1x07 "The Long Game" discussion post

[_thirty2flavors]

Comments

fanworks post!

[_thirty2flavors]

If you have any recs related to "The Long Game", post 'em here.

[_thirty2flavors]

I must say, just in general, that this is one of those episodes I always remember not liking, and have only seen maybe three times total -- but both the second and third times when I've watched it, as sort of a compulsory part of a rewatch, I've ended up enjoying it a lot more than I remember enjoying it the first time. I think the fact that it all comes back again, and there are repercussions for future episodes really strengthens it on rewatch.

I'm also surprised by how much I enjoy Suki and Cathica as one-off characters. They seem pretty forgotten by most people, myself included, when it comes to one-off characters, but on rewatch, I'm not really sure why. I guess this episode in general is one most people forget about or don't particularly enjoy.

[abadplanwellex]

Cathica is one of those people who was really changed for the better by her brief acquaintance with the Doctor. And one who managed not to get killed in the process, which is always nice.

[_thirty2flavors]

Yep! And a woman of colour! It was refreshing to see. I felt bad when I rewatched last year and realized I'd forgotten that she's pretty neat.

[fauxkaren]

What the Doctor did for Donna was slightly suspect, but the Doctor is all about doing things for other people and in his mind, that's what getting the lottery ticket for Donna was about (although it probably helped him feel better about what happened to Donna). Adam was just looking for a way to make money for personal gain. So I do think it's different on that level.

[sherrilina]

I never understood the dislike for this episode--I really enjoyed it myself, both because I found the premise interesting (I liked the future!world they were exploring, especially as it became more insidious) and because SO MUCH DOCTOR/ROSE SHIPPINESS. Him reaching for her hand as the elevator doors close and his jealousy of Adam, enough said. This is the episode where I really began to think they were giving off major "we are a couple" vibes, even with Adam there. And Adam showed that not everyone can be a good companion (I think they were right to ditch him for what he did), and gave us the wonderful, "I only take the best, and I have Rose" line....<333

Also, Simon Pegg! And its importance in the long run...

[sue_denimme]

So the first and only outing for Adam as companion. What did you think of him? Do you think ousting him from the TARDIS was warranted, or was the Doctor a bit harsh? Did you think he served his role of 'what not to do as companion' well?I think having Adam along, even temporarily, was a misstep, from a meta POV as well as on the Doctor's and Rose's parts. I get that RTD liked to occasionally feature characters who were "not companion material" to illustrate how great Rose, Martha, and Donna were by comparison. But IMO it was totally unnecessary and a bit insulting. (One of the few things about RTD's era I'm not fond of

[_thirty2flavors]

I wonder if there's been possibly a bit too much condemnation of the Doctor (inside and outside the series) for not hanging about. I mean, is that really his job? His expertise is in thwarting monsters and invaders, and safeguarding the timeline, not rebuilding societies. Is it too much to expect the natives to handle that themselves? I dunno, just a thought...I guess the issue becomes, "is it right to topple a regime with no adequate plan for what comes after?" which is a pretty big question philosophically, and possibly one more topical right now than it might've been in 2005. You could end one regime only to instill a worse one in its place. So I guess it makes sense that the show doesn't seem to come down firmly on one side or the other -- it suggests the Doctor is at fault at least partially for what he does, but he also doesn't stop doing it. I think it's a good question to raise, really, about the basic premise of the show, with the Doctor swooping in to play hero and swooping out again without dealing with any potential

[sue_denimme]

It is a good question to raise.

But I'm wondering where the Doctor's responsibility stops and the natives' begins.

[_thirty2flavors]

I think his responsibility comes in because he chooses to involve himself. He has a sort of "I know best" attitude about it, so he comes in and says "this is wrong" and topples the regime (or whatever) but doesn't plan to rebuild. It's not really fair to say "why can't they rebuild something better on their own?" when in many cases it's not like they've had a chance to prepare. He goes around leaving power vacuums in troubled societies. His responsibility comes in because he's the one who creates the power vacuum in the first place.