Just one of Those Coincidences

Good old Disney tries to get more Doctor Who into our every day-lives.
Do you know the opening line of its (Disney's) latest ... erm, masterpiece? 'Tangled'?

It's: 'This is the story of how I died...'

What happened to good old 'Once upon a time'? Old fashioned? Maybe... So 'borrowing' the opening words of the most over-rated Doctor Who finale (I dare to put an optimistic 'ever' after this) seem to be more up to date.

Still, I don't think RTD is going to write them a letter...

Maybe not the worst possible send off of the best Doctor we very likely are ever going to have

Sometimes I wonder what is on scriptwriters' minds  while writing an episode. Maybe RTD had a check-list with topics which a good episode should include and ticked them off as he was including them. That may be the reason why the whole story seems a bit overloaded. Nevertheless, yes, we had our promised regeneration, yes, there were scenes which were good, deep and dramatic, and maybe RTD asks us to forget about the rest. Actually I would really love to forget about "the rest" and each of "Part 1"'s 75 minutes as well. But I have to admit, "Part 2" could have been worse; a lot worse.
Still, I can't help being a bit disappointed. It was David Tennant's last episode and I expected more, not from him, he and Bernhard Cribbins did an amazing job, actually it's them saving this episode from being torn into pieces by review writers; but from  Davies.  At least it was also RTD's last attempt to do his best.

I mean, on the one hand we had a few "overdone" scenes, come on RTD, you can't expect us taking you seriously after we saw the Doctor crashing through that giant glass dome from that height. And the "prophet" of the Time Lords was rather a spoof of something with which I haven't come across yet, not to mention that very "playstation-like" situation when those missiles hunt the alien space craft.

But to be fair, on the other hand it wasn't bad enough to deserve the adjective "bad". And to be even fairer no matter how good this last episode would have possibly been it wouldn't have been good enough to be the "swan song" of the 1oth Doctor.  And noone can deny that there were very "Doctor"-ish moments one has to fell in love with: The Doctor correcting Wilf's grammar followed by the "worst rescue ever!" scene put a smile on my face.* For me the most emotional scenes were Wilf and the Doctor having that chat in the space craft and when the Doctor explains to the Master the big privilege of SEEING that universe out there. I think these were the moments fans loved the most, mainly due to some great acting performance. And these were also the scenes missing in "Part 1".

So, I'm not saying it's RTD's worst script, it surely isn't, but it's also not his best one and that's because it might be impossible to write a really bad regeneration scene. Well, 1oth last line "I don't want to go." wasn't such a great idea. He is a Time Lord knowing he is just about to regenerate so it doesn't really make a lot of sense...

Then again, 11th's first line wasn't better. "I have legs!" Wow. Who can we blame for that one, was that Moffat's or RTD's line?** I have to admit, the last time we had "new teeth, that's weird." - it's hard to top that and I'm serious for a change. Talking about Matt Smith. If (some) of those explosions taking place in the TARDIS were real, and they really looked like that, then this was very likely Matt Smith most difficult shot of his entirely "Doctor Who" career. But apartf rom this I think we don't know enough about his Doctor's character or Matt's acting abilities to say something substantive about number 11 but for his first appearance this wasn't bad.

Anyway, back to the episode. There were also a few nice twists, especially when we realised that after all the Doctor will have to sacrifice his life to save Wilfed. I didn't have tears in my eyes, but when Wilf started tapping, I bet it wasn't just me who thought "Wilf, just stop it!". This was maybe one of the best done moments in DW's history ever.

Plus, I understand why RTD wanted the Doctor visiting his more or less companions. It wasn't really my taste, although "The Journal of Impossible Things" scene was an extraordinary idea. It was a bit sad, even sadder than RTD's "1o minute before the end" scene. At least she got her happy life, while he, well... we know. Then, Rose was a bit pointless. I understand why she was there, and I have no idea how it could have been done better, still, I can't help thinking it wasn't a necessary scene. Oh, and Martha and Mickey are married? Nice for them.

So, all in all it was nice and sad, there are certainly explanations missing*** but I have to say finally it wasn't the "worst possible send off" of the best Doctor we very likely are ever going to have. And that's one of the biggest compliments RTD has ever got from me.

___________

* I'm ignoring the fact that that escape scene had to be filmed as well. I'm curious to see the confidential explaining how they actually did that stuff with those stairs....

**It's Moffat's. Well...

*** like was that woman really the Doctor's mother? Was she a Time Lady in the first place? Becuase, if yes, then how could she scape the timelock? She spoke to Wilf a few times and if she were really from Gallifrey she couldn't have done that. Maybe we'll never find out about it but review writers who can't write TARDIS properly or refer to the Doctor as "Doctor Who" shouldn't be speculating about such things. Then, what about the Oods? I hope Moffat has an idea for them. Oh, and what happened really to the Master?

Intention: Fun and Wobbeling Around with Time

I know it's odd to give my review about the most dramatical Doctor Who episode so far (!!!) that title, but after all it's true. Finally we know WHY after more than 900 years of travelling a highly dangerous universe, the Doctor still keeps on going: for FUN. But apart from that I have to say "Waters of Mars" doesn't belong to my most favourite Doctor Who episodes. You could find it on a much higher position on my "Worst Doctor Who Episodes" list. And that's only RTD's fault, literally.

Ok, let's try to be more serious.

First there is to say, "Waters of Mars" wasn't scary. Today's children are used to Harry Potter and stuff, so "Waters of Mars" didn't give even me the creeps, and I'm not exactly the biggest Harry Potter fan existing. But those children are. The beeb should check what they so-called "target" audience is watching on a normal Sunday evening before declaring something as "scary".

Further, I really disliked the last 15 minutes of it. Yes, now we can surely do a much better character sketch of the Doctor's recent regeneration, but I can't help thinking "it just wasn't worth it".

Controversially, the first 20 - 25 minutes were great. It was quite amusing seeing the Doctor not knowing what to do, dashing between decisions like an electron being shortly before reaching the right energy level to leave an atom. But what RTD made of this was a worst-case scenario. My main problem is no-matter when or on which planet Adelaide would have died this certain "fix point in history" would have been changed anyway. Except the Doctor knew this before saving the whole crew. The effect shouldn't have taken him by surprise. So, what exactly was he hoping for?

However, another way of seeing this is that the Doctor knows he is going to die, no matter what, so maybe he wanted to change a certain point in time to open Gallifrey's "time-lock". As a result, the last thing he might do is trying to save "them", the Timelords, as on a personal level there is nothing he could lose anymore.

So, RTD's actual storyline, or rather what we know about it, is something like the Doctor changes a "fix point" in history and time and history are in flux for a short time while everything tries to re-arrange itself. Then Sigma-Ood turns up and the Doctor realises what he actually has done by being a bit "selfish" (if trying to save people (the crew) /or maybe a whole planet (Gallifrey) or both whilst knowing that in future one is going to die at the attempt of doing so, can be called selfish). Or does the Doctor at last realise that having "laws" for time wasn't such a bad idea? But RTD wouldn't be RTD if he didn't add an extra portion of adventure and drama to it. Furthermore he characterises our future fellows as rude folks who can't even utter a "thank you" after someone has saved their lives.

Anyway, all in all RTD managed to reach his goal: As WoM ended in a very awkward cliff-hanger so he can be sure about having top ratings no matter what the beeb decides to put "End of Time" against with.

And another interview.

Today I stumbled across this, it's a (more or less typical) David Tennant interview. There is really nothing to say about it. I know, I'm just about to hit my personal best mark in writing my shortest post ever. Good for you ;) Ok, and (I'm really trying hard to stay under the limit) if there is anyone out there being interested into what RTD has to say about the final and other stuff, there's a link on Combom's blog.

Cheers.

Another typical RTD interview

A few days ago I came across this interview with Russel T Davies. It's mostly about Doctor Who, he also mentions the specials, but, as usual, he doesn't give away anything we wouldn't already know about. Still, it's interesting. There are a few nice background information of RTD's era, although I think not everything is true... RTD claims he did always know that Chris Eccelston won't stay for another season, but I remember a few old interviews in which he said exactly the opposite. At least, it's nice to know that even RTD haven't "planned" each story arch in the show.
Here are a few remarkable abridgments, but I think the original article is worth to be given a read. About his finals (more or less) in general

I don't just increase things in scale because I'm mad. With "Doctor Who," every year the finale got bigger, and every year the rating got bigger. [...] Increasing the scale of the program has literally paid off. If the viewers had been deserting the show, I would have done something different. When we get to David Tennant's finale, you will not believe the scale of it. But it's all about the acting in the end.

About Donna Noble's noble "end" in s4 [interviewer, RTD]

I've only seen two of the specials so far, but there's this recurring theme about The Doctor not wanting to take on a new companion because of what happened in "Journey's End."

Poor Donna Noble.

You're a bastard, by the way.

Ha ha ha! He just called me a bastard. Ha ha ha ha!

About the upcoming specials

The bigger picture is why The Doctor's traveling alone -- because he's heartbroken, because he loses too much in the end (each time). This is an arc over these last few specials, gradually, especially in "Waters of Mars," which comes up in November, we discover that he travels with a human because he needs a human. He's too powerful, and without that (human with him), he can become a dangerous man. Donna pointed that out to him in her very first story, "The Runaway Bride." [...] We're sort of all heading towards series 5 and the new Doctor and the new companion, played by Karen Gillan. I think it's a nice set-up for her, in that The Doctor needs a companion and we're going to understand why.

About him bringing Doctor Who back on our screens

I worried that, if I'd fumbled it on this resurrection, it would have been fumbled for a few decades. And we got lucky in the timing, If we'd been five years later, we would never have been able to afford the program I wanted to make. I wanted it to be expensive. I'm not saying all good television is expensive, because I've worked on some of the cheapest shows in the world. But the ambition, and the big picture, and the epic intimacy demanded that. And then all of this was theory, and none of us knew if it would work, but we got on air, and it worked, and it's been wonderful.

About him NOT "planning" every story aches

Some things are planned. There was never a rigid plan that I followed for five years and never deviated. But the important thing is, I was thinking about "Doctor Who" more than I should have every day. Even the strongest fan of "Doctor Who" will think about "Doctor Who" a lot, then go on to their regular job, and I was thinking about "Doctor Who" all day, every day. [...] I know my own mind and it's always prodding the idea and finding ways to push it forward. If "plan" means having everything constantly in flux, then that is what we had.

And finally: him watching the show as a fan

I don't know if this is good or bad, but I've always been able to sit and watch my own stuff and enjoy it. Sometimes, I'll sit down and I'll just catch an episode by chance. I caught the Shakespeare episode ("The Shakespeare Code") by chance the other night and I thought it was magnificent. I really, really can watch it as a viewer. I always cultivated that in my head, you have to train yourself to watch it as brand-new, so you can see its faults and its strengths, so I've always been good at it. So I can watch it on repeats. I still love them. And thankfully, I love watching the old show as much as I did. I can still watch the old classics from the 70s and be as happy as I was when I was a kid.