purplecat | The Pyramid at the End of the World

You're viewing

purplecat's journal
Create a Dreamwidth Account Learn More

Reload page in style: site light

I have to agree with

jesuswasbatman' assessment of this episode. It was clearly required to get events from point A to point B and it did so competently enough, but the scaffolding is a little too visible (particularly the somewhat bizarre set-up and protocols of the bio-hazard lab).

I'm in two minds about whether the overall structure, in which the audience is aware almost from the get-go that events in Turmezistan are a red herring. It is very rare that the viewer is significantly ahead of the Doctor in understanding a situation. On the one hand, it ups the tension as we wait for the Doctor to figure it out but on the other it drains the tension out of the suggestion that world war three might be looming.

I very rarely opt for head-canon when explaining a story, but I'm headcanoning here that whatever the Monks mean by "pure consent" is untranslatable into English. While Bill's motivation for giving consent is clearly different to that of the U.N. Secretary General or the three generals, it is not given out of any kind of pure love for the Monks and is clearly given in the expectation that if the Doctor remains alive he can somehow fix the situation. I actually think the nature of the Monks both here and in The Lie of the Land owes more to the fairytale tropes that Moffat was trying to evoke in his early years as show-runner than more recent monsters. The Monks require you to make a symbolic bargain with them the terms of which are unclear. I may write more on this when I get around to reviewing The Lie of the Land.

I also wasn't entirely convinced by the speed and readiness with which everyone took the Monks' assertion that the end of the world was nigh at face value.

There are some great visuals in this story and some great ideas, but I was left feeling that not quite enough thought had gone into actually linking everything together into a coherent whole. It's construction was workmanlike rather than actually good. I'd say it was the weakest story so far this season.

Crossposts: http://louisedennis.livejournal.com/393981.html

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

It's that frustrating feeling that all of it is fixable just with the odd throwaway remark...

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Profile

purplecat

May 2025

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30	31

Tags

100 papers [10]
absent friends [2]
academia [87]
- dead scientists [2]
- edinburgh informatics [3]
- groups
  - dream [2]
- impact [1]
- public understanding [28]
  - lego rover [21]
- publications [50]
- scientists
  - aaron sloman [1]
  - alan bundy [4]
  - douglas hofstadter [1]
  - john mccarthy [2]
- talks [22]
- teaching [1]
administrivia [1]
agents of shield [1]
ai [28]
- agents [24]
  - ail [9]
  - bdi [11]
    - goals [2]
  - groups [3]
  - languages
    - agentspeak [1]
    - oopl [1]
  - organisations [3]
- automated reasoning [7]
  - rippling [1]
  - sat [1]
  - smt [1]
- ethics [7]
- explainability [2]
- hybrid systems [1]
- knowledge representation [1]
- lego robots [1]
- planning [1]
- robotics [4]
aisb [10]
amazon [1]
anecdote [1]
arthuriana [6]
bernice summerfield [6]
- review [5]
birthday [11]
books [54]
- author
  - andrew cartmel [3]
  - ben aaronovitch [4]
  - c s lewis [1]
  - charlotte bronte [1]
  - craig hinton [2]
  - david mcintee [1]
  - david whittaker [1]
  - dorothy l sayers [1]
  - iain m banks [2]
  - ian rankin [2]
  - j r r tolkien [1]
  - jacqueline rayner [2]
  - jane austen [1]
  - jeff vandermeer [1]
  - jim mortimore [1]
  - jonathan blum [2]
  - justin richards [3]
  - kate orman [2]
  - kelly hale [1]
  - lance parkin [4]
  - lawrence miles [6]
  - mags halliday [5]
  - malcolm hulke [1]
  - marc platt [2]
  - mark michalowski [3]
  - mary stewart [1]
  - megan whalen turner [3]
  - michael moorcock [2]
  - neal stephenson [3]
  - paul cornell [4]
  - paul dale smith [5]
  - paul magrs [11]
  - philip purser-hallard [10]
  - phyllis ann karr [1]
  - rob shearman [3]
  - rosemary sutcliff [2]
  - sara paretskey [1]
  - shakespeare [1]
  - simon guerrier [2]
  - terrance dicks [2]
  - terry pratchett [1]
  - tolkien [3]
castle [1]
christmas [2]
class [7]
- review [7]
computer science [15]
- complexity theory [4]
- game theory [5]
  - economics [1]
- np problems [1]
- verification [3]
  - induction [1]
conferences [3]
- aamas [1]
- arw [1]
- clima [1]
conventions [6]
- eastercon [11]
  - 2010 [2]
  - 2011 [4]
  - 2012 [1]
  - 2015 [1]
  - 2025 [1]
- lass o gowrie [1]
crochet [40]
- amigurumi [11]
- garment [5]
- moogly cal [8]
- non-euclidean [10]
current events [24]
dark [1]
- icons [1]
diary [14]
doctor who [964]
- books [45]
  - annual [8]
  - cover [50]
    - benny adventure [1]
    - eda [4]
    - misc [9]
    - missing adventure [1]
    - new adventure [10]
    - nuwho [2]
    - pda [7]
    - target [16]
  - edas [2]
  - nas [4]
  - new series [9]
  - pdas [1]
  - storybook [1]
  - time and relative disse [5]
- comic [11]
  - fifth doctor [2]
  - first doctor [3]
  - fourth doctor [2]
  - second doctor [2]
  - sixth doctor [2]
  - third doctor [1]
- costume bracket [116]
- factsheet [1]
- fandom [2]
- fanzine [8]
  - channel d [1]
  - dwb [2]
  - skaro [1]
  - tides of time [1]
  - web planet [4]
- fiction [1]
  - martha [1]
  - thirteen [1]
  - yaz [1]
- icons [66]
  - ace [1]
  - adric [1]
  - amy+rory+river [1]
  - barbara [1]
  - barbara+ian [1]
  - ben [1]
  - bill+nardole+twelve [1]
  - chang lee [1]
  - cybermen [1]
  - dalek [1]
  - dan [1]
  - doctor+master [1]
  - dodo [1]
  - eight [1]
  - eleven [1]
  - eleven+river [1]
  - faction paradox [1]
  - fifteen [1]
  - four [1]
  - four+leela [1]
  - four+sarah [1]
  - fugitive doctor [1]
  - graham+ryan [1]
  - harry [1]
  - ian [1]
  - ice warriors [1]
  - jamie [1]
  - jamie+victoria [1]
  - jamie+zoe [1]
  - jo [1]
  - katarina [1]
  - leela [1]
  - liz [1]
  - mel [1]
  - nardole [1]
  - nyssa [1]
  - one [1]
  - osgood [1]
  - peri [1]
  - polly [1]
  - romana [1]
  - romana1 [1]
  - romana2 [1]
  - ruby [1]
  - sara [1]
  - sarah [1]
  - sarah+three [1]
  - sea devils [1]
  - seven [2]
  - shalka [1]
  - silurians [1]
  - six [1]
  - sontarans [1]
  - steven [1]
  - susan [1]
  - tegan [1]
  - tegan+turlough [1]
  - the master [3]
  - thirteen+yaz [1]
  - three [2]
  - turlough [1]
  - two [1]
  - unit [1]
  - vicki [1]
  - victoria [1]
  - yaz [1]
  - zoe [1]
  - zygons [1]
- new series [6]
- nuwho rewatch [72]
- paper dolls [79]
- picture [213]
  - ainley master [2]
  - alien [1]
  - amy [1]
  - amy/rory [1]
  - barbara [1]
  - behind the scenes [13]
  - bill [1]
  - bonnie langford [1]
  - cast [3]
  - clara [1]
  - convention [1]
  - daphne ashbrook [1]
  - david tennant [1]
  - delgado master [3]
  - donna [2]
  - dvd cover [5]
  - dwm [4]
    - cover [2]
  - eighth doctor [1]
  - eleventh doctor [3]
  - eleventh doctor episo [6]
  - elizabeth sladen [1]
  - exhibition [1]
  - fanart [8]
  - fifth doctor [4]
  - fifth doctor episode [7]
  - fiftheenth doctor epi [1]
  - first doctor [4]
  - first doctor episode [16]
  - fourth doctor [5]
  - fourth doctor episode [7]
  - frazer hines [2]
  - fugitive doctor [1]
  - india fisher [1]
  - jamie [4]
  - jo [3]
  - joanna lumley [1]
  - jodie whittaker [4]
  - k9 [1]
  - leela [2]
  - martha [3]
  - matt smith [1]
  - mickey [1]
  - missy [1]
  - monster [13]
  - new adventures [1]
  - nicholas courtney [2]
  - nicola bryant [1]
  - ninth doctor [1]
  - ninth doctor episode [1]
  - patrick troughton [1]
  - paul mcgann [1]
  - pearl mackie [2]
  - peri [2]
  - peter capaldi [1]
  - production team [1]
  - puzzle [1]
  - river song [1]
  - romana [3]
  - romana 1 [1]
  - romana 2 [2]
  - rose [3]
  - rowan atkinson [1]
  - russell t davies [1]
  - sara [1]
  - sarah [4]
  - second doctor [6]
  - second doctor episode [7]
  - seventh doctor episod [6]
  - shalka doctor [1]
  - sixth doctor [5]
  - sixth doctor episode [4]
  - susan [1]
  - sylvester mccoy [2]
  - tardis [3]
  - tegan [2]
  - tenth doctor [2]
  - tenth doctor episode [9]
  - the brigadier [1]
  - the master [3]
  - theatre [2]
  - third doctor [5]
  - third doctor episode [2]
  - thirteenth doctor [2]
  - thirteenth doctor epi [2]
  - tom baker [2]
  - turlough [1]
  - tv movie [1]
  - twelfth doctor episod [3]
  - unit [1]
  - vicki [1]
  - victoria [3]
  - villain [1]
  - web planet [2]
  - william hartnell [2]
  - yaz [1]
  - zoe [1]
- rec [1]
- review [428]
  - book [34]
    - non-fiction [7]
  - film [1]
  - tv [394]
    - classic [150]
    - new new series [10]
    - new series [233]
- russell davies [3]
- steven moffat [2]
- the randomizer [152]
- verity podcast [1]
- whordle [4]
dolls [78]
- lego [5]
  - nasa [3]
- paper dolls [79]
dreamwidth [3]
edinburgh [8]
- festival [1]
exercise [18]
- running [37]
  - london marathon [19]
facebook [5]
faction paradox [3]
- review [3]
family [12]
- b [23]
  - animals [1]
  - dinosaurs [16]
  - fossils [4]
  - media stardom [19]
- cousins [1]
- days out [1]
- g [4]
  - school [1]
fandom [3]
fandom friday [2]
fandom stocking [1]
fanfiction [3]
feminism [5]
films [8]
follow friday [7]
food [51]
- heston blumenthal [1]
- recipe [40]
fools and heroes [11]
fossil friday [54]
friends [2]
genealogy [16]
granny's diary [5]
grimm [1]
- icons [1]
history [4]
holidays [57]
- cleveland way [5]
- cornwall [3]
- hadrian's wall [23]
- orkney [13]
- ridgeway [3]
- scotland [2]
- snowdonia [5]
- wales [2]
- west highland way [9]
house [16]
i have no tag for this [24]
i saw this last week [107]
icons [43]
- castle [1]
- ladybird books [1]
iris wildthyme [5]
- review [4]
jobs [3]
kin-strife [10]
linkspam [21]
livejournal [14]
lizzie bennet diaries [1]
mathematics [21]
- formal proof [1]
- logic [1]
- non-euclidean [10]
- philosophy [6]
  - proof [2]
- verification [1]
mcu [2]
- icons [1]
  - natasha [1]
media stardom [7]
meme [65]
meta [1]
model checking [4]
- systems
  - java pathfinder [3]
oxford [1]
performing [1]
- music [1]
philosophy [8]
- ai [2]
- ethics [2]
- mathematics [3]
picspam [102]
- castle [27]
- hobbit hole [6]
- house [2]
- prehistoric monument [93]
- roman remains [8]
- travel [57]
  - holidays [34]
  - work related [22]
pokemon go [2]
- icons [1]
primeval [59]
- fiction [1]
  - becker [1]
  - blade [1]
  - crossover [1]
  - lester [1]
  - ryan [1]
  - ryan/stephen [2]
- icons [4]
  - abby/ryan [1]
  - becker [1]
  - becker/lester [1]
  - becker/matt [1]
  - becker/ryan [1]
  - blade/lester [1]
  - claudia/lester [1]
  - connor [1]
  - connor/lester [1]
  - danny [1]
  - danny/ryan [1]
  - jess/ryan [1]
  - lester [1]
  - lester/ryan [1]
  - nick/stephen [1]
  - ryan [1]
- review [45]
programming [14]
- ail [1]
- languages
  - agentspeak [2]
  - jason [1]
  - java [5]
  - maude [2]
  - prolog [2]
projects
- eass [13]
- mcapl [13]
- platform grant [1]
- rais [2]
- verifiable autonomy [1]
- vps [2]
random doctor who picture [265]
random poetry [1]
rant [6]
reading listening watching [93]
rec [1]
- humour [1]
resolutions [14]
review [590]
- book [136]
  - non-fiction [37]
    - history [25]
      - science [9]
- comic [2]
- film [9]
- tv [409]
  - class [6]
  - internet [1]
  - merlin [2]
  - sarah jane adventures [5]
  - survivors [4]
roleplaying [24]
ros [1]
science [1]
science fiction [2]
science
- astronomy [1]
  - apod [1]
share
- twitter [2]
social networking [3]
- google+ [2]
- tumblr [1]
star wars [2]
- dolls [1]
  - lego [1]
the expanse [2]
- icons [1]
  - crew [1]
the prisoner [1]
- icons [1]
theorem proving [6]
- middle-out reasoning [3]
- proof planning [5]
  - critics [2]
  - rippling [3]
- proof specification lang [2]
- systems
  - isabelle [2]
  - isaplanner [4]
  - maude [1]
  - proof general [3]
- theory slicing [1]
- tptp thf [3]
throwback thursday [53]
- an oxford childhood [12]
- ancestors [3]
- arthurians [6]
- conventions [1]
- dad [3]
- docsoc [1]
- family [1]
- larp [3]
- oules [1]
- politics [1]
- running [1]
- wheatley [3]
tolkienery [7]
- fiction [1]
  - crossover [1]
  - sauron [1]
torchwood [5]
- review [13]
travel [65]
- commuting [2]
- work related [34]
traveller [6]
tv [29]
- blakes seven [1]
- buffy [1]
- firefly [2]
- sapphire and steel [1]
urban dead [5]
web stuff [1]
wierd spam [2]
world war z [1]
- fiction [1]
  - crossover [1]
writing [2]

Page Summary

purplecat - (no subject)

Active Entries

Style Credit

Base style: Transmogrified by Yvonne
Theme: Sleeping Warrior by dancing_serpent

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags