(no subject)

[sapote]

Okay, let's get this right out of the way: that is the least sensible way to ever evolve a nervous system ever, but the visual of all the Ood carrying their hearts brains around in their hands was worth it. Also, the first half of the episode had some absolutely beautiful editing and camera movement - sure, the montage of "actually, these dudes are mean to the Ood" wasn't subtle, but it sure was showing-not-telling. And of course any episode where the Doctor saves the hapless natives is going to be full of colonialist subtext etc, but dammit, at least he was a good guy for no better reason than feeling like being a good guy.

I got the sense that either Tennant is struggling to play off Tate or the Doctor is a little taken aback by how loud that woman is, but her reactions so far strike me as very natural and human and often quite petty, which, again, natural. When she was in the Ood cage and going "I want to go HOME" I did yell NOT THE TIME, DONNA at the screen, but frankly, that was quite a contained freakout. I would have bought a full-on, shaking, crying, I WANT TO GO HOME I WANT TO GO HOME fit at that point.

One niggling point, though: exploitative wage labor conditions =/= slavery, ffs. Yes, when the Doctor establishes that he is against exploiting third-world labor (who made your clothes?) I want to jump his scrawny bones right there, but, look: conditions tantamount to slavery do arise in many industries! And that's bad! Exploitative wage labor conditions arise and are far more common! And are also very bad! It's just kind of important to note that they aren't the same thing, Doctor, even if you can score rhetorical points off someone by conflating the two.

I continue to like Donna and she continues to keep her hands out of the Doctor's (emotional) pants, which, I hope that doesn't mean I'm one of those fangirls. It's just nice to have a break, is all!