Farewell, Mr. Moffat

In what was the start of a wild weekend of unexpected news regarding Doctor Who, the BBC released a statement that with the airing of Series 10 of the revived program, six-year head writer and executive producer Steven Moffat would be stepping down from his position, and handing the reins over to Broadchurch showrunner Chris Chibnall. While many were aware that Moffat was actively seeking his successor (odds favoring veterans and insiders like Brian Minchin, among others), the news that it would be […]

Clara Oswald: In Memoriam

Back at the close of Series 8, we recorded an episode where we looked at the road traveled thus far with the Impossible Girl, and the changes we were starting to observe with the character. Due in no small part to Jenna Coleman’s ever-expanding performance, writers and directors who explicitly sought to challenge and inspire growth, and highly praised chemistry with (new) lead actor, Peter Capaldi, we came to know and Clara much better, found ourselves endeared to her, and […]

Hell Bent

Emotions are complicated, often messy human traits — flaws, if you were to ask a Dalek or a Cyberman. They can inspire songs and uplift spirits, motivate heroes and move armies, weaken the stalwart and petrify the proud. We rely on them as much as we are hindered by them. In some fashion, we cherish the negative as much as the positive, for as every artist will attest, the light requires the shadow for contrast. What happens when those emotions are altered, muted, or […]

Heaven Sent

We are consumers of an entertainment industry bred to define “epics” as large scale, sweeping tales with casts of hundreds if not thousands, panoramic views of parapets, mountain ranges, or the front lines of a battlefield, and soul-baring performances between cinematic greats that ignite the screen and leave the audience exhausted for the experience. In a wild attempt to break down this convention, writer Steven Moffat and director Rachel Talalay saddled themselves, and their artist Peter Capaldi, with a formidable task: create […]

Face The Raven

“You. Now, you listen to me. You’re going to be alone now, and you’re very bad at that. You’re going to be furious and you’re going to be sad, but listen to me. Don’t let this change you. No, listen. Whatever happens next, wherever she is sending you — I know what you’re capable of. You don’t be a warrior. Promise me. Be a Doctor. Heal yourself. You have to. You can’t let this turn you into a monster. So I’m not asking […]

Sleep No More

There are moments where the format of a long-running program needs to be shaken up, risks taken, and experiments conducted to see not only how far the limits can be pushed, but how far the audience will travel in that ‘concept car’. Mark Gatiss has certainly dropped a large amount of unfamiliar content, story structure and cinematic elements into his latest episode, and the response has been polarizing, to say the least. But in the end, does it even matter? This […]

Live from L.I. Who 3

“No changes are permanent / But change is.” Musician Neil Peart’s lyric from ‘Tom Sawyer’ may very well have been speaking of the Doctor Who program, a premise that, since the Troughton era, was built upon the idea of changes great and small. Recorded live from the Friday festivities at Long Island Doctor Who Con 3 (or L.I. Who 3, for short), we get a rare opportunity to chat directly with attending GPR listeners on the subject of intentional instability […]

The Zygon Inversion

How forever righteous is the spark that ignites the fires of rebellion? Is it always the casting down of shackles that have held back the multitudes, the rise of the oppressed against tyranny, as they realize their strength in numbers and move as one to claim their freedoms? Or could it be nothing more than a chaotic, irrational lash at authority for no other purpose than to feel empowered, an incitement of disorder as a demonstration of might, to feel important through fear, and striving […]

The Woman Who Lived

The late journalist Herb Caen once wrote, “The only thing wrong with immortality is that it tends to go on forever.” He may have been speaking about the dangers that come with a long career of fame and life the public eye, but when looking upon the next appearance of the now-immortal Viking child Ashildr, the quote is altogether ominous. Being given a perspective on time’s rigors that only the long-lived can attain, she not only loses her identity, but a great deal of […]

The Girl Who Died

Everyone enjoys a good laugh (Scrooges and Grinches aside). Sometimes, the most impactful or memorable comedy is one that resonates in the heart as well as the smile worn on one’s face. These are the bittersweet moments that are remembered with a complex blend of emotions that link different corners of our brains, and appreciate the good for its contrast against the bad. This week, we discuss the comedic romp that was ‘The Girl Who Died’. We gain a fuller appreciation for squeamish […]