Comments | persiflage_1: Martha Jones

persiflage_1

Martha Jones - One Year On

Jul 13, 2008 08:16

Just a quick observation I made in a comment to someone elsewhere on my LJ, that I think is worth repeating here.

( Cut in case people haven't seen Journey's End... )

discussion, character: martha jones, dw: season 4

Comments 75

(The comment has been removed)

persiflage_1 July 13 2008, 08:25:59 UTC

Yes I know - but for all we know, that's set pre-4.12 (and post TW 2.13).

The CD is out in September from Amazon UK - or was listed as such when I added it to my wishlist. As things stand there's no definite date for when the new HUD thing goes online, hence there's no definite air date for the radio play...

airie_fairy July 13 2008, 08:31:55 UTC

I've been rather pleased about Martha's personal arc all along, and that just makes me happier for her. =D

persiflage_1 July 13 2008, 08:35:58 UTC

It's certainly a better situation than I expected her to be in a year ago.

There are still somethings about her arc that bug me: mainly Mr Invisible Fiance of Invisibleness WHO NEVER even got a MENTION when she was about to go off to potentially destroy the Earth! (She could have said to Francine something along the lines of "If the earth survives but I don't, tell Tom I love him" or something...)

airie_fairy July 13 2008, 08:54:39 UTC

But then, when he was being brought up, the reaction was "oh, token Invisible Fiance mentions as compensation." So...I dunno, whatever. He doesn't have to be wedged into every conversation, as I see it. I mean, the rest of her family didn't get noted, either.

persiflage_1 July 13 2008, 09:48:41 UTC

I agree he doesn't have to be in every conversation - but that's kind of the point - he was only mentioned in Martha's earlier episodes and then forgotten and we've never seen him on screen. It just smacks of lazy writing - that he's barely mentioned and never shown. Even Rhys got more "screen time" (verbally) in the two-part finale, and Gwen's a TW character!

Thread 10

jo_mako July 13 2008, 11:07:27 UTC

I've told you in detail my thoughts on how people ended up, but yeah...Martha definitely got the best ending of the three. I'm still trying to come up with a way to make Donna' ending not hurt so much. (and failing miserably)

persiflage_1 July 13 2008, 11:25:36 UTC

Indeed you did...

I wish there was a way to make Donna's ending less painful - but no one's found one that satisfied me yet...

offthebalcony July 13 2008, 12:38:11 UTC

I was saying this to my friend the other day.

Martha went through the most when she was with The Doctor (in terms of what she was asked to do, not it terms of personal growth, Donna wins that race by miles - if only because Martha was ahead to begin with) and now, she's left with the happiest ending and the healthiest relationship with him.

When she left exited at the end of S3, I wanted nothing more than her to be back in TARDIS, but now I'm glad that she left. She went with her character still in tact and didn't stay with him so long that the writers picked it apart (like other characters I could mention, ahem) and she can come back at any time.

She was badass and worked for UNIT and she's totaly going to be in Torchwood now. She's also the only character that could viably cross over into SJA.

Basically, she's awesome and I loves her *g*

persiflage_1 July 13 2008, 14:38:45 UTC

She is indeed awesome.

The only things that really bug me about her characterisation are

1 - Lack of proper thanks (on screen) from the Doctor for all she did
2 - Lack of a proper apology (on screen) for the hell he put her through (esp re. the YTNW)
3 - Mr Invisible Fiance of Invisibleness ('cos that was sheer laziness - they could have given us a couple of quick flashbacks/memories of Martha and Tom together quite easily).

offthebalcony July 13 2008, 15:03:42 UTC

1) I agree. She got the "thank you" at the end of LotTL but she's had that same "thank you" too many times before and doing what she did kind of deserved something more. She also got the "she was brilliant" which is more than I was expecting for Rusty so... *sigh* (Also the whole not correcting her on "second best" irritated me but I try to ignore it most of the time)

2) I WANT.

But then with both of these points, she doesn't really need these from him order for her to be awesome it's just... eh. I have conflicting feelings. On one hand she's strong and independant and good even when she's on her own (Some Rose fans after Turn Left were complaining that she wasn't acting Rose-like - which, um, I sort of agree with but then, I liked Rose in Turn Left more than I have since School Reunion aired - and had to see her with The Doctor to make sure, like she wasn't validated enough on her own or something) but on the other hand, I want The Doctor to REALISE that and realise he was wrong (we did have David mentioning that in the ( ... )

persiflage_1 July 13 2008, 15:14:05 UTC

1) I agree. She got the "thank you" at the end of LotTL but she's had that same "thank you" too many times before and doing what she did kind of deserved something more. She also got the "she was brilliant" which is more than I was expecting for Rusty so... *sigh* (Also the whole not correcting her on "second best" irritated me but I try to ignore it most of the time)

Yes, that really was BAD that he didn't (and still hasn't) correct(ed) her on the "second best"... She got "she was brilliant" - but not to her face. And note that when Donna said Ten'd been talking about her and Martha went "oh god he's mentioned the crush" (or whatever her words were), neither one of them denied it - which was at least a little humiliating.

2) I WANT.

But then with both of these points, she doesn't really need these from him order for her to be awesome it's just... eh. I have conflicting feelings.Agreed, Martha does NOT need his validation - BUT the audience needs Ten to validate her - because he hasn't, and so a lot of people who don't much like ( ... )

Thread 6

arti_chan13 July 13 2008, 15:05:23 UTC

What I've noticed is that if a companion says they're going to stay with the Doctor forever, something bad happens. I'm really happy with the ending Martha got because it shows she doesn't need the Doctor and she can move on. Traveling with him as always just a trip, not a lifestyle for her.

persiflage_1 July 13 2008, 15:17:04 UTC

Oh it's certainly true in RTD!Who that you mustn't say the F-word - but then that was never an issue in non-RTD!Who, and ought not to be an issue now. It's stupid. Everyone who knows anything about Who, knows that companions come and go (and Doctors too), so it's ridiculous for it to even be discussed. No one travels with him forever, not even Romana (who, if anyone, could have done)...

I've been saying since almost the beginning of S3 that Ten needed Martha but she never really needed him - she just wanted to travel and see the Universe since she had a career and a life to keep her on Earth.

arti_chan13 July 13 2008, 15:21:14 UTC

I was like 'No!' when Donna told him she was going to be with him forever. I haven't seen much of Old!Who (I seriously need to start watching some of it. My dad has the Leela serials on VHS so I really have no excuse not to watch them) but it seems a heck of alot better overall than New!Who.

Yeah, I agree. I'm still waiting for that apology to her though.

persiflage_1 July 13 2008, 15:28:09 UTC

I was like 'No!' when Donna told him she was going to be with him forever.

I was the same - although she told Martha, not the Doctor...

I haven't seen much of Old!Who (I seriously need to start watching some of it. My dad has the Leela serials on VHS so I really have no excuse not to watch them) but it seems a heck of alot better overall than New!Who.

Well Four and Leela's as good a place to start as any. I love all of Four's companions - Sarah Jane (and Harry), Romana, and Leela. I've got more Fourth Doctor DVDs than any other incarnation's - partly because he was my first Doctor (but also in part because they've released so many of his stories!)

Yeah, I agree. I'm still waiting for that apology to her though. Ditto - though I fear we'll wait in vain. DT said, in a pre-S4 interview, that the Doctor owed Martha an apology - and I fully expected him to make it. Now that he hasn't, and she's saved the world yet again, I very much doubt we'll ever get one (assuming Moffat ever brings Martha back - which is not an assumption I'm ( ... )

Thread 14