Who thoughts
Aug. 24th, 2014 09:04 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
yendiWell, that sure was a Moffat episode. That said, regeneration episodes are tricky, effectively pilots for the New Doctor, so I'm not judging this run on one episode.
Putting the good, the bad, and the speculation behind a spoiler tag.
The good:
Peter Capaldi gives a fine performance, and is nicely morally ambiguous.
The Doctor's redecoration (and his opinion that it needs more round things) is nifty.
Madame Vastra, Jenny, and Drax remain the best things from Moffat's run.
Calling back to "The Girl in the Fireplace" was a nice touch.
The hints of a mystery behind the Doctor's face and whoever brought him and Clara together. Mind you, Moffat's always good at setting mysteries up. It's resolving them that's a problem. Also liked the repeated use of mirrors throughout the show. It felt like an M. Night Shyamalan touch in the best of all possible ways.
The "did he jump or was he pushed" thing was nice, even if we saw it thirty years ago with Jason Todd.
As always, Moffat tends to have sharp and witty dialogue (when not dealing with the plot).
Michelle Gomez! Eee! I adored her on Green Wing (and between this and Broadchurch, it's been a good time for GW alums, although I still say Olivia Colman would have been a better choice for Twelve).
The bad:
Oh, jesus, where to start?
How about with Clara's being freaked out by the Doctor changing. I mean, she's the companion most able to deal with this, in theory. She's seen every fucking incarnation of him (and didn't freak out then, either). What the fucking fuck?
So Eleven, a few hundred years before his death, called Clara in her future to make sure that someone who he'd have no reason to doubt would handle a reincarnation would handle it okay?
Also, Clara knows the Doctor best? Really? Aside from her seeing every incarnation throughout time (something Moffat's clearly ignoring, since he obviously believes the writer behind that was a moron), she's got nada. River Song, his wife, probably knows him better. Ditto Rose and Rory, who travelled with him for much longer. Or maybe Madame Vastra herself, given her comments.
Hey, is this the second episode that's killed a dinosaur for cheap pathos? Why yes, I think it is.
Also, Victorian London's lack of overall reaction to a Dinosaur in the Thames is surprising. Especially since a dinosaur with a big enough throat to swallow a TARDIS whole is basically Godzilla-sized. Keeping her in the water wouldn't change the fact that she'd displace enough water to flood half the city.
The Speculation:
I'm assuming the villain at the end is NOT the person who brought Clara and the Doctor together twice now, and that the latter is either someone unknown or River. Given that the Doctor needs his companion, bringing them together seems like something that I'd expect from an ally. Then again, that assumes she's A) a pure villain, and B) that there's not a benefit to having the Doctor survive and thrive for her plans.
I'm also assuming that the questions the Doctor has about his face will tie into the Pompei episode.
As to the villain, if she's not someone entirely new, I could see them going with someone like Romana, The Rani, or The Master. I like that last theory best, frankly. John Simm's awesome (and I've got the pilot of The Intruders still waiting for me), but we should have a new Master, and Gomez would be a great casting choice there, as she's capable of going full-unhinged on the drop of a pin.
Putting the good, the bad, and the speculation behind a spoiler tag.
The good:
Peter Capaldi gives a fine performance, and is nicely morally ambiguous.
The Doctor's redecoration (and his opinion that it needs more round things) is nifty.
Madame Vastra, Jenny, and Drax remain the best things from Moffat's run.
Calling back to "The Girl in the Fireplace" was a nice touch.
The hints of a mystery behind the Doctor's face and whoever brought him and Clara together. Mind you, Moffat's always good at setting mysteries up. It's resolving them that's a problem. Also liked the repeated use of mirrors throughout the show. It felt like an M. Night Shyamalan touch in the best of all possible ways.
The "did he jump or was he pushed" thing was nice, even if we saw it thirty years ago with Jason Todd.
As always, Moffat tends to have sharp and witty dialogue (when not dealing with the plot).
Michelle Gomez! Eee! I adored her on Green Wing (and between this and Broadchurch, it's been a good time for GW alums, although I still say Olivia Colman would have been a better choice for Twelve).
The bad:
Oh, jesus, where to start?
How about with Clara's being freaked out by the Doctor changing. I mean, she's the companion most able to deal with this, in theory. She's seen every fucking incarnation of him (and didn't freak out then, either). What the fucking fuck?
So Eleven, a few hundred years before his death, called Clara in her future to make sure that someone who he'd have no reason to doubt would handle a reincarnation would handle it okay?
Also, Clara knows the Doctor best? Really? Aside from her seeing every incarnation throughout time (something Moffat's clearly ignoring, since he obviously believes the writer behind that was a moron), she's got nada. River Song, his wife, probably knows him better. Ditto Rose and Rory, who travelled with him for much longer. Or maybe Madame Vastra herself, given her comments.
Hey, is this the second episode that's killed a dinosaur for cheap pathos? Why yes, I think it is.
Also, Victorian London's lack of overall reaction to a Dinosaur in the Thames is surprising. Especially since a dinosaur with a big enough throat to swallow a TARDIS whole is basically Godzilla-sized. Keeping her in the water wouldn't change the fact that she'd displace enough water to flood half the city.
The Speculation:
I'm assuming the villain at the end is NOT the person who brought Clara and the Doctor together twice now, and that the latter is either someone unknown or River. Given that the Doctor needs his companion, bringing them together seems like something that I'd expect from an ally. Then again, that assumes she's A) a pure villain, and B) that there's not a benefit to having the Doctor survive and thrive for her plans.
I'm also assuming that the questions the Doctor has about his face will tie into the Pompei episode.
As to the villain, if she's not someone entirely new, I could see them going with someone like Romana, The Rani, or The Master. I like that last theory best, frankly. John Simm's awesome (and I've got the pilot of The Intruders still waiting for me), but we should have a new Master, and Gomez would be a great casting choice there, as she's capable of going full-unhinged on the drop of a pin.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-08-28 04:05 am (UTC)Yeah, the stupid on that one burned.
Yup, this.
Also, that's two much Victorian in a row, given Trenzalor.
Hahaha remember this is Moffat. It won't make sense in the end; it never does.
Since Clara spent most of last season being a MacGuffin instead of a person, it was very difficult for me to buy into any of the Pathos.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-08-31 01:04 pm (UTC)Sadly, yeah, that's almost certainly true. Mind you, I still enjoyed his first season, but he really doesn't seem to grasp long-form storytelling.