more Doctor Who stuff
Endless streams of Doctor Who here this week, apparently. Imagine a huge angst-filled shriek right now. I can't decide if I love or hate "Silence in the Library" and "Forest of the Dead" but they're certainly unforgettable episodes (and scary). *sniffles*
I'm sure there's been rampant speculation as to who River Song is in connection with the Doctor. Companion? Lover? Some sort of relative? Something else? I'm trying not to look up any information, since the rest of season four might give more answers and I don't want to stumble across any accidental spoilers.
Two things were very disturbing to me in these episodes: 1) Donna's fake family in the mind of CAL and 2) River Song's ultimate destination--to live in that same construct of a world that exists in CAL's mind/databanks.
1) Families are a sensitive topic. The fact that Donna had real feelings for these children who didn't exist, and then was torn away from them... ouch. As for "Lee" or whatever his name is, that was... well, I can't decide if it was worse or not, but it's another reason why I'm not sure I like the idea of CAL's brain as a place to spend time. Yes, they were kept safe (or "saved" in the literal sense for the computer's indexes), but to have an artificial experience that feels real... hm. I'm completely undecided at this point as to how I feel about this. But it's certainly compelling entertainment. I did love Miss Evangelista's return--seeming like such a villain, in her flowing black dress and veil, but ultimately being a truth-teller.
Actually, that was true of a lot of characters: CAL wasn't a creepy evil little girl, Doctor Moon wasn't an evil doctor, etc. Nice progression on that whole storyline, in fact.
2) River's end. Since I'm undecided about CAL's mind as a place to spend time, much less a potential eternity, I don't envy River Song. And is a child's mind/computer database a place to feel real progress? Will CAL ever grow up? Or the two construct children that Donna had to leave behind? Or will River be trapped forever there in an unchanging world?
It reminds me a lot of "Love & Monsters," except that I'm actually quite, quite certain that Ursula's ending as paving stone is a horror story. I'm fairly certain that's not what the show wanted me to think then, nor that I should be so uncertain about my feelings about River Song's fate now. Maybe not. Maybe I'm not allowing the show's makers enough room for shades of grey. But for Ursula's ending, I'd definitely say there are fates worse than death. And death is really not that bad. Happens to all of us. Even body-regenerating Time Lords, someday.
Definitely liked: Alex Kingston as River Song. She's always wonderful. And Catherine Tate just about broke my heart (as already mentioned) with her scenes inside CAL's mind. (Though I do miss those lovely flapper outfits she wore in "The Unicorn and the Wasp." She looked fabulous in those clothes!)
I'm sure there's been rampant speculation as to who River Song is in connection with the Doctor. Companion? Lover? Some sort of relative? Something else? I'm trying not to look up any information, since the rest of season four might give more answers and I don't want to stumble across any accidental spoilers.
Two things were very disturbing to me in these episodes: 1) Donna's fake family in the mind of CAL and 2) River Song's ultimate destination--to live in that same construct of a world that exists in CAL's mind/databanks.
1) Families are a sensitive topic. The fact that Donna had real feelings for these children who didn't exist, and then was torn away from them... ouch. As for "Lee" or whatever his name is, that was... well, I can't decide if it was worse or not, but it's another reason why I'm not sure I like the idea of CAL's brain as a place to spend time. Yes, they were kept safe (or "saved" in the literal sense for the computer's indexes), but to have an artificial experience that feels real... hm. I'm completely undecided at this point as to how I feel about this. But it's certainly compelling entertainment. I did love Miss Evangelista's return--seeming like such a villain, in her flowing black dress and veil, but ultimately being a truth-teller.
Actually, that was true of a lot of characters: CAL wasn't a creepy evil little girl, Doctor Moon wasn't an evil doctor, etc. Nice progression on that whole storyline, in fact.
2) River's end. Since I'm undecided about CAL's mind as a place to spend time, much less a potential eternity, I don't envy River Song. And is a child's mind/computer database a place to feel real progress? Will CAL ever grow up? Or the two construct children that Donna had to leave behind? Or will River be trapped forever there in an unchanging world?
It reminds me a lot of "Love & Monsters," except that I'm actually quite, quite certain that Ursula's ending as paving stone is a horror story. I'm fairly certain that's not what the show wanted me to think then, nor that I should be so uncertain about my feelings about River Song's fate now. Maybe not. Maybe I'm not allowing the show's makers enough room for shades of grey. But for Ursula's ending, I'd definitely say there are fates worse than death. And death is really not that bad. Happens to all of us. Even body-regenerating Time Lords, someday.
Definitely liked: Alex Kingston as River Song. She's always wonderful. And Catherine Tate just about broke my heart (as already mentioned) with her scenes inside CAL's mind. (Though I do miss those lovely flapper outfits she wore in "The Unicorn and the Wasp." She looked fabulous in those clothes!)