Cold Blood
A political fairy tale of epic, apocalyptical proportions as homo reptilia and sapiens negotiate a peace treaty seeped in idealism and tolerance like never before. One wonders if indeed the surface dwelling young urban professionals, school teachers, scientists even theologians would have acquiesced to such a partnership without proving us to be men of war. It is notable that Amy, consummate companion to the 900 year old Gallifreyan suggested habitation in Africa’s deserts or Australia’s outback where indigenous species and people have notoriously been misrepresented as aliens of our own creation due to ignorance.
Chris Chibnall, script writer for ‘Cold Blood’ is almost Brechtian in his story telling; opening the episode with a wishful prophecy that hangs in humanities hands for fulfilment and foretells the fate of these earthy companions and the Doctor, thus cheating the audience of true suspense on the event of his execution sentence and in the final horrific moments he removes the emotional backlash by the necessity incurred in the obligatory final countdown and the fast pace required to steam through to the conclusion.
The belief that man is measured by his memory is a represented beautifully in the dichotomy on the character of human nature – Rory shielding the Doctor and the Doctor rescuing Ambrose. Bravery in Rory and the cowardice of Ambrose who gets a chance at redemption, to teach her son Eliot to be “the best of humanity”. What yet will we be?
Shock after shock hits us denying us grief or time, that elusive structure, to process the impact of fatal events and the solitude of the ‘lonely angel’ is once again crystallised in the episodic climatic personal tragedy then the Doctor alone must bear.
Some intense, hysterical acting on the part of Karen Gillan, Amy Pond as the one connection to family and domesticity is torn peaceful and yet brutally from her cerebellum and her own isolation parodies that of the Doctor. From Katrinana (Adrienne Hill) the first companion to willingly sacrifice her very life for the continued survival of the Timelord, then played by William Hartnell, the heavy tomb of culpability of the impulsive and loving human ‘apes’ is echoed throughout Whovian lore and this example was no less heart wrenching and tear jerking in its abrupt surprising unravelling.
With the somewhat lighter and carefree, cool ‘bow tied’, incarnation of Matt Smith’s Doctor and the focus on a younger generation of viewers, the lose of an established character and companion was unexpected and well hidden in secretly guarded BBC plot spoilers. The simple and loveable, Rory Williams, plucking on every heart string due to his innate compassionate and mirror of the average human man caught up in extraordinary adventures that are beyond his understanding and driven by his companionship with a passionate, flighty female.
Though the last minute interventions, reminiscent of the Greek, Deus ex Machina, were a little contrived and convenient at times this episode was a typical example of the ‘classic Who’ experience with a few noteworthy side characters, mainly that of Meera Syal’s, Nasreen and the gentile, reptilian scientist.
The phenomenal CGI of the subterranean city was breathtaking if a little gothic and macabre at times. Moffat seems to be pushing our imaginations and width of what is believable more than in previous series though with the ‘fairy tale’ theme cantering along throughout, these more fantastical, more science fiction settings are apt in their inclusion even if a little harder to relate to for this humble viewer.
A few points of contention: The character of Amy is still too 2Dimesional for me and seemed to oscillate between gung-ho, feisty, feminist to hysterical, domestic goddess without much exploration in between. Again the flashbacks at the appearance of ‘the crack’ were too obvious and spoon-feed for the intelligence of your typical Whovian and I found myself screaming at the T.V. “Yeah we get it already!”.
Matt Smith has eased nicely into the eccentric shoes of the Doctor and is demonstrating more enthusiasm and perhaps a little more naivety in these latest episodes. Though I, personally, am still looking for more as the Doctor in the TARDIS seems to be in avoidance of some of the harrowing hints that have been dangled and haunt his future destiny. Having said this, the emphasis is placed much more on the fairy tale, the adventure and discovery and devices such as Amy’s forgetfulness (which, by the way, automatically played back Donna’s fateful scene in my mind) help to prevent the Doctor from dwelling or brooding as previous incarnations were want to do.
In praise for the overall series arch, Stephen Moffat has produced a deeply intriguing and enigmatic mystery and one hopes that the answers will live up to our speculations. The fire charred, famous façade of the TARDIS ‘Police’ sign adding another thrilling and evocative bread-crumb into the mix. Speculations of how ‘Time’ will be ‘rewritten’ to save our heroes and their magical machine are rife and I do wonder if a story book ending is in store that possibly not only resurrects a doomed Doctor and TARDIS but a Rory Williams?
Who is River Song?
Why and who does she kill?
Can only a time anomaly such as the soul of a Timelord heal the opening Pandorica?
What as Amy and ‘sorting her out’ got to do with it?
What caused the gawping maws both spatially and temporally throughout the universe (I have an inkling that our dear Doctor, in some weird timey wimey, self-fulfilling prophecy may be at the source)
And finally will Pandora’s small voice of hope reign supreme in the oncoming devastation?
Sunday, 30 May 2010
Tuesday, 25 May 2010
Saturday, 22 May 2010
Review Board on "The Hungry Earth"
The Hungry Earth!
Well I’m hungry for more! Oh, sorry that was a bit clichéd wasn’t it?
Doctor Who, ‘The Hungry Earth’, series 5 x 09
This episode, written by Chris Chibnall welcomes back the bi-gone, classic Who era with pomp circumstance and mystery. Our story begins, as stories often do, in fairy tale, a notable repeated theme of this series. Eliot, a young boy living a life of rural seclusion but with a loving family and inquisitive spirit is entranced by the terrible tales of the ever popular Gruffalo series as his father, Mo reads its encrypted language to a dyslexic apprentice of Sherlockian intellect. “Who is the creature with terrible claws? Terrible teeth in his terrible jaws?”
We are immediately drawn into this close familial circle and watch with trepidation as their daily lives take a tour of the fantastic.
With strange prehistoric minerals staining graveyard grasses blue a team of drilling devotees plunge further into the earth’s crust than man has ever ventured before. They hit an impressive 21km before the earth starts hitting back.
It’s late at night, everyone’s asleep except Mo, manning the drilling station and seriously who would wish to wile away their nocturnal hours in such a vacuous and morphic place? Bet they don’t have many job applicants for the ‘graveyard’ shift. Oh, and how apt is that coin of phrase for in the cemetery, buried bodies are disappearing from untampered plots and ‘CID’ Rory Williams is called in to investigate.
Meanwhile Mo is missing, and Amy soon suffers the same fate as the Doctor struggles to pull her from some subterranean suction. Ah, but alas the endearing of a companion is far too vital a plot device for Amy to remain unscathed and on terra firma. Amy’s gone, Rory’s furious, the Doctor’s frantic and something is transporting itself to the surface so there’s no time to lose as the small family and new friends seek to defend themselves inside the eerie old church. To top it all off, it’s suddenly gone dark, a crimson lightening, force field trapping our heroes like a big, glass stopper on a test-tube.
More hostages are taken and we meet the Silurians, a homo reptilian race who evolved from lizard like ancestors who inhabited the earth long before the birth of mankind. Our predecessors and now, having been disturbed and threatened by the drilling, our competitors for rightful claim on our planet.
This episode runs like an existentialist essay but with fun, interactive visual aids. So many subtle references are repeated. The presence and innocence of children. The realisation of fairy tales, using typical story book terms like monsters and villains and the mysterious stranger who steps in for justice and freedom.
The idea of sleep, dreams or should I say nightmares as for generations humanity has sought answers to their existence and we have a plethora of artistic works questioning what answers lie in the depths of the sea, or in the ground beneath our feet. Things literally going bump in the night and the phobia of being buried alive, all these intrinsic fears are solidified by this script.
We also have mankind’s ingenuity and curiosity as the Tenth Doctor termed it, “The urge to jump, or rather the urge to fall” as we see ordinary people doing extraordinary things, digging into the depths of soil because they can, because they want to know more, to discover, to explore. Even our first ‘victim’ Mo has this innate compulsion to reach out and touch the steaming hole in the floor; to feel it and make it tangible and real.
A moral and ethical question is also posed that we can’t help but relate to as this narrative takes place only 10 years in the future. Do we deserve this earth? What is humanity? When we are threatened or hurt do we seek vengeance or understanding. A superior race, more evolved than our own shifts us out of our complacency and four unsuspecting beings become the ambassadors for the entire species. Are we worthy? Are we more constructive than self-destructive?
I loved the volume of layers in this episode. Of course it contained some fantastic one liners as well as geeky gimmicks like the Doctors night vision, sun glasses, there’s an oxymoron for you and great CGI in the climatic scene where a whole civilisation thrives underground for our viewing pleasure.
The characters are varied and distinctive as is their motivations and the actors playing them really add to the flow and intimate feel of the production, particularly the excitement and exuberance of Meera Syal The design of the ‘aliens’ and their experimental layer is very reminiscent of the situations in the classic Who series’ and I feel, this new series is more science fiction, more over the top and fantastical in its realities however this style does work though it stands in contrast to Russell T. Davies more TV drama and human approach.
Now, just to play devil’s advocate, as always, some queries and minor nit-picking!
Sometimes the dialogue is too spoon feed and undermines the intelligence of the audience for example the pregnant pauses and grandiose hyperbole when referencing, again, that the Doctor is the last of his race. Perhaps this is to place catch up for new viewers or to repeat the point for the young or even, its consistent repetition could have a deeper meaning as the series unfolds that we are not yet aware of.
Too many two parters? I have always loved stand alone episodes as they have to be rich in quality and fast paced and engaging in story telling. Two parters slow down the series and lower its content for me. However when we remember that Doctor Who used to be screened in small bite sized bits with four or sometimes more parts to one story I suppose this is more traditional. But with only 13 episodes in a series I can’t help but feel cheated when we only get half as many stories and strange new worlds to explore.
The Doctor’s lack of awareness for the individual is starting to become a problem as he forgets about Eliot, a small child out on his own in a potentially fatal situation. His own fatherly instinct, which has been often draw upon in the past was absent. He certainly cares about the human race as a whole, in terms of their continued existence but he doesn’t seem to focus so much on the individual in dialogue or plot any more.
The loyal companion! Once upon a time, to be a Who girl you had to be able to scream and that alone was the main prerequisite. Are we stepping backwards into that concept once more? Amy is continuously getting into trouble and almost dying and though she blusters like the best of them, she doesn’t react with that X-factor that distinguishes a companion from the common crowd. For example, “What is the point of you?” ~ Amy’s Choice. Don’t get me wrong, I like her a lot and maybe Stephen Moffat is simply trying to get away from the god complex that Doctor Who has been criticised for having in the past but she has failed many tests and committed sins that the Doctor would normally kick her out on her ear for. Again, there is also less of an emphasis on the caring and compassionate companion except for the unsubtle star whale incident and in general I think her character is simply less complex and formed than in pervious years.
Another thing that I couldn’t help but wonder about was the TARDIS. It is sitting right outside the church and yet a power failure and a sticky, stubborn door cause havoc and mayhem. Surely there is a wealth of technology within her huge halls to aid in their plight?
Now for the rating: I’m oscillating between a 3 and a 4 star rank so let’s go 3 1/2, ok maybe 3 3/4!
Favourite line: Doctor: “Oi! Don’t dis the sonic!”
Doctor: “Oh, I love a big mining thing. Way better than Rio. Rio doesn’t have a big mining thing.”
Rory: “If he can’t get us to Rio, how is he ever going to get us back home?”
Rory: “Doctor something weird’s going on here. The graves are eating people.”
Doctor: “Not now, Rory.”
Eliot: “I can’t do the words, I’m dyslexic.”
Doctor: “Oh, that’s alright. I can’t make a decent meringue.”
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
Your Choice on "Amy's Choice"
Your Choice on "Amy's Choice"
So you've watched Amy's Choice? Doctor Who Series 5x07! Prove it!!!Saturday, 15 May 2010
Review Board goes Barmy for "Amy's Choice"
Doctor Who 5x07, “Amy’s Choice”
Doctor Who does introspective, character studies, something usually reversed for the fan fiction halls, was dashes of Doctorish drama and hints of Hugh Grant Rom-Com!
A rather satisfying 4 stars for this latest episode from my humble viewing sofa.
Basic catch-up plot summary: Two worlds, two lifestyles, two choices, two men! One reality a romantic idyll of white picket fences, matrimony and burgeoning bellies and the other a TARDIS, a time travelling trio and technical difficulties. Both boast of deadly danger; both feel real and with time marching on a choice must be made before it runs out and the inevitability of doom distinguishes life in either.
I have often bemoaned that with the tight 43 minute running time that one of the most provocative and inspiring shows of the last 50 years (literally in 3 years time) can’t address the aftermath, emotional repercussions and personal development imbued by a multiverse of adventure, adrenalin, amazing discovery and intimate regret, remorse and loss. Luckily the insecurities of a 900 year old alien who talks without saying anything and runs without getting anywhere makes soap opera heart to hearts incongruous and unnecessary but for a man who loves so much, he holds all of time and space as home, those snippets of the man behind the sentient, sexy machine and manic quirks gravitate in their importance and meaning.
In this episode the bow-tie wearing, Tony & Guy gelled, bumbling, bookish, bombasticater of benevolence and sardonic sarcasm, the Doctor (played by Matt Smith) is bested by his own inner demons and rightly so these disorientating dreams are definitely better classified as nightmares.
When we dream, day dream at least where our conscious minds are at least mostly in control we visualise personal portraits of perfection, what we want, what we esteem to become and often what we can never have. These dreams states for our characters supposedly, through some psychic awareness, were composed of actual, private thoughts.
Now I think we can safely assume that “Upper Leadworth” was Rory’s ‘dream’, as the Doctor says, young Doctor, married to his dream girl who’s pregnant and living in a Beatrice Potter, hoity-toity town?
But what of the frosty ice burning star and the crippled TARDIS? I doubt this came from Amy, possibly some of Rory’s fear in trusting technology he doesn’t understand and a Doctor who’s as much of a liability as a leader but mainly surely this came from the Doctor himself. The last of the Timelords freezes when Gallifrey burned? The cold, disfunctioning heart of the TARDIS with a small, frightened Doctor inside?
Death by aliens or death by the elements even in innocuous, rustic Leadworth? Is this idea of choice and death also inspired by the Doctor? His fears of not being able to save his companions, of being cheated by time itself, a certain factor as we had this 24esque 40minute countdown in real, or should I say dream, time. And death, always lurking, always lying in wait in the end. Of course then there’s the final crux, that BOTH realities, both dreams demanded the own Doctor’s death. Is he dying to live or living to die?
The lack of input from Amy could symbolise her flighty but feisty indecision or maybe even just the Doctor’s own misunderstanding of women and humanity.
The idea of competition and self-respect and insecurity was also prevalent but by no means was this challenge a dreary dirge, oh no, it was a fun romp in majority; the Doc’s horror at domesticity, Amy the hefflelump, Rory ponytail from the land that time forgot and I loved the enemies in this.
One, old people! Normally ignored and considered of less value in the world, these frail, withering, wittering elders were secret assassins, the irony and amusement factor making the running from slow Zimmer frame folk purely precious. As Rory found it’s hard to bash a pensioner, the thought sick and sordid to our sensibilities and as Monty Python discovered, it’s bloody funny to bash a pensioner and see them bouncing about in the pavement!
Two, ‘Ice, Ice, Baby’! Natural elements, even the Lord of Time fears natural destructive phenomena that can be controlled, intellectualised, bested or beaten.
Three, the ‘Dream Lord’! I’m chuffed with myself that I did work this twist out from the Doctor’s admission that there’s no one else in the universe that hates him as much as you (he) does. This beautifully re-established the longevity, responsibility and alienness of Eleven and fed into the avenging tortured soul of the Doctor and his curse of the Timelords.
The only problem I had with this episode was its slightly Hollywood clichéd nature in the romantic realisation and simple man’s sacrifice. Also Amy deciding that she didn’t want to live in a world without Rory and would take the chance of death to get back to him was fairly out of character, I thought, and no analysis was given to the fact that she assumed the Doctor would join in her potential lover’s suicide plot or the consequences of Amy being wrong. Yeah she might wake up freezing next to a popsicle Rory but she might kill the Doctor and given the Timelord’s impact on the universe as a whole as a sensible and compassionate character a sacrifice of her life without Rory over the universe without their protector her choice should have been easy but burdened by selfless martyrdom, right?
Any way, all’s well that end’s well and what better an end than, “Just this once…everybody lives”!
P.S. What’s with the BBC inserts post Who? I mean yeah the Daleks, TARDIS and Matt Smith, pretty recognisable even in preschool animation (not dwelling on what that says about Eleven) but Amy looks like a Sugar babe and Rory is doubling at Graham Norton????
Doctor Who does introspective, character studies, something usually reversed for the fan fiction halls, was dashes of Doctorish drama and hints of Hugh Grant Rom-Com!
A rather satisfying 4 stars for this latest episode from my humble viewing sofa.
Basic catch-up plot summary: Two worlds, two lifestyles, two choices, two men! One reality a romantic idyll of white picket fences, matrimony and burgeoning bellies and the other a TARDIS, a time travelling trio and technical difficulties. Both boast of deadly danger; both feel real and with time marching on a choice must be made before it runs out and the inevitability of doom distinguishes life in either.
I have often bemoaned that with the tight 43 minute running time that one of the most provocative and inspiring shows of the last 50 years (literally in 3 years time) can’t address the aftermath, emotional repercussions and personal development imbued by a multiverse of adventure, adrenalin, amazing discovery and intimate regret, remorse and loss. Luckily the insecurities of a 900 year old alien who talks without saying anything and runs without getting anywhere makes soap opera heart to hearts incongruous and unnecessary but for a man who loves so much, he holds all of time and space as home, those snippets of the man behind the sentient, sexy machine and manic quirks gravitate in their importance and meaning.
In this episode the bow-tie wearing, Tony & Guy gelled, bumbling, bookish, bombasticater of benevolence and sardonic sarcasm, the Doctor (played by Matt Smith) is bested by his own inner demons and rightly so these disorientating dreams are definitely better classified as nightmares.
When we dream, day dream at least where our conscious minds are at least mostly in control we visualise personal portraits of perfection, what we want, what we esteem to become and often what we can never have. These dreams states for our characters supposedly, through some psychic awareness, were composed of actual, private thoughts.
Now I think we can safely assume that “Upper Leadworth” was Rory’s ‘dream’, as the Doctor says, young Doctor, married to his dream girl who’s pregnant and living in a Beatrice Potter, hoity-toity town?
But what of the frosty ice burning star and the crippled TARDIS? I doubt this came from Amy, possibly some of Rory’s fear in trusting technology he doesn’t understand and a Doctor who’s as much of a liability as a leader but mainly surely this came from the Doctor himself. The last of the Timelords freezes when Gallifrey burned? The cold, disfunctioning heart of the TARDIS with a small, frightened Doctor inside?
Death by aliens or death by the elements even in innocuous, rustic Leadworth? Is this idea of choice and death also inspired by the Doctor? His fears of not being able to save his companions, of being cheated by time itself, a certain factor as we had this 24esque 40minute countdown in real, or should I say dream, time. And death, always lurking, always lying in wait in the end. Of course then there’s the final crux, that BOTH realities, both dreams demanded the own Doctor’s death. Is he dying to live or living to die?
The lack of input from Amy could symbolise her flighty but feisty indecision or maybe even just the Doctor’s own misunderstanding of women and humanity.
The idea of competition and self-respect and insecurity was also prevalent but by no means was this challenge a dreary dirge, oh no, it was a fun romp in majority; the Doc’s horror at domesticity, Amy the hefflelump, Rory ponytail from the land that time forgot and I loved the enemies in this.
One, old people! Normally ignored and considered of less value in the world, these frail, withering, wittering elders were secret assassins, the irony and amusement factor making the running from slow Zimmer frame folk purely precious. As Rory found it’s hard to bash a pensioner, the thought sick and sordid to our sensibilities and as Monty Python discovered, it’s bloody funny to bash a pensioner and see them bouncing about in the pavement!
Two, ‘Ice, Ice, Baby’! Natural elements, even the Lord of Time fears natural destructive phenomena that can be controlled, intellectualised, bested or beaten.
Three, the ‘Dream Lord’! I’m chuffed with myself that I did work this twist out from the Doctor’s admission that there’s no one else in the universe that hates him as much as you (he) does. This beautifully re-established the longevity, responsibility and alienness of Eleven and fed into the avenging tortured soul of the Doctor and his curse of the Timelords.
The only problem I had with this episode was its slightly Hollywood clichéd nature in the romantic realisation and simple man’s sacrifice. Also Amy deciding that she didn’t want to live in a world without Rory and would take the chance of death to get back to him was fairly out of character, I thought, and no analysis was given to the fact that she assumed the Doctor would join in her potential lover’s suicide plot or the consequences of Amy being wrong. Yeah she might wake up freezing next to a popsicle Rory but she might kill the Doctor and given the Timelord’s impact on the universe as a whole as a sensible and compassionate character a sacrifice of her life without Rory over the universe without their protector her choice should have been easy but burdened by selfless martyrdom, right?
Any way, all’s well that end’s well and what better an end than, “Just this once…everybody lives”!
P.S. What’s with the BBC inserts post Who? I mean yeah the Daleks, TARDIS and Matt Smith, pretty recognisable even in preschool animation (not dwelling on what that says about Eleven) but Amy looks like a Sugar babe and Rory is doubling at Graham Norton????
Thursday, 13 May 2010
Observation Quiz ~ Amy's Choice Trailer!
Amy's Choice Observation Quiz
Watch the Amy's Choice Preview Trailer ONCE and see if you can answer the following questions!Vampires of Venice
Vampires of Venice
So you've watched 5x06 "Vampires of Venice"?Then try to outwit the quizmaster!
Do you Accept the challenge?
Vampires of Venice - Bonus Round
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