I adored this episode for all the reasons you have listed. It was indeed interesting on rewatching and said a lot of things we've always thought about the Doctor and not many have actually talked about.
while all around them, old people are consuming young people for their life force, leaving children as piles of dust on the ground. How is that not a metaphor for what the Doctor feels he does to his companions? *nods* You brought up Jack, but my first thought was Nine and Rose, when she gets shot by the AnneDroid (something I forgot to include in my review). The Doctor's reaction to that was the moment I fell for him, btw, because the look on his face said so many things (many of which were voiced by the Dream Lord in this ep), and that sheer emptiness and pain and loss... and it was so clear that he blamed himself.
he doesn't let his companions in, not really. Not ever. You know, I don't think he *can*. Look at Donna - she was the one who understood him the best, but being 'let in' completely almost killed her, and he had to destroy who she was with him. ("'Cause you know the Doctor, he's wonderful, he's brilliant, but he's like fire -- stand too close and people get burned.")
Amy isn't special, and when the time comes the Doctor
( ... )
Ah, thanks for pointing out the part with Nine and Rose's dust on the ground! I always think of Jack first because he's my favorite character, but that moment was also poignant, and a more direct parallel to Amy and Rory. I also loved that moment. I will always rue the fact that we only got one season of Nine. I think what the world really needed was a full season of my favorite TARDIS trio.
I agree that he can't. He could only truly open up to another Time Lord. I think Romana did have that role of true confidant back in the day, but now the only one left is the Master, and their relationship is too screwed up for that to actually work.
That fic is one of my favorites. I recced it on Calufrax recently. It serves as a good counterpart to that brilliant Seven&Ace drabble you showed me.
I haven't seen the episodes with the Valeyard, but I know who he is in concept. (After seeing The Twin Dilemma I never wanted to watch another Six episode. -shudder-)
Sorry to intrude, but I followed a trail of links from Who_Daily and ended up here:
>>"The old man prefers the company of the young," the Dream Lord says, while all around them, old people are consuming young people for their life force, leaving children as piles of dust on the ground. How is that not a metaphor for what the Doctor feels he does to his companions?
This! This, this! Thank you! That's the piece that was missing from this episode for me. All the other elements were fitting into the Doctor's symbolic interior landscape, but the zombie pensioners just seemed far less important in the scheme of things than the amount of screen time they were getting (and far less interesting than the freezing TARDIS). I would chalk them up as providing necessary silliness and peril, but I want to hold this episode to a higher standard than that, and your explanation lets me do that. Thanks!
You're not intruding at all. Thanks for commenting. I think this ep has provided a lot of food for thought, and I'm strongly considering writing fic based on it.
Comments 5
Reply
*nods* You brought up Jack, but my first thought was Nine and Rose, when she gets shot by the AnneDroid (something I forgot to include in my review). The Doctor's reaction to that was the moment I fell for him, btw, because the look on his face said so many things (many of which were voiced by the Dream Lord in this ep), and that sheer emptiness and pain and loss... and it was so clear that he blamed himself.
he doesn't let his companions in, not really. Not ever.
You know, I don't think he *can*. Look at Donna - she was the one who understood him the best, but being 'let in' completely almost killed her, and he had to destroy who she was with him. ("'Cause you know the Doctor, he's wonderful, he's brilliant, but he's like fire -- stand too close and people get burned.")
Amy isn't special, and when the time comes the Doctor ( ... )
Reply
I agree that he can't. He could only truly open up to another Time Lord. I think Romana did have that role of true confidant back in the day, but now the only one left is the Master, and their relationship is too screwed up for that to actually work.
That fic is one of my favorites. I recced it on Calufrax recently. It serves as a good counterpart to that brilliant Seven&Ace drabble you showed me.
I haven't seen the episodes with the Valeyard, but I know who he is in concept. (After seeing The Twin Dilemma I never wanted to watch another Six episode. -shudder-)
Reply
>>"The old man prefers the company of the young," the Dream Lord says, while all around them, old people are consuming young people for their life force, leaving children as piles of dust on the ground. How is that not a metaphor for what the Doctor feels he does to his companions?
This! This, this! Thank you! That's the piece that was missing from this episode for me. All the other elements were fitting into the Doctor's symbolic interior landscape, but the zombie pensioners just seemed far less important in the scheme of things than the amount of screen time they were getting (and far less interesting than the freezing TARDIS). I would chalk them up as providing necessary silliness and peril, but I want to hold this episode to a higher standard than that, and your explanation lets me do that. Thanks!
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment