Dinosaurs on a Spaceship Review
Before I start I think I should clarify that I am deliberately choosing to watch episodes one week behind everyone on the official ABC1 airdate. Though I could watch episodes on iview to be where everyone else is at, because the season is so much shorter this year (cut in half and put across to next year at any rate), I want to draw out the episodes we have for as long as possible. Reviews will be done by the end of the next week because I have a lot of thesis work and staying on top of multiple blog and writing commitments is getting tough.
I would have seen A Town Called Mercy last night, but I had a 21st, so I will watch it tonight and have the review for that up before next Saturdays episode, The Power of Three.
Where to start with such a deliciously ridiculous adventure romp? I loved that this episode managed to be comic and silly and serious and chilling and deep all at once. Written by Chris Chibnall, who is not usually a favoured Who scriptwriter of mine (Life on Mars now- another story!), I enjoyed having multiple companions and multiple story strands. This is something that connects New Who under Moffat with older style Who episodes. Having multiple companions travelling with The Doctor is very old school, and actually, that's one of the reasons why I love Rory and Amy together so much. Even though I am ready for them to go sorta, not really, it is something I will really miss.
The history major part of me loved Nerfetiti's disappearance as Pharaoh explained by a Doctor Who episode, and she and the huntsmen hello seedy man from Ashes to Ashes/Thatcherite bastard were very shippable. I also liked the Egyptian link with River masquerading as Cleopatra in The Pandorica Opens. One of the things that has long bugged me about all of New Who, from 2005 to now, has been scriptwriters lack of creativity with all of time and space. s6 and 7 have started to expand that out to alien people and planets again, with lots of historical messing about. Boy, I've missed that! other reason to love Santa Moff
I also loved the Harry Potter reunion with Arthur Weasley as Rory's Dad and Filch as the truly skin crawling Solomon. Nothing like some genocide and implied rape with your prime time television! Good thing Solomon got what was coming to him, and if one more person complains that death isn't The Doctor, stop kidding yourself.
But even my Mum was loving the Father/Son relationship between Rory and his father, and the ending where Brian sits out of the TARDIS looking down on a beautiful earth was touching. I also loved the ending of the episode where he sent postcards home to Amy and Rory, presumably off travelling with The Doctor himself. That's what I love about The Doctor, and I think Moffat's tenure has done a really good job of showing this side of him. The Doctor is an enabler, a mad man who somehow makes sense out of chaos, who helps people see themselves and make themselves who they want to be, not because he is better or because he is a God, but because he holds up a mirror to humanity and asks them to be the best. He asks humanity to respect him enough to display their innate greatness alongside innate fear and hate. He asks them to let love win always.
This conversation with Amy is telling:
The Doctor: How's the job?
Amy: We're about to be hit by missiles and you're asking me that?
The Doctor: I work best when I'm multi-tasking. Keep talking. How's the job?
Amy: I gave it up.
The Doctor: You gave the last one up.
Amy: Yeah well I can't settle. Every minute I'm listening out for that stupid TARDIS sound.
The Doctor: Right, so it's my fault now is it?
Amy: I can't not wait for you, even now. And they're getting longer you know. The gaps between your visits.
The Doctor: Are they?
Amy: I think you're weaning us off you.
The Doctor: I'm not, I promise. Really promise. The others, they're not you. But you and Rory, you have lives-each other. It was what we agreed.
Amy: I know. I just worry there'll come a time when you never turn up. That something will have happened to you and I'll still be waiting, never knowing.
The Doctor: No. Come on, Pond. You'll be there 'til the end of me.
Amy: Or vice versa.
Amy and Rory aren't allowed to die Santa Moff. Not unless it's a natural death from old age and a full life. Amy and Rory are such good companions because we've seen nearly the entirety of their growth, starting with Amy first. We saw Amy's choice; we saw her choose Rory over The Doctor, we saw Rory choose Amy even when that meant 2000 sentient years as the lonely centurion. We've seen them live together on the TARDIS and off it, we've seen their kid as a baby, growing up, and as an adult married to The Doctor. We've seen them start off starry eyed and full of adulation for The Doctor, like Rose and Martha, only for them to lose that blind faith in s6, specifically The God Complex. It deepened their relationship and made them better companions. I will miss them loads.
There is a richness and a complexity about Eleven's stories that I love. It bewilders me to no end when people start laying into Moffat, comparing him to RTD's tenure as though RTD wrote the most serious stories under the sun. Neither have; both wanted Who to be loads of fun. Once certain fans start accepting that, fandom might be a better place to be. Doctor Who will always simply be a wild romp through space and time. The sky is the limit. Let's not limit ourselves with what the show MUST be under any given showrunner.
All in all, Dinosaurs on a Spaceship was an enjoyable, if silly episode, and I shamelessly loved every second.
This entry was originally posted at http://dweomeroflight.dreamwidth.org/76300.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
I would have seen A Town Called Mercy last night, but I had a 21st, so I will watch it tonight and have the review for that up before next Saturdays episode, The Power of Three.
Where to start with such a deliciously ridiculous adventure romp? I loved that this episode managed to be comic and silly and serious and chilling and deep all at once. Written by Chris Chibnall, who is not usually a favoured Who scriptwriter of mine (Life on Mars now- another story!), I enjoyed having multiple companions and multiple story strands. This is something that connects New Who under Moffat with older style Who episodes. Having multiple companions travelling with The Doctor is very old school, and actually, that's one of the reasons why I love Rory and Amy together so much. Even though I am ready for them to go sorta, not really, it is something I will really miss.
The history major part of me loved Nerfetiti's disappearance as Pharaoh explained by a Doctor Who episode, and she and the huntsmen hello seedy man from Ashes to Ashes/Thatcherite bastard were very shippable. I also liked the Egyptian link with River masquerading as Cleopatra in The Pandorica Opens. One of the things that has long bugged me about all of New Who, from 2005 to now, has been scriptwriters lack of creativity with all of time and space. s6 and 7 have started to expand that out to alien people and planets again, with lots of historical messing about. Boy, I've missed that! other reason to love Santa Moff
I also loved the Harry Potter reunion with Arthur Weasley as Rory's Dad and Filch as the truly skin crawling Solomon. Nothing like some genocide and implied rape with your prime time television! Good thing Solomon got what was coming to him, and if one more person complains that death isn't The Doctor, stop kidding yourself.
But even my Mum was loving the Father/Son relationship between Rory and his father, and the ending where Brian sits out of the TARDIS looking down on a beautiful earth was touching. I also loved the ending of the episode where he sent postcards home to Amy and Rory, presumably off travelling with The Doctor himself. That's what I love about The Doctor, and I think Moffat's tenure has done a really good job of showing this side of him. The Doctor is an enabler, a mad man who somehow makes sense out of chaos, who helps people see themselves and make themselves who they want to be, not because he is better or because he is a God, but because he holds up a mirror to humanity and asks them to be the best. He asks humanity to respect him enough to display their innate greatness alongside innate fear and hate. He asks them to let love win always.
This conversation with Amy is telling:
The Doctor: How's the job?
Amy: We're about to be hit by missiles and you're asking me that?
The Doctor: I work best when I'm multi-tasking. Keep talking. How's the job?
Amy: I gave it up.
The Doctor: You gave the last one up.
Amy: Yeah well I can't settle. Every minute I'm listening out for that stupid TARDIS sound.
The Doctor: Right, so it's my fault now is it?
Amy: I can't not wait for you, even now. And they're getting longer you know. The gaps between your visits.
The Doctor: Are they?
Amy: I think you're weaning us off you.
The Doctor: I'm not, I promise. Really promise. The others, they're not you. But you and Rory, you have lives-each other. It was what we agreed.
Amy: I know. I just worry there'll come a time when you never turn up. That something will have happened to you and I'll still be waiting, never knowing.
The Doctor: No. Come on, Pond. You'll be there 'til the end of me.
Amy: Or vice versa.
Amy and Rory aren't allowed to die Santa Moff. Not unless it's a natural death from old age and a full life. Amy and Rory are such good companions because we've seen nearly the entirety of their growth, starting with Amy first. We saw Amy's choice; we saw her choose Rory over The Doctor, we saw Rory choose Amy even when that meant 2000 sentient years as the lonely centurion. We've seen them live together on the TARDIS and off it, we've seen their kid as a baby, growing up, and as an adult married to The Doctor. We've seen them start off starry eyed and full of adulation for The Doctor, like Rose and Martha, only for them to lose that blind faith in s6, specifically The God Complex. It deepened their relationship and made them better companions. I will miss them loads.
There is a richness and a complexity about Eleven's stories that I love. It bewilders me to no end when people start laying into Moffat, comparing him to RTD's tenure as though RTD wrote the most serious stories under the sun. Neither have; both wanted Who to be loads of fun. Once certain fans start accepting that, fandom might be a better place to be. Doctor Who will always simply be a wild romp through space and time. The sky is the limit. Let's not limit ourselves with what the show MUST be under any given showrunner.
All in all, Dinosaurs on a Spaceship was an enjoyable, if silly episode, and I shamelessly loved every second.
This entry was originally posted at http://dweomeroflight.dreamwidth.org/76300.html. Please comment there using OpenID.