The past is another country...

[elisi]

So [for long unimportant explanations] I was looking through old LJ entries, and came across one from the 13th of May 2006. Amongst other things I wrote:

***
A Doctor Who question: Was last week's episode *important*? We missed it what with being in London (specifically I think we were on the tube at the time) and then for some annoying reason it didn't show up on replay! *grumblegrumblegrumble* Anyway - any major plot developments that I should be aware of?
Here are some of the replies:

gamiila:

Was last week's Who important? Erm...no, not really. It just had the Doctor falling for Mme de Pompadour and abandoning Rose and Mickey on a starship 3,000 years into the future without a moment's hesitation.


scarlettgirl:

Was it important

Wha....????

::flails::

Of course it was important! Was "Fool for Love" *important*? Was "Darla" *important*?

Elisi!!!

It was just beautiful and heartbreaking and...it very nearly broke fandom.


the_royal_anna:

I have last week's Doctor Who on tape and can send it to you if you like? Then you can make up your own mind. :)

***
Looking back, I DO remember all the furore over The Girl In The Fireplace (all the Rose fans were outraged, I was thrilled because the Doctor got laid...). But it's disappeared in the distance, blending into the canon of the show. The issues of *now* are so very different.

Also, the fact that someone had TAPED it, and POSTED IT TO ME, is so adorably quaint that I am all aflail.

ETA: OK, so I ended up having to find & watch this:

Watch on YouTube

And then feeling sad that it's so old that it doesn't include all the Ten/Liz I snogging... Also, RTD cast Tennant when he was Casanova, what did people expect? ;)

Comments

[nostalgia]

SO OLD SKOOL

[elisi]

I KNOW!

And then I had to go find this vid: Ten Kissed A Girl (And He Liked It!)

Oh, the days when people weren't aware what a little flirt machine Ten was... (Also that vid REALLY needs some Ten/Liz 1 stuff in there. *g*)

[watervole]

I'd forgotten just how many girls he did kiss!
Girl in the Fireplace - loved it!

[elisi]

I'd forgotten just how many girls he did kiss!
And I'm sure there were more. Like the diamond heist girl.

Girl in the Fireplace - loved it!
Just a wonderful episode all round. ♥

[greensword]

Oh man, I was so annoyed then about the kissing. I was on team The-Doctor-is-an-alien-and-shouldn't-kiss-humans - still am, but I have long since given up the fight. ;)

I love digging around in old entries. It's good to remember our past selves occasionally.

[elisi]

Oh man, I was so annoyed then about the kissing. I was on team The-Doctor-is-an-alien-and-shouldn't-kiss-humans - still am, but I have long since given up the fight. ;)
It was the most HILARIOUS thing to me. Because all the Doctor/Rise shippers were up in arms and I was just sitting in a corner, eating popcorn and enjoying the spectacle. I have nothing against the Doctor snogging people (humans, zygons, I don't judge), but I am very much against them having a relationship with a companion - the power imbalance is off-putting.

I love digging around in old entries. It's good to remember our past selves occasionally.
Very much so.

[orangerful]

oh my, back in the day, trading all the tapes. :)

You know, I have Casanova on DVD and I've never watched it! My Mom bought it for me when I was in my Doctor Who phase hardcore (even though I started with Matt but whatever).

[elisi]

oh my, back in the day, trading all the tapes. :)
And VHS was definitely on the way out. But.

You know, I have Casanova on DVD and I've never watched it!
Ooh, it's good fun. Like, Ten if he'd fob watched himself into a sex god. ;) Also lots of interesting historical details - Casanova invented the lottery f.ex.

[yourlibrarian]

Also, the fact that someone had TAPED it, and POSTED IT TO ME, is so adorably quaint that I am all aflail.

Heh, and it doesn't even seem that long ago! It makes one wonder what fandom will be like 12 years from now.

[elisi]

It makes one wonder what fandom will be like 12 years from now.
We will download everything into the next generation of Google Glass?

[unfeathered]

One of my absolute favourite episodes. Still love it every time I watch it. Definitely important! :-D

Also, I ADORE your icon! Brilliant!

[unfeathered]

Your icon got me thinking about Blackadder and made me remember I once wrote this drabble, and now I'm drawing all sorts of new connections in the light of Ten now having actually *married* Queenie! :-D

[elisi]

It's just SUCH a lovely episode. <3

Also, I ADORE your icon! Brilliant!
And I got kathyh to make the icon for me after... Oh End of Time Pt1, what with Ten talking about Liz 1.

[eaweek.livejournal.com]

I loved this episode! And I was a Ten-Rose shipper! But I also became a Ten-Reinette shipper! And later a Ten-Master shipper! And a Ten-River shipper! I adored Tennant, and I wanted to ship his Doctor with **everyone**.

Oddly, though, I only ever shipped Eleven with River. I guess "my" Eleven was a one-woman man. : )

Seriously, though, GITF was just wonderful. Clever, creative, creepy, beautifully filmed, gorgeous costumes. It breaks my heart a little that the Doctor still hasn't made the connection between Reinette and the name of the spaceship.

[elisi]

I adored Tennant, and I wanted to ship his Doctor with **everyone**.
Quite right too!

Oddly, though, I only ever shipped Eleven with River. I guess "my" Eleven was a one-woman man. : )
Well he DID marry her.

Seriously, though, GITF was just wonderful. Clever, creative, creepy, beautifully filmed, gorgeous costumes.
Mmmm. ♥ ♥ ♥

It breaks my heart a little that the Doctor still hasn't made the connection between Reinette and the name of the spaceship.
To be fair, for him it was like a single day. And maybe he remembered later - newly regenerated he's never much good, just look at Eight.

[poniesandphotos.livejournal.com]

I was an anti-rose-er. I'm actually re-watching with a friend who's new to Who and I'm reminded again why Rose was not my favorite person. So I adored Reinette.

As the above poster said, I was happy enough with 10/Reinette and 10/River. But 11/River is my OTP for who.

[elisi]

I was an anti-rose-er. I'm actually re-watching with a friend who's new to Who and I'm reminded again why Rose was not my favorite person. So I adored Reinette.
LOL. I never minded Rose. I just... didn't find her particularly interesting.

As the above poster said, I was happy enough with 10/Reinette and 10/River. But 11/River is my OTP for who.
Oooh yes, they're THE ship. <333

[sea_thoughts]

LMAO I remember the absolute fury from some quarters at the Doctor daring to love someone other than Rose. But honestly, how could anyone resist Reinette? Even Rose had to admit she was the bomb.

GITF remains important because it was the first time Moff played around with the idea of someone "waiting" for the Doctor and how the Doctor might just end up missing them...

[elisi]

But honestly, how could anyone resist Reinette? Even Rose had to admit she was the bomb.
Good point!

GITF remains important because it was the first time Moff played around with the idea of someone "waiting" for the Doctor and how the Doctor might just end up missing them...
Tiiiiiime!

[flowsoffire.livejournal.com]

*giggles* Oh my god I wasn't even watching the sh—OH MY GOD OKAY I WAS TWELVE XD

*goes away to hide* Sorry ;)

[elisi]

I suppose you were in another country and all that... MY GIRLS were watching. Although they were 7, 5 and almost 1. ;)

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

I remember watching this back when I was still a casual watcher but not yet in the fandom. And when I still tried to get over Nine who was my first Doctor. I was trying to come to terms with this weird new Doctor who was jumping around so much but hadn't yet fallen for him. And I clearly remember this being the first episode that I actually loved.

Looking at it back later, of course one can see and understand the complaints. It would have been better as a single adventure, without any companion. Clearly Moffat had no idea what to do with the others and only wanted to tell this story. But it's beautiful and it's sad.

[elisi]

I was trying to come to terms with this weird new Doctor who was jumping around so much but hadn't yet fallen for him. And I clearly remember this being the first episode that I actually loved.
Aw, that is just lovely. ♥ (And I can understand why.)

Clearly Moffat had no idea what to do with the others and only wanted to tell this story. But it's beautiful and it's sad.
Hmmm. I think it works very well with them - the fact that he abandons them to go save Reinette is the most Doctor-y thing ever. It wouldn't have the same impact if he wasn't leaving something behind.

[ragnarok-08.livejournal.com]

Looking back, I DO remember all the furore over The Girl In The Fireplace (all the Rose fans were outraged, I was thrilled because the Doctor got laid...).

I remember that too, and while I liked Rose, I felt the same way back when I first saw it.

[elisi]

It was SO FUNNY. (And of course sad.) <3

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

That was always one of my favourite episodes for Ten <3 I remember being shocked at how unpopular it was when I came online to read all the responses, the critics mostly absolutely adored it, but fandom seemed very mixed on it, that episode seems to be the time when the Moffat hate really began in earnest?

[elisi]

Well, the Ten/Rose shippers hated it.

Otherwise, fandom was very much worshipping on the altar of Moffat. He was the saviour who would redeem the show that RTD had ruined.

And now Chibnall will save the show from Moffat... Auroboros.

[a-phoenixdragon.livejournal.com]

*HUGS*

I do remember the brouhaha over this. And I wasn't even IN fandom at the time. *chuckles*

[elisi]

Do not upset the shippers...