Thoughts on Doctor Who and Real Life
First off: OMG, the library wireless sucks! There’s so much David Tennant stuff I’m missing because I can’t download from any site, and YouTube doesn’t load long videos. Well, no, it does, but the library hours aren’t long enough. It doesn’t help that we’re in one of those phases of his career where he’s everywhere again. *scowls*
About the only part of being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no access to the outside world is that I had no spoilers whatsoever for the series premiere. I was able to go into it with only some vague speculation, and it was a nice feeling. It’s been awhile since that happened.
I must say, I’m glad that I can actually watch it on TV rather than have to download it, even though I have to deal with things like commercial breaks, and watching it at midnight because I can’t really watch while my Dad’s awake (I’m still a closet fan, when it comes to family. Plus, I was subjected to my Dad imitating the Doctor after an ad… I don‘t think I could put up with him doing that for an entire episode.)
Which brings me to my actual thoughts about “The Impossible Astronaut.” And I… I just don’t know how I feel about it. I enjoyed it while watching it, and I was pumped up for series 6 when I went to bed afterward… but I woke up with a feeling of ‘meh’ that I can’t figure out. I’d had a general unease during the entire episode, but didn’t give it much thought. And I don’t know why.
I hate feeling that way. I know I’m a Ten fan, but I pride myself on being a DW fan first and foremost, and I had no issue with a new Doctor taking over, and looked forward to series 5 with anticipation (despite my devastation over Ten’s regeneration. And other words that end with -ion.) Nor am I some RTD loyalist; I’m aware he had his faults, some of which made me laugh or roll my eyes. The point is, I don’t feel any automatic dislike due to love of previous cast and crew. I don’t know if it’s because I’m still feeling a little ill over “A Christmas Carol” and its ’heartwarming’ little mindfuck of Kazran or what, but this time around, I’m not feeling the love like I want to.
What worked for me:
- Mark Sheppard! As a good guy! I met him at Torchsong, and now I can say that I met two actors who’d been in DW at the con, instead of just one. He’s one of those actors I don’t fangirl, but I like him when he shows up. And he pops up a lot; it’s not a good sci fi show until he’s had a role. J
- Eleven actually looks good in a Stetson. I don’t know what River was thinking. Still, the whole “___ is/are cool” is starting to get on my nerves. I find myself missing “Geronimo.”
- The stopped regeneration and death were certainly attention-grabbing, though not as poignant as it was probably intended to be, since I know there’s no way that could be the permanent death of the Doctor.
- Amy and Rory. They feel more like a couple now. There had been times in s5 where Amy’s treatment of Rory made me grit my teeth and wonder why he put up with it, but so far, their relationship seems healthier. Plus, Rory is still awesome.
- LOL, the Easter Island statues are based on the Eleventh Doctor.
- River! River slapping the Doctor! River correcting his mistakes while flying! And, oh, I felt bad for River when she told Rory how she dreaded the Doctor’s first meeting with her, and how it would probably be the death of her.
- The aliens are nifty. And I’d like to know why they have a console set-up identical to the one seen in “The Lodger.”
- I really want to know what the hell is going on. So, yay for plots that intrigue me.
What didn’t:
- Okay. This is petty of me, but I was extremely annoyed that Eleven is going to get some two hundred years of life, while Ten only got five, one of which was spent as an old man in a wheelchair.
- A pregnancy plot line? Really? *sigh* It’s not a plot I like at the best of times, and I’ve just seen it used so much lately in various shows I watch that I’m thoroughly sick of it. It’s gotten to the point where, whenever a female character says she doesn’t feel good, I immediately start to dread what’s going to happen next, because women on TV never seem to get sick; they just come down with a case of pregnancy. Although if this leads Amy discovering the father is alien and leads into an epic custody battle in an episode entitled “Spawn of the Daleks,” then I’m totally on board. Ooh! Or maybe she’s growing a Doctor clone inside her, and her baby will grow up to be Eleven, but with a full set of regenerations, temporarily solving the regeneration limit problem. This would not be at all creepy.
- Eleven… well, he kind of pissed me off several times. A lot of his dialogue was really insulting in this episode, and it rubbed me the wrong way. He’s reminding me of some of the mean-spirited characters I’ve seen in shows that I feel an automatic dislike towards. I suspect he’s giving me high school flashbacks to bully encounters; all I know is, if a man spoke to me like that, I’d rip off his face. And I don’t have a clue why I’m having this reaction, because the Doctor’s never been known for his tact before. Both Nine and Ten had their major asshole moments, but they never got my dander up, not like this. Eleven’s comment about how Amy should be off making babies in particular made me want to regenerate him myself (I hate lines like that in any show; my all-time favorite TV series has an episode I refuse to watch because the main character makes a comment similar to this).
I’m crossing my fingers that either I’ll snap out of whatever seems to be bothering me, or that I won’t find anything that bugs me as the season progresses, or find out that there‘s some grand master plan that will make everything better and awesome. I really, really want to enjoy the show!
Then, too, given my current state of mind, it may just be that I’m so stressed that everything pisses me off right now. I hope this will pass...
And on to some Real Life stuff. My Dad is a great guy, but, like all parents, his attempts to be helpful are pissing me off.
I have an idea of where I’d like to move, a place in Kentucky that I researched that sounds ideal. I’d be in a city that actually has job opportunities, a lower cost of living, and plenty of things to do. I want to take a trip down there and check it out this summer.
My Dad knows of my plan, but recently, he’s tried to push me in another direction. I have an aunt moving to Tennessee, and my Dad mentioned that if I went down there instead, I could have a place to stay until I get on my feet. His reasoning is that it’s the same general area, so I should be eager to seize the opportunity, right?
No. No, no, NO. First of all, instead of living on my own in a city, the kind of living conditions I thrive in, I’d be a guest in a house outside of a city, living with a family with small children. I’d be far away from any city center, which is inconvenient because I don’t want to have to put up with car ownership. And I can’t stand living in someone else’s home; I’m too independent-minded to tolerate living with someone else’s schedule, someone else’s rules. When I have no control over how I live, I start to lose myself. I get lazy and selfish, stupid and unmotivated. I put on about twenty pounds last time I was in a situation like this. It’s like, when someone is around to be responsible, I regress back to childhood. I hate who I am when I live with other people. I’m only tolerating it now because my Dad is gone most of the day, and I know it’s temporary. Plus, I don’t get on well with children. Putting me in constant contact with them doesn’t end well. Not only that, but I also don’t get along so well with my Dad’s side of the family. I know that I tend to complain a lot, but that seems to be how that side communicates - they’re much worse than I’ll ever be, and whenever I’m exposed to any of them for too long, they dump all their problems on me (because I’m quiet by nature, they assume that means that I’m a sympathetic listener, which is not true) and I hate it. I’m not their damned therapist! (I should add, I’ve stayed with this aunt before, briefly. I barely escaped with my sanity intact.)
Secondly, I will not give up my dreams for something that’s easier, something that’s more convenient. I’ve done that before, and it never ends well for me. I always come out of the situation worse off than I was going in, and scrambling to regain any lost ground. No. I’m eager to get my life moving in the direction I want it to go, and it’s not leading me towards a life as a houseguest in someone else’s dream.
I’m just so frustrated right now. I hate living like this. I find that one of the things I most look forward to is that, by moving, I’ll be getting away from family