So, watched THE NAME OF THE DOCTOR...
...and holy shit. I mean, seriously. Holy fucking shit.
First off, the reveal of John Hurt!Doctor. That was a pretty damn awesome move on Moffat's part. And really, all things considered, the reveal of him (who somehow did something so awful that the other Doctors basically threw him into the That Never Happened bin) is definitely a good reason as to why the Silence would want to kill him at Lake Silencio. As for the matter of the Great Intelligence...well, most of what he was doing was just out of pure spite for the Doctor repeatedly beating him (sort of an "If I can't win against you in the present, I'll completely rewrite your past so I do win!" Which...thank God that Clara stepped in when she did. *), there was sort of something in him that...well, he genuinely seemed to think that the Doctor was an abomination. Calling him a "tyrant" (which...yeah, that's like the pot calling the kettle black, or Rassilon calling you power-hungry), for example. (Not to mention, nice callback in regards to the Sycorax leader, as well as the Valeyard in the old series!), for example, and "bloodsoaked". It pretty eerily reflects the reason (well, one of the reasons I guess) the Silence wanted him dead. Not to mention Davros' lecture to Ten on the CRUCIBLE, the Dalek Emperor taunting Nine -- I think it's really why they chose to tell the reboot's story the way they did. In the reboot, the enemies are mostly just there as set-dressing, or reflections of the Doctor, things like that. (Especially prominent in the RTD era, but it still shows up here in the Moffat era) The real enemy in the end is the Doctor. Even in stuff like "Midnight", it was more of a deconstruction of the Doctor. "The Waters of Mars" is probably the biggest example of it, what happens when the Doctor's need to save people gets corrupted. As a whole, DOCTOR WHO -- at least the reboot; not sure about the Classic series -- is mostly about a man who's still suffering the aftereffects of the Time War, before it just starts getting harder from there. And yet there's plenty of stuff in there to remind the audience that really, it's not all tragedy. Sometimes humor can make the tragedy sharper, sometimes it can provide light relief, sometimes it can do both. And I think it's one of many reasons why it's so goddamn awesome.
Back to John Hurt!Doctor. Honestly, I really can't help but wonder what he did, really. After all...well, I can't say for certain about the Classic Series, but Nine and Ten did some morally gray stuff, and they haven't been un-regenerationed. (If you pardon my word choice) I think considering that Eleven said that the name you choose is like a promise you make and John Hurt!Doctor broke that promise...well, as the Master says in "The Sound of Drums", the Doctor chose his name as sort of "the man who makes people better" **. The Doctor wants no more than to be able to help people. "I promise to make people better", basically (made all the more painful considering what drove Ten over the edge in "The Waters of Mars", as well as instances when he can't make people better) -- so I can only guess that John Hurt!Doctor did something against that. That he abused his power. Sort of like the Time Lord Victorious but much worse. Considering that Hurt!Doctor said he did what he did in the name of peace and sanity (pretty damn dangerous thing to say, really. ***)...yeah, there might be a lot of conclusions to draw from this, but starting a dictatorship is my best guess. (Then again, I could be wrong. See also my initial Wild Mass Guessing about the trailer for STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS; I don't think I was ever more wrong in my entire life!)
*Sighs*
Man, this is just getting fucking depressing as shit. I can only *hope* that I'm mistaken. For now, have a cool car: http://cheezburger.com/7540874752.
And back to our program.
While we're on the subject of the Doctor, this seemed to be another one of those "the Doctor must suffer" episodes (others being "Midnight", the entire season three finale, "The Waters of Mars", "42", and...actually, a lot more) -- I know that when the Great Intelligence entered the Doctor's timestream to rewrite it (and seriously, he hates the Doctor so much that he doesn't care if he dies as long as he makes the Doctor suffer first. That's...pretty much Khan Noonien Singh levels of hate ****), I was basically going "no, no, no!" And honestly, it was really hard to watch -- Jenny getting erased from existence, for example, as well as Strax (though they got better), the stars going out, the Doctor writhing in pain while his entire fucking life is being rewritten just because the Great Intelligence figured, "If I can't defeat the Doctor, I can destroy him." I think my only real gripe with all of this (besides it just being depressing as hell to picture the Doctor's life getting rewritten like that) is...well, what's the Great Intelligence's deal anyhow? (Note to self: Watch THE SNOWMEN)
Then again, it could be me being rather stupid. Honestly, though, Richard E. Grant was pretty damn amazing in that role. There's something about his sheer presence that...well, it's scary as shit.
I also really liked River's role in this. I liked her final goodbye to the Doctor (just sad and heartwarming at the same time), as well as her revealing to the Doctor that Clara's okay (seriously, most heartwarming use of the word "Spoilers" ever. <3), as well as her interactions with Clara. That was cool to see. And her interactions with Strax, Jenny and Vastra as well. I also really loved Clara just hopping into the Doctor's timestream to save him, as well as the Doctor hopping in if only to save her. And his joy when he finds her (well, prior to John Hurt's Doctor showing up) -- also, earlier, the use of the leaf to lure her back to him. That was just...d'awwww. <3 (And I loved the acknowledgment of Clara's mom in the beginning when Clara's babysitting Angie and Artie, about what her mom said, about the soufflé being the recipe. *****)
Not to mention, when the episode wasn't being dark as hell, it had some really, honestly funny moments. For example, when Eleven finds out that Angie and Artie tricked him into playing Blind Man's Bluff so they could sneak off to the cinema, and he goes, "The little...Daleks!" (I think I might start using it as a synonym for when something/someone pisses me off. XD) And Strax having that bar brawl with that one guy -- which he apparently has a friendly relationship with. (Honestly, I'm glad they brought Strax, Vastra and Jenny back in general -- they are just awesome personified) Especially how much he gets into the fight. XD And even really sweet moments, like what Vastra says after Strax thankfully manages to restart Jenny's heart after the Whisper Men stop it (BTW, those bastards are frightening), and remarks about, basically, how simple the heart is, and Vastra says, "I have not found it to be so." Honestly, that line really was one of many things that got me during the episode.
Honestly, it was a great episode. Only real problem? The fact that I have to wait until November to find out what happens next. (But hey. We always have fanfiction)
* And considering what could have happened to her, that's a terribly big risk she took.
** The whole deal with the Gamma forests aside because that didn't happen until much later. (I think)
*** And I have to say that there's a lot of these characters in the Whoniverse, from good guys doing questionable things to bad guys who somehow think they're doing the universe a favor, or are twisting it to the way they want it. I mean, damn.
**** Except Khan had valid reasons to hate Kirk, and even had some Pet the Dog moments (see also his reaction when Joachim is killed in THE WRATH OF KHAN). The Great Intelligence is just a douchebag.
***** And I had to crack up at the "one day, I'll be soufflé girl" thing.
So overall? Loved it. Definitely recommended.
First off, the reveal of John Hurt!Doctor. That was a pretty damn awesome move on Moffat's part. And really, all things considered, the reveal of him (who somehow did something so awful that the other Doctors basically threw him into the That Never Happened bin) is definitely a good reason as to why the Silence would want to kill him at Lake Silencio. As for the matter of the Great Intelligence...well, most of what he was doing was just out of pure spite for the Doctor repeatedly beating him (sort of an "If I can't win against you in the present, I'll completely rewrite your past so I do win!" Which...thank God that Clara stepped in when she did. *), there was sort of something in him that...well, he genuinely seemed to think that the Doctor was an abomination. Calling him a "tyrant" (which...yeah, that's like the pot calling the kettle black, or Rassilon calling you power-hungry), for example. (Not to mention, nice callback in regards to the Sycorax leader, as well as the Valeyard in the old series!), for example, and "bloodsoaked". It pretty eerily reflects the reason (well, one of the reasons I guess) the Silence wanted him dead. Not to mention Davros' lecture to Ten on the CRUCIBLE, the Dalek Emperor taunting Nine -- I think it's really why they chose to tell the reboot's story the way they did. In the reboot, the enemies are mostly just there as set-dressing, or reflections of the Doctor, things like that. (Especially prominent in the RTD era, but it still shows up here in the Moffat era) The real enemy in the end is the Doctor. Even in stuff like "Midnight", it was more of a deconstruction of the Doctor. "The Waters of Mars" is probably the biggest example of it, what happens when the Doctor's need to save people gets corrupted. As a whole, DOCTOR WHO -- at least the reboot; not sure about the Classic series -- is mostly about a man who's still suffering the aftereffects of the Time War, before it just starts getting harder from there. And yet there's plenty of stuff in there to remind the audience that really, it's not all tragedy. Sometimes humor can make the tragedy sharper, sometimes it can provide light relief, sometimes it can do both. And I think it's one of many reasons why it's so goddamn awesome.
Back to John Hurt!Doctor. Honestly, I really can't help but wonder what he did, really. After all...well, I can't say for certain about the Classic Series, but Nine and Ten did some morally gray stuff, and they haven't been un-regenerationed. (If you pardon my word choice) I think considering that Eleven said that the name you choose is like a promise you make and John Hurt!Doctor broke that promise...well, as the Master says in "The Sound of Drums", the Doctor chose his name as sort of "the man who makes people better" **. The Doctor wants no more than to be able to help people. "I promise to make people better", basically (made all the more painful considering what drove Ten over the edge in "The Waters of Mars", as well as instances when he can't make people better) -- so I can only guess that John Hurt!Doctor did something against that. That he abused his power. Sort of like the Time Lord Victorious but much worse. Considering that Hurt!Doctor said he did what he did in the name of peace and sanity (pretty damn dangerous thing to say, really. ***)...yeah, there might be a lot of conclusions to draw from this, but starting a dictatorship is my best guess. (Then again, I could be wrong. See also my initial Wild Mass Guessing about the trailer for STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS; I don't think I was ever more wrong in my entire life!)
*Sighs*
Man, this is just getting fucking depressing as shit. I can only *hope* that I'm mistaken. For now, have a cool car: http://cheezburger.com/7540874752.
And back to our program.
While we're on the subject of the Doctor, this seemed to be another one of those "the Doctor must suffer" episodes (others being "Midnight", the entire season three finale, "The Waters of Mars", "42", and...actually, a lot more) -- I know that when the Great Intelligence entered the Doctor's timestream to rewrite it (and seriously, he hates the Doctor so much that he doesn't care if he dies as long as he makes the Doctor suffer first. That's...pretty much Khan Noonien Singh levels of hate ****), I was basically going "no, no, no!" And honestly, it was really hard to watch -- Jenny getting erased from existence, for example, as well as Strax (though they got better), the stars going out, the Doctor writhing in pain while his entire fucking life is being rewritten just because the Great Intelligence figured, "If I can't defeat the Doctor, I can destroy him." I think my only real gripe with all of this (besides it just being depressing as hell to picture the Doctor's life getting rewritten like that) is...well, what's the Great Intelligence's deal anyhow? (Note to self: Watch THE SNOWMEN)
Then again, it could be me being rather stupid. Honestly, though, Richard E. Grant was pretty damn amazing in that role. There's something about his sheer presence that...well, it's scary as shit.
I also really liked River's role in this. I liked her final goodbye to the Doctor (just sad and heartwarming at the same time), as well as her revealing to the Doctor that Clara's okay (seriously, most heartwarming use of the word "Spoilers" ever. <3), as well as her interactions with Clara. That was cool to see. And her interactions with Strax, Jenny and Vastra as well. I also really loved Clara just hopping into the Doctor's timestream to save him, as well as the Doctor hopping in if only to save her. And his joy when he finds her (well, prior to John Hurt's Doctor showing up) -- also, earlier, the use of the leaf to lure her back to him. That was just...d'awwww. <3 (And I loved the acknowledgment of Clara's mom in the beginning when Clara's babysitting Angie and Artie, about what her mom said, about the soufflé being the recipe. *****)
Not to mention, when the episode wasn't being dark as hell, it had some really, honestly funny moments. For example, when Eleven finds out that Angie and Artie tricked him into playing Blind Man's Bluff so they could sneak off to the cinema, and he goes, "The little...Daleks!" (I think I might start using it as a synonym for when something/someone pisses me off. XD) And Strax having that bar brawl with that one guy -- which he apparently has a friendly relationship with. (Honestly, I'm glad they brought Strax, Vastra and Jenny back in general -- they are just awesome personified) Especially how much he gets into the fight. XD And even really sweet moments, like what Vastra says after Strax thankfully manages to restart Jenny's heart after the Whisper Men stop it (BTW, those bastards are frightening), and remarks about, basically, how simple the heart is, and Vastra says, "I have not found it to be so." Honestly, that line really was one of many things that got me during the episode.
Honestly, it was a great episode. Only real problem? The fact that I have to wait until November to find out what happens next. (But hey. We always have fanfiction)
* And considering what could have happened to her, that's a terribly big risk she took.
** The whole deal with the Gamma forests aside because that didn't happen until much later. (I think)
*** And I have to say that there's a lot of these characters in the Whoniverse, from good guys doing questionable things to bad guys who somehow think they're doing the universe a favor, or are twisting it to the way they want it. I mean, damn.
**** Except Khan had valid reasons to hate Kirk, and even had some Pet the Dog moments (see also his reaction when Joachim is killed in THE WRATH OF KHAN). The Great Intelligence is just a douchebag.
***** And I had to crack up at the "one day, I'll be soufflé girl" thing.
So overall? Loved it. Definitely recommended.