It's Like An Outer Space Facebook!
Doctor Who 4.12
For the first time since "Utopia", I finished watching this episode, and immediately wanted to watch it again. That's not to say this is my new favorite episode or that this ranks in the top ten, but there was just so much going on, that I needed a second viewing to absorb. And absorb I did.
The title of this entry is one of many excellent lines in the episode. It was so true, seeing Jack and Sarah Jane and Martha Jones all on the same screen. Oh Donna's family, why no webcam? I can honestly say my favorite line was when Jack goes "Martha Jones!" and Rose gets this perplexed, almost offended look and says "Who's she?" Yes, I lol'd. I actually couldn't control myself then. It was just so perfect, so classic, so Rose. And her reactions that followed were so inherently Rose than any fears I had about her being more mature and less Rose-like went out the window. Her "Oi! So was I!" reacting to learning Martha was the Doctor's companion, and then Martha says she can't get in touch and he has her phone, and Rose goes "Neither can I, and I was there first!". Simply perfect. It was really everything I hoped that meeting (or half meeting) would be and more.
Welcome back Jack! I loved all the little injokes, like Sarah Jane mentioning she stays away from them, "too many guns". Such a perfect reference to the so-not-G-rated activities on Torchwood. Even though three different shows with different tones appeared in this episode, Russell tied everything together so wonderfully, that if I didn't know about the different demographics targeted by The Sarah Jane Adventures and Torchwood, I would have assumed they were just plain spin offs. But this was a cross-over, plain and simple. I loved the mentions of Owen and Tosh, and Gwen's brief phone conversation with Rhys. I loved Ianto getting jealous when Jack mentioned he gained UNIT intel from "a soldier at a bar".
I was so happy that Gwen and Ianto saw the Doctor. Gwen's reaction was the best, "Oh, he's a bit nice, thought he would be older." And Ianto's "[He's] [g]ood looking" was great. Plus, now they kind of get why Jack wanted to find the Doctor so badly, the dude's hot! Who wouldn't want to stalk David Tennant? I loved the continuity when Jack was about to leave to go to the Doctor, Gwen and Ianto looked mildly concerned, after all, last time he went off with him, he vanished for months, leaving Gwen and Ianto to hold down the fort. And now they don't even have Tosh and Owen. But Jack will be back, it's not like he can die.
But I was incredibly bothered by the pacing. I remember 30 minutes in, when the Doctor still hadn't reached Earth, thinking this wasn't going to be good for my ideal Rose meeting Doctor situation. And sure enough, it wasn't. For one thing, this basically means (barring regeneration) there's 65 minutes of Doctor and Rose time. Unacceptable. I needed the Doctor and Rose to have at least two episodes minimum together. Now, with the extended episode next week, it'll be 1.5 eps. I kind of wanted Rose to appear in the Doctor's TARDIS at the end of "Turn Left" last week. I just wanted her, in all her Rose glory, to be standing there. But of course Davies had to drag out the reunion and make it all Rom-Com with the dramatic running and music. Really? Come on Davies, did you need slow-motion? That felt very not Doctor Who and bothered me to bits. I wanted a great Doctor-meets-Rose moment more than anyone, but that was not it. But all was forgiven when the Doctor got half-shot by the Dalek, and Rose cradled him in her arms. Their whole casual exchange was perfect. Then Rose's frantic "Don't die!" made me chuckle. Instead of a cliche, "stay with me", she gets all blunt. That's my Rose Tyler.
And of course, the "regeneration". I use quotation marks because it can't really be a regeneration. It was very shocking, though. It had me questioning everything I'd heard about this series and next. My brain was swarming with thoughts like, "they couldn't have kept this quiet" and "but David's on for those specials! The specials were done for him!" and "there's a whole episode next week, hardly the right time to meet the new Doctor". Though, if all those things weren't true, and this was a new Doctor, what a gutsy move to do it not in a finale. It would really be a test of the characters, adapting to something new right in the middle of all the frantic action. Though it could be a little "The Christmas Invasion", with Rose and co. not trusting the new guy (or the new guy in a coma). It would also mess up the pacing of the story, like throwing a wrench into the mix. You're barreling towards the end, and you've hit your big surprise 20 miles to the finish. Then what?
So I guess I didn't talk much about the plot, did I? I guess I was so focused on the bits and pieces, that the big picture didn't affect me as much. Well, as per the title, the Earth was stolen. No interpreting that title. Davros and his army of Daleks are responsible, but in typical Doctor Who fashion, we don't know why. At the Shadow Proclamation, the Doctor likens the 27 lost planets/space objects (don't forget the Lost Moon of Poosh) to parts of an engine. So what are they getting at? It feels like much more than Dalek overlord behavior. And Martha's got that key thing, that Harriet Jones (former Prime Minister) ordered her never to use. So clearly she'll be using it next week.
Speaking of Harriet Jones (former Prime Minister), that joke got old... fast. Like, it was cute when Jack said it, and alright when Martha said it, but by the time the Daleks said it, I was over it. But it was nice to see her again, after the Doctor deposed her. Can Prime Minsters be deposed? I thought that was reserved for monarchs, but I'm just a silly American, so what do I know?
Now for some plot speculation. Right now, it appears like only planets from this universe have been stolen. So, why is that causing the walls to break down? Maybe putting the Medusa Cascade out of sync messed with the separation. Or maybe when Dalek Caan broken though the Time Lock on the Time War, he weakened the walls, allowing Rose to break through once things got bad. Or maybe the Doctor was wrong. Maybe there is a way to safely cross over. But the Darkness is coming, which certainly sounds like a big multi-universe problem. In "Turn Left", Rose mentioned having been to many worlds, so this is probably much bigger than just the 27 planets.
Back to Donna. Oh Donna. Now I'm certain she's going to die. And I want a proper death, none of this parallel world crap Davies pulled with Rose. If you're going to off someone, go all the way with it. I want Donna's death to be major and brave. Something is up with her, something very odd. For one thing, what was up with those beats before the clairvoyant woman spoke to Donna. The first time I watch it, it sounded like a heart beat. But second time it sounded like... drums. What is going on with Donna Noble? In "Turn Left", Rose mentions something about Donna and the beetle having different readings (points of flux?), but Donna herself had different readings and UNIT had been following her since birth (or something along those lines). Then the UNIT lady yells at Rose saying that is not a part of this mission. Later, the Doctor wonders why a big parallel world was created around Donna, why didn't the universe compensate? (maybe because the walls are breaking??) or maybe it's because of Donna's different flux-time-thing readings. It messed with the bug.
OK, now for bullet points.
- Rose with gun! Yes.
- Why is the Doctor's hand still in the TARDIS (maybe that will stop his "regeneration"?)
- No trailer for next week, not even at the end of the episode. I like it! I like the mystery, not knowing. I know it'll be a reunion fest (Rose learning Jack can't die plz?) and I know it'll be extra long. And I'm hoping it'll make me cry. I didn't sob during this (lots of squeeing), but I need me a Doctor Who cry. Especially with Rose back and someone possibly dying.
- So... I'm kind of in denial that Rose is leaving again. Like... majorly. My logic is if Donna dies, Davies couldn't also send Rose away, only to bring her back as the world ends. Plus, he's already done that, so how lame will it be to deal with this all over again. I think I'll just be pissed off more than devastated, especially since RTD's set the precedent for brining her back.
- Is it bad that I'm already looking out for a hint for next series. I thought Project Indigo would be something, but that's been addressed. And the key will probably come into play. Or I could just sit back and watch the show... Nah.
For the first time since "Utopia", I finished watching this episode, and immediately wanted to watch it again. That's not to say this is my new favorite episode or that this ranks in the top ten, but there was just so much going on, that I needed a second viewing to absorb. And absorb I did.
The title of this entry is one of many excellent lines in the episode. It was so true, seeing Jack and Sarah Jane and Martha Jones all on the same screen. Oh Donna's family, why no webcam? I can honestly say my favorite line was when Jack goes "Martha Jones!" and Rose gets this perplexed, almost offended look and says "Who's she?" Yes, I lol'd. I actually couldn't control myself then. It was just so perfect, so classic, so Rose. And her reactions that followed were so inherently Rose than any fears I had about her being more mature and less Rose-like went out the window. Her "Oi! So was I!" reacting to learning Martha was the Doctor's companion, and then Martha says she can't get in touch and he has her phone, and Rose goes "Neither can I, and I was there first!". Simply perfect. It was really everything I hoped that meeting (or half meeting) would be and more.
Welcome back Jack! I loved all the little injokes, like Sarah Jane mentioning she stays away from them, "too many guns". Such a perfect reference to the so-not-G-rated activities on Torchwood. Even though three different shows with different tones appeared in this episode, Russell tied everything together so wonderfully, that if I didn't know about the different demographics targeted by The Sarah Jane Adventures and Torchwood, I would have assumed they were just plain spin offs. But this was a cross-over, plain and simple. I loved the mentions of Owen and Tosh, and Gwen's brief phone conversation with Rhys. I loved Ianto getting jealous when Jack mentioned he gained UNIT intel from "a soldier at a bar".
I was so happy that Gwen and Ianto saw the Doctor. Gwen's reaction was the best, "Oh, he's a bit nice, thought he would be older." And Ianto's "[He's] [g]ood looking" was great. Plus, now they kind of get why Jack wanted to find the Doctor so badly, the dude's hot! Who wouldn't want to stalk David Tennant? I loved the continuity when Jack was about to leave to go to the Doctor, Gwen and Ianto looked mildly concerned, after all, last time he went off with him, he vanished for months, leaving Gwen and Ianto to hold down the fort. And now they don't even have Tosh and Owen. But Jack will be back, it's not like he can die.
But I was incredibly bothered by the pacing. I remember 30 minutes in, when the Doctor still hadn't reached Earth, thinking this wasn't going to be good for my ideal Rose meeting Doctor situation. And sure enough, it wasn't. For one thing, this basically means (barring regeneration) there's 65 minutes of Doctor and Rose time. Unacceptable. I needed the Doctor and Rose to have at least two episodes minimum together. Now, with the extended episode next week, it'll be 1.5 eps. I kind of wanted Rose to appear in the Doctor's TARDIS at the end of "Turn Left" last week. I just wanted her, in all her Rose glory, to be standing there. But of course Davies had to drag out the reunion and make it all Rom-Com with the dramatic running and music. Really? Come on Davies, did you need slow-motion? That felt very not Doctor Who and bothered me to bits. I wanted a great Doctor-meets-Rose moment more than anyone, but that was not it. But all was forgiven when the Doctor got half-shot by the Dalek, and Rose cradled him in her arms. Their whole casual exchange was perfect. Then Rose's frantic "Don't die!" made me chuckle. Instead of a cliche, "stay with me", she gets all blunt. That's my Rose Tyler.
And of course, the "regeneration". I use quotation marks because it can't really be a regeneration. It was very shocking, though. It had me questioning everything I'd heard about this series and next. My brain was swarming with thoughts like, "they couldn't have kept this quiet" and "but David's on for those specials! The specials were done for him!" and "there's a whole episode next week, hardly the right time to meet the new Doctor". Though, if all those things weren't true, and this was a new Doctor, what a gutsy move to do it not in a finale. It would really be a test of the characters, adapting to something new right in the middle of all the frantic action. Though it could be a little "The Christmas Invasion", with Rose and co. not trusting the new guy (or the new guy in a coma). It would also mess up the pacing of the story, like throwing a wrench into the mix. You're barreling towards the end, and you've hit your big surprise 20 miles to the finish. Then what?
So I guess I didn't talk much about the plot, did I? I guess I was so focused on the bits and pieces, that the big picture didn't affect me as much. Well, as per the title, the Earth was stolen. No interpreting that title. Davros and his army of Daleks are responsible, but in typical Doctor Who fashion, we don't know why. At the Shadow Proclamation, the Doctor likens the 27 lost planets/space objects (don't forget the Lost Moon of Poosh) to parts of an engine. So what are they getting at? It feels like much more than Dalek overlord behavior. And Martha's got that key thing, that Harriet Jones (former Prime Minister) ordered her never to use. So clearly she'll be using it next week.
Speaking of Harriet Jones (former Prime Minister), that joke got old... fast. Like, it was cute when Jack said it, and alright when Martha said it, but by the time the Daleks said it, I was over it. But it was nice to see her again, after the Doctor deposed her. Can Prime Minsters be deposed? I thought that was reserved for monarchs, but I'm just a silly American, so what do I know?
Now for some plot speculation. Right now, it appears like only planets from this universe have been stolen. So, why is that causing the walls to break down? Maybe putting the Medusa Cascade out of sync messed with the separation. Or maybe when Dalek Caan broken though the Time Lock on the Time War, he weakened the walls, allowing Rose to break through once things got bad. Or maybe the Doctor was wrong. Maybe there is a way to safely cross over. But the Darkness is coming, which certainly sounds like a big multi-universe problem. In "Turn Left", Rose mentioned having been to many worlds, so this is probably much bigger than just the 27 planets.
Back to Donna. Oh Donna. Now I'm certain she's going to die. And I want a proper death, none of this parallel world crap Davies pulled with Rose. If you're going to off someone, go all the way with it. I want Donna's death to be major and brave. Something is up with her, something very odd. For one thing, what was up with those beats before the clairvoyant woman spoke to Donna. The first time I watch it, it sounded like a heart beat. But second time it sounded like... drums. What is going on with Donna Noble? In "Turn Left", Rose mentions something about Donna and the beetle having different readings (points of flux?), but Donna herself had different readings and UNIT had been following her since birth (or something along those lines). Then the UNIT lady yells at Rose saying that is not a part of this mission. Later, the Doctor wonders why a big parallel world was created around Donna, why didn't the universe compensate? (maybe because the walls are breaking??) or maybe it's because of Donna's different flux-time-thing readings. It messed with the bug.
OK, now for bullet points.
- Rose with gun! Yes.
- Why is the Doctor's hand still in the TARDIS (maybe that will stop his "regeneration"?)
- No trailer for next week, not even at the end of the episode. I like it! I like the mystery, not knowing. I know it'll be a reunion fest (Rose learning Jack can't die plz?) and I know it'll be extra long. And I'm hoping it'll make me cry. I didn't sob during this (lots of squeeing), but I need me a Doctor Who cry. Especially with Rose back and someone possibly dying.
- So... I'm kind of in denial that Rose is leaving again. Like... majorly. My logic is if Donna dies, Davies couldn't also send Rose away, only to bring her back as the world ends. Plus, he's already done that, so how lame will it be to deal with this all over again. I think I'll just be pissed off more than devastated, especially since RTD's set the precedent for brining her back.
- Is it bad that I'm already looking out for a hint for next series. I thought Project Indigo would be something, but that's been addressed. And the key will probably come into play. Or I could just sit back and watch the show... Nah.