Doctor Who: Twice Upon A Time (2017)

Simply A Masterpiece

Sadly Over-hyped

Best movie ever!

A lot of fun.

As many people know by now this episode was already supposed to be written by the next producer of Dr Who. But he declined and so Moffat created a last minute hack job. Basically everything that's wrong about this episode is what was wrong with Doctor who ever since Moffat took over. I'll start with the things I like. David Bradley was great as the 1st Doctor. His grumpiness was equally great with that of John Hurt in The Day of the Doctor. David literally pointed out flaws in the newer seasons that made it hard to enjoy the show. Like when he pointed out how the sonic screw driver is silly and over used. And the episode might have been great if it was a solo David + Peter movie... but sadly that wasn't enough a story for Moffat. Which brings us to the bad things: everything else. The episode starts out with a great mystery, which gets a really underwhelming resolution. Because that's how all of Moffats stories went: Promising that huge things will happen, but wont deliver on that front. The mystery is (spoiler) Humanity will resurrect every human being in history ever as a glass robot, so that... yeah why that's not explained. Because it makes no sense for relatives who miss the person as they can't intervene in the timeline and actually show the relatives the robots. The real reason why they do it is that Moffat hates bad endings. He killed Clara only to make her an immortal (literally) heartless girl that flies through space with another immortal woman. Now Bill is also immortal and dreads at the horizon to jump out of the deus ex machina box in any future episodes.I dearly hope Chris Chibnall and Jodie Whittaker can salvage what is left of Doctor who after Moffat is done with it.

Moffat can't direct. That's obvious proven by his many years in Dr Who, Jekyll and Sherlock. He's just incompetent when it comes to showrunning, characterdevelopment, internal consistencies, or sufficiently presenting the otherwise great ideas popping into his head. So much so actualy, I don't believe he led Season 10 anything other but by name.And while some of the estatics are cool here too, there is bad editing (there really was no need to repeat minutes by POV), and non-event storyparts (the soldier) as we got used from Moffat all during his era. And that's only the start of it.My main compaint is: what happened with my beloved First Doctor? He might have been grumpy, but what he never was was sexist (against women), racist (against french), or dismissing (against "younger ones"). And certainly wasn't an alcoholic!In the light of the representation of the First Doctor - obviously an impostor, NOT the real Doctor - the Doctor turns into a Social Justice Warrior. And he isn't even ginger, or make any remark of it. But is still english, white, and heterosexual (proven by the falling engagement-ring, the abandonement of Bill etc.).So if you ask me, this episode didn't happen. Just like Season 5-9. Either way it was meaningless, not just given we know the next "doctor" is casted, but because two other incarnations we know from the Doctor's future: The Valeyard, and the Curator. Until those appear, the Doctor is safe. Well, not from the hands of incompetent writer/director/showrunners of course.

The usual fun. The usual amazing acting from Capaldi. The main issue was that it was trying so HARD not to be discrimate towards women. It was so cringey and in your face. I don't see me liking the new direction with a female doctor. It just don't feel right. I will certainly give it a chance but who knows. All in all a solid episode but kind of a nothing episode as it was all rather meaningless....?

Twice upon a Time is the title of this episode, which sees a nice bit of casting by drawing David Bradley from the depiction of the actor William Hartnell, to here play the character he was most famous for (while Bradley himself is more famous for Game of Thrones now). This is one of the many positive things that this special held out; a final outing for Capaldi, a final appearance for Mackie (somehow), and a regeneration into a new Doctor. Lots on offer, so it is frustrating that it doesn't really hit many high notes as it goes.The plot sees time frozen, but it is the tone that seems the most awkwardly stuck between two stools. It knows it has to be 'important' but at the same time it also kind of knows that it should be entertaining too. Any time it tries to do one, it seems overly conscious not to move too far from the other; the end result is something that is very middle-of-the-road and lacks conviction in what it is doing. Capaldi deserves a stronger bow out than this; he gets his moment on screen but the episode itself doesn't build up as well as previous exits have. Bradley's Doctor isn't used particularly well at all; there is a novelty of seeing him but mostly his character is not great - which is a fairly poor situation if you are going to bring the original Doctor back. As a story there isn't really a pace to it, and I didn't find myself held by it as it unfolded. Returns and references for many characters just felt like they were throwing things at the screen, not that the story made sense to have them all.This weakness meant the more important moments felt fake, or at very least unearned. The use of the WWI setting and famous moment is corny, the references/connections to other characters are clunky as usual, but what bothered me more was the way that themes were not delivered on as they could have been. More could have been made of the two Doctors being there - more could have been done to engage that reflective tone, and to bring it round to be a conclusion and decision to start afresh. At times it seems to be looking for this, but the show doesn't have the determination to go for it.