#orphan-55

[kyriefae]

I don't see people using The Lazarus Experiment from Series 3 as a routine means of identifying Doctor Who as being "past it's prime".

Even commentary regarding the farting aliens that wear human skin suits has been at a relative low.

There were also two episodes where James Corden played the key companion role. People didn't like it but rarely mention those episodes anymore.

Then there was the episode about the moon being an egg. Another one about sleep dust from our eyes taking over a space station cuz capitalism...

There was also that one that became a soapbox about making choices to fix the planet or else the surviving humans would become monstrous mutations trapped outside of planet terraforming resorts that dish out space coupons.

Almost like Doctor Who routinely puts out these silly, not-so-award winning scripts or stories and routinely receives mediocre ratings or fan reception as a result. ...but people still keep watching it and people still love it.

Space Babies is not different; in fact it's a delightful episode with beautiful messages attached to it.

CGI baby mouths or not...I just want to put a stamp on the *cow's excrement* (NAN-E filter approved).

Edit: In case it's not abundantly clear I thoroughly enjoy when Who is either bad or heavily perceived as being bad. It's never like "omg they put the lead actor's character into a coma and wrote them off the show I wonder what's happening behind the scenes" it's always like "this week we're going to introduce a new creature into the lore" and people get mad or "this week we're going to bring back a known creature from the lore* and people get bored or *what if we brought back one of the farting aliens and make her story kinda sorta sad but still funny* then people's heads explode.

[glitterypin]

rare sighting of Nine and/or Twelve in Thirteen's body

[evviejo]

thirteen's era appreciation: 470/?

[brilliantfantasticgeronimo]

haven't seen many people mentioning it: "So, my socks are a cotton derivative, and my shoes are retrobuffed. I love them so much. (...) The T-shirt is a classic design from the year Five-5. I adore it. (...) And the thread is sourced from refurb, so I'm not depleting any of Finetime's resources. I'm so careful about that"

i rlly enjoyed this little bit of greenwashed fashion industry marketing speak + "it's from the year five-five" (!!!!)

[doctor-the-13th]

Orphan 55 was a good episode. That’s it.

[dandelionjack]

im a chibnall era disliker but my biggest wildcard opinion of that era is that orphan 55 is actually a great watch. not “good” in any quantifiable way but definitely not the worst episode of the show and way too demonised by the fandom. it’s funny, it’s camp as hell, there’s a catgirl, WHERE’S MY BENNI, and the twist legit caught me off guard the first time. justice for orphan 55

[platypusbunnyfromthetardis]

unpopular opinion but Orphan 55 fucking slaps

[quietwingsinthesky]

WE COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING HERE. WITH THIRTEEN "The System Is Fine, Actually, No One Is Being Inherently Exploited, It's Just Bad Actors", THIRTEEN "I'm Going Back To Non-Interference As My Policy (Except When I Decide I Should, But Only I Have The Right To)", THIRTEEN "I Don't Need My Past To Shape My Identity, I'm Fine, I'm Just Who My Fam See Me As, This Is A Normal Way To Act After Experiencing Trauma". AND THE FACT THAT ALL OF THOSE THINGS FLY SO HORRIBLY, IRONICALLY IN THE FACE OF WHAT WAS DONE TO HER. THE SYSTEM WAS BAD, BOY, IT ATE YOU ALIVE. YOU ARE THE ULTIMATE FORM OF TIME LORD INTERFERENCE WITH ANOTHER CIVILIZATION. YOU CAN'T IGNORE THIS SHIT, IT'S COMING FOR YOU AND IT WILL CHANGE YOU.

[khruschevshoe]

As much as I ADORE the themes of the current Doctor Who, I really don't get the people who are affectionately calling the message "subtle as a brick to the face" but hated on Orphan 55 and the like during Chibnall bc of how "preachy" it was. Like, babes...do we need to have a conversation about how "Space Babies," "Oxygen," and "Orphan 55" are all just as preachy as each other? That's kinda what Doctor Who has always been about??? Absolute camp of the Adipose, Slitheen, Pting, Smiley Robot, and Menacing Cube varieties interspersed with some of the must unsubtle, earnest monologues in the world delivered by some of the best actors (gn) in Britain? Thank you very much give me several more of these stupid lonely aliens on a platter???

[finndiseicla]

I was thinking about the popular fan theory that 16 year old fanboy Chris Chibnall's embarrassing appearance complaining about Terror of the Vervoids on live television was possibly the inspiration for the character Whizz Kid in The Greatest Show in the Galaxy.

If that's the case, then does that mean Benni and Vilma from Orphan 55 were based on Pip and Jane Baker?

[thenotoriousscuttlecliff]

Apparently Chibnall's original intention for the SpyMaster was that he'd be a Nth Master, with no specific place in the character's timeline, which makes sense since there's nothing written in the show itself to connect him to the Master's previous incarnation, but it was later decided that he would be post-Missy, although again that is never mentioned in the show, just extended media. Honestly, the more behind the scenes stuff you read about this era the more it sounds like Chibnall either didn't think his ideas through or just didn't commit to them fully.

[find-me-in-hell]

do people actually hate orphan 55? its ur classic 'the earth is fucked face the consequences' episode thats been done multiple times over the years so im bit lost on the whole 'orphan 55 isn't a good episode' thing like its just more of the same....?

[evviejo]

thirteen's face appreciation: 101/?

[sevenjetc]

The issue with the Doctor's speech at the end of Orphan 55 isn't that it is on the nose and condescending, the issue is that Donna Noble isn't there to say: "Is that why you travel round with a human at your side? It's not so you can show them the wonders of the universe, it's so you can take cheap shots?"

[raspberry-gloaming]

What I really don't understand is people hating on Chris Chibnall specifically due to certain episodes that *he didn't even write.* Like yes, he's the showrunner, he has power and is part of the decision making and choices, but a lot of these comments that I see against certain episodes, mainly Orphan 55 and Kerblam!, paint him as the writer, the villain who ruined the doctor by writing this story and these politics. He wrote this story. He did this.

But like, them - those two most hated stories (from what I've seen on Tumblr), especially Kerblam! from a political perspective - he wasn't the writer. A quick google search will tell you that

Kerblam? Pete McTighge

Orphan 55? Ed Hime

Before anyone comes for me, I'm not claiming that Chibnall is perfect by any means or absolving him of any responsibility to do with these episodes. I know Tumblr's media literacy can be... eh. I don't particularly like these specific episodes, although I do like 13's run overall, not my favourite, don't like everything in it, but who does for any monolith in dw. DW really is a mixed bag. I honestly really enjoy watching some of the episodes, they're such a vibe. 13 is in my top 4 doctors! (7, 11, 12 and 13 in no particular order)

Every series has some shitty episodes. Some are written by the showrunner, some aren't. But it's kinda weird to paint the showrunner as some kind of villain for these episodes especially.

So yeah! make valid criticisms, but also remember to like check who actually wrote it before flaming.

[dandelionjack]

oh god but the parallels… the doctor returning to gallifrey to find it ravaged by nuclear warfare, then going on their very next adventure to visit orphan 55 (for a holiday! a break from the pain!) and discovering that future-earth, their home away from home, could be doomed to suffer a similar fate… the flashback of war, disorder and destruction as she reads the dreg’s memories… salt in the wound