I really want to like Clara. I liked her when she was Souffle Girl. I liked her in the Christmas special.
But, I don't like what Moffat is doing. Say what you will about RTD, but at least he had unique ideas. The only thing Moffat is capable of is recycling what he's already written about. His originality ended with RTD's era.
Clara is like a conglomeration of River, Rory, and Amy. Rose and Martha were normal people. Donna was the first companion (in the new series) who was really special, but we didn't know why. Since Donna, though, EVERY companion is "special" - Amy because she saves the universe (yawn), Rory because he keeps dying, and now we don't know what the deal is with Clara, but she's "impossible". The whole damn series now revolves around the companions being extraordinary instead of the Doctor.
Amy was special.
Clara is special. And dies over and over, like Rory. And is located throughout time, similar to River.
And now we see her as a young girl. Moffat's obsession with writing the Doctor alongside young girls is actually starting to freak me out a bit. Dude, that is CREEPY as hell. Are you some kind of closet pedophile? I'm sorry, paedophile?
Can we PLEASE just get back to galavanting around the universe meeting strange creatures? Can we please stop having these massive story arcs? Because Moffat gets grand ideas, but then doesn't know how to wrap them up. He ends up writing himself into a corner where he has to reset the universe.
I'd also like to point out that it annoys me to no end that they keep calling these short videos "prequels". At the most, they're shorts.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
2012 Christmas Special: The Snowmen
Before I get started, I want to say that I quite enjoyed this episode, and I'm hoping that Clara is a character that I can continue to like. That's right - I currently like Clara. I know you're shocked. (Although, I just remembered that I liked Amy her first few episodes, and it wasn't until later that I started to loathe her with every fiber of my being.)
Likes:
1) I love the opening with the chompy snowflakes.
2) I've actually seen the classic series episode with the Great Intelligence (The Abominable Snowmen), so woot! A reference I understand!
3) It amuses me to no end that Sir Ian McKellen is the voice of the GI.
4) The first time I saw this episode, I got really excited about having an historical companion. Now, I'm pretty bummed that she's contemporary. Again. Except, of course, we don't know what year it is, since Amy apparently traveled around with the Doctor for over a decade.
5) I was unsure of the opening (with Matt Smith's face) at the first viewing - after the second, I've decided that it is growing on me.
6) I was very pleased to see Madam Vastra and Jenny. They are intriguing characters, and I'd like to see more of them. I'd suggest that they make excellent companions, but they are both too intelligent for Moffat. I doubt he would be able to keep it up, and they'd become as infantile and dependent as the rest of Moffat's female characters. (Oh, he does a good job of pretending that Amy is capable, but when it comes down to it, the Doctor treats her like a child, even when she does show guts. Plus, no matter what he does, she always goes back to him.)
7) Clara's birthday is the original airdate of Doctor Who - and MY birthday as well! Let's not even go into the fact that my 33rd birthday (significant if I were a hobbit) is the same date as Doctor Who's 50th anniversary.
Dislikes:
1) Memory worm - cute, but ridiculous. It does serve its purpose, I suppose, but still - meh.
2) Why would Clara chase after the Doctor and pop into his carriage? It just didn't make sense to me. Maybe if it had happened later in the episode, with more build-up, or if there had been a discussion about how she's noticed things going on for a while, it would have been more appropriate.
3) How can the Sontaran take her back to "where we found her" if he's lost his memory of her after handling the worm thing?
4) They need to stop repeating "Doctor who?" over and over. It's tiresome.
5) I'm still not sure what the point of the "one-word test" was; I do know that I don't like that "pond" was her final answer. It was meant for one reason and one reason only: to dredge up emotions of Amy. I don't like being manipulated when there is no other purpose. Not only that, I didn't feel like that "pond" would be the best word to describe the situation. It was meant for the audience, because we know that "pond" would pique the Doctor's interest. Maybe I'm wrong - maybe it will pay off later, maybe Clara knew it would cause that reaction.
6) I HATE HATE HATE the Doctor kissing. We do NOT need any more sex in this show. I feel that it was nice with Rose because there was nothing until her return. Yes, there was a hint of their feelings for each other, but none of this ridiculous sexual tension that the Eleventh Doctor has had with his female companions. I can't remember if I've told you how much I hated the love angle with Martha. If not, I hated that, too.
7) I appreciated the Sherlock theme variation when the Doctor arrives to chat with Dr. Simeon.
8) The Doctor never gave the other companions (at least in the new series) a key to the TARDIS from the get-go. Grr.
9) Why were they just hanging out in the TARDIS chatting instead of doing something about the magic ice lady?
10) After Clara dies, the Doctor says, "she was in my care". What a perfect reflection of Moffat's attitude towards women.
11) The Doctor is clearly uncomfortable with all of Clara's sexual innuendos, yet after she is revived, he's kissing her hands. Aside from that, he's touching her all over her face. It's too intimate for a guy who doesn't know how to deal with human emotion.
12) Clara's dying and revival is too reminiscent of Rory.
13) The map of the London Underground gets my goat. The only point of it is to tie it to The Abominable Snowmen. And it could have been done so much more subtly, with a simple close-up or something. Why the Doctor had to explain it to the GI is beyond me, except for Moffat to say, "do you see what a clever boy I am?" It reminds me of all the times in past episodes where he "sneaks" in a photo of the First or Second Doctor. Yes, we all know you've watched the classic series, you don't have to constantly show off. (If there was a POINT to it, I wouldn't have an issue with it.)
14) Clara's death date was December 24, but she clearly died on December 25. The bells rang, someone said, "it's Christmas Day", and that was before she died.
14) The idea that Clara is special. Donna was special, and that was new. Then Amy was special. And now Clara is special. We need another Rose, another Martha, another Jamie. I'm sick of the series revolving around the goddamn companion.
Interesting Tidbits:
1) The Doctor says, "nice name, Clara - you should keep it".
2) I really hope that the repeated phrase, "Winter is coming" is not this season's "Silence will fall". Also, I'd like to mention that hat phrase is actually the only thing I know about Game of Thrones.
3) I found it interesting that the Doctor surrounded himself with aliens while in London. Why? Also - wouldn't Torchwood know he was there? Oh, right. Moffat completely ignores anything from RTD's era. He also completely ignores anything that isn't convenient to his current plot.
4) Clara is intrigued by the snowmen, but not necessarily scared. Why? To me, it seemed too much like Amy when faced with Prisoner Zero. Then again, we all know what fantastic characters Moffat creates and how original he is with them. /sarcasm
5) Why is Clara alternately a barmaid and a nanny? What's the purpose? Is she investigating the previous nanny's death? If so, why?
Other Thoughts:
1) This was very Turn of the Screw meets Mary Poppins.
2) Speaking of Mary Poppins, have you noticed that all of the Christmas episodes are based on famous Brit Lit: A Christmas Carol; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; and Mary Poppins.
3) Things that are Mary Poppins-y: living in the cloud, the entire nanny angle, Clara helping the father become closer to his children, the fantastical stories that she tells the children, the children's ages (older girl, younger boy); the umbrella, her ascent into the air (via the ladder, not umbrella).
4) After playing LEGO Lord of the Rings for the last few months, my first thought upon seeing the red and blue "bull's eyes" in the TARDIS was "I need Legolas to shoot them!"
5) Even after a lengthy conversation with my husband, I still have no idea why the snow acted the way it did. Was it alien snow? Was the snow made up of alien beings? Or was it simply a conduit?
6) I would REALLY like to see a companion who isn't a cute, white, female, contemporary companion. This adorable girl who the Doctor wants to protect is just getting old. At least RTD's companions included Martha (still a cute girl, but not white), Captain Jack (male, omni-sexual, and from the 51st century), Mickey (non-white male), and Donna (not a cute girl - sorry!) I still maintain that a series with just Rory and the Doctor (no Amy) would have been amazing.
I know that it seems like I didn't like this episode because I have more "dislikes" than "likes". However, overall, I thought it was a good episode. It was the first episode I felt I was able to watch with my husband since the middle of Matt Smith's first season. The dislikes are mostly just nitpicks and not major issues. I really hope Clara is a good character, and not just a non-ginger Amy.
Likes:
1) I love the opening with the chompy snowflakes.
2) I've actually seen the classic series episode with the Great Intelligence (The Abominable Snowmen), so woot! A reference I understand!
3) It amuses me to no end that Sir Ian McKellen is the voice of the GI.
4) The first time I saw this episode, I got really excited about having an historical companion. Now, I'm pretty bummed that she's contemporary. Again. Except, of course, we don't know what year it is, since Amy apparently traveled around with the Doctor for over a decade.
5) I was unsure of the opening (with Matt Smith's face) at the first viewing - after the second, I've decided that it is growing on me.
6) I was very pleased to see Madam Vastra and Jenny. They are intriguing characters, and I'd like to see more of them. I'd suggest that they make excellent companions, but they are both too intelligent for Moffat. I doubt he would be able to keep it up, and they'd become as infantile and dependent as the rest of Moffat's female characters. (Oh, he does a good job of pretending that Amy is capable, but when it comes down to it, the Doctor treats her like a child, even when she does show guts. Plus, no matter what he does, she always goes back to him.)
7) Clara's birthday is the original airdate of Doctor Who - and MY birthday as well! Let's not even go into the fact that my 33rd birthday (significant if I were a hobbit) is the same date as Doctor Who's 50th anniversary.
Dislikes:
1) Memory worm - cute, but ridiculous. It does serve its purpose, I suppose, but still - meh.
2) Why would Clara chase after the Doctor and pop into his carriage? It just didn't make sense to me. Maybe if it had happened later in the episode, with more build-up, or if there had been a discussion about how she's noticed things going on for a while, it would have been more appropriate.
3) How can the Sontaran take her back to "where we found her" if he's lost his memory of her after handling the worm thing?
4) They need to stop repeating "Doctor who?" over and over. It's tiresome.
5) I'm still not sure what the point of the "one-word test" was; I do know that I don't like that "pond" was her final answer. It was meant for one reason and one reason only: to dredge up emotions of Amy. I don't like being manipulated when there is no other purpose. Not only that, I didn't feel like that "pond" would be the best word to describe the situation. It was meant for the audience, because we know that "pond" would pique the Doctor's interest. Maybe I'm wrong - maybe it will pay off later, maybe Clara knew it would cause that reaction.
6) I HATE HATE HATE the Doctor kissing. We do NOT need any more sex in this show. I feel that it was nice with Rose because there was nothing until her return. Yes, there was a hint of their feelings for each other, but none of this ridiculous sexual tension that the Eleventh Doctor has had with his female companions. I can't remember if I've told you how much I hated the love angle with Martha. If not, I hated that, too.
7) I appreciated the Sherlock theme variation when the Doctor arrives to chat with Dr. Simeon.
8) The Doctor never gave the other companions (at least in the new series) a key to the TARDIS from the get-go. Grr.
9) Why were they just hanging out in the TARDIS chatting instead of doing something about the magic ice lady?
10) After Clara dies, the Doctor says, "she was in my care". What a perfect reflection of Moffat's attitude towards women.
11) The Doctor is clearly uncomfortable with all of Clara's sexual innuendos, yet after she is revived, he's kissing her hands. Aside from that, he's touching her all over her face. It's too intimate for a guy who doesn't know how to deal with human emotion.
12) Clara's dying and revival is too reminiscent of Rory.
13) The map of the London Underground gets my goat. The only point of it is to tie it to The Abominable Snowmen. And it could have been done so much more subtly, with a simple close-up or something. Why the Doctor had to explain it to the GI is beyond me, except for Moffat to say, "do you see what a clever boy I am?" It reminds me of all the times in past episodes where he "sneaks" in a photo of the First or Second Doctor. Yes, we all know you've watched the classic series, you don't have to constantly show off. (If there was a POINT to it, I wouldn't have an issue with it.)
14) Clara's death date was December 24, but she clearly died on December 25. The bells rang, someone said, "it's Christmas Day", and that was before she died.
14) The idea that Clara is special. Donna was special, and that was new. Then Amy was special. And now Clara is special. We need another Rose, another Martha, another Jamie. I'm sick of the series revolving around the goddamn companion.
Interesting Tidbits:
1) The Doctor says, "nice name, Clara - you should keep it".
2) I really hope that the repeated phrase, "Winter is coming" is not this season's "Silence will fall". Also, I'd like to mention that hat phrase is actually the only thing I know about Game of Thrones.
3) I found it interesting that the Doctor surrounded himself with aliens while in London. Why? Also - wouldn't Torchwood know he was there? Oh, right. Moffat completely ignores anything from RTD's era. He also completely ignores anything that isn't convenient to his current plot.
4) Clara is intrigued by the snowmen, but not necessarily scared. Why? To me, it seemed too much like Amy when faced with Prisoner Zero. Then again, we all know what fantastic characters Moffat creates and how original he is with them. /sarcasm
5) Why is Clara alternately a barmaid and a nanny? What's the purpose? Is she investigating the previous nanny's death? If so, why?
Other Thoughts:
1) This was very Turn of the Screw meets Mary Poppins.
2) Speaking of Mary Poppins, have you noticed that all of the Christmas episodes are based on famous Brit Lit: A Christmas Carol; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; and Mary Poppins.
3) Things that are Mary Poppins-y: living in the cloud, the entire nanny angle, Clara helping the father become closer to his children, the fantastical stories that she tells the children, the children's ages (older girl, younger boy); the umbrella, her ascent into the air (via the ladder, not umbrella).
4) After playing LEGO Lord of the Rings for the last few months, my first thought upon seeing the red and blue "bull's eyes" in the TARDIS was "I need Legolas to shoot them!"
5) Even after a lengthy conversation with my husband, I still have no idea why the snow acted the way it did. Was it alien snow? Was the snow made up of alien beings? Or was it simply a conduit?
6) I would REALLY like to see a companion who isn't a cute, white, female, contemporary companion. This adorable girl who the Doctor wants to protect is just getting old. At least RTD's companions included Martha (still a cute girl, but not white), Captain Jack (male, omni-sexual, and from the 51st century), Mickey (non-white male), and Donna (not a cute girl - sorry!) I still maintain that a series with just Rory and the Doctor (no Amy) would have been amazing.
I know that it seems like I didn't like this episode because I have more "dislikes" than "likes". However, overall, I thought it was a good episode. It was the first episode I felt I was able to watch with my husband since the middle of Matt Smith's first season. The dislikes are mostly just nitpicks and not major issues. I really hope Clara is a good character, and not just a non-ginger Amy.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
S7E5: Angels Take Manhatten
Last "notes only" post.
Melody. Really?
Stupid stupid stupid.
We can do whatever we want with time now. There are apparently no stakes.
She would scream a lot louder than that if she'd broken her wrist.
Alex and Matt getting kissy churns my stomach. She's so old, he's so nasty.
Why does Amy look like Harry Potter?
WHAT? He just uses his time energy? WTF?
Too bad she doesn't get the sonic screwdriver now. Hehehe.
I like that Rory's middle name is Arthur.
Rory dies again. Wha wha!
Why are they taking Rory? What's the point?
Yes, let's commit genocide.
Yes, let's create a paradox.
Statue of Liberty? Really? And what is Moffat's obsession with the US?
"You think you'll just come back to life?"
"When don't I?"
What's up with all the black eye makeup on Amy? She looks like a whore.
Amy can't possibly have any maternal feelings towards River.
So. Why can't he just go back?
When you remove the stakes by making it possible to go ANYWHERE for ANY reason, then when you say that you CAN'T go back somewhere, I don't fucking believe you.
Also, if River can go back with her time vortex manipulator, then why doesn't the Doctor use it go back and do something about the situation?
If they created a paradox and survived "reset" if you like, then how come the angels all still exist?
And shouldn't they really have done something about that angel that took Amy? Or were they like, oh well.
Melody. Really?
Stupid stupid stupid.
We can do whatever we want with time now. There are apparently no stakes.
She would scream a lot louder than that if she'd broken her wrist.
Alex and Matt getting kissy churns my stomach. She's so old, he's so nasty.
Why does Amy look like Harry Potter?
WHAT? He just uses his time energy? WTF?
Too bad she doesn't get the sonic screwdriver now. Hehehe.
I like that Rory's middle name is Arthur.
Rory dies again. Wha wha!
Why are they taking Rory? What's the point?
Yes, let's commit genocide.
Yes, let's create a paradox.
Statue of Liberty? Really? And what is Moffat's obsession with the US?
"You think you'll just come back to life?"
"When don't I?"
What's up with all the black eye makeup on Amy? She looks like a whore.
Amy can't possibly have any maternal feelings towards River.
So. Why can't he just go back?
When you remove the stakes by making it possible to go ANYWHERE for ANY reason, then when you say that you CAN'T go back somewhere, I don't fucking believe you.
Also, if River can go back with her time vortex manipulator, then why doesn't the Doctor use it go back and do something about the situation?
If they created a paradox and survived "reset" if you like, then how come the angels all still exist?
And shouldn't they really have done something about that angel that took Amy? Or were they like, oh well.
This is essentially the same thing that happened to Rose, except Rose was saving the world, and it wasn't her choice. It makes me think that it's Moffat thumbing his nose at all of the Rose fans.
S7E4: The Power of Three
Don't worry, we're almost at the end of the "notes-only" posts. I think the reason I never went back and made these into actual posts is listed down at the bottom of this one ...
So ... I REALLY hate that the Doctor comes by and picks them up every once in a while for an adventure. It's ridiculous.
Are you my mummy? JESUS. Does the man have NO new ideas?
What is wrong with her head?
What the fuck year are we in now? She's been traveling with him for TEN years, and now another year is gone?
Seriously, why is Moffat so fucking wedded to Amy and Rory?
I hate the amount of references to famous people/events.
They always make her up like a whore.
Angry Doctor is angry.
People are dying. People don't seem that interested. Just, "why are they dying?"
I think I really am over Doctor Who. I don't care. I'm not angry, I'm not engaged. I just don't care anymore.
So ... I REALLY hate that the Doctor comes by and picks them up every once in a while for an adventure. It's ridiculous.
Are you my mummy? JESUS. Does the man have NO new ideas?
What is wrong with her head?
What the fuck year are we in now? She's been traveling with him for TEN years, and now another year is gone?
Seriously, why is Moffat so fucking wedded to Amy and Rory?
I hate the amount of references to famous people/events.
They always make her up like a whore.
Angry Doctor is angry.
People are dying. People don't seem that interested. Just, "why are they dying?"
I think I really am over Doctor Who. I don't care. I'm not angry, I'm not engaged. I just don't care anymore.
S2E3: A Town Called Mercy
More notes. For some reason this is really, really short. I don't remember why.
So far, I don't like it.
Oh hey, it's Mad-Eye Mood.
Similar to Back to the Future - was it an homage?
Is this similar to The Gunslingers?
You're a mother. I just threw up through my nose.
The Gunslinger is a Terminator.
The Doctor with a gun.
Amy's been doing a lot of sitting around doing nothing lately. What, is she knocked up again?
I still think Matt Smith looks like a corpse, especially in this episode.
What was up with the gun play at the end?
That little girl looks like me.
So far, I don't like it.
Oh hey, it's Mad-Eye Mood.
Similar to Back to the Future - was it an homage?
Is this similar to The Gunslingers?
You're a mother. I just threw up through my nose.
The Gunslinger is a Terminator.
The Doctor with a gun.
Amy's been doing a lot of sitting around doing nothing lately. What, is she knocked up again?
I still think Matt Smith looks like a corpse, especially in this episode.
What was up with the gun play at the end?
That little girl looks like me.
S2E2: Dinosaurs on Spaceship
Continuing with simply posting my notes.
- I'm sick of these m-f-ing dinos on this m-f-ing spaceship!!
- SO aggravated with the Doctor being a sex symbol.
- Sick of the Doctor being at people's beck and call.
- WHY does he have to go pick up the fucking Ponds again?
- Since when does he go back and pick up his companions for one-off adventures? As far as I know, that never happened before Amy and Rory.
- Rory continues to be the only good thing about Doctor Who.
- Why can't Moffat let the Ponds go?
- I do like that the Doctor has a Christmas list.
- Amy is such a fucking idiot. High-five Nefertiti? Seriously?
- I almost liked Amy when she said, "yes, yes I am [a queen]."
- Did someone cover the Doctor in chocolate? Hehehe.
- Why does Amy wear nail colors that are more suited to a 12-year-old?
- This just got very Jurassic Park.
- Since when does Amy actually have a brain? She acts like she's always been this intelligent.
- Ten was always a braggart. Eleven is worse.
- I'm actually enjoying this episode.
- Hey! I know where I've heard those voices before! They're the guys from That Mitchell and Webb Show! Mitchell and ... er ... Webb.
- Hmm. They just got on a dinosaur. I take it back.
- So the squib just turned into Gollum.
- Maybe Amy will get hit by a bus so Rory can go off with the Doctor.
- I'm really not okay with the Doctor murdering people.
- Hmm. What's going to happen to the Ponds?
- Why isn't Nefertiti back in Egypt?
Ah, according to Wikipedia, she simply vanishes from history. No one knows what happened to her.
- But wait - they steered the spaceship away - but towards what??! What happened to it?
- I'm sick of these m-f-ing dinos on this m-f-ing spaceship!!
- SO aggravated with the Doctor being a sex symbol.
- Sick of the Doctor being at people's beck and call.
- WHY does he have to go pick up the fucking Ponds again?
- Since when does he go back and pick up his companions for one-off adventures? As far as I know, that never happened before Amy and Rory.
- Rory continues to be the only good thing about Doctor Who.
- Why can't Moffat let the Ponds go?
- I do like that the Doctor has a Christmas list.
- Amy is such a fucking idiot. High-five Nefertiti? Seriously?
- I almost liked Amy when she said, "yes, yes I am [a queen]."
- Did someone cover the Doctor in chocolate? Hehehe.
- Why does Amy wear nail colors that are more suited to a 12-year-old?
- This just got very Jurassic Park.
- Since when does Amy actually have a brain? She acts like she's always been this intelligent.
- Ten was always a braggart. Eleven is worse.
- I'm actually enjoying this episode.
- Hey! I know where I've heard those voices before! They're the guys from That Mitchell and Webb Show! Mitchell and ... er ... Webb.
- Hmm. They just got on a dinosaur. I take it back.
- So the squib just turned into Gollum.
- Maybe Amy will get hit by a bus so Rory can go off with the Doctor.
- I'm really not okay with the Doctor murdering people.
- Hmm. What's going to happen to the Ponds?
- Why isn't Nefertiti back in Egypt?
Ah, according to Wikipedia, she simply vanishes from history. No one knows what happened to her.
- But wait - they steered the spaceship away - but towards what??! What happened to it?
S7 EP1: Aslyum of the Daleks
So I realized I never came back to write these blogs. I don't know what some of these notes mean, and I don't have the energy to go back and watch anything with Amy in it. For now, just deal with my notes, and I'll eventually start writing actual blog posts again.
Daleks coming out of people's heads.
Amy and Rory getting divorced - yay!
She's a crap model - her "slide" down the bannister. Whoopedeedoo.
I hope Rory runs away with the Doctor.
How much trouble? Out of 10, 11.
"Make them remember you." - Uh, she's not Rose.
Oh good. Another skirt.
Angry Doctor is back. Good. We hadn't had enough of that. /sarcasm Also saying that the Doctor is evil. Great.
What color?
I hate the human Daleks.
Amy is clearly a Dalek. She said, "EXPLAIN!"
Constant use of hosts for bad things. Like the shadow thingies. BORING.
Rory is brilliant - eggs eggs eggs eggs eggs.
Oh noes! Amy is in danger of turning into a monster again!
Those are some pretty flimsy chains that are holding those Daleks.
I do like that - Doctor who? They don't remember him.
So here is my theory - if she's a future companion, then what happens is this:
This is the end of her timeline, like River. Because we know how original Moffat is.
The doctor travels to a different time and meets her before she goes on the Alaska. She doesn't remember the Doctor because she had already forgotten that she was a Dalek. And when she wiped their memories, she wiped her own. So when she starts remembering, she doesn't remember the Doctor.
I'm not sure why the bad episodes that RTD wrote are bad, since I haven't dissected them, but I DO know that they don't make me want to gouge holes in the wall the way that Eleventh Doctor episodes do.
Daleks coming out of people's heads.
Amy and Rory getting divorced - yay!
She's a crap model - her "slide" down the bannister. Whoopedeedoo.
I hope Rory runs away with the Doctor.
How much trouble? Out of 10, 11.
"Make them remember you." - Uh, she's not Rose.
Oh good. Another skirt.
Angry Doctor is back. Good. We hadn't had enough of that. /sarcasm Also saying that the Doctor is evil. Great.
What color?
I hate the human Daleks.
Amy is clearly a Dalek. She said, "EXPLAIN!"
Constant use of hosts for bad things. Like the shadow thingies. BORING.
Rory is brilliant - eggs eggs eggs eggs eggs.
Oh noes! Amy is in danger of turning into a monster again!
Those are some pretty flimsy chains that are holding those Daleks.
I do like that - Doctor who? They don't remember him.
So here is my theory - if she's a future companion, then what happens is this:
This is the end of her timeline, like River. Because we know how original Moffat is.
The doctor travels to a different time and meets her before she goes on the Alaska. She doesn't remember the Doctor because she had already forgotten that she was a Dalek. And when she wiped their memories, she wiped her own. So when she starts remembering, she doesn't remember the Doctor.
I'm not sure why the bad episodes that RTD wrote are bad, since I haven't dissected them, but I DO know that they don't make me want to gouge holes in the wall the way that Eleventh Doctor episodes do.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Rose - Series 1
I've decided that during this huge lull before we get new Doctor Who episodes, I'll write about some different new series companions, because they're the ones who I first met, but I may throw in some classic series companions as well. However, we only just got up to Wheel in Space, so I'm limited in who I can really discuss.
Rose is the person who introduces/reintroduces us to the Doctor. She's young, has no ambition, and leads a boring, monotonous life. Like all companions, she meets the Doctor completely by accident and has no idea who he is, which is perfect, because people who never watched the classic series (like me) really didn't know who the Doctor was, either.
From what I can tell on the various Doctor Who forums, you either love Rose or hate Rose. I love Rose, but again, she introduced me to the series, so I had zero expectations of what a companion was or should be. I think a lot of the flak that Rose gets is unfair, especially after watching the first few series of classic Who, in which most companions are stupid (Dodo) or do nothing but run around screaming (Susan). Some companions are fantastic at times, but at others, are completely helpless (Victoria). And yet, these are all still beloved characters (well, maybe not Dodo).
Here are Rose's episodes from Series 1, and a brief look at her strengths and weaknesses in each.
S1E1 Rose: This is where we meet Rose and Nine. She is confused by the Doctor, but takes the initiative to research him on the Internet. She is bewildered when Mickey is replaced by an Auton, and the interior size of the TARDIS is shocking, but she still jumps right in. She is responsible for saving the Doctor from the Nestene Consciousness, even if it is the ridiculous and over-played "I was a gymnast!" resolution. Hell, I was a gymnast, but I doubt my skills would ever come in handy to save the Doctor, or knock out a velociraptor. Still, she shows bravery and innovation. She also berates the Doctor for not caring whether Mickey was alive or dead, so she clearly isn't going to have trouble speaking her mind. However, when the Doctor offers her a trip in the TARDIS, she initially turns him down, but then changes her mind when he says it's a time machine. I think it's terrible that she's willing to leave Mickey, but at the same time, this is probably the most exciting thing that's ever happened to her, and let's face it - we would all do the same thing in a heartbeat. At the time, she didn't know they'd be going on lots of adventures - they were going on one trip, so I'm sure it didn't occur to her that she was abandoning her boyfriend.
S1E2 The End of the World: The Doctor takes Rose to see the destruction of Earth, but they discover that something strange is going on. Rose investigates Cassandra, and ends up being knocked out and in danger of being fried up from the sun's rays. While the Doctor does have to save her life, Rose again shows quick thinking by preventing Cassandra, who orchestrated the whole problem, from leaving Platform One. As a consequence, Cassandra dries out and ruptures. So, instead of giving up and crying, Rose has the presence of mind to not only call the Doctor to tell him she's trapped, but she also captures the villain.
S1E3 The Unquiet Dead: The Doctor and Rose end up in Cardiff. Rose is kidnapped, but then saved by Charles Dickens and the Doctor. Nothing really spectacular happens with Rose in this episode, but she does show a lot of compassion and empathy towards Gwyneth.
S1E4 Aliens of London/S1E5 World War III: Rose is returned twelve months after she leaves with the Doctor to find that she's been reported as missing. I do like this, because in the classic series, there is no mention of the strange fact that these companions just go missing. It hasn't been an issue (up to the point I'm at, anyway) and in retrospect, I like that it forces Jackie to become part of the Doctor's world. A spaceship crashes into Big Ben, and the Doctor and Rose end up at 10 Downing Street with Harriet Jones. Again, Rose demonstrates that she can handle tough situations - she and Harriet discover the Prime Minister's body, after all. Though Rose, Harriet, and the Doctor are trapped at 10 Downing Street, Rose is able to contact Mickey and tell him how to hack into UNIT and help destroy Downing Street (and the Slitheen). The Doctor invites Mickey to join him, but he declines. Rose, however, decides to continue traveling with the Doctor. Again, Rose shows her resilience and the ability to take danger in stride.
S1E6 Dalek: Rose's ability to show sympathy to aliens results in her resurrecting a dormant Dalek. We see the Doctor fall apart when he discovers its existence, and it becomes clear why he needs a companion, and Rose specifically. She really can't be fazed, even in the face of the complete unknown. Also, she can stop the Doctor when he's gone too far (a theme that is repeated with, of all people, Donna). Yes, she is trapped again, but it is really her empathy for the Dalek that saves her, and not the Doctor. It's becoming clear that Rose is far from helpless.
S1E7 The Long Game: This is really one of my least favorite episodes, so I don't have much to say about it. Plus, nothing really interesting happens with Rose. The new companion, Adam, does some really stupid stuff and ends up being forced off the TARDIS after just one trip. Hey, at least he didn't die, like so many companions did in the span of just a few episodes towards the end of the First Doctor's run.
S1E8 Father's Day: This is the episode that really makes Rose seem like a moron. She convinces the Doctor to take her back to the day her father dies, but she intervenes and saves his life. This creates a paradox that makes time go all crazy (pay attention, Moffat!) until Pete dies as he was meant to. After the Doctor tells Rose not to touch Baby Rose, she stupidly lets Jackie put Baby Rose into her arms, creating another paradox. Really, this entire episode just discounts all the smart decisions she made in the previous episodes.
S1E9 The Empty Child, aka the episode that still gives me nightmares/S1E10 The Doctor Dances: Rose ends up hanging from a barrage balloon (yes, another ridiculous idea), but it results in her meeting Captain Jack Harkness (swoon). Because the Doctor doesn't really fit into her idea of what a time traveler should be, she calls Jack a "professional". It's a bit bratty, but I think it's more funny than anything. Realizing that Harkness is responsible for the object they were chasing through space, Rose cleverly gets Jack to meet up with the Doctor. Rose continues to be impressed by Jack, which annoys the Doctor to no end.
S1E11 Boom Town: The Slitheen are back, this time in Cardiff. Meanwhile, Rose has asked Mickey to meet them there - it turns out she's missed him. I think it's a really sweet moment when she tells him that, as it shows that she hasn't just completely abandoned him. Yes, life with the Doctor is more exciting, but she does care about Mickey, just maybe not as much as he'd like.
S1E12 Bad Wolf/S1E13 Parting of the Ways: Rose is kidnapped by the Daleks (okay, I agree, her being held prisoner gets old). Rose comes up with a way for them to beat the Daleks, and while the Doctor initially says it won't work, he changes his mind and sends Rose into the TARDIS. As soon as she enters, he sends the TARDIS back to London. She arrives and completely freaks out about being sent home. She realizes that being with the Doctor hasn't just been exciting, it's helped her discover that she has potential, that she can be a better person. Mickey and Jackie help to remove the panel in the control room and she looks into the heart of the TARDIS, then flies it back to Satellite 5. She destroys the Daleks, but to save Rose, the Doctor has to absorb the power from the TARDIS by kissing her. This almost seems ridiculous, except that you have to remember that Christopher Eccleston didn't want to continue with Doctor Who, and they had to make him regenerate somehow. I'm not saying it couldn't have been done differently, but I like it. Anyway, Rose is terrified by the regeneration, but she doesn't scream or faint, she just takes it all in.
Personally, I think that throughout the entire series, Rose does show weakness, but she also shows that she is very strong. She can reel in the Doctor when he goes too far, she can think on her feet, she doesn't lose her head in a tough situation. She possesses the empathy that the broken Doctor lacks. She's human, and the Doctor is so detached after the Time War, he needs someone to keep him grounded. I can absolutely understand why some people hate her, but I think that in some ways, the criticism that the character receives is unwarranted. I know a lot of the problem is that she is in love with the Doctor, and honestly, the Doctor changed Rose's life so much, of course she's going to hero worship him. I think that no matter who had been the next companion, there would have been a lot of people unhappy, just like a lot of people hate Christopher Eccleston, even though he's my second favorite Doctor. No one will like every character. I mean, look at Amy. I think she's a vapid moron, and yet there are classic fans who love her. It's all really a matter of taste, isn't it?
Oh, and by the way, in case you didn't realize: I'M A GIRL.
Well, time to say goodbye to Nine, and move on to Series 2.
Rose is the person who introduces/reintroduces us to the Doctor. She's young, has no ambition, and leads a boring, monotonous life. Like all companions, she meets the Doctor completely by accident and has no idea who he is, which is perfect, because people who never watched the classic series (like me) really didn't know who the Doctor was, either.
From what I can tell on the various Doctor Who forums, you either love Rose or hate Rose. I love Rose, but again, she introduced me to the series, so I had zero expectations of what a companion was or should be. I think a lot of the flak that Rose gets is unfair, especially after watching the first few series of classic Who, in which most companions are stupid (Dodo) or do nothing but run around screaming (Susan). Some companions are fantastic at times, but at others, are completely helpless (Victoria). And yet, these are all still beloved characters (well, maybe not Dodo).
Here are Rose's episodes from Series 1, and a brief look at her strengths and weaknesses in each.
S1E1 Rose: This is where we meet Rose and Nine. She is confused by the Doctor, but takes the initiative to research him on the Internet. She is bewildered when Mickey is replaced by an Auton, and the interior size of the TARDIS is shocking, but she still jumps right in. She is responsible for saving the Doctor from the Nestene Consciousness, even if it is the ridiculous and over-played "I was a gymnast!" resolution. Hell, I was a gymnast, but I doubt my skills would ever come in handy to save the Doctor, or knock out a velociraptor. Still, she shows bravery and innovation. She also berates the Doctor for not caring whether Mickey was alive or dead, so she clearly isn't going to have trouble speaking her mind. However, when the Doctor offers her a trip in the TARDIS, she initially turns him down, but then changes her mind when he says it's a time machine. I think it's terrible that she's willing to leave Mickey, but at the same time, this is probably the most exciting thing that's ever happened to her, and let's face it - we would all do the same thing in a heartbeat. At the time, she didn't know they'd be going on lots of adventures - they were going on one trip, so I'm sure it didn't occur to her that she was abandoning her boyfriend.
S1E2 The End of the World: The Doctor takes Rose to see the destruction of Earth, but they discover that something strange is going on. Rose investigates Cassandra, and ends up being knocked out and in danger of being fried up from the sun's rays. While the Doctor does have to save her life, Rose again shows quick thinking by preventing Cassandra, who orchestrated the whole problem, from leaving Platform One. As a consequence, Cassandra dries out and ruptures. So, instead of giving up and crying, Rose has the presence of mind to not only call the Doctor to tell him she's trapped, but she also captures the villain.
S1E3 The Unquiet Dead: The Doctor and Rose end up in Cardiff. Rose is kidnapped, but then saved by Charles Dickens and the Doctor. Nothing really spectacular happens with Rose in this episode, but she does show a lot of compassion and empathy towards Gwyneth.
S1E4 Aliens of London/S1E5 World War III: Rose is returned twelve months after she leaves with the Doctor to find that she's been reported as missing. I do like this, because in the classic series, there is no mention of the strange fact that these companions just go missing. It hasn't been an issue (up to the point I'm at, anyway) and in retrospect, I like that it forces Jackie to become part of the Doctor's world. A spaceship crashes into Big Ben, and the Doctor and Rose end up at 10 Downing Street with Harriet Jones. Again, Rose demonstrates that she can handle tough situations - she and Harriet discover the Prime Minister's body, after all. Though Rose, Harriet, and the Doctor are trapped at 10 Downing Street, Rose is able to contact Mickey and tell him how to hack into UNIT and help destroy Downing Street (and the Slitheen). The Doctor invites Mickey to join him, but he declines. Rose, however, decides to continue traveling with the Doctor. Again, Rose shows her resilience and the ability to take danger in stride.
S1E6 Dalek: Rose's ability to show sympathy to aliens results in her resurrecting a dormant Dalek. We see the Doctor fall apart when he discovers its existence, and it becomes clear why he needs a companion, and Rose specifically. She really can't be fazed, even in the face of the complete unknown. Also, she can stop the Doctor when he's gone too far (a theme that is repeated with, of all people, Donna). Yes, she is trapped again, but it is really her empathy for the Dalek that saves her, and not the Doctor. It's becoming clear that Rose is far from helpless.
S1E7 The Long Game: This is really one of my least favorite episodes, so I don't have much to say about it. Plus, nothing really interesting happens with Rose. The new companion, Adam, does some really stupid stuff and ends up being forced off the TARDIS after just one trip. Hey, at least he didn't die, like so many companions did in the span of just a few episodes towards the end of the First Doctor's run.
S1E8 Father's Day: This is the episode that really makes Rose seem like a moron. She convinces the Doctor to take her back to the day her father dies, but she intervenes and saves his life. This creates a paradox that makes time go all crazy (pay attention, Moffat!) until Pete dies as he was meant to. After the Doctor tells Rose not to touch Baby Rose, she stupidly lets Jackie put Baby Rose into her arms, creating another paradox. Really, this entire episode just discounts all the smart decisions she made in the previous episodes.
S1E9 The Empty Child, aka the episode that still gives me nightmares/S1E10 The Doctor Dances: Rose ends up hanging from a barrage balloon (yes, another ridiculous idea), but it results in her meeting Captain Jack Harkness (swoon). Because the Doctor doesn't really fit into her idea of what a time traveler should be, she calls Jack a "professional". It's a bit bratty, but I think it's more funny than anything. Realizing that Harkness is responsible for the object they were chasing through space, Rose cleverly gets Jack to meet up with the Doctor. Rose continues to be impressed by Jack, which annoys the Doctor to no end.
S1E11 Boom Town: The Slitheen are back, this time in Cardiff. Meanwhile, Rose has asked Mickey to meet them there - it turns out she's missed him. I think it's a really sweet moment when she tells him that, as it shows that she hasn't just completely abandoned him. Yes, life with the Doctor is more exciting, but she does care about Mickey, just maybe not as much as he'd like.
S1E12 Bad Wolf/S1E13 Parting of the Ways: Rose is kidnapped by the Daleks (okay, I agree, her being held prisoner gets old). Rose comes up with a way for them to beat the Daleks, and while the Doctor initially says it won't work, he changes his mind and sends Rose into the TARDIS. As soon as she enters, he sends the TARDIS back to London. She arrives and completely freaks out about being sent home. She realizes that being with the Doctor hasn't just been exciting, it's helped her discover that she has potential, that she can be a better person. Mickey and Jackie help to remove the panel in the control room and she looks into the heart of the TARDIS, then flies it back to Satellite 5. She destroys the Daleks, but to save Rose, the Doctor has to absorb the power from the TARDIS by kissing her. This almost seems ridiculous, except that you have to remember that Christopher Eccleston didn't want to continue with Doctor Who, and they had to make him regenerate somehow. I'm not saying it couldn't have been done differently, but I like it. Anyway, Rose is terrified by the regeneration, but she doesn't scream or faint, she just takes it all in.
Personally, I think that throughout the entire series, Rose does show weakness, but she also shows that she is very strong. She can reel in the Doctor when he goes too far, she can think on her feet, she doesn't lose her head in a tough situation. She possesses the empathy that the broken Doctor lacks. She's human, and the Doctor is so detached after the Time War, he needs someone to keep him grounded. I can absolutely understand why some people hate her, but I think that in some ways, the criticism that the character receives is unwarranted. I know a lot of the problem is that she is in love with the Doctor, and honestly, the Doctor changed Rose's life so much, of course she's going to hero worship him. I think that no matter who had been the next companion, there would have been a lot of people unhappy, just like a lot of people hate Christopher Eccleston, even though he's my second favorite Doctor. No one will like every character. I mean, look at Amy. I think she's a vapid moron, and yet there are classic fans who love her. It's all really a matter of taste, isn't it?
Oh, and by the way, in case you didn't realize: I'M A GIRL.
Well, time to say goodbye to Nine, and move on to Series 2.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre
I LOVE Sherlock. If it weren't for Sherlock, I'd probably be burning effigies of Steven Moffat (not really, I'm just being dramatic).
I also LOVE the Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre.
And, I do not like the new Doctor Who (you may have noticed).
Put all those together, and what do you have? The funniest 4:55 I have seen in a long time. I laughed so hard that my stomach hurt, and I had to keep rewinding the video (rewinding? WTF, Lynette, is this 1985?) to catch bits that I'd missed.
If you like it, PLEASE go to their YouTube channel and follow them.
I also LOVE the Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre.
And, I do not like the new Doctor Who (you may have noticed).
Put all those together, and what do you have? The funniest 4:55 I have seen in a long time. I laughed so hard that my stomach hurt, and I had to keep rewinding the video (rewinding? WTF, Lynette, is this 1985?) to catch bits that I'd missed.
If you like it, PLEASE go to their YouTube channel and follow them.
Monday, January 9, 2012
2011 Christmas Special: The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe
We start out in space - and apparently, there is sound in space. Take a lesson from Joss Whedon, Mr. Moffat. There is no sound in space! Okay, the Doctor runs through the exploding spaceship - very exciting! I do love this music. But wait! He's now hanging off of the spaceship, breathing, groaning, talking, yelling. Why does he need the space suit? I guess for reentry? Are spacesuits built for reentry?
But I'm deviating away from my normal "let's save the nasty comments for the Dislikes section". Maybe I should start over.
So the Doctor is on this exploding spaceship. He ends up on the outside, and as he lets go of the ship, he spies a space suit. He and the suit both hurtle through space, and he crash lands somewhere in England. Madge, a housewife, finds him, but because he put the helmet on backwards and now it's stuck, she doesn't see his face. She helps him get to the TARDIS. Back home, she discusses the impending war with her husband. A few years later, he is a pilot in World War II, and he disappears over the English Channel.
Madge receives the news at Christmas, but she promises Cyril and Lily, her children, that their father will be coming home. They all go to their uncle's mansion in the country, apparently to escape the bombing. They are greeted by the Doctor, who calls himself the Caretaker. He has specially prepared the house for themin a ridiculous display in an attempt to cheer them up (though we don't know yet that he knows about their father's death). Madge sends the kids out of the room and tells the Doctor that their father is dead.
The children find a giant Christmas tree downstairs and equally giant present, which glows eerily like the TARDIS. That night, Lily wakes up and starts to sneak downstairs to look at the present, but instead, she wanders into the Doctor's room. She startsflirting with talking to the Doctor about the TARDIS, which he calls a wardrobe. Meanwhile, Cyril does go downstairs and open the present, which is really a doorway to Narnia a mystical wood. Of course, he enters the wood. Lily, however, tells the Doctor that her brother is in bed asleep. This eases the Doctor's mind, because now he can get some alone time with Lily he can continue to work on rewiring his wardrobe. But then an alarm goes off, and he knows that Cyril has gone into the wardrobe present. He then pulls Lily into the magical wood as well, and tells her that it's a dimensional portal thingie. She smiles alluringly innocently at him. They start following Cyril's footprints; Cyril, in the meantime, is following ever-growing footprints.
Cyril ends up atthe witch's castle a tall tower which has a lion's face in the door handle. He goes inside, where a statue of a treeman sits in a throne. He decides then to climb up the tower, and as he does so, the statue blinks (I actually was typing that as a joke, and then the statue blinked). As Cyril climbs the tower, there are flashing lights in the sky, and some kind of transport vessel lands in front of Madge, who'd been following all the footprints. Some entirely irrelevant soldiers climb out to provide some comic relief.
Back at theranch tower, Cyril finds a room with a treegirl standing over a throne, holding a crown. The Doctor and Lily enter the tower and he tells her that the entire building is a group of trees disguised as a building. Lily holds the Doctor's hand (for the second time, I might add). Bow chick a wow wow.
Back to the soldiers for some more comedy. They aren't going to shoot Madge for trespassing, and they lower their guns. But Madge pulls one out and tells them she's looking for her children.
In the tower, the treegirl is trying to put the crown on Cyril's head, and the Doctor and Lily try to get into the room. Lily notices that their are stars coming out of the forest, and the Doctor says it's life. The treegirl places the crown on Cyril's head, and the king statue starts climbing the tower.
Madge is in the transport ship - the soldiers tell her that the entire forest is about to be burned with acid rain to make battery fluid. The soldiers evacuate the ship.
Cyril tells the Doctor that the trees are evacuating. Lily goes to the window and the Doctor explains that the life forces are trying to evacuate to leave the planet. He holds her shoulder. How creepy is this? The crown is a relay, it's an escape plan for the trees. The treepeople tell the Doctor that Cyril is weak, and the Doctor is weak, but Lily is strong.
The acid rain starts, and the Doctor tells them they have to go. But then Cyril throws a temper tantrum and says he has to wait for his mummy. She then comes crashing through the forest in an AT-AT. She enters the tower, and the treegirl puts the crown on Madge. The life forces start pouring into her brain until she has the entire forest in her head. Turns out that Madge is strong because she's a woman andall she's good for is popping out kids she's a vessel for life.
The top of the tower takes off because it's a spaceship, and they enter the time vortex. They have to go home, and the only way for that to happen is for Madge to think of home. She thenclimaxes pictures home and her husband, but then says she doesn't want to see him die. We then cut back to the plane, but then Reg sees a brilliant light and decides to follow it. How he can follow that blinding light is beyond me, but whatever.
The ship lands back home at the mansion in the country. The children are very upset, though, about Madge saying that she didn't want to watch him die. She decides she has to tell the children the truth. The Doctor leaves to give them privacy, but as she starts to tell the children about her father, the Doctor starts calling to them very excitedly. They run outside and their father's plane is parked outside the mansion as well. Apparently, Madge's having a tree inside her head led her husband home. It's so very heartwarming.
Madge visits the Doctor up in the attic and says that she knew it was her spaceman. She convinces him to go home to see his friends and tell them that he's still alive. He goes to see Amy and Rory. Amy shoots him with a water pistol. They hug. It's incredibly charming. The Doctor wipes the water from the water pistol - or is that a tear? - from his cheek. Hang on, I have to go barf.
Narnian references:
What do they teach you in schools these days?
Time moves differently across dimensions.
World War II/going to a mansion in the country to escape the bombing in London
Magical wood
Calling the TARDIS a wardrobe
The trees are talking to each other (even some of the trees are on her side)
Trying to crown the children
Likes:
1) Madge takes him to an actual call box.
2) Madge asks if he's the new caretaker, and he says, "Usually called the Doctor, or the Caretaker, or Get Off This Planet, though strictly speaking, that probably isn't a name."
3) Madge really is strong. She doesn't freak out about the whole affair.
Dislikes:
1) How is he talking and shouting in space? IN SPACE!
2) How did falling from space NOT kill him? Apparently that's an "impact suit". But from SPACE?!
3) Haha, Madge keeps hitting things with her car. Women can't drive.
4) The back of the Doctor's space helmet has breathing holes. Are space helmets supposed to have
holes in the back of them?
5) The "repairs" to the house are ridiculous. This whole thing is ridiculous.
6) He's being over the top again.
7) When the Doctorrushes around like a deranged clown shows the children their bedroom, I feel very much like Madge - just STOP TALKING!
8) Relationship between Lily and the Doctor = CREEEEPPPY!
9) Too many Narnia references
10) These kids are STUPID.
11) "Mummy, is Daddy dead?"
12) What the hell was the Christmas present for? He's just going to take them into this other dimension, la dee da?
13) Did they have to putthe loudmouth red head Amy back in?
14) Humany-wumany. It works with timey-wimey. It doesn't work when he does it with other things, and this is the second time in this episode he's said something like "timey-wimey" that wasn't timey-wimey!
15) If she saved her husband, why did she still have the telegram?
16) Seriously, I think Lily was trying to get in the Doctor's pants.
17) I just realized - the Doctor showed up because Madge made a wish. A WISH! Since when does the Doctor hear and respond to wishes?!?
I dislike Moffat's tenure so much. He has completely crushed me, he's destroyed this show that I so completely embraced. I feel cheated now that I came to it so late, that I only had one real season to watch in real time. So quickly did Doctor Who enter my life, make it a bit more enjoyable, and then exit. Thankfully, I have a few dozen seasons of the classic series to watch, because god knows, I'd rather watch the most horrible reconstruction than Matt Smith.
I so wish David Morrissey had really been the next Doctor.
But I'm deviating away from my normal "let's save the nasty comments for the Dislikes section". Maybe I should start over.
So the Doctor is on this exploding spaceship. He ends up on the outside, and as he lets go of the ship, he spies a space suit. He and the suit both hurtle through space, and he crash lands somewhere in England. Madge, a housewife, finds him, but because he put the helmet on backwards and now it's stuck, she doesn't see his face. She helps him get to the TARDIS. Back home, she discusses the impending war with her husband. A few years later, he is a pilot in World War II, and he disappears over the English Channel.
Madge receives the news at Christmas, but she promises Cyril and Lily, her children, that their father will be coming home. They all go to their uncle's mansion in the country, apparently to escape the bombing. They are greeted by the Doctor, who calls himself the Caretaker. He has specially prepared the house for them
The children find a giant Christmas tree downstairs and equally giant present, which glows eerily like the TARDIS. That night, Lily wakes up and starts to sneak downstairs to look at the present, but instead, she wanders into the Doctor's room. She starts
Cyril ends up at
Back at the
Back to the soldiers for some more comedy. They aren't going to shoot Madge for trespassing, and they lower their guns. But Madge pulls one out and tells them she's looking for her children.
In the tower, the treegirl is trying to put the crown on Cyril's head, and the Doctor and Lily try to get into the room. Lily notices that their are stars coming out of the forest, and the Doctor says it's life. The treegirl places the crown on Cyril's head, and the king statue starts climbing the tower.
Madge is in the transport ship - the soldiers tell her that the entire forest is about to be burned with acid rain to make battery fluid. The soldiers evacuate the ship.
Cyril tells the Doctor that the trees are evacuating. Lily goes to the window and the Doctor explains that the life forces are trying to evacuate to leave the planet. He holds her shoulder. How creepy is this? The crown is a relay, it's an escape plan for the trees. The treepeople tell the Doctor that Cyril is weak, and the Doctor is weak, but Lily is strong.
The acid rain starts, and the Doctor tells them they have to go. But then Cyril throws a temper tantrum and says he has to wait for his mummy. She then comes crashing through the forest in an AT-AT. She enters the tower, and the treegirl puts the crown on Madge. The life forces start pouring into her brain until she has the entire forest in her head. Turns out that Madge is strong because she's a woman and
The top of the tower takes off because it's a spaceship, and they enter the time vortex. They have to go home, and the only way for that to happen is for Madge to think of home. She then
The ship lands back home at the mansion in the country. The children are very upset, though, about Madge saying that she didn't want to watch him die. She decides she has to tell the children the truth. The Doctor leaves to give them privacy, but as she starts to tell the children about her father, the Doctor starts calling to them very excitedly. They run outside and their father's plane is parked outside the mansion as well. Apparently, Madge's having a tree inside her head led her husband home. It's so very heartwarming.
Madge visits the Doctor up in the attic and says that she knew it was her spaceman. She convinces him to go home to see his friends and tell them that he's still alive. He goes to see Amy and Rory. Amy shoots him with a water pistol. They hug. It's incredibly charming. The Doctor wipes the water from the water pistol - or is that a tear? - from his cheek. Hang on, I have to go barf.
Narnian references:
What do they teach you in schools these days?
Time moves differently across dimensions.
World War II/going to a mansion in the country to escape the bombing in London
Magical wood
Calling the TARDIS a wardrobe
The trees are talking to each other (even some of the trees are on her side)
Trying to crown the children
Likes:
1) Madge takes him to an actual call box.
2) Madge asks if he's the new caretaker, and he says, "Usually called the Doctor, or the Caretaker, or Get Off This Planet, though strictly speaking, that probably isn't a name."
3) Madge really is strong. She doesn't freak out about the whole affair.
Dislikes:
1) How is he talking and shouting in space? IN SPACE!
2) How did falling from space NOT kill him? Apparently that's an "impact suit". But from SPACE?!
3) Haha, Madge keeps hitting things with her car. Women can't drive.
4) The back of the Doctor's space helmet has breathing holes. Are space helmets supposed to have
holes in the back of them?
5) The "repairs" to the house are ridiculous. This whole thing is ridiculous.
6) He's being over the top again.
7) When the Doctor
8) Relationship between Lily and the Doctor = CREEEEPPPY!
9) Too many Narnia references
10) These kids are STUPID.
11) "Mummy, is Daddy dead?"
12) What the hell was the Christmas present for? He's just going to take them into this other dimension, la dee da?
13) Did they have to put
14) Humany-wumany. It works with timey-wimey. It doesn't work when he does it with other things, and this is the second time in this episode he's said something like "timey-wimey" that wasn't timey-wimey!
15) If she saved her husband, why did she still have the telegram?
16) Seriously, I think Lily was trying to get in the Doctor's pants.
17) I just realized - the Doctor showed up because Madge made a wish. A WISH! Since when does the Doctor hear and respond to wishes?!?
I dislike Moffat's tenure so much. He has completely crushed me, he's destroyed this show that I so completely embraced. I feel cheated now that I came to it so late, that I only had one real season to watch in real time. So quickly did Doctor Who enter my life, make it a bit more enjoyable, and then exit. Thankfully, I have a few dozen seasons of the classic series to watch, because god knows, I'd rather watch the most horrible reconstruction than Matt Smith.
I so wish David Morrissey had really been the next Doctor.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
S6 Episode 13: The Wedding of River Song
Finally, the episode we've all been waiting for!
The Doctor is resigned to his fate, but first, he wants to know why he has to die. Moffat makes things even more ridiculously complicated by having Dorium tell him some crazy-ass prophecy. The Silence wants to avoid this prophecy from coming true, so their solution is to kill the Doctor. Because apparently, if he lives, the universe will end (for what, the 6,000th time?) He gives the Teselecta the invitations for Amy, Rory, River, Canton, and himself to deliver because he can't cross his own time line (this week).
He goes to Lake Silencio and, sure enough, the Impossible Astronaut is River Song, who just found out that she's the one who kills him. But then, shockingly, the Doctor doesn't die! River somehow stops the suit from killing him!
And now time is screwed up. All of time is existing at once (but selectively, there's not a dozen Prime Ministers running around). People can't remember the way it was before, and time is always stuck at 5:02.
The Doctor finds Amy, who is wearing an eyepatch. She doesn't seem to know that Rory is Rory, and she tells the Doctor that she's looking for him (but she thinks he looks like someone else - is that drawing supposed to be the other guy from The Eleventh Hour?) Anyway, she takes him to the pyramids, there are a bunch of Silence and Madame Eyepatch imprisoned, Rory is a guard, and River is there ... because ...
But wait! It's a trap! The Silence "escape" by making the eye patches malfunction; the Doctor and Amy get out, but Rory insists on staying behind to save Amy. However, just as the Silence are about to kill him, Amy saves Rory. They leave Madame Eyepatch to die.
So if the Doctor touches River, this time will be undone, and they'll be back at Lake Silencio. But the Doctor insists on fixing things, so he and River get married, and time reverts back to Lake Silencio. The Doctor dies.
Some time after this, River shows up at Amy and Rory's house. She has a chat with Amy, wherein she tells her that the Doctor is still alive. And, sure enough, he is. Because the thing that "died" was the Teselecta. But now everyone thinks he's dead, so everything will be okay and no one will come after him.
Dang.
Dislikes:
1) Well, I hated just about everything in this episode. Where to start? I guess, first of all, I am really tired of all these characters coming back and coming back and coming back. During the RTD era, everyone who didn't like RTD complained about characters showing up all the time - I just cannot wrap my head around why it's okay for Moffat to do the same thing, and the RTD haters have no problem with it. Personally, I don't have a problem with characters coming back, except for the fact that it was an issue with RTD haters!
2) So ... the Doctor has to save the universe again? Once again, this was an issue with RTD haters. I don't see all of them shouting about how ridiculous is it for the Doctor to have to save the universe at the end of every series now.
3) The Doctor says, "I hate rats" - please do not tell me that this is an Indiana Jones reference ("I hate snakes"). I guess that's my only issue with the line ...
4) Again with the Rose and Jack references - they drive me crazy. I'd be okay with him never mentioning them, since previous Doctors don't seem to mention former companions. But I have a hard time believing that he'd send letters to Amy and Rory over Jack. So shut the f*&# up about him.
5) Since when does the Doctor care about crossing his own time stream? Seriously, I'd appreciate a bit of consistency in the rules.
6) Silence = still not scary, especially since it looks like they're all farting in their little water prisons.
7) How did River rewrite time? Is it because she's a magical TARDIS baby?
8) Why is the Doctor trying to get Amy and Rory together? Rory is so much better without her. Oh, probably because without Rory, Amy would be trying to rape the Doctor. Yeah, I'd try to set her up with someone else, too.
9) So much of this episode doesn't make sense - it seems like Moffat did certain things, like Amy not recognizing Rory, just to have a gag. Honestly, why does Amy remember River, but not Rory?
10) Overall, I hate the structure of this entire episode. I'm not sure what I meant by that statement, but I don't really want to watch it again, so I'll leave that to you, Dear Reader, to figure out.
11) If Silence will fall when the Doctor dies, and it's the Silence orchestrating the whole thing, then why do they want to destroy themselves? Are they that stupid, that they don't understand that silence = Silence? (Although, I still think that "silence" and "Silence" being the same thing is ridiculous. I still maintain that the "silence" spoken of in the last series was referring to the crack obliterating the universe. Why would the fishy vampires be running from the Silence?)
Likes:
1) How did I forget about the Teselecta? I should have realized then that he would have them assume his appearance. This was cool, and I don't think anyone expected it.
2) I believe that when the eyepatch viking falls into the pit, that's the first time this Doctor has tried to save his enemy (as opposed to Ten, who almost always tried to save his enemies).
3) When Amy leaves Madame Eyepatch to die, she says of her coldness, "River didn't get it all from you, sweetie." That was pretty cool.
4) Hot damn, I think Karen Gillan has finally learned how to act. I love the look on her face when she says that she's the Doctor's mother-in-law.
5) I really enjoyed the scene between Amy and River at the end, when Amy says that she got them a bottle of wine. It was the first moment where I really gave a crap about their relationship. It was a genuine moment, and it was such a relief to see that after two series where so much seems forced.
Curiouser and Curiouser:
There were a few things in the "Dislikes" section that belong here, but they bothered me so much that I put them in the earlier category. However, let's explore this whole "dead Doctor" idea, and the problems it presents.
1) The Teselecta know that he's not dead.
2) If his "not dying" made the world all funky, but he didn't die, then why is the world all funky (because Moffat needed a reason to do something SO SUPER CRAZY!) His death, or at least, the appearance of his death, was a fixed point in time. Unless River shooting him is the fixed point. But wait, why was she able to not shoot him?
3) How can he go on any more adventures if he's "dead"? And since he's a Time Lord and can do things out of chronological order, then how do the Silence know that killing him on April 22, 2011 will prevent the future event from happening? Shit, can everyone time travel?
4) The whole universe just keeps resetting, Amy has all these memories of other time streams. She is seriously going to end up in a mental institution.
5) On a separate note, we are led to believe that the Doctor is actually 200 years older than he was when he left Amy. I have a very hard time believing that out of all of his companions, Amy and Canton are on his Top Four Most Trusted list. What about Jack? Martha? Sarah Jane (sniff)? And I guess we have to assume that he's been courting River this whole time, including time in her own time line before she was forced to kill him?
So, at the end of Series 6, we're left with more questions, more convoluted problems, and very few real answers. I'd like to see River Song leave for good. I don't think that she and the Doctor have any chemistry, and I didn't feel like he "married" her because he loves her. I don't feel any of the chemistry between River and Eleven that we felt with Rose and Ten, or even Rose and Nine. I don't know if it's the directing, the writing, or the huge age gap between the two actors, but I just don't buy the Doctor/River relationship. And since Moffat has thrown the whole "my past is his future" concept out the window, we have no idea where we are in either of their time lines.
And I'm so done with Amy. I can't imagine what use she is to the Doctor anymore. He's used her, the Silence have used her - let her just go and live her little life with Rory. Or, you know, that handsome guy from The Eleventh Hour, so Rory can go off and have adventures with the Doctor.
We won't have any new episodes of Doctor Who until next fall, and it really, honestly pains me to say this, but I don't care. I don't care what happens to any of these characters. I'm not on the edge of my seat the way I was after watching the first three series back-to-back, then having to wait an excruciatingly long time for series 4 and the specials. I don't feel that way anymore, and it makes me really sad. I'd love to see Eleven break out on his own for a while, or hang out with Sally Sparrow. I'd love (as mentioned above) for Amy to have an affair and dump Rory so he can tool around the 'Verse in the TARDIS.
Since there will be no more Eleven to write about for a while, I'll pop in here every once in a while to discuss other things that bother me about Doctor Who. For instance, when I read forums and Facebook groups, I often think that these people must be watching a different series from me, since they interpret things so differently. I'll pick out the things that I disagree with and write about them here, rather than start a flame war.
Until then, this is for both Amy and River:
The Doctor is resigned to his fate, but first, he wants to know why he has to die. Moffat makes things even more ridiculously complicated by having Dorium tell him some crazy-ass prophecy. The Silence wants to avoid this prophecy from coming true, so their solution is to kill the Doctor. Because apparently, if he lives, the universe will end (for what, the 6,000th time?) He gives the Teselecta the invitations for Amy, Rory, River, Canton, and himself to deliver because he can't cross his own time line (this week).
He goes to Lake Silencio and, sure enough, the Impossible Astronaut is River Song, who just found out that she's the one who kills him. But then, shockingly, the Doctor doesn't die! River somehow stops the suit from killing him!
And now time is screwed up. All of time is existing at once (but selectively, there's not a dozen Prime Ministers running around). People can't remember the way it was before, and time is always stuck at 5:02.
The Doctor finds Amy, who is wearing an eyepatch. She doesn't seem to know that Rory is Rory, and she tells the Doctor that she's looking for him (but she thinks he looks like someone else - is that drawing supposed to be the other guy from The Eleventh Hour?) Anyway, she takes him to the pyramids, there are a bunch of Silence and Madame Eyepatch imprisoned, Rory is a guard, and River is there ... because ...
But wait! It's a trap! The Silence "escape" by making the eye patches malfunction; the Doctor and Amy get out, but Rory insists on staying behind to save Amy. However, just as the Silence are about to kill him, Amy saves Rory. They leave Madame Eyepatch to die.
So if the Doctor touches River, this time will be undone, and they'll be back at Lake Silencio. But the Doctor insists on fixing things, so he and River get married, and time reverts back to Lake Silencio. The Doctor dies.
Some time after this, River shows up at Amy and Rory's house. She has a chat with Amy, wherein she tells her that the Doctor is still alive. And, sure enough, he is. Because the thing that "died" was the Teselecta. But now everyone thinks he's dead, so everything will be okay and no one will come after him.
Dang.
Dislikes:
1) Well, I hated just about everything in this episode. Where to start? I guess, first of all, I am really tired of all these characters coming back and coming back and coming back. During the RTD era, everyone who didn't like RTD complained about characters showing up all the time - I just cannot wrap my head around why it's okay for Moffat to do the same thing, and the RTD haters have no problem with it. Personally, I don't have a problem with characters coming back, except for the fact that it was an issue with RTD haters!
2) So ... the Doctor has to save the universe again? Once again, this was an issue with RTD haters. I don't see all of them shouting about how ridiculous is it for the Doctor to have to save the universe at the end of every series now.
3) The Doctor says, "I hate rats" - please do not tell me that this is an Indiana Jones reference ("I hate snakes"). I guess that's my only issue with the line ...
4) Again with the Rose and Jack references - they drive me crazy. I'd be okay with him never mentioning them, since previous Doctors don't seem to mention former companions. But I have a hard time believing that he'd send letters to Amy and Rory over Jack. So shut the f*&# up about him.
5) Since when does the Doctor care about crossing his own time stream? Seriously, I'd appreciate a bit of consistency in the rules.
6) Silence = still not scary, especially since it looks like they're all farting in their little water prisons.
7) How did River rewrite time? Is it because she's a magical TARDIS baby?
8) Why is the Doctor trying to get Amy and Rory together? Rory is so much better without her. Oh, probably because without Rory, Amy would be trying to rape the Doctor. Yeah, I'd try to set her up with someone else, too.
9) So much of this episode doesn't make sense - it seems like Moffat did certain things, like Amy not recognizing Rory, just to have a gag. Honestly, why does Amy remember River, but not Rory?
10) Overall, I hate the structure of this entire episode. I'm not sure what I meant by that statement, but I don't really want to watch it again, so I'll leave that to you, Dear Reader, to figure out.
11) If Silence will fall when the Doctor dies, and it's the Silence orchestrating the whole thing, then why do they want to destroy themselves? Are they that stupid, that they don't understand that silence = Silence? (Although, I still think that "silence" and "Silence" being the same thing is ridiculous. I still maintain that the "silence" spoken of in the last series was referring to the crack obliterating the universe. Why would the fishy vampires be running from the Silence?)
Likes:
1) How did I forget about the Teselecta? I should have realized then that he would have them assume his appearance. This was cool, and I don't think anyone expected it.
2) I believe that when the eyepatch viking falls into the pit, that's the first time this Doctor has tried to save his enemy (as opposed to Ten, who almost always tried to save his enemies).
3) When Amy leaves Madame Eyepatch to die, she says of her coldness, "River didn't get it all from you, sweetie." That was pretty cool.
4) Hot damn, I think Karen Gillan has finally learned how to act. I love the look on her face when she says that she's the Doctor's mother-in-law.
5) I really enjoyed the scene between Amy and River at the end, when Amy says that she got them a bottle of wine. It was the first moment where I really gave a crap about their relationship. It was a genuine moment, and it was such a relief to see that after two series where so much seems forced.
Curiouser and Curiouser:
There were a few things in the "Dislikes" section that belong here, but they bothered me so much that I put them in the earlier category. However, let's explore this whole "dead Doctor" idea, and the problems it presents.
1) The Teselecta know that he's not dead.
2) If his "not dying" made the world all funky, but he didn't die, then why is the world all funky (because Moffat needed a reason to do something SO SUPER CRAZY!) His death, or at least, the appearance of his death, was a fixed point in time. Unless River shooting him is the fixed point. But wait, why was she able to not shoot him?
3) How can he go on any more adventures if he's "dead"? And since he's a Time Lord and can do things out of chronological order, then how do the Silence know that killing him on April 22, 2011 will prevent the future event from happening? Shit, can everyone time travel?
4) The whole universe just keeps resetting, Amy has all these memories of other time streams. She is seriously going to end up in a mental institution.
5) On a separate note, we are led to believe that the Doctor is actually 200 years older than he was when he left Amy. I have a very hard time believing that out of all of his companions, Amy and Canton are on his Top Four Most Trusted list. What about Jack? Martha? Sarah Jane (sniff)? And I guess we have to assume that he's been courting River this whole time, including time in her own time line before she was forced to kill him?
So, at the end of Series 6, we're left with more questions, more convoluted problems, and very few real answers. I'd like to see River Song leave for good. I don't think that she and the Doctor have any chemistry, and I didn't feel like he "married" her because he loves her. I don't feel any of the chemistry between River and Eleven that we felt with Rose and Ten, or even Rose and Nine. I don't know if it's the directing, the writing, or the huge age gap between the two actors, but I just don't buy the Doctor/River relationship. And since Moffat has thrown the whole "my past is his future" concept out the window, we have no idea where we are in either of their time lines.
And I'm so done with Amy. I can't imagine what use she is to the Doctor anymore. He's used her, the Silence have used her - let her just go and live her little life with Rory. Or, you know, that handsome guy from The Eleventh Hour, so Rory can go off and have adventures with the Doctor.
We won't have any new episodes of Doctor Who until next fall, and it really, honestly pains me to say this, but I don't care. I don't care what happens to any of these characters. I'm not on the edge of my seat the way I was after watching the first three series back-to-back, then having to wait an excruciatingly long time for series 4 and the specials. I don't feel that way anymore, and it makes me really sad. I'd love to see Eleven break out on his own for a while, or hang out with Sally Sparrow. I'd love (as mentioned above) for Amy to have an affair and dump Rory so he can tool around the 'Verse in the TARDIS.
Since there will be no more Eleven to write about for a while, I'll pop in here every once in a while to discuss other things that bother me about Doctor Who. For instance, when I read forums and Facebook groups, I often think that these people must be watching a different series from me, since they interpret things so differently. I'll pick out the things that I disagree with and write about them here, rather than start a flame war.
Until then, this is for both Amy and River:
Sunday, October 2, 2011
S6 Episode 12: Closing Time
This is totally my favorite episode of this entire series so far. Wow! I LOVE Craig!
So the Doctor pops in on Craig to say hi, kind of like the Tenth Doctor went around and said goodbye to his former companions before he regenerated. So all the people who think that was crappy can SHUT UP now!! Craig and Sophie have a son now named Alfie, although the Doctor says that his name is Stormageddon (he speaks Baby). The Doctor notices that the lights are flickering, and against his better judgment, he decides to stick around and figure out what's going on.
Craig insists on going with the Doctor to investigate, hilarity ensures. It turns out that a Cybermat is draining energy, and Cybermen are taking people and converting them. The Doctor finds the Cyberman space ship, is captured, Craig tries to help, almost gets turned into a Cyberman, but then they hear Alfie crying and Craig is able to reverse the conversion.
The episode ends with River Song investigating the Doctor's "last" appearance on Earth. Then Eyepatch Lady and the Silence show up, stick River in a space suit, and put her at the bottom of Lake Silencio.
Likes:
1) The exchanges between the Doctor and Craig are fantastic, just like last time.
Doctor: You've redecorated! I don't like it.
Craig: It's a new house!
Craig: You know what to do if he cries!
Doctor: No, I don't!
Craig (OS): Me neither!
2) Okay, this baby is totally reminiscent of Stewie from Family Guy. While I don't like another baby being a character on the show, he is MUCH better than wet old Melody Pond. Also, I don't believe that the Doctor actually speaks Baby - I think he just speaks for the babies the way "speak" for our pets. He's just having a good time.
3) I love the Doctor's reference to K-9 when he's playing with the robot dog. "Not as fun as I remember".
4) I liked the Cybermat - it was very reminiscent of Tomb of the Cybermen.
5) Craig: Metal rat with a mouth! Metal rat with a mouth!
Dislikes:
1) Didn't like the baby. Why does everyone have babies? Best thing about Rose, Martha, and Donna - NO GORRAM BABIES!
2) I didn't like when the Doctor pretended he was going to kiss Craig. It wasn't funny at all, insinuating that even Craig might be a little bit in love with the Doctor. Everyone shouldn't be in love with the Doctor! Again, a HUGE complaint about the RTD era, and I have yet to read anything online about people having an issue with it now. Cause Moffat is such a gorram god to so many people.
3) I don't like Matt Smith tossing his hair around all the time. Can't they bobby pin it down or something? Hair spray? Something?
4) I didn't like the Ponds showing up. And suddenly she's a model. Of course, we have no idea how much time has passed. However, I have a very hard time believing she's a model. Not only that, but she's modeling Petrichor (the smell of dust after rain) and the tagline is "For the girl who's tired of waiting". So apparently she has control over the entire line of perfume. So is she a model or did she develop the perfume? That kind of career takes years to develop, and her only experience is being a Kiss-O-Gram. On the other hand, what did I expect her to do, become a rocket scientist?
5) Again, the solution to the problem is LOVE. Gag me with a spoon.
6) The Doctor says that his "shhh" power only works once, and only on those with underdeveloped brains, thus making it a big joke that it works on Craig and the girl in the shop. Haha! But then he uses the "shh" trick on the shopgirl a second time. Wait a minute ... what happened to it only working once? Oh, right, no one gives a shit about any kind of continuity these days.
Curiouser and Curiouser
1) These Cybermen lack the Cybus Industries logo, and the Doctor says that they've been buried there for centuries.
2) We finally get an explanation as to why River never remembered anything about her past - Eyepatch Lady says that they were "far too thorough" with her "dear little head".
Enjoy this little exchange between Craig and the Doctor:
So the Doctor pops in on Craig to say hi, kind of like the Tenth Doctor went around and said goodbye to his former companions before he regenerated. So all the people who think that was crappy can SHUT UP now!! Craig and Sophie have a son now named Alfie, although the Doctor says that his name is Stormageddon (he speaks Baby). The Doctor notices that the lights are flickering, and against his better judgment, he decides to stick around and figure out what's going on.
Craig insists on going with the Doctor to investigate, hilarity ensures. It turns out that a Cybermat is draining energy, and Cybermen are taking people and converting them. The Doctor finds the Cyberman space ship, is captured, Craig tries to help, almost gets turned into a Cyberman, but then they hear Alfie crying and Craig is able to reverse the conversion.
The episode ends with River Song investigating the Doctor's "last" appearance on Earth. Then Eyepatch Lady and the Silence show up, stick River in a space suit, and put her at the bottom of Lake Silencio.
Likes:
1) The exchanges between the Doctor and Craig are fantastic, just like last time.
Doctor: You've redecorated! I don't like it.
Craig: It's a new house!
Craig: You know what to do if he cries!
Doctor: No, I don't!
Craig (OS): Me neither!
2) Okay, this baby is totally reminiscent of Stewie from Family Guy. While I don't like another baby being a character on the show, he is MUCH better than wet old Melody Pond. Also, I don't believe that the Doctor actually speaks Baby - I think he just speaks for the babies the way "speak" for our pets. He's just having a good time.
3) I love the Doctor's reference to K-9 when he's playing with the robot dog. "Not as fun as I remember".
4) I liked the Cybermat - it was very reminiscent of Tomb of the Cybermen.
5) Craig: Metal rat with a mouth! Metal rat with a mouth!
Dislikes:
1) Didn't like the baby. Why does everyone have babies? Best thing about Rose, Martha, and Donna - NO GORRAM BABIES!
2) I didn't like when the Doctor pretended he was going to kiss Craig. It wasn't funny at all, insinuating that even Craig might be a little bit in love with the Doctor. Everyone shouldn't be in love with the Doctor! Again, a HUGE complaint about the RTD era, and I have yet to read anything online about people having an issue with it now. Cause Moffat is such a gorram god to so many people.
3) I don't like Matt Smith tossing his hair around all the time. Can't they bobby pin it down or something? Hair spray? Something?
4) I didn't like the Ponds showing up. And suddenly she's a model. Of course, we have no idea how much time has passed. However, I have a very hard time believing she's a model. Not only that, but she's modeling Petrichor (the smell of dust after rain) and the tagline is "For the girl who's tired of waiting". So apparently she has control over the entire line of perfume. So is she a model or did she develop the perfume? That kind of career takes years to develop, and her only experience is being a Kiss-O-Gram. On the other hand, what did I expect her to do, become a rocket scientist?
5) Again, the solution to the problem is LOVE. Gag me with a spoon.
6) The Doctor says that his "shhh" power only works once, and only on those with underdeveloped brains, thus making it a big joke that it works on Craig and the girl in the shop. Haha! But then he uses the "shh" trick on the shopgirl a second time. Wait a minute ... what happened to it only working once? Oh, right, no one gives a shit about any kind of continuity these days.
Curiouser and Curiouser
1) These Cybermen lack the Cybus Industries logo, and the Doctor says that they've been buried there for centuries.
2) We finally get an explanation as to why River never remembered anything about her past - Eyepatch Lady says that they were "far too thorough" with her "dear little head".
Enjoy this little exchange between Craig and the Doctor:
Sunday, September 25, 2011
S6 Episode 11: The God Complex
Well. I'm not really sure how I feel about this episode. I've been thinking about it for a week, and I still don't know if I like it or not.
The Doctor, Amy and Rory arrive at a hotel, every room of which contains a fear - clowns, mean girls, marionettes, etc. Each person has their own room, a room which houses their greatest fear. After seeing the thing which they fear, the person stops being afraid and utters the phrase, "Praise Him", which prompts a minotaur to hunt him or her down and eat their - what, their souls? Anyway, the people all end up dead. They get picked off one by one.
Of course, Amy opens a hotel room door and finds her fear, so the Doctor now has to race against time to save Amy. Must be Tuesday. He saves her, the Minotaur ends up dying after uttering some cryptic words, and the Doctor realizes that he needs to take Amy and Rory home. He leaves them at their house (with a new car for Rory), and Amy tells Rory that the Doctor is saving them.
Curiouser and Curiouser:
Amy's fear lies behind Door 7. The Doctor's fear lies behind Door 11. This is the 11th Doctor, but Amy is by no means the 7th companion, even in the new series. So what does Amy's door number mean?
Likes:
1) Not sure if I like this or not, but it was the first thing that sprang to mind, so I'm going to go with my instinct: I liked that we didn't see what either Amy or the Doctor feared. I feel that Moffat is leaving too much up in the air since he took over the show, but at the same time, I liked that we didn't have anything concrete. We may eventually find out, but I don't think it's necessary.
2) Rory was, as always, brilliant. It turns out that he never found his room because he doesn't have faith. Faith in what? Religion? I talked about this with my husband this week, and we decided that he has no faith in Amy since she kept her pregnancy from him. I quite agree with that; however, I still don't understand why Rory would have ever had faith in her from the beginning. Even now, after all they've been through, I feel like she couldn't care less about him. I don't know if they just don't have chemistry or what, but the Amy/Rory relationship seems so forced to me, and even when they're embracing, Amy is so cold towards Rory. But I digress.
3) I loved how Rory said to the Doctor, "that's my favorite car, how did you know?" and the Doctor replies, "because you showed me a photo and said, 'that's my favorite car.'" I thought the exchange was hilarious.
4) Howie, Rita and Gibbis were some of the most developed characters that we've seen so far. They reminded me a lot of Craig and Sophie (incidentally, Craig returns to us next week!)
5) You knew this was coming - AMY'S GONE!!! I have to say, though, that I doubt that this is the last we're seeing of the Ponds. But I almost did a little dance of joy. However, I DISLIKE that there will be no more Rory if they actually are gone.
Dislikes:
1) Again, the callbacks to other characters bothered me. I'm still not really sure why it bothers me so much when Moffat recalls Hartnell or other characters/aliens, but every time it just leaves me feeling highly uncomfortable.
2) Why does the Doctor give Rory a car? Rory doesn't need to be convinced to leave the TARDIS; he hasn't wanted to be there - well - EVER. Maybe it was a way of saying "thank you". I don't know, but I do know that for as hilarious as their exchange regarding the car was, I found the whole concept to be tasteless. Like a consolation prize or something. "You've lost all of time and space, but you did win this fabulous gift!"
3) When the Minotaur was talking with the Doctor at the end, why wasn't his language being translated? (I feel like this has happened before, too, but I can't remember which episode it would have been.) The TARDIS should be translating everything that the Minotaur says - I'm sure it was done on purpose to show how the Doctor is clueless, but still, little stuff like this really bothers me.
4) When the Doctor makes Amy lose her faith in him, I couldn't help but think, "Really? That's all it takes? She must not have had much faith in him to begin with".
5) I didn't like Amy and Rory's exit. First of all, I have a hard time believing that Amy is willing to just let him go so easily. However, he's left them a few times before, so maybe she thinks that he'll be back (and I'm sure he will be, those short skirts are like a Siren's call).
6) What was the point of the Weeping Angels? It couldn't have been Gibbis's fear, as he never turned to Minotaur-worship. I don't like how Moffat just throws something in for the sake of throwing it in. It's very frustrating.
7) I wish that Rory would leave Amy and travel with the Doctor. Arthur Darvil and Matt Smith remind me very much of Frazer Hines and Patrick Troughton. I think it would be brilliant if Rory ditched the ungrateful bitch and took off with the Doctor. How much fun would they have?
8) The thing Amy fears is waiting for the Doctor? That he'll never return? God, could this girl be any more obsessed? She needs to get over herself. On the other hand, it's possible that because this fear is now "cured" by the Minotaur, that is why it's so easy for Amy to let the Doctor go?
9) I'm adding this in late because I've been doing some more thinking about this episode, and I've come to the conclusion that it makes no sense. The Minotaur feeds on faith. So it shows them what they're afraid of, and suddenly they're saying "praise him". Exactly HOW does this change occur? It makes no sense, and now I think I have to say that I don't like this episode.
Hey, this literally just popped into my head - during The Impossible Astronaut, River, Rory and Amy are all called to the Doctor because they're the people he trusts the most. Really? He's letting them go now, he has (presumably) another two hundreds years to live, and after less than two years, THESE are the people he trusts the most? River I can understand, since they apparently have this amazing relationship, but Amy and Rory? He hasn't met ANYONE in two hundred years that can compare? I guess you can argue that he trusts them the most because they already know what's going on, but still ... that wouldn't be trust, that would be called HEY YOUR DAUGHTER THAT YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT YET IS GOING TO TRY TO SHOOT ME IN THE FACE AND SET OFF ALL THE EVENTS THAT WOULDN'T HAPPEN IF YOU DIDN'T COME HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE - OOPS.
My husband and I were having a discussion about River Song last night, and I mentioned this in an online forum as well; I am so disappointed with what Moffat has done with River. He could have made her into a much more interesting character. Mels was fantastic, and instead of having her regenerate into Alex Kingston, she should have regenerated into a different actress. Every time he meets her in the future (from this point on) she could be played by another actress, or at least, several actresses. He could have continued this storyline for so long, and have the River he has a relationship with be one actress for a long time. Mels should have been a character from the beginning, and Alex Kingston would still have been able to appear up until Let's Kill Hitler (as this is the end of her life, though she doesn't know it). But, by making Mels regenerate into Alex, he now has to throw her into as many stories as possible because of her age. How can the Doctor and River get together now when Alex is clearly aging? She already looks much older than she did in Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead.
And with that, I'm not sure I have much more to say about The God Complex. Yes, the Doctor has issues. Blah blah blah. We know this, it's been explored already in the last few episodes of the Tenth Doctor. Do we need to go over this again?
Here's your palate-cleaner (and a shameless plug). I made this video last weekend after hearing a brilliant Paul and Storm song. Enjoy!
The Doctor, Amy and Rory arrive at a hotel, every room of which contains a fear - clowns, mean girls, marionettes, etc. Each person has their own room, a room which houses their greatest fear. After seeing the thing which they fear, the person stops being afraid and utters the phrase, "Praise Him", which prompts a minotaur to hunt him or her down and eat their - what, their souls? Anyway, the people all end up dead. They get picked off one by one.
Of course, Amy opens a hotel room door and finds her fear, so the Doctor now has to race against time to save Amy. Must be Tuesday. He saves her, the Minotaur ends up dying after uttering some cryptic words, and the Doctor realizes that he needs to take Amy and Rory home. He leaves them at their house (with a new car for Rory), and Amy tells Rory that the Doctor is saving them.
Curiouser and Curiouser:
Amy's fear lies behind Door 7. The Doctor's fear lies behind Door 11. This is the 11th Doctor, but Amy is by no means the 7th companion, even in the new series. So what does Amy's door number mean?
Likes:
1) Not sure if I like this or not, but it was the first thing that sprang to mind, so I'm going to go with my instinct: I liked that we didn't see what either Amy or the Doctor feared. I feel that Moffat is leaving too much up in the air since he took over the show, but at the same time, I liked that we didn't have anything concrete. We may eventually find out, but I don't think it's necessary.
2) Rory was, as always, brilliant. It turns out that he never found his room because he doesn't have faith. Faith in what? Religion? I talked about this with my husband this week, and we decided that he has no faith in Amy since she kept her pregnancy from him. I quite agree with that; however, I still don't understand why Rory would have ever had faith in her from the beginning. Even now, after all they've been through, I feel like she couldn't care less about him. I don't know if they just don't have chemistry or what, but the Amy/Rory relationship seems so forced to me, and even when they're embracing, Amy is so cold towards Rory. But I digress.
3) I loved how Rory said to the Doctor, "that's my favorite car, how did you know?" and the Doctor replies, "because you showed me a photo and said, 'that's my favorite car.'" I thought the exchange was hilarious.
4) Howie, Rita and Gibbis were some of the most developed characters that we've seen so far. They reminded me a lot of Craig and Sophie (incidentally, Craig returns to us next week!)
5) You knew this was coming - AMY'S GONE!!! I have to say, though, that I doubt that this is the last we're seeing of the Ponds. But I almost did a little dance of joy. However, I DISLIKE that there will be no more Rory if they actually are gone.
Dislikes:
1) Again, the callbacks to other characters bothered me. I'm still not really sure why it bothers me so much when Moffat recalls Hartnell or other characters/aliens, but every time it just leaves me feeling highly uncomfortable.
2) Why does the Doctor give Rory a car? Rory doesn't need to be convinced to leave the TARDIS; he hasn't wanted to be there - well - EVER. Maybe it was a way of saying "thank you". I don't know, but I do know that for as hilarious as their exchange regarding the car was, I found the whole concept to be tasteless. Like a consolation prize or something. "You've lost all of time and space, but you did win this fabulous gift!"
3) When the Minotaur was talking with the Doctor at the end, why wasn't his language being translated? (I feel like this has happened before, too, but I can't remember which episode it would have been.) The TARDIS should be translating everything that the Minotaur says - I'm sure it was done on purpose to show how the Doctor is clueless, but still, little stuff like this really bothers me.
4) When the Doctor makes Amy lose her faith in him, I couldn't help but think, "Really? That's all it takes? She must not have had much faith in him to begin with".
5) I didn't like Amy and Rory's exit. First of all, I have a hard time believing that Amy is willing to just let him go so easily. However, he's left them a few times before, so maybe she thinks that he'll be back (and I'm sure he will be, those short skirts are like a Siren's call).
6) What was the point of the Weeping Angels? It couldn't have been Gibbis's fear, as he never turned to Minotaur-worship. I don't like how Moffat just throws something in for the sake of throwing it in. It's very frustrating.
7) I wish that Rory would leave Amy and travel with the Doctor. Arthur Darvil and Matt Smith remind me very much of Frazer Hines and Patrick Troughton. I think it would be brilliant if Rory ditched the ungrateful bitch and took off with the Doctor. How much fun would they have?
8) The thing Amy fears is waiting for the Doctor? That he'll never return? God, could this girl be any more obsessed? She needs to get over herself. On the other hand, it's possible that because this fear is now "cured" by the Minotaur, that is why it's so easy for Amy to let the Doctor go?
9) I'm adding this in late because I've been doing some more thinking about this episode, and I've come to the conclusion that it makes no sense. The Minotaur feeds on faith. So it shows them what they're afraid of, and suddenly they're saying "praise him". Exactly HOW does this change occur? It makes no sense, and now I think I have to say that I don't like this episode.
Hey, this literally just popped into my head - during The Impossible Astronaut, River, Rory and Amy are all called to the Doctor because they're the people he trusts the most. Really? He's letting them go now, he has (presumably) another two hundreds years to live, and after less than two years, THESE are the people he trusts the most? River I can understand, since they apparently have this amazing relationship, but Amy and Rory? He hasn't met ANYONE in two hundred years that can compare? I guess you can argue that he trusts them the most because they already know what's going on, but still ... that wouldn't be trust, that would be called HEY YOUR DAUGHTER THAT YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT YET IS GOING TO TRY TO SHOOT ME IN THE FACE AND SET OFF ALL THE EVENTS THAT WOULDN'T HAPPEN IF YOU DIDN'T COME HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE - OOPS.
My husband and I were having a discussion about River Song last night, and I mentioned this in an online forum as well; I am so disappointed with what Moffat has done with River. He could have made her into a much more interesting character. Mels was fantastic, and instead of having her regenerate into Alex Kingston, she should have regenerated into a different actress. Every time he meets her in the future (from this point on) she could be played by another actress, or at least, several actresses. He could have continued this storyline for so long, and have the River he has a relationship with be one actress for a long time. Mels should have been a character from the beginning, and Alex Kingston would still have been able to appear up until Let's Kill Hitler (as this is the end of her life, though she doesn't know it). But, by making Mels regenerate into Alex, he now has to throw her into as many stories as possible because of her age. How can the Doctor and River get together now when Alex is clearly aging? She already looks much older than she did in Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead.
And with that, I'm not sure I have much more to say about The God Complex. Yes, the Doctor has issues. Blah blah blah. We know this, it's been explored already in the last few episodes of the Tenth Doctor. Do we need to go over this again?
Here's your palate-cleaner (and a shameless plug). I made this video last weekend after hearing a brilliant Paul and Storm song. Enjoy!
Saturday, September 17, 2011
S6 Episode 10: The Girl Who Waited
I hope you're ready for my scathing review of The Girl Who Waited. Let's jump into it, shall we?
I loved it. Well, at least, I loved it compared to all the other episodes this series. It's definitely one I would willingly watch again. I'm sure I'll still find plenty of problems with it, though. However, I'm a little worried that if I watch it a second time through, I might stop liking it, since last series when I watched an episode for the second time, my feelings about it flipped 180˚. Although, I usually went from disliking to liking an episode. But again, that could just be because there was so much about Series 5 (and the first part of 6) that I vehemently didn't like. But I digress.
The Doctor takes Amy and Rory to Apalapucia. Due to Amy needing to get her camera phone, they get separated. It turns out that the planet is suffering from a plague which only affects those with two hearts - like the Doctor. It kills them within a day, but they are placed into "kindness centers", which allow them to live out their entire lives in the span of one day. There are magnifying glass-looking mirrors that let their loved ones watch. Therefore, even though they only have one day to live, the dying person does get to live out a long life.
While Rory and the Doctor entered one of the "watching" rooms, Amy accidentally entered one of the containment rooms, so she is on the "fast track", as Madame de Pompadour would call it. The span of a few seconds for Rory and the Doctor is a week for Amy. The Doctor says he'll get her out of there immediately, and he and Rory head back to the TARDIS. Because the Doctor is susceptible to the plague, he outfits Rory with glasses (which my husband promptly declared would become the new "Rory" costume) through which the Doctor can see.
Meanwhile, Amy has been wandering around the facility and discovered something called Interface, which I'm still not really sure about. I guess it's purpose is to give people information? There are also Interrodroids - I mean, Handbots - that distribute medication which would be fatal to humans. To escape from the Handbots and wait for the Doctor, Amy finds a mechanical room and writes "Doctor - I'm waiting" in lipstick.
The Doctor sends Rory out into the facility to find Amy, and when he does, he finds that they have gone into the wrong time stream, and she's aged 36 years. And she's not happy about it. She's been alone this whole time with only Interface and a disarmed (literally) Handbot that she's named Rory. The Doctor and Rory want to find the younger Amy, but Older Amy doesn't want to help. If she helps them rescue younger Amy, she'll have never existed. The Doctor finds younger Amy's correct time stream, and he instructs Rory to use the magnifying glass to speak with her. The two Amys have a conversation (which Older Amy remembers having 36 years ago) in which Older Amy refuses to help younger Amy. However, she reconsiders for Rory's sake, but says that they need to take her back in the TARDIS as well.
The Doctor agrees to this, saying that the TARDIS will be able to handle the paradox, so he sets about getting the two Amys into the same time stream. Rory, Amy and Amy head back to the TARDIS, but they are assaulted by Handbots. Older Amy shows off some more of her fighting skills, but Amy is brushed by one of the Handbots, and Rory picks her up and carries her into the TARDIS. The doors slam shut behind them. Older Amy disables most of the Handbots, and she begs the Doctor to let her into the TARDIS, but he refuses. He tells Rory that he lied about the paradox, and that only one Amy can exist. It's Rory's choice. Older Amy decides to sacrifice herself, and she bids Rory an emotional goodbye, telling him not to let her into the TARDIS, just before she is touched by a Handbot and (we assume) goes to her death.
In the TARDIS, Amy wakes up (she'd only been knocked out) and the first words out of her mouth are, "where is she"?
Repeat Ideas:
The whole time stream thing was just done in The Doctor's Wife, so I wasn't pleased with it popping up again. I know it wasn't real in The Doctor's Wife, but it was the same basic concept. However, it was pulled off successfully in The Girl Who Waited.
Dislikes:
1) I don't understand why Amy didn't just try to go back to the TARDIS in the week that she waited in the other room. And shouldn't she be severely dehydrated by now?
2) I don't understand why 36 years later, not only is she wearing the same clothes, she's wearing the same nail polish.
3) They could have really attempted to make her hands old. I kept noticing how her face was beautifully aged, but then she had the hands of a 24-year-old. It's just too bad that they can't do reverse aging to make River look less a grandmother.
4) I'm not sure I like the Doctor's new coat.
5) I would have preferred for Older Amy go back with them. Just Older Amy. She's a lot more interesting and sympathetic than Amy.
6) Amy makes a sonic screwdriver. Let me repeat that: Amy makes a sonic screwdriver. I have a very hard time believing that anyone can just "make" a sonic screwdriver. I'm going to just pretend it's like when you're a kid and you "make" binoculars out of two empty toilet paper rolls.
Likes:
1) Wow. Karen Gillan has more than one acting style other than wide eyes! It's so nice to know that the reason her acting sucks is because of the writing and directing. Because she knocked it out of the park in this episode. I really believed she had aged 36 years. She was worn, she'd put up walls, she had a kind of quiet bitterness. Brilliant. And I seriously cannot believe that I just said that about Karen Gillan.
2) For the first time this series, I was absolutely riveted. I was totally invested in what happened to these characters. I cared about them - I was crying like a baby during the entire exchange between Amy and Rory at the TARDIS. I hated to see Amy left behind - she didn't want to stay with the Doctor and Rory, she wanted to go off on her own and have a new life. She was absolutely a sympathetic character, and I was rooting for a way for both Amys to be able to go on.
3) Rory had brilliant lines, and he just keeps getting better and better all the time. I so wish that it was just the Doctor and Rory. I have a feeling that I'd like Doctor Who about 10 times as much if Amy were out of the picture. Seriously, I find I actually really like the Doctor when he's not around Amy. After watching several stories from the Second Doctor, I feel like Matt Smith and Arthur Darvil have a very similar chemistry to Patrick Troughton and Frazer Hines. And Amy is just the annoying Victoria who you'd wish would just get eaten by one of the Abominable Snowmen.
4) I liked how the Doctor blatantly lied about the TARDIS being able to manage a paradox for a short time. We knew he was lying almost immediately, and at one point we see things are starting to go wrong in the console room. It just makes the audience wonder exactly how much the Doctor lies about.
5) I'm sure there are all kinds of issues that I could have with the two time streams, but the fact that this episode was just so fun makes me not care about details. It made me feel like (most of) the RTD Doctor Who episodes did - yes, there are some plot holes, but they're not really critical to the story that is being told, so they're easily ignored. Plus, it's a lot easier to ignore the badness when there are more good things than bad things. And yes, I won't deny that there are many RTD episodes that I pretend never happened, like all the BS with the Master. (See, I'm critical when necessary, I don't just blindly love the RTD era!) God, he could have done such fantastic things with that storyline ... sorry, I'm off on a tangent again!
Let's wrap things up with a little bit of Karen Gillan on playing Older Amy.
I loved it. Well, at least, I loved it compared to all the other episodes this series. It's definitely one I would willingly watch again. I'm sure I'll still find plenty of problems with it, though. However, I'm a little worried that if I watch it a second time through, I might stop liking it, since last series when I watched an episode for the second time, my feelings about it flipped 180˚. Although, I usually went from disliking to liking an episode. But again, that could just be because there was so much about Series 5 (and the first part of 6) that I vehemently didn't like. But I digress.
The Doctor takes Amy and Rory to Apalapucia. Due to Amy needing to get her camera phone, they get separated. It turns out that the planet is suffering from a plague which only affects those with two hearts - like the Doctor. It kills them within a day, but they are placed into "kindness centers", which allow them to live out their entire lives in the span of one day. There are magnifying glass-looking mirrors that let their loved ones watch. Therefore, even though they only have one day to live, the dying person does get to live out a long life.
While Rory and the Doctor entered one of the "watching" rooms, Amy accidentally entered one of the containment rooms, so she is on the "fast track", as Madame de Pompadour would call it. The span of a few seconds for Rory and the Doctor is a week for Amy. The Doctor says he'll get her out of there immediately, and he and Rory head back to the TARDIS. Because the Doctor is susceptible to the plague, he outfits Rory with glasses (which my husband promptly declared would become the new "Rory" costume) through which the Doctor can see.
Meanwhile, Amy has been wandering around the facility and discovered something called Interface, which I'm still not really sure about. I guess it's purpose is to give people information? There are also Interrodroids - I mean, Handbots - that distribute medication which would be fatal to humans. To escape from the Handbots and wait for the Doctor, Amy finds a mechanical room and writes "Doctor - I'm waiting" in lipstick.
The Doctor sends Rory out into the facility to find Amy, and when he does, he finds that they have gone into the wrong time stream, and she's aged 36 years. And she's not happy about it. She's been alone this whole time with only Interface and a disarmed (literally) Handbot that she's named Rory. The Doctor and Rory want to find the younger Amy, but Older Amy doesn't want to help. If she helps them rescue younger Amy, she'll have never existed. The Doctor finds younger Amy's correct time stream, and he instructs Rory to use the magnifying glass to speak with her. The two Amys have a conversation (which Older Amy remembers having 36 years ago) in which Older Amy refuses to help younger Amy. However, she reconsiders for Rory's sake, but says that they need to take her back in the TARDIS as well.
The Doctor agrees to this, saying that the TARDIS will be able to handle the paradox, so he sets about getting the two Amys into the same time stream. Rory, Amy and Amy head back to the TARDIS, but they are assaulted by Handbots. Older Amy shows off some more of her fighting skills, but Amy is brushed by one of the Handbots, and Rory picks her up and carries her into the TARDIS. The doors slam shut behind them. Older Amy disables most of the Handbots, and she begs the Doctor to let her into the TARDIS, but he refuses. He tells Rory that he lied about the paradox, and that only one Amy can exist. It's Rory's choice. Older Amy decides to sacrifice herself, and she bids Rory an emotional goodbye, telling him not to let her into the TARDIS, just before she is touched by a Handbot and (we assume) goes to her death.
In the TARDIS, Amy wakes up (she'd only been knocked out) and the first words out of her mouth are, "where is she"?
Repeat Ideas:
The whole time stream thing was just done in The Doctor's Wife, so I wasn't pleased with it popping up again. I know it wasn't real in The Doctor's Wife, but it was the same basic concept. However, it was pulled off successfully in The Girl Who Waited.
Dislikes:
1) I don't understand why Amy didn't just try to go back to the TARDIS in the week that she waited in the other room. And shouldn't she be severely dehydrated by now?
2) I don't understand why 36 years later, not only is she wearing the same clothes, she's wearing the same nail polish.
3) They could have really attempted to make her hands old. I kept noticing how her face was beautifully aged, but then she had the hands of a 24-year-old. It's just too bad that they can't do reverse aging to make River look less a grandmother.
4) I'm not sure I like the Doctor's new coat.
5) I would have preferred for Older Amy go back with them. Just Older Amy. She's a lot more interesting and sympathetic than Amy.
6) Amy makes a sonic screwdriver. Let me repeat that: Amy makes a sonic screwdriver. I have a very hard time believing that anyone can just "make" a sonic screwdriver. I'm going to just pretend it's like when you're a kid and you "make" binoculars out of two empty toilet paper rolls.
Likes:
1) Wow. Karen Gillan has more than one acting style other than wide eyes! It's so nice to know that the reason her acting sucks is because of the writing and directing. Because she knocked it out of the park in this episode. I really believed she had aged 36 years. She was worn, she'd put up walls, she had a kind of quiet bitterness. Brilliant. And I seriously cannot believe that I just said that about Karen Gillan.
2) For the first time this series, I was absolutely riveted. I was totally invested in what happened to these characters. I cared about them - I was crying like a baby during the entire exchange between Amy and Rory at the TARDIS. I hated to see Amy left behind - she didn't want to stay with the Doctor and Rory, she wanted to go off on her own and have a new life. She was absolutely a sympathetic character, and I was rooting for a way for both Amys to be able to go on.
3) Rory had brilliant lines, and he just keeps getting better and better all the time. I so wish that it was just the Doctor and Rory. I have a feeling that I'd like Doctor Who about 10 times as much if Amy were out of the picture. Seriously, I find I actually really like the Doctor when he's not around Amy. After watching several stories from the Second Doctor, I feel like Matt Smith and Arthur Darvil have a very similar chemistry to Patrick Troughton and Frazer Hines. And Amy is just the annoying Victoria who you'd wish would just get eaten by one of the Abominable Snowmen.
4) I liked how the Doctor blatantly lied about the TARDIS being able to manage a paradox for a short time. We knew he was lying almost immediately, and at one point we see things are starting to go wrong in the console room. It just makes the audience wonder exactly how much the Doctor lies about.
5) I'm sure there are all kinds of issues that I could have with the two time streams, but the fact that this episode was just so fun makes me not care about details. It made me feel like (most of) the RTD Doctor Who episodes did - yes, there are some plot holes, but they're not really critical to the story that is being told, so they're easily ignored. Plus, it's a lot easier to ignore the badness when there are more good things than bad things. And yes, I won't deny that there are many RTD episodes that I pretend never happened, like all the BS with the Master. (See, I'm critical when necessary, I don't just blindly love the RTD era!) God, he could have done such fantastic things with that storyline ... sorry, I'm off on a tangent again!
Let's wrap things up with a little bit of Karen Gillan on playing Older Amy.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
S6 Episode 9: Night Terrors
Overall, I did not like this episode. Yes, I know that you're shocked.
The Doctor gets a message on the psychic paper, and he and his Companions show up at the estate where the message is coming from. They split up to search for the sender, and the Doctor meets Georgie, a little boy who is terrified of everything. When something scares Georgie, he puts it in the cupboard.
While Amy and Rory are searching, they get into a lift which seemingly falls out of control. When they land, they find that they are in a house, and no one else is around.
Meanwhile, an old lady on the estate as well as the landlord disappear; the old lady gets sucked into a pile of garbage bags, and the landlord gets sucked into the floor. They both also end up in this house. Some terrifying, nightmare-inducing life-sized dolls grab the landlord, and he turns into a doll as well. And then, guess what? Amy gets turned into a doll, too!
Back at the ranch, the Doctor is working with Georgie's father to try to figure out what's going on. Suddenly, both the Doctor and Georgie's dad get sucked into the cupboard and also end up in the house. Because it's actually the dollhouse that's inside the cupboard! But Georgie faces his fears and everything turns out okay. Except for Georgie, who is really an alien who got himself adopted by his Earth parents and changed their memories slightly so that they thought he was really theirs. And he doesn't know it. I dunno.
Repeat Ideas:
1) Really? The Doctor saves another child from a scary monster? I suppose this isn't a shock, as Doctor Who is (supposedly) a children's show, but haven't we had enough of this from Moffat for a while?
2) I'm not really sure why I'm putting this next item here, but instinct says it goes here: Amy and Rory are miniaturized and put into the dollhouse. So weird ... why would I think this is a repeat? That time when they got miniaturized and transferred into the head of that robot thing was like forever ago - what? OH MY GOD! THAT WAS ONLY THE LAST EPISODE?!?!
3) The idea of planted memories of children has been done before - anyone remember Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead? Seriously, does Moffat just have a list of plots that he goes over every time he gets a story pitched to him and says, "that's great, but instead of an original idea, why don't we use this one? We haven't used that storyline in four episodes. Let's just change one or two things and people will think it's totally original". (And yes, he absolutely says that just like a Valley Girl.) Look, I understand that there are what, two or three basic plots in the world that just keep getting used over and over and over, but those are simple ideas. Moffat keeps reusing very specific plot devices. Oh, and also, this reeked of Dawn.
Dislikes:
1) I didn't like Georgie. To be specific, I didn't like the actor. And I feel bad about that, because he's just a kid. I think I've been spoiled by Amelia Pond.
2) Wow, they could have really done a fantastic job with the dollhouse idea. I LOVE the concept, but it was so half-assed. With the exception of the doll's eye and the copper pot, everything else was scaled to Amy and Rory's size, NOT to dollhouse size. Have the set designers ever seen a dollhouse? Unless it's Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle (the weeping willow cries real tears!) or the Thorne Miniature Rooms, most dollhouse furniture is NOT to scale, especially a cheap dollhouse like Georgie would have. Yeah, that dollhouse as a whole was way too elaborate. I love the idea, and I'd love to see it done well, but then it would have to move to the top section of the blog ...
3) Since when does the Doctor knock on doors? Something about that really irritated me. I supposed it shouldn't, but it did.
4) The second hand of the clock in the kitchen doesn't move. Normally this stuff doesn't bother me, but that's because it's not noticeable. During the entire scene in the kitchen, I was staring at the clock and actually had to rewind to see what had happened.
Likes:
1) Psychic paper! I love the psychic paper. I can't remember where I read this, but apparently Russell T. Davies invented the psychic paper to cut out all the explaining that the Doctor has to do so often. Just - here ya go, this is who I am, doesn't it look official? Also, I cannot stress enough how happy I am that Georgie didn't call the Doctor. I love it when psychic paper is used as a message board.
2) I loved the Doctor in this episode - more proof that I like him when he's not with Amy. I love the exchange he has with Georgie's dad about opening and not opening the cupboard.
3) When Rory and Amy tumble out of the lift, Rory says something like, "we're dead - again!" I love that he hasn't actually died for a while.
Here ya go:
The Doctor gets a message on the psychic paper, and he and his Companions show up at the estate where the message is coming from. They split up to search for the sender, and the Doctor meets Georgie, a little boy who is terrified of everything. When something scares Georgie, he puts it in the cupboard.
While Amy and Rory are searching, they get into a lift which seemingly falls out of control. When they land, they find that they are in a house, and no one else is around.
Meanwhile, an old lady on the estate as well as the landlord disappear; the old lady gets sucked into a pile of garbage bags, and the landlord gets sucked into the floor. They both also end up in this house. Some terrifying, nightmare-inducing life-sized dolls grab the landlord, and he turns into a doll as well. And then, guess what? Amy gets turned into a doll, too!
Back at the ranch, the Doctor is working with Georgie's father to try to figure out what's going on. Suddenly, both the Doctor and Georgie's dad get sucked into the cupboard and also end up in the house. Because it's actually the dollhouse that's inside the cupboard! But Georgie faces his fears and everything turns out okay. Except for Georgie, who is really an alien who got himself adopted by his Earth parents and changed their memories slightly so that they thought he was really theirs. And he doesn't know it. I dunno.
Repeat Ideas:
1) Really? The Doctor saves another child from a scary monster? I suppose this isn't a shock, as Doctor Who is (supposedly) a children's show, but haven't we had enough of this from Moffat for a while?
2) I'm not really sure why I'm putting this next item here, but instinct says it goes here: Amy and Rory are miniaturized and put into the dollhouse. So weird ... why would I think this is a repeat? That time when they got miniaturized and transferred into the head of that robot thing was like forever ago - what? OH MY GOD! THAT WAS ONLY THE LAST EPISODE?!?!
3) The idea of planted memories of children has been done before - anyone remember Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead? Seriously, does Moffat just have a list of plots that he goes over every time he gets a story pitched to him and says, "that's great, but instead of an original idea, why don't we use this one? We haven't used that storyline in four episodes. Let's just change one or two things and people will think it's totally original". (And yes, he absolutely says that just like a Valley Girl.) Look, I understand that there are what, two or three basic plots in the world that just keep getting used over and over and over, but those are simple ideas. Moffat keeps reusing very specific plot devices. Oh, and also, this reeked of Dawn.
Dislikes:
1) I didn't like Georgie. To be specific, I didn't like the actor. And I feel bad about that, because he's just a kid. I think I've been spoiled by Amelia Pond.
2) Wow, they could have really done a fantastic job with the dollhouse idea. I LOVE the concept, but it was so half-assed. With the exception of the doll's eye and the copper pot, everything else was scaled to Amy and Rory's size, NOT to dollhouse size. Have the set designers ever seen a dollhouse? Unless it's Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle (the weeping willow cries real tears!) or the Thorne Miniature Rooms, most dollhouse furniture is NOT to scale, especially a cheap dollhouse like Georgie would have. Yeah, that dollhouse as a whole was way too elaborate. I love the idea, and I'd love to see it done well, but then it would have to move to the top section of the blog ...
3) Since when does the Doctor knock on doors? Something about that really irritated me. I supposed it shouldn't, but it did.
4) The second hand of the clock in the kitchen doesn't move. Normally this stuff doesn't bother me, but that's because it's not noticeable. During the entire scene in the kitchen, I was staring at the clock and actually had to rewind to see what had happened.
Likes:
1) Psychic paper! I love the psychic paper. I can't remember where I read this, but apparently Russell T. Davies invented the psychic paper to cut out all the explaining that the Doctor has to do so often. Just - here ya go, this is who I am, doesn't it look official? Also, I cannot stress enough how happy I am that Georgie didn't call the Doctor. I love it when psychic paper is used as a message board.
2) I loved the Doctor in this episode - more proof that I like him when he's not with Amy. I love the exchange he has with Georgie's dad about opening and not opening the cupboard.
3) When Rory and Amy tumble out of the lift, Rory says something like, "we're dead - again!" I love that he hasn't actually died for a while.
Here ya go:
Torchwood: Miracle Day
I know that this is a blog about Doctor Who, not Torchwood; however, since I have been so disappointed by the turn that Doctor Who has taken, I waited and waited for Torchwood: Miracle Day to air, only to be disappointed by that, too. And I need to get this all off of my chest, or I'm going to explode.
There were so many flaws with Miracle Day that I don't even know where to begin. This show did not feel like Torchwood. It was more CSI than sci-fi. We only ever saw one alien, and that was only just an alien tentacle, which was on screen for no more than ten seconds. The first two series of Torchwood weren't very good. They certainly cannot compare to Doctor Who. There were episodes that were really bad, and there were episodes that were really good. It wasn't consistent; however, it was always either fun or scary. When the third series, Children of Earth aired, it was minus two of the main characters (who died at the end of series 2). We also lost Ianto in the fourth episode, leaving the series with only Gwen Cooper, who I never liked much, and Captain Jack Harkness. I would have loved for them to have pulled in Martha Jones (although, Freema is involved in another show) or Lois Habiba, who assisted them in Children of Earth. Instead, we are ripped out of Wales and transplanted to the good ol' USA, where weak characters become the focus of the first half of the series.
To me, Children of Earth wasn't the same as the first two series; we see so much from others' perspectives that it almost gives the game away. Miracle Day suffered the same problem; when we know who the baddies are, the show loses its edge. That was one of the great things about the original Torchwood run - we may have seen scenes with the baddies, but we never really got invested in them, we mostly learned things as the team did. With Children of Earth and Miracle Day, I feel like we don't have any element of surprise. We know more than the team, and I don't like that.
Without going into an entire review of this 10-episode series, I'll take a look at some of the things I had a real problem with.
Characters:
There are almost too many characters to know what to do with, and it shows. While Oswald Danes and Jilly Kitzinger are prominently featured in the first few episodes, they suddenly disappear halfway through the series, just to reappear at the end.
Gwen Cooper: This is the first time I've liked Gwen, actually. She doesn't take crap from anyone. She's always been this way, it's just that now I like it. I don't know if it's the way she's being written or if Eve Myles is doing something different, but I like Gwen.
Captain Jack: I have always preferred the Jack on Doctor Who to the Jack in Torchwood. However, in the past he's always seemed mysterious and like he's holding back, and now I don't really get that. Yes, he's keeping secrets, but at the same time, I'm not sure how much I care.
Rhys: Rhys is always fantastic, and I was very pleased to see his role expanded in this series a bit. He was very well-written, and it was obvious that he is the one who holds the family together.
Andy: It was great to see PC Andy again, and the fact that he got to be a hero was really great.
Oswald Danes: At first, Oswald is a really powerful character. Well, throughout the entire series he's great. He's creepy, he's disgusting, he makes your skin crawl. He's probably the most interesting character out of them all. Bill Pullman did such a great job that I'll never be able to watch Independence Day again without being slightly disturbed. However, there is no real point to Oswald Danes. Yes, he survived. Yes, he achieved this weird level of fame. But in the end, he just tags along and then blows himself up. It was so disappointing.
Jilly Kitzinger: In my opinion, Jilly is the second-best character on the show. She's driven, she's ruthless ... but ... we don't know why. We never know why she does the things she does. She clearly cannot stand Dane. She seems terrified of the families. So, who is she, and what motivates her? That is the one thing that makes no sense. The only point of Jilly is for us to see The Blessing before Jack and Gwen do. She really adds nothing to the story besides being an interesting character.
Esther Drummond: Wow, could there be a more fragile, weepy girl? She spends half her time being all trembly and squeaky-voiced. She's so unsure of herself, even though she's petite and gorgeous and blond. When she died, I was a bit shocked, but not really upset.
Rex: He is the most unlikable character ever. I have zero sympathy for him from start to finish. I couldn't even summon up a bit of empathy for Rex. Of all the people to become immortal, why him? I wanted to punch the TV when he came back.
Vera: She's not blond, but she's the stupidest character on the whole show. She keeps taunting the guy at the camp until he kills her. How on earth did she think that was a good idea? I wasn't glad when she died, but her absence really wasn't felt.
Major Plot Holes:
1) The main theme of Miracle Day is that no one dies. At first, people are getting blown up and they're still conscious. Sierra gets her neck broken, and she staggers around backwards chasing Rex. Rex has a gaping hole in his chest. In episode 4, a woman gets crushed in a car, and her eyeball peeks out at us. And yet, by the next episode, a simple heart attack renders a person completely incapacitated. Such a big deal was made about living forever, being conscious of all your pain, being so alive, and yet halfway through the series, it is suddenly forgotten. Quite honestly, once they started burning people who were unconscious, I really didn't have a problem with it.
2) One of the major questions is, "how is the world going to continue?" Well, besides burning people, that question wasn't really addressed. There was a brief mention at the beginning of episode 9 about rationing and dictatorships, but nothing else. What a missed opportunity!
3) In the very last episode, it is revealed that the Three Families sent the Torchwood message to everyone around the world - however, they don't say why. Really, what was the point of that? Yes, let's get Torchwood involved so they can solve it? Or let's kill Torchwood, because they can solve it? It makes no sense.
4) Gwen and Rhys are in hiding in South Wales. After Rex shows up at their cottage, they are attacked by an unknown helicopter. When I met him at Wizard World Chicago Comic Con, I asked Kai Owen about why Gwen and Rhys were hiding. He said that the government might be after Gwen because she knows about the 456, but he didn't seem too sure of that answer. And who are the people in the helicopter? The government? The Three Families?
5) Jack is omnisexual - he'll shag anything that walks upright. And yet, they only show his relationships with men. At one point, Gwen does ask him how many children he has, but that's the only time that there is a reference that he might like girls, too!
6) Esther's sister is mentally unstable, so Esther turns her in to DCFS. The sister is put in a hospital, and over the phone she tells Esther that she's volunteering herself and her children for Category 1. This becomes Esther's motivation to shut down the Miracle. However, I find it highly unlikely that a woman who is in a mental hospital would be given the right to make that decision for her children.
7) The whole point of the Miracle is weak. Apparently, the families want to control the world. Okay. I get that; after all, they are mobsters. However ... really? They want to take over the banks and the governments, just so they can become the Fourth Reich or something? It's very weak.
8) The giant vagina. Yes, The Blessing looks dirty. Also, it's supposed to be in the center of the Earth, and yet they look across at it. Last time I checked, gravity still works inside the Earth - shouldn't they be looking down at it, if stuff is getting sucked through the way it is? If I tunneled straight down a mile right now and then looked across, I wouldn't be looking at China, I'd be looking at the ocean.
9) Apparently the Three Families are in the birth control business now, because they invite Jilly to help them with Plan B. Really? I don't think I can take more of this world domination crap. Bring back the aliens!!
10) Rex is immortal. The insinuation is that Jack's blood made Rex immortal. That makes no sense; Jack's blood has nothing to do with it. My husband says that they mentioned how the Blessing went too far by making everyone immortal, maybe it went too far the other way. He says that maybe the Blessing was trying to reward Rex for making a sacrifice and meant only to heal him, but went too far and made him immortal like Jack. Or maybe it's because Jack went back to being immortal, so the Blessing thought Rex was supposed to be immortal, too. Either way, I don't care. Rex shouldn't be immortal. At least we won't have to watch him chew pain killers like a horse anymore. Jesus, could he have made a bigger show about chewing those damn things? ETA: In writer Jane Espenson's live tweets for the UK audience, she explains that yes, it was The Blessing that made Rex immortal and NOT Jack's blood. However, the fact that every week she's had to explain so much in her tweets demonstrates that they should have done a better job of writing the damn show.
11) That whole Null Field thing? Jack said that it was scavenged from the Hub after it blew up. That means that 1) Angelo had some idea that it was there, or 2) he knew what to look for. The Hub was a big place - I have a very hard time believing that someone could waltz in and find what they were looking for in the rubble.
Things that appear, but then we never see again:
1) The mysterious helicopter people who try to kill Gwen and Rhys. If they were really after Gwen, why didn't they also come after her when she was with her parents in Cardiff?
2) The mass stockpiling of drugs by PhiCorp. So, all this time we think that PhiCorp is the baddie, but it turns out that they're just taking advantage of the situation. However, that doesn't explain why they have an entire warehouse full of these medications. They must have been in on it, but that never gets resolved.
3) Danes tells the world about PhiCorp's painkiller legislation. Oswald becomes the spokesperson for PhiCorp, and Jilly is his PR girl. However, we never really come back to the whole "everyone deserves drugs!" storyline. Again, another potentially interesting thing that gets tossed to the wayside.
4) Rex has a father. The only time we see him is in episode 4, Escape to LA. The subject is never revisited again. I suspect that this is because Rex's father is actually Mr. X, who didn't die, but is now hiding out in Los Angeles. (Okay, it's not Steven Williams, but it looks a lot like him.)
5) Dead is Dead. This is a huuuuge campaign by Ellis Hartley Monroe. The idea is that once you're in a state that would normally equal death, you're considered legally dead. We never really ever come back to Dead is Dead.
6) The hitman who is left for dead. So Torchwood steals these hard drives, right? And they're all super secret about it, right? And then they shoot a man and leave his dead body for everyone to find, right? Wait a minute ... they never address what happens to the hit man. Seriously, did they just leave him there? Did they dispose of it? Did Ianto and Tosh come back from the grave to take care of it?
7) The New World Order that the hitman mentions. Is this the same thing that doesn't get referenced until the last episode? Very confusing.
8) What's the deal with PhiCorp? PhiCorp drugs and "kills" Ellis Hartley Monroe because she's taking the attention off of Oswald. Okay ... so do the Three Families own PhiCorp? Is this whole thing a big scheme for the Three Families to get rich off of drugs? It is all so murky ...
9) People are less and less alive. In The Categories of Life, the Category 1s are essentially dead. They are unconscious, they show no signs of life. So what happened to running around with their heads on backwards?
10) Where did the Angels go? In Danes's big speech, he says that humans have evolved into Angels. This is never addressed again.
11) The Soulless. People are walking around with masks. This is the only time we see the Soulless.
12) The pointless COO. In the PhiCorp building, a COO asks an associate in Shanghai to investigate a site. The associate then jumps to his end-of-consciousness. When confronted by Jack, the COO explains that PhiCorp is just a pawn. We never hear about this again. If PhiCorp is actually owned by the Three Families, then no, PhiCorp is not a pawn.
13) No one cares about the ovens. Gwen goes through all this trouble of filming the ovens, and then making them explode. She gives a big speech about it, too. We see it on the television once, but then everyone seems to forget that the ovens exist. There is virtually no follow-up to the entire episode.
14) Jack is referred to as The Blessing. In Immortal Sins, Jack is repeatedly killed by people in Angelo's neighborhood and his blood is collected. He is referred to as "a blessing". However, we find out at the end that Jack is NOT The Blessing, even though his blood is what activates the Miracle. In addition, the Three Families "buy" Jack. They are referenced later, but it's never clear what "buying Jack" is. Why didn't they just "buy" his blood?
15) Angelo has a Null Field around his bed. When Jack kisses Angelo, he dies. Apparently this is due to the platform that the bed was resting on. Turns out the bed was on a Null Field, and I guess this is how Angelo was able to die? Still not clear on that. He takes part of the device and convinces Rex and Esther to help him escape. The Null Field is never again mentioned, so Jack taking part of the technology was pretty pointless. In addition, if it takes Jack's blood to nullify the Miracle, wouldn't the Null Field actually need his blood? So confusing.
16) A CIA mole becomes Jilly's assistant. This lasts for all of half an episode, when the Nazi dude from the Three Families shoots the mole and gives Jilly a promotion. So ... what was the point of the mole, again? Add her to the list of pointless characters that are introduced and killed off in one episode.
17) Esther has been removing blood from Jack. Now I don't know much about giving blood, but I do know that my mother gives blood, and she can't do it more often than every six weeks. And yet, Esther has taken pints from a very ill Jack. Where is he getting all this blood from, and why have they decided it's necessary?
18) Jilly goes to Shanghai. Also, she is now "Lucy" and has been hired by the Three Families to write world history for them. First, we haven't really seen much of what Jilly actually does; second, this seems pretty dumb to me. Sorry, that's the best I can do. I feel like if they were going to do this, they should have done it much, much earlier. Essentially, Jilly has no point now. The only reason she went to Shanghai at all was so that we'd see The Blessing before Jack and Gwen. It really would have been more of an impact if we'd discovered it at the same time as the Torchwood team.
19) The blood leaves a trail. When the drop of blood falls from Jack's bandages, it travels across the room, and it leaves a trail behind. So ... shouldn't the blood run out a few feet from the bandage? If it's leaving a trail, then it's leaving part of itself, which means that soon there won't be any more drop of blood.
20) Morphic fields. So apparently everyone became immortal because of the morphic field, but again, that was never really explained. For all the giggling that The Mother did, she certainly didn't make things any clearer.
Final Thoughts:
I actually cried when Rex came back to life. Because RTD crushed my soul. Miracle Day was terrible as a whole, and Rex's resurrection was the last straw. I clearly don't enjoy Doctor Who since Moffat took over, and I was looking forward so much to Miracle Day. And now I feel like I'm disappointed in everything in the Whoinverse, and even knowing what happens in Miracle Day kind of sours me on the rest of the series. I do NOT want another series, unless they can resurrect Tosh and Owen and Ianto and bring back the Hub and make it like it was before. Torchwood was never a GREAT show - it will never be Doctor Who - but it had some really great episodes, and it was fun and scary. Miracle Day was neither fun nor scary. I didn't enjoy Children of Earth very much, but at least it had Ianto and Wales. Also, the kids chanting "we are coming" was one of the most terrifying things ever. The Blessing? Ooh, a big hole in the ground, I'm trembling.
And where were the aliens, for pete's sake?
I really, really could have done without all the Americans. I'm just so disappointed, and I know it's stupid to be upset over a TV show, but I don't watch a lot of TV and I am very invested in the few shows that I do watch. I love the expanded universe material from Torchwood (radio plays, books, etc) but I just need to pretend like Miracle Day never happened.
There were so many flaws with Miracle Day that I don't even know where to begin. This show did not feel like Torchwood. It was more CSI than sci-fi. We only ever saw one alien, and that was only just an alien tentacle, which was on screen for no more than ten seconds. The first two series of Torchwood weren't very good. They certainly cannot compare to Doctor Who. There were episodes that were really bad, and there were episodes that were really good. It wasn't consistent; however, it was always either fun or scary. When the third series, Children of Earth aired, it was minus two of the main characters (who died at the end of series 2). We also lost Ianto in the fourth episode, leaving the series with only Gwen Cooper, who I never liked much, and Captain Jack Harkness. I would have loved for them to have pulled in Martha Jones (although, Freema is involved in another show) or Lois Habiba, who assisted them in Children of Earth. Instead, we are ripped out of Wales and transplanted to the good ol' USA, where weak characters become the focus of the first half of the series.
To me, Children of Earth wasn't the same as the first two series; we see so much from others' perspectives that it almost gives the game away. Miracle Day suffered the same problem; when we know who the baddies are, the show loses its edge. That was one of the great things about the original Torchwood run - we may have seen scenes with the baddies, but we never really got invested in them, we mostly learned things as the team did. With Children of Earth and Miracle Day, I feel like we don't have any element of surprise. We know more than the team, and I don't like that.
Without going into an entire review of this 10-episode series, I'll take a look at some of the things I had a real problem with.
Characters:
There are almost too many characters to know what to do with, and it shows. While Oswald Danes and Jilly Kitzinger are prominently featured in the first few episodes, they suddenly disappear halfway through the series, just to reappear at the end.
Gwen Cooper: This is the first time I've liked Gwen, actually. She doesn't take crap from anyone. She's always been this way, it's just that now I like it. I don't know if it's the way she's being written or if Eve Myles is doing something different, but I like Gwen.
Captain Jack: I have always preferred the Jack on Doctor Who to the Jack in Torchwood. However, in the past he's always seemed mysterious and like he's holding back, and now I don't really get that. Yes, he's keeping secrets, but at the same time, I'm not sure how much I care.
Rhys: Rhys is always fantastic, and I was very pleased to see his role expanded in this series a bit. He was very well-written, and it was obvious that he is the one who holds the family together.
Andy: It was great to see PC Andy again, and the fact that he got to be a hero was really great.
Oswald Danes: At first, Oswald is a really powerful character. Well, throughout the entire series he's great. He's creepy, he's disgusting, he makes your skin crawl. He's probably the most interesting character out of them all. Bill Pullman did such a great job that I'll never be able to watch Independence Day again without being slightly disturbed. However, there is no real point to Oswald Danes. Yes, he survived. Yes, he achieved this weird level of fame. But in the end, he just tags along and then blows himself up. It was so disappointing.
Jilly Kitzinger: In my opinion, Jilly is the second-best character on the show. She's driven, she's ruthless ... but ... we don't know why. We never know why she does the things she does. She clearly cannot stand Dane. She seems terrified of the families. So, who is she, and what motivates her? That is the one thing that makes no sense. The only point of Jilly is for us to see The Blessing before Jack and Gwen do. She really adds nothing to the story besides being an interesting character.
Esther Drummond: Wow, could there be a more fragile, weepy girl? She spends half her time being all trembly and squeaky-voiced. She's so unsure of herself, even though she's petite and gorgeous and blond. When she died, I was a bit shocked, but not really upset.
Rex: He is the most unlikable character ever. I have zero sympathy for him from start to finish. I couldn't even summon up a bit of empathy for Rex. Of all the people to become immortal, why him? I wanted to punch the TV when he came back.
Vera: She's not blond, but she's the stupidest character on the whole show. She keeps taunting the guy at the camp until he kills her. How on earth did she think that was a good idea? I wasn't glad when she died, but her absence really wasn't felt.
Major Plot Holes:
1) The main theme of Miracle Day is that no one dies. At first, people are getting blown up and they're still conscious. Sierra gets her neck broken, and she staggers around backwards chasing Rex. Rex has a gaping hole in his chest. In episode 4, a woman gets crushed in a car, and her eyeball peeks out at us. And yet, by the next episode, a simple heart attack renders a person completely incapacitated. Such a big deal was made about living forever, being conscious of all your pain, being so alive, and yet halfway through the series, it is suddenly forgotten. Quite honestly, once they started burning people who were unconscious, I really didn't have a problem with it.
2) One of the major questions is, "how is the world going to continue?" Well, besides burning people, that question wasn't really addressed. There was a brief mention at the beginning of episode 9 about rationing and dictatorships, but nothing else. What a missed opportunity!
3) In the very last episode, it is revealed that the Three Families sent the Torchwood message to everyone around the world - however, they don't say why. Really, what was the point of that? Yes, let's get Torchwood involved so they can solve it? Or let's kill Torchwood, because they can solve it? It makes no sense.
4) Gwen and Rhys are in hiding in South Wales. After Rex shows up at their cottage, they are attacked by an unknown helicopter. When I met him at Wizard World Chicago Comic Con, I asked Kai Owen about why Gwen and Rhys were hiding. He said that the government might be after Gwen because she knows about the 456, but he didn't seem too sure of that answer. And who are the people in the helicopter? The government? The Three Families?
5) Jack is omnisexual - he'll shag anything that walks upright. And yet, they only show his relationships with men. At one point, Gwen does ask him how many children he has, but that's the only time that there is a reference that he might like girls, too!
6) Esther's sister is mentally unstable, so Esther turns her in to DCFS. The sister is put in a hospital, and over the phone she tells Esther that she's volunteering herself and her children for Category 1. This becomes Esther's motivation to shut down the Miracle. However, I find it highly unlikely that a woman who is in a mental hospital would be given the right to make that decision for her children.
7) The whole point of the Miracle is weak. Apparently, the families want to control the world. Okay. I get that; after all, they are mobsters. However ... really? They want to take over the banks and the governments, just so they can become the Fourth Reich or something? It's very weak.
8) The giant vagina. Yes, The Blessing looks dirty. Also, it's supposed to be in the center of the Earth, and yet they look across at it. Last time I checked, gravity still works inside the Earth - shouldn't they be looking down at it, if stuff is getting sucked through the way it is? If I tunneled straight down a mile right now and then looked across, I wouldn't be looking at China, I'd be looking at the ocean.
9) Apparently the Three Families are in the birth control business now, because they invite Jilly to help them with Plan B. Really? I don't think I can take more of this world domination crap. Bring back the aliens!!
10) Rex is immortal. The insinuation is that Jack's blood made Rex immortal. That makes no sense; Jack's blood has nothing to do with it. My husband says that they mentioned how the Blessing went too far by making everyone immortal, maybe it went too far the other way. He says that maybe the Blessing was trying to reward Rex for making a sacrifice and meant only to heal him, but went too far and made him immortal like Jack. Or maybe it's because Jack went back to being immortal, so the Blessing thought Rex was supposed to be immortal, too. Either way, I don't care. Rex shouldn't be immortal. At least we won't have to watch him chew pain killers like a horse anymore. Jesus, could he have made a bigger show about chewing those damn things? ETA: In writer Jane Espenson's live tweets for the UK audience, she explains that yes, it was The Blessing that made Rex immortal and NOT Jack's blood. However, the fact that every week she's had to explain so much in her tweets demonstrates that they should have done a better job of writing the damn show.
11) That whole Null Field thing? Jack said that it was scavenged from the Hub after it blew up. That means that 1) Angelo had some idea that it was there, or 2) he knew what to look for. The Hub was a big place - I have a very hard time believing that someone could waltz in and find what they were looking for in the rubble.
Things that appear, but then we never see again:
1) The mysterious helicopter people who try to kill Gwen and Rhys. If they were really after Gwen, why didn't they also come after her when she was with her parents in Cardiff?
2) The mass stockpiling of drugs by PhiCorp. So, all this time we think that PhiCorp is the baddie, but it turns out that they're just taking advantage of the situation. However, that doesn't explain why they have an entire warehouse full of these medications. They must have been in on it, but that never gets resolved.
3) Danes tells the world about PhiCorp's painkiller legislation. Oswald becomes the spokesperson for PhiCorp, and Jilly is his PR girl. However, we never really come back to the whole "everyone deserves drugs!" storyline. Again, another potentially interesting thing that gets tossed to the wayside.
4) Rex has a father. The only time we see him is in episode 4, Escape to LA. The subject is never revisited again. I suspect that this is because Rex's father is actually Mr. X, who didn't die, but is now hiding out in Los Angeles. (Okay, it's not Steven Williams, but it looks a lot like him.)
5) Dead is Dead. This is a huuuuge campaign by Ellis Hartley Monroe. The idea is that once you're in a state that would normally equal death, you're considered legally dead. We never really ever come back to Dead is Dead.
6) The hitman who is left for dead. So Torchwood steals these hard drives, right? And they're all super secret about it, right? And then they shoot a man and leave his dead body for everyone to find, right? Wait a minute ... they never address what happens to the hit man. Seriously, did they just leave him there? Did they dispose of it? Did Ianto and Tosh come back from the grave to take care of it?
7) The New World Order that the hitman mentions. Is this the same thing that doesn't get referenced until the last episode? Very confusing.
8) What's the deal with PhiCorp? PhiCorp drugs and "kills" Ellis Hartley Monroe because she's taking the attention off of Oswald. Okay ... so do the Three Families own PhiCorp? Is this whole thing a big scheme for the Three Families to get rich off of drugs? It is all so murky ...
9) People are less and less alive. In The Categories of Life, the Category 1s are essentially dead. They are unconscious, they show no signs of life. So what happened to running around with their heads on backwards?
10) Where did the Angels go? In Danes's big speech, he says that humans have evolved into Angels. This is never addressed again.
11) The Soulless. People are walking around with masks. This is the only time we see the Soulless.
12) The pointless COO. In the PhiCorp building, a COO asks an associate in Shanghai to investigate a site. The associate then jumps to his end-of-consciousness. When confronted by Jack, the COO explains that PhiCorp is just a pawn. We never hear about this again. If PhiCorp is actually owned by the Three Families, then no, PhiCorp is not a pawn.
13) No one cares about the ovens. Gwen goes through all this trouble of filming the ovens, and then making them explode. She gives a big speech about it, too. We see it on the television once, but then everyone seems to forget that the ovens exist. There is virtually no follow-up to the entire episode.
14) Jack is referred to as The Blessing. In Immortal Sins, Jack is repeatedly killed by people in Angelo's neighborhood and his blood is collected. He is referred to as "a blessing". However, we find out at the end that Jack is NOT The Blessing, even though his blood is what activates the Miracle. In addition, the Three Families "buy" Jack. They are referenced later, but it's never clear what "buying Jack" is. Why didn't they just "buy" his blood?
15) Angelo has a Null Field around his bed. When Jack kisses Angelo, he dies. Apparently this is due to the platform that the bed was resting on. Turns out the bed was on a Null Field, and I guess this is how Angelo was able to die? Still not clear on that. He takes part of the device and convinces Rex and Esther to help him escape. The Null Field is never again mentioned, so Jack taking part of the technology was pretty pointless. In addition, if it takes Jack's blood to nullify the Miracle, wouldn't the Null Field actually need his blood? So confusing.
16) A CIA mole becomes Jilly's assistant. This lasts for all of half an episode, when the Nazi dude from the Three Families shoots the mole and gives Jilly a promotion. So ... what was the point of the mole, again? Add her to the list of pointless characters that are introduced and killed off in one episode.
17) Esther has been removing blood from Jack. Now I don't know much about giving blood, but I do know that my mother gives blood, and she can't do it more often than every six weeks. And yet, Esther has taken pints from a very ill Jack. Where is he getting all this blood from, and why have they decided it's necessary?
18) Jilly goes to Shanghai. Also, she is now "Lucy" and has been hired by the Three Families to write world history for them. First, we haven't really seen much of what Jilly actually does; second, this seems pretty dumb to me. Sorry, that's the best I can do. I feel like if they were going to do this, they should have done it much, much earlier. Essentially, Jilly has no point now. The only reason she went to Shanghai at all was so that we'd see The Blessing before Jack and Gwen. It really would have been more of an impact if we'd discovered it at the same time as the Torchwood team.
19) The blood leaves a trail. When the drop of blood falls from Jack's bandages, it travels across the room, and it leaves a trail behind. So ... shouldn't the blood run out a few feet from the bandage? If it's leaving a trail, then it's leaving part of itself, which means that soon there won't be any more drop of blood.
20) Morphic fields. So apparently everyone became immortal because of the morphic field, but again, that was never really explained. For all the giggling that The Mother did, she certainly didn't make things any clearer.
Final Thoughts:
I actually cried when Rex came back to life. Because RTD crushed my soul. Miracle Day was terrible as a whole, and Rex's resurrection was the last straw. I clearly don't enjoy Doctor Who since Moffat took over, and I was looking forward so much to Miracle Day. And now I feel like I'm disappointed in everything in the Whoinverse, and even knowing what happens in Miracle Day kind of sours me on the rest of the series. I do NOT want another series, unless they can resurrect Tosh and Owen and Ianto and bring back the Hub and make it like it was before. Torchwood was never a GREAT show - it will never be Doctor Who - but it had some really great episodes, and it was fun and scary. Miracle Day was neither fun nor scary. I didn't enjoy Children of Earth very much, but at least it had Ianto and Wales. Also, the kids chanting "we are coming" was one of the most terrifying things ever. The Blessing? Ooh, a big hole in the ground, I'm trembling.
And where were the aliens, for pete's sake?
I really, really could have done without all the Americans. I'm just so disappointed, and I know it's stupid to be upset over a TV show, but I don't watch a lot of TV and I am very invested in the few shows that I do watch. I love the expanded universe material from Torchwood (radio plays, books, etc) but I just need to pretend like Miracle Day never happened.
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