Doctor Who 4xdamnIlostcountagain

[jadesfire]

I promised to build a pillow-fort to protect people from the fallout from this episode, so here it is. You may bring in:

- The cuddly toy of your choice.
- The Doctor of your choice. (I've bagsied Five, but I'm willing to share)
- The companion of your choice. (Donna!)
- As many pillows as you can carry.



Actually, it wasn't as bad as all that. This may have been because of the level my expectations were set at. Which was somewhere below 'Random Shoes' and slightly above 'Love and Monsters'. Since I haven't actually seen either of these episodes all the way through, you get the idea.

There were things I liked. The explanation for Jenny was actually reasonable, and I liked the Doctor's reaction to her. But that, at least in part, was the fundamental problem with the episode for me.

The writer seemed to have no idea what kind of show he was writing. It veered from kooky comedy to philosophising about the meaning of life to extreme Doctor-angst. While in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing, that can work, in this case, it didn't come off, in any way. There were some great individual scenes. The Doctor telling Jenny about Galllifrey or telling Donna about his family. That worked, and showcased some of what's best about DT's portrayal of the Doctor. But it sat oddly in an episode that had too much plot and not enough sense. It was a classic case of 'things happening one after another', with some attempts at character moments, most of which fell flat.

To my surprise, I quite liked Jenny, the fact of her as well as the character herself. Yes, she was annoying in places, but she was also more than that. She lost me when she got all 'yay, I'm the Doctor's daughter and we're going to live happily ever after', mostly because it hamstrung what could have been an interesting performance. Her assertion to Donna that she was a 'real person', her challenging the Doctor about being a soldier, were great. Her 'yay, I didn't kill him like you taught me' took her back to the child she denied being at the beginning.

And what a waste of great plot devices. I love the idea of a 7 day war that no one realises is that short. I love the idea of the reproduction machines. I'm a sucker for the old 'implaccable enemies' storyline. So how did it go so wrong?

Well, I hate to say it, but Martha didn't help. If they'd cut her subplot, there would have been more room for the other characters to breathe. She literally added nothing to the overall plot, and although Freema did her best with what she was given, it was such a waste. I could go on and about what was wrong with it, but I burnt my arm earlier on and it's rubbing on the side of the laptop, and I get the feeling that if I start, I won't be able to stop and I can't take the pain. I will just say that both my husband and I were yelling 'he's a fish! he's a fish!' as the Hath diseappeared under the water. It's nice to bond over these things.

The terraforming device was a another waste of a special effect. Very pretty and nicely done (although, B5 guys, was anyone else tempted to shout 'Vorlon'? No? Ah well) and alright, the shooting was signposted from the minute the Doctor said Jenny could come with them, but that's fine, I can take the cliche. I can also take the nice echo of 'Last of the Time Lords', using the mirror image blocking, and the same camera angles. That was nice. Then the writer had to over-egg his pudding by having the Doctor make his 'base this civilisation' speech, which was just so un-Doctor-like. He doesn't go around telling people what to do, not like that. He tells them to look inside themselves, etc etc. major_jim's first reaction was "idea's good. writing sucks". I think I tend to agree.

This is the second time this year (the first being the Torchwood episode "From out of the rain") I want to sit down and rewrite the whole damn thing. To even out the tone, and sort out some of the clunkier dialogue. To give Jenny a whole personality instead of just a cheeky grin and perfectly applied eyeliner (damn, I want that machine). To use the plot devices properly, and show that just because it's a cliche doesn't mean it has to feel like a cliche.

Donna was awesome as ever, although I don't think it's the first time she's told the Doctor he's wrong (*cough*Pompei*cough*). Maybe the writer didn't get that script. I loved her figuring out the dates, and the continuity of her background - good with things written down. I loved her gentleness and toughness with the Doctor. It's just what he needs.

Two last things:

- The running joke is wearing thin. They're not together. We get it.
- This series is starting to feel like "Mai theme, let me show u it". They've managed themes before without beating us over the head with them. It feels like someone's been hitting them with the obvious stick. Please stop.

In other news, Fic!. Jack meets Lawrence of Arabia. No, really.

Comments

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*g* That's where my expectations were. I'd put the actual episode somewhere around the level of 'Meat'. Not horrendous (except when it was) but horrendously uneven.

It's better than the preview, I swear :)

They really, really need a beta. So badly.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

You (or unfeathered or _medley_) would never have let me get away with some of the things that have made it to air. *sigh*

Better than the preview is good though, because I expressed my disgust at that so loudly I woke my cat and cause him to flee from the room