Doctor Who - Fear Her
Jun. 27th, 2006 11:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
timepiececlockI think I just don't like this season.
It's frustrating, because they have all the elements: a great actor for the Doctor, Rose, a Tardis... all you need for a fun time. But it appears a successful series is more than just the sum of its parts.
Or, wait, no... I know what part is wrong. Not as good as it could be.
THE WRITING.
Actually, fix the episode-writing and I'd be happy as a frosted cupcake.
I mean...I love Ten. I love his mannerisms (which are both nicer and meaner than Nine's, in different ways), and I love his exchanges with Rose, and I love his physicality. But I don't like his overall behavior in certain situations. Plot stuff, not personality stuff. Um... I'm not explaining this very well, but it comes back to writing. They keep putting him in the wrong situations and then making him behave in confusing ways.
It was an okay episode. I literally had to look away from the cheesy olympic ending, but I forgive that. I loved Rose (I always end up loving Rose, and she regularly proves her worth as my TV girlfriend), and the Doctor was fine, and the drawings were creepy (kids are creepy, it never fails), but overall... I hated how small it was. I've been frustrated with both seasons of DW for not going to other planets and stuff, but at least Nine's season featured a lot of aliens. I'm frustrated with how limited the settings have been in this show.
I'm also frustrated with the limited feel of the plots themselves. This episode was basically a duplication of The Idiot's Lantern.
I want more, dammit. I want it to be bigger. And I want the writers to just decide already on how they're going to write Ten and just WRITE HIM THAT WAY FOR THE REST OF THE SERIES. I don't care what the direction is anymore, just pick one. Not his mannerisms, but his attitude. His outlook.
Basically I want them to complicate the world and simplify the Doctor. Nine was simple-- he was A Man In Pain. Rose knew it, the audience knew it, alien tree lady knew it. Nine had a driving force, even if it was an unhappy one.
I don't require that Ten be in pain like Nine was. I'm kind of happy for the Doctor now that his new regeneration has allowed him to exorcise much of that pain. But his character needs something in its place. And the plot idea of him being a godlike being just doesn't cut it for me. It's an empty story-- a lot of hot water and no substance. It's boring and small.
... and if they'd really wanted to make it work, they'd have had him out among alien planets actually working through his god-like issues.
This stuff is all more general complaints about the season as a whole, rather than this particular episode.
Junping topics: In all honesty, I don't know if I'll watch if Rose does die. I mean, if it were Nine, I'd totally watch. But I don't know if I love Ten on his own as much as I love him with Rose. He seems like a smaller person without her.
And there's also the fact that Rose is my TV girlfriend and a significant part of the reason I watch this show. I don't know if I want to watch if she's not in it. I mean... no Rose? No good plot direction? No kick-ass episodes, only middling ones? ...what happened to my show? MY SHOW?
I'll have to wait and see if I like it, if Rose dies. I'm hoping she doesn't die, though. I mean, honestly. I know she'll have to leave some time, but I want her to go another two seasons, please.
It's frustrating, because they have all the elements: a great actor for the Doctor, Rose, a Tardis... all you need for a fun time. But it appears a successful series is more than just the sum of its parts.
Or, wait, no... I know what part is wrong. Not as good as it could be.
THE WRITING.
Actually, fix the episode-writing and I'd be happy as a frosted cupcake.
I mean...I love Ten. I love his mannerisms (which are both nicer and meaner than Nine's, in different ways), and I love his exchanges with Rose, and I love his physicality. But I don't like his overall behavior in certain situations. Plot stuff, not personality stuff. Um... I'm not explaining this very well, but it comes back to writing. They keep putting him in the wrong situations and then making him behave in confusing ways.
It was an okay episode. I literally had to look away from the cheesy olympic ending, but I forgive that. I loved Rose (I always end up loving Rose, and she regularly proves her worth as my TV girlfriend), and the Doctor was fine, and the drawings were creepy (kids are creepy, it never fails), but overall... I hated how small it was. I've been frustrated with both seasons of DW for not going to other planets and stuff, but at least Nine's season featured a lot of aliens. I'm frustrated with how limited the settings have been in this show.
I'm also frustrated with the limited feel of the plots themselves. This episode was basically a duplication of The Idiot's Lantern.
I want more, dammit. I want it to be bigger. And I want the writers to just decide already on how they're going to write Ten and just WRITE HIM THAT WAY FOR THE REST OF THE SERIES. I don't care what the direction is anymore, just pick one. Not his mannerisms, but his attitude. His outlook.
Basically I want them to complicate the world and simplify the Doctor. Nine was simple-- he was A Man In Pain. Rose knew it, the audience knew it, alien tree lady knew it. Nine had a driving force, even if it was an unhappy one.
I don't require that Ten be in pain like Nine was. I'm kind of happy for the Doctor now that his new regeneration has allowed him to exorcise much of that pain. But his character needs something in its place. And the plot idea of him being a godlike being just doesn't cut it for me. It's an empty story-- a lot of hot water and no substance. It's boring and small.
... and if they'd really wanted to make it work, they'd have had him out among alien planets actually working through his god-like issues.
This stuff is all more general complaints about the season as a whole, rather than this particular episode.
Junping topics: In all honesty, I don't know if I'll watch if Rose does die. I mean, if it were Nine, I'd totally watch. But I don't know if I love Ten on his own as much as I love him with Rose. He seems like a smaller person without her.
And there's also the fact that Rose is my TV girlfriend and a significant part of the reason I watch this show. I don't know if I want to watch if she's not in it. I mean... no Rose? No good plot direction? No kick-ass episodes, only middling ones? ...what happened to my show? MY SHOW?
I'll have to wait and see if I like it, if Rose dies. I'm hoping she doesn't die, though. I mean, honestly. I know she'll have to leave some time, but I want her to go another two seasons, please.
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no subject
Date: 2006-06-28 10:06 am (UTC)My decision to stick around pretty much depends on the new companion. (Whoever it may be, I've seen some rumors around.) Ten's characterization has been all over the map since "School Reunion" and that's hindered my ability to really understand him. I mean, I get he's going through this "God Complex", but some episodes, he's very understated about it, then in others, he's yelling, screaming and going batshit. It's as though he's manic-depressive or something. You never know when he's going to blow up.
The writing has gone downhill. I'm glad someone else realizes this. It is not the standard that we were given last year. It's not the actors, it's the stories they're given. Only a few have been particularly rewatchable for me - "School Reunion", the Cybermen two-parter, "Love & Monsters" and "Fear Her" (until the last five minutes or so on both). Other wise ... eh. I thought "The Christmas Invasion" was indicative of the series to come. Apparently not.
If new Who can't get it's shit together by ep three or four next year, I might step out. I have 40 years worth of old stuff to keep me happy, anyway.