DW: Waters of Mars.

[elisi]

Initial reaction: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HE'S FINALLY LOST IT!!!

(Also - 'Handlebars' FTW!!!!eleventy!!!!)

Oh and did we see what they were raising? Our cable decided to blank out for a few seconds around the explosion.

Anyway, despite being a bit slow and spelling everything out in B-I-G L-E-T-T-E-R-S, I thought it mostly worked. Loved the Doctor, and through most of it just wanted to hug him. Until of course the 'I can do ANYTHING I WANT, time is my bitch!' moment, which is something that *so* ties in with the Master:

The Doctor: But you’re changing history. Not just Earth - the entire universe!
The Master: I am a Timelord. I have that right.
The Doctor: But even so. Why come all this way just to destroy?

What I always loved most about that quote was how the Doctor didn't dispute the Master's 'right'...

And you can almost *see* the cracks form in the Doctor, and I was (again!) reminded of scarlettgirl's post on Human Nature/Family of Blood:

I get the impression he's trembling on the knifepoint of completely losing control and the cracks in his facade are widening. It's starting to pile up - Gallifrey, the loss of his people, his companions, his friends and if he doesn' t let it out and deal then the meltdown will be of nuclear proportions. There was a line in the BBC7 audio "Phobos" where he kills an empathatic species with an overload of his memories and thoughts. What finally kills isn't what he's done, or what he's afraid of, it's what he's capable of doing. I think a full-out Time Lord meltdown would bring down galaxies and that's always lurking just below the surface with this Doctor.

Of course the knowledge of his impending death ain't helping - or rather, it's pretty obviously part of what sends him over the edge. I'm not much of a Doctor/Rose 'shipper, but I think 'The Timelord Victorious' really could do with her now. (Or "Donna. Human. No!" Oh, he *so* needs a good slap!)

But! The Rose thing reminded me of Places, a truly amazing vid by bookowl: What if the Doctor had never met Rose? How much more damaging would his relationship with Martha be if it was overshadowed by the death of Gallifrey? An AU look at series three.

I think the Doctor is definitely going that way, character wise... And it neatly sets up the regeneration, since Ten, bless his cotton socks, is clearly losing his marbles. Eleven, I'm guessing, will be a lot more calm. :)

That's it, I think, as far as my thoughts go - I'm sure someone somewhere will post something frightfully insightful.

ETA: I'd heard rumours that this ep would tackle the 'fixed points in time' issue, and I have to say that I LOVED how they did it... I'm thinking about 'Marble House' here, and the 'why does he walk away?' theme, and one reason I'm so pleased is that they did exactly what I said here:

Would there be a way of helping without imposing his own will? I don’t think so.

And there isn't. Or, in the words of Mr Copper:

"But if you could choose, Doctor, if you decide who lives and who dies... that would make you a monster."

It's all VERY VERY DARK AND DELICIOUS and I love the whole the-Doctor-is-God thing, so I'm seriously hoping they're going to do something *good* with the final episodes! (I'd prefer something subtle, but... not generally this shows strength. *pets RTD*)

All of which brings me to the preview OMG! *happy failing* (It even had the skull-thing from... what-ever-Old-Who-story. I've not seen Old Who, but I remember the skull thing from vids!)

Comments

[elisi]

Oh, they ARE similar ("time is my bitch!")
Great minds and all that! :)

The Doctor so needs someone to keep in check, but OH how I love it when he is NOT. *shivers*
Same here! It's like all my dreams come true and more besides! *is very happy* (And disturbed, obviously!)