So, watched THE REBEL FLESH...
Apr. 7th, 2013 09:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladyofleithian...and it was pretty excellent! Loved it.
I have to say what really made this episode were the Gangers -- basically, clones of someone else with their personality, memories, etc. I think what really struck me was the fact that they seemed to genuinely believe that they were the original article, and how they faced prejudice, in a way, from the humans. Because the humans...if nothing else, they seemed absolutely repulsed by the Gangers, seeing them as not really beings, even though they actually are. True, they may be clones, at least, but they are living beings in the end. And it really made me appreciate all the more when the Doctor tried to stick up for them -- and all the more heartwrenching and shocking when the female leader killed one of the Gangers by stopping his heart (and I love Eleven's reaction there, his astonishment that she took someone like that and stopped his heart). Made worse because she thinks that she's doing the right thing, because the Gangers, in her eyes, are accidents that need to be rectified. I think it's made worse because I can actually see something like that happening in real life. And the matter of her seeming so reasonable and pragmatic in the beginning...well, I think it says volumes about how prejudice can take a seemingly normal (or even perfectly okay) person and twist them into a monster. We've seen it in "Dalek" (with the Doctor), we've seen it in "Midnight", we've seen it in "The Waters of Mars" (again with the Doctor. *), we've seen it with "The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood" **...hell, it could be one of many running themes with DOCTOR WHO. And yet it's always handled well. Something like this could be easily butchered in the wrong hands, and yet...well, DOCTOR WHO manages to do it beautifully.
And I think in terms of carrying out the theme, there's always someone to essentially act differently. In "Dalek", it was Rose, in "Midnight", it was Dee Dee (although her attempts failed, they were worth the admiration) and later, the Hostess, in "The Waters of Mars", it was Adelaide refusing to have any of the Doctor's A God Am I crap, in "The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood" it was the Silurian leader, and here, we have Rory, trying to help the ganger Jennifer, from comforting her when she's frightened to shielding her from the people trying to kill her. And I loved Amy going to find Rory and such. It really shows how deeply she cares about him. Hell, it's one of many reasons I love this pairing.
I also liked the little touches, from the bit just after the teaser with Amy and Rory playing darts while the TARDIS' stereo is playing, to the Doctor's psychic paper showing meteorologist (it was actually my brother who pointed it out; considering that the psychic paper shows people what they want to see -- or sends messages, etc. -- it was likely the leader actually was worried about the solar tsunami and such and didn't really show it. I think that's a really neat touch. :) to the Gangers remembering bits from their templates' lives, like the guy talking about his son's birth, and ganger Jennifer remembering when she got lost at the mall and her favorite breakfast foods, etc. And the leader's ganger snarking about her template's tactics (one of the few moments of humor in that scene). And I really loved the bit with the Gangers preparing to go to war -- and I found it chilling with the "us vs. them" use of words -- it felt too much like something that would happen in real life. Seriously, Weeping Angels and Silence are already terrifying, but there's something about horrors that can actually happen *** that's enough to stick with me long after the episode has ended. Because in heated times, some people tend to just throw all reasoning out the window, while at the same time, come up with rationalizations for what they're doing. That's what's really the most terrifying. And the worst part is that both sides have their reasons -- the Gangers because they see it as, "We tried to trust the humans, and look what's happened!" and the humans because...well, they just see the Gangers as abominations. And the Doctor and his companions are swept up into this mess.
I also loved the Wham Shot of the Doctor also having a Ganger. That was incredibly chilling. Especially how it's built up -- you hear the Doctor's voice, in a way, and then a Ganger just steps out, dressed in the Doctor's clothing, and goes all, "Trust me, I'n the Doctor." Honestly, it was an amazing episode. A bit weird, but good.
* Which I think is one of many factors that made it so chilling; anyone on their own deciding to break the laws of time or something similar and do what they want is terrifying enough, but apply it to the Doctor (and make it perfectly natural to boot), and...yeah, terrifying. And the worst part about it is that it's perfectly understandable. Anyone going off the deep end and declaring themselves essentially a god is frightening, but apply it to someone like the Doctor and still manage to keep him not just realistic but even pitiful...yeah, All The Awards, once again.
** Made even more powerful considering that both sides had their share of radicals, in a way: Ambrose trying to save her son, and some of the Silurians, who saw humanity as no more than a blight on Earth. (And yet there were those who made a stand and essentially said "no", such as the Silurian leader)
*** See also "Midnight", "Turn Left", and so on and so forth.
So overall? Loved it. Definitely recommended.
I have to say what really made this episode were the Gangers -- basically, clones of someone else with their personality, memories, etc. I think what really struck me was the fact that they seemed to genuinely believe that they were the original article, and how they faced prejudice, in a way, from the humans. Because the humans...if nothing else, they seemed absolutely repulsed by the Gangers, seeing them as not really beings, even though they actually are. True, they may be clones, at least, but they are living beings in the end. And it really made me appreciate all the more when the Doctor tried to stick up for them -- and all the more heartwrenching and shocking when the female leader killed one of the Gangers by stopping his heart (and I love Eleven's reaction there, his astonishment that she took someone like that and stopped his heart). Made worse because she thinks that she's doing the right thing, because the Gangers, in her eyes, are accidents that need to be rectified. I think it's made worse because I can actually see something like that happening in real life. And the matter of her seeming so reasonable and pragmatic in the beginning...well, I think it says volumes about how prejudice can take a seemingly normal (or even perfectly okay) person and twist them into a monster. We've seen it in "Dalek" (with the Doctor), we've seen it in "Midnight", we've seen it in "The Waters of Mars" (again with the Doctor. *), we've seen it with "The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood" **...hell, it could be one of many running themes with DOCTOR WHO. And yet it's always handled well. Something like this could be easily butchered in the wrong hands, and yet...well, DOCTOR WHO manages to do it beautifully.
And I think in terms of carrying out the theme, there's always someone to essentially act differently. In "Dalek", it was Rose, in "Midnight", it was Dee Dee (although her attempts failed, they were worth the admiration) and later, the Hostess, in "The Waters of Mars", it was Adelaide refusing to have any of the Doctor's A God Am I crap, in "The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood" it was the Silurian leader, and here, we have Rory, trying to help the ganger Jennifer, from comforting her when she's frightened to shielding her from the people trying to kill her. And I loved Amy going to find Rory and such. It really shows how deeply she cares about him. Hell, it's one of many reasons I love this pairing.
I also liked the little touches, from the bit just after the teaser with Amy and Rory playing darts while the TARDIS' stereo is playing, to the Doctor's psychic paper showing meteorologist (it was actually my brother who pointed it out; considering that the psychic paper shows people what they want to see -- or sends messages, etc. -- it was likely the leader actually was worried about the solar tsunami and such and didn't really show it. I think that's a really neat touch. :) to the Gangers remembering bits from their templates' lives, like the guy talking about his son's birth, and ganger Jennifer remembering when she got lost at the mall and her favorite breakfast foods, etc. And the leader's ganger snarking about her template's tactics (one of the few moments of humor in that scene). And I really loved the bit with the Gangers preparing to go to war -- and I found it chilling with the "us vs. them" use of words -- it felt too much like something that would happen in real life. Seriously, Weeping Angels and Silence are already terrifying, but there's something about horrors that can actually happen *** that's enough to stick with me long after the episode has ended. Because in heated times, some people tend to just throw all reasoning out the window, while at the same time, come up with rationalizations for what they're doing. That's what's really the most terrifying. And the worst part is that both sides have their reasons -- the Gangers because they see it as, "We tried to trust the humans, and look what's happened!" and the humans because...well, they just see the Gangers as abominations. And the Doctor and his companions are swept up into this mess.
I also loved the Wham Shot of the Doctor also having a Ganger. That was incredibly chilling. Especially how it's built up -- you hear the Doctor's voice, in a way, and then a Ganger just steps out, dressed in the Doctor's clothing, and goes all, "Trust me, I'n the Doctor." Honestly, it was an amazing episode. A bit weird, but good.
* Which I think is one of many factors that made it so chilling; anyone on their own deciding to break the laws of time or something similar and do what they want is terrifying enough, but apply it to the Doctor (and make it perfectly natural to boot), and...yeah, terrifying. And the worst part about it is that it's perfectly understandable. Anyone going off the deep end and declaring themselves essentially a god is frightening, but apply it to someone like the Doctor and still manage to keep him not just realistic but even pitiful...yeah, All The Awards, once again.
** Made even more powerful considering that both sides had their share of radicals, in a way: Ambrose trying to save her son, and some of the Silurians, who saw humanity as no more than a blight on Earth. (And yet there were those who made a stand and essentially said "no", such as the Silurian leader)
*** See also "Midnight", "Turn Left", and so on and so forth.
So overall? Loved it. Definitely recommended.
