myfandomrambles

[myfandomrambles]

based on this post by @melbush

[myfandomrambles]

ATLA/LOK Universe Gender & Sexuality Headcanons/Canons

Aang: Nonbinary, bisexual

Asami: Bisexual Woman (canon)

Azula: Asexual Lesbian Woman

Bumi II: Aromantic Asexual Man

Jinora: Demigirl, Bisexual

Korra: Bisexual Woman (Canon)

Kya II: Greyaromantic Lesbian Woman

Sokka: Bisexual Man

Toph: Nonbinary, Greyaromantic, Bisexual

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CH

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can you elaborate a bit what made you divorce from asoiaf/got as you say?

Ooof, so, after the G0T finale, I think my reasons should be obvious, but you also mentioned the books and yes, I lost my interest in books too and I will try to not make this answer too long, but in the same time, to convey all my thoughts on this matter.

*Putting it below cut because…. when I`ll explain the problem of Martin`s fans later, you`ll understand why*

Keep reading

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[myfandomrambles]

11th Doctor Episode Rankings pt. 2

Episode Rankings: Worst to Best

(Pt1)

Spoilers

21) The Pandorica Opens:

Fun stuff here! The opening is cool, love River graffitied the oldest cliff very in character. The montage of all Eleven’s friends was exciting. River playing Cleopatra is super in character. The Doctor's speech is good, if not my favorite. Rory’s coming back is unexpected but I think it's really quite clever. River seeming surprised when not in front of other people about what’s in Amy's room is a bit strange but her point stands. Love all the bad guys being here if some like Weevils are a bit of a strange cut. The Doctor being the most feared thing in the universe is so freaking good. The Pandorica is key to the overall arc of Eleven with the cracks and to who he is as his individual Doctor as The Most Feared being.   (8/10)

20) The Big Bang: 

I think It’s cool! It’s all bootstraps but that’s just not a problem for me personally. The Pandorica is a fun concept and I think it’s a neat way of rebooting the universe. I think it offers a decent answer to the cracks while still leaving space for the ending that is answered at the end of Eleven’s tenure.  River is fun here. The last centurion is so sweet. The collapsing universe is done well here for the first time so it’s not a repeated idea yet. You get the first fez joke. Amy and Rory’s wedding is so sweet and the way the hints for it are dropped in the monologue Eleven gives Amy to allow her to bring him back is neat. And of course: “...We're all stories in the end. Just make it a good one, eh?” (8/10)

19) Cold War:

Not an appreciated enough story! The sidecast is so good here, the way the other man can see that The Doctor is a soldier and therefore can’t also go talk to the Ice Warrior great line. The Ice Warrior is done well here, love that for him. The mutually assured destruction is on the nose for sure but is still good! Clara is very brave here and tries to think on her feet. I love the ending of this episode. I think it follows the themes very well and has a good relationship to who The Doctor is as a war veteran and the way The Time Lords and The Daleks were destroying each other. (8/10)

18) The Snowmen:

Love the way The Doctor changes here, like the way we acknowledge Amy and Rory. Barmaid/Governess Clara is a good one. The GI is better here than in other episodes. I love the look of the TARDIS in the sky. It's beautiful. Clara’s death is an amazing one off companion death. It hurts really good. The side characters besides Clara and the Paternoster gang aren’t great but having these guys here make up for them. It has a good use of Christmas as a background. The mood of everything is just amazing. (8/10)

17) The Name of The Doctor: 

I like the Impossible Girl arc perfectly fine actually. Clara doesn’t interfere with The Doctor's adventures; she just stops the GI from stopping The Doctor. And Clara isn’t special by no choice she isn’t cosmically special for no reason she makes a choice. She chooses to step into the timeline! She chooses to be the impossible girl because she loves The Doctor! It ripples back through time sure but it’s still a choice. It’s something that she had to make a choice to do it! And I like that! I like that Clara is brave enough to save The Doctor. I like The Doctor saving Clara back. I love them loving each other enough to save each other. I like the idea that Time Lord’s tombs have their timelines. I like that River and The Doctor say goodbye. I think it’s good. It’s not perfect, we don't know how they get out of the timeline. We don’t know how River can talk outside the library. So it’s not perfect but most of the hate isn’t quite fair. (8/10)

16) A Christmas Carol:

“Doctor: Nobody important. Blimey, that's amazing. Do you know, in nine hundred years of time and space, I've never met anyone who wasn't important before” Ahhhh. Love the usage of Christmas here. The Doctor who meets Charles Dickens really works for me. The concept of using people as collateral is so evil SciFi love it. The emotionality here works amazingly here they lean into child abuse just enough to hit you in the feels while keeping it not gratuitous. Do they solve it with Christmas singing? Yes! Is it basically killing someone for one good Christmas? Yes! But god does it make me feel things. But also Cloud Sharks! and Emotional Growth!!!  (8.5/10)

15) Night Terrors:

I love the neurodivergence metaphor here, intentional or not. As a certified Neurdivergent who just wanted to be loved and understood as a child, I get you kid. And as someone who reads The Doctor as a very neurodivergent character, them being the one to figure out George makes me happy.  The Dolls are creepy; Rory's 'Have we died again?' is a good line. It’s not the most complicated or effective episode to the overall series plot but I like it and I really have a good time with it. And it makes me feel very happy, and I enjoy rewatching it. I just love the neurodivergent narrative here. (8.5/10)

14) Dinosaurs on a Spaceship: 

Okay, I think this concept is fun and when the dinosaur dies it makes me wanna cry. I like Briain. And The Doctor kills someone in cold blood and it’s such a good scene. The Doctor says -you killed people and wanted human traffic too? Die you fool.- And that hits so well. That's the good dark Doctor. The Doctor’s face when Amy says “Or vice versa.” to her being there when he dies? Oh my good. This episode is actually so emotional and people say it’s silly. Silly? Silly? Those people have no ability to pay attention. (8.5/10)

13) Amy’s Choice: 

The Dream Lord is fascinating. You get amazing lines like “There's only one person in the universe who hates me as much as you do” and “Then what is the point of you?”. Also, funny lines like “Let's die looking like a Peruvian folk band.” The dream within a dream isn’t the most original concept but is done super well here! Amy choosing Rory is so good and it’s a great answer to this question. I like the way that she will choose Rory but we don’t totally break her infatuation with The Doctor at the same time.   (8.5/10)

12) The Eleventh Hour:

Oh yeah, this is a great start to this era. Makes you so pumped for Eleven. Dun dun da dun da da. “Hello, I’m The Doctor,” Hell yeah you are! Set up Amy and The Doctor’s relationship of the imaginary friend. Set up Amy’s arc about growing up. Introduces Rory and the wedding. Has a great TARDIS entry scene. Has the crack in the wall introduced. Has the fairy tale vibes. Has Elven’s goofiness but also his ability to send armies and open the TARDIS with a snap of his fingers like River said he could in the library. Hell Yeah let’s GO! (8.5/10)

11) Hide: 

Good spookiness, not the scariest Doctor Who but definitely fun. Good use of SciFi for the spookiness not leaving it in the realm of fantasy which I prefer the scifi angle when I’m watching Who. I enjoy the main two side characters here. I like Palmer and his reflection of The Doctor and how The Doctor acts enough like a manipulative government actor that he can hold up his cover without trying. And I like Emma being able to help, she feels different enough from similar characters Like Gwyneth from The Unquiet Dead by having a bit more agency and instead of reading Clara’s past and future she reads The Doctor’s character with the line “Don't trust him. There's a sliver of ice in his heart.”. The design was cool for the pocket dimension. I like that Clara’s fight with the TARDIS continues. Clara’s lines about how The Doctor interacts with humans is super good as well “But here we are, talking. So I am a ghost. To you, I'm a ghost. We're all ghosts to you. We must be nothing” That’s the good stuff. The Doctor denies it, but in a way we know it’s true The Doctor loves their Companions with all their heart but knows it will end every time and they will have to go on.  (8.5/10)

10) A Good Man Goes to War: 

Boom we are here for the dramatics and the overkill. Having Rory and The Doctor explode a Cyber Legion is fun. Rory and Amy’s reunion is so sweet. The Colonel runaway scene shows perfect Dark Doctor stuff.  “Good men don't need rules. Today is not the day to find out why I have so many.” Amazing line! When The flesh baby goes away during the battle is amazing, Amy telling Rory to let everyone else die is a great line. The Doctor’s face when he realises it’s his fault for being seen as a weapon works perfectly. The stuff with Lorna is so emotional, The Doctor not actually remembering her is perfect for his character. Amy actually stepping away from The Doctor at first works perfectly. River’s speech to The Doctor is good, another moment he realises he’s gone too far. The weird Pond family tree is amazing love that for them. (8.5/10)

9) Day of The Moon:

Still going so strong. Love how they deal with the Silence; It's so freakin cool. They feel like a real threat. I love Amy here, the poor girl technically getting double kidnapped (Already being a flesh duplicate). Them all working together surreptitiously. The Silence feel like a real threat. The cool block prison. Using the moon landing is super cool. The way they combat the silence is so clever. Love them all working as a team. Ahh such a good start to the season. (well second part)  (9/10)

8) The Impossible Astronaut:

Everything about this episode is amazing. The scene with The Doctor calling the ponds in with the letter is so kinetic energy it rocks. The ponds are having their little meal as a whole family and you want them to be able to do this forever. The regen and funeral is so sad with all their reactions, hurts in a good way. Then all of their reactions to knowing he’s going to die! How cold The Doctor is to their reactions, “What? A mysterious summons. You think I'm just going to go? Who sent those messages? I know you know. I can see it in your faces. Don't play games with me. Don't ever, ever think you're capable of that.” oof I love that line. Then how he hurts River. I really like Canton. Then the SIlence!!!! They are so cool! An amazing villain design. And Nixon is done in a really fun way. River talks about knowing there will be a day when he won’t know her and we know about that day, Ouch! (9/10)

7) The Time of The Doctor:

 A little nostalgia goggles are probably going on here. But I think it’s a very well-done regeneration story. It ties together the end of the crack in the wall, the silence, the exploding TARDIS, why River was made and the Kavorian sect. Is it done fantastically? No, but I do think it’s done well enough that it’s not completely stupid. I think what’s done amazingly is the emotional core, The Doctor has found somewhere that needs him to stay, the town needs him to protect it from the aliens and the universe needs him to protect it from the Time Lords and Daleks starting war by not sharing his name. He lives with the crack in the wall, The Time Lords are right there but never lets them through, he has to never let his own people who he wanted to save and go home to so badly but never let them throgh because he makes a bigger promise to protect Christmas and the wider universe. And keeps the aliens, especially The Daleks away until he is too old to do it, loved by the people of the village. This is a good end to his arc as he always tried to run from death and to forget his pain in the Time War but here he had to join a new war, the siege of Trenzalore, in order to save even one life. Letting go of the face of the young silly man and living as an older man in this town, and then again at the end when he regenerates shows maturity. And then it’s wonderful when he is given a gift of new life (whether he needs or not as the timeless child with new canon) because he saved the Gallifreyans because he was The Doctor on the last day of the war.  His speech is amazing and always breaks my heart and makes me cry. We see Amy and hear the long song as this version of The Doctor rests while still remembering no longer being The Doctor who forgets. (9/10)

6) The Beast Below:

Not an appreciated enough episode, I think it’s an amazing start to Amy as a true companion but I think it has a good message about how people tend to forget the horrors society is built upon. We all do this, especially as adults. I think the story of true kindness that can’t be even comprehended by humans is also very well done. Even The Doctor can’t believe in kindness like that believing he has to hurt the Star Whale to keep things going even if he thinks it won’t allow him to be The Doctor anymore. Only Amy, who isn’t steeped in this culture yet, notices the children and has seen The Doctor as an alien who cares for all children allowing her to believe that something alien could just want to help. You get moments in this episode like The Doctor helping crying children as the most important thing [the implication The Doctor having kids also here] and of course the sweet line “But I've seen it before. Very old and very kind, and the very, very last. Sound a bit familiar?” Its political messaging might not be perfect but the emotional messaging hits so good and the aesthetic is amazing so I think it's fantastic. (9.5/10)

5) Vincent and The Doctor: 

Everybody knows this episode is beautiful and moving.  This story tells such a good depression narrative that doesn’t sugarcoat anything and still ends in suicide showing you can’t just make people happy out of real mental illness. It also doesn't romanticize suicide as being like the thing all artists do as it is definitely a tragedy that should still not have happened. And it makes sure that you know that good moments still matter. The idea that his empathy for loneliness and pain Vincent has allows him to see the creature when others can’t is super well-written as well. I love how Amy is moved by her own forgotten grief as well. It's so good.  The scene with Vincent in the gallery omg we all know it hurts so good. Seeing Starry Night animated is so beautiful. It teaches us to all know it’s worth being kind even if it’s not always going to “fix” people. Good stuff. (10/10)

4) A Town Called Mercy: 

People hate this one and I don’t get it! The character mirrors between The Doctor and Jex is so well done and I like the way he knows The Doctor gets it. I like the way it causes The Doctor to feel so angry and almost freaking kill him. I like Amy getting mad at him for it. I like the line “But they keep coming back, don't you see? Every time I negotiate, I try to understand. Well, not today. No. Today, I honour the victims first. His, the Master's, the Dalek's, all the people who died because of my mercy!” I like the way The Doctor tries to keep the people together afterwards because one man asked him to, and he knows that letting the other people go over the line will be bad for them, he can’t let the young people become murderers. I like that the tortured person becomes the protector of the town. I love the way you see the trauma of The Doctor so plainly in this episode.  (10/10)

3) The Rings of Akhaten: 

The Aliens! The Visuals! The speeches! The self-sacrifice! The messaging! The music! I mean I know people say Matt Smith does a terrible job but I disagree I think it’s so good. You have the speech he gives to The Old God/Akhaten which always gives me goosebumps and omg his acting. But you have the little speech he gave earlier “...All the elements in your body were forged many, many millions of years ago, in the heart of a far away star that exploded and died. That explosion scattered those elements across the desolations of deep space. After so, so many millions of years, these elements came together to form new stars and new planets. And on and on it went. The elements came together and burst apart, forming shoes and ships and sealing wax, and cabbages and kings. Until eventually, they came together to make you. You are unique in the universe...” How sweet and moving of a message is that? To tell everyone you matter. Like how can you not love this episode? And the long song? It’s an amazing song for Eleven. I just want to hug this episode. And the ending with Clara’s leaf it’s so good. I like the idea of a god that eats stories not being able to eat stories that never happened. That's clever. Possible is infinite. It’s good I like it, and the people giving back the ring for saving them? So nice. Everything in this episode is a message of the power of emotion, love and stories and it’s beautiful. (10/10)

2) The Doctor’s Wife:

I love the TARDIS & I love The Doctor.  You get amazing parts like: “Amy: You want to be forgiven. Doctor: Don't we all?” You get how angry he is when he realises the Time Lords are all dead, so dark Doctor. I love and hate the Sexy thing, it is very awkward but how much the TARDIS and The Doctor love each other is so sweet and it comes through it makes me feel so much. I love The TARDIS saying she also stole him and never wants to give him back. House is a cool villain, very creepy. I love The Doctor’s facial expression as The TARDIS kicks House out of The TARDIS's body. The Doctor just wants to be able to always talk to her but knowing it won’t be possible. I love Hello being a sad thing to say, but she won’t say goodbye. “AMY: Look at you pair. It's always you and her, isn't it, long after the rest of us have gone. A boy and his box, off to see the universe.: AHHH(10/10)

1) The God Complex: 

Some of the most peak Who of all time. I love everything that happens here. The side characters are freaking amazing; each one has their own characterization and they are each memorable and are important. The minotaur is a cool villain and he’s a good spooky and a good tragedy. The deaths of the side characters are tragic in a good way. I love the way Rita can read The Doctor so well. I love Rory being shown a door and his line “I'd forgotten not all victories are about saving the universe.” I love The Doctor breaking down when Rita dies and getting angry Gibbis sacrificing the other people. I love The Doctor realising he’d done the wrong thing, it’s always so heartbreaking when The Doctor releases he’s messed up. Then The Doctor sacrificed Amy’s faith and admitted he wanted to be adored! It makes my heart hurt, Amy’s face and then little Amy? Oof. Then of course we get the Minatour death: “An ancient creature, drenched in the blood of the innocent, drifting in space through an endless, shifting maze. For such a creature, death would be a gift.’ Then accept it, and sleep well. ‘I wasn't talking about myself’.” The Doctor we know already has this self-hate inside him and is facing down his own death this season to point out that they should accept the death because of the pain they caused? It’s so good. And then The Doctor giving Amy a grown-up place to live almost giving them up, almost letting them go is such an interesting step like he knows he has to let Amy grow up and almost let her have a life she would have been able to live her life out in her own time but he can’t so what happens in TATM happens. And of course, we all have to think, what does The Doctor believe in? Which is a great question to think about after this. This is just such a fantastic episode.  (10/10) 

Anyway, that's my list hate me if you must

Average Score 7.5

[myfandomrambles]

do you think when ned started obsessively investigating the parentage of the baratheon kids on the basis of them all having their mothers hair and eyes people at court thought he was projecting his fears about his own mostly red haired blue eyed children onto poor cersei. going yeah ned thats weirdd that roberts eldest son takes so much after his mothers side. same colouration as her AND her brother. and you say roberts bastard looks exactly like his father? exchanged glance

[myfandomrambles]

A lot of people have said it's very disappointing that Ncuti didn't get to have some of the typical episodes that the other Doctors had.

There was no Dalek episode, no Cyberman episode, no Master episode, no post-regeneration identity crisis episode.

But you know what I'm disappointed we didn't get? A historical figure episode (and no I'm not counting The Devil's Chord because the Beatles were barely in that).

I've always loved those episodes. And since everyone was talking about "omg Doctor Who is more explicitly queer now!!!" I especially hoped that one day we'd get an episode about a queer historical figure with Rose Noble as a companion. It would've been amazing to see two queer people of color interact with a famous queer person.

Give me a mystery of something within Lili Elbe's paintings, give me an alien attack during one of Roberta Cowell's races, give me an escapade of 1960s Christopher street where we get to see Marsha P. Johnson & Sylvia Rivera, give me an acknowledgement of Alan Turing's horrible treatment from the British government, give me something with Bayard Rustin, give me something with Alan L. Hart, give me literally anything with Sappho.

But alas we didn't get that, and now I've realized that Rose Noble and the 15th Doctor were really just vessels for RTD's nostalgia baiting.

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placebo effect (novel: 1998)

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the way rtd favors white blond women vs black and brown women in doctor who is pretty gross

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11th Doctor Episode Rankings pt. 1

Episode Rankings: Worst to Best

(Pt.2)

Spoilers

44) Crimson Horror: 

Gross don’t kiss the lesbian, I can’t put it higher for this reason. It's not a good use of disability. I do love the Paternoster gang being here even if the usage is not great.  (2/10)

43) The Wedding of River Song: 

I love the end speech when River says “Shut up! I can't let you die without knowing you are loved by so many, and so much, and by no one more than me.”  It makes me feel emotions. I like the ideas here a lot. But it’s just an awful execution of the ideas. It’s confusing as an answer and also a really dumb answer to the question of how The Doctor got out of it. Like he was in a robot? That’s just not that great of an answer. I was not impressed and I'm still not impressed. The lines about friends being the best of me is also great though I love that. Just can’t stand how unfinished it feels and how confused it just doesn’t feel like a good answer. (4/10)

42) Nightmare in Silver: 

Eh, boring for sure. The Cybermen aren’t done well here which sucks. It’s just mid-tier. The stuff with Matt’s acting isn’t great but Clara’s stepping up is good characterization-wise. But it’s just not that interesting so I just say it’s pretty boring and disappointing. (4/10) 

41) Victory of The Daleks:

It’s a 5 because Winston Churchill is a terrible person, I have to dock 5 points for that alone. All of the following praise is tainted because Winston Churchill is awful. I like The Doctor breaking down. It's perfect to show where The Doctor is after everything he lost at the end of the Tenth Doctor’s life and how the Daleks were who he fought during the Time War and when he lost Donna. I like that The Doctor thinks that the most human thing that will keep Bracewell human is war and loss but Amy knows it's the kind of hurt when you love someone. And I like the rainbow Daleks! Like, have some fun and stop being a stick in the mud. Their design could have been used to have a Cult of Skaro-type thing but everyone was so mad so we just got boring gold Daleks and a Dalek parliament that meant nothing. The spaceships were fun. I think it’s fun and The Doctor confiscating the tech was good. I'm glad they did it. The Doctor using a jammie dodger was silly but I like it. (5/10)

40) The Hungry Earth: 

Mostly mind tier here. The idea is good, I like the concepts here and some of the side characters are good. But let down by having one really bad side character that is annoying. Drags a little. Good scene with The Doctor and the Silurian but why does The Doctor let the kid wander off that’s stupid!  (5/10)

39) Closing Time: 

Fun to watch, for the most part, with some second-hand embarrassment being the worst part of the episode. Bad use of Cybermen but still generally a good time. I rewatch it though to listen to Eleven talk to Alfie and talk about dying. It’s great dialogue. He’s so tired and old but also still has that elven heart. So while there is second-hand embarrassment I still want to watch it again. (6/10)

38)  Cold Blood: 

Has some redeeming factors. The idea of Humans and Silurians making a deal is cool but it just ends up feeling anticlimactic in the end. The way the humans were stupid and almost messed it up is annoying. But it is interesting enough and isn't painful to watch. (6/10)

37) The Rebel Flesh: 

Great concept and twist on clones. Love how looking back we know The Doctor is manipulating Amy and Rory in coming here and touching The Flesh so it could read him. I like The Doctor trying to get everyone to work together. I like how Rory has his own little journey. But it’s not my favourite Story I don’t love stories where part of it is “who’s who” stories. (6/10)

36) The Almost People: 

I love the manipulation with Amy even if I don't love Who's Who stories. I also like the idea of the psychic connection with The Flesh. The Doctor’s slightly cold response at the end when he dispels Amy's avatar is kind of unnerving. But I hate the flesh monster form. It makes me deeply uncomfortable and I think it was a mistake in the actual interesting part of the story of what makes people human and not human. Liked that they did go to try and make the flesh recognized and something that shouldn’t just be tossed away. (6/10)

35) Asylum of The Daleks: 

I know this is a hated one but I like it perfectly fine. Amy and Rory’s breakup makes sense, even knowing Melody, their baby was still stolen and infertility can affect Marriages. I'm okay with it being closed up because I don't want it to last the whole season. That would suck. The idea of a Dalek Asylum is silly; it makes more sense for Daleks to just kill those Daleks. And then The Doctor being erased from the Daleks' minds makes no sense as while Daleks have external hard drives don’t they have organic minds that wouldn’t be erased that easily? And then I don’t like it plot-wise either as Daleks should know The Doctor, and they undo it anyway. But I really Like Oswin. I love the scene where The Doctor walks into the Daleks who survived him and they freak out, even if it’s cut short. I like Amy and Rory’s scene. (6/10)

34) The Bells of Saint John: 

Liked Clara for the most part, she’s good and I overall like season 7 Clara, unlike many people. But I find the great intelligence to be a slightly boring villain in this episode and the evil cloud is not super engaging. But I also found nothing upsetting and enjoyed rewatches of this episode perfectly fine. I like that The Doctor uses their weapon against them.  (6/10)

33) The Power of Three:

The ending of just waving the sonic makes no sense. The scenes with Amy and Eleven do make me happy. I like the way Eleven tries to fit himself into Amy and Rory because he fears losing them. I like the scene with Eleven and Brian. I like Kate. Amy and Rory’s choice I think should have been explained a little better. We know they were making a choice but we mostly see them making comments about their real life. I think a few hints about their preference for The Doctor would have been good. Eleven's line with Amy is great: " And there is so much, so much to see, Amy. Because it goes so fast. I'm not running away from things, I am running to them before they flare and fade forever. And it's all right. Our lives won't run the same. They can't. One day, soon maybe, you'll stop. I've known for a while." (6/10)

32) The Angels Take Manhattan:

The Statue of Liberty shouldn’t be a Weeping Angel and that bothers me the way they make a paradox and nothing bad happens to the wider world is strange. But I definitely feel emotions when Amy dies and I feel bad for Eleven. The way they are a family together and they all know each other and know who they are to each other but the time is cut so short is really emotional. And Eleven’s last scene with River is so good. I like it so much. Amy’s farewell at the end is good too. But you do have the question of why The Doctor can’t visit them by going to New Jersey at the same time they live in New York and visit. Which is why it can’t be a seven or eight. (6.5/10)

31) The Curse of The Black Spot: 

I enjoy it. I don’t have a ton to say but I think it’s a good concept for a pirate episode! Meshing pirate stuff with space stuff? Fun! I love the spooky space spirit nurse, what can I say? Like that, it has a little tension and has some fun. Also, Rory dies again, good fun. Love that they all for their loved one and The Doctor goes to his TARDIS. Side characters aren’t that engaging but I also don’t hate the main two. It’s just a fun watch! (7/10)

30) The Time of Angels: 

Fun! Angel lore isn’t all that great as it conflicts with the first story but I think the scenes work super well with Amy. The tension is crafted masterfully and the holy soldiers are cool and very well acted. And I love River. She's exciting and good and she and The Doctor have chemistry and are fun to watch.  (7/10)

29) Flesh and Stone: 

A great follow-up and enjoyable to watch! The Doctor’s emotionality regarding Amy’s possible death is very effective. River is great. The usage of the crack in the wall is great. The angels are still pretty creepy. Amy is used nicely and her fear is done well. (7/10) 

28) The Day of The Doctor:

Good stuff, it's emotional and fun. I didn’t hate it changing the saving the Time Lords as the past Doctors wouldn’t have known that they saved Gallifrey so it still made sense for the rest, and that The Doctor still did horrible things during the time war and still experienced the whole war and we know it still hurt The Doctor, [we see this going into 12 btw] but I do get why people hate it. I do think Eleven is characterized very well by being sad, funny and angry and that he gets to do a lot. I think The Doctors saving Earth and the Zygons works really well as the quintessential Doctor thing to do. I liked John Hurt’s War Doctor. Do I love eight and would have loved to see him? YES! But, John Hurt is so amazing and warm it still works so well. The Moment works so well here and The General. Clara is good here too, getting a key part in helping The Doctor see sense. Ten is very good too, AND RTD is the one who came up with Ten getting with Elizabeth The First not Moffat (The End of Time pt 1) so get off Moffat’s back for the love of god. The flashes to the past and to these emotional expressions and stuff were super cool filmmaking choices as well. (7/10)

27) The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe: 

I don’t hate it, okay? Of course a bit of bioessentialism but I really don’t think that was the point being made here at all. I think Eleven's “humany” quote and then crying happy tears himself is so sweet. And then his quote “Because what's the point in them being happy now if they're going to be sad later...The answer is, of course, because they are going to be sad later.” The Doctor being an eccentric house caretaker is fun actually that feels like something he would do. The idea that he shouldn't be alone at Christmas is also very sweet. (7/10)

26) Journey To The Centre of The TARDIS:

Cool concept and cool visuals. The side characters are a bit boring. However, I love Eleven manipulating the other characters and making them afraid of him blowing up the ship, super cool and awesome. Honestly, I believe he would blow up a ship if he felt pushed enough. I really felt feelings when Eleven felt bad about not being able to save The TARDIS when she’d always saved him. I was sad for him and the TARDIS. When he yells at Clara and she tells him she’s more scared of him than anything else, a great moment. I love it. Good stuff. (7/10)

25) Let’s Kill Hitler: 

I know it’s overall hated but I had so much fun. The use of Hitler is questionable but Rory gets to punch the Loser in the face which is nice. The twist with Mel and River is so Moffat but it was fun and I think the idea that Rory and Amy still got to know their daughter to some extent is nice. River and Eleven flirting it a bit over the top but I think the way it ends with her agreeing to save him is so sweet. The teselecta is a cool concept in this episode even if I hate the way it's used in the finale. It’s cool overall to see baby River. I love seeing more of The Doctor’s rules. That's fun. [I also believe this is when The Doctor tells River his name] (7/10)

24) The Lodger: 

Is it the most plot-dense character-defining groundbreaking episode? No! Did I have fun? Yes! That’s all I really have. I have no defence for myself.  (7.5/10)

23) The Girl Who Waited:

Love the angst here. I love the way Amy’s love of Rory was what saved her and what motivated her, I thought that was so sweet and so on-brand for Amy and Rory’s relationship all the way to the end. I thought the way Amy’s belief in Eleven broke down was great and in great connection with her and Eleven’s arc for the season. Eleven lying to older Amy and Rory but then putting the ultimate choice about saving which Amy on Rory *chef’s kiss* peak Eleventh Doctor. Not my most emotionally moving episode though and the concept just isn’t my total favourite but overall it’s pretty great. (7.5/10)

22) The Vampires of Venice: 

I love the real introduction to Rory. I like that he doesn't give The Doctor the “bigger on the inside”, I like him telling The Doctor off, I like Rory wanting to protect Amy and I like Eleven listening and telling Amy to go with Rory. I like Eleven’s swagger talking with Madame Calvierri. I like the lore drops! I think Eleven might have wanted to help more at the beginning but I do understand The Doctor being kind of fickle and deciding that because she didn’t know Isablea’s name he stops offering a hand to get her a new planet or whatnot. I think it’s a good Doctor Who story and I really appreciate all of their characterizations with really good moments, the aliens are super cool and Madame Calvierri is just a good villain. And the death is a good ending for the bad guy to go against The Doctor and make him feel the repercussions of his actions. Also, the silence name drops at the end is great. (7.5/10)

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The Master and the Doctor having matched TARDIS interiors is one of the gayest shit in classic who

You can tell it's on purpose bc the Rani's TARDIS was way cooler

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On the topic of the Mighty Nein’s themes of slowly unraveling their idealized and warped views of each other, I love that while this is all happening with interpersonal relationships in the party, this is also happening with Fjord and his perception of Vandran. Fjord uncovering more things about Vandran he didn’t know about and slowly starting to be disillusioned by him while literally putting up a front to everyone else that is his idealized view of Vandran is so good. I love how Jester saying “Do I like them or do I like what I thought they were? And then you don’t know…” about Fjord ends up mirroring Fjord saying “It might just all be in my head” to Jester about his relationship with Vandran.

Sorry I have so many Fjord thoughts because I recently got his origin comic and I just absolutely love the tragic irony of the line “Captain Vandran was the first real teacher I ever had… He taught me to mask my vulnerabilities so they couldn’t be targeted.” Such a bittersweet moment of how everything clicks with Fjord as a character—that in finding his first form of real comfort in life with someone like Vandran, it only led him further and further away from feeling truly comfortable with himself. And I love how well that characterization is captured throughout the campaign like when he tells Caleb “If I could have it my way, none of you would ever know anything about who I was before and I mean that.” And in the scene where he finally comes clean, he has this very poignant dialogue where he says “I wanted to emulate him, I wanted to be him… Vandran seems to be at peace. But that is not how I felt. I don’t feel at peace.”

So then bringing it back to Jester, there’s another beautiful irony in that despite her dismantling her romanticized perception of Fjord throughout her own journey of self discovery, it was also Jester that knew from the beginning it wasn’t Fjord’s real voice. It was Jester that was vulnerable enough to ask “Do you ever get sad?” and wise enough to say “Do you think if we find him, you’ll stop talking like him?” and valiant enough to tell him “I will do anything to get you away from Uk’otoa.” And you can tell, despite him putting on the act, Fjord cherishes Jester’s ability to bring out his vulnerability so much. It’s why he describes falling in love with her as “You know when someone makes you feel a way that you don’t think you have any right to feel? Or you never thought that you might?” It’s why he tells Caleb that he finds Jester’s whimsical attitude inspiring, but also asks her “What makes you sad?” Why, when he overhears her asking the Traveler to look out for him, he tells her she doesn’t have to wait for a response, because the sentiment alone was enough for him. Why he teleported over a volcano to grab onto Jester and beg her to stay, saying “We will catch you.” There is such eclectic narrative merit in the way that despite their individual affectations and facades, the quiet moments just between the two of them are grounded and earnest. And it isn’t until Jester feels that comfortability in those moments of vulnerability and uncertainty together, that she realizes what falling in love really is to her.

I think Yasha summed it up best: “I’ve found that passion and love for someone is stronger the more that you know them.”

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Bless the original hellsite for enabling me to post this entire post-season-two saga in full.

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A huge amount of valid points have already been made about RTD's antiblackness, and the erasure/overshadowing of his black characters in favour of his white ones. But one thing I haven't seen mentioned is that when RTD brought the Thirteenth Doctor back, her theme by Segun Akinola was noticeably absent. The music was instead a generic "epic" score from Murray Gold.

Given how much old music has been used in this era of the show, ignoring the music for the first female Doctor by the show's first Black composer can't have been anything other than a creative choice.

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What do you think about Ryan's character development? I think I really like it but I always have trouble putting it into words

I love love love LOve Ryan's entire A-Z, we witnessed a whole ass coming of age story and it was so nice to see him grow into the person he is when he says he's done and wants to stay at home.

Because like, both Yaz and Ryan's arcs are coming of age stories, but they have one key difference that meant Ryan was always going to choose to leave and that Yaz was always going to wait till she had no choice but to leave. That difference is, of course, that Yaz saw travelling as a way to grow up, to gain independence as an adult and gain that power to help people she had craved for years. A way to escape the cage of home that was limiting her, she saw it as an increase in responsibility. Ryan, however, saw travelling as a break from growing up. Ryan saw it as a fun pass time, because to him, growing up was going back home to his responsibilities. To be present for those around him and be reliable. To him, in the end, traveling became irresponsible, and irresponsibility is Ryan's worst fear.

They have similar narratives, but that one key difference in perspective leads them to taking totally different paths in the end.

Because we meet Ryan and he has his mates and all, and he's a friendly guy and obviously cares a lot about them, but his person is Grace. His mum dies, his dad leaves him high and dry and who was there for him the whole way through? It was is Gran. To a kid who has basically suddenly lost both parents, one to a sudden death and the other who abandoned him in his grief, having a rock like her would have been a lifeline. And then she dies.

Now, at that point, it's clear Graham does care about Ryan but from Ryan's perspective he's basically just lost everything suddenly, Again. I think it would have been fair for him to think Graham would just leave at this point, he's never liked him and it's not a great relationship and if even his actual dad packed up and left and didn't even bother to go to his own mum's funeral, then why on earth would Graham stick around?

But. He did. Graham didn't care that Ryan didn't like him, only that Ryan would let him help him anyway. Graham stuck around and looked out for him and cared for him even if really, very few people would have judged him had he not managed to make a good relationship with his late wife's grandson who notably did not like him. Graham wasn't morally, legally or for fear of overt judgement required to stick it out for him and he still did.

And Ryan, he's a smart dude. He notices this and he notices it pretty quickly, and he reacts to that by softening on Graham and deepening their relationship, and letting Graham guide and mentor him in a grandparental way. He talks to him about his frustrations with his dad, that he's annoyed he's acting that they can be a happy family now, when he's never put in the work and is putting Graham down when Graham Did and Has put in all that work. Then they get interrupted by a gargantuan spider, but nvmd.

A few episodes worth of Graham proving he's not gonna up and leave and will be there, even if he's not perfect, and Ryan's learning that that's what family really does for you. He's learnt that family isn't always what it's supposed to look like and that the people who show up for you are important, even if the people who show up aren't who you were expecting them to be. He continues to learn from Graham through the two seasons, his conflict resolution skills improve vastly through his tenure and he sure didn't learn it from anybody but Graham. He puts in sincere effort into being there for people as the most important thing you can do and he learnt this from Grace and Graham.

In Can You Hear Me? His fear is not Only that earth is wrecked and destroyed, it's that he wasn't there to help! He ran off and abandoned the planet and it died! He wasn't responsible enough. He was irresponsible like his dad and look what happened! In the same episode he's also hit with the fact that despite the fact that he's been off galivanting the universe, life at home had gone on without him and maybe he left people who needed him there for a bit Too long. Like, nobody's gonna begrudge a guy just out of school his gap year travels and that's basically what went on, but after a while it's not being on a fun trip for a while, it's shirking to a point. And like, you can live a life where it's not irresponsible and you're not beholden to one place and its people, but Ryan is categorically NOT this person because he has no urge to be this person. He's not the wine aunt who drops in every few months with cool gifts and wild advice who swans off again without a care. He saw his friend was really suffering in his absence and could have used his help and presence and is suddenly hit with the fact that he's running away, kind of sort of like his dad. A bit. and That hits him hard.

Can You Hear Me? Is when Ryan decided he's going to leave. His talk with Yaz about this demonstrates their differences but kind of makes it clear he's had this revelation, he probably was going to give it an adventure or two more and bow out, except the next adventure was the haunting of villa diodati and it snowballs and at the end they're all forced home anyway. He's not okay with the situation, but he can do being at home, he wanted it anyway.

(and damn, Ryan being the one who was strong in the face of 13 going off to be responsible for her actions and blow up the planet (and herself) kills me. It hits me in the face. He's used to losing people he loves. At least this is her choice. At least she's being responsible for her actions. At least this is an act of saving people. The least he could do is not make it harder for her to do. He can be strong. Yaz couldn't, she's not used to this, and Graham was clearly having a harder time here, but Ryan can be that guy for her. It just eats me up inside in all the good ways that storytelling can do.).

This whole thing with 13 ending up in prison and not being able to go back to them, and his disappointed but not over-reaction to it also showed us he'd learnt an important lesson in the arc with his dad as he's handling this very maturely. His dad didn't abandon him out of cruelty or apathy, he didn't fail to show up because he hated him or wished him ill. Not everybody who isn't present for you is being malicious. He sees in with Hanne's dad in it takes you away and he sees it with his own eventually in resolution. They were two men who failed because they couldn't do it, weren't strong enough to step up. The lesson that not everybody is Trying to hurt us is painful and not always one we want to hear, it can be comforting to make the other person the Malicious guy, but that just isn't always realistic. He learnt his dad was swimming in his own grief and it was too hard and he didn't step up from the pain. It had nothing to do with Ryan. This is not good, but it's also him being human rather than not caring for Ryan. So when 13 appears 10 months later... He can take it. He doesn't react how Ryan of S11 would have. He knows better now. He grew. He's sad, but he knows she didn't try to hurt him. He sees she's sorry and knows she's not often sorry, so that has to mean something.

There is also his Doctor arc, which is different from Yaz's in flavour because he's not trying to be her, he's trying to be him inspired by her, he's taking inspiration from her and graham and taking what he needs. He takes in what she has to teach over the era like a sponge. Ryan who thinks guns are cool in TGM and goes to shoot those robots to live out a gaming fantasy has it blow up in his face and gets his ass chewed out by 13 for it. He learns from her, takes in her lessons of compassion and care, appreciates her guidance even though she's a massive weirdo.

She teaches him the kids guide to the universe, in effect imo. No violence, no guns, we are peaceful, we do not hurt people and we live the idea of pacifism, which is the height of goodness... But the thing is, that's a very reductive view of the world, isn't it? In reality, The Doctor is a pacifist till they're not, which is code for they're not a pacifist (kind of an all or nothing thing). When it gets down to it, the Doctor Will do bad things in the name of good even if they hate themselves for it (or sometimes when it doesn't pass their mind to fell bad at all). In The Timeless Children, the master takes the doctor out of play and the fam have to -in effect- join forces to be the doctor, Yaz and Graham have different roles, but Ryan's final personal lesson in doctor school is that when it gets bad and the doctor is the last line of defence, they take up arms.

When Ryan is confronted with the choices the doctor makes every day he does what she'd have done, and blows up the cybermen in defence of himself and the people around him. He lost her protection and had to be the 'adult' here and he steps up, and to Ryan stepping up is The most important thing.

13 had shown him the nice parts of the universe, and gotten her own hands dirty instead of making his dirty over and over again. But she wasn't there this time, and he had to grow up and take the mantle. And was not warning him harsh? possibly, but it was also an act of love. We don't (ideally) tell our young people the harsh realities of life until they get to have a childhood for a reason. It is a gift, one she tried to give him, but he had to 'grow up' before he left and that he did.

by the time revolution of the daleks happens, Ryan knows absolutely that he is done. He will help save earth because he's one of the few people in the know and he views it as his responsibility, but he doesn't want to travel the universe anymore. He has important things to do at home, things that are just as important as anything out there in the big universe. He went travelling as a young adult, saw how vast and wide the world was, and went home and hunkered down and got to making the world He has a better place.

What a charming arc.

What a good person, and what a beautiful man.

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The Australian Ballet is doing Alice in Wonderland again and on one hand I’ve seen it before, and on the other, their Queen of Hearts has my favourite costume in anything every