Daleks in Manhattan -Picspam
Okay. First of all my art exam is in a week so I’m certainly not going to be getting these done before Friday. Sorry, but you can look at them while you wait for the next episode. Anyway, thoughts: not so sure about this episode. I thought that it would have benefited from staying in the same place for more than five minutes at a time. It was like they wanted to show all the elements of 1930s New York but I thought the story became a little bitty, and the writing certainly wasn’t at it‘s best. However I don’t like to judge a double parter before I’ve seen the second part so we’ll see.
And Daleks! (Considering the title you’ll excuse me for not counting this as a spoiler) there’s something incredibly exciting about Daleks. I think it’s the idea of watching a monster that both my parents cowered behind the sofa from as children. Heck, even my parent’s parents did for a little while. Also ‘Dalek’ was one the best episodes in series one, and if not my favourite overall certainly the best written. I think Christopher Ecclestons performance in that certainly got it into our heads why our parents where so afraid all those years ago. I hope they don’t kill the off, properly. That would suck.
Picks from http://doctorwho.time-and-space.co.uk/index.php. Just double click for a larger view.
Very glitzy. I do wish they’d spent more of the episode in the theatre. Wouldn’t it be fun to have an entire episode set in the theatre? They could pit the Doctor against the phantom of the opera of something, and all burst into song at random intervals. The Doctor could do ’On my own’ from ‘les Miserables’, matha can sing ‘I don’t know how to love him’ from ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ and -I have to stop thinking about this stuff so much.
Oooo, Sparkly. “Where’s Tallulah?”
Why she’s making out with Bugsy Malone of course.
Sorry. Lazlo. Tallulah gets no points for her accent, and should never ever be allowed to act in ‘Chicago’. For some reason the accents really rubbed me up the wrong way, which was unexpected usually it only bugs me if it’s an English accent. I am kind of curious as to whether the wording sounded alright though, because that’s always the thing that gets me with English characters on American programmes. Even if the actor actually is English, American writers seem to be incapable of writing them (unless they’re Joss Whedon of course).
Hey, he’s cute. Where do they come up with these guys? And why don’t I ever come across them?
Unfortunately he has a run in with pig man (being just slightly obvious with the insinuations there RTD).
Never mind. David Tennant makes up for ten good looking guys being eaten by pigs -though he should probably stop staring down Martha’s top. Maybe he's just agreeing with me that Martha HAS to go home for new clothes. She’s been wearing the same thing for three and a half adventure in a row now
And we’re in New York -the green screen version! Do you remember when blue screens were all the rage? Perhaps they changed it because green screen is more fun to say. ‘Green screen, green screen, green screen…’
“Hooverville mystery deepens.” Sounds like and adventure to me.
And after a short history lesson (this episode was very good for history actually)…
Here wee are! Not quite as cheerful as the theatre. Less evil pig men though.
Naturally within 30 seconds the Doctor has fallen in with the Hoover Ville leader, Solomon, who likes making long, overly dramatic speeches. This guy may be rivalling Tallulah for most annoying accent of the episode.
Meanwhile on top of the empire state building…
Check out the evil black suit and slicked back hair.
“These new bosses, what’s their names?”
“I think you could say they’re from out of town?”
“Italians?”
Ahhh!!! It’s the Dalek’s and their scary farmyard animal minions (what is it with Doctor who and mutant pigs? ). Clearly the Daleks chose the empire state building because it has lift access. My current theory is that they’ve ‘devolved’ into their earlier state and thus lost the ability to fly (as illustrated by this cartoon).
I find this idea mildly comforting because it means that in the event of a Dalek invasion of earth I can escape by staying upstairs in my bedroom.
I realised watching this just how terrified of Daleks I actually am. It narrowly beats claustrophobia to the mark as my most useless fear. Yes it’s true. I’m afraid of a dustibin with kitchen utensils stuck to it. I’m wondering if it’s inherited from my parents somehow, or if it’s just as a result of being told repeatedly, from a young age that Daleks are scary and it’s now just built into my psyche. Snow Angel says she’s scared of them too so it isn’t just me being odd.
Look, it’s got a little signpost and everything, just encase you don’t realise it’s a Hoover Ville.
“So men going missing, is this true?”
Ooo, thoughtful ear pulling.
'Greetings Hoovervillians. Come work for me down the sewer. Sure it’s smelly, dangerous and you’ll most likely be turned into a pig…but I’ll give you a dollar!'
“I’m volunteering. I’ll go.”
The Doctor doesn’t know that much about money does he.
“I’ll kill you for this”
“Turn left. Go about a half a mile…” I’d come with you, but I don’t want to die- huh-hum, sorry I mean smell. I don’t want to smell…
“And if we don’t come back up.”
I think that the Doctor’s perhaps a tad suspicious.
Aw. look at Frank. He almost makes up for the loss of Lazlo. Aint’ he sweet?
And he totally fancies Martha.
“You stick with me, you‘ll be alright.”
“Whoa!” check out the weird green blob.
“Is it radioactive, or something?”
“And you’ve got to pick it up”
“Martha, medical opinion?”
“Well it’s not human…”
No! really? I can’t that I liked all the writing on this particular episode. Actually, to me it looks very much like a jellyfish.
And now you shall put these strange metal things on the top of empire state building, so that I can take over the world!-
Um…I mean…make it look pretty.
The Daleks suit the 1930s surprisingly well.
“Your loyalty will be rewarded, come with me.”
Queue scary music. You know, for an evil bad guy he’s surprisingly gullible.
Meanwhile…Ah! Creepy sewer noises. Did anyone else sort of expect the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to jump out here? No? Just me?
But no. It’s just a pig man. If you were going to make part animal part human slaves, wouldn’t you make them out of something a little bit more scary and cool looking, and less like and annoying pun like tigers or bears?
Aw. And the Doctor’s being all sweet and understanding. He doesn’t have Rose to back him up on the emotional stuff anymore.
“I’d hate to be stuck down here all on my own…oh, but what are you?”
He’s a pig minion of course!
Unfortunately the Doctor realises this a little bit late.
“They’re following you.”
“Yeah, I noticed that. Thanks.”=
“Right then. Martha, Frank, Solomon.”
“What?”
“okay. Em…basically…”
“RUN!”
All the others take this piece of advice o heart, and Frank…
Decides to beat off the pig men with a stick. Yeah, cute, but not the brightest star in the sky.
No, not Frank!
“Nooooo!” poor Doctor gets really upset.
“We’ve got to go back down! We can’t just leave him!” My theory is that he’s having ‘doomsday’ flashbacks.
“Hands in the air and no funny business.” What do you know. They’ve come out in the theatre.
“Now tell you schmucks. What have you done with Lazlo?”
“He disappeared a few weeks ago.”
“I’m not stupid…
I Know some guys are pigs, but not my Lazlo.” Ha! I can’t believe I didn’t pick that up first time around.
“Might just help if you put that down.”
“Oh sure…Oh come on, it’s not real. It’s just a prop. It’ was either that or a spear.”
So the Doctor and Solomon have a blokey chat about Frank among other things….
“I’ve gotta get back to Hoover Ville. These creatures on the loose, we gotta protect ourselves. No one else gonna help us”
“Good luck.”
And Tallulah and Martha have a girly chat about Lazlo, among other things.
“It’s the depression sweetie. Your heart might break but the show goes on, ‘cus if it stops you starve.” Aw. I can’t say I like Tallulah much. She does rather annoy me. But I think she’s growing on me.
“Hey, you lucky though. You got yourself a forward thinking guy with that hot potato in the sharp suit.”
“oh, he’s not…we’re not together.”
“Sure you are. I’ve seen the way you look at him. It’s obvious.”
“Not to him.” *Angsty sob*
“Oh. I should have realised. He’s into musical theatre huh? What a waste.” Hahaha!
***
“behold, the true Dalek form.”
Hey it’s an actual Dalek! Ew.
And he just ate slimy bad guy dude. Double ew (I think the bad American accents are rubbing off on me).
I wasn’t really paying attention during this bit. I was too distracted by the sexy glasses-ness.
Look! They have an actual musical number. How cool is that?
Heh! It’s a semi-pig man. Wonder who on earth he could be?
Poor Martha. Trying not so subtly to get across the stage. Brownies if you spot her!
This exactly what would happen to me. I love the variations in colour that the theatre brings. Evrything else is so grey and the theatre's all bright and shiny.
Oh dear. I hope Martha does something other than get captured this week. I know she’s a companion, but still.
“Where are you going?”
“They’ve taken her.”
“Who’s taken her? What are you doing?”
Daleks. Pretty girls in short skirts chasing the Doctor around asking inane question. Brightly coloured suits. It’s all kind of old school isn’t it.
Yay! It’s Frank. “You’re alive.”
Have you noticed that Martha’s been hit on by just about every single guy so far this series…except for the Doctor that is. Maybe they’re going for dramatic irony.
“They survived. They always survive, when I lose everything!” honestly, who didn’t love that line. He’s so having Doomsday flashbacks.
Awww. It’s Lazlo. Sure he’s a pig, but on the bright side, at least he still has good hair.
“Lazlo? My Lazlo? What have they done to you?”
“What the hell is that?”
“These are strong specimens. They will help the Dalek cause.”
“Dalek?”
Nice to know that Martha’s catching on.
“They’re divided into two groups, high intelligence and low intelligence. The low intelligence are taken to become pig slaves like me.
“But that’s not fair. You’re the smartest guy I ever dated.”
Naturally Martha is of high intelligence. So she’s taken to the “trans-genic laboratory.”
“Go, please.”
“but Lazlo you gotta come with me.”
“Where would I go?”
Oh he’s doomed. Doomed! And I liked him. L
Yep. Once again the Doctor’s brilliant plan is mostly about making it up as he goes along.
“I’m so glad to see you.”
“Yeah well you kiss me later…
you too Frank if you want”
And the number of hinted threesomes in this series grows. Perhaps they’re preparing for the arrival of Captain Jack.
“I don’t exactly want to get noticed.” he says. Hiding really well there Doctor.
“We are the only four Daleks in existence, so the species must evolve”…
“I am a human Dalek”
Wow. ‘Cus that’s not even slightly scary. Honestly A ‘human Dalek‘? that’s the cliff-hanger. And he’s wearing a suite and Chicago-ish shoes. Am I the only person who didn’t crack up at this point, just slightly? They’re so much more scary as metal cases. And more practical. I mean look at him. He’s all squishy. And he only has one eye. That has to be the worst (recent) Dalek plan ever. Dear me.