![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Rating: Teen
DISCLAIMER: I would've done very different things with Doctor Who than the Moff, and this fan production isn't mine either.
Summary: This is a review I started doing because I really, really enjoyed this one, and Time Agent (posted by Carroll13, and Series 3 is absolutely amazing), and another one that got taken down by the original creator I think. Anyway. Here. A link. Have fun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=776uEKY_V0M&list=PLBiq2vIrrwbAFrnXIR1ebLPq6ixP9nXR0 (And stick through Series 1, which has slightly worse graphics, because Series 2 is worth it. Also ignore the Americanism of me writing Season 2 when it's English so it's Series.)
Why start at the beginning? It's much more fun to jump around.
Okay, hello, this is [insert name here], and I'm part of the reviewing staff. Well, really, there's only one of me, unless a future self has found a TARDIS and is even now going around causing mayhem and panic. Actually, it's probably not that bad. But still.
I love 11th Regeneration and can quote verbatim from a fair amount of the episodes. Sometimes even with the accent.
Anyway, here follows my review of: 11th Regeneration Season 2 Episode 2 Ascent of the Ferramenta!
I probably won't finish this in one sitting, so the original is dated 19/11/2010. Any subsequent review additions will be noted as such here, and contain a brief warning at the beginning of the added material, like so: (20-11) if I added more tomorrow, which isn't likely. The added material would follow. Anyway, I hope you enjoy and this gives you a better reference for Doctor Who, this wonderful series! Oh, and I ought to add-Warning. Spoilers.
stopped at 14.00 exactly.
Rating
6 stars out of 5 (yes, I know that's more than 100%, but for a fan series this is (almost!) as good as it gets!)
Episode Summary
Moments of Awesome
The scene up until the opening credits is very well done and deserves to be recognized here.
I will include this here, because it's the first one I've done. The Vortex in the opening and closing credits? Is AWESOME! As well. I like how it appears to move off in one direction and then happens to turn another. I think that's how it really would be. But then again, that may just be me. ...Hold on. This is a review. It's my opinion. ...why am I justifying myself?
Sergeant William Silvertongue. Very nice characterization. I can't think of what to say right now, so I'll come back to this.
The Prime Minister. A villain if ever I saw one.
"What are you up to, Prime Minister?" Then the sound of the marching can be heard...
The masks for the Ferramenta are truly amazing. Really, really cool. They don't look like anything we've ever seen before, and they definitely could pass for alien creatures in my books. At least, if you just look at the face...
The looks of fear and 'this man is insane' on the Doctor's and Grace's faces as the Ferramenta are revealed. ~9.55
One of THE BEST MOMENTS of this entire series. "They look so alive, don't they?" (Grace) to "And I think I just woke them up." (Doctor) Good enough that I feel it should be on the real series!!! The Doctor uses his telepathy on the Ferramenta, with an unexpected result... The camera, the special effects-both visual and audio, the acting...SPOT ON in this scene.
I am the Doctor
The Doctor's reaction at Grace being taken away is priceless. He cares a lot for his companions, and though he's not a fighting man, he will protect them as best he can.
The Doctor tracking Grace through her phone.
The Doctor's laugh! ~5.52
The Doctor's smile before they enter the building to see the Prime Minister, ~5.56
"There were terrorist attacks! Who would've thought it? The Ferra under attack, and you're losing!" Such a smug look on his face here. Much like a cat who's gotten something very good to eat. Down with the dictator, the bad authority.
"You need to head to the Outer City Police Department. Tell them to prepare themselves." -Doctor "Prepare for what?" -Ferramenta Engineer No answer, as most would, Instead, the Doctor just turns, a grim look on his face, and nods.
Great Lines
"I was kidnapped." -Grace "Look, about that..." -Will (This time, Grace isn't complaining about Will. She's complaining about the Doctor.)
"D'ya often hug your kidnappers?" -Doctor "Shut up. This is Will, my other kidnapper..." -Grace
"It's just a name, sir. I mean, who would be ashamed to hide their own name?" -Will (This echoes back to the words of the Carrionite concerning the Doctor's name as she tries to find power over him...)
"I'm busy!" -Prime Minister "So am I! We can all be busy together!" -The Doctor
"I'm the Doctor, this is Grace. Hello Grace." -The Doctor "Hi!" -Grace. (This recurs when he wants his companions to introduce themselves-which episodes?)
"What do you want, Doctor Whoever?" -Prime Minister
"What are you up to, Prime Minister?" -Doctor "What makes you think I'm up to anything?" -Prime Minister (As if this doesn't immediately make me suspicious...)
"How can you be honest about kidnapping?" -Doctor "That's enough!" -Prime Minister
"Prime Minister, Parliament and democracy with it have been stripped of power. The Ferrous, one of the most advanced colonies is nothing more than...Nazi Germany!" -Doctor "Nazi what?" -PM "I understood that." -Grace
"What are they?" -Grace "Lo and behold my creation, Doctor. The Ferramenta." -PM
"Doctor, there's been a bit of trouble with the Ferramenta." -Will "Oh, really? I didn't notice!" -Doctor
"They've gone wild, all of them!" "That's because they're alive!" "They can't be! They're already dead before they're turned to combat machines." "Their consciousnesses are still present, and that makes them physically alive in my books!" -Doctor
"In that case, we'll have to go to the laboratory." -Will "Ooo, that sounds good. What happens in there then?" -Doctor
"You're not coming?" -Grace "I've got a job to do." -Will
"All right, Grace. Have you got the wrist pad, or have I got it? ..." *turns around in place for a while* "Where the **** has she gone now?" *pulls out mobile* "Er, hi, where are you? No, no no no, all right, shh, don't panic. On second thoughts...I'll call you back later." -Doctor (Fun fact-when he said second thoughts, I almost thought he was going to follow it up with a 'panicking in this situation is perfectly justified' or something like that!)
"They're all going crazy!"-Ferramenta Engineer "The people or the robots?" -Doctor
*His mobile rings while he's talking to Will on the communicator he's been given.* "Grace, are you still lost? ...One second... Grace, right, ummmmmmmmmm...right, sh shh shhh, right, I can trace you on this little beepy thing. Look, there you are, just that little dot and...that's you!" -Doctor (some of the best. Technobabble. EVER! hehe.)
Flubs, Blips, and Other Mistakes
Yeah, okay. So the flying cars are obviously NOT done by a huge special effects company. And the explosions are a little off too. But this is much more Old Who style, and personally it doesn't bother me. Much.
"Wait, hang on, what's all this about? Doctor, Will's not done anything..." + "And plus, Will was honest about it..." These lines here sound like Grace (actor!) is only barely remembering her lines. But then again, I hear she was sick at the time, so perhaps we should be grateful we have this episode at all! ("I understood that" looked like she was thinking through the script in her head and trying to remember where to go next...)
"Where are your soldiers? I mean, come on, a planet with a few billion Ferras is nothing compared to billions of colonies with billions of planets." Some hestitation with this line, and possibly a messed up word order here...
The seethrough white suit things that the Ferramenta wear are definitely a fail. Although with imagination, anything can be fixed...
Breaking of the guard's neck after the Ferramenta are woken up-of course, they couldn't actually DO it, but all the same, it wasn't faked very realistically.
This is filmed in a couple days. At first, Grace's fingernails are painted (green? blue? pink?) Later, when she grabs the Doctor's hand, her fingernails are painted
Random Facts
Sergeant William Silvertongue is (I think) wearing a Foo Fighters T-Shirt. Just in case you were curious.
Ferrous? Ferras. Ferramenta. Really love their metals (iron) on this planet don't they?
Music
~4.30 mark, NICE version of All the Strange Strange Creatures kicks in...
Mostly, Star Wars. Star Wars music also features in the next episode, the Garden of Silence. Personally, I think that it deserves better than that, although the lesser known pieces are okay.
References to the Rest of the Doctor Who Universe
Will-"The doctor? Doctor who?" In-series joke!
~4.40 while the Doctor is looking at the 'Report Illegal Immigrants' sign, Bad Wolf can be seen spraypainted on the brick below it to the left. Bad Wolf was the major plotline/tie-in thread of Season 1 of the new series (2005, Christopher Eccleston, Billie Piper).
"They're just robots, Doctor." -PM "Yeah, I remember the last time someone said that." -Doctor PROBABLY referring to the Cybermen, but it's not a given.
"One minute they're fine, and the last I was doing a little upgrading..." -Ferramenta Engineer "No no no no. Do me a favor, don't say that again. Thank you." -Doctor This more explicitly references the Cybermen, especially those in Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel, who called the conversion process to Cybermen 'upgrading' and stated that, while "all units will receive a free upgrade", "upgrading is compulsory."
How Does this Fit In With the Rest of the Season?
Grace keeps saying that the Doctor 'kidnapped' her. Yet he asked her to follow him in the previous episode, and she took his hand and did so. Perhaps she didn't realize the enormity of the situation (or what exactly the Doctor's big blue box and wibbly wobbly life were like...)
"Yes, I'm fine. Grace isn't here. She's gone shopping." While this is (mostly likely) flippancy on the Doctor's part, later in this season (specifically Home Alone, Episode 5) she does, in fact, go shopping at the end of the episode.
I Hope
I hope Will comes back, as a previous self (or maybe he has a relative-a cousin or something!)
We learn more about the Silvertongue family. This is a really interesting plot thread and needs more treatment!
11th Regeneration Season 1 Episode 7 Realm of Dreams (19/11/2010)
Rating
Moments of Awesome
I am the Doctor
When the Doctor begins remembering the park and falls to the ground, beating it with his hand and begging it to stop...that was the first time I went-oh, yep, that's the Doctor!
Flubs, Blips, and Other Mistakes
References to the Rest of the Doctor Who Universe
11th Regeneration Season 1 Episode 1 Saving Grace
Rating
Moments of Awesome
An exception to the acting trouble before, the lines "Would you like a cup of tea while you're waiting?" "We're not waiting for anything." "I think you are." are TRULY scary.
I am the Doctor
Flubs, Blips, and Other Mistakes
My second favorite episode of the series due to the fact that the Plasmovore has trouble saying her alien-esque lines. Up to that point she's great. But she's not as intimidating as she could be.
Not sure whether this is a mistake or not, but it does bring up a very good question. Okay, so both Hayden and the Plasmovore had time jump bracelets (look up the technical term for this). The Plasmovore was stated as having one in Series 2: Episode O Collision, or her ship wouldn't have been able to enter the Time Vortex. Does the Plasmovore still have hers, and if so, will it have been confiscated by the Judoon? She had to have taken the one off her prisoner; is it this one that the Doctor takes in order to teleport to Grace's rescue? In other words...where's the second one got to? (23/11/10)
Another continuity thing (this is Doctor Who, why am I worrying about continuity?!...oh well...). Grace drops the drawing of the Doctor. He picks it up, then follows her. Later, the Fired Earth group finds the drawing, very close to the body of the Slab, who actually isn't anywhere near where he's running. Did he drop it on the way? If so, it had to be more like a flinging drop... (23/11/10)
How Does this Fit In With the Rest of the Season?
Fired Earth references. (where does that poster first show up? I'm seeming to remember I got a pretty good look at it in Homecoming...) (23/11/10)
Random Facts
The man talking on the comm to the Fired Earth leader looks like Ianto from the Torchwood series... (23/11/10)
References to the Rest of the Doctor Who Universe
11th Regeneration Season 2 Episode 6 Rhiandr
Rating
Moments of Awesome
GOOD SETTING!
I am the Doctor
...On this note...is the General the Doctor, the Master, or some other Time Lord due to the fob watch it's shown he has at the end of this episode?
Flubs, Blips, and Other Mistakes
The sound effect for the Spectres is a little loud. This may be intentional, however, and it certainly is terrifying.
References to the Rest of the Doctor Who Universe
11th Regeneration Season 2 Episode 7 Return of the Master
Rating
Moments of Awesome
This Master is much closer to the original than the John Simm Master. No offense to John Simm, but I feel that he wasn't written quite right. The 'real' master ran on the edge of madness, only crossing over now and then. This one. Is. AWESOME!
That includes the form he regenerated into.
I am the Doctor
Flubs, Blips, and Other Mistakes
References to the Rest of the Doctor Who Universe
This would be the 18th KNOWN body for the Master, due to the statement that he used all (14! Not 13!) of his lives in the TV Movie, plus the Sir Derek Jacobi, John Simm, this one, and the one he regenerates into (look up the names for these actors!)
11th Regeneration Season 1 Episode 4 Homecoming
Rating
6 stars out of 5 (yes, I know that's more than 100%, but for a fan series this is (almost!) as good as it gets!)
Moments of Awesome
I am the Doctor
Flubs, Blips, and Other Mistakes
References to the Rest of the Doctor Who Universe
11th Regeneration Season 1 Episode 5 The Beast Within
Rating
Moments of Awesome
I am the Doctor
Only the Doctor could get away with the "your shoelaces are untied" ploy.
Flubs, Blips, and Other Mistakes
As far as I can tell, the storyline is fantastic! The biggest problem with this episode? Being able to hear. Because of the wind (which I understand is a major problem, having tried to film a thing or three-you get microphone troubles WITHOUT environmental obstacles), you can barely hear what everyone's saying!
References to the Rest of the Doctor Who Universe
11th Regeneration Season 1 Episode 8 Army of the Ancient Ghosts
Rating
Moments of Awesome
When Hayden drags the Doctor through the doors. I don't know why, but I find this incredibly funny. (Hayden seems to drag the Doctor around a lot-he does it again in Saving Grace...perhaps more places if I've somehow missed other occurences of this).
I am the Doctor
Flubs, Blips, and Other Mistakes
References to the Rest of the Doctor Who Universe
