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Meta: Swift musings on the Moffat era
Cautiously opens the door to the meta café a tiny bit...
I have been saying for years now that Moffat has been re-booting the show… Here is how he did it.
Of course this was a sort of backwards re-boot, as it was RTD who brought the show back and in the process transformed it. He came up with the Time War, and we saw the fallout from that mostly in the Tenth Doctor.
However that was clearly not a sustainable way for the show to function – Ten was a hollow shell by the end of his run.
So Moffat began his reboot. It’s easier if we divide it up by Companions, than Doctors, because it’s in the Companions’ roles that we most clearly see how he has progressed things - this is a VERY quick run-through, but I thought it'd be helpful now we stand at the brink of the new:
Ponds (family)
The first project was to look after the Doctor himself. He was a lonely, volatile creature by the end of The End of Time, and the Ponds gave him an intensive course of family therapy. He (re-)learned to trust, and to love and to just be happy. It gave him ties to the world that he had not had since the loss of Gallifrey, and in River a wife with abilities very much like his own; and she had a lifespan long enough to become a genuine partner. The Doctor once more became the Trickster character/wizard he is supposed to be.
Rather than Time Lords, we had The Church of the Silence, and Eleven’s life revolved around a crack in a wall, at the other side of which was Gallifrey…
Clara (home)
Clara was the one who brought back Gallifrey, and was at the heart of the reboot (which is one reason why she was such a complex and highly capable character. She literally is the ur-Companion). This was a long project, and a complicated one, and from the first she was mirrored with the Doctor himself (and would of course in the end get her own TARDIS). She was also intimately tied up with the Time Lords and Gallifrey and the Time War. She was the one who was there when the Doctor saved Gallifrey in The Day of the Doctor and the one who in The Time of the Doctor answered the question, as well as demanding that the Time Lords save the Doctor.
And so Gallifrey was found, and the Doctor got a new lease of life. But these things don’t come cheap. Twelve was in many ways a reboot of the Doctor himself; grouchy and short tempered with humans. Clara – as predicted (see icon, and who she is mirrored with) – stepped into the granddaughter role, smoothing out and helping and becoming generally indispensable. Of course she was also Missy’s pawn; specifically chosen for the Doctor, and Missy heralded the proper return of Gallifrey (as well as being mirrored with Clara - Clara is All The Things). Clara’s death was the starting point for Gallifrey’s actual return, and the Doctor’s atonement. He spent 400 years thinking he had murdered his own kind, and then four and a half billion years punching a path back through to them (although of course he is doing it for Clara. Still. Atonement). Nevertheless, it’s a hard road and one that makes Gallifrey’s return ‘earned’ in a way that would otherwise be hard to justify.
And then – he dies. (Well, if we see a mindwipe as a kind of death.)
River (love)
After that comes the Singing Towers and a night that lasts 24 years… The Doctor emerges from this older, kinder, more melancholy and also exactly what the Doctor should be. River loves him unconditionally, whilst also seeing him clearly, and that kind of intense TLC is what his Ponds were there for, and he gets one last infusion before setting him on his path anew… ♥
Bill (new start)
All of which brings us up to Bill and The Pilot. The show has now been thoroughly, properly, re-booted. And is back exactly where it was in the beginning. The Doctor is a renegade, the Time Lords are mostly stuffy and pompous and the Doctor doesn’t get on with them. The Master/Missy is knocking about somewhere, brewing up something to attract the Doctor’s attention and the Doctor is inviting a new companion along, excited at the possibilities and ready for new adventures.
I have been saying for years now that Moffat has been re-booting the show… Here is how he did it.
Of course this was a sort of backwards re-boot, as it was RTD who brought the show back and in the process transformed it. He came up with the Time War, and we saw the fallout from that mostly in the Tenth Doctor.
However that was clearly not a sustainable way for the show to function – Ten was a hollow shell by the end of his run.
So Moffat began his reboot. It’s easier if we divide it up by Companions, than Doctors, because it’s in the Companions’ roles that we most clearly see how he has progressed things - this is a VERY quick run-through, but I thought it'd be helpful now we stand at the brink of the new:
Ponds (family)
The first project was to look after the Doctor himself. He was a lonely, volatile creature by the end of The End of Time, and the Ponds gave him an intensive course of family therapy. He (re-)learned to trust, and to love and to just be happy. It gave him ties to the world that he had not had since the loss of Gallifrey, and in River a wife with abilities very much like his own; and she had a lifespan long enough to become a genuine partner. The Doctor once more became the Trickster character/wizard he is supposed to be.
Rather than Time Lords, we had The Church of the Silence, and Eleven’s life revolved around a crack in a wall, at the other side of which was Gallifrey…
Clara (home)
Clara was the one who brought back Gallifrey, and was at the heart of the reboot (which is one reason why she was such a complex and highly capable character. She literally is the ur-Companion). This was a long project, and a complicated one, and from the first she was mirrored with the Doctor himself (and would of course in the end get her own TARDIS). She was also intimately tied up with the Time Lords and Gallifrey and the Time War. She was the one who was there when the Doctor saved Gallifrey in The Day of the Doctor and the one who in The Time of the Doctor answered the question, as well as demanding that the Time Lords save the Doctor.
And so Gallifrey was found, and the Doctor got a new lease of life. But these things don’t come cheap. Twelve was in many ways a reboot of the Doctor himself; grouchy and short tempered with humans. Clara – as predicted (see icon, and who she is mirrored with) – stepped into the granddaughter role, smoothing out and helping and becoming generally indispensable. Of course she was also Missy’s pawn; specifically chosen for the Doctor, and Missy heralded the proper return of Gallifrey (as well as being mirrored with Clara - Clara is All The Things). Clara’s death was the starting point for Gallifrey’s actual return, and the Doctor’s atonement. He spent 400 years thinking he had murdered his own kind, and then four and a half billion years punching a path back through to them (although of course he is doing it for Clara. Still. Atonement). Nevertheless, it’s a hard road and one that makes Gallifrey’s return ‘earned’ in a way that would otherwise be hard to justify.
And then – he dies. (Well, if we see a mindwipe as a kind of death.)
River (love)
After that comes the Singing Towers and a night that lasts 24 years… The Doctor emerges from this older, kinder, more melancholy and also exactly what the Doctor should be. River loves him unconditionally, whilst also seeing him clearly, and that kind of intense TLC is what his Ponds were there for, and he gets one last infusion before setting him on his path anew… ♥
Bill (new start)
All of which brings us up to Bill and The Pilot. The show has now been thoroughly, properly, re-booted. And is back exactly where it was in the beginning. The Doctor is a renegade, the Time Lords are mostly stuffy and pompous and the Doctor doesn’t get on with them. The Master/Missy is knocking about somewhere, brewing up something to attract the Doctor’s attention and the Doctor is inviting a new companion along, excited at the possibilities and ready for new adventures.
no subject
Exactly! And also "Be on your guard!"
And since Davros keeps going on about how 'one of them will die' clearly it's accurate. After all, what are we without our memories?
Different, which is what makes Alzheimer's so cruel. And also why River found it so hard to deal with Ten as he had no memories of her or their relationship. No memories means no context; no context means no understanding
"You know when you see a photograph of someone you know, but it's from years before you knew them. It's like they're not quite finished; they're not done yet. Well, yes, the Doctor's here. He came when I called, just like he always does, but not my Doctor..."
"I am the Doctor!"
"Yeah." *looks down* "Someday."
and also
"God, you're hard work when you're young!"
And I don't think we ever see Eleven do mind wipes? I can't recall any.
No, although he does spend the first Christmas special substantially altering Kazran's memories as Kazran watches which isn't exactly a good thing. But no mind wipes. Not with the Silence there to show him how awful it was. *cough*
Still love it SO MUCH!! >:)
I almost cried because I was so anxious about having Donna's fate brought up again. Seeing it happen once was bad enough but to think it would happen AGAIN... and to then have Moff through Clara clearly and explicitly state that mindwiping someone was WRONG, that it was cruel and unacceptable and should never be an option... what a gift. *sigh* Even if Moff had given me nothing else (and he's given me a lot), that would have been enough.
And he gets so ANGRY.
The privileged don't like to be reminded of their privilege. It was a bit like Danny saluting the Doctor and calling him "sir", it was guaranteed to push his buttons because it reminded him of everything he wanted to forget.
(Also apologies for the three million edits.)
No apology necessary. :)
no subject
Eleven also seemed less telepathically inclined in general than either Ten or Twelve. Particularly less so than Twelve. I remember him implanting instructions in Amy's head when he was putting her in the Pandorica, but other than that? Remind me if I'm missing something.
There was a lot of headcannon going around in season eight that Twelve didn't like to be touched because he's a lot more telepathically sensitive than his predecessor. Which sounded plausible to me.
no subject
I can't recall anything. He makes changes & adds to people's lives - the past is malleable, but never takes away.
There was a lot of headcannon going around in season eight that Twelve didn't like to be touched because he's a lot more telepathically sensitive than his predecessor. Which sounded plausible to me.
Oh I like that. Yes.
no subject
Yeah, Eleven mucked about in people's timelines rather than their minds.
Oh I like that. Yes.
Good isn't it? Who am I kidding:I glommed onto that like a fourteen year old Tumblr-ite. But nobody escapes Star Trek fandom without a massive touch telepathy kink. Anyone who tells you differently is lying.
no subject
Time can be rewritten. If you have a bad story, tell a better one. But also River - don't change a thing, or it all falls apart. (And not knowing was all part of it.)
Good isn't it? Who am I kidding:I glommed onto that like a fourteen year old Tumblr-ite. But nobody escapes Star Trek fandom without a massive touch telepathy kink. Anyone who tells you differently is lying.
LOL. And my very first 'fandom' (or the first thing I was obsessed with, rather) was Elfquest, which was about [telepathic] elves. Kink firmly in place. :)
no subject
I like this and it would make a lot of sense.
no subject
Now I want to rewatch The Dalek Asylum...
Different, which is what makes Alzheimer's so cruel. And also why River found it so hard to deal with Ten as he had no memories of her or their relationship. No memories means no context; no context means no understanding
:(
No, although he does spend the first Christmas special substantially altering Kazran's memories as Kazran watches which isn't exactly a good thing. But no mind wipes. Not with the Silence there to show him how awful it was. *cough*
Heh. And yes, he *alters* memories (a lot, just look at Amy) but he tends to ADD not detract.
and to then have Moff through Clara clearly and explicitly state that mindwiping someone was WRONG, that it was cruel and unacceptable and should never be an option... what a gift. *sigh* Even if Moff had given me nothing else (and he's given me a lot), that would have been enough.
There is this feeling of 'DO YOU NEVER LEARN???' But Clara told him. And so did Bill. >:) (Mind you, I'm not saying Donna's mindwipe was wrong. She was going to die, and quite frankly - tragic as her mindwipe was - I don't think a life without the Doctor is worse than death.) (However I have written fic about this, so I shall shut up.)
The privileged don't like to be reminded of their privilege. It was a bit like Danny saluting the Doctor and calling him "sir", it was guaranteed to push his buttons because it reminded him of everything he wanted to forget.
Ah, but also a reminder of what it feels like from the other side. That he was robbed of his best friend, and can never get her back. It was a shot that went clean through the armour and he didn't like it one bit.
no subject
No, I agree. However, for me, it goes into the issue of choice and the fact that Donna's choice about what happened was taken away from her.
Ah, but also a reminder of what it feels like from the other side. That he was robbed of his best friend, and can never get her back. It was a shot that went clean through the armour and he didn't like it one bit.
I think that's a requirement for a companion, isn't it? To ask the Armour-Piercing Question as TV Tropes calls it, to make him stop and think.
no subject
Which is why I wrote fic. :) Although there was a lovely meta (the LJ has now been deleted, grumbles) which argued that Donna had become TheDoctorDonna (her mind taken over much like Sky (I think?) in Midnight, and she had to 'die' in order for Donna herself to survive. I like that take.
I think that's a requirement for a companion, isn't it? To ask the Armour-Piercing Question as TV Tropes calls it, to make him stop and think.
Good point. :)
no subject
That is a lovely interpretation though I'm not really sure it's supported by the text. However, I shall take it and hold it close to my heart.
no subject
However, it was long & indepth, and pointed out how Donna starts talking like the Doctor, mimicking his language & word-choices - ie. the DoctorDonna (HEY SHE IS A HYBRID!! AND HYBRIDS ARE DANGEROUS!!) taking over.
So yes, hold it close and remember it.
no subject
no subject
At first she can just access information, but then it begins to change her...