05x07 reaction post

[sumeria]

So, I seem to have forgotten to react to the last three weeks.

It's been a while, so I will just sum up:

River Song is the Rani.
Rory is win.

And now, for this week, as always, in no particular order:

• No one in the whole universe hates the Doctor as much as he hates himself? Really? I think that might be the most self-indulgent, whiny thing I've ever heard come out of his mouth. 'Cause he's not all that incompetent, so you think he'd be doing better at attacking himself if that were true. I am unpersuaded.*


• Speaking of Evil!Doctor, the Valeyard did it better. Please to not be putting evil!Doctor in my Who unless he does it at least that well.


• I also think the episode would have worked better if both dreams had seemed equally plausible to the audience, because as it is, the reverse at the end felt kind of cheap, but whatever. Is a small nitpick.


• And I'm not even going to discuss how messed up is the thought that Amy's marrying Rory and has never mentioned to him that she loves him.


• Though, given that she hasn't, why are they getting married? It seems fairly clear that they don't want at all similar things out of life, which they really ought to talk over.


• Though all of that may just be a factor of how this series is shitty about relationships in general. And by that, I mean: portraying them. This whole episode was premised on a relationship between the Doctor and Amy much deeper and closer than any I've seen them having. Actually, their relationship in general remains a total blank slate to me. I couldn't tell you a thing about how they see each other, other than that she seems to have an on-again-off-again pseudo-sexual attraction to him. Couldn't tell you what he thinks of her.


• Speaking of continuity. I get that it's not Moffat's strong point --boy do I get that-- but what was he *thinking* with this entire season?! It has an incredibly heavy-handed over-arching plot... which the Doctor is ignoring. I mean, the universe appears to be ending. We already have no emotional continuity or character growth that I can see going on, so why insert the destruction of all things just to have the Doctor do something else?I mean, Doctor Who can work perfectly well as an episodic show, so...


• And how did the Doctor know the little old lady was an ancient evil thingy again? Did he at any point indicate how he'd worked that out before everyone starting spitting up eyeballs?


• It's been kind of a disembodied eyeball season, actually.


• Rory kind of annoyed me this episode, I fear. Can't put my finger exactly on why, but suspect it will come down to how dismissive he was of Amy's interests/wishes for her life. I would really like to see her develop some kind of interest in something that isn't a man, actually.

In conclusion: I didn't really care for this episode, but the past few weeks were at least amusing, so I shall carry on for now.

*The Master wants it to be known that he loves hates the Doctor most of all.

Comments

[imifumei.livejournal.com]

Honestly the best thing I could say about the episode was that it was cute in parts. I am unimpressed with the development (read: lack thereof) of any of the characters. I was angry with the writers for thinking the viewer should believe that shit when Amy said she thought she was the only woman in ever that the Doctor would trust and I used to think she was cute and kind of fun until she got all handsy with every guy who walks in her path.

It's episode seven already. Can't we have a real portrayal of believable human (or time lord, I'll take time lord) emotion?

I am intrigued by the idea of this Rani you mentioned. Any chance she'll help me hate River Song's perfect River Songiness any less?

[sumeria.livejournal.com]

The Rani was another renegade time lord from back in Classic Who. Sadly, she was only in two episodes, one of which was with Seven (who I have difficulties with), but her Six episode was made of *win*.

She was on earth covertly murdering people to extract a chemical from their brains that she needed for a research project she had going on, and then the Master showed up. And she was all, "Oh god, *you*? Go away."

And he was all, "The Doctor is here too."

And she, "Bugger. Well, I'll move to some other planet to finish this; there's humans all over the place."

And he, "No! We must destroy the Doctor! And you must help me!"

And she, "Nuts to that. I'm not getting in the middle of your weird little hate!fest/romance thing. I can just be evil *somewhere else*. 'S a big universe."

And then the Master held her experiments hostage till she helped him, but still. Cold-blooded, ruthless, full of herself genius. I adored her.

And if River Song is the Rani, not only is she magically less annoying but she *also* makes sense. Which she does not otherwise do.