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jadesfireI haven't read my flist yet, mostly because I get the feeling I'd have to do skip=90million, and I need to sleep at some point tonight
I didn't love it. I enjoyed it, it was well written, nicely twisty, suitably peril-filled, but I find it hard to love season finales. "Parting of the Ways" sort of ruined me for any of them - to my mind, not even Doomsday lives up to the first season ender.
That said, it was an absolute blast and I'll happily watch it over and over in a way that I don't watch PotW (because Jack's face breaks my heart every time). It was a fantastic tie-up of all the loose ends, and I do love that all the plot threads meant something, from 'The Runaway Bride' onwards. The Ood name in particular was a really nice touch, and Catherine Tate was having waaaay too much fun with the technobabble. Oh, and I confess to waving at the screen and going "Dune! The Daleks are speaking German!" during that bit. What? I'm a linguistics geek. Languages excite me.
I really liked how they kept the characters very much themselves while they were all together - Sarah Jane's courage, Jackie and Mickey protecting Rose, Martha being the brave soldier the Doctor turned her into and Jack being...well, Jack. The scene at the end where they were all flying the TARDIS? Fangirl joy. Plus, a really nice Old Who reference. It was good that the Torchwood crew got a great Get Out Of Jail Free card, and I've loved that Tosh and Owen have been given mentions. Gone, but not forgotten. Alright, Gwen and Ianto didn't have much to do, and yes, The Mill were just showing off that they can do bullet time too, but that was great.
Breaking it down a little, it was a bit of a shame that none of the companions actually got to *do* anything useful. Rose in thebudget-saving light-cage, the others transmatted out before they could actually do anything, and that was kind of my problem with the episode, I think. Yes, it was very cool to have them all their and doing their thing, but their things weren't things. They were time-fillers. Donna was the important one, which I have no problem whatsoever with, but we saw so little of her during most of the episode. I guess I'd just hoped that they would all be important, and Donna would be the key that unlocks the macguffin to save the day. Which she was, but with the Doctor rather than them, which for me, gave them a rather 'spare parts' feeling. I was happy to see them, don't get me wrong, and it was tremendous fun, but it's left me with that feeling you get after you eat aerosol cream (stay with me here) - It's nice and fluffy and great stuff, but afterwards, you kind of forget that you've eaten it because there's so little to it. I have a problem with the waste of characters.
Having said that, the stuff they were doing was highly entertaining - although seriously, guys, what's with Jack's clothes? Incinerator. Honestly. *points to icon* Nice set-up for Torchwood, though. And how excited was I to see Mickey? He still rocks. Martha was awesome. Charged with destroying the whole world, she delays but doesn't flinch. Like the Doctor, I can't help feeling it's a truly ludicrous idea, but I loved that Martha was willing to risk it. She's grown, hugely, and it's a joy.
One other thing that I thought was excellent was Davros' taunting of the Doctor. With the truth. From Donna's comment about Martha ("Is that what you did? You turned her into a soldier?") to the litany of deaths just in New Who, Davros has got a good point. And the Doctor knows it. I thought DT played that incredibly well, really spot on, the same as his expression at the very end. Wilf was wonderful as ever, and I liked that the Doctor seemed genuinely grateful for his promise. It felt right that there was no big splash-bang-wallop at the end, the way there have been over the last couple of years. For all that he went through, for all that happened, the quietness of the ending felt appropriate.
I liked what they did with Donna. She got her heroic end, then her tragic one, and Catherine Tate just slammed back anyone who criticised her acting. Because she made amnesiac!Donna cringeworthy and heartbreaking and spot on, just as she got DoctorDonna absolutely spot on. It was such a clever idea, and really nicely done. Plus, the technobabble was delightful. She owned the scenes she was in this whole episode, and absolutely deserved to. Donna Noble, how are you so awesome? Cheerio, love. We'll miss you.
And yes, I have left Rose out on purpose. *sigh* If ever a companion was underused in this... I'm sorry, I had a real problem with the ending. Because she obviously felt that the double was second best, and yet the Doctor leaves him with her. I also admit that my first thought on seeing that bit was "oh good grief, the fanfic". Rose and Nine were my favourite companion/Doctor combination (followed swiftly by Donna and Ten) but Rose and Ten never really did it for me. So maybe it's just because I don't see that one that it bothered me. Still, part of me felt so sorry for the human!Doctor, who surely is always going to be second-best to the real thing.
Jack wasn't as wasted as he could have been, and probably got the best line of the show ("Three Doctors!"...). I really, really could have done with more "Jack! Rose!Doctor Scott!". I know there are a lot of people on my friends-list who dislike Jack's immortality, but I love it, as a plot and character device. I like that he's willing to use it for a tactical advantage when he can, but that he just does it - no big, no fuss, just gets on and dies. And he doesn't do it for the sake of it. No heroics in Davros' vault, I noted. Of course, being me, I would have liked more screen time for him, but he got no more or less time than anyone else, so there's that at least.
As for the others? Well, they didn't really have much to do, so it's hard to say, except that I thought the character notes were lovely, the Doctor and Jackie prodding each other as usual, Sarah Jane being fantastic, and Mickey being generally brilliant. And yes, totally set up for Martha and Mickey to join Torchwood. I can live with that, just because it'll be a totally different chemistry, and could be a whole lot of fun.
I'm now trying to watch the tennis at the same time, and both Nadal and Federer are ripping my nerves to shreds, so I shall stop there and add more notes to other people's posts as I think of them. Overall, I enjoyed it, but won't be rushing to watch it again, or at least, I will be mostly looking out for vids with Jack from the last couple of episodes. Which probably makes me shallow, but happy.
Now we just have to wait and see what happens next...
I didn't love it. I enjoyed it, it was well written, nicely twisty, suitably peril-filled, but I find it hard to love season finales. "Parting of the Ways" sort of ruined me for any of them - to my mind, not even Doomsday lives up to the first season ender.
That said, it was an absolute blast and I'll happily watch it over and over in a way that I don't watch PotW (because Jack's face breaks my heart every time). It was a fantastic tie-up of all the loose ends, and I do love that all the plot threads meant something, from 'The Runaway Bride' onwards. The Ood name in particular was a really nice touch, and Catherine Tate was having waaaay too much fun with the technobabble. Oh, and I confess to waving at the screen and going "Dune! The Daleks are speaking German!" during that bit. What? I'm a linguistics geek. Languages excite me.
I really liked how they kept the characters very much themselves while they were all together - Sarah Jane's courage, Jackie and Mickey protecting Rose, Martha being the brave soldier the Doctor turned her into and Jack being...well, Jack. The scene at the end where they were all flying the TARDIS? Fangirl joy. Plus, a really nice Old Who reference. It was good that the Torchwood crew got a great Get Out Of Jail Free card, and I've loved that Tosh and Owen have been given mentions. Gone, but not forgotten. Alright, Gwen and Ianto didn't have much to do, and yes, The Mill were just showing off that they can do bullet time too, but that was great.
Breaking it down a little, it was a bit of a shame that none of the companions actually got to *do* anything useful. Rose in the
Having said that, the stuff they were doing was highly entertaining - although seriously, guys, what's with Jack's clothes? Incinerator. Honestly. *points to icon* Nice set-up for Torchwood, though. And how excited was I to see Mickey? He still rocks. Martha was awesome. Charged with destroying the whole world, she delays but doesn't flinch. Like the Doctor, I can't help feeling it's a truly ludicrous idea, but I loved that Martha was willing to risk it. She's grown, hugely, and it's a joy.
One other thing that I thought was excellent was Davros' taunting of the Doctor. With the truth. From Donna's comment about Martha ("Is that what you did? You turned her into a soldier?") to the litany of deaths just in New Who, Davros has got a good point. And the Doctor knows it. I thought DT played that incredibly well, really spot on, the same as his expression at the very end. Wilf was wonderful as ever, and I liked that the Doctor seemed genuinely grateful for his promise. It felt right that there was no big splash-bang-wallop at the end, the way there have been over the last couple of years. For all that he went through, for all that happened, the quietness of the ending felt appropriate.
I liked what they did with Donna. She got her heroic end, then her tragic one, and Catherine Tate just slammed back anyone who criticised her acting. Because she made amnesiac!Donna cringeworthy and heartbreaking and spot on, just as she got DoctorDonna absolutely spot on. It was such a clever idea, and really nicely done. Plus, the technobabble was delightful. She owned the scenes she was in this whole episode, and absolutely deserved to. Donna Noble, how are you so awesome? Cheerio, love. We'll miss you.
And yes, I have left Rose out on purpose. *sigh* If ever a companion was underused in this... I'm sorry, I had a real problem with the ending. Because she obviously felt that the double was second best, and yet the Doctor leaves him with her. I also admit that my first thought on seeing that bit was "oh good grief, the fanfic". Rose and Nine were my favourite companion/Doctor combination (followed swiftly by Donna and Ten) but Rose and Ten never really did it for me. So maybe it's just because I don't see that one that it bothered me. Still, part of me felt so sorry for the human!Doctor, who surely is always going to be second-best to the real thing.
Jack wasn't as wasted as he could have been, and probably got the best line of the show ("Three Doctors!"...). I really, really could have done with more "Jack! Rose!
As for the others? Well, they didn't really have much to do, so it's hard to say, except that I thought the character notes were lovely, the Doctor and Jackie prodding each other as usual, Sarah Jane being fantastic, and Mickey being generally brilliant. And yes, totally set up for Martha and Mickey to join Torchwood. I can live with that, just because it'll be a totally different chemistry, and could be a whole lot of fun.
I'm now trying to watch the tennis at the same time, and both Nadal and Federer are ripping my nerves to shreds, so I shall stop there and add more notes to other people's posts as I think of them. Overall, I enjoyed it, but won't be rushing to watch it again, or at least, I will be mostly looking out for vids with Jack from the last couple of episodes. Which probably makes me shallow, but happy.
Now we just have to wait and see what happens next...
(no subject)
Date: 2008-07-06 08:45 pm (UTC)And yes. I'd have preferred their attempts to save things not to be cut off quite so soon.