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I fought the war but the war won
Now that I have overcome the first shock of belatedly realizing that Nine may have been my first Doctor but that Ten is My Doctor, and that having him go was a wrench (no matter that Rusty actually stopped me from being teary-eyed by making the whole thing overwrought), I have some slightly more structured thoughts.
Most of the things I didn't like from part one, like the Master turning into everyone for no good reason, were fixed by part two: the Master uses the entire human race to psychically triangulate the drums, simultaneously making his plan more coherent and doing a nice mirroring of the Doctor's defeat of the Master using the entire human race that other season. Donna didn't get fixed very well, but at least the Doctor put a failsafe in her head -- I like that, even if I am deeply discontent that her happy ending is the sort of happy ending she would have liked before she met the Doctor and had a chance to really shine. I hope everyone writes Donna-being-wonderful fic forever and ever.
The only thing I actively disliked was how Rusty had to end with an overblown love song to Ten: look, if he'd died alone in that little glass booth I would have bawled like a baby. If he'd uncurled, said goodbye to Wilf, limped off to see Rose one last time, and died alone in the TARDIS, I would have still bawled like a baby. The drawn-out seeing-of-everyone was really hit-or-miss; strangely I liked Joan's granddaughter best, although I wish that had been a bit of scene from an earlier episode. I have decided not to hate the Mickey-and-Martha bit, because I suppose Tom died heroically during the last Dalek invasion, and Mickey and Martha are indeed awesome enough that I can overlook my creeping sense of "I suppose we should pair up the two black characters!" I think it is important that I write some Martha/Mickey. And also Martha/Rose, in a slightly different universe.
Speaking of Rose, did I mention that I really liked her bit? I really liked her bit, and I liked it sort of in a microcosm for the way I loved the whole episode -- as![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
oliviacirce said to me last night, now that Ten's run is complete it feels complete, and like a bit less of a mess. Suddenly, retroactively, having watched the slow awful downward spiral that is Ten, the way he behaved with Rose makes perfect sense; for Nine she was his Gallifrey security blanket, but for Ten she was the only buffer he had against himself. Martha wanted to fill the same function but couldn't, and Donna filled a different function entirely -- she was definitely best for him, because she stopped him or supported him, and once he lost her the specials really were just marking time. I feel like I understand Ten as a complete character now, and while I still want to mess about with what exactly I mean (fic: coming right up) I feel a lot better about Ten's whole run than I did before. I still need to fix it for myself to stop it from being completely shattering, but.
What I really loved, though, considerations of plot coherence aside, was the Time Lords. Obviously it's everything I've ever wanted, because I kept insistently writing it; but my god, I love that the Time Lords went mad, because it puts Ten and also Nine in a completely different context for me. I can't tell whether Timothy Dalton was actually Rassilon -- really, you have to have gone really mad, deposed the hell out of Romana, and formed some sort of Committee To Bring Back All The Worst Time Lords In History to achieve both the Master and Rassilon at the same time -- but I kindasorta want to pretend he's Borusa, JUST BECAUSE. In much the same way that I've decided that, Word of God be damned, the woman in white is either Romana or Susan. I loved seeing Gallifrey, too; there may have been some whimpering and chewing on my knuckles with joy. Well played, Rusty! Well played, CGI and costuming people!
Above all, though, these episodes were a Doctor/Master GEM. I think I already mentioned, but I absolutely teared up when the Master turns all his lightning-y teenage rage on the Time Lords, because that one is hundreds of years overdue. I squeaked with pure joy when the Doctor and the Master teamed up to get rid of the Time Lords (which needs some follow-through! YESTERDAY!) I clutched my own face in delighted horror when the Doctor waveringly pointed Wilf's gun between the Master and the Time Lords. And I loved, I loved, all the little quiet moments they had with one another. The reminiscence of childhood and sharing of the drums in the junkyard was excellent, and I loved all the times where they got one up on each other and did identical crazy smirks, but the very best bit was the bit where the Doctor begged the Master to come with him, and the Master was frightened of the drums, and they got all teary-eyed thinking about what they might be without each other. I cannot believe I actually got that exchange on my telly. It's impossibly beautiful and I will cherish it.
Basically, in retrospect, I loved the whole experience, and I mean all of Ten's run, and I mean all the suffering through Rusty's bad bits, because after all this it turns out I'm still incredibly fannish about it, and love it, and want to fight with it, and that's -- that's just brilliant.
Next: Eleven looks like he will be kind of action-Doctor-y, Amy is absolutely gorgeous, there are WEEPING ANGELS HOLD ME, there are Daleks but I suppose that is normal, and the new logo makes me take a deep breath and accept that this will be yet again a different thing. MOFF TEIM NAO.
Most of the things I didn't like from part one, like the Master turning into everyone for no good reason, were fixed by part two: the Master uses the entire human race to psychically triangulate the drums, simultaneously making his plan more coherent and doing a nice mirroring of the Doctor's defeat of the Master using the entire human race that other season. Donna didn't get fixed very well, but at least the Doctor put a failsafe in her head -- I like that, even if I am deeply discontent that her happy ending is the sort of happy ending she would have liked before she met the Doctor and had a chance to really shine. I hope everyone writes Donna-being-wonderful fic forever and ever.
The only thing I actively disliked was how Rusty had to end with an overblown love song to Ten: look, if he'd died alone in that little glass booth I would have bawled like a baby. If he'd uncurled, said goodbye to Wilf, limped off to see Rose one last time, and died alone in the TARDIS, I would have still bawled like a baby. The drawn-out seeing-of-everyone was really hit-or-miss; strangely I liked Joan's granddaughter best, although I wish that had been a bit of scene from an earlier episode. I have decided not to hate the Mickey-and-Martha bit, because I suppose Tom died heroically during the last Dalek invasion, and Mickey and Martha are indeed awesome enough that I can overlook my creeping sense of "I suppose we should pair up the two black characters!" I think it is important that I write some Martha/Mickey. And also Martha/Rose, in a slightly different universe.
Speaking of Rose, did I mention that I really liked her bit? I really liked her bit, and I liked it sort of in a microcosm for the way I loved the whole episode -- as
oliviacirce said to me last night, now that Ten's run is complete it feels complete, and like a bit less of a mess. Suddenly, retroactively, having watched the slow awful downward spiral that is Ten, the way he behaved with Rose makes perfect sense; for Nine she was his Gallifrey security blanket, but for Ten she was the only buffer he had against himself. Martha wanted to fill the same function but couldn't, and Donna filled a different function entirely -- she was definitely best for him, because she stopped him or supported him, and once he lost her the specials really were just marking time. I feel like I understand Ten as a complete character now, and while I still want to mess about with what exactly I mean (fic: coming right up) I feel a lot better about Ten's whole run than I did before. I still need to fix it for myself to stop it from being completely shattering, but.What I really loved, though, considerations of plot coherence aside, was the Time Lords. Obviously it's everything I've ever wanted, because I kept insistently writing it; but my god, I love that the Time Lords went mad, because it puts Ten and also Nine in a completely different context for me. I can't tell whether Timothy Dalton was actually Rassilon -- really, you have to have gone really mad, deposed the hell out of Romana, and formed some sort of Committee To Bring Back All The Worst Time Lords In History to achieve both the Master and Rassilon at the same time -- but I kindasorta want to pretend he's Borusa, JUST BECAUSE. In much the same way that I've decided that, Word of God be damned, the woman in white is either Romana or Susan. I loved seeing Gallifrey, too; there may have been some whimpering and chewing on my knuckles with joy. Well played, Rusty! Well played, CGI and costuming people!
Above all, though, these episodes were a Doctor/Master GEM. I think I already mentioned, but I absolutely teared up when the Master turns all his lightning-y teenage rage on the Time Lords, because that one is hundreds of years overdue. I squeaked with pure joy when the Doctor and the Master teamed up to get rid of the Time Lords (which needs some follow-through! YESTERDAY!) I clutched my own face in delighted horror when the Doctor waveringly pointed Wilf's gun between the Master and the Time Lords. And I loved, I loved, all the little quiet moments they had with one another. The reminiscence of childhood and sharing of the drums in the junkyard was excellent, and I loved all the times where they got one up on each other and did identical crazy smirks, but the very best bit was the bit where the Doctor begged the Master to come with him, and the Master was frightened of the drums, and they got all teary-eyed thinking about what they might be without each other. I cannot believe I actually got that exchange on my telly. It's impossibly beautiful and I will cherish it.
Basically, in retrospect, I loved the whole experience, and I mean all of Ten's run, and I mean all the suffering through Rusty's bad bits, because after all this it turns out I'm still incredibly fannish about it, and love it, and want to fight with it, and that's -- that's just brilliant.
Next: Eleven looks like he will be kind of action-Doctor-y, Amy is absolutely gorgeous, there are WEEPING ANGELS HOLD ME, there are Daleks but I suppose that is normal, and the new logo makes me take a deep breath and accept that this will be yet again a different thing. MOFF TEIM NAO.
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But mostly, I am really glad that you love it! And even more glad that you are writing fic. Bah, I said all of this to you on my journal anyway. HURRAH, DOCTOR/MASTER. I need to rewatch it.
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Ugh ugh I am kind of terrified of this fic. Because I know all the thematic things I want to say but the bar I have set for myself is "at least as good as naming of things" and first, that is a scary bar, and second, I am unsure how to structure it! THIS IS GOING TO BE FUN.
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I suppose that's fair! Besides, I guess Time Lords have always been a bit dense. Look how many CRAZY PRESIDENTS they have elected (I include the Doctor in this).
Ughhhh, I am equally terrified of mine! I feel as though I've forgotten how to write. :(
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Ahaha, well, it is fair but it is also me FANWANKING TO SAVE MY LIFE. This is what I always do around Rusty! I wonder if I will still have to do it around Moffat? (Ohhh Lord President Doctor! MAN I AM FOND OF FIVE DOCTORS. And you are right, they are super fond of electing crazy people.)
We can do it!! I am not sure how, but if you want me to cheerlead/beta/&c yours I am very happy to.
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ABSOLUTELY! Ditto to you, of course.
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YAY. Expect flail coming your way sometime in the next ever. <3
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SAME HERE. Sometime within the next month, ohgod, I hope.
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For a brief moment, although I have NO IDEA how it would work, I thought she was Donna. When Wilf asked the Doctor who the woman was, the Doctor glanced over at Donna.
But like I said, NO IDEA how.
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I think I should thank you for mostly getting my head on straight about the episode. Mind you, Scott had already talked me down to mostly liking it, but then you made me coherent about it. <3
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(Anonymous) 2010-01-04 01:38 pm (UTC)(link)