The End of Time review. Part One.
The End of Time is past now. I have cried an awful lot, I got drunk, I mourned, I read a few reviews but still I am not quite capable of a truly objective review. Watching The End of Time was quite a personal experience, so that is what you'll get here. A recount of my own reactions and, I hope, as much criticism as I can manage right now.
I watched Part One after a relatively quiet Christmas Day- I had reserved myself a bottle of strawberry sider but my dad decided to take it to my Gran's house for Christmas lunch so I had to content myself with some water and a lot of ice. Not the ceremonious experience I had hoped. Oh, well, what can you do?
The opening sequence is nice and rather standard. We go straight into Bernard Cribbins, so we know Wilf will be at the centre of the storm. I love the little TARDIS on the vitraux. Unexpected Woman in White and Pearls is unexpected- she's creepy, but she speaks of the Doctor so kindly and lovingly.
Am I the only one who gets chills during the titles? I think I even squeed.
We had already seen the bit with the Oods. The Doctor's desperate disobedience was a bit ooc, which I think was the whole point of it. I am happy RTD addressed the Queen Elizabeth I thing- I really was curious about that, and it made me sad that this obvious red herring for a future episode would never be seen. We didn't got much, I know, but at least he said something. It happened. We just weren't there to see it. Not that we would have actually seen the part when the Queen's nickname stopped being approapiate. Anyway, it's nice to have some comic relief. I was so tense.
The Elder Ood chanting reminded me of a Samuel Beckett play. Not sure which one, but there's something about all that repeating that gave me a chill. "Not I", maybe?
I still don't understand where these women come from. Were they in the Valiant when the events of the Year that Never Was were erased? I suppose so, which is, in a way, a comfort- because if that year still happened for all those aboard the Valiant, I kept thinking about the guards and other personel there. Would they keep their silence? How did they go on living, after everything? What were they told?
Anyway, the secret books of Saxon, wtf? Bit pompous, isn't it? That sounds ancient and mythological, not something that happened a couple of years ago.
Now- doesn't that sound familiar? The disciples, the resurrection? Christmas Day? The Return? Like, you know, King Arthur, or King Harold or... Jesus?
Oh, Russell, you naughty boy... I do wonder how many people saw the Jesus paralel. So innapropiate. :D I do love this man.
(Good moment to say, has any of you seen The Second Coming? Written by RTD, starring Christopher Eccleston? IT'S AMAZING. Such a great piece of television. WATCH IT. IT IS MY COMMAND.)
While there's something about Bernard Cribbins that makes us all smile, I have to insist on something I complained about a great deal after Children of Earth.
THAT BLOODY CELLPHONE.
Really, RTD, either have it or loose it. Wilf had the Doctor's number because Rose gave it to him. Even if Wilf lost his cellphone, his daughter had it too. Why couldn't we just get a line about the Doctor having lost his cellphone? That'd make me happy! Just that! Really! I mean, for all we know, it could have broken when Davros tried to destroy the TARDIS. Just tell me that it did!
Ooh, and Minnie is lovely. I loved that whole crowd and their silver cloak.
This moment is just so powerful. The knocking, the chase- it's exhilarating. But it's just a tease! There's a lot of teasing in this episode, isn't there? The fact that we know what's going to happen is what makes them toy with us. I don't complain. It is wonderful.
And then, suddenly, the comic relief. Some people say it's not the moment, but I think it's the perfect moment. we are just so tense. I couldn't stop thinking about battling and killing and crying, but we are only twenty minutes into a two hours show. We need the chase, but we need the relaxing too.
Of course, what follows is the best part of all Part One.
Look at that face. Look at that acting. That man is so lonely... the Doctor needs someone to cope with the enormity of the Universe on his shoulders.
First tear of the night, right there.
What surprised me was the moment when the Doctor explained that he can die too quickly for regeneration. I hadn't thought that while it's certainly not a possibility for us, it is for the character. He hasn't known about Matt Smith for a year! He did meet River Song, I suppose, but that could be in flux? Ten is actually afraid of real, proper death.
And then, there's Donna. Moving on with life, being her usual self- her pre DoctorDonna self- and it just seems so unfair.
Now, I know a lot of people complain about the Master's superpowers- but I understood from the beggining what RTD later confirmed, which is that this is a damaged Master. He's reaking all that regeneration energy. His resurrection went wrong- he's crazier and more vulnerable at the same time. His powers are not there so that he is superior to the Doctor- they are there to kill himself.
And how wonderful was that tête-a-tête? I am right there with Julie Gardner when she said it was a sexy scene. Not because I want them to suddenly make out, no fuck no. But there are so many mixed feelings there. There's all that hate, all that history... and at the same time, companionship. They've known each other since children, only they know what it feels to be the only Time Lords left in the universe. They are alone, except they have each other. There is an undeniable need.
So, there she is, unexpected Woman in White and Pearls being her usual mysterious self. At this point, I started thinking that A. she would manipulate Wilf into killing the Doctor, or B. Wilf is a Time Lord who escaped the Time War just like the Master did.
Wrong on both ends. I mean, she didn't manipulate Wilf!
So, the Naismiths. Weird people. I liked that the Fall of Torchwood was addressed, though (Gwen, where are you and why do you let silly rich people have alien stuff?). I kept hoping that it would be revealed that Abigail had some sort of incurable illness, because it sounds so random that Joshua wants his daughter to live forever. Of course, they are rather unimportant after they kick on these events, so there was no revelation as such. I am a bit unsatisfied about their arc.
The Immortality Gate, however, sounds rather appropiate for this episode's theme. A temptation. Oh, I know! The Master is in Getsemani! Hmm. I'm probably talking shit, though.
I quite like the Vinvocci. Again, comic relief is much needed on these charged episodes- all that tension, all that expectation. And they do their job as source of information rather well. When they say that it "makes people better", tough... ooh, that's one of those moments when you sit up straight and your mind starts racing... because you know that RTD wouldn't choose those words at random!
In the end, it was sarcasm. Haha. I liked it.
The Obama thing is just so cheeky, isn't it? The ultimate left over of the gigantic crush we all had on the man, especially when RTD was writing the story not so long after he became the president of USA. A political Mesiah. :D I think I'll stop that now.
Rise your hands those who thought that press room was too small for the ocassion. Of course, when one finds out that poor John Simm had to dress as each of those people and be shot separately standing as each of them... well, one can forgive them.
So, John Simm in a dress.
Several dresses in fact.
Now, let's go back to The Sound of Drums (3x12)- that was incredibly grotesque. Everytime I watch that episode, I can't help but laugh and dance at the rythm of Voodoo Child- and it's a terrible moment, and one should be horrified, but it makes you laugh. It's grotesque. The Master is grotesque. That's what he does. He's so mad and brillant and evil- he enjoys the things he does and one can't help feeling the contagious yet awful joy at getting away with whatever he's doing. Seeing John Simm in a dress made me laugh quite a lot while there was an alarm in my head that reminded me that this was a bad thing. It's just like The Sound of Drums, multiplied by ten because this is a much more insane Master. This is what I was expecting. Shiny, mad, fun- in sum, grotesque. It's the Master- John Simm's Master, RTD's Master. I don't get why so many people are so horrified. I know that I wouldn't know if this is a travesty of Classic Series' Masters- but if he was the standard villain, the one who smiles enigmatically and is so poised and dark, he wouldn't feel so special. Grotesque and utterly mad and fun is new. I like it.
And then there are evil Time Lords. Since I've never seen the original Time Lords this is very interesting for me. I don't know much about them except that they are a bit pompous, they don't like interfering and they are dead. or not.
I also know that they are like little gods- and that was something I never felt easy about. Power corrupts. That's a fact, even the Doctor needs a human companion to constantly ground him. In Gallifrey, I rather imagine that they can only egg each other on, and it sounds terribly dangerous.
Well, that's it for tonight. I still have to re watch Part 2 and listen to the commentary. I didn't got much sleep last night- with the watching and the crying and the drinking and the reading reviews online. So I'm going to catch up on some sleep and tomorrow night I might have the second part up. Good night!
EDIT: I wrote that yesterday night, but when I tried to post it I found my internet was down. Still, I might get something done tonight. Maybe. No promises.
I watched Part One after a relatively quiet Christmas Day- I had reserved myself a bottle of strawberry sider but my dad decided to take it to my Gran's house for Christmas lunch so I had to content myself with some water and a lot of ice. Not the ceremonious experience I had hoped. Oh, well, what can you do?
The opening sequence is nice and rather standard. We go straight into Bernard Cribbins, so we know Wilf will be at the centre of the storm. I love the little TARDIS on the vitraux. Unexpected Woman in White and Pearls is unexpected- she's creepy, but she speaks of the Doctor so kindly and lovingly.
Am I the only one who gets chills during the titles? I think I even squeed.
We had already seen the bit with the Oods. The Doctor's desperate disobedience was a bit ooc, which I think was the whole point of it. I am happy RTD addressed the Queen Elizabeth I thing- I really was curious about that, and it made me sad that this obvious red herring for a future episode would never be seen. We didn't got much, I know, but at least he said something. It happened. We just weren't there to see it. Not that we would have actually seen the part when the Queen's nickname stopped being approapiate. Anyway, it's nice to have some comic relief. I was so tense.
The Elder Ood chanting reminded me of a Samuel Beckett play. Not sure which one, but there's something about all that repeating that gave me a chill. "Not I", maybe?
I still don't understand where these women come from. Were they in the Valiant when the events of the Year that Never Was were erased? I suppose so, which is, in a way, a comfort- because if that year still happened for all those aboard the Valiant, I kept thinking about the guards and other personel there. Would they keep their silence? How did they go on living, after everything? What were they told?
Anyway, the secret books of Saxon, wtf? Bit pompous, isn't it? That sounds ancient and mythological, not something that happened a couple of years ago.
Now- doesn't that sound familiar? The disciples, the resurrection? Christmas Day? The Return? Like, you know, King Arthur, or King Harold or... Jesus?
Oh, Russell, you naughty boy... I do wonder how many people saw the Jesus paralel. So innapropiate. :D I do love this man.
(Good moment to say, has any of you seen The Second Coming? Written by RTD, starring Christopher Eccleston? IT'S AMAZING. Such a great piece of television. WATCH IT. IT IS MY COMMAND.)
While there's something about Bernard Cribbins that makes us all smile, I have to insist on something I complained about a great deal after Children of Earth.
THAT BLOODY CELLPHONE.
Really, RTD, either have it or loose it. Wilf had the Doctor's number because Rose gave it to him. Even if Wilf lost his cellphone, his daughter had it too. Why couldn't we just get a line about the Doctor having lost his cellphone? That'd make me happy! Just that! Really! I mean, for all we know, it could have broken when Davros tried to destroy the TARDIS. Just tell me that it did!
Ooh, and Minnie is lovely. I loved that whole crowd and their silver cloak.
This moment is just so powerful. The knocking, the chase- it's exhilarating. But it's just a tease! There's a lot of teasing in this episode, isn't there? The fact that we know what's going to happen is what makes them toy with us. I don't complain. It is wonderful.
And then, suddenly, the comic relief. Some people say it's not the moment, but I think it's the perfect moment. we are just so tense. I couldn't stop thinking about battling and killing and crying, but we are only twenty minutes into a two hours show. We need the chase, but we need the relaxing too.
Of course, what follows is the best part of all Part One.
Look at that face. Look at that acting. That man is so lonely... the Doctor needs someone to cope with the enormity of the Universe on his shoulders.
First tear of the night, right there.
What surprised me was the moment when the Doctor explained that he can die too quickly for regeneration. I hadn't thought that while it's certainly not a possibility for us, it is for the character. He hasn't known about Matt Smith for a year! He did meet River Song, I suppose, but that could be in flux? Ten is actually afraid of real, proper death.
And then, there's Donna. Moving on with life, being her usual self- her pre DoctorDonna self- and it just seems so unfair.
Now, I know a lot of people complain about the Master's superpowers- but I understood from the beggining what RTD later confirmed, which is that this is a damaged Master. He's reaking all that regeneration energy. His resurrection went wrong- he's crazier and more vulnerable at the same time. His powers are not there so that he is superior to the Doctor- they are there to kill himself.
And how wonderful was that tête-a-tête? I am right there with Julie Gardner when she said it was a sexy scene. Not because I want them to suddenly make out, no fuck no. But there are so many mixed feelings there. There's all that hate, all that history... and at the same time, companionship. They've known each other since children, only they know what it feels to be the only Time Lords left in the universe. They are alone, except they have each other. There is an undeniable need.
So, there she is, unexpected Woman in White and Pearls being her usual mysterious self. At this point, I started thinking that A. she would manipulate Wilf into killing the Doctor, or B. Wilf is a Time Lord who escaped the Time War just like the Master did.
Wrong on both ends. I mean, she didn't manipulate Wilf!
So, the Naismiths. Weird people. I liked that the Fall of Torchwood was addressed, though (Gwen, where are you and why do you let silly rich people have alien stuff?). I kept hoping that it would be revealed that Abigail had some sort of incurable illness, because it sounds so random that Joshua wants his daughter to live forever. Of course, they are rather unimportant after they kick on these events, so there was no revelation as such. I am a bit unsatisfied about their arc.
The Immortality Gate, however, sounds rather appropiate for this episode's theme. A temptation. Oh, I know! The Master is in Getsemani! Hmm. I'm probably talking shit, though.
I quite like the Vinvocci. Again, comic relief is much needed on these charged episodes- all that tension, all that expectation. And they do their job as source of information rather well. When they say that it "makes people better", tough... ooh, that's one of those moments when you sit up straight and your mind starts racing... because you know that RTD wouldn't choose those words at random!
In the end, it was sarcasm. Haha. I liked it.
The Obama thing is just so cheeky, isn't it? The ultimate left over of the gigantic crush we all had on the man, especially when RTD was writing the story not so long after he became the president of USA. A political Mesiah. :D I think I'll stop that now.
Rise your hands those who thought that press room was too small for the ocassion. Of course, when one finds out that poor John Simm had to dress as each of those people and be shot separately standing as each of them... well, one can forgive them.
So, John Simm in a dress.
Several dresses in fact.
Now, let's go back to The Sound of Drums (3x12)- that was incredibly grotesque. Everytime I watch that episode, I can't help but laugh and dance at the rythm of Voodoo Child- and it's a terrible moment, and one should be horrified, but it makes you laugh. It's grotesque. The Master is grotesque. That's what he does. He's so mad and brillant and evil- he enjoys the things he does and one can't help feeling the contagious yet awful joy at getting away with whatever he's doing. Seeing John Simm in a dress made me laugh quite a lot while there was an alarm in my head that reminded me that this was a bad thing. It's just like The Sound of Drums, multiplied by ten because this is a much more insane Master. This is what I was expecting. Shiny, mad, fun- in sum, grotesque. It's the Master- John Simm's Master, RTD's Master. I don't get why so many people are so horrified. I know that I wouldn't know if this is a travesty of Classic Series' Masters- but if he was the standard villain, the one who smiles enigmatically and is so poised and dark, he wouldn't feel so special. Grotesque and utterly mad and fun is new. I like it.
And then there are evil Time Lords. Since I've never seen the original Time Lords this is very interesting for me. I don't know much about them except that they are a bit pompous, they don't like interfering and they are dead. or not.
I also know that they are like little gods- and that was something I never felt easy about. Power corrupts. That's a fact, even the Doctor needs a human companion to constantly ground him. In Gallifrey, I rather imagine that they can only egg each other on, and it sounds terribly dangerous.
Well, that's it for tonight. I still have to re watch Part 2 and listen to the commentary. I didn't got much sleep last night- with the watching and the crying and the drinking and the reading reviews online. So I'm going to catch up on some sleep and tomorrow night I might have the second part up. Good night!
EDIT: I wrote that yesterday night, but when I tried to post it I found my internet was down. Still, I might get something done tonight. Maybe. No promises.