The Incomparable

623 Doctor Who S12E10 review: “The Timeless Children”

“Doctor Who” wraps up a pretty successful season this week. But did the finale stick the landing? Has series canon been rewritten forever? Does the Master have a design department? Time for one final breakdown before the Flashcast goes into cold storage until the next holiday special.

620 Doctor Who S12E9 review: “Ascension of the Cybermen”

When this season’s available as a binge watch you’ll forget this gap ever even happened. We’re here to discuss the first half of the “Doctor Who” season finale, which is a little like reviewing the first half of a book or movie. What will happen next week? We have endless theories and no hard evidence! Are these red herrings we see before us? Why is the Lone Cyberman so effective as a villain? Ko Sharmus isn’t a planet, he’s a person! Bring on Barack Stemis.

619 Doctor Who S12E8 review: “The Haunting of Villa Diodati”

Did “Doctor Who” create “Frankenstein”, or did “Frankenstein” create “Doctor Who”? It’s worth pondering as we discuss an episode in which Mary Shelley encounters some notable time travelers, Lord Byron is really into the Doctor, and Graham eats a spooky sandwich. Recorded live in Los Angeles at the Gallifrey One convention, nearly every “Doctor Who” podcaster watched this episode in a single room—and then fled to their own individual rooms to record episodes about it. This one is ours.

618 Doctor Who S12E7 review: “Can You Hear Me?”

This week Houman Sadri joins Jason to discuss angry gods, quick resolutions, animation, nightmare fuel, the realities of being a “Doctor Who” companion, and the importance of seeking help when you are struggling, all embedded inside a discussion of this week’s episode. Plus, we dive deep into conspiracy corner to talk further about the ramifications of “Prisoner of the Judoon” and how it hangs over every dramatic moment of this episode.

615 Doctor Who S12E6 review: “Praxeus”

This week Jason and guest Antony Johnston form two points of a globe-spanning triangle! But rather than solving an international mystery, we’ll just discuss the latest episode of “Doctor Who,” which trades last week’s momentous canon-altering events for a fun adventure romp that works pretty well. Is that one guy hiding under a boat somewhere? Where did that text message come from? Two middle-aged men stick up for Graham! Yaz gets to use her police skills! Ryan is an impressive adventurer who works out! We cover it all… in plastic.

613 Doctor Who S12E5 review: “Fugitive of the Judoon”

The Judoon return! And that’s what everyone will be talking about when they finish this episode. Or… maybe not. Jason needs to bring in both of our Lazy Doctor Who podcasters to help him spin conspiracy theories and try to come to grips with all the surprises in this episode. Doctor’s orders: Do not listen to this podcast before watching the episode!

610 Doctor Who S12E4 review: “Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror”

Jason is flitting about the universe, so Erika takes over the flashcast and brings in fellow Verity! cohost Liz to discuss historical figures from a country neither of them lives in. Also scavenger aliens, electricity, and beloved actors and their accents.

608 Doctor Who S12E3 review: “Orphan 55”

It’s a base, er, resort under siege! And who better to discuss it than Erika Ensign of Verity and Lazy Doctor Who? Erika finds a lot to like about this episode! Jason… is also present! Join us, won’t you?

606 Doctor Who S12E2 review: “Spyfall, Part 2”

Lizbeth Myles joins Jason to discuss the second part of this season’s “Doctor Who” premiere. We discuss the delights of Sacha Dhawan’s performance, the Doctor’s acquisition of a historical girl gang, and an enormous amount of classic series references. Then we ponder the proper way to portray Gallifrey in “Doctor Who” and our confidence in this season’s apparent story arc.

604 Doctor Who S12E1 review: “Spyfall, Part 1”

One year later, Doctor Who is back, and it’s got a few surprises up its tuxedoed sleeve. We’re reintroduced to our returning characters! Jason does some California fact checking. And can we judge “Doctor Who” season premieres and holiday specials by the same standards as the rest of their seasons? James Thomson joins Jason to note a few references to James Bond movies! (Okay, it’s more than a few.)

515 Doctor Who 2019 New Year’s Day Review: “Resolution”

The Doctor Who Flashcast returns for one episode in 2019, and this is it! A strange creature is lurking beneath Sheffield. The Doctor and her fam are on the case. Chris Chibnall puts a fun new twist on a classic monster! A microwave is also an oven! We break down “Resolution”, this year’s New Year’s Day special.

506 Doctor Who S11E10 Review: “The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos”

The Series 11 finale is here! Annette Wierstra joins Jason to discuss the season as a whole and the final episode in particular. How does Graham’s story arc resolve? Does the plot matter? Is the villain particularly villainous? Can dimensionally transcendent beings be impressed by a TARDIS? It’s the last Doctor Who Flashcast of 2018, but the moment has been prepared for. See you on New Year’s Day!

502 Doctor Who S11E9 Review: “It Takes You Away”

As the season nears its end, we discuss an episode featuring a blind girl, a cabin in the woods, a mysterious mirror, and a missing father. There are also, surprisingly, a creepy Farscape-style labyrinth, flesh moths, and a nigh-omnipotent talking frog whose name is disappointingly not Calgon.

499 Doctor Who S11E8 Review: “The Witchfinders”

“Doctor Who” ventures to Lancashire’s Pendle Hill this week for a story of King James, witch trials, and alien mud zombies. Jason’s guest is Lancashire’s own Antony Johnston (writer of Atomic Blonde, Wasteland, and The Fuse), who gives this episode a bit of a fact-check. But most of the time we’re just talking about how much we enjoyed Alan Cumming’s performance, the logistics of a three-companion TARDIS, and the merits of Chris Chibnall’s very different vision of the show.

497 Doctor Who S11E7 Review: “Kerblam!”

We’re going to be honest: We really didn’t like this week’s “Doctor Who” episode, which looked like it was going to be a clever critique of Amazon and turned out to be an episode with a lot of ambition that collapsed into a confused heap. If you liked this episode, you might want to skip our podcast! But if you want to listen to two guys tear this episode apart, you’ve come to the right place.

491 Doctor Who S11E6 Review: “Demons of the Punjab”

This week “Doctor Who” returns to difficult moments in 20th Century history, this time during the partition of India. There are (unnecessary?) aliens, but of course, the real monsters are the human beings. Jason welcomes Jean MacDonald to break down an emotional episode.

487 Doctor Who S11E5 review: “The Tsuranga Conundrum”

This week’s “Doctor Who” features an alien junkyard, a medical spaceship with gleaming white walls, a legendary general, an ode to antimatter, and an adorable alien menace. Jason discusses “The Tsurunga Conundrum” with Liz Myles of the Verity podcast!

484 Doctor Who S11E4 review: “Arachnids in the UK”

I am an arachnid
I am in Graham’s attic
Don’t know what I want
Don’t know why I’m big
I want to web the passerby
‘Cos this episode’s arachnidy

Dude! There was a new episode of “Doctor Who” with lots of great character stuff, a surprisingly funny appearance by Chris Noth, and a whole lot of spiders. Also, I call people “dude” now.

480 Doctor Who S11E3 Review: “Rosa”

Better late than never, we’re back to discuss a trip to the Jim Crow era with “Rosa.” Did this episode manage to thread the needle and do justice to a key moment in the Civil Rights movement? Will Costco—or is it Krasko—return, and would anyone care if he did? And how is Jodie Whittaker shaping up after three episodes? We break it all down.

476 Doctor Who S11E2 Review: “The Ghost Monument”

Shannon Sudderth joins Jason to discuss the first planetary trip for the Doctor’s new crew, featuring shout-outs to past eras, a restatement of the Doctor’s philosophies about brains and bullets, the hint of a story arc, and a delightful reunion with a wheezing blue old friend with a new look.

473 Doctor Who S11E1 Review: “The Woman Who Fell to Earth”

She’s here! It’s back! “Doctor Who” returns, with a new Doctor and a new showrunner. Jodie Whittaker takes up the TARDIS and sonic screwdriver with “The Woman Who Fell to Earth.” In truest Lazy Doctor Who style, we gather around our living room coffee table to break down the Sunday-morning airing of the newest “Doctor Who” episode. Is crane operator Carl bound for greatness? Are Ryan’s YouTube optimization skills weak? What’s the verdict on the new sonic and costume? And… is this season going to be like “Murder, She Wrote”? We break it all down, live from our living room, in our pajamas.

366 Doctor Who 2017 Christmas Special Review: “Twice Upon a Time”

Christmas means more Doctor Who! Time to say goodbye to Peter Capaldi, hello and goodbye to David Bradley’s First Doctor, to Pearl Mackie as Bill, and maybe some other familiar faces will show up. Plus, this episode marks the end of the Steven Moffat era! So much to talk about… so we do.

266 Doctor Who S10E12 Review: “The Doctor Falls”

We wrap up this season of Doctor Who with a discussion of the finale, notes about Steven Moffat’s bag of tricks, an appreciation of Pearl Mackie and Michelle Gomez, and speculations about where the Christmas Special will take us.

264 Doctor Who S10E11 Review: “World Enough and Time”

So it’s come to this. The penultimate episode of the season. A pre-credits regeneration tease. An enormous spaceship where all is not what it seems. The adventures of Doctor Who, Exposition, and Comic Relief. A surprise inside a surprise. A return to good ol’ Body Horror Cybermen. And a shock ending magnified by its placement at the end of an era, when all bets are off.

263 Doctor Who S10E10 Review: “The Eaters of Light”

Scotland, monsters, Roman soldiers, and the return of Rona Munro to “Doctor Who” after nearly thirty years—that’s what we have in “The Eaters of Light.” Jason and David appreciate the sparkling dialogue, while trying to ignore some of the plot mechanics. And finally, we spend some time talking about Missy’s story arc and the best role of The Master in a modern version of “Doctor Who.”

262 Doctor Who S10E9 Review: “Empress of Mars”

The Ice Warriors return, as does (somewhat controversial) writer Mark Gatiss, in “Empress of Mars.” This episode felt like classic series “Doctor Who”, and piled on the old-series references too. How did we feel it measured up to this season, and to Gatiss’s previous work? How convenient was it that the TARDIS and Nardole disappeared? And was it a nice respite before we dive into late-season drama?

260 Doctor Who S10E8 Review: “The Lie of the Land”

The Zombie Monks have taken earth! Now it’s time for Bill to save the world—with the occasional help of Nardole—so long as the Doctor doesn’t keep getting in the way. Plus, Missy is trying to be good—but is it the wrong kind of good? Rachel Donner joins Jason to talk about this week’s “Doctor Who”, plus “Wonder Woman” (no spoilers), and even a little bit of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

257 Doctor Who S10E7 Review: “Pyramid at the End of the World”

The end of the world is coming. But from where? Is it the obvious choice… or something entirely different? And what are the Doctor and Bill willing to do about it? That’s all part of the intriguing premise of “The Pyramid at the End of the World”, this week’s Doctor Who episode. Chip Sudderth of This Week in Time Travel joins Jason to break it down.

255 Doctor Who S10E6 Review: “Extremis”

A planet of executioners! A call from the Vatican! A surprise visit from Missy! Nardole’s bad-ass moment! Bill’s ruined date! There’s a whole lot to talk about in “Extremis”, Stephen Moffat’s latest (and last?) attempt to write a story that deviates from the “Doctor Who” norm. We liked it a lot, but that won’t stop us from nitpicking about how random number generators work…

250 Doctor Who S10E5 Review: “Oxygen”

Space: The final frontier. These are the voyages of The Doctor and Bill, and maybe Nardole. Their mission: to seek out distress calls from strange space stations, and fight the end stage of capitalism before it kills everyone. Live from Seattle, Jason and Glenn discuss “Oxygen” by Jamie Mathieson from a big red couch.

247 Doctor Who S10E4 Review: “Knock Knock”

A haunted house! A bunch of college students! Alien wood bugs! A parent’s love for a child! This episode had a whole lot of tropes, but to be honest, not much worked for us beyond Bill and The Doctor. If you’re looking to this podcast for a shot of positivity about “Doctor Who” every week, this week you will not be satisfied. On the other hand, if you’d like to hear us complain about “Knock Knock,” you’re in luck!

242 Doctor Who S10E3 Review: “Thin Ice”

This week’s “Doctor Who” features some fantastic dialogue and relationship building between Bill and the Doctor—all on the ice of the Thames during the last Frost Fair. Plus, a giant fish that may or may not be an alien! Commentary on historical racism and classism! And at the end of the episode we get wild and speculatish about what’s knocking on the door of The Vault.

240 Doctor Who S10E2 Review: “Smile”

🙂 The Doctor and Bill just pop out for a moment while the kettle is boiling to explore a future space colony with no people, lots of robots, emojis for communication, and a deadly secret. Did the episode’s scant plot (and abrupt solution) matter, given the strong dialogue and characterization? Grab a cuppa and join Jason and special guest James Thomson as we break the episode down into its constituent parts and use it as fertilizer in a beautiful garden.

239 Doctor Who S10E1 Review: “The Pilot”

Doctor Who is back! And we’re here to break down the season premiere, in which we meet Bill Potts, the newest companion. How is her entry into the TARDIS different from other companions? What are the Doctor and Nardole up to? Why should we be afraid of puddles? We break it all down.

212 Doctor Who review: “The Return of Doctor Mysterio”

After a year’s absence, “Doctor Who” returns with a new Christmas special. This is a very Doctor Who take on superheroes, with fun and farce and baby monitors and brains with eyes along the way. Recorded on Christmas night as is our tradition, this is our snap-judgments take on this annual tradition.

129 Doctor Who review: “The Husbands of River Song”

River Song returns, and this time gets to match wits with Peter Capaldi’s Doctor. Was this one of the most fun episodes of “Doctor Who” in ages, or is that the egg nog talking? In our sixth straight Christmas Night flashcast, we review the 2015 “Doctor Who” Christmas Special.

123 Doctor Who S9E12 review: “Hell Bent”

We’re back with the final Doctor Who Flashcast of the season! Everything we’ve been building to for the last 11 weeks has led to this. The Doctor has a bone to pick with the Time Lords. Who is the Hybrid? Familiar diners with familiar waitresses! We flail our arms and get super nerdy as we dissect the finale and the season as a whole with a special half-Scottish panel, if you count Space Glasgow. Now it’s the wilderness — 20 whole days until the Christmas special.

119 Doctor Who S9E11 review: “Heaven Sent”

One night only! Peter Capaldi in the one-man show, “Doctor Who.” We break down part one of the season finale.

118 Doctor Who S9E10 Review: “Face the Raven”

Jason is joined by Chip Sudderth of the Two-Minute Time Lord podcast to discuss the dramatic (some might say traumatic) events of the latest episode of “Doctor Who.” Ashildr, Riggsy, hidden aliens, London urban fantasy, and a surprising ending…

CHIP. CHIP. WHAT. JUST. HAPPENED.

114 Doctor Who S9E9: “Sleep No More”

You shouldn’t listen to this podcast. We found this conversation about this week’s “Doctor Who” episode, “Sleep No More,” and present it as it was recorded. Your expectations will be undermined. The plot twists might be shocking. And in the end, you’ll be wondering what happened to the opening theme song.

112 Doctor Who S9E8 review: “The Zygon Inversion”

This week’s “Doctor Who” culminates a plot not just from last week, but from the 50th anniversary episode, “Day of the Doctor.” Still, the most important thing in it may be Peter Capaldi’s one-man show, which doubles as a mission statement for The Doctor. And while Clara isn’t in it much, Jenna Coleman does a great turn as her Zygon duplicate. Plus, more Osgood!

109 Doctor Who S9E7 review: “The Zygon Invasion”

Last seen in the 50th anniversay special, the Zygons return to duplicate people and invade the earth! Osgood and UNIT return! More sonic sunglasses and electric guitar! Dramatic invasions of Fakeistan and New Mexico! Political parallels aplenty! We break down part one of this two-part episode.

106 Doctor Who S9E6 review: “The Woman Who Lived”

Eyes of Hades, cowardly lions, and a familiar but enigmatic character named… me? The second of this bifurcated two-parter finds the Doctor teaming up with the Viking girl he made immortal and raises some interesting questions about our favorite Time Lord and what the value of human life really is.

103 Doctor Who S9E5 review: “The Girl Who Died”

Enough TARDIS shenanigans! This episode is all about the Doctor and Clara saving a village of Vikings from an invading hoarde of… space vikings? Plus lots of interesting talk of immortality, identity, and responsibility, and references to Matt Smith and David Tennant. Join us for our breakdown of this episode, which features Maisie Williams from “Game of Thrones” as Ashildr.

100 Doctor Who S9E4 review: “Before the Flood”

The Doctor’s a ghost, but how did he get that way? Alien undertakers, deposed tyrants with insidious plans, time paradoxes, and Beethoven! Also, what did the Doctor know and when did he know it? Jason break it all down with the help of James Thomson, direct from Glasgow.

97 Doctor Who S9E3 review: “Under the Lake”

An underwater base, a flooded village, an abandoned spaceship, mysterious symbols, and an alien ghost? All in a day’s work for the Doctor and Clara. Join us as we break down “Under the Lake” and look ahead to next week’s “Before the Flood.” Also, did anyone notice that this is all just a big game of Pac-Man?

96 Doctor Who S9E2 review: “The Witch’s Familiar”

This week we follow Clara and Missy through the sewers of Skaro and take stock of the Doctor and Davros and their long, meaningful conversations—punctuated by joyrides in Davros’s cool chair.

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95 Doctor Who S9E1 review: “The Magician’s Apprentice”

We’re back with a new weekly look at this season of “Doctor Who” with a larger-than-usual panel. Join us as we travel to the farthest Ood-infested regions of space—but watch out for snakes! Look, it’s more trickery from Steven Moffat! Plus, why is Jason both a bad fan and a good fan? And we discuss the nature of two-parters and our expectations going into part two…this is going to be a trend this season, folks.

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43 Doctor Who review: “Last Christmas”

Merry Christmas! If you’ve been bad, someone will put a Dream Crab in your stocking. We break down Peter Capaldi and Nick Frost’s confrontation as The Doctor and Santa Claus. Also, what does this episode mean for Clara?

37 Doctor Who S8E12 review: “Death in Heaven”

Well, here we are at the end of the “Doctor Who” season. In this finale we got a lot of technical and plot stuff that doesn’t survive a whole lot of logic, but the emotional and character beats are truthful and the season’s overarching themes (Doctor as commander of soldiers, “Am I a good man?”, Clara as Doctor-in-training, and the lies—oh, all the lies) are brought home strongly. How does it all fit together? Why should we never trust a hug? And what does Nick Frost have to do with it all? Let’s break it all down one final time before the fat man sings and we have to wait until Christmas to see Peter Capaldi’s eyebrows again.

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36 Doctor Who S8E11 review: “Dark Water”

It’s here! Part one of the season finale! And “Dark Water” combined a very familiar format with some major surprises. What is the fate of Danny Pink? Who is Missy? What happens when Clara steals the Doctor’s keys and cuts off his thumbs? We’ve got it all covered.

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34 Doctor Who S8E10 review: “In the Forest of the Night”

The forest is deep and dark and full of wolves. Join Jason and Glenn to talk about Frank Cottrell-Boyce’s first “Doctor Who” story. If there’s no Lorax, who will speak for the trees? We talk about the Doctor’s relationship to Earth, Clara’s strange decisions about how to protect her young charges, Jason rants about the continued appearances of Missy and how they don’t add up to a story arc, and in the end we give a big fat raspberry to the episode’s final scene. It was quite a roller coaster this week.

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32 Doctor Who S8E9 review: “Flatline”

It’s bigger on the inside, now more than ever! It’s time to talk about “Flatline,” an episode that starts out like it’s going to be funny and ends up being anything but. Will Clara’s lies catch up with her? What does the Doctor really think of Clara playing his role? Does he even want to play it himself? (The answer seems to be yes, if someone else will play the role of the monster.) Listen as Jason breaks it down with his very special guest, his wife Lauren!

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30 Doctor Who S8E8 review: “Mummy on the Orient Express”

Live from Montreal, Canada, Dan Moren and Jason Snell watch an episode of “Doctor Who” and then talk about it! Clara’s unique relationship with the Doctor combines with an interesting (if familiar) “Doctor Who” plot. We talk it all through.

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28 Doctor Who S8E7 review: “Kill the Moon”

What has the moon ever done to you? We discuss this week’s “Doctor Who” adventure, the insanely titled “Kill the Moon.” Is this original or more of a pastiche? The unexpected Courtney Woods story continues! Polka dots! And much more.

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26 Doctor Who S8E6 review: “The Caretaker”

The Doctor takes a job at Coal Hill School in order to stop a clicky-clacky robot who wants to shoot people full of laser beams. But that’s really beside the point in an episode that’s all about dialogue, character, and the relationships that the Doctor, Clara, and Danny Pink have. We break down the latest episode of “Doctor Who,” “The Caretaker,” and also ponder Matt Smith lookalikes, the Doctor as an officer and a Time Lord, and Courtney Woods, Disruptive Influence.

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25 Doctor Who S8E5 review: “Time Heist”

Four people, no memories, and the biggest bank in the galaxy. What could go wrong? To break down Doctor Who’s latest episode, “Time Heist,” we’ve assembled a crack team of experts, each with their own special abilities. Also, we wonder about vents, praise the lighting technicians at the bank, and discuss whether looking into your own eyes is as bad as it’s made out to be.

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23 Doctor Who S8E4 review: “Listen”

Don’t blink! Don’t breathe! But do listen to this episode, where we break down Steven Moffat’s “Listen,” a standalone episode with some surprising connections to Doctor Who history. We identify a possible theme for this season’s episodes, separate from the story arc. Jason recalls previous Steven Moffat series. And Danny Pink and The Doctor both appreciate the importance of a toy soldier who doesn’t carry a gun.

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21 Doctor Who S8E3 review: “Robot of Sherwood”

The Doctor finally meets Robin Hood, and refuses to acknowledge his existence! What does this say about the Doctor’s view of himself and his own story? We talk about Mark Gatiss’s “Robot of Sherwood.” Yet another fantastic Capaldi performance with crackling dialogue. Jack Kirby robots! Spoon duels! Gallimaufry! Gold arrows! David Loehr and Dan Moren join Jason Snell to break it all down.

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20 Doctor Who S8E2 review: “Into the Dalek”

Warm up your shrink ray and join us as we journey inside a Dalek! Jason is joined by our very own Glasgow Correspondent, James Thomson, to analyze this week’s Dalek-themed episode. Soldiers named Pink and Blue! Is the Doctor a good man, or a good Dalek? And what did you expect to happen when you “fixed” a good Dalek, anyway?

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19 Doctor Who S8E1 review: “Deep Breath”

We kick off our weekly look at this season of Doctor Who with a larger-than-usual panel for this larger-than-usual episode. Praise for Peter Capaldi! Condemnation for the clockwork droids plot and the extremely weird skin balloon! We also attempt to define the challenges in regeneration episodes in general, and compare and contrast with some of the most recent representatives.

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