Doctor Who 412-413
Wow...I still feel emotionally raw after watching the last two episodes back to back.
Sure, nobody died, not really, and everybody sorta got a happy ending, but again, not really. I'm still trying to organize my thoughts, but here's my go at it. I have some issues with plot and missed opportunities (writing wise) but those aside I was thinking of a few things:
Donna
-By far the biggest tragedy. I know a lot of people have already touched on this, and I honestly can't say if death would have been better for her than never knowing all the wonderful things she did. Because the possibility exists that she could still become great again, but it just kills me that she never really understood her self-worth until the end, until she absorbed the Doctor's mind, and that was the thing that undid it all. I guess one of the problems I have with the writing is that the last few episodes all built up to Donna having to make a choice, a choice that would save the universe and destroy herself, but in the end, it seemed like there was no choice at all. She didn't chose to stay on board the TARDIS when the Daleks captured it- the door closed on it's own. When she reached out to the Doctor's hand, I don't think she knew what was going to happen, I think she was just hoping to release his energy or something. This is very different than the choice Rose made, Rose had seen what happened to someone who looked into the heart of the TARDIS. She'd been warned. Now I'm not trying to compare Rose and Donna, I love them both, I'm just saying that given all the build up about choices and alternate timelines and such--RDT had the chance here to make it come full circle and didn't. Donna was "fated" to save the universe and fated to lose it all.
Fate sucks sometimes.
-Ok, I can't let this bit go: What was the point of the Shadow Proclamation girl seeing something on Donna's back? Yet something else pointing to the fact that Donna had a choice to make because didn't the bug eat alternate timelines? Gah. I don't know.
Rose
-I do wish I'd been a fly on the wall when she figured out why Jack was still alive. Again, it's about choices and a choice that she made, but we didn't get the opportunity to witness the impact of her choice on her. Presumably she'd be happy Jack was still alive, but eventually, the realization of what it would mean would hit her. Still, it was great seeing her again, but it would have been cooler still if Rose had maybe taken the opportunity to tell Donna what happens when you get Time Lord knowledge in your head. It nearly killed her, and this would have been the perfect opportunity to present Donna with the knowledge that would let her make The Choice. Rose could have done this when she realized what she did to Jack. Gah.
Ok, I'm trying to let this go now.
Unit
-Ultimate Code Red? Seriously? Who comes up with this? And someone please, fix their berets. They look like someone took wet pancakes and put them on their heads.
Doctor
One thing I've noticed, even before...why is the doctor so hesitant to salute? Is it just because it's a military gesture? At first I thought so, but given all the saluting in the last two eps, I got thinking...
There are some theories how the salute came about:
1. As a knight approached someone, they lifted their visor, showing who they were and showing that they did not want to fight.
2. To show that their right hand was free of weapons.
In regards to the first point, I think it's fair to say that the doctor isn't really prepared to show his companions who he really is. Mostly, I think, because he doesn't really know. He values peace and yet he knows he has his rage buried deep within. He saw something horrible and frightening when he looked in the schism and hasn't stopped running away since. He ran away from Jack when Rose resurrected him. He dealt out his justice to Harriet Jones and then ran away from her too. I loved that look of surprise when Jack--was it Jack? told him what she'd done. He looked so surprised to even hear her name. I think he's been running away from who he is, all the good and bad things he's capable of, unable to reconcile them. And given what the Head!Dalek was going on about during their capture, I think maybe this is a fair statement.
I think he's also hesitant to say that he is free of weapons, because while doctors usually swear to do no harm (The Doctor especially), I think it's very ironic that for all his protests against violence, in the end he hurts people far more than if he were to just pull out a gun and shoot them.
To be honest, I like the fact that he's got issues. He's so much more interesting when he's got rage, conflict or denial inside of him, rather than self-pity. I can't take anymore doctor self-pity after Season 3.
The Doctor's Companions
-I do wish they'd been more than just eye candy. Don't get me wrong, they were very pretty eye candy. And I loved seeing Rose's mom again (though again, I was expecting a little more snark between her and the doctor) and Hi Jack! *waves* (Though I think I liked him better when he was still a con artist). I can't help it, I like my characters flawed. I liked that they went for the "guns" to save the universe, even though the Doctor didn't want that. I guess I just wish more of their individual personalities had come through (and their personal issues) and that the solution had involved more of their choices (be them good or bad) rather than just being in the right place at the right time and having the teleporters recharge at just the right moment.
Overall I liked it...I couldn't possibly spend this much time thinking about a show I didn't like--even if most of what I'm thinking about is possible fics I could write to really showcase the characters flaws and see how much trouble I can can get them into. *g*