Dr. Who Reaction Series 6 - The God Complex
Added 2023-05-06 14:00:03 +0000 UTCI feel strange after having watched this episode....
Comments
"I've never been threatened with a chair leg before. No, hang on, I tell a lie", The Doctor, "The God Complex" There is a bit of a sense of random meandering in this episode. I did like the nice Classic Who reference - that made me happy. One thing I didn't really like was the running gag of Gibbis, the cowardly alien, talking about how his people always surrendered to invading armies. I mean the concept is perfectly fine - I didn't enjoy the running gags about it like their anthem of "Glory to INSERT NAME HERE". There are similarities between Martha Jones and Rita, the medical student and almost companion in this episode. They both impressed the Doctor at their initial meeting and she seemed competent. But perhaps it would have been a bit too similar a premise of a companion. The Doctor eats an apple - back in the Matt Doctor's first episode he spat it out because he really didn't like it. Perhaps it was just an early regeneration taste-bud issue. Overall I didn't really connect with the idea of a person's particular fear being in one of the rooms - so I didn't enjoy the story as much as the IMDB rating. "Don't talk to the clown!", "The God Complex"
Andrew Vignaux
2023-05-19 02:14:47 +0000 UTChotel california much?
Elvira Heredia
2023-05-07 20:31:42 +0000 UTCI watched it again at Christmas time. It's a story I like to watch around that time for reasons I won't post here but if anyone whose British has seen it I'm sure they'll understand why.
Jade Ellis
2023-05-07 19:19:33 +0000 UTCWow, really? I´m glad you enjoyed the episode that much, and I´m sorry I did not, at least not as much as you do. But I will definately rewatch this one in a few months. Maybe my perception of it will change. It wouldn´t be the first episode of Dr. Who. :)
Nicologik
2023-05-07 09:52:28 +0000 UTCI guess you are right. The story is intended to feel strange and random. I still feel that way thinking about, although its been a few days since I first saw it. I really felt as if the doctor broke Amy´s faith way too easy. It was established for such a long time and mentioned over several episodes, how her trust in the doctor grew eversince she was a little kid. i don´t think it´s something you can just talk away in a few sentences. You´re right the camera work was great :) I would really love to know what or who the doctor saw in his room.
Nicologik
2023-05-07 09:49:59 +0000 UTCThis is one of those episodes, that I will definately revisit in a few months. Since many people really seem to appreciate it more than I do, maybe it´s one that works better if you know more about the overall story. Exactly what I tried to say in my review. It felt as if the departure was announced, or at least hinted at a few times in the last episode, but it felt out of the blue and really random as well. Still have a strange uneasy feeling when I think about it.
Nicologik
2023-05-07 09:45:40 +0000 UTCI´m glad you like the episode :)
Nicologik
2023-05-07 09:42:40 +0000 UTCI recently rewatched the classic story with the Nimon, having previously seen it about twenty years ago. Some classic-era stories have a well-deserved reputation among DW fans, but in my view the Nimon story isn't one of them. (Comment kept vague for Nicole's benefit.)
Andrew Gwilliam
2023-05-07 07:39:18 +0000 UTCFor me,this is the most interesting story of the season by far. Very watchable; excellently directed and edited;fascinating concepts and ideas; interesting use of the Ponds. A story with rewatch appeal,imo. As a piece of personal trivia: the sinister horned creature (the Nimon) also featured in a Classic story; which also happens to be one of the few Classic stories that I've never actually seen.
Ian Smith
2023-05-06 23:35:28 +0000 UTCI think Andrew has beaten me to almost everything I was going to say. I honestly don't remember what I thought of the ending when this was first broadcast. But when you talked about the issue I also recalled some companions from "Classic Who" who left in very undramatic circumstances. Including one who went off in episode one of a story to visit her family and just didn't come back. I think in this story you are probably intended to be left hanging in the air, wondering if it is the right way to end things. I don't know if I thought that The Doctor broke Amy's faith in him too easily when I first saw this but it definitely struck me watching it again now. Anyway, overall I do really like the story and the way it is told. Rita is great, the rooms and their nightmare contents are familiar and disturbing, at the same time. And the camera work adds to to disorienting feel of the thing. It's not one that I revisit a lot but I always really enjoy it when I do. I always imagine that when The Doctor looks into Room 11 he sees himself. But I guess that is another thing that is deliberately left for the viewer to decide.
Stephen Males
2023-05-06 19:01:44 +0000 UTCI can't remember what I first thought of this episode back in 2011, but it's now one of my favourites. The only real flaw in my mind is that the Doctor manages to break Amy's faith in him far too quickly. It struck me watching this with you that Amy's and Rory's departure is a bit like some classic-era companion departures; not only is it mid-season (which was actually the norm for the classic era), but it can feel a bit abrupt. I think it does make sense, but following on after the story resolution being too quick, it could perhaps have been handled in a different way. Rita was possibly the best companion the Doctor never had! One of my favourite characters.
Andrew Gwilliam
2023-05-06 17:03:12 +0000 UTC4/5 and ranked 40th/140. It's a really good episode. spooky and a great exploration of both faith and the relationship between the Doctor and Amy.
Jade Ellis
2023-05-06 16:28:04 +0000 UTC
