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'Doctor Who', S07E07: "The Rings of Akhaten" 4/06/2013

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'Doctor Who', S07E07: "The Rings of Akhaten" 4/06/2013

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Old 04-07-13, 01:19 PM
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'Doctor Who', S07E07: "The Rings of Akhaten" 4/06/2013



Synopsis:
Spoiler:
Clara wants to see something awesome, so the Doctor whisks her off to the inhabited rings of the planet Akhaten, where the Festival of Offerings is in full swing. Clara meets the young Queen of Years as the pilgrims and natives ready for the ceremony. But something is stirring in the pyramid, and a sacrifice will be demanded.
Old 04-07-13, 02:27 PM
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Re: 'Doctor Who', S07E07: "The Rings of Akhaten" 4/06/2013

Pretty good episode, think I enjoyed it better than last week's opener. Really enjoying Clara!!

So she didn't remember him at her mom's funeral until after the fact? I had the impression he made the visit between episodes 1 and 2, but she didn't remember until they were on the planet.

The planet/parasite reminded me a bit of the Satan Pit from Tennant's run.
Old 04-07-13, 02:29 PM
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Re: 'Doctor Who', S07E07: "The Rings of Akhaten" 4/06/2013

Meh.

Pretty boring episode with little that actually went on.
Old 04-07-13, 03:47 PM
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Re: 'Doctor Who', S07E07: "The Rings of Akhaten" 4/06/2013

Agreed, it started off well with the intergalactic market, but the plot was ho-hum and I didn't care enough about Clara yet to really feel the pay off of her sacrifice. This would be like making "The Girl Who Waited" Amy's second episode.
Old 04-07-13, 06:19 PM
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Re: 'Doctor Who', S07E07: "The Rings of Akhaten" 4/06/2013

Originally Posted by Superman07
Pretty good episode, think I enjoyed it better than last week's opener. Really enjoying Clara!!

So she didn't remember him at her mom's funeral until after the fact? I had the impression he made the visit between episodes 1 and 2, but she didn't remember until they were on the planet.

The planet/parasite reminded me a bit of the Satan Pit from Tennant's run.

Just like on the first 11 christmas special. When the doctor went back in time to visit young kazran just after meeting the elderly version for the first time. He started to remember him as the doctor went back and took him out for visits with abigail.

He was trying to figure out who she was. you know wibbly wobbly..

I would like to know why he is dropping her off after every trip. He can bring her back to any day she chooses why not stay on the tardis for more than one trip at a time?
Old 04-08-13, 12:22 AM
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Re: 'Doctor Who', S07E07: "The Rings of Akhaten" 4/06/2013

I'm guessing it's because she wasn't immediately willing to run off with him, so he's taking it slower than he did with previous companions.
Old 04-08-13, 03:47 AM
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Re: 'Doctor Who', S07E07: "The Rings of Akhaten" 4/06/2013

Originally Posted by Supermallet
I'm guessing it's because she wasn't immediately willing to run off with him, so he's taking it slower than he did with previous companions.
It's been this way for the whole season. Pick up Amy and Rory, adventure, drop them off. Pick them up again, adventure, drop them off. Move in with Amy and Rory for a year. Pick them up, adventure, drop them off. And now it's continuing with Clara.

I can't say I really care for it. Not only is it breaking tradition by not having the companions stay with the Doctor, it messes up the sense of continuity between episodes. And it's bad enough the way they've been drrrrrrrraaaaaaggggggggggging this season out.
Old 04-08-13, 10:51 AM
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Re: 'Doctor Who', S07E07: "The Rings of Akhaten" 4/06/2013

There must be a hotkey in the Doctor Who scriptwriting process that inserts "The Doctor wanders off, leaving (companion's name) alone."

Matt Smith's Doctor is really starting to give off a creepy child stalker vibe. He met both his companions as children.

Also I'm all for strong female characters, but one of the reasons Donna remains my favorite companion was because she wasn't immediately all "Wheee aliens! Fun!". Both Clara and Amy just immediately were perfectly okay with hanging out with aliens.
Old 04-08-13, 11:30 AM
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Re: 'Doctor Who', S07E07: "The Rings of Akhaten" 4/06/2013

I really didn't like this episode. Compairing it to Amy's first adventure I thought this one really had no impact. The god is the Sun? Complete with a face? The sun can hear not only the singing but the Doctor talking? I just didn't get it.
Old 04-08-13, 11:42 AM
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Re: 'Doctor Who', S07E07: "The Rings of Akhaten" 4/06/2013

Originally Posted by Timber
I really didn't like this episode. Compairing it to Amy's first adventure I thought this one really had no impact. The god is the Sun? Complete with a face? The sun can hear not only the singing but the Doctor talking? I just didn't get it.
It wasn't really fleshed out. The episode's sole purpose was to mention that The Doctor has a grand-daughter (is this the first episode to acknowledge that?) and to build Clara's backstory.
Old 04-08-13, 12:06 PM
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Re: 'Doctor Who', S07E07: "The Rings of Akhaten" 4/06/2013

Originally Posted by chuckd21
It wasn't really fleshed out. The episode's sole purpose was to mention that The Doctor has a grand-daughter (is this the first episode to acknowledge that?) and to build Clara's backstory.
I think it may be the first episode of the new series to specifically mention a granddaughter. He did mention to Donna that he'd already been a parent.
Old 04-08-13, 01:01 PM
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Re: 'Doctor Who', S07E07: "The Rings of Akhaten" 4/06/2013

Shamelessly stolen from http://paintdoktahwho.tumblr.com/:





Old 04-08-13, 01:26 PM
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Re: 'Doctor Who', S07E07: "The Rings of Akhaten" 4/06/2013

Originally Posted by chuckd21
Matt Smith's Doctor is really starting to give off a creepy child stalker vibe. He met both his companions as children.
While it wasn't shown on screen, Nine did something similar with Rose.

Also, I must have missed the reference to Susan in this episode. Can somebody elaborate?
Old 04-08-13, 02:48 PM
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Re: 'Doctor Who', S07E07: "The Rings of Akhaten" 4/06/2013

Originally Posted by Groucho
While it wasn't shown on screen, Nine did something similar with Rose.

Also, I must have missed the reference to Susan in this episode. Can somebody elaborate?
Clara asked The Doctor if he'd been there before, and he said he had, with his granddaughter.
Old 04-08-13, 10:34 PM
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Re: 'Doctor Who', S07E07: "The Rings of Akhaten" 4/06/2013

I have two ideas on the Doctor dropping Clara off after every adventure.

First: There was talk during the last season that some of the things said hinted that the Doctor was traveling with another companion when he wasn't with Amy and Rory, so these are those adventures.

Second: The whole thing with Clara dying the first two times he met her. He's trying to figure out who she is and what the whole deal is so he's "returning" her at the end of each journey to protect her the best he can from dying again.
Old 04-09-13, 02:22 AM
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Re: 'Doctor Who', S07E07: "The Rings of Akhaten" 4/06/2013

This episode wasn't great, and the previews for the next don't give me a lot of hope for that one either. What has happened to Moffat?
Old 04-09-13, 02:45 AM
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Re: 'Doctor Who', S07E07: "The Rings of Akhaten" 4/06/2013

I liked it well enough, in some ways it almost felt the ending was easy, like any number of items could have what ifs, yet that one did it. No matter, I always enjoy Doctor Who? (Yeah, they are doing that a lot)
Old 04-09-13, 03:26 AM
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Re: 'Doctor Who', S07E07: "The Rings of Akhaten" 4/06/2013

Originally Posted by malichai
This episode wasn't great, and the previews for the next don't give me a lot of hope for that one either. What has happened to Moffat?
Moffat didn't write this episode. And every season of Doctor Who has had episodes that weren't loved.
Old 04-09-13, 10:54 AM
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Re: 'Doctor Who', S07E07: "The Rings of Akhaten" 4/06/2013

I enjoyed the episode.

I thought he was dropping her off because she wanted to be dropped off after each one regardless of it being a time machine.

I suspect he's going to do something that causes her to be spread across time and space. Thus meeting her in different times and places already. Also, the if the TARDIS doesn't like her that seems significant.
Old 04-09-13, 11:46 AM
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Re: 'Doctor Who', S07E07: "The Rings of Akhaten" 4/06/2013

Originally Posted by Lifepawn
I enjoyed the episode.

I thought he was dropping her off because she wanted to be dropped off after each one regardless of it being a time machine.

I suspect he's going to do something that causes her to be spread across time and space. Thus meeting her in different times and places already. Also, the if the TARDIS doesn't like her that seems significant.
Well isn't the "Oswin" from last weeks episode the same one from the Dalek episode earlier this season? I thought that was the set up they were going for?

Is it possible that The Doctor isn't really bringing her back in the same timeline at the end of each episode thus creating multiple versions of her?
Old 04-09-13, 01:28 PM
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Re: 'Doctor Who', S07E07: "The Rings of Akhaten" 4/06/2013

Originally Posted by Lifepawn
I suspect he's going to do something that causes her to be spread across time and space. Thus meeting her in different times and places already. Also, the if the TARDIS doesn't like her that seems significant.
Well, she said the TARDIS doesn't like her, but the Doctor didn't give her a key and it's not like he leaves the TARDIS unlocked.

Then again, the TARDIS may not like her because she's already a time enigma.
Old 04-10-13, 09:11 AM
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Re: 'Doctor Who', S07E07: "The Rings of Akhaten" 4/06/2013

Finally saw it. That was painful. Hope things pick up. I really hated the space scooter and how quickly it caught up to the girl but then they just couldn't go fast enough to grab her hand. (Not to mention Clara being out in outer space and not blowing up.)
Old 04-10-13, 09:20 AM
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Re: 'Doctor Who', S07E07: "The Rings of Akhaten" 4/06/2013

I'm so behind on this show ever since I lost BBCA. I can't wait 'til the complete series 7 set is released so I can marathon through all these episodes.
Old 04-10-13, 12:14 PM
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Re: 'Doctor Who', S07E07: "The Rings of Akhaten" 4/06/2013

This was very very bad.
Old 04-10-13, 02:04 PM
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Re: 'Doctor Who', S07E07: "The Rings of Akhaten" 4/06/2013

This episode was very BLAH. I thought it was wrapping up at one point and realized we were only 20 minutes in. My daughter watches Doctor Who on very rare occasions and this is the first one she walked out on.


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