Apollo's Rebellion

A record number of 77 million people tuned in to watched the 50th anniversary special of Doctor Who on Saturday. 77 million people, that's enough people to fill a country! And I think that this just shows the power of Doctor Who, that it's not just a TV Show. No, it's the longest running TV Show, a show that grips viewers and sometimes inspires others. The review that follows is not a critical analysis of the episode, but rather a breakdown of what happened from a loving fan.

The Day of the Doctor Written by: Steven Moffat Directed by: Nick Hurran

Right from the beginning we get a nod to the first episode of the classic series with not one, but if I'm counting right four references. The episode begins with the title sequence from the very first episode. On a bit of a sidetrack, the effect used for this is called howlround and it is created by pointing a TV camera at a monitor showing its on output. And the result is what we saw here. It's strangely mysterious and gives the impression of something terrifying. Which is what Doctor Who is. The other references were the sign saying 76 Totter's Lane which is a junkyard that the Doctor used park his TARDIS and in its place now is a school that Clara works at. The sign of the school was quite interesting because it
states that the Head of the Governing Body is "I. Chesterton" and the headmaster is "W. Coburn." The former being Ian Chesterton a character played by William Russell and one of the first ever companions, the latter sharing a surname with the writer of An Unearthly Child. And the last reference to An Unearthly Child was when Clara drove past a clock that showed the time to be sixteen minutes past five which was the exact time that An Unearthly Child aired on the 23 November 1963.

The episode moves along pretty quickly and the action starts almost as Clara steps into the TARDIS when an outer space adventure gets interrupted by UNIT. I was excited to see the return of Kate Stewart as her small part in The Power of Three really made me begin to like her. I liked Osgood too, but I felt like the whole "the Doctor will save us" was a bit too much and I would have liked it better if she embodied a fan better. Having said that I do like Ingrid Oliver and it wasn't her fault, the character just fell short for me.

It then transitions to Gallifrey and John Hurt's Doctor stopping a couple of Daleks. He then stills a weapon call the Moment which has it's own conscience. This then takes the form of a very familiar looking woman. I think that the bravest thing for Moffat to was to bring back Billie, but not the Billie we know. I understand that people wanted the return of Rose and this wasn't actually Rose, but the Moment, but honestly? Rose's story is said and done, she has her own Doctor in that parallel universe and I'd like to think that she has time-space adventures of her own. We never really needed Rose back and none of the other companions came back. In a way, it made the story richer, having Billie play the "Bad Wolf" instead because Bad Wolf was Rose's way of sensing that the Doctor needed help and somewhere in his conscience he still sees her as the one who can help and stop him from doing something he will regret. That's a point to you, Moffat.

The episode then moves along to the story of the Tenth Doctor and Queen Elizabeth having a what can only be described as a date. And then some confusion ensues when the Zygons decide to show up. Okay, I thought the whole Queen Elizabeth thing was a nice tie-up to the loose end that was sort of left behind by RTD. The one thing that still confuses me is why did Elizabeth let the Zygons go into the painting. I'll probably have to watch the episode again to see if I missed anything there, but other than that her role was likable. The return of the Zygons was pretty amazing too. Having not watched the Classic Series story yet, I only know the Zygons from the Stephen Cole story The Sting of the Zygons with Martha and Ten. And that is one of my favourite Doctor Who novels to date. So, yes, one could say that I was eagerly anticipating the Zygons. I liked that they didn't play big role in the story as the villains, but I felt like the story of them was forgotten a long the way. I understand that they were negotiating a treaty, but maybe a call of visit from Kate at the end would have helped us see if it was a success and that the people of Earth don't always need the Doctor to help them save the day. Although, I didn't mind because the real stars of the show were the Doctors.

Of course, the return of Gallifrey must have always been in the cards, it's the Fiftieth after all. And thanks to the Moment we got to see all three Doctors in Gallifrey during the last day of the Time War. Someday, I would love to see Gallifrey in all its restored glory. The introduction of John Hurt's Doctor was great and I believe that John Hurt was the only man who could pull off a character like him. Although he looked old, the War Doctor was still quite youthful in some of the things he did. I particularly liked his little interaction with Clara and the sort of grandfatherly caring side he had. And she was so sweet to him too. I would have loved to see more his Doctor.

Talking about interactions, I loved the comedic elements of Ten and Eleven's bickering and teasing of one another and the War Doctor's constant insults about them being younger than him. Particularly love the comment that he made to Matt's Doctor about flapping his hands about. Also liked the interactions between Clara and Ten and between the War Doctor and the Moment. I felt like, although they bickered, they truly did want to stick together.

The episode did have some fan pleasing moments too. Like a certain curator, a certain person's eyes and a certain few somebodies coming to help save the day. As well as the many nods to the Classic Series and the return of the Zygons.

I honestly thought that the episode was not meant to be a nostalgia trip and was meant to be more of a celebration. The subtle hints and the not so subtle hints didn't draw away from the story line. I loved the fact that the end was looking forward rather than looking back because it was a way of saying "Here's to fifty more." I absolutely adored the way it ended with the Doctor telling us about his dream and finally having a definite destination in his future.

"Gallifrey Falls No More."

To add to the celebrations of the Fiftieth Anniversary year, I have decided to post my favourite stories from Doctor Who since its revival in 2005. Every Saturday I will post a list of my favourite stories from each series leading up to the week before the Fiftieth Anniversary. Feel free to also share your thoughts in the comments below.

5. The Crimson Horror by Mark Gatiss
This episode played out like an old detective story where the pieces were being put together in front of our eyes. The return of the Paternoster Gang was a wonderful relief and the mystery of "The Crimson Horror" was something that definitely kept me on my toes. I loved that the story followed Vastra, Jenny and Strax more, allowing us to see it more from their perspective.
Highlight(s) of the episode: The Doctor's Yorkshire accent and, real life mother and daughter duo, Rachel Stirling and Diana Rigg as Ada and Mrs Gillyflower respectively.

4. A Town Called Mercy by Toby Whithouse
I'm not much of a fan of the old west, but I really did enjoy this episode. It really showed just how damaged the Doctor is and just how much he needs a companion. It reflected just how volatile the Doctor can become
and that he really does have a darker side to him. The episode also proved that sometimes the real monsters aren't the science experiments, but rather the scientists themselves.
Highlight(s) of the episode: Amy stopping the Doctor from allowing Kahler Jax to die.

3. The Angels Take Manhattan by Steven Moffat
New York City, the Weeping Angels and a heartbreaking end. The angels are back and this time they're sending people to the 1940's. Of course, being a Moffat episode, everything is a bit wibbly wobbly. River Song makes a return for what seems like the penultimate time and this time she's known as Melody Malone of the Angel Detective Agency. Then there's that soul wrenching rooftop scene with Amy and Rory. Then just when you think it's all over and that the Pond family are actually going to have a happy ending, your heart gets ripped out again. But it was a good ending and Mr and Mrs Pond finally got what they wanted: a normal life.
Highlight(s) of the episode: Amy and Rory getting a happily ever after, although not the one some wanted, but they did get to live to an old age and Rory did get his wish of growing old with Amy. I also loved the concept of incorporating a novel written by one of the characters into the story as a sort of means to send a message. Also, Amy's afterword to the Doctor.

2. Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS by Stephen Thompson
I've always wanted an episode where we got to see more of the TARDIS. I absolutely loved getting to see the infamous swimming pool, the Doctor's
library and what exactly keeps the TARDIS flying. The fact that the TARDIS is so big that it can hide bad things that even the Doctor doesn't know about sent shivers down my spine. I enjoyed the story line of the Van Baalen brothers and that even after time reset itself the events still left echoes of it within everyone.
Highlight(s) of the episode: The chance to see more of the TARDIS, my favourite place being the study/library for obvious reasons.

1. The Name of the Doctor by Steven Moffat
I'm pretty sure you know why this episode has made it to the top of my list. It was the episode that this entire series has led up to. Finally, secrets are revealed and the nature of what Trenzalore is was discovered. The story was pretty good and the overall concept was also intriguing. Having both the Great Intelligence and Clara play an important part in the story was wonderful as those two have quite literally been the red herrings throughout the entire second part. And, as I've said before, the fact that the actions of Clara make her special shows that travelling with the Doctor has changed her.
Highlight(s) of the episode: The TARDIS being so distraught that she makes herself the monument to the Doctor and the return (and sad departure) of River Song.

Episodes of note: The Power of Three and Asylum of the Daleks
The Power of Three gets a special mention for it being from the perspective of Amy and Rory and how their lives are changing and for the introduction of Kate Stewart who is the daughter of the much loved Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. The only reason that it didn't make my countdown was because the story line was a bit weak and the resolution wasn't much of a resolution.
Asylum of the Daleks would have made it onto my countdown, but after watching it I felt like there was something missing. The introduction to Oswin Oswald and the return of the Daleks was enough to let it get a special mention, but the episode left me with more questions than answers.

To add to the celebrations of the Fiftieth Anniversary year, I have decided to post my favourite stories from Doctor Who since its revival in 2005. Every Saturday I will post a list of my favourite stories from each series leading up to the week before the Fiftieth Anniversary. Feel free to also share your thoughts in the comments below.

5. The Girl Who Waited by Tom McRae
This was the episode that really, at least for me, cemented Rory and Amy's relationship. It really showed how much Rory cared for Amy and how much Amy needs Rory. This episode, again, allowed the Doctor to step back and let Rory and Amy's relationship to progress. The acting from Arthur and Karen was beautiful. Tell me I'm not the only one who got a pit in their stomach when Older Amy was talking to Rory from the other side of the TARDIS door.
Highlight(s) of the episode: The acting of Karen as a more aged version of herself. I read somewhere that they wanted to get someone else to play an older Amy, but Karen insisted on taking lessons and playing both roles. Also Amy's speech about Rory being the most beautiful person she had ever met.

4. Wedding of River Song by Steven Moffat
This was the episode that came full circle. After the mid-series finale where we find out who River Song really is, we though that there couldn't
be anything more that would surprise us. Lo and behold, we got a wedding. This episode played out well and the different elements that were set out from the beginning of the series really tied everything up. This was a great end to a more darker series.
Highlight(s) of the episode: The wedding of River Song and the Doctor, you can really see that they did marry each other for love. Also the fact that the Doctor wasn't actually dead.

3. The Rebel Flesh/ The Almost People by Matthew Graham
Can anyone say creepy? This two-parter was definitely up there on my things that creep me out list. I think the thing that made it creepy was the fact that it was real humans using science that could actually be real in a few years time. This could be what the future holds for us. The fact that the flesh or gangers actually felt real human emotions and the memories of their human doubles made them seem more real, more human. It was great to see, once again, the tension between humans and another species that could take over. It was also great to see that this wasn't a one-sided win. Some flesh people died and some humans died, and what they gained from all that was to teach others that gangers can be good and are capable of compassion.
Highlight(s) of the episodes: The human-ganger relationships and the fact that they found a way for them to actually live a together.

2. The Doctor's Wife by Neil Gaiman
This episode. Wow. This episode was pure brilliance. The concept of making the TARDIS into a living, talking being had never crossed my mind until I read the premise of this episode. We all knew that the TARDIS was a living entity, we knew that she could think for herself and that she was able to understand the Doctor at times. It is said by some that the bond between a TARDIS and a Timelord is something that is almost unbreakable. To have the opportunity to see these two interact was an absolute blessing. I applaud you, Mr Gaiman. You really out-did yourself this time.
Highlight(s) of this episode: I think you know what was the highlight of this episode. Having said that, I would also like to say that the end when the TARDIS finally has to leave her weak, mortal body was one of the most heartbreaking scenes ever. The relationships the Doctor has with his companions will never amount to the relationship he has with his TARDIS. After all, after they're gone it's just him and her out to explore the universe.

1. The Impossible Astronaut/ Day of the Moon by Steven Moffat
America 1969, the moon landing, the Doctor's death and scary creatures that you forget when you look away. This definitely a unique way ti kick off a new series. The first five minutes not only set the tone for the rest of the two-parter, but also for the rest of the series. Was just me or did the whole series become darker every time you remembered the Doctor getting shot by that astronaut by Lake Silencio? The introduction of the silence and what they were was perfect. The play on American conspiracies about the Men in Black and having your memories altered was great with a touch of now-I-don't-know-if there-really-is-a-monster under-my-bed-and-even-if-I-checked-I-wouldn't-remember.
Highlight(s) of the episodes: Mark Sheppard as Canton Everett Delaware III, when the Doctor beats the Silence by using the Silence and the end of Day of the Moon where the young girl (who is actually Melody) regenerates. That's what you call a cliff hanger.

Episode(s) of note: Let's Kill Hitler and Night Terrors
Let's Kill Hitler mainly for the fact that it gave us more of a Melody/River back story the reason it didn't make my list was because there was a lot more River and a lot less Hitler. Night Terrors just almost made it onto my list too because of its genuine scariness and Matt interacting with a child again. The reason it didn't make my list? Believe it or not, but it's because it was too scary that I didn't want to bring back the memories of those creepy dolls.

Last night, Matt Smith announced that he was leaving Doctor Who after the Christmas special this year. I thought I would write an open letter to him to thank him for the time he spent on the TARDIS.

Dear Matt Smith

It is with a heavy heart that I write this to you. If David was the man who made me fall in love with the Doctor, then you are the man who made me see the Doctor as my best friend. Through your Doctor I have seen the old man with the young heart. I've felt the rage of a thousand year old Timelord and seen the kind-hearted spirit of the Doctor.

Saying goodbye is hard and, like the Doctor, I hate endings. Whenever it does come to goodbyes, I never know what to say and I usually regret everything I've said afterwards. So, I'm not going to say goodbye, I'm going to say thank you. Thank you for all the times you have made me cry and laugh and say, "What the hell just happened?" Thank you for making me feel special and for those amazing moments when you made me feel like I was part of a community of people who were just like me. Your Doctor, like everyone who has entered the TARDIS, will always hold special place in my heart. I learnt to love, forgive and treat every battle like it's my last. Through your eyes I have seen new worlds and met great people and I've grown up. Thank you, Matt Smith, for being there. For crawling into my heart and making me love you even when I was still upset about David leaving. Thank you for being my best friend.

I know that I'm just a seventeen year old girl from South Africa with big hopes for the future, but thanks to you and the entire Doctor Who community, I have learnt to fight for my dreams and one day I hope to write for Doctor Who. Speaking as myself, you are always welcome back and you will always be part of this family. Always. Twenty years from now when you've won Oscars you will still have us, rooting you on and supporting your every decision. You are always in our hearts.

Lots of two-hearted love from
Rasmika.

I understand that Doctor Who is show about change, but that doesn't mean that I don't get upset when I find out that someone is leaving the show. I highly doubt that Matt will ever see this, but I thought I would just write it show the internet how I really feel. I'm sure the next person to play the Doctor will fill his (or her) predecessors' shoes well and that the legacy of Doctor Who will still live on.

After much anticipation the new episode of Doctor Who aired yesterday and what an episode it was. In this episode the Doctor is more dejected and refuses to help in anyway possible. He knows that there is something sinister going on, but he is still adamant on not helping "Team Vastra" as they've been dubbed by fans. There is, however, one person who can change all that... (Warning! Spoilers ahead)

This year's Christmas special brought about a whole lot of news. New TARDIS interior, new companion and a new title sequence and theme tune, but I'll get to that later. Firstly let's begin with the story line.
It all starts with a little boy who excludes himself from the kids. Probably because he doesn't like them or more so maybe because they don't understand him or maybe he prefers his own company. For whatever reason, this telepathic snow chooses little Walter Simeon to mirror. 50 years later and Walter and his giant snow globe are trying to take over the world one snowman at a time. It's a classic Doctor Who villain story and Richard E Grant makes a perfect Dr Simeon, but the person who stole the show was none other than Jenna-Louise Coleman. She is such a superb actress and Clara is a no nonsense kind of girl. Barmaid by night and prim governess by day, Clara is just the perfect type of person to bring the Doctor back from the sad place he entered when Amy and Rory left. Clara, like most of us, is very curious and she is also very brave. One of the first things she does is chase after the Doctor's coach and pop her head through the roof as well as following the Doctor to his TARDIS in the sky. Jenna-Louise Coleman is perfect at playing her, but I'll get back to that in a minute.

Moving onto Team Vastra. It took me a while to get used to Vastra, Jenny and Strax and, although I liked their parts in A Good Man Goes to War I wasn't sure if I would like to see them return, but I quickly warmed up to them. Vastra and Jenny are such a good pairing and to me it doesn't seem at all weird that Vastra is a lizard woman let alone lesbian. The thing that bothered me was seeing two of the Doctor's enemies become his friends, still Strax brings a humorous side to the episode and I like that Vastra is also nicknamed the Great Detective. Speaking of detectives there are multiple Sherlock Holmes references in the episode from Dr Simeon mentioning a "Dr Doyle" to the Doctor wearing a deerstalker and going under the alias of Sherlock Holmes. It was almost like Steven Moffat's way of saying this is the closest thing you're going to get  to the Doctor and the famed detective. (Just a little side note the Doctor has dressed up as Sherlock Holmes before.)

This Christmas special was possibly one of my favourites, it was humorous, sad, captivating and played out like an hour long movie, but the biggest mystery came at the end when the Doctor realised Clara's full name (Clara Oswin Oswald) and he set about trying to find her. The episode ends wonderfully with Clara (or Oswin or Jenna or whatever you wanna call her) standing over her tombstone in modern day England. This sets in motion the rest of series and I can only assume that the Doctor finds her soon after that because she is wearing similar clothes to some of the behind the scenes pictures.

Anyway, getting back to review at hand. Let's move on to the "news":
New title sequence and theme tune: I had to watch this twice to fully grasp everything about it. I have two words: Classic Who. It reminds me so much of the classic series, but is also up dated and somehow feels modern. I like the new arrangement of the theme and it gives the show a bit more of mystery-thriller atmosphere which it sometimes is, but it stills feels like it had that adventure to it. The only problem I have with the new title sequence is that it's a bit too red for me, but that's just me.
New TARDIS interior: I don't like it. I can live with, but I don't like it. After making the TARDIS into a living breathing person, you can't all of sudden make it into an odd metallic machine! The TARDIS felt so homely and welcoming before, but now it feels more like something that is just transport. The TARDIS isn't just transport it's a whole world inside a 1960's police box! Yeah, it might take me a while to get used to this new interior.

How could you not fall in love?

New companion: I love her. She is wonderful. Truthfully, I liked Karen and I liked Amy, but there were times when I didn't like Amy. I didn't like the way she treated Rory and occasionally tossed him aside, but then the next minute she's proclaiming her love for him. Clara, I can say, is no Amelia Pond. She's fun, clever and extremely good looking. She's also really good with kids. Clara is the only person able to get the Doctor back to his good ol' ways and with just one word: Pond. Her entire interview with Vastra is fantastic and quirky. As you probably know this isn't the first time Jenna-Louise Coleman's appeared in Doctor Who and the mystery of her character is further investigated. She's a face that keeps cropping up everywhere and keeps dying. I hope the dying stops, though, I don't want another repeat of Rory. Oh and did I mention, "It's smaller on the outside."

The episode was wonderful. It kept me engrossed and it wasn't bordering on too dramatic. It was well thought out and not lazily written like some previous episode. After a somewhat disappointing series 7 part 1 and one of the most annoying companion send-offs, it was nice to see Steven Moffat and Matt Smith back on top form and keeping me entertained.

Quite recently, my sister asked me to find a good photo editing software or website that she could use to add effects to some of her pictures. The one website we used to use was Picnik, but is moved to Google+ and so began my journey across the entire worldwide web to find the perfect photo editing tools and programs.

The BeFunky image edited with another on CS5.

Before and after comparison of the two images.

Behind the Scenes: The Crimson Horror

I also had some fun making this gif image of some promotional pictures from the Christmas Special. 


Another website I used was pixlr-o-matic and I even have the program on my computer. You can also use it on Facebook, Google Chrome (as an app) or on your iOS or Android device. It quickly edited the picture below to show off a bit of what it can do. It only adds effects, overlays and frames, but it is fun to use and the effects are wonderful.

Behind the Scenes: Time of the Angels

Black and white picture of Matt for luck