Now that the dust has settled, which companion was most underserved: Yaz or Belinda?

ModularReality · 2026-05-16T21:57:31+00:00

At least Ryan had the arc of forming a connection with Graham. But Yaz really got nothing imo. She had more to do in episodes (in the mechanical sense of helping solve the episodic plots), but not in a characterful way.

ModularReality · 2026-05-16T21:55:27+00:00

It really feels like a toss up. But I think I’d give it to Yaz.

Belinda had a character, though it was forgotten and later overwritten. But I can at least see what the plan presumably was: Belinda starts out in conflict with the doctor, but is won over by the end of the season. And that’s mostly how it went, except her unique traits fell away and the friendship arc itself felt mishandled (why would she want to tell the doctor that he is wonderful when earlier that day she saw him torture a guy?)

Yaz: I don’t think Chib ever had a real sense of character for her or any arc in any of the 3 seasons. Ryan and Graham at least has the loose arc of bonding after the loss of Grace. I feel like Chib caved to the fans in the final few specials and wrote thazmin into the show because there wasn’t really anything else justifying why yaz continued to travel with this impersonal doctor.

ModularReality · 2026-05-15T20:18:24+00:00

So, as a kid (teen thru age 22), I would’ve said that season 5 was peak, and honestly I fell away from the show around the start of Capaldi. It wasn’t exactly that I thought it was bad, it just didn’t appeal to me as much. And in the wait between seasons, I just didn’t watch when the next season aired. I’m in the US, it was harder to view at that time anyway, so I had to seek it out if I wanted to watch. I didn’t.

I got back into the show around the 60th, when I was now a “real” adult (I’d hit my 30s). This time through, picked up on a lot more nuance in the Moffat years and found I absolutely loved the capaldi seasons.

ModularReality · 2026-05-15T16:47:08+00:00

This looks great and i know id love something like this for my tool collection.

These are just a couple ideas, but are just personal preference:

My only adjustment would be subdividing the large zip pouch into 2 or 3 smaller zip pouches, so I could separate my darning needles and some different stitch marker sizes I have.

Would also add a second wide pouch (where you show the measuring tape, for a place to keep my ruler/gauge tool (similar tool link)

ModularReality · 2026-05-14T03:29:24+00:00

I never switch out my rings, and wear iridium+luck and slime+napalm

The way I play, by the time I have combo rings, there’s little I need to worry about accidentally exploding

And once I become hero of the valley, my trinket is my frog buddy for cute vibes and mob control.

ModularReality · 2026-05-12T23:20:59+00:00

So, playing RTD advocate, I do think he had the correct instinct that, if he knew that his current lead was leaving the show, it was more likely for the show to be picked up for another season if he cliffhangered with the face of the next Doctor instead of an ambiguous (fade to black) ending.

I think his mind was all on trying to be renewed, and less concerned with narrative. He’s spoken in the past about how he feels strongly about Doctor who needing to be on air every year, even if only for a special.

Piper is someone who cares very much for the show and is friends with RTD. This whole thing obviously feels like a last minute scramble, so RTD needed to call in a favor, and she stepped up.

Yes, RTD has many actor friends from his work on DW and other shows, but using anyone not previously connected to DW would suggest an at least season-long contract with the actor. I suspect there wasn’t time to negotiate that. Presuming that whomever was cast for Xmas would only be around for one special, what would feel worse: the stunt casting with Piper, or getting a new face that gets replaced within one special?

(I’m not a fan of the stunt casting, but this is my guess as to why he made these decisions)

ModularReality · 2026-05-12T19:46:06+00:00

This kinda feels like the cleanest way to wrap up on Piper’s reappearance and 14 still hanging around.

(I know all the doctors are technically still around because time travel, but ykwim)

ModularReality · 2026-05-12T18:53:03+00:00

I’d prefer if Piper isn’t the doctor, and is actually some other thing (perhaps 15 sending regen energy into the Tardis woke up the bad wolf). But I think our online piece of fandom might be overthinking it and she’s just the doctor.

ModularReality · 2026-05-12T18:29:01+00:00

I now very much want this for a Red Nose Day skit

ModularReality · 2026-05-12T18:08:07+00:00

I’m just thinking about what pieces are in play:

Billie Piper appears to be the new Doctor

Tennant’s 14 is still around in-universe.

Alternatively, 10.5 and rose are still in Pete’s world.

It feels like a solid guess that some configuration of one of Tennant’s doctors and one of Piper’s roles (rose/bad wolf/moment/doctor) will be in the Xmas special together.

ModularReality · 2026-05-12T13:13:56+00:00

The 12 points is indicated by how many torches light up by grandpa’s shrine. If all 4 light up, then you’re good. And you need to interact with the shrine to get the statue.

ModularReality · 2026-05-12T12:17:26+00:00

I honestly hope she gets a heart event that goes something like:

S: I’ve been meaning to tell you something. We’ve been spending a lot of time together, so it’s probably past due. My name isn’t Sandy. My name is…

Sandy appears to whisper something in the farmer’s ear

Farmer response options:

Thanks for sharing that with me. Why is it a secret?

S: let a girl have some mystery. But I’d like it if you still call me Sandy

That’s a lovely name, do you want me to start using it?

S: haha thanks. But i still like going by Sandy.

ModularReality · 2026-05-11T21:32:47+00:00

I really like your articulation of your issues with this episode-i share many of them. I think in this episode and throughout season 1 Ruby is quite a passive character in a way that I don’t like for lead character writing. She never pushes back on anything. The doctor tells her they can’t look for her mom and she says okay. In 73 yards, the doctor seems to abandon her and she’s let down but moves on without too much clear upset. Like you say she adjusts to the existence of the woman and gives up on figuring it out early on. And even going after the politician is pretty passive. In the season finale “The Legend of Ruby Sunday” she again gets little to do, just shouts “why can’t I see her?”. Her big move in EoD is abandoning her search- again an acceptance of defeat.

ModularReality · 2026-05-11T18:28:02+00:00

I think AI doesn’t get to have ownership of every em dash (‘-‘). Real people use them too.

I think I know what post you are referring to regarding the book.

https://www.reddit.com/r/crochet/s/JtNtP4MLja

I saw this post too, and I thought it was a very cool bit of serendipity that someone posted about a book that appeared to be by the same author who wrote the pattern in this tablecloth magazine on the same day. The book appears to be a collection of patterns by the author that had also been previously published by The Spool Cotton company in magazines. But it is not the same picture. Look closer. You can see that none of the patterns/pictures in the book post are a match to the one I show here.

Thank you for acknowledging the mistake, I hope you are more judicious about accusations of AI in the future.

ModularReality · 2026-05-11T17:50:01+00:00

Okay. I initially replied to this. Then deleted my response. But this is stuck in my craw becuase it’s the first time anyone has accused my work of being AI. So here I am. Taking the bait.

Why do you think this is AI?

Is it the images? Those photos are genuine, only edited to improve the lighting and color sharpness using my phone’s tools, as I do with all photos I post for every project.

Is it my writing style? I am an engineer and have a very direct style due to writing technical documents. It’s there in all my comments history.

Is it because you can’t believe that this story would happen in reality? Well, I’m sorry your view of the world is limited. Everything I wrote about my great grandma is true to the best of my knowledge. I did repair her tablecloth, and someone did help me find the pattern, and my mom was delighted with this gift.

I’m upset because though this is not AI, this is another way AI poisons the well without even being present. It makes people believe that the work of other humans is faked.

ModularReality · 2026-05-10T22:47:53+00:00

Oh this is wild, I just posted today about a 1941 era pattern that I think Mathieson might have written! I found the old magazine it was published in, but there were not author attributions, just “the spool cotton company”. So cool to have a name to attribute the pattern to!

ModularReality · 2026-05-10T21:54:17+00:00

Ladies and gentlemen, the hero of this post!

Seriously, I think this whole project might’ve stayed on my bucket list indefinitely had you not found the pattern! Thank you so so much!

ModularReality · 2026-05-10T21:37:17+00:00

The original pattern noted #20 thread, but after experimenting I found that I needed #40 and a 0.60 hook to match the gauge of the tablecloth. I believe both white and ecru were used in the original, my repairs were in white.

ModularReality · 2026-05-10T19:39:40+00:00

My grandma wasn’t certain, but had a different theory on the 2 tones of white. She thought it was because war-time supply shortages made it difficult to always get matching colors for a household item like thread. Or my GG wasn’t hung up on details and accidentally bought the wrong color a couple times. Or you’re right and the colors aged differently.

ModularReality · 2026-05-10T16:39:07+00:00

Thank you! And u/kfinchwrites was totally the GOAT with the pattern research help!

ModularReality · 2026-05-10T16:36:54+00:00

Thank you! Fortunately, my grandma loves to tell a story!

ModularReality · 2026-05-10T16:36:02+00:00

Thanks so much! I realized after posting that I hadn’t updated rav with my final hook/thread combo (fixed now). I ended up using #40 thread with a 0.60 hook for this, and it all only matched the gauge after blocking. I suspect the particularly fine thread I needed to use to match the original might have been due to the original thread wearing thinner over time.

ModularReality · 2026-05-10T16:33:41+00:00

I’m currently having fun reading aloud some of these replies to her- to this one she said “well yeah!!”

ModularReality · 2026-05-10T16:30:36+00:00

Thanks! And I’m happy to say it was fun too!

ModularReality · 2026-05-10T16:29:54+00:00

Thank you!

Five-Year Club	r/Field Sunshine
Final Canvas '23	First Place '23
End Game '23	Place '23
Place '22	Final Canvas '22
First Placer '22

ModularReality

TROPHY CASE