Doctor Who: Pandorica Opens
A brief note on the first episode of the two-part finale. SPOILERS...she says in a manner emphatically not River Song-ish. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Ahem.
So, I've only been watching this season out of habit. Which is sad, but, meh. It's failed to grab me, for whatever reason, but I'm watching because it can still be fun and because I'm ever hopeful that I'll have that moment of "OMG Eleven is totally awesome!"
Still, my favorite part of this series has been Rory, so I was so very happy to see him again in "Pandorica Opens". Until, you know, he turned out to be, well, a Chucky doll only cuter. Still, I live in hope that he'll overcome his programming and that Amy will (assuming she lives) accept that he may be a living Ken doll but he still loves her. Please?
Meanwhile, I'm not sure about the whole grand narrative running through the series. I think I like it. I mean, it's not as pervasive as Bad Wolf but it's intriguing. I can see why a show like Doctor Who would more often opt for discrete episodic blocks. Casual fans can normally pop in and still know what's going on even if they missed last week's. I'm guessing any casual fans watching "Pandorica Opens" would have had a few "what the hell?" moments. But, yeah, seeing Churchill and Vincent and the Queen all pop up again was sort of fun. Well, Vincent wasn't fun. I wish we were left with seeing him almost happy, even if we knew it wouldn't last. And Churchill wasn't fun because it reminded me of the WORST episode of the series. Still, on principle, good times.
Also sort of fun was Eleven's ridiculous rockstar "do you feel luck, punk" speech. What sold it was that he finsihed up and said it oughta hold 'em for 30 minutes. It was actually one of the few scenes of the entire series where I wasn't thinking "I'd rather see Ten in this situation." Because Ten would either do his Oncoming Storm bit, or his prevaricating "welllllll" bit, or his uber compassionate yay!humans bit. And, don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE those bits, but really they work better face to face. Talking through a loud speaker to a hundred hovering spaceships? Not so much. So kudos, Eleven, for your ridiculous rockstar posturing.
Minus 15 for taking forever to figure out that the pandorica was supposed to hold YOU. I mean, as soon as he told the fairytale about it I knew it was him. I'd wondered if some version of him was already in there, breaking out. I'd hoped that, to be honest. How wonderful would it have been to have, say, a pre-Rose Nine saunter out of there? Still. I don't like figuring things out before the Doctor. It's not like who-done-its where you get a thrill of beating the detective to the punch. I was just going "how thick are you?" half the episode.
What else? The whole notion of an alliance threw me off a bit. Daleks working with anyone throws me off. Even if having all those baddies there was a bit thrilling. But why all new Who? I probably need to watch that scene again, but you'd hope they'd throw in some baddies from the last thirty years. And I'm probably being a bit thick, but why were the Judoon there? I know the Shadow Proclamation were a bit peeved with the Doctor after he skipped out on leading them into battle against the Daleks, but, yeah, this whole Pandorica thing does not seem like something the Judoon would go along with. They'd just kill him.
So. Hopes for tonight's finale? I want the Daleks and Cybermen to have to let the Doctor out and ask for his help, please. I want some mention of the River paradox (in that she can't die before she's met Eleven for the first time, right?), even if it's as simple as timey wimey stuff. I want fake!Rory to become real!Rory and for Amy to live and for her to chose him over her life with the Doctor (if there has to be a choice). That's a big one, because I love Rory to bits. And I don't want any discussion about the alternate universe with Rose and TenII being in danger. Leave them alone.
That's about it.
Meanwhile, I've been looking at some classic Who. Patrick Troughton's Two is so great! He's like Columbo with that innocent act! Hartnell a bit too Yoda for my taste ("hmm?"). Pertwee a bit too action man (what is it again? Venusian akido?). More later.
So, I've only been watching this season out of habit. Which is sad, but, meh. It's failed to grab me, for whatever reason, but I'm watching because it can still be fun and because I'm ever hopeful that I'll have that moment of "OMG Eleven is totally awesome!"
Still, my favorite part of this series has been Rory, so I was so very happy to see him again in "Pandorica Opens". Until, you know, he turned out to be, well, a Chucky doll only cuter. Still, I live in hope that he'll overcome his programming and that Amy will (assuming she lives) accept that he may be a living Ken doll but he still loves her. Please?
Meanwhile, I'm not sure about the whole grand narrative running through the series. I think I like it. I mean, it's not as pervasive as Bad Wolf but it's intriguing. I can see why a show like Doctor Who would more often opt for discrete episodic blocks. Casual fans can normally pop in and still know what's going on even if they missed last week's. I'm guessing any casual fans watching "Pandorica Opens" would have had a few "what the hell?" moments. But, yeah, seeing Churchill and Vincent and the Queen all pop up again was sort of fun. Well, Vincent wasn't fun. I wish we were left with seeing him almost happy, even if we knew it wouldn't last. And Churchill wasn't fun because it reminded me of the WORST episode of the series. Still, on principle, good times.
Also sort of fun was Eleven's ridiculous rockstar "do you feel luck, punk" speech. What sold it was that he finsihed up and said it oughta hold 'em for 30 minutes. It was actually one of the few scenes of the entire series where I wasn't thinking "I'd rather see Ten in this situation." Because Ten would either do his Oncoming Storm bit, or his prevaricating "welllllll" bit, or his uber compassionate yay!humans bit. And, don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE those bits, but really they work better face to face. Talking through a loud speaker to a hundred hovering spaceships? Not so much. So kudos, Eleven, for your ridiculous rockstar posturing.
Minus 15 for taking forever to figure out that the pandorica was supposed to hold YOU. I mean, as soon as he told the fairytale about it I knew it was him. I'd wondered if some version of him was already in there, breaking out. I'd hoped that, to be honest. How wonderful would it have been to have, say, a pre-Rose Nine saunter out of there? Still. I don't like figuring things out before the Doctor. It's not like who-done-its where you get a thrill of beating the detective to the punch. I was just going "how thick are you?" half the episode.
What else? The whole notion of an alliance threw me off a bit. Daleks working with anyone throws me off. Even if having all those baddies there was a bit thrilling. But why all new Who? I probably need to watch that scene again, but you'd hope they'd throw in some baddies from the last thirty years. And I'm probably being a bit thick, but why were the Judoon there? I know the Shadow Proclamation were a bit peeved with the Doctor after he skipped out on leading them into battle against the Daleks, but, yeah, this whole Pandorica thing does not seem like something the Judoon would go along with. They'd just kill him.
So. Hopes for tonight's finale? I want the Daleks and Cybermen to have to let the Doctor out and ask for his help, please. I want some mention of the River paradox (in that she can't die before she's met Eleven for the first time, right?), even if it's as simple as timey wimey stuff. I want fake!Rory to become real!Rory and for Amy to live and for her to chose him over her life with the Doctor (if there has to be a choice). That's a big one, because I love Rory to bits. And I don't want any discussion about the alternate universe with Rose and TenII being in danger. Leave them alone.
That's about it.
Meanwhile, I've been looking at some classic Who. Patrick Troughton's Two is so great! He's like Columbo with that innocent act! Hartnell a bit too Yoda for my taste ("hmm?"). Pertwee a bit too action man (what is it again? Venusian akido?). More later.