The Christmas ep has been and gone. And I was happy with it, and about it.
It was not however, without some issues...
It started out strong, Oswin making Christmas dinner for her parents and grandmother (it must be a stepmother?, Clara losing her mother is a strong plot point previously) and made up boyfriend, turkey in the Time Vortex, the holograph projector to put clothing on Eleven. The question, is this planet the Gallifrey put in the pocket universe by the thirteen Doctors. They go into a discussion of the allowed number of reincarnations, cleaning up some of the logic - Ten regenerating into ... Ten, because "I had some vanity issues". Thus making Eleven, because of the War Doctor and Ten's regen into Ten, the 12th and last incarnation, and bringing in the question of how, since we know there is a regen at the end of this ep, he can regenerate again. There is, in canon, yes I'm a nerd piss off, a possibility of the Time Lords granting more incarnations, so biology huh?
(Update: Also, since Donna took some juice from the Fighting Hand when she became Doctor Donna, is that a regeneration?)
However, after entry into Christmas, it slows down a lot, a bunch of lot. The wooden Cyberman was a neat scene, "Also, I didn't tell you that my sonic screwdriver doesn't work on wood." But, he has used the screwdriver to open doors, cut holes in floors, so as cool as the scene was, it missed. And, the time in Christmas frankly dragged. The children's drawings seemed to make my allergies act up, nice touch.
Now, Clara begs the Time Lords for help, and speaks the only name the Doctor has truly earned and loved. The Time Lords, never known for sentimentality or actually caring about anything, grant what Eleven called 'a new regeneration cycle (is that one more regen, or is that the full 12? Presumably the 12?), and regeneration starts, ending the war in Christmas somewhat anticlimactically, not the best segment they've ever done, fixing a problem with essentially a nuke as opposed to cleverness.
The ending with Eleven and Clara had my allergies reacting again, and the actual regen into Twelve (and I think Capaldi hit the right note in his second appearance), was right, I really liked the abrupt as opposed to some CGI fest.
The next question, waiting for the next season? Rose carried over from Nine to Ten, Ten lost and/or said goodbye to all his companions going to Eleven, a clean slate starting with Pond. Twelve seems to be at least carrying Clara over for a bit, and I really like Clara so good, I hope they make good use of her as opposed to, say, a 3 episode send-off, or going the Rose romantic direction. (That to me made for some great acting for Tenant and Piper, but, eh, not the strongest part of Ten's run for me, I absolutely adored Donna and their relationship.)
I'll be re-watching, of course, probably too many times (yes, Sweetie, deal...), and it was on the whole positive, but could have been better. Needed more Spudboy. Oh, and, Handles was a really good point, and made for a good scene and amazing callback when he powered down for the last time.
Thoughts, comments, scathing rebuttals?
It was not however, without some issues...
ReplyDeleteDID I SAY? I SAID.
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(Update: Also, since Donna took some juice from the Fighting Hand when she became Doctor Donna, is that a regeneration?)
No.
'a new regeneration cycle (is that one more regen, or is that the full 12? Presumably the 12?),
Of course it's 12 more. What, you're gonna limit the longest running television series ever?
Twelve seems to be at least carrying Clara over for a bit, and I really like Clara so good, I hope they make good use of her
I think Clara was actually too much for eleven. He was too twee. She is much more in your face, and willing to just bust out on her own. Remember in the Rings of Akhetan, when she lost the Doc, looked around, and just shrugged and went out on her own way? that's a new level of self-confidence (and long overdue, not seen since maybe a bit of Martha Jones or Donna) and that is not part of the Eleven deal. I always thought there was a bit of tension between them, as much as he respected her.
But, he has used the screwdriver to open doors, cut holes in floors,
Doors are not always made of wood, and door hardware rarely is. Floors are made of things other than wood, especially in non-residential construction. I'm willing to give them a pass on it.
also, "good use of her" sounds kind of dirty. clean it up, dude.
(yes, Sweetie, deal...),
Hah. I watched the prior Farewell, also, and wife Sublime found somewhere else to be..
Needed more Spudboy
Everything does. Strax Rox. What we really need is for the OTHER spudboys, DEVO, to write a theme song for Strax. also, we need the Lizard Lady and her wife.
I liked the way the big crack in reality was finally resovled, all the way from the original introduction of 11. I didn't mind the nuking of the daleks, as that was in keeping with the post-war Doc's visceral rage at the creatures. sometimes, being clever is just not enough; Remember when Rory showed up on the Dalek ship, demanded his wife, said the Doctor needed a response and when the Daleks hesitated, the entire fleet blew up in the background while he asked "do you want me to repeat the question?"
I liked the drawerings in the Doctor's shop, over the 300 years he kept Christmas safe. Maybe zombies have more room for sentiment than electricians...
The explanation of the missing regenerations was well done, if contrived.
I also really liked Doctor Donna's run as companion, and her gramps as an ancillary character. the idea of a companion who pushed back on all his bullshit was great.
I will re-watch, as well.
Damn, nice. I can accept your positions, with one item requiring correction.
DeleteI liked the drawerings in the Doctor's shop, over the 300 years he kept Christmas safe. Maybe zombies have more room for sentiment than electricians...
I reported that my allergies acted up. That is because it is the only reason I can think of that a huge macho electrician would have water in his eyeballs.
May your Sailor's Jerry* overflow on Tuesday (I'll have a post about the elixir I received from Sweetie for Xmas) and here's to the New Damn Year, Z!!! AND PLAYOFFS!
*(FUCK THE GRAMMAR NAZIS, I AM THE SIMPLELITTLEELECTRICAN TRIUMPHANT!)
Ah. Sorry about the allergies.
DeleteThe Packers barely deserve to be in the playdowns, considering that two of their division opponents are the Lions and the Vikings. But Imma take it! Going into the second season with a healthy Rodgers and healthy Cobb is a plus. And Lacy is still running like he is healthy.
My favorite meme is a picture of Rodgers with the text "The Bears broke my collarbone...I broke their hearts".