A Christmas Carol
Hoo boy, do I have feelings. marlenanargle and I watched it together, so I'll be relying on our chat for structure.
First of all, I *love* that the bridge of the ship was built like the Enterprise, and that it was complete with Star Trek 2009 lens flares. I adore it all to death and that alone kind of made my day.
[2:04:06 PM] Marlena: ARE THEY
[2:04:10 PM] Leah: ROLE PLAYING
[2:04:11 PM] Marlena: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
[2:04:12 PM] Leah: AGAHAAHAHAHAHAHAW
[2:04:14 PM] Marlena: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA
[2:04:21 PM] Leah: WE ALL THOUGHT IT WAS WIBBLY WOBBLY
[2:04:22 PM] Marlena: OH MY FUCKING GOD I LOVE EVERYTHING
[2:04:22 PM] Leah: BUT NO
[2:04:26 PM] Leah: MOFFAT YOU BASTARD
[2:04:33 PM] Leah: HE KNEW WE'D WIG TO SEE THEM DRESS LIKE THAT
[2:04:42 PM] Leah: HE'S SUCH A BASTARD
[2:04:50 PM] Leah: OH MY GOD
[2:04:54 PM] Leah: HE WOUND US UP
I avoided spoilers like the plague, and I must say, I kind of legit thought we'd go back to the fancy dress party where the photo was taken that River found. I don't know why I thought we'd have time for that on top of, y'know, the shark and the Gambon and the opera, but I did.
[2:05:07 PM] Leah: ARTHUR'S IN THE TITLES!
[2:05:09 PM] Marlena: JESUS FUCKING CHRIST.
[2:05:19 PM] Marlena: I LOVE *EVERYTHING*
[2:05:25 PM] Leah: showwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
[2:05:27 PM] Marlena: ALSO, how fucking gorgeous did she look in that last shot?
Karen gets more and more beautiful with every passing day. It's not fair.
[2:06:05 PM] Leah: shut up, Dumbledore.
I will never be a Gambon fan, but he did a pretty great job here-- because he was meant to play a crotchety crazy-ass miser this time!
And then Matty came down the chimney and started talking about how he's never met an unimportant person and we went like this:
[2:10:16 PM] Marlena: afVesbgrfhmui,m7bhrwgeafvaehtyjrrsthsrge
[2:10:18 PM] Leah: Doctor.
[2:10:21 PM] Leah: oh, *Doctor.*
I've gotten into this terrible habit where, in my head, Nine is Nine and Eleven is Eleven, but Ten and Cloen are Ten, Cloen and "Doctor." I almost never think of Eleven has just 'the Doctor' in my head. And I know that that's the big indicator of "who's your Doctor" and all, but it's not fair to Matty (or Chris, I suppose) because he really does do amazing things with the role. When I call him Eleven I make him someone else, so that it doesn't bug me as much that this is almost-but-not-quite the show I fell in love with. But even if that makes it easier to love him for who he is, it makes it harder too. Because then I forget that he's THE DOCTOR. All the Doctors. Not just the one after Ten. He's all eleven of those men and he's the greatest man, he's the Doctor and he cures them and that's... oh, Matty, you deserve better than just 'Eleven' from me.
[2:11:35 PM] Leah: BORED NOW?
[2:11:38 PM] Leah: dude you cannot just.
[2:11:40 PM] Marlena: bored now wut.
Sorry Gambon. Willow you ain't.
[2:12:54 PM] Marlena: HAHAHAHAHAHA OH GOD
[2:13:50 PM] Leah: cute, Amy
I wish they'd had more time, because Amy and Rory were just LOVELY in this. I want so much more of them.
[2:15:24 PM] Leah: he loves a good countdown, does Eleven.
And by that, I mean the Moff. I understand that running out of time is kind of the essence of drama, but why does he always have to put a number on it? There's ALWAYS a countdown. But if you look at, say... New Earth, or The Runaway Bride, or any Rusty episode, really, you can have that kind of tension and buildup without measuring it. It's a storytelling crutch, and Moffat is better than that. He doesn't need it.
And here's where this episode starts to lose me:
[2:18:39 PM] Marlena: whoa
[2:18:52 PM] Leah: always comforting the children.
[2:19:07 PM] Marlena: jo;hkluvcdryste5rd6tifouygiphoj'pouglyflwgiehflrwu90rghlqoughilaouwbhpr;sfouipwhubliagfos;ea/iwJDSzidohugspEHQ"GTY9843-2YHOUIQGYGUFITYFILUDGHFKUSDHBOSUFG:SKUDHGHU
[2:19:27 PM] Marlena: nj;blihctuyrxtezratsudciflviho;
[2:19:58 PM] Marlena: jho;gilyuftiydruyeseaysu5drytfkuygiiilktfuiduyrtseraw4s5urditfuohyiguhlgiugyukkfytcyxtyc/
[2:20:02 PM] Leah: he's not supposed to do this, though.
[2:20:09 PM] Leah: mucking about in personal timelines.
[2:20:15 PM] Leah: I feel like Russell would say this isn't allowed.
[2:20:21 PM] Marlena: nope. s'bad news bears
I realize that this isn't RTD's Who, and I can't expect the old rules to apply, but I don't fucking care. Remember Runaway Bride?
DONNA
Wish we had a time machine. Then we could go back and get it right.
THE DOCTOR
... Yeah, yeah. But... even if I did, I couldn't go back on someone's personal timeline. Apparently.
How many times would have have gone back and saved Rose from falling, if this kind of shit were allowed? I know the wacky Christmas Eve shenanigans were fun and all, and time travel's what Doctor Who is all about, but it's *wrong.* This whole thing was wrong. You can't just fix broken people by going back to before there was a problem. That's not how we work. That's not how the Doctor works.
That said, I loved wee!Dumbledore and Matty with the fishies:
[2:20:52 PM] Leah: HEE
[2:20:56 PM] Marlena: IUGYUOFTIUASEHIO;FUGE;RJQO;IGAGPRW;IO;SDIFSDLFHLA;DSHFOUWRHFGS;BJKHGSA;FLHG
[2:21:30 PM] Leah: ....
[2:21:33 PM] Leah: oh, Moff.
[2:21:47 PM] Leah: okay that's adorable.
[2:24:31 PM] Leah: SPACE SHARK
[2:24:40 PM] Marlena: .....
[2:24:48 PM] Marlena: space....shark.....
[2:25:12 PM] Leah: oh, *show*
It wouldn't be Moffat's Who without cosmo-aquatic life forms.
[2:27:25 PM] Leah: this is lovely, but it's a criminal underuse of companions.
[2:27:35 PM] Marlena: nodnodnod
Seriously, how much screen time did Arthur and Kaz get, all added up? Ten minutes? Five? Less? Probably. I love that Arthur was finally included in the credits and all, but it was kind of a lie.
[2:28:09 PM] Leah: oh my god this is so Moff
[2:28:14 PM] Marlena: this is absurd
[2:28:15 PM] Leah: YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS, MOFF.
[2:28:37 PM] Leah: "Why her?"
[2:28:44 PM] Leah: that's from GitF
Always with the twists and the turns and the childhood and the... everything. It's getting old, for me. Yes, it's clever, but what's the point?
[2:30:19 PM] Marlena: muuuuusic
[2:30:24 PM] Leah: this looks amazing, too
[2:30:27 PM] Leah: who directed this?
[2:30:47 PM] Marlena: dunno
[2:30:52 PM] Leah: doesn't it look gorgeous?
[2:31:00 PM] Marlena: oh yes
[2:31:17 PM] Marlena: the colors alone..
[2:31:21 PM] Leah: exactly.
That's something I'm a bit bitter about, to be honest. Moffat's Who seems so much prettier than Rusty's did. I don't know why. But it makes me butthurt, because I am a shallow film student like that.
[2:31:55 PM] Marlena: HA
[2:32:12 PM] Marlena: LOVE
[2:32:15 PM] Leah: I love this kid
[2:32:18 PM] Leah: he's a cutie
I want more of that child in my life.
[2:32:57 PM] Marlena: um. what?
[2:33:01 PM] Leah: I don't even KNOW.
[2:33:16 PM] Marlena: whoaaaaa
[2:33:19 PM] Marlena: what even.
I could go back and figure out what we were talking about at this point, but I think letting the record show is more meaningful. xD
[2:33:23 PM] Leah: all I keep thinking is "Rose would love this."
[2:33:26 PM] Leah: I THOUGHT I WAS OVER THAT
[2:33:30 PM] Leah: STUPID REWATCH
[2:33:34 PM] Marlena: xD
[2:34:19 PM] Leah: this is so not allowed, though. he's crossing into established events...
[2:34:25 PM] Marlena: yeah
I love the instilling of the Christmas spirit. I love how joyful the Doctor is, so sure that he can correct all of this with a few happy memories. And Rose would have loved watching Kazran and Abigail fall in love. It's the kind of thing she believes in. But it's also not meant to be allowed.
And then they take a sleigh ride on a space shark:
[2:34:39 PM] Leah: AHAHAHAHAHAHA
[2:34:42 PM] Leah: oh my god.
[2:34:43 PM] Leah: no.
[2:34:47 PM] Marlena: ...
[2:35:00 PM] Marlena: I don't....
[2:35:05 PM] Marlena: what...
[2:35:08 PM] Marlena: are you....
[2:35:10 PM] Marlena: seriously?
[2:35:17 PM] Leah: I cannot even.
[2:35:28 PM] Leah: I can't decide if I ADORE THIS or if it's too much even for me.
[2:35:29 PM] Marlena: this is not real.
[2:35:37 PM] Marlena: this is not real.
[2:35:41 PM] Leah: IT IS, THOUGH.
[2:35:46 PM] Marlena: I don't.
[2:35:48 PM] Marlena: what is even.
But we still can't get into it. You're not allowed to cross someone's personal timeline.
[2:35:50 PM] Marlena: how can you
[2:35:58 PM] Marlena: what the fuuuuuck, Moff.
[2:36:17 PM] Leah: ....
[2:36:24 PM] Marlena: I think I'll love it if there are consequences.
[2:36:45 PM] Leah: this cannot be allowed.
[2:36:51 PM] Marlena: right now it's a bit too "HEY LET'S GO ON A ROLLICKING GOOD ADVENTURE YAAAAAAAY AREN'T WE CHUMS" for me.
[2:36:58 PM] Marlena: SCARF
[2:37:02 PM] Leah: ;uukdeyejtduijgkhl/khyo;ut
[2:37:04 PM] Leah: o;ugtutehtrw6uerilgjhloy;oy
And then we meet Teen!bledore
[2:37:15 PM] Marlena: daaaaaaaaayumm
[2:37:22 PM] Leah: xD
[2:38:01 PM] Marlena: who is he?
[2:38:10 PM] Leah: pretty.
[2:38:21 PM] Leah: in a British kind of way.
[2:38:34 PM] Marlena: thanks.
But it STILL cannot distract us:
[2:39:10 PM] Leah: Doctor.
[2:39:15 PM] Leah: this CANNOT be allowed.
On the other hand, there's fun things, and potential Rose references!
[2:39:50 PM] Marlena: wdqefgrhtwwlo8;657i,64um5yn4cqwxqcevqbrntmyu,imtynrtbesvadcsxazxscadvfbghnjm,k.luk,yjmtnrbevdcsdvbftgnymui,.illtu,iktujryhtgrsfsDzfgdh
[2:39:52 PM] Marlena: 53etjyruktily7o
[2:39:56 PM] Marlena: dtsuryjdthsrgdferztrytduxrtcd;hjvfdsz5yil8
[2:40:24 PM] Leah: ouh'sprothjs'pthjst
[2:40:25 PM] Marlena: xcvwretwh4y5eju6ki7lo6'
[2:40:36 PM] Marlena: HEEEEEEEEEEEE
On the other other hand, it's kind of hard to enjoy all the wacky flirting with Marilyn Monroe when--
[2:40:52 PM] Leah: UM. AMY AND RORY ARE HURTLING TOWARDS CERTAIN DEATH, DOCTOR.
[2:41:02 PM] Marlena: eh, he has an hour. whateva
His efforts with Kazran come to a head--
[2:41:14 PM] Leah: oh my god, Doctor.
[2:41:16 PM] Marlena: |-(
[2:42:19 PM] Leah: but you can't, Doctor.
[2:42:27 PM] Marlena: this can't just be okay.
[2:42:33 PM] Leah: you can't rewrite a life.
[2:43:27 PM] Marlena: .....
[2:43:52 PM] Leah: sigh.
But then Amy pops in...
[2:43:54 PM] Marlena: ...
[2:48:35 PM] Leah: oh my god.
[2:48:39 PM] Marlena: HAHAHAHAHA WHAT
[2:48:49 PM] Leah: OH MY GOD.
[2:48:52 PM] Leah: HE DIDN'T.
[2:49:05 PM] Marlena: OH BUT HE DID
... and the people start singing...
[2:49:10 PM] Leah: okay that's creepy.
[2:49:28 PM] Marlena: ...
[2:49:49 PM] Leah: DOCTOR YOU EMOTIONALLY MANIPULATIVE BASTARD
[2:49:54 PM] Leah: THAT'S MORE LIKE IT.
[2:50:25 PM] Marlena: see, this is what Doctor Who's supposed to be.
[2:50:33 PM] Marlena: fucking with people's heads. and hearts.
[2:50:38 PM] Marlena: not their timelines
Could not have said it better myself, Marlena.
[2:50:40 PM] Leah: but he did that to Amy too. two sets of memories.
[2:50:41 PM] Leah: but that wasn't on purpose.
[2:50:45 PM] Leah: that wasn't him.
[2:50:46 PM] Leah: that was the cracks.
[2:50:50 PM] Leah: he just mended her
[2:50:51 PM] Leah: this is...
We cut to the Enterprise for a moment, and Rory rattles off Skience like he knows what he's talking about.
[2:52:14 PM] Leah: ilu Rory
AT LEAST SOMEONE'S BEING A PROPER COMPANION AROUND HERE.
And then Dumbledore starts bitching about whether or not the Doctor's known heartache
[2:53:03 PM] Leah: HE HAS.
[2:53:07 PM] Marlena: oiluytkru6jy5etsy
And old!Kazran says he'll never ever care about whether or not people die, and I think I know where this is going...
[2:53:09 PM] Marlena: lihougiyflutdkyrsjtearwtehxtjfcyktfugliho;
[2:53:42 PM] Leah: never say never ever.
[2:54:07 PM] Leah: whaaaaaat
And then we bring out the wee one and they hug.
[2:54:45 PM] Leah: HE CAN'T TOUCH
[2:54:48 PM] Leah: YOU
[2:54:49 PM] Leah: ARGH
WHERE ARE THE REAPERS? THIS SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED. IT'S SO WRONG.
And then Katherine Jenkins starts singing and it truly is lovely.
[2:57:57 PM] Leah: aeoi'hgeao'gihea'orgujeajopgaeoprhjaerg
[2:59:55 PM] Leah: Silence?
[3:00:07 PM] Marlena: Silence.
[3:00:16 PM] Leah: this is beautiful, though
[3:00:21 PM] Marlena: mmmmmmm
[3:00:22 PM] Leah: Murray has outdone himself.
And then Amy and Rory make out:
[3:00:38 PM] Leah: HAYYYYY
And then the Doctor nuzzles a snowman and Team TARDIS is together for the first time:
[3:02:17 PM] Marlena: ljhkglfktuydjrhtydrseawhetsjrydktuflyiguhoijl/;yltuykrutejysehajrdyktfuylghk.illllgk.uljk/gy,fhmtdrgsefhadhfmjg
[3:02:18 PM] Marlena: ulyktrjserhajykfuygihu
[3:02:37 PM] Leah: HUGSSSS
[3:02:39 PM] Marlena: ioulyfktdjr
[3:02:42 PM] Leah: AWWWWH POOR RORY
[3:03:10 PM] Leah: a;ghae;gh;oehg;erg
So overall?
[3:03:58 PM] Leah: ......
[3:04:11 PM] Marlena: I don't.
[3:04:15 PM] Leah: I'm.
[3:04:17 PM] Leah: conflicted.
Which you've just read about. And meanwhile:
[3:05:34 PM] Marlena: whoa.
[3:05:51 PM] Leah: ?
[3:06:01 PM] Marlena: the series 6 preview
[3:06:11 PM] Leah: oh, I paused it
[3:06:54 PM] Leah: "I WEAR A STETSON NOW"
[3:06:58 PM] Leah: RIVER
[3:07:00 PM] Leah: DOCTOR WITH A BEARD
[3:07:08 PM] Marlena: mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmhm!
[3:07:08 PM] Leah: KAZ IN PLAID
[3:07:16 PM] Leah: xD
[3:07:39 PM] Leah: I'm stunned at how psyched I am for more River.
[3:07:43 PM] Leah: but I am legit psyched.
[3:07:48 PM] Marlena: RIGHT
[3:07:49 PM] Marlena: ME TOO
[3:08:03 PM] Leah: also, Karen looks so gorgeous in that preview it should be criminal.
So those are my thoughts. Maybe I've just been too well-trained by Rusty, and I'm not satisfied unless there's buckets of angst, but this just... it didn't feel right, even though a lot of parts of it were amazingly lovely. I'm just sick to death of children who don't grow up quite right and need to be fixed, and closed time loops, and awkward marriage jokes. Because funnily enough, it's not that I don't like Steven Moffat. It's that I know he can do better. There is so much more in that incredible mind of his. But he's not using it, because he doesn't think that's Doctor Who-y enough.
But Doctor Who is about humans. It's about making people better. And loving them, despite their flaws. Not going back in time so they don't have any.
It's about being halfway out of the dark. He's almost there. And I know he knows better.
First of all, I *love* that the bridge of the ship was built like the Enterprise, and that it was complete with Star Trek 2009 lens flares. I adore it all to death and that alone kind of made my day.
[2:04:06 PM] Marlena: ARE THEY
[2:04:10 PM] Leah: ROLE PLAYING
[2:04:11 PM] Marlena: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
[2:04:12 PM] Leah: AGAHAAHAHAHAHAHAW
[2:04:14 PM] Marlena: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA
[2:04:21 PM] Leah: WE ALL THOUGHT IT WAS WIBBLY WOBBLY
[2:04:22 PM] Marlena: OH MY FUCKING GOD I LOVE EVERYTHING
[2:04:22 PM] Leah: BUT NO
[2:04:26 PM] Leah: MOFFAT YOU BASTARD
[2:04:33 PM] Leah: HE KNEW WE'D WIG TO SEE THEM DRESS LIKE THAT
[2:04:42 PM] Leah: HE'S SUCH A BASTARD
[2:04:50 PM] Leah: OH MY GOD
[2:04:54 PM] Leah: HE WOUND US UP
I avoided spoilers like the plague, and I must say, I kind of legit thought we'd go back to the fancy dress party where the photo was taken that River found. I don't know why I thought we'd have time for that on top of, y'know, the shark and the Gambon and the opera, but I did.
[2:05:07 PM] Leah: ARTHUR'S IN THE TITLES!
[2:05:09 PM] Marlena: JESUS FUCKING CHRIST.
[2:05:19 PM] Marlena: I LOVE *EVERYTHING*
[2:05:25 PM] Leah: showwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
[2:05:27 PM] Marlena: ALSO, how fucking gorgeous did she look in that last shot?
Karen gets more and more beautiful with every passing day. It's not fair.
[2:06:05 PM] Leah: shut up, Dumbledore.
I will never be a Gambon fan, but he did a pretty great job here-- because he was meant to play a crotchety crazy-ass miser this time!
And then Matty came down the chimney and started talking about how he's never met an unimportant person and we went like this:
[2:10:16 PM] Marlena: afVesbgrfhmui,m7bhrwgeafvaehtyjrrsthsrge
[2:10:18 PM] Leah: Doctor.
[2:10:21 PM] Leah: oh, *Doctor.*
I've gotten into this terrible habit where, in my head, Nine is Nine and Eleven is Eleven, but Ten and Cloen are Ten, Cloen and "Doctor." I almost never think of Eleven has just 'the Doctor' in my head. And I know that that's the big indicator of "who's your Doctor" and all, but it's not fair to Matty (or Chris, I suppose) because he really does do amazing things with the role. When I call him Eleven I make him someone else, so that it doesn't bug me as much that this is almost-but-not-quite the show I fell in love with. But even if that makes it easier to love him for who he is, it makes it harder too. Because then I forget that he's THE DOCTOR. All the Doctors. Not just the one after Ten. He's all eleven of those men and he's the greatest man, he's the Doctor and he cures them and that's... oh, Matty, you deserve better than just 'Eleven' from me.
[2:11:35 PM] Leah: BORED NOW?
[2:11:38 PM] Leah: dude you cannot just.
[2:11:40 PM] Marlena: bored now wut.
Sorry Gambon. Willow you ain't.
[2:12:54 PM] Marlena: HAHAHAHAHAHA OH GOD
[2:13:50 PM] Leah: cute, Amy
I wish they'd had more time, because Amy and Rory were just LOVELY in this. I want so much more of them.
[2:15:24 PM] Leah: he loves a good countdown, does Eleven.
And by that, I mean the Moff. I understand that running out of time is kind of the essence of drama, but why does he always have to put a number on it? There's ALWAYS a countdown. But if you look at, say... New Earth, or The Runaway Bride, or any Rusty episode, really, you can have that kind of tension and buildup without measuring it. It's a storytelling crutch, and Moffat is better than that. He doesn't need it.
And here's where this episode starts to lose me:
[2:18:39 PM] Marlena: whoa
[2:18:52 PM] Leah: always comforting the children.
[2:19:07 PM] Marlena: jo;hkluvcdryste5rd6tifouygiphoj'pouglyflwgiehflrwu90rghlqoughilaouwbhpr;sfouipwhubliagfos;ea/iwJDSzidohugspEHQ"GTY9843-2YHOUIQGYGUFITYFILUDGHFKUSDHBOSUFG:SKUDHGHU
[2:19:27 PM] Marlena: nj;blihctuyrxtezratsudciflviho;
[2:19:58 PM] Marlena: jho;gilyuftiydruyeseaysu5drytfkuygiiilktfuiduyrtseraw4s5urditfuohyiguhlgiugyukkfytcyxtyc/
[2:20:02 PM] Leah: he's not supposed to do this, though.
[2:20:09 PM] Leah: mucking about in personal timelines.
[2:20:15 PM] Leah: I feel like Russell would say this isn't allowed.
[2:20:21 PM] Marlena: nope. s'bad news bears
I realize that this isn't RTD's Who, and I can't expect the old rules to apply, but I don't fucking care. Remember Runaway Bride?
DONNA
Wish we had a time machine. Then we could go back and get it right.
THE DOCTOR
... Yeah, yeah. But... even if I did, I couldn't go back on someone's personal timeline. Apparently.
How many times would have have gone back and saved Rose from falling, if this kind of shit were allowed? I know the wacky Christmas Eve shenanigans were fun and all, and time travel's what Doctor Who is all about, but it's *wrong.* This whole thing was wrong. You can't just fix broken people by going back to before there was a problem. That's not how we work. That's not how the Doctor works.
That said, I loved wee!Dumbledore and Matty with the fishies:
[2:20:52 PM] Leah: HEE
[2:20:56 PM] Marlena: IUGYUOFTIUASEHIO;FUGE;RJQO;IGAGPRW;IO;SDIFSDLFHLA;DSHFOUWRHFGS;BJKHGSA;FLHG
[2:21:30 PM] Leah: ....
[2:21:33 PM] Leah: oh, Moff.
[2:21:47 PM] Leah: okay that's adorable.
[2:24:31 PM] Leah: SPACE SHARK
[2:24:40 PM] Marlena: .....
[2:24:48 PM] Marlena: space....shark.....
[2:25:12 PM] Leah: oh, *show*
It wouldn't be Moffat's Who without cosmo-aquatic life forms.
[2:27:25 PM] Leah: this is lovely, but it's a criminal underuse of companions.
[2:27:35 PM] Marlena: nodnodnod
Seriously, how much screen time did Arthur and Kaz get, all added up? Ten minutes? Five? Less? Probably. I love that Arthur was finally included in the credits and all, but it was kind of a lie.
[2:28:09 PM] Leah: oh my god this is so Moff
[2:28:14 PM] Marlena: this is absurd
[2:28:15 PM] Leah: YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS, MOFF.
[2:28:37 PM] Leah: "Why her?"
[2:28:44 PM] Leah: that's from GitF
Always with the twists and the turns and the childhood and the... everything. It's getting old, for me. Yes, it's clever, but what's the point?
[2:30:19 PM] Marlena: muuuuusic
[2:30:24 PM] Leah: this looks amazing, too
[2:30:27 PM] Leah: who directed this?
[2:30:47 PM] Marlena: dunno
[2:30:52 PM] Leah: doesn't it look gorgeous?
[2:31:00 PM] Marlena: oh yes
[2:31:17 PM] Marlena: the colors alone..
[2:31:21 PM] Leah: exactly.
That's something I'm a bit bitter about, to be honest. Moffat's Who seems so much prettier than Rusty's did. I don't know why. But it makes me butthurt, because I am a shallow film student like that.
[2:31:55 PM] Marlena: HA
[2:32:12 PM] Marlena: LOVE
[2:32:15 PM] Leah: I love this kid
[2:32:18 PM] Leah: he's a cutie
I want more of that child in my life.
[2:32:57 PM] Marlena: um. what?
[2:33:01 PM] Leah: I don't even KNOW.
[2:33:16 PM] Marlena: whoaaaaa
[2:33:19 PM] Marlena: what even.
I could go back and figure out what we were talking about at this point, but I think letting the record show is more meaningful. xD
[2:33:23 PM] Leah: all I keep thinking is "Rose would love this."
[2:33:26 PM] Leah: I THOUGHT I WAS OVER THAT
[2:33:30 PM] Leah: STUPID REWATCH
[2:33:34 PM] Marlena: xD
[2:34:19 PM] Leah: this is so not allowed, though. he's crossing into established events...
[2:34:25 PM] Marlena: yeah
I love the instilling of the Christmas spirit. I love how joyful the Doctor is, so sure that he can correct all of this with a few happy memories. And Rose would have loved watching Kazran and Abigail fall in love. It's the kind of thing she believes in. But it's also not meant to be allowed.
And then they take a sleigh ride on a space shark:
[2:34:39 PM] Leah: AHAHAHAHAHAHA
[2:34:42 PM] Leah: oh my god.
[2:34:43 PM] Leah: no.
[2:34:47 PM] Marlena: ...
[2:35:00 PM] Marlena: I don't....
[2:35:05 PM] Marlena: what...
[2:35:08 PM] Marlena: are you....
[2:35:10 PM] Marlena: seriously?
[2:35:17 PM] Leah: I cannot even.
[2:35:28 PM] Leah: I can't decide if I ADORE THIS or if it's too much even for me.
[2:35:29 PM] Marlena: this is not real.
[2:35:37 PM] Marlena: this is not real.
[2:35:41 PM] Leah: IT IS, THOUGH.
[2:35:46 PM] Marlena: I don't.
[2:35:48 PM] Marlena: what is even.
But we still can't get into it. You're not allowed to cross someone's personal timeline.
[2:35:50 PM] Marlena: how can you
[2:35:58 PM] Marlena: what the fuuuuuck, Moff.
[2:36:17 PM] Leah: ....
[2:36:24 PM] Marlena: I think I'll love it if there are consequences.
[2:36:45 PM] Leah: this cannot be allowed.
[2:36:51 PM] Marlena: right now it's a bit too "HEY LET'S GO ON A ROLLICKING GOOD ADVENTURE YAAAAAAAY AREN'T WE CHUMS" for me.
[2:36:58 PM] Marlena: SCARF
[2:37:02 PM] Leah: ;uukdeyejtduijgkhl/khyo;ut
[2:37:04 PM] Leah: o;ugtutehtrw6uerilgjhloy;oy
And then we meet Teen!bledore
[2:37:15 PM] Marlena: daaaaaaaaayumm
[2:37:22 PM] Leah: xD
[2:38:01 PM] Marlena: who is he?
[2:38:10 PM] Leah: pretty.
[2:38:21 PM] Leah: in a British kind of way.
[2:38:34 PM] Marlena: thanks.
But it STILL cannot distract us:
[2:39:10 PM] Leah: Doctor.
[2:39:15 PM] Leah: this CANNOT be allowed.
On the other hand, there's fun things, and potential Rose references!
[2:39:50 PM] Marlena: wdqefgrhtwwlo8;657i,64um5yn4cqwxqcevqbrntmyu,imtynrtbesvadcsxazxscadvfbghnjm,k.luk,yjmtnrbevdcsdvbftgnymui,.illtu,iktujryhtgrsfsDzfgdh
[2:39:52 PM] Marlena: 53etjyruktily7o
[2:39:56 PM] Marlena: dtsuryjdthsrgdferztrytduxrtcd;hjvfdsz5yil8
[2:40:24 PM] Leah: ouh'sprothjs'pthjst
[2:40:25 PM] Marlena: xcvwretwh4y5eju6ki7lo6'
[2:40:36 PM] Marlena: HEEEEEEEEEEEE
On the other other hand, it's kind of hard to enjoy all the wacky flirting with Marilyn Monroe when--
[2:40:52 PM] Leah: UM. AMY AND RORY ARE HURTLING TOWARDS CERTAIN DEATH, DOCTOR.
[2:41:02 PM] Marlena: eh, he has an hour. whateva
His efforts with Kazran come to a head--
[2:41:14 PM] Leah: oh my god, Doctor.
[2:41:16 PM] Marlena: |-(
[2:42:19 PM] Leah: but you can't, Doctor.
[2:42:27 PM] Marlena: this can't just be okay.
[2:42:33 PM] Leah: you can't rewrite a life.
[2:43:27 PM] Marlena: .....
[2:43:52 PM] Leah: sigh.
But then Amy pops in...
[2:43:54 PM] Marlena: ...
[2:48:35 PM] Leah: oh my god.
[2:48:39 PM] Marlena: HAHAHAHAHA WHAT
[2:48:49 PM] Leah: OH MY GOD.
[2:48:52 PM] Leah: HE DIDN'T.
[2:49:05 PM] Marlena: OH BUT HE DID
... and the people start singing...
[2:49:10 PM] Leah: okay that's creepy.
[2:49:28 PM] Marlena: ...
[2:49:49 PM] Leah: DOCTOR YOU EMOTIONALLY MANIPULATIVE BASTARD
[2:49:54 PM] Leah: THAT'S MORE LIKE IT.
[2:50:25 PM] Marlena: see, this is what Doctor Who's supposed to be.
[2:50:33 PM] Marlena: fucking with people's heads. and hearts.
[2:50:38 PM] Marlena: not their timelines
Could not have said it better myself, Marlena.
[2:50:40 PM] Leah: but he did that to Amy too. two sets of memories.
[2:50:41 PM] Leah: but that wasn't on purpose.
[2:50:45 PM] Leah: that wasn't him.
[2:50:46 PM] Leah: that was the cracks.
[2:50:50 PM] Leah: he just mended her
[2:50:51 PM] Leah: this is...
We cut to the Enterprise for a moment, and Rory rattles off Skience like he knows what he's talking about.
[2:52:14 PM] Leah: ilu Rory
AT LEAST SOMEONE'S BEING A PROPER COMPANION AROUND HERE.
And then Dumbledore starts bitching about whether or not the Doctor's known heartache
[2:53:03 PM] Leah: HE HAS.
[2:53:07 PM] Marlena: oiluytkru6jy5etsy
And old!Kazran says he'll never ever care about whether or not people die, and I think I know where this is going...
[2:53:09 PM] Marlena: lihougiyflutdkyrsjtearwtehxtjfcyktfugliho;
[2:53:42 PM] Leah: never say never ever.
[2:54:07 PM] Leah: whaaaaaat
And then we bring out the wee one and they hug.
[2:54:45 PM] Leah: HE CAN'T TOUCH
[2:54:48 PM] Leah: YOU
[2:54:49 PM] Leah: ARGH
WHERE ARE THE REAPERS? THIS SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED. IT'S SO WRONG.
And then Katherine Jenkins starts singing and it truly is lovely.
[2:57:57 PM] Leah: aeoi'hgeao'gihea'orgujeajopgaeoprhjaerg
[2:59:55 PM] Leah: Silence?
[3:00:07 PM] Marlena: Silence.
[3:00:16 PM] Leah: this is beautiful, though
[3:00:21 PM] Marlena: mmmmmmm
[3:00:22 PM] Leah: Murray has outdone himself.
And then Amy and Rory make out:
[3:00:38 PM] Leah: HAYYYYY
And then the Doctor nuzzles a snowman and Team TARDIS is together for the first time:
[3:02:17 PM] Marlena: ljhkglfktuydjrhtydrseawhetsjrydktuflyiguhoijl/;yltuykrutejysehajrdyktfuylghk.illllgk.uljk/gy,fhmtdrgsefhadhfmjg
[3:02:18 PM] Marlena: ulyktrjserhajykfuygihu
[3:02:37 PM] Leah: HUGSSSS
[3:02:39 PM] Marlena: ioulyfktdjr
[3:02:42 PM] Leah: AWWWWH POOR RORY
[3:03:10 PM] Leah: a;ghae;gh;oehg;erg
So overall?
[3:03:58 PM] Leah: ......
[3:04:11 PM] Marlena: I don't.
[3:04:15 PM] Leah: I'm.
[3:04:17 PM] Leah: conflicted.
Which you've just read about. And meanwhile:
[3:05:34 PM] Marlena: whoa.
[3:05:51 PM] Leah: ?
[3:06:01 PM] Marlena: the series 6 preview
[3:06:11 PM] Leah: oh, I paused it
[3:06:54 PM] Leah: "I WEAR A STETSON NOW"
[3:06:58 PM] Leah: RIVER
[3:07:00 PM] Leah: DOCTOR WITH A BEARD
[3:07:08 PM] Marlena: mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmhm!
[3:07:08 PM] Leah: KAZ IN PLAID
[3:07:16 PM] Leah: xD
[3:07:39 PM] Leah: I'm stunned at how psyched I am for more River.
[3:07:43 PM] Leah: but I am legit psyched.
[3:07:48 PM] Marlena: RIGHT
[3:07:49 PM] Marlena: ME TOO
[3:08:03 PM] Leah: also, Karen looks so gorgeous in that preview it should be criminal.
So those are my thoughts. Maybe I've just been too well-trained by Rusty, and I'm not satisfied unless there's buckets of angst, but this just... it didn't feel right, even though a lot of parts of it were amazingly lovely. I'm just sick to death of children who don't grow up quite right and need to be fixed, and closed time loops, and awkward marriage jokes. Because funnily enough, it's not that I don't like Steven Moffat. It's that I know he can do better. There is so much more in that incredible mind of his. But he's not using it, because he doesn't think that's Doctor Who-y enough.
But Doctor Who is about humans. It's about making people better. And loving them, despite their flaws. Not going back in time so they don't have any.
It's about being halfway out of the dark. He's almost there. And I know he knows better.