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Doctor Who 10x06 "Extremis" full reaction (Patreon)

Published:
2020-12-30 22:14:09
Imported:
2026-06

Content

"Do me a favor. The Fatality Index. Look up The Doctor." 👀


For those syncing up, there was a little buffering early on, so I gave a little more footage to re-sync. And then I decreased the 'noise' for the rest of the reaction, because I think I remember it buffering again but I couldn't find it again in the edit. Kind of a challenging one to watch, I'm sorry about that! :-( Damn internet...

Files

dw10x06-patreon.mp4

Comments

desdinova

I'm so glad to hear you picked up on the River vibes that Nardole is giving off. You don't really expect anyone to do so before this episode because there's not really a reason to strongly connect them before now. But even afterwards it's not often commented on. Funnily enough, during series 10 there was an interview with Steven Moffat where he said that while he was writing Husbands of River Song it made him remember just how much fun it was and just how much he loved writing River as a character. And so while he couldn't bring her back now that her story was truly finished. He did have the idea that he could keep 'the spirit of River' alive through Nardole. So he cheekily rewrites Nardole a little bit, changing him up from the comic relief that he was in Husbands to the guy looking after the Doctor for River. The scenes of him arriving on the planet where Missy is to be executed are chronologically-speaking the first scenes of him officially becoming a companion and how does he arrive? As a priest, spreading the gospel of River Song, reading from the holy text that is her diary. Not only has River left the Doctor Who universe, but shes ascended it. Becoming a sort of goddess watching over the Doctor this series, and sending her disciple to be with him. Which is perfect River. And makes your comments about the similarities between Nardole and River spot on! Speaking of Rivers gospel that Nardole is preaching, he's specifically reading the passage "without hope, without witness, without reward" which becomes the mantra that the simulation Doctor uses to 'resolve' the story. This touches back on Moffats running idea of the Doctor being an ideal to strive to rather than any specific person. Just like Clara could become the Doctor in Face the Raven/Hell Bent by living up to the Doctors creed, so can this simulation Doctor. "You don't have to be real to be the Doctor" is basically an expansion of the idea that 'anyone can be the Doctor' which the Doctor being an ideal to strive for means. So there's lots of great dense thematic work going on in this story. Not to mention all the interesting philosophical stuff such as the idea of the shadow world and simulated people and even the Doctors blindness to the world all evoking the allegory of Plato's Cave and everyone questioning whether or not they're real evoking Descartes' "I think, therefore I am." But you don't need to think about any of that deeper thematic stuff, it's just an excellent episode as is. Lots of great moments and ideas. The deliberate Angels and Demons homage with the first 20 minutes - a conspiracy thriller involving the Vatican and CERN - is something new for Who and the first few scenes with the Pope and Cardinals visiting the Doctor late at night is really cool. What I love about Moffat stories is how he has an idea and pushes it as far as it can possibly go. So of course we get to visit the Pentagon and end in the Oval Office. Why not? It's a simulation with portals leading anywhere. The idea of a simulation is more than just the foundation for a creepy sci-fi story, its a chance to explore the philisophical idea of 'the self' and how that relates to not only the simulated Doctor willing himself into becoming the actual Doctor but also with Missy and how she tried to beg for her life by saying she'll change. Will she change? Can she? Does she actually want to or is it an evil plan? It's never just one thing with him, there's always so much going on. So you can rewatch his episodes dozens of times and still notice something new. Jamie Mathieson, the writer of Oxygen, had just put in the Doctor becoming blind into his story because he thought it would be interesting to see how the Doctor would cope being at such a disadvantage but he'd get his eyesight back at the end. But when Moffat read it he thought that the idea was brilliant and so suggested that Mathieson write in that last line of the Doctor still being blind so that Moffat could carry it on in this episode. Great reaction as always!

Fourth Wall Reactions
>>50739476

Thanks for this great post! I really appreciate hearing about the intent behind the writing. One of the things I'm most looking forward to doing when I catch up with the show, is diving into all the interviews, commentaries, and discussions about those things.

desdinova
>>50739476

That's so cool! I hope you enjoy that when you catch up! I've been doing a similar thing with the Classic Doctor Who series and it is very interesting. If I may make a suggestion, in addition to the interviews, commentaries, and discussions. There is a book by Russell T. Davies and Benjamin Cook, who is a writer for Doctor Who Magazine called The Writers Tale. The premise of the book originally started as the idea for a magazine article. Cook suggested that they start a conversation over email while RTD was writing the 2007 Christmas special and then just print the entire email chain verbatim in that months issue of the Magazine, so the audience could get an idea of exactly what goes on in the mind of the person making Doctor Who while they're right in the middle of it. But the conversation never stopped and instead of an article about the Christmas special it became an entire book detailing RTDs mindset and the behind-the-scenes story of the Christmas special and the entirety of series 4. There was also an extended edition released later because they continued their email conversation all the way up until the production wrapped on The End of Time. It's extremely candid. Basically just an entire year in the shoes of a Doctor Who showrunner. It's an absolutely fascinating read for just fans of television production in general but especially for Doctor Who fans.

JY

I love this episode purely due to the fact it feels like a movie. The surprises and twist reveals here makes the episode even better as it really comes together towards the end. The twists here put things into a good focus where everything starts to click and make sense which I feel brings a good impact. I never felt this way with previous twists in the Moffat era. The Pope visiting The Doctor is so bizzare yet so interesting, the pope interupting Bill's date was funny and the tone and reactions regarding the Veritas made the whole scenario very intriguing. There's a real sense of tension when Bill and Nardole meet the scientist at SERN and when they find the explosives under the tables, I found that so surprising and intriguing at the same time. Especially when they all kept saying and thinking the same number figures. Nardole and Bill's reactions to finding out they weren't real was also quite perplexing. The productions are good and everything is directed and performed so greatly here. This is such a genuinely engaging story and it feels so refreshing compared to the stories we've had in the previous series. :)