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Posts Tagged ‘doctor who’
18 May
“The Name of the Doctor” reactions – *CONTAINS SPOILERS*
Let me just start off with a wow. A big, incredible WOW! . . . A friend watched the episode this afternoon and provided the comment, “It wasn’t what I expected. . . . All I will say is that it does not disappoint.” That pretty much sums me up right now.
I’m still processing the events of the episodes. I’ve re-watched the last 10 minutes twice, but the whole thing will require several re-watches until I can really form all of my thoughts . . . . of course, we have 6 months until the 50th, so I have time! (Ugh! 6 months?!) So these thoughts will certainly be disjointed, which is why it’s more reaction than review.
The opening was incredible. I loved the look back at the other Doctors and Clara interacting with them. Jenna-Louise Coleman said her character had met more than one Doctor and she wasn’t kidding!
The entire cast of the episode was perfect. Madame Vastra, Jenny, and Strax have quickly become favorites of mine. And I have never made it a secret that I adore River. Bringing her back as an echo was not what I expected (I did read a spoiler last week that said she would be a post-Library River), but I thought it was beautifully executed.
“The soufflé is not the soufflé, the soufflé is the recipe.” —- Great line with so many applications, including the Doctor who is not really the Doctor. (And great addition with John Hurt!)
The scene between the Doctor and River . . . amazing, simply amazing. I’m not really into on-screen romance – just not my thing – but the interaction between the two of them heartbreakingly beautiful – from the kiss to her “spoilers.” And the emotions Matt Smith exhibited through facial expression and body language was piercing. He’s an incredible actor (which, if not already believed, I think was proved last week in “Nightmare in Silver”).
One of the questions I’m left with is in regards to Dorium’s warning to the Doctor in “The Wedding of River Song” — “On the fields of Trenzalore, at the fall of the Eleventh, when no living creature may speak falsely or fail to give an answer, a question will be asked.”
Okay . . . so he went to Trenzalore. He was asked the question. River answered, not the Doctor. So what’s the bit with “no living creature . . .”? Was this not the fields of Trenzalore to which Dorium was referring? Especially since we didn’t see any trace of the Silence and I would think a religious order who believes in keeping the Doctor away from Trenzalore at all costs would have at least made an appearance. Is this coming up in the 50th?
I also thought I read that the cracks in the universe that began in Series 5 would be explained. Maybe I mixed that up with the 50th . . . . though whether caused by the Doctor entering his own time stream or not, I’m sure it’s related.
Okay, John Hurt . . . possible 50th anniversary spoilers to follow, continue at your own risk . . . .
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I admit that I haven’t done a whole lot of digging here because it’s already nearly 11pm and I need to get this post up by midnight and if I really start digging, I’ll be at it until the wee hours of the morning!
There was an interview with John Hurt in the last week or so in which he revealed that he was playing the part of the Doctor. That’s obviously definitive. I read another article that said he leaked that he was in fact playing the *real* 9th Doctor (I’m not sure if this source is reliable, but I’ve seen other articles that did not mention this part of the interview, so I’m doubting it) . . . that he is the incarnation between Paul McGann and Christopher Eccleston . . . and the one responsible for ending the Time War.
Though while there being a “secret” incarnation of the Doctor is a very big deal, I don’t see how it would be his greatest secret if the biggest part of that is that he’s the one to end the Time War . . . since we do already know that the Doctor did do that. There has to be more to it (and I’m sure there is).
Oh, and Whisper Men were great . . . totally creepy!
That’s all I have for now. Like I said, I need to watch the episode a few more times. At least 
Updated 5/19/13 @ 2:10pm
Thoughts after a second viewing . . . . .
Okay, so I just watched “The Name of the Doctor” again and I have a few things to add.
First, I wanted to point out that in addition to the breathtaking interaction between River and the Doctor, I adored and was heartbroken both time Madame Vastra lost Jenny . . . and by Jenny’s tears when she was murdered.
I have some more questions . . . . particularly surrounding the Great Intelligence and the name Valeyard. I know both are from classic Who, but I don’t know much beyond that. I’m fairly certain there has to be more to both, especial the Great Intelligence. I know he (it?) is a bad guy and all, but what is the motivation to so vehemently attack the Doctor . . . to the point of killing itself?
Going back to Dorium’s words (and, by the way, how did he know all of that? There has to be more to Dorium as well) —-
“On the fields of Trenzalore . . .” — okay, we’re at Trenzalore
“at the fall of the Eleventh . . .” — could that be the Doctor’s fall into his own time stream? Could it refer a literal fall?
“when no living creature may speak falsely or fail to give an answer . . .” — under what circumstances would this be the case? Could it be that because he’s in his own time stream that he can’t fail to answer or answer falsely? (Going along with this idea, my boyfriend pointed out that at the end of the episode Clara kept asking the Doctor questions and he kept answering them when normally he’d change the subject or just get out of there.)
“a question will be asked . . .” Okay, so Dorium says that the question is “Doctor Who?” but does that necessarily mean his name? He was asked his name in “The Name of the Doctor” and River answered it and silence did not fall. The Doctor says that his real name isn’t important. Perhaps “Doctor Who?” refers to who he really is . . . specifically, who the non-Doctor Doctor played by John Hurt is . . . if he did not do whatever it was he did in the name of the Doctor, in what name did he do it?
The Library – In one of the scenes, Clara (wearing the outfit she has on in “Asylum of the Daleks”) is at the Library looking at the 10th Doctor . . . . could that related to the spoilers River mentioned?
Oh! And we still don’t know who the woman in the shop was . . . the one who gave Clara the Doctor’s number in “The Bells of St. John.”
Okay, once again, that’s what I have for now. Who knows how many times I’ll update this!
What are your thoughts about “The Name of the Doctor”?
22 Apr
The most representative episode of Doctor Who
If you watch Doctor Who and are a raving crazy lunatic about the show (if you watch Doctor Who and you are not a raving crazy lunatic about the show, I’m now looking at you with my squinty I-don’t-trust-you eyes), I’m sure at some point or another, you’ve tried to explain Doctor Who to someone who has never seen it and after several minutes of them staring at you as if you have 2 ½ heads, you realize just how incredibly impossible that task is.
This happened to me a couple of weeks ago during my daughter’s report card conference. Her teacher was explaining a recent assignment in which the kids could review anything they wanted. My daughter, naturally, chose Doctor Who. Her teacher continued to explain how my daughter became completely lost in the information. She was trying to explain so much that she ended up explaining very little. I said, “Yeah, that tends to happen with Doctor Who.” I then had to refrain from giving my own pitch of the show because this was a parent-teacher conference and there were other parents scheduled after me. Okay, I mostly refrained. I held back. A lot. And I did manage to keep from whipping my sonic screwdriver out of my pocketbook, for which I think I deserve some credit.
Afterwards, I started thinking about what episodes might best convey just how fantastic, brilliant, and cool Doctor Who is. I decided they needed to stand on their own. They can’t be heavily focused on a larger arc because a new viewer wouldn’t understand it. This could leave out a few favorites, but that’s okay . . . there are plenty of favorites from which to choose!
Several nights later, I was watching Vincent and the Doctor and while crying like a baby (as I do every other time I watch that episode), I thought, this might just be that episode. It stands on its own. It’s funny, visually stunning, and, of course, incredibly emotional.
A few other episodes that I think fit the bill are The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances (yeah, I’m including 2-parters), The Girl in the Fireplace, and Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead. Basically, I think if none of these episodes can pull someone in, that person is a lost cause!
What episode do you think best represents the Doctor Who universe?
30 Mar
A Doctor Who viewing party
For those who do not know me in real life or on Facebook and therefore miss my constant Doctor Who references, I’m just a little bit really freaking obsessed. Since there hasn’t been a new episode in 3 months, I made a big deal out of tonight’s viewing. While the rest of my household (my daughter and my boyfriend) are also Doctor Who fans, they don’t quite measure up to my level of mania, so I admit that most of this was done for my own amusement . . . and quite frankly, I’m okay with that!
First, of course, we needed fish fingers (and chips) and custard (okay, so it’s French vanilla pudding, but it’s the best I could do)!
And then some bow tie pasta . . . cause it’s cool!
We finished off with Jammie Dodgers, Jelly Babies, marshmallow Adipose, and bananas . . . because you should always take a banana to a party!
By the way, if you’re in the US and are having trouble finding Jammie Dodgers and Jelly Babies (like I was), UK Goods has them at a decent price and the shipping is reasonable as well! I selected Priority Mail and they arrived in 2 days 
I also attempted to make banana Daleks, but they came out too awful-looking to photograph! Maybe next time!
Here’s the whole spread
And then we finally settled down to eat our goodies and watch the new Who!
She’s not really grumpy . . . that face was just because I told her to stop chewing so I could take a picture! (Oh, and yes, she is eating the fish fingers with the custard!)
What did you think of tonight’s episode? Do you have any theories about Clara?
28 Mar
Doctor Who and the LGBT community
A couple of nights ago, I was scrolling through my Facebook feed and came across several posts shared on Doctor Who fan pages regarding the support of marriage equality. A couple of commenters took issue with a fan page posting pictures with a “political” message. First off, equality is not about politics – it’s about human rights. Secondly, I honestly can’t understand how someone can be a fan of Doctor Who and not support gay (i.e. human) rights. I mean, have they even watched the show? Do they have a clue about the morals espoused by the show?
So in honor of the two marriage equality cases that were argued in front of the Supreme Court this week . . . and the long-awaited new episode of Doctor Who this Saturday, I thought I’d share some of the LGBT characters from Doctor Who.
***FYI – If you are new to Who and have not worked your way through the entire series yet, this list will contain SPOILERS!***
Captain Jack Harkness
I mentioned Captain Jack in a previous blog post and referred to him as television’s most fluid character. I stand by that statement and if you watch Doctor Who or Torchwood, I’m sure you’ll agree. Captain Jack is from the 51st century when, in the Doctor’s words, people are a lot more “flexible when it comes to dancing.” Captain Jack is omnisexual, which makes sense when you understand that he comes from a world of many different humanoid species. In John Barrowman’s words, “Captain Jack will shag anything with a post code.”
(Honorable mention to pretty much every character on Torchwood, since I’d be here all day if I included them all individually.)
Alice & May Cassini
The Cassinis are shown in a couple of short scenes in Gridlock. The Doctor is in a car with Brannigan who calls the Cassinis and refers to them as sisters. Alice responds, “You know full well we’re not sisters. We’re married.”
Midshipman Alonso Frame
We meet Alonso in Voyage of the Damned, but there’s no mention of his sexuality in that episode. Later in the second part of The End of Time, as the Doctor is saying his good-byes before regeneration, we see Captain Jack in an alien bar. The bartender slips him a note from the Doctor that reads, “His name is Alonso.” And well, here, you can watch the rest —
Canton Everett Delaware III
Canton shows up in The Impossible Astronaut as a former FBI agent who was forced to quit. He later explains that he just wanted to get married. At the end of Day of the Moon, the Doctor tells President Nixon that Canton just wants to get married. After the doctor leaves, Nixon asks Canton if the person he wants to marry is black, explaining that perhaps he is more liberal than people think. Canton respond with, “Yes, he is.”
The thin/fat gay married Anglican marines
We only meet them briefly in A Good Man Goes to War because one of them ends up becoming a headless monk. The thin one introduces themselves to Lorna Bucket by saying, “Hello, I’m the thin one. This is my husband. He’s the fat one.” She then asks if they have names, to which the fat one replies, “We’re the thin-fat gay married Anglican marines. Why would we need names as well?”
Susan the horse
In A Town Called Mercy, the Doctor jumps on a horse saying it’s “official marshal business.” The Preacher tells the Doctor that the horse is called Joshua. The Doctor replies, “No he isn’t,” and then follows it up with, “I speak horse. He’s called Susan and he wants you to respect his life choices.”
Madame Vastra & Jenny
I LOVE Madame Vastra and Jenny! Not only are they a married lesbian couple living in the 19th century, they’re also an interspecies couple. We get a glimpse of Madame Vastra and Jenny in a Good Man Goes to War, but we see much more of them in The Snowmen, which is where Madame Vastra introduces Jenny as her wife.
What I love most about Doctor Who’s inclusion of LGBT characters is that they’re so diverse. Some are central characters, while others barely pass through an episode. With some, their sexuality is central to the role and with others, it has no bearing on the role. It feels very true-to-life . . . it doesn’t define the character; it’s just one aspect of who he/she is.
24 Jan
An all-day mother/daughter play date
A professional development day and my boyfriend visiting his mom in New York gave my daughter and me the rare opportunity to spend the entire day with just each other.
The morning was fairly lazy – Abby playing with her toys, me responding to emails and Skype chatting with my boyfriend . . . with the occasional relaying of messages between Abby and Kes. Last week, Kes stole Abby’s computer chair because his was broken. Abby said she thinks he stole her chair because she stole his sleeping spot to use as her reading nook. I should have known that their usual banter wouldn’t stop just because he was in another state!
The early afternoon rolled around and I pushed my laptop aside. I forgot that I needed to go to the bank. We bundled up and I asked Abby if she wanted to ride her scooter to bank. It’s an electric scooter that my dad gave her for her birthday. She’s only been out on it two or three times and still needed practice maintaining her balance.
What could have been a tedious trip chock full of come on Abby, hurry ups, was filled instead with a lot of great job!s and stop at corner and wait for mes. She did extremely well . . . just an occasional jump and scream with a reminder from me to use her brakes. I watched her as we traveled along, wondering how she could have possibly grown up so much right in front of me, wondering how I could make it all slow down.
We stopped at the grocery store on the way back to pick up a few things for dinner, and then headed home for a bit more time on the scooter. We came inside to warm up and Abby played with her dry erase activity board. We listened to music (a combination of the Dr. Horrible soundtrack and the High School Musical 2 soundtrack) while we played Dots, drew super heroes, and played MASH . . . I liked how her version of MASH included clothing colors, cars, TV shows, and friends . . . and not boys to one day marry (as I remember playing when I was in 2nd grade).
I thought about how my daughter, love of princesses and all, was still a very strong-willed and independent child. She has crushes on boys and talks about her future children (whom she says she will adopt because she doesn’t want the pain of childbirth), but also about her future career as a marine biologist who will do some acting on the side and then write a book.
She likes to play dress up and paint her nails, build with LEGOS, read chapter books and comic books, watch TV shows and movies about time travel, draw pictures and write stories, play video games, sing and dance (off-key and out of rhythm, just like her mother), ride her scooter and swing on swings . . . she’s wonderfully diverse . . . silly, sometimes overly emotional, intelligent, curious, creative, and so much more . . . and the greatest joy in my life is that I get to watch her grow up.
Bow ties are cool!
I made dinner while she read her book. We sat down to eat and talked about nothing in particular. After dinner we snuggled on the couch for a mini Doctor Who marathon. We watched Bad Wolf, The Parting of Ways, and The Christmas Invasion.
The first time we watched The Parting of Ways was the first time my daughter was introduced to concept of bisexuality. She was confused when Captain Jack kissed Rose and then kissed the Doctor. I told her that just how some boys like boys and some girls like girls, some people like both boys and girls and Captain Jack was one of those people. She accepted it easily and we went back to watching. I didn’t tell her that her mom was one of those people too.
As we watched that scene again, she giggled a little bit (there’s always giggling or ewwing with kissing). She mentioned how Captain Jack was one of her favorite characters. I told her that he was one of mine too. She said she’s going to have four kids when she grows up and she’s going to name them Rose, Martha, Mickey, and Captain Jack (yes, that will be my grandson’s full first name). I told her she was silly.
I thought about telling her that her mom is bisexual, but I didn’t. I’m not concerned about her reaction . . . I just don’t want to make a big deal out of something that’s not a big deal . . . I don’t want her to interpret my admission as something I think is a big deal . . . I want ease and normalcy and nonchalance. I know I’m over-thinking it.
Maybe the next time we watch a Captain Jack episode.
We finished our three episodes of Doctor Who and it was time for bed. I yawned and she told me she wasn’t tired. I told her she better get tired fast because her 4-day weekend was over! She laughed. She got ready for bed and I tucked her in.
She put her headphones on and I smiled as I walked out of the room listening to her sing (loudly and off-key, just like her mother). Our days are often spent filled with obligation and necessity. After school is snack time and then homework . . . maybe a few minutes to play before dinner . . . then cooking and eating . . . then we’re left with an hour and a half to squeeze in as much quality time as possible. It’s never enough.
I wish I had more days like this . . . more days to savor my child as she is now, as she will never be again . . . because it all moves so fast and there’s nothing I can do to slow it down.
30 May
This post is late
Today’s post is late because even though I planned out what I wanted to write about last night, I never got around to writing it. I never got around to writing it because yesterday was completely freaking ridiculous.
It started with a phone call from my daughter’s school around 12:30. They said she said she had a tummy ache because she ate too much at lunch. They said they didn’t have a nurse so they had to call parents. I said, “Can you let her rest for a while and call me back if necessary?” They said, “Okay.”
A half an hour later, they called back. I knew she’d probably be fine, but I also knew if I left her there, it would have turned out to be appendicitis or something. So I started getting ready. I left a message for her father to see if he could pick her up, since he’d be faster with a car and all. He called back when I was half way there on the train.
I came back home and Abby was 20 minutes behind me. She was very much not sick . . . as I expected. So we still went to baseball. It was sunny (I hate sunny) and hot and humid and I missed my AC.
Abby had fun and I had fun and we got to see my aunt and my cousins and my niece and my nephews.
It was like this. But darker.
And then as we neared the bus stop on the way home, the sky opened up and poured . . . For a whole 15 minutes. Enough to get us drenched head to toe. And to cool the air so that we’d freeze while waiting for the bus. And then the 8:06 bus never showed up. So we waited for the 8:40 bus. And it was air conditioned.
After finally getting home, I had PBJ for dinner and Abby had cold pizza. And Abby went to bed. And I collapsed on the couch and watched Doctor Who (which I am obsessed with not being obsessed with so I keep trying to get into it by watching the episodes with Captain Jack Harkness because I’m completely in love with him . . . My boyfriend knows this and is okay with it because, ya know, Captain Jack is a fictional character).
And then around 11, I finally made my way upstairs and thought, “I should work or write or do something productive.” But after a half an hour of playing Bubble Shooter, I decided going to bed was better. So that’s what I did.
And this morning I couldn’t write because my fabulous boyfriend let me sleep in and got my kid ready for school and when I finally crawled out of bed at 9:30 (after waking up at 6:30 with a migraine and swallowing a handful of naproxen), I had to get to work.
In fact, I’m writing this now on the notepad on my phone because I’m on a bus on my way to my kid’s school to count pretzel orders because apparently no one with a car is able to do it. (Actually, someone was able to do it and did do it but communication is so awesome that I didn’t find this out until after I spent an hour traveling by bus. Now I’m in the middle of my hour bus ride home.)
But at least it’s not sunny or hot or humid or wet.
