XPost: rec.arts.drwho   
   From: doctor@doctor.nl2k.ab.ca   
      
   In article ,   
   Blueshirt  wrote:   
   >   
   >- - SPOILERS - -   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   >Okay, I'm going to go straight in... I didn't like this episode!   
   >   
   >I found "The Story and the Engine" messy and all over the place   
   >with more questions than actual answers... and it wasn't even an   
   >RTD script. For me, big and bold ideas need space to develop and   
   >so often we get these innovative ideas, lovely looking scenes,   
   >but little depth once you scratch the surface of the story. It   
   >wasn't badly written per se, we just needed more time to fill in   
   >the gaps.   
   >   
   >We have a spaceship that is powered by stories from people   
   >getting their hair cut in a barber shop in Nigeria, with a brain   
   >inside a heart at its core, propelled by a very big spider...   
   >where's it going though and why?   
   >   
   >Then there's the idea that "story-telling Gods" will bring   
   >damage and destruction to humanity... but we don't get a lot of   
   >detail beyond that. So now we've gone from fantasy to mythology   
   >and gods, which seems to be the current theme of the show. It   
   >doesn't take a mastermind to work out that the season finale   
   >is going to be the Doctor against gods of some description...   
   >   
   >Then when it's the turn for the Doctor's story, we get some of   
   >the Doctor's past regenerations in cameos on a monitor... which   
   >might upset the faithful, as RTD once again re-enforces his   
   >mate's writing. This time he even doubles-down with a special   
   >appearance!   
   >   
   >Do we really need a pre-First Doctor timeline to give the Doctor   
   >some emotional investment in this story though? This cameo was   
   >obviously artificially inserted just for the sake of it, and   
   >maybe to send a message, but for me it was unnecessary.   
   >   
   >Joined together there is a good story in there somewhere, I just   
   >thought it didn't quite come together they way RTD would have   
   >hoped it would.   
   >   
   >Ncuti Gatwa still delivers as the Doctor though and you couldn't   
   >imagine many Doctors could walk through a market in Nigeria   
   >hugging people and get away with it... if he does leave the role   
   >after this season it will be a waste of his potential. I think   
   >he has got so much more in his locker than what we often see on   
   >screen.   
   >   
   >The episode could also be called Belinda-lite, even though she   
   >is in this week's episode. She is only a bit part player as her   
   >character is sidelined for most of it. (Like the three men in   
   >the barber shop that were there because they were there, but   
   >they didn't actually have a role beyond that!)   
   >   
   >Being positive, as I do try to be, I'll go with a 4/10 rating.   
   >"The Story and the Engine" looked good but the story just didn't   
   >work for me.   
      
   Start the bidding at 4 !   
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