30 Days of Doctor Who: The Wrap Up

Holly and Kelly: So we're FINALLY finishing this thing, even though it hasn't been 30 days. Needless to say, the 30 day challenge proved to be too much for us. With our mom coming to visit, working, hanging out, kicking butt and now I'm (Kelly) waiting for a staff meeting to start, we just decided to wrap this thing up and do our best to continue to blog about other topics we've come up with at hand. We LOVE Doctor Who, without a doubt, but we decided we're tired of being prompted. Needless to say we're straying from 30 day challenges for a while; they were easier to do when we weren't working regularly! Anyway, we thought it would be appropriate to wrap this challenge up, saying why we love Doctor Who so much: 

1. It draws us closer to God and makes us more like Jesus
Seriously. Not so much be like The Doctor per se, because he himself isn't real. But God is real in our lives, and the show makes us want to be more like Christ. Not that we use it as an example of how to be like Christ, but in the sense that The Doctor is actually a good role model. If you look and think deeper into the show, it does have a lot of Christian elements in it...in our opinions. We appreciate the fact that the show values people, for the most part. The main characters have very strong moral compasses, which is a plus. Not to mention we're also delving into a bit of the Classic eps, and they are no different, with the exception of a few years.

2. It's welcoming. 
The Doctor isn't a stranger to anybody. He finds people from different walks of life, the wash outs, the nobodys, the "just a temp" kind of people, and changes them. He makes them better. That for us allows us to try and do the same; we love because Christ first loved us. It's the way God finds and loves us! No matter what they have been through, he accepts them, and he teaches them to accept others...and themselves. This somewhat ties into our last point. Bear in mind, you have to respect the fact that this show has been around for over 50 years!

3. Good escape
Sometimes, days just really suck. Work is stressful, stuff is going on at home, friends are hurting, whatever. We turn to God, each other, phone calls to home and to The Doctor to help us cope. And then we find ourselves a little bit better.

4. The music. 
Need we say more? Refer to our post from earlier regarding our favorite music.

5. It's relatable. 
Well yeah. You've got this extraordinary, 900+ year old time traveler who has seen...well, gee, EVERYTHING. He can go anywhere, has seen everything, and yet, he's like us in a sense. He's lonely, which is something we've all struggled with. He seeks companions that are every day people; looking and longing for something more, that one "missing piece." All of their lives change because of The Doctor, both in good and unfortunately some in bad ways. One way or another, we influence who we as every day people come in contact with, and it's a good reminder for us to take that small extra step to go a bit further with someone, because while you may be changing them, they may be also changing you. Just ask Kelly. :)

6. The community. 
It never fails every time we go to Hasting's to purchase something Doctor Who related, the cashier always ends up engaging one or both of us in friendly Who conversation. And they always ask if we've seen The Day of the Doctor (which we have!) And most recently, last night. There's a 2 night event going on this week and last night was the first night (the last night is tonight sadly), and it was a showing of Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel. It wasn't a packed house by any means, but there was a pretty good crowd. Anyway, we were at the theater and we saw a girl with a bowtie and fez on. I (Kelly) smiled and said "fezzes are cool." She smiled. Then at the end of the viewing and the credits were rolling, this guy just looked around and said "these are my kind of people." With any big movie and TV franchise this happens; it happened when we saw The Hobbit too. No matter who they are or what walk of life they come from, everyone is so nice! We have yet to meet a cross Whovian or Ringer!

So there you have it. The secret is out! This challenge has come to an end. We will be back to posting regular topics soon. Thanks for hanging with us. Allons-y!!!

30 Days of Doctor Who: Favorite Doctor Gadget and Favorite Interview

Holly: I love the TARDIS.  Seriously, I do.

I don't even know where to begin.  What I wouldn't give for a magical blue box of my own?  I love all the sounds and quirks it has (I have to agree with Eleven, that "sound" is glorious...and if I have to explain, then you'll just never know).  I LOVED "The Doctor's Wife"; the TARDIS personified- basically nothing short of brilliant (and a wee bit...ok a lot bit...sad too!).  Bigger on the inside, that impeccable blue color, I love it all!  We watched "An Adventure in Space and Time" last night (side note, if you have not watched that yet and claim to be a Who fan, SHAME ON YOU.  WATCH IT ASAP.  It is brilliant and beautiful and will make you do all kinds of feely happy warm fuzzy things at the end.  Ok, I'm done.  Shew, that Coke Zero is kicking in BIG. TIME, y'all)....anyway, we watched that last night and we got to see the very first TARDIS, in color!  I freaked out big time.  Someone get me a TARDIS, please?

My favorite interview....it's just over a year old (2013) and it's David Tennant and some other I'm guessing British celebs.  There's a sketch bit in the beginning, and I will warn you, the beginning is a bit on the inappropriate side.  But the rest of the interview is absolutely charming and delightful....much like our favorite Doctor :)

DT interview (non-inappropriate stuff starts at 1:40)

Kelly: Something I wish I could have should I need it; psychic paper. What it is is that when The Doctor has it, it's just blank. But when he shows it to someone its whatever he wants the viewer to see. For example, in one episode someone asked who he was and he flashed it and said he was an undercover cop from Scotland Yard (I think that was from The Unicorn and the Wasp). However, sometimes the paper doesn't do what its supposed to and it gets caught in its bluff. One kid just saw a bunch of squiggly lines...now I really can't remember what episode that was from. Something, like I said, that would be very useful to have.

My favorite interview is HILARIOUS. Freema Agyeman, aka Martha from Season 3 and a tiny bit of 4, is on the radio doing an interview on the radio where listeners call in and ask questions. She gets a call from "Derek" who ends up being a bit of a creeper. It is later revealed who "Derek" is and is quite hilarious (actually the title of the YouTube clip gives it away but you probably could have figured it out.) And it's just audio but you'll get the jist of it pretty quickly. "Derek" comes in around 3 minutes into the video.

Freema radio interview

30 Days of Doctor Who: Favorite quote and favorite Doctor catchphrase

Kelly: So you have now realized that yes this is 30 days, but not 30 consecutive days. Haha. Anyway, with this we each picked our favorite "serious" so called quote and then our favorite funny one. So enjoy.

"We're all stories in the end. Just make it a good one."

Though it's from my least favorite season of the show, this was one of my favorites. In the scene where he speaks this, The Doctor is talking to a sleeping young Amy, putting her to bed and telling her of her new life, all the while knowing that she'll forget him, as time has been rewritten. It makes me think about where my story is heading, and if I'm doing my best to be the person that God wants me to be. I sometimes wonder how my story will end; with God or elsewhere? Only He knows that. And I am trying my hardest to make my story a good one, as he would say. Challenge accepted for some of you readers I presume. And now for the funny bit.

"Do you know why? Because you're so thick! You're Mister Thick Thick Thickety Thick Face from Thicktown, Thickania. And so is your dad."

Oy. Had to pull up the transcript to make sure I got it right. This silly blunder is from one of my favorite episodes, The Girl in the Fireplace, and to me it shows 10's silliness along with his "charm," if you want to call it that. But ahhh, we love him so. He has so many funny one liners.

Holly: Guys, this show has some KICK. BUTT. writing.  I mean, woah.  I have waaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy too many favorite quotes.  But I'll be good and do my two-part.

"We all change, when you think about it.  We're all different people, all through our lives, and that's ok, that's good!  You've got to keep moving, so long as you remember all the people you used to be." 

So....yeah, I love this quote.  We hear this from Eleven literally as he's about to regenerate.  Talk about irony, huh?  SAD and wonderful irony.  I am so thankful that I am not the person I used to be, but oftentimes I think of where I was and who I used to be...what a difference!  A good one, though.  Sometimes we just want to blaze through life and forget about all the stupid stuff we did, the bad choices we made, the things we didn't say, what have you.  I think, in order for us as people to move forward, we have to humble ourselves and remember that we weren't always where we are now, and usually, at least in my experience, it's for the best.

"Excuse me, do you mind not farting while I'm trying to save the world?"

Let's face it, Nine doesn't get much love.  Which is a shame, in my opinion.  This line is gold.  Solid gold.  Every time I watch that ep I always have to go back and rewind that part.

And I think our favorite catchphrase is a phrase that should be used in everyday common speech.

Allons-y!!! 

30 Days of Doctor Who: Favorite friendship/Favorite spoof

Holly: All together now: "Doctor Donna, friend! Doctor Donna, friend! Doctor Donna, friend!"

In terms of comic relief, these two definitely take the cake- they bicker and nitpick each other so much it's almost like watching an old married couple, which they actually get mistaken for a time or two.  A married couple, not an "old" married couple.....ANYWAY.  They go on some pretty wild adventures together.  Donna gets to meet Martha, the Doctor's "daughter", and even Rose!  Though the story has a terribly heartbreaking ending, it's still a hoot to watch them.  Plus, without Donna, you don't get Wilf, which....oh Lord.  If you don't love Wilf, you're wrong.  End of discussion.  

Kelly: You see, I have a different take on the first pairing; The Doctor and Rose. 

Yes, I do believe that without a doubt they loved each other. However I don't think it was always so. Like any couple starting out and wondering if there is "something more," it's like meeting a new friend. Especially with Rose and Ten; she had to re learn to trust, believe and ultimately love a new face all over again. Again, I think that they did love each other, yes, but I think their love was a brother/sister/looking out for each other love...that is, until Journey's End. And when you think about it, when someone gets married, they "marry their best friend." So that's the way I see it. It's a love, like a romantic love, but I think they also have a "best buddy" sort of love, if that makes sense. You see their relationship flourish throughout seasons 1 and 2, and you're just like oh my GOSH. I hope to have that with someone one day. They don't come right out and say "I love you," well....ok, there was once...SPOILERS. But it is sweet nonetheless. They complete each other. And you know what else is so great? They hit it off in real life and to my knowledge are still friends today. Now isn't that just super awesome? 

Our favorite spoof/spin off is one that I stumbled upon while just browsing the world wide web one day. No, we haven't seen Torchwood or the Sarah Jane Chronicles or any of the animated stuff, and we're still undecided about whether or not we want to delve into those yet. Anyway, this one we found is called The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot. It was created by David Tennant's wife Georgia for the 50th Anniversary celebration of the show. It's in the style of The Office; as a "mockumentary/drama" sort of thing, and it's just goofy and fun. It features just about everyone who's been on the show, and it takes a look at some of the older doctors and "what they've done post Doctor Who" since they have hung up their keys to the TARDIS. It's only 30 minutes long, and if you are a fan of Who definitely take a look at it; if you just google it you should be able to find it. Please enjoy. 

30 Days of Doctor Who: Favorite Couple

Kelly: This took me a while to deliberate, but my favorite are the sweet, lovable and adorable Ponds!

Maw!!! Don't you just love them? :))))) 

I think I love them so much because they remind me of me; it took them a while to realize they were more than friends, found something, had some problems but got back together. Though I'm currently not in a relationship....there has been something stirring around in my life for a wee bit...stay tuned on that. They then let the Doctor into their lives and house when he has to solve the mystery of the millions of small cubes...ahh another one of my favorite episodes. Plus Rory's a nurse...like me!!! Like many of the Doctor's companions, he helps them, but I think that though he doesn't know it, they help him too. I hope one day to find someone who loves Amy the way Rory does. A man who would wait 2,000 YEARS for the woman he loves is a keeper, whoops. Spoilers.

Holly: If Amy and Rory were any sweeter, I would have diabetes.  Fo shiz.  I'm going to talk about a fairly popular combination.........drum roll please................

You probably guessed it a long time ago :)

Ah yes, Ten and Rose.  I loved them within the first five minutes of them being on screen together (granted, Ten was newly regenerated and mostly in a comatose-like state), but I digress.  Rose was his first companion, and over just the one season with Nine we went from MAJOR uncertainty, almost a brashness, to a deep caring, on both parts.  Rose was devastated to lose Nine, and it took a while for her to warm up to this completely different Doctor.  And then we lost Rose......man, that still gets me after all this time.

I don't care what anyone else says, plain and simple, they loved each other.  Heck, Rose was the ONLY companion to tell the Doctor "I love you".  Traveling with the Doctor changed Rose, definitely, but it's only until later when we realize that traveling with Rose changed the Doctor as well.  "You made me better," he tells her towards the end of "Journey's End".  She saved him from himself, and he saved her from a life full of "what ifs".  And then some.  I think, secretly, they both made us all better.  The end of their story, of course, is nothing short of heartbreaking, but I think that in any love story there is some element of tragedy, loss.

I love their story, I love watching them together.  I don't think I'll ever grow tired of it.

30 Days of Doctor Who: Least Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress

Kelly: The first one...it's not nice. I don't have a least favorite. Really. I think everyone who has ever been on the show has done an excellent job, even if they were given obnoxious or just downright awful roles. That is all. When it comes to my favorite actress, I really had to think about this one. I think all of the actresses who have been companions/guest stars/whatever have all done a wonderful job. Each has played their role so well, so this was a hard choice. But the winner for me is....Karen Gillan.

Amy Pond. :) 

After 10's run, it took me a while to REALLY warm up to not only the 11th Doctor, but a new cast, new producer, new writers, etc. I have yet to see any of Karen's other work, but I have a few things on my list that I will be checking out within the next couple of months or so. I think she did such a good job of portraying Amy as someone that is easily identifiable; I relate to Amy in a lot of ways. She's married to a nurse (!!!) and for a while is torn between following the Doctor or settling down with a husband and a domestic life. But in the end, she chooses her husband, even though the circumstances were quite tragic...SPOILERS. Plus, I love the fact that she and Matt are still good friends. :) So yeah. Like I said, this was a hard choice for me, but don't knock change; you may end up really liking it!

Holly: So I also have to agree with Kelly on the "least favorite actor" bit.  Honestly, this show employs some incredibly, incredibly talented actors.  I truly feel each and every one of them give 110% in their roles.  There's some big names on this show and they all just do an awesome job!  Seriously.  Major props from me to them.  Anywho, that's that.

In terms of favorite actress, while I also utterly adore Karen Gillan (seriously, I follow her on Twitter and she is just so stinkin' cool and down-to-earth.  I would love to have coffee with her sometime), I am surprised at how much I fell in love with Jenna Coleman's portrayal of Clara.  She's only been on the show for a short time, but she, like the other companions, has the utmost of devotion for the Doctor.  And I love that.  We watched "Day of the Doctor" last night (!!!!!!!!!!) and there's a scene towards the end where the three Doctors literally have their hands on a button to destroy their home planet and everyone and everything else on it.  But it's Clara who gets through to Eleven and says "No.  These are your people."  She just gets him; she's almost motherly to Eleven. She's the Impossible Girl.  She comes on as strong and snarky, but doesn't really let on just how unsure she is, especially since Eleven seems to know A LOT more about her than he lets on.  I am really excited to see her in her first full season with a new Doctor.

In addition to all of that, Jenna Coleman is just beyond adorable.  I love her energy and her attitude; it's a lot like me! :)

30 Days of Doctor Who: Least favorite actress/Favorite writer

Holly: Again with this "least favorite" business...no.  Just no.  Every lady on this show does a fantastic job.  Seriously.  I'm done with that.

In terms of favorite writer, off the top of my head, Paul Cornell comes to my mind.  He wrote what is perhaps my favorite Who episode, "Human Nature/Family of Blood".  Oh. my. goodness.  To keep it brief without giving too much away, it's nothing short of brilliant.  And we won't even touch with a ten foot pole at just how AMAZING David Tennant is in it.  Ok, done with my bias there :)  Go watch it if you haven't yet.  Or if, like me, you've seen it a hundred times, watch it again.

Now, I know a lot of the fans are not terribly pleased with the direction that Moffat has taken the show since David Tennant and RTD's departure, but I admit, I think it's pretty awesome stuff.  Moffat writes some brilliant stuff (and funny too!).  However, RTD's episodes I still enjoy much more, especially his finales: he did a great job of wrapping up all the lose ends, and usually leaving us with a few tears shed in the process as well.  I still love going back to the "oldies" :))) every now and then...

Kelly: We only have one episode left before the end of the newly designed series (tear) and wow I have been impressed. However, I am...sorry. Trying to nom while I write. Anyway I consider myself a fan of the RTD era still overall. In my opinion the post RTD has a lot of just "fluff." I don't like fluff. Chris Chibnall is another good writer, who has appeared in both the RTD and Moffat era. Though a couple of his eps weren't that great, he did write one of my favorite eps: 42. Ahhhh...it's just so good! It wasn't at all what I was expecting but oh my glob it's so good. Just give it a go; it's a heck of a thrill! So yeah. That's all I have to say about that.

30 Days of Doctor Who: Most annoying character/Favorite Actor

Holly: This is probably the longest 30 day writing challenge in existence.  haha.  Gosh, life just has a way of sneaking up on you and allowing the days to just fly and fly and fly, right on by.  We're combining a couple of days again, so I'm (briefly) chatting on what we think is the most annoying character.  Which, I think, is kind of mean, but whatever.  All for the sake of writing, I suppose.

We were not a fan of Lady Christina de Souza, who was in the Tenth special "Planet of the Dead."  To be honest, we weren't a fan of the episode altogether.  I (Holly) was really looking forward to another strong female companion but I just didn't see that in her.  She was really "my way or no way" and kind of greedy, at one point holding on tightly to a sacred treasure instead of letting it go to save a bus full of innocent people.  Not really much of a moral compass either.  Although I have absolutely nothing against the actress (watch Steven Moffat's Jekyll, she's brilliant), but yeah.  Just didn't roll with us too well.

Kelly: So it's no secret on who our favorite actor is.

Yup. You guessed it!

Oh my gloooooooooooooooooooooooooooobbbbbbbbbbbbbb. Talk about talent. Nothing short of genuine, pure raw and amazing talent. I mean seriously. Something that we do is when we like a new show or movie, we do our best to watch some of the other things the leading gent (or leading lady) have been in in the past. We've just started doing this with Matt Smith, and we've seen a good bit of David Tennant's other work besides as the dear Doctor himself. One thing that I really love is that he genuinely cares for and about his fans, and it's super sweet. Don't really know too many people in general who spare a second thought to those outside of their little comfortable network. We have some of our favorite pre/post Doctor media, like Broadchurch, Single Father and Nativity 2 (we strongly encourage you lot to check them out). But my personal favorite of his other than the Doctor is his role in a TV movie that came out a few years ago titled Recovery. Recovery tells the story of a man who after a tragic accident suffers from a traumatic brain injury. This changes his personality, his ambitions and his life as he struggles to relearn how to be a husband, working class individual and father. You will laugh, you will cry (or at least I did) and I hope you will spare a thought for those who have gone through what the story portrays.

Having been exposed to injuries and illnesses of that nature, I have to applaud David's performance, because in not only my personal, but as a healthcare provider, it was pretty spot on! But seriously, if you all have a favorite actor/actress, stray away from the role that they are "known" for, look into some other things they have done, and let me tell you you will have such a new found appreciation for them not only in their careers but as people. Yes. They are people before they are actors/actresses. I think that that is so often forgotten. So there you have it! 

30 Days of Doctor Who: Character you love that everyone hates

Kelly: Martha Jones. Seriously...WHAT is with all the Martha hate?! I don't get it. Next to Rose, she's my favorite solo companion. Ok, I will be honest, she did irritate me at first, but then at the end of Smith and Jones she redeemed herself big. Like I said, she's now my second favorite companion.  And that's all I really have to say about that.

Holly: Maybe because she asks a lot of questions???? Heck, I do that :P NEXT!! Seriously, I think her story arc is the best out of the companions: she starts out snarky and unsure to being the one person the Doctor can depend on, not to mention kicking some serious tail and literally saving the world (and the Doctor too!).  I don't get it either.  I will admit, I was the least emotionally attached to her because her exit was not horrendously sad or tragic, but I still missed her when she "got out" (SPOILERS).

Anyway, like Kelly, I don't really understand all the hate either.  Perhaps someone could shed some light on it...?  Or not.  We still love season 3 anyway :P

30 Days of Doctor Who: Favorite Music

Holly and Kelly: So technically, today is supposed to be favorite theme song, but that's silly, because this show has AWESOME music.  Seriously.  That's one of the things we love about this show.  Instead of the theme music, we are going to sample some of our favorite tracks from the show, since you only hear the theme for all of 30 seconds when the credits roll.

1. Abide With Me/The Old Rugged Cross

~This is heard in season 3 in one of our favorite episodes "Gridlock".  A seemingly hopeless situation (drivers stuck in a decades long traffic jam, trapped in an under city) show hope in their new home, and this song is heard being sung by the city as the Doctor tells Martha of his fallen home planet, Gallifrey.  The track is called "Abide With Me." Below is an earlier scene from the same episode; again, everyone is trapped in the gridlock.  But hope resounds in song, or in this case, a hymn.  It's really quite beautiful

2. Rose's Theme

Since Rose is our favorite companion, naturally we love her "theme" as well.  Beautiful, yet with a hint of sadness.  Even though it nearly destroyed us at the end of "Doomsday", we think it suits Rose perfectly.  Give it a listen.  

3. Four Knocks

This is in "The End of Time".  And I'll just stop there.  

4. Together or Not At All- Amy and Rory's song

We fell in love with Amy and Rory, hard, so it goes without saying that we were not really looking forward to "The Angels Take Manhattan".  The scene where you hear this track is unbelievably powerful...how far would you go for the one you love?

Clara's Theme

We have just recently begun Clara's run as companion, and there is something different about her as one. One thing that is different is her "theme." It's very whimsical and unlike the other themes. I (Kelly) think it's cute and want it played at my wedding :) 

And we saved our favorite two for last...

6. The Long Song

In the episode that this song plays in, The 11th Doctor delivers one of the most epic speeches in which he shares his gifts and burdens as a Time Lord who has lived for almost a Century. This speech is given as an attempt to deter a vicious beast from destroying an innocent race. It's amazing. 

7. Song of Freedom

This song still remains our favorite song from Doctor Who. It is heard in Season 4 after a great war has come to an end, and The Doctor, along with his 6 companions are guiding ol' Mother Earth back where she belongs. But what you don't understand is that it just isn't just a song of freedom; it's a song of so much more. It's a song of hope, inspiration, and of course freedom, but a freedom of fear, worry, despair and hopelessness. You feel empowered after you listen to it, seriously! 

30 Days of Doctor Who: Saddest Episode

Kelly: The End of Time. The first time I sat through it, I along with Holly, cried through the majority of the second half and periodically throughout the first half. It's a beautiful and very sad story of 10's departure. But the second time around, the end didn't make me cry at all. It was when he realized that Wilfred was trapped and he would have to let him out, thus sacrificing himself. SPOILERS.

One thing I love about David Tennant is that he is good at saying so much without saying a single word. It's at this moment where he knows what is about to happen, and there's nothing else to be done. But me? I could do so much more! So much more! But this is what I get. My reward. And it's not fair. Oh. I've lived too long. In the previous special, The Waters of Mars, we see The Doctor trying to be a God; trying to save those that were not intended to be saved. But when's about to...well...you know, he goes back to those he met along his life; those he saved without them really knowing it, but for them, it was ok. Mickey and Martha, Donna, Sarah Jane and Luke, and of course Rose. Rose was the first and last set of eyes the 10th Doctor saw. Seeing him leave, and say goodbye, was like losing a friend. This was the Doctor I fell in love with. In the end, he just lets go; lets go of the fact that he has lived for a very long time. But his words, his expressions, all of it, were real and genuine, because he, along with most of Who viewers, have lost someone. We know what that's like, what it feels like, and to see that realness on the big screen just stuck with me. Stuck with the both of us so much that we waited almost a month in between from the End of Time finished until we started Season 5. Yeah. For real.

Holly: So I was going to also pick "The End of Time"...which, let me just say this, made ME cry, and I don't cry at anything.  Ask anybody.  And Kelly so beautifully described it above that I don't think I could add any more to it, even if I tried.  Having said ALL that, a sad episode for me was season 6's "A Good Man Goes To War".

This episode has a lot of stuff happen in just under an hour: The Doctor and Rory find Amy and newborn Melody, with a very, very touching scene between the four of them about halfway through the episode.  The Battle of Demon's Run is on the verge of breaking out, but the Doctor manages to peacefully stop all fighting; even Madame Vastra is pleased, calling it his highest hour.  And then almost instantly, fighting starts and lives are lost.  Little Melody, it turns out, is a Flesh Avatar, and she disintegrates in Amy's arms.  The Doctor tries to console her but she backs away from him.  One of the Doctor's unknown admirers, Lorna, dies as well, reminiscing about her childhood encounter with him in the Gamma Forest.  And River.  River confronts the Doctor, almost blaming him; it's at this point that even the Doctor realizes just how powerful he really is.  Turns out the enemies are afraid of our favorite Tardis-traveling Time Lord.  I won't even mention the River storyline...we find out who she really is.  SPOILERS.

There's a lot more to it than this.  Truth be told, it's been a while since I've seen this episode, but it's powerful good stuff.  I liked Matt Smith at this point, but from here on out he just gets better.  (And I'm only saying this because we watched "The Rings of Akhaten" last night and oh my word.  Just oh my word).

30 Days of Doctor Who: Days 8 and 9

Day 8: Least favorite season
Day 9: Favorite master

Holly and Kelly: Well...now that we're a few days behind already...oy. Back to it! These next two are a consensus made by both of us. Our least favorite season was season 5. Not that it was bad by any means, but the majority of the episode plots in our opinion were just, blah. Not climatic, but some of them were actually just not good at all. We have a few from that season we do enjoy (Amy's Choice and The Lodger being our two favorite). Season 5 also began 11's run; while we do love 11 the season opener was really way too long. So that's about it, really. Overall we were pretty disappointed.

Now when it comes to the Master, there's only one that we have watched, so the winner by default is...The Master! You first meet the Master at the end of season 3, although he's mentioned throughout. His last appearance is at The End of Time. The Master has an interesting back story; he saw all of time and space and was driven mad. He's the only other living Time Lord, other than The Doctor. The Master, AKA Harold Saxon, played by John Simm, is brilliant, one who plays mad very well...like Moriarty from Sherlock. You want to hate him because he's an evil dude, but you can't. It's pitiful in a way. This video below is from Season 3's "The Sound of Drums" and it is by far our favorite Master scene. You see not only his madness, but his brilliance and evil all in one.

The Master, having come from another planet, also relearns a lot about the culture he is now immersed in, having been elected Prime Minister of Great Britain. His new discovery? The Teletubbies. Take a look below.

The Master and Teletubbies

So there you have it! 2 days in one! Thanks for hanging with us on our hiatus, but we're back on regular schedule now...for now. Stay tuned for more Doctor Who related posts.

30 Days of Doctor Who: Favorite season

Kelly: 3. Still 3. I don't know if that's ever going to change. Season 3 has some of my favorite episodes and story lines, including my favorite favorite (Human Nature/Family of Blood). Season 6 was a VERY close second, but 3 is still my favorite. It also has my second favorite villain, which I will go more in-depth in a couple of days. The writing is the best, and the progression from start to finish is amazing. Watching Martha go from mere sidekick to actual companion is a treat to watch. Although I do wish she would have gotten a somewhat happier ending...not that it was bad by any means. But she loved the Doctor, and he was still grief stricken  over losing Rose...SPOILERS. Plus I really liked Martha's character...don't know why a lot of the Who fandom didn't.

If you're not a fan of the show already, this season will make you love it, in my opinion....baaah. Had to get up and readjust the washing machine. I also like that in this season you learn a bit about the Doctor's home planet and what his people were like. Previously, all we knew was that he was a Time Lord and his home planet was called Gallifrey, and that was about it. Granted we only learn about one other Time Lord, who turns out to not be like the Doctor at all...gaah. Sorry. More spoilers. Just promise me that those who aren't fans of the show will watch it eventually. Pretty please.

Holly: So, since Kelly discussed Season 3, which is pretty stinkin' hard to beat, I'll chat briefly about season 6.  3 and 6 come in a very close tie for me.  6 was such a great season.  It was the second season featuring Eleven, and we were totally disappointed in the 5th season...a lot of the episodes were, just quite frankly, stupid, with no climaxes, no real plot development.  No real plot.  No real anything except a bunch of sub-par episodes...ANYWAY, I digress.  6.  I think what I love the most about this season is that we see more of Amy and Eleven's relationship; it grows so much stronger.  In fact, Eleven and Amy just shine in this season; they both have some great moments, great lines, great conversations, etc.  Plus, we see more of Rory, whom I love to pieces and then some.  I love the story arc with River/Melody (SPOILERS).  "The Doctor's Wife" and "A Good Man Goes to War" are probably some of the best episodes of the revived series, in my opinion.  With the exception of one episode (and even the ending is awesome, at that), every episode I really, really enjoyed.

If you're new to Eleven's run, give it time.  It gets better, SO much better!

30 Days of Doctor Who: Favorite Alien

Kelly: While I love the language of the Judoon and the goofiness of the Slitheen, my favorite alien is the Hath.

Hath! 

They're only in one episode in the fourth season, The Doctor's Daughter, and I thought they were terrifying at first! They communicate to each other without words, rather their little green chambers with bubbles. They don't like fighting or war, but in the episode they were in their home was being invaded by humans. Martha befriends one and ends up helping her find the Doctor and Donna. The poor hath ends up losing his life by trying to save Martha. The humans and the hath end their war at the end of the episode, with unfortunate circumstances that lead them to their making up...SPOILERS. Well there you have it. The good ol' Hath.

Holly: So I entertained several possibilities for this one.  First, I thought, well, is Novice Hame an alien?

Nah, I decided.  While she is part cat, cats aren't alien.  So I threw that out.  Then, I thought, well, what about the Face of Boe?

Went with no on that one too.  The Face of Boe is....well, he just is, really.  Don't really want to explain all that.  

So I finally decided on an Ood.  

Ood are a basic slave race; they live by orders.  That's their purpose: to serve, and they are happy to do so.  They don't know anything else.  They speak through a communicator, which is what he's holding, as well as telepathy.  And they sing (sort of...), and it's quite beautiful.  When we first see them in "The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit", they go kind of rogue.  Red eyes, y'all.  Red eyes are bad.  But when their eyes are not red, they're so expressive and sweet.  They're sadly mistreated along the Doctor's journeys, but the Ood eventually come to join the side of The Doctor and Rose, and later Donna, and are with the Tenth Doctor in his final moments.  

I want one.  But rest assured I would treat it with the utmost kindness.

30 Days of Doctor Who: Days 3 and 4

Day 3: Least favorite companion
Day 4: Favorite villain

Kelly: Sorry we are just now getting to blogging today. Yesterday was the Kentucky Derby and we were gallivanting with our friends up in Lexington. Then today was Berea's graduation/pinning ceremony/"oops hey haven't seen you in a while let's catch up" day. So now here we are.

My least favorite companion is...Mickey. Ugh. Never liked the guy from the beginning, but to be fair he does redeem himself near the end of his run. And he ends up with Martha, which is a good combination. Ooops. SPOILERS. Anyway, the actor himself was good, but his character was just...not. That's all. That's all I'm going to say about that. My favorite villain is...DALEKS. I just think they're cute. They wobble when they talk and when they're not trying to exterminate the Doctor, I think they're overall pretty harmless. Well...unless you get in their way. They're kind of a sad race too; they were all killed in the Time War and are the Doctor's worst enemy. But oh my goodness they're like a parasite. THEY NEVER DIE. Oy. And I like their voices. One thing that I love about the show is the writing; I literally sit and wonder how these writers come up with these characters and villains, like the Daleks, the Sontaran, Davros, whoever. It's freaking brilliant! How do they do it?! Ok, that's all I have to say about Mickey and the Daleks. I'm tired.

"Would you like some tea?" 

Holly: I'm just going to skip formalities, introductions, etc, and just jump right in.  Mkay?

My least favorite companion, and I think it's a bit of a stretch to even call her a companion, but she's in the second Tenth Doctor special "Planet of the Dead" and she went by the name of Lady Christina de Souza.  Which, to me, it was even a bit of a stretch to have the title "lady" precede her, because all she did was steal things.  ANYWAY, in general, she really annoyed me.  Like Kelly, I have nothing against the actress (she was excellent in Moffat's "Jekyll" series), but the character just didn't do anything for me.

On to villainy....I know I'm going to get some flack for this, but I have to go with the Weeping Angels.  As much as they terrify me, the concept surrounding them is brilliant, just brilliant.  Something as precious as our sight and as mundane as blinking is the very weapon that drives these stone menaces.  They don't kill; essentially they snatch you and drop you off in a different time period, basically "living" their victims to death.  And you can't blink. Like I said, brilliant.  Absolutely terrifying, but brilliant.  I'm afraid of them, fo shiz.

It's ok, y'all didn't need to sleep tonight anyway, right? 

30 Days of Doctor Who: Favorite Doctor

Holly and Kelly: And the winner by unanimous vote....10!!!!

Don't get me wrong, we love all the doctors we've seen. We started watching when 9 debuted, and we're currently watching 11. We love them both very much. But 10 won over our hearts and then some. And how can't you love him?! He's funny, quirky, lovable and let's face it, he's ridiculously adorable! Not to mention David Tennant plays him so well. Now that we've got that out of the way, why do we love 10 so much? Other than what has been mentioned above, there is so much more to him than his general adorableness. He sees the good in every body, no matter what their back stories are. He chooses his companions because on the outside they're just ordinary people, but he sees potential in them to change the world. And while they're helping him change the world (and themselves), they're changing him too. They become his family.  We love his heart- to him, every life is sacred.  He tries to redeem those who seem too far gone.  

But he's also not perfect. He makes a terrible mistake when he tries to mess with time, and that mistake costs him his life. At first he tries to run from it, but he soon realizes he can't and has to face it. This is also why we like him; we can relate to him. We've lost people in our life, we've made and lost friends and we've wanted to take try and take things back.  We've felt alone even in a room full of people, and that's also a big reason we love him- he seems real to us.  Human, almost.  Speaking of human, he even becomes human for a while (now THAT'S a heck of a storyline if you're interested...)

What can we say? He's our Doctor :)

30 Days of Sherlock: Your favorite thing about the show

Holly: It's taken me a few days to think about this, and I'm glad that it's the last part of this writing challenge, because there are many, many things that I like about the show, so to go as far as to pick just one is a bit ludicrous.

For starters, the writing is practically flawless: witty, sharp, thought-provoking.  Sherlock's deductions are delivered at almost break-neck speed (Ok, I suppose that's more of the acting, and less of the writing, but still...).  There are so many great lines.  Second, the characters are so believable, especially John.  He's that one friend you'd want to have on your side, the one friend that everyone wants and the one friend that everyone aspires to be.

Finally, the entire premise of the show is what keeps me watching, and Kelly has mentioned it already, but it bears repeating:  You start out with a lonely, down-on-his-luck Afghanistan veteran, and add in a brilliant, almost mechanic and robotic, almost too-brilliant-for-his-own-good "consulting detective", and bring them together.  It's almost slapstick, if you're on the outside looking in.  But what happens throughout the duration of the series (so far) is almost magic; they start out merely as roommates, flatmates, but at the end of the second series, they've transformed into friends.  Friends?? Really?  Even Sherlock says it himself, "I don't have friends."  Something I have learned through this six-episode arc is that friendship, at its very essence, is more powerful than any mind and is able to break through any barriers.  It can surprise you, it can hurt you, but at the end of the day, it's necessary.  It's vital for life.  It keeps our very human side in check.  Even Sherlock realizes this at his last moments: that we're all humans on this road called life, and we all need someone.  Friends protect people.  And that, my friends, is how TV should be.

Kelly: I suppose I'll get a crack on this. It's 7:23AM and I'm awake. I'll be heading out for more job orientating here in a bit. But anywho, there's too many things I like about the show. If I had to pick one universal thing I like, it would be the dynamic of Sherlock and John. I must give credit to the writers of the show, because they do such an excellent job of writing this transformation that occurs between the two. A lonely, invalided Afghan war Army vet meets this cold, collected blunt consulting detective and then they become friends. That's the beauty of any friendship really, is that often it occurs between the two unlikeliest of people. These two people go from hardly knowing one another to John being the one Sherlock calls as he about to face his demise. And should I mention that this all occurs within 18 months. Also, it's realistic. Now what do I mean by that? The two meeting of people, getting to know each other, etc. I feel like that in a lot of shows it seems rushed or a bit fake, especially in romantic relationships. It seems it's like two people meet, make out then sleep together. Uh....?

So how does that happen? How does any friendship happen? Love. No...not THAT kind of love. Like sis said, it's believable. It's real. You watch it and you say "that's what friends do for each other." Somewhere on the way side, friends come and go but the good ones, the really good ones, will stick with you. And whether you know each other for 18 months or 18 years, that's just how it goes. And that's what happens with Sherlock and John; they go from being strangers to being each other's wing men, without actually saying "Hey, I'm your wing man." Plus, Martin and Benedict have EXCELLENT chemistry! I think if it were any other two actors, it wouldn't quite be the same.

This concludes our 30 day Sherlock challenge.  We hope you have enjoyed journeying with us.  We have lots of ideas bubbling around, so stay tuned!

30 Days of Sherlock: Free for all #5

Kelly: In the original 30 day prompt we've been following, today's topic is what our favorite thing about Sherlock is. However, using my sound judgment, I thought that would be nice to wrap up the 30 day challenge with that. So today's prompt is actually tomorrow's, which is yet ANOTHER free for all!!! Before what I decide what I want to talk about/post a silly picture of, I just want to say that I have really enjoyed doing this 30 day challenge. It's been a bit random figuring out when to post our entries, with sis working and me orientating to my new job, but we wouldn't have it any other way. So fear not; we are still writing, but sometimes it's taken us a bit longer to get things actually posted. Ok...now what to talk about?

I read something on Facebook that there's going to be a new villain for the 3rd season. Oooh. Don't ask me to remember his name, because I can't, but yeah. Pretty exciting. Also, Mark Gatiss posted on his Twitter account a few days ago that last week they finished the read through but that today they're starting shooting on the last episode of the new season TODAY! Which means that in UK time they're probably already almost done/done for the day. According to the commentaries on the 1st season DVD set it takes about 4 weeks to shoot each episode. So we'll have a new season finale in our midst by the end of next month it seems. Heck, I'm just really interested in the fact that in a few months we'll see how Sherlock survived his death. I have a few theories, which for the time being I will keep to myself. I doubt any of them are right, but a girl can speculate, right? And Pandora just yelled at me because I'm not being attentive to them. Oops. Anyway, I feel like I'm just babbling nonsense now, but please do forgive me. I'm a bit brain dead from job orientating. All right all right ALL RIGHT. Here's another silly meaningless picture. Have at it.

What I would not do to meet these fine gents. 

Holly: So I just looked up this new bad dude on Facebook.  He goes by Charles August Magnussen and seriously...there's a pic on Facebook and he is creeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeepy lookin'.  Hopefully he'll be on the same level as Moriarty, because he was brilliant.  Utterly sinister and psychotic, but brilliant.

Anyway, I too have also enjoyed this writing challenge.  Sometimes we like things and we really don't know why we do.  This has kind of helped me to see that.  More on this....tomorrow! :)

And now, for some funny-bone tickling humor, please enjoy the picture below.  I about died laughing.

30 Days of Sherlock: Character you'd least like to be like

Holly: I don't really like this question, because I think, in essence, even the "worst" characters...we have a part of them.  I know some days I'm inept and silly, like Anderson.  I'm brash and distant, like Mycroft.  But I'm certain they will have redemptive qualities in the upcoming season.  So there.  It is so.

Meanwhile, I'm having a cup of jo.  You should have one too.

Kelly: This is mean. I like everyone in the show. I mean, Anderson gets on my nerves and Sally always doubts Sherlock, but I feel that that happens to all of us sometimes. Sometimes we get on each other's nerves; heck, most times I get on my own nerves! Sometimes we doubt people, especially ourselves. But just because those characters possess those characteristics doesn't mean that I don't want to be like them. That's all. Ok. I'm going to clean the garage now.

30 Days of Sherlock: Character you'd most like to be

Kelly: I'm sleepy, ya'll, so bear with me.

Anywho, I would really like to be John, because I feel that I am like him already. Loyal, trusting, friendly, a bit blunt at times, and of course a medical man (well....I'm not a man. Obviously). He's definitely the kind of guy I would want on my side in a fight. I pride myself in being a good friend, or at least trying to. I'm very understanding of circumstances. If a friend of mine were to walk up to me, look me in the eye and say "I hate you, Kelly" and actually mean it, of course I'd be upset and hurt, but I wouldn't care about that person any less. When I'm a friend, I'm a friend for life. I feel that John is that way too; shoot, he watched his best friend die right in front of him, well...when I say die.

Ok, that's all I've got in my hat for now. I'm going to bed. Good night all.

Holly: I don't know....I suppose, in a way, I'd sort of like to be like everyone.  There's John, the loyal doting friend.  I already think I am a good friend, but I feel like John just gets it, you know?  There's Sherlock...he is utterly brilliant.  I would love to be able to exercise my mind as sharply as he does.  There's Mrs. Hudson, the mother figure.  I remember being a motherly figure of sorts to my younger college friends.  I feel like I look out for those around me.  There's Molly, the sweet gentle soul who usually works quietly in the background, but comes through when everyone least expects it.  I pride myself on acting with integrity and always try my best to be of service to others.

Ok, that's not everyone.  That's four out of a complex list of Sherlock characters.  But you get my drift.

I too am very sleepy.

And I just saw a trailer for The World's End.  Life is good.