doctor who: waters of mars

[rivendellrose]

I disapprove of my favorite currently-running tv show being made into an allegory on the sin of vanity.

About 1/3 of the way through the show, I told The Boy "ah, so we should have about a sixth of it left that actually makes sense." I was approximately right. Soon after that the Doctor started staring blankly into space, having flashbacks to conversations he's had about being the last of the Time Lords, and then decides to contravene all laws of time and reason and save people (albeit after, what, five people have died?), and then... drops them off in their own time? Wouldn't it be better to drop them off in the future? Where they won't completely disrupt the timeline? Oh, but this is the new Doctor, the Doctor who's decided he really is the God of Time, the one who... oh yeah, got Adelaide to kill herself to save that beautiful future that he told her about. Moral of the story, once again - the Doctor's worst enemy in the Russell Davies era, public enemy number 1 - women over the age of thirty.

In short, this episode started really well, was scary and exciting and interesting and all that, and then turned into Angst Prelude in D Minor followed by yet another reprisal of the Angsty-Doctor-is-Angsty symphony, conducted by the grand angst-maestro Russell T Davies, accompanied by a chorus of wailing violins and, apparently, Ood.

I love David Tennant. I love the Tenth Doctor. But Russell T fucking Davies seems to be doing his level best to make me hate both of them before their time is done. He hasn't quite succeeded yet, but let's all remember - he still has one more fucking two-part episode.

And yet.

I have to say, I squee'd quite a bit over that preview. I can't imagine that it will go well - in fact, I think it will probably be a train-wreck, AND YET, I caught myself bouncing and squeeing and going "The Master! Wilf! Donna! Lucy Saxon! The Master again! Why is he blonde?! I don't care! Heeee!" ♥

So here it is, Davies. It's your last fucking chance to make me believe you aren't a total moron who's given up doing anything interesting with this show and isn't just making it your purpose in life to make things difficult for the next production team. Next week, here is what I want:

1. My old Doctor back - I want to see the Ten I fell in love with two minutes into "The Christmas Invasion." I want the bubbly happy dancing from foot to foot because he's just so damned excited about life the universe and everything Doctor. That guy you wrote, that guy David Tennant brought to life. I want him back.

2. NO ROSE. I swear to god, Davies, if you bring back Rose fucking Tyler one more fucking time, I will never forgive you. It's been done to death, they've not only had their soppy goodbye, they've had it twice. For the love of all that's good in the world, LEAVE IT BE.

3. Donna had damned well fucking better get her memories back AND KEEP THEM. Bonus points if she slaps the Doctor out of his stroppy little angsty fit.

4. DO NOT, under any circumstances, write an episode that is all the Doctor's dream. Just don't go there. It's the cheapest way out of anything, and I hate it. Please, come up with something at least a little bit creative.

5. Gallifrey can come back, right? The Time Lock on the war is broken, the Daleks are all back, so... we can haz Tiem Lordz nao? ♥

Corollary to 5. My statement before the season finale last year still stands: If Lalla Ward appears as President Romanadvoratrelundar, even briefly (as before a regeneration), then I will completely forgive everything I've ever been angry at Davies for. Except mind-wiping Donna Noble, because I made this plea before that stupid thing happened, so it doesn't count into the agreement. :P

6. No fucking floating. No fucking glowing. No fucking Tinkerbell Doctor. Okay? Okay.

7. The Master as an actual character, not just as the Ghost of Series Finales Past in the Doctor's own personal mental Christmas Carol.

8. Lucy Saxon = Romana? Come on, you know it makes a twisted sort of sense... Failing that, Lucy Saxon = an actual important character, preferably with something to do other than just incurring the Doctor's wrath by taking a very understandable revenge. I've always liked her, and it would disappoint me to no end to see her under-used now that they're bringing her back briefly. Please?

9. No crucifixion. We've already had floating, glowing, saving people by the power of their faith, and being carried around by angels. I really don't think I can take any more.

10. Can't he just die of something simple? I'd love to see Ten save the world, solve all the problems, and be striding away with his head high and his heart full of hopes for the future... and then he trips and falls. Or dies of a freaking papercut. I don't care, just something sudden and out of nowhere, and bizarrely amusing. Something like any of these. ♥ That's really how I think Ten ought to die. I know it's not going to happen, I'm just putting it out there because... frankly, because I think it would be awesome.

11. ...It's not too late to admit that Matt Smith was a joke and we're really getting Joseph Patterson as the Eleventh Doctor, is it? *Wibble* I know it was stupid of me, but I really kind of got my heart set on him, and he'd be so freaking awesome!

Comments

[tromana.livejournal.com]

If Lalla Ward appears as President Romanadvoratrelundar, even briefly (as before a regeneration), then I will completely forgive everything I've ever been angry at Davies for.

I agree!

It's so frustrating being *so* apathetic about one of my two favourite shows. Lack of (good) New Who has even made me apathetic about the rest. Sigh. I just don't want to pick up a book or an audio right now... ugh.

[lorannah.livejournal.com]

I love David Tennant. I love the Tenth Doctor. But Russell T fucking Davies seems to be doing his level best to make me hate both of them before their time is done.

This is exactly how I feel. I wish it were over already. I mean I've spent a lot of time since series 2 started having to remind myself that I really loved Rose in series 1. But I genuinely never thought I'd have to do that for the Doctor as well.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I've spent a lot of time since series 2 started having to remind myself that I really loved Rose in series 1.

That's, like, the theme of my life as a Doctor Who fan. Every time Rose shows up, I have to remind myself that there was a time when I liked her and thought she was fun... but I have to go back to season 1 to actually remember that. Ever since then it's been ever-increasing circles of "why won't she grow up / go away / stop damned well reappearing?"

[narsilion.livejournal.com]

Dies of a paper cut or trips and falls.....
Are you KIDDING me? That would be so perfect! You know it won't happen, but I could so envision it.
I still cannot stand the 11th Doctor.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

You know Ten would do it. He'd be all "doo-dee-doo, I saved the world again! Yay, everything is perfect, I--ohshit." *REGENERATES* "Damn it!!"

♥

I... am trying to hold off judgment til we actually see him? Trying to remind myself I didn't like the idea of Ten, either? But generally not doing so well at either, really...

[narsilion.livejournal.com]

I know. As soon as you said it, I knew that was exactly how he should go.
You're a genious, maybe that's what your new job shoulb be!

[hoshinekoyasha.livejournal.com]

Can't he just die of something simple? Like a drive by! Oh wait...

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

If it means, in some twisted way, that we get either Paul McGann or, due to some bizarre time-confusion, Sylvester McCoy, back... then I'm all for it. ♥

[hoshinekoyasha.livejournal.com]

I would enjoy Mcgann back so much! I cant get enough of his audios.

[akashasheiress.livejournal.com]

I don't want Romana to come back if Moffat wants Doctor/River, because then there'd be not Doctor/Romana.D:

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Awww, but he's the Doctor! He can't have just one pairing!

Seriously, I adore River, and I like her with the Doctor, but I can't believe, Time Lords being Time Lords, that there's any such thing as a One True Pairing for any of them. Especially not the Doctor - he's got much too short an attention span to only love one person for very long, bless him, and I'm sure Romana knows that and understands. Goodness knows I don't think she's waiting for him, either. ;)

[akashasheiress.livejournal.com]

I agree with the just one pairing thing, but does Moffat? He seems to be pretty aware of that he's writing for a childre-aimed show, and I very much doubt that he would show the Doctor being in love with two people at the same time. He seems pretty intent to portray Doctor/River as Epic Love of All Ages and I don't think he'd want anything getting in the way of that. So, if Romana ever came back I'd want it to be done perfectly and I'd want it to make a deep impact on the Doctor. Also, the thought of him not being in love with her makes me sad.

I'm sad, aren't I?:P

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Nah, I'm with you - the thought of the Doctor not loving Romana anymore is kind of horrifying to me. Not to mention completely at odds with my impression of the characters.

The thing with the Doctor is, I think he always loves all his companions, just in totally different ways sometimes. (I mean, I know some people are for Ace and the Doctor as a couple, but I think to the Doctor, Ace was his protege, and to Ace, the Doctor was her replacement for an absent father. She'd be horrified at the idea of him in a romantic sense, IMHO.)

The other side of this whole thing is that personally, I preferred it when the romance on the show was all subtext. If you didn't like it, you didn't have to pay attention to it. Some people think the Doctor and Sarah Jane were having it off, some people think Sarah and Harry were, and some people think it was a big happy goofy threesome - and the show pretty well supports all three or none of the above equally well. Same with Tegan, Turlough, Nyssa and Five. You could match them up any way you liked, and the show would pretty much agree with it, or not if you chose to, and that too is pretty canonically supported.

Now, part of the reason I yearn for the days of vague, subtext-y romance is... frankly, I hated Rose/Doctor. I thought it was okay and sort of charming when it was her having a vague "I don't like you really, I'm just teasing you" kind of crush on Nine and he was being all awkward and "dear god this is strange and I'm a lot older and angstier than you" about it, and personally I flat-out adored Nine and Jack together and thought they were probably secretly having it off, but YOU DIDN'T KNOW FOR SURE. Maybe Rose really had a thing for the Doctor, maybe she was just flirting. Maybe Nine really kind of had a thing for Rose, maybe he was just being protective - maybe she reminded him of Susan (my own personal canon up until "Parting of the Ways" kind of ruined that a little with the kiss-that-was-slightly-too-much-for-that). But in S2, it was like we lost all ability to ignore it - if you didn't like Rose/Doctor, that was just too bad for you, and I got a bit angry at that, because frankly, I didn't. I didn't like the way Ten was with her, and I didn't like the way Rose behaved about him.

So I guess what I'm saying is that I wish we could all go back to the 80s, where there was SUBTEXT pouring out everyone's ears, but no actual canon.

...Apart from the Doctor and Romana and their fabulous date in Paris. ♥

[velleitas.livejournal.com]

I'm late! But I just watched it. It was awful! I vaguely remember this show being really fun and silly. It does not work if it's 90% angst because they still leave all the cheesy bits in. Cheese + angst... I don't understand how that's supposed to work. I used to like Ten but I really, actively do not anymore. Thanks, RTD, for that. I think I'm gonna go watch S1. :/

Also, I totally, totally, TOTALLY agree with your point 11 there. I'd had my heart set on Mr Patterson too, damnit. Damnit!!!

Okay, done now. >:( Harrumph!

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Thanks, RTD, for that. I think I'm gonna go watch S1. :/

That's my solution, too, for whenever I start to get cranky about Who. It's impossible not to fall in love with it again when I see Nine rushing around being all "Fantastic!" about everything. ♥

And god, yes. Patterson would have been perfect. I've only seen a bit of the "Neverwhere" miniseries with him, but I watched part of it straight away when we heard his name as a possibility for Eleven, and immediately fell in love with the idea. He'd be so... he's got that thing where he can be all manic and weird and slightly creepy and alien while still being charming as all get out, and I think he'd have done something totally different with the character than what Tennant did. Which... they've cast someone so much the type of David Tennant (but, IMHO, not nearly as attractive, eloquent or intelligent-seeming) that I'm afraid all we're going to get is a poor-man's version of Ten 2.0. :P