aria | something old something new something borrowed something blue

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something old something new something borrowed something blue

Non-spoilery: today I bought a jean skirt that only goes about halfway down my thighs. I hesitate to call it a miniskirt because I don't think I could pull off a miniskirt, but goddamn, I feel like Amy Pond and it is AWESOME.

Spoilery: OH MY GOD THAT WAS INCREDIBLE.

I mean, I feel like it was a finale for me, because -- okay, I now know absolutely for sure that Moffat's Who is the Who in my head. He understands that he's been given this incredible gift that is a story about time travel, and rather than using it as window dressing and a good excuse to, like, stick spaceships on starwhales or whatever, he weaves it through the plot, makes jumping here and there in space and time absolutely essential to saving the universe. Everything is important! Everything. is. important.

I also love that Amy lives in the finest companion tradition of being important mostly by circumstance but completely rising to the occasion. That's what I want! Bad Wolf!Rose is amazing, but given my druthers, I love it when she's willing to sacrifice herself and pull a lever. Martha Jones is my fucking hero because she saved the world by walking it and connecting to people. Donna gives me FLAMES ON THE SIDE OF MY FACE because she was totally capable of world-saving but, what, they needed her to clone Ten and then took away her agency? I think that the "Moffat is trying to retcon Rusty's canon!" accusation doesn't hold weight now that the cracks are sealed and the universe is back in alignment, but I do think it's fair to say he's being a bit pointed about how he'd do things differently; I mean, this entire season is about the power of memory, and how it is possible to remember things and bring them back. I want that to always be true in this universe, because it means that Donna is fixable (it means Jamie and Zoe are fixable!) and it means a billion wonderful things about the power of thoughts and words. When stories bring the Doctor back to life, I don't want them to turn him into the glowy blue fucking messiah; I want them to bring him out onto a dance floor in his cool white bowtie.

Also, on that note: I love that, though it's the entire universe at stake, although the event horizon is getting smaller and smaller, although the Earth is lit by the exploding TARDIS, that although Eleven is going to sacrifice all that he's ever been in order that the universe might keep on, all of it is just ... what they have to do. Here's the situation; here's the solution. They are all absolutely fucking heroic and competent and amazing, but there's no telegraphed moment of congratulation. For instance: understand that I love Ten with my whole being, and that I love that he's an awful person, so when I say this I mean I wouldn't have Ten any other way, but -- if he had to seal himself outside Time forever, he'd do it, but you'd know how terribly tragic and difficult it all was. Eleven just did it. And I am so flipping happy for the Doctor, actually, because all those times Nine and Ten were saving the world, it was because they had to, to atone; with Eleven, I'm completely convinced he's doing it out of love. And that's wonderful.

There were definitely bits of the episode that I specifically wanted to quote, but they're gone now. I'm definitely rewatching it, though (I want to rewatch this WHOLE SEASON, except the stupid Silurians and their idiot plot) and I can probably pull stuff then. I do know there were a lot of good smart "YES EXACTLY" lines, though. Also, I teared up like crazy at the Doctor's "Gotcha." Actually, I teared up a lot -- at that, at Rory the most amazing faithful boyfriend in ever, in sympathy with Amy at the wedding and then with joy when Amy's imaginary friend turned up after all.

Speaking of: ELEVEN & AMY'S RELATIONSHIP, OH MY GODDDD. He's alien, she's family, they love each other more than words, I can't even. I'm so glad they're not in love, too -- I mean, ~~when~~ if when I write fic I will probably end up shipping them A LOT, but it's because they love each other, and it's an important distinction. Meanwhile, Amy and Rory's love is SO TRUE AND WONDERFUL (Iiii spy another Moffat-fixing-of-Rusty-plotlines) and at the end! when they say goodbye! and all go off together! MY FACE HURT FROM GRINNING. My OT3 is going off to save the world! IT'S LIKE MOFFAT LIVES IN MY HEAD. I find it amazing, by the way, that they killed Rory or otherwise implied his death three or four times this season, and every time I was shattered. I think I love him more than I let on, because my love for him is less INCANDESCENT than it is for Amy and Eleven.

Other things worth noting: the plot kept on going in completely unexpected directions, but every time, I was kept guessing and engaged, rather than feeling that too-familiar sinking feeling as I watched the plot go off the rails. The only time it came close to that feeling was when Amy rather than the Doctor was in the Pandorica, because frankly I just want to lock the Doctor in a box all the time (I could bond with the Daleks! fun times) but even then it was a flash of disappointment and mostly continued intrigue. I am also a bit sad that stuff from The Lodger didn't get used; I was all for weird perception filters on Amy's house, or the reappearance of that trying-to-be-built TARDIS, and &c, but the plot was clean as was. I am also a bit sad that we didn't see the villagers who were running about in Eleventh Hour, but this was made up for by AMY'S PARENTS; Amy's parents were perfect, and I buy equally that she would grow up as weird and quirky as she did with the crack or with those people.

Aaaand lastly, the loose ends. As the episode came closer and closer to finishing, I got more and more incredibly nervous about not getting an answer: What the hell caused the TARDIS to explode in the first place? And we don't get an answer, but unless I misunderstood, finding out is actually part of the plot for this next season. EXCITING. Meanwhile, River is ~mysterious~, and also stole Torchwood's catchphrase. I mostly want to know how she remembered and was able to give Amy her journal! Hmm.

Things I would like next season: the Doctor's epic adventures with a cute young married couple who both love him lots! More of Matt Smith being incredibly old. Interesting Things with River. An answer to OMGWTFBBQ EXPLODING TARDIS. (Hopefully a connection between River & exploding TARDIS?) Mm, IDK if I want any old school baddies back, but I would like a break from Daleks, plz, and maybe something terrifying and new, but not Weeping Angels because Moffat broke them. Also, THE MASTER. I am aware that the further down my wishlist I go, the less realistic it is, but man, I love Eleven so much and I want him to have a Master of his very own.

SO WHEN IS CHRISTMAS?

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I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT MARRIED AMY/RORY (+ ELEVEN) I CAN'T EVEN COPE WITH IT.

HOW FLIPPING AMAZING IS NEXT SEASON GOING TO BE!!

I CAN'T EVEN. *HANDS* THIS WAS JUST EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED ALL ALONG.

Also just caught the following on a rewatch: "How did we forget the Doctor? I was plastic! He was the stripper at my stag party."

AHAHA RORY <333333 SUMMARY OF THE SEASON.

I just finished watching and I need time to process, but mainly I was incredibly struck by the lack of angst. Yes, there were bits that were sad, yes I was tearing up, but it was so very different from the RTD emotion.

Heck, just compare Eleven's "Last Speech" with Ten's various last words...

And the way time travel was used to close loopholes! The resolution of the Mysteriously Reappearing Jacket (yes, we all sort of guessed, but the fact that it actually happened!) Rory waiting - particularly his comment in response to the Doctor's "Why do you have to be so human" question (God, that was fantastic). River!

So much I loved in this. So very, very much.

mainly I was incredibly struck by the lack of angst

Heh. As you said that, I was in the middle of adding an entire paragraph to that effect. I know what you mean; Ten would have let everyone know how horribly difficult this sacrifice was, but Eleven just did it. And I think the major difference is that Nine and Ten were trying to atone, but Eleven is saving the universe because he loves it again. It delights me.

EVERYTHING ABOUT THE TIME TRAVEL WAS SO GREAT. *flappy hands of joy*

OMG HOW EXCELLENT WAS THIS EPISODE? Moff's a cheeky wee bugger, and I loff him. (I loff Moff? Heh.) Matt Smith continues to make me adore his Doctor in new and ever more wonderful ways. I loved Tennant, but was very glad to see him go in the end; I'm so relieved that Smith is so epically fantastic in the role. There was so much to love in this episode but I need to rewatch a dozen or more times before I'll be able to articulate it properly.

I did wonder, though, at the end, whether River Song is the TARDIS. I can't even begin to pinpoint why, but I suddenly went 0_0!! And now I can't quite shift the idea that that would explain so very much...

IT IS SO EXCELLENT IT HAS BROKEN THE EXCELLENCE BARRIER, THAT'S HOW MUCH. I remember way back in the day I was all grumpy that Matt Smith had been cast, because I was tired of young Doctors! I wanted an old Doctor! Om nom nom, happily eating my words.

sdklfdkds I WANT RIVER TO BE THE TARDIS. I mean, intellectually I'm not sure how much sense it makes, because then she should have been exploding too, or ... something, and I'd hope that the Doctor would recognize his beloved. Plus the Library episodes wouldn't make much sense. On the other hand, the moment you proposed it, I got tingly with joy at how epic it would be. Among other things, it would make the already creepy and sad and fairly excellent looped I'm sorry, my love about a thousand times more amazing. Feel free to tell me how it would explain so much! I wish you subscribe to your cracky newsletter.

Oh, it's nothing so coherent as a theory, just that, you know. All of time and space, and sentience, and surely the TARDIS must want something for itself at some point; surely it grows and evolves, and draws from its psychic link with the Doctor and his companions all sorts of feelings and information and so on that it can't quite understand fully. And what if somehow, somewhen, the TARDIS was offered the chance to incarnate as human or humanoid? Or what if the chameleon circuit is really that good when it's fixed? Or, or, or. Who else knows the Doctor and loves him so well as the TARDIS? What else would the TARDIS do but throw itself across his timeline and try to fix and save and challenge and provoke and slap him around fondly - simultaneously mother/sister/wife? And would everything that the TARDIS knows fit in a humanoid brain? It would need the notebook to keep things straight. And! And the TARDIS doesn't have eyes, which is why River wouldn't have recognised Donna straight away in the Library episodes, but would've known who she was... Or, wait, that's lame, but!

And! And! River did explode with the TARDIS, or nearly. The TARDIS wasn't even near to it until River was off in it on her own! The very paradox of it wouldn't have been eased by the Doctor's presence. And! She learnt to fly the TARDIS from the very best. Which would've been the TARDIS itself! That could be how she knew about the brakes!

Oh, it's very probably insane, but it could be so elegant...

ETA: Oh! And it would explain how River remembered the Doctor enough to prompt Amy to remember him fully and call him back. Because the TARDIS is simultaneously inside and outside time.

Edited 2010-06-27 00:20 (UTC)

I agree with everything about this SO HARD. I love that it was complicated but subtle and clever and OMG HAPPY and your thing about Eleven just doing it without showing how tragic it all was is SO spot on; I loved David Tennant but not as much when he was being angsty as when he was being funny, and Matt Smith's Doctor is funny like ALL THE TIME and I heart him. I love being able to watch the story unfold and figure bits of it out but other times go AHA THAT WAS IT and still see that it was a coherent thing, but not forced, and not with all this LOOK HOW CLEVER I AM clunky writing. And I love mad, earnest Amy who will interrupt her wedding reception because SOMETHING IS OFF instead of just chalking it up to nerves or waiting to think about it when it won't make a scene like most people.

And, you know, Rory. Love. And that they both went off with the doctor together. Just. Yes. Eeeeelove.

I mean, I am easy for the Doctor's pain! But so were the writers, and they completely burned me out on it, so Eleven's determination and kindness and strange-old-man-ness has been SO GREAT. And yes, god, what a fabulous story. (I've noticed a lot of people going "I loved it but the plot didn't make much sense," and ... yeah, it mostly made Who!logic, but it made a hell of a lot more sense than some other finales I could mention.)

And oh, Amy and Rory, and A REAL TEAM TARDIS WITH THREE PEOPLE HOPEFULLY FOR A WHILE. <333

Exactly! I mean, I ADORED David Tennant's Doctor when he was with Donna, and then by the long drawn-out death scene they'd managed to make me just want it to be over already.

And honestly, this season fits in with my general life philosophy more. RTD's themes are always 'things are bad, and then they suck, and then they get worse, and no matter what you will always lose.' This is...happy, and the good guys win, and what's more they win because they have the guts to BELIEVE in things like hope and love and memory. That's just...exactly what I want my TV to say :)

Meanwhile, River is ~mysterious~, and also stole Torchwood's catchphrase. I mostly want to know how she remembered and was able to give Amy her journal! Hmm.

That's what I was wondering! River, you confuse me so much.

But yeah. SO AWESOME. TOTALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO WHEN YOU START WRITING ELEVEN FIC.

I bet it will be explained one day!

I HAVE SO MANY NOTES. AND A PLOT. And I am so fucking excited, because this is probably the first Whofic I have written EVER that is not from a fix-it place but a love-it place!!!

My faaaaace hurts from smiling.

EVERYBODY LIVES.

EVERYBODY LIVES, HEIDI. Also, it's hours and hours later and I still can't stop grinning.

I am basically incoherent with glee over this episode. HOW ARE YOU SO COHERENT? I'll just sit here and nod at what you said, because my brain is still just going alkdhgkdla;dhkdf

IDK, SOMETIMES MY JOY IS COHERENT? But also gdl;sdkdfjfhfs :DDDDDDDDD

They are all absolutely fucking heroic and competent and amazing, but there's no telegraphed moment of congratulation.

OH HELL YES. Yes to everything you said, but especially to this. The Doctor is back-- not that Ten wasn't the Doctor, but. Now he's himself again. And I love him so.

I KNOW. <333 He's old and mad and alien and kind and distant and perfect, and Ellen, he's the Doctor. SO MUCH YAY.

Would you mind perhaps changing the subject line of this post to something less spoilery? Obviously I can't force you to, nor expect that you must, but as a favour to other people who might see that and figure out that Amy and Rory get married in the finale?

ALL I EVER WANTED WAS A MARRIED COUPLE ON THE TARDIS. I AM SO PLEASED I COULD SCREAM AND THROW THINGS. BUT INSTEAD I WILL WRITE IN CAPSLOCK ON THE INTERNET.

if he had to seal himself outside Time forever, he'd do it, but you'd know how terribly tragic and difficult it all was. Eleven just did it.

Also THIS. All of it.

I've read a couple of places that people are expressing concern that Amy and Rory are the same Amy and Rory we've been seeing all season despite the cracks not effing up their lives, and I think they're forgetting that the Doctor still abandoned Amy for 12 years, even in the New Crackless Universe, which was really the root of all of Amy's abandonment issues and Rory's not-good-enough issues, so they're the same people, only with 200% more Amy's parents! I loved Amy's parents.

And I SO agree with you about the time travel, I love RTD and his era but he mostly used time travel as an excuse to travel to places and times where his plot would work (far future for magic technology, past for funtimes with Shakespeare, space for physics-defying fight sequences), but the Moff, bless him, actually uses this AMAZING GIFT of playing with time and puzzling these plots together that make perfect sense despite not really making any sense of all, which is especially nice given that so many previous Doctor Who plots (even on Classic Who) have big holes gouged in them when you remember there's time travel involved. With this episode they use all the tools at their disposal to save the universe.

AND ELEVEN IN A TOP HAT, FOR I AM THE SHALLOWEST.

I WANT THEM ALL TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER FOREVER AND GO ON AWESOME ADVENTURES AND SAVE THE WORLD. *HAPPYLFAIL*

I get the impression that Amy and Rory managed to be basically the same people, yes; plus, they get their memories back. (You can overhear Rory going "How could we forget the Doctor? I was plastic! He was the stripper at my stag party!" OH RORY. <3) Also, yes, AMY'S PARENTS. I completely believe them; they're so adorable and wacky and like her. I hope they pop by to visit Amy's parents now and again next season, because I'd love to see more of them.

To be fair, I think one of the reasons they use time travel as an actual device for saving the universe this episode is because all of spacetime is collapsing and it doesn't matter if the Doctor breaks causality rules. But Moffat is just clever about time travel in general, and gives me hearts in my eyes.

I WANT EVERYONE TO WEAR ELEVEN'S TOP HAT. :D

I think Amy will actually be rather different next season, particularly in the way she treats Rory. I was talking to an RL friend about the ep, and we decided that a major part of the reason she was so ambivalent about not only marrying him, but about Rory himself, was that the crack had been eating away at her life for so long and she had lost so much that she couldn't actually grow up in any significant way. None of that ambivalence is visible in the final episode at all.

!!! I think you're right! Oh man, a happy married functional couple in the TARDIS, even. EXCITING.

Very much looking forward to any and all fic you wish to write, esp any involving OT3 because it is all I want. (Okay, okay not it isn't all I want, but!! Rory and Amy have totally managed to domesticate the Doctor! He assumed they were going with him! The day of their wedding! I think assuming someone is going to run off with you for space/time adventures on the day of their wedding indicates you are now Space Married. In my head.)

You're right, Amy and Rory kind of have domesticated the Doctor! I mean, to be fair, Eleven is perhaps more ready to be domesticated than the Doctor's been in a while, and also Amy is sort of rubbish at being domestic herself, so it's a good compromise/combination/&c.

Clearly they're all Space Married now! They should honeymoon in Space Florida. :D

I feel like I just finished watching a 13 hour Matt Smith introductory episode, that the whole season was just the first show for the new doctor.

With the three of them on the deck of the Tardis, launching into their first new adventure after being properly introduced.

Excellent intro. Now I'm READY!

It's pretty cool that they were launching off from the Amy's backyard where he first landed 13 episodes ago.

"Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something. . ."

I cried!

THIS. THIS THIS THIS THIS. I AM THE VERY HAPPIEST OF MELETORS. (also, &your brain;!)

... HEY COME ON CHRISTMAS, GET HERE. WE HAVE ~UNFINISHED BUSINESS~, AND I AM EXCITED TO GET ON WITH THAT.

MEL, MEL, EVERYBODY LIVED.

I HOPE THAT CHRISTMAS IS EXCELLENT BECAUSE IT WOULD BE THE FIRST REALLY GOOD SPECIAL SINCE "RUNAWAY BRIDE."

I KNOW! DESPITE EVERYBODY ALSO DYING AT LEAST ONCE!

(what, you weren't a fan of titaniclone-the-racist-failboat?)

I started pulling out quotes for which to go YES YES YES to and then the quotes I pulled out reached ridiculous lengths so basically just YES YES YES to everything you said, and also *swoon* and I WILL NEVER DOUBT MOFFAT AGAIN and CAN WE HAVE SOME MORE OF ELEVEN BEING STARTLINGLY UNLIKE TEN PLS.

CAN WE HAVE SOME MORE OF ELEVEN BEING STARTLINGLY UNLIKE TEN PLS.

!!! You're right! I mean, I spent like half this post talking about how they are unalike, but man, I have such a clear idea of what Eleven is like, and I LOVE HIM SO MUCH I KIND OF WANT TO CRY. HOW WAS THIS SEASON SO AMAZING. CAN WE HAVE MORE RIGHT NOW PLZ?

Ditto to Donna and I was so excited and it was just so brilliant. And her wedding and everyone thinking she was crazy, except she wasn't. Her imaginary friend was missing. THIS SHOW.

I love how a companion's ability to remember the Doctor was THE MOST IMPORTANT THING EVER. This show!!!

THANK YOU FOR WRITING THIS REVIEW!
IT IS, LIEK, EVERYTHING I WANTED TO SAY (+MORE)

And by more, i mean "this entire season is about the power of memory, and how it is possible to remember things and bring them back. I want that to always be true in this universe, because it means that Donna is fixable (it means Jamie and Zoe are fixable!) and it means a billion wonderful things about the power of thoughts and words"

My head knows that Frazer Hines & Wendy Padbury are a tad too old to go back on Doctor Who. My heart says SHUT UP, STUPID BRAIN, ONE DAY ELEVEN WILL GO BACK FOR THEM AND IT WILL GO LIKE THIS:

Jamie: Doctor, is it me? Or are you a wee bit taller than las' time we saw you?
Zoe: And you've changed your bow tie.
Eleven: Humans! You're so superficial.

AND JOY WILL REIGN SUPREME.

I don't even need more onscreen Jamie & Zoe; I just like knowing that every companion who's ever been memory-wiped now has textual ability to overcome it without Dire Consequences. IT'S SO GREAT.

Absolutely, yes, and well done.

There are a few loose ends that I'm positive are going to be part of the next series, and that just makes me love Steven Moffat That Much More.

When stories bring the Doctor back to life, I don't want them to turn him into the glowy blue fucking messiah; I want them to bring him out onto a dance floor in his cool white bowtie.

Word.

I'll add what I'm saying all round - I think River Song is the Egyptian goddess on the Orient Express (I mean, an alien interpreted as a goddess, of course). I mean, what the hell kind of name is River ("the Nile") Song? And what did Octavian mean by "who or *what* you are?" And why the wandering sarcophagus in the museum? I read here in your journal that you're not fond of River, and I admit on rewatch of some episodes I had some distinct problems with Alex K's performance (though I thought she dialed it down admirably in this one) and also the writing and visual trope deployment (e.g. James Bond, wha). But I love the long, timey-wimey, grown up, complicated potential in that story.

Also hello again, sorry to add without a proper introduction - like I said in my prior comment I found your meta via a google search, but I've been around these parts many years - you can see my "10 things about me" via my profile if curious. I hardly ever post anymore, so I'm really not worth following. But I think your DW meta is fantastic.

Oooh, I LOVE the idea of River being the Egyptian goddess on the Orient Express. (In space!) I want lots more River, and River Being Mysterious, and Explanations of River Being Mysterious. Also, my not-fondness of River is in the past-tense; I liked her in theory but not in practice back in the Library episodes, but she had me with the Angels stuff, and after this finale I want her to be my space girlfriend but I am clearly not good enough for her. <3 RIVER.

And hallo! Good to have you here. :D

This episode review is, as usual, everything I wanted to say, only said better than I would say it. :-)

SO MUCH LOVE FOR THIS EPISODE.

SO. MUCH. LOVE.

EVERY TIME I THINK ABOUT IT, IT IS BETTER.

I rewatched it today and it was EVEN BETTER.

I love you for making this post and being so coherent where I couldn't be. (Seriously, I just finished watching the finale and I'm still busy keysmashing and squeeing into pillows.) So, thank you!

You're welcome! :DDD

Every time I think about it, it gets better. HOW. <333

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something old something new something borrowed something blue

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This whole season was like Episode One

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