's proprietor holds recruitment drives for her little community. She is only interested in the fittest and the most beautiful.
Strax: You may rely on me, Ma'am.
Vastra: I was, in fact, speaking of Jenny.
Strax: If this weak and... fleshy boy is to represent us, I strongly advise the issuing of scissor grenades, limbo vapor, and tripleblast brain spitters.
Vastra: What for?
Strax: Just everything. Remember, we are going to the North.

Strax: How will she locate the Doctor?
Vastra: To find him, she need only ignore all "keep out" signs, go through every locked door, and run toward any form of danger that presents itself.
Strax: Business as usual then?
Vastra: Business as usual.

Strax: He asked permission to enter, and then he fell over.

Abigail: Only the best for Sweetville. I hope me teeth don't let me down.

Vastra: I think I have seen these symptoms before.
Coroner: Oh, aye?
Vastra: A long time ago.
Coroner: Oh, aye? How long?
Vastra: About 65 million years ago.

Doctor: Ah! Miss me?

Doctor: Just when you think your favorite lock-picking Victorian chambermaid will never turn up - Jenny!

Jenny: How long have you been like that?
Doctor: Days. Weeks. Don't know.  Long story. I'll keep it short.

Doctor: Oh, grand! Smashin'. Eh, the missus and I couldn't be more chuffed, could we luv? Eh?

Doctor: Yes, Clara. Gotta find Clara.
Jenny: But, Doctor, Clara's dead. Isn't she?
Doctor: It's complicated.

Strax: Horse. You have failed in your mission!

Thomas Thomas: Sweetville, sir?
Strax: You know it?
Thomas Thomas: Turn around when possible. Then, at the end of the road, turn right.
Strax: What?
Thomas Thomas: Bear left a quarter of a mile and you'll have reached your destination.
Strax: Thank you. What is your name?
Thomas Thomas: Thomas, sir. Thomas Thomas.
Strax: I think you will do well, Thomas Thomas.

Doctor: Oh, great, great. Attack of the supermodels.

Clara: What's going on?
Doctor: Oh, haven't you heard, luv? There's trouble at the mill. [pause] She's a lizard.

Doctor: Ooh, "the repulsive red leech." No, on balance, I think I prefer "the crimson horror."

Doctor: Yucky red parasite from the time of the dinosaurs pitches up in Victorian Yorkshire. Didn't see that one coming.

Clara: A chimney that doesn't blow smoke.
Doctor: Clever clogs. (this is British slang for "smarty pants.")
Clara: Miss me?
Doctor: Yea. Lots.

Mrs. Gillyflower: You do seem to keep turning up like a bad penny, young man.
Doctor: Force of habit.

Doctor: I'm the Doctor. You're nuts. And I'm going to stop you.

Doctor: Mrs. Gillyflower, you have no idea what you're dealing with. In the wrong hands, that venom could wipe out all life on this planet.
Mrs. Gillyflower: You know what these are? (holds out her hands) The wrong hands.

Doctor: Hang on. Hang on. I've got a sonic screwdriver.
Clara: Yea? I've got a chair.
Doctor: Yea. That worked.

Doctor: Chairs are useful.

Mrs. Gillyflower: Forgive me, my child. Forgive me.
Ada: Never.
Mrs. Gillyflower: That's my girl.

Doctor: Well, thanks a million, you three. As ever, have some pontefract cakes on me. I love pontefract cakes. See you around, I shouldn't wonder.

Jenny: But, Doctor. That girl. Clara. You haven't explained.
Doctor: No, I haven't.

Doctor Who: The Name of the Doctor Prequel

Doctor Who: Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS

There were some great things about this episode, and some things that I didn't care for particularly. I loved seeing more of TARDIS. We got to see the library, the swimming pool, and a book about the The History of the Time War, among other things. I didn't really like the "monsters." It was a bit confusing as to what (or who) they were. And I felt the Van Baalen brothers and their "robot" didn't bring much to the story. It would have been interesting if it were just the Doctor searching for Clara inside the TARDIS and if there were a different kind of threat. However, it was still an entertaining episode, and I loved much of the dialog, as usual. I like Matt Smith's Doctor more and more. I also still like Clara.

Observations:

The key that the Doctor uses to shut the TARDIS own to "basic" mode has "Smiths" written on it. This is Matt Smith's TARDIS  Not any of the other 10 Doctors. Okay, maybe that's pushing it bit too far, but this is my observation on my blog, so... there you go!

So, it's when the TARDIS is in basic mode and the shields are down that you can actually see it flying through space.

How did the Doctor get thrown out of the TARDIS, but Clara didn't?

Good thing that piece of - whatever - that landed on Clara wasn't too heavy. And, she doesn't look like she was hurt by it. That's good. But a little unrealistic. It would have been more dramatic if she had been hurt a bit (other than the burn on her hand). And why is she in a corridor of the TARDIS when she and the Doctor were both together in the console room when the Van Baalen brothers brought the TARDIS in as salvage? How did she get there and the Doctor was outside of the TARDIS?

When Clara sees a red light flashing above a door, she wonders if she should open it or if the red flashing light "means something bad," or "whatever you do, don't open this door." Well, she decides to open it and flames come bursting out of the door. She runs away, and... that's it. The danger is over. Quite anti-climactic.

It looks like this is the first time Clara sees the library and swimming pool. So, what has she seen in the TARDIS so far? I'm sure she doesn't spend all of her time in the console room. She has to have a place to sleep and such.

Clara sees some cool things as she's trying to find her way back to the console room. (I'm sure there are some cool things I missed from the classic Doctor Who days.)

• The Doctor's cradle (the one he gave to Amy for baby Melody)
• The TARDIS Amy made when she was a little girl
• The Encyclopedia Gallifrey in bottles
• A book called The History of the Time War

It's cool that when Bram is in the console room, we hear voices of previous Doctors and companions. We hear Susan's (the Doctor's granddaughter) voice when she named the TARDIS. We hear Amy and Martha, and I was so happy to hear the ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston).

I wonder who wrote that large tome, The History of the Time War? Isn't the Doctor the only one to survive that war (other than the Master, and he doesn't seem like the type of person to write a large history - and if he did, would it be true?)? Was it written before the end of the war?

Clara finds out the name of the Doctor. However, she says "So, that's who..." If you discovered someone's name, wouldn't you say, "So, that's what... [his name is]"? You wouldn't say "that's who... [he is]" unless the discovery is about finding out he's someone she's heard of before, not just discovering what his name is.

The TARDIS must not dislike Clara totally, because it takes Clara to the "safest place in the ship," and where she needs to be for the Doctor to find her.

The Doctor knows what the zombie creatures are. And he's not telling.

I really hate that Gregor says they made Tricky think he was a robot to relieve the boredom. That it was a joke. What kind of  sick people would do something like that to their brother? It makes Gregor and Bram more unlikable.

The Doctor takes them where the Eye of Harmony is. Why does he stop them to explain what it is when they need to get past it quickly? Won't it burn them up? Well, burn them up quicker than it's happening.

I wonder which of the zombie creatures killed Bram.

The Doctor asks Clara to explain herself. Why he's met her twice and she's died twice. But Clara doesn't know. She's just "Clara."

I want to know why the Doctor doesn't want people to know his name. If the majority of people he runs into don't know anything about Gallifrey or Time Lords, then why does his name have to be such a secret?

So, it doesn't really matter that Clara read his name in the book. She won't remember it anyway.

I'm not sure how I feel about the ending. Cop out? Or, "well at least they aren't all going to get burned up." Hmm.

Quotes:

Doctor: You said --
Clara: I know what I said, I'm the who said it.

Doctor: It's important to me you two get along. I could leave you alone together.
Clara: Now you're creeping me out.

Clara: Please tell me there's a button you can press to fix this!
Doctor: Oh, yes, big friendly button.
Clara: You're lying.
Doctor: Yep.
Clara: To stop me freaking out?
Doctor: Is is working?
Clara: Not so much.

Doctor: Hi. I'm the Doctor. And you are... (looks at their uniforms) Van Baalen and... Van Baalen. Van Baalen and Van Baalen. That's going to get confusing later.

Van Baalen (not sure which one): I thought she (the TARDIS) was lying on her side.
Doctor: The TARDIS is special. She has her own gravity. I'd explain if I had some charts and a board pen.

Van Baalen: Whoa. Awesome!
Doctor: Well put. Whoa and awesome.

Doctor: My ship! My rules!

Doctor: Don't get into a spaceship with a madman. Didn't anyone ever teach you that?

Doctor: "Salvage of a lifetime." You meant the ship. I meant Clara.

Doctor: Don't touch a thing. The TARDIS will get huffy if you mess.

Clara (re: the Library): Now, that's just showing off.

Doctor: I can feel a TARDIS tantrum coming on.

Doctor: Ever see a spaceship get ugly?

Doctor: It doesn't know Lancashire.
Gregor: What?
Doctor: It doesn't know sass.

Doctor: Okay, so we're not doing hugging. I know that now.

Clara: What do you keep in here? Why have you got zombie creatures? Good guys do not have zombie creature. Rule 1, basic storytelling!
Doctor: Not in front of the guests.
Clara: Who are they?
Doctor: Friends. Well, people who aren't trying to kill us.

Doctor: And the face. You've got to do the face. "Save her or we all die." I thought I rushed it a bit, but...

Gregor: So, you're telling us we're safe?
Doctor: Ish.

Doctor: Okay, don't panic. Or maybe panic.

Gregor: Where are we going?
Doctor: Detour. Centre of the TARDIS.

Clara: Run?
Doctor: I'm liking how you're thinking.

Doctor: We can only survive a minute or two in there.
Clara: Um, what happens if we stay longer?
Doctor: Our cells will liquefy and our skin will start to burn.
Clara: I always feel so good after we've spoken.
Doctor: Marvelous. Keep this door shut.
Clara: That will not be a problem.

Doctor (to Gregor): Now, you. Don't ever forget this.

Clara: How can you be so sure?
Doctor: Well, I can't.
Clara: Okay, then, well, that's watertight.
Doctor: Hey! Now, Clara, I have piloted this ship for over 900 years. Trust me this one time, please. Okay. Okay. As well as all the the other times.

Doctor: Ready? Geronimo.

Clara: The library. I saw it. You were mentioned in a book.
Doctor: I'm mentioned in a lot of books.
Clara: You call yourself "Doctor." Why do you do that? You have a name. I've seen it. In one corner of that tiny --

Clara: You're being weird.
Doctor: I need to know if you feel safe. I need to know you're not afraid.
Clara: Of?
Doctor: The future. Running away with a spaceman in a box - anything could happen to you.
Clara: That's what I'm counting on.

Doctor Who: Hide

I like a good ghost story. Not a freaky ghost story, but a good spooky ghost story. The thing with Doctor Who is you would never get a typical ghost story. A ghost is never just a ghost. There's always something more. And even when you discover the mystery of the ghost, again, there's even more to it.

This episode really has only two other characters (excluding the ghost), Alec and Emma. They are played by two great actors, Dougray Scott (the prince in Ever After), and Jessica Raine (currently in Call the Midwife, but she was also in another ghost story, The Woman in Black). I loved that the story focused on these four characters.

Observations:

Leave it to the Doctor to arrive at a moment of great suspense, and then insert a bit of humor.

I love it when the Doctor gives air kisses to Emma. Matt Smith just has great quirky mannerisms that make me smile.

It's a great move when Clara turns toward the Doctor with the candelabra, and the Doctor ducks so she doesn't hit him with it. Especially since Clara doesn't remark about it, or even seem to notice.

Clara says that whiskey is "the 11th most disgusting thing ever invented." In The Bells of Saint John she tells Artie that chapter 11 of the book he's reading, Summer Falls, is the best and tells him, "you'll cry your eyes out." Is it significant that she keeps bringing up the number 11? Matt Smith is the 11th Doctor. Hmm.

Alec tells the Doctor that he sent many men and women to their deaths during World War II. When he says it, he looks down at the photo he's developing, and it's a picture of the Doctor. The Doctor has also seen a lot of death, and perhaps been the cause of more than one.

Why doesn't the Tardis like Clara? I'm sure it has to do with the "mystery" of her, but what is the mystery? I'm not one to speculate or try too hard to figure it out. We'll get the answer eventually, right? It just better make sense, Stephen Moffat.

When did the Tardis have an umbrella holder? Was it in an older version of the Tardis since the revamp, or was it in a version of the Tardis of the classic Doctor Who?

Okay, spooky! When Alec and Emma are looking out of the window to see if they can see where the Doctor and Clara went in the storm, and the lighting flashes... ooooh, spooky! It reminds me of a scene I saw from The Women in Black trailer (I didn't see the movie, even though I saw the play three times, because I knew it would freak me out).

I love the conversation Clara has with the Doctor about "time." She says that to him she hasn't been born yet, and to him she's been dead "a hundred billion years." She says that to him she's a ghost. That everyone is a ghost and they're "nothing" to him. And he says, "No. No, you're not that." She asks him what "we" are to him. And he answers, "You are the only mystery worth solving." Does the Doctor mean that Clara is the only mystery worth solving, or does he mean that all human kind is the only mystery worth solving? Hmm. Whichever he means, I really like the scene.

I love that they call the ghost the "gast" of Caliburn House. It's an old Middle English word for "ghost."

So, the Doctor just happens to have a couple of balloons in his pocket? That's convenient when you need them to teach a difficult-to-understand concept. *wink*

The Tardis talks to Clara. That's new.

The Doctor wants to solve the mystery of Clara, and he thinks he'll get an answer. And for a moment there, we think he might get the answer too. But...

Quotes:

Emma: She's so...
Alec: So what?
Emma: dead.

Doctor: Hello, I'm looking for a ghost.
Alec: And you are?
Clara: Ghostbusters.

Doctor: I'm the Doctor.
Alec: Doctor what?
Doctor: If you like.

Doctor: You're Emma Grayling. The professor's companion.
Emma: Assistant.
Doctor: It's 1974. You're the assistant, and "nonobjective equipment," meaning "psychic."

Doctor: I do love a toggle switch. Actually, I like the word "toggle." Nice noun. Excellent verb.

Doctor: So, where's the ghost? Show me the ghost. [thunder claps] It's ghost time.

Doctor: Are you coming?
Clara: Where?
Doctor: To find the ghost.
Clara: Why would I want to do that?
Doctor: Because you want to. Come on.
Clara: Well, I dispute that assertion.

Clara: Dare me.
Doctor: I dare you. No takesy-backsies.

Doctor: Ignorance is... um... what's the opposite of bliss?
Clara: Carlisle.
Doctor: Yes! Yes, Carlisle. Ignorance is Carlisle.
[I know this must be a joke, but I don't get it. Does anyone get the joke?]

Emma: Is he really from the Ministry [Military Intelligence]?
Alec: I don't know. He certainly has the right demeanor for it. Capricious, brilliant.
Emma: Deceitful.
Alec: Yes. He's a liar. But you know, that's often the way that it is when someone's seen a thing or two. Experience makes liars of us all.

Doctor: Do you feel anything?
Clara: No.
Doctor: Your pants are so on fire.

Clara: Do you feel like you're being watched?
Doctor: What does being watched feel like? Is it that funny tickly feeling on the back of your neck?
Clara: That's the chap.
Doctor: Then, yes. A bit. Well, quite a big bit.

Clara: I think she's here.

Clara: Doctor!
Doctor: What?
Clara: I'm not happy.

Clara: Doctor.
Doctor: Yes.
Clara: I may be a teeny tiny bit terrified...
Doctor: Yes.
Clara: But I'm still a grownup.
Doctor: Ha. Mainly, yes. And?
Clara: There's no need to actually hold my hand.
Doctor: Clara.
Clara: Yea.
Doctor: I'm not holding your hand.

Doctor: I do love a carrier pigeon.

Alec: I've sent young men and women to their deaths. But here I am, still alive. And, well, it does tend to haunt you... living after so much of... the other thing.

Emma: People like me, sometimes we get our signals mixed up. We think people are feeling the way we want them to feel. You know, when they're special to us. When, really there's nothing there.

Alec: Who do you think she is?
Doctor: Not what I thought she'd be.
Alec: What did you think she's be?
Doctor: Fun.

Emma: What about you and the Doctor?
Clara: Oh, I don't think so.
Emma: Good.
Clara: Sorry?
Emma: Don't trust him. There's a sliver of ice in his heart.

Clara: I've got this weird feeling it's looking at me. It doesn't like me.
Doctor: The Tardis is like a cat... A bit slow to trust, but you'll get there in the end.

Clara: So, where are we going?
Doctor: Not where. We're staying right here. Right here on this exact spot, if I can work out how to do it.
Clara: So, when are we going?
Doctor: That is good. That is top-notch.
Clara: And the answer is?
Doctor: We're going always.
Clara: "We're going always."
Doctor: Totally.
Clara: That's not actually a sentence.
Doctor: Well, it's got a verb in it.

Clara: When are we?
Doctor: About 6 billion years ago. It's a Tuesday, I think.

Doctor: Back in a mo.

Doctor (to Clara who is crying): What's wrong? Did the Tardis say something to you? [to the Tardis] Are you being mean?

Clara: I'm a ghost. To you, I'm a ghost.

Doctor (to Alec and Emma): What if someone has a magic box? A blue box, probably.

Alec: Time travel's not possible, the paradoxes --
Doctor: Resolve themselves by and large.

Doctor (to Emma): You are Emma Grayling. You are the lantern. The rest of us are just along for the ride, I'm afraid.

Doctor: We need a sturdy rope and a blue crystal from Metebelis Three. Plus, some Kendal mint cake.

Emma: What does it do?
Doctor: It amplifies your natural abilities. Like a microphone or a pooper scooper.

Doctor: Listen, all I need to do is [explains a lot that I won't mention here because it would be *spoilers*], and Bob's your uncle.

Doctor: You see! The witch of the well!

Doctor (cricks his neck): Geromino.

Doctor You know that exit I mentioned? I seemed to have misplaced it.

Doctor: Oh, that's what that noise was. Lovely.

Clara: You're talking, but all I can hear is, "meh, meh, meh, meh, meh." Come on, let's go!

Doctor: You want me to be afraid? Then well done. I am the Doctor, and I am afraid.

Emma: You wanted a word?
Doctor: Well, if that's --
Emma: That's fine.

Alec: The paradoxes --
Doctor: Resolve themselves by and large.

Alec: What do we do now?
Doctor: Hold hands. That's what you're meant to do. Keep doing that, and don't let go. That's the secret.

Doctor: Oh! I'm so slow.  I am slow. I'm notorious for it. That's always been my problem. But... But, I get there in the end. Oh, yes.

Doctor: Excuse me. Excuse me. Sorry to interrupt the rest of your life.

Doctor: Hello again, you old Romeo, you.

Doctor: Get read to jump.

Next Time: Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS

Doctor Who: Cold War

"Cold War" could also have been called "Russians in a Submarine," or "A Martian in a Submarine." Or perhaps, "Russians, a Martian, the Doctor and Clara in a Submarine." That sounds like the beginning of a joke. *wink*

The last two episodes of Doctor Who have been very grand and epic. "Cold War" was very different from those two episode in that the Doctor and Clara find themselves trapped in a Russian submarine in 1983, with a Martian on the loose. Very claustrophobic. And great suspense.

This was a great stand-alone episode. There was no timey-wimey stuff. Nothing confusing. It was very straight-forward and very good.

Observations:

It's funny the Russian is speaking English before the Tardis gets there. Not only that, but he calls the Martian milaya moya, which means "my sweet" in Russian. If he's speaking English, wouldn't he just call it "my sweet."

The young soldier who thaws the Martian out says before he takes a blow torch to the frozen ice block the Martian is contained in, "The Professor wants you thawed out in Moscow, but life's too short to wait." If only he had waited, his life might have been a little bit longer.

The Doctor's destination was Las Vegas, but the Tardis always takes the Doctor where he needs to go, so they end up on a sinking Soviet submarine, where they can save the Russians from the Martian. I wonder what era the Doctor was taking Clara to in Las Vegas. By her dress it looks like the 50s or early 60s.

Why does the Doctor have a Barbie?

How could the Tardis fit in a submarine?

I love the Doctor's face when he sees the Martian.

I love that the Doctor gets to meet an alien that he already has "history" with. An alien that was introduced during Doctor Who's classic era. It's great, since this is the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who to bring back aliens that long time fans are familiar with.

The Captain is pretty quick to believe that the monster is really a "Martian." It's very convenient that he believes so quickly.

It's funny that when the Stepashin says to the Captain (re: what the Doctor is saying), "Why are we listening to this nonsense, Captain?" that we see the Professor listening to "Hungry Like the Wolf" by Duran Duran on his Walkman.

So, we know the Tardis Translation Matrix works even when the Tardis isn't around. Hmm. And yet, why is it working now, and it didn't work in the last episode when Clara couldn't understand many of the aliens?

The scene when Clara goes into the hold by herself where Skaldak has been chained up is great. It's very similar to the scene in the 2005 episode, "Dalek," when rose meets a Dalek for the first time.

I love it when the Doctor tells Clara to stay where she is and all she says, "okay." It takes him a minute to realize that indeed, she is actually going to stay put. After Amy, he's not used to having a companion who actually does what he tells her to do. It's a funny moment.

I'm surprised that Clara's reaction isn't bigger after seeing what Skaldak did to the two soldiers. She tells the Professor that seeing them made it all "very real." I would think that she would be totally freaked out, not so calm.

Quotes:

Professor: Have I interrupted something?
Captain: We were about to blow up the world, Professor.
Professor: Again?

Clara: Not Vegas then?
Doctor: No, and this is much better!
Clara: A sinking submarine?
Doctor: A sinking Soviet submarine.

Captain: It seems we owe you our lives. Whoever you are.
Doctor: I'll hold you to that. It might come in handy.

Doctor: Hair, shoulder pads, nukes - it's the 80s. Everything's bigger.

Doctor: All right, Captain. All right. You know, just this once. No dissembling, no psychic paper. No pretending to be an Earth ambassador. Doctor. Me and Clara - time travelers.

Doctor: It never rains, but it pours.

Clara: What is it, then?
Doctor: It's an Ice Warrior. A native from the planet Mars. And we go way back. Way back.
Captain: A martian? You can't be serious.
Doctor: I'm always serious, with days off.
Clara: Doctor!
Doctor: Just keeping it light, Clara. They're scared.
Clara: They're scared? I'm scared!

Captain: So, what do we do?
Doctor: Lock. Him. Up.

Doctor: By his own standards, Skaldak is a hero. It was said his enemies honored him so much, they carved his name in their own flesh before they died.
Clara: Oh, yea. Very nice. He sounds lovely.

Doctor: Oh, look. You got me telling you about them, and I told you there wasn't time.

Professor: Maybe they're telling the truth.
Stepashin: The truth?
Professor: Yes. Revolutionary concept, I know.

Doctor: Skaldak won't talk to you. You're an enemy soldier.
Captain: How would he know that?
Doctor: A soldier knows another soldier. He'll smell it on you, smell it on you a mile off.
Captain: And he wouldn't smell it on you, Doctor?

Clara: I don't smell of anything, to my knowledge.

Professor: I think he wants to talk to the organ grinder and not the monkey.
Clara: I heard that.

Clara: How did I do? Was I okay?
Doctor: This wasn't a test, Clara.
Clara: I know, but ---
Doctor: You were great, yea.
Clara: Really?
Doctor: Really.

Doctor: It couldn't be any worse. [submarine shifts] Okay. Spoke too soon.

Stepashin: What do you want with me?
Skaldak: Much.

Professor: I always sing a song.
Clara: What?
Professor: To keep my spirits up.
Clara: Yea, that would work. If this was Pinocchio.

Professor (sings): "I'm hungry like the wolf."
Clara: I'm not singing.
Professor: Don't you know it?
Clara: Of course I know it. We do it at karaoke, the odd hen night.
Professor: Karaoke? Hen night? You speak excellent Russian, my dear, but sometimes I don't understand a word you're talking about.

Doctor: Stay here.
Clara: Okay.
Doctor: Stay here, don't argue.
Clara: I'm not.
Doctor: Right. Good.

Professor: And the Doctor. What he said, is it true? You're from another time? From a future? Clara?
Clara: Yes.
Professor: Tell me what happens.
Clara: I can't!
Professor: Well, I need to know.
Clara: I'm not allowed.
Professor: No, please!
Clara: I can't!
Professor: Ultravox. Do they split up?

Skaldak: Well, Doctor. Which of us shall blink first?

Clara: Saved the world, then?
Doctor: Yea.
Clara: That's what we do.
Doctor: Yea.

Next time: Hide

Castle: 100th Episode

Castle celebrated its 100th episode with a tribute to Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece, Rear Window. After breaking his leg skiing, Castle is homebound, and while passing the boredom by spying on his neighbors, he believes that has witnessed a murder. This is a perfect 100th episode, and Castle does this type of episode so well.

I loved watching the episode again. I caught things the second time through that I didn't catch the first time. However, I do have a bunch of questions about the episode, but I won't post those questions, because they would expose spoilers, and I don't want to spoil the episode for anyone. If you don't usually watch Castle, but you like Hitchcock, I would recommend you go to ABC's website and watch the episode. It's great.

Quotes:

Kate: Yea, well, maybe next time we go skiing you won't be such a show-off.
Castle: I wasn't showing off. Okay, I was showing off. A little bit. But I swear to you, I can do a tail grab with my eyes closed. And without breaking my kneecap.

Martha: If I don't call you on your birthday, it is not because I have forgotten.
Castle: I won't think that you've forgotten. I'll think it's because you made other plans.

Castle: Have a great time at your retreat - on your only son's birthday.
Martha: It is a spa trip, darling, not a guilt trip.

Castle: The pain killers make me a little bit loopy. Last night I used the word "speculate" three times in the same sentence.

Ryan (picking up the binoculars): You must be bored. You've actually gone Rear Window.

Kate (to Esposito): Unless the body that you're looking at is dead, I suggest you drop those binoculars.

Castle: Hey! What if I consult my phone? I can pretend I'm Charlie and you're my Angels.

Kate: Why are men such babies when they get sick or injured?
Esposito: It's an evolutionary thing. If men can get women to take care of them they have a greater chance of survival.

IRS Worker: Clara was a rare breed. An IRS agent who actually liked her job.

Castle (looking through his binoculars):

• Hmm. Must be writers.
• Oh, that better be for a sick child.
• Oh, to be young and underemployed. 
• Really? You're going to kiss him now? 
• Oh, oh. Someone's got some 'splainin' to do.
• He's so on to you. Here it comes. The inevitable. The huge break-up.
• No, no, no. Don't take the knife.

Castle: I'm not crazy.
Kate: No, but you do have a vivid imagination, and it's been stuck inside for two weeks.

Kate: Why don't you just come with me to the precinct. Focus on a real murder instead of wasting your time on an imaginary one.
Castle: Well, actually, I was just thinking about trying to do some writing today.
Kate: Well, as long as by "writing" you don't mean staring out the window and ogling at your neighbors.
Castle: No! That would be morally intrusive.
Kate: Yea, like you've never done that before.

Esposito: How's Jimmy Stewart.
Kate: You know, up half the night waiting for the neighbor to move the body.

Esposito: Sounds like someone has an ax to grind.
Kate: Or a bat to swing.

Castle: You shouldn't be watching.
Alexis: Yea, neither should you.

Ryan: Staring at a phone won't make it ring. I learned that in Junior High.

Alexis: What if I go. I'm smaller, younger and faster.
Castle: Oh, no. If you get caught, you get a B & E on your record and you'll never become president.

Kate: You're talking about an illegal search.
Castle: When you do it, it's an illegal search. When I do it, it's just illegal.

Castle: Wow. And wow. Happy birthday to me.

Castle: No, don't do it. It's too dangerous.
Kate: Not as dangerous as me if you blow up my plans.
Castle: What if he doesn't let you in?
Kate: Look at me. He's going to let me in.

Castle: How many murders do you think we've solved since we met?
Kate: I don't know, um, maybe a hundred or so.
Castle: A hundred? Here's to a hundred more.

Doctor Who: The Rings of Akhaten

It was great to have an episode again where the Doctor's companion is seeing an alien world and aliens for the first time. It reminded me of "The End of the World" from season 1 when the 9th Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) showed Rose Tyler the end of the Earth, and she saw aliens for the first time. I loved his excitement showing her what else is out there in the universe, and I felt the same excitement from the 11th Doctor showing Clara the Panbabylonians, a Lugalirikush, Lucanians,  a Wholivu, a Terraberserker and an Ultramancer.

I enjoyed Clara's first outing in space. I like her a lot. It took me a while to warm up to Amy, and I'm so happy to like the Doctor's new companion right from the start. This episode was similar to Amy's first outing in space, "The Beast Below." That episode also involved a little child, with the companion trying to help her. Emelia Jones, who played Merry, is a good little actress. She was very believable and had some very nice moments.

I loved the look of this episode. The colors were so luscious and the effects were effective. I loved all of the aliens in the market, and I loved the Doctor's interactions with the aliens. The story ended up being a little convoluted, but there were some great moments, and there weren't any big mysteries (other than one, that I can think of) I felt needed to be solved.

Observations:

The opening of this episode was sweet. It was cute to see how Clara's parents met and how the leaf in her book is significant. It was a little creepy and "stalkerish," though, that the Doctor was hanging around. He could have taken the Tardis immediately to the exact moment Clara said to come pick her up, but instead he took a bunch of "side trips." I guess he's still trying to figure out the mystery of her.

It's cute to see Clara waiting on the stairs waiting for the Doctor to show up, clutching her book, "101 Places to See."

The Doctor tells Clara that he's been to Akhaten before - with his granddaughter. I'm assuming that that was from an earlier classic Doctor Who episode. I know that the Doctor traveled with someone he called his granddaughter. I don't know if she really was his granddaughter, and I don't know if they actually had an episode on Akhaten. However, it's cool that he's referring to one of his earlier regenerations, especially since it's the 50th anniversary of the show.

Clara eats the fruit before the Doctor even tells her that it's safe to eat. She's a brave one.

Clara looks like she's going to ask the Doctor about his "granddaughter," but when she finally catches up to him she doesn't. Darn it. I wanted to hear his answer.

Why doesn't the Tardis translate the languages of all of the aliens for Clara? There are some funny bits because she can't understand them, and the Doctor has to translate, but I thought the Tardis translates for them.

So, there are a couple of references in this episode that remind me of Once Upon a Time. Clara tells Merry a story of when she got lost, and after her mother had found her, her mother told her that no matter where she went, if she ever felt lost, she will always be there for her, and she will "always come and find" her. Sound familiar? Like the line that got a little old between Snow White and Prince Charming? Clara has to give something that she treasures to the alien to get the moped. Let's see that sounds a bit like August (Pinocchio) giving the string to The Dragon for the remedy to stop him from turning to wood.

The Doctor tells Clara that they need to give the alien something "precious" for the moped. And Clara gives her a ring. Now, that rings a bell too, doesn't it? *wink*  We know what kind of person Clara is to be willing to give away her mother's ring in order to save Merry.

Last episode, a motorbike. This episode, a moped. What will it be in the next episode? *wink*

The song that Merry sings to try to help the Doctor was very pretty, and when everyone joined in with her, it gave me chills. The swaying of the people in the stands was pretty funny, but the moment was very effective. The Doctor's monologue was very effective also. Matt Smith does those monologues very well.

I like that the leaf comes back to pay a big part of the story.

I was a bit disappointed that we didn't get to see Merry again before the Doctor took Clara back home. 

When the Doctor takes Clara home, she says that it looks different. Did something they do in Akhaten change anything at home? Hmm.

Quotes:

Ellie: Oh, my stars! Are you all right?
Doctor: Fine. Marvelous. Refulgent. Possibly a bit embarrassed. That's not dangerous, is it?
Ellie: What's not?
Doctor: Embarrassment.
Ellie: Not to my knowledge.
Doctor: Whew!

Doctor: She's not possible!

Clara: It's...
Doctor: Yes, it is. It so completely is.

Doctor: You know, I forgot how much I like it here. We should come here more often.
Clara: You've been here before?
Doctor: Yes, yes, yes. I came here a long time ago with my granddaughter.

Clara: Why is everyone here?
Doctor: For the Festival of Offerings. Takes place every thousand years or so when the rings align. It's quite a big thing, locally, like um, Pancake Tuesday.

Doctor: That's what's used for currency here. Psychometry - objects physically imprinted with their history. The more treasured they are, the more value they hold.
Clara: That's horrible.
Doctor:  It's better than using bits of paper.

Clara: I know the perfect box.

Merry: What's this?
Clara: A spaceshippy thing. Timey Spacey.

Clara: I don't think it likes me.

Merry: And you were never scared again?
Clara: Oh, I was scared lots of times, but never of being lost.

Clara: Why are we walking away? We can't just walk away. This is my fault. I talked her into doing this.
Doctor: Listen, there is one thing you need to know about traveling with me - well one thing apart from the blue box and the two hearts - we don't walk away.

Doctor: Okay, let go.
Clara: I can't.
Doctor: Clara, you have to.
Clara: Why?
Doctor: Because it really hurts.

Clara: Can you open it?
Doctor: Technically, no. In reality - also no.

Doctor: Hello there. I'm the Doctor. And you met Clara. She was supposed to be having a nice day out. Still, it's early yet.

Doctor:  Did I mention that the door is immensely heavy?

Doctor: You want us to walk out of this really quite astonishingly heavy door and never come back.
Merry: Yes.
Doctor: I see. But Clara's right. Absolutely never gonna happen.

Clara: It's awake? What's it doing?
Doctor: Oh, you know, having a nice stretch.

Clara: She didn't say "story," she said "soul."
Doctor: Same thing. A soul is made of stories, not atoms. Everything that ever happened to us, people we love, people we lost, people we found again, against all the odds.

Doctor: The elements came together to form new stars and new planets, and on and on it went. The elements came together and burst apart forming shoes and ships and sealing-wax and cabbages and kings. Until, eventually, they came together to make you. You are unique in the universe.

Merry: Do you promise?
Doctor: Cross my hearts.

Doctor: Stay back! I'm armed! With a screwdriver.

Clara: I say leg it.
Doctor: Let it where exactly.
Clara: I don't know. The Lake District?
Doctor: The Lake District. Lovely. Let's definitely go there. We can eat scones. They do great scones in 1927.

Clara: You're going to fight it, aren't you?
Doctor: Regrettably, yes. I think I may be about to do that.
Clara: It's really big.
doctor: I've seen bigger.
Clara: Really?
Doctor: Are you joking? It's massive!

Clara: We don't walk away.
Doctor: No, we don't walk away. But when we're holding on to something precious, we run. We run and run, fast as we can, and we don't stop running until we are out from under the shadow. Now, off you pop. Take the moped. I'll walk.

Doctor (to himself): Any ideas? No, didn't think so. Righty-ho then.

Doctor: There's quite a difference, isn't there, between what was and what should have been? There's an awful lot of one, but there's an infinity of the other.

Doctor: Home again. Home again. Jiggety-jig.

Clara: If you want me to travel with you, then fine. As me. I'm not a bargain-basement stand-in for somebody else. I'm not going to compete with a ghost.

Next time: Cold War