So many people have written general reviews of The End of Time and done them far more justice than I ever could. So I only want to focus on one thing, the Tenth Doctor's final moments
( Read more... )
(I've watched EoT2 quite a few times, and watching it doesn't make me cry. But things like this - oh yes. *wipes eyes*)
This is a gorgeous, perfect post, and I'll just pull out two things:
Its extraordinary that the more alien he became, the more human he became also. Completely paradoxical, but it is what it is. This, exactly.
Bottom line, if this Doctor had gone quietly to his death without a fight, it would have been more akin to suicide than sacrifice. Instead, for the man who had nothing to live for, his strength and heroism lay in finally deciding he wanted to live. Choosing life, and deciding that despite everything, despite all he had lost, despite all the overwhelming grief, pain and loneliness, at the end of the day, he still wanted to live. His whole arc has been about him trying to find his way out of the dark. This should be on banners! I'm not sure I'd actually gotten that far in my thinking (I just knew that his last words were heartbreaking and *perfect*), but you're spot-on. He's run and run
( ... )
I just posted over at your LJ, and then your comment popped up in my inbox! We've got some strange ESP thing going on...
This is a gorgeous, perfect post Very glad to hear since it took me FOREVER! :P
He's run and run and run away from death, but there's a difference between that, and running towards life. I know. That's what killed me. For the first time in years he'd stopped running, and was desperately trying to stay. RTD is so utterly, phenomenally brilliant, because he had the Doctor finally achieve some semblance of self-forgiveness and peace, but without writing some corney self-awakening scene. Instead, he just clouded it all in tragedy so you almost don't catch what's really going on... which is of course, that this Doctor who has been defined primarily by grief and sadness, has finally stumbled onto the fact that he just wants to live! Regardless of everything that's haunted him all these years
( ... )
Thanks so much ♥ I thought I was just rambling, so i'm glad you liked it! :P
I should warn you, i'm not really active on LJ anymore... I tend to just pop back, you know, when things like this happen! But i'll friend you anyway just in case I start spending more time around here :)
It's getting close to zero in the morning where I am too, so I feel your pain ;)
Thanks so much for your comment ♥ I was in a bit of a daze for a while too, which is why it took me so long to post this. I was literally trying to work out how I felt about it all as I was writing.
But you're right, he really did beat himself up far too much for far too long, and he deserved that little bit of peace at the end. Even if it came much too late :(
Sorry to hear you've had a tough year :( The reason I love RTD so much is that he seems to be able to just effortlessly capture the reality of all of life's little important moments. A lot of writers try to do it and many succeed, but some do it better than others, and Russell's up there among the best i've ever seen. The lesson of enjoying life despite its difficulties, and not wasting another breath on regrets because you have no idea when it could all end, is incredibly powerful.
The beauty of great drama is that it opens our eyes, sometimes to things we already knew but had lost sight of, like the Doctor. And his story in EoT surely mirrored the experiences of so many people watching. (Which is unbelievable considering its a Time Lord trying to stop the resurrection of an evil alien race and their ancient planet!)
No problem about printing your own copy, i'm a bit honoured! :P I really hope things start looking up for you and this year is better than the last ♥
I could quote this whole post because I agree with you in every LINE. Every word you said it's exactly what I think about the last part of the show. God, about Ten.
In my opinion, the only thing I could feel disappointed with was some things in the plot. Like the Time Lords returning just for a few minutes? I'd have loved to see so much more of them but I understand they didn't have the time or the special should have lasted, i don't know, a few hours. But apart from that? Brilliant. Everything. The goodbyes (even when some people think they were too long, for me it was perfect), the performances ♥ They made me cry my heart out, for god's sake! Amazing.
And I do love his last line, you know? It wasn't coward, I think, it was HUMAN.
And this Doctor in particular had been visibly falling apart since The Master's death, even since Doomsday.
Word. Word to everything you said. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with the rest of us. :)
In my opinion, the only thing I could feel disappointed with was some things in the plot. Like the Time Lords returning just for a few minutes?
Oh, I totally agree :P I'm willing to overlook the little things because of how amazing the rest of it was. But yeah, I would loved to have seen at least some more of Ten dealing with the fact that his people, who he's had such intense grief about killing, are suddenly standing in front of him. But like you said, time constraints. And at the end of the day, that's just plot nitpicking. I think in terms of character (which is imo the most important thing), it was perfect :)
Thanks so much for your comment, glad you enjoyed the post!
Comments 92
(I've watched EoT2 quite a few times, and watching it doesn't make me cry. But things like this - oh yes. *wipes eyes*)
This is a gorgeous, perfect post, and I'll just pull out two things:
Its extraordinary that the more alien he became, the more human he became also. Completely paradoxical, but it is what it is.
This, exactly.
Bottom line, if this Doctor had gone quietly to his death without a fight, it would have been more akin to suicide than sacrifice. Instead, for the man who had nothing to live for, his strength and heroism lay in finally deciding he wanted to live. Choosing life, and deciding that despite everything, despite all he had lost, despite all the overwhelming grief, pain and loneliness, at the end of the day, he still wanted to live. His whole arc has been about him trying to find his way out of the dark. This should be on banners! I'm not sure I'd actually gotten that far in my thinking (I just knew that his last words were heartbreaking and *perfect*), but you're spot-on. He's run and run ( ... )
Reply
This is a gorgeous, perfect post
Very glad to hear since it took me FOREVER! :P
He's run and run and run away from death, but there's a difference between that, and running towards life. I know. That's what killed me. For the first time in years he'd stopped running, and was desperately trying to stay. RTD is so utterly, phenomenally brilliant, because he had the Doctor finally achieve some semblance of self-forgiveness and peace, but without writing some corney self-awakening scene. Instead, he just clouded it all in tragedy so you almost don't catch what's really going on... which is of course, that this Doctor who has been defined primarily by grief and sadness, has finally stumbled onto the fact that he just wants to live! Regardless of everything that's haunted him all these years ( ... )
Reply
Thanks for this beautiful tribute to the awesomeness of Ten's final moments.
friends?
Reply
I should warn you, i'm not really active on LJ anymore... I tend to just pop back, you know, when things like this happen! But i'll friend you anyway just in case I start spending more time around here :)
Reply
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
Thanks so much for your comment ♥ I was in a bit of a daze for a while too, which is why it took me so long to post this. I was literally trying to work out how I felt about it all as I was writing.
But you're right, he really did beat himself up far too much for far too long, and he deserved that little bit of peace at the end. Even if it came much too late :(
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
The beauty of great drama is that it opens our eyes, sometimes to things we already knew but had lost sight of, like the Doctor. And his story in EoT surely mirrored the experiences of so many people watching. (Which is unbelievable considering its a Time Lord trying to stop the resurrection of an evil alien race and their ancient planet!)
No problem about printing your own copy, i'm a bit honoured! :P I really hope things start looking up for you and this year is better than the last ♥
Reply
Reply
Reply
In my opinion, the only thing I could feel disappointed with was some things in the plot. Like the Time Lords returning just for a few minutes? I'd have loved to see so much more of them but I understand they didn't have the time or the special should have lasted, i don't know, a few hours. But apart from that? Brilliant. Everything. The goodbyes (even when some people think they were too long, for me it was perfect), the performances ♥ They made me cry my heart out, for god's sake! Amazing.
And I do love his last line, you know? It wasn't coward, I think, it was HUMAN.
And this Doctor in particular had been visibly falling apart since The Master's death, even since Doomsday.
Word. Word to everything you said. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with the rest of us. :)
Reply
Oh, I totally agree :P I'm willing to overlook the little things because of how amazing the rest of it was. But yeah, I would loved to have seen at least some more of Ten dealing with the fact that his people, who he's had such intense grief about killing, are suddenly standing in front of him. But like you said, time constraints. And at the end of the day, that's just plot nitpicking. I think in terms of character (which is imo the most important thing), it was perfect :)
Thanks so much for your comment, glad you enjoyed the post!
Reply
Leave a comment