Doctor Who S5, Episodes 1&2-- SPOILERS
May. 2nd, 2011 07:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rabid1stI don't know what it is about me and Doctor Who. We seem to be tapping into the same creative slipstream. What I haven't told any of you, yet, because I didn't want to raise false hopes, is that I went back to the drawing board a few weeks ago on Wild Geese AU (which was sort of Part 2). I based what I was doing on my own predictions re: S5 starting with a particular death. See this post for my fearless prediction...http://rabid1st.livejournal.com/315487.html
I expected to be wrong about my predictions. But, as usual, nearly everything I wrote about in my NEW Wild Geese chapter was referenced in this latest episode. :headdesk:
What is it about me and Doctor Who? It is there in my head, but it is not in my hands. Which means we are all destined to be bitterly disappointed by any attempt I make to write this one. And yet...and yet...I know that Moff will not go where I would go for the 50th Anniversary. Even though, where I'm going, I think, is the proper destination for what Moff will inevitably serve up this season. Because Moff can't help but meddle.
All that said, I quite liked the episodes. They were very clever and quite adaptable to my storyline needs. So, thanks again, Moff. We seem to be made for each other. I should stop giving you such a hard time, shouldn't I? But...alas...you gave us River Song and you keep telling us instead of showing us and that's annoying. :smirk: Spoilers to follow...
First, it was the Doctor who died. Second, it could still be River who shot him, because we don't see who is in that suit. And it could be that River is the little girl. After all, it would explain a lot. We don't know that he didn't meet her for the first time the day she was born. Actually, that would work nicely as we go forward with the character, because AK will be getting too old to play her and we will need a new and much younger actress, eventually. And there is no sense telling me that Moff already had a story with the Doctor influencing a child into loving him...because I will tell you third time is the sure sign of a writer's personal cliche. This, I think, is Moff's core story again and again...it's the Peter Pan Syndrome in him, like "The Doctor In Love" was RTD's default position.
I love The Silence. The very idea of them is compelling and completely scary. But I think they should rethink their slogan. I mean, The Silence Will Fall? So did Rome. Rory was there. And I suppose I was the only one that got Rose references in this episode. I know that Moff wanted me to think of River, but I couldn't. I LOLed over Richard Nixon playing a big part in this episode. And the Doctor advising him to record everything and "trust only me."
Coming to the whole idea of how to defeat the alien menace with their own petard. Very well done. Maybe it wasn't like the Doctor to do it this way, but I will say, what many others have already said, and that is that Moff knows how to get to the heart of what is genuinely scary. That creepy old orphanage with the creepy man stuck there forever, surrounded by horrible monsters just behind his back. The time kid...who I am going to predict is NOT a time lord, unless we are going to finally discuss how you make NEW time lords. I will say that this baby is also not Rory's or the Doctor's but was implanted by The Silence while they had Amy. OR...was doctored (pardon the pun) in some way at least. Though, there were shades of Disheveled in this episode. Probably just a time machine + babies coincidence though. It is very possible that TARDIS travel influences children in the womb.
Amazingly, Amy did not drive me completely insane during this episode. I can't tell if that is because she really was trying to act like a little girl last season or not. I didn't buy into her grief for one nanosecond, so I hate to give her props for acting. On the other hand, nobody did a good job with the grief if you ask me. And that's one problem I did outline in my post about it. Too much timey-wimey stuff is risky because your audience gets jaded and figures why bother grieving for something that is meaningless. Without actors to really sell something you don't have an EPIC moment.
But back to Amy. She was more proactive, actually doing meaningful things rather than grandstanding in a LOOK AT ME, I'M SO CLEVER fashion with no understanding of the deeper meaning behind anything...and it really helped me deal with her. A certain level of maturity is a good thing in a companion. I like not getting completely nauseated by everyone's Disney level cuteness. Now, if only River wasn't Captain Jack with breasts and a double dip of double entendre. Of course, if she IS Captain Jack with breasts, then all is forgiven. This is not to say I love this crew or that I think they are going to stay on the air. I am sticking with it goes to the Anniversary and then is off the air for good. Because I don't think the average viewer will have the patience that Moff demands, especially when he keeps using the same set pieces for his stories. Lost little girl? Check. Haunted house? Check. Inappropriate sexual jocularity? Check. Quick look behind you? Check.
The Doctor in particular needs to stop being such a maroon. I'm tired of suspending my belief to allow him to be clever and commanding. I'm tired of listening to him ramble and being hit with a real need to have Ten back to ramble for real. River kissed him and he squirmed. You know who else squirmed? Ten! You know who didn't? Nine! And Eight! Both of them kissed women without squirming. This, more than anything else, tells me that Matt Smith shouldn't be in this role. Or that Moff shouldn't be writing him. Eleven isn't his own man. He's just a youthful version of Ten with more quirks and twitches and a bowtie. I don't mean he's like Ten as in they have the same personality. I mean, Matt doesn't ever convince me that he defines what the Doctor means to all of us.
I know I'm being hard on poor Matt Smith here and I know some people love him. But is he incapable of putting his own stamp on things? He talks faster and he scampers around more and he flirts with girls or women in blatant fashion...all like Ten...but with less confidence and more actual sexual innuendo. David could loosen his tie and make us all think about sex, Matt has to take off all his clothes and hide under a woman's skirt. More obvious about everything, isn't more interesting. Moff needs to stop telling me how wonderful he is and MAKE him wonderful. Or rather, just...make him go away. I'm sorry, he's a nice enough guy, but he's not convincing in this role. He's just not.
Rae
I expected to be wrong about my predictions. But, as usual, nearly everything I wrote about in my NEW Wild Geese chapter was referenced in this latest episode. :headdesk:
What is it about me and Doctor Who? It is there in my head, but it is not in my hands. Which means we are all destined to be bitterly disappointed by any attempt I make to write this one. And yet...and yet...I know that Moff will not go where I would go for the 50th Anniversary. Even though, where I'm going, I think, is the proper destination for what Moff will inevitably serve up this season. Because Moff can't help but meddle.
All that said, I quite liked the episodes. They were very clever and quite adaptable to my storyline needs. So, thanks again, Moff. We seem to be made for each other. I should stop giving you such a hard time, shouldn't I? But...alas...you gave us River Song and you keep telling us instead of showing us and that's annoying. :smirk: Spoilers to follow...
First, it was the Doctor who died. Second, it could still be River who shot him, because we don't see who is in that suit. And it could be that River is the little girl. After all, it would explain a lot. We don't know that he didn't meet her for the first time the day she was born. Actually, that would work nicely as we go forward with the character, because AK will be getting too old to play her and we will need a new and much younger actress, eventually. And there is no sense telling me that Moff already had a story with the Doctor influencing a child into loving him...because I will tell you third time is the sure sign of a writer's personal cliche. This, I think, is Moff's core story again and again...it's the Peter Pan Syndrome in him, like "The Doctor In Love" was RTD's default position.
I love The Silence. The very idea of them is compelling and completely scary. But I think they should rethink their slogan. I mean, The Silence Will Fall? So did Rome. Rory was there. And I suppose I was the only one that got Rose references in this episode. I know that Moff wanted me to think of River, but I couldn't. I LOLed over Richard Nixon playing a big part in this episode. And the Doctor advising him to record everything and "trust only me."
Coming to the whole idea of how to defeat the alien menace with their own petard. Very well done. Maybe it wasn't like the Doctor to do it this way, but I will say, what many others have already said, and that is that Moff knows how to get to the heart of what is genuinely scary. That creepy old orphanage with the creepy man stuck there forever, surrounded by horrible monsters just behind his back. The time kid...who I am going to predict is NOT a time lord, unless we are going to finally discuss how you make NEW time lords. I will say that this baby is also not Rory's or the Doctor's but was implanted by The Silence while they had Amy. OR...was doctored (pardon the pun) in some way at least. Though, there were shades of Disheveled in this episode. Probably just a time machine + babies coincidence though. It is very possible that TARDIS travel influences children in the womb.
Amazingly, Amy did not drive me completely insane during this episode. I can't tell if that is because she really was trying to act like a little girl last season or not. I didn't buy into her grief for one nanosecond, so I hate to give her props for acting. On the other hand, nobody did a good job with the grief if you ask me. And that's one problem I did outline in my post about it. Too much timey-wimey stuff is risky because your audience gets jaded and figures why bother grieving for something that is meaningless. Without actors to really sell something you don't have an EPIC moment.
But back to Amy. She was more proactive, actually doing meaningful things rather than grandstanding in a LOOK AT ME, I'M SO CLEVER fashion with no understanding of the deeper meaning behind anything...and it really helped me deal with her. A certain level of maturity is a good thing in a companion. I like not getting completely nauseated by everyone's Disney level cuteness. Now, if only River wasn't Captain Jack with breasts and a double dip of double entendre. Of course, if she IS Captain Jack with breasts, then all is forgiven. This is not to say I love this crew or that I think they are going to stay on the air. I am sticking with it goes to the Anniversary and then is off the air for good. Because I don't think the average viewer will have the patience that Moff demands, especially when he keeps using the same set pieces for his stories. Lost little girl? Check. Haunted house? Check. Inappropriate sexual jocularity? Check. Quick look behind you? Check.
The Doctor in particular needs to stop being such a maroon. I'm tired of suspending my belief to allow him to be clever and commanding. I'm tired of listening to him ramble and being hit with a real need to have Ten back to ramble for real. River kissed him and he squirmed. You know who else squirmed? Ten! You know who didn't? Nine! And Eight! Both of them kissed women without squirming. This, more than anything else, tells me that Matt Smith shouldn't be in this role. Or that Moff shouldn't be writing him. Eleven isn't his own man. He's just a youthful version of Ten with more quirks and twitches and a bowtie. I don't mean he's like Ten as in they have the same personality. I mean, Matt doesn't ever convince me that he defines what the Doctor means to all of us.
I know I'm being hard on poor Matt Smith here and I know some people love him. But is he incapable of putting his own stamp on things? He talks faster and he scampers around more and he flirts with girls or women in blatant fashion...all like Ten...but with less confidence and more actual sexual innuendo. David could loosen his tie and make us all think about sex, Matt has to take off all his clothes and hide under a woman's skirt. More obvious about everything, isn't more interesting. Moff needs to stop telling me how wonderful he is and MAKE him wonderful. Or rather, just...make him go away. I'm sorry, he's a nice enough guy, but he's not convincing in this role. He's just not.
Rae
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Date: 2011-05-03 06:17 pm (UTC)Also, River is hot. We must not forget the importance of the jodphurs to the overall effect of the series.