The thing I enjoy most about Dr. Who since the reboot is the writing. The way that relatively minor details throughout a season (and sometimes, even many seasons in the past) can come together into something major is amazing storytelling. It always keeps me intent on every line of dialogue, every minor character and every detail in the background. That being said, this week I would like to discuss.....
8/9/15
As many of you know from reading previous posts, I was not a fan of last season. I love Twelve--he may be my favorite, replacing 9, but feel the story arc for the season was way too much "jilted ex, jealous of new boyfriend and girlfriend keeping both around just in case" and not enough fun. I watch Dr Who for adventure, not because it's a soap opera. Also, the vast majority of episodes were on or near Earth (or a copy of an Earth train)-not the Who we are used to. That being said, let's hope that keeping Clara around is a way to clean up some messes in story lines she has left.
We have hope in next season. I've watched the trailer and definitely feel like we may be heading back to Whoville. In general, the feel I get from it is of more fun. They seem to be letting 12 be himself-which I think will be a bit of a Colin Baker "I don't care" attitude. I see more new aliens, more new landscapes (ie, not London) and a new sonic. All of these give me hope.
We have hope in next season. I've watched the trailer and definitely feel like we may be heading back to Whoville. In general, the feel I get from it is of more fun. They seem to be letting 12 be himself-which I think will be a bit of a Colin Baker "I don't care" attitude. I see more new aliens, more new landscapes (ie, not London) and a new sonic. All of these give me hope.
Now, onwards to specifics that I noticed on reviewing the trailer. First-I don't want to forgive them for making Missy the Master--it just felt like going for the lowest hanging fruit--however it appears that once again the Doctor and Missy may have to work together, very interesting. The hands rising from graves scares me. Could this be a cyborg type Cyberman? Unfortunately this has been overdone in Terminator--I hope they don't go in that direction. Next let's mention the Zygon with the little girl. Are we going to see the results of the great human Zygon get together from "Day of the Doctor"? I am very pleased to see the continuing used of the famous red space suit-for once the producers have followed the "If it ain't broke don't fix it" mantra. The guy in the top hat strongly resembles the great intelligence, and the hairy things resemble the Cybermats from "the Next Doctor". An episode in Victorian England combining the two foes at once would be welcome.
Finally, let's get to the big ending. In Marvel style, after the credits, we get "took you long enough old man." Easy to miss, but it is by far the most exciting thing to ponder. As I see it, we have two possibilities--Jenny, the Doctor's daughter or Susan, the granddaughter. At least I hope so, as these are the most infuriating dangling threads in the Whoniverse. Cleaning up one would be great--a family reunion episode would be beyond words.
I have tried to avoid other commentary so that I went into this article cleanly. I have a few wishes for this season:
1-The season is about the Doctor, not Clara.
2-That we see new worlds and aliens. Returning to classics is nice, but Daleks and Cybermen get destroyed every season and we all know they will be back the next season. That's what made the Weeping Angels so unique-a new monster that instantly became a classic.
3-Returning to old friends is nice however. I would love to see....
A. Danny just to clean up his story
B. River because, hey it's the guy's wife and he needs a slap in the face to wake him up.
C. Wilfred, because I just think it would be a wonderful companionship between 12 and old Wilf, plus Donna yelling about him and his old friends would be hilarious.
D. Please don't bring back the Ponds. They had a beautiful exit, and we need to move on.
3/8/2015
It's been a little while since I've had time to write--working 2 full time jobs will do that. I also wanted to take the time to make this article special. So I finally found the time and sat down with Netflix and a note book to watch "Silence in the Library" and "Forest of the Dead".
First I'd like to point out that I picked this for the connections it made with future episode--some seasons later, truly amazing writing. It occurs in the 51st century, Captain Jack's home time, so immediately we have a link with the past. The introductory scene continues with a discussion about biographies, and the fact that there is always a death at the end...a nice piece of foreshadowing. Surprisingly, the Doctor uses the term "Spoilers" before River does!! I had no idea until this re-watch.
After another reminder of the past, that the sonic screwdriver doesn't work on wood, we finally meet River Song for the first time. Her first appearance is in a space suit with a gun in her hip. Jump ahead a few seasons and we again have her in a space suit with a gun emerging from Lake Silencia to kill the Doctor. I will admit to a moment of wow when this hit me.
After a quick "Hello Sweetie", she jumps into their traditional journal comparison, which she realizes suddenly is brand new to him. In later seasons, she will state that the day he doesn't know her will be the end of her. The crash of the Byzantium, picnic at Asgard (apparently that's in our future as well) and many other adventures are in his future with her, but she knows that her story ends today.
The action really starts with Miss Evangelista's death. The neural relay is described as "footprints on the beach"--yet another cunning reference to the doctor's ultimate demise
At this point we begin to learn about the future of the Doctor in earnest. First, we can see the complete feeling of pity in River's eyes when she learns that this is the Donna Noble. Now that we know her ultimate fate, we can understand this completely. Then we see River's future sonic--complete with dampers, red and blue settings and the good captain's sonic cutting abilities--all exactly things she would need for this specific expedition to the library. Even more foreshadowing comes up when she calms him down by explaining "I didn't pry it from your cold dead hands" and an offhanded comment made about them squabbling like a married couple.
We get a bit of a preview of the 11th Doctor when River describes him as "her doctor". Armies run and he swaggers off to the Tardis. In a very odd intertwining of fates, she sees that he has always known how she would die and when, just as she also knew when he would "die" and when--frankly amazing!!!
At this point, I think we all agree--we must see the singing towers of Durillium episode when they truly say their final farewell. It would be a heartbreaking scene, and Peter Capaldi would make it a real tear jerker.
Finally, the good Doctor can't believe his future self would give up and allow River to die. Discovering the neural relay (was it the very one he slipped in his pocket after Evangelista dies??), he saves -pun intended- River.
When we think the show is over, we are given yet more ooh and ahh moments that didn't mean anything when the episode originally aired, but now made my jaw drop. Cal makes a statement "aren't I a clever girl?" And River exclaims that the doctor is an "impossible man". This adds a whole extra dimension to the episode--did we not only meet River for the first time, but also meet Clara, in the form of Cal?? I'll leave that to you to ponder.
12/16/2014
You know what really grinds my gears???? It's when plot points, big and small, aren't resolved. I've said before that I love how the writing of Dr. Who tends to wrap around itself. Things in this universe are interconnected (hence the title of my articles). However, this expectation just makes it more aggravating when things are left dangling. I thought I would list some of these questions left unanswered before the Christmas episode (maybe some will be resolved in it)
I will try to do this from most recent to oldest, and it is by no means comprehensive. This is just from the top of my head.
1-Soooo. We are to just brush of that apparently all the graves in the world are now empty??
2-No repercussions from a teen posting pictures from the moon?? While we are on the subject, recently there seems to have been an open door policy to the Tardis.
2(a)-Whatever happened to the kids that Clara nannied??
3-This one really bugs me...what was the deal with Clara's grandmother. A long story about a man in the fog and a ring, then no development from that.
4-whatever became of the big treaty between the Zygons and humans.5-time lord relatives...River, Jenny and Susan.
6-10. 12's big opening quote of correcting mistakes he's made in the past, then nothing about his past beyond the first episode reference to dinosaurs in London and clockwork robot.
I'm sure you can add a few, some red herrings here and there are fine, but these are some big holes in a normally neatly tied together storyline. Maybe some will be resolved for Christmas, or we will get more passive aggressiveness from Clara and a Doctor acting like a jilted boyfriend. Think that may be the subject of my next article!
10/19/2014
Do you Know this Face?
by Brice Baker
Fast forward to the "Stolen Earth". In what should have been wonderful moment, all of his previous companions came together. In the same moment, he saw that he had made them all soldiers. Looking back on what he had done jarred the Doctor to the core. This season has focused on his dislike for soldiers.
Alone in the universe and feeling worthless, the Doctor finds his way to another fixed point in time, in "The Waters of Mars". Amazingly, he even mentions how Pompeii affected him within this story. As a time lord victorious, he attempts to change the laws of time, only to be corrected by one "little" person at the end.
I mention these because I think these decisions are what led him to the current "face". It is a way of reminding himself of one time that he turned around and helped. One time that he made a positive impact to a "little" person. And I would argue that the rumors are true - that this season is going to end up with a trial, possibly for breaking the laws of time on Mars.
The face he has now is his subconscious way of reminding himself that for all the disarray and disasters which he has run away from, there was one moment that he turned around to help. There has been no running this season. He has faced (literally in listen) his fears and enemies directly. And, unfortunately, those that he has not turned around to save, have been showing up to the promised land, to act as witnesses to the damage left in his path.
10/4/2014 COURTNEY WOODS
By Brice Baker
We were introduced to her as a random student in Clara's class in "Deep Breath" when she offered very wise advice to her teacher. Here we see how we need to watch episodes with a mind to the broad story arc of the season and beyond. As of deep breath, she is simply a random nameless student. However, remember--in the Dr. Who universe, people are rarely given lines, especially important ones, without a reason.
Next she pops up , again as a random nameless student, in "Into the Dalek" with one line as she listens in on Danny's conversation with the school secretary. "She wishes" could be a harbinger line for late in the season.
Finally, in "The Caretaker" she literally bursts in as a full fledged character. I would argue that this entire episode was written to introduce us to Courtney, and give her a name. In one episode, we learn her name, meet her parents, see that she is a "disruptive influence" AND she becomes a de facto compaion with ride in the tardis.
History lesson done (as much as I could do on the fly with my DVR anyhow), Let's discuss where this character is going. I have two possibilities:1-She is a previously unseen regeneration of River Song
There are many clues dangling out there to make me think this.
First...THE HAIR. Simply the hair has been a bit of a running joke towards River
Second...From "Deep Breath", She seems to have a bit of a lingering psychic link with Clara from "The Name of the Doctor"
Third...The last name "Woods"--aka, Forest. River has had many references to Forests. Her first appearance of course included "Forest of the Dead", Her name was translated from an alien language of a forest planet (sorry, no time to Netflix for the specific planet/race). Also, looking ahead in this season we find an episode "In the Forest of the Night"
Fourth... Who is a more disruptive influence in general than River
Fifth...The Doctor seems to immediately trust this little girl for some reason. He is very upset with Danny learning about the tardis, yet he takes Courtney for a ride!!
2-Highly unlikely but possible...She is a regeneration of his granddaughter Susan from season 1
Very few clues here and take some stretching. To be honest, this is based more on my not liking something as big as a missing relative just hanging out there in the 50 year storyline.
First...She is attending the same school
Second..Again, no time to check, but did Ian and Barbara follow here home because she was disruptive? Someone will correct me here i am sure
Third.. Again, the immediate trust the Doctor has in her.
These are my ideas, for better or worse. Feel free to prove me right or wrong, I guess only time will tell....