Tag Archives: Doctor Who

Why I’m Not A Nerd, And You Probably Aren’t Either

Posted in Fan-Rants, Uncategorized by

Not long ago I was walking with a friend. Actually, not a friend. Technically, this is a person that I hate passionately but to whom I am nonetheless bound by the codes of mutual friendship, and the fact that we spend 80% of our time on the same university campus. Anyway, as I was walking with this Friend-of-a-Friend, I tried to keep the conversation as neutral as possible. And since pop culture is the only topic in which I’m remotely conversant, we mostly talked about TV. It went thusly:

I’d mention a show-

-And she’d jump in with how much she was obsessed with that show. Because, you know (*sheepish, with the slightest hint of shame) she’s just such a nerd.

Cool. I really dig it, too-

-Yeah, but I mean, not the same way she loves it. She used to watch the original series with her dad. So it’s just more special for her.

Sure.

I’d bring up a movie I recently saw-

-And she (excuse her, she didn’t mean to interrupt) couldn’t contain herself, just had to tell me about all the merch she’d gotten from that franchise. It was a lot of money, but, you know, (*still sheepish, now slightly over-selling the shame) she’s just such a nerd.

Thanks. Got it.

The appropriation of nerd culture into the mainstream has created a perfect niche for people like this girl. It allows her to feel cool and relevant, with the added thrill of feeling special, because what is Nerdom, if not a counter-culture that thrives on it’s own self-imposed exclusivity?

I not saying that I don’t love nerds. I really, really do. I admire anyone that is passionate about something, and who finds genuine joy in that passion. But like anything, there are two sides to Nerd culture. The first side loves something with so much of itself that it wants to share it with feature-kate.jpgeveryone. It wants other people to share and experience the thing that means so much to it. But once that thing is out there, is made accessible to everyone, we see the other side of Nerd mentality. It circles the wagons. It realizes that what was once it’s thing now belongs to many, and it resents this perceived loss.

For a while I thought that the popularization of nerd culture would make things more inclusive, and in some ways it has. It’s safe to say that people now feel more able to express themselves and their allegiance to their fandoms like never before. In other ways, it’s also made things more esoteric. I don’t live and breathe for the original Star Wars Trilogy, so my love for The Force Awakens must not run as deep as a real fan’s, right?

The truth is, however much you may wish it were otherwise, you are probably not a nerd. You’re probably not Anthony Michael Hall in Weird Science. You’re probably not David Krumholtz in Ten Things I Hate About You. And that’s totally fine. Do you know why?

Because it’s more likely that what you really are is a well-rounded, multi-denominational person who happens to be passionate about something, or more likely many things. You don’t need to be a nerd. You are allowed to like what you like, without trying to tailor yourself to the specifications of one group or another. Because labels, even the ones we assign to ourselves, are ultimately damaging and self limiting.

Was it Kierkegaard or Dick Van Patten who said “If you label me, you negate me”?

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–Whitney Weldon

The Fangirly Show: Episode # 7 Fangirling Over TV Revivals

Posted in The Fangirly Show, TV by

Whitney and Ellen discuss the pros and cons from a bringing back a show from that underworld known as cancellation.  Is it a good thing or bad thing for the landscape of television?  But more importantly, has it ever been done well?  Plus, the ladies lay down their bets for their Fangirly Oscar Pool.  Who will win?   And who will have to suffer the consequences of losing?  (Odds are, Whitney).

You can listen and subscribe HERE on iTunes or you can go HERE to listen and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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How Does ABC’s Selfie Suck? Let Me Count The Ways

Posted in About Last Night by

I have one hard and fast rule about Fall TV season: no matter how much you may hate a pilot, it is VITAL that you make it to at least episode two. Because usually, the things we hate about pilots get ironed out during the first season. That is what first seasons are for. If the premise is good and the writing is solid, there is always room for hope. But some shows are so fundamentally flawed, so irreparably stupid that a second look only serves to draw out the inevitable and necessary cancellation. Selfie falls, face first, into this category just like Ellen said it would. Let’s break it down.

abc-selfie-eliza1) Eliza Dooley (Karen Gillan) might be the Worst, and not in a good way. I know that as one of Doctor Who‘s resident red heads, Amy Pond was kind of a polarizing character. And it is totally possible that I am projecting my dislike of The Girl Who Waited onto Eliza, a character with many of the same flaws that kept me from registering with the Amy Pond fan club (selfishness, over-confidence, tends to take others for granted). At least Amy was an interesting character; the most interesting thing about Eliza is her ability to fill two airplane yarf-bags. Which, when you think about it, really set the tone for the rest of the show.

2) Your main character should be redeemable, not reprehensible. By the end of the pilot, we should have had a reason to root for Eliza, and I don’t feel that we ever got it. Most of the attempts to add depth to her character were pretty weak (you mean, she was able to stash her distaste for the office hipster girls long enough to let them clean her apartment, loan her nice dresses, do her hair and make-up free of charge, and generally extend her an undeserved hand of friendship? What personal growth). If you are going to write horrible characters to populate your show, a la It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, at least make sure their horribleness is offset by their hilarity. Which brings me to…

3) Traditionally, TV comedies should be, you know, funny. If nothing else, Pilots should be clever enough to give audiences the idea that, even if the rest of the show isn’t prefect yet, the experience won’t be a total loss. Selfie did not make me laugh once, and I laugh at everything. Seriously. Everything.

4) Being unpopular in high school does not a tragic backstory make. Selfie isn’t the first show to try and make not being selfies-main-character-is-eliza-dooley-dooley-grew-up-being-most-butt-in-high-school-butt-as-in-ugly-so-she-modeled-herself-after-the-most-popular-girl-in-her-school-and-grew-up-to-be-beautiful-but-vapidthe most popular person in high school a credible excuse for sucking in the present, and it won’t be the last. TV comedies can still be fun and lighthearted even if they delve deeper than an unpleasant school dance experience. But Selfie is just as shallow as it’s main character, which is why I’ll be taking my business elsewhere. Better luck next year, ABC!

–Whitney

Jane Austen + Doctor Who = Best Thing to Happen to Me EVER?!

Posted in Anglophiles Anonymous, Books, TV by

Jane TardisSomething you should/probably do know about me is that I am loud, proud, and unabashed fan of all things Jane Austen. And when I say all things, I mean ALL things. You have no idea how much bad Austen fanfiction I have read. Sorry not sorry. (Okay. A little sorry).

Something else that should be readily apparent from reading this blog on the regular is that I also love Doctor Who.  It’s just my cup of nerdy tea.

Now imagine my unadulterated glee when I read this morning that Mark Gatiss, co-creator of another Fangirly favorite (Sherlock) and somewhat regular writer for the good Doctor, has been teasing that he might do a Austen-centric episode.

I.  Would.  DIE.

I wrote enough papers on Austen in college to fill a book, I have read some of her books upwards of 15 times, and if Austenland existed, I would have my ticket. So, it should go without saying that this would immediately become my favorite episode.

Being a Sherlock fan, I know that Gatiss is a total tease, so this could all amount to nothing, but he also wrote the Dickens and Churchill episodes so this is not completely out of the question.

It can and should happen.  In fact, why hasn’t it already?

– Ellen

Grade A, Choice Picks: Top Christmas Episodes

Posted in Choice Picks, TV by

Today, I give you my list of Christmas episodes.  This list is almost impossible to whittle down to just 10, so I made this a list of 15.  Also, I tried to keep the list to just one episode per show.  Some of these, I haven’t watched in a long time and some are brand new additions to the Holiday Episode list. Keep in mind that I don’t watch every show and I am very biased in my selection of the “best holiday episodes ever”, but I think you can enjoy my list regardless.

15. “The 23rd” New Girl: Season 1 – Nick really fouls things up when he tells Jess’ current boyfriend that she is not in love with him.  The real Christmas magic is when Nick wakes up the most decorated neighborhood in town, Candy Cane Lane, to turn on all of their lights to cheer her up.  Is it any wonder why these two are together now?

how.i.met.your.mother.11120514. “Symphony of Illumination” How I Met Your Mother: Season 7 – Definitely the biggest bummer episode on the list, but that is what makes this episode so great.  Robin takes the narrating reins and tells the story of when she thought she was pregnant to what turn out to be her imaginary children.  You see, Robin finds out that she cannot have children.  The true Christmas spirit comes when Ted cheers her up without knowing why she needs cheering up by setting up an elaborate Christmas light routine.

13. “Christmas Party Sex Trap” The Mindy Project: Season 2 – Yes, this just aired, but hello!  Did you see Chris Messina dance to Aaliyah?  Yeah.  And if that weren’t enough, Mindy and Danny almost kiss!

Bones12. “Santa in the Slush” Bones: Season 3 – Ah, the good old days when the only person getting into the Bones-Booth mix was Caroline bribing them into kissing under the mistletoe. I love Caroline. While the whole first-kiss aspect really helps, this is also just a pretty good Christmas episode. You have the gore and mystery with a dead Santa in a sewer, you have the funny with Booth having to sniff Santas, you have the whimsy with Santa’s apartment above a toy store, and you have the touching with Booth giving Brennan her Christmas tree. Le sigh.

11. “Christmas Special” 30 Rock: Season 3 – In my book, it doesn’t get much better than Liz Lemon ruining Christmas for some kids and Jack finding out that his mom took F.A.O. Schwartz as her gentlemen lover (“Uhh that word bums me out unless it’s between the words meat and pizza”) to make Christmas for him as a kid.

Parks-Recreation-Christmas-Episode-Pictures10. “Citizen Knope” Parks and Recreation: Season 4 – It shouldn’t be surprising that the merriest show on television is good at doing a Christmas episode.  Sure enough, in true Parks and Recreation style, this episode is hilarious and sweet.  Leslie is in the midst of her suspension after it is revealed that she and Ben are dating. Leslie is obviously the best at gift giving, but the parks department wants to make up some of the difference.  When her campaign team bails after low approval numbers, they give her the best gift of all!

9. “Afternoon Delight” Arrested Development: Season 2 – Ah, Christmas. The time of year when you have parties on Bethlehem time, sing about daytime lovin’ with your niece, and let kids get their grubby little hands all over a $3000 dollar suit. Come on!

8. “The Polarizing Express” Psych: Season 5 –  It is exactly what you would want out of an It’s a Wonderful Life episode from Psych written and directed by James Roday: bizarre, hilarious, and Gus in a UPN sitcom in the 90s. This episode only further solidifies my love for Roday.

Community Christmas7. “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas” Community: Season 2 – This stop-motion, musical spectacular holiday special send-up had to be on the list. Um, Abed finding out that the meaning of Christmas is the first season of Lost on DVD because Christmas can mean whatever we want it to mean? Brilliant, uproarious, and kind of sweet. Also, this episode gave me my new favorite Christmas mascot. Christmas Pterodactyl!

6. “Christmas Party” The Office: Season 2 – This one made me all sorts of nostalgic for the (now fulfilled) sexual tension of Jim and Pam. It also had some other great stuff, too. Michael’s impromptu Yankee Swap to get rid of the homemade oven mitt, Creed’s equally impromptu Secret Santa gift, Angela’s babies-playing-saxes poster, and Meredith flashing Michael. “Happy birthday, Jesus. Sorry your party’s so lame.”

5. “A Very Supernatural Christmas” Supernatural: Season 3 – This episode is exactly what you would expect from a Supernatural Christmas episode: it’s creepy, it’s kooky, and it has that punch of heart right at the end between the demon hunting bros.

happy4. “No-Ho-Ho” Happy Endings: Season 3 – All I want for Christmas is this show to come back.  Is that so much to ask?  The episode centers around the gang trying to give Jane the best birthday ever when they find out that her birthday is actually on Christmas, but they have a hard time keeping Christmas out.  Between Brad’s penchant for dancing with hip-hop Santa, Max’s Egg Nog addiction, and Alex’s weird present opening fetish, there is no way they can succeed.  “Happy Birthday, Jane.  And Jesus.”

The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis3. “Bath Item Gift Hypothesis” The Big Bang Theory: Season 2 – Sheldon really struggles with what to reciprocate Penny’s Christmas gift with so he buys up every gift basket in Bath and Body Works with plans to pick the present that best fits her gift to him in terms of price. And while I enjoy this whole episode, I adore the last five minutes. When Sheldon receives Penny’s … you know what, just go watch this.

2. “A Christmas Carol” Doctor Who: Eleventh Doctor – It should be noted that I somehow forgot to include at lease ONE Doctor Who special on yesterday’s list.  I’m so ashamed that I am cheating and including this special on the episode list.  Hey, it’s my list, I can do what I want.  It has gotten to they point now where my Christmases are not complete without my Doctor Who specials and this one is my favorite.  A twist on the Dickens classic may be a bit over done, but the Whovian element makes this just right.

mst3k-patrick-swayze-christmas1. “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” Mystery Science Theater 3000: Season 3 – In answer to your question, yes, this movie is as ridiculous as it sounds. In fact, probably more so. But that is what makes Joel and the bots making fun of it so great. Then you couple their commentary with their performance of “A Patrick Swayze Christmas”, a seminal Christmas carol classic, and you get pure holiday magic.
Phew! That’s a lot of linking for your viewing pleasure, there you have it! Do you have any shows you like with great Christmas episodes that I should check out? Do you disagree with my order? Not that I am going to change my mind, but I would love to at least pretend to listen to your feedback. Check out my favorite Christmas specials and stay tuned for my favorite holiday movies and holiday records!

– Ellen

A Birthday Tribute to Whitney

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In years past, I have compiled lists of all of my birthday wishes for Whitney on this, the day after her birth (because I am a procrastinator). My wishes started out somewhat realistic, such as Bones and Booth getting it on and having a baby (NAILED IT! (that’s what he said)), but my wishes have become more unrealistic, such as last year’s wish that I would meet an adorable geek at Comic Con who would build a teleportation device that would allow Whitney and I to be able to watch TV together every night. Because that kind of technology should be used for something important.

What is one to do when their highly unrealistic goals are unattained? Wish for something even more ridiculously far-fetched, of course! Putting it out into the ether is all that matters. The more outlandish the wish, the more likely you are to get some semblance of it, right?

With that, I give you, but more importantly, Whitney, my list of wishes for her on her (day after her) birthday:

Continue reading →

John Hurt As the Doctor? Sign. Me. Up.

Posted in Anglophiles Anonymous by

iknowwhoyouareI’ll be the first to admit that I’m not 100% sure what the deal was with the appearance of John Hurt in last Saturday’s Doctor Who finale. Here is what I do know:

1) Hurt (Harry Potter, Merlin, 1984) will be playing a previous incarnation of the Doctor. I know that there are those folks who think that Hurt is the “forgotten” 9th Doctor (which, in actuality, would make Eccleston the 10th, Tennant the 11th, and Smith the 12th regenerations of the Doctor, respectively). I’m not going to rule this one out, but really, since when has Moffat ever made it that easy for us? I say back to the drawing boards, kids.

2) Is it just me, or did John Hurt suddenly become a fox? Please, if the producers didn’t want us to crush on him then they wouldn’t have put him in that leather get-up.

3) November is going to RULE. Oh, wait, what’s that? IT’S ONLY MAY!?! …Blerg.

-Whitney

Dinner and a Show: Whitney’s TV Themed Meal Plan

Posted in TV by

Eating is such a drag (said nobody, ever). If you’re looking for a way to spice up your weekend meals, look no further than our Fangirly Meal Plan, designed to help you literally live, breathe, and eat TV.

happy-endings-20120403040230005Friday

Thanks to some shady scheduling, ABC’s Happy Endings is now on Fridays, and in honor of the show’s gorgeous garbage gut Alex (Elisha Cuthbert), we’ll be eating nothing but ribs. Seriously. Just ribs. And if by the end of the meal you DON’T look like you just took down a live cow with your teeth and bare hands, you’re probably not doing it right.

Saturdayngbbs5065f9dd2e77a

Every good geek knows that Saturday is Doctor Who day, or as Ellen and I like to call it, the Nerd Sabbath. We’ll be commemorating our favorite show with a special dish, Fish Fingers and Custard! It is quite literally just fish sticks and pudding. If that is a little “Too Who for You” then here is a super cute Fish Stick Cookie and Vanilla Pudding recipe, from Bakingdom.com. (Side note: how does Matt Smith manage to make pre-packaged seafood look so sexy?)

618w_downton_abbey_s02_e07_1Sunday

Let’s close our weekend on a classy note, shall we? Sundays are all about the Masterpiece Classic, so we will be eating like our cousins from across the pond. What does that mean, exactly? I’m not really sure. What I do know is that what you eat is far less important than how you eat it. First, set the table so that each place setting has about a zillion plates, forks, and glasses.  Second, be sure to have a very intense conversation during your meal that is frequently punctuated by zingy quips from an old woman. Finally, find someone to serve you your meal, preferably someone who is dealing with their own drama, thank you very much.

-Whitney

Whitney’s Application to be the New Doctor Who Companion

Posted in Anglophiles Anonymous by

Clara_OswaldFor the record, I think that Clara (Jenna-Louise Coleman) is the coolest, smartest, least irritating Doctor Who companion since Donna Noble. However, just because I wholeheartedly approve of the Doctor’s latest choice of BFF doesn’t mean I wouldn’t kill to have the job myself. And because Time Lord traveling companion jobs are so hard to come by these days, I thought I’d submit my application in the event that Clara gets sucked through a hole in the space-time continuum, or gets zapped by the Silence, or sprains an ankle and has to go on disability (all equally plausible on this show).

Name: Whitney

Desired Position: Must… resist urge… to write… euphemism…

Education History: Have seen every episode of Doctor Who at least five times, well versed in the Doctor’s Rules, extensive knowledge of…. Oh, you mean like, school? My bad.

Employment History: Server in a Mexican restaurant. Which, frankly, isn’t any less cool than being a shop girl (Rose), or a temp (Donna), or a resurrecting nanny with the computer hacking skills of Nolan Ross and the baking skills of Paula Dean (Clara). Actually, forget about that last one…

Why I would be right for the job: I’m a twenty-something female with a spotty employment record and a passion for intergalactic hijinks! A better question would be, how am I WRONG for this job?

Joking aside, this is probably the strongest job application I’ve ever written. Seriously.

-Whitney

 

 

Web Bytes: Doctor Who Teasers!!!

Posted in Anglophiles Anonymous, Web Bytes by

series-7-part-2-filming-bike-london-busAll things considered, I feel that I’ve been very cool about the impending return of Doctor Who. No frenzied posts featuring endless series 7 teaser trailers. No frantic texts to Ellen about how this may or may not be Matt Smith’s last year as the Doctor. So yeah, I’d say I’ve been pretty good. Then I saw the latest trailer and went a bit… nuts. Here’s a just a few of the clips I’ve been geeking-out about this morning.

Ok, if THAT didn’t get you in the Doctor Who spirit you’re either dead inside, or you were recently converted into a Cyberman. Either way, my condolences.

-Whitney!

Fangirly Investigates: Who is Clara Oswin Oswald?

Posted in Anglophiles Anonymous, TV by

6402_10151323011974516_127340701_nEver since the premiere of this year’s Doctor Who Christmas special, and subsequent reveal that Oswin and Clara are the same person, I’ve been going nuts trying to solve the mystery behind the Doctor’s newest companion. This isn’t the first time my obsessive tendencies have gotten the better of me, but it just might be the worst. So for the sake of my mental health, I’ve compiled a list of all my craziest theories. And while I’m pretty sure that none of these theories are anywhere near correct, you can’t blame a Whovian for trying.
1) She’s Jenny!
Why: Clara/Oswin has the habit of dying and popping up in different times and places, a talent that we know the Doctor passed on to his baby girl in the season four episode, “The Doctor’s Daughter”. Also, Clara/Oswin’s phrase “run you clever boy” sounds a lot like Jenny’s favorite saying, “love the running”. Tenuous? You bet.
Why Not: My love for Doctor Who could make me forgive a lot of things, but I’m going to have to draw the line at incest. If Clara/Oswin really is the doctor’s long lost daughter, then their impromptu make-out sesh suddenly lost a lot of its adorability. I mean, a lot.
2) She may be another Time Lord (Time Lass? Time Lady?)
Why: Girlfriend is coming back to life and traveling through time and space. Sounding familiar?
Why Not: This particular plot device seems to be a little played out, if you ask me. First there was the return of the Master, and then the reveal of River’s quasi-Time Lord status leaves me feeling like our new companion will probably not turn out to be yet another time-hopping humanoid.
3) Clara/Oswin may be the twelfth reincarnation of the Doctor.
Why: This is by far my favorite of all the theories floating around at the moment. Personally, although my heart beats for Matt Smith, I think it would be beyond awesome to have a female Doctor. Not to mention that she is by far the cleverest of all the Doctor’s companions, maybe as clever as the Doctor himself. And let’s be honest, weirder things have happened on this show.
Why Not: There are just way too many holes in this theory . Firstly, we have so far seen three separate reincarnations of the same girl. Somehow I don’t think that the Doctor would, or could, regenerate into the same body three different times. Also, if Clara/Oswin is the Doctor then why wouldn’t she be aware of it herself? While I would love to have a sister piloting the TARDIS, I really don’t think it’s going to happen.
So there you have it, all my wildest Doctor Who theories! If you have any DW musings you want to share, feel free to go nuts in our comment section!

-Whitney

Must-Have TV Merch

Posted in TV by

We here at Fangirly firmly believe you can buy happiness. How do we know? Because nothing brings us more joy than wearing our matching Supernatural T-shirts or tacking our Bones calendars up on our walls. That’s happiness, people. And in an effort to bring you the same joy, we’ve comprised a list of what we consider ‘Must-Have’s’ for any nerd worth their salt. All this happiness may put a dent in your checking account, but the envy in your friend’s eyes when they see your awesome swag will be worth every penny.

River Song’s TARDIS Journal: Spoilers! This replica of River Song’s diary in the shape of our favorite blue box is a great place to record all of your adventures in time and space. If you’ve just gotta have it, you can get your very own TARDIS journal here. Just don’t read ahead, because we’re pretty such it will create a rift in the space/time continuum.  Be sure to time travel responsibly!

Fringe Division Sweatshirt: Do you ever come home from a long day of rebelling against the Observer overlords and just wish you had something comfy to put on? Well now you can be cozy, AND identify yourself as a part of the resistance with this awesome Fringe Division sweatshirt! You can buy this little piece of the Fringe universe here at CafePress.com.

Ron Swanson Pyramid of Greatness Poster: There is a LOT of fab swag for Parks and Rec, mainly because there are so many things that come straight from the show.  Take for example the Lil’ Sebastian shirts, the Pawnee Porpoises shirts,  or the Knope campaign buttons.  Perhaps the best P&R swag, though, is this glorious purpose.  Glorious in it’s stand alone hilarity and it’s educational value.  Where else are you going to gain nuggets of wisdom such as “Honor: If you need it defined, you don’t have it” or “Intensity: Give 100%.  110% is impossible.  Only idiots recommend that.” (Click that image for the other gems).  This poster is available on NBC.com and probably other sources that I am too lazy to look up.  That’s how they get you.

Tina “Butts” Shirt: If you still aren’t watching this show, shame on you. What are we going to have to do to convince you?  If you are watching, you know that if there is one thing that Tina loves, it’s butts.  Most of her energy goes into getting a glimpse at a good butt.  And its hilarious.  We love Tina.  We love her fascination with butts.  And we love this shirt.  All Christmas gift-givers out there, take note, because none of us yet own it.  This shirt is available at BustedTees.com (which has a lot of other really fun shirts, as well).
-Whitney and Ellen

Spooky Streams!

Posted in Sweet Streams by

It officially Halloween season (for us, anyway), and we’re celebrating by naming all of the scariest TV episodes available to stream on Netflix. It wasn’t easy, but we finally narrowed it down to the top five TV episodes that we find totally terrifying.
5) “Home”, X-Files season 4– I don’t know if spooky is the right word to describe this episode about homicidal inbred hillbillys. Revolting, maybe? My official recommendation is that this episode should be watched with a in a well lit room. If this episode teaches us anything, it’s that incestuous weirdos love dark corners.

4) “Family Remains”, Supernatural Season 4– There are plenty of Supernatural episodes we could have gone with, but in the end we settled on this one about a family who moves into a house haunted by a very pissed ghost. OR IS IT?


3) “Hush”, Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 4– For a show about daemons and vampires, Buffy was rarely ever really scary. Here’s one of the best exceptions to that rule. In this episode, all the inhabitants of Sunny Dale lose the ability to speak (and scream) when The Gentlemen come to town.


2) Harper’s Island– It would be impossible to pick one single episode from this awesome murder mystery series, so just go ahead and watch all of it. Because really, nothing says Halloween like a show about a group of strangers trappedon an island with a raging psychopath. Right?

1) “Blink” Doctor Who season 3- We pretty sure that our deep distrust of any kind of carved statue can be traced back to this exact episode. If you do choose to watch this episode, we recommend you stock up on eye drops, because you will never want to blink again.

-Whitney

Fangirly Crush of the Week: Arthur Darvill

Posted in Crush of the Week, TV by

In keeping with our quasi-Doctor Who themed week here at Fangirly and because I am on a DW high, I decided to choose from our favorite time-traveling British import for the crush of the week.  It, of course, came down to Rory and the Doctor (who else was I supposed to choose? An ood?), but after the season 7 premiere, I had to choose Rory.  Did you see the boots and skinny jeans?!  I had no choice.

In all seriousness, I love Rory and I was utterly charmed by Arthur at the DW panel at Comic Con.  While he is not what some might call “conventionally handsome”, you’ll soon realize that we could care less about that around here.

– Ellen

Agree to Disagree: Amy Pond

Posted in Agree to Disagree, TV by

Believe it or not, we here at Fangirly don’t always agree about everything in pop culture . It’s rare, but it does happen. And instead of settling our differences with a bare-knuckle fist fight or a You Don’t know Jack death match, we decided to take this less-than-healthy debate to the internet. For our first “Agree to Disagree” feature, we’ll be debating a topic that’s a little… sensitive. Here it is folks: Doctor Who’s resident red head Amy Pond: love her or hate her?

Whitney: Hate Her!

 1) She’s a Who-pie. Or “Who Groupie”, for those of you not familiar with this term I just coined. She meets the Doctor once as a kid, shares a midnight snack of fish-custard, and all of the sudden he’s the center of her Who-verse! Now, to be honest, who can blame her? If a lanky, bow-tied time traveler showed up in my backyard I would probably show him the crack in my wall too (not a euphemism). But really, Amy, ever thought about a hobby?

2) Sorry Amy, the position of sassy ginger has already been filled. Donna Noble, the tenth Doctor’s third companion, was my favorite of all the show’s leading ladies. Not only was she smart, snarky, and sweet, Donna was one of the only companions who wasn’t in love with the Doctor. Instead they had a really cute brother/sister dynamic that I loved and found totally refreshing.

3) She’s so mean to Rory! One thing Ellen and I can agree on is that Rory Williams is the perfect TV man. He’s funny, sweet, and looks awesome in a flannel shirt. But even with all that waiting for her at home, Amy still decides to run off with the Doctor. Again, we’ve reached a tricky grey area for me, because if given the same circumstances I’m not sure I would make a different decision. And even though they did eventually tie the knot and pop out a beautiful (if psychotic) half Time Lord baby, I still get the vibe that Amy kind of takes her husband for granted. I mean, why does it take half a dozen life or death experiences to remind her what a dream boat Rory is? Sorry Amy Pond, we’re done-zo.

Ellen: Love Her!

1) Um, She’s a Who-pie!  Who’s not? How can we fault homegirl?  We have already dedicated more than a few posts to the good Doctor and I have no doubt that this will not be the end of it.  If anything, I love her more for loving the Doctor because it is something that we can bond over.  And just so you can’t use it against her, I’m going to defend her throwing herself at the Doctor.  Again, can you blame her?  Also, I found it refreshing to have a companion that didn’t care about trying to steal the Doctor’s two hearts.  She knew what she wanted and went for it.  Bowties are cool… on the ground at the foot of the bed.

2) She’s Sassy! I know that this can be said about most of the companions, but Amy’s got it in spades.  She don’t take no crap, not even from the Doctor.  If you need proof of this, just look at “The Beast Below” or “Victory of the Daleks” where she basically has to say to the Doctor, “Shut up, you’re wrong.  I’ve got this.”  Also, where do you think River gets her sass?  Rory?  Proof is in the gene pudding, Whitney.

3) She Still Chose Rory.  Say whatever you want about her running off with the Doctor, etc., but in the end she still married Rory.  When both of her boys are in danger, she will still always choose Rory.  She still made that half Time Lord baby with Rory (somehow).   What’s that?  You say you’re still not convinced.  YouTube, let’s roll the tape!  

Hate to say it, Whitney (actually, no, I love to say it), but I think I win this one.  Long live Amelia Pond!

-Whitney and Ellen

Anglophiles Anonymous: The Return of Doctor Who!

Posted in Anglophiles Anonymous, TV by

My love of TV is pretty well documented. It’s honestly one of my favorite things. But there are some shows that are so important, and so awesome, that they’re nothing less than sacred. Well, I say some. There’s really just one: Doctor Who. And after almost a year of “Silence” from Moffat and the Who crew, my favorite show is back with a new season and, judging from the season 7 premiere, a new attitude.
Before I get ahead of myself, let me explain why I love this show. For starters, it’s one of the best written shows on TV. It’s exciting and funny and sweet and very often deeply emotional, which is kind of rare when you’re dealing with sci-fi shows. Here’s one of my favorite examples, when the tenth Doctor says goodbye to Rose, his companion of two seasons.

Ok, I’ll give you a second to pull yourself together.

The other reason why I adore Doctor Who is because it totally appeals to the kid in everybody. Just watch this scene from the first episode of season 5. The Doctor’s just regenerated and has a case of the Time Lord munchies.

(From here on out I am initiating a full-fledged Spoiler Alert, so if you haven’t see the latest episode, DON’T READ ON).

This season, however, seems to be going in a different direction. While I absolutely LOVED the newest episode, it did seem a little… dark. For example, the season 7 premiere “Asylum of the Daleks” opens with us learning that Amy and Rory are splitting up. In the pre-season “Pond Life” promos we did see that the Ponds might be having marital problems, a fact that was verified when we actually see Amy sign divorce papers. Ouch. Luckily, the episode ended with a fairly long make-out sesh, so I think everything is going to be ok.
Then there’s the Doctor himself. I’m getting the feeling that this is a newer, broodier Doctor than we’ve seen before. Is the show headed to a darker place? And if so, will it lose the fun and charm that made us fall in love with it in the first place? It’s hard to say. What I am sure of is that Steven Moffat has given us two unbelievably awesome seasons, so I’m more than willing to give him a little leeway.

-Whitney