At least this one is entertaining. Despite the fact that it mainly warns us about the dangers of adolescent popstar live.
It's also very long to start. Its 1h10 could easily be packed into 45 minutes. The whole Rachel awkard teen's story and how she can so easily be influenced by a toy telling her to believe in herself is way too long. First as usual with this type of character, I have a very hard type believing that a girl that looks like her would be in this situation at school. And it's not like she's even useful in anything as a character. She's just a plot device. She wants the Ashley Too, and she wants to do what she says. That's it. She's such a huge fan and that's her whole character. OK, the fact that she says that when face to face with Ashley that is tied to her bed and just woke up from a coma a few seconds ago, that's funny. But she doesn't do a single thing. She's in a back fangirling while Jack drives. She does nothing while Ashley Too unplugs the real one and Jack is handling the bodyguard. She does nothing at the end while Jack is actually playing with her idol. Such a loooong exposition for a character that has nothing to do after. I mean it goes through all the cliches and then deliver nothing...
I'm not really in the Miley Cyrus demographic, never seen her, maybe heard one song, I mostly have seen her in tabloids stories. But wow, I found her very good. As the cheery popstar, as the depressed ex child star (but maybe they're not such composition roles) and very much as the robot voice. Through the whole beginning the only interesting parts were hers, and the real story starts at Ashley Too's awakening.
This second part was fun, though it looked more part of a teen show than a BM episode.
As for the tech part, it's a lot less dark than usual. There's basically no downside. Previous season had a way harsher treatment on the duplicating consciousness thing. That was a constant theme in last season, with very dramatic to horrific consequences, but here it's like they wanted to show, look, it can be fun too. Very not Black Mirrory.
However it's not like we're talking about every day technology as it is usually the case. Even in this world, the tech used seems to be revolutionary. And that makes no sense in the story. So the aunt, or her company, or people who work for her anyway, manages to map an entire mind, industrial scale, and they use it for... a pop star doll ? Also it was cheaper to have a miniature doll with the capacity of containing and running the whole thing and put a limiter on it, than to just map and put the tiny part you want to use ?
Then their holographic tech, that seems pretty good too. Though weird moment when Catherine is in front of the (probably mostly teenage fangirls) audience and does her Apple keynote, being happy to be back into the most lucrative part of the business. She actually says that. Not at a tech investor meeting, in front of the live audience. Also fully customizable (even her clothes!) and scalable, like that's not the easiest part of an hologram.
And then there's this machine that allows to decipher songs from the brain of a coma patient ! That's fucking amazing. The applications just for medecine, are unimaginable. And the other ways it could be exploited...
I can think of a thousand ways to make a shitload of money with that without needing to drug your niece into a coma ! They litterally invent technology worth hundreds of billions of dollars just to make a few millions out of a teenage pop star ! Pretty weird when the aunt's character is just presented as being driven by money.
And what's with the dad's machine ? It shows a brain, so I thought he was working on rat's brains, but he just has a small rat chasing robot ? And, without knowing anything (it's repeated enough), you can plug a toy, see it's brain and edit the limiter on it ? That was worse than any hacking scene in movie history, but maybe it was a joke on that ? Didn't feel like it.
Anyway, by far the best episode of the season, but that's not saying much. And still not a Black Mirror episode. I rate it 7 because it was entertaning, but if I was to rate it as if it was a BM episode, that would be lower.
A real BM episode would have gone over the spying part of the Ashley Too technology. A lot to do with that alone. And like I already said, all the brain mapping thing, there was a lot of ways to exploit that, though it was kinda alredy done in last season, there were still lots of possibilities.
Kinda liked the suggestion that if you're not kept under hallucinogenics drugs you would real music instead of pop :)
I spent the entire episode grinning like a fool. It's so good to have Doctor Who back! And beyond amazing to finally properly meet Jodie's Doctor!
Oh, Jodie. When she first took off that hood in the reveal video back in July 2017, I immediately started crying. The thing is, I hadn't even allowed myself to hope for a female Doctor - I thought there was no way BBC would take such a risk. And I had never been happier to be proven wrong. I spent the last 15 months devouring every interview, every panel, every talk show, anything I could find, and making my way through Jodie's filmography (because of that, I can now understand her accent pretty much perfectly, which, as a non-native speaker of English, I'm really proud of). I knew she was a phenomenal actress, and in this episode it became obvious that she was born to play this role. Her Doctor is just the right amount of quirky, she's funny, brilliant and a delight to watch. One thing that stood out to me right away was the sharp contrast between her and Twelve's bedside manner - or, in his case, lack thereof. Thirteen is wonderfully empathetic, she seems to understand human emotions way better than her predecessor did. And it makes sense, too - after a darker, more troubled Doctor we get one who's bubbly, joyful and full of childlike wonder. Someone a little softer, which I love.
The episode itself was very enjoyable. I thought the storyline was quite clever and Tim Shaw (yes, I know that's not how it's spelled) was a pretty good villain. There were moments that definitely reminded me of Broadchurch - you can already clearly feel the difference between Moffat's style and Chibnall's. The whole thing also looked really good. Very cinematic. I already like the new companions - or friends, as they're now called. I wasn't a fan of Graham at first, but his speech at the funeral was very sweet. The Doctor explaining what regeneration feels like was excellent and moving, it also served as good exposition for potential new viewers. And I adore Thirteen's outfit.
It's times like these that I wish Doctor Who was a Netflix show. I want more!
UPDATE: This episode was watched by 8.2 million people in the UK upon its debut, which is the highest overnight viewership since The Day of The Doctor. Guys, I'm trying to be a good person here, I really am. But when I remember all the assholes on YouTube going "RIP Doctor Who" when Jodie was first revealed, I can't help but cackle. I'd say the show is doing just fine.
Well, I never knew that the sound of a pen clicking could be so satisfying. I feel like that last scene was an important moment for Serena and June - for the first time there was a genuine connection between them, without any secret agenda or manipulation. They have a common goal and they're working together to achieve it, breaking the rules and risking everything in the process. I love it. I know these two have a fucked up relationship and that Serena is directly responsible for what June's life looks now, but I can't help but be fascinated by their dynamic. And maybe I want them to be friends. A tiny bit. They'd be unstoppable if they teamed up.
I have the memory of a goldfish, so I don't even know if we've ever seen Odette before, but I was devastated when Moira saw her photo. Absolutely crushed. Also, baby Gavin!!! What a cute little pumpkin. And $250,000 for a baby? Holy shit. I knew healthy children were rare in this show's reality, but I didn't realize they were that scarce. Any woman with working ovaries and uterus could become a freaking millionaire.
That scene with the Handmaids introducing themselves to each other was so moving and powerful. The music in the background nearly made me cry. This is how the revolution starts. And I'm so happy Emily and Janine are back.
This has probably been the best episode in the Capaldi era so far. Been waiting a long time for the show to return to its best moments.
Watching this I couldn't stop thinking about the original Pilot.
1) Susan, whose photo we got to see so many times <3, was the one that named the Tardis
2) The ones that happen to find de Tardis, and The Doctor, in the junkyard were Susan's teachers (Ian and Barbara) whereas in this case was a student (Bill)
3) Susan is the one that has that thirst of knowledge. Though she loved Earth she was very curious, just as Bill.
Also, there were what to me felt like hints to the other Pilot this show had: Rose. The idea that Bill was almost not to travel with the Doctor, but he decided to look for her and remind her that his machine also travels in Time (which is part of my favorite headcanon about Nine and I'm glad to see it protrayed here: the idea that between invitations, Nine travelled alone and decided that he needed a companion and went back to look for her).
And, last but not least, the chips. Remember how much fun Rose and Nine had eating chips? And how Rose also worked in a school cafeteria serving chips? And how she, like Bill, had a regular job, came from a working class and was, by The Doctor's standards, sometimes a bit slow at first?
Finally, I never thought we'd see the time when we were reminded that the habit of erasing someone's mind without their consent was absolutely not right. I already love Bill and her determination.
I also love the bit with Clara's song, which I also thought we wouldn't hear again.
Overall, sooooo good. I just hope the season continues in this line.
I'm very pleased to say that I really loved this! As much as I enjoyed the premiere, it didn't fully feel like a Doctor Who episode to me. This one, however, absolutely did. I think it captured the essence of the show perfectly.
Something that Chibnall does very skillfully is create an engaging mystery that really draws you in. I was on the edge of my seat for a big part of the episode, waiting to find out what happened to the population of the planet. And what do you know, it looks like the Stenza are going to be a recurring theme this season! I'm curious to see how that will play out. And what - or who - could the timeless child be?
One of the strongest points of this season is the cinematography. Some of the wide shots that we got in this episode looked like they belonged in a Star Wars movie. And the music is excellent as well. It's kind of subtler than what I've gotten used to with Doctor Who, but it's lovely. The new composer is doing a great job.
Another strong point is obviously the acting. While I do think that Jodie, just like every Doctor, will need a few episodes to fully come into her own, I love everything she's given us so far. The quick wit, the quirks, the boundless energy, the enthusiasm and the charm that she brings to the role - it's all exactly right. And I'll be honest, the emotional moments in this episode really got me. Her face when she saw the hologram of the Ghost Monument and realized it was the TARDIS! And the reunion was so soft and gentle and wonderful! I actually cried happy tears when she said "You've done yourself up! Very nice". I adore Thirteen. And the companions are growing on me too. I like the interactions between the three of them and the Doctor. I can't wait to see these individual dynamics develop over the course of the season.
The opening credits are awesome. I've never seen the classic series, but the theme has a very retro vibe to it and I like the color scheme. It looks like a kaleidoscope. I dig it.
And finally, the TARDIS! She's redecorated all right! The interior looks more organic, kind of like Nine's and Ten's were. I liked the sleek, mechanical designs of the Moffat era, but this one is so appropriately alien. The biscuit dispenser is a cute little touch, especially considering that they put it there as a gift to Jodie and packed it with her favorite custard creams.
Overall, I thought this was a really great episode. Now that we have the TARDIS back, I'm excited to see what adventures await us.
8.5/10. I have to admit, I'm a sucker for the Banana Guards, and they brought a lot of laughs here. The "infiltration" by Finn and Jake during the changing of the guard (replete with Banana cream pies!) was a Three Stooges-esque delight, and their affable, loving stupidity tickles my funny bone every time.
But what I really loved about this episode was how it played on the way different people see Princess Bubblegum. Finn sees her as "cool," and can't shake that image of her, which is why he's kind of upset when he originally sees the graffiti. Jake sees her as just a part of the continuum, which is why he appreciates the art and is able to look past who it's representing. The Banana Guards in general look at her as an object of worship, as a benevolent if frightening persona whom, as PB herself points out, they both love and fear. Banana Guard 16 in particular sees her as a cold and unknowable deity, with the way she destroyed candy people and tampers with their minds and their very beings. And Princess Bubblegum sees herself as "just a person." The leader of Ooo has had a lot of shades added to her over the years, and her acceptance, or at least attempt to vindicate the idea that she's no longer a god on high, but a part of the community, on the same level as her creations, is a nice grace note to the opening of the season where we see her bitter and disappointed at having been ousted by the candy people.
Because at the end of the day, she accepts and loves them. She's not the same PB who would mess with Banana Guard 16's brain; she's the one who recognizes that these big yellow dopes she's been frustrated by and indifferent to have special talents that she may never have imagined (and which, in a kind of weird sequence, drive Jake crazy). The idea that Finn and Bubblegum see that in them, that but for a few genetic bumps in the road, they can be different and unique and just as valid, thinking and feeling being as anyone else in Ooo, is a nice little breakthrough for the show. It's wonderful to see Adventure Time still adding wrinkles to its characters and its world as it closes out the show's seventh season.
(Also, Banana Guard 16 was giving me mild flashbacks to "Princess Cookie.")
Something very interesting happened between the time I did stream this pilot from Amazon Prime for the first time, and eight months later, that I'm checking it out again. In the weeks following the premiere, writer Agness Kaku complained about that many of the japanese signs in the show were utter non-sense, like the word "Respect" written all over the place, an ad for "Viper Pharmacy" hanging in a place of honor in the Aikido dojo, the fact that naming San Francisco's International Airport as "Hiroito" and the bus station as "Imperial" violates Japanese naming customs and Joel de la Fuente delivering a line that was apparently written using Google Translate ("Yes, let us go then, you and I, when the evening is spread out against the sky. Ta, my good suspect!"). Well, the producers made a different cut, that's the one available for streaming now: the scene with the badly translated line was cut entirely, and several signs on the street (and the one in the dojo) were digitally changed for something more realistic. The Hiroito International Airport and bus station stayed, oddly. Also the Blade Runner homage in the Sunrise Cafe was cut short, and the pilot now has a different narrative, adding more bits here and there, and a whole different ending, with more scenes mashed up to add exposition and increase the story's relationship with the I Ching (as in the source material). Isn't a bad cut at all, and it feels different, probably better than the original.
[7.6/10] Ahhh, the 80s guy! This is such a quotable episode, that works as a nice send-up of the Wall Street set in the outsized Futurama environment. All the efforts to inject eighties-isms into the future make for good laughs, and there’s a solid vein of “Planet Express is generally incompetent” humor there too.
In keeping with the Wall Street parody, there’s a nice story of Fry losing sight of his friends and who he is in following his slick new mentor, only to turn around and try to make things right when he realizes that it’s disrupting the closest thing to a family he has in the future. But I appreciate the cynical Futurama twist that in the end, his co-workers don’t want him to thwart the takeover because it’ll make them rich, and everyone ends up grumpy when his heartfelt speech tanks the stock price. It’s an amusing twist on the stock lose-and-regain-your-soul narrative.
It’s also just a lot of fun. The stock market/earnings report based humor is great. The 80s guy is a tremendous guest character whose every line is a laugh. And there’s some superb Mom material here too.
Overall, the jabs at the eighties here are broad in places, but on the whole, this is a breezy episode that leaves you smiling throughout and quoting long after.
