Doctor Who: Journey's End
Jul. 6th, 2008 12:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sdelmonteSpoilers...
If it were not for that ending, I might still be of two minds about it. A lot worked - the acting, the special effects, much of the plot, the pacing, the twist involving the two Tens, and Donna Transcendent. Seeing all the Companions was amazing. Seeing K9 was amazing. The interactions of the whole cast make me want to see all of them more. (Well, most of them.)
But a lot was not great. The show's extra length wasn't entirely needed. I am so utterly tired of the Daleks and hope this really is the end (knowing otherwise). The "secret of the Doctor's soul" bothers me. He doesn't make weapons. He made people better. And someone should have said that. (I think, parenthetically, that the best heroes - John Crichton and Batman come to mind - make those in their lives better just by knowing them.) And I am little tired of the harping away about the Doctor's pacificism, which has gone from "he doesn't like violence but does what's needed" to "violence is evil and bad and the Doctor is above such things."
Still, if we had left off with the Doctor saying goodbye, then I would have liked this episode a lot and declared the season a success. But then we get Rose and Ten-A, which was the only badly acted scene in the lot, the only one that couldn't be saved because it was hokey and played to Rusty's desire to make Rose the Special Companion. Never mind, that as many of you pointed out, it leads her with a pale copy of the Doctor she loves. Honestly, though, I could have accepted this alone since I don't really care much about Rose anymore.
And then comes the undoing of Donna. She carries this season. She rapidly became the new show's best companion, and got to be the Doctor's EQUAL. And this it was all ripped away from her. All of it wiped from her mind. Cruel. Painful. Unnecessary. She's turned back to the lout she was, and will always be. But you know this already. You know that Rusty seems to like the unhappy ending in ways even Joss doesn't. You know that sometimes this show is all about the Doctor's pain and how no one will ever be as lonely or sad as he.
And you probably agree that while Russell T. Davies did a great job in reinvented a franchise we thought was relegated to the past, it's a good thing he's going. And it's a good thing that Steven Moffatt, who gave us "The Doctor Dances" and also suggested that the Doctor's daughter not stay dead, is taking over. Because maybe, just maybe, there will be a few more happy endings and a lot less dragging companions through the mud.<.lj-cut>
If it were not for that ending, I might still be of two minds about it. A lot worked - the acting, the special effects, much of the plot, the pacing, the twist involving the two Tens, and Donna Transcendent. Seeing all the Companions was amazing. Seeing K9 was amazing. The interactions of the whole cast make me want to see all of them more. (Well, most of them.)
But a lot was not great. The show's extra length wasn't entirely needed. I am so utterly tired of the Daleks and hope this really is the end (knowing otherwise). The "secret of the Doctor's soul" bothers me. He doesn't make weapons. He made people better. And someone should have said that. (I think, parenthetically, that the best heroes - John Crichton and Batman come to mind - make those in their lives better just by knowing them.) And I am little tired of the harping away about the Doctor's pacificism, which has gone from "he doesn't like violence but does what's needed" to "violence is evil and bad and the Doctor is above such things."
Still, if we had left off with the Doctor saying goodbye, then I would have liked this episode a lot and declared the season a success. But then we get Rose and Ten-A, which was the only badly acted scene in the lot, the only one that couldn't be saved because it was hokey and played to Rusty's desire to make Rose the Special Companion. Never mind, that as many of you pointed out, it leads her with a pale copy of the Doctor she loves. Honestly, though, I could have accepted this alone since I don't really care much about Rose anymore.
And then comes the undoing of Donna. She carries this season. She rapidly became the new show's best companion, and got to be the Doctor's EQUAL. And this it was all ripped away from her. All of it wiped from her mind. Cruel. Painful. Unnecessary. She's turned back to the lout she was, and will always be. But you know this already. You know that Rusty seems to like the unhappy ending in ways even Joss doesn't. You know that sometimes this show is all about the Doctor's pain and how no one will ever be as lonely or sad as he.
And you probably agree that while Russell T. Davies did a great job in reinvented a franchise we thought was relegated to the past, it's a good thing he's going. And it's a good thing that Steven Moffatt, who gave us "The Doctor Dances" and also suggested that the Doctor's daughter not stay dead, is taking over. Because maybe, just maybe, there will be a few more happy endings and a lot less dragging companions through the mud.<.lj-cut>
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(no subject)
Date: Jul. 6th, 2008 06:03 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: Jul. 6th, 2008 07:36 pm (UTC)I sure do hope so. I don't even mind sad endings that are honest. This was not honest - it was cheap and lazy, and you are right on target with the dragging through mud analogy.
(no subject)
Date: Jul. 6th, 2008 08:15 pm (UTC)The "secret of the Doctor's soul" bothers me. He doesn't make weapons. He made people better. And someone should have said that. (I think, parenthetically, that the best heroes - John Crichton and Batman come to mind - make those in their lives better just by knowing them.) And I am little tired of the harping away about the Doctor's pacificism, which has gone from "he doesn't like violence but does what's needed" to "violence is evil and bad and the Doctor is above such things."
Amen.
(no subject)
Date: Jul. 6th, 2008 09:18 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: Jul. 6th, 2008 09:23 pm (UTC)Oh! Can you pass a message to Batya for me?
(no subject)
Date: Jul. 6th, 2008 09:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: Jul. 6th, 2008 09:34 pm (UTC)Thanks~ :D
(no subject)
Date: Jul. 6th, 2008 09:49 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: Jul. 6th, 2008 09:55 pm (UTC)He would have made it in a couple weeks ago, cuz I found my copy of my favourite book (Diplomatic Immunity) but then discovered my cats had decided to comment on her writing. Let's just say I was less than pleased with them.
IT WAS AN ORIGINAL RELEASE HARDCOVER. >_
(no subject)
Date: Jul. 7th, 2008 12:33 am (UTC)I don't mind the point that the Doctor isn't always good for people, because it's a point of view, and it can be argued either way - but this was too much. I would almost rather Donna had died from knowledge overdose than had this ending. And the worst part is that Donna would have rather that, too.