The Doctor Who Mid-Week Review: Cold War

Doctor Who Mid Week Review

This week’s…er well really last weeks’, Doctor Who Mid Week Review is of the third episode after the Christmas special titled Cold War.  First off this was a total improvement

Doctor Who cold war poster

over the last episode.  There was still some touchy, feely emotions stuff, but it was less prominent.  This was much more a “normal” setup.  The title of the show is a double reference to the time period, the early 1980s and the monster, an Ice Warrior.  Ice warriors go back to the Patrick Troughton days and haven’t been used much, so this was an interesting tie back.

So the episode is visually well done, though I had to ignore several “incorrect” things about the episode, I am sure it could be explained away by something the Doctor did or from the Ice Warrior’s suit.  Clara and the Doctor’s supposed destination was Las Vegas, but the instead somehow ended up deep in the Atlantic on a Russian submarine headed for, of

Doctor Who Cold War This Isnt Vegas

course, disaster.  Once the situation is stabilized it is on to solving the mystery of why, why and what.  This episode marks a point in time of flux, so implications are real and the impact could well unwrite the history of Earth.

This episode is well acted all around.  Clara and the Doctor’s interactions are well done, and the supporting actors all do a bang up job.  Clara finally gets into some of the details of traveling with the Doctor like the TARDIS translating for them,

Doctor Who Cold War An Ice Warrior of Mars

Doctor Who Cold War Kinda Looks Like A TARDIS

which finally seems to be working.  We hear everything in British English, however all are actually speaking Russian.  Clara is actively taking part in the adventure initially, but becomes very reluctant and contemplative as the episode proceeds.  Is she really happy traveling with the Doctor?

Overall I was happy with this episode, but I have to say this season, leading up to the 50th anniversary episode, has been overall weak.  I hope the rest of the season can build and exceed this episode, or I am worried about the future of this show.  The 50th anniversary episode is already looking disappointing from a casting perspective, so I would hate to be going into that with a weak season.  I am fairly confident Moffet and crew and bring it around at the end, but I tire a bit of this method where all the arch story takes place in the first and last episodes of the season.  ON TO THE SPOILERS SWEETIE!

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Doctor Who Cold War Without The Mask

Honestly it is late and I am tired and I don’t know how much of this I have in me.  The TARDIS leaves conveniently setting up what could otherwise be a simple solution.  The Doctor admits to doing what caused it, though it feels staged, even more than normal.  There is a trend here, he doesn’t ride the TARDIS into battle…since when?  The TARDIS leaves because it is threatened by water? The damnable doors to the TARDIS.  It feels like this has to be important, but what is it.  Why not give Clara a key?  He doesn’t trust her is the obvious answer but is it bigger than that?

WTF was with that barbie?  I honestly have no idea and haven’t tried looking it up.

OK a sub at a depth of over 7km would not have much time before being crushed.  Especially with  the hull compromises already suffered.  And missiles are launched from a relatively shallow depth so those would have done nothing except

Doctor Who Cold War Squish Her Head

possibly explode under water.  OK so I guess we explain it away with timey whimey, but it is pretty bad writing.

We don’t really learn much about Clara except she seems genuinely unhappy with the Doctor at times.  Is she with him

because he needs to know what she is or because she wants to be?  I mean she even rebuffed him in the first place.  What is her connection to the Great Intelligence?  Is she the Great Intelligence?  Is she a Time Lord or other time anomaly?  Is she a Flesh construct? Is she the “soul”  of a TARDIS given form?  What happened to her at age 23?

And He’s Right Behind me, isn’t he?

But most importantly, is the Doctor testing her?  I don’t have many answers to posit this time,  just more and more questions.

And more importanter….Red Mode?

Doctor Who Cold War Red Mode

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