Thoughts on Vampires in Venice

[anon_aspasia]

 First, thanks to the people who reassured me about this episode. Although it wasn't perfect (and it was riddled with plot holes), I really enjoyed it. Yay! Happy birthday to me!

Some random thoughts behind the cut (beware for mild spoilers):

Comments

[papilio_luna]

There is actually a quasi-good reason for Rory's awful awful hair next week.

I'm finding that I also don't like Amy much, but it's also becoming much less of a problem because I do love Rory to itty bitty pieces. I just need someone on the TARDIS to really unreservedly root for. I'm also still not really feeling Eleven (he's solidifying for me but oh my god so slow it's like watching paint dry), Amy is just... so completely mental I don't know what to make of her and definitely wouldn't want to hang out with her, like, ever (I've known people like her and they're way more amusing from afar). Rory, though... Rory can stay. And I'm shipping Rory/Amy like burning all of a sudden (you may start to after Amy's Choice as well).

[anon_aspasia]

While there may be a *plot* reason for that hair, there is never, ever a *good* reason for hair that looks like that. (Perhaps taxidermal coiffure is the overarching theme of the season, as it looks like they slapped roadkill on the actor's head.)

I'll take your word on the shipping of Amy and Rory, although I may be shipping Rory and the Doctor now thanks to your icon. (And, wow, MS gives good profile. Still doesn't really ring my bell, but kinda pretty right there.)

As to getting Eleven, I have to wonder if the problem is Moffat, since he's argued in multiple interviews that (essentially) the Doctor is the Doctor so there's no real need to distinguish between regenerations. (facepalm) Or do you think it's that Smith isn't bringing it? Or both?

I'm still rooting for the Doctor right now, but that's based on memories of Nine and Ten more than anything Eleven's doing. (I keep picturing Nine and Ten bickering with each other inside of Eleven's head, but being united in their dislike of the new guy. Hee.) Rory makes me happy, though.

[papilio_luna]

Moffat has really failed in the believable and organic characterisation department just in general for me. I need reasons for characters to behave and speak the way they do, beyond just "the plot needed them to." And I've just not been able to identify any such reasons with Eleven until really recently (as he's been written by people-not-Moffat for the past several weeks). It just feels like someone has a set of dice with emotions on them that they roll every time the Doctor has to do something.

I think also a little bit is that Matt just doesn't have it. Or rather, he doesn't have enough of it. Problems in inconsistent characterisation or bad dialogue can be dealt with by a really great actor. A good actor can do wonderful things with a script that's already very good, but it takes someone on a whole other level to save a script that's just not very good. The cast of s1-4 had some real stinkers to contend with, but for the most part even those crappy episodes have moments in them where I'm just in awe of the acting.