Just watched the Day of the Doctor...
Hello all,
I know I'm not on LJ much anymore and, from the look of my flist feed, a lot of you who I used to talk Doctor Who to aren't frequenting it much as well...really, I expected my flist to be EXPLODEY one way or another over The Day of the Doctor. Or, a lot of the RTD era fans didn't really transition to Moffat, which trust me...I understand. It took me forever to start watching Eleven. I only caught up over the past three months because I wanted to watch the anniversary special.
But just in case some folks are still watching...I'll post some thoughts below.
Things I liked:
- Something I thought was going to happen didn't. i.e. when all the timey wimey stuff was going on, I was afraid that we were just going to "wipe the slate clean" for the Doctor emotionally and that his JohnHurtDoctor and Tenth incarnations (by the old numbering system) would recall saving Gallifrey in the the Time War. Because that would have changed their characters ridiculously if they weren't burdened with the guilt of their world's destruction at their own hands. So I'm glad they had the workaround (albeit convenient) that JohnHurtDoctor and Ten wouldn't remember freezing Gallifrey in a shard of time. Thank you, Moffat, for not rewriting the RTD years too aggressively.
- That there is a whole new gambit for the Doctor going forward. Bringing back Gallifrey, which means we might see more Time Lords, will definitely add a new spin to the show which, if handled carefully, could be very exciting.
- Pulling something from the end of Ten's era (his throwaway comment about marrying the Queen) and bringing it into this episode. I like self referential bits.
- Seeing Ten. Duh. With his sand shoes. :)
- And JohnHurtDoctor commenting on all the romantic stuff that happens in NuWho. 'Cause it's SO true as compared to the classic show.
- JohnHurtDoctor, along with Ten, calling Eleven on the carpet for forgetting the cost of Gallifrey. Loved it. Not because I think that Eleven shouldn't have moved on or that he hasn't earned some levity, but because it highlights how regeneration can really mitigate aspects of previous regenerations. I loved the differentiation between the Soldier, the Hero and the Doctor. Yes, JohnHurtDoctor is the soldier in the trenches. And I would venture to say that Nine is the Survivor. Ten, after his travels with Rose Tyler in his Ninth form help to wake him up, is the hero. Even at the end of his life when he is broken and a victim of his own ego, he still saves the world in the most heroic fashion. I think one of the reasons I haven't cottoned on to Eleven has been that he has been more of a traditional Doctor in the sense that, while he does have his darkness and very Ten-like moments (for example, a Good Man Goes to War), there's a lightness about him, a silliness, and an adventuresome nature that's really more like the old school doctors (here's looking at you Four and Seven in particular). Don't get me wrong, it makes sense that Eleven would be more distanced from the trauma. I just think it's funny that I like my Doctors more obviously damaged.
- That they didn't bring back Amy and Rory. Seriously, while I've never been a huge Amy fan (though I think Karen Gillian is fabulous), by the end of her and Rory's tenure on the show, once they settled in as a married couple I truly loved their participation. But their characters left the show in such a meaningful and heartfelt way, it would have been too much fanservice to bring them back. It would have lessened the impact of how they left. Sometimes things are meant to be lost...
- Capaldi's eyes!!!!! All the Doctors...all Thirteen of them!!!
- ETA: Ten and Eleven together. Their banter was pretty great...I just wanted more!
Things I was so-so on.
- The use of Billie Piper. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Billie. Seriously. And am a huge Rose fan. But I felt her inclusion was rather shoehorned in, like they just needed to include her for the fans' sakes. I know she's the Greek chorus in the episode, but it felt forced. Two things I did like about it though, that Rose as a presence in the Doctor's life cuts across his regenerations and Ten's awesome reaction to Bad Wolf. Very cool. So, I'm half and half on this.
- Kate Lethbridge-Stewart jumping to destroy London. I think the introduction of her character has been great in the series, especially how it links us back to ClassicWho, but I have a hard time believing that she would argue with the Doctor over the use of the bomb like she did. It felt convenient to have a human jump to violence. Sure, it's a useful gambit in the show, but this is Kate L-S we're talking about. I think she has too much knowledge of the Doctor and too much brilliance to jump so quickly to that and to stick two it even after the three Doctors arrived on the sceen.
Things I didn't like
- This should have been a longer episode. Not for the sake of it just being longer, but because we didn't really get to experience Ten and John Hurt as much as we would of liked, especially since the episode was so built up. I felt that both, but especially Tennant, were underused.
- The whole concept of Gallifrey being saved. I know this sounds like a contradiction because I am "pro" it above, but that's for the good of the series. For the Doctor himself? While I'm glad still that Nine and Ten were shaped by their horror and grief over what they (thought they) had done, I still don't like the convenience of that being invalidated. Is it great that all the Doctors together can join forces and save the day? Sure. But it really seems like a fannish sort of wish fulfillment, like, "oh, but the Doctor would never do something so horrible, really." It's just not sitting right with me. I think it eliminates some darkness in the Doctor that is vitally important in NuWho. It just feels...off.
- And...really a ridiculous complaint, but now our numbering system is ALL SCREWED UP. Thank you, Moffat. *grumbles* Seriously? Is Capaldi the Thirteenth now? Is John Hurt the Twelfth? Is Ten now Eleven? Argh.
I still need to mull this over for a while...but I'm curious, what did you think?
I know I'm not on LJ much anymore and, from the look of my flist feed, a lot of you who I used to talk Doctor Who to aren't frequenting it much as well...really, I expected my flist to be EXPLODEY one way or another over The Day of the Doctor. Or, a lot of the RTD era fans didn't really transition to Moffat, which trust me...I understand. It took me forever to start watching Eleven. I only caught up over the past three months because I wanted to watch the anniversary special.
But just in case some folks are still watching...I'll post some thoughts below.
Things I liked:
- Something I thought was going to happen didn't. i.e. when all the timey wimey stuff was going on, I was afraid that we were just going to "wipe the slate clean" for the Doctor emotionally and that his JohnHurtDoctor and Tenth incarnations (by the old numbering system) would recall saving Gallifrey in the the Time War. Because that would have changed their characters ridiculously if they weren't burdened with the guilt of their world's destruction at their own hands. So I'm glad they had the workaround (albeit convenient) that JohnHurtDoctor and Ten wouldn't remember freezing Gallifrey in a shard of time. Thank you, Moffat, for not rewriting the RTD years too aggressively.
- That there is a whole new gambit for the Doctor going forward. Bringing back Gallifrey, which means we might see more Time Lords, will definitely add a new spin to the show which, if handled carefully, could be very exciting.
- Pulling something from the end of Ten's era (his throwaway comment about marrying the Queen) and bringing it into this episode. I like self referential bits.
- Seeing Ten. Duh. With his sand shoes. :)
- And JohnHurtDoctor commenting on all the romantic stuff that happens in NuWho. 'Cause it's SO true as compared to the classic show.
- JohnHurtDoctor, along with Ten, calling Eleven on the carpet for forgetting the cost of Gallifrey. Loved it. Not because I think that Eleven shouldn't have moved on or that he hasn't earned some levity, but because it highlights how regeneration can really mitigate aspects of previous regenerations. I loved the differentiation between the Soldier, the Hero and the Doctor. Yes, JohnHurtDoctor is the soldier in the trenches. And I would venture to say that Nine is the Survivor. Ten, after his travels with Rose Tyler in his Ninth form help to wake him up, is the hero. Even at the end of his life when he is broken and a victim of his own ego, he still saves the world in the most heroic fashion. I think one of the reasons I haven't cottoned on to Eleven has been that he has been more of a traditional Doctor in the sense that, while he does have his darkness and very Ten-like moments (for example, a Good Man Goes to War), there's a lightness about him, a silliness, and an adventuresome nature that's really more like the old school doctors (here's looking at you Four and Seven in particular). Don't get me wrong, it makes sense that Eleven would be more distanced from the trauma. I just think it's funny that I like my Doctors more obviously damaged.
- That they didn't bring back Amy and Rory. Seriously, while I've never been a huge Amy fan (though I think Karen Gillian is fabulous), by the end of her and Rory's tenure on the show, once they settled in as a married couple I truly loved their participation. But their characters left the show in such a meaningful and heartfelt way, it would have been too much fanservice to bring them back. It would have lessened the impact of how they left. Sometimes things are meant to be lost...
- Capaldi's eyes!!!!! All the Doctors...all Thirteen of them!!!
- ETA: Ten and Eleven together. Their banter was pretty great...I just wanted more!
Things I was so-so on.
- The use of Billie Piper. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Billie. Seriously. And am a huge Rose fan. But I felt her inclusion was rather shoehorned in, like they just needed to include her for the fans' sakes. I know she's the Greek chorus in the episode, but it felt forced. Two things I did like about it though, that Rose as a presence in the Doctor's life cuts across his regenerations and Ten's awesome reaction to Bad Wolf. Very cool. So, I'm half and half on this.
- Kate Lethbridge-Stewart jumping to destroy London. I think the introduction of her character has been great in the series, especially how it links us back to ClassicWho, but I have a hard time believing that she would argue with the Doctor over the use of the bomb like she did. It felt convenient to have a human jump to violence. Sure, it's a useful gambit in the show, but this is Kate L-S we're talking about. I think she has too much knowledge of the Doctor and too much brilliance to jump so quickly to that and to stick two it even after the three Doctors arrived on the sceen.
Things I didn't like
- This should have been a longer episode. Not for the sake of it just being longer, but because we didn't really get to experience Ten and John Hurt as much as we would of liked, especially since the episode was so built up. I felt that both, but especially Tennant, were underused.
- The whole concept of Gallifrey being saved. I know this sounds like a contradiction because I am "pro" it above, but that's for the good of the series. For the Doctor himself? While I'm glad still that Nine and Ten were shaped by their horror and grief over what they (thought they) had done, I still don't like the convenience of that being invalidated. Is it great that all the Doctors together can join forces and save the day? Sure. But it really seems like a fannish sort of wish fulfillment, like, "oh, but the Doctor would never do something so horrible, really." It's just not sitting right with me. I think it eliminates some darkness in the Doctor that is vitally important in NuWho. It just feels...off.
- And...really a ridiculous complaint, but now our numbering system is ALL SCREWED UP. Thank you, Moffat. *grumbles* Seriously? Is Capaldi the Thirteenth now? Is John Hurt the Twelfth? Is Ten now Eleven? Argh.
I still need to mull this over for a while...but I'm curious, what did you think?