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

[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.