Doctor Who (2005) Series 8 Premier (Deep Breath) Preview! [VERY-LITTLE to ZERO Spoilers]
August 23, 2014
Has that date gone down in history as the most anticipated Doctor Who episode to date? Emphatically, "Yes", but that's not the question. The question is: Will the episode deliver on the hype? I am here to suggest to you that it may not...entirely...to SOME "fans". HOWEVER (notice that's a BIG "however"), it will deliver on being what you should expect from a great usual episode of "New Who". Thanks to some drastically hidden sources (which shall forevermore remain anonymous), I have enough alleged information to conclude that "Deep Breath" will be an undoubtable success as a Doctor Who (2005) Series 8 episode, even if it doesn't really feel as epic as some of its non-premier predecessors. And now, we shall begin with the 'Pros & Cons'.
PROS
"New" Doctor:
Peter Capaldi will definitely deliver a great performance as the titular character. Some dialog within the scripts which leaked out recently, seem to almost directly callout any would-be detractors whom assume Capaldi's chronological age will change the feel of the show too much in the "wrong" direction. This episode makes it clear that the Doctor is indeed old. Any actual fan of the show should know this by now. It also DOES change the feel of the show, but it is doubtful this change will ever be seen as the "wrong" direction by actual fans of "New Who", especially given the solid concept portrayed through the writing, and through Capaldi's acting ability. The "New" Doctor should be welcomed quite warmly.
Post-Regeneration Mania:
As one should expect by now, the Doctor WILL be conveyed as coming fresh from his regeneration at the battle of Trenzalore. Confusing names, misunderstanding "normal" Human societal factors, seeming a bit lost at times, and running off before seemingly thinking things through. All of this should make for a wild rollercoaster of "What the * is he doing, now?!" He's confused, a bit crazy, but always brilliant. As far as I can tell you, he's at least not as crazy as when he was "all sixes & sevens" after regenerating from "Five" to "Six", but is instead pretty much what you'd expect from a new incarnation which still has the memory buried somewhere deep inside of living a few centuries on Trenzalore, and then vanishing slowly & yet still too quickly for his own liking. Expect right turns (because we all know that we should always "Turn Left"), lots of laughs, and a chance to see some unique interactions between the supporting characters as "Twelve" attempts the find his bearings (since it's been long discovered the Paternoster Gang of Vastra, Jennie, and Strax WILL be in this episode).
Pre-Twelve References:
I have read a lot of speculation that "Twelve" sounds like an "Older" version of David Tennant's portrayal of the Doctor. Well, again, without saying too much, I can tell you that is definitely true. He's also an older version of "One" through "Eleven". It's the same character, but I'm just kidding. I know what they mean. The personality that Moffat has publicly described DOES seem to coincide with what we would probably expect from "Ten" if he had kept going after losing Rose Tyler, Martha Jones, Donna Noble, and many others while trying to do the right thing; the right way. However, that's a constant theme within Doctor Who (old OR new), and he will most likely have moments where his personality will remind you of "Four", "Nine", "Eleven", or any other incarnation of the Doctor. I would even go so far as to speculate that having a "new regeneration cycle" will most likely cause him to experience many moments where he will spontaneously revisit a previous personality in a desperate attempt to find his own.
I have read in a Doctor Who novel that Time Lords experience a biological & psychological breakdown during their 13th life (which was technically the 11th Doctor). This breakdown causes their body to slowly reject its self due to confusion caused from already having taken so many different forms while the psychological breakdown included said Time Lord experiencing what we would consider Multiple Personality Disorder (not to be mistaken with the more severe, and unstable Dissociative Identity Disorder). Since he is renewed with a new cycle (still only presumably by the Time Lords), I doubt they would allow that, but it will be interesting nonetheless.
Setting-Up the Overall Story-Arch of the New Series:
Yes. There may be some old stories creeping in a bit, but it will work, and the end of this premier episode will definitely raise new questions that we will spend watching the entire 8th series in which to find their corresponding answers. It will be unique, interesting, and most of all...confusing (at least, at first). There has already been a lot of information leaked about new characters, new angles, and a new dynamic; This will come to pass, and it will be a hit with Doctor Who followers.
This Series Will Separate the Whovians from the Wholigans:
Whovian: A fan of Doctor Who that understands & embraces it for what it truly is.
Wholigan: A self-proclaimed fan of Doctor Who that a Whovian is surprised actually knows/understands that Christopher Eccleston was NOT "The First Doctor".
Any who (see what I did there?), the answer is "Yes". Peter Capaldi's age has little to do with this, but the show is definitely going in a more "Classic Who" direction (at least, at first), and anyone that is only a fan of "New Who" will either tune out or finally start appreciating the original incarnation of the programme. I am in it until the end (if it ever comes), and I hope you will be, too.
CONS:
Too Much; Too Soon:
Just from the new trailers, we can observe that there is a Tyrannosaurus loose in London, there is some kind of pseudo-cyborg lurking in the shadows, and the Doctor's stability is coming into question...yet again ^_^ That might seem to be too much to deal with in one episode...even a series opener. I have no doubt that it is pulled-off with practically zero snags, but it IS a lot to keep track of while watching the series opener of a programme which already has to contend with a titular character recast which has recieved a lot of controversy, a considerable "leak" habit, and a supporting/main character (Clara) which still seems a bit more on the "token" side that the necessary/interesting side of writing (even though I do absolutely adore "The Impossibel Girl" whose unique angle actually already ended one Christmas special & a Full-Length Motion Picture ago, and has yet to be repleaced by an angle of equal or greater value).
Slow-Pacing:
This goes back to the previous statements. With so much happening in one episode, you'd expect a faster pace. However, the 75+ minute runtime counteracts that expectation. I think they could've split "Deep Breath" into two episodes, and expanded more on each side rather than seemingly running two short episodes within one. The Doctor seems to have his own episode going on while Clara has hers, and by the end they finally sync-up. It's interesting, and it works, but the slow-pacing this feature-length episode inccurs might leave some fans of the new series a bit dissapointed despite the otherwise solid story, dialog, and visual stimulation. Post-Regeneration can leave the Doctor a bit erratic, but the pacing, and/or focus of the story probably should not follow suit.
Clara's Attitude Towards the "New" Doctor:
By now, you should know that Clara (the Doctor's current companion/Assistant/Partner/Associate) is well aware of what "Regeneration" means in terms of a Time Lord...like the Doctor. However, we can see even through just the recent trailers that she seems to have a lot of trouble accepting it. This is covered...in great detail...but I again say that this section of the story could easily have been one sole episode, and I (for one) would've been much happier.
Again: Post-Regeneration can leave the Doctor a bit erratic, but the pacing, and/or focus of the story probably should not follow suit.
OTHER VARIABLES:
"New" Doctor:
I feel this counteracts any CONS mentioned above. With a "new" Doctor, there is bound to be a period of readjustment...for the Doctor character, as well as the programme. If you watch this episode & do NOT enjoy as much as you feel you should, mabe you should watch it again while keeping this fact in-mind?
New Series:
Slow-pacing also comes from trying to setup enough "wiggle-room" to result in a 10+ episode series. Also, it is a bit understandable that it would go in a different direction with such a different take on the main characters. Again: If you watch this episode & do NOT enjoy as much as you feel you should, mabe you should watch it again while keeping this fact in-mind?
FINAL RATING:
4/5
Why?
5/5 Pros - 3/5 Cons = 2/5
Add to that the 2 Other Variables which counteract the Cons, and you get 5/5 - 3/5 + 2/5 = 4/5. It's not algebra; just a logical rating structure ;-)
In closing, I probably would not call it the "Best Episode Ever, but this programme DID start running in 1963; so, there's a lot of data to take into account. I WOULD call it possibly the best episode of Series 8, but it hasn't actually started yet. Let's just leave it at this:
"Deep Breath" is what it is:
The opener for a new series which will put a smile on the face of true fans of ALL of Doctor Who.
Enjoy the show ;-)
