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Any opinions on Peter Capaldi on his portrayal of the Doctor? I have to admit I'm unfamiliar with his previous work so my expectations were based purely on the banter around Capaldi. I was expecting a more restrained darker version of the character. While there were definitely some moments in the first episode where a little more edge came through, I have to say I really enjoyed seeing how frantic Capaldi can get not to mention the moments where he shows some vulnerability were just fantastic.

Overall I felt that Deep Breath was a bit of an uneven episode that felt like it dragged on a bit but I'm looking forward to seeing more of Capaldi in the role.

Capaldi has a bit of acting baggage from The Thick Of It but I think it's such a contrasting sort of role to the Doc I think he'll be excellent. He's a very good actor

I thought the first episode was a mixed bag as well, it seems every new doctor has to go through a "hey my eyes taste yellow" phase. But yes, those bits where the character came through were very good. The doctor always has mystery, the last one maybe had an edge by being a bit of a battler but perhaps Capaldi's doctor won't need to do this, i could easily see a Ghandi esq Doctor running around defeating the daleks as the battle weary fighter we saw last time. Looking forward to this one a lot

So we've had old, young, sane and crazy, English and Scottish, but always male and white. You would think that with a character that completely changes every few years they would have had a more diverse group of Doctors. When do we get the first female Doctor, and when do we get the first non-white Doctor? And why aren't more people up-in-arms about the decision to keep him male and white for fifty years?

I saw plenty of drama about it when he was first announced, but honestly, as long as Moffat's lead writer it's just never gonna happen.

No they don't, see The Corsair from The Doctor's Wife or The 8th Doctor's regeneration. The Doctor said he can be anything. The Doctor is iconically male? Since when? They offered 8th young/old, male/female and he didn't seem to care, just wanted to be a warrior.

Honestly Moffat would [&@%!] it up is the best argument against a female doctor at the moment. I think just cast whoever's the best regardless of age, sex, race.

Episode was alright I suppose. Capaldi was good in it though, he's been good in everything else I've seen him in.

Also, about the little "reveal" at the end of the episode.

Agree that the ending was lacking, but I've come to expect that of Doctor Who. For every brilliant episode you'll have between 5 & 8 that are just terrible.

Also, can they please have someone else stage and film the fight/action scenes? Close-ups of faces do not show what is going on.

Even if time lords don't have a set gender the history of the bulk of the timelords portrayed seems to suggest that most have some gender preference in how they spawn. I think the statement that the Doctor is an iconic male figure is fair. I would suspect that the majority who watch the show do see the character as male. I wouldn't say that I'm against the idea of the Doctor spawning as a female more often but I do think it would represent a more substantial shift in the identity of the character than a non-white Doctor despite the fact it's been done before.

My personal view is that the difference between developing a character further and jumping the shark is a matter of execution. And I don't think it's just a Moffat issue, I think it would take an above average writer to pick up on the nuance of what a female Doctor would be like. I think it would be interesting to see it done well but I can't say that I'm among those who think it's something that needs to happen.

Someone just pointed this out.

She said she fancied a girl in Asylum of the Daleks but that was a different Clara. Also said it was a 'phase.'

Huh, there was so much train wreck in that episode I'd completely forgotten that.

Did anyone else draw parallels between this episode and that one long ago when they also had a Dalek in chains and constantly repeating "Doctor"?

It was disturbingly similar for me at least.

The episode "Dalek" and the recent one does share some elements but thankfully, the latter is not a rehash of the former. Also, Calpadi's doctor seems to be a bit cold hearted and it seems we have a punny doctor. I hope Moffat doesn't go overboard with it if it was his idea. If it's Calpadi's idea, then it'll be interesting to see what he does.

I've heard Dalek is an adaptation of a Sixth Doctor audio drama Jubilee. Never listened to it though. But yeah there were similarities.


Twelve is being kind of an [&@%!] although at least he's being called out on it.

I think 12 is beyond hoping he'll be accepted by humans and just doesn't care if he is accepted or not. I agree he is a bit of an arse but i think he is badly scarred by the battle of Trenazlore and just doesn't give a damn about people's feelings. That or he is still adjusting to having a brand new body that is middle aged. Or Moffat happened.



If the Master returns, it'll be interesting to see if they'll get Simm back or if they use someone who is capable of matching Calpadi's doctor.

I think it's the scottishness of the doctor that makes him an asshat.
But at least it's different from the sort of happy clappy fairy dancing types from before very different from Matt Smith's Doctor at least. And that's how it should be at least for me, new face, new way of looking at things.

i think Capaldi's doctor has started off very weary, recoiling after Matt Smith's battles, battle scarred for sure.

His first 'battle' was to be accepted by Clara and now there's no pretence there, I am liking his honesty even though is seems callous - it made me ask myself how much the previous more compassionate doctors just wanted to be seen to want to help doomed humans, so they didn't alienate their companions and end up lonely again.. this is a weakness the doc has, his loneliness. Probably his greatest enemy.

I don't think he necessarily cares less about people, he is possibly just more honest (to himself) and less clouded by doubt - free of the guilt past incarnations have been lugging around. The events in 'the day of the doctor' may have been a good bit of therapy for him and now he's exercising a new found freedom. His rejection of the soldier who wanted to come along for the ride was very interesting, this is a very anti war doctor and he wants to help those who think for themselves

i think we need an episode with a tiny cast - along the lines of the Vincent Van Gogh story or even just Capaldi on his own for most of it - most writers thrive on limiting the palette and this show has never been known for its outstanding special effects lol

Oh yeah, that reminds me. Clara is leaving during the christmas special. It's a shame the actor has thrown in the towel as Clara is an excellent companion apart from the whole being a walking plot device thing. But i think Jenna Coleman wants to move onto other things or Moffat feels that Clara and 12's relationship needs to end. Will be interesting to see if they kill her off or Clara just quits.

I would love to see Calpadi be by himself for one or two episodes as it would give him a chance to really show us what 12 is about. So far, he is a bit of a cold arse that doesn't care about being accepted and seems to enjoy making puns.

As for the special effects, they haven't been good at some points but it's part of the show and the BBC can't really afford to invest in excellent special efforts for every episode every week as it would most likely eat up the budget assigned to Doctor Who.

Clara could die all she wants. Isn't what she did to herself was integrate herself through out all of the doctor's life, at least to counteract the Intelligence wasn't it?

So yeah walking plot device but she'd probably vanish into the background as she did for all the time she wasn't noticed by the doctor through the start of his life and.. That's all I got.

The small cast episodes of Doctor Who have been some of my favourites, Midnight, The Doctor's Wife and The Girl Who Waited are all excellent.

This Danny Pink chap might become the new companion. I'm not that fond of Clara, I don't think I'd go as far to say that I hate her but I wouldn't really miss her if she left. Honestly she's just kind of uninteresting, so much so that I don't have strong feelings about her. I just don't care and when I do it's usually annoyance. When I was watching the Christmas Special in Victorian London I was like "neat, a New Who companion who isn't from modern earth" but alas it wasn't to be.

Anyone watched that latest episode?


Or I just missed something about it.