Right, 7x04 and 7x05...

[fogsblue]

Yep yep. I'm finally getting around to watch 'The Power of Three'. And then 'The Angels Take Manhattan'. Yes, both at once, cause I never got around to watching last weeks. Which probably says something. But nevermind that, the usual commentary has to happen...


Onwards to The Power of Three

• 2 month old milk? Maybe it's sentient? Amy's reaction suggests the yoghurt might be. Though real life and Doctor life fits. Choose though, cause that'll work... Though, why is Amy telling it as a story, is she telling it to someone?
• Brian Williams! Ohhh, I like him! Yes, I'm excited we're seeing him again. He's fun. I mean look he's guessing all sorts of things. And then what, the Doctor tells him to watch them... Rude.
• Who in their right mind would let the Doctor into the kitchen? And why is the Doctor surprised Rory has a job? Travel articles huh? Makes sense I guess.
• Oh look, military people. After the Doctor of course. Kate Stewart? I kind of like her. Don't know why. Just seems kind of fun. Hostile though? They're doing nothing.
• The Doctor can't sit still. He's a child with ADHD. That was obvious... Aww Brian, 4 days. Again, he's surprised by Rory considering his job important. If he's been picking them up on and off for years how has this never come up before?
• Oh look, Amy and Rory are growing up. Would have been nice if we'd gotten to see a little bit of it.
• Brian is emailing the results to UN IT? Really.... Yep, not saying anything.
• Oh look shiny cubes, that are changing their faces. Why did I have sudden flashbacks to The Empty Child?
• "No complications" Really? Why would the Doctor ever say that. It's like a guarantee something will go wrong.
• AND they just saw Henry VIII which according to A Town Called Mercy, is where Rory apparently left his phone charger. So, does that mean this is sort of a frame for the episodes that we've already seen?
• The other people that travelled with him, left him, left behind and some died. Not many. Well that would fit. Most are left behind aren't they? They don't die, but he's staying with them. Is this after he's misplaced them??
• And they're noticing! Yes Doctor, something is happening. It's nice to know Earth is still important to you. Did it just start absorbing the internet?
• The Tower of London. That has to be UNIT. Each cube behaves differently and I want that one playing the music to throw into the house of people who annoy me.
• Ohhh, Kate Stewart, should have paid more attention, daughter of the Brigadier (my defense, only seen him in SJA and read in fics). It's actually interesting to see the Doctor giving weight to an old friend and memory.
• The Doctor not running away? Seriously... That's a change. Anyone else remember "One of the ones that ran. I never stopped."
• "First face this face saw." Not sure how I feel about that comment... I mean, I can kind of understand Eleven having a soft spot for Amy given she (and Rory) has been his only long term companion(s).
• Cube disposal. And uh oh, Brian is in trouble. Not Brian! And there's Rory finding things out in true companion style, by stumbling into it without a thought.
• One heart. Wonder if he remembers that. Though, there's a line about the way to kill humans is through the heart. It's a surprisingly apt statement there.
• Now who hasn't wanted to shock the Doctor at least once? That;s a good way to do it.
• It's the Emperor from Star Wars!!! Right, he's something from a Time Lord myth. Out to stop humans from spreading across the universe... Good luck with that. Mind you, he's got a point, our fairytales include crossdressing animals.
• Rory misses the running. Gotta give Rory credit for that.
• Brian is awesome. Just sayin'.

Overall? I didn't hate the episode. Didn't love it either. Thought it was kind of an interesting idea with Kate Stewart, bringing back the daughter of an old companion, especially a companion even someone who's never seen classic!Who will know about. The slow invasion was an interesting idea, something that hasn't been seen very often. The moments of choice for Amy and Rory weren't handled too badly. And yes, I still love Rory's dad. Possibly because he reminds me of Wilf, I've realised.
  And who doesn't love Wilf??



Next up The Angels Take Manhattan...

• The accent seems odd again. That just me?
• But statues that move. Ok, so we knew the Weeping Angels were back... And was he going for that whole, whatsit, fhas a name, old style mystery movie?
• Wouldn't the 2 angels in the corridor have been looking at each other?
• Oh look, the Statue of Liberty. How'd the French (vague idea it was them) make a weeping angel, or did it just sneakily replace the original?
• Side note, the opening credits, why and what is happening there? But then with Moffat could be absolutely nothing.
• Is it wrong to be paranoid when the name Melody pops up? Cuse seriously... I don't know if I'm meant to have forgotten, but River = Melody. Yes different last name but still.
• The Doctor doesn't like that Amy is getting older. Still, impressed he noticed. Least Rory has some sense. By the way Doctor doesn't like endings either. Well, there's a surpise. I am shocked! Really (am I abusing sarcasm at this point?)
• Oh look, Rory has found moving statues. And now the book has turned into a story featuring River. And she called Rory dad? I mean I know he is, but wow that could be a first.
• So the book was in the Doctor's jacket. Yep, fairly sure I can see where that's going.
• Wait, time can't be rewritten if it's read? When did this rule come in, cause I'm pretty sure all those times that's never stopped Moffat the Doctor before. Least not in the past couple of seasons....
• Rory's grave huh? Unless it says he died at the age of 30 or something *shrug*
• Collector? Van Statten kind of thing?
• How are the weeping angels deadly?? They never kill anyone exactly. Since most seem to be sent out of time to live their natural life. It's inconsiderate, sure, but not exactly deadly unless you end up in the middle of Pompeii on volcano day or something.
• Husband? Really, the Doctor suddenly cares about how he looks for River... Riiiiiightio.
• Suddenly the man she killed never existed. Erased from every database? Really, suddenly it's all of them now? Ah huh... And there's that Doctor Who? thing again.
• Amelia's last Farewell. Saw that coming. And now the Doctor wants to change the future/time. Wasn't there rules about time?
• Interesting trick there with River's wrist. How's that work and why was it never done before?
• R. Williams. Ah look, there's old Rory. I imagine old Amy would be around somewhere. Or maybe died already. Though according to the Doctor, Amy wasn't around.
• The noise is giant footsteps yes? Though what are the odds there would be no one looking at the Statue of Liberty...
• Rory dies twice in one episode. I don't buy it. Though even Rory knows he's died more than once. That makes sense.
• Back where they belong (graveyard)? There's a catch... Paradox was solved? Uh huh.
• There it is. Rory, aged 82. Figured. Oh look, one more paradox (after numerous) would rip New York apart. And River is encouraging Amy. Hmmm.
• The afterword. Well, makes sense really. Should have known the mention of the last page meant something.

So, the Ponds are gone. I want to say I'm sad and heartbroken. But, I'm just not. And how was their ending bad? They got to live otu their lives together. To a nice old age. That's not bad. And to be honest, I don't care much either way. New companion could be a nice change, but sadly I'm not sure I hold much hope there either....
I mean it wasn't the worst episode, but not exactly particularly memorable. Especially given it was the farewell to Rory and Amy. Also, crying Doctor, not as heartbreaking as it would seem, seeing Ten with a single tear or Nine's look of heartache, much more effective. Least for me.

Might have more thoughts, but brain is broke needing sleep.

Though, other note - Why can't Moffat STOP throwing in that whole "Doctor Who?" thing, seriously... Why? He seems to be the only writer who does it. Like he's the only writer who uses River.
There could be a relationship between these 2 factors and why I tend to dislike his episodes.

Comments

[fogsblue.livejournal.com]

Oh, agreed about Blink, it's kind of like a separate little offshoot.

I remember that now. He has no respect for his fans, which is asking for trouble really. But what's sad is it's not just Moffat who thinks that the reason some of us do not like his plots is because we're 'too stupid to understand them'. Understand them fine, doesn't make me like 'em.

Donna's exit is a tearjerker. And always will be. But yep, the Ponds exit is not going to stick out in my memory and I'm not going to miss them like Donna, Martha and Rose. They're gone and I'm pretty much just 'meh' about it.

[keep-counting.livejournal.com]

Oh yes. Moffat-fans do tend to call the rest of the fandom 'ignorant'. I'm willing to extend disbelief and ignore plotholes for a lot of different things (good characterization, emotion I can really feel) but when it comes to the point where absolutely nothing in the plot makes sense, or the very BIGGEST plot-point doesn't make sense, then I am unable to feel the emotion and thus the show becomes pretty much just annoying for me to watch. Not that that is going to make me stop watching Doctor Who - there are too many things about it I love as well. Rather a show I can get worked up over like this, than a show I just sit and stare at, and don't really care about. But that is still no excuse to call us stupid - in fact, I think it could be considered more 'stupid' (and I use the term loosely, as I don't like it, but for lack of better) to simply sit and be impressed by the flashy storylines and timey-wimeyness, instead of going 'but why??' at things.

Wow, sorry for the mini-rant :) I've been harrassed a bit by certain Moffat-lovers, I can be a bit bitter. Sorry!

[fogsblue.livejournal.com]

If there's good characterisation and allowing me to get emotionally attached means I'm less picky about small plotholes. Giant ones I still notice. Sadly Moffat has a combination of poor characterisation (meaning no emotional attachment) and giant plotholes. It means while still watching the show, I tend to notice those plot problems.

Yes, why is it the people who question the plot holes and character inconsistencies are the stupid ones? Isn't questioning things good?

Don't worry about the rant, been there, some Moffat fans get slightly, or highly, offended if you question his work.

[keep-counting.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, definitely. I maybe wouldn't say it doesn't make me less picky, just more able to still enjoy the story. With TWoRS I was tempted to perform lobotomy on myself just to make it go away... (okay, maybe not that bad, but you get the point). If I could at least have believed that these characters would act like this, that River would do this for the Doctor, if they'd had proper chemistry, then I would have been able to watch it without screaming internally. I would have still been annoyed at the timey-wimeyness, I believe, but just... less??

Exactly! And then the argument: 'if you don't like it, then don't watch it' Uumm, what? Are we just supposed to take everything at face value then? When does that stop just applying to fiction and start applying to media about real life - of which you should always question twice imo. I know there are a lot of Rose-hate out there, for example, but I try to stay away from it as much as possible, because I know it only upsets me. Why can't they leave me alone with my opinion, if they won't even have a discussion about it, but just deems me stupid from the start? -.-

[fogsblue.livejournal.com]

Think it's a case of, if you're invested in the characters, while the story and any plot holes are important, you tend to be able to enjoy it more anyway? (That makes sense in my head anyway)

But I understand what you mean about TWoRS. For example if it was Nine and Rose, I might have been able to watch without wanting to scream "What is happening??!!?" The plot holes would still bug me (and I would struggle to believe Rose holding the universe to ransom) but the characters had depth and I was very attached to them.

You are right though. If we stop questioning things such as fiction, how long til peple stop questioning anything?

The thing is, it's not that I dislike the show. Dislike some aspects. But why should I stop watching because of that? Honestly, if I didn't like the show I'd stop watching. At the very least it would fall into that pile of shows you watch but give absolutely no thought to. There's nothing wrong with people having different opinions. There is something wrong when people start assuming people are stupid, or insulting people who like/dislike different characters or writers.

Just because we don't agree, doesn't mean we're stupid.

[keep-counting.livejournal.com]

Yes, EXACTLY, to all of the above :)