Twice Upon A Time (2017)

[GateWorld]

DOCTOR WHO - SPECIALS
TWICE UPON A TIME
CHRISTMAS 2017

Fighting off his regeneration, the Doctor comes face-to-face with his original self at the South Pole -- along with a World War I soldier out of time, sending the Doctors on a mission to unravel the temporal anomaly.

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[DigiFluid]

Surprisingly low-key. Brilliant all-around (though I thought Jenna Coleman was a bit awkwardly shoehorned in). Lots of lovely callbacks to past Who.

And I think I adore Jodie Whittaker already.

[Coco Pops]

I loved it....... At least everything except Clara. She's not one of my favourites.

I liked about 99% of the episode. Clara ruined it for me. I just can't stand Clara sorry guys.

I enjoyed this one, yeah the lines about being sexist well that I handwaved. Rusty .... Oh Rusty I love Rusty. I wish a Dalek was a travelling companion.

What did that screen say when she hit the button, something about some kind of failure? What did she say before that, sounded like "brilliant" or something.

I will have more time to process and maybe edit more here.... I'm going to watch it again tonight when it is on TV. I watched via ABC Iview just now.


Overall 7/10

[tomstone]

Surprisingly low-key. Brilliant all-around (though I thought Jenna Coleman was a bit awkwardly shoehorned in). Lots of lovely callbacks to past Who.

And I think I adore Jodie Whittaker already.

Completly agree. I am rewatching it right now and I really love it overall. Jodie was underused as was to be expected. Going by previeus Doctors introductions.

We will see how this continues, I am excited at least.

[Coco Pops]

I was musing on this earlier today and not sure if to comment again but I did wonder had this been a series final it would have been good either way. If the Doctor had chosen to die as per his choice it would have been a great send off, only we'd see him flying off and as he died the TARDIS would slowly shut down and drift in space. That would be a perfect series ending.

Howcome we had that armistice in World War 1 but that kind of thing hasn't happened ever again?

[Annoyed]

The sexist bit didn't track for me. Yes, the Captain would have been surprised by Potts' behavior, as he was a product of the early 20th century. But the first Doctor shouldn't have been; surely a time traveler had been to some point after the mid-late 20th century when women's roles expanded.

And I didn't expect to see much of the new Doctor. Didn't they do the falling out of the Tardis bit with Matt Smith?

Glad they worked Clara in somehow, I rather liked her as a companion.

I never warmed up to Capaldi as the Doctor, so I'm looking forward to the new Doctor. Her first comment of "Brilliant" shows a sarcastic nature that I may warm to quickly. Can't wait to see the next season.

[Gatefan1976]

The sexist bit didn't track for me. Yes, the Captain would have been surprised by Potts' behavior, as he was a product of the early 20th century. But the first Doctor shouldn't have been; surely a time traveler had been to some point after the mid-late 20th century when women's roles expanded.

Yes, but the shows -creators- had not, and Hartnell's doctor was still a product of the writers perceptions.

And I didn't expect to see much of the new Doctor. Didn't they do the falling out of the Tardis bit with Matt Smith?

Yup.

Glad they worked Clara in somehow, I rather liked her as a companion.

Meh, too "ultimate superpower without me there is no you" Mary Sue for me.

I never warmed up to Capaldi as the Doctor, so I'm looking forward to the new Doctor. Her first comment of "Brilliant" shows a sarcastic nature that I may warm to quickly. Can't wait to see the next season.

Very David Tennant, and given Jodie has worked with him on broadchurch, perhaps an intentional nod?

[P-90_177]

Howcome we had that armistice in World War 1 but that kind of thing hasn't happened ever again?

It's not entirely true. I mean the 1914 Christmas truce was fairly widespread, but there were attempts throughout the war to repeat it and indeed in the Christmas' of 1915 and 16 there were sporadic truces on a smaller scale.

To borrow from elsewhere too:

Although the popular tendency has been to see the December 1914 Christmas Truces as unique and therefore of romantic rather than political significance, they have also been interpreted as part of the widespread non-co-operation with the war spirit and conduct by serving soldiers. In his book on trench warfare, historian Tony Ashworth describes what he calls the 'live and let live system'. Complicated local truces and agreements not to fire at each other were developed by men along the front throughout the war. These often began with agreement not to attack each other at tea, meal or washing times, and in some places became so developed that whole sections of the front would see few casualties for extended periods of time. This system, Ashworth argues, 'gave soldiers some control over the conditions of their existence.'[53] The December 1914 Christmas Truces then can be seen as not unique, but as the most dramatic example of non-co-operation with the war spirit that included refusal to fight, unofficial truces, mutinies, strikes, and peace protests.

However, if the question becomes why it never happened after World War One, there are several factors. First of all was how senseless the War was. There was no cause like the fight against oppression that World War 2 brought, or at least not nearly to the same degree, it was just two armies that were told to fight without really understanding over what. Then there is the fact that these men were told to hold out in trenches for months, being so close to the other side that they could quite easily yell over or hear conversations. Being so close to another group of people like that can surely make you start to identify with them that you simply can't in an open battlefield with both sides shooting at each other.

[Annoyed]

Yes, but the shows -creators- had not, and Hartnell's doctor was still a product of the writers perceptions.

If this was the early 1960's, I'd buy that. But this episode was written and produced in 2017, by modern era writers.

[Gatefan1976]

If this was the early 1960's, I'd buy that. But this episode was written and produced in 2017, by modern era writers.

He is supposed to be Hartnell's doctor, with the same sensibilities displayed by Hartnell during his tenure as the Doctor, it would make no sense for him to suddenly change his behaviour.

[Annoyed]

He is supposed to be Hartnell's doctor, with the same sensibilities displayed by Hartnell during his tenure as the Doctor, it would make no sense for him to suddenly change his behaviour.

Hartnell's Doctor Was written by men and women in the early 60's. His worldview was limited by the mindset of the people who wrote him. Material written for that character today would include today's expectations. Why would they simply accept the worldview of the original writers?

[Gatefan1976]

Hartnell's Doctor Was written by men and women in the early 60's. His worldview was limited by the mindset of the people who wrote him. Material written for that character today would include today's expectations. Why would they simply accept the worldview of the original writers?

Because that worldview formed the character of Hartnell's doctor. Remember, this story is a slice of frozen time, from just before Hartnell regenerated, so WHY would his character and mannerisms suddenly change to a more modern perspective?

[Annoyed]

Just as A.C. Clarke updated his fictional "universe" surrounding Jupiter and its surrounding moons in the sequel(s) to 2001 to take into account real-life discoveries made by our unmanned probes and other tools, I can't see why the writers couldn't take new information into account when continuing Hartnell's Doctor.

[Gatefan1976]

Just as A.C. Clarke updated his fictional "universe" surrounding Jupiter and its surrounding moons in the sequel(s) to 2001 to take into account real-life discoveries made by our unmanned probes and other tools, I can't see why the writers couldn't take new information into account when continuing Hartnell's Doctor.

It breaks character man. Hartnell's doctor was a product of his time, and not only that, he was the youngest doctor. To give him the sensibilities of -any- doctor from NuWho would be wrong, especially Capaldi's doctor, who has lived over a thousand years longer.
Additionally, they are not "continuing" Hartnell's doctor, they are taking a slice of his life out just before regeneration and at that time, he had shown no "modern' morality or more's. You have to stay true to the character at the time.

[maneth]

Brilliant episode. Easily my favorite Christmas Special so far.

Much as I liked Clara as a companion to start with, I must admit that her appearance in this one was both unnecessary and felt artificial somehow, not to mention that I felt the character outstayed her welcome a bit... That said, Clara has a lot of fans so many people were surely happy to see her. But I was very happy to see Bill again. It's a shame she only got one season. I liked that there was no alien invasion and that the whole episode wasn't about celebrating Christmas.

David Bradley does a great impression of Hartnell's Doctor. I guess I should give the Big Finish audio dramas a go...