Rate And Discuss: S11E6 Demons of the Punjab

[Philipnet]

India, 1947. The Doctor and companions arrive in the Punjab, as India is being torn apart. While Yaz attempts to discover her grandmother's hidden history, the Doctor discovers demons haunting the land


What did you think of this outing for the gang?

[Dino]

Pretty good! Some engrossing guest actors and good amount of wrong footings for the viewer.

[duncan]

It was basically Rosa all over again.

[Stuart Wallis]

Easily the best episode of the series so far. The aliens' motives came as a surprise great character acting, and a nice way to tie into Remembrance Sunday, with poppy fields and "Is this what we fought WWII for?"

8/10

[MacNimon]

I haven't quite built up enough enthusiasm to watch this yet...for all the various faults the series has had over the years, this is the first time I can ever recall feeling rather bored with proceedings midway through a season. I'll try to make the effort tonight though...

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

Kenny, it is worth watching this weeks episode and I hope that you'll enjoy it even though it's another non-typical story and possibly not everyone's cup of Doctor Who.
As an individual episode I liked it and I think it was quite a thoughtful story that seemed appropriate for Remembrance Sunday as Stuart has already said.
I disagree with Duncan's dismissal of it being Rosa all over again. Firstly, that would suggest there was something fundamentally wrong with that episode. Secondly, this was a much smaller scale story without any well known historical figures directly appearing in it.
I think in terms of series order, it's possibly a shame that this episode has featured so soon after Rosa, which was a very strong historical, and also a shame that it was picking up the slack from last week's less well received attempt at doing something closer to what we're used to.
I am looking forward to next week's episode which looks like it should be fun (but hopefully not too silly) and hopefully a chance for those who are struggling with this series to re-engage with it.

[MacNimon]

I can't comment on the episode yet as I haven't seen it (although I WILL rectify that later tonight) but I think my problem with this series so far is (and I'm trying to get the right words here!) I'm finding myself lacking the enthusiasm I used to have; I always looked forward to the next episode, and wanted to see it as soon as possible if I was unable to see it on transmission even if the previous week's one was a stinker. This season, I'm finding myself thinking that I'll get round to it eventually when I have time. When I watch the episodes, for the most part I've enjoyed them but overall it just doesn't seem to have the grip on me that it usually does. Here's hoping that it's just a case of the new team (both on screen and behind the scenes) settling in...

In a way I think I'd prefer it if I thought the series was awful, or I really disliked the casting or acting (like I did back in 1987 with Sylvester McCoy in Time & The Rani - sorry guys, as I know there are a lot of fans of that story and era here, but It's just not my cup of tea) as I would then have something substantial to focus on...but that's not the case either...it just feels to me as if the series is meandering along and just needs a wee kick up its backside to give it a jump-start!

Anyway, I'll report back once I've seen it...

[MacNimon]

Well, I've got to admit that I was surprised by how much I enjoyed that! Duncan was maybe right in his comment about how it was like Rosa, but it was much more subtle and better played than that episode. I totally agree with the comments about it being appropriate for Remembrance Sunday, and overall this was one of my favourite episodes of the series

I like it when you're proved wrong regarding anticipation (or lack of!) about something. It's much more satisfying to not expect much from an episode and being pleasantly surprised than it is to be going in with high expectations only to have them dashed!

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

I can certainly understand why this series hasn't entirely landed yet for some people. I think there is difference in production and writing styles that has come through with the changeover from Moffat to Chibnall has been a lot more noticeable than the changeover from RTD was 8 years ago. Whereas Moffat took most of series 5 to gradually change things the whole feel of series 11 has been different from the first episode, which has obviously worked for a lot of the returning audience who struggled with the Capaldi era.

Getting back to the topic in hand, I'd agree that there was a lot more subtlety in this episode than there was in Rosa (for example the music in that episode making it rather too obvious that Krasko was a bad guy and the rather too convenient way he was disposed of - unless he does reappear which may negate that but at the moment I've got no reason to believe that will happen). As I said above, it is possibly a shame that we've had two episodes in relatively close succession where the Doctor and friends were forced to stand by and watch history take its course but both were worthy stories and I'd venture to say that this sort of historical is a lot more effective than the sort of story where aliens are the main antagonists.
It'll be interesting to see how the final historical offering for this year coming up on Sunday week compares. Also it will be interesting to see how the lighter touch this series has taken in regards to sci fi & fantasy elements plays out over the remaining episodes.

[Alex]

Only just got round to watching the new episode tonight as Mette hadn't been feeling that well and wasn't up for it beforehand. I had high expectations too after hearing positive things about it but I thought it was the worst yet. Sure it was worthy and there were a couple of interesting points made about how poorly the English treated the country but it was so bloody boring. It felt too much like a history lesson and the dialogue was sometimes too clunky and too patronising, I didn't notice that much of a difference between it and Chibnall's efforts. I want Doctor Who to excite and thrill, not attempt to educate me about something I already know about in such an incredibly dull way. And sure, it's for the kids, but there's no reason it can't do both things and with stronger writers I'm sure it could. I can't help but feel that if this was Moffat the Doctor would have done something, found a way to change things without it affecting Yaz, but here she didn't even try and it didn't feel right. It all played out exactly as I thought it would from the very beginning, which is the show at it's very worst in my opinion. Plus I'm starting to actively dislike Yaz now, which really isn't a good thing. 4/10

[Andrew Curnow]

I enjoyed it, although I do seem to be easy to please this year - the only thing that really bothered me was that the ending, in that they had to do nothing and let history happen, was the same as Rosa. I don't think that's just a 'fan thing', I think even the casual viewer might well get that feeling.

The only other niggle, if it's even that, is that if there were only four people at her wedding, apart from her relatives, you might expect Yaz's Nan to recognise Yaz! It might have been nice if there was just a hint that she did, even if she didn't understand it.