Time for a round up of Doctor Who thoughts before I forget them! Since we are watching the new series 14 and rewatching series 8 at the moment it makes sense to do a combined post.
‘Boom’ Series 14, Episode 3
The Doctor standing still for an entire episode was an interesting change of pace. Although the entire premise made zero sense! Why would a landmine be designed to scan what’s in top of determine if it’s alive but then if it’s not sure it would explode anyway after like half an hour… Why wouldn’t it just explode anyway?! It’s a tool of war…
If it could somehow scan the Doctors adrenaline how is it not detecting life signs?! Why isn’t simply the fact there is adrenaline to scan enough to explode!
I don’t mind some suspending disbelief but when the whole plot of the episode revolves around something that makes no sense I struggle!
Not to mention the absolute load of bollocks that was the resolution to the plot… Somehow an AI “echo” of the dead dad could get inside the Ambulance robot and thereby somehow hack the entire corporation and stop everything… Sure. It’s the absolute nonsense and last minute resolution I’ve gotten used to from rewatching the Moffat Years.
Also the kid acted like she was 4 not 12! It was very distracting that she didn’t acknowledge death at all.
Buttttt the phenomenal performance of Ncuti Gatwa absolutely saved the episode for me. I just keep thinking about how fucking great he was. We always have good actors as the Doctor but I really think that episode showed him on another level.
I also really liked Mundy so I’m happy to hear the actress been cast as a new companion for next series!
The thoughts & prayers, the callousness of profit over morality or human lives, and all that was a worthy message, again dialing in for the American audience I think.
Notes on the rewatch so far…
Ok, previously on Alice Rewatches Doctor Who…
Nine
I enjoyed Christopher Ecclestone/Nine, and in particular I like his dynamic with Rose..I found her so much less annoying than I remembered her being!
The “are you my mummy?” Episode is absolutely classic.
I am not a Captain Jack fan, he just makes me cringe. Although, John Barrowman being absolutely terrible at acting any convincing action scenes, and clearly has no idea how to hold a gun, has me howling with laughter every time I see it. (The episode where he gropes the Trinny & Susanna robots was a WTF then and has aged even worse…)
Ten
Look, I know Tennant/Ten is “the Doctor” for a lot of people…. But honestly, he’s my least favourite.
I absolutely hate the whole thing with Rose (I strongly believe the Doctor should be a romance free zone). As soon the Doctor regenerated I started to hate her character.
I really liked Martha! I enjoyed a smart and capable companion, I really liked that it was her choice to leave – though my god her subplot in her last episode was insanely harrowing and the Doctor never even acknowledged it!?
I did love his dynamic with Donna! Donna will always be the best. ‘Runaway Bride’ might be one of my all time favourite episodes! I think I only really like Tennant when someone is there to tell him to get a fucking grip.
His regeneration episode was exactly the slog I remembered it being. He is such an emo drama queen Doctor, I could not take any more of him!
…And yet… And yet he somehow keeps coming back and now we have three versions of him!
Eleven
Matt Smith/Eleven I think is my favourite Doctor (so far in the rewatch). Though I feel a bit torn because I think he’s a great Doctor but… But… These series have some of the most annoying “Moffatty” writing and many I try to forget ever happened…
Off the top of my head these are:
- constant sex jokes (extra jarring when Eleven’s personality is more childlike).
- constant jokes about people’s physical appearance.
- in a romantic relationship one person must treat the other like shit.
- female characters all so specifically similar – and sexualised (in a kids TV show) – that it starts to feel like they’re Moffat’s own fantasy.
- the Doctor is the most special, smart and scary person in the universe and everything revolves around him.
- everyone becomes “the girl who…”
- every character talks in quips.
No.1 forever and all time the worst of eveything is River Song who is a character I grew to hate so much she’d ruin any episode she showed up in.
She’s fine in the Midnight Library episode but gets progressively worse until she’s unbearable. Everything about her relationship with the Doctor is forced and deeply disturbing, and she had no chemistry with Matt Smith. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it.
But, I do so love Amy and Rory! I liked having a couple in the TARDIS, I wish we’d seen more of their families though (we never meet Amy aunt!). I also wish Moffat hadn’t tortured and traumatised them so fucking much… And the way the Melody plot went was bizarre, and their reaction to it was oddly emotionless.
I hated the Clara “The Girl In Time” plot. Every incarnation of that character was annoying. I found her only a notch down from River Song when it comes to talking in quips and flirting with everything. They felt too similar for me.
Oh God I already blocked out the horrors of Madam Vashra and Jenny…
The Day of the Doctor / War Doctor
This special episode was fucking great and Stephen Moffat’ writing at his best. The three Doctor combo was fun, John Hurt was fantastic and I was genuinely moved by it!
The Moffat Era is a real rollcoaster for me, I tell you. Such highs, such low low low.
Now I’m up to Peter Capaldi/Twelve!
Twelve (Series 8)
We are 5 episodes in and so far so good! I have a little trepidation because we are approaching the series in which I originally stopped watching Doctor Who all together, so I’m waiting to see if my feelings change as we go on…
1. Deep Breath
Capaldi’s first episode and the blessed last appearance of Madame Vashra etc al (at which Vashra and Jenny’s relationship gets to peak WTF.. why is this fucked up mess in a kids TV show?! …) but otherwise not especially memorable for me. Clasa is affronted when Vashra accused her of being shallow despite the fact she spends the entire episode complaining about how the Doctor looks old now…
2. Into The Dark
The one where they go inside a Dalek, we reestablish the Doctor’s feelings about soldiers and Clara meets fellow teacher Danny Pink who is a really odd character… He’s awkward in a completely unrealistic way.
3. Robot of Sherwood
A silly episode where they meet a laughing Robin Hood and Ben Miller is the Sheriff of Nottingham. The Doctor is fun in this one and I realised I don’t mind Clara now, I’m enjoying their dynamic.
4. Listen
The is there something under the bed? episode. I didn’t like this episode because this is another “Clara is super special in the Doctors timeline” one and also she lies to him about her date/Danny Pink and I did not understand why, and also I find Clara and Danny Pink have almost negative chemistry (after that bad date why would you keep trying to force things?) … But, again I did find the Doctor himself quite fun!
5. Time Heist
A bit of a silly episode where they rob a bank and the twist is immediately obvious but Capaldi is making me laugh… None of the previous Doctors cracked me up like he does!
So there we are up to date with my Doctor Who viewings… In time for a new episode tomorrow!
