Doctor Who 7.08 The Rings of Akheten
Now that's more like it.
We were due a non-Earth, alien story, and this one was lovely. Also, as opposed to the last episode, this one gave a clear impression of Clara as Clara, in action, and it hit me in the soft spot I have for previous episodes End of the World and Gridlocked, plus there was no creepy, creepy plothole like the fate of the people who couldn't download in their own bodies anymore and the Doctor unilaterally deciding they'd rather be dead without bothering to ask even one of them.
I also appreciate the consistency of Victorian Clara and present day Clara being good with children (in addition to having the traditional Companion traits of curiosity, bravery and compassion). (BTW, this, as opposed to the Bells of St. John prequel, is an excellent way to integrate the series' original target audience by using child characters.) No doubt if you're anti-Moff on principle you'll decry it as traditional feminine trait OMG, but to me it came across as a) a particular Clara-ish trait, and b) a refreshing change after several doting dads we've had in recent years. BTW, that holds for Clara's flashback to her mother as well. Hooray for mother-daughter interactions! No, I'm still not over the fact we hardly got any with Amy and River, despite the circumstance that another show - Once upon a Time - gave me all I ever wanted on that account between Emma and Snow post reveal.
Continuity alert and villain-hero parallel: well, obviously. The Doctor mentioning Susan, and in this particular way - "I was here with my granddaughter" - comes just a few scene before the ancient god's name that is used by the population is revealed as "Grandfather". And of course the whole accusation speech - feeding on people's emotions and lives, being a parasite - is as much self accusation as the Dream Lord ever was.
Solution: do I have to handwave that what looked like a sun about to go supernova just went away? I think I do, but you know what, I don't mind, because I can do that sort of thing when I'm pleased and in tune with the episode as a whole. I liked that we saw lots of aliens, I like the concept of using objects tied to memories - and the memories themselves - for trade, I liked Clara really getting a wondrous first look at the universe, I liked Mary Gaddell, and I liked that everyone contributed to the outcome - Mary and her people by singing and offering hope instead of fear, the Doctor by offering his memories, and Clara by offering both her parents' story and the unlived futures her mother never had. Which I think might be tied to the mystery of Clara being spread across time and space. The teaser scene of the Doctor following her parents' first meeting and Clara's birth and childhood to make sure that Clara (21st century edition) is really a normal human being, not a clone or anything like that, is something that makes sense (the possibilities are certainly there in this verse, and it is something that would occur to me, too, were I the Doctor), and I also liked the wrap up/pay off for this in the final scene was Clara's insistence that she is herself, not an echo, a "bargain basement edition". Also, I appreciated the Doctor got her ring back.
In conclusion: really liked this second outing of 21st century Clara with the Doctor. Bring on next week and the submarine!
This entry was originally posted at http://selenak.dreamwidth.org/886601.html. Comment there or here, as you wish.
We were due a non-Earth, alien story, and this one was lovely. Also, as opposed to the last episode, this one gave a clear impression of Clara as Clara, in action, and it hit me in the soft spot I have for previous episodes End of the World and Gridlocked, plus there was no creepy, creepy plothole like the fate of the people who couldn't download in their own bodies anymore and the Doctor unilaterally deciding they'd rather be dead without bothering to ask even one of them.
I also appreciate the consistency of Victorian Clara and present day Clara being good with children (in addition to having the traditional Companion traits of curiosity, bravery and compassion). (BTW, this, as opposed to the Bells of St. John prequel, is an excellent way to integrate the series' original target audience by using child characters.) No doubt if you're anti-Moff on principle you'll decry it as traditional feminine trait OMG, but to me it came across as a) a particular Clara-ish trait, and b) a refreshing change after several doting dads we've had in recent years. BTW, that holds for Clara's flashback to her mother as well. Hooray for mother-daughter interactions! No, I'm still not over the fact we hardly got any with Amy and River, despite the circumstance that another show - Once upon a Time - gave me all I ever wanted on that account between Emma and Snow post reveal.
Continuity alert and villain-hero parallel: well, obviously. The Doctor mentioning Susan, and in this particular way - "I was here with my granddaughter" - comes just a few scene before the ancient god's name that is used by the population is revealed as "Grandfather". And of course the whole accusation speech - feeding on people's emotions and lives, being a parasite - is as much self accusation as the Dream Lord ever was.
Solution: do I have to handwave that what looked like a sun about to go supernova just went away? I think I do, but you know what, I don't mind, because I can do that sort of thing when I'm pleased and in tune with the episode as a whole. I liked that we saw lots of aliens, I like the concept of using objects tied to memories - and the memories themselves - for trade, I liked Clara really getting a wondrous first look at the universe, I liked Mary Gaddell, and I liked that everyone contributed to the outcome - Mary and her people by singing and offering hope instead of fear, the Doctor by offering his memories, and Clara by offering both her parents' story and the unlived futures her mother never had. Which I think might be tied to the mystery of Clara being spread across time and space. The teaser scene of the Doctor following her parents' first meeting and Clara's birth and childhood to make sure that Clara (21st century edition) is really a normal human being, not a clone or anything like that, is something that makes sense (the possibilities are certainly there in this verse, and it is something that would occur to me, too, were I the Doctor), and I also liked the wrap up/pay off for this in the final scene was Clara's insistence that she is herself, not an echo, a "bargain basement edition". Also, I appreciated the Doctor got her ring back.
In conclusion: really liked this second outing of 21st century Clara with the Doctor. Bring on next week and the submarine!
This entry was originally posted at http://selenak.dreamwidth.org/886601.html. Comment there or here, as you wish.