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shadowkatWell, that was a pleasant surprise. I honestly didn't know what to expect, except that my lj flist's tastes are syncing rather well with mine at the moment. All the reviews on my correspondence list were...exemplary.
But with Doctor Who...mileage tends to vary. So you never know.
Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor
This was written by Stephen Moffat (and in some respects was Moffat's way of retconning RT Davies Destruction of Time Lord's storyline, which I gathered from various interviews, Moffat was not completely happy with? I don't know I'm not really that much of a Who fan, and that could be my memory playing tricks on me. Memory is not the most reliable thing on the planet. So take that bit with a hefty grain of salt. [ETA: Apparently not, The Night of the Doctor - a mini-web episode which takes place between RT Davies run and the 1980s run of Doctor Who (or Doctor's 8 and 9) pretty much confirms it.) ] At any rate, if this was the case - I agreed with the retcon, because I wasn't happy with RT Davies Destruction of the Time Lords storyline either and admittedly skipped a lot of that arc as a result. Mileage along with perception, I know, tends to vary on this point.)
Before going into spoilers...this was rather funny and introspective. It delved into the character of Doctor Who, while at the same time examining the larger theme of playing God with the universe and the ramifications of doing that. It also examined the history of the series and referenced in various ways all the incarnations of the Doctor and how each actor influenced the series in different ways. And also, referenced the women who accompanied him on his journeys and how they've tended to act as his conscience, debating the aggressive decisions he's made and proposing another way. Which is an interesting commentary on British imperialism and war mongering. But Doctor Who much like its US counterpart, Star Trek, commented on political themes within the guise of science fiction.
This was a wonderful episode of the series, which pulled together many threads and commented on the Doctor's journey, while providing closure to other threads. It also, and this surprised me, veered sharply away from romance or romantic emotion, and focused more on other issues. Plus it was quite humorous in places. David Tennant and Matt Smith have excellent chemistry. And Billie Piper is not quite what you'd expect and rather good in her cameo.
The episode centers on theoriginal Doctor [ETA:who pops up between 8 and 9 - Moffat added a Doctor before RT Davies arc apparently], John Hurt, decision to end the Dalek/Time Lord War by activating the Galaxy Destroyer which unfortunately destroys the planet of Gallifrey where the Time Lords and their people reside. Burning alive men, women, and children indiscriminately. He ends up killing over a billion people. And lives to regret it.
Particularly since the Daleks don't really die. [ETA: The retcon - results in 13 Doctors as opposed to 12 - he added one in between Davies Run and the prior 1980s run of the series. Clever. If you want to do a retcon of a retcon - that's the way to do it. Also John Hurt's Doctor echoes Eccleston's - who is rather dark and edgy and the one right after Hurt did what he did.]
But The Doctor's rationale is seemingly logical. It will save the universe. Or the whole, what's one death to many deaths? The ends sometimes justify the means. [ETA:Similar rational to Captain Jack Harkness' in The Children of Earth - the Torchwood mini-series, and Jack Harkness is referenced in the episode.]
Yet, maybe not. The Galaxy Destroyer turns out to have a conscience and before it can be activated, the conscience pops out and discusses the Doctor's decision with him in detail.
She takes the form of Rose Tyler - one of the Doctor's loves and companions. But this Doctor doesn't know her. It's an apt decision - because Rose of all of the Doctor's companions got across the need not to destroy to save. That there's always another way. A view that Clara Oswald reiterates.
To bring this into sharper focus, we have a rather silly and at times quite funny scenario set up with the zygons, nasty creatures that invade England in the 1500s in order to re-invade it in the 21st Century when human technology has advanced to the level of comfort they are used to. They really don't want to take over a planet that is so primitive.
The head of UNIT - one of Britian's supernatural intelligence organizations - similar to Torchwood, and operating out of the Tower of London - has a fail-safe in place. If the
Zygons or any other alien should get access to their treasure trove of nasty alien devices,
they will activate a nuclear bomb which will destroy England. Since this has indeed happened, the head of Unit, sets off the bomb...and time ticks away.
The Doctors, 10 and 11 explain that this is not a good idea. Yeah, sure it sounds like one - save billions by killing millions. But been there done that...and all life has consequence.
This act of violence is not the only way. What they do is activate a device that makes it impossible for the people in the room to remember whether they are zygons or humans. As a result, they become invested in their mutual survival.
The Dalek's are sort of on the periphery...the Doctor Who quintessential villain. A somewhat creepy villain, who feels nothing but hate. And was created as a sort of weapon during a War.
According to the movie, Adventure in Time and Space, they are meant to represent us or what we could become - so intent on war and so afraid, they've retreated into shells and exterminate anyone who is not them. The Doctor's decision and Unit's decision to destroy in order to save is just one step away from what the Dalek's are.
The Doctor's when they return to the Galaxy Destroyer and to their collective past - almost press the button on the device. But Clara wonders aloud if there can't be another way. And like the companions before her - acts as a sort of conscience. Do two wrongs make a right?
Can you kill millions to save billions? Should you play God? The Doctors state they have no choice. But she says, don't you? You're The Doctor after all - can't you figure out another solution? You've had 1200 years to think it over?
And so he has...and all the Doctors or rather all thirteen incarnations (actually I think it should be twelve unless they skipped over one) devise a means to save their home planet and put an end to the war that has crippled their galaxy and killed so many. They place their home world in a frozen place in time, hiding it from the Dalek's so the Dalek's end up just firing on each other - and destroy one another as a result.
The solution may feel a bit neat and it does in some respects echo what Moffat did in regards to River Song. But it also works...he has had time to think about what he might have done instead. And it's interesting how the various Doctors have dealt with the guilt. Nine was overwhelmed with self-loathing, Ten was burdened by remorse but struggling to put it aside, Eleven chose to forget. How does one live with the horrors one has seen or horrible wars and violence? The metaphor feels at times like a cultural one - Great Britain has blood on its hands, from various wars and conflicts. How does the culture deal with it?
There's a comment in the middle of the episode - about how much you've forgotten and how much you have learned. Old eyes versus young. The Doctor has learned from what he's done.
And regretted. So when he revisits the scene of the crime, he does something different. Just as he devises a different solution for Zygon and Britain conflict - a non-violent solution.
And just as John Hurt's Doctor states - the screw-drivers aren't a weapon, they are a scientific tool - stop pointing them like water pistols.
The Doctor is not meant to be a warrior, he doesn't have a warrior's name - he's meant to be a fixer of problems, a healer of woes, a beacon of hope. The drift towards violence...has tainted him, but he's learned from it. Learned another way. And instead of a warrior, he retires to become a museum curator (Peter Davision?) and tells the newest version of himself, it did work, you can find your home now - but you couldn't remember until now.
At the end...we see all the versions of the Doctor line up..staring out at Gallifrey...thinking yes, now, finally, I can find my way back home to my own people.
I found the metaphors healing and touching. The humor in character. And the shout-outs to old Doctor Whos not quite as cheesy or sentimental as expected, so much as...enjoyable and fun and inspiring.
It's a series that was created for one reason, but under the tutelage of a female producer and an Indian director and various others...became a hopeful inspiration and cultural television landmark. It is the longest running science fiction and/or children series or dramatic series that is not a soap opera ever. That's quite an accomplishment.
Overall rating? A+ Quite enjoyable and highly recommended.
But with Doctor Who...mileage tends to vary. So you never know.
Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor
This was written by Stephen Moffat (and in some respects was Moffat's way of retconning RT Davies Destruction of Time Lord's storyline, which I gathered from various interviews, Moffat was not completely happy with? I don't know I'm not really that much of a Who fan, and that could be my memory playing tricks on me. Memory is not the most reliable thing on the planet. So take that bit with a hefty grain of salt. [ETA: Apparently not, The Night of the Doctor - a mini-web episode which takes place between RT Davies run and the 1980s run of Doctor Who (or Doctor's 8 and 9) pretty much confirms it.) ] At any rate, if this was the case - I agreed with the retcon, because I wasn't happy with RT Davies Destruction of the Time Lords storyline either and admittedly skipped a lot of that arc as a result. Mileage along with perception, I know, tends to vary on this point.)
Before going into spoilers...this was rather funny and introspective. It delved into the character of Doctor Who, while at the same time examining the larger theme of playing God with the universe and the ramifications of doing that. It also examined the history of the series and referenced in various ways all the incarnations of the Doctor and how each actor influenced the series in different ways. And also, referenced the women who accompanied him on his journeys and how they've tended to act as his conscience, debating the aggressive decisions he's made and proposing another way. Which is an interesting commentary on British imperialism and war mongering. But Doctor Who much like its US counterpart, Star Trek, commented on political themes within the guise of science fiction.
This was a wonderful episode of the series, which pulled together many threads and commented on the Doctor's journey, while providing closure to other threads. It also, and this surprised me, veered sharply away from romance or romantic emotion, and focused more on other issues. Plus it was quite humorous in places. David Tennant and Matt Smith have excellent chemistry. And Billie Piper is not quite what you'd expect and rather good in her cameo.
The episode centers on the
Particularly since the Daleks don't really die. [ETA: The retcon - results in 13 Doctors as opposed to 12 - he added one in between Davies Run and the prior 1980s run of the series. Clever. If you want to do a retcon of a retcon - that's the way to do it. Also John Hurt's Doctor echoes Eccleston's - who is rather dark and edgy and the one right after Hurt did what he did.]
But The Doctor's rationale is seemingly logical. It will save the universe. Or the whole, what's one death to many deaths? The ends sometimes justify the means. [ETA:Similar rational to Captain Jack Harkness' in The Children of Earth - the Torchwood mini-series, and Jack Harkness is referenced in the episode.]
Yet, maybe not. The Galaxy Destroyer turns out to have a conscience and before it can be activated, the conscience pops out and discusses the Doctor's decision with him in detail.
She takes the form of Rose Tyler - one of the Doctor's loves and companions. But this Doctor doesn't know her. It's an apt decision - because Rose of all of the Doctor's companions got across the need not to destroy to save. That there's always another way. A view that Clara Oswald reiterates.
To bring this into sharper focus, we have a rather silly and at times quite funny scenario set up with the zygons, nasty creatures that invade England in the 1500s in order to re-invade it in the 21st Century when human technology has advanced to the level of comfort they are used to. They really don't want to take over a planet that is so primitive.
The head of UNIT - one of Britian's supernatural intelligence organizations - similar to Torchwood, and operating out of the Tower of London - has a fail-safe in place. If the
Zygons or any other alien should get access to their treasure trove of nasty alien devices,
they will activate a nuclear bomb which will destroy England. Since this has indeed happened, the head of Unit, sets off the bomb...and time ticks away.
The Doctors, 10 and 11 explain that this is not a good idea. Yeah, sure it sounds like one - save billions by killing millions. But been there done that...and all life has consequence.
This act of violence is not the only way. What they do is activate a device that makes it impossible for the people in the room to remember whether they are zygons or humans. As a result, they become invested in their mutual survival.
The Dalek's are sort of on the periphery...the Doctor Who quintessential villain. A somewhat creepy villain, who feels nothing but hate. And was created as a sort of weapon during a War.
According to the movie, Adventure in Time and Space, they are meant to represent us or what we could become - so intent on war and so afraid, they've retreated into shells and exterminate anyone who is not them. The Doctor's decision and Unit's decision to destroy in order to save is just one step away from what the Dalek's are.
The Doctor's when they return to the Galaxy Destroyer and to their collective past - almost press the button on the device. But Clara wonders aloud if there can't be another way. And like the companions before her - acts as a sort of conscience. Do two wrongs make a right?
Can you kill millions to save billions? Should you play God? The Doctors state they have no choice. But she says, don't you? You're The Doctor after all - can't you figure out another solution? You've had 1200 years to think it over?
And so he has...and all the Doctors or rather all thirteen incarnations (actually I think it should be twelve unless they skipped over one) devise a means to save their home planet and put an end to the war that has crippled their galaxy and killed so many. They place their home world in a frozen place in time, hiding it from the Dalek's so the Dalek's end up just firing on each other - and destroy one another as a result.
The solution may feel a bit neat and it does in some respects echo what Moffat did in regards to River Song. But it also works...he has had time to think about what he might have done instead. And it's interesting how the various Doctors have dealt with the guilt. Nine was overwhelmed with self-loathing, Ten was burdened by remorse but struggling to put it aside, Eleven chose to forget. How does one live with the horrors one has seen or horrible wars and violence? The metaphor feels at times like a cultural one - Great Britain has blood on its hands, from various wars and conflicts. How does the culture deal with it?
There's a comment in the middle of the episode - about how much you've forgotten and how much you have learned. Old eyes versus young. The Doctor has learned from what he's done.
And regretted. So when he revisits the scene of the crime, he does something different. Just as he devises a different solution for Zygon and Britain conflict - a non-violent solution.
And just as John Hurt's Doctor states - the screw-drivers aren't a weapon, they are a scientific tool - stop pointing them like water pistols.
The Doctor is not meant to be a warrior, he doesn't have a warrior's name - he's meant to be a fixer of problems, a healer of woes, a beacon of hope. The drift towards violence...has tainted him, but he's learned from it. Learned another way. And instead of a warrior, he retires to become a museum curator (Peter Davision?) and tells the newest version of himself, it did work, you can find your home now - but you couldn't remember until now.
At the end...we see all the versions of the Doctor line up..staring out at Gallifrey...thinking yes, now, finally, I can find my way back home to my own people.
I found the metaphors healing and touching. The humor in character. And the shout-outs to old Doctor Whos not quite as cheesy or sentimental as expected, so much as...enjoyable and fun and inspiring.
It's a series that was created for one reason, but under the tutelage of a female producer and an Indian director and various others...became a hopeful inspiration and cultural television landmark. It is the longest running science fiction and/or children series or dramatic series that is not a soap opera ever. That's quite an accomplishment.
Overall rating? A+ Quite enjoyable and highly recommended.
no subject
Date: 2013-11-24 04:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-11-24 02:21 pm (UTC)Apparently Stephen Moffat agreed? I'd read rumors that he intended to get rid of that story arc and go back to what the show was prior to it.
I sort of get why RT Davies went there - a sort of commentary on two wars, terrorism, and playing God. But, I liked how Stephen Moffat handled the commentary better - because he was more "hopeful".
no subject
Date: 2013-11-24 03:59 pm (UTC)(I also had major issues with The End of Time, in which RTD seemed to say, "Well, every single one of the Time Lords was EEEEEEEVIL, so it was totes OK for the Doctor to kill them all," which collapses the complex moral issues of what he did into something... really kind of unpleasant.)
no subject
Date: 2013-11-24 09:30 pm (UTC)In addition to what you stated so well above, End of Time turned the Time Lords into moustach twirling villains, which didn't quite work for me. The Doctor can't be the ONLY complex one.
While I liked the complexity or added layer to The Doctor, I found the execution to be uneven and heavy handed at times. Also, not being a long-term fan of the series - I honestly thought that this story arc pre-existed RTD by oh 40 some years, and I was having troubles understanding the appeal of the story - since I had major issues with it. Knowing that was definitely NOT the case, and that RTD came up with this plot arc explains a lot.
RTD does have a thing for stories about characters who kill a large number of innocent people to save thousands - he sort of did the same story arc with The Children of Earth (Torchwood) - except I think it was done slightly better, in that it was as you say, a closed arc not an open-ended one. Children of Earth worked better for me than the arc in Doctor Who did, mainly because it was a mini-series and not indefinite. Also Jack Harkness fit the ambiguous anti-hero role far better than I think Doctor Who does.
I agree you can't really sustain this sort of story in a show that is designed to go on indefinitely, after a while you either run the risk of collasping the moral issues into something unpleasant, belittling what you wrote, or falling into the trap of protagonist privilege. In order to stay true to the arc - The Doctor either has to become an anti-hero (which he almost did) or Continuously be remorseful and self-hating.