Doctor Who and.... Doctor Who
I haven't had much to say about recent episodes of DW - partly because I'm knackered and partly because I've been trying to take them at face value rather than try to work out any of the intricacies of the plot or find very much beneath the surface. That's worked for me, but I just had to say something about the departure of the Ponds.
Overall, I thought the episode was riddled with holes, but there were some nice moments, from the hommage to Film Noir to Sting singing "I'm a legal alien" over the shots of Central Park and the revelation of the Statue of Liberty as a Weeping Angel. I've come to the conclusion that the Angels are one of those DW monsters that terrify kids (witness my two peeking out from behind the cushions held to their faces!) but which lose their appeal for adults once their mystery is destroyed - especially as SM doesn't seem to be able to make his mind up about what they can and can't do.
But enough of that. The Ponds' departure was the happiest "sad" ending I've seen in a long time. They got to stay together and grow old together and probably had a great life together. It's Rory I'll miss, anyway - Amy never did anything for me. She became more tolerable once Rory signed on to Team TARDIS full-time; he was the voice of reason when Amy and the Doctor were squeeing like schoolgirls over Vampires and others of that ilk.
But I thought theirs was a fitting departure.
A far more emotionally draining DW departure, however, followed the next day, when I finally got around to listening to Gods and Monsters from Big Finish, which is the third in the recent trilogy of Seventh Doctor Stories. I've always liked Ace and Hex as companions, and the way that the writers have pulled together a number of plot strands that stretch back about eight years is simply masterful. The trilogy is fabulous - complex but not complicated, with a superb cast and equallly superb performances. I won't go into plot details in case anyone reading this has yet to listen - and if you have, do yourself a favour and get around to it soon!
But have a hanky ready!
Overall, I thought the episode was riddled with holes, but there were some nice moments, from the hommage to Film Noir to Sting singing "I'm a legal alien" over the shots of Central Park and the revelation of the Statue of Liberty as a Weeping Angel. I've come to the conclusion that the Angels are one of those DW monsters that terrify kids (witness my two peeking out from behind the cushions held to their faces!) but which lose their appeal for adults once their mystery is destroyed - especially as SM doesn't seem to be able to make his mind up about what they can and can't do.
But enough of that. The Ponds' departure was the happiest "sad" ending I've seen in a long time. They got to stay together and grow old together and probably had a great life together. It's Rory I'll miss, anyway - Amy never did anything for me. She became more tolerable once Rory signed on to Team TARDIS full-time; he was the voice of reason when Amy and the Doctor were squeeing like schoolgirls over Vampires and others of that ilk.
But I thought theirs was a fitting departure.
A far more emotionally draining DW departure, however, followed the next day, when I finally got around to listening to Gods and Monsters from Big Finish, which is the third in the recent trilogy of Seventh Doctor Stories. I've always liked Ace and Hex as companions, and the way that the writers have pulled together a number of plot strands that stretch back about eight years is simply masterful. The trilogy is fabulous - complex but not complicated, with a superb cast and equallly superb performances. I won't go into plot details in case anyone reading this has yet to listen - and if you have, do yourself a favour and get around to it soon!
But have a hanky ready!