Doctor Who
Maybe it's because I'm having a bad day, but the more I think about the season finale for Doctor Who that will air on Saturday, the more depressed I get. There's one main reason for that, and her name is River Song. I really, really don't like her. She's rubbed me the wrong way since she showed up in the library in season 4. She's so smug, and the way she says "spoilers" really irks me. I refuse to accept that she married the Doctor since it wasn't actually him, but a robot (or whatever it was) that looked like him. I just don't like her. I was going along fine, enjoying the second half of season 7. I didn't like as much as earlier seasons (1-4), but I was enjoying it. Amy was finally gone, and I'd forgotten River even existed. Then she popped in the preview for the finale. Sigh. I'm probably getting way too invested in a TV show, but I love Doctor Who! And I used to love it even more.
I haven't been as into the show since the end of season 4. A bit of background: I didn't get into Doctor Who until 2010. I also didn't get BBCAmerica where I was living at the time. I borrowed seasons 1- 4 on DVD from a friend and another friend burned season 5 for me. I watched them all. I liked Christopher Eccleston fine, but I fell into love with David Tennant and Ten. I was heartbroken when he regenerated. It took some time, but I like Matt Smith. (However David Tennant will always be my Doctor.) The people I was never able to warm up to were Amy and River. With Amy I was pretty much indifferent. I didn't hate her, but I didn't like her either. She did nothing for me. With River it's clear hate. I don't like her at all.
So, on to the current run. I wasn't a big fan of seasons 5, 6, or the first half of 7. Of all of those, I liked season 5 the best. (I loved "The Lodger" and "Vincent and the Doctor".) I always assumed my major problems with those seasons were Amy and especially River's arc. I was very hopeful that once Clara showed up my interest in the show would go way up (back to the levels of excitement I had in seasons 1-4) since neither River nor Amy would be present. That... hasn't happened. I've enjoyed the episodes with Clara, but I haven't been really grabbed by any of them except "Nightmare in Silver", and even that wasn't as good as it could have been. I can remember episodes during the earlier seasons (Blink, The Shakespeare Code, and Turn Left immediately come to mind) that I absolutely adored. Unfortunately I haven't had any that I've loved like that lately. Maybe another episode later will grab me. Or maybe the 50th anniversary will change things. I am beyond excited that David Tennant is coming back! However I really think we need to get rid of Steven Moffat and probably most or all of the writers. I just want to be in love with the show again like I was before. I'm not giving up any time soon, but my expectations have been lowered in recent seasons. A lot.
Now maybe (against all expectations) I'll love the season finale. Maybe it will be the episode I've been waiting for that I'll fall in love with that will have me on the edge of my seat. After all, I AM interested in solving the mystery of Clara. And provided they don't come right out and say the Doctor's name, I'm curious about that too. But the way the rest of the season has gone coupled with the fact that River will be back, I'm not optimistic. I'm certainly not going to give up on the show. Not right before the 50th anniversary, and David Tennant's return! I still hold out hope that there will be more episodes in the future that will cause me to fall in love with it like I was at the beginning on the new series. Here's hoping! *fingers crossed*
I haven't been as into the show since the end of season 4. A bit of background: I didn't get into Doctor Who until 2010. I also didn't get BBCAmerica where I was living at the time. I borrowed seasons 1- 4 on DVD from a friend and another friend burned season 5 for me. I watched them all. I liked Christopher Eccleston fine, but I fell into love with David Tennant and Ten. I was heartbroken when he regenerated. It took some time, but I like Matt Smith. (However David Tennant will always be my Doctor.) The people I was never able to warm up to were Amy and River. With Amy I was pretty much indifferent. I didn't hate her, but I didn't like her either. She did nothing for me. With River it's clear hate. I don't like her at all.
So, on to the current run. I wasn't a big fan of seasons 5, 6, or the first half of 7. Of all of those, I liked season 5 the best. (I loved "The Lodger" and "Vincent and the Doctor".) I always assumed my major problems with those seasons were Amy and especially River's arc. I was very hopeful that once Clara showed up my interest in the show would go way up (back to the levels of excitement I had in seasons 1-4) since neither River nor Amy would be present. That... hasn't happened. I've enjoyed the episodes with Clara, but I haven't been really grabbed by any of them except "Nightmare in Silver", and even that wasn't as good as it could have been. I can remember episodes during the earlier seasons (Blink, The Shakespeare Code, and Turn Left immediately come to mind) that I absolutely adored. Unfortunately I haven't had any that I've loved like that lately. Maybe another episode later will grab me. Or maybe the 50th anniversary will change things. I am beyond excited that David Tennant is coming back! However I really think we need to get rid of Steven Moffat and probably most or all of the writers. I just want to be in love with the show again like I was before. I'm not giving up any time soon, but my expectations have been lowered in recent seasons. A lot.
Now maybe (against all expectations) I'll love the season finale. Maybe it will be the episode I've been waiting for that I'll fall in love with that will have me on the edge of my seat. After all, I AM interested in solving the mystery of Clara. And provided they don't come right out and say the Doctor's name, I'm curious about that too. But the way the rest of the season has gone coupled with the fact that River will be back, I'm not optimistic. I'm certainly not going to give up on the show. Not right before the 50th anniversary, and David Tennant's return! I still hold out hope that there will be more episodes in the future that will cause me to fall in love with it like I was at the beginning on the new series. Here's hoping! *fingers crossed*