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Doctor Who!
HOLY FUCK THAT WAS CREEPY. OH MY GOD WHY DOES THIS SHOW WANT ME TO BE AFRAID.
Also, that was quite weird, as I was expecting this to be the Doctor-lite ep, as the tenth ep has been the last two series, but instead it was only Donna-lite. Which is sad. I'm guessing from the previews that next ep will be Doctor-lite, though.
In other news, THAT WAS FUCKING CREEPY. Wow. From lighthearted to WHAT THE LIVING SHIT in the first ten minutes. One minute, I'm giggling as the Doctor says, "I guess we'll all have to talk to each other!" and grins, and the next I'm staring at the screen as hard as I can because I just can't look away. That was intensely atmospheric and suspenseful. I even stopped being distracted by the Ricky Gervais-alike, which is pretty impressive.
One of my big scare squicks is the slow reveal of a face, because as a general rule that face has been badly mutilated or changed somehow and I cannot abide creepy face changes. And I still couldn't look away as the ep took its sweet time allowing us to see Skye's face. I usually at least cover my eyes, but I couldn't. I'll admit, it helped knowing that this aired at like six in the UK so it couldn't be anything too horrific, but I still expected - something. And I swear, seeing that there was no change to her face at all may well have been scarier, both in the moment (when I was expecting a sudden change still, or a lunge or SOMETHING), and in the long-term. I don't think the rest of the episode would have had quite the same impact if she hadn't looked completely human.
And the sibilant quality of her voice underscoring everyone else's - so subtly done at first that I wasn't sure what I was hearing, just that it was something. I wonder how much extra rehearsal the face-to-face scenes with the Doctor needed.
The sociology of the episode was interesting; nothing groundbreaking, but interesting and adding to the tension. I loved the Doctor's speech about, basically, making a horrible first impression. It was so him. Sure, it might kill us all, but what if it doesn't? Won't we all look foolish then? And everyone else's reaction to him. Things tend to be moving so quickly in episodes that the Doctor is able to take control of situations simply because people are so relieved that someone seems to know what's going on and how to handle it. Here, though, these people have had time to think, and be afraid, and get paranoid, and get ugly with fear. It was really, really interesting to see and be reminded that often the Doctor can only do what he does because people let him and help him. If people banded together against him, more often than not he wouldn't be able to do anything. That's what happened here, and someone else had to save the day.
Recurring themes: Dead, empty planet, check. Appearance from Rose, this time so tantalizingly close to the Doctor, check. Mentions of the past (the Doctor mentioning Rose to Skye and reciting her, Martha's, and Donna's names), check.
And I like that it remained a mystery, because some things just are. It could also turn out to be part of the three-episode arc starting next week. I can't wait to find out. I also can't believe there are only three episodes left. Didn't the series just start?
HOLY FUCK THAT WAS CREEPY. OH MY GOD WHY DOES THIS SHOW WANT ME TO BE AFRAID.
Also, that was quite weird, as I was expecting this to be the Doctor-lite ep, as the tenth ep has been the last two series, but instead it was only Donna-lite. Which is sad. I'm guessing from the previews that next ep will be Doctor-lite, though.
In other news, THAT WAS FUCKING CREEPY. Wow. From lighthearted to WHAT THE LIVING SHIT in the first ten minutes. One minute, I'm giggling as the Doctor says, "I guess we'll all have to talk to each other!" and grins, and the next I'm staring at the screen as hard as I can because I just can't look away. That was intensely atmospheric and suspenseful. I even stopped being distracted by the Ricky Gervais-alike, which is pretty impressive.
One of my big scare squicks is the slow reveal of a face, because as a general rule that face has been badly mutilated or changed somehow and I cannot abide creepy face changes. And I still couldn't look away as the ep took its sweet time allowing us to see Skye's face. I usually at least cover my eyes, but I couldn't. I'll admit, it helped knowing that this aired at like six in the UK so it couldn't be anything too horrific, but I still expected - something. And I swear, seeing that there was no change to her face at all may well have been scarier, both in the moment (when I was expecting a sudden change still, or a lunge or SOMETHING), and in the long-term. I don't think the rest of the episode would have had quite the same impact if she hadn't looked completely human.
And the sibilant quality of her voice underscoring everyone else's - so subtly done at first that I wasn't sure what I was hearing, just that it was something. I wonder how much extra rehearsal the face-to-face scenes with the Doctor needed.
The sociology of the episode was interesting; nothing groundbreaking, but interesting and adding to the tension. I loved the Doctor's speech about, basically, making a horrible first impression. It was so him. Sure, it might kill us all, but what if it doesn't? Won't we all look foolish then? And everyone else's reaction to him. Things tend to be moving so quickly in episodes that the Doctor is able to take control of situations simply because people are so relieved that someone seems to know what's going on and how to handle it. Here, though, these people have had time to think, and be afraid, and get paranoid, and get ugly with fear. It was really, really interesting to see and be reminded that often the Doctor can only do what he does because people let him and help him. If people banded together against him, more often than not he wouldn't be able to do anything. That's what happened here, and someone else had to save the day.
Recurring themes: Dead, empty planet, check. Appearance from Rose, this time so tantalizingly close to the Doctor, check. Mentions of the past (the Doctor mentioning Rose to Skye and reciting her, Martha's, and Donna's names), check.
And I like that it remained a mystery, because some things just are. It could also turn out to be part of the three-episode arc starting next week. I can't wait to find out. I also can't believe there are only three episodes left. Didn't the series just start?
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... ahem.
But yes, it really has. And Donna has a story and I'm sad that this is apparently going to be taken away from her in favour of making Rose centre stage again. She's HAD her time.
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And Donna is clearly way more awesome. And I heart her, and we need all the Donna time we can get before she dies.
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*is ambushed by Torchwood/Labyrinth*
*cries*
Donna IS. She is so ... normal and human and balanced and RIGHT.
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Exactly! I love Donna. And I love that she actually turned the Doctor down on his exciting offer of an eight-hour plane-or-whatever ride in favor of just relaxing and enjoying herself. I wonder how many companions have secretly wanted to just take a day off but couldn't quite manage to tell the Doctor no. But Donna can!
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GOD. DAMN. IT. You are bad for me!
And I love that she actually turned the Doctor down on his exciting offer of an eight-hour plane-or-whatever ride in favor of just relaxing and enjoying herself.
Yes, that was just so Donna. Also the episode wouldn't have worked if she'd been there because she would have injected reason into those fucking pillocks. She looked so happy in her bathrobe!
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And I can just imagine Owen in the Bog of Eternal Stench. Hilarious.
she would have injected reason into those fucking pillocks
She totally would have. If Donna can make the Doctor remove his head from his ass when he's shoved it up too far, she can get to anyone.
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He would just be making snippy remarks all the way through until Ianto threatened to push him in just to shut him up and Tosh politely offered him a clothespeg.
God that woman is a hero!
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I want to write crossovers just to see Donna put people in their place. It would be awesome.
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Donna Noble Takes On The World: Donna vs The Winchesters. GO!
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Donna could shout Dean down without breaking a sweat, while Sam looked on, laughing appreciatively and occasionally taking notes. And then Dean would sort of slink around acting like he hadn't had his head taken off by a completely unassuming-looking older woman.
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