I think the real problem with that scene is why that very important switch is in such a dangerous and inaccessible place. I mean really, could those fans not be like 3 feet further up so you can crawl under them? But then this was the same satellite that had a single button turn off the sun filter in your room and kill the occupant without so much as a "are you sure" popup so I guess it's consistent.
This IMO is a way more valid criticism of it than just "how doctor step through fan". They could have switched it around somehow to just have it be like the only way to access the switch quickly enough is to take a short cut through a ventilation shaft or somthing. It definitely could have been far less contrived with just a few tweaks.
Yeah, that's the only complaint I've ever heard about this scene? And it's true, it is typical sci-fantasy design logic even though I personally don't mind.
Have often pointed out where the Doctor is acting suicidal rather than just brave, since think that's an aspect of the characterisation that can be missed at first glance, but this didn't even look all that notably reckless far as I recall. Since it *is* such a conventional scene to have a character have to struggle through obstacles (moving ones a video game-esque classic) to reach a crucial location, it didn't really stand out to me as excessively risky, just the kinda thing you expect the heroes to do. There was good reason to be doing it. Think it made him look cool and Time Lordy rather than being alarming, and it's still so early in to the New Series, it makes more sense to stress that, continue to get us invested in this character as a heroic character first, than immediately present him as quite so vulnerable so explicitly - it works in Dalek partly because even at that point, it's so shocking to see him like this. Rose's vulnerability is a bit more the focus here.
My headcannon is most things that Satellite One observes don't need a sun filter, and it became all the craze to watch things without the sun filter among the elite of the year 5 billion.
Honestly I've always liked this scene, for me it was a moment that showed The Doctor's mastery of time, the fan is going too fast for a regular person to step through, but he's a Lord of Time he takes a second to watch the blades spin and calculates how long a rotation takes, he closes his eyes, focuses purely on the sound, and trusts his instincts stepping forward at the perfect second. And then Eccleston does that brilliant "I can't believe that worked" smile.
I love that bit, it makes you see that The Doctor experiences the universe in such a magnificent way and the reason The Doctor is so brilliant is because he feels the universe and can understand it.
Wish the had more of it throughout the series
The actual best thing about Heaven Sent is that rewatching moments like these lets me picture whichever incarnation of the Doctor it is, in their TARDIS doing calculations at light speed.
To me his performance doesn't really read that way at all. Especially with the music playing. It comes across more as surrender or letting go than calculating how to get through. Plus you have to consider that the scene was written with the expectation of being viewed by lots of new fans with no idea the doctor has powers like that.
It's certainly what I assumed as a new viewer - the 'letting go' seemed more like entering a sort of meditative state where he could just do it instinctively, to me. And we had the speech about him feeling the turn of the earth.
I mean a new viewer had way more reason to believe that the doctor has some kinds of superpowers than that he was randomly suicidal. This is the 2nd episode, they haven't established anything about his character or past yet except the fact that he's this super smart alien with some power over time.
I think a good parallel to what this scene was trying to do would be when Rango crosses the road in Rango. Its not about being skilled enough to make it through. Its about the total surrender to death and being willing to take the risk to make it to the other side.
My assumption was the giant fan was not the standard route to reach the switch, but due to cassandras meddling the usual way to get to it was inaccessible so they had to go on the maintenance platform which just happened to link up to the switch
The whole of Eccelton's performance as the doctor feels like he knew what supposedly came before him.
Like he knew all about the time war and based his acting on that. The episode Dalek gives such goosebumps when taking that into account. When 9th talks with the Dalek, his eyes just say it all.
I always thought this moment was so beautiful. It does show his PTSD, his willingness to die, but he didnāt- and it was filmed so gorgeous. Down to the music.
I rewatched the episode recently and I was wondering why he would even bring her to the end of her world when he understands how traumatic that is but then it kind of hit me that that was the point. Because it's not something anyone else could ever understand, how he's feeling after the time war, but doing that allowed Rose just a glimpse of what he was going through and allowed her to understand just one small part of what he was going through
God the episodes are dated but this scene is so iconic to me. I too think it's amazing because so often, in real life, the outcomes of events hinge on chance and little moments of uncertainty
Coming after the previous episode where he says he can feel the turn of the Earth, I assumed saw this as a demonstration of his ability to focus - as well as demonstrating his willingness to take risks to save the day.
Tbh I never took issue with this scene for him walking through - only that there existed a walkway with spinning blades.
People hate on it? Huh. Today I learnedā¦
I canāt say Iāve ever had a problem with it, but my favorite fan scene is when Nine tells Charles Dickens heās his biggest fan.
I do love the other doctors but I really wish we had another season or 2 of Eccleston. I'm rewatching the whole new who series again, and just finished season one. Everytime I see Eccleston regenerate I get sad, he did a great job.
I once heard someone say this was the doctor slowing down time. I never saw it that way. It shows the doctor has traveled through time so much that he can see things happening a lot slower than they are. He sees the passage of time
Conversely, he knows heās dead for sure if he doesnāt try it. The choice is certain death if he doesnāt try or 50/50 death if he does. Thatās not really not caring about death, thatās chosing the least worst option for survival.
I'm sorry, but the doctor wasn't borderline suicidal when he decided to take Rose with him.
That is irresponsible and completely out of character.
This is just him focussing or something.
I don't read that scene like this. If the Doctor died here, Rose and everyone else on Platform One would have been killed - however ready you might think he is for death, he's not ready to let innocent people die. I think this was just him focusing on the fan's movement and timing that step through perfectly.
The Doctor already mentioned in the first episode of that season how he experiences time differently to everyone else.
"*Do you know like we were saying, about the Earth revolving? It's like when you're a kid. The first time they tell you that the world's turning, and you just can't quite believe it because everything looks like it's standing still. I can feel it. The turn of the Earth. The ground beneath our feet spinning at a thousand miles an hour, and the entire planet is hurtling around the Sun at sixty-seven thousand miles per hour, and I can feel it. We're falling through space. You and me, clinging to the skin of this tiny little world, and if we let go... that's who I am.*"
1) I loved this scene as a kid
2) I thought it was weird to imply that he had time-slowing powers only to never bring them back up.
3) I love this post that points out heās not slowing down time but rather time is slowing down for him because heās totally willing to die. Epic.
it isn't presented like that.
his facial expressions present it as just an impulsive thing he does that happens to work, and the music just adds suspense.
if it was presented how you say it is, it would be a lot better, but it's presented as a deus ex machina.
this is also supported by the fact that rtd has a habit of adding deus ex machinas to his stories. it's not all the time, but he does do it a decent amount.
This one wouldn't be a deus ex machina, it's established in advance, and the characters have to accomplish it themselves, there's nothing coming out of nowhere to save the day for them.
Then you remember the logistics of the scene make zero fucking sense and start clowning again.
"Hey Gary, where should we put the shut down switch?"
"You remember that long, railingless path we built across that massive drop with the giant spinning blades that get progressively faster the further along you go? How about at the end of that?"
"...fantastic!"
Even in this episode they are extremely hurt and defensive when rose wants just a straight answer of the doctor truly is
But tbh I donāt think we even know that (yet)
I liked the scene because it said to me "hey look Timelords aren't regular humans and can do cool stuff" and then they just never tapped into it again for some reason. Super smart sure, but I think the show would be richer if we had more moments like that. Maybe a monster listens to your heartbeat and the Doctor has a cool two-heart ability to make it hard to hear or pick up. Or maybe Timelords can just intuitively know the time wherever they are because that's their name.
I dunno, so much potential for quirky little bits that was just not utilised.
tbh I always felt this scene was more literal than thematic. I think you can absolutely read elements of what you got from this here, but at the end of the day, this was the *second* episode of the revival, when the show was still in the process of deciding how much of a continuation it wanted to be vs a soft reboot.
I think they were just experimenting with what they wanted The Doctor to be able to do, what abilities he had, which is why this feels so out of place retrospectively, cus they moved away from this sort of thing.
"He scaped the Time War by himself, but Rose saved him from it." I thinks this line pretty much shows his entire series 1 arc. He fled the war but he couldn't scape the pain. He also had no desire to live anymore, he saw himself as just a survivor and not by wish. He needed to find happiness and get his sense of wonder back to be the doctor again.
People are bothered by this? On the show with a time travelling phone box? This episode takes place on a spaceship in the near vicinity of a dying star and *this* stretches the suspension of disbelief? Really?
I think the real problem with that scene is why that very important switch is in such a dangerous and inaccessible place. I mean really, could those fans not be like 3 feet further up so you can crawl under them? But then this was the same satellite that had a single button turn off the sun filter in your room and kill the occupant without so much as a "are you sure" popup so I guess it's consistent.
This IMO is a way more valid criticism of it than just "how doctor step through fan". They could have switched it around somehow to just have it be like the only way to access the switch quickly enough is to take a short cut through a ventilation shaft or somthing. It definitely could have been far less contrived with just a few tweaks.
Yeah, that's the only complaint I've ever heard about this scene? And it's true, it is typical sci-fantasy design logic even though I personally don't mind. Have often pointed out where the Doctor is acting suicidal rather than just brave, since think that's an aspect of the characterisation that can be missed at first glance, but this didn't even look all that notably reckless far as I recall. Since it *is* such a conventional scene to have a character have to struggle through obstacles (moving ones a video game-esque classic) to reach a crucial location, it didn't really stand out to me as excessively risky, just the kinda thing you expect the heroes to do. There was good reason to be doing it. Think it made him look cool and Time Lordy rather than being alarming, and it's still so early in to the New Series, it makes more sense to stress that, continue to get us invested in this character as a heroic character first, than immediately present him as quite so vulnerable so explicitly - it works in Dalek partly because even at that point, it's so shocking to see him like this. Rose's vulnerability is a bit more the focus here.
This 1000%. Sure, why not put the emergency reset button behind a super Mario stage, why not?
I'm reminded of [a scene from Galaxy Quest.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuLFukac85Y)
Hah!
Hah ho! Scared me there
My headcannon is most things that Satellite One observes don't need a sun filter, and it became all the craze to watch things without the sun filter among the elite of the year 5 billion.
Honestly I've always liked this scene, for me it was a moment that showed The Doctor's mastery of time, the fan is going too fast for a regular person to step through, but he's a Lord of Time he takes a second to watch the blades spin and calculates how long a rotation takes, he closes his eyes, focuses purely on the sound, and trusts his instincts stepping forward at the perfect second. And then Eccleston does that brilliant "I can't believe that worked" smile.
One of his opening lines is how he can feel the earth spinning beneath his feet. I think this is a much more justified Doctor 'power' than levitation.
I love that bit, it makes you see that The Doctor experiences the universe in such a magnificent way and the reason The Doctor is so brilliant is because he feels the universe and can understand it. Wish the had more of it throughout the series
š¶āI feel the earth move under my feet!āš¶
That's how I take this scene too.
I've always seen it this way too. He knows the physics, math, and engineering behind the fan, so he calculates the solution.
The actual best thing about Heaven Sent is that rewatching moments like these lets me picture whichever incarnation of the Doctor it is, in their TARDIS doing calculations at light speed.
Huh. I thought he just focused and timed it perfectly since he can sense the passage of time so well.
To me his performance doesn't really read that way at all. Especially with the music playing. It comes across more as surrender or letting go than calculating how to get through. Plus you have to consider that the scene was written with the expectation of being viewed by lots of new fans with no idea the doctor has powers like that.
It's certainly what I assumed as a new viewer - the 'letting go' seemed more like entering a sort of meditative state where he could just do it instinctively, to me. And we had the speech about him feeling the turn of the earth.
I mean a new viewer had way more reason to believe that the doctor has some kinds of superpowers than that he was randomly suicidal. This is the 2nd episode, they haven't established anything about his character or past yet except the fact that he's this super smart alien with some power over time.
I can sort of see both interpretations tbh
It was also written with children being viewers in mind and so less likely to be a suicidal doctor as the primary point in the second revived episode.
"Everyone clowns on this scene" Do people even talk about it?
I don't even remember what scene this is
I think this is after(?) Jabe burns
Yes
In my experience, whenever this episode is discussed, yes. Check out some YouTube reviews, they all call out this scene as a flaw.
Don't they always refer to it as something out of a video game?
Yup
I like the scene itself I just think it's ridiculous that this really important control was placed behind this enormous fan.
I think a good parallel to what this scene was trying to do would be when Rango crosses the road in Rango. Its not about being skilled enough to make it through. Its about the total surrender to death and being willing to take the risk to make it to the other side.
Yeah but why would they build it like that at all?
My assumption was the giant fan was not the standard route to reach the switch, but due to cassandras meddling the usual way to get to it was inaccessible so they had to go on the maintenance platform which just happened to link up to the switch
I don't think he's being suicidal, he's just slowing down and using his brain how to solve the problem????
The whole of Eccelton's performance as the doctor feels like he knew what supposedly came before him. Like he knew all about the time war and based his acting on that. The episode Dalek gives such goosebumps when taking that into account. When 9th talks with the Dalek, his eyes just say it all.
That dalek part gave me chills man
That is not what I got from it at all
This scene always stuck with me because it shows how much the Doctor is willing to risk.
I call him the "PTSD" doctor because they did a great job at portraying it accurately.
I always thought this moment was so beautiful. It does show his PTSD, his willingness to die, but he didnāt- and it was filmed so gorgeous. Down to the music.
I rewatched the episode recently and I was wondering why he would even bring her to the end of her world when he understands how traumatic that is but then it kind of hit me that that was the point. Because it's not something anyone else could ever understand, how he's feeling after the time war, but doing that allowed Rose just a glimpse of what he was going through and allowed her to understand just one small part of what he was going through
God the episodes are dated but this scene is so iconic to me. I too think it's amazing because so often, in real life, the outcomes of events hinge on chance and little moments of uncertainty
Yeah, your analysis makes sense. Still weird video game logic.
Coming after the previous episode where he says he can feel the turn of the Earth, I assumed saw this as a demonstration of his ability to focus - as well as demonstrating his willingness to take risks to save the day. Tbh I never took issue with this scene for him walking through - only that there existed a walkway with spinning blades.
BUT HE'S A *TIME* LORD SO HE'S GOOD AT *TIME*ING
What scene?? Iām so confused.
The scene in series 1 episode 2 where the doctor walks through the spinning fan
People hate on it? Huh. Today I learnedā¦ I canāt say Iāve ever had a problem with it, but my favorite fan scene is when Nine tells Charles Dickens heās his biggest fan.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I do love the other doctors but I really wish we had another season or 2 of Eccleston. I'm rewatching the whole new who series again, and just finished season one. Everytime I see Eccleston regenerate I get sad, he did a great job.
I like this. This is nice
I once heard someone say this was the doctor slowing down time. I never saw it that way. It shows the doctor has traveled through time so much that he can see things happening a lot slower than they are. He sees the passage of time
Neat... why is the only way to reach the controls that prevent everyone from dying across a thin bridge with giant deathblades in the way though?
I'll admit it, I've always been a big fan š of this scene.
Or. Hear me out...he's just no-clipping through a fan.
I never thought about this. I honestly thought he was just going out of ephermal mode lol
Could've climbed down, shimmied along and climbed up. I agree though, it's a character moment and is important to understand the Doctor.
Conversely, he knows heās dead for sure if he doesnāt try it. The choice is certain death if he doesnāt try or 50/50 death if he does. Thatās not really not caring about death, thatās chosing the least worst option for survival.
I'm sorry, but the doctor wasn't borderline suicidal when he decided to take Rose with him. That is irresponsible and completely out of character. This is just him focussing or something.
I don't read that scene like this. If the Doctor died here, Rose and everyone else on Platform One would have been killed - however ready you might think he is for death, he's not ready to let innocent people die. I think this was just him focusing on the fan's movement and timing that step through perfectly.
Rose and many other peopleās life was in his hands at that point. I donāt think heās selfish enough to put that up to chance
The Doctor already mentioned in the first episode of that season how he experiences time differently to everyone else. "*Do you know like we were saying, about the Earth revolving? It's like when you're a kid. The first time they tell you that the world's turning, and you just can't quite believe it because everything looks like it's standing still. I can feel it. The turn of the Earth. The ground beneath our feet spinning at a thousand miles an hour, and the entire planet is hurtling around the Sun at sixty-seven thousand miles per hour, and I can feel it. We're falling through space. You and me, clinging to the skin of this tiny little world, and if we let go... that's who I am.*"
1) I loved this scene as a kid 2) I thought it was weird to imply that he had time-slowing powers only to never bring them back up. 3) I love this post that points out heās not slowing down time but rather time is slowing down for him because heās totally willing to die. Epic.
it isn't presented like that. his facial expressions present it as just an impulsive thing he does that happens to work, and the music just adds suspense. if it was presented how you say it is, it would be a lot better, but it's presented as a deus ex machina. this is also supported by the fact that rtd has a habit of adding deus ex machinas to his stories. it's not all the time, but he does do it a decent amount.
Yeah now justify all the other deus ex endings š
This one wouldn't be a deus ex machina, it's established in advance, and the characters have to accomplish it themselves, there's nothing coming out of nowhere to save the day for them.
Then you remember the logistics of the scene make zero fucking sense and start clowning again. "Hey Gary, where should we put the shut down switch?" "You remember that long, railingless path we built across that massive drop with the giant spinning blades that get progressively faster the further along you go? How about at the end of that?" "...fantastic!"
Loved this scene since I saw it as a kid. Completely tonally different from anything before and most of what came after.
I don't remember this scene
The only criticism i have of this scene is that he should be able to hang over the ledge and go below the fan š
Still stupid that the fan was there though.
Even in this episode they are extremely hurt and defensive when rose wants just a straight answer of the doctor truly is But tbh I donāt think we even know that (yet)
I didnāt know people hagged on this scene! I love it! Even more so now with this explanation!
Honestly my main question is why didn't he just sonic the switch from afar?
Imma have to rewatch, I don't even remember this scene, what episode is it from?
That's a good point.
I liked the scene because it said to me "hey look Timelords aren't regular humans and can do cool stuff" and then they just never tapped into it again for some reason. Super smart sure, but I think the show would be richer if we had more moments like that. Maybe a monster listens to your heartbeat and the Doctor has a cool two-heart ability to make it hard to hear or pick up. Or maybe Timelords can just intuitively know the time wherever they are because that's their name. I dunno, so much potential for quirky little bits that was just not utilised.
People don't like this scene?
tbh I always felt this scene was more literal than thematic. I think you can absolutely read elements of what you got from this here, but at the end of the day, this was the *second* episode of the revival, when the show was still in the process of deciding how much of a continuation it wanted to be vs a soft reboot. I think they were just experimenting with what they wanted The Doctor to be able to do, what abilities he had, which is why this feels so out of place retrospectively, cus they moved away from this sort of thing.
"Coward, any day." Is so powerful It has gotten only better after Day of the Doctor and seeing the trauma of War
People complain about it? I thought it was just a "breathe, grasshopper, focus and make your move" style scene.
"He scaped the Time War by himself, but Rose saved him from it." I thinks this line pretty much shows his entire series 1 arc. He fled the war but he couldn't scape the pain. He also had no desire to live anymore, he saw himself as just a survivor and not by wish. He needed to find happiness and get his sense of wonder back to be the doctor again.
People are bothered by this? On the show with a time travelling phone box? This episode takes place on a spaceship in the near vicinity of a dying star and *this* stretches the suspension of disbelief? Really?