tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post4380440937968861858..comments2024-03-27T08:49:38.786-03:00Comments on Siskoid's Blog of Geekery: Doctor Who #724: The Christmas InvasionSiskoidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08266365376486695812noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-66726231670801336922014-08-20T14:38:12.428-03:002014-08-20T14:38:12.428-03:00*The Doctor- the guy with a space/time machine and...<br />*The Doctor- the guy with a space/time machine and sonic screwdriver that can do anything and knowledge of the whole universe is always going around saying "be better than guns. Do better than killing in self-defense" and the like, which is kind of hypocritical; of course, with all these tools at his disposal and extra lives if he gets it wrong, it's easy for him to say that. If he gave mankind a phaser pistol with stun setting only, I'm sure they'd use it- but often guns and missiles and lethal defensive/offensive measures are all they have; it's asking them to risk a heck of a lot more than he does- sometimes entire civilian populations- to withhold using them, which would often mean 'merely doing nothing' rather than 'deploy nonlethal alternative that advanced technology or galactic knowledge affords' like the Doctor does.Andrew Gilbertsonhttp://www.nolinecinemas.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-35122519837950945962014-08-20T14:37:46.488-03:002014-08-20T14:37:46.488-03:00The ending really kills me. It's the start of ...The ending really kills me. It's the start of 10's arrogant, I'm-a-god routine, in which he decides an entire nation's golden age is less important than his fit of pique.<br /><br />I like your analysis of the Harriet Jones ending; the toll taken, the judgement and pushing her over the edge, etc. And I heartily agree with the toll it will cost him, though I'd take it one step further. (Well... perhaps more than one...)<br /><br />I'm prepared to argue Harriet justified- if not in the right, as I think a less lethal measure would've been preferable if it was available*- to begin with (the Sycorax JUST finished demonstrating that they were treacherous beings who would act as if they were defeated, then attack when your back was turned, and as they're so fond of pointing out in this era 'the Doctor isn't always around')... but even leaving that one decision aside, the Doctor was VERY happy for her to lethally take out aliens as an elected representative of the people who had the right to make those choices in World War Three, where it absolved him of moral responsibility... but here, suddenly, he decides she doesn't have the right, while HE has the right to completely steal the future Britain would've had over disagreement with that one judgement call ('the Doctor giveth, the Doctor taketh away?'). Hypocritical. (But then, the 10th Doctor specialized in hypocricy... especially when relating to soldiers and lethal force).<br /><br />Worse, I do believe he set himself up for every heartache that he ever had. Now, the foundation of that thesis is admittedly subjective; personally, based on what we've seen of her, I think Harriet Jones would have kept control of Torchwood and kept the rift/ghosts thing from running amuck. (Which, obviously, cost the Doctor Rose, and through Caan's escape and the events of Journey's End, an entire regeneration and Donna Noble). In addition, the power vacuum allowed the master to accomplish everything that he did (including taking over Britian AND engineering his own resurrection), meaning that it also cost him Martha (who left to take care of a family abused by those events), and eventually, his own life (which wouldn't have happened without a resurrected Master). <br /><br />Interestingly- this is one of the rare blogs I've seen that actually seems to recognize this was a bad choice. One of my biggest annoyances with modern fandom (Who and Star Wars especially) is the mentality of its majority that seems to be "X is our hero. X did Y. Therefore Y is good and right and laudable." I'm so used to ranting and railing against that... it's rather nice to see the recognition that RTD might just have been writing his character's making the WRONG choice (intentionally or unintentionally), rather than believing that everything the doctor does or says be right because the Doctor did or said it. :-)<br /><br />That said... I liked the tree (silly as it was) and the Doctor's wake-up there, and the song (like the next few specials' original songs, with Stowaway being both my favorite, and the only good thing to come out of VOTD) was great and very nostalgic/evocative.<br />Andrew Gilbertsonhttp://www.nolinecinemas.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-80337653193483706912013-11-15T14:31:30.433-04:002013-11-15T14:31:30.433-04:00Great comments Pedro.
1) I don't think Harrie...Great comments Pedro.<br /><br />1) I don't think Harriet's reign is a fixed point. In fact, it only seems to come into being because of the Doctor's intervention in AoL/WW3. After they triumph he suddenly knows who she is, as if getting a handy update on the timeline (and this perception of time seems to be supported by dialog in The Parting of the Ways). That he undoes it here changes history, but no more than the first time. In both cases, it's still up to Harriet herself to steer her destiny, accepting a nomination, or getting all flustered by the 6 words and losing it.<br /><br />2. Yes it's true, the Children in Need special does have that baffling piece of dialog (how does he know?). In Utopia, it's clear the Doctor knew why the TARDIS ran away, so he doesn't believe Jack is dead. TARDIS info download? Bad Wolf thoughts absorbed when he took in the vortex energy?<br /><br />If he DIDN'T know Jack survived, then the dialog can be taken as white lie not to distress Rose.Siskoidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08266365376486695812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-79073944504652122712013-11-15T14:22:39.416-04:002013-11-15T14:22:39.416-04:00Couple of things I thought of while reading your r...Couple of things I thought of while reading your review:<br /><br />1) So is the Doctor deliberately altering history by forcing Harriet Jones out of office? In season one he mentioned how it was a golden age etc. Since the Doctor knew this does it qualify as a fixed point in time? Is this an early example of the Time Lord Victorious altering time to suit his needs?<br /><br />2) The minisode is also noteworthy for mentioning Captain Jack and the Doctor casually mentioning he's "busy rebuilding the Earth." If you skipped the minisode (and many non-UK viewers did) you would assume that the Doctor still believes Jack to be dead (especially since I'm pretty sure he's not even mentioned in the season). The minisode however makes it clear the Doctor knows he's alive but apparently can't be bothered to go back for him (and we'll know why next season). <br /><br />Never really thought about those until I read this so thanks!Pedro Cabezuelonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-5699555524026277262013-11-15T07:57:51.311-04:002013-11-15T07:57:51.311-04:00Yes, RTD's Whoniverse is one that has conseque...Yes, RTD's Whoniverse is one that has consequences, many stories built on other stories, just like a lot of Series 1 was about the Doctor dealing with the fallout from the Time War.Siskoidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08266365376486695812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-19442135898147986682013-11-15T07:46:36.368-04:002013-11-15T07:46:36.368-04:00"love the mocking of the Sycorax voice"
..."love the mocking of the Sycorax voice"<br /><br />Oh god yes -- uncharacteristically juvenile, but the quickest way for the Doctor to show how unimpressed he is.<br /><br />In a lot of ways, this is my favorite Tennant appearance. Wish I could imitate his "this hand's a FIGHTIN' hand!" line properly, then find reasons to use the line in real life.<br /><br />The Doctor was wrong about Harriet Jones, and I'm pretty sure RTD knew it -- he gave her exactly the right counterargument. So credit to RTD for that much nuance.<br /><br />I also get the feeling Rose broke things, timey-wimey-wise, otherwise we wouldn't have gotten a Harry Saxon. ... Yes, that's probably the case, because without Bad Wolf there wouldn't have been an immortal Jack Harkness and the TARDIS wouldn't have fled from him to the end of time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com