Remix & Doctor Who 4x04: The Sontaran Stragetem

[such_heights]

So, Remix reveals today! I remixed rian219 to produce The Tyranny of Petty Things (The Unconquered Skies Remix) [HP; Remus/Sirius; PG-13], which I shall repost here and talk about sometime next week. It was spotted alarmingly quickly by avendya, possibly because she has spies in my brain - Ave, let me know what you'd like as your smartypants prize and I'll get

Comments

[lorannah]

I so loved this episode. I loved the Doctor, I loved Donna, I loved Martha, I loved Wilf, I loved the Sontarans (are we both thinking klingons?), I loved UNIT (especially Ross - I fear he shall be another example of me being disappointed that someone isn't invited along as a companion - I commit too quickly)... so much love.

I especially loved both the Donna/Martha, Doctor/Martha and Doctor/Donna conversations - they got freakishly close to what I wanted to see happening. Especially the feeling that the Doctor has learnt from his mistakes with both Rose and Martha and is being so much more open and honest and grateful.

Oh and the Doctor teaching Donna to fly the Tardis - so perfect.

And the plot was so clever (I hope it continues) with the Atmos... simple and clever at the same time. And the Doctor winning with a tennis racket and ball - squee.

I love your descriptions of the seasons meta-arcs - I completely agree. The word that keeps coming back to me this season is 'partnership' - it's much more a relationship of equals than the rest of new-Who so far.

I love that this season we're seeing so much character development as well. Donna's developed, the Doctor's developed, Martha's developed (and not entirely positively which I love)... it fills me with hope for Rose - because the one thing I couldn't stand would be her having stayed stationery.

SQUEE!!!

P.S. I have finally plotted my quidditch fic and hopefully will get it written tonight. :D

[such_heights]

Eeee! *flaps* Yup, I was totally with the Klingons - I just need one of them to express a liking for prune juice and I'll die of glee. And oh yes, Ross would make a wonderful companion - I'm a bit worried they might kill him off, actually, I'm sure somebody we've met this week is going to snuff it. :(

So much wonderful dialogue in this, absolutely. Now we just need some kind of resolution with Martha next week or so and I'll be quite content. The Doctor is definitely learning and doing right by Donna, but I think it's harder for him to make amends retroactively and he needs to far more directly than he's done so far. It's all very good recommending her for jobs and telling Donna how great she is but he needs to say as much to her, too. *crosses fingers*

Donna+TARDIS = win! Why have we never seen that before, it's such a great idea!

They absolutely are partners in crime and it's wonderful to see. Donna's reactions to him are just so refreshing and make for some really excellent dynamics with everyone they come into contact with.

And oooh Martha's development is so very juicy, I really hope fandom comes up trumps with the fic once this plot's concluded. Because she's changed so much and we've only seen bits and pieces as to why - and you're quite right, it's not all good and maybe even a little morally ambiguous? This fills me with joy. Rather like with Jack, they did something to her that changed her utterly and now she's back and different and it's all so interesting. I really hope she stays in the Whoverse for a long, long time, because they seem to be setting her up as someone with recurring staying power, and I'd love that.

... ah, yes. Quidditch. I would hate to say that I'd forgotten about that, because that makes me sound like a bad, bad team member, but, um. I will get back on that right away, in any case!

[lorannah]

I've realised my lost-companions issue is clearly an issue with Helen Raynor personally - as I thought Frank last season would make a fantastic companion. This may just be because I'd love a young male companion who's not connected to Rose in some way (shallow moi? ;) )

Actually this episode has confirmed for me something that I thought of her episodes last season. Last season I thought the episodes were well written but ruined by some bad production ideas and some slightly disappointing casting. So far with neither of these problems I'm loving her stuff, although I'm waiting with baited breath for the conclusion as last time didn't make that much sense. But I'm super-excited to find out.

Yep - a resolution is needed and word on the retroactively thing. I think the Doctor had to mess up as much with Martha as he did, to learn how to make things right with Donna - it still kind of sucks for Martha though, although thankfully she was strong enough to get through that (and I'm not really complaining as I loved Martha's arc). I was saying to someone in a comment recently that I see the Doctor/Martha as one of those relationships that would have been perfect but they just met at the wrong time.

Actually do we know that the Doctor really did recommend Martha for UNIT now, he seemed a little surprised to find her now - although maybe that was just the scale of the operation now. It did strike me this could have been a set up by someone else...

I loved the Donna and Tardis thing so much, I've been waiting to see that - because it was always one of those issues sort of raised by Girl in the Fireplace - what happens to the companion if the Doctor's lost and has no idea how to use the Tardis. Also Donna would completely demand to be taught.

:D

[such_heights]

Awww yeah, that's a good point, Frank was also great! And yeah, they need some boys in the TARDIS sometime soon, I think.

Ohh I really hope she's done something good for next week - this episode was nice set-up, so hopefully as long as there aren't any giant face penises or other such tomfoolery (I still have nightmares, I swear) then we're all good. I did love 'To The Last Man' so she's definitely back in my good books anyway.

Totally agree with you on bad timing - another interesting thing I've read recently is the idea that actually maybe Donna should have gone with him at the end of 'Runaway Bride' and might have been a better rebound companion, because she wouldn't have taken as much as nonsense and so on. Practically, of course, they had no idea they could get Catherine Tate for a whole series, but still. If that had happened then the Doctor and Martha team might have had a chance to be much more awesome.

Oooh, set up, I am intrigued. I'm not sure, because absolutely he did seem a bit nonplussed by the whole thing. And Martha never actually got it confirmed it was him, it was just "an impeccable source". Ooh, ooh, now my conspiracy theories are going wild, hurray!

Exactly! Donna would not get left around with no idea how to get herself out again, no siree. :D

[lorannah]

I wonder if they haven't been able to have a solo male companion because male Doctor Who fans are fundamentally shallow and need something pretty to loom at. Thank god we're not like that. ;) ;)

I'd forgotten about To The Last Man - but yes great as well, she's a bit of a star on the quiet. But no, don't even get me started on the human Sek design - because, just for starters, if you're going to have a character that's meant to be hugely charasmatic you absolutely must not cover their eyes completely *head desk*.

I think it probably would have been better for both the Doctor and Martha if Donna had travelled with the Doctor first - but maybe not so much for the storytelling of the show. Although then they could have gone and picked up Ianto and formed Team Awesome!

Re: In Which I Capslock Probably Too Much

[such_heights]

Ahahaha, indeed. Well, they're writing Torchwood for the fangirls now, maybe it's only a matter of time? :D (Actually, I love the new phenomenon of shows written for their female fanbase - cf. Supernatural - rather than solely for the usual fanboy contingent.)

Ughhhh I have eviscerated the whole sorry mess from my memory, more or less. The one bum note in the whole of S3.

asda;lsdjkas Martha + Ianto + Doctor (+ Jack, yes?) = SO MUCH WIN I CANNOT PROCESS.