Current status of the USS Hadhafang
Generally doing decently. Working on icons per usual, as well as catching up on THE WRITER'S TALE, which continues to be an enjoyable read. Had the shooting script pages for scripts like THE END OF TIME in there, and yes, it hurts my heart even reading it as much as watching the actual episode onscreen. And speaking of which, heard about Matt Smith leaving the show at Christmas, which...well, it kind of sucks, really. *Sighs* I'm really going to miss him.
On a lighter note, watched "Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS". How was it? A pretty good episode, though a bit odd.
First off, I really liked the building of tension and the atmosphere -- one thing that I am loving about this season thus far is just this sense of atmosphere. Stuff like "Cold War", "Hide" and now this -- it just did a really damn good job building up the atmosphere. Just this jumbled, sort of claustrophobic atmosphere with all this funky lighting, the mazes of sorts (and the stuff about the TARDIS "snarling" at Eleven and Clara like a wounded animal -- also pretty damn heartbreaking. *) and these burnt creatures chasing Eleven and Clara around. Made even worse with the revelation that the burned creatures are...well, Eleven, Clara and the Salvagers that couldn't escape the Eye of Harmony and got their skin burnt off. And became savage, apparently. I think it doesn't help that they honestly look like Freddy Krueger mixed with one of the crawlers from THE DESCENT: http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130427205505/tardis/images/4/49/Time_Zombie_in_corridor.jpg. One scene with Clara in the library while one of those creatures is chasing her doesn't really help matters at all. Just that feeling like you're hiding from a monster that's actually you from a terrible future (which can thankfully be averted, but still...) -- yeah, this is getting more than just a bit dark. Here, have a bit of STAR WARS humor: http://cheezburger.com/7518221312.
And back to the episode.
I think another thing that really got me was when one of the salvagers, after he kicks the Bad Future versions of himself and his brother over the edge, has to be pulled up by his brother and they sort of fuse together, and they become the Bad Future versions of themselves and chase the Doctor and Clara. *Shivers* I can't say that it really makes much sense (I guess it's a case of the crack thing ** sort of tangling the past, present and future, struggling to catch up...then again, it could be another case of things that were explained in the episode that I sort of missed), but goddamn is it scary as shit. And earlier, when they're trying to find the doors, and there are the creatures behind both doors they try (though my brother did try and lighten the mood a bit with joking about how much worse things could get, what with joking about a car being behind door number three) -- like I said, scary as shit. Also, when the TARDIS starts leaking bits of the past back to Clara, with her past self and the Doctor's past self from pretty much minutes ago -- can't say that it made sense (although there was mentioning of a fuel leak, so that could explain it. Can't say it explains the crack in the space-time continuum, as the Doctor basically puts it), but still very, very creepy. Not to mention the salvagers taking the TARDIS apart. Seriously, when they were at the console about to take the TARDIS apart, I practically shouted, "Don't you dare!" Honestly, just seeing the TARDIS in pain like that...that really hurt. Not to mention when Eleven says, when they're at the heart of the TARDIS, that the TARDIS has always taken care of him and now it's his turn and he has no idea what to do -- that really broke my heart. Matt Smith was really good in that scene, he really was. Also, his guilt over seemingly failing Clara, taking her on the TARDIS to keep her safe and instead...well, she's seemingly died again. And when all the tensions finally come out when they're nearing the engine room -- the Doctor questioning Clara and who she is, really, though I confess that the Doctor actually kind of scared me a little. Though to be fair, Clara does call him out on it, and does say that he is scaring her. And the Doctor does come to his senses. Perhaps, at least for now, Clara is still a mystery, but she is also simply Clara, and that's enough.
I also liked a bit of backstory given to the android one in the group -- basically, that he got injured in an explosion, lost his memory, sight, etc., and his brother...well, he sort of screwed him over for the sake of becoming captain of the ship. It admittedly kind of pissed me off what the brother did ***, but on the other hand, I think it definitely gave the salvage crew a lot of depth. I liked their amazement at the inside of the TARDIS as well (even if...well, y'know, what they were doing before the Doctor found them and what they did later), as well as some of the humor in the episode: Clara continuing to quarrel with the TARDIS, for example, and the Big Friendly Button. And the "sensors detect sass" thing with Clara. And Clara commenting about how lazy zombies are as a plot device, basically. And on a more serious note, I liked the one of the salvagers (the older brother) letting the TARDIS go. True, the "scrap of decency" thing was a bit on the nose, but it was a nice bookend. Also, the ending with Clara and the Doctor in the TARDIS, and the Doctor asking her if she feels safe with him, prior to them heading off into time and space. Honestly, after everything that happened, that ending was honestly very sweet. Seriously.
* Also, was the scene of the salvagers taking apart the TARDIS really necessary? I mean...holy shit. Only the Master turning the TARDIS into a Paradox Machine really manages to come close.
** Not the crack in Amy's wall; something else. Basically when the TARDIS collided with that salvage ship.
*** And the Doctor basically saying that at least the brother wasn't cut up was a case of, sort of like Kazran initially in A CHRISTMAS CAROL, sort of Damned By Faint Praise. Sort of a yeah, he was pretty horrible, but at least he didn't have his brother cut up (or in Kazran's case, actually hit that child). I mean, perhaps it was mostly a case of setting up that man's redemption (and I really do like redemption stories, believe it or not), but...I don't know, it kind of bugged me. That and the taking apart of the TARDIS.
Overall? I really liked it. Loved it, really. True, there were some things that bugged me, but overall, it was just a really damn good story with a good atmosphere, good characters, and honestly a lot more. I recommend you give it a watch.
On a lighter note, watched "Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS". How was it? A pretty good episode, though a bit odd.
First off, I really liked the building of tension and the atmosphere -- one thing that I am loving about this season thus far is just this sense of atmosphere. Stuff like "Cold War", "Hide" and now this -- it just did a really damn good job building up the atmosphere. Just this jumbled, sort of claustrophobic atmosphere with all this funky lighting, the mazes of sorts (and the stuff about the TARDIS "snarling" at Eleven and Clara like a wounded animal -- also pretty damn heartbreaking. *) and these burnt creatures chasing Eleven and Clara around. Made even worse with the revelation that the burned creatures are...well, Eleven, Clara and the Salvagers that couldn't escape the Eye of Harmony and got their skin burnt off. And became savage, apparently. I think it doesn't help that they honestly look like Freddy Krueger mixed with one of the crawlers from THE DESCENT: http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130427205505/tardis/images/4/49/Time_Zombie_in_corridor.jpg. One scene with Clara in the library while one of those creatures is chasing her doesn't really help matters at all. Just that feeling like you're hiding from a monster that's actually you from a terrible future (which can thankfully be averted, but still...) -- yeah, this is getting more than just a bit dark. Here, have a bit of STAR WARS humor: http://cheezburger.com/7518221312.
And back to the episode.
I think another thing that really got me was when one of the salvagers, after he kicks the Bad Future versions of himself and his brother over the edge, has to be pulled up by his brother and they sort of fuse together, and they become the Bad Future versions of themselves and chase the Doctor and Clara. *Shivers* I can't say that it really makes much sense (I guess it's a case of the crack thing ** sort of tangling the past, present and future, struggling to catch up...then again, it could be another case of things that were explained in the episode that I sort of missed), but goddamn is it scary as shit. And earlier, when they're trying to find the doors, and there are the creatures behind both doors they try (though my brother did try and lighten the mood a bit with joking about how much worse things could get, what with joking about a car being behind door number three) -- like I said, scary as shit. Also, when the TARDIS starts leaking bits of the past back to Clara, with her past self and the Doctor's past self from pretty much minutes ago -- can't say that it made sense (although there was mentioning of a fuel leak, so that could explain it. Can't say it explains the crack in the space-time continuum, as the Doctor basically puts it), but still very, very creepy. Not to mention the salvagers taking the TARDIS apart. Seriously, when they were at the console about to take the TARDIS apart, I practically shouted, "Don't you dare!" Honestly, just seeing the TARDIS in pain like that...that really hurt. Not to mention when Eleven says, when they're at the heart of the TARDIS, that the TARDIS has always taken care of him and now it's his turn and he has no idea what to do -- that really broke my heart. Matt Smith was really good in that scene, he really was. Also, his guilt over seemingly failing Clara, taking her on the TARDIS to keep her safe and instead...well, she's seemingly died again. And when all the tensions finally come out when they're nearing the engine room -- the Doctor questioning Clara and who she is, really, though I confess that the Doctor actually kind of scared me a little. Though to be fair, Clara does call him out on it, and does say that he is scaring her. And the Doctor does come to his senses. Perhaps, at least for now, Clara is still a mystery, but she is also simply Clara, and that's enough.
I also liked a bit of backstory given to the android one in the group -- basically, that he got injured in an explosion, lost his memory, sight, etc., and his brother...well, he sort of screwed him over for the sake of becoming captain of the ship. It admittedly kind of pissed me off what the brother did ***, but on the other hand, I think it definitely gave the salvage crew a lot of depth. I liked their amazement at the inside of the TARDIS as well (even if...well, y'know, what they were doing before the Doctor found them and what they did later), as well as some of the humor in the episode: Clara continuing to quarrel with the TARDIS, for example, and the Big Friendly Button. And the "sensors detect sass" thing with Clara. And Clara commenting about how lazy zombies are as a plot device, basically. And on a more serious note, I liked the one of the salvagers (the older brother) letting the TARDIS go. True, the "scrap of decency" thing was a bit on the nose, but it was a nice bookend. Also, the ending with Clara and the Doctor in the TARDIS, and the Doctor asking her if she feels safe with him, prior to them heading off into time and space. Honestly, after everything that happened, that ending was honestly very sweet. Seriously.
* Also, was the scene of the salvagers taking apart the TARDIS really necessary? I mean...holy shit. Only the Master turning the TARDIS into a Paradox Machine really manages to come close.
** Not the crack in Amy's wall; something else. Basically when the TARDIS collided with that salvage ship.
*** And the Doctor basically saying that at least the brother wasn't cut up was a case of, sort of like Kazran initially in A CHRISTMAS CAROL, sort of Damned By Faint Praise. Sort of a yeah, he was pretty horrible, but at least he didn't have his brother cut up (or in Kazran's case, actually hit that child). I mean, perhaps it was mostly a case of setting up that man's redemption (and I really do like redemption stories, believe it or not), but...I don't know, it kind of bugged me. That and the taking apart of the TARDIS.
Overall? I really liked it. Loved it, really. True, there were some things that bugged me, but overall, it was just a really damn good story with a good atmosphere, good characters, and honestly a lot more. I recommend you give it a watch.