Doctor Who - The Demons of Punjab
Nov. 18th, 2018 01:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatEnjoyed this episode far more than I expected. I was expecting it to be preachy, but it wasn't. Or over the top with cheesy bad guys, it wasn't. Their special effects have improved dramatically over the past few years.
To date this season is sort of panning out for me the same way the previous one did. I like some episodes, I don't like others. The ones I like focus more on the companions relationships. But overall, I've enjoyed more than I thought. The Doctor herself isn't really registering for me anymore than the last one did. And seems to be more of a doorway or gateway into all of these tales. Not that this is really much of a problem for me -- in some respects, I think it works better that way. OTOH - I do miss some of the delves into the Doctor's character. She seems to be merely reacting to everyone else, and a bit of a passive participant. But that may just be me. I'm admittedly not a long-term viewer of the series, nor an obsessed fan. (I only watch the episodes once, and only own one set of DVDs. Also, not British, which depending on your pov may or may not make much of a difference. The British fans seem to think it does, the die-American fans do not.)
That said, I rather liked the episode. And was happy to get a bit more on Yaz. Spoilers below.
It was a rather realistic and somewhat poignant, not to mention timely take on how religious and political differences can divide families and end in violence. It also continues to further the Season theme against guns and violence, which I think the series has slowly been diving towards for some time now.
The Doctor continuously states during this season (not necessarily this episode) that this can be resolved without violence, and appears to have learned from past mishaps, not to try and interfere with the progression of events, but to do the hard thing and stand silent witness.
I liked the fact that the "so-called demons" weren't demons at all but an alien species that has been war-faring, but turned a new leaf when their home planet was summarily destroyed and no one cared.
Now they bear witness to those who are similarly killed and forgotten. And remember them within their hive.
It's a fitting metaphor for how we "demonize" those we do not care for, disagree with, or do not share similar views or outlooks. The brother of the male hero, Nan's fiancee, has become to demonize those who do not fit his views. He's put up boundaries around their land, and everyone else is a demon. India is for Hindus only -- he insists. Pakistan is where the Muslim's can reside. While it's all too easy to blame the British Imperialists for this -- it's not the British leading the charge. They are no where to be seen, well unless you count our four time travelers. And it's clear from the episode that the brother and his friends who impose their violence on the wedding aren't there to kill the British guests, but rather the Muslim interlopers.
Watching this was rather interesting from my perspective, considering I live in a neighborhood of Bengali Hindu, Pakistani Muslim, Russian Jew, Italian and Polish Catholic, quite a few atheists, and others. And that recently we had what may or may not have been a hate related crime on the Q subway line about a twenty to thirty minute walk from where I live. A Pakistani Woman, who is a leader in the community, was stabbed by a man. But other than that, people tend to get along rather well -- and in response to the stabbing, they gathered to protest hate-crimes against the immigrant community.
Here, I picked up on similar themes --- the Pakistani family is rather happy in Sheffield, England. It's stable. There's no crime. And it is interesting that they fled to Britain-- due to what the British had done to their home country, splitting it up into other countries.
Also, interesting that they do not try to save the man who is killed, because to do so would change history and result in Yaz never being born or existing. Instead the Doctor witnesses it. And tells the story. He bravely stood up to his brother and his former friends, bravely let them kill him without trying to fight back, while his family fled to refuge. Painful that. But a stance of no-violence. He wasn't going to be the one responsible for ending his brother's life or anyone else's.
And the hate that engulfed his brother and friends, comrades, had turned them into the true demons.
Their insistence on demonizing others turned them into demons themselves.
Best episode of the season that I've seen to date. I hope we get more like this one.
To date this season is sort of panning out for me the same way the previous one did. I like some episodes, I don't like others. The ones I like focus more on the companions relationships. But overall, I've enjoyed more than I thought. The Doctor herself isn't really registering for me anymore than the last one did. And seems to be more of a doorway or gateway into all of these tales. Not that this is really much of a problem for me -- in some respects, I think it works better that way. OTOH - I do miss some of the delves into the Doctor's character. She seems to be merely reacting to everyone else, and a bit of a passive participant. But that may just be me. I'm admittedly not a long-term viewer of the series, nor an obsessed fan. (I only watch the episodes once, and only own one set of DVDs. Also, not British, which depending on your pov may or may not make much of a difference. The British fans seem to think it does, the die-American fans do not.)
That said, I rather liked the episode. And was happy to get a bit more on Yaz. Spoilers below.
It was a rather realistic and somewhat poignant, not to mention timely take on how religious and political differences can divide families and end in violence. It also continues to further the Season theme against guns and violence, which I think the series has slowly been diving towards for some time now.
The Doctor continuously states during this season (not necessarily this episode) that this can be resolved without violence, and appears to have learned from past mishaps, not to try and interfere with the progression of events, but to do the hard thing and stand silent witness.
I liked the fact that the "so-called demons" weren't demons at all but an alien species that has been war-faring, but turned a new leaf when their home planet was summarily destroyed and no one cared.
Now they bear witness to those who are similarly killed and forgotten. And remember them within their hive.
It's a fitting metaphor for how we "demonize" those we do not care for, disagree with, or do not share similar views or outlooks. The brother of the male hero, Nan's fiancee, has become to demonize those who do not fit his views. He's put up boundaries around their land, and everyone else is a demon. India is for Hindus only -- he insists. Pakistan is where the Muslim's can reside. While it's all too easy to blame the British Imperialists for this -- it's not the British leading the charge. They are no where to be seen, well unless you count our four time travelers. And it's clear from the episode that the brother and his friends who impose their violence on the wedding aren't there to kill the British guests, but rather the Muslim interlopers.
Watching this was rather interesting from my perspective, considering I live in a neighborhood of Bengali Hindu, Pakistani Muslim, Russian Jew, Italian and Polish Catholic, quite a few atheists, and others. And that recently we had what may or may not have been a hate related crime on the Q subway line about a twenty to thirty minute walk from where I live. A Pakistani Woman, who is a leader in the community, was stabbed by a man. But other than that, people tend to get along rather well -- and in response to the stabbing, they gathered to protest hate-crimes against the immigrant community.
Here, I picked up on similar themes --- the Pakistani family is rather happy in Sheffield, England. It's stable. There's no crime. And it is interesting that they fled to Britain-- due to what the British had done to their home country, splitting it up into other countries.
Also, interesting that they do not try to save the man who is killed, because to do so would change history and result in Yaz never being born or existing. Instead the Doctor witnesses it. And tells the story. He bravely stood up to his brother and his former friends, bravely let them kill him without trying to fight back, while his family fled to refuge. Painful that. But a stance of no-violence. He wasn't going to be the one responsible for ending his brother's life or anyone else's.
And the hate that engulfed his brother and friends, comrades, had turned them into the true demons.
Their insistence on demonizing others turned them into demons themselves.
Best episode of the season that I've seen to date. I hope we get more like this one.
no subject
Date: 2018-11-19 01:54 am (UTC)Wasn't the Doctor's home planet destroyed during a huge multi-planet, multi-dimensional conflict? The new companions don't know her history but I assume it will come out at some point.
no subject
Date: 2018-11-19 02:16 am (UTC)Regarding the Doctor's Home Planet?
I think it was destroyed, and then saved...in the two hour movie. (Mainly because Moffat wanted to reboot it and get away from the Lonely God theme that RT Davies was pursuing. So they saved the planet of the Time Lords, and the Doctor no longer felt guilty for it being destroyed in the War with the Darleks.)
The Doctor is the only one who remembers it being destroyed as a result.
But, I could be wrong about that. (I'm not a Who expert.)
no subject
Date: 2018-11-19 03:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-11-20 07:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-11-20 01:16 pm (UTC)It was the in the two hour "Doctor Who 50th Anniversary" Movie, aired about four years back.
no subject
Date: 2018-11-20 07:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-11-20 01:18 pm (UTC)You've probably watched more of it than I have...I saw maybe two episodes of the Tom Baker Doctor, when it aired on PBS back in the late 70s, and I found it too scary. Keep in mind, I was eight or nine at the time, and I found Star Trek scary. LOL!