"Physics. Phyyyyyysics. Physicsphysicsphysicsphysicsphysics."
One last big update before I scamper up to the frozen tundra that is Maryland...
"The Sontaran Stratagem"
I really just need to get over it. I mean, there was some excellent dialogue, I love Donna's interaction with Martha, and with her gramps, and the wonderful fake-out about going home (oh, you silly, silly Doctor, you...). The Doctor was in top form, as always ("Staal the Not-Quite-So-Undefeated-Anymore-But-Never-Mind?", "Euh, it's a thing," etc). And, much as I hate seeing UNIT evolve into just another military organization that The Doctor has to yell at constantly, I was glad to see that he still gets along with the "grunts," and he was more justified and less infuriating than back when Three had such a short fuse with the Brig.
There are two little tiny details in this one that have me all up in arms: the cliffhanger (really? Since when has The Doctor been dumb enough to not think of breaking the glass?!), and the bullet-stopping trick.
There are so many "science" issues that I ignore all the time on this show, so why does this one stick in my craw the way it does? Because we're on Earth in modern times, dealing with modern guns and modern bullets, and therefore Newtonian physics still apply. The end of "New Earth" is preposterous, given what we know today of medicine, but I can squint my eyes and accept that things will be different in 5,000,023 AD. And I can accept that there are such things in the universe as living plastic, and that The Doctor carries around a vial of "anti-plastic." These are alien life forms and alien technologies, and I can't pass judgment on how they work.
BUT, I do know absolutely for certain that, if you stop a bullet in a modern gun here on Earth, that energy has to go somewhere. If the gunpowder is lit, but the bullet is prevented from leaving the chamber, you're going to get some sort of reaction rather more dramatic than a sad little clicking noise. Maybe the barrel won't explode, but you ARE going to get a discharge of sound or light or heat... I'm not rejecting the whole idea, just objecting to the way it was executed. If there had been ANY reaction (of the equal and opposite kind), I would have been okay with it. If it had been said that the Sontarans had disabled the hammer somehow, or chemically altered the gun powder, or any one of a number of other explanations, I would probably buy it. But I just cannot ignore blatant disregard for one of the most basic laws of physics on a show that once claimed its hero explained gravity to Isaac Newton.
So, in the end, "The Sontaran Stratagem" is still basically a good episode, and is far better, characterisation wise, than 90% of the garbage on television today. But, as a recovering Engineering student, I can't help but obsess over things like these.
We're halfway through this one, though, and then we can get back to the good stuff.
So, "Planet of the Ood," at last. And, predictably, I find myself with not a lot to say about it, now that I finally have. The landscape of the Oodsphere was gorgeous (and considering how much I like snow, that's saying something), and I really liked the idea of the three-piece-brain and the song and all. The whole bit with Lord Percy turning into an Ood was predictable*, disturbing, and largely nonsensical (and put me in mind of both X-Men and the ginger kids episode of South Park), but I don't really have any other complaints.
I continue to love Donna to miniscule little bits as she continues to prove herself competent and surprisingly morally aware. Sure, she showed some moral responsibility in "The Runaway Bride," but that was kind of an extreme case. I certainly didn't expect silly, flighty little Donna Noble to turn out to be Jimminy Cricket... I am also incredibly happy to see her grow closer to The Doctor without the slightest bit of romantic overtone creeping in along the edges. But we all knew I'd say that.
All in all, a very good episode with some interesting development for both Donna and the Ood (who I have always been rather intrigued by, after all).
* I've apparently been watching far too much of this show or something, but I knew almost immediately that it wasn't a coincidence that Tim McInnerny's** head is shaped quite a lot like that of an Ood.
** I spent the first 40 minutes trying to figure out where the heck I knew him from, and then it dawned on me that he was Cruella de Vil's butler in the live action movies. I knew I knew him from something else, too, but I couldn't come up with his name...and then the credits rolled and I had to hang my head in shame for several minutes. Because, come ON, Tim McInnerny! (In my defence, Blackadder was a long time ago, and the years have not exactly been kind to the guy...)
And then there was Season 18.
Lots of stuff happened in a very short amount of time, here - Adric stowed away, The Doctor launched a missile at a giant vampire, Romana carried K-9 off toward a blue screen, we finally got a (maybe) proper Master back, two new Companions joined up because The Doctor showed up and their family members died***, and I watched a regeneration scene that only made me the tiniest bit misty-eyed.
I just...had a hard time following most of the serials in this season. I don't know if it was because I wasn't paying enough attention or if there truly was a complete dearth of logic that series, but I think this may be my least favourite season since 1970, if not earlier. A lot of it was good - I quite liked most of "Full Circle," "State of Decay" started well even if it took a turn for the overblown by the end, and I like "Keeper of Traken" _quite_ a lot (of course, that should come as no surprise, since it was written by my good buddy Johnny Byrne). But this season sent off three of the longest running, best loved characters**** and didn't even make me cry for real.
Maybe it's because they were there so long, or because I've been distracted by Ten and Donna and Skeldale House and Sarah Jane and her entourage, or because I know who is coming up and am anxious to get there. I don't know. But the most memorable thing from this season wasn't Four falling to his death, it was The Master coming back into his own...sort of...for the most part. And that's a shame because, dagnabit, Four was magnificent, and he deserved a more effective death scene.
*** This whole bit here makes me appreciate that bit where he gets turned down in S3/29 all the more. It's nice to occassionally have a sensible reaction to Doctor-induced mayhem...
**** If we can consider the different Doctors different characters...but count all of the K-9s as one, and both Romanas as the same...which doesn't make any sense, really...
And, finally, for those of you who were curious how the week-long marathon turned out, we finished up through "Planet of the Ood" before Ashley had to leave. I sent her home with "The Sontaran Stratagem" so she can catch up to SciFi, and then two serials for each of the Classic Doctors I've met so far***** because the original series is freakin' awesome, too, and I really had intended to start her from the beginning, anyway.
I liked Simm-Master quite a bit more this time 'round, though that probably has at least something to do with Pratt- and Beevers-Masters. I still would have preferred to have a Delgado-esque Master all the way through, but that wouldn't make any more sense than if all of the Doctors acted like Hartnell (or Troughton...or Pertwee...et cetera), and at least we sort of know _why_ he's gone completely apeshit since then.
If eyebrows make the world go round, brainy specs make it worth watching while it does.
"Last of the Time Lords" is still ridiculous, and I still love it.
The objectionable elements of "Voyage of the Damned" become less objectionable with repeated viewings.
This is not true of Helen Raynor episodes. To be fair, though, rewatching them at least reminded me of the good bits.
Martha has a Magpie Electricals brand telly.
And "School Reunion" is, as I assumed, a rather different episode when you know all of the characters involved and can pick out Four's mannerisms when Tennant does them. Which he does. A lot. All the time. Tennant is a thieving bastard...and I love him for it.
***** "An Unearthly Child" (since it's, y'know, the first episode), "The Aztecs" and "The Romans" (they're kind of my defaults for One. I tried to give her "The Keys of Marinus" instead of "The Aztecs," but I was getting some sort of read error and didn't have time to fix it), "Tomb of the Cybermen" and "The Seeds of Death" (not the best Two episodes, but, what with most of them having had to be reconstructed, my choices were limited), "The Silurians" and "The Curse of Peladon" (I pretty much love all of Three's episodes, so I just sort of picked at random), "Pyramids of Mars" and "City of Death" (fairly straightforward choices, I think), and "The Enemy Within" (of course...).
"The Sontaran Stratagem"
I really just need to get over it. I mean, there was some excellent dialogue, I love Donna's interaction with Martha, and with her gramps, and the wonderful fake-out about going home (oh, you silly, silly Doctor, you...). The Doctor was in top form, as always ("Staal the Not-Quite-So-Undefeated-Anymore-But-Never-Mind?", "Euh, it's a thing," etc). And, much as I hate seeing UNIT evolve into just another military organization that The Doctor has to yell at constantly, I was glad to see that he still gets along with the "grunts," and he was more justified and less infuriating than back when Three had such a short fuse with the Brig.
There are two little tiny details in this one that have me all up in arms: the cliffhanger (really? Since when has The Doctor been dumb enough to not think of breaking the glass?!), and the bullet-stopping trick.
There are so many "science" issues that I ignore all the time on this show, so why does this one stick in my craw the way it does? Because we're on Earth in modern times, dealing with modern guns and modern bullets, and therefore Newtonian physics still apply. The end of "New Earth" is preposterous, given what we know today of medicine, but I can squint my eyes and accept that things will be different in 5,000,023 AD. And I can accept that there are such things in the universe as living plastic, and that The Doctor carries around a vial of "anti-plastic." These are alien life forms and alien technologies, and I can't pass judgment on how they work.
BUT, I do know absolutely for certain that, if you stop a bullet in a modern gun here on Earth, that energy has to go somewhere. If the gunpowder is lit, but the bullet is prevented from leaving the chamber, you're going to get some sort of reaction rather more dramatic than a sad little clicking noise. Maybe the barrel won't explode, but you ARE going to get a discharge of sound or light or heat... I'm not rejecting the whole idea, just objecting to the way it was executed. If there had been ANY reaction (of the equal and opposite kind), I would have been okay with it. If it had been said that the Sontarans had disabled the hammer somehow, or chemically altered the gun powder, or any one of a number of other explanations, I would probably buy it. But I just cannot ignore blatant disregard for one of the most basic laws of physics on a show that once claimed its hero explained gravity to Isaac Newton.
So, in the end, "The Sontaran Stratagem" is still basically a good episode, and is far better, characterisation wise, than 90% of the garbage on television today. But, as a recovering Engineering student, I can't help but obsess over things like these.
We're halfway through this one, though, and then we can get back to the good stuff.
So, "Planet of the Ood," at last. And, predictably, I find myself with not a lot to say about it, now that I finally have. The landscape of the Oodsphere was gorgeous (and considering how much I like snow, that's saying something), and I really liked the idea of the three-piece-brain and the song and all. The whole bit with Lord Percy turning into an Ood was predictable*, disturbing, and largely nonsensical (and put me in mind of both X-Men and the ginger kids episode of South Park), but I don't really have any other complaints.
I continue to love Donna to miniscule little bits as she continues to prove herself competent and surprisingly morally aware. Sure, she showed some moral responsibility in "The Runaway Bride," but that was kind of an extreme case. I certainly didn't expect silly, flighty little Donna Noble to turn out to be Jimminy Cricket... I am also incredibly happy to see her grow closer to The Doctor without the slightest bit of romantic overtone creeping in along the edges. But we all knew I'd say that.
All in all, a very good episode with some interesting development for both Donna and the Ood (who I have always been rather intrigued by, after all).
* I've apparently been watching far too much of this show or something, but I knew almost immediately that it wasn't a coincidence that Tim McInnerny's** head is shaped quite a lot like that of an Ood.
** I spent the first 40 minutes trying to figure out where the heck I knew him from, and then it dawned on me that he was Cruella de Vil's butler in the live action movies. I knew I knew him from something else, too, but I couldn't come up with his name...and then the credits rolled and I had to hang my head in shame for several minutes. Because, come ON, Tim McInnerny! (In my defence, Blackadder was a long time ago, and the years have not exactly been kind to the guy...)
And then there was Season 18.
Lots of stuff happened in a very short amount of time, here - Adric stowed away, The Doctor launched a missile at a giant vampire, Romana carried K-9 off toward a blue screen, we finally got a (maybe) proper Master back, two new Companions joined up because The Doctor showed up and their family members died***, and I watched a regeneration scene that only made me the tiniest bit misty-eyed.
I just...had a hard time following most of the serials in this season. I don't know if it was because I wasn't paying enough attention or if there truly was a complete dearth of logic that series, but I think this may be my least favourite season since 1970, if not earlier. A lot of it was good - I quite liked most of "Full Circle," "State of Decay" started well even if it took a turn for the overblown by the end, and I like "Keeper of Traken" _quite_ a lot (of course, that should come as no surprise, since it was written by my good buddy Johnny Byrne). But this season sent off three of the longest running, best loved characters**** and didn't even make me cry for real.
Maybe it's because they were there so long, or because I've been distracted by Ten and Donna and Skeldale House and Sarah Jane and her entourage, or because I know who is coming up and am anxious to get there. I don't know. But the most memorable thing from this season wasn't Four falling to his death, it was The Master coming back into his own...sort of...for the most part. And that's a shame because, dagnabit, Four was magnificent, and he deserved a more effective death scene.
*** This whole bit here makes me appreciate that bit where he gets turned down in S3/29 all the more. It's nice to occassionally have a sensible reaction to Doctor-induced mayhem...
**** If we can consider the different Doctors different characters...but count all of the K-9s as one, and both Romanas as the same...which doesn't make any sense, really...
And, finally, for those of you who were curious how the week-long marathon turned out, we finished up through "Planet of the Ood" before Ashley had to leave. I sent her home with "The Sontaran Stratagem" so she can catch up to SciFi, and then two serials for each of the Classic Doctors I've met so far***** because the original series is freakin' awesome, too, and I really had intended to start her from the beginning, anyway.
I liked Simm-Master quite a bit more this time 'round, though that probably has at least something to do with Pratt- and Beevers-Masters. I still would have preferred to have a Delgado-esque Master all the way through, but that wouldn't make any more sense than if all of the Doctors acted like Hartnell (or Troughton...or Pertwee...et cetera), and at least we sort of know _why_ he's gone completely apeshit since then.
If eyebrows make the world go round, brainy specs make it worth watching while it does.
"Last of the Time Lords" is still ridiculous, and I still love it.
The objectionable elements of "Voyage of the Damned" become less objectionable with repeated viewings.
This is not true of Helen Raynor episodes. To be fair, though, rewatching them at least reminded me of the good bits.
Martha has a Magpie Electricals brand telly.
And "School Reunion" is, as I assumed, a rather different episode when you know all of the characters involved and can pick out Four's mannerisms when Tennant does them. Which he does. A lot. All the time. Tennant is a thieving bastard...and I love him for it.
***** "An Unearthly Child" (since it's, y'know, the first episode), "The Aztecs" and "The Romans" (they're kind of my defaults for One. I tried to give her "The Keys of Marinus" instead of "The Aztecs," but I was getting some sort of read error and didn't have time to fix it), "Tomb of the Cybermen" and "The Seeds of Death" (not the best Two episodes, but, what with most of them having had to be reconstructed, my choices were limited), "The Silurians" and "The Curse of Peladon" (I pretty much love all of Three's episodes, so I just sort of picked at random), "Pyramids of Mars" and "City of Death" (fairly straightforward choices, I think), and "The Enemy Within" (of course...).