Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Doctor Who (The Second Series): “Arachnids in the UK”

In this latest episode, Yaz, Graham, Ryan and the Doctor leapt out of the rabbit, catching the French by surprise -- not only by surprise but totally unarmed.

Oh, wait. That must be another episode.

In this one, all they did was investigate an epidemic of giant spiders. And deal with an English bigwig who looked and acted like a certain American politician we all know and -- er -- I'm not sure love is the right word to use here.

On the plus side, the name "Team Tardis" had a nice ring to it. Too bad they don't use it more often.

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Doctor Who (The Second Series): “Rosa”

Yes, I get that Rosa Parks was a very famous person and she justly deserves to have her story told and retold. But I can't help but find it a tad amusing that this show's writers assume that the average TV viewer will think of only one person whenever they mention the name "Rosa." After all, Rosa is a popular name among Hispanics even if it's not so popular with Britons.

Oh, well. There were worse things to worry about in this episode -- one of them being the bizarre philosophical questions raised by this episode. After all, the episode's premise revolved around the idea that an alien time traveler was trying to interfere with the American civil rights era by seeing to it that Rosa Parks' famous protest never happened. So the Doctor and her friends were put in the position of -- what? -- making sure Rosa Parks had something to protest about? There was something not quite kosher about that scenario.

I just hope that this doesn't become a trend. I'd hate to tune in each week to see the Doctor and her friends do their damnedest to make sure that a depressing episode of man's cruelty to man goes ahead right on schedule.

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Doctor Who (The Second Series): “The Ghost Monument”

It's The Amazing Race: Outer Space Edition in which two aliens from different worlds compete to win an almost impossible challenge with the help of the Doctor and her friends. Along the way, the Doctor teaches the two aliens the virtues of cooperation and the aliens teach the Doctor -- well, actually I'm not sure about that part. I may have to watch this episode again some time.

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Doctor Who (The Second Series): “The Woman Who Fell to Earth”

Just think. All those years I was growing up, I thought I was just clumsy but now that I've seen this episode and its description of dyspraxia... I was apparently just clumsy.

But seriously, folks.

This was the episode in which Jodie Whittaker officially became the first female Doctor on this show. (Well, she had a brief bit on a previous episode but this is the first episode in which she got to be the Doctor for the entire episode.)

So far, she has done a good job. She is smart and funny and just as fond as long, melodramatic speeches as her predecessors. Plus she has Mickey Smith, Maggie Habib, and Rory's dad as back-ups. Okay, not literally, but it is kinda hard to pretend that Graham, for example, was not just a little inspired by the character of Rory's dad in a previous episode.

Much of the episode was a tad predictable and BBC America didn't help much with their constant spoilers. Then again it was nice to see the casting people put their money where their mouths were as far as diversity was concerned. And it didn't hurt that the show's writers did not feel the need to give the Doctor a sudden shower or bathing scene just to satisfy the most sophomoric of the show's male fans.

So keep your fingers crossed. It looks like it's going to be a bumpy season.

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Doctor Who (The Second Series): “Twice Upon a Time”

The First Doctor met the Twelfth Doctor after which the Thirteenth Doctor (played by Jodie Whittaker) was introduced. (For some reason, I keep wanting to call her Jodie Watley but that, no doubt, is just the aftereffect of having listened to too much 1980s music.) Unfortunately, Ms. Whittaker didn't get much to say in this episode but she should have more to say in future ones.

That said, it was good to see actress Pearl Mackie again even though this seemed to be her last appearance on the show. For that matter, it was good to see Peter Capaldi again that his character has shed all his House-isms.

In any event, I'm guessing we should not take the episode's cliffhanger ending too literally unless it was the producer's way of telling the audience that they changed their mind about Ms. Whittaker. But I really doubt that was the case.

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Doctor Who (The Second Series): “The Pilot”

Geez, to listen to some people's reactions to this episode, one would think that biracial lesbians traveled with the Doctor all the time. If so, they really need to show those episodes because I always thought that Bill Potts was the first one to do so.

Anyway, ten or twenty years ago, this episode would have had audience members gnashing their teeth. Now it barely merits a yawn. So I should consider that progress?

Oh, well. At least Steven Moffat hasn't forgotten that dark-skinned girls like to have adventures too.

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

The Wild Wild West: "The Night of the Steel Assassin"

The villain's last name in this episode would be Torres, wouldn't it? And yet when I first saw this episode as a teenager, I thought nothing of that fact. I was more impressed by the fact that he seemed to be somebody's idea of a nineteenth century version of the bionic man -- only he was created long before anyone had heard of bionic men. Then again, The Wild Wild West was dealing with steampunk-style stories long before anyone ever heard of steampunk so I should not have been surprised.

In any event, when I was a kid, I was fascinated by stories featuring characters that were far more stronger and tougher than myself. I suspect most kids are -- hence the popularity of such benign heroes as Superman, the Six Million Dollar Man and the various animated incarnations of Popeye and Hercules. Of course, I suspect the popularity of vampire movies like the 1972 made-for-TV movie The Night Stalker are also based on such fascination. And of course, it is no accident that popular action movies like the James Bond films regularly feature the hero triumphing over villains who are bigger and stronger than him.

Anyway, Torres was out to seek revenge against President U.S. Grant and agent James West had to stop him. Did he succeed? Well, the name of the show was obviously not The Wild Wild Torres so what do you think?

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Doctor Who (The Second Series): “Flatline”

Wow! How often do you see a TV show or movie nowadays in which the good guys win not by using guns or knives or fists or explosives but by using superior artistic ability?

Plus the show's writers have apparently discovered that the best way to make the Doctor seem likeable is to place him in the same episode as a character who is even more unlikable than he is. Too bad they can't do that every week.

However, I will give the show additional props for giving the Doctor a good speech towards the end.

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Doctor Who (The Second Series): “Dinosaurs on a Spaceship”

It's dinosaurs. On a spaceship.

Plus Rory's dad. (Wait. Rory has a dad?)

And yes, the Doctor did some stuff, too.

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

The X-Files: “Nothing Lasts Forever”

Cool: An episode about a Latina vampire slayer.

Plus we also get to see Mulder and Scully discuss religion.

And a handy -- though more than a bit horrific -- metaphor for cultural assimilation.

And yet another handy catchphrase for the show's aficionados.

And the most memorable use of a certain Maureen McGovern song since the original Poseidon Adventure.

Not So Cool: There is no real ending given to the Latina slayer's story arc. No hint as to why she did not immediately go to jail or suffer any fate worse than a sad look at her photo from her own mother.

For that matter, it would have been nice if the Latina slayer had been played by an actual Latina but then nowadays even Guillermo del Toro is not that politically correct in his casting decisions involving Latin characters so it seems silly for me to expect more from the likes of producer Chris Carter.

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

The Twilight Zone (1985): “A Little Peace and Quiet”

Melinda Dillon played a humble housewife who stumbled across a gold pendant that gave her the magical ability to make time stop -- and restart -- whenever she wished, only to find out -- surprise, surprise! -- that there was a drawback to her newfound ability.

What else can I say? I must admit that this episode had one heck of a memorable ending -- but I could not help but wonder what happened next.

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

The X-Files: “Mulder & Scully Meet the Were-Monster”

Apparently it sucks being human. Who knew?

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

The X-Files: “My Struggle III”

It's official. The Cigarette-Smoking Man is not only one of the most memorable villains to ever appear on a TV show within the last quarter-century but he's also an outright bastard. Poor Scully.

And what happened to Agent Reyes? Who would have guessed that she of all people would cross over to the dark side?

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Doctor Who (The Second Series): “Kill the Moon”

Well, I always wanted to see a Doctor Who episode with Mexicans in it. However, after seeing this episode, it seemed quite obvious that I should have been more specific.

On the plus side, we got a surprisingly convincing picture of a post-NASA world in which a would-be astronaut finally got to fulfill her lifelong dream of travelling to the Moon, only to find out she had to blow it up.

The Doctor, fortunately, had a better idea but unfortunately, said idea was based on one of the most idiotic ideas about the Moon ever to be presented on TV. (Indeed, one would have to go back to the old Night Gallery episode "The Nature of the Enemy" to find a dumber idea.)

For that matter, this episode managed to come up with a surprisingly silly pro-life metaphor. I suppose my inner Catholic should be offended but that would mean taking the episode more seriously than it deserved to be. However, I would not be surprised to find out that the makers of this episode had to do some serious penance.

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Doctor Who (The Second Series): "The Caretaker"

It's official.

The Doctor is the new Greg House.

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Doctor Who (The Second Series): “Listen”

Oh, no! Steven Moffat is being haunted by the ghost of M. R. James!

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Doctor Who (The Second Series): “Robot of Sherwood”

Boy, I miss Bugs Bunny.

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Doctor Who (The Second Series): “Into the Dalek”

#NotAllDaleks#: Part II.

But seriously, folks...

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Doctor Who (The Second Series): “Deep Breath”

The new Doctor got swallowed by a dinosaur.

No, seriously.

Also, Vastra -- everyone's favorite lizard lady -- and her "wife" returned to help out the Doctor and Clara. It turned out that the Doctor had regenerated again and this time he had turned into Peter Capaldi. And Vastra had turned into Leo DiCaprio.

No, seriously.

Plus Clara got a phone call from Matt Smith who played the old Doctor.

No, seri--

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Doctor Who (The Second Series): "Asylum of the Daleks"

#NotAllDaleks#: Part I.

This was the episode that introduced the viewers to the concept of a crazy Dalek -- which, given the fact that all Daleks were homicidally insane by definition, seemed like a contradiction in terms.

It also introduced us to English actress Jenna-Louise Coleman -- AKA Jenna Coleman -- a woman so cute that she undoubtedly makes Amy Adams feel like an old hag. Unfortunately, Jenna's character did not survive this episode, but that was okay. Steven Moffat had seen to it that she would return again that season not just once but many times. So many times that it would be a wonder if you didn't get sick of her.

As for the plot... The Doctor was invited to a distant planet to help out the Daleks. No, seriously, that was what he did in this episode -- travel to a distant planet to help out one of his worst enemies. Apparently, the Daleks were having trouble with one of their fellow Daleks so naturally they called the Doctor for help.

No, seriously.

Plus Amy and Rory came all along for no good reason. Though it was kinda cute that Amy was more gung-ho about this adventure than poor Rory.