Doctor Who Season Two So Far
New Earth: *shrug* Bearable, but nothing special. The hugs transferring the cure is particularly cringeworthy, and the whole medicine/science is so much voodoo, but I don't think it was meant to be anything other than lightweight introduction/comedy. And the comedy bits were funny: Piper is a better actor than I've ever given her credit for.
Tooth and Claw: I enjoyed this one so much more. The science was still dodgy, but at least the solutions were relatively decently set up previously. Pauline Coolins was good as Queen Victoria. Except I kept thinking she looked familiar and should be speaking a bit more Lunnon. And lo and behold she was Sarah from Upstairs Downstairs - which is some leap. For bonus geek points, she was in Doctor Who previously: The Faceless Ones, as Samantha Briggs. From OG: "The character of Samantha Briggs was originally destined to become a companion, though actress Pauline Collins declined the role beyond this story." Anyway... The werewolf was good - scary, and much cooler than Harry Potter. Also, the Doctor, such a pervy werewolf fancier. Rose doing the awful Scots accent was funny in a shut her up now before she gets shot sort of way too, although the "we are not amused" thing was old before it started. But, Jamie, they mentioned Jamie! Pretty standard fare actually, but well done and pretty tightly written.
School Reunion: Positives: K9 was loads better than I expected. Giles was cool. Mickey might actually be a good companion (Rose's reaction to that: funny!) Negatives: Everything else. What the frack was this? The worst elements of Buffy distilled and made into a Doctor Who episode? If any more science fiction talks about using souls for any purpose whatsoever, I'm going to scream. That's one cliché. Here's another: previous female friend/companion/lover meets current female friend/companion/lover, and they proceed to be cold and fighty and then end up bonding. Boring. Okay it was over the Loch Ness Monster, which saves some points, but not nearly enough. Basically, enough with the romance okay. Stop hitting us over the head with it. Sheesh.
I don't mind so much being hit over the head with Torchwood, because I think we're going to get a good payoff for that, and it's not just advertising for the new series. The speech in Ep Two has to have some relevance. It was way too blatant and specific to just be lack of subtlety in setting it up.
Which means, I'm on average not terribly impressed this season. Like an Outpost Gallifrey poster, I suppose that makes me... (Except that they'd be hating both the RTD episodes instead). Oh well, several episodes to go yet; France next week.
ETA: Blimey, everyone else liked School Reunion. Why?!
Tooth and Claw: I enjoyed this one so much more. The science was still dodgy, but at least the solutions were relatively decently set up previously. Pauline Coolins was good as Queen Victoria. Except I kept thinking she looked familiar and should be speaking a bit more Lunnon. And lo and behold she was Sarah from Upstairs Downstairs - which is some leap. For bonus geek points, she was in Doctor Who previously: The Faceless Ones, as Samantha Briggs. From OG: "The character of Samantha Briggs was originally destined to become a companion, though actress Pauline Collins declined the role beyond this story." Anyway... The werewolf was good - scary, and much cooler than Harry Potter. Also, the Doctor, such a pervy werewolf fancier. Rose doing the awful Scots accent was funny in a shut her up now before she gets shot sort of way too, although the "we are not amused" thing was old before it started. But, Jamie, they mentioned Jamie! Pretty standard fare actually, but well done and pretty tightly written.
School Reunion: Positives: K9 was loads better than I expected. Giles was cool. Mickey might actually be a good companion (Rose's reaction to that: funny!) Negatives: Everything else. What the frack was this? The worst elements of Buffy distilled and made into a Doctor Who episode? If any more science fiction talks about using souls for any purpose whatsoever, I'm going to scream. That's one cliché. Here's another: previous female friend/companion/lover meets current female friend/companion/lover, and they proceed to be cold and fighty and then end up bonding. Boring. Okay it was over the Loch Ness Monster, which saves some points, but not nearly enough. Basically, enough with the romance okay. Stop hitting us over the head with it. Sheesh.
I don't mind so much being hit over the head with Torchwood, because I think we're going to get a good payoff for that, and it's not just advertising for the new series. The speech in Ep Two has to have some relevance. It was way too blatant and specific to just be lack of subtlety in setting it up.
Which means, I'm on average not terribly impressed this season. Like an Outpost Gallifrey poster, I suppose that makes me... (Except that they'd be hating both the RTD episodes instead). Oh well, several episodes to go yet; France next week.
ETA: Blimey, everyone else liked School Reunion. Why?!