S8E3: Robot of Sherwood (SPOILERS)

Scary wrote:

I don't recall the choppy cut you referred to, D84, but the one you mentioned, TinDogRory, was present in the full version, too. There was no explanation about the block or how they unchained themselves from it. I guess there doesn't really need to be though; it's the Doctor after all, he'd have found a way.

Cool, thanks for letting us know. I don't know, the editing kind of seems off this season. From the bloated "Deep Breath," to that weird jump between the Dalek stopping and then everyone being full-sized in "Into the Dalek" and now the weird missing escape scene here. None of it is necessary, per se, but seem like logical storytelling scenes being cut for time. (Like that time they edited out the last pirate being in taken in "Curse of the Black Spot." Guy's there once scene, gone the next with no reference to him"

Another reason why cramming these stories down into the modern 45 minute blocks doesn't always work for me. They need to skip some stuff to fit it all in.

The Promised Land is Silicon Heaven where they'll meet Kryten & lots of calculators.

I think they explained the weird cut by saying they need to find a blacksmith's forge. The next scene, they are rubbing their wrists, clearly having just freed themselves.

All in all, a fun episode. As others have already said, Capaldi is stellar so far. I found his dislike of laughing and bantering hilarious. The competitiveness on display is a new trait in The Doctor as far as I can remember, and something that definitely brings a fresh twist.

The Sheriff was such a ringer for Ainley it's sad we didn't get at least one more overt reference. The robots were cool, and that engine room! The stripped back design with the big glowing dome was such a wonderfully retro look. This episode felt every bit a Pertwee episode, what with all the derring-do.

The golden arrow bit at the end was laughable, but so much about the episode was already so over-the-top, it wasn't that egregious to me. It was a nice change of pace from the darkness of teh last two, and the teaser for next week's looks terrifying. Can't wait!

Yeah, they got the Blacksmith to free them. Modern storytelling, they don't expect you to have to see the blacksmith actually doing it. The problem, though, is frankly it can be easy to miss a throwaway line on the first viewing, especially, so I can understand why some people may have not caught it.

Was this the first time we learned Clara is from Blackpool?

I'm not talking about the blacksmith, that was pretty well set up. How'd they get the cement block out of the ground to leave the cell?

TinDogRory wrote:

I'm not talking about the blacksmith, that was pretty well set up. How'd they get the cement block out of the ground to leave the cell?

I was about to say "Who said it was secured into the ground?" but the fact they didn't just pick it up and walk over to the keys and instead they tried to get them with their feet, I guess it was secured into the ground.

Also, I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed that the TARDIS door was clearly closed by Clara one second, then open again, then closed again. Unless this is some sort of mysterious thing Moffat will come back to, the only way to explain it is that the TARDIS door was blowing in the wind and not closing properly.

FUn episode. Nothing earth shatteringly great. But fun.

Yeah, Scary, that's what I keep coming to. It appears to be freestanding, but then they act like it can't be moved when the keys fall, next scene they're carrying it like it's not that heavy. Just seems weird. Just odd. Again, it's not a major problem, just something I noticed like the door flapping in the breeze.

CrochetOwl wrote:

And was the Doctor giving Robin the finger for just a brief moment when he was putting on the glove?

He was indeed...

(Spoiler tagged for those who don't want to be offended and/or are too young):

Spoiler:

INSTANT MEME!

The spaceship disguised as a castle reminded me ofthe one from "State of Decay" without the cool payoff.

Yeah, I thought that was going somewhere. You know... I wonder if Moffat is going to tie-in the Spaceship in the Attic from "The Lodger" into the Promised Land? I don't recall that really being wrapped up or tied into the Madame Kovarian stuff.

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2014-09-06/ben-millers-doctor-who-diary

I would like to think the point of the Doctor and Robin actually getting the block out of the ground was that they finally started working together and got it out. But that is just wishful thinking on my part, since it was left unexplained.....

I voted 'good'. Pretty funny, I relate to this 12th Doctor already more than I did to Matt Smith. The denouement at the end was pretty silly, but not a huge deal. Golden arrow shooting that far? Sure. Can't wait for next week.

I have read about the beheading that was cut from the episode, and frankly, I am appalled that it was cut, because it removed a very important plot point from the episode, that would have changed my view of Robin after he killed the Sheriff.

Spoiler:

I liked the cut, to be honest. (No pun intended) I prefered the Sheriff to be human, rather than a robot. With the cut, the fact that he WAS a robot becomes less obvious.

The idea that he was human made the death scene more weighty and meaningful to me, personally. If he's just a robot then it doesn't really matter.

Also, just as a random point of interest, this story is technically the 5th story in a row to use cyborgs as the main villain: 'Day of the Doctor' (Daleks), 'Time of the Doctor' (Daleks and Cybermen), 'Deep Breath' (clockworks), 'Into the Daleks' (Daleks), and then this story.

Reckon there's a purpose or are they just low on ideas for villains?

Are the Daleks Cyborgs? Aren't they just metal casings/tanks for the mutants?

TinDogRory wrote:

Are the Daleks Cyborgs? Aren't they just metal casings/tanks for the mutants?

As was confirmed in 'Into the Dalek', the casing is part of them, too. When the soldiers fired their grappling hooks inside the casing the Doctor said that it was alive, hence the antibodies.

Actually, listen carefully. The Shire Reeve refers to himself as "half man, half engine."

I liked how the doctor keeps bickering. very fun.

Scary wrote:

TinDogRory wrote:

Are the Daleks Cyborgs? Aren't they just metal casings/tanks for the mutants?

As was confirmed in 'Into the Dalek', the casing is part of them, too. When the soldiers fired their grappling hooks inside the casing the Doctor said that it was alive, hence the antibodies.

That would also explain why the Dalek in 'Dalek' screamed when Simmons kept drilling at its casing, even though he hadn't reached the actual mutant.