Doctory thoughts...

[elisi]

Re-watched ‘Rose’ the other day, and I am still annoyed by the same things as on first view. I beg of anyone trying out this show, do not judge it on it’s pilot. Watch up to ‘Dalek’ at least. Oh and The Girl in the Fireplace is *awesome*! :)

ETA: Ack! I has been linked! Should probably clarify that I have a huge fondness for 'Rose', so please don't start defending it - I love it really. I was just focussing on the less good parts, OK?

OK, so some things in the pilot get turned around later - I am very, very grateful that they made Mickey a hero, but even so he’s *impossibly* pathetic here.

Looking at the transcipt, I realised that there was dialogue that I never really caught due to the shouting and stuff - which is sad, because it’s v. good.

DOCTOR: Nothing, it loves you. You've got such a good planet. Lots of smoke and oil, plenty of toxins and dioxins in the air... perfect. Just what the Nestene Consciousness needs. It's food stock was destroyed in the war, all its protein plants rotted, so Earth... dinner!

[later...]

[The Autons grab him. One of them takes the anti-plastic out of his jacket pocket]
DOCTOR: That was just insurance! I wasn't going to use it.
[The plastic globbers angrily]
DOCTOR: I was not attacking you. I'm here to help. I'm not your enemy. I swear, I'm not... what do you mean?
[Doors above him open to reveal the TARDIS]
DOCTOR: Oh, oh no - honestly, no! Yes, that's my ship.
[The plastic roars]
DOCTOR: That's not true. I should know, I was there. I fought in the war - it wasn't my fault! I couldn't save your world! I couldn't save any of them!
ROSE: What's it doing?!
DOCTOR: It's the TARDIS! The Nestene has identified its superior technology - it's terrified! It's going to the final base. It's starting the invasion! Get out, Rose! Just leg it! Now!

I never heard the ‘terrified’ line before... which is a shame, because it shows that to a great extent it is The Doctor himself who brings the situation to critical point... Who - what - he is, is dangerous. And of course he tries to save the Nestene, since it is in some way his own victim - or fellow victim... a victim of the Time War.

Anyway, then came the part that really made me grumble when I first saw it, and *still* makes me grumble now: The Doctor is being held by one auton - ONE! - and he can’t get free. And he’s supposed to be the hero? Yes I get that Rose has to save the day, that’s fine, but do not make the actual hero so pathetic. My exact thoughts at the time were: 'Well Spike or Angel would have got out of there without even breaking a sweat'. Please give me something to admire - otherwise what’s the point?

Aaaanywho, I was looking through the transcript for The Girl in The Fireplace - which continues to delight upon repeated viewings - and came across this bit which I’d forgotten. (From when The Doctor is searching through her memories):

Reinette flinches.

DOCTOR (quickly): Sorry, you might find old memories reawakening. Side effect.
REINETTE: Oh, such a lonely childhood...
DOCTOR: It'll pass. Stay with me.
REINETTE: Oh, Doctor. So lonely. So very, very alone.
DOCTOR: What do you mean, alone? You've never been alone in your life--

His eyes snap open.

DOCTOR: When did you start calling me 'Doctor'?
REINETTE: Such a lonely little boy. Lonely then and lonelier now.

She opens her eyes.

REINETTE: How can you bear it?
DOCTOR (stepping away from her): How did you do that?
REINETTE: A door, once opened, can be stepped through in either direction...

The Doctor stares at her, vulnerable.

REINETTE (softly): Oh, Doctor. (steps towards him) My lonely Doctor. Dance with me.
DOCTOR (warningly): I can't.
REINETTE (adamant): Dance with me.
DOCTOR: This is the night you dance with the King.
REINETTE: Then first, I shall make him jealous.
DOCTOR: I can't.
REINETTE (sadly): Doctor... Doctor who?

She looks at him for a few moments.

REINETTE: It's more than just a secret, isn't it?
DOCTOR: What did you see?
REINETTE: That there comes a time, Time Lord, when every lonely little boy must learn how to dance.

Did I mention that I love this show? Like LOVE it?

“It’s more than just a secret, isn’t it?”
"What did you see?"

*shivers happily* Way to hit ALL my kink buttons! Oh there’s so much there... My Doctor, my poor lonely Doctor.

(Also I refuse to believe that the ‘dancing’ was only dancing. If ever there was a word that has hidden meanings... *raises eyebrow*)


ETA: Via the_royal_anna a wonderful review of 'Sound of Drums' (spoilers!), talking about Doctor Who's increasing Buffiness:

The Doctor’s recreator, Russell T. Davies, has expressed his admiration for Joss Whedon, the genius behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the series gets Buffier by the moment: witty, literate, sophisticated, and revelling in postmodern panache.

Comments

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

It's funny how weird I can be sometimes. I remember that the historian in me was outraged by "The Girl in The Fireplace" but the viewer in me liked the episode at the same time. :- )

[elisi]

Happily my history is rather fuzzy, so I plain ignored any thoughts on accuracy and just adored the Doctor/Reinette interaction. :)

[bearfacedcheek.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid i have to disagree about Rose, I thought it was a great episode I was so excited about Dr Who coming back that i was sure i'd be dissapointed but I loved it. It was exciting and fast paced and quick witted and i fell immediately for both characters.

The Doctor is being held by one auton - ONE! - and he can’t get free. And he’s supposed to be the hero?

Actually i think it's important that the Doctor is physically vulnurable, he's not stronger than us, as the autons presumably are, he's the hero but he's not a super hero. His superiority to us and almost everything else in the universe, is his mind so I'm fine with him being held by just one plastic bad guy. Especially if it give Rose a chance to prove herself worthy of an invite to travel with him.

As for GitFP, umm, I concur :)

[elisi]

It was exciting and fast paced and quick witted and i fell immediately for both characters.
Oh it had lots of good points. I'm taking those as a given. *g* But never having seen Old Who I was trying to work out what this show was going to be like, and the things I mentioned juse stood out... although obviously I stuck with it, and grew to love it dearly. :)

His superiority to us and almost everything else in the universe, is his mind so I'm fine with him being held by just one plastic bad guy.
I get that, but it still really annoys me. I'm sure even Xander could have got out of it - I guess I could just so very clearly see the hand of the writer fixing it so that Rose had to intervene that I got rather grumpy. Ah well, I have no problem with The Doctor not being a Superhero (TM)... just with the set-up.

As for GitFP, umm, I concur :)
Poor Reinette... poor Doctor.

[stormwreath.livejournal.com]

My own main memory of 'Rose' was how fast-paced it all was; much more so than 'Welcome to the Hellmouth' which, I believe, was (re-)broadcast the same day.

I also thought that they were bring really over-the-top British about it: not just the opening with the global zoom-in on London, but especially the scene where they run hand in hand across Westminster Bridge past Big Ben with the red double-decker buses whizzing past. I'm sure they were being subsidised by the Tourist Board, whatever it's called these days. :)

Also, your choice of mood icon for feeling 'full' has me staring in a kind of horrified, does-she-really-mean-what-I-think-she-means admiration...

[elisi]

My own main memory of 'Rose' was how fast-paced it all was
Re-watching I noticed how they keep walking and running all the time... it's rather exhausting.

I also thought that they were bring really over-the-top British about it
Funny that, because I noticed Rose jumps on a routemaster on the way to work, and they're of course extinct now... But yes, it's very, very British! Not that that's a bad thing per se, since almost all heroes these days seem to live in America. It's nice to have Downing Street as the main place of action instead of The White House. :)

Also, your choice of mood icon for feeling 'full' has me staring in a kind of horrified, does-she-really-mean-what-I-think-she-means admiration...
Bwah! My moodtheme is the work of the v. talented (and cheeky) earth_vexer. And that one always makes me giggle. *g*

[oltha_heri.livejournal.com]

I loved seeing the bits of the transcript, and dancing can't just be dancing given the shows earlier history with the word Rusty already established that it means daaancing. the one problem I have with the Buffy influence is the Beast influence, I mean the Beast in IP/TSP was The Beast from AtS, and the thing in the Torchwood finale was basically Joss Whedon and Rusty's love child while Jack pulled a Spike.

[elisi]

You can find transcripts here. :)

it means daaancing
Heeee! It was funny though, because quite a few of my friends suddenly realised that they were hopeless Doctor/Rose shippers. *g*

I mean the Beast in IP/TSP was The Beast from AtS
Well sorta... The Beast in AtS was just a minion and a lot smaller. And Satan is apparently 'a little man' in the BtVS 'verse. Oh and he built a robot! Heh.

the thing in the Torchwood finale was basically Joss Whedon and Rusty's love child
Oh yes. We even had Doc making an appearance... *sigh* I really hope the next season of Torchwood is better written. Although it will have hot JM action, so really, who cares?

But what I have been noticing now with DW is that it has acquired layers, rather than just borrowing storylines. Layers are good! :)

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

I loved seeing the bits of the transcript, and dancing can't just be dancing given the shows earlier history with the word Rusty already established that it means daaancing.

Steven Moffat wrote TEC/TDD, as well as TGitF, so definitely it's a pretty safe bet that "dancing" was meant to be seen as just as suggestive in TGitF *g*

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

Oh I LOVED TGitF! Damn I've lost my icon from it, but just so much love *sighs*

[elisi]

The only one I've still got uploaded is this one, which... well it's not very shippy, is it? *g* But yes, awesome, awesome episode! :)

[nina-ds.livejournal.com]

(Here via who_daily)

Re: the Doctor struggling against the Auton, I agree both that it's important the Doctor not be shown as a superhero (although, c'mon, Chris Eccleston is skinny, but wiry and athletic, so they needed to establish the Autons' strength better), and that it doesn't look right. RTD agrees - have you listened to the commentary? I can't remember whether it's him or the other commentator who moan over the flat way that scene is shot and that they didn't get the increased danger of the Doctor being edged toward the vat. I know there have been rumbles about how bad the first director was, including a few dropped lines in the commentary, so I think it was a combination of the two ideas producing a bad effect!

I was never a huge fan of the old show as a kid, but this episode absolutely made me fall in love with the new incarnation, and with Rose and Nine. They had great rhythm together - born to dance, you might say ;-).

[elisi]

RTD agrees
Oh that makes everything better! Thank you so much - seriously! It won't bug me anymore! *hugs*

have you listened to the commentary?
DVDs are SHINY and expensive... and I don't have any money. ::sigh::

so I think it was a combination of the two ideas producing a bad effect!
That makes a lot of sense. Thank you again! :)

this episode absolutely made me fall in love with the new incarnation, and with Rose and Nine. They had great rhythm together - born to dance, you might say ;-).
I'd never seen an episode before, so I was v. curious, and certainly liked it enough to keep watching. Esp since it is a proper English show. :) It has taken me until now though to get obsessed, but I have finally fallen to an alarming degree... *pets show*

[nina-ds.livejournal.com]

Glad to be of help!

DVDs are SHINY and expensive... and I don't have any money. ::sigh::

I can certainly understand that one.