Doctor Who: 6x05-6x07 Reviews
On the Rebel Flesh and Almost People:
Is there a rule somewhere in Moffat Who that the women have to be insane and just...ruin all the Doctor's carefully laid plans for peace? I had to check the writer of the episode, because I was almost sure I was rewatching Hungry Earth/Cold Blood there for a bit.
I expected more twists and turns than there was in the end. Two episodes long and most of it seemed to be filler more than anything else. It was nice to see the duplicate Doctor...though I'm not sure when exactly he had the chance to swap boots. I would have assumed while Amy was distracted and the Doctor suddenly insisted on her trusting the other, but then he made mention to something she said before, so it seems more likely he must have already swapped. And it didn't quite make any sense to me that Jennifer-two started out "I AM JENNIFER" and seemed genuinely distressed by the machine not accepting that...and then later completely rejected Jennifer.
You have no idea how irritating I found Amy those two episodes. She was like the concentrated voice of the portion of fandom who rejects the Metacrisis. So, of course, it was satisfying when he turned it around and revealed she'd been talking down to the original Doctor and not the Flesh Doctor (And he continues to scatter clones of himself across the universe. Soon enough he'll have a New Gallifrey that's all different versions of himself.) Of course, it also served her right that she herself was in a Flesh body, but I was a little surprised Rory backed away from her so readily. I expected him to insist not to and stay.
The last note, I notice the Doctor opened up the possibility that the flesh Doctor just might be able to reform...and end up the Doctor who dies. It might be a red herring, but it seems likely that's exactly what happened.
Onward, to the review you probably want to hear from me more.
A Good Man Goes To War
First: I demand a Lone Centurion series. This is non-negotiable. I need it. Give it to me now.
Still love Rory/Amy. I quite literally went from /eyeroll to something resembling /squee when I realized she meant Rory. I cannot stand Amy but with Rory it's sort of like connecting two puzzle pieces. And I did feel bad for her with her baby, though I could have done with less bluster in the beginning about the Doctor and Rory. Be more capable on your own, Amy, don't just rely on someone else rescuing you. By this time I expect something like "I will rip down that door myself to get back my baby, and you had better not be standing nearby her when I do", not "Ooooh you are SO gonna get it when my boyfriend gets here!" It sounds so hollow when Amy's doing her tough voice.
What WAS that song when everything turned horrible? I want it.
The episode as a whole was...strange. There were definite parts of the episode that felt like Doctor Who...but actually, on the whole it felt far too dark and hopeless. Really headless monks? Some steampunk lady stealing babies? It was over all...just...too dark and gritty for Doctor Who. I like my Doctor dark and gritty and the man with all those rules for a reason...but I don't want my episodes hopeless and...post-modern steam punk or whatever the heck that and Doctor's Wife were. I don't want to go away from an episode feeling...gross. Depressed? Alright. Exhilarated or exhausted? Sure. Gritty and gross? No. I'll watch Lexx or something if I want that. Which, by the way, this episode could have been lifted right out of--at least the half before the Doctor arrived.
I kind of liked the silly dancing River at the start, but the random River that showed up out of nowhere at the end I don't know that I care for. They either recycled her outfit, or she jumped out of order for one. I knew I'd be disappointed...and...well. I am. Partly because fandom already knew it, partly because she still hasn't answered the question we were really asking. Partly because I expected him to actually find out. I kept getting interrupted watching so my idea of how she'd show up got pretty elaborate.
I thought for sure she'd show up young and not really knowing what she was doing, a member of the army. She'd end up shooting Rory (because it's always Rory, and because it's better than the best man she ever met being the Doctor like everyone expected from the moment she said it) and then the Doctor would figure out who she was that way.
Not.
Randomly appearing River Davrosing the Doctor and...just seemed like shoe-horning her in for the double purpose of being relevant to River, Moffat's darling, and to resolve a few plot threads in a few words.
It felt awkward and unsatisfying that way. Basically we spent what, three or four years waiting to figure out who the blasted woman was and...essentially she just told him the first time he asked her, and then played around every time after? Of course, we still don't know who she kills (you know, aside from the blindingly obvious), and we don't know who she is to the Doctor (Aside from the blindingly obvious). For a few moments there I thought we were was going to find out she was his mother or his first wife. Which in those moments when I thought she was his first wife, I was pretty okay with.
Or am I supposed to figure out wtf his 'smoochy' face is supposed to mean because she's Amy's kid? It's not as if her being partly Time Lord is something that's going to matter in their relationship. Mind, I suppose it means she could remain looking the same for quite awhile, but she's still only going to be with him for one life, isn't she?
Oh, and I'm highly disappointed that the original spoiler that someone would DIE in the cliffhanger was untrue. Just because I don't really care too much that the cliffhanger is "HI MOM, HI DAD", although the reaction future!River had to Rory is a bit disturbing, because it implies that she's not seeing Rory all that often at that point. (Also of note, again her timeline is knotting up and not running smoothly. See, I'm sure that from somewhere around Big Bang her reverse timeline changes)
........
....
Wait a blasted minute. If River is a product of a union on the TARDIS and then, well, incubated on the TARDIS, and then manipulated by people who were trying to fight the Doctor, how in the world was she there before she was born in a universe where neither the Doctor nor the TARDIS had ever existed?
SHENANIGANS!
As an aside, though, I am minutely relieved that this hasn't retconned my belief that River is an awesome drinking pal raised in the 51st century who isn't shy about admitting she's fallen for her BFF and occasionally snogs him, usually when they're both very drunk.
In fact it probably strengthened it.
Is there a rule somewhere in Moffat Who that the women have to be insane and just...ruin all the Doctor's carefully laid plans for peace? I had to check the writer of the episode, because I was almost sure I was rewatching Hungry Earth/Cold Blood there for a bit.
I expected more twists and turns than there was in the end. Two episodes long and most of it seemed to be filler more than anything else. It was nice to see the duplicate Doctor...though I'm not sure when exactly he had the chance to swap boots. I would have assumed while Amy was distracted and the Doctor suddenly insisted on her trusting the other, but then he made mention to something she said before, so it seems more likely he must have already swapped. And it didn't quite make any sense to me that Jennifer-two started out "I AM JENNIFER" and seemed genuinely distressed by the machine not accepting that...and then later completely rejected Jennifer.
You have no idea how irritating I found Amy those two episodes. She was like the concentrated voice of the portion of fandom who rejects the Metacrisis. So, of course, it was satisfying when he turned it around and revealed she'd been talking down to the original Doctor and not the Flesh Doctor (And he continues to scatter clones of himself across the universe. Soon enough he'll have a New Gallifrey that's all different versions of himself.) Of course, it also served her right that she herself was in a Flesh body, but I was a little surprised Rory backed away from her so readily. I expected him to insist not to and stay.
The last note, I notice the Doctor opened up the possibility that the flesh Doctor just might be able to reform...and end up the Doctor who dies. It might be a red herring, but it seems likely that's exactly what happened.
Onward, to the review you probably want to hear from me more.
A Good Man Goes To War
First: I demand a Lone Centurion series. This is non-negotiable. I need it. Give it to me now.
Still love Rory/Amy. I quite literally went from /eyeroll to something resembling /squee when I realized she meant Rory. I cannot stand Amy but with Rory it's sort of like connecting two puzzle pieces. And I did feel bad for her with her baby, though I could have done with less bluster in the beginning about the Doctor and Rory. Be more capable on your own, Amy, don't just rely on someone else rescuing you. By this time I expect something like "I will rip down that door myself to get back my baby, and you had better not be standing nearby her when I do", not "Ooooh you are SO gonna get it when my boyfriend gets here!" It sounds so hollow when Amy's doing her tough voice.
What WAS that song when everything turned horrible? I want it.
The episode as a whole was...strange. There were definite parts of the episode that felt like Doctor Who...but actually, on the whole it felt far too dark and hopeless. Really headless monks? Some steampunk lady stealing babies? It was over all...just...too dark and gritty for Doctor Who. I like my Doctor dark and gritty and the man with all those rules for a reason...but I don't want my episodes hopeless and...post-modern steam punk or whatever the heck that and Doctor's Wife were. I don't want to go away from an episode feeling...gross. Depressed? Alright. Exhilarated or exhausted? Sure. Gritty and gross? No. I'll watch Lexx or something if I want that. Which, by the way, this episode could have been lifted right out of--at least the half before the Doctor arrived.
I kind of liked the silly dancing River at the start, but the random River that showed up out of nowhere at the end I don't know that I care for. They either recycled her outfit, or she jumped out of order for one. I knew I'd be disappointed...and...well. I am. Partly because fandom already knew it, partly because she still hasn't answered the question we were really asking. Partly because I expected him to actually find out. I kept getting interrupted watching so my idea of how she'd show up got pretty elaborate.
I thought for sure she'd show up young and not really knowing what she was doing, a member of the army. She'd end up shooting Rory (because it's always Rory, and because it's better than the best man she ever met being the Doctor like everyone expected from the moment she said it) and then the Doctor would figure out who she was that way.
Not.
Randomly appearing River Davrosing the Doctor and...just seemed like shoe-horning her in for the double purpose of being relevant to River, Moffat's darling, and to resolve a few plot threads in a few words.
It felt awkward and unsatisfying that way. Basically we spent what, three or four years waiting to figure out who the blasted woman was and...essentially she just told him the first time he asked her, and then played around every time after? Of course, we still don't know who she kills (you know, aside from the blindingly obvious), and we don't know who she is to the Doctor (Aside from the blindingly obvious). For a few moments there I thought we were was going to find out she was his mother or his first wife. Which in those moments when I thought she was his first wife, I was pretty okay with.
Or am I supposed to figure out wtf his 'smoochy' face is supposed to mean because she's Amy's kid? It's not as if her being partly Time Lord is something that's going to matter in their relationship. Mind, I suppose it means she could remain looking the same for quite awhile, but she's still only going to be with him for one life, isn't she?
Oh, and I'm highly disappointed that the original spoiler that someone would DIE in the cliffhanger was untrue. Just because I don't really care too much that the cliffhanger is "HI MOM, HI DAD", although the reaction future!River had to Rory is a bit disturbing, because it implies that she's not seeing Rory all that often at that point. (Also of note, again her timeline is knotting up and not running smoothly. See, I'm sure that from somewhere around Big Bang her reverse timeline changes)
........
....
Wait a blasted minute. If River is a product of a union on the TARDIS and then, well, incubated on the TARDIS, and then manipulated by people who were trying to fight the Doctor, how in the world was she there before she was born in a universe where neither the Doctor nor the TARDIS had ever existed?
SHENANIGANS!
As an aside, though, I am minutely relieved that this hasn't retconned my belief that River is an awesome drinking pal raised in the 51st century who isn't shy about admitting she's fallen for her BFF and occasionally snogs him, usually when they're both very drunk.
In fact it probably strengthened it.