Doctor Who: The Library of Carsus discussion

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

This could possibly become my favorite episode of Doctor Who EVER.

I don’t know about favorite, but this will probably end up in my Top Ten.

Personally, I liked the meta elements, especially the Whovians, but I think that’s going to be controversial. But when Doctor Who takes big risks, that’s my jam.

Loving Belinda, and I think this second series of Ncuti’s is starting off better than the first.

Elizabeth wrote: "… Loving Belinda, and I think this second series of Ncuti’s is starting off better than the first."

Oh definitely. I’m definitely getting a Series Four vibe with Tennant and Tate.

I watched it twice last night. I might even watch it again today.

I need to watch it again. I think I missed some things and it didn't help that our internet went out right in the middle of the episode.

I found the Whovians in the episode odd, to say the least. What was the point of them being there?

A rewatch for sure.

The Whovians were a lovely moment of misdirection. There is a comic book where The (Eleventh) Doctor goes to a Doctor Who convention. So this is similar, but very different as a moment of meta humor. It leads the audience to think the series is stepping outside itself, but only to discover that the “fans” are the ones that aren’t real. So it reinforces the verisimilitude of the series while simultaneously breaking the fourth wall. This is new science fiction and fantasy troupe. We’ve seen it in WandaVision, Deadpool, and She-Hulk to name just a few recent incidents. But John Byrne did it back it his The Sensational She-Hulk by John Byrne Omnibus from the 1980s. If handled well, it can be very entertaining. I found this use in Doctor Who to be wonderfully silly and even powerful. They were clearly not much more than single dimensional, not because they’re fans, but because they’re weren’t real. Just tertiary characters that weren’t meant to be more than appearing in one scene. As the Whovians admitted that they knew they weren’t real and would disappear when The Doctor and Belinda departed it was very sad. But then when the episode ends and they’re still there, the was that joy that The Doctor succeeded yet again in saving even the tertiary characters. Lovely. So they were misdirection, but they also help reinforce the magic of this new reality for The Doctor and that this new series is definitely in a multiversal reality. And we still have Mrs. Flood presence of the audience. Fascinating. Layers upon layers.

So, we have another “god” from outside the universe. And it makes me wonder …
So if we build off the notion that The Doctor was found at a crack of the universe. That he/she/they were not from this universe …
Could The Doctor be yet another one of these “gods” from outside the universe. Could The Doctor literally be the God of Time, or rather the Lord of Time … The Time Lord? 🤔 🧐

Rick wrote: "So, we have another “god” from outside the universe. And it makes me wonder …
So if we build off the notion that The Doctor was found at a crack of the universe. That he/she/they were not from thi..."

They've been dropping hints since Andrew Cartmel's day ...

But that The Doctor is actually one of the pantheon? That’s what I’m thinking.

There are others, like The Minister of Chance from Doctor Who: Death Comes to Time.

Rick wrote: "But that The Doctor is actually one of the pantheon? That’s what I’m thinking."

I really hope they aren’t heading down that path. The Doctor doesn’t need to be some super special being, like a God of Time. I prefer them to just be “an idiot with a box,” traveling the universe, doing some good. I didn’t hate the whole Timeless Child thing as much as some of the fandom, but if it ever got retconned, I wouldn’t be upset.

Lori S. wrote: "There are others, like The Minister of Chance from Doctor Who: Death Comes to Time."

I haven’t gotten to that one yet.

Rick wrote: "Lori S. wrote: "There are others, like The Minister of Chance from Doctor Who: Death Comes to Time."

I haven’t gotten to that one yet."

He's a really cool character played by Stephen Fry.

That was fun.
Like the Doctor and Belinda
they made good use of the Disney money. Really good looking episode. Big effects and little details.
Interesting that we got another member of the pantheon.
Was glad RTD didn't get too snarky or jokey with the whovian trio.

You think RTD is bitter that Blink rates higher in 'Best episode' lists than his stories...?

The grumbles:
Why set up the 'Don't make me laugh!' catch phrase and then not use it in the conclusion...?
Instead use a throwaway reference.

Unfortunately, I don't care about Mrs. Flood anymore, so even if we are building to the big reveal, I find her showing up annoying.

Rick wrote: "So, we have another “god” from outside the universe. And it makes me wonder …
So if we build off the notion that The Doctor was found at a crack of the universe. That he/she/they were not from thi..."

Really thought that's where they were heading last season.
Maybe this one.
Seems to be building to something.

Elizabeth wrote: "Rick wrote: "But that The Doctor is actually one of the pantheon? That’s what I’m thinking."

I really hope they aren’t heading down that path. The Doctor doesn’t need to be some super special bein..."

I also vote for 'idiot with a box' over god.

If RTD wants to do a big build up and then go 'But, his mother was just a normal mom and she was pointing at the sign the whole time' again, I'd let him get away with it this season.

Or they keep implying he’s the Lord of Time and NEVER actually reveal such a thing. At least not for another 60 years of episodes.