Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

The Family of Blood (2909/309)

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    The Family of Blood (2909/309)

    Visit the Episode GuideDOCTOR WHO SERIES 29
    THE FAMILY OF BLOOD
    EPISODE NUMBER - 2909

    As the human "John Smith," the man who was once the Doctor must defend his school from the Family's murderous onslaught -- only to be confronted with the truth that he must give up his new life and become the Doctor again to save everyone.

    VISIT THE EPISODE GUIDE >>
    Last edited by Darren; 10 April 2011, 03:40 PM.

    #2
    I always did like Paul Cornell's stuff
    scarimor

    Comment


      #3
      That was so poignant. The bit where Joan asked him if anyone would have died if he hadn't come, and his face changed completely; that was just the saddest thing.

      And brilliantly creepy. The voiceover from the Son of the Family, describing their various imprisonments...

      Madeleine

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by scarimor View Post
        I always did like Paul Cornell's stuff
        This has to be possibly my favourite episode of all time.

        From the "They are cadets! They are trained to fight for King and country" - A scene which moved the part of me which used to be a cadet. To Tennant's superb acting.

        But above all I must confess, the ending brought tears to my eye.

        Not only did this young boy save the life of his comrade, a boy who persecuted him during school, but he single handedly lead him out of danger and to safety. Only to live past both world wars and to finally once again, possibly for the last time, see the Doctor during one of the most stirring speeches ever spoken. This episode was great in the truest sense of the word, and had an extremely touching ending.


        "Five Rounds Rapid"

        sigpic

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by Madeleine_W View Post
          That was so poignant. The bit where Joan asked him if anyone would have died if he hadn't come, and his face changed completely; that was just the saddest thing.

          And brilliantly creepy. The voiceover from the Son of the Family, describing their various imprisonments...
          Yeah, I remember thinking years ago when Cornell was writing the New Adventures, how great it would be to see his poignant style transferred to the TV Dr Who. It took many years, but my wish came true

          And his original characters have always been so interesting. They chose some fine actors to play those two parts, who did them justice.
          scarimor

          Comment


            #6
            Christ, were schools really like that in 1913?!?!

            Brilliant episode. It had a great mix of action and drama.

            The scene with John Smith trying to decide what to do was really well acted. Very good moral question with this whole new person being created and having to die just so the Doctor could hide.

            Not really sure about the scene at the end with Doctor and Joan. He seemed a little bit... odd. "Come with me! Aw, why not? We can be together!"

            Next week looks completely bizarre.

            Comment


              #7
              this was a brillant episode, was it me or did it seem like a really short episode, I know it was normal time but it seem to fly bye.

              great acting from all the cast.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Naonak View Post
                Christ, were schools really like that in 1913?!?!
                Boys' public schools? You bet. And the ethos of duty etc. permeated throughout society via such establishments as examples of what the rank and file should aspire to, and via the Church. As a result, for World War I Britain created the biggest volunteer army in the history of the world. They didn't even have to introduce conscription until 1916, half way through the war.

                Brilliant episode. It had a great mix of action and drama.
                Yep.
                scarimor

                Comment


                  #9
                  That was an amazing episode. I really enjoyed it even though it was a bit weird having two seperate characters doing voice overs. When the evil guy first started doing the VO I thought that it would turn out he was telling the story to Saxon.

                  You could tell that this one really hit the Doctor, not only did he not give them their "One Chance" but the punishments seemed rather harsh. Is this the first time the Doctor has actually had the bad guys still alive at the end and taken it upon himself to give punishment? Matron was right though, it was the Doctor's fault.

                  The guy saying TARDIS in a farmer's accent was brilliant and the guy playing the evil kid I thought was brilliantly menacing, possibly the most chilling bad guy I've seen on Who with the possible exception of the Empty Child.

                  Edit: When the Doctor entered te Familly's space ship and started pressing buttons I knew he was just pretending to be John. Next week's episode looks really odd.
                  Last edited by pbellosom; 02 June 2007, 11:39 AM.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Loved it, loved it, loved it!

                    Harry Lloyd (Baines/Son of the Family) has gone a long way towards making up for the Godawful mess that was Robin Hood - he played Will Scarlet.

                    I must admit to having a tear in my eye when the old Latimer saw the Doctor and Martha at the Rememberance Day ceremony.
                    But my God! Those Army Cedets were a right slovenly looking bunch...

                    My one criticism, is the use of "Incoming!" during the World War I battle scene (Battle of the Somme?). It strikes me as more of an Americanism, more suited to a Vietnam War movie than the trenches of the Western Front.
                    sigpic
                    Long before you and I were born, others beat these benches with their empty cups,
                    To the night and its stars, to the here and now with who we are.

                    Another sunrise with my sad captains, with who I choose to lose my mind,
                    And if it's all we only pass this way but once, what a perfect waste of time.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Utterly fantastic.

                      A superb episode, and I never usually use the word 'superb' in any context. The whole episode was brilliant, and one of the be two parters ever and also one of the darkest too.

                      The fact that they find an empty house, and it's reason for being solitude is because that little girl murdered her parents whilst being possessed by an alien, and the various imprisonments the doctor unleashed as a final judgement on the family. Excellent.

                      The Family are without a doubt one of the best baddies of the new Doctor Who series so far, and that man who played the possessed student; Baines, he's a brilliant actor and reminds me of what an evil superman should look like.

                      I missed the beginning and just caught the ending since my dog was being really hyper and wouldn't let me watch it. So I shall watch it again, but I did catch the WWI veteran ceremony with the doctor and Martha turning up.

                      The scene which showed a possible normal life for John Smith was interesting, married with children, and the eventual old age 10th Doctor.

                      So over all, best episode of the season so far.

                      The next episode looks interesting, like a ruthless game or something. 'Don't blink or turn away...'
                      I write articles/features/reviews for I'm With Geek.com now. Check out our stuff if you get a minute!

                      sigpic
                      Click on sig to check out my fanfic gallery too!

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Okay, WOW! I wasn't that impressed with part 1, but this one. WOW!

                        David was brilliant, playing two totally different characters in the forms of John Smith and The Doctor within the same episode, and he played them fantastically. Freema has been on top form all season, but this was a new high. She pulled of Martha's desperation excellently.

                        Now, on to the story, the conclusion was inevitable, and I half saw the deception coming, though I expected they'd have simply used a fake watch, and then use the real deal to bring back the good doc'.

                        The love story was emotional beyond belief, the one thing that The Doctor can never have, a life. Add to that his total ignorance of her feelings once he returned to normality, and the tragedy of the whole situation was complete. Not to mention Martha's love for him, while he clearly doesn't want that from her.

                        The description of The Doctor was perfect, I got chills! Finally, the fate of the Family of Blood showed that The Doctor wasn't bluffing back in School Reunion. He's so old, he's seen and done so much, he has so little forgiveness, and The Family paid the ultimate price for crossing him.

                        The strongest episode of the season, and of David's time as The Doctor. It does, however fall just short of "The Empty Child" for the top spot of the revival though.

                        **** top marks
                        Equality is not a concept. It's not something we should be striving for. It's a necessity. Equality is like gravity. We need it to stand on this earth as men and women. And the misogyny that is in every culture is not a true part of the human condition. It is life out of balance, and that imbalance is sucking something out of the soul of every man and woman who is confronted with it.
                        - Joss Whedon - Equality Now

                        Comment


                          #13
                          This is just what this season needed.

                          10/10

                          It did feel a bit odd when The Doctor was carrying out their imprisonments. Knocking someone into a collapsing galaxy, trapping a young person in every mirror in Britain, weighing someone down with chains then pushing them into a pit or something and freezing someone else to make them a scarecrow.

                          I mean, yeah they were evil aliens but their ship was recently destroyed and The Doctor has never been that vengeful before.

                          Next weeks looks like it will just be a 'filler-episode' though. Anyone else agree?
                          Teselecta: "Silence will fall when the question is asked."

                          Doctor: "And what is the question?"

                          Teselecta: "How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"

                          Doctor: " *Brainfart* ".

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by Billz View Post
                            Next weeks looks like it will just be a 'filler-episode' though. Anyone else agree?
                            Apparently it's this seasons "Doctor-Lite" episode similar to Love and Monsters Random Shoes in Torchwood.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by pbellosom View Post
                              Apparently it's this seasons "Doctor-Lite" episode similar to Love and Monsters Random Shoes in Torchwood.
                              translation
                              below par
                              Hola

                              Hello

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X