not the Doctor Who griping you're looking for
I am getting cranky about Doctor Who again. But it's all REACTIONARY crankiness because I'm thinking of all the complaints I hear about the show in recent seasons As I've said before, I wouldn't mind so much if the tone of the Moffat-hate (because that's what it is) were ever presented with even a basic YMMV disclaimer. And maybe some people do! But when people aren't happy and need to talk about it, it's generally done with language that says "and now this thing is terrible and sucks," rather than "and now it's doing these things I don't like." Blanket statement of value, not personal taste. I fully acknowledge that I might just have a skewed perspective on the tone of the debate, based on what I see in my corner of tumblr. I rarely see someone with my perspective any more- to acknowledge the problematic without excusing it, but to still find a lot to love. Sometimes, I think it's me and tempestsarekind in a tiny corner, with little banners with Eleven's face on them.
I rewatched "The Angels Take Manhattan" yesterday for maybe just the third time, after having rewatched the first half of series 7 again as well. And I started getting SO CRANKY because while the episode ABSOLUTELY HAS ITS FAULTS, and I'm still angry that Moffat changed the rules of his own villains with the Angels, I absolutely LOVE how the story of Amy and Rory ends. Love it. Series 7 is ALL ABOUT how they are falling in love with their lives together, separate from the Doctor. But they can't walk away from him, and when they want to try, they are always either pulled or pushed back in. Even Rory's wonderful dad tells them to go back with him for more adventures when they were on the cusp of stepping back. Series 7 is the story of what happens when the Doctor stays in your life too long- you start to feel like you're running away, you see the value and joy in standing still and taking the slow path, and you love the Doctor SO MUCH (he's your best friend), but maybe it's time to make your own life and adventures with the man you chose (as opposed to the man who chose you when you were just a child).
Because that last parenthetical is important! Moffat likes playing with the Doctor's wrong decisions in a different way than RDJ did. RDJ wanted to show faults when they were epic and terrifying, like with the Family of Blood or the Timelord Victorious. Moffat wants to poke at things that look like exactly what we all want and to show the problematic side. Are you a kid wanting to run off with the Doctor? Well, turns out that can fuck you up. Want to stay with the Doctor forever? Same, and it's going to hurt him as well.
Even when I'm crying, I'm CHEERING inside that Amy walked away from the Doctor and towards Rory. It's exactly where her story has been heading since day 1, and when we see tiny!Amy, finally able to get that visit from the Doctor to give her hope, everything feels so right and satisfying to me. I really, honestly love it. A lot of the plot that got us there was laughably bad and yes, there are things I wish I could change, but the emotional journey for the Ponds was 100% worth it for me.
So then I carried on rewatching. I skipped "The Snowmen" and went on to the official start of Clara's run.
And I got cranky. Again.
Because I see so many posts on tumblr, complaining about how Moffat writes problems, not characters, Clara is a puzzle to be solved, not a person.
BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT THE STORY SAYS???? IN FACT, IT SAYS 100% THE OPPOSITE??????
Thing is, yes. The Doctor thinks Clara is a puzzle. THE DOCTOR... IS WRONG. The Doctor leads us through her story and shapes the narrative as he tries to figure her out, but he has the wrong end of the stick from day 1. She was never a puzzle. She was always an ordinary, real person, and he refused to accept it. He spun around in circles for months, convinced there was more to her story, and so never fully accepted her for the woman she was. In the grand tradition of companions in New Who, she was a normal person who willingly stepped into an extraordinary role and did the impossible, again and again.
I know that Moffat has lost a lot of fans of the show, and I agree that there are problems. If people are out, I can respect that. But I like the tropes he plays with, and I like the things he wants to explore or poke at. I'm still in, and really looking forward to Twelve (even though I'm still going to miss Matt Smith's extraordinary foot-face).
I rewatched "The Angels Take Manhattan" yesterday for maybe just the third time, after having rewatched the first half of series 7 again as well. And I started getting SO CRANKY because while the episode ABSOLUTELY HAS ITS FAULTS, and I'm still angry that Moffat changed the rules of his own villains with the Angels, I absolutely LOVE how the story of Amy and Rory ends. Love it. Series 7 is ALL ABOUT how they are falling in love with their lives together, separate from the Doctor. But they can't walk away from him, and when they want to try, they are always either pulled or pushed back in. Even Rory's wonderful dad tells them to go back with him for more adventures when they were on the cusp of stepping back. Series 7 is the story of what happens when the Doctor stays in your life too long- you start to feel like you're running away, you see the value and joy in standing still and taking the slow path, and you love the Doctor SO MUCH (he's your best friend), but maybe it's time to make your own life and adventures with the man you chose (as opposed to the man who chose you when you were just a child).
Because that last parenthetical is important! Moffat likes playing with the Doctor's wrong decisions in a different way than RDJ did. RDJ wanted to show faults when they were epic and terrifying, like with the Family of Blood or the Timelord Victorious. Moffat wants to poke at things that look like exactly what we all want and to show the problematic side. Are you a kid wanting to run off with the Doctor? Well, turns out that can fuck you up. Want to stay with the Doctor forever? Same, and it's going to hurt him as well.
Even when I'm crying, I'm CHEERING inside that Amy walked away from the Doctor and towards Rory. It's exactly where her story has been heading since day 1, and when we see tiny!Amy, finally able to get that visit from the Doctor to give her hope, everything feels so right and satisfying to me. I really, honestly love it. A lot of the plot that got us there was laughably bad and yes, there are things I wish I could change, but the emotional journey for the Ponds was 100% worth it for me.
So then I carried on rewatching. I skipped "The Snowmen" and went on to the official start of Clara's run.
And I got cranky. Again.
Because I see so many posts on tumblr, complaining about how Moffat writes problems, not characters, Clara is a puzzle to be solved, not a person.
BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT THE STORY SAYS???? IN FACT, IT SAYS 100% THE OPPOSITE??????
Thing is, yes. The Doctor thinks Clara is a puzzle. THE DOCTOR... IS WRONG. The Doctor leads us through her story and shapes the narrative as he tries to figure her out, but he has the wrong end of the stick from day 1. She was never a puzzle. She was always an ordinary, real person, and he refused to accept it. He spun around in circles for months, convinced there was more to her story, and so never fully accepted her for the woman she was. In the grand tradition of companions in New Who, she was a normal person who willingly stepped into an extraordinary role and did the impossible, again and again.
I know that Moffat has lost a lot of fans of the show, and I agree that there are problems. If people are out, I can respect that. But I like the tropes he plays with, and I like the things he wants to explore or poke at. I'm still in, and really looking forward to Twelve (even though I'm still going to miss Matt Smith's extraordinary foot-face).