I dunno...I haven't read behind the sofa, but I'd caution against mistaking an emotional reset for thematic cohesiveness. I mean, when you turn back the clock there is a kind of closure, but a very surface kind. All the loose ends, all the progress that seemed to be going somewhere, is just left dangling. Maybe there's a kind of ironic thematic cohesiveness in that, but it's not terribly satisfying.
oh, it's not just that. it's things like donna twice living alternate lives where she's forgotten meeting the doctor--and then it "actually happens." or humandoc going ahead and destroying all daleks just as the doctor did prior to the start of the new series. or the otherwise cliche "sontar-ha!" death of geniusboy actually having a dramatic impact as a recent reminder of the doctor getting himself saved by other people.
it's the most well-foreshadowed finale, if nothing else. . .
the behind the sofa post is worth reading, i think. there was supposed to be a link there in my post; i think it's fixed now. . .
Those are good points, though I think you could say S3 had a lot of foreshadowing, too -- e.g. about a Doctor rendered powerless while a companion fills his shoes (42, HN/FoB), as well as the whole Jesus image (Gridlock) and the resurrection theme (Lazarus), all of which recur in the finale. But in both S3 and S4, it seems to me that the themes recur without achieving closure or even maybe clarity.
fair point. i actually had the same basic feeling of ambivalence about the end of season three. more or less: "well, i like some of this. and some of it's just screwy. but he sure packed in all the themes of the season."
RTDs episodes are almost more like dreams than stories. the logic is dream logic. the progression is dream progression. it works, on a certain level, but not necessarily on the level of what many people expect of drama. or doctor who.
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it's the most well-foreshadowed finale, if nothing else. . .
the behind the sofa post is worth reading, i think. there was supposed to be a link there in my post; i think it's fixed now. . .
Reply
Reply
RTDs episodes are almost more like dreams than stories. the logic is dream logic. the progression is dream progression. it works, on a certain level, but not necessarily on the level of what many people expect of drama. or doctor who.
Reply
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