"The Shakespeare Code" recap 2/3
Aug. 15th, 2007 10:38 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jedi_of_urthPart two, now up for hopefully someone else's pleasure. I still think I must have gone insane with the length of this recap. Part three will probably follow this evening sometime.
-Do the witches have to rhyme in English? That really bugs me for some reason, it’s not their native language where the crafted the power of words, and I generally wish the aliens were a bit more alien (I don’t so much mind that the adventures themselves take place on Earth, but I wish the writers were a little more sci-fi and a little less mythology to think of things like what language the Carianites speak in, or just make the aliens/future cultures less English).
-Something about this makes me miss Rose. Now, I know everything makes me miss Rose, but this time I’m not sure why it is. Let’s just have some more pictures of the Doctor being pretty.
-“How can a man so young have eyes so old?” Yep, let’s keep reminding people that he is an angsty emo Time Lord.
He’s seen too much, that’s what makes his eyes old. And behind one eye Gallifrey burns and behind the other Rose is always walking away; he grows older with every step because he keeps seeing the things that make him old. Trite replies are his defense mechanism, as I bet Shakespeare well knows.
-“All the world’s a stage.”
Well for him it’s all of time and space, but he’s still just playing a part. The story, the romantic lost prince, not real and he knows it, he misses it. He’s very very slow, and withdrawn here, and lonely, always lonely.
-He’s a good host on this one trip, even provides her a toothbrush.
-Really Doctor, why exactly did you cry over Harry Potter?
Though at one point I got the idea that he read it during the Time War and therefore the children going to war aspect would upset him, well the war itself and all the dying, and Eight (who was probably the one fighting in the Time War) might have been a little more prone to crying over stories for some reason maybe. Really though, I enjoy the speculation that it came from certain people in the epilogue.
-You know, while not everyone could make that hairdo work as well as Martha does, that doesn’t stop it from being a silly hairdo.
Also, I’m pathetic, I was having too much fun seeing her make funny face while figuring out what to capture for her hair and wound up wanting the picture to be funny faced.
-Look, even I have to take Martha’s side a bit when he gets all snitty and ‘Obviously it’s not real’ because just a few minutes ago he said it was witchcraft. I’m all for witchcraft being the application of science, but if you call a log a brick, don’t get upset if someone asks if bricks are real. I’d have been even more on her side if that was the point she made rather than saving she’d only just started believing in time travel.
-Now I’m back to shut up Martha.
His brain is obviously not on the sleeping arrangements; of course after you toothbrush attempt, you still haven’t used it; and you might as well be flirting with the bed, it might pay more attention.
-I actually find the music comical, it sounds so cheesy and romantic while the two of them are not having anything approaching the same conversation and the scene is building to “Rose would know.” I’m pretty sure it’s the romantic music playing in Martha’s head as the Doctor talks about something obvious staring him in the face that he’s not seeing, especially as he’s looking at her like she’s not even there.
If this were a comedy it would come to a screeching halt when she realizes he’s not on the same page. Although on the flip side, the first time though I had to wonder about the subtext of this, because it could be saying that he just needs to notice Martha is there and the problem would be solved. But now, I think it’s pretty clear that’s not the case.
-I’ve never had my ears pierced, but wouldn’t it be uncomfortable to sleep with those giant earrings in? And the rest of the jewelry?
-“Rose would know.”
Sniff. Poor Doctor, poor emo Doctor. Rose could always spot the piece of the puzzle he couldn’t see. He misses the team they had, he misses having the confidence that came with having her with him. Rose also would totally having been trying to bond with Lilith the barmaid before they found out she was evil because that’s what she did. Basically, there are a million ways Rose would have been awesome in this story, Martha, not so awesome. I miss the team too, and the confidence, and the smiles, I miss Rose.
-But then he remembers Martha is there and turns away, which probably hurts her worse.
When he’s looking past her at the elephant in the corner of the room (which is in The Elephant inn) it’s one thing, but when he shuts down and turns away, well that’s a pretty clear sign. Then he proceeds to call her a novice and say he’ll take her home the next day and it’s clear to me that it’s recoiling from what he just said because he didn’t mean to open up to her like that about missing Rose, it just slipped out; but to Martha, that’s got to sting. Why is she so gone on this guy?
-Oh, there’s snotty Martha, how charming.
-Um, is Lilith writing this, or is she just forcing Shakespeare to write about something specific but the words are his? I’m very confused.
-I find it funny to imagine the Doctor is thinking ‘Hey I could have slept over there, the floor looks comfortable over there, not much worse than the bed and I’d have some personal space. I miss Rose, it was our personal space then. She would have liked meeting Shakespeare, and said just the right thing to solve this. She was so pretty and smart and wonderful, why haven’t I gone to get her? Oh right, destroy a couple universes, that would be bad.” Causes emo look.
-Woot danger, off at a run, not seeming to look to see if Martha was even awake to follow.
He does that a lot this season, takes off ahead of Martha and doesn’t realize that she’s not keeping up with him. They never work in sync, and that’s just one of the ways it shows up.
-I could focus on the witch flying
but instead I would like to comment on what people are going to think of what Martha is wearing.
Really if there was ever a time for “You’ll cause a riot” this is it, but it just passes over again.
-Doctor, why use the “Rage, rage against the dying of the night” quote here? Not Shakespeare’s and that’s really not what killed her and it’s out of context I believe, so are you just taunting him with lines he can’t have?
-Well, Martha really does sound like she’s trying to be impressive.
I’m a little curious (as usual) with what the writers were going for here because Martha just seems really unevenly written between the last couple scenes, and right now they’re hitting us with the Martha is *smart* (got it?) side of the bat. I’m glad the Doctor likes her when she’s being smart though she kind of grates on me here and I think it’s because I don’t get what the reason is for it.
-Why did they go to the Globe first anyway if the Doctor was tuned into the idea that the architect might have some answers? Maybe there was a bunch of stuff that happened off screen looking for something secret about the construction before the scene we saw, but it’s hard to say there was.
-Again with the Doctor walking off on his own, and sort of treating Martha a bit like the stray dog she later compares herself to, all “Come on,” summoning.
He doesn’t treat her as an equal, but this is rather like he’s treated past companions, where he leads he expects them to follow. And she does, she’s a very good companion, but after Rose it just seems wrong to go back to that. Rose who wandered off and disobeyed, if he walked off without her, she would likely find something important on her own and get separated. In fact generally speaking this is the point in the story where the Doctor would wander one way and Rose another for a bit and they’d meet back up later and have the whole things figured out between them. If I don’t stop talking about Rose this recap is just going to keep getting longer.
-Flirty Shakespeare is really quite cute. “You are a royal beauty,” “But this is town,” he’s such a scoundrel, but I kind of like him.
And I like that Martha, while flattered and a bit charmed, is not swooning over him. Yes my opinion on Martha can’t seem to settle in this episode for anything.
-“We can all have a good flirt later.”
“Is that a promise Doctor?”
“Fifty seven academics just punched the air.”
I admit, that exchange went completely over my head the first time around, but I’m kind of dense. I can’t remember if I picked up on the Jack innuendo at first either, I probably had to have it spelled out for me. Also I might have still been giggling over “But this is town,” whining from the alleged genius of Will Shakespeare.
-What exactly are they poking fun of with “Sequels are never as good as the original,” or is it just a general comment because it’s pretty much true, and the idea of it going back centuries is amusing. But it’s a kind of problematic thing for a show in this rather unique position to say.
-I kind of like the actor boys.
They aren’t exactly pretty boys, but I like then mostly just because they’re fun. They aren’t a great as Morgenstern, but it’s nice to have them around.
-Again, I want this to be a “Martha” trait, a bit of her being a doctor, when she’s pissed about the care the patients in Bedlam receive, but it isn’t unique enough to be her rather than just anyone with what we consider common decency.
-Time Lord abilities. And the mind meld abilities at that.
I think this is the only time the get showed off this year right? Also, he tries to get Peter to let go of what has haunted him, but all he can really do is find a way of talking around it, pushing it aside, it’s all any of them can do.
As a side note this tends to factor into me thinking it’s only been a year or so for him since Doomsday happened just because this show is big on parallels and he asks Peter to go back a year to when everything was fine, that what’s happened since is just a story which judging by later in the season the Doctor views his own life as now.
-More death wish Doctor.
If they’re looking for volunteers for dying, he’s the first in line. Sure this time he was probably fairly confident he could get out of it, but I still think it counts in the death wish instances.
-I think even on first watch I wondered a bit where they were going with this name magic stuff.
Partly because I’ve done a lot of roleplaying and name magic tends to be something really powerful, and basically storytelling rules meant that it being introduced here it would either be important to stopping the Cariontites or it would be used against the Doctor. But I don’t think I had any idea what it would lead to.
-Also, I can sort of buy the words as a different basis for working the universe. I don’t know though, I’m a math and science nerd and everything comes down to math and science as far as I understand the universe, so that *is* a very alien way of approaching the universe, if I can find it making sense.
Actually that reminds me of something I was told once: Psychology is biology, biology is chemistry, chemistry is physics, physics is math, and everything comes down to math.
-Do the witches have to rhyme in English? That really bugs me for some reason, it’s not their native language where the crafted the power of words, and I generally wish the aliens were a bit more alien (I don’t so much mind that the adventures themselves take place on Earth, but I wish the writers were a little more sci-fi and a little less mythology to think of things like what language the Carianites speak in, or just make the aliens/future cultures less English).
-Something about this makes me miss Rose. Now, I know everything makes me miss Rose, but this time I’m not sure why it is. Let’s just have some more pictures of the Doctor being pretty.
-“How can a man so young have eyes so old?” Yep, let’s keep reminding people that he is an angsty emo Time Lord.
He’s seen too much, that’s what makes his eyes old. And behind one eye Gallifrey burns and behind the other Rose is always walking away; he grows older with every step because he keeps seeing the things that make him old. Trite replies are his defense mechanism, as I bet Shakespeare well knows.
-“All the world’s a stage.”
Well for him it’s all of time and space, but he’s still just playing a part. The story, the romantic lost prince, not real and he knows it, he misses it. He’s very very slow, and withdrawn here, and lonely, always lonely.
-He’s a good host on this one trip, even provides her a toothbrush.
-Really Doctor, why exactly did you cry over Harry Potter?
Though at one point I got the idea that he read it during the Time War and therefore the children going to war aspect would upset him, well the war itself and all the dying, and Eight (who was probably the one fighting in the Time War) might have been a little more prone to crying over stories for some reason maybe. Really though, I enjoy the speculation that it came from certain people in the epilogue.
-You know, while not everyone could make that hairdo work as well as Martha does, that doesn’t stop it from being a silly hairdo.
Also, I’m pathetic, I was having too much fun seeing her make funny face while figuring out what to capture for her hair and wound up wanting the picture to be funny faced.
-Look, even I have to take Martha’s side a bit when he gets all snitty and ‘Obviously it’s not real’ because just a few minutes ago he said it was witchcraft. I’m all for witchcraft being the application of science, but if you call a log a brick, don’t get upset if someone asks if bricks are real. I’d have been even more on her side if that was the point she made rather than saving she’d only just started believing in time travel.
-Now I’m back to shut up Martha.
His brain is obviously not on the sleeping arrangements; of course after you toothbrush attempt, you still haven’t used it; and you might as well be flirting with the bed, it might pay more attention.
-I actually find the music comical, it sounds so cheesy and romantic while the two of them are not having anything approaching the same conversation and the scene is building to “Rose would know.” I’m pretty sure it’s the romantic music playing in Martha’s head as the Doctor talks about something obvious staring him in the face that he’s not seeing, especially as he’s looking at her like she’s not even there.
If this were a comedy it would come to a screeching halt when she realizes he’s not on the same page. Although on the flip side, the first time though I had to wonder about the subtext of this, because it could be saying that he just needs to notice Martha is there and the problem would be solved. But now, I think it’s pretty clear that’s not the case.
-I’ve never had my ears pierced, but wouldn’t it be uncomfortable to sleep with those giant earrings in? And the rest of the jewelry?
-“Rose would know.”
Sniff. Poor Doctor, poor emo Doctor. Rose could always spot the piece of the puzzle he couldn’t see. He misses the team they had, he misses having the confidence that came with having her with him. Rose also would totally having been trying to bond with Lilith the barmaid before they found out she was evil because that’s what she did. Basically, there are a million ways Rose would have been awesome in this story, Martha, not so awesome. I miss the team too, and the confidence, and the smiles, I miss Rose.
-But then he remembers Martha is there and turns away, which probably hurts her worse.
When he’s looking past her at the elephant in the corner of the room (which is in The Elephant inn) it’s one thing, but when he shuts down and turns away, well that’s a pretty clear sign. Then he proceeds to call her a novice and say he’ll take her home the next day and it’s clear to me that it’s recoiling from what he just said because he didn’t mean to open up to her like that about missing Rose, it just slipped out; but to Martha, that’s got to sting. Why is she so gone on this guy?
-Oh, there’s snotty Martha, how charming.
-Um, is Lilith writing this, or is she just forcing Shakespeare to write about something specific but the words are his? I’m very confused.
-I find it funny to imagine the Doctor is thinking ‘Hey I could have slept over there, the floor looks comfortable over there, not much worse than the bed and I’d have some personal space. I miss Rose, it was our personal space then. She would have liked meeting Shakespeare, and said just the right thing to solve this. She was so pretty and smart and wonderful, why haven’t I gone to get her? Oh right, destroy a couple universes, that would be bad.” Causes emo look.
-Woot danger, off at a run, not seeming to look to see if Martha was even awake to follow.
He does that a lot this season, takes off ahead of Martha and doesn’t realize that she’s not keeping up with him. They never work in sync, and that’s just one of the ways it shows up.
-I could focus on the witch flying
but instead I would like to comment on what people are going to think of what Martha is wearing.
Really if there was ever a time for “You’ll cause a riot” this is it, but it just passes over again.
-Doctor, why use the “Rage, rage against the dying of the night” quote here? Not Shakespeare’s and that’s really not what killed her and it’s out of context I believe, so are you just taunting him with lines he can’t have?
-Well, Martha really does sound like she’s trying to be impressive.
I’m a little curious (as usual) with what the writers were going for here because Martha just seems really unevenly written between the last couple scenes, and right now they’re hitting us with the Martha is *smart* (got it?) side of the bat. I’m glad the Doctor likes her when she’s being smart though she kind of grates on me here and I think it’s because I don’t get what the reason is for it.
-Why did they go to the Globe first anyway if the Doctor was tuned into the idea that the architect might have some answers? Maybe there was a bunch of stuff that happened off screen looking for something secret about the construction before the scene we saw, but it’s hard to say there was.
-Again with the Doctor walking off on his own, and sort of treating Martha a bit like the stray dog she later compares herself to, all “Come on,” summoning.
He doesn’t treat her as an equal, but this is rather like he’s treated past companions, where he leads he expects them to follow. And she does, she’s a very good companion, but after Rose it just seems wrong to go back to that. Rose who wandered off and disobeyed, if he walked off without her, she would likely find something important on her own and get separated. In fact generally speaking this is the point in the story where the Doctor would wander one way and Rose another for a bit and they’d meet back up later and have the whole things figured out between them. If I don’t stop talking about Rose this recap is just going to keep getting longer.
-Flirty Shakespeare is really quite cute. “You are a royal beauty,” “But this is town,” he’s such a scoundrel, but I kind of like him.
And I like that Martha, while flattered and a bit charmed, is not swooning over him. Yes my opinion on Martha can’t seem to settle in this episode for anything.
-“We can all have a good flirt later.”
“Is that a promise Doctor?”
“Fifty seven academics just punched the air.”
I admit, that exchange went completely over my head the first time around, but I’m kind of dense. I can’t remember if I picked up on the Jack innuendo at first either, I probably had to have it spelled out for me. Also I might have still been giggling over “But this is town,” whining from the alleged genius of Will Shakespeare.
-What exactly are they poking fun of with “Sequels are never as good as the original,” or is it just a general comment because it’s pretty much true, and the idea of it going back centuries is amusing. But it’s a kind of problematic thing for a show in this rather unique position to say.
-I kind of like the actor boys.
They aren’t exactly pretty boys, but I like then mostly just because they’re fun. They aren’t a great as Morgenstern, but it’s nice to have them around.
-Again, I want this to be a “Martha” trait, a bit of her being a doctor, when she’s pissed about the care the patients in Bedlam receive, but it isn’t unique enough to be her rather than just anyone with what we consider common decency.
-Time Lord abilities. And the mind meld abilities at that.
I think this is the only time the get showed off this year right? Also, he tries to get Peter to let go of what has haunted him, but all he can really do is find a way of talking around it, pushing it aside, it’s all any of them can do.
As a side note this tends to factor into me thinking it’s only been a year or so for him since Doomsday happened just because this show is big on parallels and he asks Peter to go back a year to when everything was fine, that what’s happened since is just a story which judging by later in the season the Doctor views his own life as now.
-More death wish Doctor.
If they’re looking for volunteers for dying, he’s the first in line. Sure this time he was probably fairly confident he could get out of it, but I still think it counts in the death wish instances.
-I think even on first watch I wondered a bit where they were going with this name magic stuff.
Partly because I’ve done a lot of roleplaying and name magic tends to be something really powerful, and basically storytelling rules meant that it being introduced here it would either be important to stopping the Cariontites or it would be used against the Doctor. But I don’t think I had any idea what it would lead to.
-Also, I can sort of buy the words as a different basis for working the universe. I don’t know though, I’m a math and science nerd and everything comes down to math and science as far as I understand the universe, so that *is* a very alien way of approaching the universe, if I can find it making sense.
Actually that reminds me of something I was told once: Psychology is biology, biology is chemistry, chemistry is physics, physics is math, and everything comes down to math.
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no subject
Date: 2007-08-15 05:07 pm (UTC)The Doctor can't punch through the universes, but who's to say the Carrionites trapped (for now) on his TARDIS couldn't accomplish something like that whether by design or by accident when attempting an escape? What if they managed to prowl the TARDIS long enough to find the Doctor's True Name? If/when they were to find Rose, guess what? They can't perform the naming on her, because they've already used it once! Bwah!
no subject
Date: 2007-08-15 09:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-08-15 05:11 pm (UTC)And I remember liking Martha fairly well in this episode, but it is very uneven in this ep, how she mood swings more than a schizophrenic four days off her meds.
Looking forward to the last part!
no subject
Date: 2007-08-15 09:52 pm (UTC)And the Doctor always misses Rose, but he doesn't know how to express it, especially with Martha around. Doesn't mean her presence ever goes away.
no subject
Date: 2007-08-17 03:42 am (UTC)*Snort*
And I like that Martha, while flattered and a bit charmed, is not swooning over him.
Yes! So why in the hell did she react the way she did to the Doctor kissing her? Even after he assured her it meant nothing? Yes, I understand David is dreamy, but still. I'd like some consistency please. I just feel like she latched on to the Doctor so fast, and I still can't understand why, especially since he kept shooting her down and talking about this "Rose" person. It seems so at odds with the confident, level-headed character they were trying (I think) to build.
Really if there was ever a time for “You’ll cause a riot” this is it, but it just passes over again.
Heh. The only cleavage I've seen the Doctor notice belongs to one Rose Tyler. Case in point: New Earth.
no subject
Date: 2007-08-17 08:23 am (UTC)But kind of fitting, wouldn't have said it if I didn't at least think it kind of fit, though the screech sound effect would have been great.
So why in the hell did she react the way she did to the Doctor kissing her? Even after he assured her it meant nothing?...I just feel like she latched on to the Doctor so fast, and I still can't understand why, especially since he kept shooting her down and talking about this "Rose" person.
You know, it's funny, I hadn't even though up the comparison between the Shakespeare flattery and her crush on the Doctor, I really should have. But yeah, given her attitude here, why *does* she react to the Doctor the way she does? Does she like chasing guys more than being chased? The things it would be nice to know about Martha...just about anything personality-wise.
Strangely though, I think this episodes sits better with me in comparison to some later episodes, she hasn't gotten to know him yet, she hasn't had much time to process any of what's been happening much less her crush on this weird guy who just appeared in her world. "Rose would know" is the first real hint of just how taken he is, and though she gets snitty over it she doesn't act like she's entitled to his complete confidence and trust or put unexplained levels of trust in him and her crush wasn't treated as if it was "love". Yeah, I'm going to have lots to say over 'Gridlock,' TLE, 42, HN/FoB; because they annoy me a lot.
The only cleavage I've seen the Doctor notice belongs to one Rose Tyler. Case in point: New Earth.
Hee, even Reinette's heaving bosom outfits didn't draw much attention from him.
The dying of the light
Date: 2007-09-11 06:25 pm (UTC)-Doctor, why use the “Rage, rage against the dying of the night” quote here? Not Shakespeare’s and that’s really not what killed her and it’s out of context I believe, so are you just taunting him with lines he can’t have?
Because, IMHO, that quote is less about Shakespeare and more about him; he's raging still about the events of Doomsday, etc., and the loss of Rose. The poor beggar's mind isn't even in the same place as his body for most of the episode, it's in the past with Rose and how he hates his body for dragging his mind back to reality. :(
*hugs the doctor, for he doth surely need it*