Doctor Who - BBC - Blink - 06/09/2007 w/ spoilers

[cditty]

OMG, OMG, OMG

Freaky, fun, and 100% the Doctor. I LOVED IT!!!!!

BTW.....Time's short and your hot! :D

[LoadStar]

Wow. That was an EXCELLENT episode. Completely unexpected and completely fun. I got done watching with a giant smile plastered on my face. It was a bit like a campfire story, if you will, particularly the way it ended.

[dswallow]

Best episode ever.

[dswallow]

BTW.....Time's short and your hot! :D
Your hot what?

[Rob Helmerichs]

They seem to be doing a nice job with their annual Christmas make-up episode (where they effectively give the Doctor and his companion a week off so they can shoot the Christmas episode within the existing contracts). A great change-of-pace, and very cleverly done. I like the way they rise to the challenge of having the stars as cameos...this one was even better than last year's (which I guess was controversial, but I liked it).

[LoadStar]

They seem to be doing a nice job with their annual Christmas make-up episode (where they effectively give the Doctor and his companion a week off so they can shoot the Christmas episode within the existing contracts). A great change-of-pace, and very cleverly done. I like the way they rise to the challenge of having the stars as cameos...this one was even better than last year's (which I guess was controversial, but I liked it).
Heh. It took me looking back at the episode list from last season to figure out which one was the make-up episode... of course, it was "Love and Monsters," and yeah, this was WAY better than last year's episode. Last year's was an interesting attempt at a comedy episode, and it mostly worked... but tonight's episode put that one to shame, and the way they included the bits of the Doctor on video, you barely noticed they weren't officially in the episode.

[Idearat]

The "angels" must be able to see in the dark, or the first time the lights go out they'll all be on the loose again. The disappearing Tardis was a great idea though, I'd have just done it with mirrors.

[TomK]

As others have said, this was one fantastic episode. It was definitely creepy yet fun.

[LoadStar]

The "angels" must be able to see in the dark, or the first time the lights go out they'll all be on the loose again.
Well, yeah, I was thinking "I hope you guys take a slegehammer to these things while they're still stone."

[edc]

Well, yeah, I was thinking "I hope you guys take a slegehammer to these things while they're still stone."


Anyone think Moffat was thinking about "Life on Mars?" Appropriate given the upcoming guest star. If so, I like *this* as an explanation for "LoM" much more than the one that series actually gave us :)

[jeremy3721]

What a great episode!

Very creative and I liked the nods to Back to the Future.

[bustergonad]

Very surprised at this ep. I was thinking it was going to be a Love & Monsters ep, which I didn't really like. But this was a very good ep. Even my wife is now getting into the whole Dr Who vibe.

Roy

[JimSpence]

I just finished watching this episode. It was great where Sally informed the Doctor what was going to happen in the future. But, then if the Doctor took her advice wouldn't that destroy the current time line? I hate time travel, it causes my head to hurt. :)

[Agatha Mystery]

That was an awesome episode! Great for the 'filler' episode that seems to have to happen. It would be interesting if we ever get to see the Doctor with the bows and arrows going after some lizard thing and 4 others in a future episode. :D

It would've been nice if the Doctor could've fixed Sally's friend and the cop. But if he did that, it would screw up the timeline, I guess.

oh and
Captain Jack next week! At least, it looks that way.

[jeremy3721]

Just out of curiosity. How are you guys getting to watch these episodes since it isn't out in the US for another year or so.

My source may not be an option much longer. I don't want to miss the last few episodes :-)

[LoadStar]

Just out of curiosity. How are you guys getting to watch these episodes since it isn't out in the US for another year or so.

My source may not be an option much longer. I don't want to miss the last few episodes :-)
They're usually seeded via bittorrent and posted to Usenet within hours of airing in the UK (typically a 640x352 widescreen XviD version).

[cthomp]

Just out of curiosity. How are you guys getting to watch these episodes since it isn't out in the US for another year or so.

My source may not be an option much longer. I don't want to miss the last few episodes :-)

Season 3 starts in July on the SciFi channel.

[jeremy3721]

They're usually seeded via bittorrent and posted to Usenet within hours of airing in the UK (typically a 640x352 widescreen XviD version).

I don't even know how to use usenet :-) Isn't that like newsgroups in outlook?

[LoadStar]

I don't even know how to use usenet :-) Isn't that like newsgroups in outlook?
Usenet = newsgroups, correct. You need to have a premium usenet provider that has sufficient 'retention' of older posts to really be able to make use of usenet to download stuff like this.

[kdmorse]

oh and
Captain Jack next week! At least, it looks that way.

The BBC made a 1:30 minute teaser just for you...

(Clip from next weeks episode - as such is a tad spoilery)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8OwG9J5sIs

-Ken

[pkscout]

I agree, this was one of the best episodes, even better considering the standard cast only had cameo appearances. I too was hoping everything got corrected, but the folks who got zapped back seemed to have fulfilling lives, and we ended up with a couple anyway. So I liked it. As others said, much better than the filler one from last year.

[pgogborn]

Got that wrong - although I enjoyed the episode a lot I thought that it would be one of those (such as the Lazarus experiment) that would get mixed reviews the other side of the Pond.

The previous two episodes were by the writer who is hired to make you cry and this one was by the author that is hired to make the children hide behind the sofa while watching - I reckon they all succeeded.

This episode as did the previous two episodes had its genesis in a written version - in this case the 2006 Doctor Who Annual.

For an online version of "What I did on my Christmas Holidays" by Sally Sparrow click here (http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/episodes/2007/blink_annual.shtml)

As an aside I am making a guess that Sally's reference to her "fat Aunt" in the written version may grate slightly to American ears but in British English it is not on the whole derogatory.

[pgogborn]

Just out of curiosity. How are you guys getting to watch these episodes since it isn't out in the US for another year or so. I sit down in front of the television Saturday evening, press number 1 on my remote and Bob's your uncle.

[milliepuppy]

That was awesome .... i've only just watched it .... made up for the Sopranos disapointment from yesterday .....

... What a great and well written episode ... oh i think i've fallen in love with Carey Mulligan who played Sally !!!

[Agatha Mystery]

That was awesome .... i've only just watched it .... made up for the Sopranos disapointment from yesterday .....

... What a great and well written episode ... oh i think i've fallen in love with Carey Mulligan who played Sally !!!
She reminded me of Britney Spears in the face.

[LoadStar]

That was awesome .... i've only just watched it .... made up for the Sopranos disapointment from yesterday .....

... What a great and well written episode ... oh i think i've fallen in love with Carey Mulligan who played Sally !!!
I agree... I was going to comment just how brilliant she was. She's really what made the episode, I think. She is going to be a huge star, I predict.

[busyba]

After watching the episode, I went back and watched it again. In the scenes with the angels, before we know what their "rules" are, they don't seem to be following those rules. In particular, in the scene where Sally's friend Cathy gets zapped it seems that the angels are turning to stone even when they aren't being observed.

[pkscout]

After watching the episode, I went back and watched it again. In the scenes with the angels, before we know what their "rules" are, they don't seem to be following those rules. In particular, in the scene where Sally's friend Cathy gets zapped it seems that the angels are turning to stone even when they aren't being observed.

Well, you saw them, didn't you? :p

[windracer]

Just watched this last night ... fantastic! The angels were definitely creepy! Oh, and thanks to all the gratuitous stills at the end I now won't be able to walk by a statue without blinking. ;)

My favorite memorable lines:

"Wibbly wobbly timey wimey"

and

"The angels have the phonebox."
"That's a great one, I've got it on a t-shirt!"

Oh, and how bad are you as a parent if you name your kid Lawrence Nightingale? :D

So:

- will we ever get to see what the Doctor and Martha were up to with the bows and arrows?
- how did the angels get the TARDIS key?

[LoadStar]

No offense to Freema - but the more I think about it, the Doctor needs to take a swing back through, drop Martha off, and pick Sally up as the new companion.

[Pralix]

She reminded me of Britney Spears in the face.

I thought she looked a little like Lala Ward (Romana 2).

[pkscout]

No offense to Freema - but the more I think about it, the Doctor needs to take a swing back through, drop Martha off, and pick Sally up as the new companion.

That I would like. Maybe she wouldn't get all swoony over the Doctor after 20 minutes. After all, the Doctor already owes her one. ;)

[TomK]

No offense to Freema - but the more I think about it, the Doctor needs to take a swing back through, drop Martha off, and pick Sally up as the new companion.


I was thinking the exact same thing. Maybe the Doctor will make Sally an offer she can't refuse when he sees her in his future.

[pgogborn]

My favorite memorable lines:
In addition to your wibbly wobbly I enjoyed "Go to the police, you stupid woman, why does nobody ever just go to the police".

And as they entered the derelict garden
Kathy Nightingale: "Sparrow and Nightingale - that so works"
Sally Sparrow: "It’s a bit ITV"

ITV is the main rival to the BBC. One of its recent popular amateur detective serials is called Rosemary & Thyme, two females whose 'proper' job is renovating gardens. So it was a bit of a surprise when Nightingale had an early exit from the story (and misinformation of a type which is one of the reasons why I thought that particular episode would work better my side of the Pond).

[nlsinger]

This episode sent the 10-year-old into my lap. That hasn't happened in a while.

[Sherminator]

ITV is the main rival to the BBC. One of its recent popular amateur detective serials is called Rosemary & Thyme, two females whose 'proper' job is renovating gardens. So it was a bit of a surprise when Nightingale had an early exit from the story (and misinformation of a type which is one of the reasons why I thought that particular episode would work better my side of the Pond).
I think the Sparrow & Nightingale angle was inspired by Rosemary & Thyme (which has had a spell on PBS in the US), but Sally's name was drawn from the time switching sit-com "Goodnight Sweetheart" (also seen on PBS in some regions), whose lead character, played by Nicholas Lindhurst who by walking though a certain spot in London could travel back & forth 45 years ending up trapped in post WWII London, was called "Gary Sparrow".

[zuko3984]

No offense to Freema - but the more I think about it, the Doctor needs to take a swing back through, drop Martha off, and pick Sally up as the new companion.

I was thinking the exact same thing. I so wanted Sally to join up with the Doctor as his companion. I have not really liked The Martha character at all and seeing how good Sally was in just this one episode makes me wonder how good she would be if we got to see her as a companion in more episodes. I think the main reason i haven't enjoyed this season as much as all the others is Martha. I don't know what it is i just don't see the chemistry between her and the Doctor as i did with Rose. I didn't have a problem when the brought in a new Doctor but Martha just doesn't work for me. Just seeing the Doctor and Sally interact as little as they did i saw more chemistry between them (not romantic or anything just acting chemistry) then i did in any of the episodes this season. To me it says something when a lot of people are calling this episode the best of this season when the main characters only had what was basically cameos.

[rhuntington3]

Excellent episode! I loved the ending. :up:

[Agatha Mystery]

The writers have Martha being too attached to the Doctor too quickly. It evolved with Rose and the Doctor over a long time. Martha was throwing herself at him on day one, when he was sad and lonely and depressed.

[Rob Helmerichs]

Yeah, I think Martha was a mis-fire. Can't think of any way to fix her, either. Too bad they so loudly denounced the rumor that she is leaving after this season...

Sally would be great, although she might be too Rose-ish to be a practical choice. I could deal, though.

[busyba]

No offense to Freema - but the more I think about it, the Doctor needs to take a swing back through, drop Martha off, and pick Sally up as the new companion.
I'm thinking having both Martha and Sally would make for a fantastic threesome.

And that works with any interpretation you choose to apply. :)

[busyba]

"The angels have the phonebox."
"That's a great one, I've got it on a t-shirt!"
I wonder when that shirt is coming out? I think I want one.

[rhuntington3]

I wonder when that shirt is coming out? I think I want one.

http://www.cafepress.com/buy/doctor+who/-/pv_design_details/pg_1/id_20028802/opt_/fpt_/c_360/

http://www.cafepress.com/buy/doctor+who/-/pv_design_details/pg_1/id_20042828/opt_/fpt_/c_360/

[tirofiban]

Yeah, I think Martha was a mis-fire. Can't think of any way to fix her, either. Too bad they so loudly denounced the rumor that she is leaving after this season...

Sally would be great, although she might be too Rose-ish to be a practical choice. I could deal, though.

Sally would get my vote for new companion. Overall I don't dislike Martha. But if you really want to fix her, I suppose you could add some Cybermen, make sure the TARDIS state of temporal grace isn't working, so the Cybermen's weapons work in the TARDIS and voila, problem solved. It worked well for Adric. :D

It's amazing how good this episode was without the much of the Doctor. Also, I really like Martha's line that she had to get a job to support the Doctor. I thought that was funny.

The one thing I think that could have made this episode much better was the TARDIS key. The new key is so boring. The BBC has all this money and that key is the best they could come up with?

If you want to see a real TARDIS key, check out this:
www.doctorwhoworld.org.uk/key.html

The previews looked interesting.

[Idearat]

This episode and the previous 2-parter were great examples of making monsters for TV on a budget.

A stack of burlap sacks, some black thread and a bale of straw was enough for the scarecrows last time. Prettied-up store mannequins with spray-on granite finish got them the angels. The angels didn't even have to move!

Both were scary as heck. Good job.

[edc]

Prettied-up store mannequins with spray-on granite finish got them the angels. The angels didn't even have to move!


For the record, there were people inside of the angels. They also spent a chunk of their budget to digitally stabilize the figures, removing tremors and involuntary movements.

[Idearat]

For the record, there were people inside of the angels. They also spent a chunk of their budget to digitally stabilize the figures, removing tremors and involuntary movements.

I really have to start watching the Confidential show...

[edc]

I really have to start watching the Confidential show...

They've tended to be a bit draggy at 45-minutes, but the one accompanying "Blink" was very good. David Tennant talking with the writing and production staff about the legacy of classic "Doctor Who," and how it led them to being involved in the current version.

[milliepuppy]

... your right ... the 'Confidential' show was really good as well....


... Laughed when they were playing 'Do you remember the first time?' by Pulp near the start .... because i think the Tenant's look of the Doctor is based on Jarvis Cocker (whos latest album by the way is top draw !!!) :up:

[generalpatton71]

I agree one of the best episodes ever if not the best. I like MArtha but they are pushing her feelings for Doctor way to mutch. I'd cast my vote for carey mulligan to replace martha any day.

[Sherminator]

... Laughed when they were playing 'Do you remember the first time?' by Pulp near the start .... because i think the Tenant's look of the Doctor is based on Jarvis Cocker (whos latest album by the way is top draw !!!) :up:Really? I think that he looks more like Brett Anderson, the former lead singer of the now defunct UK brit-pop act "Suede"

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y259/brandedasphalt/ba.jpg

[rhuntington3]

I really have to start watching the Confidential show...

The Confidential for Gridlock was quite good. :up:

[windracer]

If you want to see a real TARDIS key, check out this:
www.doctorwhoworld.org.uk/key.html
Maybe the current key has a working chameleon circuit. ;)

[dtle]

Why go through all the trouble with the DVDs? Couldn't Martha call Sally's cell, across time, like with Martha's mother?

I guess they lost more than the TARDIS.

[cheesesteak]

Yeah, this was a very good episode.

[pkscout]

Why go through all the trouble with the DVDs? Couldn't Martha call Sally's cell, across time, like with Martha's mother?

I guess they lost more than the TARDIS.

Well, without making my brain hurt with the causal effect of things, they didn't have Sally's cell number, and they didn't know Sally. The Doctor only had the transcript and notes from Sally, and I guess she didn't include her number. If she had they would have called her instead, and then she might not have done all the notes. Then they... see, now my head hurts. ;)

[pgogborn]

Also in 1969 there were no cell relay masts to connect to, the TARDIS was not there and the local telecoms company had not yet 'invented' them.

[dswallow]

Also in 1969 there were no cell relay masts to connect to, the TARDIS was not there and the local telecoms company had not yet 'invented' them.
The cell phone first gets the signal to the correct time via the modifications the Doctor made to it -- where cell towers exist to receive the signal and complete the call. :)

[pgogborn]

Didn't think of that.

Perhaps the battery ran down, she had left the charger behind in the TARDIS and none of the shops had new chargers in stock (yet).

[LoadStar]

The cell phone first gets the signal to the correct time via the modifications the Doctor made to it -- where cell towers exist to receive the signal and complete the call. :)
However, it likely connects through the TARDIS, and if the TARDIS isn't in the same timeframe as they are, the modification probably is no more functional than one of those foil "antenna booster" stickers. :)

[cheesesteak]

I have no problem with the Martha character, nor with the actress portraying her. However, I don't like the fact that the writers have her crushing all over The Doctor so much, so soon. I guess that means I have one problem with the Martha character.

[Rob Helmerichs]

I have no problem with the Martha character, nor with the actress portraying her. However, I don't like the fact that the writers have her crushing all over The Doctor so much, so soon. I guess that means I have one problem with the Martha character.
Right, and that's why I think the character is now beyond repair...they've invested too much in her crush.

It's almost like they just tacked on Rose's future storylines, without consideration that she's, well, not Rose.

[pgogborn]

I quite like the Martha character but I think that one of the disadvantages in establishing and rounding it out it in comparison with Rose is the lack of appearances so far by her family and friends in comparison with the appearances by Rose's mother and Mickey.

And although in general I like brown leather jackets on Martha personally I find it a bit of a turn of.

Coming back to quotes from the episode I will add "Look, sorry, I’ve got a bit of a complex life. Things don’t always happen to me in quite the right order. It gets a bit confusing at times, especially at weddings. I’m rubbish at weddings. Especially my own". In the context of the last of the Time Lords I ask not for the first time has the Doctor got any children - at one time he certainly seemed to have a granddaughter.

[busyba]

Something recently occured to me. For all the time travel that's go on over the course of the series, the timeline of the show (and by extension, the timeline of we the viewers) has been parallel and linear with respect to The Doctor. In this episode, that clearly can not be the case, since the end of the episode occurs earlier in The Doctor's timeline than the beginning of the episode.

We have no idea when this episode takes place relative to the other episodes. There are two distinct events in The Doctor's life covered in this episode: the bow and arrow hunt in London, and getting stuck in 1969, and each event can will have taken place (gotta love time-travel tenses! :)) in a differernt slot amongst the episode list, the only constraint being that the hunt has to preceed getting stuck in 1969.

I believe that this circumstance is a first for the series. Last year's filler episode, 'Love and Monsters', could have taken place out of the regular timeline, but there was nothing in it to indicate that it had to be out of the regular timeline.

[edc]

Something recently occured to me. For all the time travel that's go on over the course of the series, the timeline of the show (and by extension, the timeline of we the viewers) has been parallel and linear with respect to The Doctor. In this episode, that clearly can not be the case, since the end of the episode occurs earlier in The Doctor's timeline than the beginning of the episode.


It hasn't completely been "linear and parallel" to the timeline of the viewer. "Smith and Jones" is shortly after "Doomsday" in early-mid 2007. "Runaway Bride" is Christmas 2007.

[busyba]

It hasn't completely been "linear and parallel" to the timeline of the viewer. "Smith and Jones" is shortly after "Doomsday" in early-mid 2007. "Runaway Bride" is Christmas 2007.
When I was referring to the "timeline of the viewer", I didn't mean the real world timeline that the viewer lives in, I meant that as viewers, we have been experiencing the Doctor's life in the same order that he's experiencing it.

Except during 'Blink'.

[kdmorse]

You might be right, I don't recall any other regular episodes where the timeline shown wasn't the Doctors. However - if we consider Sally the main character of the show (for this episode), we can say that the timeline shown is always the timeline of the main character.

-Ken

[Sherminator]

When I was referring to the "timeline of the viewer", I didn't mean the real world timeline that the viewer lives in, I meant that as viewers, we have been experiencing the Doctor's life in the same order that he's experiencing it.

Except during 'Blink'.You might be right, I don't recall any other regular episodes where the timeline shown wasn't the Doctors. However - if we consider Sally the main character of the show (for this episode), we can say that the timeline shown is always the timeline of the main character.

-KenYou seem to have forgotten that Blink was filmed alongside upcoming Christmas Special.

Love and Monsters also played the story from a Human protagonists (Elton Pope) timeline, as during the filming of that episode, the main crew were also filming "The Runaway Bride"

[edc]

When I was referring to the "timeline of the viewer", I didn't mean the real world timeline that the viewer lives in, I meant that as viewers, we have been experiencing the Doctor's life in the same order that he's experiencing it.

Except during 'Blink'.

OK. Even then, "Smith and Jones," or at least the opening ten minutes (the "cheap stunt") was "out of sequence" :)

[SnakeEyes]

I just realized this episode was written by Steven Moffatt. Post-Coupling kudos to you.

[mrmike]

I re-watched this again over the weekend. I'm still struck by the fact that they managed to film a chase sequence that actually had me "scared" with entirely inanimate creatures. If you'd pitched that in a meeting imagine how hard it would be to sell it. It's even harder to sell on-screen, and yet they pulled it off. Brilliant.

[Agatha Mystery]

I got my shirt. :D I just may have to wear it tomorrow.

[Warren]

I watched the episode yesterday. WOW I was creped out!! I was worried I would have a bad dream about statues.

[DianaMo]

I think I've only seen Blink once. The original time aired on the
Scifi Channel.

I haven't noticed it listed on BBC America or on any
of our local PBS stations. (We have several).

Any idea why this one might be getting excluded?

Blink (spoilers galore)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blink_(Doctor_Who)

[cheesesteak]

Following the wikipedia links, I found out that the young Billy Shipton was played by the same guy who plays the gay receptionist on Hotel Babylon. Didn't make that connection at all.