NuWho Season 3
I was disappointed with Season 1 of New Dr Who. I thought the plots were frequently dull. I thought that all too often things happened to get characters from emotional point A to emotional point B without said events making much sense in the context of the wider plot or characters. I thought the comedy was frequently heavy-handed and the acting (even from the much revered Eccleston) often cheesy. I was disappointed by the lack of imagination on display at the world-building level.
For many years I had been pretty heavily invested in the original full-length Dr Who novels. The new series killed these absolutely stone dead. Some would say this was a mercy killing. Certainly their hey-day was long past. Perhaps as a result, I don't really compare new Who with classic Who and mourn its passing. I mourn the passing of the novels but new who could have been greater than the greatest thing ever and they would still have gone.
So, I got over my disappointment. I accepted that I would not be getting intricate and clever plots, fascinating new worlds or even particularly subtle character exploration and began to watch new who on its own terms. Every so often it serves up The Girl in the Fireplace or Blink which stand among my favourite Who episodes (such as City of Death, Pyramids of Mars, Caves of Androzani - highly regarded by all, and Vengeance on Varos and Delta and the Bannerman (less widely acclaimed - if not widely derided - but personal favourites none the less)). It probably helped, shallow creature that I am, that I find David Tennant very easy on the eye. Mind you, I find John Barrowman remarkably pleasant to look at and I'm not forgiving Torchwood its sins yet.
So, you know, I enjoyed Season 3. I didn't think any of the episodes were complete stinkers: 42 was dull, the Lazarus Experiment was padded, and the Dalek episodes lacked the verve needed to carry you through the absurdity. But from Human Nature onwards I would say the season has been pretty gripping with a definite sense of forward momentum and some real intelligence on display at one level or another. I would go so far as to say that "Last of the Time Lords" is a reset switch done right. If you are going to have a reset switch then for goodness sake, signpost it early on "here's our reset switch folks" so everyone knows the game being played today, make sure interesting things happen in the period to be reset and, most importantly, make sure that for the characters who matter the reset isn't thrown. It all actually happened, they remember it happening, they changed as a result and remain changed.
The Last of the Time Lords is Martha's episode and she really came into her own and vindicated much of what had happened before. I'm a little doubtful about Freema's acting. She does no-nonsense Martha very well, but I was less convinced by inspirational Martha and her puppydog Martha was terrible (mind you puppydog Martha was saddled with lines that would have challenged the cream of the acting community so I'll forgive her that). Martha's mission, taking a year, reminded me powerfully of Ace in Andrew Cartmel's New Adventure, Warhead. I remember how struck I was by the fact that the Doctor had entrusted her (Ace) with a task which involved spending a prolonged period away from his side, negotiating difficult and dangerous territory, a task which would require initiative, planning and ability way above the normal expectation of a companion (who can usually guarantee the Doctor will show up again in, at most, a couple of days time) and I saw it again here. This is a companion he really trusts to get things done, a trust foreshadowed, of course, in Human Nature/Family of Blood. I was cheering at the end when she told the Doctor exactly why she was leaving. She did it without rancour or bitterness but made sure he knew exactly why she was going and exactly how much he was responsible for that and for once in New Who the whole character "arc" made sense. Martha went to Never-never land with Peter Pan, but then she grew up and moved on because Peter Pan is ultimately a selfish child and will take you for granted if you let him.
Although I applaud the "Martha arc" I do wonder if it had to be quite so heavy handed, especially given her final speech. I find myself comparing it to the love affair between Grissom and Sarah Sidle in CSI. Most of the time you would hardly know this is happening. You see it developing primarily through conversations that are ostensibly about something else but nevertheless, if you're looking, you can trace their relationship changing and their opinions of each other developing. We didn't need puppydog Martha for that final scene, just some good acting and direction earlier in the season. Our first intimation of Martha's infatuation should have been in Human Nature, and it should have been conveyed entirely by Martha's expression on witnessing the John Smith/Joan interaction. But then RTD is dealing with a crowd who cried "Why didn't they walk?" in Gridlock (when, for once, the script actually answered that - the undercity was closed, the motorway was the only way out, walking on the motorway was a non-starter) so he perhaps should be forgiven for making a point he thought important repeatedly and in words of few syllables.
Of course, the downside of showcasing Martha in the final episode, is that we see less of Captain Jack and he is so irrelevant to the plot you kind of wonder why he's there. But then its seems pretty clear that the season was all about "cheating death" in one way or another and so thematically it made sense and, on a pragmatic level, puts the character where it's wanted for season 2 of Torchwood. "Lonely god" Doctor is also more appropriate to the theme than "Peter Pan" Doctor but I prefer the idea of Peter Pan Doctor so I'm going with that.
And the Peter Pan allusion is so apt. The Tenth Doctor is Peter Pan, childish, selfish, charismatic, infuriating, irritating, unthinking Peter Pan. His actions at the end of Family of Blood were not those of a "lonely god" but of a child throwing a tantrum because his game has come to an end. His companions and enemies become trapped in a state of childhood unable and unwilling to grow up but eventually the best of them leave him and mature. I even liked the "clap if you believe in fairies moment", especially taking the suggestion someone on my flist made that the Doctor merely acts as a focal point for the "telepathic energy" rather than actually absorbing and using it in some way.
So Season 3 NuWho: mostly dull plots, boring world-building, heavy-handed characterisation but surprisingly thoughtful, with more interesting twists and more interesting characters than last year and a genuinely critical approach to the central character, proper pay-offs for its foreshadowing and a character arc that actually made sense. I'll still be watching season 4 and not just because I enjoy reading what people have to say about it afterwards.
For many years I had been pretty heavily invested in the original full-length Dr Who novels. The new series killed these absolutely stone dead. Some would say this was a mercy killing. Certainly their hey-day was long past. Perhaps as a result, I don't really compare new Who with classic Who and mourn its passing. I mourn the passing of the novels but new who could have been greater than the greatest thing ever and they would still have gone.
So, I got over my disappointment. I accepted that I would not be getting intricate and clever plots, fascinating new worlds or even particularly subtle character exploration and began to watch new who on its own terms. Every so often it serves up The Girl in the Fireplace or Blink which stand among my favourite Who episodes (such as City of Death, Pyramids of Mars, Caves of Androzani - highly regarded by all, and Vengeance on Varos and Delta and the Bannerman (less widely acclaimed - if not widely derided - but personal favourites none the less)). It probably helped, shallow creature that I am, that I find David Tennant very easy on the eye. Mind you, I find John Barrowman remarkably pleasant to look at and I'm not forgiving Torchwood its sins yet.
So, you know, I enjoyed Season 3. I didn't think any of the episodes were complete stinkers: 42 was dull, the Lazarus Experiment was padded, and the Dalek episodes lacked the verve needed to carry you through the absurdity. But from Human Nature onwards I would say the season has been pretty gripping with a definite sense of forward momentum and some real intelligence on display at one level or another. I would go so far as to say that "Last of the Time Lords" is a reset switch done right. If you are going to have a reset switch then for goodness sake, signpost it early on "here's our reset switch folks" so everyone knows the game being played today, make sure interesting things happen in the period to be reset and, most importantly, make sure that for the characters who matter the reset isn't thrown. It all actually happened, they remember it happening, they changed as a result and remain changed.
The Last of the Time Lords is Martha's episode and she really came into her own and vindicated much of what had happened before. I'm a little doubtful about Freema's acting. She does no-nonsense Martha very well, but I was less convinced by inspirational Martha and her puppydog Martha was terrible (mind you puppydog Martha was saddled with lines that would have challenged the cream of the acting community so I'll forgive her that). Martha's mission, taking a year, reminded me powerfully of Ace in Andrew Cartmel's New Adventure, Warhead. I remember how struck I was by the fact that the Doctor had entrusted her (Ace) with a task which involved spending a prolonged period away from his side, negotiating difficult and dangerous territory, a task which would require initiative, planning and ability way above the normal expectation of a companion (who can usually guarantee the Doctor will show up again in, at most, a couple of days time) and I saw it again here. This is a companion he really trusts to get things done, a trust foreshadowed, of course, in Human Nature/Family of Blood. I was cheering at the end when she told the Doctor exactly why she was leaving. She did it without rancour or bitterness but made sure he knew exactly why she was going and exactly how much he was responsible for that and for once in New Who the whole character "arc" made sense. Martha went to Never-never land with Peter Pan, but then she grew up and moved on because Peter Pan is ultimately a selfish child and will take you for granted if you let him.
Although I applaud the "Martha arc" I do wonder if it had to be quite so heavy handed, especially given her final speech. I find myself comparing it to the love affair between Grissom and Sarah Sidle in CSI. Most of the time you would hardly know this is happening. You see it developing primarily through conversations that are ostensibly about something else but nevertheless, if you're looking, you can trace their relationship changing and their opinions of each other developing. We didn't need puppydog Martha for that final scene, just some good acting and direction earlier in the season. Our first intimation of Martha's infatuation should have been in Human Nature, and it should have been conveyed entirely by Martha's expression on witnessing the John Smith/Joan interaction. But then RTD is dealing with a crowd who cried "Why didn't they walk?" in Gridlock (when, for once, the script actually answered that - the undercity was closed, the motorway was the only way out, walking on the motorway was a non-starter) so he perhaps should be forgiven for making a point he thought important repeatedly and in words of few syllables.
Of course, the downside of showcasing Martha in the final episode, is that we see less of Captain Jack and he is so irrelevant to the plot you kind of wonder why he's there. But then its seems pretty clear that the season was all about "cheating death" in one way or another and so thematically it made sense and, on a pragmatic level, puts the character where it's wanted for season 2 of Torchwood. "Lonely god" Doctor is also more appropriate to the theme than "Peter Pan" Doctor but I prefer the idea of Peter Pan Doctor so I'm going with that.
And the Peter Pan allusion is so apt. The Tenth Doctor is Peter Pan, childish, selfish, charismatic, infuriating, irritating, unthinking Peter Pan. His actions at the end of Family of Blood were not those of a "lonely god" but of a child throwing a tantrum because his game has come to an end. His companions and enemies become trapped in a state of childhood unable and unwilling to grow up but eventually the best of them leave him and mature. I even liked the "clap if you believe in fairies moment", especially taking the suggestion someone on my flist made that the Doctor merely acts as a focal point for the "telepathic energy" rather than actually absorbing and using it in some way.
So Season 3 NuWho: mostly dull plots, boring world-building, heavy-handed characterisation but surprisingly thoughtful, with more interesting twists and more interesting characters than last year and a genuinely critical approach to the central character, proper pay-offs for its foreshadowing and a character arc that actually made sense. I'll still be watching season 4 and not just because I enjoy reading what people have to say about it afterwards.