That went fast. Maybe I’m used to the big story arcs of the US dramas, but I felt there was scope for another ten episodes. If only.
Regarding the finale, I thought Catherine Tate stole the show. Everybody who was sniffy about her, including me, should be appropriately chastened. Her final ten minutes, from the delighted exuberance of DoctorDonna to the total horror of realising the only way out, were perfectly played and, for me, moving.
The more I think about Donna’s resolution, the more awful it becomes. They did a good job of showing the character’s evolution over the series, and the final stark contrast between knowledge and ignorance was heartbreaking. But the Doctor had no redemption either. Davros was right: he leaves a trail of death and tortured souls, and ends up alone in the bleak final moment. Abandoned by everybody he loves, there was no ‘what? what!’ to take the edge off. That was brave.
The rest of the episode, whether you liked it or not, was fairly inconsequential, but I think Donna’s exit will linger. It’s as haunting as the final moments of series 2, imho.
The surrounding events were ok, I thought. It’s a shame Rose didn’t do anything (although I’m pleased she had a happy ending), and I’m always a touch disappointed by internally-resolving plots - Bonkers Dalek was controlling it from the start, so the Doctor was really just an actor - but it was still a hell of a spectacle, with plenty of great moments. I’m going to learn my Catherine Tate lesson and say nothing about Mickey heading for Torchwood1. And Gwen still rules.
I thought it was another excellent series. Pompeii and the Sontaran & Library episodes stand out, but I didn’t dislike any of them. David Tennant was good as ever, regularly making me laugh out loud yet able to switch to deadly serious at the drop of a screwdriver, and the surrounding cast were rarely less than impressive. There was plenty going on behind the scenes, too, with stories benefitting from (but not needing) knowledge of previous events, which is all great geek fun. I’ve always liked Doctor Who’s series-long story arcs, and this season felt a little more structured and planned, which was nice.
I’ve recently seen a little more of the ‘original’ Doctor Who, and I think you have to salute Russell T. Davies for the work he’s done. I don’t know whether the 1980s Doctors seemed as contemporary and interesting, but I doubt it. I read comics, and know that no matter how much potential a character has - and a time-travelling ubergeek adventurer has a lot - it needs a good pair of hands to actually work. Bringing Doctor Who up-to-date can’t have been easy, but RTD managed it with style, and I’m very grateful for the four series of entertainment.
There are good things to come. Four specials next year, then the new broom. I’m a total sucker for romantic, epic grandeur, which Steven Moffat’s episodes have thus far exemplified, and I’m excited to see where he takes it. Hopefully David Tennant will stick around for a bit, as I do so enjoy watching him. And more James Moran, please.
- other than I really, really hope Tosh and Owen wanted to leave, and weren’t killed off to make way [↩]
Spoiler warning.
Stonking. Four things to say:
- Who didn’t well up, even just a little bit, when the Doctor turned to see Rose? Anyone?
- I love how the only non-Doctory person to figure out the truth was Richard Dawkins.
- The twist at the end was quite the shock, but it took me out of the episode a little. Mainly because I was thinking ‘Nooooo, David Tennant is the best Doctor ever - please don’t leave!’. Given that a new actor wasn’t introduced at the end, I’m guessing he doesn’t, but I’m totally intrigued as to how they’ll get out of it…
- Gwen rules. And many thanks to RTD for the crossover - such things make a geek very happy.
In case you doubt Mr Tennant’s credentials as Doctor, here he is recording a message for Martha. It’s from ‘The Family of Blood’, and, as will become apparent, the script calls for Martha to fast-forward the middle section:
Regarding last night’s Doctor Who, I’m simply going to invoke the Bad Astronomer:
Steven Moffat is made of awesome.
That is all.
Episodes like that are the reason I watch TV. Spoilers follow.
Russell T. Davies, the executive producer of Doctor Who, is stepping down at the end of this series. Steven Moffat, my favourite TV writer after Aaron Sorkin, will take over.
He’s a brave guy. And brilliant. His four DW episodes have been, in my opinion, stunning, and Blink was a nigh-on perfect piece of television. So good, in fact, that I can’t imagine an entire series keeping it up - it’s not that I doubt the guy’s ability, it’s that most episodes of everything are worse than Blink. Which is why he’s brave, because the loudest of the Doctor Who online fans are savage to the point of insanity, and they’ll turn on you in an instant.
Spend more than a few minutes investigating Doctor Who online and you’ll find many people trying to make scriptwriters cry. You know, in the name of criticism. They’re fans who deserve high quality entertainment, and will throw around the strongest of adjectives if you don’t meet their standards. Honestly, you’d think the world was at stake: throwaway lines are ‘unforgivable’, scripts are turgid or (horror of horrors) sentimental and writers have agendas and are worthless. I read these people for a while, before realising they don’t, in point of fact, know shit. But they’re loud and, when eloquent, very good at inducing deference.
Some can enter the fray with a wry smile and a kevlar sensibility, but I lack the self-confidence to be a part of an online community with critical bully-boys at its centre - it wears me down, and I start to doubt myself. I don’t bother any more; I simply watch and enjoy. I’m sure Mr Moffat doesn’t have this problem, and is more than capable of dealing with rabid ‘fans’, but he’ll inevitably come in for a large amount of abuse, and that’s nobody’s idea of a good time.
Doctor Who is taking a break next year, so Steven Moffat’s series won’t begin until 2010. I’m looking forward to it already.
Weirdest news of the day: Richard Dawkins is apparently guest starring in Doctor Who this series. His wife Lalla Ward is an ex Doctor’s-companion, but Russell T. Davies is an atheist and fan, too. Could be entertaining, one way or another.
Mainly posting this to warn against reading the explanatory Independent article, which is full of spoilers. Bastards. It would have killed them to put a warning at the top?
There are a lot of naysayers, and they’re all full of it. I guess part of being a critic is enjoying being critical, but online Doctor Who ‘fans’ seem incapable of liking anything, any more. Time Crash is just lovely.
Via Lisa, fan-style comments on Doctor Who and their translations:
“Hollywood-style sentimentality.”
A positive portrayal of human nature. Please note that if everybody dies in a massive bloodbath, I shall not be complaining about “shallow Hollywood-style cynicism.”“Doctor Who used to be scary!”
I’m completely unable to assimilate the fact that the sort of reaction which led me to sleep with the lights on for a fortnight when I was five cannot possibly be replicated when I’m forty.“Why does RTD have to put something camp in every episode?”
I am worried that people at work might think that because I am a Doctor Who fan, I am also gay. Which I’m not.“Catherine Tate? I shall boycott Season Four.”
Catherine Tate? Excellent! I shall watch all of Season Four with preconceived ideas and then come onto Outpost Gallifrey each Saturday night during the Spring of 2008 and tell everybody who is interested - and anybody who isn’t, for that matter - how much I disliked it. How it was “wretched”, “childish”, “embarrassing”, “cringeworthy”, full of RTD’s “Gay Agenda” and how he and Catherine Tate have, personally, “raped my childhood”. And then I’ll feel much better.
Pretty accurate, I’d say 
Catherine Tate? Really? I’m sure she’ll be all right, but, you know, bit shouty…Could we have Sally Sparrow instead, please? I liked her. Also, series are short and she is hot.
Best series so far. No question. Most episodes were very good, the worst were mediocre at their lowest, and the best were up there with the triumphs of S1+2. Spoilers spoilers spoilers.
Did I mention there’ll be spoilers?
Tidying, cleaning, more tidying, photo processing…At some point I should get back to earning money, I suppose. In lieu of anything exciting, a photograph of what I assume is a doggingmobile, and a completely bizarre chocolate set:
And speaking of speeding, this is the funniest thing ever. I hope it catches on.
I’m now off to catch up with Doctor Who. I saw the Family of Blood and Blink episodes while we were away. Fantastic stuff. Particularly the latter - Steven Moffat rocks. Skuds informs me Mr Moffat is the writer of Jekyll, which I happily recorded on a whim. I’ll catch that soon, but it’s Utopia tonight, then Drum Thingy asap, hopefully before I accidentally come across the entire plot.
The Plan: a sneak attack:
But it is not to be. Oh noes!
Go on you reds! OR the other ones! One of you! I’ve been to football matches, you know. Two of them. One time my Dad went to get me a hot dog, and when he came back I told him somebody had scored, and fifteen minutes later he found out it was offside and Villa weren’t winning at all. I have experience of the big game atmosphere. I can do chanting.
Foul ball!
That guy couldn’t pass muster!
I think the striker’s more of a linesman, if you know what I mean!
If you put as much thought into playing as you do into trying to cheat, you’d win!
Warren Beatty’s seen more of a net than you!
That shot was so bad, it deserved gaol more than goal!
I fit right in. I’m happy as long as somebody wins and Doctor Who isn’t pushed back to next week.
Was that a Neil Gaiman reference in tonight’s Doctor Who? Regarding the Eternals? Sounded like one. I wish the Sandman graphic novels weren’t so expensive. I really enjoyed the first two - I think Neil Gaiman is good in print, but when combined with artwork he’s a titan - and I keep hearing people say things like “if I could only read one story ever again, it would be the Sandman novels”. Maybe the local library can get them for me…I always forget about libraries. I’m sure I missed plenty of little Shakespearean jokes in this evening’s show. I needed Abi there to point them out, as she knows the plays far better than I do.
I’ve been impressed with DW so far. It’s only been two episodes, admittedly, but they both made me laugh out loud on many occasions. “Does this hospital have an ET department?”. I think the new assistant is still finding her feet - she wavers between spot-on and slightly wince-inducing imho - but the surrounding episode is strong enough to support her, and David Tennant is just superb. I’m sure she’ll improve.
That was good. I liked it when Captain Jack said he needed to speak to a Doctor. What do you think to the chances of David Tennant turning up at some point? It’s gotta be tempting.
The prestigious Hugo Awards are voted for each year at the World Science Fiction Convention, and this year’s winners were annouced on Saturday. I was very happy to see that ‘Dramatic Presentation: Short Form’ was won by Steven Moffat’s double-bill from the first series of Doctor Who: ‘The Empty Child’ and ‘The Doctor Dances’. I thought those episodes were really, really great. ‘Dramatic Presentation: Long Form’ was won, I suspect overwhelmingly, by Serenity. I haven’t heard of the rest, other than Connie Willis, but shall be adding them to my wishlist
Update: Joss Whedon’s acceptance speech for Serenity is short but sweet, and read by Morena Baccarin (Inara in the film).