Reaction, Doctor Who, 9x09, Gallifrey Gals Get Wibbly Wobbly! S9Ep9 Sleep No More

[@staceymackenzie9627]

There is a good Moffat quote somewhere. He pretty much says the best thing about Doctor Who is that it allows for crazy concepts, both story and editorially. They can try new ideas like this episode. And he said that quite often they will fail but every so often you get a masterpiece that will never be forgotten. Something along those lines.

[@ThomasMurch]

I've seen the TARDIS described as being "not a time machine, but a genre machine", and that's a good way of thinking about the show. It can be a comedy, a horror, a drama, a mixture of the three! A western, a pirate story, a soap opera, a space opera! It can be a series of stand-alone episodes, a series of two-part stories, a single serialised tale! Like you said, no experiment will be entirely successful, but at least it stops the show from getting stale.

[@frankwales]

The episode that answers the question "what if the episode itself is the monster?"

[@somthingbrutal]

getting close to for me the best episode in the whole history of the show

[@zeke8921]

It’s so god damn good

[@rockyshields9122]

Capaldi at his acting best.

[@mattgarrett2583]

Capaldi all on his own.. best thing ever.

[@cyberdalek615]

I love the final three episodes

[@somthingbrutal]

@@nikelmaharjan6755 lol close but no

[@cutthr0atjake]

I love this episode. It's an under-rated misunderstood ultimate unreliable narrator. The whole episode is constructed by the antagonist, so who knows what actually happens?

[@MichaelJohnson-kq7qg]

Exactly - people who complain about this episode because of the 'eye monsters' need to rewatch the episode - there ARE no eye monsters in this episode. I love the psychological episodes of Doctor Who. (Last Christmas is another one of my all-time favourites).

[@ianpark1805]

Reece Shearsmith, Mark Gatiss and Steve Pemberton are wonderfully dark and funny in ‘The League of Gentlemen’ (where they play nearly 100 wildly different characters between them) and should be watched if not reacted to. Shearsmith and Pemberton are back together in the brilliant and varied ‘Inside No. 9’ which also should be compulsory viewing. Still not sure about this episode but it’s a wild ride to the end from here!

[@unclelink]

Have you ever seen something move in your peripheral vision and when you turn to get a better look, it's gone? Brain playing tricks on you? Nope. You did see something. Got that from Freaky Links! One of the best one season shows!

[@kwanarchive]

This is the only Mark Gatiss episode I actually enjoy. It plays to his weakness as a Doctor Who writer (he's brilliant with Sherlock), which is that he never seems to be able to carry his sci-fi ideas to the end. So this fits him perfectly as there is no end, just an open ended question.

[@mattlittle4434]

Regardless of what their reactions end up being, I am STOKED to watch the next three episodes!

[@elijames8618]

Reece Shearsmith plays the doctor in this episode. Mark Gatiss and him worked together for many years on a show called League Of Gentleman which was… weird. They can both be quite disturbing writers when they want to be which I think explains the dark amd twisted nature to the character. They also work with Steve Pemberton who was in Silence In The Library who has also worked to create very experimental and often disturbing drama such as Inside Number 9. Have to say I love the three of them as writers, would definitely recommend Inside Number 9

[@rustyshackleford3862]

Oh man I missed this when it first aired and had no idea of it.

[@jaimie1938]

Just so you both know, 474 is actually a woman! (or at least she's an android who's referred to with she/her pronouns) She's played by Bethany Black who previously worked with Russell T Davies prior to this episode ✨

[@KatAlysha]

Holy smokes!! I never knew!! Thank you for that info ❤❤

[@kivik8093]

Can't wait for the next few weeks of Doctor who content from this channel

[@Meritania]

Moffat loves ideas that play around with narrative. I recommend watching ‘Coupling’ if you want to see it applied to a sitcom setting.

[@chanceneck8072]

Lol, now that I'm catching up with some of your Who reaction, I have to mention this once: Your little intro, that title card melody? I kinda like it. The "Gallifrey Girls" kinda reminds me of a song I used to like as a young adult, called "God Is A Girl" from Groove Coverage..... 🥰

[@whobp8]

Wait til you see the sequel with the monsters made of ear wax!

[@firefly24601]

The episode with the bellybutton lint monster rounds out the trilogy...

[@JayceMaxwell]

This thread deserves way more credit than it's gotten.

[@JohnSmith-wr4nq]

Katrina looking cute as fuck in this one.

[@brianadkins3880]

It had an odd ending so still feel rather ambivalent about it. Some of it's fun and like Paula said it was never boring. So, mission accomplished?

[@georgewaterman1925]

The intro song is still so good!

[@markrankin1094]

This ep reminds me, if you haven't, go watch League of Gentlemen. A very British comedy in which you might recognise a face or three.

[@andrewbowman4611]

It's an odd one, this. I tend to regard it as a Mark Gatiss-penned episode of Inside No. 9 (written by Rasmussen actor Reece Sheersmith and Steve Pemberton, both of whom worked alongside Gatiss on The League of Gentlemen). In that capacity, I think it works. As a Doctor Who story? It's fine, although not a highlight of the series; for me, at least.

[@ghostkage]

My Mex GF calls the guy who comes by with Corn , Mexican Krusty cuz hes always laughing and honking a clown horn🤣

[@nikelmaharjan6755]

Please dont skip opening scene of heaven sent episode

[@lietdune3187]

I call this the "Blair Witch Doctor Who Project" episode.

[@Tantalus010]

My reaction when the Doctor told Clara that was her looking at him: No it isn't. That camera is the same height as the Doctor. Clara is, well, not.

[@rialiti3996]

"I don't know that, I don't play that game. Ahh I'm a Real Gamer I don't play Animal Crossing." Paula 03/26/2020 ( i had to)

[@cityteen]

I had to pause just to say that I feel seen as a Mexican person when you said all you had to say about the elotes man; all true!! 😹

[@KatAlysha]

THE ELOTES MAN IS EVERYTHING 😂❤

[@erikohman2294]

When you are not looking *looks in to the camera*.

[@billthewhovian]

I've always felt this one was rushed just a tad but the ending quite good and strangely enough I had something in the corner of my eye on my first watch through. So yeah it certainly isn't the strongest story of series 9 but still a good story and I like it when the Doctor doesn't win because it's a reminder that the Doctor isn't all knowing and can lose some times and I think it serves as a lesson to all not just the younger viewers but the older ones as that you can't always succeed in life, sometimes you fail whether that be coming last in a race or not being able to figure out what is behind a threat to humanity.

[@MichaelJohnson-kq7qg]

One of my favourite Doctor Who stories. It would have been my favourite of this whole season if the next three episodes were not just unbelievably good. That's how high the bar gets for this season.

[@leeci33]

I love that Paula has stuck to Claire-uh over CLAH-ra 🤣🤣🤣

[@shaytutty1989]

Katrina! That shirt is VERY star trek TNG 💜

[@chris-hz2wd]

I remember watching this and after it ended being like what the fuck? I was just totally shocked the doctor didn’t solve a mystery, and that’s what I loved about it, we always see the doctor solve and save the day but that can’t be the case for someone whose lived 2000 years so I loved that a flashlight was shone on a part of the doctors travels where even he is baffled and can’t solve a mystery I get that not everyone loves found footage and yeah I wouldn’t say it’s a classic but I always applaud doctor who for trying something new it’s essentially the basis of the show now, change and mix it up, so when they apply that to the story telling I always appreciate it wether I like it or not and in this case I fall on the side that did like it

[@Senkoau]

The signal in the transmission infects your mind and turns you to dust. The image of the angel becomes an angel of stone. Could the Angels be the final evolution of the monsters here?

[@austingreen788]

Ya we don’t talk about this episode lol

[@scottredding7357]

This episode gets a lot of grief. But it's experimental (no opening credits, found footage) ... which the series should be more often. The Doctor loses (are there any other new Who episodes where that happens?). It's easily the best "weakest episode in the entire series."

[@brianadkins3880]

There was "Midnight" during Tennant's run. Which was also a divisive episode.

[@christianwise637]

@@brianadkins3880 Was it? I'm under the impression that episode is highly beloved by the fanbase ("Midnight" that is, not "Sleep No More")

[@doggo9388]

It’s weak for me, and I think the same goes for all the fans who dislike it, because it acts like it’s scarier than it is and takes itself too seriously. It has an incredibly predictable plot twist, and the ending is cringeworthy with guy looking at the screen. It just isn’t scary to me at all, where episodes like blink and listen were fantastic. The one thing I’ll say isn’t it’s own fault is that I think Moffat went too far in his staple of trying to take everyday things and corrupt them. Statues work because they’re humanoid and can look like they move in peripheral, Shadows are already things people are afraid of, but the sleep dust in your eyes…really? Lastly, the found footage trope is so overdone that it hampers the enjoyment for me from the second it starts until it changes.

[@MichaelJohnson-kq7qg]

@@doggo9388 rewatch it. There are no 'sleep dust' monsters. You missed the point.

[@Cowmoo83]

@@christianwise637 it is. It ranked 44th in the last Doctor Who Magazine poll of all the episodes from 2014. Other episodes ranked in the 40s include “The Waters of Mars,” “The Daleks,” “The Dalek Invasion of Earth,” and “Army of Ghosts/Doomsday.” It’s in esteemed company.

[@mconnaghan]

Another quality Dr. Cat video!

[@mconnaghan]

*found Dr. Cat video

[@leeci33]

I wish I had a corn man

[@geoffmason7215]

and then it was over

[@christianwise637]

Mark Gatiss is a bit of an odd figure, while none of his episodes are what I'd call great stories, they're usually decent entertaining romps that are fun to watch for the 45 minutes they're on. "Sleep No More" is not one of those episodes. To the episode's credit, the core concept is pretty interesting. The idea of a monster made out of evil sleep dust is a typically bonkers Doctor Who idea, and it's a pretty creative one, if a little silly. Moreover, I like the idea of them being the result of machines that people use to stay awake so they can work longer hours, which is a very clever idea, and some pretty relevant commentary about the modern working environment and it prioritisation of profit and progress over the wellbeing of individuals. I also dig a lot of the worldbuilding featured, and I think the found footage gimmick is actually pretty well integrated into the story. And Reece Shearsmith's guest performance is brilliantly creepy and effective. Unfortunately, while this episode should work in concept, the execution falters horribly. I'm not usually a big fan of found footage anyway, so this was never going to be my thing, but it wasn't that badly used here. At any rate, the episode's story is poorly paced, weakly structured, and is generally nonsensical, ending on a bizarre note that leaves the episode feeling unfinished. While the concept works well, the actual design of the Sandmen is pretty silly, and not very threatening at all. The characters are all bland cookie-cutter archetypes, most of whom exist for the sole purpose of dying. Much like "In the Forest of the Night", the Doctor and Clara are left with little to nothing to do, even the plot point about Clara being infected ultimately goes nowhere. And the general dark serious tone, combined with the weird pacing and structure of the story, results in an episode that's frankly very boring, and not fun to watch, unlike Mark's previous episodes. I think this is easily the worst episode of Capaldi's run, as while there's some good ideas, the execution is absolutely terrible and results in a dull and unengaging story that kills the momentum series 9 was building up. On the plus side, with this episode out of the way, we can start getting into some really great stuff, and oh boy we're on the home stretch for this series. The first second of eternity is nearing its end...

[@craigoconnor6662]

I hated that episode... and I love found footage horror films. Series 9 would've been wonderful but this got in the way.

[@23Raymond22]

Hi Ladies.. Katrina, i like your short hair so much. You really look badass.. Greetings Raymond.

[@mconnaghan]

I wish I could hit the like button, but that would make it 70. Maybe when I reload.

[@jthomann71]

It's not awful, but it's definitely the weakest episode of the season.

[@CoL_Drake]

this episode was really "meh"

[@bemasaberwyn55]

This is definitely, an odd one

[@JayJ1095]

In a way I like this episode... but at the same time I also don't like it because it's only really half an episode. What's there is good, but there's no conclusion and not even any explanation of what happens between this and the next episode.

[@ftumschk]

I used to think this episode was really "meh" when I first saw it, and didn't rewatch it until earlier this year. I was pleasantly surprised - by no means one of the greats, but I certainly found it far more interesting and enjoyable than I recalled.

[@ghostkage]

This episode reminds me of Anime Filler, it is just kinda there to fill time.

[@ceezyjeffezy2213]

Ive never seen this episode to the end it’s so bad. I’m going to skip this reaction but will be back for the rest!

[@philward6582]

I'm so happy for us all!

[@JohnnyRaven69]

This episode is a bit weird and boring. But the next episode is gonna be feelsbringer!

[@Stuart_Cox1969]

Good idea, bad story

[@keithgoodnight3463]

This would be my pick for the worst episode of Capaldi’s tenure, and in the running for worst episode of new-Who ever. I wish such an intriguing monster concept had been given an episode with a style that actually allowed storytelling, but the found-footage approach was a short-lived fad that ended for good reason a couple of years before Dr Who belatedly tried it.

[@joshuajoshua2732]

This episode was as boring as watching paint dry worst episode of Doctor Who ever along with Love & Monsters, Fear Her and that crappy Forest of The Night.

[@nickloschen2717]

12 is my favorite doctor but this is definitely his worst episode

[@MrBanankartong]

I don't hate this episode, but it's the worst episode of the season. I don't really know how I feel about it...

[@baeleth]

This is my second least favourite episode and the only episode of Doctor Who I skip every time. I can't stand found footage stuff because it makes my wife sick so she can't watch with me, which this one did. Also, it generally just irritates me. I just can't get behind the choice to film something in a way that actually makes a higher than normal percentage of viewers sick and/or unable to watch or enjoy it. Shots here and there would be fine, to show the premise, but almost everything in that format is too much. The story is fine, I guess. I just don't enjoy the physical act of watching it.

[@englishmidnight]

This episode got voted the worst episode ever of Doctor who.