Current status of the USS Hadhafang
Generally doing okay. Had a few setbacks (also, worried a bit about my homework, but I'm sure I can do it), but I'm fine. Anyway, I watched the DOCTOR WHO episode "The Girl Who Waited" (i.e. Yet Another Amy Pond Must Suffer Episode). And it was amazing, but...goddamn, so sad. ;.;
I think what really got to me was, honestly, a lot of scenes with older Amy. There was some humor in there, such as older Amy and younger Amy's brief bout of speaking simultaneously (sure, it was Mood Whiplash considering everything else, but goddamn was it funny. XD) and joking with Rory about the fez (even if it was also really sad. Just the idea of Amy not having laughed in such a long time, constantly living in fear of those robots who somehow believe they're doing something good...yeah. Poor thing. *Hugs her* No one deserves that life. They really don't), but most of the time it was just plain "ouch", such as with older Amy saying that she hated the Doctor more than anything else (seriously, ow), as well as some of her conversations with Rory. Also, her almost leaving younger!Amy to die, and when she's banging on the outside of the TARDIS because the Doctor's locked her out (because...well, you can't have two Amys on the TARDIS. Paradox and all. *) and when she and Rory are communicating through the TARDIS walls, in a way. A lot of people likened it to the wall scene in "Doomsday", and they aren't far off. For all intents and purposes, this was a pretty good "Doomsday" moment. The music, quite honestly, did not help, nor did the absolutely amazing acting by both Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill. How older!Amy goes from banging on the TARDIS door to becoming resigned to her fate, telling Rory to give younger!Amy her days. Rory's crying...just goddamn. And older!Amy asking the interface to show her Earth, and talking to the interface about a boy she knew...
And then the robots approach, knock her out, and...yeah. *Sighs* This is getting depressing, seriously. Here's an adorable kitten: http://cheezburger.com/7303200000.
*Sighs*
But even in between all the heartwrenching, there were some funny moments. I already mentioned the synchronized speech thing, but there's also the matter of the beginning with the Doctor thinking Amy's about to update Twitter while they're at the planet and reacting with...well, scorn. Seriously, Doctor, one regeneration later and you still absolutely loathe social media. XD The more things change, the more they stay the same. XD (And Amy reveals that she just wants to take pictures and such) Granted, it all goes to shit later -- let's say looping time stream and shit; let's say time makes no goddamn sense, and is like an MC Escher sketch of bizarro. ** -- but it's still a gem of a moment. Also, the beginning, with Amy trying to say the planet's name, and the reveal that, apparently, there is a whole planet devoted to coffee shops (which...yeah, seriously, considering that I am both a writer and a rather poor morning person, is really relevant to my interests). Just the idea of there being a civilization of coffee shops is hilarious and awesome at the same time.
And when there weren't funny moments, of course, the episode was ripping out your heart and stomping on it, or warming your heart completely. Or both. I know the conversation between older and younger Amy was made of this. I'll provide the quote here (thank you, planet-claire):
"You know when sometimes you meet someone so beautiful and then you actually talk to them and five minutes later they're as dull as a brick? Then there's other people, when you meet them you think, "Not bad. They're okay." And then you get to know them and... and their face just sort of becomes them. Like their personality's written all over it. And they just turn into something so beautiful."
And when they say, together, "Rory's the most beautiful man I've ever met." Because...well, it's true. I think it's why Amy dashed out of the room after Rory, amongst other reasons, because...well, she was in love with him for a long time. And the idea that he loved her back...well, it must have been one of the best moments for her. And even after everything they've endured together, everything that happened, they love one another. And it makes Rory's statement in "Asylum of the Daleks", about "I love you more than you love me", completely wrong. (Which...well, it's a heartening thought) Because she loves him. Hell, in response to older!Amy questioning ripping time itself apart for "a boy", younger!Amy says: "You're Amy. He's Rory. And oh yes, I am."
I also loved Rory saying, earlier, to older!Amy, "I don't care that you grew old. I care that we didn't grow old together." There's something about the line that's very affecting. Amy being old? It really doesn't matter; he loves her anyway. She's his wife, the woman he waited two thousand flipping years for if only to protect her. The only thing he would regret is not being with her. Which, in hindsight, actually becomes heartwarming as well, even if it also overlaps with Tearjerker: because Amy and Rory do get to grow old together, in the end. Amy and Rory, living out the rest of their lives in 1930s New York, and just being brilliant. And it's really one of many reasons I love this pairing so much. Not to mention Rory carrying out younger!Amy after she's been momentarily stunned by the droids, and older!Amy's "I've got your back" -- even if it goes horribly wrong later. And it helps that older!Amy was a pretty damn awesome character -- hardened by her experiences, but fundamentally, a very heroic, brave, loving soul. Hell, even if what's happened to her is horrible, there is something awesome about how she's improvised, such as the sonic probe, and tweaking the interface. I mean...Amelia Pond, you are a fucking genius. Always were, always will be. <3
One thing that sticks with me (and yes, I know that this isn't the nineties, but my point still stands) was the Nostalgia Critic's review of PATCH ADAMS, and how he brought up the portrayal of women in the nineties; I believe the whole "I don't want to think; I just want to be loved" line came up. But honestly, I think older!Amy is a beautiful aversion of it, because yes, she is very much vulnerable, but at the same time, she is highly competent, very brave, and a loving, selfless person even underneath the roughness. Rory and the Doctor reentering her life (yeah, timey-wimey time stream and all that)...while she was still reluctant to trust them at first, eventually, she did. For Rory. For the man she loved. And because it was the right thing to do.
And besides, in general, I think we all want to be loved or understood in one way or another. I think we all need someone, friend, family member or otherwise, to keep us going when times get tough. Hell, I've read in my psychology textbook about solitary confinement being one of the worst punishments for anyone. Sometimes we can go it alone. And sometimes we need someone, and that's perfectly all right. God knows that sometimes I need someone. All things considered, I need a lot of someones. And perhaps that's one of many reasons I identify with the Doctor so much. And I think it's the case with older!Amy as well. It was the case with younger Amy waiting for the Doctor, it was the case with Amy as a young woman learning to trust the Doctor again, and it's very much the case with older!Amy. And it's one of those moments where Amy isn't so different from Rose. Because for both characters, their devotion to the Doctor (Amy's platonic, Rose's...more than that, really) is one of their most prominent qualities. And in a way, they made the Doctor better. Rose made Nine better, and Amy helped to heal Eleven up a bit. Rose saw Nine at his darkest in "Dalek" and managed to save him, and Amy saw Eleven at one of his darkest in "The Beast Below" and saved him, in a way (with Liz's help) ***. They may have made different choices, yes, but in the end, they really are quite similar. ****
I also loved the matter of the antagonists, and how they weren't necessarily villains, just misguided. Like the Clockwork Robots in "The Girl In The Fireplace", they're just following their programming. The problem is that the Doctor and co.'s bodies can't handle the medicine they use, so...yeah, guaranteed death. And I also loved (though it broke my heart into tiny little pieces), the Doctor's reaction to younger Amy wondering about older Amy (and earlier, before that, when he was making a silly face to cheer her up a bit). It's so quiet, yet it says so much. Honestly, wonderful episode...but yeah, fucking heartbreaking.
* Seriously, Doctor, I am attempting to comprehend your logic, and I just can't. I mean, you are, overall, very awesome, but you are also kind of a dick.
** And apparently I need to lay off the metaphors...sorry.
*** And she saved the Star Whale too.
**** And there's Donna saving the Doctor as well, in "The Runaway Bride", and Martha, in a way. I think all the Doctors' companions saved him, in a sense (after all, he does say that he chooses his friends with great care), but Rose and Amy definitely come to mind the most. Hell, this is another reason I love DOCTOR WHO -- for all the heartbreaking, it has enough heartwarming to full a room with light.
So yeah...heartbreaking as hell, but definitely recommended. It's just a generally well-told, affecting story, complete with an ending that...well, it may make you cry. I know I started crying as well during the episode. But yeah, give it a watch. Bring tissues, though.
I think what really got to me was, honestly, a lot of scenes with older Amy. There was some humor in there, such as older Amy and younger Amy's brief bout of speaking simultaneously (sure, it was Mood Whiplash considering everything else, but goddamn was it funny. XD) and joking with Rory about the fez (even if it was also really sad. Just the idea of Amy not having laughed in such a long time, constantly living in fear of those robots who somehow believe they're doing something good...yeah. Poor thing. *Hugs her* No one deserves that life. They really don't), but most of the time it was just plain "ouch", such as with older Amy saying that she hated the Doctor more than anything else (seriously, ow), as well as some of her conversations with Rory. Also, her almost leaving younger!Amy to die, and when she's banging on the outside of the TARDIS because the Doctor's locked her out (because...well, you can't have two Amys on the TARDIS. Paradox and all. *) and when she and Rory are communicating through the TARDIS walls, in a way. A lot of people likened it to the wall scene in "Doomsday", and they aren't far off. For all intents and purposes, this was a pretty good "Doomsday" moment. The music, quite honestly, did not help, nor did the absolutely amazing acting by both Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill. How older!Amy goes from banging on the TARDIS door to becoming resigned to her fate, telling Rory to give younger!Amy her days. Rory's crying...just goddamn. And older!Amy asking the interface to show her Earth, and talking to the interface about a boy she knew...
And then the robots approach, knock her out, and...yeah. *Sighs* This is getting depressing, seriously. Here's an adorable kitten: http://cheezburger.com/7303200000.
*Sighs*
But even in between all the heartwrenching, there were some funny moments. I already mentioned the synchronized speech thing, but there's also the matter of the beginning with the Doctor thinking Amy's about to update Twitter while they're at the planet and reacting with...well, scorn. Seriously, Doctor, one regeneration later and you still absolutely loathe social media. XD The more things change, the more they stay the same. XD (And Amy reveals that she just wants to take pictures and such) Granted, it all goes to shit later -- let's say looping time stream and shit; let's say time makes no goddamn sense, and is like an MC Escher sketch of bizarro. ** -- but it's still a gem of a moment. Also, the beginning, with Amy trying to say the planet's name, and the reveal that, apparently, there is a whole planet devoted to coffee shops (which...yeah, seriously, considering that I am both a writer and a rather poor morning person, is really relevant to my interests). Just the idea of there being a civilization of coffee shops is hilarious and awesome at the same time.
And when there weren't funny moments, of course, the episode was ripping out your heart and stomping on it, or warming your heart completely. Or both. I know the conversation between older and younger Amy was made of this. I'll provide the quote here (thank you, planet-claire):
"You know when sometimes you meet someone so beautiful and then you actually talk to them and five minutes later they're as dull as a brick? Then there's other people, when you meet them you think, "Not bad. They're okay." And then you get to know them and... and their face just sort of becomes them. Like their personality's written all over it. And they just turn into something so beautiful."
And when they say, together, "Rory's the most beautiful man I've ever met." Because...well, it's true. I think it's why Amy dashed out of the room after Rory, amongst other reasons, because...well, she was in love with him for a long time. And the idea that he loved her back...well, it must have been one of the best moments for her. And even after everything they've endured together, everything that happened, they love one another. And it makes Rory's statement in "Asylum of the Daleks", about "I love you more than you love me", completely wrong. (Which...well, it's a heartening thought) Because she loves him. Hell, in response to older!Amy questioning ripping time itself apart for "a boy", younger!Amy says: "You're Amy. He's Rory. And oh yes, I am."
I also loved Rory saying, earlier, to older!Amy, "I don't care that you grew old. I care that we didn't grow old together." There's something about the line that's very affecting. Amy being old? It really doesn't matter; he loves her anyway. She's his wife, the woman he waited two thousand flipping years for if only to protect her. The only thing he would regret is not being with her. Which, in hindsight, actually becomes heartwarming as well, even if it also overlaps with Tearjerker: because Amy and Rory do get to grow old together, in the end. Amy and Rory, living out the rest of their lives in 1930s New York, and just being brilliant. And it's really one of many reasons I love this pairing so much. Not to mention Rory carrying out younger!Amy after she's been momentarily stunned by the droids, and older!Amy's "I've got your back" -- even if it goes horribly wrong later. And it helps that older!Amy was a pretty damn awesome character -- hardened by her experiences, but fundamentally, a very heroic, brave, loving soul. Hell, even if what's happened to her is horrible, there is something awesome about how she's improvised, such as the sonic probe, and tweaking the interface. I mean...Amelia Pond, you are a fucking genius. Always were, always will be. <3
One thing that sticks with me (and yes, I know that this isn't the nineties, but my point still stands) was the Nostalgia Critic's review of PATCH ADAMS, and how he brought up the portrayal of women in the nineties; I believe the whole "I don't want to think; I just want to be loved" line came up. But honestly, I think older!Amy is a beautiful aversion of it, because yes, she is very much vulnerable, but at the same time, she is highly competent, very brave, and a loving, selfless person even underneath the roughness. Rory and the Doctor reentering her life (yeah, timey-wimey time stream and all that)...while she was still reluctant to trust them at first, eventually, she did. For Rory. For the man she loved. And because it was the right thing to do.
And besides, in general, I think we all want to be loved or understood in one way or another. I think we all need someone, friend, family member or otherwise, to keep us going when times get tough. Hell, I've read in my psychology textbook about solitary confinement being one of the worst punishments for anyone. Sometimes we can go it alone. And sometimes we need someone, and that's perfectly all right. God knows that sometimes I need someone. All things considered, I need a lot of someones. And perhaps that's one of many reasons I identify with the Doctor so much. And I think it's the case with older!Amy as well. It was the case with younger Amy waiting for the Doctor, it was the case with Amy as a young woman learning to trust the Doctor again, and it's very much the case with older!Amy. And it's one of those moments where Amy isn't so different from Rose. Because for both characters, their devotion to the Doctor (Amy's platonic, Rose's...more than that, really) is one of their most prominent qualities. And in a way, they made the Doctor better. Rose made Nine better, and Amy helped to heal Eleven up a bit. Rose saw Nine at his darkest in "Dalek" and managed to save him, and Amy saw Eleven at one of his darkest in "The Beast Below" and saved him, in a way (with Liz's help) ***. They may have made different choices, yes, but in the end, they really are quite similar. ****
I also loved the matter of the antagonists, and how they weren't necessarily villains, just misguided. Like the Clockwork Robots in "The Girl In The Fireplace", they're just following their programming. The problem is that the Doctor and co.'s bodies can't handle the medicine they use, so...yeah, guaranteed death. And I also loved (though it broke my heart into tiny little pieces), the Doctor's reaction to younger Amy wondering about older Amy (and earlier, before that, when he was making a silly face to cheer her up a bit). It's so quiet, yet it says so much. Honestly, wonderful episode...but yeah, fucking heartbreaking.
* Seriously, Doctor, I am attempting to comprehend your logic, and I just can't. I mean, you are, overall, very awesome, but you are also kind of a dick.
** And apparently I need to lay off the metaphors...sorry.
*** And she saved the Star Whale too.
**** And there's Donna saving the Doctor as well, in "The Runaway Bride", and Martha, in a way. I think all the Doctors' companions saved him, in a sense (after all, he does say that he chooses his friends with great care), but Rose and Amy definitely come to mind the most. Hell, this is another reason I love DOCTOR WHO -- for all the heartbreaking, it has enough heartwarming to full a room with light.
So yeah...heartbreaking as hell, but definitely recommended. It's just a generally well-told, affecting story, complete with an ending that...well, it may make you cry. I know I started crying as well during the episode. But yeah, give it a watch. Bring tissues, though.