S7E7: The Bells of St. John (SPOILERS)

Title could be subject to change - I can't find confirmation for it but this title is what is being used across the net at the minute. And judging from the title, could this be something to do with the TARDIS (i.e. the St. John's Ambulance emblem on the front door)?

» "The movie-of-the-week approach does not stop with the Ponds. It carries on." (Steven Moffat)
» "We have Doctor Who taking on the modern urban thriller, which is not very much like anyone else’s modern urban thriller!" (Steven Moffat)
» "It's clever old Steven Moffat. What exists in the wi-fi? What if there was a monster in the wi-fi? And we all need it..." (Matt Smith)

Airs March 30th.

Sounds interesting!

There is a prequel out now:

http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2013/03/bells-prequel-230313123008.html

Darn, was just about to...

BOOO. Pond Retread.
BOOO.

Seriously, it was a nice little opening until the Doctor started talking about Destiny. I got a sinking feeling and then...

"Clara Oswald, what have I told you about talking to strange men?"

BOOOO!

Yup. Bored.

Also, this:

Quote :

"It's clever old Steven Moffat. What exists in the wi-fi? What if there was a monster in the wi-fi? And we all need it..."

Makes me think of The Idiot's Lantern plus this:

Quote :

“We be light, we be life, we be fire! We sing electric flame, we rumble underground wind, we dance heaven! Come be we and be free!”

From Kate Griffin's excellent Urban Magic novel A Madness of Angels.

Apparently the villains are called the 'Spoonheads', and all I can picture when I hear that is something like this:





I'm not at all excited for this episode one bit; it's just gonna be Clara, Clara, Clara, Ponds, Ponds, Ponds, Clara, Clara. However, the idea of 'Spoonheads' sounds so ridiculously awful that it will be hilarious... So I'm looking forward to that at least.

I wouldn't mind the retread of plot themes if this wasn't the third time Moffat had done it (Fourth if you count River Song's arc).

Seriously, the Doctor bumping into future companions/love interests when they're children is starting to get a bit creepy.

Rust wrote:

I wouldn't mind the retread of plot themes if this wasn't the third time Moffat had done it (Fourth if you count River Song's arc).

Seriously, the Doctor bumping into future companions/love interests when they're children is starting to get a bit creepy.

There are many things about Moffat's companions that I find creepy, like his continued sexualisation of them on a family friendly TV show.

It seems Clara is a carbon copy of Amy, with aspects of River and Rory, too. She fancies the Doctor and makes constant double-entendres, euphemisms and innuendos (like Amy), she dies and resurrects non-stop (like Rory), and there's a big mystery around who she is (like River).

I think someone needs to mail Moffat the definition of 'originality'.

Scary wrote:

Apparently the villains are called the 'Spoonheads', and all I can picture when I hear that is something like this:





I'm not at all excited for this episode one bit; it's just gonna be Clara, Clara, Clara, Ponds, Ponds, Ponds, Clara, Clara. However, the idea of 'Spoonheads' sounds so ridiculously awful that it will be hilarious... So I'm looking forward to that at least.

This is what I think of when I read of "Spoonheads"



LOL

I still think, "Well, at least we'll still get Matt Smith's excellent performance!"lol.
His stories may suck due to what Scary has mentioned but he does play the Doctor quite brilliantly!
I've never watched a River Song episode and now that the 'other' two are 'finally' not in it i feel fresh to watch some new Dr Who stories, lol!

Yeah I don't blame Smith one bit; it's Moffat's fault, not Matt's. I enjoy Smith a lot. He's had some great episodes. My only complaint about his performance that I have would be his silly arm/hand movements, of which I am not a fan... Other than that it's just the dumbass companions and storylines from Moffat.

I didn't mind River. I've always liked the mystery to her and I'll actually be sad when we do see her go. Rory is just my favourite; no fault in him, as a companion, at all.

It's Amy that peeved me off. She's the typical NuWho companion and then some... Throughout series 5 all she tried to do was get the Doctor in bed, being a complete b##ch to Rory. And I didn't like her taking over and 'saving the day' instead of the Doctor. I didn't know the show was called "Amy Who"...

I have to say though, I was just getting used to Amy - she seemed to settle down in series 6, and by series 7 I could bear her. I'd rather stick to the devil you know than now have to put up with Clara... From what we've seen of her so far, I can already tell that I won't like her one bit; she's a clone of the series 5 Amy. *sigh*

What is with Moffat's obsession with the Doctor meeting his companions when they're kids?

The 11th Doctor is looking more and more like some kind of weird stalker...

Wow!
This was like watching a James Bond Movie.
I have to say i really loved it and again i have to say that Matt Smith reminds me of ROGER MOORE! lol!
The end title theme reminds me of the 'Trial' season theme tune during Colin's run, have to listen to it again due to the annoying announcer at the end credits!

YAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWN!

So....this is the direction my favourite show is going in, is it?

TAXI!!!!!!!

Yeoww - 2 bads and 1 awful? I'd like to know what the issues were...

I voted 'bad' for a number of reasons.

Once again, it's "Clara Who" and very little "Doctor Who." The whole episode was about her and the villain was merely a device rather than part of the storyline. It was all about introducing Clara... Again.

Now it might have been forgiven if Clara was actually an enjoyable character. But no. She's the grand sum of all of Moffat's previous companions in one person: she makes a number of cringe-worthy sexual jokes/innuendos like Amy, she dies and resurrects constantly like Rory, and there's this big 'mystery' around who she is like with River - I think I've given this same speech somewhere on this forum already. But yeah, there's nothing original about her.

The Doctor's obsession with Clara is also not dissimilar to the Doctor's obsession with Rose and Amy. It's just completely off-putting from the story.

The Spoonheads were awful. They stood there and 'downloaded' people. Wow, how entertaining. I mean I love the idea of the wi-fi being the villain, but the fact that they weren't even the focus of the story and that the Spoonheads were poorly executed sucks all the potential enjoyment out of it. Using the internet/wi-fi as a villain is a really cool idea but unfortunately they ruined their chance to make something good of it.

I don't understand their motivation for 'downloading' people, too? I don't think an 'evil plan' was actually mentioned, was it? They were just randomly there sucking people's faces off...

The sexual innuendos, although few (for once), are getting on my nerves. This is a family orientated show. I really hope all of it is going over kids' heads...

Also getting sick of the Sonic Screwdriver being able to do everything. I lost count of how many times the Doctor used it to get out of sticky situations. I also found it amusing how easily he broke into the cabin of that aeroplane; I hope no terrorists get hold of that screwdriver!

Another flaw I spotted was that everyone could see the TARDIS when it's supposed to blend into its surroundings... Taking pictures in front of it and clapping for the Doctor, etc... Why? Why are they clapping for him? Do they know who he is now? If so, when did that happen?

Overall, it was just utter tripe. I got minimal enjoyment from it. Doctor Who is about the villains and how the Doctor & his companion(s) stop them, not how the Doctor and his companion(s) fall in love and how the villains get in the way. If this is a sample of what's to come then I think I might renounce my Whovian fandom now.

4.5/10.

And just for laughs...

Wow...thanks for the review Scary - enjoyed "The Doctor's Thoughts: The Bells of St. John" lol.

I wasn't overly excited (haven't been that way for awhile since the Moff's reign) when I read the villains referred to as "Spoonheads" in various articles leading up to today.

Well, I'll continue to watch the show regardless...in hopes that someday I'll become excited as I once was when new WHO eps premiered. I just wonder who they will get to succeed the Moff once he moves on...(Neil Gaiman would be cool, but he's probably too busy).

If Neil could take over that would be bliss. His episode is the only one that I'm 100% looking forward to this series. The Cybermen look great and I reckon he'll write them really well.

I rather like this episode.

oh man. . .the great intelligence is coming. . .how wild is that. . . .? And the Wi-Fi was the great intelligence. . .I think this episode is merely just a build up to something bigger. . .

I voted "Good".

I liked it, really. It was a fun episode, and I didn't feel like Clara outshined the Doctor at all - he had to rescue her, after all. The build up with the Great Intelligence is playing out a lot better then the build up to The Silence (Though I'd really love to know who took control of the TARDIS back in Series 5), and UNIT's inclusion was also welcome and reasonably low key. What happened to the people at The Shard was a nice twist too, major props to all the actors, especially the Director who really sold the idea of being a little girl trapped in a far older body.

I suspect part of the reason the GI build up is working so much better is because Moffat isn't trying to hide it like with the Silence. We know the enemy, which is giving it time to "grow".

As for the Evil Plan, the Director explains it perfectly - she's harvesting Human Minds for the Great Intelligence to devour and assimilate. No confusion what-so-ever. A very straight to the point, easy to follow Doctor Who adventure. Haven't had one of these in quite a long time, especially not from Moffat.

All in all, it felt very "Classic Who". The "Spoonheads" were a decent 'Monster of the Week'. Looking forward to more with the Great Intelligence, UNIT, The Doctor, and Clara all.

As a final thought, I love, love, love, love, LOVE the new TARDIS console room. And the fact it has a garage.

Rust wrote:

I voted "Good".

I liked it, really. It was a fun episode, and I didn't feel like Clara outshined the Doctor at all - he had to rescue her, after all. The build up with the Great Intelligence is playing out a lot better then the build up to The Silence (Though I'd really love to know who took control of the TARDIS back in Series 5), and UNIT's inclusion was also welcome and reasonably low key. What happened to the people at The Shard was a nice twist too, major props to all the actors, especially the Director who really sold the idea of being a little girl trapped in a far older body.

I suspect part of the reason the GI build up is working so much better is because Moffat isn't trying to hide it like with the Silence. We know the enemy, which is giving it time to "grow".

As for the Evil Plan, the Director explains it perfectly - she's harvesting Human Minds for the Great Intelligence to devour and assimilate. No confusion what-so-ever. A very straight to the point, easy to follow Doctor Who adventure. Haven't had one of these in quite a long time, especially not from Moffat.

All in all, it felt very "Classic Who". The "Spoonheads" were a decent 'Monster of the Week'. Looking forward to more with the Great Intelligence, UNIT, The Doctor, and Clara all.

As a final thought, I love, love, love, love, LOVE the new TARDIS console room. And the fact it has a garage.

Hear hear! I smell yetis on the horizon!

timewarrior wrote:

I rather like this episode.

I rather did, too. I found it compelling and my interest never faded. Clara was fine to me, too. I rated it as "good."

I liked it. Of the many fleeting things I noticed, Clara's 101 Places to See had no age 23 in it. 1-24, but no 23. That'll come back.