Doctor Who - 10x1x01 - New Earth (aka Dr Who - The Pantomime)
And so you look at the title of the post and think WTF??? What weirdarse numbering system has she got going there? Well, I thought about it and I was going to number it 2x01 - but it isn't the 2nd series of Dr Who. By my reckoning it's the 28th series. But 28x01 didn't look quite right to me either. And then does the Paul McGann movie count as a series? Coz that would make it the 29th series. No, it's all too confusing, so I'm striking out with my own numbering system - the 10th Doctor - his 1st series - episode 01. This is my theory - which is mine. And guess what? It's also a palindrome! Not that that means anything. I just thought I'd point it out.
What? Get on with it? Okay.
Yes, it's taken me a while to post about my thoughts on this ep. Things have been happening in Real Life which have kept me busy and not so much with the internet stuff. But also, it's taken me a while to decide what I actually think about this episode. I oscillated a bit. Didn't read too many other people's opinion of it, but I did read muccamukk's post here. She's also made the BEST 10TH DOCTOR ICON EVER!!! which she has graciously allowed me to snag. I was going to make a new icon for this post but that one is just so perfect, I just have to use it instead. So yeah, lookee lookee *points above* and praise muccamukk for much icon love!
Anyways...
I'm still on my screencap-reduced diet, but there are a few because while I'm not too sure about some of this episode, I'm still madly in love with the Tenth Doctor.
Yes, I'm sure everyone is screencapping the "blow dry" from the lift scene, but I couldn't resist! That bit in the sterilising elevator was particularly cute - contrasting the Doctor taking it in his stride with the reactions of the unsuspecting Rose.
But the episode as whole? What did I think?
Well, my first reaction was a whole bunch of SQUEEE!! Because David Tennant still rocks along in his childlike galactic wanderer persona. Is there anything cuter than a mega-intelligent guy that still has an almost childlike fascination with the universe? (And y'know, I really think McKay fits that description too - oh yes, I do believe there will be quite a lot of comparing and contrasting Tennant & Hewlett from me this year).
But the resolution at the end really jarred badly for me. There's "science fiction" and then there's "science pantomime". And in my final analysis, that's what this episode is - science pantomime. There are colourful characters painted in broad strokes. There are bold heroes and dastardly villains. One of the villains even has a "touching change of heart" and repents (well, sort of) at the end. There are many, many laughs. And I enjoyed all that. But in the end, it's brought to a close by a highly contrived solution - which even goes beyond deus ex machina IMHO.
Look, there's bad science and then there's totally illogical. The solution of mixing all the medicines to create a cure-all cocktail falls into the category of totally illogical. I mean, think about it for just a second. Even if the cures didn't interact with each other and have side effects and possibly counteract each other (which really they would if there was any realism involved) - but even then, if these are diseases that they already have cures for, why are the test subjects being given these same diseases to be experimented on? Surely the test subjects would have at least some diseases that the "sisters" didn't have cures for. Otherwise, what the hell is the point of the research? Why still be experimenting on the disease that you already have cures for handily packaged up in bags - but not infecting your test subjects with new diseases to find new cures for? That's just DUMB.
And while I have forgiven dumb contrivances in my favourite TV programmes before, this one really jars badly. Because it's the climax, the "clever solution" and it's just so dumb!
So, I try to think "PANTOMIME" and most of it's okay. (It's a bit like viewing SGA's The Tower as an Austin Powers movie). The villain, Cassandra, is very much an Evil Stepmother pantomime villain. The Evil Cat Sisters can be the Ugly Sisters. Rose and the Doctor both get to do some way out but very funny character acting when taken over by Cassandra. On that level, it totally works.
Really, how much more pantomime can you get?
And a little Wet & Wild action doesn't hurt, of course.
The "special pathos bits" actually work too. I did like Cassandra's bittersweet "full circle" resolution. Contrived, perhaps. But it somehow resonated and transcended the cheesy for me. Having Zoe Wanamaker play the part just might have something to do with that.
And the Face of Boe? "Textbook Enigmatic" says it all.
Really, the Doctor was at his best in those scenes and I did like the way he interacted with the Cat Novice - both in the sympathetic moments discussing the Face of Boe and when he called her to task for the unethical practices of her order. Like poor Harriet Jones, she learned that his approval is not unconditional.
Rose? Hmmm...
I remain still somewhat neutral about Rose. In this episode particularly, she put in a great performance. Billie Piper has great comedic timing. But she remains still not my favourite companion. I don't dislike her, but I don't think she's the best thing since sliced bread. And this makes some of the "Rose is so wonderful and important" bits of the series jar for me. It did in the last series too. Not only the Doctor, but also Jack, in the last few episodes of the previous series seemed fixated on Rose being iconically wonderful. As I don't see her as iconically wonderful, it actually makes her seem Mary Sue-ish to me. I can blink over the Mary Sue moments and still not mind Rose as a character - especially in a pantomime episode such as this where "show, don't tell" has clearly gone straight out the window. But, in general, it still gives me just a slight sense of foreboding.
Okay, some of my foreboding is linked to the promo scenes for episode 3 (to get a bit ahead of ourselves here). If you saw even Christmas Invasion then you'd know that Sarah Jane Smith and K9 are due for a return appearance. Now Sarah Jane is one of the companions I classify as one of the all time greats. I didn't really appreciate how good she was when I was a kid (knife-wielding Leela was far more impressive to the obstreperous tomboy brat I was then - no, don't say anything about persisting traits). But Australia being the land of infinite BBC repeats, I saw her episodes again at university and since - and Sarah Jane was amazing. Even when given some of the crappest lines and being made to scream at some really laughable monsters, Elisabeth Sladen somehow pulled out an extra something to make the character transcend all that. And I do fear that, in upcoming episodes, the great Sarah Jane might be sacrificed on the altar of "Rose is the most wonderful companion EVA!!!"
So, can I tell you, here and now, if that happens, I am going to be totally and utterly PISSED OFF!!!. I think that I will irrevocably hate Rose then - possibly to the point of irrationality. Seriously.
But fingers crossed. I hope that my fears are unfounded. Fingers so very crossed.
So...
...all in all, New Earth is quite entertaining for a pantomime episode. Some bits were irritating, but I can forgive them as post-regenerative teething problems. Not the most amazing episode ever but some good bits that were well worth seeing.
Tooth & Claw did make up for a lot of its predecessor's shortcomings. You could take that episode seriously, which I can't even attempt for any aspect of New Earth.
I'll try to get a post on that one done on the weekend.
In the meantime, in a completely different fandom, nominations soon close for
As one of the organisers posted on the SGAHC list, if you don't nominate, you can't complain if you favourite fics, etc aren't in the running.
And as my particular tastes run to the "new kid" SGA and the relatively unfashionable non-shippy side of the fandom, I'm gonna nominate my little heart out - and still be in the minority, no doubt ;-)
What? Get on with it? Okay.
Yes, it's taken me a while to post about my thoughts on this ep. Things have been happening in Real Life which have kept me busy and not so much with the internet stuff. But also, it's taken me a while to decide what I actually think about this episode. I oscillated a bit. Didn't read too many other people's opinion of it, but I did read muccamukk's post here. She's also made the BEST 10TH DOCTOR ICON EVER!!! which she has graciously allowed me to snag. I was going to make a new icon for this post but that one is just so perfect, I just have to use it instead. So yeah, lookee lookee *points above* and praise muccamukk for much icon love!
Anyways...
I'm still on my screencap-reduced diet, but there are a few because while I'm not too sure about some of this episode, I'm still madly in love with the Tenth Doctor.
Yes, I'm sure everyone is screencapping the "blow dry" from the lift scene, but I couldn't resist! That bit in the sterilising elevator was particularly cute - contrasting the Doctor taking it in his stride with the reactions of the unsuspecting Rose.
But the episode as whole? What did I think?
Well, my first reaction was a whole bunch of SQUEEE!! Because David Tennant still rocks along in his childlike galactic wanderer persona. Is there anything cuter than a mega-intelligent guy that still has an almost childlike fascination with the universe? (And y'know, I really think McKay fits that description too - oh yes, I do believe there will be quite a lot of comparing and contrasting Tennant & Hewlett from me this year).
But the resolution at the end really jarred badly for me. There's "science fiction" and then there's "science pantomime". And in my final analysis, that's what this episode is - science pantomime. There are colourful characters painted in broad strokes. There are bold heroes and dastardly villains. One of the villains even has a "touching change of heart" and repents (well, sort of) at the end. There are many, many laughs. And I enjoyed all that. But in the end, it's brought to a close by a highly contrived solution - which even goes beyond deus ex machina IMHO.
Look, there's bad science and then there's totally illogical. The solution of mixing all the medicines to create a cure-all cocktail falls into the category of totally illogical. I mean, think about it for just a second. Even if the cures didn't interact with each other and have side effects and possibly counteract each other (which really they would if there was any realism involved) - but even then, if these are diseases that they already have cures for, why are the test subjects being given these same diseases to be experimented on? Surely the test subjects would have at least some diseases that the "sisters" didn't have cures for. Otherwise, what the hell is the point of the research? Why still be experimenting on the disease that you already have cures for handily packaged up in bags - but not infecting your test subjects with new diseases to find new cures for? That's just DUMB.
And while I have forgiven dumb contrivances in my favourite TV programmes before, this one really jars badly. Because it's the climax, the "clever solution" and it's just so dumb!
So, I try to think "PANTOMIME" and most of it's okay. (It's a bit like viewing SGA's The Tower as an Austin Powers movie). The villain, Cassandra, is very much an Evil Stepmother pantomime villain. The Evil Cat Sisters can be the Ugly Sisters. Rose and the Doctor both get to do some way out but very funny character acting when taken over by Cassandra. On that level, it totally works.
Really, how much more pantomime can you get?
And a little Wet & Wild action doesn't hurt, of course.
The "special pathos bits" actually work too. I did like Cassandra's bittersweet "full circle" resolution. Contrived, perhaps. But it somehow resonated and transcended the cheesy for me. Having Zoe Wanamaker play the part just might have something to do with that.
And the Face of Boe? "Textbook Enigmatic" says it all.
Really, the Doctor was at his best in those scenes and I did like the way he interacted with the Cat Novice - both in the sympathetic moments discussing the Face of Boe and when he called her to task for the unethical practices of her order. Like poor Harriet Jones, she learned that his approval is not unconditional.
Rose? Hmmm...
I remain still somewhat neutral about Rose. In this episode particularly, she put in a great performance. Billie Piper has great comedic timing. But she remains still not my favourite companion. I don't dislike her, but I don't think she's the best thing since sliced bread. And this makes some of the "Rose is so wonderful and important" bits of the series jar for me. It did in the last series too. Not only the Doctor, but also Jack, in the last few episodes of the previous series seemed fixated on Rose being iconically wonderful. As I don't see her as iconically wonderful, it actually makes her seem Mary Sue-ish to me. I can blink over the Mary Sue moments and still not mind Rose as a character - especially in a pantomime episode such as this where "show, don't tell" has clearly gone straight out the window. But, in general, it still gives me just a slight sense of foreboding.
Okay, some of my foreboding is linked to the promo scenes for episode 3 (to get a bit ahead of ourselves here). If you saw even Christmas Invasion then you'd know that Sarah Jane Smith and K9 are due for a return appearance. Now Sarah Jane is one of the companions I classify as one of the all time greats. I didn't really appreciate how good she was when I was a kid (knife-wielding Leela was far more impressive to the obstreperous tomboy brat I was then - no, don't say anything about persisting traits). But Australia being the land of infinite BBC repeats, I saw her episodes again at university and since - and Sarah Jane was amazing. Even when given some of the crappest lines and being made to scream at some really laughable monsters, Elisabeth Sladen somehow pulled out an extra something to make the character transcend all that. And I do fear that, in upcoming episodes, the great Sarah Jane might be sacrificed on the altar of "Rose is the most wonderful companion EVA!!!"
So, can I tell you, here and now, if that happens, I am going to be totally and utterly PISSED OFF!!!. I think that I will irrevocably hate Rose then - possibly to the point of irrationality. Seriously.
But fingers crossed. I hope that my fears are unfounded. Fingers so very crossed.
So...
...all in all, New Earth is quite entertaining for a pantomime episode. Some bits were irritating, but I can forgive them as post-regenerative teething problems. Not the most amazing episode ever but some good bits that were well worth seeing.
Tooth & Claw did make up for a lot of its predecessor's shortcomings. You could take that episode seriously, which I can't even attempt for any aspect of New Earth.
I'll try to get a post on that one done on the weekend.
In the meantime, in a completely different fandom, nominations soon close for
As one of the organisers posted on the SGAHC list, if you don't nominate, you can't complain if you favourite fics, etc aren't in the running.
And as my particular tastes run to the "new kid" SGA and the relatively unfashionable non-shippy side of the fandom, I'm gonna nominate my little heart out - and still be in the minority, no doubt ;-)