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Doctor Who Xmas Special! Warning: my brand of analysis/critique can be kind of squee-kill, so to get it out of the way: eee!
First, it was beautiful, and I enjoyed the attempt at something epic, something in space, even if it stayed firmly in Earth orbit. I very much enjoyed the externals of the space liner over Earth. Kylie Minogue was not bad (I know nothing about her besides her Green Fairy cameo in Moulin Rogue, and that my dance class in high school warmed up to the first song on Fever).
But okay, confession time: I hate disaster movies. The plucky band of survivors, picked off one by one in noble or tragic ways? My least favorite plot ever. I don't know if it's my resistance to this basic plot (probably) but I definitely spent most of the show, um, making fun of it.
This episode also made me realize that I'm actually glad that Tennant will be leaving the show eventually. I'm not a Ten-hater: I think the writing around him has sometimes been shoddy and unwilling to take full account of his creepy moral lapses, but I also think he's brought an interesting energy to the role and is superadorable. I am still ready for some new mannerisms, some new quirks, and a different attitude.
I still CHEERED and YELLED and KICKED IN THE AIR when he busted out with I AM A TIME LORD. FROM GALLIFREY. Way to own your past, dude! And I am really grateful to Martha for forcing that out of him, for making him able to tell that story. That may be the most doctorly thing she did all season, in retrospect.
On a technical level, I feel like I spotted the Torchwood Problem here: there were several times when the footage was good, but the editing was sort of repetitive: cut to his face, cut to her face, cut to his face, cut to her face.
On a everything-is-about-Rose level, it occurred to me (this being the second xmas special post-Rose) that: I miss Nine, and I liked Rose, but what I really miss is Harriet Jones, and Jackie Tyler, and early Jack, and even Mickey. I liked the reoccurring characters in S1 / S2. I know previous Doctors have had entourages, and I wonder if that would happen again. I liked seeing other character dynamics besides the straightforward Doctor + Companion.
I have high hopes for Donna. And I have been watching the Torchwood s2 promos, and eeing fiercely.
Last note: does anyone else thing it would be cool for the Doctor to have a downright elderly lady companion? Someone like - oh, who's the old lady who played Gladys in the Due South episode Eclipse? Jackie Burroughs. If she wasn't probably too old now, I'd seriously root for Jackie Burroughs as a companion. (What? Previous Companions have been aliens, I'm sure he could handle a Canadian). I think it would be fantastic. The Doctor would have to find a way to cut down on Tardis flight turbulence, though. You can't put an old lady through that.
Oh well. Again, I am tickled about Donna. And Torchwood. Because Torchwood, I expect to be somewhat terrible, and I plan to love every second.
Actual last note: Was the new opening theme just for the special, or is that the new theme for the season? Because it just about melted my face off with awesome. It was all "let's take some awesome! And mix it with awesome?"
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go engage in the traditional boxing day argument, in which a disagreement over vacuuming escalates out of control into a sugar-fueled supernova of blame, guilt, and generalizations about moral character. Tradiiiition! Tradition! (dee dee dee de de de).
First, it was beautiful, and I enjoyed the attempt at something epic, something in space, even if it stayed firmly in Earth orbit. I very much enjoyed the externals of the space liner over Earth. Kylie Minogue was not bad (I know nothing about her besides her Green Fairy cameo in Moulin Rogue, and that my dance class in high school warmed up to the first song on Fever).
But okay, confession time: I hate disaster movies. The plucky band of survivors, picked off one by one in noble or tragic ways? My least favorite plot ever. I don't know if it's my resistance to this basic plot (probably) but I definitely spent most of the show, um, making fun of it.
This episode also made me realize that I'm actually glad that Tennant will be leaving the show eventually. I'm not a Ten-hater: I think the writing around him has sometimes been shoddy and unwilling to take full account of his creepy moral lapses, but I also think he's brought an interesting energy to the role and is superadorable. I am still ready for some new mannerisms, some new quirks, and a different attitude.
I still CHEERED and YELLED and KICKED IN THE AIR when he busted out with I AM A TIME LORD. FROM GALLIFREY. Way to own your past, dude! And I am really grateful to Martha for forcing that out of him, for making him able to tell that story. That may be the most doctorly thing she did all season, in retrospect.
On a technical level, I feel like I spotted the Torchwood Problem here: there were several times when the footage was good, but the editing was sort of repetitive: cut to his face, cut to her face, cut to his face, cut to her face.
On a everything-is-about-Rose level, it occurred to me (this being the second xmas special post-Rose) that: I miss Nine, and I liked Rose, but what I really miss is Harriet Jones, and Jackie Tyler, and early Jack, and even Mickey. I liked the reoccurring characters in S1 / S2. I know previous Doctors have had entourages, and I wonder if that would happen again. I liked seeing other character dynamics besides the straightforward Doctor + Companion.
I have high hopes for Donna. And I have been watching the Torchwood s2 promos, and eeing fiercely.
Last note: does anyone else thing it would be cool for the Doctor to have a downright elderly lady companion? Someone like - oh, who's the old lady who played Gladys in the Due South episode Eclipse? Jackie Burroughs. If she wasn't probably too old now, I'd seriously root for Jackie Burroughs as a companion. (What? Previous Companions have been aliens, I'm sure he could handle a Canadian). I think it would be fantastic. The Doctor would have to find a way to cut down on Tardis flight turbulence, though. You can't put an old lady through that.
Oh well. Again, I am tickled about Donna. And Torchwood. Because Torchwood, I expect to be somewhat terrible, and I plan to love every second.
Actual last note: Was the new opening theme just for the special, or is that the new theme for the season? Because it just about melted my face off with awesome. It was all "let's take some awesome! And mix it with awesome?"
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go engage in the traditional boxing day argument, in which a disagreement over vacuuming escalates out of control into a sugar-fueled supernova of blame, guilt, and generalizations about moral character. Tradiiiition! Tradition! (dee dee dee de de de).
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