I really liked it. I was expecting it to be this series' "silly" episode based on the title - not that the silly episodes have necessarily been bad. It turned out to be rather different from what I expected. When do we get a Goon Show style "He's fallen in the water"?

 

If they get to the Promised Land, will they be greeted by a grinning Alex Salmond?

Well that was pretty grim this week, unfortunately. The doctor got soaking wet again. That's three out of three episodes now isn't it? Is this a new THING?

 

Plus. No tea and cake this week. :(

Ian binned it :(

I'll take a stab in the dark here and say I was the only one that genuinely thought that episode was amazing! Really felt like a proper historical this time, as opposed to a historical overshadowed by a big measure of 'Doctor Who' blended in. The pacing was a bit slow at the very start, but once it got in the swing of things it was a really fun episode (even if the robots seemed 100% secondary in the grand scheme of things). Shame there was no heaven this week though. :(

 

'Listen' looks bloody fantastic *.*

 

I agree, I loved some of the dialogue between the Doctor and Robin Hood and Ben Miller was great as the Sherriff but I do think the pace of the episode was a bit all over the place but I did enjoy it!

 

Regarding the heaven thing, I think it's something that happens with other writers where the motif doesn't always appear in every episode though I expect it to appear next week!

 

For episode 3 I'm giving it a 7.5/10 based on first viewing

Well the Promised Land was mentioned which I assume is just as much the arc as "heaven", so that covers this week's teaser.

 

I really enjoyed the episode, glad this series isn't too hard to follow like the last two were.

Quite enjoyed the episode, ham-fisted political allegories aside (with The Doctor literally quoting Marx at several points). Peter Capaldi is doing a great job as the Grouchy Doctor.

Quite enjoyed the episode, ham-fisted political allegories aside (with The Doctor literally quoting Marx at several points). Peter Capaldi is doing a great job as the Grouchy Doctor.

As well as the Shakespeare quote and, allegedly, Henry II.

I really liked that episode, its not very often the Dr. meets Robin Hood and other historical figures in the past series. Peter Capaldi is becoming more confident in the Dr. role in each episode, I didn't think he could pull it off at first, he is becoming one of my favourite actors playing the Dr.

For me it just gets worse and worse.

 

I don't believe him as the Doctor, and Klara's personality transplant (into an idiot) in an attempt to play off his new personality is shocking.

 

It's a grim series.

I actually really enjoyed that episode. It was good fun and I actually thought the pacing was alright and it didn't seem to have the mid episode lull I find in a lot of episodes. Also it's nice to have a black and white episode for a change where the villains are just greedy/evil rather than misunderstood/in need of love.

What I reaaally don't get is why they make Doctor Who quote all these famous (or not so famous) speeches. Surely a Time Lord has other things on his mind other than Karl Marx, Robin Hood and Shakespeare quotes? It really doesn't fit well with the series at all and looks like the producers/ writers/ doctor self-congratulating each other on their literary know-how.

For me it just gets worse and worse.

 

Same here. I've been falling out of love with the show, ever since series 5. I feel like the plots aren't as interesting enough ss they used to be and I Was very dissapointed with Deep Breath.

 

However, with that saying I really did enjoy this episode and thought there was more of a story to it.

Edited September 7, 201410 yr by Neil. S

For me it just gets worse and worse.

 

I don't believe him as the Doctor, and Klara's personality transplant (into an idiot) in an attempt to play off his new personality is shocking.

 

It's a grim series.

The fact you just said that when she's actually gone in the complete opposite direction and has become a bolder, stronger, more opinionated and more knowledgeable character, has me in hysterics.

Everything about Clara has improved. She's much better with no mystery.

Clara has definitely improved this season. I still don't particularly like her but she's now ok.

 

As for last night's episode, for me it was a real stinker. I like the idea of a Robin Hood story and it certainly had all the tropes associated with him but did he really need to be such an insufferable prat? I also don't like the way The Doctor and him immediately get into a knob waving one upmanship contest. It really jars with the character of The Doctor and especially Capaldi's portrayal to date. The Doctor is over 2000 years old not 5. I was waiting for the 'my dad's bigger than yours' line.

Plot wise it was too similar to Deep Breath - robots trying to get to the Promised Land - except this time it was gold they needed not body parts. And if gold is what they needed so badly why give it away in a contest that had no purpose other than to trap Robin. Firstly, there are tons of other valuable minerals and gems knocking about in this episode that would have served as a prize and secondly the desire for Hood to show off and prove his skills would have meant a brick would have been a sufficient award to drag him out of hiding. And why (given that The Doctor realised they wanted to leave Earth and head off t the Promised Land) didn't he even try to suggest he could help them out by getting them gold, even as a delaying tactic?

 

The whole episode was played for laughs and yet wasn't even remotely amusing to me or my kids so it failed there too.

 

In all it was a big ghastly mess that I've no doubt will be a regular feature in worst ever lists.

 

 

Next week looks to be a series highlight though.

Edited September 7, 201410 yr by Severin

http://i.imgur.com/EoDSzNJ.jpg

 

Mind you I hope this was deliberate.

 

Sorry but I don't know how to shrink it down a bit

Edited September 7, 201410 yr by Severin

I was expecting this episode to be the token 'funny' episode which usually fails at bringing anything of substance to the table; however, I laughed out loud at various points - something I don't think I've ever done when watching Doctor Who. If the idea of the previous two episodes was to highlight the Twelfth Doctor's dark side, then this episode definitely succeeded in highlighting his lighter side. Grouchy and unwittingly hilarious.

 

The plot itself was a little lame (especially that 'arrow' rubbish at the end - AS IF that was at all plausible, even in Doctor Who!) but I think the last three have probably been the best run of Doctor Who episodes in years!

Edited September 7, 201410 yr by Slick

I did find this quite good as a lighter episode, was definitely much better than I was expecting. Clara in particular was brilliant in this episode, probably the best I've seen her in. I like the new Doctor's style of 'serious' humour too.

 

I must admit though, I'd have found it a lot better if that initial Doctor Who theory that Robin was a robot constructed by knowledge of myths was actually true, I get that this was meant to be light hearted and that may have spoilt the tone but it would've made it a bit more exciting at least and been a bit more trademark Doctor Who, it's probably me being very picky but I just prefer the Sci-Fi side to Doctor Who than fantasy. (which is what Robin Hood is really, let's face it) Must agree with that arrow stuff at the end too, RIDICULOUS.

 

Overall, it was pleasant, but next week's looks incredible so I'll probably just forget this one.

 

a romp with some great banter, and actors, and Robin Hood Land is the place of my birth so yay Dr Who. The arrow thing was daft and unnecessary. It's OK to pre-quote anything - who's to say a line or idea wasn't spouted centuries before it was written down - though the posh accents for the citizens of Nottinghamshire isn't OK. Middle Ages English should at least be translated into modern accents if the Doctor can have one, and that means NOT BBC ac-tor versions of English.

I did actually enjoy it a lot more than I thought I would. It did feel similar to a few previous episodes but it did feel like it was a better story than them so I won't begrudge it for that. I liked the twist that Robin Hood was actually real but wasn't remembered for being so, it was a nice twist to the expected 'normal person had mind affected by ship crash/robot in disguise unknown to him'. As people have said, Clara continues to shine. The pacing was also not an issue for me either, I didn't think there were any dull parts nor a quick ending (let's forget about the arrow part). It does highlight though that there were real problems with Series 7B, maybe Steven was more focused on what to do for the 50th and Matt's departure.

 

This episode shows why longer series (or rather showing the series in one block) is better as it allows episodes like this without me feeling like it was a waste, no matter how much I enjoyed it. The only grumble I really have (apart from that arrow) which I've seen other people say, is that it did come a bit too soon after 'Deep Breath' ie robots wanting to go to the promised land, unless robots are also a theme of the series.

 

Now we have three episodes let's do a ranking :magic::

 

01. Deep Breath

02. Robots of Sherwood

03. Into the Dalek

I think there does seem to be a bit of a recurring theme with robots in the series, as there's also one in '

The Caretaker

' and obviously the Cybermen in 'Dark Water'/'Death in Heaven'. So it wouldn't surprise me if they're all linked in some way, without it being a visibly strong one.