jedi_of_urth (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
jedi_of_urth) wrote2008-12-29 10:51 am
jedi_of_urth) wrote2008-12-29 10:51 am
Entry tags:
TND review
I've read very few of my f-list's reactions to The Next Doctor so far so my reactions are still fairly fresh from that, but it took me a while to work out any real thoughts on it (okay so only a few hours and I slept for some of it; but still, it wasn't immediate).
I'm not sure how I feel about this episode. I mean, I found myself crying slightly but that may just have been that I was kind of tired and worn out from Christmas stuff when I watched it because I don't think I was really all that moved by it. It was very pretty and not *bad* by any stretch but it seemed a little...lacking in places. I don't know if I'll rewatch it any time soon but I still haven't rewatched most of S4.
I suspect it was an intentional move on RTD's part to make the amount of time between JE and TND seem like it had been a while without actually saying it, and it cut down on the depressing factor of this episode by doing so. We know from TRB particularly that RTD is completely willing to have his madcap adventures still rip your heart to shreds if it's what makes sense in characterization. However, I think somewhere in there, DT wasn't sure how to pitch his performance on the angst-ometer.
Ten totally ships Jackson/Rosita, I'm not sure I do because Rosita was a little underdeveloped as a character, but I probably do for all the reasons Ten does, Seeing as Jackson is kind of the Doctor in his way and Rosita, to Ten and sometimes me, is Rose with a slightly different name. Of all the callbacks in the episode (which was almost Moffat level except that it wasn't just to RTD's own episodes, and there was at least some reason for it) Ten's reaction to "the Doctor" having a companion named Rosita was obviously my favorite; seriously I think that's part of the reason he believed Jackson, because obviously he'd remember Rose on some level and/or hold on to his trait of being drawn to Rose stand-ins even if he'd forgotten everything else (*cough*HN/FoB*cough*). Admittedly I'm biased.
But that was RTD's concession to his shipper heart in the episode, but it doesn't mean I didn't see other aspects in it which may or may not come up as the review progresses.
DM was good too, let's not forget to mention him, and DT was good and pretty as always, but really this is more of a thinky thoughts post than a reaction post (but first we should mention that the kid playing Jackson's kid was *not* good, I know it must be hard to find children to carry off the insane emotional levels RTD wants, but still, not good).
Mostly I have thinky thoughts on the end, but first I want to hit on something else. Apparently a human brain can hold the memory of a Time Lord with no problem, it wasn't even those memories that pushed Jackson's own out, which made me sad for Donna all over again. So, the human brain:
-*Can* hold Time Lord memory.
-Cannot hold Time Lord *mind*.
-Certainly cannot hold all of Time and Space.
So, onto the end. Look Ten I love you but what emo over JE does show up...you broke your own heart there. Whether it was necessary (Donna) or a compromise (Rose) you did it to yourself. I'm sure all the others leaving hurt too but don't go blaming it on Rose, Donna, or Ten II (and in some cases it could be argued he drove them away too, and not just literally drove them home). Rose would have stayed forever, you know that, just because you played matchmaker with Ten II because you thought that was better for her when it's *your* issues with aging and dying that were getting in the way. And Donna...well that is heartbreaking and not your fault, but not hers either.
In any case I feel like RTD is going to use these specials to heal Ten, so that he can hand it to Moffat without as many issues that *need* to be addressed. Doesn't mean it couldn't be picked up on, but giving him some closure and being at more peace with himself so the Moff doesn't have to deal with it is a good way to round out RTD's run and not make Moff-Who seem like such a gear shift immediately. Also lowers the angst level of the show in general which...I have mixed feeling on because I'm such an angst ho.
I'm not sure how I feel about this episode. I mean, I found myself crying slightly but that may just have been that I was kind of tired and worn out from Christmas stuff when I watched it because I don't think I was really all that moved by it. It was very pretty and not *bad* by any stretch but it seemed a little...lacking in places. I don't know if I'll rewatch it any time soon but I still haven't rewatched most of S4.
I suspect it was an intentional move on RTD's part to make the amount of time between JE and TND seem like it had been a while without actually saying it, and it cut down on the depressing factor of this episode by doing so. We know from TRB particularly that RTD is completely willing to have his madcap adventures still rip your heart to shreds if it's what makes sense in characterization. However, I think somewhere in there, DT wasn't sure how to pitch his performance on the angst-ometer.
Ten totally ships Jackson/Rosita, I'm not sure I do because Rosita was a little underdeveloped as a character, but I probably do for all the reasons Ten does, Seeing as Jackson is kind of the Doctor in his way and Rosita, to Ten and sometimes me, is Rose with a slightly different name. Of all the callbacks in the episode (which was almost Moffat level except that it wasn't just to RTD's own episodes, and there was at least some reason for it) Ten's reaction to "the Doctor" having a companion named Rosita was obviously my favorite; seriously I think that's part of the reason he believed Jackson, because obviously he'd remember Rose on some level and/or hold on to his trait of being drawn to Rose stand-ins even if he'd forgotten everything else (*cough*HN/FoB*cough*). Admittedly I'm biased.
But that was RTD's concession to his shipper heart in the episode, but it doesn't mean I didn't see other aspects in it which may or may not come up as the review progresses.
DM was good too, let's not forget to mention him, and DT was good and pretty as always, but really this is more of a thinky thoughts post than a reaction post (but first we should mention that the kid playing Jackson's kid was *not* good, I know it must be hard to find children to carry off the insane emotional levels RTD wants, but still, not good).
Mostly I have thinky thoughts on the end, but first I want to hit on something else. Apparently a human brain can hold the memory of a Time Lord with no problem, it wasn't even those memories that pushed Jackson's own out, which made me sad for Donna all over again. So, the human brain:
-*Can* hold Time Lord memory.
-Cannot hold Time Lord *mind*.
-Certainly cannot hold all of Time and Space.
So, onto the end. Look Ten I love you but what emo over JE does show up...you broke your own heart there. Whether it was necessary (Donna) or a compromise (Rose) you did it to yourself. I'm sure all the others leaving hurt too but don't go blaming it on Rose, Donna, or Ten II (and in some cases it could be argued he drove them away too, and not just literally drove them home). Rose would have stayed forever, you know that, just because you played matchmaker with Ten II because you thought that was better for her when it's *your* issues with aging and dying that were getting in the way. And Donna...well that is heartbreaking and not your fault, but not hers either.
In any case I feel like RTD is going to use these specials to heal Ten, so that he can hand it to Moffat without as many issues that *need* to be addressed. Doesn't mean it couldn't be picked up on, but giving him some closure and being at more peace with himself so the Moff doesn't have to deal with it is a good way to round out RTD's run and not make Moff-Who seem like such a gear shift immediately. Also lowers the angst level of the show in general which...I have mixed feeling on because I'm such an angst ho.