Rate and Discuss 6.11: The God Complex

[Alex]

Aw, I loved that. The resolution felt a bit rushed (and almost slightly silly with the Nimon-y creature taking an age to die), but everything else about the episode worked brilliantly, from the individual fears (for the record, the ventriloquist dolls got to me the most) to the gradual demise of the supporting cast. Even David Walliams wasn't rubbish, which came as quite a shock. And the fade out ending was just beautiful in my mind, it had the guts to end on a low note which few programmes these days do. Though I know the trailer might spoil that a little, but I turned off the minute it ended so it wouldn't do so.

8.5/10 - this is easily my favourite season so far, and I just hope the Moff doesn't spoil that with the final two episodes. I have a lot of faith he won't though!

Edit: Bugger, I put 'are' instead of 'our'. If a mod's bored enough one day, if it could be changed it would be appreciated.

[MinaHarker]

Well, I really liked it. Something about the psychology of fear interests me. I thought the scene in the spa went on a bit, but over all it rocked.

I was NOT expecting he ending! WOAH!

BTW Did anyone else think the monster looked like the Gruffalo?

EDIT Obviously I posted this on my own poll, which is why there is a disconnect with the conversation...

[Darren]

5 out of 10

A definite improvement on the last few we've had. It was, though, a little dull IMO. I liked the central premise. The ventriloquist dolls freaked me out too. Though why they weren't in one of the hotel rooms, I'm not sure. And why was David Walliams charcter sent there? How could he relate to an Earth hotel?
I still didn't quite get what the minotaur was for or who was actually responsible or the point of it all.
I liked the Doctor's anger, smashing up reception, and his compassion with the minotaur at the end.
I suppose it's too much to hope that we'll go at least one episode next week without Amy.

[Jason Thompson]

Really enjoyed that. Some good imagery, and a pretty decent monster. Completely missed most of the final scene thanks to my unreliable internals, but got back in time to catch the 'next time' trailer.

[egdcltd]

Didn't Sylvester McCoy's Doctor do something similar with Ace, destroying her faith in him to save her?

[MinaHarker]

Didn't Sylvester McCoy's Doctor do something similar with Ace, destroying her faith in him to save her?

Yes, wasn't it in Curse of Fenrick?

[egdcltd]

Yes, wasn't it in Curse of Fenrick?

Think that's the one I was thinking about. Was that the episode set during WW2 with some Polish soldiers?

[MinaHarker]

Think that's the one I was thinking about. Was that the episode set during WW2 with some Polish soldiers?

Russian, I think.

[Dirk Gently]

That was rather good. No obvious problems, The TARDIS team turn up, find a mystery, get separated from the TARDIS, sort out the mystery & all home for tea. Excellent stand alone episode. Well done Toby Whithouse.

I was totally shocked with the Doctor dropping off Amy & Rory, but after thinking about it I suppose it had to happen. Otherwise the Doctor wouldn't have been alone when he returns to Amy & Rory near Lake Silence.
Loved the fact that the Doctor got Amy & Rory a house & a car. It's the sort of thing anyone would do for your friends if you could.



So, next week is the beginning of the end...or is it?

[Jason Thompson]

Yes, it was The Curse of Fenric in which the Doctor had to break Ace's faith in him, and yes the soldiers were Russian.

It worked better here though, being without Sophie Aldred's 'no!' and dropping to her knees with her hands on the floor like she was praying....

[Zbigniev Hamson]

How come the TARDIS (de)materialisation effect is now the rubbish fadey inney outey version that they always use on Children in Need or regional news programmes because they don't know how to do it properly?

[Dino]

How come the TARDIS (de)materialisation effect is now the rubbish fadey inney outey version that they always use on Children in Need or regional news programmes because they don't know how to do it properly?

Maybe the money?

I wasn't that impressed with today. There were loads of great elements but it just... The ending was a surprise. The bits leading up to it weren't as clever.
I didn't like the Lodger last year, but next week's might exceed expectations.
So that'll be a 6. Sorry about that.

[The456]

Loved the fact that the Doctor got Amy & Rory a house & a car. It's the sort of thing anyone would do for your friends if you could.

A blue house with Tardis blue front door ...... They now have two houses as the one in impossible astronaut was a white upvc frame with frosted glass. I'm guessing that is no ordinary house !

[FlyingBeastie]

10/10

I'd go as far as saying that's among the top ten best episodes of the New Series.

It had everything- excellent writing, excellent direction, excellent acting (well done on the menace, Smith!)- it was just amazing. Loved the resolution with Amy and Rory, loved the theme- I really can't say much else cos I'm running out of verbs here! The episode was ruthless when it came to the body count too! Such rich characters we had here!

Yes, the plot resolution was pretty much "Curse of Fenric" all over again, but I feel like "God Complex" is very much its own episode, very distinct, and gets away with it.


In other news, Hell has frozen over. Girls, break out your ice skates!

[chalkie]

another solid "so good , it shut my kids up" story 8/10 from me
and, the end? of course not, he just got thse extra regenerations from river song the other week.so, red dwarf has polymorph, harry potter had boggarts and DW has minotaurs ( each of them cause fear and feed off of emotions)

[Junkyard]

10/10

I'd go as far as saying that's among the top ten best episodes of the New Series.

It had everything- excellent writing, excellent direction, excellent acting (well done on the menace, Smith!)- it was just amazing. Loved the resolution with Amy and Rory, loved the theme- I really can't say much else cos I'm running out of verbs here! The episode was ruthless when it came to the body count too! Such rich characters we had here!

Yes, the plot resolution was pretty much "Curse of Fenric" all over again, but I feel like "God Complex" is very much its own episode, very distinct, and gets away with it.

In other news, Hell has frozen over. Girls, break out your ice skates!

Almost as good from me, I rated it 9/10. Not surprised to see Amy and Rory leave, I felt that their time with the Doctor was coming to an end. But I'm still hoping for a big surprise in the last episode. Oh, which is in two weeks time. Next week is 'Return of the Lodger'.

[Perry Vale]

Well that was very good, Walliams was excellent (and lives to return another day?), it looked great, there were some nice surprises like return for Caitlan and the last five minutes, and the resolution of the plot was straight out of Fenric. Nothing really I can find fault in, but somehow this (and the last two episodes) have left me just ever so slightly cold. I think I realised last night that I miss Moffat's writing personally, or the big-hitting guest writers such as Nye, Curtis and Gaiman.

Having said all that though, I think I've hardly ever been so excited about a series of DW, and I put that down to my avoidance of all spoilers and casting. With two episodes to go, I am in the wonderful position of not knowing what the last two contain, or where they will take us. I haven't been watching any of the 'Next Time' sections, and apart from one returning guest star that was featured in the season trailers, don't even know if the Ponds will return.

And so because of that, I haven't yet decided if I shall read the rest of this thread, for now, or the replies. I don't want to stumble on any accidental spoilers, or wish to read people picking apart the minutiae.

Hovering around an 8 or 9/10.

[Darren]

There's just two episodes left, surely?

[Perry Vale]

Yes. You see, I didn't even know how many episodes were left!

[Andrew Curnow]

Yes, a big thumbs up for this one from me - I've enjoyed the last few episodes a great deal more than some of the earlier ones, so I suspect I'm quite the opposite of Perry in that I'm NOT missing Moff's writing at the moment.

A very tight little episode - some lovely dialogue (loved Smith's "Amy, Beaky" and "Assembled Ponds") and neatly done so that it was very jokey & humourous at the start, but as the episode went on became very much more sombre & serious. The nurse (Rita?) was very good, I thought her final scene on the phone was very moving without being overdone; Walliams was good, I reckon if we hadn't known he was in it, we'd have spent the whole episode saying "who is that, I'm sure I recognise him"; and I like the fact that the end of Fenric was re-used.

And the ending... A big surprise (to me anyway) although I'm not 100% sure we've seen the last of Amy & Rory. In a way I hope we have, because it would be very difficult after that "What's the alternative? Me standing over your grave? Your broken body?" to come back and gaily whisk them off through time & space again. It's a 'good' end for those two, if it is the end, emotional without being schmaltzy, and I think really the right time.

A definite hit!

[Andrew Curnow]

One thing I'm not sure on, after talking about this one with bruv earlier on - the room with the young Amy in, whose room was that? Was it Amy's, or the Doctor's?

[Dirk Gently]

It was Amy's room with the younger Amy in. Her fear of being left behind.

Incidentally I actually noticed some detail on a first viewing!!
I know, unheard of usually but I loved the fact that Amy's room was number 7...her age when the Doctor left her & that the Doctor's room (the one with the Cloister bell in) was number 11, as Smith is the 11th Doctor. Nice little touches.

[egdcltd]

the Cloister bell

I could not for the life of me remember what that bell was called.

[SiHart]

Lovely! Incredibly touching and well thought through. Really enjoyed it and the ending was rather good too.

I LOVED the Nimon reference!

[Rob McCow]

Hmm - they dumped Amy & Rory! Kind of inevitable, after the Doctor called her Amy Williams for the first time.

A great monster, creepy setting, some good character stuff (poor Rita!) and a neat resolution.

Though what happened to all the bodies?

So what was the Doctor scared of? Was it 'burned toast and bus stations'?

Or was it the other 10 Doctor Whos?