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it was me
Quite belatedly, two episodes' worth of thoughts on Doctor Who:
I didn't care very much for Vampires of Venice. I mean, for the most part it wasn't bad; I loved the Doctor's perhaps somewhat-misguided attempts to mend Amy's relationship with Rory, especially combined with exchanges like "You kissed her back?" "No, I kissed her mouth," especially in retrospect with the context of the next episode. As far as that went, I liked it.
On the other hand, we have yet another two on the tally of black people not surviving the fucking episode, so that's a big point against it. (Seriously, I think only Liz X and that one Winder have survived so far.) The other point against it is the cognitive dissonance I got: this was a romp episode. It had bad science, banter, requisite redshirts, and of course the creepy son dying when Amy reflected her compact at him. So how come, at the end of the romp episode, we have a sort of suicide-genocide thing going on? I fully expected Eleven to offer Signora Rosanna and her children safe passage to a more inhabitable planet. Her suicide sort of preempted that, which was depressing enough in itself, but of course she first had to say something about the Doctor having another genocide on his conscience, and ... grr, I don't know, I think it's mostly that it was a Ten scene. Ten's the one who calls "Please, let me help!" and then watches with horror and borrowed guilt when the evil aliens are doomed despite him. I have not fully formed what I think Eleven does, but I know Eleven does not stand there looking sad about the genocide he didn't commit, so it sat wildly wrong with me.
So that's that one. Amy's Choice, though, I ADORED.
I think I'd have to rewatch it in order to really deconstruct it, but let's just start with the obvious levels: I loved the visual of the freezing TARDIS (and also that there is no cold sun, ffs). I loved that I feel like I really get Amy and Rory, and Eleven a bit, on a psychological and a character level that I didn't before. I love how awful and uncomfortable the alien-possessed elderly people made me feel. I loved that there was DREAM POLLEN.
More specifically, though, I love that Rory wants a quiet simple comfortable life, and that Amy is restless and wants mad adventure, and that somehow between them they still find the ability to compromise on it because they love each other. Part of me is sad that, in large part, this series (or maybe even only Eleventh Hour) is largely the Doctor's POV, because I want an in on Amy's entire history -- or at least a billion fics about Amy and Rory growing up together and falling in love, and how Rory is fiercely intelligent but he's content in Leadworth and it's not enough for Amy. SO UM YES MAYBE I SHOULD WRITE ONE.
Most of all, though, sdlfdskjfddsfj DOCTORRRR. They managed to basically bring back the Valeyard! It was especially well done because I spent most of the episode going "Who hates him most in the whole world in a personal-adversary way? Well, obviously the Master, but the Dream Lord doesn't quite ping me as the Master, but he almost does, WHAT IS GOING ON??" so basically it was beautiful and made perfect sense. For that alone I adore it. Now I need to rewatch it, so I can analyse everything the Dream Lord says and figure out all the specific things it's telling us about the Doctor's subconscious.
Next week I want another two-parter about River Song and, I dunno, heists, with Rory along for the ride this time. Alas it is not to be, but I am still hugely delighted that we have a legit Team TARDIS with more than one companion, and I hope we keep Rory on for a while.
I didn't care very much for Vampires of Venice. I mean, for the most part it wasn't bad; I loved the Doctor's perhaps somewhat-misguided attempts to mend Amy's relationship with Rory, especially combined with exchanges like "You kissed her back?" "No, I kissed her mouth," especially in retrospect with the context of the next episode. As far as that went, I liked it.
On the other hand, we have yet another two on the tally of black people not surviving the fucking episode, so that's a big point against it. (Seriously, I think only Liz X and that one Winder have survived so far.) The other point against it is the cognitive dissonance I got: this was a romp episode. It had bad science, banter, requisite redshirts, and of course the creepy son dying when Amy reflected her compact at him. So how come, at the end of the romp episode, we have a sort of suicide-genocide thing going on? I fully expected Eleven to offer Signora Rosanna and her children safe passage to a more inhabitable planet. Her suicide sort of preempted that, which was depressing enough in itself, but of course she first had to say something about the Doctor having another genocide on his conscience, and ... grr, I don't know, I think it's mostly that it was a Ten scene. Ten's the one who calls "Please, let me help!" and then watches with horror and borrowed guilt when the evil aliens are doomed despite him. I have not fully formed what I think Eleven does, but I know Eleven does not stand there looking sad about the genocide he didn't commit, so it sat wildly wrong with me.
So that's that one. Amy's Choice, though, I ADORED.
I think I'd have to rewatch it in order to really deconstruct it, but let's just start with the obvious levels: I loved the visual of the freezing TARDIS (and also that there is no cold sun, ffs). I loved that I feel like I really get Amy and Rory, and Eleven a bit, on a psychological and a character level that I didn't before. I love how awful and uncomfortable the alien-possessed elderly people made me feel. I loved that there was DREAM POLLEN.
More specifically, though, I love that Rory wants a quiet simple comfortable life, and that Amy is restless and wants mad adventure, and that somehow between them they still find the ability to compromise on it because they love each other. Part of me is sad that, in large part, this series (or maybe even only Eleventh Hour) is largely the Doctor's POV, because I want an in on Amy's entire history -- or at least a billion fics about Amy and Rory growing up together and falling in love, and how Rory is fiercely intelligent but he's content in Leadworth and it's not enough for Amy. SO UM YES MAYBE I SHOULD WRITE ONE.
Most of all, though, sdlfdskjfddsfj DOCTORRRR. They managed to basically bring back the Valeyard! It was especially well done because I spent most of the episode going "Who hates him most in the whole world in a personal-adversary way? Well, obviously the Master, but the Dream Lord doesn't quite ping me as the Master, but he almost does, WHAT IS GOING ON??" so basically it was beautiful and made perfect sense. For that alone I adore it. Now I need to rewatch it, so I can analyse everything the Dream Lord says and figure out all the specific things it's telling us about the Doctor's subconscious.
Next week I want another two-parter about River Song and, I dunno, heists, with Rory along for the ride this time. Alas it is not to be, but I am still hugely delighted that we have a legit Team TARDIS with more than one companion, and I hope we keep Rory on for a while.
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Why isn't there more Rory fic yet, internet? YOU SHOULD PROBABLY WRITE ONE, YES.
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I should definitely get on writing that! I have a billion other WIPs and also I am weird and like complete seasons before I start writing characters, but when s5 is done I will hopefully write Rory fic. :D
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Okay, first, I totally agree this is a recurring problem in general. In terms of this particular episode, though, I just want to point out that nobody survived to the end who actually had, you know, lines, except for Amy/Rory/the Doctor. So they could have either
1) had no black people at all
2) had them be villains and die (which frankly is MORE of a recurring problem, see Torchwood:All)
3) had them be the good guys and die
So I'm prepared to give them that they picked the best of the three, and at least Isabella and her father got to die saving people. But I'm a Celticist after all, I'm a sucker for a heroic death. ;)
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I think the TARDIS is definitely better with three (though I don't ship the three of them the way I do Nine/Jack/Rose).
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The TARDIS is definitely better with three. And yeah, I don't ship it the way I do Nine/Jack/Rose, but I could perhaps be persuaded to? It's an interesting enough dynamic that I'd read it, anyway. (Although I already ship Eleven/Amy/River really hard. But Rory! Ahhh, it's all so complicated. :D)
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...I also now have this irrational hope that I will be able to compare Amy and Giles ALL THE TIME. Even though that makes no sense.
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