The End of Time... part one
Dec. 26th, 2009 01:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lesmisloonyStill sorting through my feelings... I woke up today and just burst into tears. Screw you, Russell T Davies, and your evil ability to manipulate my happiness.
Okay... well, I watched it twice last night. The first time I watched it with Stacyfacy and spent the whole time rolling my eyes at the crummy special effects. Specifically that one time the Master jetted up into the air with that... Sylar energy... shooting out of his hands and then twirled away. If that one effect (and the part where everyone changed) had been better, I would have probably liked the entire episode more.
Anyway, then after Stacers left I watched it again. I liked it more at 4am when I was all alone. I knew what to expect that time, I guess. But the whole episode is rubbish next to that one scene with Wilf in the café. I showed that to my mom this morning and then burst into tears. That's Rusty at his best.
I admit I freaked out when I saw that giant Star Wars room of Time Lords (though I kind of knew they would come back), but what does this mean for the show? I haven't seen enough Old Who, but... well, maybe now that he's not the only one Eleven won't have to be as angsty as Ten. And the show can be light-hearted and fun again. But dangit, Ten, why did you have to make me resent Eleven? "Some new man goes sauntering off" or whatever. Gah. And why is Ten clinging so hard to this life? He wasn't so upset about regenerating when he was Nine. Or even when he was quasi-regenerating that one time when Cloney got born.
Ten made me really uncomfortable at the beginning of the episode. It wasn't even the good kind of uncomfortable like at the end of Waters of Mars (which, by the way, is probably my favourite of the specials): it was "I'm not even sure I like the Doctor at all right now and that's not okay for me to think" uncomfortable.
Wilf... I don't know. Wilf better not be a Time Lord. And, can I just say? I'm a little angry that all of series four was "ohh, Donna, you're so important! You're the most important woman in the universe!" and all that meant was "Donna contains a fraction of the Doctor's awesomeness for a second but then her brain explodes because she's just a human, so she's not important anymore." It's about time we saw someone who was awesome AND completely human. Though when that weird telly lady talked about Wilf, she said he was too late for the war, which to me shouts Time War (though perhaps it just meant whatever war caused Wilf to salute people the way he does).
Also, I feel like the plot is... over-reaching? Is that a word? Like, it would really be enough if the episode was just about the Master taking over humanity. I don't need this end of time stuff as well, because I'm pretty sure we already covered that (and better) at the end of series four. I mean, okay, technically that was the end of the universe, but whatever. And the whole "something is accelerating your species" thing has been done and done, right? So why bother? Why not just let it be the end of humanity rather than the end of time? Because you and me both know that time is not any more likely to end than the human race.
There's something about the Master that really bothers me the first time I see him. Like, when I first saw the end of series three I thought I was seeing the worst thing ever. I HATED the Master and was so upset that the Doctor was failing so hard. But after I knew the Doctor would be okay I was able to watch the episode again and giggle at the madness. The first time I watched The End of Time (part one) I just thought it was stupid. The flashy skeleton effect and the zoomy flight struck me as ridiculous, but the second time I watched it I accepted the whole return-gone-wrong thing and I felt much better about the episode as a whole. I really think it was the weird special effect that turned me off. Think how much scarier it would have been if his head wasn't flashing or if he just ran at those two homeless guys REALLY REALLY FAST. Not, like, Twilight running... more like New Moon running. You know. I mean, we get that he's gone wrong because John Simm is a good actor and he's eating everything in sight.
I don't even know what to say about the Obama stuff. Well, first off, Rusty, you do know that people don't make big important telly speeches on Christmas in America, right? I mean, I get that the Queen does a speech on Christmas if you're British, but it doesn't work like that around here. And... the actor who played Obama? I don't even know. The Harold Saxon episodes make me uncomfortable because of how much I can identify with those people who voted Saxon... to be honest, I wasn't initially sure why I was so strongly pro-Obama myself until I went to see him speak, and by that time I had already, like, journeyed to South Carolina and canvassed for him. So I didn't like seeing the actual Obama used in an episode that contained the Master, but luckily we didn't go there today. And since when is Obama's policy responsible for the well-being of Sir Digby Chicken Caesar and Ginger, lords of a British junkyard? (Did anyone else think of That Mitchell and Webb Look there? Or am I the only one who watches that show?) So yeah, I didn't much like the Obama stuff being thrown in until I was sure that it was just for show and they weren't making some giant terrible statement.
Other than the café scene, my favourite part of the whole episode might have been the Doctor yelling "Shimmer!" Or Wilf finally getting into the TARDIS. He deserves to be a companion more than anyone.
I await January 1st with terror and... well, dissatisfaction.
Also, this:
Okay... well, I watched it twice last night. The first time I watched it with Stacyfacy and spent the whole time rolling my eyes at the crummy special effects. Specifically that one time the Master jetted up into the air with that... Sylar energy... shooting out of his hands and then twirled away. If that one effect (and the part where everyone changed) had been better, I would have probably liked the entire episode more.
Anyway, then after Stacers left I watched it again. I liked it more at 4am when I was all alone. I knew what to expect that time, I guess. But the whole episode is rubbish next to that one scene with Wilf in the café. I showed that to my mom this morning and then burst into tears. That's Rusty at his best.
I admit I freaked out when I saw that giant Star Wars room of Time Lords (though I kind of knew they would come back), but what does this mean for the show? I haven't seen enough Old Who, but... well, maybe now that he's not the only one Eleven won't have to be as angsty as Ten. And the show can be light-hearted and fun again. But dangit, Ten, why did you have to make me resent Eleven? "Some new man goes sauntering off" or whatever. Gah. And why is Ten clinging so hard to this life? He wasn't so upset about regenerating when he was Nine. Or even when he was quasi-regenerating that one time when Cloney got born.
Ten made me really uncomfortable at the beginning of the episode. It wasn't even the good kind of uncomfortable like at the end of Waters of Mars (which, by the way, is probably my favourite of the specials): it was "I'm not even sure I like the Doctor at all right now and that's not okay for me to think" uncomfortable.
Wilf... I don't know. Wilf better not be a Time Lord. And, can I just say? I'm a little angry that all of series four was "ohh, Donna, you're so important! You're the most important woman in the universe!" and all that meant was "Donna contains a fraction of the Doctor's awesomeness for a second but then her brain explodes because she's just a human, so she's not important anymore." It's about time we saw someone who was awesome AND completely human. Though when that weird telly lady talked about Wilf, she said he was too late for the war, which to me shouts Time War (though perhaps it just meant whatever war caused Wilf to salute people the way he does).
Also, I feel like the plot is... over-reaching? Is that a word? Like, it would really be enough if the episode was just about the Master taking over humanity. I don't need this end of time stuff as well, because I'm pretty sure we already covered that (and better) at the end of series four. I mean, okay, technically that was the end of the universe, but whatever. And the whole "something is accelerating your species" thing has been done and done, right? So why bother? Why not just let it be the end of humanity rather than the end of time? Because you and me both know that time is not any more likely to end than the human race.
There's something about the Master that really bothers me the first time I see him. Like, when I first saw the end of series three I thought I was seeing the worst thing ever. I HATED the Master and was so upset that the Doctor was failing so hard. But after I knew the Doctor would be okay I was able to watch the episode again and giggle at the madness. The first time I watched The End of Time (part one) I just thought it was stupid. The flashy skeleton effect and the zoomy flight struck me as ridiculous, but the second time I watched it I accepted the whole return-gone-wrong thing and I felt much better about the episode as a whole. I really think it was the weird special effect that turned me off. Think how much scarier it would have been if his head wasn't flashing or if he just ran at those two homeless guys REALLY REALLY FAST. Not, like, Twilight running... more like New Moon running. You know. I mean, we get that he's gone wrong because John Simm is a good actor and he's eating everything in sight.
I don't even know what to say about the Obama stuff. Well, first off, Rusty, you do know that people don't make big important telly speeches on Christmas in America, right? I mean, I get that the Queen does a speech on Christmas if you're British, but it doesn't work like that around here. And... the actor who played Obama? I don't even know. The Harold Saxon episodes make me uncomfortable because of how much I can identify with those people who voted Saxon... to be honest, I wasn't initially sure why I was so strongly pro-Obama myself until I went to see him speak, and by that time I had already, like, journeyed to South Carolina and canvassed for him. So I didn't like seeing the actual Obama used in an episode that contained the Master, but luckily we didn't go there today. And since when is Obama's policy responsible for the well-being of Sir Digby Chicken Caesar and Ginger, lords of a British junkyard? (Did anyone else think of That Mitchell and Webb Look there? Or am I the only one who watches that show?) So yeah, I didn't much like the Obama stuff being thrown in until I was sure that it was just for show and they weren't making some giant terrible statement.
Other than the café scene, my favourite part of the whole episode might have been the Doctor yelling "Shimmer!" Or Wilf finally getting into the TARDIS. He deserves to be a companion more than anyone.
I await January 1st with terror and... well, dissatisfaction.
Also, this:
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no subject
Date: 2009-12-26 09:35 pm (UTC)Also, the whole regeneration=dying thing is crap. And you'd think that after having regenerated nine times the Doctor would have come to terms with it by now.
I think this episode has really been RTD at his worst: overblown and unbelievable sci-fi and poor characterization that exists only for emotional manipulation and false drama.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-27 03:54 am (UTC)SOOOO basically.. as someone who is clearly a total n00b at all this, here are my thoughts. Ok, so basically it has become clear that the doctor is choosing/has chosen the supposed happiness of his companions over his own.. We all know that he and Rose would BOTH be happier if he had let her stay with him after that whole weird clone thing happened, and to be honest she kinda pissed me off when she went along with that. Come on Rose, be a fighter. BUT anyway, she is in that effing parallel world. (but i heard that she is contracted with the show still.. is that true?? aka- is she going to be in part 2?? is she going to be with eleven somehow?? i need you to tell me this.)
SOANYWAYMYTHOUGHTS
at the beginning when wilf was in the church and the TARDIS WAS IN A STAINED GLASS WINDOW?! WHAT. that was seriously too much to handle. i mean, i like the IDEA of all that- prophecy & the like.. but Doctor Who, as a show, basically has made a lot of effort NOT to buy into the whole higher power-something more than science thing. The doctor does not believe in anything outside the scientific universe- hence the way he reacted to that satan thing a while back. soooo, trying to make the doctor a biblical thing all of a sudden just kind of weirded me out.
Wilf- amazing. I love him so much. And I love that Donna is like.. still involved even though she couldnt remember anything. The Master.. GUHHHH he is annoying. I am so over it with him. I dont think they should have included him in this at all.. i think that the whole dalek vs cybermen thing would have perhaps been a BETTER finale for ten than this is about to be. becuase i mean, seriously?!?! the "MASTER" race!??! that is ridic. what does he gain from that?!? NOTHING. at that point i would have just been more.. weirded out i guess than anything else. oh also, i love the ood. they are too cool.
i do think its brilliant how the little details lead up to big things-- stuff they do on Lost works out similarly and i love itttt. Like the whole face of bo, you are not alone thing.. then it was YANA in that one ep & now the timelords are BACK. thats a win. although i really thought that he was talking about Rose.. like, you are not alone like you think you are because rose is still around and might be back with you someday? BUH. i cant tell you how frustrated i am over her absence.
anyway
i hope donna's brain doesnt explode because of the whole memory thing.. haha. but i dont think it will. i think she will fight with him and then probably die in the end like rose said? maybe. who knows.
i really liked the series 4 finale- how EVERYONE was there & whatnot.. i think that they basically need to hold back on their INCREDIBLE stories and stuff because there has to be something left for eleven. they should have probably planned out the ENTIRE run of the show from the beginning.. because i think that part of the reason its not as good as it could be is because theyre trying to make shows based on actors, when they should have gotten actors based on shows. if that makes any sense at all.
i have a lot more thoughts on the doctor himself.. wont get too much into that.. but basically i feel like he finally felt GOOD when he had rose, and maybe he is resistant towards regenerating again because this is the face of the doctor that rose has fallen in love with.
all for now, you are IMing me. :)