Doctor Who S8 (?) Final Episode
Nov. 9th, 2014 10:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatWell, I liked moments of this episode better than the previous one. Once again - everything that focused on Clara worked for me, everything else didn't. And a few of the character moments with the Doctor worked. This may have a lot to do with the fact that I'm not an old school Who fan, and as a result not invested in either the history or mythology of the verse.
Not helped by the fact that the actress playing Missy (Michelle Gomez) voice and mannerisms grated on my nerves like nails going down a chalk-board.
* The best part of the episode was the resolution of the Doctor/Clara relationship, where Clara finally comes to the conclusion that she has to let the Doctor go - not because she can find happiness with Danny, but because she is responsible for the little boy he left behind. That moment where she walks away from the Doctor and the Tardis, without looking back, without turning...just to go on with her life was quite moving and haunting in its own way.
The other moments that worked for me - were between Clara and Danny in the grave-yard.
Where he requests that she end his pain, and even when she shuts off his feelings, his love for her and hers for him continues to ring true.
* I also liked the Master (Mistress)/Doctor relationship - where the Master(Mistress) states that she just wants her friend back - the one she used to run with in school.
But unfortunately, that can only happen if the Doctor sees that he is no better than she is. The fact that she is kneeling before him when she states this - worked well.
* And the thematic arc worked and was built up quite nicely - the solider theme and the Doctor worrying that he wasn't a good man.
The rest of it, did not quite work for me. Danny sending back the little boy he killed seemed a bit trite to me and rather cliche. Actually the whole bit about the little boy did - seen that done in one too many war dramas, as has Moffat apparently.
That said - it was built up well throughout the season - and well it fits the demographic audience. Danny not coming back himself was quite painful, and worked emotionally - it was also a surprise.
Nor did killing off The Master yet again. No, he/she/it is not really dead. TV series writers suck at coming up with new villains, and tend to rehash old ones over and over again. What? They were killed off? Oh we can work around that, no problem.
While nice characters, such as Danny, die and can't return. It's inconsistent.
Also reminds me of Wile E. Coyote - if first you don't succeed, try, try again.
And let's face it - the Master/Mistress is not an interesting villain after the fifth go-around, there's no complexity. Just a lot of preening and moustach twirling. (Well if she had a moustache she'd twirl it).
Uneven episode in a lackluster season. Can't say I've ever liked the season finals all that much. I think my favorite may have been the S5 and S6 finales. I liked those seasons better than most fans, in part because they didn't focus too heavily on past history and did something new.
[ETA: just perused my flist/correspondence list's reviews on lj - and yep, we are definitely not in agreement in regards to Doctor Who this season.
Oh, favorite Doctor Who episodes...which may or may not shed light on the matter:
Silence in the Library/Forests of the Dead
The Time of Angels
A Good Man Goes to War
The Girl Who Waited
The Doctor's Wife
Blink
Listen
The Human Condition/Family of Blood
Note, none are really season finales. I think I tend to like the stand-a-alones better. Also the only two penned by Davies were the last two.
Scariest and best villains? The Angels and the Forests of the Dead.]
Not helped by the fact that the actress playing Missy (Michelle Gomez) voice and mannerisms grated on my nerves like nails going down a chalk-board.
* The best part of the episode was the resolution of the Doctor/Clara relationship, where Clara finally comes to the conclusion that she has to let the Doctor go - not because she can find happiness with Danny, but because she is responsible for the little boy he left behind. That moment where she walks away from the Doctor and the Tardis, without looking back, without turning...just to go on with her life was quite moving and haunting in its own way.
The other moments that worked for me - were between Clara and Danny in the grave-yard.
Where he requests that she end his pain, and even when she shuts off his feelings, his love for her and hers for him continues to ring true.
* I also liked the Master (Mistress)/Doctor relationship - where the Master(Mistress) states that she just wants her friend back - the one she used to run with in school.
But unfortunately, that can only happen if the Doctor sees that he is no better than she is. The fact that she is kneeling before him when she states this - worked well.
* And the thematic arc worked and was built up quite nicely - the solider theme and the Doctor worrying that he wasn't a good man.
The rest of it, did not quite work for me. Danny sending back the little boy he killed seemed a bit trite to me and rather cliche. Actually the whole bit about the little boy did - seen that done in one too many war dramas, as has Moffat apparently.
That said - it was built up well throughout the season - and well it fits the demographic audience. Danny not coming back himself was quite painful, and worked emotionally - it was also a surprise.
Nor did killing off The Master yet again. No, he/she/it is not really dead. TV series writers suck at coming up with new villains, and tend to rehash old ones over and over again. What? They were killed off? Oh we can work around that, no problem.
While nice characters, such as Danny, die and can't return. It's inconsistent.
Also reminds me of Wile E. Coyote - if first you don't succeed, try, try again.
And let's face it - the Master/Mistress is not an interesting villain after the fifth go-around, there's no complexity. Just a lot of preening and moustach twirling. (Well if she had a moustache she'd twirl it).
Uneven episode in a lackluster season. Can't say I've ever liked the season finals all that much. I think my favorite may have been the S5 and S6 finales. I liked those seasons better than most fans, in part because they didn't focus too heavily on past history and did something new.
[ETA: just perused my flist/correspondence list's reviews on lj - and yep, we are definitely not in agreement in regards to Doctor Who this season.
Oh, favorite Doctor Who episodes...which may or may not shed light on the matter:
Silence in the Library/Forests of the Dead
The Time of Angels
A Good Man Goes to War
The Girl Who Waited
The Doctor's Wife
Blink
Listen
The Human Condition/Family of Blood
Note, none are really season finales. I think I tend to like the stand-a-alones better. Also the only two penned by Davies were the last two.
Scariest and best villains? The Angels and the Forests of the Dead.]