Entry tags:
Telly watching
Feel I ought to write something, so here goes.
Watched 'Legend of the Sea Devils'. Spoilers under cut.
As with most things Chibnall, it was just sort of... there. Things happened. I don't really remember much. I think it was quite pretty?
Re. Thasmin, then (imho) Liz Sandifer hit the nail on the head:
I don't think it's queer baiting. No, it was simply just an afterthought. I'm not guessing, here are some quotes from Matt Strevens (the producer, apparently. I am SO out of touch.)
"I didn't know what Thasmin was" - Matt Strevens (x)
"Jodie said after the first season, oh there's speculation out there, but we hadn't really thought about it."
Matt Strevens confirms #Thasmin WAS NOT PLANNED at #gally1 (x)
I also came across this review on youtube. Fairly decent and balanced, but when he started talking about Thasmin (at 7:40) he pointed something out that I hadn't really thought about (because Chibnall Who really doesn't stick in my brain, like at all) - you should watch, he talks about a lot of stuff, but the main thing that struck me was him pointing out the fact that Yaz & Thirteen quite simply don't ACT like a couple in love (see Ten & Rose for the optimum example), or even like a couple that are deeply attracted but hesitant to say anything.
(Thirteen brought up River, which was... um, not the best comparison. He lit up whenever she appeared. They flirted to the point of indecency. They practically danced around each other, whether arguing or saving the day.)
I think the Doctor likes Yasmin. The Doctor has always had a thing for smart young (human) women, that is her TYPE. (I remember It Takes You Away in S1 - the one with the frog - had lovely 13/Yaz interactions, which very much confirmed 'Yes, the Doctor likes young women best.') But in this case, not romantically. Mostly then this is very accurate (and very brutal), but I still laughed. I feel bad, but...
In short (and imho) is not the LGBTQ+ representation you are looking for. They did the best with what they had - a Doctor incapable of communicating or talking about her emotions, and a companion in denial about her crush and never really managing to stand up to the Doctor.
(Imagine Thirteen with, idk, Clara? Or Amy. Or Donna. Or Martha. Someone to push back. Goodness, what a different show it would have been.)
~
ANYWAY. Onto GOOD and WONDERFUL representation. I watched Our Flag Means Death which is exactly as delightful and enjoyable as everyone said.
There is a lovely article here:
How Our Flag Means Death’s creator made a period romance disguised as a pirate comedy
David Jenkins opens up about everyone’s favorite queer pirate show
^MANY MANY SPOILERS
And![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
such_heights has a vid:
Bohemian Like You
summary: No I haven't heard your band, 'cause you guys are pretty new.
All I can really say is: Watch it! ♥ ♥ ♥
~
Sidebar: Amazing Good Omens icons here bymagnavox_23 who is incredibly talented.
~
What else? Oh yes. Then we binged the first three episodes of S2 of Russian Doll and ohmygodilovethisshowsomuch
I don't think I ever wrote about S1, partly because it was simply so perfect that I had nothing to say. S2 looks like it's equally inventive and SO CLEVER OMG (although going in a different kind of direction, no Groundhog Day this time). Partly I am just in awe of the ingenuity, but the other half of me just adores all the characters to tiny tiny pieces and I simply just want to spend more time with them. I'd watch them read the phone book, they're that wonderful and complex and real.
It's sort of... the opposite of Chibnall Who.
ETA: Watched episode 4, and it's just so gooood. Crazy, crazy clever and inventive, as well as just crazy. It all just runs off the sheer chaos energy that is Nadia.
Thought: There must be cross-over fic with Doctor Who. Esp since Nadia is probably one of the few people who a) could understand what the Doctor is on about (like, the science) and b) is more chaotic than the Doctor. Ye gods, the sparks would fly. <3
(In OFMD world, Ed would love her. She would make Stede very nervous.)
Watched 'Legend of the Sea Devils'. Spoilers under cut.
As with most things Chibnall, it was just sort of... there. Things happened. I don't really remember much. I think it was quite pretty?
Re. Thasmin, then (imho) Liz Sandifer hit the nail on the head:
I understand there are people for whom the way the Doctor/Yaz relationship was handled is exactly the queer representation they wanted, and they need to want better things.
— Elizabeth Sandifer (@ElSandifer) April 17, 2022
I don't think it's queer baiting. No, it was simply just an afterthought. I'm not guessing, here are some quotes from Matt Strevens (the producer, apparently. I am SO out of touch.)
"I didn't know what Thasmin was" - Matt Strevens (x)
"Jodie said after the first season, oh there's speculation out there, but we hadn't really thought about it."
Matt Strevens confirms #Thasmin WAS NOT PLANNED at #gally1 (x)
I also came across this review on youtube. Fairly decent and balanced, but when he started talking about Thasmin (at 7:40) he pointed something out that I hadn't really thought about (because Chibnall Who really doesn't stick in my brain, like at all) - you should watch, he talks about a lot of stuff, but the main thing that struck me was him pointing out the fact that Yaz & Thirteen quite simply don't ACT like a couple in love (see Ten & Rose for the optimum example), or even like a couple that are deeply attracted but hesitant to say anything.
(Thirteen brought up River, which was... um, not the best comparison. He lit up whenever she appeared. They flirted to the point of indecency. They practically danced around each other, whether arguing or saving the day.)
I think the Doctor likes Yasmin. The Doctor has always had a thing for smart young (human) women, that is her TYPE. (I remember It Takes You Away in S1 - the one with the frog - had lovely 13/Yaz interactions, which very much confirmed 'Yes, the Doctor likes young women best.') But in this case, not romantically. Mostly then this is very accurate (and very brutal), but I still laughed. I feel bad, but...
In short (and imho) is not the LGBTQ+ representation you are looking for. They did the best with what they had - a Doctor incapable of communicating or talking about her emotions, and a companion in denial about her crush and never really managing to stand up to the Doctor.
(Imagine Thirteen with, idk, Clara? Or Amy. Or Donna. Or Martha. Someone to push back. Goodness, what a different show it would have been.)
~
ANYWAY. Onto GOOD and WONDERFUL representation. I watched Our Flag Means Death which is exactly as delightful and enjoyable as everyone said.
There is a lovely article here:
How Our Flag Means Death’s creator made a period romance disguised as a pirate comedy
David Jenkins opens up about everyone’s favorite queer pirate show
^MANY MANY SPOILERS
And
such_heights has a vid:Bohemian Like You
summary: No I haven't heard your band, 'cause you guys are pretty new.
All I can really say is: Watch it! ♥ ♥ ♥
~
Sidebar: Amazing Good Omens icons here by
magnavox_23 who is incredibly talented.~
What else? Oh yes. Then we binged the first three episodes of S2 of Russian Doll and ohmygodilovethisshowsomuch
I don't think I ever wrote about S1, partly because it was simply so perfect that I had nothing to say. S2 looks like it's equally inventive and SO CLEVER OMG (although going in a different kind of direction, no Groundhog Day this time). Partly I am just in awe of the ingenuity, but the other half of me just adores all the characters to tiny tiny pieces and I simply just want to spend more time with them. I'd watch them read the phone book, they're that wonderful and complex and real.
It's sort of... the opposite of Chibnall Who.
ETA: Watched episode 4, and it's just so gooood. Crazy, crazy clever and inventive, as well as just crazy. It all just runs off the sheer chaos energy that is Nadia.
Thought: There must be cross-over fic with Doctor Who. Esp since Nadia is probably one of the few people who a) could understand what the Doctor is on about (like, the science) and b) is more chaotic than the Doctor. Ye gods, the sparks would fly. <3
(In OFMD world, Ed would love her. She would make Stede very nervous.)
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I am now really hoping for this (so it probably won't happen).
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Although he loves continuity, so Dhawan might just serve them all a cuppa tea and reminisce. With the Doctor tied up somewhere. Mmm, I'd watch that. ;)
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Hahahaha. XD
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The Master and the Doctor's companions is such an under-used dynamic for how gold it is every time it actually happens. Please, Chibbs. Give us this one thing.
ETA: now I'm just thinking about Delgado and "Miss Grant." God, why did Tom Baker stay on the show so damn long? There is way too much Who between you and the UNIT family era.
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*prays*
ETA: now I'm just thinking about Delgado and "Miss Grant." God, why did Tom Baker stay on the show so damn long? There is way too much Who between you and the UNIT family era.
I'm still stuck on The Armageddon Factor, which has been the case for, oh about a year?
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Oh god, that thing. I barely remember it except for how extraordinarily dull it was. Lala Ward played a princess or whatever so Romana will decide to steal her face later and the Key to Time stuff resolved . . . some kinda way. IDK, just watch the last 10 minutes or something.
I won't promise the next season is less stupid, but it is a lot more entertaining.
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Just to say that this made me laugh! I enjoyed it, just not enough to keep watching. ;)
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