ladyofleithian (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ladyofleithian) wrote2013-03-27 10:21 pm
ladyofleithian) wrote2013-03-27 10:21 pm
Entry tags:
Current Status.
Doing a little better than I was previously. I mean, throughout the day...well, it was kind of one of those more miserable moments. Just really feeling rather lousy. Add that I feel like I'm not going to be able to escape from that feeling of shittiness, and... *Sighs* I know it sounds so ridiculously Wangsty, but it's true.
I felt better after watching DOCTOR WHO, though. That and talking with people. Talking always helps. But really, about DOCTOR WHO...we watched "Amy's Choice" and "The Hungry Earth". Both amazing episodes. Didn't really expect to like "Amy's Choice", yet...well, here I am.
One thing that really struck me about "Amy's Choice" was how...INCEPTION-y it was. Sort of a dream within a dream, false realities, dying to get back to the real world, etc. But unlike INCEPTION...well, instead of it being a part of the sleep project, apparently it's what happens when Eleven leaves one of his science projects unattended.
In all seriousness, it was a great episode. I loved the build-up of atmosphere, I loved the monsters in the episode, and I loved the Dream Lord. Seriously, he's such an asshole, but he's so bizarrely compelling. I know his Hannibal Lectures to the Doctor were really chilling. Things like "the old man prefers the company of the young" -- also pretty heartbreaking all things considered, because the Doctor's companions do leave in the end. Perhaps everything ends eventually, but it doesn't make the pain any less fresh. Any less excruciating. I know there are people I miss, even if they may not necessarily give a fuck. That and...some attachment issues. * *Sighs* Really, is it any wonder I identify with Anakin Skywalker so much? But I am no doubt jumping fandoms.
I also liked some of the funnier lines in there, such as Rory's line about the poncho, and "If we're going to die, let's die looking like a Peruvian folk band." And after Rory is killed, Amy's talk with the Doctor. Especially heartwrenching when Amy says, "Then what's the point of you?" I mean...it's like I said in my "Love and Monsters" review; the Doctor is a good, brave, wonderful, kind man, but he's not God. Even Ursula was never quite the same, to say the least, after the Doctor's restoration of her. Also, Amy saying, basically, that if reality is a life without Rory, she doesn't want it. Which...I think was actually foreshadowing "The Angels Take Manhattan", when Amy chooses to be zapped away with Rory so she can live out the rest of her days with him. He won't have to die alone. (Which...sort of calls back a bit to "Blink" and "The Doctor's Wife", her seeing old!Rory dying earlier. So many connections and counterpoints and whatnot -- it feels almost akin to a continuing story. And a lot of meaning is there too. But I digress)
I also loved the Dream Lord's talk with Amy. So wonderfully creepy. I know things like "That's good, because he never will" and "he left you here with me"...brrrr. Honestly, a lot of what the Dream Lord said -- he doesn't do anything particularly Moral Event Horizon-worthy; just him showing up and messing with the Doctor and his companions' heads was creepy enough. He's like if Q from STAR TREK was (sort of) playing the role of Harvey the neural clone in FARSCAPE. With a healthy dash of AMERICAN MCGEE'S ALICE and INCEPTION, naturally. I also loved the Doctor trying to rescue the people with that bus. That was ridiculously awesome.
I also loved the ending, with the Dream Lord ultimately leaving, admitting his defeat. He's a graceful loser; I'll give him that. :P
And I love how they didn't just press the reset button, what with Amy talking to Rory about what happened, and that flash of the Dream Lord in the TARDIS reflective surface. Wonderfully creepy. Add the fact that the Dream Lord is actually a literal representation of the Doctor's darker side...while it overlapped with a bit of a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming with "I choose my companions well" **, it's also frightening. He's the Doctor's shadow come to life. How is that not terrifying?
(Although I would have loved, come to think of it, to see the Time Lord Victorious again. At least in some form. And God, I need to write that fic...)
So yeah...amazing episode.
And then there's "The Hungry Earth". Where do I begin with how awesome this episode is? I mean, the little boy quoting SHERLOCK HOLMES, for one thing. And the Silurians...brrr. I know the scene with that one Silurian talking with the Doctor about the Silurians taking back "their" planet (although, Doctor? I disagree with you defending them. I mean, they're kidnapping people and dissecting them. I'd class them as kind of assholes, really, to put it mildly. And yes, drilling in the ground over their home is a stupid idea, but there's no need to commit mass-murder over it. You could have just said, "Hey, can you cut out the drilling? We kind of live here." Basically. ***). Wonderfully chilling. And the Doctor refusing to have a battle. Ten would have pulled "Don't make me destroy you." Nine would have...well, been more than a little pissed, really. Eleven, however...I don't think it would be a stretch if he was frightened by some of the actions he took as Ten (because, kind as Ten was, he could be very frightening). He's harsher in a few places (for example, I don't think Eleven would have forgiven the Master as easily ****. Not passing judgment, merely making an observation), softer in others (such as here). And I think it's interesting to note it being put back to back with "Amy's Choice". With "Amy's Choice", we saw the worst of the Doctor. With "The Hungry Earth", we're seeing the best.
I also loved the woman who accompanied the Doctor onto the TARDIS; I wish she'd been a companion, really, because she works beautifully with the Doctor. Also, Amy getting sucked under (made even more powerful by the fact she was doing it to save that one guy from getting sucked under himself), and the Doctor's reaction (*hugs him*). And Amy talking with that man who was dissected and put back together (although how did they even manage to do that? D:). And that one poor guy getting green veins on his neck, because the makeup job was amazing. And that one mother's very human grief when her son was taken. And the Doctor discovering an entire Silurian city under the Earth. Really wonderful Wham Shot.
* And it's really why I don't like when characters are judged for missing people they care about. Or even just acting human at all. Because I remember an argument where someone tried to argue that the Jedi's arguments about no attachment were *correct* -- we shouldn't love, we shouldn't feel...that's the basic gist of it. Which...no. We can't not love -- any sort of love, really -- we can't not feel any more than we can not breathe. Emotions can be controlled, but suppressed? No.
My thoughts are no doubt incoherent, allow me to roughly paraphrase/butcher these words from Jolee Bindo: Love doesn't lead to evil. Passion can be dangerous, but love will save you, not condemn you. (Yes, I know it's not really the original quote. I'm paraphrasing, as I said)
And it's really one of many reasons I love DOCTOR WHO; it takes a concept that's...honestly pretty loathsome and takes a sledgehammer to it. True heroism isn't perfection. True heroism is doing the right thing where others run away, showing compassion to even those others won't, and being willing to do what you can to save the world. Oh yes, and loyalty. It's especially reassuring, because...I'm an anxiety-ridden self-critical wreck. I doubt I could ever be The Perfect Human. And if it means having to lose everything that makes me human, I don't want it, not ever.
** Also a bit of a Tearjerker, considering how he also says that there's nothing dark in the slightest about his companions. Granted, he could have meant something else, but it really felt as if he was saying, "I really don't deserve you two" and "You're so wonderful and I'm just a wreck". I could be wrong, but still, just...damn, Doctor, you have no idea how gentle and kind and wonderful you really are, do you? It's a bit frustrating, though also understandable considering...well, I don't have self-loathing as bad as the Doctor (or at least as cosmic), I can understand. Worrying about turning into something terrible, for example, beating myself up over the small things, things like that. And fighting a war with self-criticism and anxiety issues, and mood issues...it's not easy, really. I am not exactly the Doctor (I haven't gone through what he has and I pray no one ever does), but I can see an echo of myself in him. Fictional characters are not exactly us, but we have a bit of them in us, and they have a bit of us. They're windows to humanity, and they're one of those things we remember most in a story. One of the most powerful elements in a story, really. And DOCTOR WHO captures it beautifully.
*** Then again, maybe what seems like madness to me seems perfectly sane to them. Everyone has their justifications, really. That's what makes it all so frightening.
**** Although according to RTD in the Confidential for "Last of the Time Lords", Ten was also doing it out of a desire to atone, and because he's just that lonely. I know my mom didn't agree with that idea, Ten loving the Master (she made a remark about him having poor taste even while I was like, "They were friends, Mom." Ugh...dammit show for giving me feels about those damn characters), but it's true nonetheless. It's another reason I love the "I forgive you" scene -- it feels so human (for lack of a better word) and so vulnerable even in the middle of it being so powerful. Ten is in a position of power, in a way, yet also very vulnerable. And even sort of lowering himself to that level of vulnerability. And the Master...I find it interesting to think that, in a way, Ten's forgiveness killed him. Lucy may have shot him, but he chose not to regenerate (although the Thanatos Gambit may have also had something to do with it). Ten's love for him killed him twice, because the second time...well, though he'd never say it directly, he loved Ten too. It's really the heart of "Last of the Time Lords" and "The End of Time", or at least one of many.
So overall? Brilliant episodes. Definitely recommended.
I felt better after watching DOCTOR WHO, though. That and talking with people. Talking always helps. But really, about DOCTOR WHO...we watched "Amy's Choice" and "The Hungry Earth". Both amazing episodes. Didn't really expect to like "Amy's Choice", yet...well, here I am.
One thing that really struck me about "Amy's Choice" was how...INCEPTION-y it was. Sort of a dream within a dream, false realities, dying to get back to the real world, etc. But unlike INCEPTION...well, instead of it being a part of the sleep project, apparently it's what happens when Eleven leaves one of his science projects unattended.
In all seriousness, it was a great episode. I loved the build-up of atmosphere, I loved the monsters in the episode, and I loved the Dream Lord. Seriously, he's such an asshole, but he's so bizarrely compelling. I know his Hannibal Lectures to the Doctor were really chilling. Things like "the old man prefers the company of the young" -- also pretty heartbreaking all things considered, because the Doctor's companions do leave in the end. Perhaps everything ends eventually, but it doesn't make the pain any less fresh. Any less excruciating. I know there are people I miss, even if they may not necessarily give a fuck. That and...some attachment issues. * *Sighs* Really, is it any wonder I identify with Anakin Skywalker so much? But I am no doubt jumping fandoms.
I also liked some of the funnier lines in there, such as Rory's line about the poncho, and "If we're going to die, let's die looking like a Peruvian folk band." And after Rory is killed, Amy's talk with the Doctor. Especially heartwrenching when Amy says, "Then what's the point of you?" I mean...it's like I said in my "Love and Monsters" review; the Doctor is a good, brave, wonderful, kind man, but he's not God. Even Ursula was never quite the same, to say the least, after the Doctor's restoration of her. Also, Amy saying, basically, that if reality is a life without Rory, she doesn't want it. Which...I think was actually foreshadowing "The Angels Take Manhattan", when Amy chooses to be zapped away with Rory so she can live out the rest of her days with him. He won't have to die alone. (Which...sort of calls back a bit to "Blink" and "The Doctor's Wife", her seeing old!Rory dying earlier. So many connections and counterpoints and whatnot -- it feels almost akin to a continuing story. And a lot of meaning is there too. But I digress)
I also loved the Dream Lord's talk with Amy. So wonderfully creepy. I know things like "That's good, because he never will" and "he left you here with me"...brrrr. Honestly, a lot of what the Dream Lord said -- he doesn't do anything particularly Moral Event Horizon-worthy; just him showing up and messing with the Doctor and his companions' heads was creepy enough. He's like if Q from STAR TREK was (sort of) playing the role of Harvey the neural clone in FARSCAPE. With a healthy dash of AMERICAN MCGEE'S ALICE and INCEPTION, naturally. I also loved the Doctor trying to rescue the people with that bus. That was ridiculously awesome.
I also loved the ending, with the Dream Lord ultimately leaving, admitting his defeat. He's a graceful loser; I'll give him that. :P
And I love how they didn't just press the reset button, what with Amy talking to Rory about what happened, and that flash of the Dream Lord in the TARDIS reflective surface. Wonderfully creepy. Add the fact that the Dream Lord is actually a literal representation of the Doctor's darker side...while it overlapped with a bit of a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming with "I choose my companions well" **, it's also frightening. He's the Doctor's shadow come to life. How is that not terrifying?
(Although I would have loved, come to think of it, to see the Time Lord Victorious again. At least in some form. And God, I need to write that fic...)
So yeah...amazing episode.
And then there's "The Hungry Earth". Where do I begin with how awesome this episode is? I mean, the little boy quoting SHERLOCK HOLMES, for one thing. And the Silurians...brrr. I know the scene with that one Silurian talking with the Doctor about the Silurians taking back "their" planet (although, Doctor? I disagree with you defending them. I mean, they're kidnapping people and dissecting them. I'd class them as kind of assholes, really, to put it mildly. And yes, drilling in the ground over their home is a stupid idea, but there's no need to commit mass-murder over it. You could have just said, "Hey, can you cut out the drilling? We kind of live here." Basically. ***). Wonderfully chilling. And the Doctor refusing to have a battle. Ten would have pulled "Don't make me destroy you." Nine would have...well, been more than a little pissed, really. Eleven, however...I don't think it would be a stretch if he was frightened by some of the actions he took as Ten (because, kind as Ten was, he could be very frightening). He's harsher in a few places (for example, I don't think Eleven would have forgiven the Master as easily ****. Not passing judgment, merely making an observation), softer in others (such as here). And I think it's interesting to note it being put back to back with "Amy's Choice". With "Amy's Choice", we saw the worst of the Doctor. With "The Hungry Earth", we're seeing the best.
I also loved the woman who accompanied the Doctor onto the TARDIS; I wish she'd been a companion, really, because she works beautifully with the Doctor. Also, Amy getting sucked under (made even more powerful by the fact she was doing it to save that one guy from getting sucked under himself), and the Doctor's reaction (*hugs him*). And Amy talking with that man who was dissected and put back together (although how did they even manage to do that? D:). And that one poor guy getting green veins on his neck, because the makeup job was amazing. And that one mother's very human grief when her son was taken. And the Doctor discovering an entire Silurian city under the Earth. Really wonderful Wham Shot.
* And it's really why I don't like when characters are judged for missing people they care about. Or even just acting human at all. Because I remember an argument where someone tried to argue that the Jedi's arguments about no attachment were *correct* -- we shouldn't love, we shouldn't feel...that's the basic gist of it. Which...no. We can't not love -- any sort of love, really -- we can't not feel any more than we can not breathe. Emotions can be controlled, but suppressed? No.
My thoughts are no doubt incoherent, allow me to roughly paraphrase/butcher these words from Jolee Bindo: Love doesn't lead to evil. Passion can be dangerous, but love will save you, not condemn you. (Yes, I know it's not really the original quote. I'm paraphrasing, as I said)
And it's really one of many reasons I love DOCTOR WHO; it takes a concept that's...honestly pretty loathsome and takes a sledgehammer to it. True heroism isn't perfection. True heroism is doing the right thing where others run away, showing compassion to even those others won't, and being willing to do what you can to save the world. Oh yes, and loyalty. It's especially reassuring, because...I'm an anxiety-ridden self-critical wreck. I doubt I could ever be The Perfect Human. And if it means having to lose everything that makes me human, I don't want it, not ever.
** Also a bit of a Tearjerker, considering how he also says that there's nothing dark in the slightest about his companions. Granted, he could have meant something else, but it really felt as if he was saying, "I really don't deserve you two" and "You're so wonderful and I'm just a wreck". I could be wrong, but still, just...damn, Doctor, you have no idea how gentle and kind and wonderful you really are, do you? It's a bit frustrating, though also understandable considering...well, I don't have self-loathing as bad as the Doctor (or at least as cosmic), I can understand. Worrying about turning into something terrible, for example, beating myself up over the small things, things like that. And fighting a war with self-criticism and anxiety issues, and mood issues...it's not easy, really. I am not exactly the Doctor (I haven't gone through what he has and I pray no one ever does), but I can see an echo of myself in him. Fictional characters are not exactly us, but we have a bit of them in us, and they have a bit of us. They're windows to humanity, and they're one of those things we remember most in a story. One of the most powerful elements in a story, really. And DOCTOR WHO captures it beautifully.
*** Then again, maybe what seems like madness to me seems perfectly sane to them. Everyone has their justifications, really. That's what makes it all so frightening.
**** Although according to RTD in the Confidential for "Last of the Time Lords", Ten was also doing it out of a desire to atone, and because he's just that lonely. I know my mom didn't agree with that idea, Ten loving the Master (she made a remark about him having poor taste even while I was like, "They were friends, Mom." Ugh...dammit show for giving me feels about those damn characters), but it's true nonetheless. It's another reason I love the "I forgive you" scene -- it feels so human (for lack of a better word) and so vulnerable even in the middle of it being so powerful. Ten is in a position of power, in a way, yet also very vulnerable. And even sort of lowering himself to that level of vulnerability. And the Master...I find it interesting to think that, in a way, Ten's forgiveness killed him. Lucy may have shot him, but he chose not to regenerate (although the Thanatos Gambit may have also had something to do with it). Ten's love for him killed him twice, because the second time...well, though he'd never say it directly, he loved Ten too. It's really the heart of "Last of the Time Lords" and "The End of Time", or at least one of many.
So overall? Brilliant episodes. Definitely recommended.