So, managed to catch up on some DOCTOR WHO...
Mostly in terms of Season One, namely "Rose" and "The End of the World", which, in all honesty, was a lot of fun. Especially watching it with my mom and brother -- just seeing their reactions (e.g. their frustration with Mickey going to check out that trash can that eventually turns him into a plastic Nestene duplicate, just going all "Get out of the car!" and "No! Not that way!" was pretty hilarious. XD) was fun to watch, not to mention the matter of...well, I'll admit I haven't seen "Rose" and "The End of the World" up until now (yeah, I know. XD) so it was a good way to sort of catch up along with them. We had to pause for the night -- hopefully, we'll be able to see some more episodes.
Things I Loved in "Rose":
-Honestly, I think just seeing Rose again gave me a lot of feels. God, I miss her a bunch. But it was at least good to be back with the RTD gang again, at least -- Rose, Mickey, Jackie, etc.
-And Nine! I've always loved Nine -- I think there's something about Christopher Eccleston's Nine that...he's incredibly damaged and broken, and yet at the same time, he hides his pain (mostly) behind a facade of cheeriness. And Eccleston plays him in such a way that he's incredibly likable even throughout. I know one former friend of mine disliked him because "the Doctor is polite even when he's being rude", but in all honesty, I think the point was to show a different Doctor. A bit of a Jerkass Woobie Doctor -- he can be incredibly cantankerous at times, but he has good reasons for it.
[Spoiler (click to open)]
(Made worse with the revelation about the Time Lords in "The End of Time". Basically, the Doctor had to destroy Gallifrey to stop the Time Lords from annihilating all of creation except for themselves, who would exist as beings of pure consciousness. And then retroactively put that drumming in the Master's head to help save their skins -- or at least, Rassilon did. And the depressing part is that considering some of the things Rassilon's done, it's completely in character for him. *Cough* What he apparently did to Omega *Cough* *Cough* Committing genocide *Cough* *Cough* Yeah... *Cough*)
-The dummies were incredibly creepy. As was, for that matter, the Nestene consciousness. I also really like how the Doctor tried to first reason with the Nestene consciousness before destroying it. And I guess it gives me a bit of an insight into Ten's character and his "no second chances" thing; even with trying to save his enemies and everything, perhaps there was a part of him that felt like he needed to put his foot down. Doesn't mean that there aren't exceptions, though. *Cough* The Master *Cough* *Cough* Davros *Cough* Not to mention, he's still kind of coping with the matter of having to destroy his planet, as well as everything else -- the loss of Rose later on just makes things worse. It's like a whole Trauma Conga Line for Ten; no wonder he basically goes apeshit in "The Waters of Mars".
+ Back on topic: I just loved Nine's "I tried to save your world; I couldn't save any of them!" I didn't cry, but I came close. It doesn't help that it's ultimately made worse by what we learn about the Time War.
* Not to mention, his sort of Kirk Summation/Patrick Stewart Speech (I add the slash because it's kind of a bit of both). For all Nine calls humans "stupid apes", he really does genuinely love humanity.
+ And I think that's really why I love Nine. He's not the typical hero, really, but when you get down to it, he's incredibly regretful, determined, brave, and ultimately, very loving. He has his moments of darkness, but ultimately? He shines pretty bright. (If that makes any sense)
-Mickey freaking out about the idea of Clive being a murderer. (Oh, Mickey. XD)
-Rose freaking out about Mickey's safety. Their relationship's pretty complicated, but I think they ultimately do care about each other, even if they're not necessarily meant to be. I'm very much a Doctor/Rose shipper, but the scenes they shared together were pretty cute for the most part.
-Jackie's really awkward attempts to hit on Nine.
-"If you're an alien, how come you sound like you're from the North?" "Lots of planets have a North!" *Gigglesnort*
-Rose pointing out the matter of the London eye being a good place for the Nestene consciousness to hide.
-Speaking of the Nestene consciousness, its lair... *Shivers* It looks amazing. As does the Nestene consciousness itself; it looks pretty damn impressive and genuinely frightening. I think another great thing is that in a way, it's not really doing what it does for the sake of evil, but for a very concrete reason -- the matter of its planets being missing, and being desperately in need of plastic. And considering what we learn later about the Time War...
+ There's another thing that I love about DOCTOR WHO -- I've always been one for sort of Jigsaw Puzzle Plots, and so learning a little bit more about the Time War in each episode or so (or almost, in a way) kind of does make one feel like they're part of the plot. They're going along with the Doctor, they're solving the puzzle with him. And it's not just the Time War -- stuff like the River Song arc, I think, would count as well. I think if one feels like they have an active part in the story, it's a definite bonus, really. I know it's been the case for things I enjoyed when I was a kid, really -- just that sense of involvement and adventure. And even things I enjoy now.
-The interaction between the Doctor and Rose was a hell of a lot of fun to watch. It's really one of many reasons I ship them together, because they play off one another incredibly well. For example, joking about the Nestene taking over British department stores. XD
-The sheer element of fun in there.
-Rose kicking some ass and saving the day against the Nestene consciousness.
Only thing that really bugged me:
-Let's just say that my mom, brother and I were having some issues with the BluRay player, and so we accidentally skipped the scene where Nine blows up the department store to stop the Nestene. So that kind of sucked.
The End of the World:
-"I am so impressive!" *Gigglesnort* Honestly, the interaction between Rose and the Doctor is way too much fun to watch. :)
-Again, a lot of humor in there; for example, the matter of ostriches apparently breathing fire. XD And Nine bobbing his head to "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell (not that I can blame him; that song is damn catchy!). And "I give you the gift of air from my lungs". XD XD.
-The effects look amazing. I know the giant sun, for example, really stands out. And the sheer scope. It's really another of many reasons that I love DOCTOR WHO; just that feeling like you're being taken on an adventure. Like you're involved with the story.
-Jabe was amazing. I know that her scene with Nine, when she tells him how sorry she is about what happened to Gallifrey, really broke my heart. Especially the Doctor's reaction -- putting his hand over hers. It's really why I love RTD's run on DOCTOR WHO so much, and DOCTOR WHO in general -- just the sheer amount of humanity in it. The character moments, really. Not to mention they sound and act almost exactly like real people would. Some say that character moments can't make up for a seemingly bad plot, but I think if nothing else, they kind of do. They get you invested in the characters, and if one isn't invested in the characters, why would they be watching/reading? They'd probably get bored and find something else to pick up.
+ Not to mention her sacrifice to stop the station from getting roasted. I also loved, "Then stop wasting time, Time Lord", as well as Nine's reaction. And later, Nine's reaction to seeing Jabe dead. Just... ;.;.
-Nine and Rose's argument earlier in regards to "who are you, where are you from, etc." It's never really stated outright, but it's pretty obvious in a way that Rose is still really confused in regards to who this guy she hitched a ride with is, and Nine, obviously, doesn't want to talk about Gallifrey or the Time War. Not yet, at least. I think talking with Jabe at least allowed him to open up a tad, along with the general events of what happened. Also, Rose's joke about not arguing with the "designated driver", as well as the "jiggery pokery" conversation later, and the Doctor using his sonic screwdriver to modify her phone a bit to help her call her mom. And Jackie and Rose's conversation in general.
-Rose's conversation with Cassandra.
-Rose pleading with the Doctor to save Cassandra. I just find it telling that after everything that's happened, including trying to have Rose killed just for badmouthing her (seriously, talk about Disproportionate Retribution), Rose still wants Cassandra to be spared. And I think if nothing else, it speaks to how different they really are, at least in a few ways -- Rose is very sheltered and has a bit of the Wide Eyed Idealist in her (as well as a bout of Chronic Hero Syndrome and Always Save The Doctor), while Nine is still broken from the matter of the Time War. In a way, Rose made him better -- but it's very, very gently handled. It never comes off as heavy-handed. It's just a matter of close friends rubbing off on one another, and in turn, Nine kind of makes Rose better as well. She sums it up very well in "Parting of the Ways": "You take a stand, you say no, you have the guts to do what's right while everyone else just runs away." And I think it's a very prevalent theme in DOCTOR WHO. It's not just about who humanity is, but also who we can be, for good or for ill. It's not necessarily about being the "ideal" human or anything else, it's not about a complete absence of faults. It's just about doing the right thing, standing up for yourself and others where other people are afraid, making sacrifices...things like that. It's always in us, if we reach for it. And I love the fact that those who sometimes fail -- they're not portrayed in a sort of hamfisted "this is wrong" or made to look stupid. Even people like, say, Brian Greene in TORCHWOOD, aren't portrayed as over the top mustache twirlers. They're just simply shown, in all their glory or despicability. And if nothing else, I doubt Cassandra is an exception here (she's even given a bit of pathos in "New Earth"). I still really honestly hated her after she killed some of those people on the station though. I really did.
-Nine holding Rose's hand if only to comfort her while Earth is burning. Another very human reaction. Just sort of like, "It's okay, Rose; I've got you."
-Nine opening up a bit to Rose about the Time War, and how he's the last Time Lord left. And Rose basically reassuring him that no matter what happens, he's got her. And the ending, where they go to have some chips. Because honestly, after the (I will be honest) harrowing events previously (Rose nearly being killed, etc.), I think they needed the chip break. And it gives an honestly adorable, hopeful ending to the whole thing, which I think was very much needed.
So overall? Definitely loving it so far. :3 I think I'm falling in love with Nine and co. all over again, which I think is pretty needed considering...well, I've been going through a bit of a rough time. I know that in other rough patches, DOCTOR WHO...I think in a way it made me better. Boosting my standards in terms of what I want to see in fiction, in characters, etc. And generally restoring hope where hope seemed to be gone. And watching it all from the beginning, I'm starting to appreciate it a hell of a lot more than I already did. So yeah...can't wait for stuff like "The Unquiet Dead", etc. (And "Aliens of London"! Harriet Jones! I definitely can't wait. :)
Things I Loved in "Rose":
-Honestly, I think just seeing Rose again gave me a lot of feels. God, I miss her a bunch. But it was at least good to be back with the RTD gang again, at least -- Rose, Mickey, Jackie, etc.
-And Nine! I've always loved Nine -- I think there's something about Christopher Eccleston's Nine that...he's incredibly damaged and broken, and yet at the same time, he hides his pain (mostly) behind a facade of cheeriness. And Eccleston plays him in such a way that he's incredibly likable even throughout. I know one former friend of mine disliked him because "the Doctor is polite even when he's being rude", but in all honesty, I think the point was to show a different Doctor. A bit of a Jerkass Woobie Doctor -- he can be incredibly cantankerous at times, but he has good reasons for it.
[Spoiler (click to open)]
(Made worse with the revelation about the Time Lords in "The End of Time". Basically, the Doctor had to destroy Gallifrey to stop the Time Lords from annihilating all of creation except for themselves, who would exist as beings of pure consciousness. And then retroactively put that drumming in the Master's head to help save their skins -- or at least, Rassilon did. And the depressing part is that considering some of the things Rassilon's done, it's completely in character for him. *Cough* What he apparently did to Omega *Cough* *Cough* Committing genocide *Cough* *Cough* Yeah... *Cough*)
-The dummies were incredibly creepy. As was, for that matter, the Nestene consciousness. I also really like how the Doctor tried to first reason with the Nestene consciousness before destroying it. And I guess it gives me a bit of an insight into Ten's character and his "no second chances" thing; even with trying to save his enemies and everything, perhaps there was a part of him that felt like he needed to put his foot down. Doesn't mean that there aren't exceptions, though. *Cough* The Master *Cough* *Cough* Davros *Cough* Not to mention, he's still kind of coping with the matter of having to destroy his planet, as well as everything else -- the loss of Rose later on just makes things worse. It's like a whole Trauma Conga Line for Ten; no wonder he basically goes apeshit in "The Waters of Mars".
+ Back on topic: I just loved Nine's "I tried to save your world; I couldn't save any of them!" I didn't cry, but I came close. It doesn't help that it's ultimately made worse by what we learn about the Time War.
* Not to mention, his sort of Kirk Summation/Patrick Stewart Speech (I add the slash because it's kind of a bit of both). For all Nine calls humans "stupid apes", he really does genuinely love humanity.
+ And I think that's really why I love Nine. He's not the typical hero, really, but when you get down to it, he's incredibly regretful, determined, brave, and ultimately, very loving. He has his moments of darkness, but ultimately? He shines pretty bright. (If that makes any sense)
-Mickey freaking out about the idea of Clive being a murderer. (Oh, Mickey. XD)
-Rose freaking out about Mickey's safety. Their relationship's pretty complicated, but I think they ultimately do care about each other, even if they're not necessarily meant to be. I'm very much a Doctor/Rose shipper, but the scenes they shared together were pretty cute for the most part.
-Jackie's really awkward attempts to hit on Nine.
-"If you're an alien, how come you sound like you're from the North?" "Lots of planets have a North!" *Gigglesnort*
-Rose pointing out the matter of the London eye being a good place for the Nestene consciousness to hide.
-Speaking of the Nestene consciousness, its lair... *Shivers* It looks amazing. As does the Nestene consciousness itself; it looks pretty damn impressive and genuinely frightening. I think another great thing is that in a way, it's not really doing what it does for the sake of evil, but for a very concrete reason -- the matter of its planets being missing, and being desperately in need of plastic. And considering what we learn later about the Time War...
+ There's another thing that I love about DOCTOR WHO -- I've always been one for sort of Jigsaw Puzzle Plots, and so learning a little bit more about the Time War in each episode or so (or almost, in a way) kind of does make one feel like they're part of the plot. They're going along with the Doctor, they're solving the puzzle with him. And it's not just the Time War -- stuff like the River Song arc, I think, would count as well. I think if one feels like they have an active part in the story, it's a definite bonus, really. I know it's been the case for things I enjoyed when I was a kid, really -- just that sense of involvement and adventure. And even things I enjoy now.
-The interaction between the Doctor and Rose was a hell of a lot of fun to watch. It's really one of many reasons I ship them together, because they play off one another incredibly well. For example, joking about the Nestene taking over British department stores. XD
-The sheer element of fun in there.
-Rose kicking some ass and saving the day against the Nestene consciousness.
Only thing that really bugged me:
-Let's just say that my mom, brother and I were having some issues with the BluRay player, and so we accidentally skipped the scene where Nine blows up the department store to stop the Nestene. So that kind of sucked.
The End of the World:
-"I am so impressive!" *Gigglesnort* Honestly, the interaction between Rose and the Doctor is way too much fun to watch. :)
-Again, a lot of humor in there; for example, the matter of ostriches apparently breathing fire. XD And Nine bobbing his head to "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell (not that I can blame him; that song is damn catchy!). And "I give you the gift of air from my lungs". XD XD.
-The effects look amazing. I know the giant sun, for example, really stands out. And the sheer scope. It's really another of many reasons that I love DOCTOR WHO; just that feeling like you're being taken on an adventure. Like you're involved with the story.
-Jabe was amazing. I know that her scene with Nine, when she tells him how sorry she is about what happened to Gallifrey, really broke my heart. Especially the Doctor's reaction -- putting his hand over hers. It's really why I love RTD's run on DOCTOR WHO so much, and DOCTOR WHO in general -- just the sheer amount of humanity in it. The character moments, really. Not to mention they sound and act almost exactly like real people would. Some say that character moments can't make up for a seemingly bad plot, but I think if nothing else, they kind of do. They get you invested in the characters, and if one isn't invested in the characters, why would they be watching/reading? They'd probably get bored and find something else to pick up.
+ Not to mention her sacrifice to stop the station from getting roasted. I also loved, "Then stop wasting time, Time Lord", as well as Nine's reaction. And later, Nine's reaction to seeing Jabe dead. Just... ;.;.
-Nine and Rose's argument earlier in regards to "who are you, where are you from, etc." It's never really stated outright, but it's pretty obvious in a way that Rose is still really confused in regards to who this guy she hitched a ride with is, and Nine, obviously, doesn't want to talk about Gallifrey or the Time War. Not yet, at least. I think talking with Jabe at least allowed him to open up a tad, along with the general events of what happened. Also, Rose's joke about not arguing with the "designated driver", as well as the "jiggery pokery" conversation later, and the Doctor using his sonic screwdriver to modify her phone a bit to help her call her mom. And Jackie and Rose's conversation in general.
-Rose's conversation with Cassandra.
-Rose pleading with the Doctor to save Cassandra. I just find it telling that after everything that's happened, including trying to have Rose killed just for badmouthing her (seriously, talk about Disproportionate Retribution), Rose still wants Cassandra to be spared. And I think if nothing else, it speaks to how different they really are, at least in a few ways -- Rose is very sheltered and has a bit of the Wide Eyed Idealist in her (as well as a bout of Chronic Hero Syndrome and Always Save The Doctor), while Nine is still broken from the matter of the Time War. In a way, Rose made him better -- but it's very, very gently handled. It never comes off as heavy-handed. It's just a matter of close friends rubbing off on one another, and in turn, Nine kind of makes Rose better as well. She sums it up very well in "Parting of the Ways": "You take a stand, you say no, you have the guts to do what's right while everyone else just runs away." And I think it's a very prevalent theme in DOCTOR WHO. It's not just about who humanity is, but also who we can be, for good or for ill. It's not necessarily about being the "ideal" human or anything else, it's not about a complete absence of faults. It's just about doing the right thing, standing up for yourself and others where other people are afraid, making sacrifices...things like that. It's always in us, if we reach for it. And I love the fact that those who sometimes fail -- they're not portrayed in a sort of hamfisted "this is wrong" or made to look stupid. Even people like, say, Brian Greene in TORCHWOOD, aren't portrayed as over the top mustache twirlers. They're just simply shown, in all their glory or despicability. And if nothing else, I doubt Cassandra is an exception here (she's even given a bit of pathos in "New Earth"). I still really honestly hated her after she killed some of those people on the station though. I really did.
-Nine holding Rose's hand if only to comfort her while Earth is burning. Another very human reaction. Just sort of like, "It's okay, Rose; I've got you."
-Nine opening up a bit to Rose about the Time War, and how he's the last Time Lord left. And Rose basically reassuring him that no matter what happens, he's got her. And the ending, where they go to have some chips. Because honestly, after the (I will be honest) harrowing events previously (Rose nearly being killed, etc.), I think they needed the chip break. And it gives an honestly adorable, hopeful ending to the whole thing, which I think was very much needed.
So overall? Definitely loving it so far. :3 I think I'm falling in love with Nine and co. all over again, which I think is pretty needed considering...well, I've been going through a bit of a rough time. I know that in other rough patches, DOCTOR WHO...I think in a way it made me better. Boosting my standards in terms of what I want to see in fiction, in characters, etc. And generally restoring hope where hope seemed to be gone. And watching it all from the beginning, I'm starting to appreciate it a hell of a lot more than I already did. So yeah...can't wait for stuff like "The Unquiet Dead", etc. (And "Aliens of London"! Harriet Jones! I definitely can't wait. :)