The Doctor's Meditation

I have had my solutions for a long time, but I do not yet know how I am to arrive at them.

- Karl Friedrich Gauss

Him:  You have no idea how tired I am.1

Me:  Right, we've just watched The Doctor's Meditation.2  I've got some thoughts, but I was wondering whether...  I'm going to run a couple of things by you, okay?

The Him makes a noise like a deflating tractor.  As usual, you'll have to imagine..

Me:  Did you recognise the castle?3

Him:  No.

Me:  It's Caerphilly Castle and it's been in the series a few times, as other things.  So, it's not necessarily... We're still not going to find out why there's that weird POV shot at the start of The Rebel Flesh.4  Did you think it was funny?

Silence. 

Me:  Right.  So it wasn't just a scratch and you did get bitten by that sea-badger then.  Does this mean you've gone full weresea-badger now?

More of the same.

Me:  Okay.  The subtle use of Track 7 ('Comedy Parp Parp Ambience') filled me with hope for the series.  The AAAARGH factor of Mr Gold is, I think, likely to cause me some problems again this time around.  Having said that, the music's usually better in the actual episodes themselves.  Because they don't tend to use stock music in those.  

Him:  That's not true.  You still complain about the music in the episodes.

Me:  Some of last year's was great.

Him:  You still complained.

Me:  Listen was really good.  When the music lays off it's much more effective - but I guess that's not how TV shows're made in Space Year 2015.  Going on my sporadic exposure to them, anyway.  Did you spot the almost-Chancellor Flavia Theme at the end?  I was wondering whether, with this being the tenth anniversary of the show returning, we'll have a series that reflects that.  Like with the Fiftieth.  Did you notice anything about the trousers that Mr Capaldi was wearing?

Him:  I chose not to comment.

Me:  Okay.  I thought there was an allusion to McCoy's Doctor, with the magician business - I don't think that's just down to Steven Moffat having a go at the Photoshoppery that took place with Mr Capaldi's first promo shot.  Making a lady levitate while pulling hats out of rabbits-

Him:  You always say that, but you didn't invent that quote.

Me:  No.  I don't know where I got it from though.  It might've- 

Him:  Duckula.

Me:  Was it?

Him:  That's where it comes from.

Me:  Seriously?  I thought I'd nicked it from Neil Gaiman or something.

Him:  No. 

Me:  Which episode?

Him:  Actually, I believe it's from Danger Mouse.

Me:  It probably is!

Him:  I believe it's from one of the Duckula episodes of Danger Mouse.  I think it's the first appearance of Duckula.

Me:  Right.

Him:  Before he got his groovy spin-off series.

Me:  This was when he was obsessed with acting, wasn't it?

Him:  He was always obsessed with acting.  That was the plot of the Duckula series.  We've watched it!  He's trying to get on television!  That's his goal! 

Me:  I've not seen the Duckula series.

Him:  We watched a few episodes of it.  Remember?

Me:  Bors.

Him:  Where?

Me:  I'm not going to do the Duran Duran reference.

Him:  What?

Me:  Who's this person the Doctor doesn't want to go and see, d'you think?

Him:  Dunno.

Me:  Could it be...  I don't know.

Him:  Hmmmmmmm... 

Me:  I genuinely don't know.

Him:  No, I can't think of anyone who fits that criteria.

Me:  Well, other than the Master.  But I think that's too obvious-

Him:  No, it's not.  It was very obviously the Master all of last season as well.

Me:  Okay.

Him:  Missy was very obviously the Master.  That's why I pretended there's no-one who fits that criteria.

Me:  Michelle Gomez is very good as Missy. 

Him:  Even if you don't think Missy was very well written or whatever it was.

Me:  No, I thought Missy was written in the same voice as Moriarty from Sherlock.  Talking of writing...  Some of The Doctor's Meditation was really good2 - it played up to Steven Moffat's strengths: dialogue, construction and humour.  Unfortunately, that's why we get the same piece of comedy parp parp music to point out when a scene's supposed to be funny.  Now, Bors...  I was wondering.  That whole thing about him being an idiot.  Now, I genuinely don't know if this is where it's going, but d'you remember last season's kind of Fourth Doctor vibe?  Clara and Danny filling in for Sarah and Harry - looked like it was going to go that way, but then it didn't.  Now, Bors reminded me of Harry-

Him:  "-Sullivan is an imbecile."

Me:  Yeah!  I got that again.  Wouldn't it be...  Because we haven't had a companion from the past for ages - if, maybe, they went a bit Troughton with it?  Bors could be the new Jamie.

Silence.

Me:  There's been no announcement.  The thing I did find with Bors was that while Daniel Hoffmann-Gill's performance was excellent-

Him:  Yeah.

Me:  - the dialogue he was given was clunky.6  And that's a shock from Steven Moffat.

Him:  What Steven Moffat are you on about?

Stunned pause.

Me:  Whoooooo.  Are you taking a particular dangerous approach for this upcoming run of Doctor Who then?

Him:  I dunno.  I'm going to sleep now.

Me:  And, on that bombshell...

1.  Fair play, the Him had just stated that he'd be having a nap the moment before this latest piece of VAM2 cropped up in the Arctic.

2.  Before you get too excited, Lady and Gent, it's worth remembering that this doesn't (and can't) count.

3.  I did, but only because I saw first saw Star Wars in the cinema that used to face it.

4.  Unless Steven Moffat really does read this blog...5

5.  SPOILER: He doesn't.

6.  I've got a theory, but the Him avoids all spoilers5 so I can't really say it here.

7.  Specifically the lack of contractions.  Both the Moff and RTD're guilty of the same thing, but it only usually happens When the Dialogue Is Supposed To Be Portentous.  Like the dialogue issues that helped scupper Nightmare in Silver, it looks great in type, but it's very hard for actors to deliver convincingly.