Doctor Who 4.10
I have been keep up with Doctor Who, but not up to writing even reviews. I may go back, re-watch and do some after the fact meta. This season is begging for it.
Iw as afraid this was going a really weak cheap horrors episode. And it was a pretty basic premise.But not cheap or weak in the slightest, I think.
I've seen it called a brilliant character study in a couple of reviews and it really kinda was. The Doctor unreflected by a companion, trying enjoy a rather simple trip. Not in his own vehicle, someone else in charge, for once. Because I think, he can't stand to be in charge at the moment with the grind of, well, everything wearing him down. And what does he really want? A ship full of people, talking, interacting, and telling each other stories, with a bit of sightseeing and seeing something new. (Once again, I feel quite vindicated in my characterization, after the fact. Thank you, Season 4.)
And then it all goes wrong. He gets a ship full of humans at their worst, not their best. More on that in a second.
The monster mirroring him, taking his voice, his words - was simply terrifying, scarier than anything else Doctor Who has ever done, in my opinion. "That's what he does. He gets in your head. He makes you fight." And that *is* what the Doctor does. It's just a double edged sword. The alien, using his words, did the exact some thing, only for its own purposes. With just words, it incited to attempted murder.
I've seen people complain about the humans' behavior in this episode, as if that sort of mob mentality is unbelievable. I find it completely believable, and frankly more representative of humanity then we'd like to think of ourselves. But the fear here wasn't just about being trapped in a small space - after initial panic everyone began to handle that. It was being trapped with the Other. Something strange, inexplicable, and possibly not even evil. Simply new and trying to protect itself and grow.
I've seen some people saying humanity isn't like that. I'm sorry, folks, I'm trying to figure out what planet these people are on, where genocide is still exists, and is happening this very moment in parts of the world. Where people are pulled off planes for speaking Arabic or, hell, even being brown. Yes, people also band together in amazing ways, and help each other, but we do both. But if someone is outside the group, the comfort zone, the odds of something terrible happening to them when disaster strikes goes up tremendously.
The presence was the Other. The Doctor is the Other. That's why he was turned on so quickly. We are all the Other, to someone, so he represents us in the story. That's the question presented, really. Are we the small minded people, thinking we're wonderful but panicking at the drop of a hat? Or are we reaching out, trying to understand, like him? And if we are like him, does it put is in harm's way, in the line of fire of people who aren't trying? Of course it does.
Iw as afraid this was going a really weak cheap horrors episode. And it was a pretty basic premise.But not cheap or weak in the slightest, I think.
I've seen it called a brilliant character study in a couple of reviews and it really kinda was. The Doctor unreflected by a companion, trying enjoy a rather simple trip. Not in his own vehicle, someone else in charge, for once. Because I think, he can't stand to be in charge at the moment with the grind of, well, everything wearing him down. And what does he really want? A ship full of people, talking, interacting, and telling each other stories, with a bit of sightseeing and seeing something new. (Once again, I feel quite vindicated in my characterization, after the fact. Thank you, Season 4.)
And then it all goes wrong. He gets a ship full of humans at their worst, not their best. More on that in a second.
The monster mirroring him, taking his voice, his words - was simply terrifying, scarier than anything else Doctor Who has ever done, in my opinion. "That's what he does. He gets in your head. He makes you fight." And that *is* what the Doctor does. It's just a double edged sword. The alien, using his words, did the exact some thing, only for its own purposes. With just words, it incited to attempted murder.
I've seen people complain about the humans' behavior in this episode, as if that sort of mob mentality is unbelievable. I find it completely believable, and frankly more representative of humanity then we'd like to think of ourselves. But the fear here wasn't just about being trapped in a small space - after initial panic everyone began to handle that. It was being trapped with the Other. Something strange, inexplicable, and possibly not even evil. Simply new and trying to protect itself and grow.
I've seen some people saying humanity isn't like that. I'm sorry, folks, I'm trying to figure out what planet these people are on, where genocide is still exists, and is happening this very moment in parts of the world. Where people are pulled off planes for speaking Arabic or, hell, even being brown. Yes, people also band together in amazing ways, and help each other, but we do both. But if someone is outside the group, the comfort zone, the odds of something terrible happening to them when disaster strikes goes up tremendously.
The presence was the Other. The Doctor is the Other. That's why he was turned on so quickly. We are all the Other, to someone, so he represents us in the story. That's the question presented, really. Are we the small minded people, thinking we're wonderful but panicking at the drop of a hat? Or are we reaching out, trying to understand, like him? And if we are like him, does it put is in harm's way, in the line of fire of people who aren't trying? Of course it does.