Doctor Who Series 5 review, part two.
Vincent and the Doctor is my favourite episode of the season. Not only it is visually amazing- the way the photography of the episode was based on the paintings themselves was fantastic- but also because of the way they represented depression. It wasn't the centre of the story or a particularly deep representation, but I thought it was a very good portrayal of this man, who was a painting genius but also suffered this horrible disease. And I do understand that eight and five year olds are watching this, which is why I thought it was good. It wasn't entirely dark. It was part of him, and never went away, but good things happen too. I loved that line, about life being piles of good things and bad things. I didn't like that Amy forgot Rory- if you want to kill one of the characters, let's see the grieving. If you don't want the grieving, don't kill the chracters. But at least, she dealt with it somehow. Even if she didn't realise it.
I get that the interesting thing about this episode was Vincent, but still- they could've made a better monster. C'mon, be more imaginative when trying to reduce the amount of FX days! It sounds like they were over a lot and someone during some of the pre-production meetings said "I know: let's make it INVISIBLE!". Maybe there was a better reason, I didn't watch the Confidentials (I stopped watching them when I lost my enthusiasm for the season, and then because of uni, and I never really got to it).
The Lodger was a good idea, and had its funny moments, but the headbutting/knowledge osmosis thing was the LAZIEST piece of writing I have ever seen. I think that if Craig had had to trust the Doctor WITHOUT knowing who he really is, would have been A LOT more courageous. The way the Doctor wins people over is one of my favourite things- I felt I was cheated of that moment I kept waiting for.
And finally... the finale. I don't have a lot to say about it, really. I liked it, overall, and I liked that it attempted to explain logical things like how does a Cyberking walk all over Victorian London and noone remembers. I loved that it started out from River's POV, and how they showed us her world and how she works. I wasn't sure about Liz Ten- using her "and I'm the bloody queen" line felt a bit repetitive- don't abuse your great one liners! And how come she missed that painting being about the TARDIS if this was "her" collection? (Did she ever see the TARDIS? I don't seem to remember).
The first time I watched the episode, I didn't like when all the alien spaceships appear above Stonehenge and then... nothing happens. I thought it was like building a up a great orgasm and then losing it just before- but I warmed up to it. After rewatching the entire series, I warmed up more to Eleven and his speech was better. And it works well for the plot- the discovery that somebody had already put the soldiers there was a great moment. I don't quite get how all this very different alien races actually came together- the Homo Reptilia "talk" to outworlders? Where did all those Cybermen come from? I get how cool it is, but I think this was a great idea for a regeneration story, the finale of another era. I'm sure they'll outdo themselves next year- the stakes are always higher- but if all this enemies had chosen to be together after this Doctor had battled them all it would have been cooler. It was wierd to see Autons and cybermen when we haven't seen them in so long.
I liked the way they worked Amy and Rory's relationship- the sadness of Auton!Rory after he almost killed her meant heartbreak. The 2000-years wait was a magnificient thing to do. I liked the Girl/Boy Who Waited word game.
I hated the crossing-your-own-timeline/deus-ex-machine. If he can do it now, why can't he do it all the time? The rules are there for a reason- because they make for better stories. This was funny yet lazy. They could have come up with something better.
The only other thing I just have to scream about is Amy's age. She says she's seven in 1996 (actually, Amy takes a look at Amelia and says "you look 1996"). I was seven in 1996. That means Amy is 21. WHY THE FUCK IS SHE GETTING MARRIED SO YOUNG?! I know that everyone is entitled to their own actions, but in today's standards, it is awfully young. It's not like she was pregnant. She and Rory didn't even seem to be living together but she had a very big house to herself. It just screams wierd. She's not the sort of romantic girl who believes in one true love. She's not even the sort of small town girl who would get married young and live all her life in Upper Leadworth. A girl like Amy would have run out of the small town as soon as possible- not prepare to settle down. AT FREAKING 21.
I'm just horrified.
I know they probably didn't think much about Amy's age beyond "in her twenties", but the idea of a girl exactly my age in the 21st Century getting married with no other socioeconomical factors into play creeps me out a bit.
It just doesn't fit with Amy's character. Some girls- romantic, naive, small town girls- I can see it happening. Girls who literally have nothing else in their lives. But Amy isn't like that.
I still liked the wedding, though. The moment Amy starts crying and gives her speech about the Doctor was fantastic- and even more when he shows up and says he was totally surprised, and it was lucky he was wearing "this old thing".
I suppose I still love the show, but I am no longer terribly excited with it. I'm not counting down the days until the Christmas Special. My mind isn't swirling with Doctor Who stuff and making it hard for me to concentrate on other things (like it was after that summer when I was introduced to the show and watched all four seasons plus Torchwood in four months). I'm not dying to see it. It hurts a bit that I lost my enthusiasm but I am slowly warming up to the Moffat era and hopefully, it'll reach all of its potential in the years to come.