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shadowkatSo, first of all, it's worth noting that this was written by Toby Whitehouse, who is the creator of Being Human and likes to moralize a bit. He's the British version of Aaron Sorkin, Dave E. Kelley, and now, unfortunately Joss Whedon (although Marvel may wean him off of it, who knows.)
This story reminded me a bit of Mitchell's arc in Being Human, ending with the guilty party committing suicide or in the case of Mitchell, having someone do it for him. Oh, I've killed so many people, and this guy is seeking vengeance against me, I must kill myself to redeem myself. Cliche as all get out. And bit grating. One of the reasons I'm against the death penalty is that you need to give people chances to do better. To feel remorse. To make different choices.
Killing them, as Amy notes, makes you no better than they are. It's vengeance not justice.
Justice isn't about killing and torture. It's about the opposite. But we are too small-minded and myopic sometimes to see that. Or to see the power in our ability to let go of it. I'm starting to be reminded of that.
OTOH...they can't very well fight off the vengeful cyborg forever. So the Doctor who did the horrible experiments and has been trying for the last several years to redeem himself, does the final sacrifice, he dies to save the town. But only after Sheriff Isacc dies to save him and the town.
I liked Issac, who was played by my favorite genre actor on the planet, Ben Browder, unlike ASH and Marsters and Boreanze, and Hannigan, and various others...it takes me a while to figure out it is Browder. He does disappear a little into the role. And he is a lovely man. Not a train-wreck. One of the few actors I would not meeting in person or watching on stage. His wife is equally phenomenal. (So sue me, I love Farscape more than Doctor Who. Maybe because it questions justice/vengeance a bit more with a lot less moralizing involved.)
There are good moments. And as stated in a previous post, it underlined or emphasized things I was already thinking about. Still am. I'm never quite sure what Justice means to me. I know, deep in my soul, that the death penalty is wrong. I also know that seeking vegeance is wrong. That doesn't mean I don't want it - that the anger and rage doesn't consume me. But I don't give in. I choose not to act on those emotions. I leave relationships that reach that point and situations. I do not seek vengeance. It never ends well for either party. Our stories, all our stories, tell us that. Even Doctor Who has told it to us - The Doctor pays for his power plays. River Song is kidnapped and turned into an assassine because of the Doctor's actions. The Doctor's actions cause the rip in time.
I liked Amy and Issac. Rory had nothing to do but complain. Karen Gillian's Amy is well on the way to being amongst my favorite companions.
I took exception to the comment that "you must be a mother because you care and are fierce." Although I think it was meant ironically, since Amy isn't really a mother. River was her child, but she never really raised her. Just as the cyborg is the alien doctor's child but he never really raised him.
The parallels are nicely done. In short if you ignore the Whitehouse moralizing, and look at the character development, it works.
This story reminded me a bit of Mitchell's arc in Being Human, ending with the guilty party committing suicide or in the case of Mitchell, having someone do it for him. Oh, I've killed so many people, and this guy is seeking vengeance against me, I must kill myself to redeem myself. Cliche as all get out. And bit grating. One of the reasons I'm against the death penalty is that you need to give people chances to do better. To feel remorse. To make different choices.
Killing them, as Amy notes, makes you no better than they are. It's vengeance not justice.
Justice isn't about killing and torture. It's about the opposite. But we are too small-minded and myopic sometimes to see that. Or to see the power in our ability to let go of it. I'm starting to be reminded of that.
OTOH...they can't very well fight off the vengeful cyborg forever. So the Doctor who did the horrible experiments and has been trying for the last several years to redeem himself, does the final sacrifice, he dies to save the town. But only after Sheriff Isacc dies to save him and the town.
I liked Issac, who was played by my favorite genre actor on the planet, Ben Browder, unlike ASH and Marsters and Boreanze, and Hannigan, and various others...it takes me a while to figure out it is Browder. He does disappear a little into the role. And he is a lovely man. Not a train-wreck. One of the few actors I would not meeting in person or watching on stage. His wife is equally phenomenal. (So sue me, I love Farscape more than Doctor Who. Maybe because it questions justice/vengeance a bit more with a lot less moralizing involved.)
There are good moments. And as stated in a previous post, it underlined or emphasized things I was already thinking about. Still am. I'm never quite sure what Justice means to me. I know, deep in my soul, that the death penalty is wrong. I also know that seeking vegeance is wrong. That doesn't mean I don't want it - that the anger and rage doesn't consume me. But I don't give in. I choose not to act on those emotions. I leave relationships that reach that point and situations. I do not seek vengeance. It never ends well for either party. Our stories, all our stories, tell us that. Even Doctor Who has told it to us - The Doctor pays for his power plays. River Song is kidnapped and turned into an assassine because of the Doctor's actions. The Doctor's actions cause the rip in time.
I liked Amy and Issac. Rory had nothing to do but complain. Karen Gillian's Amy is well on the way to being amongst my favorite companions.
I took exception to the comment that "you must be a mother because you care and are fierce." Although I think it was meant ironically, since Amy isn't really a mother. River was her child, but she never really raised her. Just as the cyborg is the alien doctor's child but he never really raised him.
The parallels are nicely done. In short if you ignore the Whitehouse moralizing, and look at the character development, it works.
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no subject
Date: 2012-09-17 05:25 pm (UTC)You know, I would say that it's the *opposite* of Mitchell... OK, so they both die, but the characters are polar opposites.
Mitchell was a monster who committed good acts, and he wasn't killed because of his past crimes but because of future ones - he could not be redeemed, and therefore had to die, no matter how good his intentions.
Jex was a good man who committed atrocities 'for the greater good'. But his past caught up with him, and refused to forgive. It's about accountability and justice and how violence begets violence. He is - as he points out - a mirror for the Doctor. If Mitchell is a mirror for anything it's possibly the Master, except he gains self-awareness which the Master never does.
But I'm going to dig onto all this in my own meta, so I shall stop rambling here - I was just surprised at the comparison. (Thought! The Beast in The God Complex is a far better Mitchell/Doctor mirror if you want to explore that.)
Mind you I adored the 'moralising' - because it didn't take any shortcuts and debated things properly. Yes Jex's death was a cliche, but the gunslinger's fate wasn't as such. Some monsters can be redeemed...
no subject
Date: 2012-09-17 10:38 pm (UTC)Jex became a Monster fighting Monsters.
Mitchell became a Monster, then tried to redeem himself by fighting Monsters or controlling Monsters and failed.
Jex succeeded in some respects in doing good, but failed in others, much as Mitchell does. He saves the town but he also condemns them and imprisons them for a crime he did. (Doctor Who is actually more complex than Being Human.)
Jex committed suicide for the greater good (ie, the gunslinger was going to kill the town if he didn't do it, or kill him, Jex took it out of his hands).
Mitchell had George do it for him, because he knew the monsters would use him - so it was for the greater good in a twisted way.
That's how I viewed it at any rate.
no subject
Date: 2012-09-17 05:49 pm (UTC)I'll have to rewatch the episode.
no subject
Date: 2012-09-17 10:31 pm (UTC)"Everyone who isn't an American drop their guns"
And
"I'm actually saying this more for my benefit than yours."
I love Ben Browder. Some people love Whedon, some James Marsters, but seriously - I think the only one I'd halfway want to meet in person is Ben Browder. (And possibly GRR Martin or Neil Gaiman). It's my bad luck that he's hardly ever in anything. Damn them.