Geronimo!

[jjpor]

I was going to do a big End of Time Part Two reaction post like I did for Part One, but thinking about, it would really be a post about my thoughts on/problems with RTD and the characterisation of Ten over the course of his run, which is a bigger topic and one I can't really be bothered writing about at the moment, but it may still come in the near future.

Some random thoughts, for now:

Do you remember the way the interior of the TARDIS exploded when One/Five/Six/Nine regenerated in there? No, neither do I.

Similarly, do you remember when Doctors accepted their fates calmly, stoically, dare I say heroically?

Did anyone go WTF at the bit where Sylvia was straight-out praying to the Doctor...and her prayers were answered....?

Since when has the Doctor felt the need to reward his companions financially? Since when has Doctor Who been pushing the idea that money = happiness?

I may be one of the few people who can get on board with the idea of Martha/Mickey, but...what happened to poor old Tom Milligan?

I guess we now know what Tommy Knight was doing, apart from his GCSEs, during that SJA episode Luke didn't appear in.

Rassilon? What? Who? Where? How? WTF?!

Who was that mysterious woman in white? Answers on a postcard...

And as unlikely as it seems after all of that, there were parts of this I actually quite liked - I may be the only person who thought Captain Jack's Star Wars cantina scene was kind of amusing. Intentionally, I mean. Simm was great. Cribbins was great. Tennant was great - see my earlier comments about my admiration for his acting being undiminished by my head scratching at some of the scripts. Dalton was great - too bad he was hardly onscreen, because the actual, for want of a better word, plot was less important in this than the angst and the extended tour of all RTD's favourite fanfic characters. It reminded me of Journey's End in that - it reminded me of Journey's End to a scary degree, actually. And like Journey's End, the worst thing about it was that there were some good elements, but the less-good elements kind of ruined them for me. In a way, it'd be better if it had just been rubbish, instead of so...disappointing.

And Murray Gold needs to take a valium or something. ;D

Still, on brief first impressions, the boy Smith looks okay, doesn't he? Bring on S5!

Comments

[crytears.livejournal.com]

I was getting JE vibes too, and so not in a good way.
Tennant's acting was great, but Ten annoys me so much now that DT's greatness is overshadowed by it.
Also taking 30 minutes to die... so much for going out with a 'bang' - I was just desparate for it to end so I could see Matt.

Bring on The Moff!

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

Indeed - now it's over, I'm kind of glad that it is - time to move on, I think. I completely agree on the Ten versus Tennant thing; I think Tennant's a very good actor, but some of the material he's been given to work with hasn't served him particularly well. And the comparisons to Journey's End are very obvious, aren't they? Plot handwaved away with a lame climax ages before the end so we can have half an hour of angst and pandering to the hardcore Ten fans. I dread to think what "civilians" who watched that unawares made of it all...

[mickeyk.livejournal.com]

Was it wrong of me when Ten wibbled, "I don't want to go!" that I thought, 'Then you shouldn't have decided to leave, Tennant!'?

I agree David Tennant can be great (finally saw Blackpool and his character could be really dodgy at times, but I really enjoyed watching him, unlike self-righteous 10) and I hope I'll get to see DT in some great stuff (I have Hamlet waiting for me to watch it) post-DW.

I went into it, deciding just to enjoy watching Wilf and throw out the plot. On that level it was okay, and Bernard Cribbins was excellent. I adore Wilf so much now, and I'm sad that we probably will never get to see Wilf again. That was a stroke of genius, bringing him back to be Donna's grandfather after VOTD and the actor who had played her father in TRB passed away.

Loved seeing the aliens in Jack's Star Wars cantina but the Jack stuff, not so much. Yeah, great, pretty young guy to take Jack's mind off of everything and make him start living (not just existing) again. Whatever, RTD. Still have zero interest in seeing anything more TW, after the 'Rocks fall, people die' of COE.

Hurry up, 11, is it Easter yet? I want to see what you're like as the Doctor, Matt! I hope I'll go back to really enjoying it.

[crytears.livejournal.com]

Was it wrong of me when Ten wibbled, "I don't want to go!" that I thought, 'Then you shouldn't have decided to leave, Tennant!'

I thought the exact same thing!

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

Wrong of me too, possibly, but...yes... ;D

[mickeyk.livejournal.com]

Yay! Glad it's not just two of us. :)

[mickeyk.livejournal.com]

Yay! Glad I'm not the only one.

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

Yes, I thought Wilf was brilliant throughout EoT (and indeed throughout his time in Who), and the majority of his scenes with Ten were riveting in a way Ten!angst usually isn't.

I look forward to seeing Tennant in other things after Who, as I think he's a fine actor, even if Ten could be so very unlikeable at times.

I'll admit that I quite like Children of Earth - it was hard on the characters, sure, but a cracking story that didn't flinch from the hard stuff. A lot like Midnight in NuWho S4 and like that proof that RTD can do good stuff when he wants to - he just doesn't seem to want to all that often. But yes, after going through that it's hard to see how Jack could ever be "normal" again - not without a long, hard process of character development that would probably constitute a whole series of stories in itself. Maybe that's all happened between CoE and the bar scene, and maybe it's about to begin with Midshipman Frame, but...you're right, I don't really buy RTD's apparent intention that the Doctor can just make everything right with Jack again by hooking him up with a new boyfriend. In fact, it seems pretty ridiculous...

But the aliens were fun! ;D

And yes - bring on Eleven! Like, yesterday!

[greatbriton.livejournal.com]

Similarly, do you remember when Doctors accepted their fates calmly, stoically, dare I say heroically?

YES! in the end they made Ten even more of an emo baby. I wish he would have gone out with a smile since he knew for so long that he was going to go anyway. Suck it up, I say.

I thought it felt a lot like Journey's End as well. Very chaotic.

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

Yeah, a lot like Journey's End. Regarding the Doctor endings, it isn't even an oldwho vs newwho thing as so many of my gripes are - Nine went out a hero, with his head held high, and with dignity, and it was far more affecting for me than Ten's departure. Then again, the angsting was perfectly in character for Ten; I guess I just have my differences with the whole Ten era, really, which is a shame as some of the stories have been really good, and I rate Tennant pretty highly as an actor.

[akashasheiress.livejournal.com]

I think now's the time to write your Alt!regeneration fic in which he's kicked for being such an emo douchebag.;D

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

By all Nine previous incarnations - and Eleven! ;D

[hangingfire.livejournal.com]

I also thought the cantina scene was amusing, so you're not alone in that. And I did almost jump over the back of the sofa in sheer shock at "Rassilon". WTF, indeed.

But yeah; it had its moments, which made the moments it didn't have all the more irritating.

S5 ahoy! But "Geronimo"? Really?

[evilawyer.livejournal.com]

First thing I thought when I saw that Adipose was "Is that pudgeball dancing on the bar?" Second was "Is Jack gonna stuff a $20 in its underwear?"

[clocketpatch]

My first thought was: "Oh no! The Judoon is going to arrest it for underaged drinking"

O.o

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

The officer in question did seem very remiss in his duties (considering the Judoon are the sort of cops who blow people away over parking tickets!)

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

But it's a minor! O.o

[evilawyer.livejournal.com]

And, what? Jack's gonna care?

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

You do make a very good point...

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

Geronimo seems...unnecessary. I hope they don't think Eleven needs manufactured quirks/catchphrases to make him unique; I don't think that's a very good idea. But I am nevertheless well up for S5 - cannae wait!

And yes, that's my complaint - it wasn't complete rubbish, and it could have been so much more - feels like a wasted opportunity, really.

[evilawyer.livejournal.com]

it would really be a post about my thoughts on/problems with RTD and the characterisation of Ten over the course of his run

Which does, I can attest to, go on even longer than the 20 minute regeneration scene.

Your thoughts are very much in line with my own. Are we clones?

I am quite looking forward to this young pup Smith, myself!

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

I think he could be good. I think in any case, it's probably about time we had a change of pace; Ten is getting old, in more ways than one... ;D

I'm just glad I am not alone in these thoughts - I'd hate to think I was some cranky Statler and Waldorf type ranting from the balcony! ;D

[akashasheiress.livejournal.com]

I adore Statler and Waldorf.

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

Me too!

[akashasheiress.livejournal.com]

Praying? PRAYING!?

I suppose I'm looking forward to Eleven himself, but I'm not looking forward to his love life. Unless of course it was with... you know.

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

No really - she was like looking up at the sky going "Doctor...Doctor, please..." And then when the crisis was averted she was looking at the sky like "truly this man was the son of...etc..." I told you there'd be dodgy religiosity creeping in! ;D

Well, less said about Eleven's love life the better, but I say let's give the kid a chance! (Until his first story turns out to be a Twin-Dilemma-level stinker, but I'm really, really hoping right now that it won't be. I want to be able to enjoy Doctor Who again! Not that I haven't enjoyed quite a lot of Ten, most recently Waters of Mars, but sometimes it seems like the ones I haven't enjoyed overshadow the rest for me.)

[akashasheiress.livejournal.com]

I'll most certainly give him a chance - as long as I get to skip... certain parts.

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

Well, we don't know how much River-related shippiness there will really be, until it happens, but...yeah, I know what you mean...

[sciathan-file.livejournal.com]

Straight up yelled at the Rassilon thing. I have no idea what the heck was happening. (Also, what was up with the weeping angel connections? Am I the only one that caught that?)

I didn't think it was terrible, but would have been so much better had he just regenerated right after Wilf killed him (I thought that was excellent) and skipped the massive sentimental excess. I'm also overall mystified by Martha and Mickey....and random Sontarans.

I have a love-hate relationship with the actual regeneration when we got to it (TARDIS blowing up was unnecessary), but as Ten is my Doctor (for some reason I watched Season 2 of the new series prior to season 1...), the tiniest sentimental bit of me agreed. But I agree, when you compare his going out with the entire gamut of Doctor Who, Ten's were straight up pathetic. Give me some good ol' Four "It has been prepared for" and some more narrative restraint and intimacy. (Or "The War Games"...that was a swan song even at 10 episodes).

And Eleven looks very promising.

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

He does indeed! It's going to be a long wait until "Spring 2010" (couldn't they be more specific than that?!)

There were a fair few WTF moments going on in Pt2, just like Pt1 - the weeping angels thing I didn't really get either, but considering Moffat is looking at bringing them back in S5, it might have been A Clue... As for Rassilon - I didn't know whether to squee or scream, but I surely didn't understand it... ;D

The whole 20-30 min "death scene" did seem very over-the-top and unnecessary, and really self-indulgent. I keep mentioning Journey's End, but that's what it reminded me of. I agree that it would have been brilliant to just end it there in the radiation chamber, with Wilf standing over him as he regenerated. That would have been great.

I don't know about Mickey/Martha really - I guess it's more the idea of The Further Adventures of Martha and Mickey! that appeals to me... ;D

Yeah, the exploding TARDIS didn't do much for me, as it seemed to be trying to imply that this was the greatest, most important, most emotional regeneration EVER, and I really don't buy that. Maybe if Ten is your Doctor, then yes, but for me the most emotionally intense and genuinely heroic Doctor death is Five's demise in Caves of Androzani - Ten wasn't even in the same ballpark as that.