New Who 4.12, The Stolen Earth

[strange_complex]

OMFG WHOGASM! *pant pant pant pant*

That was completely, utterly and unbelievably awesome.

Still lots to find out, of course. Like what exactly the Daleks' 'human harvest' will entail, and how all the characters we know have got to survive because they have new series coming are going to escape from their apparently hopeless situations. And will the Doctor really regenerate? The beauty is that it's literally impossible to tell right now. I really love that!

Oh, and I got that phone number as 07700 900461. Anyone tried calling it yet?

ETA: hmph, I seem to be afflicted with an anonytroll. He or she is doing creepy things like posting a comment and then answering it with a different point of view, as though the second commenter were a different person. Anyone recognise the IP address 91.104.160.160?

Comments

[gillywoo.livejournal.com]

IT WAS AMAZING!

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

IT WAS AMAZINGLY AMAZING!

[cyberspice.livejournal.com]

It was gobsmackingly amazing. I bet Sarah Jane is cursing the fourth doctor now!

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

I bet she wishes she'd jogged his elbow!

[gillywoo.livejournal.com]

I honestly can't remember a better episode.

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Maybe when I've calmed down a bit, I'll remember better ones. But I don't think I've ever experienced a more rawly EXCITING episode!

[gillywoo.livejournal.com]

Yeah that's probably the best way of putting it. But I <3 davros!!!

[paulgregory.livejournal.com]

I have never enjoyed any TV programme at "maximum" for such a sustained period previously. That was scale-changingly good.

I do indeed love the total lack of "next time" footage. I'm definitely going to rewatch this episode before next week's, if I've not already rewatched it half a dozen times by then.

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I totally agree. I was alternately gaping in disbelief and clapping my hand over my mouth in awe the whole way through. I feel privileged to have been part the of the original audience, collectively living every moment of it for the first, jaw-dropping time.

[paulgregory.livejournal.com]

Yes, it was worth sitting through a sub-par sitcom in order to see it "live". There is more energy to it than when I catch it off Sky+. Yet also, good to see it without actually *hearing* anyone else grappling with it.

[myfirstkitchen.livejournal.com]

Not behind the sofa, ON THE SOFA. BOUNCING.

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

I hear ya! On the edge of the seat, clutching the cushions.

[edling.livejournal.com]

I saw an advert for that episode last night and after what must be 25 years I still recognised Davros's voice instantly. I've been getting into this season much more than the other new ones, to the extent that I might have to track down and watch all the other ones I've missed.
Don't worry about sending me the old Tom Baker stuff, by the way- I've tracked it down through other means :)

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Ah, glad to hear that, because I hadn't gotten around to doing anything about it yet myself!

I thought the middle of this season took a bit of a dip, but the last three episodes have just been AWESOME!

[(Anonymous)]

I'm sorry to throw cold water over it. But why was it amazing? In fact, why was it even considered good? Er, Daleks about to take over the world. Doesn't that happen almost every Doctor Who season? And why feature just Harriet, Jack, Sarah Jane and Rose. What's happened to Ian, Barbara, Dodo, Ben, Polly, the Brig (and his UNIT comrades), Liz, Jo, Harry, Tegan, or Grace, all of whom I believe ended up on Earth, and many of whom were probably still alive at this time?

[(Anonymous)]

The Doctor, despite being hundreds of years old in his first incarnation, was initially very suspicious of humans as an inferior human race. He did not choose to share all he knew with his earlier assistants. A number of favourable encounters over the years has led him to trust them more. His earlier assistants would not have much to offer, because the Doctor was guarded in what knowledge he let them acquire.

It would be interesting to know how assistants such as Tegan (if she is still alive) is reacting to the situation, but it isn't fundamental to the plot. Sarah Jane never really wanted to leave the Doctor, and, being naturally inquisitive (which was why she was a journalist), she started to explore things further. Tegan, for example, had had enough and did not learn anything that would have been of assistance in the current crisis. If she is still alive, she is probably just one of many cowering humans.

[primitivepeople.livejournal.com]

DAVROS! DAVROS! DAVROS!

I've been dying for them to bring him back, and he's just as terrifying as ever!

[(Anonymous)]

But why is Davros terifying? What has he ever done to anyone other than just create an army of Daleks?

The Daleks might not exist without Davros, but what would Davros be without the Daleks?

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Sorry about the troll, there. I've locked this post now, so hopefully that'll put paid to him / her.

[primitivepeople.livejournal.com]

Ah, these people can have a certain entertainment value!

[edling.livejournal.com]

If it helps at all your little troll looks to be an Orange customer from somewhere around Leeds, so it might be someone you know that's just forgotten to log in..

[serennos.livejournal.com]

Number not recognised - Rob (my husband) pointed out that I was trying to call a parallel universe so it was never going to work!

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

I tried texting 'Bad Wolf' to it, but nothing happened. :-(

I'm not 100% sure I got it right, as after the first glimpse I kept missing it when they put it back on the screen because I was still trying to write it down from the last time! Will have to wait for screencaps to confirm.

[white_hart]

Apparently the number is from a special range of fictional numbers. But you can see something interesting if you map the numbers to letters...

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

I wondered about that, but dismissed the theory because I didn't know what to do with the zeros. They're not related to any letters on a mobile phone keypad, and I wouldn't know what to do with them in a 1=A, 2=B system either.

Can you give me a bit more of a clue?

[white_hart]

Apparently the "fictional number" range is 07700 900000 to 07700 900999; if you ignore the code and start typing the number into a text message you get (on my phone anyway):

900461
W--ho.

(the zeroes just don't register as anything).

I don't think it's significant; just kind of cute.

[big-daz.livejournal.com]

I thought it was brilliant! If he is going to regenerate (and bear in mind that Tennant was seen filming the xmas special recently) then they've done well to keep it under wraps.

The Eccleston regeneration was intended as a complete surprise like this one, but Eccleston blew it by announcing to the press that he wasn't doing a second series.

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

There's now all sorts of speculation that the Xmas special and / or the specials next year will be 'flashback' sequences. But, on balance, I suspect they'll find some way of hand-waving away the apparent regeneration - quite possibly involving one or both of the hand-inna-jar and / or Martha's special key.

[paulgregory.livejournal.com]

Having seen 4x12 a second time (pausing it regularly to explain backstory to current girlfriend) I believe the hand in the jar is most likely - the camera lingers on it early on yet it is not subsequently referenced. I really hope the key isn't another big "undo" button like last year.

Who?

[samuel-sock.livejournal.com]

G'Day!

No comment from me about the Doc but as for IP addresses, this is a useful place: http://www.urgentclick.com/address_trace.php

It doesn't give an actual name or address but perhaps a tantalising clue...

Re: Who?

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I'm still none the wiser from that, but thankfully it seems to have stopped now anyway.

[xxxlibris.livejournal.com]

Bouncing on the sofa! Squealing at the TV!

And the opening sequence - all the names rolling up as quickly as they could get them on there!

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

And TO. BE. CONTINUED. at the end - wahhhh!!! Wannittabe next Saturday - NOW!

[paulgregory.livejournal.com]

I had been wondering how they'd handle that, and I did love the "just do it really fast" approach. I watched it 3 times when I watched it again. On the first viewing I looked away during the additional names that rolled as the episode began, and missed "Penelope Wilton" - thus making that a surprise when she turned up.

[captainlucy.livejournal.com]

I thought it was simply splendid. Perhaps not the greatest, most tightly-produced script in the world, but completely chokka with excitement, adventure and really wild things. :D

Cannot wait until next Saturday now!!!