The Rebel Flesh

OK gang, what did everyone think? Rather nice to see Amy as the jealous one for a change, I thought...

I give it a 10/10, simply because it made me think about what I'd be like with a doppelganger, and about how people treat themselves, and I like programmes that make me think.

WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?

...Bloody good telly, that's what that was! Reminded me of The Thing, a bit... you aren't quite sure who the monsters are!

Luce - how do you know you're NOT your own Doppleganger?

Tell me, oh wise ones - if the Doctor's time machine travels through TIME and RELATIVE DIMENSIONS IN SPACE (ie by folding space and/or moving through 'wormholes' independent to the 'normal' laws of intergalactic travel) how can a 'solar storm' affect it? Moreover, the TARDIS usually lands directly on a planet's surface - in this episode, we see it actually traveling through space, but not entering into the planet's atmosphere, then suddenly appearing next to the castle. Hmm. I have to say, credit where it's due - Ninestein was quite good in this one, but still too daft for me. Who wrote this one? A newcomer?

Matthew Graham. He wrote Fear Her, though we won't hold that against him.


I liked it. Spooky, atmospheric with proper SF premise. Doctor Who in other words. And I do fancy Sarah Smart.

Here's hoping it don't go tits up in part 2 cause that was otherwise the best since last season.

codywillis1 wrote:Matthew Graham. He wrote Fear Her, though we won't hold that against him.

Particularly since he also co-created the amazing Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes. Which is presumably why DS Chris Skelton was in this one as Buzzster.

GBF wrote:Luce - how do you know you're NOT your own Doppleganger?

I don't...

Come to think of it, that multicoloured hair does look fake to me...

Health and safety demanded there be some easy way to tell them apart after the last incident.

Her death was entirely accidental, I swear.

Do I take it that the reason you've all ignored my question is that you have no idea?

GBF wrote:Do I take it that the reason you've all ignored my question is that you have no idea?

Nah, just forgot about it. Sorry.

We've actually seen the TARDIS travel through space alone on more than one occasion-it isn't limited to the time vortex. I guess it materialized in space in the path of the storm and, when hit, transported itself to the island to make an emergency landing. The TARDIS, as we've been told, takes the Doctor where he's needed, and he's certainly needed here.

The writer is Matthew Graham. He wrote the very poorly recieved David Tennant episode 'Fear Her' in 2006, but then went on to much better things as one of the principal writers of Life on Mars and its sequel, Ashes to Ashes.

I don't even think FH is that bad. He certainly wrote a more likeable Ten and Rose than was generally the case that year.

codywillis1 wrote:I don't even think FH is that bad. He certainly wrote a more likeable Ten and Rose than was generally the case that year.

That wouldn't be difficult, but I know what you mean. I just think that episode was a bit of a wasted opportunity-a script like that could have been chillingly effective under a different production team (imagine it as an episode of Sapphire & Steel).

[quote="GBF"]Tell me, oh wise ones - if the Doctor's time machine travels through TIME and RELATIVE DIMENSIONS IN SPACE (ie by folding space and/or moving through 'wormholes' independent to the 'normal' laws of intergalactic travel) how can a 'solar storm' affect it?[/quote] Because the phrase "the Tardis has been caught in a solar tsunami" and the accompanying SFX reached levels of cool not previously attained in [i]Doctor Who[/i]. That's why.

Luce, you'll beleive anything; it's like saying "There are no aliens because I haven't seen one". There cannot be a "Solar Tsunami" in hyperspace, which is where the TARDIS does all of its 'moving'. So there!

I liked the `morality` aspect of it best! What constitutes life? What makes a personality whole? In this story- the real Monster so far has been the human `Cleeve`

GBF wrote:Luce, you'll beleive anything; it's like saying "There are no aliens because I haven't seen one". There cannot be a "Solar Tsunami" in hyperspace, which is where the TARDIS does all of its 'moving'. So there!

The TARDIS doesn't travel through hyperspace-it travels either through normal space or through the space/time vortex, depending on what it's doing. In fact, it was specifically stated way back in 1978 that TARDISes don't travel through hyperspace because the Time Lords regarded hyperspace as a theoretical absurdity (The Stones of Blood, starring Tom Baker and Mary Tamm). The Doctor and Romana were genuinely surprised to find that hyperspace existed at all.

alanultron5 wrote:I liked the `morality` aspect of it best! What constitutes life? What makes a personality whole? In this story- the real Monster so far has been the human `Cleeve`

It's not the first time that last has been done, but it is very effective. Thing is, I can understand both the humans and the Gangers points of view...

Hey, Tony, your message board buggered up the formatting of my post

Lucy McGough wrote:Hey, Tony, your message board buggered up the formatting of my post

I would say, rather, that your own natural ineptness buggered up the formatting of your post. My message board is in no way at fault.

Pardon me for breathing! Didn't watch the Doctor in 1978 - I was in the United States...and I got there on a plane not through a vortex!! (thinking about it, though...it was a bit windy over Texas...)

tony ingram wrote:I would say, rather, that your own natural ineptness buggered up the formatting of your post. My message board is in no way at fault.

Oh, go and jump in a bucket You just don't want to admit that your forum is held together with frayed string and sellotape.

GBF - I didn't start watching until 2006

And the strange thiong is, despite discovering the show in its worst ever season, you carried on watching!

I was bored.

Obviously if I'd known that people like you watched it I'd've turned off immediately

I KNOW you two LOVE each other really! REALLY? You DON'T??? Luce - come on, the only reason you stared watching in 2006 is because you were only ten...

You mean series 2 isn't one of the bestest ever seasons?!

codywillis1 wrote:You mean series 2 isn't one of the bestest ever seasons?!

I would place Russell's Rosefest slightly below season 24, personally.

Don't ever say that on GB, Tony!

Actually, I'm 23. So there.

took me a 2nd watch to really enjoy it, but a good episode.

THEDRUNKENMASTERTWO wrote:took me a 2nd watch to really enjoy it, but a good episode.

I've watched every episode of this series twice now, and found that in every case I got more out of the second viewing. A sharp contrast to a number of episodes under the previous regime, which were an enjoyable runaround on first viewing but where the plots fell apart when I watched them again and actually thought about them.