We’ve fast-tracked this week’s Kasterborous PodKast (with a “K”) for our loyal listeners and newcomers to the site to hear our thoughts on The Name of the Doctor and John Hurt…
This week, Christian Cawley and James McLean celebrate the end of Doctor Who Series 7, chatting affectionately about the finale. But what did they really think about The Name of the Doctor? Did it make sense?
We also discuss the confirmation from the BBC that Series 8 is “go” (although we don’t know in what shape or form as yet) and bring you our usual weekly recommendations.
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There was a comment at about 17 minutes into the ‘Kast about “a feeling that we’ve been here before”. That perhaps could have been taken further, especially in the discussion about Clara. She’s a paradox. The Doctor takes a special interest in her when she appears and dies more than once in his timeline. But if the Doctor had never taken any such interest, Clara would never have been in a position to throw herself into his “completed” timestream in the Tomb-TARDIS and therefore could never have seemed to appear and die more than once in the Doctor’s timeline. To me, there are obvious parallels there with the paradox of The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang, where the future Doctor gives RoboRory his sonic screwdriver so as to enable Rory to release the Doctor from the Pandorica. The latter scenario had the “explanation” that time was collapsing in on itself, but I’m stumped for answers on the Clara paradox.
I would also have liked to hear some discussion on whether or how the Trenzalore segment in this episode tied in at all with Dorium Maldovar’s “prophesy” in series six. Have we not yet seen the last of Trenzalore? “On the fields of Trenzalore, at the fall of the Eleventh….”
On the discussion at about 50 minutes, “Why talk in the singular” and thoughts of this episode leading into the fiftieth, the evidence is there above the November 23rd date between the John Hurt reveal and the credits: “To be continued…”. We’re part way through a two-parter – or possibly even a three-parter, as was noted during the ‘Kast in respect of the Christmas special.
Hi Christian. I’m a newbie – have been listening to your podcasts on my way to/from work in Sydney Aus. Am a long time fan – started watching when Tom B. was on the TV – although Five was ‘my doctor’ – and have been a fan ever since, as now is my 6 year old son. Just wanted to say that I think your site / podkasts are great – even if James has a tendency to be a miserable sod (come on – nightmare in silver wasn’t that bad)! Keep doing what you’re doing – it’s all good! Rich.
One additional thought…As I didn’t really focus on the topic at hand. I really want to know who the chap at the start of the episode is, why he knows about the doctor and his tomb, and what the connection is. Moffat seems to have a habit of leaving unanswered questions around (why the tardis explode again…anyone?), and it’s quite frustrating. And I would love it if the ‘forgotten doctor’ is the valeyard – would be a slight alteration in terms of lineage, but still doable.
I took it to be that he was in Bedlam (or similar) and was clearly insane and described a “babble” – so he “heard” talk of the Doctor, perhaps his madness means he can hear the GI?
Feels a bit ‘Renfield’ (Dracula) for me to be merely babble. And wasn’t the date the same time period as The Crimson Horror? Must admit that I get a bit frustrated (but maybe not as much as your mate McJames) at the number of unanswered questions still hanging around – where were the bloody Silence if they were trying to prevent the Doctor from ever reaching Trenzalore…?
I thought that was the point, to be honest.
But re: The Silence? Good point. Where were they? Or were they there and we forgot?
Wow, such River-bashing going on. Admittedly, even though she’s essentially a Mary-Sue, I’ve always liked River. I think someone like her, with a complicated timeline, is a much better match for the Doctor than a buck-toothed, blond, 19-year-old shop girl. And I don’t know if this is really the last of River. From her own past dialogue it seems as if she’s met other future Doctors, at least in her lifetime. But if they don’t bring her back after this, at least it was a decent farewell.
I had that same “Oh crap…” moment when we first saw John Hurt’s back. Just like James I was thinking he’s turn around and it would be Michael Jayston. It is nice that they finally name-checked the Valeyard in the new series. Although I suspect due to the havoc caused by the Time War, the Valeyard won’t come into existence in the same way, especially if the Doctor is now able to pass the previous 13 lives restriction. Who knows, perhaps John Hurt is now the Valeyard in the timeline gone kerflooey due to the Time War. Maybe in the war he took on the name of the Valeyard in order to do whatever had to be done, or the Time Lords did something to him to force him into becoming the Valeyard. We won’t know for seven months. Blah.
Ironically I’ve been watching the New Beginnings box set as well. Started with The Keeper of Traken on Friday, then Logopolis in the afternoon on Saturday, which somehow seemed to fit withthe doomy feel of The Name of the Doctor. However our blu-ray player was making funny noises when I tried to put on Castrovalva yesterday, so I watched Frontios instead. Gotta see what’s up with that.
Yeah sorry, there’s always River bashing when I’m around! 🙂 Funny, this makes the second Moff character to be spying on the Doctor! I wonder if Clara ever bumped into River spying on the Doctor?
If gaining information about the doctor by interacting with him – may it be in the wrong order or not – is spying, every companion ever spied on the doctor always.
“The name of the doctor” was great. Now we know what moffat meant with “Wouldn’t it be great to have all the doctors in one episode?” We thought he talked about all the new doctors in the special, turns out he meant all the doctors, and he delivered, even tho no one would have expected.
The story was logically as sound as doctor who can be, if you don’t think so, compare it to similar esoteric episodes like “the ultimate foe” or the whole “last of the timelords” debacle.
I wasn’t sure about the whole Clara storyline, but with “the name of the doctor” Moffat delivered his best finale so far. It may be similar to “Bad wolf / the parting of the ways”, but it’s done right.