Thoughts on "Family of Blood"
I didn't get a chance to post on this earlier, and so I've been very full of this episode all day, with really no one to talk to. Now it's late, but I really want to put something down before we watch "Blink" tonight.
I...think my last post might have given the idea that I hated it, and that's very far from the truth. I didn't like it as much as "Human Nature", in part because by and large the things that I liked about "Human Nature" weren't really in it. I've noticed, though, that I rarely like the second half of two-parters as much as the first. It may just be because by then the surprise and delight have worn off a bit.
I wonder how reliable the end narration is. It sure went a little Sapphire & Steel there (*shudder* mirror girl). And I find the idea of the scarecrow protector strangely alluring. And something in me really likes the idea of Baines and Rory just hanging out during their respective eternal vigils.
So, I said the things I liked about "Human Nature" weren't really in this one. What I'm mainly referring to is the John Smith character. I enjoyed watching him interact mundanely, and by this episode the Plot had taken over to such an extent that you couldn't really see the Not The Doctor aspects of the acting nearly as much. But it made up for it with Baines. Whoever that actor is, he's fantastic - and has wonderful Crazy Eyes. He was just an utter delight to watch through the whole episode.
The Defend the Castle scene reminded me strongly (and disturbingly) of the end of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. "We are boys. English boys." :( Oh, and was anyone else totally floored by the fact that the scarecrows were actually stopped by bullets? That was a huge surprise. In retrospect, the point of the scene depended on them actually falling and dying, but I'm so used to Doctor Who monsters being bullet-proof. Especially since there is absolutely no reason a bullet should be able to kill someone made of straw. Man, those scarecrows were creepy. Well done, art department.
I watched this episode within a night or two of "Inner Light", the Star Trek episode that does basically the same plot with Picard. Only really not in certain very important ways. But anyway, yeah, that was interesting.
At this point, I need to point something out. Every Doctor looks better in his shirt sleeves. Whether it's vest or suspenders depends on the Doctor. I've said this before. Ten doesn't wear a vest or suspenders. You never see him in his shirtsleeves - just in his shirt. And his shirt is awfully stupid looking (although also quite endearing.) But John Smith wears a vest. (And a bowtie!) And in the Baby! scene, he's wearing his vest and his shirtsleeves (and holding a baby!) and it's beautiful. Jackson Lake wears a vest. John Smith wears a vest. But Ten doesn't wear a vest. This may be at least part of why I will never love him as much as his imposters.
Also, I think Tennant has gained a lot of weight. (I mean, that's good, he was like a beanpole). But his face is much rounder in this episode. It was particularly noticeable at the very end.
I have two major complaints about this episode.
1) We never saw the transformation back. I mean, I know why we didn't - that ending gambit depended a lot on fooling the audience alongside the baddies. But we didn't see it in flashback either, which we did with the initial transformation (somewhat). But I was really expecting to see it, and looking forward to it. Actually, I had assumed that the Emo!John Smith images that I'd seen all over the place were from the transformation (when in fact they turned out to be from before it). But we are robbed of his final moments, and, indeed, his finest moments.
2) As wonderful as this episode is, it problematizes the show itself a lot more than I'm comfortable with. I don't mind some degree of darkness (the Pandorica thing was fantastic) but...at the end of the day it should be better to be the Doctor. And it's not. Yes, there are tradeoffs, and exploring those is fine, but at the end of the day, this is a show about "the homeless traveler in his old police box, his days like crazy paving." John Smith, and his absolute terror of becoming the man of his dreams, problematizes the whole premise of the show, to the extent that you have to wonder why you're even watching this, instead of some period piece about edwardian boarding schools.
The thing is, I really liked the John Smith character. And, emo as he was at the end there, he made some really good points. As in, he really wasn't wrong about anything his said. The bit in the woods, in particular, really got to me. I don't remember the exact phrasing, but it was something like "What was wrong with John Smith? He was a good man...wasn't he?" And I couldn't help but think about the few spoilers I know about cloning and stuff in the future and...wishing it had ended up back here. Not because I think that Nurse Redfern deserves a Consolation Prize Doctor more than Rose does (although good on her for giving him what for in the end) but because John Smith deserves a chance at ...existence. (Or maybe I'm just fond of things I've seen where the created or duplicated personality does split off and get a life of its own - Clo'Neill, anyone?) Because in the end, he does the right thing, even though he knows exactly what he's giving up. And I have a thing about...responsibility towards your creations. Even a made up character.
Anyway, it was a good episode, and certainly one that makes you think - always a plus. And I absolutely can not imagine it having been done with Sylvester McCoy. But enough of this - time to scare the crap out of myself with "Blink" !
I...think my last post might have given the idea that I hated it, and that's very far from the truth. I didn't like it as much as "Human Nature", in part because by and large the things that I liked about "Human Nature" weren't really in it. I've noticed, though, that I rarely like the second half of two-parters as much as the first. It may just be because by then the surprise and delight have worn off a bit.
I wonder how reliable the end narration is. It sure went a little Sapphire & Steel there (*shudder* mirror girl). And I find the idea of the scarecrow protector strangely alluring. And something in me really likes the idea of Baines and Rory just hanging out during their respective eternal vigils.
So, I said the things I liked about "Human Nature" weren't really in this one. What I'm mainly referring to is the John Smith character. I enjoyed watching him interact mundanely, and by this episode the Plot had taken over to such an extent that you couldn't really see the Not The Doctor aspects of the acting nearly as much. But it made up for it with Baines. Whoever that actor is, he's fantastic - and has wonderful Crazy Eyes. He was just an utter delight to watch through the whole episode.
The Defend the Castle scene reminded me strongly (and disturbingly) of the end of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. "We are boys. English boys." :( Oh, and was anyone else totally floored by the fact that the scarecrows were actually stopped by bullets? That was a huge surprise. In retrospect, the point of the scene depended on them actually falling and dying, but I'm so used to Doctor Who monsters being bullet-proof. Especially since there is absolutely no reason a bullet should be able to kill someone made of straw. Man, those scarecrows were creepy. Well done, art department.
I watched this episode within a night or two of "Inner Light", the Star Trek episode that does basically the same plot with Picard. Only really not in certain very important ways. But anyway, yeah, that was interesting.
At this point, I need to point something out. Every Doctor looks better in his shirt sleeves. Whether it's vest or suspenders depends on the Doctor. I've said this before. Ten doesn't wear a vest or suspenders. You never see him in his shirtsleeves - just in his shirt. And his shirt is awfully stupid looking (although also quite endearing.) But John Smith wears a vest. (And a bowtie!) And in the Baby! scene, he's wearing his vest and his shirtsleeves (and holding a baby!) and it's beautiful. Jackson Lake wears a vest. John Smith wears a vest. But Ten doesn't wear a vest. This may be at least part of why I will never love him as much as his imposters.
Also, I think Tennant has gained a lot of weight. (I mean, that's good, he was like a beanpole). But his face is much rounder in this episode. It was particularly noticeable at the very end.
I have two major complaints about this episode.
1) We never saw the transformation back. I mean, I know why we didn't - that ending gambit depended a lot on fooling the audience alongside the baddies. But we didn't see it in flashback either, which we did with the initial transformation (somewhat). But I was really expecting to see it, and looking forward to it. Actually, I had assumed that the Emo!John Smith images that I'd seen all over the place were from the transformation (when in fact they turned out to be from before it). But we are robbed of his final moments, and, indeed, his finest moments.
2) As wonderful as this episode is, it problematizes the show itself a lot more than I'm comfortable with. I don't mind some degree of darkness (the Pandorica thing was fantastic) but...at the end of the day it should be better to be the Doctor. And it's not. Yes, there are tradeoffs, and exploring those is fine, but at the end of the day, this is a show about "the homeless traveler in his old police box, his days like crazy paving." John Smith, and his absolute terror of becoming the man of his dreams, problematizes the whole premise of the show, to the extent that you have to wonder why you're even watching this, instead of some period piece about edwardian boarding schools.
The thing is, I really liked the John Smith character. And, emo as he was at the end there, he made some really good points. As in, he really wasn't wrong about anything his said. The bit in the woods, in particular, really got to me. I don't remember the exact phrasing, but it was something like "What was wrong with John Smith? He was a good man...wasn't he?" And I couldn't help but think about the few spoilers I know about cloning and stuff in the future and...wishing it had ended up back here. Not because I think that Nurse Redfern deserves a Consolation Prize Doctor more than Rose does (although good on her for giving him what for in the end) but because John Smith deserves a chance at ...existence. (Or maybe I'm just fond of things I've seen where the created or duplicated personality does split off and get a life of its own - Clo'Neill, anyone?) Because in the end, he does the right thing, even though he knows exactly what he's giving up. And I have a thing about...responsibility towards your creations. Even a made up character.
Anyway, it was a good episode, and certainly one that makes you think - always a plus. And I absolutely can not imagine it having been done with Sylvester McCoy. But enough of this - time to scare the crap out of myself with "Blink" !