Finding Wisdom in the Damnedest of Places
Sometimes you don't know that you'll see or hear something in which you'll find meaning, and often, it's then that the profundity of it really sinks in.
So, while we're in California, Anna and I are eating lunch with her uncle and I mention something about waiting for a long time for a British series that's little-known in the states to be downloaded. He asks what show, and I say "Torchwood." Well he shakes my hand as he admits to me that he is a long-time Doctor Who fan and that he has a respect for me and my taste. He then goes on to say that the last three episodes of the most recent season/series are, in his opinion, some of the best and most well-written episodes in the history of the show. And I tell him that I've not really been able to catch but a smattering of the broadcast, which is still pretty young here on the Sci-fi Channel.
So a while later I do make a point to start watching and it just so happens that it's in the last three episodes. At the end of the final, Martha provides a speech for The Doctor, explaining how she feels, and I'll transcribe it here.
"Cause the thing is, it's like my firend, Vicki. She lived with this bloke...and this bloke was called Shaun. And she loved him. She did. She completely adored him, spent all day long talking about him."
"Is this going anywhere?" The Doctor asked, looking puzzled.
"Yes. 'Cause he never looked at her twice. I mean he liked her, but that was is. And she wasted years pining after him, years of her life, 'cause while he was around she never looked at anyone else. And I told her, I always said to her time and time again, I said 'Get out.' So this is me. Getting out."
And this whole opinion struck me as uncommon in television, or just about any other popular story. So often the story is is that a person waits until their love comes around, or they take action to ensure that they'll be loved by the object of their affections or something miraculous happens and everything works out. Either way, love finds a way and wins. Our hero or heroine gets what they have wanted this entire time, with the story being about their struggles, attempts, defeats and their trying again and eventually succeeding.
But this, this wasn't a failure. This wasn't a loss. This was a decision. Martha could have stayed on, pining after The Doctor who is still obviously not over the loss of Rose, and may have actually romantically loved her, but The Doctor could never see Martha, and while she was there, Martha could never see anyone but The Doctor. So it seems to me that the argument in her head was whether or not she was Vicki, if she was really blind to anyone else in whom she might find love. Because as much as she had come to love The Doctor, he truly never saw her, just looked right over her as if she was just below his field of vision. He knew she was there, but that was about it.
So, what's my point? I don't know, really. This just struck me as atypical of a "Hollywood" ending where the protagonist wins the day and gets their love. The protagonists did win the day, but Martha's love hardly gave her love consideration, if he was even aware of it.
So, while we're in California, Anna and I are eating lunch with her uncle and I mention something about waiting for a long time for a British series that's little-known in the states to be downloaded. He asks what show, and I say "Torchwood." Well he shakes my hand as he admits to me that he is a long-time Doctor Who fan and that he has a respect for me and my taste. He then goes on to say that the last three episodes of the most recent season/series are, in his opinion, some of the best and most well-written episodes in the history of the show. And I tell him that I've not really been able to catch but a smattering of the broadcast, which is still pretty young here on the Sci-fi Channel.
So a while later I do make a point to start watching and it just so happens that it's in the last three episodes. At the end of the final, Martha provides a speech for The Doctor, explaining how she feels, and I'll transcribe it here.
"Cause the thing is, it's like my firend, Vicki. She lived with this bloke...and this bloke was called Shaun. And she loved him. She did. She completely adored him, spent all day long talking about him."
"Is this going anywhere?" The Doctor asked, looking puzzled.
"Yes. 'Cause he never looked at her twice. I mean he liked her, but that was is. And she wasted years pining after him, years of her life, 'cause while he was around she never looked at anyone else. And I told her, I always said to her time and time again, I said 'Get out.' So this is me. Getting out."
And this whole opinion struck me as uncommon in television, or just about any other popular story. So often the story is is that a person waits until their love comes around, or they take action to ensure that they'll be loved by the object of their affections or something miraculous happens and everything works out. Either way, love finds a way and wins. Our hero or heroine gets what they have wanted this entire time, with the story being about their struggles, attempts, defeats and their trying again and eventually succeeding.
But this, this wasn't a failure. This wasn't a loss. This was a decision. Martha could have stayed on, pining after The Doctor who is still obviously not over the loss of Rose, and may have actually romantically loved her, but The Doctor could never see Martha, and while she was there, Martha could never see anyone but The Doctor. So it seems to me that the argument in her head was whether or not she was Vicki, if she was really blind to anyone else in whom she might find love. Because as much as she had come to love The Doctor, he truly never saw her, just looked right over her as if she was just below his field of vision. He knew she was there, but that was about it.
So, what's my point? I don't know, really. This just struck me as atypical of a "Hollywood" ending where the protagonist wins the day and gets their love. The protagonists did win the day, but Martha's love hardly gave her love consideration, if he was even aware of it.