Reaction Post: All Things Who
Not a good day in Andrew-land, so Cute Baby Monday is postponed until tomorrow.
Eh. Sorry. But eh. I'm sorry, but it's a giant vagina in the center of the earth, I have no idea why a dark alleyway with a paper fish scares the bejeezus out of Gwen, it totally makes sense that Rex is immortal because that news report from the Game Station whateveritwas said there was a whole race of Boe-kind so of course there must have been more than one of them at some point, and besides, if the Face of Boe was pregnant, who would have impregnated him? (Jack/Rex FTW, people. Not that I'm going there, because I'm not, but there you go.)
All in all, I found the last episode to be sort of a let-down. Although I am glad they killed Charlotte, she was annoying in that random-mosquito-who-keeps-flying-out-of-your-sight sort of way. Jilly Kissinger is at least entertaining.
*
Good episode. Bill enjoyed it. I liked it, but I'm not in love with it, which apparently puts me squarely in the minority. I thought it was an interesting choice to have Old!Amy actually let herself be killed, as opposed to simply fading away (which is what I'm assuming would have happened otherwise). Perhaps she was afraid she'd go on living, in a sort of parallel universe?
And for that matter.... I wonder if that's one way parallel universes are created? Universes where the Doctor doesn't save someone, and another where he does? Is there a universe where Donna doesn't give up her memories? A universe where Sarah Jane isn't left behind in Aberdeen? A universe where the Doctor sticks around with the Aztecs for a while and drinks all the chocolate he can get his hands on?
(And if so....in which of these universes do Rose and Cloen live? Hmm. There's a fic idea for you, dear Reader, by all means run with it.)
*
If I weren't so tired from trying to chase after a toddler who believes that naps are for other children, I'd probably have a lot to say about this episode; about adoption and parenting and how really this episode is as much social commentary as it is anything else.
I remember when we were still looking into fertility treatments, and I was trolling the forums somewhere. A woman posted about how she'd been trying IVF for eight years, spent thousands of dollars in trying to have a baby, and would never consider adoption because she couldn't imagine loving a baby who wasn't "hers".
It horrified me. It still does.
How can anyone say, "I will not love a child who didn't come from my own body"? Are you only capable of loving your own flesh and blood? What about your friends? Your nieces, your nephews? What about your spouses - at least, I hope you don't share bloodlines with them, and certainly you love them, don't you? Then how can you make such a blanket statement?
Perhaps it's just me, but I've never understood what blood has to do with anything, anyway.
"He's not even human," says the father, Alex, about George. What's unsaid is, "Why should I continue caring about this boy who I've raised and loved his whole life, because suddenly I've just realized that he's not a part of me. He's really not a part of me, and therefore can't mean anything to me?"
Except, of course, in the next instant, it doesn't matter what George is and what George isn't, because Alex has run into the fray to hold him, call him his son, and tell him it'll be all right.
I'm not saying Alex was wrong for being afraid. Oh, please. Every parent is afraid, in those moments before you really become a parent, before it actually sticks to your brain, "HELLO, PARENT-MODE ENGAGED!" And I have to imagine that even biological parents, raising their biological offspring, have this moment when they realize that there's every chance that they might not actually like their own kids (and that the feeling could be mutual).
Anyway. I liked the episode; actually, in some ways, I thought it more enjoyable than The Girl Who Waited. If I weren't so exhausted, I'd probably have more to say on it, but frankly, I saw it on Friday night and I've been mulling it over the last three days and I'm still tired and I don't want to mull it over anymore.
Also, I'm somewhat gloaty over the fact that I totally invented the Tenzas in one of my first DW fanfics, even if I had a crappier name for them (Chamaliens - yeah, very unimaginative) and slightly different psychic abilities (mine pulled people into a spiderweb of sorts, instead of sending them away to sit in cupboard).
“It’s the connection she formed with you,” explained the Doctor. “Genevieve is a Chamalien - and a very young one, at that. Chamaliens leave their young scattered across the universe, where they take the forms of the living being that finds them first. Deer, dog, worm - it doesn’t matter. They create a bond with that creature, so that they’ll be taken care of, they’ll live to maturity, and then they leave to find others of their kind. Genevieve found you.”
Dear Mr. Moffat,
Thank you for the bone, after denying me River Song. You're forgiven, not that you needed it.
Love,
Me
*
Cute Baby Monday will return tomorrow. Tired, see. Toddler who believes naps are for other babies, see.
Also, the cat still hates me.
Eh. Sorry. But eh. I'm sorry, but it's a giant vagina in the center of the earth, I have no idea why a dark alleyway with a paper fish scares the bejeezus out of Gwen, it totally makes sense that Rex is immortal because that news report from the Game Station whateveritwas said there was a whole race of Boe-kind so of course there must have been more than one of them at some point, and besides, if the Face of Boe was pregnant, who would have impregnated him? (Jack/Rex FTW, people. Not that I'm going there, because I'm not, but there you go.)
All in all, I found the last episode to be sort of a let-down. Although I am glad they killed Charlotte, she was annoying in that random-mosquito-who-keeps-flying-out-of-your-sight sort of way. Jilly Kissinger is at least entertaining.
*
Good episode. Bill enjoyed it. I liked it, but I'm not in love with it, which apparently puts me squarely in the minority. I thought it was an interesting choice to have Old!Amy actually let herself be killed, as opposed to simply fading away (which is what I'm assuming would have happened otherwise). Perhaps she was afraid she'd go on living, in a sort of parallel universe?
And for that matter.... I wonder if that's one way parallel universes are created? Universes where the Doctor doesn't save someone, and another where he does? Is there a universe where Donna doesn't give up her memories? A universe where Sarah Jane isn't left behind in Aberdeen? A universe where the Doctor sticks around with the Aztecs for a while and drinks all the chocolate he can get his hands on?
(And if so....in which of these universes do Rose and Cloen live? Hmm. There's a fic idea for you, dear Reader, by all means run with it.)
*
If I weren't so tired from trying to chase after a toddler who believes that naps are for other children, I'd probably have a lot to say about this episode; about adoption and parenting and how really this episode is as much social commentary as it is anything else.
I remember when we were still looking into fertility treatments, and I was trolling the forums somewhere. A woman posted about how she'd been trying IVF for eight years, spent thousands of dollars in trying to have a baby, and would never consider adoption because she couldn't imagine loving a baby who wasn't "hers".
It horrified me. It still does.
How can anyone say, "I will not love a child who didn't come from my own body"? Are you only capable of loving your own flesh and blood? What about your friends? Your nieces, your nephews? What about your spouses - at least, I hope you don't share bloodlines with them, and certainly you love them, don't you? Then how can you make such a blanket statement?
Perhaps it's just me, but I've never understood what blood has to do with anything, anyway.
"He's not even human," says the father, Alex, about George. What's unsaid is, "Why should I continue caring about this boy who I've raised and loved his whole life, because suddenly I've just realized that he's not a part of me. He's really not a part of me, and therefore can't mean anything to me?"
Except, of course, in the next instant, it doesn't matter what George is and what George isn't, because Alex has run into the fray to hold him, call him his son, and tell him it'll be all right.
I'm not saying Alex was wrong for being afraid. Oh, please. Every parent is afraid, in those moments before you really become a parent, before it actually sticks to your brain, "HELLO, PARENT-MODE ENGAGED!" And I have to imagine that even biological parents, raising their biological offspring, have this moment when they realize that there's every chance that they might not actually like their own kids (and that the feeling could be mutual).
Anyway. I liked the episode; actually, in some ways, I thought it more enjoyable than The Girl Who Waited. If I weren't so exhausted, I'd probably have more to say on it, but frankly, I saw it on Friday night and I've been mulling it over the last three days and I'm still tired and I don't want to mull it over anymore.
Also, I'm somewhat gloaty over the fact that I totally invented the Tenzas in one of my first DW fanfics, even if I had a crappier name for them (Chamaliens - yeah, very unimaginative) and slightly different psychic abilities (mine pulled people into a spiderweb of sorts, instead of sending them away to sit in cupboard).
“It’s the connection she formed with you,” explained the Doctor. “Genevieve is a Chamalien - and a very young one, at that. Chamaliens leave their young scattered across the universe, where they take the forms of the living being that finds them first. Deer, dog, worm - it doesn’t matter. They create a bond with that creature, so that they’ll be taken care of, they’ll live to maturity, and then they leave to find others of their kind. Genevieve found you.”
Dear Mr. Moffat,
Thank you for the bone, after denying me River Song. You're forgiven, not that you needed it.
Love,
Me
*
Cute Baby Monday will return tomorrow. Tired, see. Toddler who believes naps are for other babies, see.
Also, the cat still hates me.