Dr Who: The Waters of Mars
(I don't believe there's any spoilers in this - just vague comments on what I thought of the episode)
"The Doctor. Doctor. Fun" 
Although, surprisingly, I wouldn't describe the latest one-off Doctor Who special "The Waters of Mars" as 'fun'. Yes, it was exciting, entertaining and yet another great episode. I would also say that it was much better than the last special "Planet of the Dead". But it was also dark and disturbing. In fact, it reminded me a little of the last 5-part Torchwood series. Well, it had a different story, a different cast, a different setting, and... okay, so the only similarity was the somewhat downbeat ending with the lead in to the next chilling, doom-laden two-part special at Christmas.
The watery enemy was interesting but I found them not as scary as I thought they'd be - perhaps I'd been spoiled by the many trailers I'd seen. Mind you, the main "base-under-siege" storyline was really just a backdrop to explore the Doctor's evolving character. He's the last of the Time Lords, the only one in charge of the time continuum-thingy, which leads him to the realisation that he can change the rules. He can stop running, take control and save everyone. But should he?
It was fascinating stuff and well acted, even if - like many of RTD's stories - it was full of plot holes. Still this was more of a character piece and, overall, a cracking, intriguing episode and well worth watching if/when it appears on BBC America.
Comments
It felt both too slow and rushed to me. Watched it twice now, last night with the commentary from RTD, DT and can't remember who else. That was interesting to listen to.
I did like the base under siege, I liked the enemy, I like the inevitability of everything. They talked about the parallels with The Fires of Pompeii, the idea of fixed events in time that the Doctor isn't supposed to interfere with. His whole "I should be leaving" approach during the first 2/3 of the programme is brilliant. He really didn't do a whole lot for most of the episode - like in Blink, it's almost a Doctor-free episode.
It was definitely better than the last special.
Once the episode turns around and the action picks up, it was a real blast. The Time Lord Victorious, last man standing, winner of the time war. According to RTD it took him 6 years to realise that's what the Doctor was!
Now I cannot wait for the 2 Christmas specials. They're going to be dark, they're going to be scary and they're going to ROCK!
Seen some photos from filming of the new season with Matt Smith - looks like fun already. Maybe we won't all start the new year with DT withdrawl.
True.
But part of me thinks that a Christmas special shouldn't be full of doom and gloom. It should be a rollicking adventure, tally-ho and all that, and towards the end you know that the Doctor will win and save everyone (or at least some of them). There's enough doom and gloom on the Eastenders Christmas day episode.
Only 5 weeks to go!
One of the best specials put on in recent (well, recent ish) years was Christopher Lee reading some of the stories of M R James. Scary as hell! Absolutely superb. And I can digress even more - Douglas Adams had originally planned a Christmas special for the Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Ford, Arthur & Zaphod were to be the 3 wise men, the star they followed was Marvin falling into the upper atmosphere!
Anyway. Who & Christmas. They've been very hit and miss for me.
Christmas Invasion, with Torchwood and the MP for Flydale North, not bad. Could've been set anywhen, didn't have to be a Christmas one.
Runaway Bride. Didn't get that one at all. Wasn't a fan of Donna at that point. In my mind she's been the weakest of the companions.
Starship Titanic. Not great. Interesting idea but not great.
Christmas of Steel. That was almost Dickens does Dr Who. Loved it.
I suppose it does need a touch of Christmas to it but I hope they don't hammer it home as they have been doing.
I liked Dr. Who: WoM.
I liked watching the Doctor cast off, just for an INSTANT, the careful and respectful approach he's always taken towards time. I like watching him take a look into The Master's point of view, and even embrace it if only for a nano second (relatively speaking). The Time Lord Triumphant - when he said that I actually shivered at the implications of it, the huge horrible thought of the damage he could do, the sheer enormity of evil that he could wreck.
He's been approaching this for a long time now, and Tenant pulled it off masterfully.
I agree that the villains weren't particularly scary, but they were just the backdrop to the Doctor - more so than in any other episode to date. This was the Doctor's own personal "What If" moment, something he's typically shied away from thousands and thousands of times.
The ending felt a bit rushed, as though once he'd made his choice, they wanted to get on with the consequences.
Donna Noble really, REALLY grew on me as a companion. She felt the most real to me, of all the recent ones save perhaps Rose. The dynamic between she and the Doctor was so unique... and we got to see a lot of the interaction between a companion and their family through Donna. And in the end she gained so much, only to lose all of it.
That's what it is to be a companion of a time lord: you get to see the whole of creation, but only for a bit... and then you get left behind, knowing that grand and enormous events are occuring just beyond your reach, things you were once a part of... just... wow. And for Donna, even that knowledge was taken from her. Cruel some would say - kind others would say. I'm still undecided.
I enjoyed Starship Titanic, but it's not my fave. Christmas Invasion was probably my favorite so far, because it was just FUN.
Anywho, I eagerly await what comes next, and wonder what the next regeneration will be like. Isn't it the last? (don't they only get 11 or somesuch?).
-Ciao!
Donna. Y'see, I'd never been a fan of Catherine Tate as a comedienne in her own right. Runaway Bride didn't do anything to improve my opinion of her as a companion.
But then. Turn Left. The Stolen Earth. Journey's End. Then I understood why they'd chosen her. Superb performances overshadowed only by Rose Tyler's amazing dental work (I mean, that overbite deserved an award all of its own! It even affected her speech! It was as ill-advised as Lesley Ash's botox).
Donna's fate as a companion was the most fitting end I could imagine. I've been watching Who for a while now, I'm not one who started watching right at the beginning, I came in with Tom Baker and caught up on most of the older stuff when the BBC still held the copyright and were allowed to show them on an evening on BBC2. From what I can remember, companions just tend to wander off when they've had enough. They just decide to stop being a companion and get back on with their lives. But Donna was never given that choice. The other companions all got to keep their memories of the universe being vast and wonderful and terrible but not Donna. It was harsh, it was cruel, it was right. It took a lot of guts to end a story that way and I hope that RTD doesn't have his finger on the big red reset button (again) to make everything happy and fluffy for Donna with the Christmas specials.
The words that ran through my head when "The Time Lord Victorious" speech was on were 'Pride goeth before a fall' and when history still worked the way it was supposed to, the fall hit home with him. That was the chunk of the episode that seemed too rushed for me. But it was still very, very good. You can see hints of that potential in the closing moments of The Family of Blood where he grants their wishes for immortality. Watched that two-parter earlier this week. It's still one of his finest performances.
It's just a personal request but I want this doctor to end his life in full realisation of what he's done, some sacrifice to atone for all the death and destruction that has followed him. And I don't want them to kill off the Master again. Not even with the suggestion that he might possibly come back in the future. I want him alive and well and off working his magic.
While I haven't seen all the old shows I did see the last show with Patrick Troughton. The Time Lords forced a regeneration on him and exiled him to Earth. The memories of his companions at the time, Jamie and Zoe, were wiped. It's been a long time (20+ years) since I saw it so I don't remember details but I do remember that.
--
Imagination is the seed of intelligence. Nourish it and watch it grow.
It's been a long time since I saw that one. I'd forgotten about that completely. Sheesh, they need to get these things back on TV. Wonder if those episodes are on DVD...
The words that ran through my head when "The Time Lord Victorious" speech was on were 'Pride goeth before a fall' and when history still worked the way it was supposed to, the fall hit home with him. That was the chunk of the episode that seemed too rushed for me. But it was still very, very good. You can see hints of that potential in the closing moments of The Family of Blood where he grants their wishes for immortality. Watched that two-parter earlier this week. It's still one of his finest performances.
Is it wrong to want to do (CENSORED) things to Son of Mine?
(I'm just askin)
Those two episodes were brilliant... just brilliant. It was a pity they had my LEAST favorite companion in them, but the performances given by everyone involved were enough to make me overlook that :)
Tis rumored we see a return of the book the Doctor kept in the last couple eps of this season... woot!
Tis also heavily rumoured (in The Sun, which has a remarkable track record on these things) that all 11 incarnations will be involved in some way. They had said this would be in the Children in Need special, but that was just a lovely teaser for Christmas. Rumour has it that some Crow-style jiggery-pokery will return messers Hartnell, Troughton and Pertwee to return. I know we're heading for Tennant's swansong - and Russel Davies' as well. So it's going to be big. I thought Davros + all previous companions from the 4 new series so far was big, but not big enough...
5 weeks is way, way too long. Especially knowing that the tapes are out there somewhere.
In no particular order, favourite episodes since the return of Who...
Blink
The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances
Human Nature / The Family of Blood
Silence in the Library / Forests of the Dead
Midnight
Turn Left / The Stolen Earth / Journey's End
I prefer the longer stories, always remind me more of classic Who.
Oh, and watched Stephen Moffat's Jeckyll this week. This left me with a very good feeling about the direction Who will be taking. I also hope he's going to take over Torchwood. In fact, having seen this, he should've had Torchwood from the beginning. And I now want Patterson Joseph to be the next Doctor. Him or James Nesbitt. Or Gina Bellman, that'd be interesting...