Encouraged by an essay in a certain book that I will review soon, I have turned my attention to Season 10 of the classic series again (well I did enjoy The Three Doctors). A few weeks ago I watched the final episode of that season, The Green Death.
And yes, I did think more of it than 'ew maggots'. Although there was much 'ew maggots' going on.
I love Jo Grant. I really, really do. The impression I got from listening to fandom was that she was a blonde ditz in inappropriate clothing. She is so much more than that (and I want her shoes!). I have now seen Jo in two Doctor Who stories and one Sarah Jane Adventures story and the strongest impression I get from her is passion. Give her a cause and she will fight for it with everything that she has. When she believes in something, she is tenacious and will even disobey the Doctor.
Jo Grant also does not like being treated like she is stupid. She's not stupid. She's just not a scientist. In The Green Death, she offers her help in going to down the mine, stating that she has first aid training that might be needed. When the Professor is ignoring her in the lab, she takes herself off to trap a maggot for him to study. Yes, it ultimately doesn't work out, but that was because the Brigadier called in an air strike, not because she wasn't capable. I really liked Jo in this story.
The other main thing I noted about The Green Death, is how relevant it is to what is here and now, in the twenty-first century. There is renewable energy (the nuthutch runs on water and wind power), environmental issues (the whole point of the story is that Global Chemicals is pumping it's waste into the old mine shaft and causing disaster and giant poisonous maggots), issues with the dangers of Artificial Intelligence (Global Chemicals is being run by a hypnotising computer obsessed with efficiency), globalisation (the Brigadier's original orders are to help Global Chemicals - they are global and have friends in high places), and corporate responsibility (the character Elgin sees many discrepancies with what his bosses are saying and wants to stop everything while the deaths are investigated, particularly when he discovers that they are indeed dumping their waste). All these issues are highly topical and relevant today. Even more so than in the 1970s, when this was aired.
Jumping to the end, I was struck by how heartbroken the Third Doctor was when Jo decided to stay with Professor Jones, get married and then travel up the Amazon. The image of him slipping out, climbing into Bessie and riving off into the night is very poignant. Even in his early days, losing his companions hurt.
All in all, I really loved this story. Next up I have another story from season 10 to watch. Carnival of Monsters, here I come!
Sunday 27 January 2013
Friday 11 January 2013
SPOILERS: The Snowmen
So, the Doctor Who Christmas Special 2012 - also known as Moffatt Broke My Brain... Again!
I've only seen it twice, and it's already disappeared from ABC's iView, unfortunately. But oh my goodness, it was brilliant! Completely bonkers, but that is how I like my Doctor Who.
This was very much the Clara Show. It was probably always going to be like that, because it's her proper introduction after all. Well, so we thought.
The look of the show was fabulous. The Snowmen and the snowflakes were suitably creepy and the BBC always knows how to do Victorian London. The most magical moment was when Clara followed the Doctor and climbed the invisible wrought iron staircase through the clouds to where the TARDIS was parked. Pure fairytale.
Madame Vastra and Jenny were back, married by now, and full of snark. The scene where they interrogated Clara using the one word method was marvellous. Also, I love the idea of them being Conan Doyle's inspiration for Sherlock Holmes. Strax has been resurrected - even the Doctor isn't entirely sure how. He was very much relegated to comic relief, but Dan Starkey pulled it off beautifully. The scene where he was trying to get the memory work in order to wipe Clara's last hour was hilarious, even more so because Clara could see what was about to happy and also found it funny. She was definitely representing the audience at the moment.
The Doctor had done exactly what both River and Amy had warned him against and completely withdrawn. However, unlike Ten (who travelled on his own and got into trouble), Eleven has retired. He's picked a moment in history where he has friends to watch out for him, picked his cloud and retired. The only sign of the Ponds is Amy's reading glasses, now used by the Doctor. He's very reluctant to investigate anything until Clara comes up with the magic word. He then gets dragged into events because, really he never can resist a good mystery. The bow tie is back and he's off an running.
The chemistry between the Doctor and Clara is absolutely magnificent. He now has someone who can talk just as fast as he can. I pity my poor brain, trying to keep up with the banter for the rest of the season.
Clara. She's clearly a consummate actress, switching from low class barmaid to high class Mary Poppins with ease. And she definitely has the curiosity that all good companions need. Enough so that she chases after the Doctor no matter how many times he tries to get rid of her. She's smart, figuring out why the Doctor grabbed the umbrella. She's so good, that the Doctor gives her a key to the TARDIS straight off.
And then she dies.
Clara Oswin Oswald, born 23 November.
Souffle Girl.
Two different times. Two different places. Two different deaths. Echoes of personality and conversation.
The Doctor is definitely hooked.
She seems to be shattered through time and space, different shards of the same person interacting with the Doctor's time line. But how and why? Only Mr Moffat can tell us.
In the end, the villain and the plot didn't really make much of an impression on me (somewhat of a waste of the acting talents of Richard E Grant and Ian McKellan). I haven't seen enough of classic Who yet for the Great Intelligence to mean much to me. This was about Clara.
I suspect I'll be saying that a lot this year. I can't wait.
I've only seen it twice, and it's already disappeared from ABC's iView, unfortunately. But oh my goodness, it was brilliant! Completely bonkers, but that is how I like my Doctor Who.
This was very much the Clara Show. It was probably always going to be like that, because it's her proper introduction after all. Well, so we thought.
The look of the show was fabulous. The Snowmen and the snowflakes were suitably creepy and the BBC always knows how to do Victorian London. The most magical moment was when Clara followed the Doctor and climbed the invisible wrought iron staircase through the clouds to where the TARDIS was parked. Pure fairytale.
Madame Vastra and Jenny were back, married by now, and full of snark. The scene where they interrogated Clara using the one word method was marvellous. Also, I love the idea of them being Conan Doyle's inspiration for Sherlock Holmes. Strax has been resurrected - even the Doctor isn't entirely sure how. He was very much relegated to comic relief, but Dan Starkey pulled it off beautifully. The scene where he was trying to get the memory work in order to wipe Clara's last hour was hilarious, even more so because Clara could see what was about to happy and also found it funny. She was definitely representing the audience at the moment.
The Doctor had done exactly what both River and Amy had warned him against and completely withdrawn. However, unlike Ten (who travelled on his own and got into trouble), Eleven has retired. He's picked a moment in history where he has friends to watch out for him, picked his cloud and retired. The only sign of the Ponds is Amy's reading glasses, now used by the Doctor. He's very reluctant to investigate anything until Clara comes up with the magic word. He then gets dragged into events because, really he never can resist a good mystery. The bow tie is back and he's off an running.
The chemistry between the Doctor and Clara is absolutely magnificent. He now has someone who can talk just as fast as he can. I pity my poor brain, trying to keep up with the banter for the rest of the season.
Clara. She's clearly a consummate actress, switching from low class barmaid to high class Mary Poppins with ease. And she definitely has the curiosity that all good companions need. Enough so that she chases after the Doctor no matter how many times he tries to get rid of her. She's smart, figuring out why the Doctor grabbed the umbrella. She's so good, that the Doctor gives her a key to the TARDIS straight off.
And then she dies.
Clara Oswin Oswald, born 23 November.
Souffle Girl.
Two different times. Two different places. Two different deaths. Echoes of personality and conversation.
The Doctor is definitely hooked.
She seems to be shattered through time and space, different shards of the same person interacting with the Doctor's time line. But how and why? Only Mr Moffat can tell us.
In the end, the villain and the plot didn't really make much of an impression on me (somewhat of a waste of the acting talents of Richard E Grant and Ian McKellan). I haven't seen enough of classic Who yet for the Great Intelligence to mean much to me. This was about Clara.
I suspect I'll be saying that a lot this year. I can't wait.
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