Hello it's good to be back

[sombrefan]

The great thing about jet lag is that you can wake up at 4.30am in the morning and wonder what it's all about. Anyhow I missed the final two episodes of Doctor Who when I was away in Florida and finally managed to watch them yesterday. Now bear in mind I am still time zone knackered when I say the following:

Doctor Who - as good as Buffy or your money back.

The finale was epic and ballsy and not at all what I was expecting. It just blew me away.

Now despite this season having a woefully inadequate lack lustre two parter and a dreadful standalone episode, it was easily the best thing I watched all year. Better than Heroes, Lost and Battlestar Galactica. Finally a show has come along which has captured my interest in the same way that Buffy did.

Comments

[ladybrick.livejournal.com]

I second that, almost... wasn't too keen on the Tinkerbell!Doctor or how the characterization of the Master dropped off in the last episode, but the rest was brilliant. And the reveal of Jack as the Face of Boe was just about the best thing ever.

[electrcspacegrl.livejournal.com]

Doctor Who - as good as Buffy or your money back.

Well, they are very different in theme and tone, but all in all, yes. I'd say Doctor Who has the depth and layers I've only found in Whedon's work. In that sense yes, as good as Buffy.

The finale was epic. I don't understand anybody whose breath was not taken away by that episode. John Simm as The Master = priceless!

Now despite this season having a woefully inadequate lack lustre two parter and a dreadful standalone episod

I hope you're not talking about Human Nature/The Family of Blood and Blink, because otherwise...*shakes fist* Those were some of my favorites this season. Human Nature was the episode to make me really *get* the show, finally.

Now I have a wonderful summer of re-watching the series ahead of me.

[simonf.livejournal.com]

I was referring to the Daleks in New York two parter which left me distinctly underwhelmed and the one on the doomed spaceship (crap).

[electrcspacegrl.livejournal.com]

I liked the doomed spaceship one, but yeah the Daleks in Manhattan episodes were weak.

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

Better then Heroes?

I still think you're suffering from jet lag mate. The final was pretty awful and many who fans seemed to think the same, judging by the fuss afterwards. Don't get me wrong it had some nice bits here and there, but really good. Nah. Human nature/Family blood came close, but no cigar compared with Buffy let alone Heroes.

Heroes writing is superb, Who even at it's best can't touch it with a barge poll, but then they're made for two different audiences, so maybe the comparisons unfair. Heroes defiantly isn't general family/small kids fodder, unlike Who.

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, and the 'clap your hands if you believe in Timelords' bit. Don't say you were impressed by that please....:0

[simonf.livejournal.com]

I like cheesy moments like that, it reminded me of when the Scoobies lent Buffy their strength to defeat Adam.

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

Yeah, and I wasn't keen on that, and it was far better written too!

RTD has got a lot of flack for writing such a weak cop out ending.

All that suedo religious mumbo jumbo really got on my tits I'm afarid. Not a drop of logic to be found in the whole ending.

[electrcspacegrl.livejournal.com]

Art references religious imagery all the time. It's because the mythology is so strong in our culture. And logic? You have to suspend logic to believe every episode. Why'd you stop now?

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

Because for me to enjoy something that has to be at least some form of even 'fantasy logic' within a stories set up. That was sadly lacking from the second half of this tale.

That with the fact I'm sure Russel thinks he's written something that makes some kind of sense, and by god it didn't.

Even by most peoples standards 'the Tinkerbell solution' was frankly one of the most laughable plot devices that I've seen in Who for a long time.

I think Russell should go an write a soap, I'm sure he'd feel right at home on Eastenders for a start.

[electrcspacegrl.livejournal.com]

I don't belive "most" of the fans hated the finale, just the most vocal. All my friends loved it, including me. I really don't get what everyone is whining about, it was epic and lovely and beautiful and shocking and it blew me away.

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

Maybe thats the case, but most of my friends thought part two was a complete joke I'm afraid.

'Horses for courses' I suppose, but I found that last part an utter disappointment, and when I went on Outpost Gallifey that night it seems I was far from the only one to think so.

[simonf.livejournal.com]

Heroes when it's good, is very good indeed. But I had to wait till the 19th episode before I could say "wow that was a good episode". And the fact that every person gets revealed to be a hero is just taking the piss.

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

Well I imagine the 'hints' in the title!

The fact they are (well nearly all are) Heroes, but in so such different ways mentally. They all have their own agenda and the complex way in which their personal stories weave in and out of each others is just breathtaking. Every episode ends with a real cliffhanger, and I adore how everyone gets their place in the sun. Beautifully crafted stuff!

I can put my hand on my heart here and say that Heroes is THE best written show in a long, long time. And that Who hasn't a chance in hell as getting that good as they just haven't got the talent. Especially with RTD still penning some. Even the fans that like him reaslise that he's the weakest writer on his own show, and after this last story a lot of the 'hard core' were begging him to 'put leave the keyboard alone, and move away from the computer' for the sake of the show! :0

[twilightofmagic.livejournal.com]

That definitely perks my interest. I've caught the sporadic episode with David Tennant, who mostly looks weasel-like when you see bits of eps out of context. So, you're saying that he and the story arc develops such a sway that you become fascinated? I watched Life on Mars in a similarly choppy fashion, but it didn't take me long before I loved the show and think the last ep (which I saw even though I didn't have a continuous through line of the rest), thought that last ep was just about the best one I'd ever seen for any TV show, bar none.

[saltygoodness24.livejournal.com]

Wow, that is high praise indeed coming from you. Enough to make me watch it once and for all, I believe. I have only seen one half of a Who episode (maybe the first?) and didn't finish it. I'll definitely try again after this proclamation! :)

I agree

[kuzibah.livejournal.com]

And I'm not going to argue plot points or writing style. But in pure terms of how excited I got knowing there was going to be a new episode on and how much time I'm spending reading websites... I really thought Buffy would be the last one, that I would never get wrapped up in a show like that again, and while I can admire and faithfully watch Battlestar and Heroes, Doctor Who is the first one to turn that particular crank.

However, the fandom already has its crazy fringe--- the Jack Harkness fans. Seriously, reading their vehement criticism of his "Face of Boe" line put me in mind of the redemptionistas. :)

Re: I agree

[electrcspacegrl.livejournal.com]

Hey, this Jack Harkness fan *loved* the Face of Boe twist. It made my brain go all twisty.

I apologize

[kuzibah.livejournal.com]

I didn't mean to suggest all Jack fans were crazy (I'm also a fan) but there is a weird, insane fringe that is clearly losing perspective. The same thing happened with some of the Spike fans on Buffy (and I was a Spike fan, too.)

Re: I apologize

[electrcspacegrl.livejournal.com]

Ha ha, oh, I totally know what you mean. Those people make my head explode.

Re: I agree

[electrcspacegrl.livejournal.com]

Explain to me what redemptionistas are? I've heard of that before relating to the Buffy fandom, but I came to it very late so I missed out that went on.

Re: I agree

[kuzibah.livejournal.com]

They were a small group of fans who were completely focused on Spike and his "redemption" story. Which is fine, except they appeared and tried to shout down anyone who didn't care for Spike or might think his actions were self-serving, etc. They also dominated most of the fan conversation about the show in the latter two seasons, which was annoying to fans who wanted to talk about something BESIDES Spike.

That being said, I really admired Marsters's performance as Spike, and what they did with him, but not the the exclusion of the other 80% of the show.

Re: I agree

[electrcspacegrl.livejournal.com]

I continue to marvel at how single-minded fans can be. A couple people on my f-list tend to grab onto one character or one ship, and that's what they watch the show for. Which is fine, it doesn't matter to me why you watch a show, but they seem to have tunnel vision when it comes to those characters/ships, and for me, who looks at the whole picture, and takes into account the writers intentions, I find their one-dimensional focus very frustrating.