He Who Moans Reviews: Doctor Who: The Ghost Monument

In which there are scary bits of fabric and a ladder. There is probably a third thing in there but I can't remember.
Greta Sting by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommon...)
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Artist: incompetech.com/

[@CouncilofGeeks]

I got to smack Stuart! You’re all jealous. Admit it.

[@williamedongesiii541]

Yes Nathaniel I am terribly jealous.

[@Ben-vf5gk]

It's payback for making you watch Warriors of the Deep

[@StefanTravis]

Yeah, but Stuart likes smack. Apparently.

[@jplegend98]

Ive already slaped him twice so ha

[@zorion9294]

OMG HEY I LOVE YOUR CHANNEL

[@andresalles7144]

Ryan has dyspraxia. That's why he was hesitant about the ladder.

[@iain9757]

I feel they need to flesh out what “his” dyspraxia is as it’s so varied for so many people

[@iain9757]

Actually Stuart’s “Ryan is scared of heights and his nan just died because of heights” is better as it adds more to his character

[@Stubagful]

yeah cause I have dyspraxia and I kinda didn't know what it was for years. I thought I was just clumsy

[@meris8486]

I have Dyspraxia too and I've climbed mountains, it doesn't affect me much

[@luckystardoomnjeraxivyurie5415]

same here Stu, I have dyspraxia and I had no understanding of it until a month ago.

[@90RavenBlack]

Of course, the biggest mystery of this episode is...where did Audrey Hepburn's sunglasses come from? The Doctor repeatedly stresses in 'The Woman Who Fell to Earth' that she has nothing in her pockets, after which she buys her new outfit from a charity shop. Without even having found the TARDIS at that point in 'The Ghost Monument', she suddenly produces Hepburn's shades from her pocket. Clearly this is the big set-up for a future plot arc. :P

[@mra1545]

The doctor says that they are 'like' the ones that Audrey/Pythagoras had not that they are the same ones. I think she just got them from that charity shop :)

[@jefferyjones8399]

I thought it was a joke and she actually got them at the thrift shop.

[@roguemeteorite6778]

I'm so happy it wasn't just me who noticed that! I actually went back and rewatched that scene and the Doctor actually says that those sunglasses (the ones she picked up in Sheffield and then gave to Graham) reminded her of another old pair of sunglasses that she used to have that she borrowed from either Audrey Hepburn or Pythagoras. That was the most convoluted sentence about sunglasses I've ever written. Probably.

[@carealoo744]

But: 'The Doctor,' says in the scene directly before that, that she still has nothing in her pockets. I actually laughed when this broadcasted, because she said this directly before: 'Grahem,' said there was dust in his eyes!

[@mjtimmer14]

maybe just maybe she lied......

[@slantedframes2334]

I interpreted the ladder differently, I thought he didn't like them because of his dyspraxia, which affects his coordination so he worried that he'll slow the group down, putting them in danger. Also, I like the tardis accept for the doors, I don't like how it has the walls on the side. It looks like it's the police box is just stuck on.

[@ontos8534]

I love the way desolation supposedly being so deadly the air itself is trying to kill you but it never affects them at all

[@mkaiww]

I assume the thing with the ladder was just that he was dyspraxic thick and so couldn't climb not that he was afraid of it

[@bloodrunsclear]

'F**k it, why bother' This season in a nutshell

[@WalrusisintheMatrix]

I don't agree about the tardis interior. I find it pretty ugly and plastic tbh, and they seem to have gone overboard with the "stupid controls that don't do anything but are quirky" trope to the point where there is literally no way for her to control it except with a fuckng egg timer. RIP Micheal Pickwoad :,( The beautiful Pond tardis will always be the best

[@09philj]

It's very much a tackier, more cluttered version of the RTD era interior.

[@quinnsinclair7028]

You’re complaining about tacky controls on this Tardis while praising the Pond era one? That one literally had a hot and cold water tap and a type writer built into it. It looked like someone went to a junk shop and attached everything they found to the console.

[@DarkLordoftheMeme]

It reminds me a bit of the set in Dragonfire, probably would've been cool in the 80's but now looks very tacky. I did like the custard cream dispenser though, especially when I found out Whitaker had no idea what it was for, they just told her to push the pedal and out popped her favourite biscuit. I've always felt the Tardis is the Dcotor's home as well as being a spaceship and most of the tardis interiors thus far havent reflected this. I quite liked what they were aiming for with the Victorian drawing-room look in the TV movie, but they got carried away. Maybe a toned down version of that (minust all the stupid clocks) with a steampunk-looking Tardis console in brass and mahogany would look pretty cool?

[@09philj]

@@DarkLordoftheMeme The two main ideas knocking around in my head for an interior aesthetic are "Kew Gardens Palm House" and "20th century aircraft cockpit".

[@09philj]

@Rose Tico Enthusiast Only filming it with uncomfortable close ups doesn't help. The RTD TARDIS was filmed from a lot of wide angles that really emphasised how big it was.

[@DalamReviews]

Because of my history taking care of my talking pet giraffe before she tragically died from a short doorway leaving me with nothing but my apartment and my life of sorrows and an affinity for getting addicted to pain killers that my brother keeps in his matress when he goes to work to support me in my endless struggle to find meaning in the endless cycle of my life, I found the T.A.R.D.I.S. scene quite emotional.

[@jeckjeck3119]

I really look forward to your 'Rosa' Review.

[@bookwyvern5994]

Definitely. Also Arachnids of the UK.

[@Kritfayle]

When they were floating in space I was hoping they were going to be rescued by The Heart of Gold.

[@bostao4216]

Well at least there's something scary on the evil tissue The fear of another Mystery Box

[@jeckjeck3119]

😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱

[@mathieuleader8601]

this episode needed the Celestial Toymaker as the mastermind behind the game on Desolation

[@eyeofhorus3286]

the novelization shall be called: Doctor Who and the Rags

[@menwithven2862]

Also if your not a fan of VERRY heavy handed political parallels you are not going to like the spider one.

[@iz723]

Also heavily underresolved plots

[@Ben-vf5gk]

Yeah, I liked the Graham stuff, though and 13 is growing on me more and more, so there's that

[@bookwyvern5994]

That was the most cringe worthy part of the episode (and the spiders made me jump). I'm an American. Don't remind me of what's going on in my country. 🤣

[@britanimations2002]

Oh damn, he enjected the heroine before he could tell us what he thought of the new titles

[@NitroIndigo]

So THAT'S what the 4D ride at Disneyland Paris was called!

[@jessica-mh3os]

Can I just say? I'm happy there is finally someone with a good and unbiased view on the series 11. All I see now are sexists and feminazis arguing. But I think your approach is very realistic and unclouded.

[@brendanmccabe8373]

When you realise that Bradley Walsh hosts the chase like the first doctor serial

[@lucifersdevilishdetails.]

Hey it almost six months and he rights i can’t remember any of this episode

[@TheJaviferrol]

My worst fear is starting to take shape: Chibnall doesn´t have the making of a DW showrunner. So far it´s been like his older episodes- mediocre to average; 0 new ideas, same old NuWho formula (another mystery box arc?). Broadchurch was a succes (well, the 1st season) cause it aappeals to the kind of Eastenders general public. I´m starting to think his plan was to ride the morbid curiosity ratings wave that a female Doctor would bring and nothing on the writing; like you say, just be functional. BBC talk about being bold but at the end of the day a female Doctor is just a cast change. Bold is bringing someone relatively unknown outside the Classic Who Old Boys Network. Jodie has sparks but she still lacks authority to me. You know that scene where she walks into Ryan and Graham into the boat and says "glad to see you boys working together". She sounds like someone´s brother in law at a wedding- trying to sound like a leader but coming off as just wanting to show off. You didn´t mention this, but she waved the sonic waaaaaaaay too much already, especially after the pedestrian wave in which she made it.

[@Jake-pr7js]

TheJaviferrol theyve already said there will be no arcs

[@Ben-vf5gk]

We're only four episodes in. I really don't think we can really judge Chibnall's ability to run Doctor Who. Series one's best episodes weren't until halfway through the series, Heaven Sent wasn't until the near end of Series 9. And as for Jodie sometimes it takes time to find for an actor to find their bearings as the Doctor. McCoy's Doctor wasn't that interesting or intimidating until his second series.

[@eirei0789]

@@Jake-pr7js And yet two episodes in, we got the monster of the week spouting mysterious words that are not addressed at the end of the episode, the "Timeless Child" and whatnot, most probably will be picked back up later on. You realize what that's called? A plot runner, a mystery box, akin to "bad wolf" and "silence will fall". Chibnall lied to us all. Why are people still giving him so much slack.

[@Biotic_Warlock]

Now you mention it, 3-4 episodes all about travelling for some game just to find the TARDIS would be pretty neat.

[@charlestownsend9280]

The ladder thing is also linked to the reason that he can't ride a bike, which was brought up the last episode when he tried to climb the ladder, plus yes all of the other things that you mentioned on top of that, like heights and his nan's death, him pausing in front of the ladder isn't just fear but the fact that it is difficult for him and them doing that is better than just going well because he managed it in the last episode he's over it now and can suddenly do what he struggled with before. At least that's how I viewed it, it's also great that the doctor noticed, the last one wouldn't and although I like the doctor to be alien and not get things sometimes capaldi just went to far. I agree that it would have been better if it had more time to actually explore the concept but if they had done that everyone would be bitching about having to wait till episode 3 to see the tardis and thinking that they want to get rid of it or something and that one doctor who youtuber (bowl something) would probably say that it's an attack on white men or something stupid, so I can see why it's not. I liked that the first scene with the doctor was her arguing with someone and taking control to save them, that really helped me get used to her, it's those scenes where you just see the doctor. Also I like how the episode 2 review is out just before episode 4.

[@friday6448]

I think that the reason why Ryan doesn't like ladders is because his dyspraxia not just Grace

[@kettchuk918]

My favourite bit was after the first episode's "what kind of idiot carries a knife" social-commentary-crowbarred-in, we get an answer to that question...the kind of person who needs to cut something.

[@Yan_Alkovic]

YES!!! Finally someone who mentioned the unrealistic dialogue that plagues this series!!! Thank you, Stu, I've been rather irritated by the lack of reference to the simply appalling quality of writing. Like, I did not expect this from Chibnall. I'd watched Broadchurch right before this season and I saw actually realistic characters doing fairly realistic things most of the time. And then there's Torchwood! Chibnall _can_ do proper characterizations in sci-fi, but for some reason he chooses to make these completely typical characters say completely unoriginal and flat-out annoying lines! Just, WHY????

[@tinywarfare9109]

Damn you. Throwing that ladder right in my face. I cried.

[@phantomsidious2934]

That's how I feel about this series so far, it does feel like 'same old, same old' shit

[@craigoconnor6662]

Your 4 favorite words: Don't get me wrong.

[@ZakJordan98]

Had a decent opening and decent ending. But i completely forgot what happened in the middle

[@MaileMakesMusic]

Sksksksksk Ryan has Dyspraxia. As established with the last episode, His Dyspraxia makes it exceptionally difficult to ride bike or climb ladders (amongst other things). It is exceptionally challenging and draining for him to coordinate himself on ladders and even then he can’t do it 100%. It’s not like it isn’t established in other ways too. From what I understand about dyspraxia, him tripping over thin air wile running away from the crashing spaceship is an example too. They’re not just making it show itself for the writers needs only so far.

[@bookwyvern5994]

I'm going to start doing this: I am going to watch every new episode and note the areas you'd probably nit pick vs what you liked about the episode. Sounds like a good exercise in paying attention. While I agree with you for the most part for Ghost Monument, I enjoyed the episode to the point I may remember some of it a few months down the road.

[@musicalginger4263]

Press F to pay respects to Stu and his crippling heroin addiction.

[@Jack-Oates]

I loved the concept but, the whole planet of death didn't give us enough for me.

[@ryanblackmore5205]

I miss prediction corner 😢😢😂😂

[@benw4409]

I liked it but it's the most flawed so far. I loved the Hartnell exploration aspect and thought the design of the creatures were great. I think it's going to be remembered as the weakest one of the series provided we don't have an utter disaster coming up, which I hope won't happen. I think both The End of the World and The Beast Below were better, and Smile had a similar pace but more interesting ideas.

[@englishgiraffe2124]

I kinda wanted this story to play more of a video game-esque plot, but given how it only had 50 minutes, I kinda would have doubted it would have been fleshed out properly. One thing I do love about the story though was how 13 was so optimistic and then how at the last moment, she had no way to get the Tardis back and she looks so vulnerable. That sort of moment is something that 13 desperately needs in my opinion, I mean 12 was more of a grounded Doctor compared to 11, but grounded Doctors in my opinion are more in line with the Doctor, so if 13 keeps this trend, I'll be happy.

[@casualcraftman1599]

I recommend watching the new Netflix show Hilda to help git rid of your heroine addiction and to suppress the memory’s of that dead person you made up to prove a point.

[@doctorthirteen5727]

*heroin* addiction?

[@kimba4962]

Hello, I've recently found your channel and been enjoying your content ever since, rewatching your videos a lot. I did notice that a number of your videos existed which no longer do (like the first and sixth doctor retrospectives). Is it possible to restore/redo them? Really interested to hear your general thoughts on particular doctors (other than 10th and 11th). Thanks in advance.

[@JKBarker101]

Once again, you don’t disappoint!

[@DarthRushy]

but Stuart, where's the kickass intro?

[@iain9757]

Positive comment It looked very pretty and I really liked the kind of cosmic horror of the Remnants and the message scene. I liked how it was witty but not “ha ha very witty” it was comedy woven through the lines

[@NoverMaC]

I kinda liked this one. Loved the monsters here, creative. But I agree with every point you made

[@edward4840]

Have you ever watched Garth Marenghi's Darkplace? It seems like the kind of thing you'd like

[@mekonta]

The chase on the Raleigh Chopper bikes is magnificent.

[@sayachan6069]

I hope we don't get mystery box arcs again but so far the stories are mostly self contained thankfully and I do value the character building.

[@PrivatePikachu1]

I fully admit that I'm more than likely giving Series 11 more of a break than I should, but the Ghost Monument was okay. Not great, not awful, but okay. I still enjoy that Chibnall is allowing the characters to breathe and allow them to just talk to one another and in my opinion I feel like the 'crowbarred' dialogue makes the characters real. While I believe that the Ghost Monument is probably one of the weaker links in the chain that is Series 11, I firmly believe that if episodes like Rosa (No spoilers from me) are any indication, we'll have a strong season. Keep up the good work Stuart, love your vids, it's nice to hear a differing opinion and help me see things that I might not otherwise have seen. :)

[@meris8486]

Hey Stu could we get some more big finish reviews? I remember you saying you'd review Death In The Family a while back.

[@MaksDudekVA_main]

I like the new Tardis interior set except for one thing, the panels on the console look very plain to me. Like there's almost nothing on them at all.

[@09philj]

This was solid, if nothing original, which makes a nice change from up it's own arse shit. Most of the things that held it back are related to things not directly in the script; having to use three companions, making the cloth monsters CGI, only being 50 minutes long, the 13th Doctor being a little bland, and so on. The new cinematography is excellent, but the editing is occasionally really shit, the new music is a definite improvement but the theme's not doing it for me. Also, I really hate the new TARDIS and how tacky the interior looks. It doesn't help that it's not shot or lit very well, particularly compared to the RTD era TARDIS it most resembles, which is odd considering how good the rest of the new show looks. Next time, Malorie Blackman and Chris Chibnall do a largely excellent story that tackles a serious issue in a mature way, but is unfortunately held back by one of the most pointless villains in the history of the show and a piece of music direction that even Murray Gold would have considered too unsubtle.

[@beeldinkum3152]

Maybe the doctors gonna have a baby. Timeless child By a decent writer it could be epic. I hope it doesn't happen

[@charliewarner787]

Are you going to review tonight's inside no. 9

[@doctorthirteen5727]

I agree with all your points. This is another Capaldi/Moffatt situation already, a decent actor saddled with clunky writing

[@menwithven2862]

Can someone come up with a fan theory that can justify Frobisher as being the timeless child

[@damiensalstar]

He who moans has turned into he who fanboys

[@carealoo744]

Yeah! This is finally here!

[@dlpg500]

Stubagful will you be doing a vid on the live episode of Inside No 9

[@dthompson1450]

This episode was decent. Rosa is doomed to be critically acclaimed not for its merits but for its politics. What I’m waiting to see from this series is any hint of complexity or flaws in this version of the Doctor, because as long as she remains the perfect, virtuous and all-knowing leader of the group there is no room for meaningful interactions between the companions or any character growth. She is, dare I say it, at risk of falling into the “Mary-Sue” trope.

[@brandonkelly9271]

Are you gonna do some more eight Dr big finish

[@escfanprojects3146]

Where is the prediction corner?

[@carealoo744]

I'm still going with: 'Grace,' is: 'The Master!'

[@TheCrippledEgg]

It got lost in Moffat's massive massive brain.

[@eyeofhorus3286]

I don't know where is it? maybe we should predict where it has gone in prediction corner...

[@carealoo744]

As the guy said above: It got lost in Moffat's massive massive brain!' :)

[@ElManReborn616]

Hello. Love your reviews. I've recently figured a huge problem with Doctor Who: the series went to such lengths, that we don't know the rules anymore. Some people were pissed about 13 crafting her own screwdriver -she can't do that! She would need the TARDIS and gallifreyan technology!!!- but I reply "why" and they state contraddictional pieces of info we gather through the new season. In hartnell's era, you knew the TARDIS sometimes had to be fixed and it couldn't take off otherwise and that The Doctor can't pinpoint the next stop. So if he ignored that much, you could call bullshit. Now The Doctor could do anything, be in two places at once, craft complex gallifreyan tech out of wood or bring people back to life and you wouldn't be really able to say anything.

[@thedoctorsassistant1]

i think as episode 2s go its was strong episode

[@jefferyjones8399]

I thought we were getting full hour length episodes? The last two have been about 50 minutes. I liked The Ghost Monument a lot. Is it weird that I compare modern Who to classic a lot? Like you know they would spend like six episodes going through the different obstacles in the race.

[@bigspongeyfan1]

Jeffery Jones true. 😂 Only the first episode was supposed to be 60 mins. The rest are all 50 mins. Who knows what we’ll get for Christmas.

[@jefferyjones8399]

@@bigspongeyfan1 Oh, I must have misunderstood. I thought because of the shortened amount of episodes this season they were going to all clock in about an hour.

[@doctorthirteen5727]

Jeffery Jones I swear I heard that also. Considering the sloppiness of episode 4's ending, I wouldn't be surprised if the BBC made Chibnall do some editing

[@Ghargr18]

I’ve got to the point where I’m wondering if the timeless child thing even is a mystery box since so for it’s only been mentioned once! I thought they had to be crowbarred into every episode at least three times... 😂 Maybe it was a reference to her regeneration and capaldis reluctance to regenerate. She’s impossible ancient, but like a child is having to learn about herself and who she is and how to relate to the world again

[@eddiedavey9779]

Don’t you think this Doctor who feels a lot like the EDAs

[@HerohammerStudios]

Kinda sad this ended up being the best episode this season lol

[@grump9001]

R.I.P. fictional waifu, gone too soon.

[@Ben-vf5gk]

5:12 Why are you still keeping Nathaniel prisoner? And why is he wearing clothes but your stickman isn't?

[@8MillsProductions]

Was I the only one who noticed Yasmin was wearing a Steven Universe top? And before you reply with "That's not a SU top" but it's close enough.

[@RegularCody]

This is the worst episode of NuWho I could talk for an hour about everything I hate about it

[@theultimatevideoman1143]

I really didn't take to this episode. It has great visuals and the camerawork is great and the performances are nice. But the plot is just so meh to me. Everyone seemed to love this episode straight after it aired and I seemed to be the only one who thought it was a pretty average piece of television.

[@sevgigurbuz3280]

Not just you, I was bored for most of the episode. And I don't like how 13 is so willing to let companions kill/maim themselves. In episode 1, she did nothing to stop them from battling dangerous aliens and in this episode she let Ryan go out in front of a sniper squad. But take any previous incarnation of the Doctor, and h/she'd never let anyone do that! Duty of Care!!

[@iain9757]

Negative comments : It felt like there should be something more to this... Yes the editing and framing of some scenes are bad in places. It feels like Big Finish in places “let’s all run behind the big pillar right here” It was very like ... so why .. who cares about these people like when is the women gonna actually turn out to be the mean one I don’t really like the crystal fingers around the console

[@martinmowbray6448]

The tardis interior is shit. Also Daleks can go up stairs. They hover.

[@SouthPark333Gaming]

Jodie is like Matt. I hate Matt, therefor I hate Jodie.

[@herbivarsawus4359]

Er...you are treating addiction and death as a joke. I think you need to check yourself, Stewart.

[@herbivarsawus4359]

*disoriented

[@DoctorWhoHome1]

Yeh it was a fine episode, nothing amazing a little dull and yeh guess it was better than episode one at least?

[@ricklopez2314]

He's dysphraxic you plonker.

[@MrPyroCrab]

Ngl, I don't like the new TARDIS, I miss 8's TARDIS, it looked cosy, it looked lived in.

[@sixstanger00]

I found this episode to be pretty weak, both in plot & story. The characters were extremely one-dimensional and were basically blatant polar opposites. Little else made them unique. The episode fails miserably at trying to sell itself as a "blockbuster sci-fi flick" with tons of shaky cam & teal/orange grading.

[@HerohammerStudios]

Beautiful? U wot m8?

[@joearrowsmith6813]

i feel like anything that isn't experimental or innovative is unremarkable to you and you're always way too preoccupied by that personal preference instead of assessing what an episode is trying to achieve for it's audience

[@joearrowsmith6813]

well you say the episode was 'functionally sound', so there's that

[@tardisnet9487]

I found this story mediocre. I enjoyed Angstrom and Epso and their character development. But the villains were just dull and the story lacked threat. There was no time to expand on any of the ideas and concepts and villains and the ending was very rushed. It should have been a two part story.

[@youtubeaccount697]

LoL

[@christopheralthouse6378]

One word: Rosa

[@YourBeingParanoid]

So is mocking the disabled now considered pop culture?

[@Dim4323]

#notmydoctor Or I call her The distroyer of men