I think I got it...
I think I figured out why I'm so annoyed at this year DW finale (and RTD in general).
It's not blue!Doctor (or Ten II, as mrv3000 suggests we call him) staying with Rose and Donna's memory wipe and generally having my heart ripped out, which, let's face it, RTD has done before and I didn't love him any less, and I can come to terms with it.
What really really bothers me, is what I see as a step-back in the growth of the character of the Doctor.
I was watching a graphic post of icons from Fear Her, and started to think about how happy and carefree the Doctor and Rose were in that episode. And how lighthearted the show was back then, especially in S2, but even back in S1 with Nine. Doctor Who was this quirky show with this quirky character who just loved to travel and discover new worlds and new species and new times (and occasionally saving said worlds, species and timelines). It was about finding the positive in everything and everyone. It wasn't this depress-o-rama it's turned into now. But we've gotten so used to it we don't even notice.
Now, we had to have the angst after Doomsday. Whether you ship Doctor/Rose or not, whether you think he loved loved her or that it was just friendship (though I think we can say now that canon states it was romantic love), you have to admit that he was devastated at her loss and needed to grieve her and get over her. On comes S3, an utterly utterly brilliant series (especially for angst!lovers like myself) and perfectly in line with the character's arc.
But for how much I love angst, it shouldn't be never ending. Especially in a kid's show, or a show which is fundamentally about hope, and not giving in, and finding beauty in every little thing, as this show is. The character's arc demands a loss, a grieving period, AND THEN FOR HIM TO GET BETTER AND FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO BE HAPPY ABOUT! Because that's life! You may lose someone you love, but things get better and you find love and happiness (or contentment) somewhere else. Which is what I thought we were heading towards with S4 and Donna was so brilliant at. She was helping the Doctor heal. She was getting him out of the emo!phase and back to the quirkiness and lightheartedness of S2. Yeah, they had ups and downs, and Donna had to kick him in the butt a few times, but even with the loss of Jenny and River Song and after Midnight, things were getting better. The Doctor was getting there. I think of the beginning of Turn Left, where he and Donna are just walking around that chinese market, having fun and tasting foamy drinks and shopping and haggling for useless things. I remember feeling my heart filling with warmth at seeing the Doctor so carefree, finally getting over the loss of Rose, and an overwhelming gratitude for Donna for getting him to that point. I loved that scene. I felt it was a perfect example of how things had evolved and changed during the series.
And of course then it all had to come crashing down, and we're right back where we started. With the loss of Rose, of Gallifrey, of the Master.
What is the point of the show, if the character and the theme NEVER EVER CHANGES? That might have been good for Classic Who, which admittedly touched only superficially the emotional aspects and concentrated on the sci-fi "fun" stuff. But if New Who wants to pride itself of doing a more in-depth exploration and analyze the emotions involved and the relationships and feelings between the characters, than this won't do. The general over-encompassing theme of "a lonely alien traveling through time and space and having fun" isn't enough. The Doctor grows. Evolves. Rose changed him, Martha changed him, Donna changed him, and so did everyone who touched him, and he them. If you want the show to also be about that, to explore that kind of depth, you can't hit the bloody reset button in such a drastic way every frigging year!
Even though Donna had to leave (damn Catherine, couldn't she do another series? Or the specials at least?) they didn't have to do it this way. I don't know, she could have met stutter!guy from Forest of the Dead and chosen to stay with him, or something. Nice amicable goodbye, with the Doctor aknowledging how good she's been for him and being ready to move on smiling once again to someone else and some new adventure, and promising to visit often. Or something. And let's not even get into bringing Rose back for THIS. I saw an icon with Rose's picture and the text "I don't know what I'm doing, I'm just here to raise the ratings". Exactly. And I LOVE Rose! But she really wasn't needed for anything else apart from standing around and stomping on the Doctor's hearts (and ours) AGAIN. If that's all they wanted to do, they could have left it at Doomsday.
Couldn't they just end the episode with everyone piloting the TARDIS?
I hated watching the Confidential and hearing RTD and Julie Gardner saying that the Doctor's best written and shown when he's depressed and alone and emo. WTF? Yeah, we get it, the show is about this lonely man and his TARDIS, blah blah, he's immortal, blah blah, sooner or later he's going to lose everyone he ever comes to care about, blah blah, it's incredibly sad when you think about it, yes, WE GET IT! But that's not ALL we want to see! It doesn't mean you have to bring him down and destroy him and rip his hearts out and stomp on them and shaker them and put them back in and kick him in the head while you're at it EVERY SINGLE FINALE! I mean, I know Tennant looks incredibly good and cuddly when he's all wet by the rain and playing emo and with an expression like a kicked puppy, but I thought the show was about a love for life, and keeping on trying no matter how hard life is. Of doing what's right and not what's easy, of finding family and home where you least expect it, family and home that have little to do with blood or species and everything with shared ideals and emotions and values. A show about friendship, and companionship. Curiosity and discovery. With an underlining sadness, yes, but never bitter, and most of all, a show about always keeping a positive outlook on life.
What is the message they're sending children if this is how they're ending this (RTD's) arc (or "era", to borrow a term from the Confidential)? "You lose the love of your life prematurely, but don't bother trying to get better or find happiness or contentment again, 'cos life is just going to kick you in the teeth and knock you back down again and again and please, do save the universe and selflessly sacrifice everything you hold dear but don't expect anything in return because life is not fair "what goes around comes around" is just wishful thinking and case and circumstance demand that the good things go to those who don't deserve them."
Thank you, I'll just watch the news.
I thought they were doing so well for all of S4.
Yes, even River Song.
And then they just hit us with the last ten minutes of the finale, out of the blue, which pretty much undid all the work and progress done in the previous thirteen episodes. That's what it felt like to me, that's why I'm very disappointed in RTD.
I don't know what will happen in the specials, but it better bloody well be good, or bring a change of tune, because if the Lonely God stuff is all the show is going to be about from now on, I don't know if I'll keep watching. I'll stick around for as long as Tennant does, but after that, I just don't know.
Yes, I know I promised you an update on London, and I'm also behind on replying to comments, I'm sorry, but it's late and I didn't have all that much time online this past couple of days, I will do it tomorrow. It's just that I've been rimuginating on this thing ever since I saw the episode and I don't know if it made sense or not but I had to get it out. Know that I'm well and happy and very very busy. :D
Love you all.
Goodnight.
It's not blue!Doctor (or Ten II, as mrv3000 suggests we call him) staying with Rose and Donna's memory wipe and generally having my heart ripped out, which, let's face it, RTD has done before and I didn't love him any less, and I can come to terms with it.
What really really bothers me, is what I see as a step-back in the growth of the character of the Doctor.
I was watching a graphic post of icons from Fear Her, and started to think about how happy and carefree the Doctor and Rose were in that episode. And how lighthearted the show was back then, especially in S2, but even back in S1 with Nine. Doctor Who was this quirky show with this quirky character who just loved to travel and discover new worlds and new species and new times (and occasionally saving said worlds, species and timelines). It was about finding the positive in everything and everyone. It wasn't this depress-o-rama it's turned into now. But we've gotten so used to it we don't even notice.
Now, we had to have the angst after Doomsday. Whether you ship Doctor/Rose or not, whether you think he loved loved her or that it was just friendship (though I think we can say now that canon states it was romantic love), you have to admit that he was devastated at her loss and needed to grieve her and get over her. On comes S3, an utterly utterly brilliant series (especially for angst!lovers like myself) and perfectly in line with the character's arc.
But for how much I love angst, it shouldn't be never ending. Especially in a kid's show, or a show which is fundamentally about hope, and not giving in, and finding beauty in every little thing, as this show is. The character's arc demands a loss, a grieving period, AND THEN FOR HIM TO GET BETTER AND FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO BE HAPPY ABOUT! Because that's life! You may lose someone you love, but things get better and you find love and happiness (or contentment) somewhere else. Which is what I thought we were heading towards with S4 and Donna was so brilliant at. She was helping the Doctor heal. She was getting him out of the emo!phase and back to the quirkiness and lightheartedness of S2. Yeah, they had ups and downs, and Donna had to kick him in the butt a few times, but even with the loss of Jenny and River Song and after Midnight, things were getting better. The Doctor was getting there. I think of the beginning of Turn Left, where he and Donna are just walking around that chinese market, having fun and tasting foamy drinks and shopping and haggling for useless things. I remember feeling my heart filling with warmth at seeing the Doctor so carefree, finally getting over the loss of Rose, and an overwhelming gratitude for Donna for getting him to that point. I loved that scene. I felt it was a perfect example of how things had evolved and changed during the series.
And of course then it all had to come crashing down, and we're right back where we started. With the loss of Rose, of Gallifrey, of the Master.
What is the point of the show, if the character and the theme NEVER EVER CHANGES? That might have been good for Classic Who, which admittedly touched only superficially the emotional aspects and concentrated on the sci-fi "fun" stuff. But if New Who wants to pride itself of doing a more in-depth exploration and analyze the emotions involved and the relationships and feelings between the characters, than this won't do. The general over-encompassing theme of "a lonely alien traveling through time and space and having fun" isn't enough. The Doctor grows. Evolves. Rose changed him, Martha changed him, Donna changed him, and so did everyone who touched him, and he them. If you want the show to also be about that, to explore that kind of depth, you can't hit the bloody reset button in such a drastic way every frigging year!
Even though Donna had to leave (damn Catherine, couldn't she do another series? Or the specials at least?) they didn't have to do it this way. I don't know, she could have met stutter!guy from Forest of the Dead and chosen to stay with him, or something. Nice amicable goodbye, with the Doctor aknowledging how good she's been for him and being ready to move on smiling once again to someone else and some new adventure, and promising to visit often. Or something. And let's not even get into bringing Rose back for THIS. I saw an icon with Rose's picture and the text "I don't know what I'm doing, I'm just here to raise the ratings". Exactly. And I LOVE Rose! But she really wasn't needed for anything else apart from standing around and stomping on the Doctor's hearts (and ours) AGAIN. If that's all they wanted to do, they could have left it at Doomsday.
Couldn't they just end the episode with everyone piloting the TARDIS?
I hated watching the Confidential and hearing RTD and Julie Gardner saying that the Doctor's best written and shown when he's depressed and alone and emo. WTF? Yeah, we get it, the show is about this lonely man and his TARDIS, blah blah, he's immortal, blah blah, sooner or later he's going to lose everyone he ever comes to care about, blah blah, it's incredibly sad when you think about it, yes, WE GET IT! But that's not ALL we want to see! It doesn't mean you have to bring him down and destroy him and rip his hearts out and stomp on them and shaker them and put them back in and kick him in the head while you're at it EVERY SINGLE FINALE! I mean, I know Tennant looks incredibly good and cuddly when he's all wet by the rain and playing emo and with an expression like a kicked puppy, but I thought the show was about a love for life, and keeping on trying no matter how hard life is. Of doing what's right and not what's easy, of finding family and home where you least expect it, family and home that have little to do with blood or species and everything with shared ideals and emotions and values. A show about friendship, and companionship. Curiosity and discovery. With an underlining sadness, yes, but never bitter, and most of all, a show about always keeping a positive outlook on life.
What is the message they're sending children if this is how they're ending this (RTD's) arc (or "era", to borrow a term from the Confidential)? "You lose the love of your life prematurely, but don't bother trying to get better or find happiness or contentment again, 'cos life is just going to kick you in the teeth and knock you back down again and again and please, do save the universe and selflessly sacrifice everything you hold dear but don't expect anything in return because life is not fair "what goes around comes around" is just wishful thinking and case and circumstance demand that the good things go to those who don't deserve them."
Thank you, I'll just watch the news.
I thought they were doing so well for all of S4.
Yes, even River Song.
And then they just hit us with the last ten minutes of the finale, out of the blue, which pretty much undid all the work and progress done in the previous thirteen episodes. That's what it felt like to me, that's why I'm very disappointed in RTD.
I don't know what will happen in the specials, but it better bloody well be good, or bring a change of tune, because if the Lonely God stuff is all the show is going to be about from now on, I don't know if I'll keep watching. I'll stick around for as long as Tennant does, but after that, I just don't know.
Yes, I know I promised you an update on London, and I'm also behind on replying to comments, I'm sorry, but it's late and I didn't have all that much time online this past couple of days, I will do it tomorrow. It's just that I've been rimuginating on this thing ever since I saw the episode and I don't know if it made sense or not but I had to get it out. Know that I'm well and happy and very very busy. :D
Love you all.
Goodnight.