Aliens of London/World War III
Can I just squeak in with this review?
I’m not overly fond of these episodes and I’ve been trying to figure out why. Partly because I don’t find the Slitheen all that interesting but I think a large part of it is that my suspension of disbelief is broken.
In ‘Rose’, we see the world from Rose’s POV and it looks like it’s our world and the Doctor is just something we don’t know about. Then we’re looking at the future and the past and it’s all fascinating - and then we’re back in London, in our time, and suddenly aliens are real, the PM’s murdered, Big Ben is smashed and the Doctor and Rose are in Downing Street. And this is not my world.
*sighs* Given my love of urban fantasy and paranormal fiction, I don’t know if that’s making sense … *waves hands* But I do find the sudden smash into reality a bit much. Then again the episodes do confront quite a few people with a new reality so maybe …
Anyway, there are things I like about these episodes so a few thoughts …
Rose
Poor Rose. This was not what she expected. Twelve hours! It was supposed to be twelve hours! We never see her yell at the Doctor about this but I notice that she does not look displeased when Jackie slaps him. I also notice that while she really is upset about what Mickey went through she’s not precisely keen about resuming their relationship, is she?
She really is suited to the adventure lifestyle, isn’t she? Doesn’t flinch at the thought of death but does her best not to die. I was rather angry with the Doctor for forcing her to choose at the end … but how could she stay?
Doctor
The Doctor manages to be awesome, of course, and he makes me want to hit him. Several times. GO JACKIE!!! He stays with Rose while she’s talking to Jackie and the cops but makes Rose choose between dinner with her Mum or leaving right away. No domestics!
He invites Mickey onboard, having spent most of the episodes calling him an idiot. And he never apologises for leaving Mickey to face a murder investigation either. He can’t lie to Jackie and say Rose will be safe but he won’t let her get to know him either.
I would also like to note that there were several moments in this episode which made me wonder if the Doctor is capable of long-term planning. Is it a consequence of 900 years of life that makes him seem incapable of thinking more than one step ahead?
Jackie
Jackie was amazing in this. I wanted to cry at the start when she saw Rose and when she begged Rose to just say where she had been. I cheered when she slapped the Doctor and I didn’t blame her for calling the alien hotline. I wanted to cry at the end when she said, “Don’t go, sweetheart. Please don’t go.” Twelve months without Rose? Then finding out her daughter’s mixed up with an alien who has a fondness for near-death experiences? I think Rose was right to go but I don’t blame Jackie for asking her to stay. Not this time.
Mickey
Mickey is a lot less idiotic this time. Still a bit slapstick in places but he fights aliens and fires a missile! And I really felt sorry for him, imagining what the last twelve months had been like. Jackie wasn’t the only one who owed him an apology.
Harriet Jones
Harriet Jones FTW!
"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North. The only elected representative in this room, chosen by the people, for the people, and on behalf of the people, I command you. Do it."
I love Harriet. Smart and sensible and awesome and she makes the hard decisions. And she knows about Hannibal! I’m still angry with Ten.
Slitheen
I haven’t mentioned the Slitheen much yet and that’s mostly because I find them kind of boring. Amusing in AoL (mildly amused by the farting-as-plot-point but it got old real fast) but in WWIII, I found myself fast-forwarding their scenes. I just wasn’t interested in the Slitheen by themselves.
A few extra notes:
*Doctor wrestling the baby for the remote! Hee!
Tosh! I was confused when Torchwood started because I thought Tosh was a pathologist in this - but she doesn’t actually perform any *medical procedures and she talks about the technology being unlike anything she’d seen before. Was she already a part of Torchwood then?
*Raxacoricofallapatorious! It’s such a marvellous word.
*Rose knowing Mickey’s kitchen better than he does (and I admit the Doctor’s comment crossed my mind as well.)
*“1730, it was occupied by a Mister Chicken - he was a nice man.”
*Rose and Harriet having a conversation while the Doctor waves the brandy:
Slitheen: Who are you, if not human?
Harriet: Who's not human?
Rose: He's not human.
Harriet: He's not human?
The Doctor: Can I have a bit of hush?
Harriet: Sorry.
The Doctor: [to Slitheen]
The Doctor: So what's the plan?
Harriet: [to Rose] But he's got a Northern accent!
Rose: Lots of planets have a North.
The Doctor: I said hush!
*“You pass it to the left first.” Harriet, I adore you.
Rose gets a Tardis key! And is quite accurate about the Doctor's tendeny to wander off. And the end - "The first time I stepped in there it was spur of the moment. Now I'm signing up. You're stuck with me. Hah!" I'm glad they brought that up.