Doctor WhatTheHellHappenedToRuseelTDavies?!?!?

[ed_rex]

Jesus Christ in an ambulance, did Russell T Davies have a stroke between co-writing The Waters of Mars and Christmas Day's utter travesty of craftsmanship, or did Phil Ford just cover for him

Comments

[sabotabby]

It was indeed a lot of fail. So much of nothing happening, which was my biggest problem. Also, I'm fairly certain that Wilf has some sort of Destiny. Which pissed me off with Donna, as the appeal of both characters (and companions in general) is that they are ordinary folks who rise to the occasion, not super-speshul snowflakes.

Destiny schmestiny

[ed_rex]

You're right on the destiny problem; sort of the Lonely God motif writ small, yet even more problematic.

I'll be watching on (or about) New Year's, but with a sense of dread, not expectation.

[beable]

I haven't watched it yet (I'm going to watch them together after both parts come out), but another friend who has suggested that the 1st part might be worse than that 1990's movie with Paul McGann was.

Seconded

[ed_rex]

The McGann movie was terrible, but at least there was a story to it. Honestly, the Good Davies would have had the whole hour out of the way in 10 minutes. I am baffled by the lack of plain old craftsmanship. (To repeat myself ad nauseum.)

[funkym3485]

I've always found the Davies-penned episodes to be somewhat uneven. For every "Tooth & Claw" he'd give us one of the several episodes with deus ex machina endings and Doctor-as-divine allegories that were as subtle as a sledgehammer to the face. Dunno if he overextended himself or if he can't figure out another way to write finales while maintaining an "epic" quality or what's happening there.

I did think he improved in a big way during series 4 though. It'd be a shame if his big exit was below par.

Uneven is about right

[ed_rex]

I think there's something to the idea that he's been trying to out-epic (to coin an ugly phrase) himself ever since the bloody damned successful (and I don't care if it was manipulative; I cried and I don't care who knows it) end of Series 2, with the Cybermen and Dahleks and the "permanent" exile of Rose.

I agree about series 4 being a big improvement on 3 and thought that this year's specials (until last week's) ranged from flawed-but-entertaining to pretty damned fine with The Waters of Mars.

I'm crossing my fingers for tomorrow, but I can't imagine anything fully making up for last week's travesty of story-telling.