Review/Picspam - Series 1, Episode 3: The Unquiet Dead
Another epic one this week. Listen folks, there's just nothing I can do about it until Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper agree to stop being so gorgeous.
I love ghost stories. I love zombies. I love Doctor Who! I...don't love Charles Dickens. But I do love Simon Callow! So, as you can imagine, I have a lot of love for this episode. In fact, most of Doctor Who's historical eps in the new series have been made of win, as far as I'm concerned, but this one especially holds a special place in my heart. I am convinced that it is within this episode that the Doctor/Rose relationship really takes off and starts to grow into something way beyond the standard Doctor-Companion fare of yore.
Mr. Sneed seems remarkably caring and sympathetic in these early scenes, as well as later on when he's trying to convince Gwyneth to get rid of the Gelth, so I tend to believe behind his stodgy 'Summon-the-sight-or-you're-dismissed' and wandering-hands business later on, he's really a pretty good man.
The beginning of a long tradition of me exclaiming at my screen "This is a children's show?!"
"I promised you a time machine and that's what you're getting." Again, in a few episodes here when the Doctor makes the really nasty insinuation that Rose only agreed to travel with him so she could get back to her father, I'd like to point out to him that he is the one insisting upon taking her into the past, at this point.
Gwyneth. How odd that I instantly loved her, but it took me nearly two seasons to be able to tolerate Gwen.
Awwww...it's just like Tooth and Claw! It's scenes like this that I'd love to show those who seem to only want to obsess about how Dark and Brooding Nine was.
And the Most Adorable Conversation Ever. He's actually pretty impressed with himself, and the life he leads, when he gets to see it through her eyes. He can even say the words: "Not a bad life," and Rose instantly wins his heart even more by suggesting that she's part of that life now: "Better with two."
And I love the line "No wonder you never stand still." Very observant - like Donna noting in The Doctor's Daughter that Ten talks and talks and never really says anything. They don't miss a trick, these girls.
It's like a full five minutes of them just beaming at each other.
And again, I would like to take the oppourtunity to point out, here, that Rose smacks him on the ass as she runs to the door. I had to rewatch that part like 20 times when I first saw this to confirm that I'd seen what I thought I had. And immediately after this is when he seems to start to get REALLY flirty with her...I think he perceived this (rightfully so) as some sort of confirmation of interest on her part, and decided to just sort of go with it.
Love the Doctor giving TARDIS directions...and that reminds me: WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GET TO SEE SOME MORE OF THE TARDIS? Four years I've been waiting, and so far we've seen a lot of Console Room, and one shot of the wardrobe. Really. Throw us fanfic writers a bone, will you?
Oh yeah. It was definitely the ass-slap.
They were a tad bit inconsistant with Gwyneth's character, weren't they, considering later she's all "YES! Make me into a vessel for my angels!" And also Mr. Sneed, because one would think since he knows her past, if he REALLY wanted her to use the sight, he could easily trot out the "Summon the angels sent by your parents, girl!"
Yay! Again: I hate Dickens (well, his writing. Never met him, personally), but I love this portrayal of him.
Ahem. Observe Nine having to pick his jaw up off the floor when he sees Rose. Amusing how he instantly quantifies his statement with "Considering...that you're human...", as in the coming years we pretty much see him do nothing but flirt with humans/humanoids. The Doctor is a bit embarrassed of his human-fetish, methinks.
"I think that's a compliment."
Rose is so tentative about stepping outside - mirroring Martha's "Are we alright, can we move around?" questions in The Shakespeare Code.
So I don't get it - what is wrong with Cardiff? It's made into such a running joke in Who...is it kind of like New Jersey to us in the States, or something (DISCLAIMER! Not trying to offend any New Jersey-ites, just trying to think of something to draw a comparison)?
As much as I don't care for Dickens, it would be pretty cool to attend a live reading of this on Christmas.
Really? He's drugging her because she's seen too much? What does he plan to do with the other hundred or so people in the audience, then?
The Doctor's 'Rose-is-in-danger'-Sense is tingling...
The Doctor fanboying over Dickens is too cute.
Dickens gets badass.
SEE? On their last trip, the Doctor was like "Ho-hum, Rose is in danger, well I'll try to save her if I can" and now it's like "GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY PEOPLE".
They totally hang on each other throughout this entire exchange.
Though it's a bit bizarre how the Doctor thinks it's hilarious when Rose mentions Mr. Sneed copping a feel while she was passed out...haven't quite reached the Possessive Jealous Phase, then.
Let's just take a moment to admire how sweet this screenshot is.
Rose trying to connect with the help, again. Notice if you will that she remarks that the two things she loves on a man are a good smile, and a nice bum. The Doctor has a gorgeous smile, and just a little bit ago she became a bit more closely acquainted with his bum after giving it a good smack...
So freaky when she mentions Rose's dad, as we had no idea up to this point that he was dead.
"The things you've seen...the darkness...the Big Bad Wolf!" Oh I still get shivers at that.
"I love a happy medium!" Oh, Nine. *squish* In many, many ways, Nine is way more lighthearted and goofy than Ten will ever dream of being. Ten is always, to quote Phyllis the Plasmavore, "laughing at the darkness". Nine honestly seemed to find joy, here and there, and never more so then when he was trying to make Rose smile. *sigh*
"The Time War." Aaaaand that'd be Dark!Nine's trigger. He SO doesn't think logically or rationally in this episode, and this is why, the same reason why he let himself be snuck up on by the Autons while the Nestene Consciousness was berating him: guilt. Ten's catch phrase is "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry", but Nine never says it, because it's written all over his face and in his actions. He'd sacrifice himself in a heartbeat, to try and right these wrongs...the only thing that saves him is that he has Rose, now.
"Seriously though, you can't." "Seriously though I can" And they're three for three with arguments, now. I think this is another reason why the UST was so strong in series one - the passion and the arguing and the pushing each other's limits. The only reason why their fights hurt so much is because of how strongly they're coming to care about each other.
"It's a different morality - get used to it or go home." Ouch. He throws this out because he knows that A-She can't get home right now, and B-She won't. It's like fighting with your boyfriend/girlfriend in high school, when they'd piss you off and you'd be like "Well fine, maybe we should just BREAK UP THEN", just to see the look on their face.
You know, this look:
And yet, even still, immediately he hovers right up close to her again.
It's very telling and endearing that, when Gwyneth calls Rose on her condescending to her, instead of denying it she just insists that that's not fair. Rose doesn't cotton to lying.
I knew this would end badly.
So sweet how the Doctor pushes Rose behind him when the Gelth start breakin' necks.
And to Rose's great flipping credit, she does NOT start immediately chanting 'I-told-you-so'. She's a better woman than I, Rose is.
How dense am I that I didn't get until JUST THIS SECOND the irony of the Gelth coming after Dickens through the door knocker?
I've never understood why the Doctor gets so grim here. My only thought is that he's planning on, if Rose dies, purposefully not regenerating, because what would be the point? At least this way, he won't die alone.
One of my top 5 Doctor/Rose moments of all time:
"I'm so glad I met you." "Me too."
"Leave that to me." STOP BEING SUICIDAL, DOCTOR. Seriously, did he think that Rose was just gonna be fine if he offed himself and left her to live out her life in 1869 with Charles Dickens?!
There was much kerfluffle made at the time of Voyage of the Damned about the Doctor's final kiss goodbye to Astrid, but for me personally, more than anything it reminded me this scene more than anything romantic.
"No one will ever know." Well, except for the hundreds of people you all tell every single chance you get. And that reminds me - how exactly is Gwen descended from Gwyneth if she died with no children, and her parents were dead, and she didn't appear to have any siblings?
Nine doesn't look too pleased when Rose plants one on Mr. Dickens.
And I always, always well up during the whole "My books - do they last?" conversation.
*melts every single time Nine grins*
Awww...maybe I'll give Dickens another go, someday. Just not Great Expectations. Stupid high school reading assignments. *grumble grumble*
I love ghost stories. I love zombies. I love Doctor Who! I...don't love Charles Dickens. But I do love Simon Callow! So, as you can imagine, I have a lot of love for this episode. In fact, most of Doctor Who's historical eps in the new series have been made of win, as far as I'm concerned, but this one especially holds a special place in my heart. I am convinced that it is within this episode that the Doctor/Rose relationship really takes off and starts to grow into something way beyond the standard Doctor-Companion fare of yore.
Mr. Sneed seems remarkably caring and sympathetic in these early scenes, as well as later on when he's trying to convince Gwyneth to get rid of the Gelth, so I tend to believe behind his stodgy 'Summon-the-sight-or-you're-dismissed' and wandering-hands business later on, he's really a pretty good man.
The beginning of a long tradition of me exclaiming at my screen "This is a children's show?!"
"I promised you a time machine and that's what you're getting." Again, in a few episodes here when the Doctor makes the really nasty insinuation that Rose only agreed to travel with him so she could get back to her father, I'd like to point out to him that he is the one insisting upon taking her into the past, at this point.
Gwyneth. How odd that I instantly loved her, but it took me nearly two seasons to be able to tolerate Gwen.
Awwww...it's just like Tooth and Claw! It's scenes like this that I'd love to show those who seem to only want to obsess about how Dark and Brooding Nine was.
And the Most Adorable Conversation Ever. He's actually pretty impressed with himself, and the life he leads, when he gets to see it through her eyes. He can even say the words: "Not a bad life," and Rose instantly wins his heart even more by suggesting that she's part of that life now: "Better with two."
And I love the line "No wonder you never stand still." Very observant - like Donna noting in The Doctor's Daughter that Ten talks and talks and never really says anything. They don't miss a trick, these girls.
It's like a full five minutes of them just beaming at each other.
And again, I would like to take the oppourtunity to point out, here, that Rose smacks him on the ass as she runs to the door. I had to rewatch that part like 20 times when I first saw this to confirm that I'd seen what I thought I had. And immediately after this is when he seems to start to get REALLY flirty with her...I think he perceived this (rightfully so) as some sort of confirmation of interest on her part, and decided to just sort of go with it.
Love the Doctor giving TARDIS directions...and that reminds me: WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GET TO SEE SOME MORE OF THE TARDIS? Four years I've been waiting, and so far we've seen a lot of Console Room, and one shot of the wardrobe. Really. Throw us fanfic writers a bone, will you?
Oh yeah. It was definitely the ass-slap.
They were a tad bit inconsistant with Gwyneth's character, weren't they, considering later she's all "YES! Make me into a vessel for my angels!" And also Mr. Sneed, because one would think since he knows her past, if he REALLY wanted her to use the sight, he could easily trot out the "Summon the angels sent by your parents, girl!"
Yay! Again: I hate Dickens (well, his writing. Never met him, personally), but I love this portrayal of him.
Ahem. Observe Nine having to pick his jaw up off the floor when he sees Rose. Amusing how he instantly quantifies his statement with "Considering...that you're human...", as in the coming years we pretty much see him do nothing but flirt with humans/humanoids. The Doctor is a bit embarrassed of his human-fetish, methinks.
"I think that's a compliment."
Rose is so tentative about stepping outside - mirroring Martha's "Are we alright, can we move around?" questions in The Shakespeare Code.
So I don't get it - what is wrong with Cardiff? It's made into such a running joke in Who...is it kind of like New Jersey to us in the States, or something (DISCLAIMER! Not trying to offend any New Jersey-ites, just trying to think of something to draw a comparison)?
As much as I don't care for Dickens, it would be pretty cool to attend a live reading of this on Christmas.
Really? He's drugging her because she's seen too much? What does he plan to do with the other hundred or so people in the audience, then?
The Doctor's 'Rose-is-in-danger'-Sense is tingling...
The Doctor fanboying over Dickens is too cute.
Dickens gets badass.
SEE? On their last trip, the Doctor was like "Ho-hum, Rose is in danger, well I'll try to save her if I can" and now it's like "GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY PEOPLE".
They totally hang on each other throughout this entire exchange.
Though it's a bit bizarre how the Doctor thinks it's hilarious when Rose mentions Mr. Sneed copping a feel while she was passed out...haven't quite reached the Possessive Jealous Phase, then.
Let's just take a moment to admire how sweet this screenshot is.
Rose trying to connect with the help, again. Notice if you will that she remarks that the two things she loves on a man are a good smile, and a nice bum. The Doctor has a gorgeous smile, and just a little bit ago she became a bit more closely acquainted with his bum after giving it a good smack...
So freaky when she mentions Rose's dad, as we had no idea up to this point that he was dead.
"The things you've seen...the darkness...the Big Bad Wolf!" Oh I still get shivers at that.
"I love a happy medium!" Oh, Nine. *squish* In many, many ways, Nine is way more lighthearted and goofy than Ten will ever dream of being. Ten is always, to quote Phyllis the Plasmavore, "laughing at the darkness". Nine honestly seemed to find joy, here and there, and never more so then when he was trying to make Rose smile. *sigh*
"The Time War." Aaaaand that'd be Dark!Nine's trigger. He SO doesn't think logically or rationally in this episode, and this is why, the same reason why he let himself be snuck up on by the Autons while the Nestene Consciousness was berating him: guilt. Ten's catch phrase is "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry", but Nine never says it, because it's written all over his face and in his actions. He'd sacrifice himself in a heartbeat, to try and right these wrongs...the only thing that saves him is that he has Rose, now.
"Seriously though, you can't." "Seriously though I can" And they're three for three with arguments, now. I think this is another reason why the UST was so strong in series one - the passion and the arguing and the pushing each other's limits. The only reason why their fights hurt so much is because of how strongly they're coming to care about each other.
"It's a different morality - get used to it or go home." Ouch. He throws this out because he knows that A-She can't get home right now, and B-She won't. It's like fighting with your boyfriend/girlfriend in high school, when they'd piss you off and you'd be like "Well fine, maybe we should just BREAK UP THEN", just to see the look on their face.
You know, this look:
And yet, even still, immediately he hovers right up close to her again.
It's very telling and endearing that, when Gwyneth calls Rose on her condescending to her, instead of denying it she just insists that that's not fair. Rose doesn't cotton to lying.
I knew this would end badly.
So sweet how the Doctor pushes Rose behind him when the Gelth start breakin' necks.
And to Rose's great flipping credit, she does NOT start immediately chanting 'I-told-you-so'. She's a better woman than I, Rose is.
How dense am I that I didn't get until JUST THIS SECOND the irony of the Gelth coming after Dickens through the door knocker?
I've never understood why the Doctor gets so grim here. My only thought is that he's planning on, if Rose dies, purposefully not regenerating, because what would be the point? At least this way, he won't die alone.
One of my top 5 Doctor/Rose moments of all time:
"I'm so glad I met you." "Me too."
"Leave that to me." STOP BEING SUICIDAL, DOCTOR. Seriously, did he think that Rose was just gonna be fine if he offed himself and left her to live out her life in 1869 with Charles Dickens?!
There was much kerfluffle made at the time of Voyage of the Damned about the Doctor's final kiss goodbye to Astrid, but for me personally, more than anything it reminded me this scene more than anything romantic.
"No one will ever know." Well, except for the hundreds of people you all tell every single chance you get. And that reminds me - how exactly is Gwen descended from Gwyneth if she died with no children, and her parents were dead, and she didn't appear to have any siblings?
Nine doesn't look too pleased when Rose plants one on Mr. Dickens.
And I always, always well up during the whole "My books - do they last?" conversation.
*melts every single time Nine grins*
Awww...maybe I'll give Dickens another go, someday. Just not Great Expectations. Stupid high school reading assignments. *grumble grumble*
