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That Turkey Never Did Quite Get Cooked

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Review of The Time of the Doctor
Warning: This review contains episode-specific spoilers and wild speculation about future episodes.

I suppose my expectations finally sank to the cellar when the first “nude Doctor” promo pics hit the Web. You’d think there would be no room left for crushed hopes after that, but apparently you’d be mistaken. It seems I had an iota of optimism left that Moffat could tie shit together coherently—I really ought to know better.


Source – bbc.co.uk – © 2013 BBC

Usually I enjoy Moffat’s episodes in the moment; it’s not till later when I have time to think about the plot that I realize how riddled it is with holes and other offenses. Most times he manages to catch me up in the emotion of each scene (which is, after all, his strong suit) and I can take an episode as it was intended on that first viewing.

Not this time.

Maybe it had something to do with all of the interruptions (mine were familial rather than commercial, but I’m sure the effect was much the same for those who watched on BBCA). Or maybe it was the painful running “gag” about nudity (which just… No.). At any rate, from the very first chirping tones of the message—the Question—and the Mother Superious’s droning voiceover, I was a detached observer, uninvested (at least in a good way) in the proceedings. I was pissed at Clara for not listening when the Doctor said he was in danger, I was pissed at the Doctor for blatantly ignoring human social mores (with which he is damn well familiar), and I was pissed with Moffat for thinking that “for kids” and “juvenile” were interchangeable.

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Lies, Damn Lies, and Speculation

Merry Christmas, and Happy Doctor Who Day!

Before the world sees the final adventure of Matt Smith’s wonderful Doctor, I thought I’d try my hand at prognostication, and see how many of the vague ideas swirling through my head come to fruition. Heaven knows I won’t be the only one.

We all know Moffat likes to play a long game, and he’s been hinting that years’ worth of clues will be referenced and explained, so I’m going to start way back in (post-Hiatus) Series Four. The first time we, the audience, meet Professor River Song, we learn that she knows the Doctor’s name. How and why she knows it are still a mystery, but I’ve begun to think that one of my original hypotheses isn’t too far off. I mentioned in a post nearly three years ago that I thought it had to do with his thirteenth incarnation. Frankly, I’ll be surprised if that idea doesn’t prove out.

As I reported last week, we’re supposedly going to see what happens when the Doctor reaches that regeneration limit. It seems like a perfect time, then, for a terrible crisis (remember she told him she was “so sorry”) that would force him to tell River his name. After all, the prophecy as recited by Dorium Maldovar claims that “at the fall of the Eleventh, when no living creature can speak falsely or fail to answer, a Question will be asked.” It seems pretty clear that the timing is right, so the Question is going to be asked and answered truthfully. (Unless post-Library River returns, in which case she’s not a “living creature” and can lie all she likes.) However the prophecy plays out, though, I think this will be the moment at which (pre-Library) River learns his name, one way or another.

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Confession #45: I Hate “Moffat ex Machina”

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Over the years of his reign as showrunner, Steven Moffat has taken matters of “canon” (inasmuch as such a thing exists in Doctor Who) into his own hands multiple times. Obviously, that’s only to be expected—after all, RTD started out by killing off the Time Lords, and it is the prerogative of the Powers That Be to dictate the general direction of the show.

As excited as I was when it was first announced Moffat would take over for RTD, though, I’ve come to dislike a great deal about the way Moffat approaches the show. It makes me sad. I want to enjoy every episode, but I simply can’t.

The trend started out relatively small. Building on what had come before, Moffat upped the ante on the Doctor’s romantic entanglements, introducing River Song even before the reins came into his hands. In and of herself, River is a decent character. I’m troubled, though, at the way her story (as so many of Moffat’s) turned into one about her whole existence revolving around the Doctor—from conception to brainwashed childhood to career to marriage to death. And the veracity of that “marriage” in particular has always bothered me, but that’s a different issue. My point, though (I’m sure I had a point…), is that River’s relationship with the Doctor is unconventional, to say the least. This was one of Moffat’s first salvos, hinting to us about how he would handle the show as a whole.

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The First Finale

Review of The Tenth Planet (#29)
DVD Release Date: 19 Nov 13
Original Air Date: 08 – 29 Oct 1966
Doctor/Companion: One, Ben Jackson, Polly Wright
Stars: William Hartnell, Michael Craze, Anneke Wills
Preceding Story: The Smugglers (One, Ben, Polly)
Succeeding Story: The Power of the Daleks (Two, Ben, Polly)

With all the focus on regenerations and the history of the show lately, it seems fitting that the DVD releases for the anniversary year should draw to a close with The Tenth Planet. Not only does it bring Hartnell’s era to a close with a radical new idea, but it also introduces the “always a bridesmaid, never a bride” baddie from every fan favorite list ever (in case it’s not clear, I’m referring here to the Cybermen, who always come second (or worse) to the Daleks).

Tenth Planet is one of the last (mostly) complete stories to be released on DVD. Although I had read the synopsis a few times, and read a photonovelization at least once, then, I’d never had the opportunity to watch it. As a result, it still felt new and unfamiliar. And I’ll admit I was taken off guard by these Cybermen.

Forty-seven years down the road, it’s difficult to put oneself in the mindset of the audience of the time. They must have found this new threat truly horrific, these once-human, but distinctly alien, robot invaders. On the brink of the Space Age, they must also have recognized many of their own fears about the dangers of space exploration as the plight of the Zeus IV crew unfolded. (I’ll admit that I didn’t much care to watch their fate, either, despite how cheaply inaccurate the portrayal looked to those of us who have watched actual astronauts at work on the International Space Station.)

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First Fifty’s Final Face

Review of The Doctors Revisited – Eleventh Doctor

As we wind down the year, anticipating the upcoming regeneration, we Revisit Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor. Since his reign is only current until Christmas, it’s not as premature to do a retrospective on his era as it felt when this series of specials was announced.


Source – bbc.co.uk – © 2013 BBC

I did, however, find it odd that the production team chose to throw out spoilers for the entire arc of Series Six left and right—and for the mid-series finale of S7, too—yet barely breathed a word about anything to do with the second half of S7 except Clara’s personality and relationship with the Doctor.

I realize they had to be careful, if all of these specials were filmed at the same time; not even The Snowmen would’ve aired yet when everyone was interviewed. (And while I’m on the topic, here’s the list: lead actors Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, and Jenna Coleman; supporting actors Mark Sheppard, Frances Barber, Hugh Bonneville, and Mike McShane; writer Tom McRae; producer Marcus Wilson; and show-runner Steven Moffat.) So long after the fact, though (remember that The Name of the Doctor aired way back in May), it provides a certain surreality to the episode, like time traveling back a year, when we had no idea what was coming with Clara’s Series Seven storyline.

The rest of the special feels, for a fan like me, like redundant rehashing of obvious traits of the Eleventh Doctor, his Companions, and their stories. More so than the rest of the installments, even. Much like last month, it may be down to how recent all of this is, so I’ve tried to take it in context.

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Nu-View #15: Reliving “Everybody Lives!”

The Empty Child and The Doctor Dances (Series One, Eps. 9-10; 2005)
Viewed 19 Nov 2013

Doctor/Companion: Nine, Rose Tyler
Stars: Christopher Eccleston, Billie Piper
Preceding Story: Father’s Day (Nine, Rose)
Succeeding Story: Boom Town (Nine, Rose)

After seven months’ hiatus (yes, I know—dirty word), the Ladies are finally back together to watch the Ninth Doctor again. They began the evening in high spirits. “I love coming back to this season; it’s what I fell in love with,” jA declared, and jO and I gave knowing nods.


Source – bbc.co.uk – © 2005 BBC

Speaking of things we love, jA needed her memory jogged. “Is this where Jack comes in?”

“Oh, yeah,” came jO’s appreciative affirmation.

After that, there are surprisingly few comments; mostly we’re all more interested in watching the action unfold. Now and again, though, something will trigger a comment.

For instance, when the Doctor explains his consternation to Nancy (“It’s not a real phone; it’s not connected.”), jE quickly adds, “Neither am I.” Or when Nancy and her little band of kids settles down to someone else’s dinner, jA observes, “That’s a lot of place settings for a family of, like, four…”

Mostly, I keep my thoughts to myself, not wanting to interrupt the others’ enjoyment of the show. I can’t help thinking, though, what a minx Rose is, or how Moffat won a writers’ bet by working “Chula” into one of his scripts, or how full of British patriotism this episode it (“a mouse in front of a lion”). And even though the CG is already pretty dated, eight years down the road, Dr. Constantine’s transformation is still utterly horrifying. That’s body horror at its best.

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Retcon of the Doctor

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Review of The Day of the Doctor
Warning: This review contains episode-specific spoilers and wild speculation about future episodes.

I said recently that I could forgive Moffat almost anything about this anniversary special; I knew not everything on my personal wishlist would make the cut. And as it turned out, plenty I’d have liked to see happen didn’t. Overall, though, there wasn’t much to forgive.


Source – bbc.co.uk – © 2013 BBC

From the get-go, there were plenty of nods to the past. Starting with the original opening credits—down to the policeman strolling by Totter’s Lane—certainly set the right tone. I could go on for pages listing all those little moments, but I’m sure someone else will write up a definitive list you can find, if that’s your cup of tea. I’ll just say that I personally loved the reference to the UNIT dating controversy and one of the Brigadier’s reactions to the events of The Three Doctors (“Codename: Cromer”—and I really do recommend watching that tenth anniversary special if you’ve not seen it.)

So much happened in these seventy-five minutes that it could be a little difficult to wrap one’s brain around it all on a single viewing; I agree with others who have commented that it’s all clearer the second time around. The things I liked the first time, I still liked, and the things I didn’t… well, they didn’t irritate me quite so much when I knew they were coming.

The entire Zygon gambit felt secondary—and honestly, I quite think it was there simply as a way for the meeting of these three Doctors not to be boring as all get-out—but made surprising sense by the end. It was at least self-consistent, which is more than I can say for some episodes. The entire idea of the Zygons is great, too; they’re a well-loved adversary that was long overdue a return. As executed, they were proper scary, even if the change from human back to Zygon form was too CGI to be believable. At least it was gross.

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Best “Night” of My Life

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It may be an exaggeration, but saying that “Night of the Doctor” is the best thing Doctor Who has produced in years isn’t far off the truth. This seven-minute minisode has the online world of Who fandom in a tizzy, and rightly so. Before I go on, just watch it yourself:

 

There was only one thing I really wanted out of the 50th anniversary episode, and while I now know I won’t get it in the actual special, I’ve received it here. I couldn’t be happier. Well, I could, but not bloody much! They even managed to work in an explanation for the awful new glow-y regeneration mechanism. Now that’s good ret-con.

Thank you, Mr. Moffat!

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More Relatable Than Ever?

Review of The Doctors Revisited – Tenth Doctor

It still feels really weird to me to think of David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor as an “old” or “past” Doctor. Since it was his episodes that cemented my fandom, and I don’t think of myself as having been a fan for very long, even though it’s been five years now, at a gut level I can’t help but think of them as quite recent. Yet it’s been nearly four years since Tennant’s last appearance. So it was with a strange combination of “walk down memory lane” and “didn’t we just get these episodes?” that I watched as BBC America Revisited my Doctor.


Source – bbc.co.uk – © 2013 BBC

Whether it’s because this Doctor isn’t yet very far removed, or some other reason, the list of interviewees in this episode is longer than any other: Doctor actors David Tennant and Peter Davison; Companion actors Freema Agyeman, Noel Clarke, and John Barrowman; Companion family member actors Camille Coduri, Bernard Cribbins, and Jacqueline King; supporting character actors David Morrissey, Dan Starkey, and Adam Garcia; writers Neil Gaiman and Tom McRae; and producers Marcus Wilson and Steven Moffat. All had glowing things (as always) to say about this particular Regeneration, and how he differed from all who came before.

The Tenth Doctor was a starkly different man from the Ninth. Less someone suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, he had an easier manner—like someone you’d know, it’s pointed out—and was someone the audience could relate to, in terms of both fashion sense and mode of speech. Yet the darkness was still just under the surface. He doesn’t cut his enemies much slack (“no second chances”), nor the friends who have disappointed him. As Tennant himself put it, “He can destroy a government by whispering in someone’s ear. That’s the essence of the Doctor. That sums him up.”

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