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Iv heard from so many fans who were completely devastated as kids.

Ah. I was thinking it was her husband , but Pertwee also makes sense. I wonder if it’s definitively said somewhere.

Amazing! I thought it was him, but I did not know they were an item or that he has passed on. That incredibly sweet. Love they added that -EG

Thank you!! Appreciate the words about the book. Those suggestions sounds great. They streaming for free on CZcams or are they sold like Big Finish?

@@theolddoctorwhoshow No worries. I have the first volume Goblin, but it is currently in a worryingly long list of to-be-reads atm and I'm on a stricty No More Buy Til Read More policy, but sure I will get to it. So the 3rd Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith, Brigadier BBC audios are nothing to do with Big Finish, they are written by Barry Letts (3rd Doctor writer and producer) and made by BBC Radio. They are both on youtube, but a little cut up and with horrible slide show tacked onto them. However they are both available in all their glory on the internet archive as abandoned media. I will add the links in an additional reply. The Lost Stories is made by big finish and the first series, Colin Baker's missing seriesthat was replaced by Trial of a Timelord after the hiatus and shortened episode count, is free on spotify. The rest you'd have to pay for, although I would recommend Series 2 which has Sylvester McCoy's missing series 27 (written before the show was cancelled), as well as Tom Bakers Foe from the Future and Hartnell's Farewell, Great Macedon which are wonderful stand outs. You can find some of them on here on youtube but as Big Finish still sell them I won't link to them. Edit, for some reason it wont let me add another reply, so hear are the links: czcams.com/video/o6LxOZ2Jyew/video.html&ab_channel=TheIanLevineArchive czcams.com/video/BjOPvqUeWC4/video.html&ab_channel=TheIanLevineArchive or: archive.org/details/doctorwhoparadiseofdeath_20200404 archive.org/details/doctor-who-the-ghosts-of-n-space

Me, too. It was such a high point for me and I hope next season we see more stories like that. Thanks for checking out the show and subscribing! -EG

That’s a good point. I was probably reading way too much into things.

We are all the Rani.

I felt that it was a wonderful use of science fiction as metaphor for feelings of abandonment. And so it had profound meaning for me. We speak at more length in our 73 yard review. -EG

I mean it’s not really science fiction as no potential science is offered up to explain the episode - infact even your usual science fiction elements like the tardis, screwdriver and time travelling alien aren’t present. The challenge of working a metaphor or political commentary into science fiction is making a cohesive story that someone not looking at it on that level would still understand. If you remove that requirement it’s the easiest thing in the world. But glad you enjoyed it, I was until the end when it became obvious RTD hadn’t bothered thinking of an explanation.

They mention the effect of the tardis and its perception filter in the scene with Kate and Ruby and so if you needed some element to hang your hat on, it could be that. When you get down to it, it 's certainly not hard science fiction and something more like science fantasty. or space fantasy, or some other combination of words that checks whatever boxes need checking. More Star Wars than Star Trek. I don't agree that art as metaphor requires explanation. You can have fantastic science fiction stories that are ambigious or surreal. Tarkovsky's Solaris, or even Stalker could be seen as a science fiction film. The ending of 2001 a Space Oddyssey is intentionall ambigous. You can come up with explanations as to what's happening and why, and base them on science for that matter, but it's open to inerpretation and its not fed to you through dialog or exposition. I think the book goes into more detail, but I'm talking specifically about the film. Also for what it's worth, creating art is not easy, in ANY form, let alone creating something that connects with someone. It's all subjective, and so what works for me, may not work for you. I walked away disliking most of this season, but I've seen other people love it. Doesn't make them wrong or me right. It just is.

But all of those examples are standalone, you’re not bringing a universe with you. Besides it’s not being ambiguous that’s the issue, Listen was ambiguous and the better for it. Either explanation works, but here no explanation works. To make matters worse this was pitched as a mystery throughout - and one of the joys of the show is predicting them what those hints mean. As a continuing serial now every single time the show presents a mystery you have to entertain the possibility that there’s just no explanation - so not only does it ruin the episode for me personally but it has a detrimental effect on enjoyment of future episodes. And that wasn’t just this episode; Ruby’s reveal may work on an emotional level but a huge number of things that don’t make sense were presented - so it’s a double whammy against any writer who opts to write any mysteries into the show in the future - if any writer ever gets that chance. With these ratings and RTD writing 10/12 episodes it may be a non issue.

I think you can explain the story using what’s there. One interpretation of that story is this: In the main timeline the TARDIS lands on a section of ground that contains a magic fairy circle. When the circle is broken, Ruby is cursed to live out a life haunted by her worst fears. Because the TARDIS has a perception filter, it manifests those fears into something Ruby can “see.” When this happens a new timeline is created where Ruby’s fear of abandonment becomes her reality. She is alone and everyone will leave her. She convinces herself that the key to all of this is to stop the prime minister. When she succeeds, however, nothing changes. It is not until much later in her life, at the moment of her own death, that she comes to the revelation that she was never alone - she always had herself. She realizes that the person she had been seeing was her. The TARDIS perception filter not only made her fears visible, but her inner strength, too. Once she conquers her fear, the spell is broken and she is returned to the main timeline just before the Doctor breaks the circle and all of this started. This time they don’t break the circle and the 73 Yards timeline is closed. Ruby continues in the main timeline (where the Doctor had defeated the prime minister).

But if the time window is based off memory, and memory is flawed and susceptible to “false memories,” why on earth, or gallifrey for that matter, would the Doctor use it? Nothing about it would be reliable. I imagine this is part of a bigger theory of yours which I’d be curious to know. I don’t remember them hinting at the pointing be false.

@@theolddoctorwhoshow He literally said his memory of it was changing. At the end of the day I enjoyed it for it was entertainment.

I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it.

The woman with the baby?

That was definitely the point of the casting reveal. We saw "kind woman" on the cast list and everybody was like "it's her mom!!!!!" But then it was just somebody with extra silverware and a dead baby

@@theolddoctorwhoshow yes.

This is interesting… I knew about the Xmas special, but not that she’d be in season 2

​@@theolddoctorwhoshowthere is a video of Russell TDavies saying that her storyline done she's taking a little break but she will be back and there will be two female companions on the tardis when she returns in season 2

That’s a good point.

73 Yards is by far my favorite. I watched the finale again after I did this, and my thoughts didn’t change much, but there are a couple of things that may evolve into something more interesting.

@theolddoctorwhoshow I hope so, I really do. It doesn't make me yearn for the next series though, I'm not wishing the time away in anticipation.

Absolutely!

I’m gonna rewatch it before Dan and I do our season recap… I can’t say I’m surprised to hear that. -eg

This felt more deliberate than the ones on the past. Especially, the Maestro’s playing of the Doctor Who theme. I do hope it amounts to something… eventually.

@theolddoctorwhoshow I felt the same way when The Doctor said "I thought that was non diagetic". That seemed much farther out of the norm than Hartnell saying merry Christmas or "it doesn't have to make sense"

I like that. This season had some serious highs for me (73 Yards), but also some crushing lows. I guess in the end that’s better than if it got no reaction out of me.

One curious aspect of Mrs Flood is how she’s been dressing like past companions.

@@theolddoctorwhoshow interesting!

They go through the effort to call it “season 1” so new viewers are more likely to jump on board, and the penultimate cliff hanger name drops a villain from a nearly fifty year old episode.

​@@theolddoctorwhoshow A CGI creature that looks like one of Jim Hansen's failed creations 🤦

Yes! I noticed that but in my delirium forgot to mention it- what I didn’t notice was that Mrs flood has been dressing like companions. Saw someone online post photos. So it’s a message about his companions. A taunt perhaps or something more.

@theolddoctorwhoshow one of the outfits was Clara’s.

@@theolddoctorwhoshow after all the crap I've given you guys, I can't deny that dressing like any companion gives me serious Rani vibes. May just be me desperately wanting to believe something though

Are you cool if we read and discuss this on our next episode?

What do you mean "make it British" its produced by a Welsh company, the showrunner is Welsh, The Doctor is Scottish the companion is from Manchester. How much more British do you want it.

@@RobDW24 Fair points but simply having the big wigs on staff be British does not mean they will bring a British tone or vibe to a series. Personally, I think the Disney association has brought about a huge tonal shift towards one that is more akin to Americanisms. DW has never felt so more Marvel than this season.

@@theolddoctorwhoshow That is so flattering and kind and I am so very sorry but I am way to shy to speak online.

Oh no, I meant Dan and I would read and discuss it.

You would think! The more I think about it, the less I like it and I started off on zero. Will watch again ahead of a proper discussion with Dan. Forgot to mention that Mrs. Flood was dressed like Romana I, too. That was the highlight for me, but only because I love Romana I. Will need to bring that bit up again with Dan and talk about what it could mean.

​@@theolddoctorwhoshow You want to talk about what something in this abortion MEANS!? ARE YOU UTTERLY INSANE. Hasn't this landfill shown you nothing means nothing 🤪

I will never understand how anyone could watch Ncuti and think he is in any way an actor... I've seen amateurs in local theatre presentations that could act him out of existence.

She did. She looked at the camera and said, "What? Never seen a tardis before?"

@@theolddoctorwhoshow Yes, she recognized that it was a TARDIS, but not that it was The TARDIS. That's why she complains to Abdul about it like he personally put a police box on her stoop

@@theolddoctorwhoshow the rani has seen the Doctors TARDIS a lot, and flood didn't recognize it until it dematerialized in front of her

It's been a minute since I watched that episode, but the way I took it Mrs. Flood (whoever she is) was complaining to Abdul in "character," but then broke the fourth wall and looked at us (the viewer) and said something along the lines of, "I know exactly what this is, don't you?"

@theolddoctorwhoshow The order of events is slightly different. She microagresses Abdul, then in another scene sees it dematerialize, then at the end several scenes later breaks the 4th wall

I remember the time monster with Kronos, but don’t remember much else about Chrotons. What were they?

@theolddoctorwhoshow my mistake sorry Kronos yes ,I was sure they mentioned chrotons in last night's episode 😀 I love it though

There is an old who story called the Krotons, but aside from being a Troughton story I don’t remember any of the details.

Great point. Yes. That is true.

I had a thought today that Ruby could be related to Sutekh’s nemesis Horace… the god of light (her name is… Sunday)

I have no idea where that came from. You can see the moment my brain breaks trying and failing to come up with a Garfield follow up joke.

​@@theolddoctorwhoshowI prefer Time Lasagne 😂😂😂 much better than "Time Window"

I love The Thing, too. With all the Susan stuff from this episode and the Devil’s Chord, and the emphasis on family, it seems more than likely she will be making an appearance. Can’t wait to see how it all falls together.

Short for Madame.

This changes everything 😀

And in the UK, your mother is called Mum, not Mom. So if it sounds like Mom, yep, they're saying Ma'am.

If you think back to the Wild West when they said "School Marm" what they are really saying is "School Madam / School Ma'am"

Maybe. I don't know, even as a sentient AI without proper "bodies" I can't imagine it adapting those types of human thought patterns (not wanting to touch, etc.). It feels to me a much more effecient way of killing them all would be to drill the dot into their heads Phantasm-style and then have these bugs eat the remains. As I mentioned in the review of Rogue, I did like this episode more on second viewing. My issues remain, but I think the lead actress was really good considering her character. -EG

Doctor Who survived Timeflight and the Twin Dilemma. It's gonna be fine. These aren't for you, but there are people who are connecting with these stories in ways that you can't. And that's okay. Maybe you'll connect again in future stories. Maybe you won't. But Doctor Who is certainly not dead.

Sad because I like his doctor a lot so far

@@Astranitax Me, too. I think, even after the "merge" back, it wouldn't necessarily mean that Ncuti would no longer be the Doctor. Personally I have been running with the theory that the natural order of things was Jodie > Ncuti, but when the Doctor came back as David Tennant it broke the universe. To fix it all, I think David's Doctor will need to give up on existance. -EG

I’ll try and make that happen EG

DONE czcams.com/users/shortsLPPaLrxnQ0g

I saw someone post an illustration of a bug eating someone with the caption “eat the rich”

I tried to cover some of the racist ways she interacts with the Doctor over the course of the story, but completely missed that bit about Ricky and the "Abrogation." Thanks for letting me know. I do get that they are useless infants who can't walk without the aid of an AI, let alone survive in a forest (though they all seem to have little issue by the end getting on and off a boat :)). It just seems that over the last sixty something years the Doctor has left so many societies to fend for themselves so I wish a little more time was spent establishing the dangers. To your point, though, the episode was concerned with a lot more important issues than these little nit-picks. I'm glad to have watched it, even if it wasn't my favorite. And THANK YOU for listening. I hope you check out some of our other shows. --EG

I have not-- though Dan may have. We did watch and review "K-9 and Company" and am very much hoping for a cross over. I should check out the SJA. Is it good? -EG

​​@@theolddoctorwhoshowin my opinion SJA is the best of the spinoffs, it is nothing like K9 and company whilst aimed at younger kids it can be very bleak. S1 E05 "Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?" is where the big bad is introduced, Its well worth watching.

That sounds good. I should give it a go. I don’t think I’ve seen it streaming anywhere. Hopefully it’s available here in the States.

We care as we enjoy the show enough to have reviewed it for the last decade, and you obviously care because you posted here and are up to date on the ratings. Serious question: why are you so invested in the ratings? unless you are looking to advertise something, the only thing that matters are the stories. If you think they are terrible, that is valid, but to point out rating data as if that is an arbiter of anything meaningful is absurd. Some of the best artwork ever created was ignored in its day. It is time that ultimately determines what lasts and what is largely forgotten. -EG

If that is all we leave behind it will have been worth it. --EG

Absolutely

banger breakdown/insight

Thank you! That’s nice to hear. -EG

Thank you, my pronunciations are terrrrrible and knew as I said it I was in over my head. -Eric

Ahhh. That is a cool detail. Thanks for letting us know. -Eric

Oh yeah? That’s cool. Didn’t realize that.

This is good advice.