I always want to call it "Season 11" instead of "Season 5"
I has new Doctor Who! New to me, anyway, though everyone else in the world has already seen it, as well as the Christmas special that followed it, which I have not seen and that makes me sad.
I always feel vaguely that I'm not entitled to have thoughts on Doctor Who since I'm mostly a New Who fan and, the occasional Tom Baker story notwithstanding, haven't really done my time with the Old School show, yet. However. Thoughts.
First of all, let's just get this out of the way up front: Matt Smith is make of win and pie and fancy chocolates. I was afraid I just wouldn't be able to to get past how funny-looking he is. Turns out the hair and the chin and the fact that they forgot to give him eyebrows to go on those great big skull ridges did not get in the way one bit. In fact, I think they made me buy him as the Doctor faster. That is to say, almost right away.
I think Eleven is my favorite Doctor yet, actually. I love his spazzy mannerisms, the way half the things he does with his legs and arms almost look like involuntary ticks. I love how when asked about being the last of Time Lords he does not descend headfirst into ANGST. Instead, he gets a teeny catch in his throat and says something about it's a long story, it was a really bad day, and now there's just him, all in a way that convey great sadness so much more clearly than the Great Big Angsty Face of Ten. (I don't wish to disparage Ten's Angsty Face, for I love me a good angsty face; it quite suited him, and he did do it so very well, I just...like this even more.) I love how tactile Eleven is with everyone, especially his companions. He hugs, he pats, he taps noses, he gives away forehead kisses like they're going out of style (please don't ever let them go out of style), he shakes by the shoulders, he pets hair. *draws sparkly hearts* Love it. And I love, too, that he's this young man wearing very old man's clothes, right down to the stretchy gold watch that everyone's grandma has. Love, love, love.
Next, of course, is Amy. I think Donna might, possibly, still be my favorite companion by a hair. But it's a very thin (ginger) hair. I'm so glad the Doctor has found another redhead to call him on his bullshit. Speaking of which, preggers!Amy is my favorite flavor of Amy, and the "This is my life and it just turned you white as a sheet!" bit where she pretends to go into labor to freak him out? Best. Thing. Ever. Of course my second-favorite flavor of Amy is Little Amelia who is not scared of anything except the crack in her bedroom wall. Who grew up to be the type of person who, when her imaginary friend comes back after twelve years (and four psychiatrists), hits him with a cricket bat, cuffs him to the heater, and pretends to be the fuzz when he wakes up. I mightily enjoy how quickly she picks up the Doctor's habit of responding to questions with answers that are entirely truthful and entirely lacking in any kind of context that might make them understandable. "A long time ago tomorrow morning." "I dressed for Rio!" Amy FTW!
Which brings us to: RORY!! *tacklehugs* Oh, Rory. I kind of thought you were a bit of a doormat at first, but you turned out to be so awesome and brave and loyal and wonderful and I'm pretty sure you're the best boyfriend ever. I mean, you were getting yelled at by the doctor lady, and the Amy pushed you around a lot, and the Doctor kind of walked on you at first, but then you fought a space vampire with a broom and yelled at the Doctor for making people dangerous to themselves, and that sort of won me over. And after that there was so much more awesomeness (also DEATH, at which I CRIED) culminating in a Roman Centurion costume (which, rowr) and punching the Doctor and guarding the woman you love for two thousand years without complaint. Rory Williams, ladies and gentlemen! Instant hero, just add time travel!
So yes, I like the new Doctor, I like the new companions, I even like the new TARDIS interior. In fact, I think the only thing I liked better last season is the screwdriver. What are those little claw things that deploy at the end of the green one?
Other things:
River cracks me up. I kind of hope they don't get in the habit of having her show up twice a season, because I like her better used sparingly, but I do get such a kick out of having someone around who can tweak the Doctor's nose like that.
Seriously, the Daleks again? And just in case they haven't been completely neutered by everything we've done to them up to this point, we're going to make them look like M&Ms. Scary.
The Doctor shushes people a lot in this season. Like, more than usual. And almost always in very amusing ways. Covering Amy and Rory's mouths and then making Rory cover the Venetian dude's mouth might be my favorite.
The scene where the Doctor runs into Centurion Rory and doesn't even notice anything out of the ordinary at first is quite possibly my favorite scene of the season. Except I also really love "Okay, kid, this is where it gets complicated." And the fez. Oh, the fez. But the Rory-Is-Back Scene which almost fails to be a Rory-Is-Back Scene? The ranting about something he's missing, and Rory patiently waiting for him to twig, and Rory's face, and the Doctor finally coming up and giving him a big poke and then, "Hello, Rory"? LOVE.
Okay, so the Vincent Van Gogh episode was cool in that the historical aspect was well executed, and the actor was great, and the way they dealt with the depression issue was good, but I was sort of disappointed with the actual monster and plot just because they seemed a little unworthy of all the work that went into the episode. And then the last few minutes, with the gallery, and Vincent, and the gallery again, and Amy. Oh, oh.
The angels will always make me hide between the couch cushions. *shudders* Even more spine-tingling than the angels, though, was Amy with her eyes closed and "Walk like you can see." On the other hand: “It’s a death-trap, a time bomb, and now it’s a dead end. Nobody panic!”
I am told that a lot of people didn't like "The Lodger." I do not understand this, for it was adorable and hilarious and the Doctor was adorable and hilarious in it.
Lizard people! Yay! And I liked that the Doctor does not condemn Ambrose for killing the lizard chick (Alaya? Eleia?)but charges her with raising her son to be the person she couldn't be. Maybe it's because I'm a fairly new parent, but that really struck a chord with me.
Finally, I am mightily amused to note that Moffat apparently ships Doctor/TARDIS as hard as I do. *pets*
Okay, that is enough run-on sentences for now. Must sleep. This post, like almost all fandom activity on this LJ, brought to you by izhilzha and her amazing powers of DVD-lending.
I always feel vaguely that I'm not entitled to have thoughts on Doctor Who since I'm mostly a New Who fan and, the occasional Tom Baker story notwithstanding, haven't really done my time with the Old School show, yet. However. Thoughts.
First of all, let's just get this out of the way up front: Matt Smith is make of win and pie and fancy chocolates. I was afraid I just wouldn't be able to to get past how funny-looking he is. Turns out the hair and the chin and the fact that they forgot to give him eyebrows to go on those great big skull ridges did not get in the way one bit. In fact, I think they made me buy him as the Doctor faster. That is to say, almost right away.
I think Eleven is my favorite Doctor yet, actually. I love his spazzy mannerisms, the way half the things he does with his legs and arms almost look like involuntary ticks. I love how when asked about being the last of Time Lords he does not descend headfirst into ANGST. Instead, he gets a teeny catch in his throat and says something about it's a long story, it was a really bad day, and now there's just him, all in a way that convey great sadness so much more clearly than the Great Big Angsty Face of Ten. (I don't wish to disparage Ten's Angsty Face, for I love me a good angsty face; it quite suited him, and he did do it so very well, I just...like this even more.) I love how tactile Eleven is with everyone, especially his companions. He hugs, he pats, he taps noses, he gives away forehead kisses like they're going out of style (please don't ever let them go out of style), he shakes by the shoulders, he pets hair. *draws sparkly hearts* Love it. And I love, too, that he's this young man wearing very old man's clothes, right down to the stretchy gold watch that everyone's grandma has. Love, love, love.
Next, of course, is Amy. I think Donna might, possibly, still be my favorite companion by a hair. But it's a very thin (ginger) hair. I'm so glad the Doctor has found another redhead to call him on his bullshit. Speaking of which, preggers!Amy is my favorite flavor of Amy, and the "This is my life and it just turned you white as a sheet!" bit where she pretends to go into labor to freak him out? Best. Thing. Ever. Of course my second-favorite flavor of Amy is Little Amelia who is not scared of anything except the crack in her bedroom wall. Who grew up to be the type of person who, when her imaginary friend comes back after twelve years (and four psychiatrists), hits him with a cricket bat, cuffs him to the heater, and pretends to be the fuzz when he wakes up. I mightily enjoy how quickly she picks up the Doctor's habit of responding to questions with answers that are entirely truthful and entirely lacking in any kind of context that might make them understandable. "A long time ago tomorrow morning." "I dressed for Rio!" Amy FTW!
Which brings us to: RORY!! *tacklehugs* Oh, Rory. I kind of thought you were a bit of a doormat at first, but you turned out to be so awesome and brave and loyal and wonderful and I'm pretty sure you're the best boyfriend ever. I mean, you were getting yelled at by the doctor lady, and the Amy pushed you around a lot, and the Doctor kind of walked on you at first, but then you fought a space vampire with a broom and yelled at the Doctor for making people dangerous to themselves, and that sort of won me over. And after that there was so much more awesomeness (also DEATH, at which I CRIED) culminating in a Roman Centurion costume (which, rowr) and punching the Doctor and guarding the woman you love for two thousand years without complaint. Rory Williams, ladies and gentlemen! Instant hero, just add time travel!
So yes, I like the new Doctor, I like the new companions, I even like the new TARDIS interior. In fact, I think the only thing I liked better last season is the screwdriver. What are those little claw things that deploy at the end of the green one?
Other things:
River cracks me up. I kind of hope they don't get in the habit of having her show up twice a season, because I like her better used sparingly, but I do get such a kick out of having someone around who can tweak the Doctor's nose like that.
Seriously, the Daleks again? And just in case they haven't been completely neutered by everything we've done to them up to this point, we're going to make them look like M&Ms. Scary.
The Doctor shushes people a lot in this season. Like, more than usual. And almost always in very amusing ways. Covering Amy and Rory's mouths and then making Rory cover the Venetian dude's mouth might be my favorite.
The scene where the Doctor runs into Centurion Rory and doesn't even notice anything out of the ordinary at first is quite possibly my favorite scene of the season. Except I also really love "Okay, kid, this is where it gets complicated." And the fez. Oh, the fez. But the Rory-Is-Back Scene which almost fails to be a Rory-Is-Back Scene? The ranting about something he's missing, and Rory patiently waiting for him to twig, and Rory's face, and the Doctor finally coming up and giving him a big poke and then, "Hello, Rory"? LOVE.
Okay, so the Vincent Van Gogh episode was cool in that the historical aspect was well executed, and the actor was great, and the way they dealt with the depression issue was good, but I was sort of disappointed with the actual monster and plot just because they seemed a little unworthy of all the work that went into the episode. And then the last few minutes, with the gallery, and Vincent, and the gallery again, and Amy. Oh, oh.
The angels will always make me hide between the couch cushions. *shudders* Even more spine-tingling than the angels, though, was Amy with her eyes closed and "Walk like you can see." On the other hand: “It’s a death-trap, a time bomb, and now it’s a dead end. Nobody panic!”
I am told that a lot of people didn't like "The Lodger." I do not understand this, for it was adorable and hilarious and the Doctor was adorable and hilarious in it.
Lizard people! Yay! And I liked that the Doctor does not condemn Ambrose for killing the lizard chick (Alaya? Eleia?)but charges her with raising her son to be the person she couldn't be. Maybe it's because I'm a fairly new parent, but that really struck a chord with me.
Finally, I am mightily amused to note that Moffat apparently ships Doctor/TARDIS as hard as I do. *pets*
Okay, that is enough run-on sentences for now. Must sleep. This post, like almost all fandom activity on this LJ, brought to you by izhilzha and her amazing powers of DVD-lending.