Bad Wolf vs. the Impossible Girl

I've been getting an earful recently the arc this series and how it's meant there's no overarching story even though, y'know, there totally is, and it's the Doctor and the mystery of Clara.

And it keeps getting put up against Series 1 and "Bad Wolf" for some reason, even though that really wasn't much of a story arc. People happened to be using the words, it got pointed out to us in the penultimate episode, and then in the last episode we found out why and we pretended it made sense. Even when there were two-parters they really didn't elaborate or expand on the season plot.

And so it was with Series 2 and Series 3 and Series 4. "Torchwood Torchwood Torchwood OH HEY TORCHWOOD IS A GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION." "Saxon Saxon Saxon OH HEY SAXON IS THE MASTER AND ALSO MP." "Planets bees planets bees planets bees OH HEY THE PLANETS WERE SWIPED BY DALEKS AND THE BEES WERE A BEACON." No substance. Just repetition followed by elaboration.

It's very much the same thing here. Each episode the Doctor will allude to Clara's impossibility, and the rest of the episode will be wholly unrelated to that. I mean, it's slightly better here, because there's emotional stakes--at least, there are in "Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS" and "Nightmare in Silver", with the Doctor's secretive nature being brought to the forefront and Clara's mounting frustration with it, coupled with the Doctor's increasing fear that Clara is a deception of some sort.


I think the real problem here is that Moffat kind of raised our expectations with Series 5--which is probably the best continuous string of episodes any season of Who has ever managed. It, unlike other series of new Who, actually had progression in its arc. It wasn't just "crack crack crack OH HEY THE TARDIS BLEW UP AND TOOK REALITY WITH IT", we found out things in stages. It was gradually revealed to us that the cracks could alternatively serve as portals or memory saps, we found out midway through the series that the TARDIS had something to do with it all, and Rory's arrival and subsequent disappearance put things in flux and gave us serious, tangible emotional stakes.

Series 6 worked similarly, although it rushed things in places and cut a few corners. Rather than have important arc things happen in different one-offs, it made the conscious decision to put aside entire episodes for the arc.  It didn't quite work, but I admire the fact that they tried and the plot itself was actually pretty good. The action rise and fell and we found out things about River gradually rather than all at once in the finale.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Impossible Girl was compared favorably to Bad Wolf, but it's not, which is odd because they're neigh-identical in execution. This whole half-series has been a return to the Davies-era of arc plotting if I ever saw one.  Simply repeat the basic premise until the finale comes and the basic premise is explained in full.

So tell me, people--what's your beef? What makes Series 1 superior besides a mounting feeling of nostalgia (in which case, Season 9 clearly has the best story arc)? Answer in the comments section! I'm genuinely curious!

"The Family of Blood" 3x9

Original Air Date: 2 June 2007

Does anyone think that Harry Lloyd (Son of Mine) looks like Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy)?
Almost everything I know about British history I learned from Doctor Who.
"Maybe I was given this watch..." Lattimer, you stole the watch. You were NOT given the watch so shut up.
Aand clips from past eps!
I'd totally dress up as one of these scarecrows for Halloween..

I was so scared of the Doctor. I've seen him. He's like fire and ice and rage. He's like the night and the storm in the heart of the sun. He's ancient and forever. He burns at the centre of time and he can see the turn of the universe. And he's wonderful.

-Timothy Lattimer

Is that how he talks? YES! Talk sexy time lord to me. 

Om nom nom, consume a time lord.

Run!

I love ther "Fury of a Time Lord" segment. So here it is:

Here is a very poignant comment from the video from RedJoker9000:

Someone wrote this before and I agreed with him/her, so I don't take the credit I'll try to remember it as best as I can. It was that each one had a deeper meaning. I'll number them in order. what do you think?
1. He symbolizing how his hands are always tied.
2. She symbolizing how there’s pain all around him that he can never run from.
3. She symbolizes how he’s always there but never seen.
4. He symbolizes how he is always watching over/protecting Earth. Not even just Earth but everywhere.

I love how we see Tim later on when his is all old.

"Blink" 3x10

Original Air Date: 9 June 2007

I love how when Sally Sparrow hops the fence, it looks like its dark and raining, and then when she gets to the house its a beautiful sunny day.
Of COURSE this is a Moffat episode. Maybe Clara has something to do with the Angels. Moffat did say that the seeds for Clara's existence were sown years ago.
Omnomnom Kathy Nightengale's time energy.
Did Kathy steal Martha's jacket?
Yep, that's DT for ya. In places he shouldn't be, like easter eggs.
There's some substance that is "quantum locked"...it's something radioactive, and it only decays when something is looking at it.

"Human Nature" 3x8

Original Air Date: 26 May 2007 and 2 June 2007

Jack, you can't leave your vortex manipulator lying around! The Family of Blood might find it.

Nice hat, John Smith.

And we were all like: WHAT? Only one heart?
I will sniff you to death.
So, could a chameleon arc change a human into a Time Lord?
When did the Doctor have time to film the instructional video?
Why, Timothy, WHY did you have to pilfer the fob watch?
Why did the fob watch say "you are not alone"?
No, Nurse Redfern, you are not a Slitheen.
I feel ashamed I only realized this now. Martha literally runs into Lattimer--and it shifts to modern day? What was that? What did I miss?
Oh hey, the Doctor dances.
Flip tables? Nah, I am Father of Mine and I flip coat racks.

"42"

Original Air Date: 19 May 2007

Who else things that this entire episode is a LOT like "Impossible Planet"/"Satan Pit".
Ha. Here comes the sun....
This crew, and this ship, reminds me a lot of the crew of Serenity from Firefly. Anyone else?
Tennant in the space suit! Matt Smith just doesn't look as good in it.
The period of time when the Doctor has the Sun living in him, I think it shows how good of an actor David Tennant really is. In intense moments like that, it is so easy to over act and then you can see that the actor is acting, but with David here, you can't, it really does seem like he is actually in legitimate pain. He really makes you believe this moment.
Yay! They did it!
It was nice...not dying with you.

Remember, kids: Always scan for life!

"The Lazarus Experiment"

Original Air Date: 5 May 2007

Doctor! Don't touch ladies' underwear!
Both my brother and dad, with whom I am watching this with for the first time, were like: "They're just leaving her there!"
If you could be immortal, would you do it? Really, would you do it? I would.
The actress who plays Lazarus' wife looks like Maggie Smith. I know she's not, obviously.
Maggie Smith would make a good Doctor.
Tish stop flirting with him she's like three times your age
Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty. It's not the time that matters, it's the person. But if it's the right person, what a gift that would be or what a curse.

"Evolution of the Daleks"

Original Air Date: 28 April 2007

Gossiping Daleks...#YouKnowItsBadWhen
OOH LOOK, a Dalek. Sing in Latin!
You told us to imagine! And we imagined your irrelevance.
Pig slaves: they take the elevator just like the rest of us.
He said Allons-Y!
My brother goes...."And that's how the Mafia started."
So....are they Dalek-Human-TimeLord hybrids?!

Oh, Tallulah with three Ls and an H, just you watch me. What do I need? Oh, I don't know. How about a great big genetic laboratory? Oh look, I've got one. Laszlo, just you hold on. There's been too many deaths today. Way too many people have died. Brand new creatures and wise old men and age old enemies. And I'm telling you, I'm telling you right now, I am not having one more death! You got that? Not one. Tallulah, out of the way. The Doctor is in.

Tallulah and Laszlo had a baby. Her name is Miss Piggie.

"Daleks in Manhattan"

Original Air Date: 21 April 2007

Ermegeherd a pig. Like the Slitheen. But not really. Why a pig again?
Love how he has no trouble landing this time.
When he picks that thing up, and smells it, I'm just like "please don't lick it, please, please don't lick it."
I kinda wish my ears lit up when I spoke, like a Derlerk.

Basically....run.
Three Ls and an H!
Doctor, what did your mother tell you about putting weird alien crap in your pockets? What if you forgot it there, then found it like a month later?

It's the Depression, sweetie. Your heart might break, but the show goes on. Because if it stops, you starve. Every night I have to go out there, sing, dance, keep going, hoping he's going to come back.

-Tallulah 

Tallulah's eyes are huge.

"Gridlock"

Original Air Date: 14 April 2007

Shut up, Sally Calypso.
Martha...don't ask about Gallifrey. Just don't. You butt face. No, you can't go there.
Oh, look! It's Captain Jack!
They took Martha! Aw HELL naw.
Yay, cat people!
And the Doctor's all like: Imma go car jumping.
Ohh. Macra. Giant crabs.
Quick! Get the duck tape! The Face of Boe's container is breaking!

I was so excited. Just for a second, just a second, I thought we were going to find out about the Last Great Time War.

"Smith and Jones"

Original Air Date: 31 March 2007

Is the title of this episode a joke on something? Or is it really just for John Smith and Martha Jones?

Yes, the Doctor really could use a visit from psychiatric....

Love how Martha's the only one who's like, chill.

Love how they even mention the spaceship crashing into Big Ben, and showed Big Ben intact just a few moments ago....

How polite, the plasmavore uses a straw.

I love how the Doctor speaks Judoonese.

Does anyone else move the radiation in to their feet when they use the microwave? I stand there and shake my foot and get the radiation out.

Dear Doctor, if you're gonna kiss a girl and want to even have her think just a tiny bit that it means nothing, don't grab her head!

She is drinking David Tennant. I'll have what she's having.

This is me, putting my foot down.

Shut up, Martha Jones. You know you're interested.

"The Shakespeare Code

Original Air Date: 7 April 2007

What would you do if some guy played the lute at your window?

I kind of love that he actually is Sir Doctor of Tardis.

In bed with David Tennant! I'll have some of that.
Oh, fifty-seven academics just punched the air.

Oh, he's quoting Hamlet! I'm involved with a production of Hamlet right now...title character.

What's in a name? Apparently, if you're a Carrionite, quite a lot.

I've actually seen Love's Labour's Lost. It's quite good!

Tetra-decagons. Fun.

Expelliarmus!

"The Runaway Bride"

I'm skipping "Love and Monsters". I hated it the first time. #SorryNotSorry
And I'm gonna save "Army of Ghosts" and "Doomsday" for later--I plan to watch it with my brother soon.
Okay, you got me. I have already watched "The Runaway Bride" a second time...but I don't care.

Original Air Date: 25 December 2006

What IS on Donna's mother's head?  Is it a baby ostrich?

This is like an intense game of peek-a-boo.

doooweeeoooo oooh weee oooo  dun duh duh ah ah oh wee ohh nuh nuh oooh wee oo dun nuhhhh

DOCTOR: What?
DONNA: Who are you?
DOCTOR: But
DONNA: Where am I?
DOCTOR: What?
DONNA: What the hell is this place?
DOCTOR: What? You can't do that. I wasn't. We're in flight. That is, that is physically impossible! How did
DONNA: Tell me where I am. I demand you tell me right now where am I?
DOCTOR: Inside the TARDIS.
DONNA: The what?
DOCTOR: The TARDIS.
DONNA: The what?
DOCTOR: The TARDIS!
DONNA: The what?
DOCTOR: It's called the TARDIS.
DONNA: That's not even a proper word. You're just saying things.

DONNA: You're an alien.

DOCTOR: Yeah.

DONNA: It's freezing with these doors open.

Just love that Donna slaps him.

Why is it Chis-ick and not Chiswick?

Ooh, Donna bit someone at school. So did I... it was 12 years ago...I swear I won't come out of your screen and bite you. And it was provoked.

Slitheen reference, YES.

My wedding dress will have pockets.

I'm, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not from Mars.

And that goes double for your mother!

BEWARE THE SANTAS! They will blow you up.

Those kids. In the car behind them. They stole the scene. Love them with two hearts.

You know, they had the reception without her....

Hey Doctor, you at a party...did you forget your banana?

Now, all I have's this anguished heart,
For you have vanished too.
Oh, my girl, my girl, my precious girl,
Just what is this man to do?

And he's thinking of Rose...

Killer Christmas trees for the win.

I wonder how many pairs of Converse DT went through....

Donna=Pencil Inside a Mug

They're on segways (segues?)!

I'm just gonna fastfoward to WET DAVID TENNANT.

Guess what I've got, Donna? Pockets.

EMPRESS: My children may feast on Martian flesh.
DOCTOR: Oh, but I'm not from Mars.
EMPRESS: Then where?
DOCTOR: My home planet is far away and long since gone. But its name lives on. Gallifrey.

WET DAVID TENNANT. Now with fire.

omg a tank.

Does it, like, really never snow in London???

And it's terrible. That place was flooding and burning and they were dying, and you were stood there like, I don't know, a stranger. And then you made it snow. I mean, you scare me to death.

Yes, Doctor, you need someone. You really do need someone to stop you.

Be magnificent!!!