D. Who Reaction 11x6 - Demons of the Punjab
Added 2024-11-23 15:00:07 +0000 UTC
Comments
FYI: The Hugo Awards are awards given annually by the World Science Fiction Convention. As such, they tend to nominate the more-SF content. I didn't list all the Doctor Who stories nominated - that would be a much longer list. In the "Midnight" season, "Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead" and "Turn Left" were the Doctor Who stories that were nominated.
Andrew Vignaux
2024-11-25 18:19:23 +0000 UTCI wanted to go to India as well one day, but since I don´t fly I´ll probably never really go. Oh so India in this episode was actually Spain? Haha I couldn´t have told. No the demons aren´t the aliens. They are the Humans, like in real life. You´re right, this episode feels very current and very real. I wonder how I would have reacted if it wasn´t for the current movement in the world.
Nicologik
2024-11-25 17:08:09 +0000 UTCNovember 1963. I was five when it started and I dimly remember seeing one of the episodes of the first story. Some bedraggled looking people screaming and shouting at our heroes. I asked my mother if they were witches.
Stephen Males
2024-11-25 16:35:08 +0000 UTCAwww yeah it might be real life events making this episode even sader than it already is. At least for me. I have to admit that the Rosa episode and this one, really had a very bad timing with the real life events for me. Way too close and brings up a lot of emotions that I already feel day in and day out. On the other hand watching the episodes and talking about them afterwards, feels like a Katharsis in a way. So I can´t decide wether it´s the best time to watch them or the worst. I don´t understand people who get angry for the show doing something different, like for example making humans the badies, or including politics. It belongs into the show, and people should really ease up a little. Draging people down who try and create entertainment for you? Just embrace the work of others, or do it yourself if you think your can do better. (By you I´m talking about the people complaining, not you. Just making sure ^^ ) I hadn´t spotted the music for the final credits beeing Doctor Who Theme music. Thank you for letting me know :)
Nicologik
2024-11-25 16:31:12 +0000 UTCI definately like Series 11 a lot more (The first half of it) I remember Series 10 beeing prettty slow in the beginning. It only got really good towards the end. But this Series already had at least 3 great episodes (Rosa, Spiders and this one) :)
Nicologik
2024-11-25 16:20:10 +0000 UTCIt´s the 61st anniversary? WOOOOOW that is suuuuuch a looong time. Every time I think about it again, it just gets more and more impressive :)
Nicologik
2024-11-25 16:18:42 +0000 UTCYes she is. No worries, keep on mentioning it if you want to. I´ll probably mention it in every episode as well :D :D
Nicologik
2024-11-25 16:17:36 +0000 UTCI´ve never heard of a Hugo award before. Thanks for letting me know about this. Ther episodes should have won by the way, cause they are really good. Also slight disappointment, cause "Midnight" wasn´t nominated :D Thank you for the information about the History side of the episode. I had no idea. I really should have paid more attention to history lessons in school. But thb I don´t think we even talked about India in school, ever. Graham is my new favorite Character. I really like him sooo much. :) Hmmm yes, the real demons are the humans in the end. Like you said, as usual.....
Nicologik
2024-11-25 16:16:43 +0000 UTC"If something happens to Umbreen, your whole timeline could be erased. No Yaz. We can't have a universe with no Yaz.", The Doctor, "Demons of the Punjab" This is a great story and I don't understand why this IMDB rating is so low. This story was nominated for a Hugo Award (as was "Rosa") although neither won. For background, stories like "Blink" and "The Doctor's Wife" did win the Hugo Awards in their years, and stories like "The Day of the Doctor", "Heaven Sent", and "Twice Upon a Time" have been nominated. So both the Science Fiction public and you like this one - but the IMDB voters don't. I like the double mystery going on here: Why is Yaz's grandmother marrying someone who is not Yaz's grandfather?, ... "Not getting any life signals. Maybe they're out. Shopping. Catching a movie. Bowling. Some races like bowling.", The Doctor, "Demons of the Punjab" ... and what is going on with the scary Demons? And these mysteries are beautifully resolved as the full tragedy unfolds. This is a well constructed and moving story. "Oh, yeah, love it. Pakistan. Never been there before. Another one off the bucket list. As long as there's no killer turtles.", Graham, "Demons of the Punjab" The story of the partition of India in 1947 would take pages to describe. Lines were drawn on the map as the original India achieved independance but in doing so was split into two countries on religious grounds causing the mass migration of around 15 million refugees to flood in each direction to get to the correct side of the new border - and, as the Doctor mentioned, more than a million people died in the associated violence. "I need oil, water, tree bark, a saucepan, nine containers, an old newspaper, a touch of ox spit, a chicken poo and a biscuit.", The Doctor, "Demons of the Punjab" I am loving the way Jodie is playing the Doctor as well. "I honestly don't know whether any of us know the real truth of our own lives, cos we're too busy living them from the inside.", Graham, "Demons of the Punjab" That talk between Graham and Yaz is wonderful. You know, I think I could probably fill my posts with just Graham quotes. "This is the best thing ever. Never did this when I was a man.", The Doctor, "Demons of the Punjab" But then we wouldn't have great quotes from the Doctor. I like the story misdirection (I guess even the misdirection of "Demons" in the story title) where the viewer assumes that these scary Thijarian who are seeking out deaths have got bad intentions - only to be shown they are bearing witness to those that have died. Or is the word "Demons" doing double-duty here? We initially assume the "Demons" are these Thijarians, but actually the real Demons in the story are the humans - as usual.
Andrew Vignaux
2024-11-24 11:30:44 +0000 UTCAlso I know I mention this every episode but Jodie Whittaker is SO SO good!! She’s such a great actress. She became my favourite actor after watching Doctor who. I love her energy. And I love the dialogue she has. It’s always on point.
DoctorWho
2024-11-24 01:06:25 +0000 UTCI love this episode and for a long time it was my favourite of Jodie's Doctor. It a 5/5 and I have 16th/140. It's such a emotional story. Apart from that I don't really have anything to else tosay that you or others here have said. However good episode to watch with it being the 61st anniversary of the show today.
Jade Ellis
2024-11-23 22:39:03 +0000 UTCI’m so glad you loved this episode Nicole. It’s a 10/10 for me. I remember watching it for the first time and crying so much. I have a question for you now that you have reached the mid way point of series 11. Which do you prefer from what you’ve seen so far? Series 10 or 11. For me it’s series 11, but I also really love series 10.
DoctorWho
2024-11-23 19:12:16 +0000 UTCI didn't cry the first time I watched this. Maybe it was seeing you close to tears early on, maybe it was the parallels with our own times or maybe seeing it in full for the first time in ages brought home the unnecessary tragedy and the resilience. Graham was absolutely fantastic in this. He didn't say a lot but he made it all count. Ryan was a bit in the background but that is ok. He was very funny at times. But f course it was Yaz's story and her Nana's. Character development, brilliantly designed aliens, a twist when it turns out that (as Jenny hints) human beings can be the real demons at times and a real piece of history too. I have seen people online give reasons for not liking it and (from memory) one of them seems to be that the aliens were not monsters or assassins or any kind of threat after all. The fact that the villainy was entirely human seemed to annoy some people. That and complaints about not wanting to hear about politics in a sci fi programme! I wasn't quite clear if you had already spotted this but the music for the final credits was still the actual Doctor Who theme music. But, like the other music in this episode, played in a Punjabi style by musicians of south Asian descent. Partition was largely the fault of the British authorities although there were voices within India who called for it. Britain ruled India for many years and when we left we created two "dominions". One for majority Muslim areas and one for majority Hindu areas. The borders between the two were drawn up by the British under the last Viceroy, Lord Mountbatten. That's a very abbreviated version and apologies if I have misrepresented anything. I would probably rate it as a 9.5 too.
Stephen Males
2024-11-23 16:57:34 +0000 UTCI love this episode, and yes you’re right it feels very current. People never learn sadly. Such good performances from everyone. Bradley Walsh is so good as Graham. Jodie is a great doctor (despite what the haters think) I am enjoying her journey more this time, than I did the first time round. What a beautiful setting for the episode (which was actually Granada in Spain) I have always wanted to go to India but never managed it. This is my favourite episode of the series. I think the IMBD rating is a bit mean. For me this is a definite 9.5. I think the demons may not be the aliens. xx
Jenny Smyth
2024-11-23 16:20:11 +0000 UTC
