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ladyofleithian...and holy fucking God. Amazing episode, but goddamn was it emotionally harrowing.
I think one thing that really got me about this episode was the matter of Kahler Jex. I had been sort of spoiled, unfortunately, about him being a bad guy ahead of time (reasons why one shouldn't browse TV Tropes before watching certain DOCTOR WHO episodes, I'm thinking), but the way he was handled...he was an incredibly complex character. And while what he did was horrible (basically, there was this war going on on his home planet and he turned people into machine-man hybrids * in order to have it won. And it was -- it was won in less than a week), in a way, I could sort of understand why he did it. I've never been to war, but I can imagine, in terms of reading about it, that one would have to do all sorts of horrible things in it. That and the matter of tying into a certain theme in DOCTOR WHO about doing horrible things so others may live. It doesn't help that the war lasted for nine years before it finally ended, and half of the planet was decimated. So I can definitely imagine where he would be pushed to desperation. True, what he did was terrible, but in light of the circumstances...yeah.
Not to mention...the man wasn't a sort of Madame Kovarian-type who genuinely believed in what she did and felt no remorse for any of what she did. With Kovarian, when she placed River Song in the astronaut suit at the bottom of Lake Silencio, she was downright gleeful about it. In contrast, Kahler Jex, in terms of remembering and recounting, he sounded...downright remorseful, really. Stuff like "You don't think I hear them screaming every time I close my eyes?" Also, calling Isaac (the sheriff who was killed accidentally by the Gunslinger, more on him later) his "friend". Something about that line, even though I sort of had that "hadhafang-why-are-you-feeling-sorry-for-the-bad-guys" itch in the back of my head **, really got to me. And then there was the fact that at the end -- I think this is where he really elevated himself for me. Reaching out to the Gunslinger and offering him compassion, for one thing. And then later setting his ship to self-destruct if only to prevent more murders. And ending the war for the Gunslinger as well. Not to mention in his first appearance, talking with Amy, and asking if she's a mother -- having the sort of kindness and sadness, but also ferocity. Something about that part really got to me. And his conversations with the Doctor, noting that they really aren't that different. The rage, the guilt, things like that. And the line about what happens to his people in the afterlife, about carrying the souls of those they wronged whilst climbing a mountain. Besides the matter of being a nice bit of worldbuilding I wished I had (seriously, characters I can do, but worldbuilding can be hard. Which considering I write for the fantasy genre is like living on a boat in the middle of the ocean and not knowing how to swim), it definitely says volumes about the weight that Kahler Jex has on his conscience. True, he does do some dishonorable shit, such as using Amy as a sort of human shield (seriously, that's pretty douchey, risking Amy like that), but fundamentally...well, he wasn't really a monster. He can be charming, really, and I doubt he was faking that. And he's done some good, such as curing the town of Mercy (yeah, Meaningful Name is Meaningful, I know) of a cholera outbreak, providing them light and heat -- seriously, the man is not just a genius (as the Doctor points out in his rather enthusiastic first meeting with Jex), but...well, it definitely says something about the fact that he crash-landed in Mercy and tried to make the town better. The man might have done terrible things, but he's not a monster.
And though I no doubt sound completely ridiculous, I really felt genuinely uncomfortable with the Doctor's actions in the episode. I can understand where he would want to get justice for the people who were converted into cyborgs, the victims of Jex, as he puts it, but at the very least...I don't think he really gets it. Because he's not really squeaky clean either, as Jex points out.
Not to mention in the determined-to-kick-me-where-it-hurts department, the matter of treating his mercy towards the Daleks (and since when did he show mercy towards the Daleks? He might have collaborated with Sec once, but that was mostly a sort of misguided hope that perhaps the Daleks could be redeemed. *** That isn't really the same as "mercy", unless Eleven was wondering why he didn't just kill Sec or something when he had the chance. **** Or it was something else), the Master, etc. as a bad thing. Because...yes, the Master did horrible things and there was more than enough reason to be punished for them. But the Doctor...what the Doctor saw, what he always saw, was the man who had once been friends with him (if not more than that) on Gallifrey. The young boy who happened to look into the Time Vortex and hear the drumbeat calling him to war -- all because of Rassilon trying to escape the Time War. And not just that, the man he was when he used the fobwatch -- Professor Yana. The kind old man trying to help others reach Utopia (which, granted, was very much doomed to failure. Which makes it all the sadder). He loved the Master once, and the Master loved him back (hell, Russell T. Davies even said, in response to director Euros Lyn's, "Why didn't the Master kill the Doctor?", "Because he loves him. Honestly, I think he does."). And I don't think that's ever that easily forgotten. The Doctor is very much human, for lack of a better word, in the end. He can't just deny that. And in a sense, the Master was a victim as well, if only thanks to Rassilon's manipulations. And he wasn't remorseful of his actions like Jex -- if nothing else, he called the Master "a disease of his own making", tried to get the Doctor to kill the Master, tried to destroy creation...yeah.
So yeah...it honestly isn't that simple, Doctor.
On the other hand, it could also be the matter of the Doctor's I-hate-past-me surfacing as well. Hating everything that he had done in his previous incarnation. And tying into the matter of humanity...one thing I've noticed some, generally, do, is try to deny their faults and their flaws. That sort of "I could never be that" and so on and so forth. Even I do that on occasion. Which...really, honestly, sucks. And it ties into another reason the Doctor may hate Jex -- because he knows that he and Jex are similar, in a way, and he hates it. He hates what he sees from himself in Jex as well as the obvious. And he does occasionally tend to divide a problem into something that can be clear-cut, as some do *****, even when it's really a problem that's not that easy to solve. Even when it can't be pinned down that easily. And the matter of traveling alone doesn't really help either -- Amy even points it out. And she's right -- the last time that he traveled alone (and for similar reasons that Eleven dropped off Amy and Rory in "The God Complex"), he ended up altering a fixed point in time, what with genuinely good intentions gone awry. And dubbing himself the Time Lord Victorious. And perhaps one of the most genuinely frightening and heartwrenching episodes in DOCTOR WHO. I think it varies in execution -- Ten is sort of matter-of-fact, calm, which makes his declaration of "Time Lord Victorious" even scarier (and repeating some phrases earlier used by the Master. And perhaps that was another reason he couldn't hate the Master in the end -- because he and the Master were very much alike. ******), while Eleven...he's more exploding-with-rage, really. And both are pretty damn scary.
That said, Amy calling him out on it was a beautifully done scene. There were instances of humor in there, such as the Sheriff's "Anyone who isn't American, put your gun down!" and Amy's firing-a-warning-shot-in-the-air thing going rather wrong. But fundamentally, Amy calling the Doctor out on basically appointing himself judge, jury and executioner when it came to Jex...yeah, that was beautifully done. And her imploring him to be better than Jex. Just...Amy? You are awesome. :3
*Sighs*
And I am now a cocktail of emotions. Have some Thor humor: http://cheezburger.com/6899721216.
*Sighs*
And back to the review. I also really liked (in a sad way) the sheriff sacrificing himself to try and stop the Gunslinger. It's not just because of Kahler Jex being his friend (honestly, imagine realizing the man that you were friends with was a war criminal), but because of his town. I guess that's an area where he and Hex aren't so different -- they both have to do certain things others may not like if only to protect their cities/planets/etc. They're different in execution, yes, but the spirit of it is still the same. That and the Sheriff's dying words about the Doctor and Jex being good men; they just seem to forget it sometimes.
*Sighs*
This is getting depressing again. Here, have some STAR TREK humor: http://cheezburger.com/7159794176.
*Sighs*
And I think that's really where the Gunslinger has that moment of doubt -- at least, the seeds of guilt sort of planted in him. His methods can be questionable, yes (such as coming close to shooting up a church to find Jex; he ultimately doesn't, but I did get worried for a bit), but he has understandable reasons. After all, he was turned into a cyborg -- I can imagine being more than pissed and wanting justice for what happened. I think the problem is when it goes too far. I can imagine the Gunslinger at least feeling more than guilty about seemingly violating his Never Hurt A Civilian rule while searching for Jex. The fact that Jex chooses to sacrifice himself if only to end the bloodshed -- well, the Gunslinger even says, basically, that Jex behaved with more honor than the Gunslinger himself did in the end. And yet it's also made heartwarming when the Doctor gives him a second chance to watch over Mercy as its protector. The ending narration definitely clinches it.
I also loved the bits of humor in there, such as the Doctor describing KEEP OUT signs as more of a guideline (nice semi-callback to THE BEAST BELOW also), and the more serious moments, such as the Doctor talking to that one boy about violence. Honestly, this was a damn good episode. A bit harrowing at times, but very good.
* Think sort of like human beings crossed with Terminators and you get my drift.
** Seriously, I have too much of an issue of pitying the bad guys sometimes. Anakin/Vader, for example, and the Master, and even Khan...yeah, I think there's something wrong with the inside of my head.
*** The thing about Ten, really, is that fundamentally he's a sort of...I don't know how to phrase it except being a Wide Eyed Idealist. Trying to save the Master, for example, and Davros. Also, his reasons for wanting to help Sec, because he believes that Sec becoming more, ahem, human means that there may be hope for him. When he's not being dangerous or ranting in a way that would scare the bejesus out of just about everyone, he genuinely just wants to see the good in others, help others. I think it may have been a bit of Rose's influence, really. It's one of those things I really honestly love about Ten. It helped I was in a heavy cynical period when I found him.
**** And he couldn't kill that one Dalek as Nine because Rose stood up to him. The Dalek's seemingly odd behavior planted the seeds of doubt in his mind. Rose just had to say "What are you changing into?" and he put the gun down. (Also known as one of those reasons I love Rose Tyler. And Nine. And that episode, for that matter)
***** See also a lot of real life debates, large and small.
****** And seeing his possible redemption in the Master. Another way, perhaps, that the Doctor and Jex aren't that different. They both want to be forgiven, really. In a way.
So overall? Loved it. Definitely recommended.
I think one thing that really got me about this episode was the matter of Kahler Jex. I had been sort of spoiled, unfortunately, about him being a bad guy ahead of time (reasons why one shouldn't browse TV Tropes before watching certain DOCTOR WHO episodes, I'm thinking), but the way he was handled...he was an incredibly complex character. And while what he did was horrible (basically, there was this war going on on his home planet and he turned people into machine-man hybrids * in order to have it won. And it was -- it was won in less than a week), in a way, I could sort of understand why he did it. I've never been to war, but I can imagine, in terms of reading about it, that one would have to do all sorts of horrible things in it. That and the matter of tying into a certain theme in DOCTOR WHO about doing horrible things so others may live. It doesn't help that the war lasted for nine years before it finally ended, and half of the planet was decimated. So I can definitely imagine where he would be pushed to desperation. True, what he did was terrible, but in light of the circumstances...yeah.
Not to mention...the man wasn't a sort of Madame Kovarian-type who genuinely believed in what she did and felt no remorse for any of what she did. With Kovarian, when she placed River Song in the astronaut suit at the bottom of Lake Silencio, she was downright gleeful about it. In contrast, Kahler Jex, in terms of remembering and recounting, he sounded...downright remorseful, really. Stuff like "You don't think I hear them screaming every time I close my eyes?" Also, calling Isaac (the sheriff who was killed accidentally by the Gunslinger, more on him later) his "friend". Something about that line, even though I sort of had that "hadhafang-why-are-you-feeling-sorry-for-the-bad-guys" itch in the back of my head **, really got to me. And then there was the fact that at the end -- I think this is where he really elevated himself for me. Reaching out to the Gunslinger and offering him compassion, for one thing. And then later setting his ship to self-destruct if only to prevent more murders. And ending the war for the Gunslinger as well. Not to mention in his first appearance, talking with Amy, and asking if she's a mother -- having the sort of kindness and sadness, but also ferocity. Something about that part really got to me. And his conversations with the Doctor, noting that they really aren't that different. The rage, the guilt, things like that. And the line about what happens to his people in the afterlife, about carrying the souls of those they wronged whilst climbing a mountain. Besides the matter of being a nice bit of worldbuilding I wished I had (seriously, characters I can do, but worldbuilding can be hard. Which considering I write for the fantasy genre is like living on a boat in the middle of the ocean and not knowing how to swim), it definitely says volumes about the weight that Kahler Jex has on his conscience. True, he does do some dishonorable shit, such as using Amy as a sort of human shield (seriously, that's pretty douchey, risking Amy like that), but fundamentally...well, he wasn't really a monster. He can be charming, really, and I doubt he was faking that. And he's done some good, such as curing the town of Mercy (yeah, Meaningful Name is Meaningful, I know) of a cholera outbreak, providing them light and heat -- seriously, the man is not just a genius (as the Doctor points out in his rather enthusiastic first meeting with Jex), but...well, it definitely says something about the fact that he crash-landed in Mercy and tried to make the town better. The man might have done terrible things, but he's not a monster.
And though I no doubt sound completely ridiculous, I really felt genuinely uncomfortable with the Doctor's actions in the episode. I can understand where he would want to get justice for the people who were converted into cyborgs, the victims of Jex, as he puts it, but at the very least...I don't think he really gets it. Because he's not really squeaky clean either, as Jex points out.
Not to mention in the determined-to-kick-me-where-it-hurts department, the matter of treating his mercy towards the Daleks (and since when did he show mercy towards the Daleks? He might have collaborated with Sec once, but that was mostly a sort of misguided hope that perhaps the Daleks could be redeemed. *** That isn't really the same as "mercy", unless Eleven was wondering why he didn't just kill Sec or something when he had the chance. **** Or it was something else), the Master, etc. as a bad thing. Because...yes, the Master did horrible things and there was more than enough reason to be punished for them. But the Doctor...what the Doctor saw, what he always saw, was the man who had once been friends with him (if not more than that) on Gallifrey. The young boy who happened to look into the Time Vortex and hear the drumbeat calling him to war -- all because of Rassilon trying to escape the Time War. And not just that, the man he was when he used the fobwatch -- Professor Yana. The kind old man trying to help others reach Utopia (which, granted, was very much doomed to failure. Which makes it all the sadder). He loved the Master once, and the Master loved him back (hell, Russell T. Davies even said, in response to director Euros Lyn's, "Why didn't the Master kill the Doctor?", "Because he loves him. Honestly, I think he does."). And I don't think that's ever that easily forgotten. The Doctor is very much human, for lack of a better word, in the end. He can't just deny that. And in a sense, the Master was a victim as well, if only thanks to Rassilon's manipulations. And he wasn't remorseful of his actions like Jex -- if nothing else, he called the Master "a disease of his own making", tried to get the Doctor to kill the Master, tried to destroy creation...yeah.
So yeah...it honestly isn't that simple, Doctor.
On the other hand, it could also be the matter of the Doctor's I-hate-past-me surfacing as well. Hating everything that he had done in his previous incarnation. And tying into the matter of humanity...one thing I've noticed some, generally, do, is try to deny their faults and their flaws. That sort of "I could never be that" and so on and so forth. Even I do that on occasion. Which...really, honestly, sucks. And it ties into another reason the Doctor may hate Jex -- because he knows that he and Jex are similar, in a way, and he hates it. He hates what he sees from himself in Jex as well as the obvious. And he does occasionally tend to divide a problem into something that can be clear-cut, as some do *****, even when it's really a problem that's not that easy to solve. Even when it can't be pinned down that easily. And the matter of traveling alone doesn't really help either -- Amy even points it out. And she's right -- the last time that he traveled alone (and for similar reasons that Eleven dropped off Amy and Rory in "The God Complex"), he ended up altering a fixed point in time, what with genuinely good intentions gone awry. And dubbing himself the Time Lord Victorious. And perhaps one of the most genuinely frightening and heartwrenching episodes in DOCTOR WHO. I think it varies in execution -- Ten is sort of matter-of-fact, calm, which makes his declaration of "Time Lord Victorious" even scarier (and repeating some phrases earlier used by the Master. And perhaps that was another reason he couldn't hate the Master in the end -- because he and the Master were very much alike. ******), while Eleven...he's more exploding-with-rage, really. And both are pretty damn scary.
That said, Amy calling him out on it was a beautifully done scene. There were instances of humor in there, such as the Sheriff's "Anyone who isn't American, put your gun down!" and Amy's firing-a-warning-shot-in-the-air thing going rather wrong. But fundamentally, Amy calling the Doctor out on basically appointing himself judge, jury and executioner when it came to Jex...yeah, that was beautifully done. And her imploring him to be better than Jex. Just...Amy? You are awesome. :3
*Sighs*
And I am now a cocktail of emotions. Have some Thor humor: http://cheezburger.com/6899721216.
*Sighs*
And back to the review. I also really liked (in a sad way) the sheriff sacrificing himself to try and stop the Gunslinger. It's not just because of Kahler Jex being his friend (honestly, imagine realizing the man that you were friends with was a war criminal), but because of his town. I guess that's an area where he and Hex aren't so different -- they both have to do certain things others may not like if only to protect their cities/planets/etc. They're different in execution, yes, but the spirit of it is still the same. That and the Sheriff's dying words about the Doctor and Jex being good men; they just seem to forget it sometimes.
*Sighs*
This is getting depressing again. Here, have some STAR TREK humor: http://cheezburger.com/7159794176.
*Sighs*
And I think that's really where the Gunslinger has that moment of doubt -- at least, the seeds of guilt sort of planted in him. His methods can be questionable, yes (such as coming close to shooting up a church to find Jex; he ultimately doesn't, but I did get worried for a bit), but he has understandable reasons. After all, he was turned into a cyborg -- I can imagine being more than pissed and wanting justice for what happened. I think the problem is when it goes too far. I can imagine the Gunslinger at least feeling more than guilty about seemingly violating his Never Hurt A Civilian rule while searching for Jex. The fact that Jex chooses to sacrifice himself if only to end the bloodshed -- well, the Gunslinger even says, basically, that Jex behaved with more honor than the Gunslinger himself did in the end. And yet it's also made heartwarming when the Doctor gives him a second chance to watch over Mercy as its protector. The ending narration definitely clinches it.
I also loved the bits of humor in there, such as the Doctor describing KEEP OUT signs as more of a guideline (nice semi-callback to THE BEAST BELOW also), and the more serious moments, such as the Doctor talking to that one boy about violence. Honestly, this was a damn good episode. A bit harrowing at times, but very good.
* Think sort of like human beings crossed with Terminators and you get my drift.
** Seriously, I have too much of an issue of pitying the bad guys sometimes. Anakin/Vader, for example, and the Master, and even Khan...yeah, I think there's something wrong with the inside of my head.
*** The thing about Ten, really, is that fundamentally he's a sort of...I don't know how to phrase it except being a Wide Eyed Idealist. Trying to save the Master, for example, and Davros. Also, his reasons for wanting to help Sec, because he believes that Sec becoming more, ahem, human means that there may be hope for him. When he's not being dangerous or ranting in a way that would scare the bejesus out of just about everyone, he genuinely just wants to see the good in others, help others. I think it may have been a bit of Rose's influence, really. It's one of those things I really honestly love about Ten. It helped I was in a heavy cynical period when I found him.
**** And he couldn't kill that one Dalek as Nine because Rose stood up to him. The Dalek's seemingly odd behavior planted the seeds of doubt in his mind. Rose just had to say "What are you changing into?" and he put the gun down. (Also known as one of those reasons I love Rose Tyler. And Nine. And that episode, for that matter)
***** See also a lot of real life debates, large and small.
****** And seeing his possible redemption in the Master. Another way, perhaps, that the Doctor and Jex aren't that different. They both want to be forgiven, really. In a way.
So overall? Loved it. Definitely recommended.
