A TARDIS of One’s Own

E59: A Christmas Carol & moral compass

Well, well, well, if it isn't another Christmas special. This one is a very obvious take on the Dickens staple, A Christmas Carol, and we have a LOT of reckons. We start off our chats around having a moral compass and how often it falls on minorities to teach compassion to others, but then we rapidly descend into some hot takes around the unhinged parts of this episode. Surprisingly, it's not the fog fish.
An announcement about the pod: As you can tell from the end of this episode, we didn't plan on ending the series here, but after much soul-searching we've realised we've reached the end of the road with this podcast. The end of a season was as good a place as any to make that call.
It's bittersweet to announce this - we started this project with so much optimism for the future of the show, and we wanted to revisit it to see if the fond memories we had lived up to our adult raging feminist sensibilities.  While we've loved diving back into the world of Who, it has undeniable become harder and harder as the seasons have gone on, and we find ourselves revisiting the same themes every episode. And it's exhausting. The world right now is exhausting. We don't want to keep making ourselves sad by being disappointed by the things we love, and we certainly don't want anyone to have to listen to it. So, we're calling time on this project.
We're immensely proud of the three years, and 59 episodes, we've spent with five seasons of Who, and we're so grateful to everyone who tuned in, even if it was just one time. Thank you! It's not the end of our podcasting shenanigans though - we'll be spending a bit more time with our other podcast, That's on my watchlist. If you've enjoyed our nonsense, please come join us over there. Otherwise, we'll see you in the Tardis
xoxo Jen & Soph
 
***
Please be aware that we can be a bit sweary. Soz not soz.
We acknowledge Māori as tangata whenua of Aotearoa New Zealand, where we record.
Our music is by the amazing Scott Buckley. Find him here.
If you have any feedback or thoughts, please let us know at atardisofonesown@gmail.com 
Thank you for listening!
***
No links and references, just vibes. You can check out our other podcast That's on my watchlist here.

E58: The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang & personhood

We've made it to the end of season five. River Song returns to deliver The Doctor a serious warning from his allies: the mythical Pandorica, said to contain the most feared creature in the entire Universe, is opening. Once it does, silence falls, and Earth is left alone in the universe. Jumping through time, the Doctor must figure out a way to bring back those who never were and save his friends from the collapse of reality.
Crucially, Rory returns as what is essentially a manifestation of Amy's imagination, and this made us ask at what point someone becomes a person, and how do you define your own experience of personhood. It's a big topic that we barely touch but an interesting thing to consider!
***
Please be aware that we can be a bit sweary. Soz not soz.
We acknowledge Māori as tangata whenua of Aotearoa New Zealand, where we record.
Our music is by the amazing Scott Buckley. Find him here.
If you have any feedback or thoughts, please let us know at atardisofonesown@gmail.com 
You can also find us on Instagram here.
Thank you for listening and subscribing!
***
No links and references, just vibes. You can check out our other podcast That's on my watchlist here.
 

E57: The Lodger & ignoring the obvious

Had a wee mental health break but we're back on our bs and almost at the end of season 5! In this ep, the TARDIS teleports off without The Doctor and he's left to figure out why it can't land. All signs point to a seemingly ordinary, two storey house dun dun duuuun.
This episode runs on people who can't see can't see what's right in front of their faces, so our theme ackowledges that... it's ignoring the obvious.
***
Please be aware that we can be a bit sweary. Soz not soz.
We acknowledge Māori as tangata whenua of Aotearoa New Zealand, where we record.
Our music is by the amazing Scott Buckley. Find him here.
If you have any feedback or thoughts, please let us know at atardisofonesown@gmail.com 
You can also find us on Instagram here.
Thank you for listening and subscribing!
***
No links and references, just vibes. You can check out our other podcast That's on my watchlist here.
 

E56: Vincent and the Doctor & imposter syndrome

CONTENT WARNING: Suicide and depression
It's our last episode of the year as we say goodbye and good riddance to 2024. This episode is heavy on the sad vibes, which shouldn't be surprising as we're chatting about episode ten of season five, Vincent and the Doctor. In this ep, the Doctor and Amy travel back in time to meet Vincent Van Gogh and face an invisible monster that only the painter can see.
Our theme is imposter syndrome, and we talk a bit about how that particulary impacts women and minorities, but also its function within creative spaces. But we also talk a fair bit about depression and suicide, so please be mindful of that and skip this ep if it's too heavy for you. Look after yourselves.
If this brings up anything for you or someone you know, please reach out for help. You can call Lifeline Australia at 13 11 14, or Lifeline NZ at 0800 543 354. You can find more resources for support in Australia here, and for support in New Zealand here. A list of international helplines is available here. 
***
Please be aware that we can be a bit sweary. Soz not soz.
We acknowledge Māori as tangata whenua of Aotearoa New Zealand, where we record.
Our music is by the amazing Scott Buckley. Find him here.
If you have any feedback or thoughts, please let us know at atardisofonesown@gmail.com 
You can also find us on Instagram here.
Thank you for listening and subscribing!
***
Links & References
Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome - Ruchika Tulshyan and Jodi-Ann Burey (Harvard Business Review)
Check out our other podcast That's on my watchlist here - we have a new ep up about John Wick.

E55: The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood & hostages

We're on struggle street but we somehow make it through this ep talking about a double episode neither of us particularly liked. It's The Hungry Earth and Cold Blood, in which humans drill to deep into the earth, distrubing something that had been hibernating beneath the earth's crust for thousands of years. The Silurians are awake, angry, and preparing for war - a war that could decide who gets to live on Earth. We chat about the idea of hostages, or being held hostage, and the negotiation involved, with only minor sidequests about *checks notes* selling cars and Facebook marketplace? Sure.
***
Please be aware that we can be a bit sweary. Soz not soz.
We acknowledge Māori as tangata whenua of Aotearoa New Zealand, where we record.
Our music is by the amazing Scott Buckley. Find him here.
If you have any feedback or thoughts, please let us know at atardisofonesown@gmail.com 
You can also find us on Instagram here.
Thank you for listening and subscribing!
***
Links & References
Nothing this week but you can,find our other podcast That's on my watchlist here.

E54: Amy's Choice & growing up

Welcome to November, the Thursday of the year. We are tired but despite the horrors, we persist because we have to because we're supposedly adults. Which is actually what we talk about in this episode as we unpack the idea of growing up, or rather the expectation that you do so.
Episode seven of season five, Amy's Choice, supposedly starts five years after Amy and Rory finally left the TARDIS. They're married, expecting, and living in the quiet little village of Upper Leadworth... but everything is not what it seems. The trio must choose between dream and reality as a Dream Lord puts them to the test. 
***
Please be aware that we can be a bit sweary. Soz not soz.
We acknowledge Māori as tangata whenua of Aotearoa New Zealand, where we record.
Our music is by the amazing Scott Buckley. Find him here.
If you have any feedback or thoughts, please let us know at atardisofonesown@gmail.com 
You can also find us on Instagram here.
Thank you for listening and subscribing!
***
Links & References
Nothing this week but you can,find our other podcast That's on my watchlist here.

E53: The Vampires of Venice & femininity and the occult

Good news, after two months of not recording and a very long backlog of episodes, we're back and on a real-time publishing schedule. If you've stuck with us, thank you!
This episode, we're talking about episode six of season five, The Vampires of Venice. The Doctor and Amy cross swords in more ways than one with a horde of blood-sucking vampires in 16th century Venice.
It's the perfect episode for Halloween, and a good opportunity to unpack the link between femininity and the occult a little bit. Jen mentions Twilight at least twice. Apologies.
***
Please be aware that we can be a bit sweary. Soz not soz.
We acknowledge Māori as tangata whenua of Aotearoa New Zealand, where we record.
Our music is by the amazing Scott Buckley. Find him here.
If you have any feedback or thoughts, please let us know at atardisofonesown@gmail.com 
You can also find us on Instagram here.
Thank you for listening and subscribing!
***
Links & References
The article Jen read is "Fangs and Femininity: Victorian Values and the Vampiress" which you can find here. Sophie mentioned two books - So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison and Witches: What Women Do Together by Sam George-Allen. Otherwise, find our other podcast That's on my watchlist here.

E52: The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone & withholding information

It's time for the first double ep of Eleven's reign! In this two-parter, the Doctor and Amy respond to a message from River Song, and emerge from the TARDIS to find the wreck of the Byzantium spaceship. Down below the Weeping Angels are stirring, but that's not the only threat our adventurers face.
And you know what? Lots of people not sharing what they know, so we have big chats about withholding information, and who benefits from doing that.
Also, Adam Driver, hot or not? Email us to let us know.
***
Please be aware that we can be a bit sweary. Soz not soz.
We acknowledge Māori as tangata whenua of Aotearoa New Zealand, where we record.
Our music is by the amazing Scott Buckley. Find him here.
If you have any feedback or thoughts, please let us know at atardisofonesown@gmail.com 
You can also find us on Instagram here.
Thank you for listening and subscribing!
***
Links & References
None this week but you can find our other podcast That's on my watchlist here.

E51: The Victory if the Daleks & ignoring red flags

Guess who's back, back again, the Daleks are back, don't tell anyone because it's not entirely unexpected...
We're discussing episode 3 of season five, in which the Eleventh Doctor and Amy stumble into the midst of WWII, where Winston Churchill reveals Britain's new secret weapon to them. Spoiler: it's Daleks. We have some good chats about ignoring red flags, a thing lots of people in the Whoniverse excel at. We also recreate our daily battle with our local self-checkout machines. You're welcome.
***
Please be aware that we can be a bit sweary. Soz not soz.
We acknowledge Māori as tangata whenua of Aotearoa New Zealand, where we record.
Our music is by the amazing Scott Buckley. Find him here.
If you have any feedback or thoughts, please let us know at atardisofonesown@gmail.com 
You can also find us on Instagram here.
Thank you for listening and subscribing!
***
Links & References
As promised, here is the wiki page on barage balloons, and you can read more the page we mention on "long time anti-communist" Winston Churchill here. Otherwise, find our other podcast That's on my watchlist here.

E50: The Beast Below & collaboration

In this episode, the Eleventh Doctor takes his new companion to the 33rd century, where all of the United Kingdom's citizens (apart from the Scottish) live on board Starship UK and they quickly discover something sinister afoot. This one has big surveillance state vibes which made us think about collaboration, of the grim cooperation with an enemy kind. So yeah, this one gets quite political, but we also spend the first five minutes talking about our leave balances. Everything in moderation!
***
Please be aware that we can be a bit sweary. Soz not soz.
We acknowledge Māori as tangata whenua of Aotearoa New Zealand, where we record.
Our music is by the amazing Scott Buckley. Find him here.
If you have any feedback or thoughts, please let us know at atardisofonesown@gmail.com 
You can also find us on Instagram here.
Thank you for listening and subscribing!
***
Links & References
You can read more about Martin Niemöller here. Otherwise, find our other podcast That's on my watchlist here.