XPost: rec.arts.drwho, rec.arts.tv, uk.media.tv.sf.drwho   
   XPost: rec.arts.sf.tv, can.arts.sf   
   From: weberm@polaris.net   
      
   In article , mike@xenocyte.com wrote:   
   >anim8rfsk  wrote:   
   >> Arthur Lipscomb  wrote:   
      
   >>> The TARDIS was there.  It never left.  But I'm not sure why Ruby   
   >>> couldn't get inside.  Has the Doctor still not given her a key or was it   
   >>> magically locked?   
   >>   
   >> She had her key and tried to use it, but it didn't work. She yelled that   
   >> the doctor had locked the tardis from the inside. But if that's what she   
   >> thought I don't know why she wandered off.   
      
   Yeah, that's not how keys work!   
      
   >>>> leaving Ruby to fend for herself. Her return to London is shadowed by the   
   >>>> persistent black-robed figure, leading to a chase that's as psychological   
   >>>> as it is physical. The narrative takes a dramatic turn when Ruby's mum   
   flees,   
   >>>> and Kate Lethbridge-Stewart of UNIT steps in to offer assistance.   
   >>>> Despite their efforts, UNIT is forced to retreat from the enigmatic   
   >>>> adversary, emphasising the formidable nature of this new foe.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> The episode cleverly spans several timelines, with Ruby engaging   
   >>>> in an election campaign in 2046 for the Albion Party. The political   
   >>>> subplot adds depth, presenting a future where a war hawk Prime   
   >>>> Ministerial candidate stirs controversy.   
   >>>> Ruby, on her own will, takes photographs of the black-robed woman   
   >>>> at a victory celebration in Cardiff underscores the persistent   
   >>>> and haunting presence of this figure.   
   >>>> As the black-robed figure reveals something to the PM elect, the PM elect   
   >>>> suddenly resigns.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> The climax of the episode is both poignant and revealing.   
   >>>   
   >>> I liked the climax, but I don't know how revealing it actually was.   
   >>> From my perspective it was left intentionally vague, but I am very   
   >>> interesting in different takes on the ending.   
   >>   
   >> I found it completely unrevealing. I have no idea why anything that   
   >> happened happened or what happens at the end. Is she stuck in a loop? Or   
   >> did her older self just vaporize? If so, what was the point of having her   
   >> say how young she felt?   
   >>   
   >>> I get that it was Ruby all along and there was a timeloop or branched   
   >>> timeline aspect to it all.  But it simply Ruby from the future doesn't   
   >>> explain all the super natural aspects of what was happening.  For me   
   >>> that part was left very much unexplained.  The circle being or not being   
   >>> broken really isn't an explanation for where the magic originated or why   
   >>> Unit was affected by it in spite of their precautions.  But I still   
   >>> thought it was a great episode.   
   >>   
   >> We have no idea how Ruby scares people off or even why she does that those   
   >> people are allies   
   >>   
   >>   
   >>>   
   >>>> In 2086, Ruby returns to Wales, now an elderly woman in a care home.   
   >>>> This poignant twist reveals the full circle of her journey,   
   >>>> a stark reminder of the passage of time and the inescapable nature   
   >>>> of her fate. Ruby dies and the blak-robed figure   
   >>>> is Ruby is the point of death.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> The narrative then loops back to 2024,   
   >>>> where the Doctor and Ruby work together to unbreak the circle,   
   >>>> providing a satisfying and hopeful resolution to the episode's   
   >>>> complex temporal tapestry.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> This episode of Doctor Who masterfully blends elements of mystery,   
   >>>> suspense, and political intrigue, anchored by strong   
   >>>> performances and a tightly woven plot. It's a testament   
   >>>> to the show's enduring ability to explore the depths   
   >>>> of time and human experience, leaving viewers eagerly   
   >>>> anticipating the next adventure in the TARDIS.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> 5/10   
   >>>   
   >>> 5 out of 10 seems a bit low for an episode you seemed to like.   
   >>   
   >> I'd give it an eight except for the ending which I’d give a zero.   
   >   
   >On another review thread I posted:   
   >   
   >This could have been a wonderful mystical story. It was well acted and   
   >directed and held the attention from beginning to end - but the story is   
   >just complete bollocks. I don't know how to rate it - going to have to   
   >split the difference between its dramatic quality (8/10) and its plot value   
   >(0/10) and give it 4   
      
   If you watch it a second time (horrors!), both scores will be lower because   
   youy'll catch all the stupid things you missed the first time.   
      
   --   
   Let's go Brandon!   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)