I've finally been goaded into watching Eleven's run of Doctor Who. While my thoughts on Series 5 currently boil down to "I like it, but there were some paradoxes that I think were worth addressing". I'd like to talk about the first two episodes of Series 6, "the Impossible Astronaut" and "Day of the Moon".
The Silence erases your memory of it after you look away. I would have been more shocked at this revelation and the general problems it causes if Whedon hadn't already covered that in the fifth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer:
I like to believe that Moffat, the main writer and current Showrunner for Doctor Who, is secretly Whedon's biggest fan and is strangely competitive with him. That would please me. It is now reality headcanon.
- Spike: “Ben is Glory.”
Willow: “You mean…Ben's with Glory?”
Xander: “‘With’” in what sense?”
Anya: “They're working together?”
Spike: “No. No. Ben is Glory. Glory's Ben. They're one and the same.”
Anya: “When did all this happen?”
Spike: “Not one hour ago! Right here, before your very eyes! Ben came, he turned into Glory, snatched the kid, and pfft! Vanished, remember? You do remember…? Is everyone here very stoned? Ben! Glory! He's a doctor, she's the beast. Two entirely separate entities sharing one body. Like a bloody sitcom. Surely you remember.”
Xander: “So you're saying…Ben and Glory….”
Anya: “Have a connection.”
Giles: “Yes, obviously, but what kind?”
Spike: “Oh, I get it. That's very crafty. Glory's worked the kind of mojo where anyone who sees her little presto-change-o instantly forgets. And yours truly, being somewhat other than human…stands immune.”
Willow: “So…Ben and Glory…are-are the same person?”
Xander: “Glory can turn into Ben, and Ben turns back into Glory.”
Anya: “And anyone who sees it instantly forgets.”
Spike: “Kewpie doll for the lady.”
Giles: “Excellent. Now. Do we suspect there may be some kind of connection between Ben and Glory?”
I know, I know, I automatically think everybody adores Joss Whedon as much as I do, but I find the thought amusing. And it was the first thing I thought of once it was revealed that the Silence is forgotten immediately, and I'm always itching to use a good dialogue and....
Also, in "Day of the Moon", with all the hub-bub of the moon landing I have to wonder why the Doctor didn't know about it before...after all it was established in "Blink" (Series 3) that he and Martha had been to the moon landing four times already. Moffat. Moffat, Moffat, Moffat. Are you even trying for any sort of continuity?
Yeah, I know, I come off as the nerd from the Simpsons who goes "I hope somebody got fired for that blunder.", but I stand by it. Continuity is important for me, and I really respect it when writers take the time to close plot holes or at least acknowledge, as a normal character would, that something relevant to the situation at hand happens to them. It's not just about throw-backs, it's about saying "oh you're going to Disney World? I used to work at Disney World!", because that's a thing that all characters, no matter how man-boyish or broody or twee or whatever they are, do. Unless they hate you, then they'd probably not say anything. On the other hand, I concede that given the Doctor's history (all eleven versions) that means he's probably got an anecdote for every given situation. I know I would.
And then there's River Song. I like River a lot, I really do, but she poses a lot of problems for continuity. I'm afraid Moffat is going to write himself into a corner, and then I'll be pissed because he'll retcon it in a stupid way or just not acknowledge it at all. Like for instance, the Doctor being 200 years old at the time he gathers Amy, Rory, and River. Really? Eleven is going to live for 200 more years? Because he can't seem to go 5 years without having to regenerate. So. You know. I'm sure many of the Rose x Doctor fangirls/boys out there don't like River because she clearly invalidates all of their fanfiction but secretly I hope that some die-hard fan that loved the idea of Sarah Jane Smith and Four running away together is pleased that the Rose fans get their comeuppance. *
Oh screw it I'm going to talk about the paradoxes in Season 5. Paradoxes and Doctor Who don't bother me normally because it's a fact of life and it's a tv show (I should really just relax). So aside from the fact that the Doctor knew to post a note to Amy at the Museum and drop a brochure off at her home because Amy informs him that she received a post-it and a brochure at her home (I can forgive that kind of thing), wouldn't the Doctor, having gone on the other side of the "crack" in space and time, have been erased from existence in that ALL the events and more of "Turn Left" (Series 4) would happen?
More importantly, is "remembering" the Doctor to will him back into existence exclusive to Amy? I know she had the universe running through her head and whatnot, but that stopped when the wall fixed itself. You could argue that everything he was involved in and subsequently fixed still happened until the point he passed through the crack in the wall, but its mentioned several times (and made very clear as a plot point for Rory) that going through the crack means its like you were never even born.
SO if all it takes to get the Doctor to show up once he's been erased is to remember, then what about Rose and MetaTen chilling out in the other dimension? Like obviously they haven't forgotten the Doctor. And now Eleven is going to show up in the other Universe and have to bunk with them and Ten will see what a ridiculous man-child his other self turned into. It's like the premise of a 70's era sitcom. "My Two Doctors".
Obviously that didn't happen and all is dandy, but it seriously kept me from falling asleep last night. Because apparently these are the problems in life that matter.
Also can I talk about Amy Pond? I really, really love Amy. And Rory. Like, a lot more than I thought I would. Martha has always been my favorite companion, followed in a close second by Donna, but the Ponds are right behind them. It's becoming a close race (companions are horses now, apparently). Amy is just so fiesty and kind of authentic. She reminds me of me in that she frequently insults (endearingly) those she cares about most....like telling Rory he has a stupid face, although she may not mean to be insulting about it. I wonder if its like some sort of defense mechanism because she might have trust issues. She's overall a really well-rounded character and I'll be sad to see her (and Rory) go. (And yes, I know where and when the Ponds peace out...thanks tumblr!). Also Rory is super adorable.
Alright, this post really went to a bunch of different places that I hadn't intended on taking it, but there you have it. In review: I like Amy and Rory, Eleven is growing on me, Moffat needs a better script supervisor, and I find the Ben is Glory schtick from Buffy to be hilarious.
*to be expanded on in a later post, maybe. If I get around to it.
No comments:
Post a Comment