S7E8: The Rings of Akhaten (SPOILERS)

Did anyone catch the 1st Doctor impersonation Matt Smith did? It was all of maybe 2 lines but Matt delivered it superbly!

Jany

Tough I ranked it "okay" I have to agree with Wes Crayon and rust about the conclusion. I even turned to my son and asked, "So, she just destroyed the sun, doesn't that mean she just destroyed the entire system?" The heat and light source aside, there now is no gravitation source to stop the seven worlds from floating off into space.

I was also bothered by the seven worlds themselves... they were not planets (as the Doctor called them), or even planetoids. It was an asteroid field. This bothers me only a little, on the same level of the Blake's 7 writers not knowing the difference between a solar system and a galaxy.

2 weeks running & I voted awful.

There may have to be another poll option - awful just does not seem to cover my feelings for the past 2 episodes. It's now seems to be a total lampoon of a once great show! Musical numbers now???

FRAKKIN AWFUL!!

Just Scott wrote:

2 weeks running & I voted awful.

There may have to be another poll option - awful just does not seem to cover my feelings for the past 2 episodes. It's now seems to be a total lampoon of a once great show! Musical numbers now???

FRAKKIN AWFUL!!

And they weren't even that great musical numbers either.

Cruel Angel wrote:

Just Scott wrote:

2 weeks running & I voted awful.

There may have to be another poll option - awful just does not seem to cover my feelings for the past 2 episodes. It's now seems to be a total lampoon of a once great show! Musical numbers now???

FRAKKIN AWFUL!!

And they weren't even that great musical numbers either.

I think the worst part was that melodramatic monologue about everything he's seen with the singing in the background. Besides being goofy, the side shots had the Doctor with tears running down his face, but they were gone for the front view. It felt almost like a parody of musicals.

Overall, it was an okay, filler episode. I've seen worse, but it's not one I'll likely watch again.

I voted okay...the musical bits made me roll my eyes.

Regardless, I'm looking forward to the next episode.

I gotta kick out of the Blade Runner references.

It was OK.

Clara is Susan Foreman, I think.

Who North America wrote:

Did anyone catch the 1st Doctor impersonation Matt Smith did? It was all of maybe 2 lines but Matt delivered it superbly!

Jany

What were they?

good normal episode, im sorry, but I love clara! the bit with the leaf, classic.

It was the feel good episode of the year.

I don't like "feel good" episodes all that much, but it was okay and polled that way. I'm not sure if any feel good episode will ever be a 10/10 classic for me, but I suppose every episode cannot be a thrilling, edge of your seat, funfest.

I'd still rather watch "Robots of Death".

squishy wrote:

It was the feel good episode of the year.

I don't like "feel good" episodes all that much, but it was okay and polled that way. I'm not sure if any feel good episode will ever be a 10/10 classic for me, but I suppose every episode cannot be a thrilling, edge of your seat, funfest.

I'd still rather watch "Robots of Death".

I also would still rather pop in a Classic Who DVD than watch NewWho.... but I do enjoy NewWho when it understands and takes advantage of its roots!

"FLASH!!!! AHHH-AHHHHHHHH!!! SAVIOR OF THE UNIVERSE!!!!!!!!!"

SeaDevil wrote:

"FLASH!!!! AHHH-AHHHHHHHH!!! SAVIOR OF THE UNIVERSE!!!!!!!!!"

I was singing that during those shots.

I voted awful- delta and the bannermen was loads better- heck even the horns of nimon

1. Great monsters... but a waste really- used as background clutter
2. Felt like a retread of the beast below- let's show how great the new companion is
3. Did I miss the plot? It felt like a bad unstructured hollywood move-
all flash, atmosphere, good direction but if you have no story- all the visual candy in the world cannot save this episode.

I am looking forward to the ice warriors... maybe I'm just grumpy...but boy that episode was bad bad bad.

After a second viewing, I like this episode better. The Vigil were cool creatures, but were underused criminally. Good world building though. The part with the psychic imprinted mementos used as money was cool too. Seemed like all the Doctor's lines in this one were composed of catch phrases and cool sound bytes. Stalking Clara through time is kind of creepy too.

I enjoyed it so much I watched it a 3rd time.

I liked it better the second time, too.

This was episode 7 not 8. I assume you're counting The Snowmen as episode 6.
Very confusing.

01 Asylum of the Daleks
02 Dinosaurs on a Spaceship
03 A Town Called Mercy
04 The Power of Three
05 The Angels Take Manhattan

06 The Bells of Saint John
07 The Rings of Akhaten
08 Cold War
09 Hide
10 Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS
11 The Crimson Horror
12 Nightmare in Silver
13 Season 7, Episode 13

The new episodes, so far, are making me feel incredibly dumb. I watch the episode, then I watch it again when the encore rolls around a few hours later, but I still am left with a feeling that I'm missing something. Like all this stuff happens and The Doctor says some brilliant things, but I don't really feel as though I just watched a story from beginning to end. Rather it feels like I've watched a really long trailer for what could be an amazing episode.

I dunno...I can't explain it. The Angels Take Manhattan was sort of the same for me. I just felt like there was a large chunk missing and that I missed some stuff.

Maybe it's just the pacing of the episodes.

Gallifreys Loss wrote:

The new episodes, so far, are making me feel incredibly dumb. I watch the episode, then I watch it again when the encore rolls around a few hours later, but I still am left with a feeling that I'm missing something. Like all this stuff happens and The Doctor says some brilliant things, but I don't really feel as though I just watched a story from beginning to end. Rather it feels like I've watched a really long trailer for what could be an amazing episode.

I dunno...I can't explain it. The Angels Take Manhattan was sort of the same for me. I just felt like there was a large chunk missing and that I missed some stuff.

Maybe it's just the pacing of the episodes.

The problem is not you, it's the writing. Since Moffet doesn't want to do two part stories anymore, they leave large plot holes and quick answers that in most cases don't make sense. It seems more like Doctor Who has become the Michael Bay movie of the week. Nice effects, but if you think about it, the story will leave you shaking your head.

For example this week, the Doctor's thousand years wasn't enough to feed the monster, but the possiblities from a leaf from a dead mother could. And if that were the case, what about the child being sacrificed? Wouldn't everything that child could become kill it?

I guess it was the fact that the possibilities had been revealed that killed it. This episode had some great music and monologues, but the story was really underwhelming.

Krynoid wrote:

This was episode 7 not 8. I assume you're counting The Snowmen as episode 6.
Very confusing.

01 Asylum of the Daleks
02 Dinosaurs on a Spaceship
03 A Town Called Mercy
04 The Power of Three
05 The Angels Take Manhattan

06 The Bells of Saint John
07 The Rings of Akhaten
08 Cold War
09 Hide
10 Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS
11 The Crimson Horror
12 Nightmare in Silver
13 Season 7, Episode 13

Scary is correct. "The Snowmen" counts as episode 6 and "Rings" is episode 8.

Yup. The BBC commissioned 14 episodes for series 7 and that included the Christmas special.

just got a hold of watching the rings of Akhaten.....I like it so far....musical numbers? not so much looking toward to.
I don't know, I actually really liked this episode, the musical number worked in very well where they put it. It (for me) was very moving and was perfect for the moment they were in. I am not sure if I am missing something but how would Clara have known Mary? The little girl that had to sing the song? Anyone want to help me elaborate? I feel like I missed something and pressing the rewind button is not helping me.