Doctor Who: The Impossible Planet

[butterfly]

Sometimes, the sheer extent to which we are all viewing our own versions of television shows boggles my mind. I've just been reading a lot of various meta recently, and I just constantly find myself thinking, "Seriously, does the episode magically warp when it gets to my screen? Because I can only see what these people say is obvious if I stand on my head while quoting lines from The Life of Brian (chiefly, the ones about the cheesemakers)."

Which is to say -- I love Rose Tyler (I also love Sharon 'Boomer' Valerii. And Buffy Summers. And Joey Potter, thank you very much.). Except for (what I continue to feel was) the colossal misstep of The Girl in the Fireplace (if an episode only works completely divorced from the context of the show, it is not a good episode of that show, regardless of it being well-done in general), I have been vastly enjoying the second (twenty-eighth) series of Doctor Who.

I enjoyed this one tremendously, not in the least because (yay!) they were on an alien planet. With aliens! And danger! Very exciting.

This was really pulled off the 'creep' factor. The characters were very vivid and felt real even though we didn't really spend all that much time with them (and I agree with people who said the episode had a touch of a Firefly vibe). I found the Ood really interesting and I'm very curious as to how their possession is going to turn out.

In short, I'm just really looking forward to finding out what happens this next Saturday.

How will they get the TARDIS back?

Will Rose and the Doctor discuss car loans now that they've tackled the pressing issue of mortgages?

How many of the hapless crew will survive?

Is the reason the Doctor fell on his way back to the big seal because Rose's kiss smudged on his helmet and he couldn't see where he was going?

Will this next week's episode manage to be as good as this last week's was?

Most importantly, what will Rose use for eyeliner if they really are stuck there?

Comments

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

I'm just hoping that the next episode lives up to The Impossible Planet.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Me, too. The Impossible Planet was really, really good.

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

Yup, and they'd better have Cthulu down that pit, or it's going to fall apart.

[jgracio.livejournal.com]

It's ubervamps! But shhh, don't tell anyone. :)

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Hee! Someone else was joking that the writing around the pit says 'actual size' and we're dealing with a Gachnar.

[beck-liz.livejournal.com]

I've just been reading a lot of various meta recently, and I just constantly find myself thinking, "Seriously, does the episode magically warp when it gets to my screen? Because I can only see what these people say is obvious if I stand on my head while quoting lines from The Life of Brian (chiefly, the ones about the cheesemakers)."

*snort* Half the time, I've been rolling my eyes and backing out of the post. The other half, I've been skipping the paragraph(s) in question and moving on to the rest of the otherwise rational post.

Is the reason the Doctor fell on his way back to the big seal because Rose's kiss smudged on his helmet and he couldn't see where he was going?

*snicker* Yes, because clearly Rose has messed things up for the Doctor again by pushing her romantic ideas on him! *cough* Or not.

Most importantly, what will Rose use for eyeliner if they really are stuck there?

Seriously, does the Doctor make regular stops for Rose to get more makeup, or does the TARDIS come up with it for her? Hee.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

*snort* Half the time, I've been rolling my eyes and backing out of the post. The other half, I've been skipping the paragraph(s) in question and moving on to the rest of the otherwise rational post.

It is to cause much bafflement, yes.

Is the reason the Doctor fell on his way back to the big seal because Rose's kiss smudged on his helmet and he couldn't see where he was going?

*snicker* Yes, because clearly Rose has messed things up for the Doctor again by pushing her romantic ideas on him! *cough* Or not.

Well, yes! Romance is only for us pesky humans, you know. The Doctor is so much more intelligent and mature than any of us. He'd never want to kiss a mere human. He's asexual (ignore the granddaughter) and so completely alien (despite hanging around humans all the time) and he thinks of us as pets (because all the pets that I know are capable of two-way communication and saving the world when it needs it).

Most importantly, what will Rose use for eyeliner if they really are stuck there?

Seriously, does the Doctor make regular stops for Rose to get more makeup, or does the TARDIS come up with it for her? Hee.

Ooo, that really would make it the best alien space/time machine ever, if it coughed up make-up on command.

[twistedchick]

I'm not entirely convinced that 'Girl in the Fireplace' was a mistake. There were several episodes last season that didn't seem to fit into a sequence for me -- such as the one where they went back for Rose's father, and the Dickens one -- and those were folded back into the plot by the end of the season. The question for me then becomes what aspect of that episode will reappear -- and I suspect it will be the spaceship with mirrors.

As for this current epsode, it didn't just have Firefly on it, it also had sufficient squiggles of Cthulhu and 1930s serials like Flash Gordon. Actually, it felt very like a retake of something from about 20 years ago with Doctor Three or so, with added theological padding.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

The parts I'm talking about are a bit more mundane -- I really wish that somebody had told Steven M. what had happened in the previous episode, as he owns up to having no clue that Rose wasn't thrilled that Mickey had joined the crew. And the emotional redundancy of having two episodes about the same theme (the Doctor likes human women who are not Rose) was kinda annoying. We'd just seen all that with Sarah Jane, in a more emotionally true way.

I liked the spaceship with mirrors -- it's the emotional continuity that sucked mightily. It's like the characters all do a massive step to the left in TGitF and then all step right back to where they were before at the beginning of RoC. Doesn't make sense, character-wise.

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

And the emotional redundancy of having two episodes about the same theme (the Doctor likes human women who are not Rose) was kinda annoying

omg *bounce* I have to go think about GitF now.

*bounces off*

[larakailyn.livejournal.com]

"The Girl in the Fireplace" worked for me as a coda to what was discussed by the Doctor and Rose in "School Reunion", by taking what the Doctor spoke about with watching people he loves withering and decaying in the end and giving that in the microcosm of an episode. I think there were some things that possibly could have been done differently with it, but overall, that was why I took to it as much as I did.

That said, "The Impossible Planet" was my favorite episode of the season next to "School Reunion" (which has my love because of Sarah Jane, Finch and the Sarah Jane-Rose bonding scene). My friend and I were saying that the episode was seriously Doctor Who meets Firefly meets The Black Hole (with a little bit of Angel since the black hole looked like the blacked-out sun from S4 in some ways). I loved what they did with this episode from the Doctor/Rose moments to the creepy bits and really hope that this next week lives up to what they started.

I also loved seeing Shaun Parkes (Acting Captain Zack) in this because he was in Casanova with David Tennant as his best friend (also played Izzy in The Mummy Returns), so total squee moment for me there.

And I'm with you...I really do want to know what Rose is going to do for eyeliner as well.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

I guess I felt that I didn't need TGitF. I felt like SR gave us enough in that regard, and Fireplace was like hammering me on the head with a big huge blunt object. You know, "ow, ow, I get it already, the Doctor cares about more people than just Rose -- I get it, stop bludgeoning me".

I quite liked Acting Captain Zack (and you've reminded me of how much I want to see Casanova) -- all of the crew, really. I do hope some of them survive.

And I'm with you...I really do want to know what Rose is going to do for eyeliner as well.

*nods*

It's a concern.

[amy13.livejournal.com]

Bless-ed are the cheesemakers, honey. :)

I felt that way about the season finale of CSI. People on my flist were all "I'll never watch again!" and "They've ruined my show!" and I thought, "huh, way to go, CSI! Hook up Sarah and Grissom, and have them only do a few subtle eye contact-y things in the eps leading up to the finale to clue us in."

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

I felt that way about the season finale of CSI. People on my flist were all "I'll never watch again!" and "They've ruined my show!" and I thought, "huh, way to go, CSI! Hook up Sarah and Grissom, and have them only do a few subtle eye contact-y things in the eps leading up to the finale to clue us in."

Subtle is good. Especially in shows like CSI that are mostly all about the job the people share and not their love lives. Because you do want to have the emotion in there, because that stuff does impact people's work, but it shouldn't be interfering. I've only really seen the first season of CSI and then sporadic episodes after, but I do remember that Sarah had a little bit of a thing for Grissom from the very beginning.

[amy13.livejournal.com]

I've only really seen the first season of CSI and then sporadic episodes after, but I do remember that Sarah had a little bit of a thing for Grissom from the very beginning.

Oh! The season finale for Season 5? Best. Episode. Of Television. EVER. It's called Grave Danger, and it was honestly one of the coolest, most suspenseful and well acted 2 hours of television I've ever seen. Quentin Tarantino did the concept and directed it. SO. GOOD. George Eads (Nick) should have gotten an Emmy for that ep. If you can catch it on reruns you totally should.

And yes - they've been hinting and building at Grissom/Sarah since season 1, so I don't know why everyone's so bent about it. I was all !!! about it, not *@#$*(&#@$!~ ;)

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

Because you do want to have the emotion in there, because that stuff does impact people's work, but it shouldn't be interfering

I think, actually, you've hit on a large part of the ship/anti-ship divide in DW fandom.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Where anti-shippers see their relationship as interfering and shippers don't? This is very likely true.

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

I think so. Well, the Hardcore Asexualist lot don't want any hint of sex/romance ever, ever, ever but they're probably the smallest minority on this one.

Stargate is maybe a useful comparison? Cos Stargate it's like a Team Gen Slashy Dynamic and the ship got shoved in at random moments (and severely hurt Daniel's central...ness. Whatever the word is.) and that was distressing, yeah? The Doctor/Rose thing I think the issue is that this is the only major relationship on the show so... once it's there it's always there? And they're the only two characters we see a lot of, so there's not much elsea around it. So it sort of... becomes a divide between "their love is the series, so it doesn't interfere" and "it interferes, because it makes it all smaller"?

I am rubbish at explaining, no?

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Part of it probably really does come from when you started then -- because this is the show to me, whereas the random S/J-ness in SG-1 just felt like it was getting in the way of the rest of the show. But maybe it wouldn't have if I'd started watching S4 instead of starting at S1.

But on the other hand, a lot of the people complaining about the Rose thing do seem to be really invested in a female companion that they prefer to have the Doctor hanging about with, which seems to make it more a character thing than a show thing.

Dunno. The more I find out about DW fandom, the more it confuses me.

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

Part of it probably really does come from when you started then

I think so. I'm not saying "all new fans are shippers" cos, not true, but I think there's more crossover?

because this is the show to me, whereas the random S/J-ness in SG-1 just felt like it was getting in the way of the rest of the show. But maybe it wouldn't have if I'd started watching S4 instead of starting at S1.

*nod* And I started that one at like... S7? I saw a bit of the later stuff and worked backwards kinda. So it wasn't weird for me.


But on the other hand, a lot of the people complaining about the Rose thing do seem to be really invested in a female companion that they prefer to have the Doctor hanging about with, which seems to make it more a character thing than a show thing.

That one is... odd. And maybe hard to explain. I shall try though. For you!

Rose was sold hard in the media, because there's a general conception that the old companions were rubbish across the board. So there was a bit of selling them down to sell her up? Rubbed some folk the wrong way. Mostly fandom took to her once we saw her. But there's still loyalty to other characters, like having faves in the Buffyverse? Yeah? I'd rather have Rose there than Victoria (and Nyssa. I loathe Nyssa), but she's not rating about Ace or Romana for me. They're gone though, and it's just that no one's going to like every companion (or even every Doctor) so... it's not really a problem unless the one you don't like is the incumbent.

We weren't really "allowed" to ship before. At all. So when we got shipping and sexualised Doctor it was like "YAY!" and some of us started retroshipping just because it was all new and shiny and unexplored. It's not so much "Rose is in the way!" as "Rose bores me. Can I write Romana/Nyssa instead?"

So. Not anyone really wanting someone else back, just that they prefer other folk when their being fannish?

(Or am I just vastly wrong on what you meant there?)

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

You know, I think it does help that I'm American and thus neatly avoided most of the Rose publicity. I didn't feel as though she was forced on me at all. She was just there, on the show, being all Rose-ish and likable.

Also, I really want to see an Ace episode. I know I've got one somewhere in the piles of tapes that I was lent, and I very much want to see what the fuss is about (though if she twists her ankle, I'm so crying foul -- I was so looking forward to meeting Sarah Jane in Five Doctors and then she fell down the wimpiest hill ever and had to be yanked up by a car. I was disappointed and disillusioned, let me tell you).

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

You know, I think it does help that I'm American and thus neatly avoided most of the Rose publicity. I didn't feel as though she was forced on me at all. She was just there, on the show, being all Rose-ish and likable.

Sometimes I wonder what it'd be like I was coming at this show new and stuff. I don't know if I'd like it if I did though. It'd come down to Rose, I think. She's a bit Buffylike for me generally? Not really the character-type I tend to latch onto.


Also, I really want to see an Ace episode. I know I've got one somewhere in the piles of tapes that I was lent, and I very much want to see what the fuss is about (though if she twists her ankle, I'm so crying foul -- I was so looking forward to meeting Sarah Jane in Five Doctors and then she fell down the wimpiest hill ever and had to be yanked up by a car. I was disappointed and disillusioned, let me tell you).

omg i hate when Sarah falls in that! People say it's playing up the cliche on purpose BUT STILL. No fair. :(

I recall one ankle-twist for Ace, but she had just taken out a Dalek with a baseball bat. I believe Ace holds the record on "fewest screams" though, if that helps?

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I wonder what it'd be like I was coming at this show new and stuff. I don't know if I'd like it if I did though. It'd come down to Rose, I think. She's a bit Buffylike for me generally? Not really the character-type I tend to latch onto.

She definitely reminds me of Buffy in some ways (Xander in others).

omg i hate when Sarah falls in that! People say it's playing up the cliche on purpose BUT STILL. No fair. :(

And the weird thing is that Susan actually full-on randomly twists her ankle in that, but it doesn't bother me at all (I roll my eyes, but it didn't effect the way I really liked the character)! Possibly because nobody was working up Susan to me before, so I just took her as she came, whereas Sarah was supposed to be cool and I was all, "falling down wimpy hills is not cool".

I recall one ankle-twist for Ace, but she had just taken out a Dalek with a baseball bat. I believe Ace holds the record on "fewest screams" though, if that helps?

A bit, yeah. And taking out a Dalek first helps.

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

whereas Sarah was supposed to be cool and I was all, "falling down wimpy hills is not cool".

I felt bad for her. And then there's those clothes they made her wear.


A bit, yeah. And taking out a Dalek first helps.

Ace might be a bit Faith-like for you? I dunno. I know I like the both of them.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Ace might be a bit Faith-like for you? I dunno. I know I like the both of them.

As long as Ace doesn't almost rape and kill someone and never even so much as say that she's sorry, I should be okay with her. I never did forgive Faith for the way she treated Xander.

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

As long as Ace doesn't almost rape and kill someone and never even so much as say that she's sorry

*thinks*

She burned a house down one time?

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Two questions:

A) On purpose?
B) Were there people in it?

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

A) Yes
B) No

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

That's all right then. I don't generally get emotionally attached to buildings.

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

She did it out of emo!

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

rating about

Above. I type bad.