#like I have a lot of issues with moffat

[cowlovely]

i truly do think that clara oswald is one of the characters of all time i’m sorry.

[sixties-doctor-who-stan]

I’ll be honest the more I see people criticise the Chibnall era the more I’m like “fuck it I guess I’m a Chibnall stan now”

[journey-to-the-attic]

i was rewatching dw and I thought of this

lucifer: to be clear, your father kissed me first

ik: and you kissed him back?

lucifer: no.

lucifer: i kissed his mouth.

ik: ???

solomon: ik, it's too late. he's making dad jokes already

it doesn't work as well with he/him pronouns lmao-

no this is excellent... we can say that it's a slip-up on lucifer's part because he's not 100% dad quite yet, so of course his jokes aren't completely butter-smooth

[macbethz]

I say this as someone who genuinely likes most of that hbomb vid and thinks it has some valid critiques of Sherlock you gotta stop saying “moffat can write individual episodes but can’t showrun” because it just makes it look like you don’t have individual thoughts

[khruschevshoe]

How Behind-the Scenes Issues Affected the Writing of Doctor Who (Both Good and Bad)

Doctor Who is such a fascinating show to look at from a Watsonian v. Doylist perspective. Like, entirely just from an episode writing point of view:

Twice Upon A Time feels so slow and meandering and even boring in places because Chris Chibnall didn't want to start his run as showrunner and Steven Moffat didn't want the show to lose the coveted Christmas timeslot (ironic, I know) so he bumped the Twelfth Doctor's regeneration from the end of The Doctor Falls (where it makes sense) to the end of the Christmas special

Boom Town (my beloved) only exists because originally there was going to be an episode in its spot explaining that Rose had been molded to be the Doctor's perfect companion (by the Doctor, gross) and the writer didn't have the time to commit to the show

The ending of Last Christmas feels like one inside-a-dream too many because originally Jenna Coleman was questioning whether she was going to leave the show or not and the ending was rewritten after the first readthrough when she decided she wanted to stay for another season

The first five episodes of Season 7 feel like each one takes place in a different genre because that's literally how Steven Moffat pitched it to the writers; for example, A Town Called Mercy was literally pitched as "Doctor Who does a Western"

Not so much a weird one but one I find cool: Eleven's first words and Thirteen's first words were literally written by Moffat and Chibnall respectively, as they were brought in to write the first words of the first Doctors of their runs so as to make it cohesive

The reason why Fourteen isn't wearing Thirteen's clothes when he regenerates is because Jodie Whittaker is much shorter than David Tennant and Russell T. Davies didn't want it to look like he was making fun of the genderfluidity of the Doctor (still think he made the wrong decision, but eh)

Wilfred Mott isn't in the Runaway Bride and Donna's father isn't in Partners in Crime because the actor who played Donna's father, Howard Attfield, died after filming several scenes for Partners In Crime, leading to the character of "Stan Mott" from Voyage of the Damned being written into Partners In Crime as Donna's grandfather

Astrid Peth doesn't die in the original drafts of Voyage of the Damned, but Russell T. Davies wrote what is generally considered one of the most emotional deaths in Doctor Who just because he wanted Kylie Minogue to be able to focus on her music career

Originally Oxygen was written as a prequel to Mummy on the Orient Express, where a corporate representative appeared on a monitor. Said representative was fired for his fumbling of the station and would later live on as the company computer, Gus

During Season 11, Chris Chibnall had to do some major rewrites for many of the one-off episodes, therefore The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos ended up being a first draft that made it to screen. He later admitted it was his least favorite episode of the series

And this is only a fraction of what I found in terms of major behind-the-scenes writing reasons. Though I am still totally willing to critique the product that made it to our screens, finding out the reasons behind some of the more badly written episodes of the show really made me feel sympathy for every showrunner of the show as well as appreciate a lot of the good episodes that ended up here despite the short production schedule/unexpected problems (once again, Boom Town my beloved AND everyone's favorite companion Wilfred Mott only exist because of unforseen problems). Absolutely bonkers, isn't it?

[expectiations]

I love that - thanks to one small line - their first kiss gives us a huge look at what kind of partner (and then later husband) the Eleventh Doctor is.

'What, that's it?'

First of all bear in mind from his perspective, yes they've gotten closer, but he's still suspecting that River might kill him sooner rather than later. It's understandable that some trust issues linger and thus he's still a bit quick with the casually dark (and cruel) demeanour.

River knows that. She knows where he is in his timeline. She knows that, despite how much he flirts with her (and he flirts with her A LOT), he is not her husband, not yet the man that loves her and he's not even the man that knows her. So why does his short goodbye confuse her?

Because this small line tells us that not only have they been dating (from his perspective) between DOTM and AGMGTW but they've been dating physically. To River, this short-fuzed ball of trust-issues is essentially not only her husband but also her actual boyfriend.

Meaning that the Doctor, before he became the doting idiot husband we saw in TATM/TNOTD and even before he knew who she was, never dropped her off after a date without at least (!) kissing her goodbye.

And I'm really putting the emphasis on never because River would otherwise not risk asking for a kiss, if there had been any doubt in her mind that this Doctor isn't a Doctor she had been dating. So what does that tell us?

Despite how much this fandom likes to paint the picture of the evil River who forced herself on the Doctor, she is never the one to initiate (physical) intimacy. She expected to be kissed, she expected the Doctor to kiss her because that's what the Doctor does. Husband or not.

And it's so ingrained in their relationship that even when he showed his honest confusion, River assumed he must be acting coy on purpose to get *her* to kiss *him* for once. And well it worked, intentionally or not, River complied because why wouldn't she? It's what they do.

Until of course she is forced to realise that it might not be what they do for much longer. This was his first kiss; so she might not see the boyfriend version of her Doctor very often from now on, if at all.

But ignoring all the insanely depressing angst of how that scene ended, yes we saw an end for River but we also saw where the Doctor's pre-AGMGTW dating spree and thus the affectionate idiot began because he makes it quite clear that he's up for more. (pun intended)

I wish we could've seen more of their time together. Unfortunately 98% of it happens off-screen but the point of this thread is to show that, even if most of it is off-screen, the show has made the nature of their relationship and the nature of the Doctor's feelings very clear. Moffat's writing style is quick-paced and certainly assumes that the audience isn't too stupid to keep up. (wonder how that worked out) And small lines like these contain so much vital information that, for some people, it's easy to overlook. But all we need to know is right there. The Eleventh Doctor dated River prior to AGMGTW, definitely prior to TWORS; they've been intimate for two hundred (!!!!) years from his perspective before he married her and he is the one to initiate that intimacy. That's all. 🥰

original post on X by @/eIevenriver (who writes the bestest Doctor x River threads ever)

[sparrowlucero]

what's the strange aeons opinion you disagree with?

(just to clarify: this was a lighthearted jab, i dont really care and this explanation is just for posterity. except for the clown thing. fix that) There was a recent strange aeons video that reiterated what I see as kind of poor tumblr takes on Steven Moffat's work, specifically that he 1) only writes cheap shock value without meaningful stories to make himself look clever, 2) that his work is "for men like him, who wanted to watch strong male characters who are always right save the day and ogle at some hot women along the way", and 3) that he habitually queerbaited because he didn't know how to respond to a female fanbase (1) I talked a bit why I disagree with this here; basically, I just think it was one of those things where a subset of a fandom would interpret the work as being deliberately vindictive (Ex. "We have issues with this show, so it must be because the writer is making it bad on purpose to spite us. Only a very arrogant person would do that, so it is now reasonable to see everything in this show through the lens of that ego." etc etc), and it got to the point where the actual themes and motifs of the shows would be entirely unremarked upon or outright dismissed (and it was even a bit of a tumblr faux pas to attempt to engage with them at all) in favor of trying to dissect how and why each episode and character was bad/hostile towards the audience. Because these takes were so popular and widely accepted then, they're often treated as the most objective and nuanced take now. I could get into why I disagree further in regards to the actual content of the shows, but to put it simply, I just think he's a good writer who did some really thoughtful and thematically engaging work for reasons other than, you know, trying to make himself look smart and not wanting girls to watch doctor who. (1) (I didn't really go into this in that previous post but I think it's really weird how people treat the co showrunner, Mark Gatiss, a gay man who wrote a lot of what people attribute to Moffat as a straight man queerbaiting female fans, as a non entity in this conversation. I'm not a big fan of Gatiss but, like, I don't know, give him some agency in his own art here)

[ohmerricat]

i know this is like. minus fourth world problems + autism, and maybe other fandoms have similar issues — i’ve never gone too deep into fandom spaces before and regret doing so — but. why are doctor who fans such incurable haters. i started watching in november after the specials aired and although i’ve been severely critical of certain unfortunate writing choices (as is my right. episodes that suck are… bad) i couldn’t fathom hating an entire series, an entire doctor’s/companion’s run let alone an entire showrunner’s tenure. you mean you can’t stand any of it??

it almost feels like… whenever i come across a person that loves to talk about nine and ten and donna and how much they loved wild blue yonder or w/e, they end up being a shallow moffat hater harping on about misogyny and one-dimensional women as if later series didn’t exist. whenever i find a fellow twelveclara understander who posts about missy and defends hell bent etc. suddenly i come across a post about how they hate rose? what could possibly compel you to dislike the character of rose tyler? i say this as somebody that isn’t a huge fan of tentoo. for more batshit examples saw a post along the lines of “don’t say you think tenmartha is interesting and then post about timepetals” like these are Characters bro. they’re not going to get sad. they are vehicles for the story they’re not people. tenrose was the carrier of the narrative in s2 and tenmartha in s3 and saying i enjoy the complexity of both of these relationships as they progress isn’t contradictory because that’s… the direction that the story takes????????

i don’t even hate chibnall era. even s11 has some redeemable bangers. what i mean is i fell in love with the show as a WHOLE . which means EVERY part of it is important to me and i don’t discount it. every next development builds on the previous. the timeless child ruined a lot of things but opened up many new avenues for exploration! i like the flux i like thasmin i like dhawan master i like the fugitive doctor i love dan and karvanista

you are all allergic to fun. sorry for getting mad about people getting mad it will (not) happen again. im going to go touch grass now

[nipuni]

Some various lighthearted life updates 🏃‍♀️

It's been a very busy last few months! in a good way mostly. We had a friend visiting us from overseas so we showed him around the city and took him to all our favourite places. We also met new people and were invited to a bunch of events so it's been very fun! We are all out of social battery tho so now we are slowing down a bit and getting back to work. Nicolas is on a short work trip to Berlin and I'm back to painting. We also started running! aaand we are also back to watching a bunch of shows and to me talking about it here to like five people 😌

Under the cut cause it's a lot as usual!

We finished watching S13 of Doctor Who! (we still have the specials to go but after that we are all caught up!) I haven't updated in ages so here are lot of opinions!

We really did not enjoy S11 😞 I was aware it wasn't very popular but we were hoping it was for all the wrong reasons, sadly we found many to be valid. Some of the episodes were baffling, Rosa? Kerblam?! the writing of the whole season in general felt like a rushed school assignment. The first part of Spyfall was a strong start for the next season but that ending in the second part was really not it. We did love Sacha Dhawan's Master tho!! and we really love Jodie too, 13th is adorable and reminded us of Ten at times! Jodie is such a fantastic actress that it makes the quality of the writing and everything else around her even more frustrating 😫 S12 was an improvement in general. In the last few episodes It felt like the writing team suddenly remembered the companions could have a personality and agency lmao. Highlights for us were Spyfall one, Fugitive of the Judoon and Haunting of villa Diodati, tho we did also enjoy most other episodes of the season despite their issues.

The timeless child plot reveal felt a bit underwhelming? The idea on itself has potential but it felt mishandled (and it had a bit of a Moffat flavour to it? and not in a good way). I think it was meant to add more depth to the Doctor's lore but in a way it ends up having the opposite effect. Then the flux was just a complete mess. It read like a Marvel sort of plot, very comic book like which is alright I suppose if that is something you enjoy but it felt out of place. But mostly it was just way too much, it got out of hand. Anyway we still have the specials to watch! and I think the Master is in them so we are looking forward to it 🥰

We also watched Broadchurch!! and we LOVED it. We ended up binging all three seasons. Chibnall's writing on this is surprisingly great and Jodie's acting is spectacular she really shines here. Olivia and David are always brilliant!! honestly everyone's acting was amazing. This series had us both tearing up every five scenes. The direction and the music are outstanding. I could watch Hardy and Miller solve crimes forever I really love their chemistry and dynamic. We went into it expecting the usual detective fiction but it ended up being a whole study on grief with such a focus on family and community and trauma and a ton of touching interconnected character arcs, just really really good!!

Then we also watched Taking over the Asylum!! MAN we were not expecting to have our hearts wrung out like laundry by this!! We thought it was a lighthearted show!! GOD we are still not over it, what the fuck!! It was so good we loved it!! but we were not prepared lmao what do you mean 'the end'?? we'll be thinking of this for months, I was expecting an extra scene after the credits or something. Excellent characters, refreshing depictions of mental illness and trauma and so crushingly realistic. Every character is so loveable I really wish this was longer 😭

And our quest to watch everything with David Tennant on it continues. We watched Decoy Bride on Valentines day too and it was terrible but such a hilarious fever dream kind of bad that it was fun, it has David on it and he never disappoints. I feel so lucky that Nicolas and I are both in love with him, get yourself a man who shares your celebrity crushes lmao it's so fun!! We feel like teens again chatting about him and drawing little hearts next to his pictures haha 🥰 We watched the BAFTAs just for him and speaking of the baftas!! I was not expecting that last drawing of his outfits to get that much attention oh my god 😭 thank you!! you are all insane and I appreciate it so much!! and thank you for all the support in general, about my art and photos and just everything. I feel very lucky and grateful 😭 anyway I'll end this before I get sappy, that is all for now! I hope this week is kind to you all, I'll be sharing some more art soon 😊

[leikeliscomet]

No, Ncuti Gatwa's Casting Isn't Regressive

Chapter 1 - For Black Boys?

The general consensus of male companions is they don’t really stand out like their female peers. If I said ‘iconic male companion’ I doubt many people would think of Adric. However, some are still loved by certain parts of fandom regardless. Rory’s nerdiness turned bravery has gotten him a small stanbase. Captain Jack is loved by many especially as he was an openly bisexual character, being Nuwho’s earliest example of queer representation. Or Wilf, whose light-hearted personality and humour engaged so many (Rest in Peace Bernard Cribbins). Black male companions on the other hand didn’t really get those types of flowers, let alone reaching Clara Oswald or Rose Tyler levels of popularity. The amount of lead Black men in Who is little (3 to be exact) and from them, their stories didn’t reach the icon status of the other companions of the show. And the reasons why unfortunately weren’t that surprising.

The first Black male companion was Mickey Smith. Mickey played the role of the scared boyfriend of Rose Tyler, simping after her as she ran off with a mysterious Ninth Doctor. Nine’s best-of-the-best mentality meant there wasn’t a Mickey shape in the TARDIS to fill in. The two would constantly have nitpicky back and forths putting Rose in the position of having to ‘choose’ her man. But her mind was made up. Rose and Mickey split by the end of the season with Mickey revealing his fling with a Ms Trisha Delaney. It wasn’t a universe-defying breakup where the galaxies tried to separate them but instead a case of two people with different wants and needs calling it quits. That doesn't sound too bad on paper, right? But unfortunately, RTD gave Mickey Smith a pre-Martha Jones arc, where so much of his arc would be dedicated to his failure to live up to a Rose Tyler standard. Despite Rose’s contributions to the RoseMickey split and how both characters had cheated on the other, both RTD and the fandom had given Mickey most of the blame. Mickey’s relationship with NineRose would eventually warm up towards the end of series 1, agreeing with Nine that Rose travelling was what she wanted and her council estate days were over. Series 2 decided to flip this on its head however, having Ten and Mickey being a lot more hostile towards each other. From Rose’s eyerolls to Ten forgetting Mickey’s existence it was clear the TenRose TARDIS team only had room for two. After getting fed up with his Tin Dog treatment, Mickey decided to stay in Pete’s World a little longer. The last of his official arc would be his return in the series 2 finale, gun-slinging against Daleks and Cybermen. He wouldn’t return until series 4 for the 2008 Dalek Invasion and a cameo with Martha Jones announcing their offscreen marriage. Although creating a small Mickey Smith standom, Mickey’s time in RTD1 was rough. He was mainly reduced to a comic relief or punching bag for the main white characters, having little room for his own developments. And the ones he did have, such as his absentee father, dead grandma and random Martha marriage were brief moments and not really enough to fully flesh him out.

Moffat gave us another Black male lead in Danny Pink. Although not a companion, Danny would be the math teaching counterpart to Clara Oswald and his conflict with TwelveClara would actually serve a narrative purpose. Unlike RoseMickey, our main companion would choose her boyfriend over the moody Time Lord although it was only briefly. Danny’s soldier past would have him demonised both in show and fandom, from Twelve’s bias against soldiers to Clara’s uncertainty to many TwelveClaras keeping him at arm's length and even going as far as to call him abusive. Danny, like Mickey, wasn’t super popular Black male representation either. Just as Nine and Ten made it clear Mickey wasn’t welcome, Twelve’s issue with ‘PE’ made it clear the two weren’t besties either. Danny would have to prove to Twelve he was worthy of Clara’s love and this would be achieved through his cyber-self sacrifice in the series 8 finale. Obviously, a child murderer would not be a fan favourite overnight, especially from the POV of a former solder Time Lord who’d suffered the consequences of war himself. However, series 8 established Twelve’s arc of moral ambiguity and potential for change, where he’d go on to question the type of man he was; good, bad, both or neither. Yet, Danny Pink was irredeemable. Whether we personally believe Danny deserved a second chance or not, he wasn’t given one like his white counterparts. To the fandom, Twelve and Clara’s actions were the byproduct of context and factors, heart-wrenching decisions in situations they couldn’t control. But Danny Pink was irredeemable, evil and the worst character of Moffat Who. Twelve and Clara were compelling. Danny Pink was trash. In fact, Missy, who’d claimed more lives than Mr Pink ever did would be set up for her own moral ambiguity arc, taking the iconic Time Lord villain and questioning if they could ever become good in their first female incarnation. Against a narrative of growth and change, a white woman’s redemption would be set up for a greater arc that would end at the end of Moffat’s run itself, with most fans supporting her growth and potential, whilst a Black man’s was found in his death to protect the other white characters. Danny’s final appearance would be in Last Christmas where he and Clara shared their final goodbyes. TwelveClara’s arc would continue in series 9 and Danny’s name was never mentioned again.

Chibnall introduced us to the first Black male companion to travel full-time, Ryan Sinclair.  Despite this achievement, Ryan would somehow have even less visibility than Danny and Mickey. Ryan’s arc was simpler, focusing on his ability to ride a bike with his dyspraxia. He wouldn’t achieve this goal, not as a slight but as a small commentary on how disability wasn't something to be fixed and instead a part of people’s everyday lives. Ryan’s dyspraxia was heavily critiqued for being written inconsistently and so would many other aspects of his character. His missing YouTube channel post-series 11, his way of mentioning his dead nan each episode and his relationship (or lack thereof) with his dad were seen as many misses in the writing department. Even after losing his nan, most gun-wrenching heartfelt moments about her death were given to Graham instead. Along with this, there was and still is harsh criticism of Tosin Cole’s acting (which ironically hasn’t stopped him from securing lead roles in House Party and Supacell, making him a breakout star of the Chibnall era). Series 12 wouldn’t help Ryan’s case either as after the initial Tim Shaw storyline ended with Graham and Ryan finding a type of closure for Grace, Ryan would slip further back in the queue for priority characters. With the return and new incarnation of the Master, the Fugitive Doctor reveal, the Timeless Child, Ashad the Lone Cyberman and the hunt for the Cyberium, there wasn’t really room for a new companion arc for any of the fam, let alone Ryan specifically. At most, he got a small subplot involving shooting a basketball hoop, similar to his bike-riding storyline. This would only be relevant in two episodes; its introduction and a small scene of him teaming up with Ko Sharmus to take out some Cybermen. His dad whom we were introduced to in series 11 wouldn’t return in this series either, missing the opportunity for a follow-up from that storyline. Instead, we got Tibo, similar to Amy and Rory’s Mels, a companion’s alleged best friend who we never saw in the previous season. This friendship wouldn’t play a key role either and Tibo was reduced to irregular small appearances. Ryan would be ready to leave in Revolution of the Daleks with a wallet of psychic paper. No new YouTube video or completed mechanic NVQ in sight. The Chibnall era companions already faced a fair share of unpopularity and plenty of ‘cardboard cut-out’ allegations. In most companion polls, Ryan tends to sit at the bottom with his grandad Graham following close behind. 

This isn’t to say Mickey, Danny or Ryan are blips in Doctor Who’s universe and had no impact whatsoever but that they all suffered due to a lack of meaningful writing. Mickey and Danny mainly served to facilitate white characters and many of their scenes functioned as reminders of how much the Doctor hated them. Ryan on the other hand, despite having what was supposed to be his own arc as a full-time companion, had to share screentime with two others on top of Thirteen’s arc as well. Thirteen and Yaz’s narratives stretched across three series whilst he only got two, and those two were already packed with a lot of other narratives. In the same way the treatment of Martha and Bill reflects the show’s issues in representing Black women, the treatment of these characters shows the issue in the show’s representations of Black men. The vulnerabilities of Black manhood are rarely portrayed in mainstream media due to the stereotypes of Black men being tough, aggressive and hypermasculine (key examples being the Black Brute trope or Thug trope). Even though I wouldn’t argue Mickey, Danny or Ryan fit these tropes exactly, their treatment reflects the antiblackness Black men experience; the false idea of inevitable struggle that Black men are supposed to ‘handle’ because of their ‘inherent’ strength. Across genders, Black characters are made to feel like they have to ‘work’ and ‘earn’ their spot in the TARDIS or ‘work’ to be worthy of the Doctor’s attention, which can feel like a barrier when it comes to feeling represented by this show. The Fugitive Doctor was a step forward, moving beyond Black characters as the companions but an attempt at a Black doctor, a Black main character. But with the Fugitive reduced to cameo roles and the end of the Chibnall era, this never came through. The main options seem to be Tin Dog or three seconds of screen time. Gatwa’s casting can not only be an attempt to build from the sidelining of the Fugitive but also provide a form of Black male representation the show has never done before, building on the neglect of Mickey, Danny and Ryan. The only way to move when you’re stuck at the bottom is upwards.

<- Intro

Chapter 2 ->

[headcanonsandmore]

What your Doctor Who sapphic crush says about you (aside from the 60s companions because I haven't met most of them yet)

Liz Shaw: You like a woman who could technically kick your arse, but you'd rather they just info-dump about science to you.

Jo Grant: You like a kind, sweet person who cares deeply for their friends. You also probably REALLY like 70s fashion.

Sarah-Jane Smith: You like a woman with intelligence, charisma and a lot of guts. Either that, or 'SJA' may have been very formative for you.

Leela: You like a woman who could kick your arse in-theory but really you just want to be carried bridal-style.

Romana: You DO like a woman who could your arse. And smiles whilst doing it.

Tegan Jovanka: You are an old-school Whovian. You've been here a long time and probably will be for the rest of your life. You also love slightly grumpy lesbian-coded women with hilariously bad 80s fashion. You are a delight to be around. You also probably fancy Janet Fielding too.

Nyssa of Traken: Much the same as for Tegan, but you prefer quieter sapphic-coded women with curly 70s-style haircuts. And, yes, you probably fancy Sarah Sutton too.

Peri Brown: You... have very complicated emotions regarding what the BBC wardrobe department had Nicola wear.

Mel Smith: According to polls I've put out, you don't exist? Sorry about that; I personally think you are awesome and valid.

Ace McShane: You'd think this was the easy option for this question, but it's an excellent option. Like... it's Ace McShane; who DOESN'T love her?

Rose Tyler: You either wanted to be the Ninth or Tenth Doctor for reasons that you only discovered later on.

Martha Jones: You are valid and I'm sorry that this fandom was so mean to you for so long.

Donna Noble: You like someone who can make you laugh and that you can be best friends with.

Amy Pond: You like redheads and/or Scottish accents. You still haven't forgiven Moffat for the Manhattan episode.

River Song: You like MILFs who could kick your arse whilst calling you 'sweetie'. You have a complicated relationship to how the Doctor treated her.

Clara Oswald: Your type is a funny, witty person who... is also a fair bit messed up. I am a tad concerned for you.

Bill Potts: You are really cool. Just... super cool. I would like to be your ace bestie.

Yasmin Khan: Your type is a kind, sweet person who is loyal to their friends. They may have had some mental health issues they are currently working through, but -hey- who doesn't nowadays? No complaints here; you are awesome and I respect you a great deal.

Thirteen: You are every other sapphic person on Tumblr. Does that make you less valid? Of course not. You also probably fancy Jodie Whittaker. Maybe check out 'Adult Life Skills' to cope with your grief?

[timeagainreviews]

In Space, Nobody Can Hear You Scream for Your Nappy Change

Few shows have had as many pilot episodes as Doctor Who. From “An Unearthly Child,” to the 1996 TV movie, to 2005’s “Rose,” and now “Space Babies.” However, one could argue that every new Doctor is essentially a pilot episode. There are notable shifts in the show’s dynamic to such a degree that it’s practically a reset. Any major personnel shift is a renewal. The transition from William Hartnell to Patrick Troughton, the transfer of power from Russell T Davies to Steven Moffat, and again, from Moffat to Chris Chibnall, for example. Even series ten began with the cheeky title “The Pilot,” where we find the Doctor earthbound as a college professor with his student, Bill, and his wife, Nardole. But “Space Babies,” is an odd one, for so many reasons. Mostly because it’s introducing us to characters we’ve been getting to know for a couple of episodes now. Then, of course, there’s everything else.

For some, an episode called “Space Babies” was always going to be a hard sale. Back in March when they revealed the new episode titles as a series of vignettes, Space Babies looked and sounded a lot like what we got. Sometimes a very literal title can be a bit of fun. “Snakes on a Plane,” tells you everything you need to know going in. While it may have benefitted from a bit of virality, you could argue that it does more with its premise than something like “Cocaine Bear,” which was little more than its title. I’ve complained in the past that my issue with the concept of the Timeless Child was that you could figure out the story by hearing the words. If I can watch a story in my head from its title, then in the words of Amy Pond- what is the point of you? My reaction to the title “Space Babies,” was very similar. Except in this case, I would say it was closer to a “Snakes On a Plane,” than a “Cocaine Bear.”

We’re off to a great start. I got to mention cocaine and babies in the same sentence. Speaking of awkward starts, why did Russell T Davies decide to open the show with the twee episode for the kiddies? Those types of stories are usually relegated to the mid-season point, after a really good one. I guess they needed a palette cleanser to put some space between “The Giggle,” and “The Devil’s Chord,” as they’re essentially the same story twice. But that’s for the next review. Though “Rose,” has its own brand of wacky weirdness with man-eating rubbish bins and plastic boyfriend doppelgangers with pizza peels for hands. Even still, it’s an odd choice for the “pilot.”

A lot of the episode’s enjoyment is predicated on how cute you think babies are. In my case, it’s not very much. If they had called the episode “Space Kittens,” it would have hooked me. But babies come with baggage. People are weird about babies. Babies are often politicised, which this episode definitely does, but more on that later. Another reason why babies were a hard sell for me is they’re not actors. Child actors are rarely good, so filtering their performances through the vacant faces of babies is like making a bad thing worse. Sure, they animated their mouths with cutting-edge technology straight from 1995’s “Babe,” but their faces gave us no range of emotion unless you count Eric, whose facial expression was that of one constantly bricking it in his diaper. I was reminded of the Gelflings in “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance,” in that it takes some getting used to the look of their faces. Except in the case of the Gelflings, the Jim Henson Creature Workshop knew their limitations and used CGI where the puppets fell short. A furrowed brow would have gone a long way to sell the babies.

However, I’m not made of stone. I’m not so joyless that I can’t send my critical brain on a little vacay for 46 minutes. I also appreciate that Doctor Who still takes the time to do stories for children. It’s a family show, after all. I was even impressed that the episode was able to sell me on the concept of a booger man (or Bogeyman to be precise) when “Sleep No More,” had so utterly failed to sell me on the concept of eye booger men previously. Even more, I had never expected to feel an emotional connection to said Bogeyman. While a lot of it had to do with Ncuti Gatwa’s performance, I’ll admit I actually got a little choked up at the end of the episode. Even a snotty little freak of nature deserves a place in the world, and I identified with that. It’s nice when a Doctor Who episode ends and it was actually about something.

As mentioned before, Russell T Davies uses the baggage that comes along with babies to stoke the fire of his own story. Through the eyes of Jocylen, the ship’s reluctant nanny, we see the babies in another light- as a constant source of worry. Having never wanted the job in the first place, Jocylen’s part is one of necessity rather than vocation. No one working in the field of charity or crisis aid wants to be doing the work. Sure, it’s fulfilling, but the nature of its necessity is telling of the world at large, or in this case- star system. In a perfect star system, no child would go unhugged, unattended, or forgotten. Yet here she is, forced by circumstance and emboldened by compassion to rise to the occasion. She may not be nailing it, but seriously, who the hell else was taking care of the children they forced to exist? If “Kill the Moon,” was Doctor Who’s pro-life story, this episode stands in stark contrast as the pro-choice story.

An episode with a butt-shaped space station that farts its way to the shores of freedom seems like an odd choice to talk about refugees, but it’s also the episode that gave a booger a soul. While a lot of the tone aligns more with “Aliens of London/World War Three,” or “Love and Monsters,” the message aligns more with something like “Turn Left.” Russell T Davies is giving us a spoonful of sugar with our medicine, which seems the correct approach in a show where Christmas trees are capable of murder. Suffice it to say, seeing a Rwandan refugee playing a British icon on the BBC commenting on the conservative government’s Rwandan bill is better than anything the show could do on its own. You almost have to do it, and more than I’m glad RTD rose to the occasion, I’m glad it was Ncuti who got to do it.

Speaking of things only Ncuti Gatwa could do, I appreciate that his Doctor is emotionally available enough to offer a hug to a child while still being alien enough to scare the bejeezus out of them. I can’t really picture Tom Baker hugging anyone, though I can imagine him scaring the bejeezus out of someone. Maybe Matt Smith would do it. Jodie as well. But Gatwa’s Doctor is an interesting mixture of compassionate and completely aloof. It’s a mixture that is sometimes at odds with itself, but it works. You see it in brief moments like when Ruby’s caretaker instincts take over and she runs head-on into danger, while the Doctor takes a moment to pop around the corner and catch up to her. It’s the classic dynamic of the Doctor being reminded of human nature by his companion.

I really like this selfless defender of the people streak in Ruby’s personality. It reminds me a lot of an ‘80s companion. She’s like a mixture of Nyssa and Ace. She puts herself in harm's way to protect others. She writes songs to cheer up lovesick lesbians. She’s got a very full personality that is palpable very early on. We got this level of character development with RTD’s earlier companions, and it’s nice to see it continue. What’s less nice is how he seems to have also taken a page from Steven Moffat’s book where the companion must also be needlessly complicated. What’s more is it feels less enticing and more like retreading familiar territory. It’s giving “The Impossible Girl,” vibes with an Amy Pond pregnancy body scan to bring it full circle. This is one of my biggest issues with the RTD2 era so far- it feels like a remix of past Doctor Who. That isn’t to say he’s added nothing new to the show, but it does feel a bit Clara 2.0. I’m just saying, it doesn’t always have to be some star-crossed destiny. If you do it every time, it loses its power.  Sometimes people just meet each other. Say what you will about Yaz’s characterisation, but at least she was allowed to be a person.

The story at the heart of “Space Babies,” is ultimately a bit thin. You could argue that there was never any real threat, but that happens sometimes on Doctor Who (take “Listen,” for example). I’ve seen some people online complaining that the Bogeyman doesn’t die, but what does it really do other than scare people? Sure, you see Eric’s pram toppled and find him characteristically bricking it in his diaper, but he’s not got a scratch on him. What if Eric went missing because the Bogeyman “ate” him. They could reveal that he actually was protecting Eric from the dangers of the malfunctioning bowels of the ship. Imagine the bogey bits tearing away out of the airlock, slowly revealing Eric inside. Not only would Jocylen have almost taken an innocent life, but two innocent lives. Pair that with the Doctor's brave rescue and blammo! It could have upped the tension and implied more danger, is all I’m saying.

I was a bit confused by the ship’s computer creating the Bogeyman in the first place. That entire aspect of the plot was skimmed over and very flimsy. I thought they were doing something with the show’s new magical premise, a “superstition of the Bogeyman made him exist,” sort of angle. But no, it was just something the ship did, for reasons. I also expected that to be the reason for Ruby's transformation into the weird scaly lizard woman. I expected it to suddenly be possible through superstition that stepping on a butterfly could change the course of history. But instead, the Doctor forgot to push the butterfly compensator on the TARDIS console. Kinda weird that RTD had two moments to further his own mythology but sided on technobabble. Not bad, just odd.

One aspect that bothered me was how long it took them to reveal the Bogeyman was made of snot. When they took the time to do this whole to do with the babies blowing their noses, I immediately looked over at my wife and said “The Bogeyman is made of baby boogers,’ to which she responded “I hate that you’re right.” They telegraphed it so hard that it made the Doctor seem slow on the uptake. If you recall from my review of "The Husbands of River Song," I felt like they did the same thing to River with how long it took her to recognise the Doctor. However, I imagine it's a bit of a balancing act to know when to reveal something. The Doctor doesn't necessarily have all of the information we have as an audience.

As pilots go, “Space Babies,” could have done better at introducing a new audience to Doctor Who. Much of the expository dialogue about who the Doctor is or where he came from felt rushed and unnatural. My friend Taryn said she enjoyed this aspect of the Doctor being less cryptic and more forthcoming with information. While I agree, I feel like the execution was clumsy, a word we’re starting to see more often in my reviews of the RTD2 era. For comparison, take Fallout, a show that came out only a month earlier. Both are technically first seasons of tv shows based on pre-existing properties with dense lore. Both have eight episodes to tell their stories. And yet with Fallout, we get a trickle of information as things happen. With Doctor Who we have the Doctor stopping his companion mid-sentence to say “Oh yeah, by the way, I have two hearts.” Look, I get it, I’m neurodivergent. I appreciate a good infodump. But there’s a big reason people are calling Fallout a triumph- it respects its audience enough to reveal things over time.

RTD said recently that young people won’t watch black and white. I don’t know if this is true as I am a cusp gen x/millennial. I don’t know much about what kids get up to these days, but I also don’t go around saying what they will and won’t do. It sounds a lot like “Those damn kids with their hip hop video games,” or like “Kids don’t like anything that isn’t Tik Tok or Roblox.” It feels like it misunderstands the appeal of storytelling in the first place. Studio executives have never fully understood what is good about Doctor Who. In the ‘70s and ‘80s, it was “Why can’t it be like Star Wars?” In the Chibnall era, the goal was to compete with Netflix. And now it’s “We need to meet the same standards of Marvel.” But if Doctor Who is always being compared to something else, you curse it into always being behind the curve. When I fell in love with Doctor Who, it was because it wasn’t like anything I had ever seen before. If I want to watch Iron Man, I’ll watch Iron Man.

Not all of the expository dialogue was without merit. I’ve been continually impressed by RTD’s handling of the Timeless Child storyline. As longtime readers know, I was not a fan of that story. Hell, first-time readers probably picked up on it in this article. But I don’t think it’s fair to discount the people who did enjoy that story. And I think it is far more interesting for the show to develop the idea as opposed to sweeping it under the rug. We learned that the Time Lord genocide was cellular, which helps the whole concept of the Master achieving what millions of Daleks couldn’t do make more sense. It’s amazing how much a single line of dialogue can overcome a lot of shoddy writing. I liked the Doctor stating that it doesn’t matter where he comes from, as I’ve been saying that the whole damn time. It’s also nice that despite everything, the Doctor is still a Time Lord in his hearts of hearts. We as fans kinda need those moments so we can collectively move on from what has been a rather ugly time in the fandom.

That’s not to say we aren’t still in an ugly culture battle within the fandom. Racism is still a very real aspect to the conversation. As are ableism, sexism, transphobia. And despite RTD meeting these things head-on with the grace of a fish out of water, we’ve still got some great points of intrigue. Who is this woman played by Susan Twist we keep seeing in the background? Who is the one who waits? Is Mrs Flood the White Guardian to Susan Twist’s Black Guardian? I would love to say it’s the Rani because it’s been 20 fucking years of it not being the Rani, which is also the exact reason I won’t say it’s the Rani. But god I wish it was the Rani. They even name-drop her! Give us this one, please. My point being, despite its daftness and its expressionless babies, “Space Babies,” still gives us a lot to go off of. If you didn’t like it, do what I did and watch it twice. The emotional resonance works better when it feels less like you’re watching a car accident.

Look, if you didn’t like “Space Babies,” I get it. Maybe it’s not for you. There are weird little problems with the episode. The expository dialogue I mentioned, for example. The babies are a bit much. The Bogeyman howling like a werewolf was batshit weird. I guess it was because they compared him to a dog. Even then, why not make it bark? You could ask things like “Why didn’t the Doctor use the TARDIS to fly them to safety instead of setting their space station on a crash course with the planet’s surface?” or "Why didn't the Doctor get sucked out of the airlock? It's air pressure, not gravity." Is the humour still falling a bit flat? Sure. It’s easy to pick stuff apart. But come on, the episode is called “Space Babies,” you knew ahead of time if that concept was going to work for you or not.

_______________________________________________

Thanks for reading! I'm sorry these articles are taking a while. Having two episodes drop simultaneously doubles my workload! I'll have the review for "The Devil's Chord," up tomorrow! Hopefully next week will be more timely.

[roxannepolice]

The master shouldn’t be brought back for a couple seasons and not every big bad should end up being him

strongly agree | agree | neutral | disagree | strongly disagree

You know not all is right when you sigh in relief at the showrunner saying your fave has been appearing too much lately. Because maybe, just maybe it means he recognises there's more to them than the main soprano in the "Psychological Colonoscopy of the Doctor" cantata? Like, I don't think it's just the matter of quantity but quality as well here. Again, the Master's been forced into a linear story that absolutely doesn't work for them! Either resolve their issues or fucking kill them for good, because this masochistic orgy of "behold exactly what's wrong with them, but no, of course we're not going to just deal with it" works for fanfiction (artistic expression I fully admire, but there a production issues), but not a neverending tv series that people get paid for creating. Of course, this is the same issue that's plopped on the Doctor, too, and I doubt it's possible to go back to adventures with occasional angst format that's a lot of Classic Who fans' holy grail AND THAT'S GOOD! This more introspective poetic works! But there is such a thing as too much good and I think there's something that makes them less suitable for villains than heroes? Like, with a villain, there has to be a solid fatal flaw that doesn't get patted on the back in the end, and there are very few such flaws that can be used over and over. Desire for power or survival work here, because they're both extremes of end-of-the-day common not to say healthy drives, and the beauty of thoschei is how those drives, though usually in a more measured level, aren't absent from the good guy. Complexes, abandonment issues, and all the rest of the diagnoses that get dumped on the Master lately... look, I understand those are things many people live with and never fully resolve, BUT THIS IS A STORY, IT NEEDS A FREAKING CONCLUSION.

Like, I really get the impression when Moffat came up with the redemption arc for Missy, and then arrived at the "ideal" way for how the Master's story should end, he. maybe wasn't naive enough to think future showrunners won't bring them back, but he really expected it to be at least a couple of seasons? Because there, I ended a linear story. Take a moment to go back to it. But then Chibs needed an exposition device for his Doctor apotheosis and that required the Master to be as historically rooted as possible.

Also, don't get me started on the "the Master always just comes back without an explanation uwu" thing, yes they do come back in the same regeneration, but when there's a new body THERE'S USUALLY BEEN A WHOLE EPISODE DEVOTED TO HOW THIS HAPPENED (all hail the Tooth plot).

As for the revelations... I'm a bit more on the fence with this one, because a) dress ups are the Master's thing and b) I think they're the perfect SEASONAL big bad, they just don't work as an overarching villain. Not in the least because they work best with the Doctor when they do have to unite against a common enemy. Point: people sometimes do good things for selfish reasons. Inventing the specific scenario where the only choice is between participating or not in an expanded altruistic suicide (that won't really do much difference from individual altruistic suicide) isn't the dramatic hit you think it is.

Bottom line: LET. THE MASTER. BREATHE.

[trashboatprince]

I've been listening to the Big Finish stories for about four years now, and I've come to find that I honestly enjoy the way the characters are written and performed in them better than they are in the show.

Like, we get more stories out of these guys, with more ways to expand on the plots and characterizations. I like learning more about the Doctors and their companions. And the fact that four of the Doctors are actually allowed more stories since their on-screen time was so limited (especially Eight, that man only has the movie and two on-screen moments, everything else is expanded media).

But one of my favorite things is just the strange and fun things added to the characters' lore in stories.

Here are some of my favorites:

-Donna wears Crocs when she's on vacation, and it was a running joke through an audio adventure

-Ten ate melted marshmallows coated in melted plastic

-This came from a whole adventure with Ten, Donna, Sylvia, and Wilf and I adore this story, even if it's full of really bad, cringy 'flirting' between Ten and Donna. I'm sorry, but second hand embarrassment and I are not friends, haha.

-Eight was on a game show once and he won

-There is a whole audio series of Eight and two of his companions stranded in 2020, and the audio was recorded before COVID so... yeah, haha. It also has the Curator as a character in it!

-He also seems to have memory issues in stories, and it's a lot more frequent than you'd expect

-Six had to dress in the clothes of a dead Santa Claus in order to not be killed by a cult that worshipped fictional characters

-Six and his companion Evelyn befriended two of Burke and Hare's last murder victims, one of them played by David Tennant. The story is actually really good but leaves me feeling empty whenever I finish listening to it.

-Speaking of characters played by David Tennant that aren't the Doctor, Seven and Ace had to deal with a N*zi played by him that had a very, VERY horrific sounding death due to the TARDIS. Seven canonically had to install a program to prevent anyone else from dying such a death. This was David's first ever role in a DW project.

-Ten has the weirdest relationships with Four, Five, and Six. He seems to begrudgingly respect Four (and vice versa), fanboyed over Five, and basically had a buddy comedy adventure with Six against Weeping Angels.

-Why does it seem like Eight travels mainly with lesbians?

-Eleven and Fifteen have teamed up in an audio story before, but we don't hear Fifteen. But it's nice to know that he has interacted with more than just Fourteen. Hope we one day get a Fifteen Doctor audio series.

-Nine is canonically aromantic! Which explains a lot, but it makes his relationship with Rose a lot more meaningful because the aroace identity is a spectrum and Nine is somewhere on there. But I love that this is a canon thing, it makes me very happy to hear.

-This is more of an opinion than anything else, but River is a thousand times more interesting in the audio stories than in TV canon. Probably because she isn't just talking about the Doctor, she's doing things, she's actually funny and entertaining, and while she does flirt, she knows when to pay attention to the situation and actually be part of it without being all 'femme fatale'. Probably helps that she's not being written by Moffat, who always writes her one handed. :\

-The War Master is terrifying and I'm kinda sad that the fandom doesn't do much with him. Same with the War Doctor.

-Ten fought a plant version of himself with Leela and it's probably the audio story I've listened to the most. I am obsessed with the Spriggan and I don't know why. Maybe it's because of David's gremlin voice he uses for him.

-Jackie's stories about Tentoo fill my heart with joy, I adore the friendship they have

-Jackie, Lady Christina, and Six make for an awesome team

-Six and Peri had to solve a mystery at an women's college, which meant Six had to be the companion

-Seven and Ace got stuck in a situation against an enemy that uses words to manipulate people, specifically around the words forty-five (this is due to the story being for the 45th anniversary of the series)

-Ten and Missy are the weirdest MasterDoctor couple, but damnit, they make me laugh. Also, this is the third time David and Michelle have acted together (they did the Loud House movie as the main Scottish characters, and they are Scrooge and Matilda McDuck)

-Ten can canonically sing Italian opera

-Rose, Jackie, and Ten teamed up together through shenanigans to save a British town from an 'invasion'.

-Donna has almost been married to a prince

-Eleven and Twelve got trapped in a morgue together to deal with someone trying to harm them, it is a very weird story and the very first one I ever got from Big Finish (because it was free!)

-I won't spoil anything, but Chimes of Midnight is one of the most intense stories I have listened to and I think it's due to just how complicated the story gets. I highly recommend it.

-There is an audio story that is connected to a novel and an episode. Time Reavers is connected to In the Blood, a novel that takes place just after the Library episodes.

-Ten tells Rose that gender is basically a dumb, human concept

-Ten has a cellphone, he just doesn't like to use it

-Apparently he does not mind being arrested, because it usually means he can talk to whoever is in charge

-He spent time with Jane Austen, who is a monster hunter, and a very cruel one at that because she collects trophies. He thought about her traveling with him, but he's terrified of her. This makes Crowley's knowledge of her hilarious because apparently according to both of these DT characters, she has done a lot more than just writing novels

-Ten hates tourist-y stuff, like queue lines and and tours. He also doesn't like hats due to them messing up his hair.

-Donna can play the piano

[greenjacketwhitehatdocmui]

Simple Fandom Etiquette

I just got back from Fan Expo Chicago. As expected, there was a wide variety of people dressed in things that I either didn't know about or am not a big fan of. I actually had a discussion about Star Wars while waiting in line:

Me: "You know, I like a lot of Star Wars, but a lot of stuff that's been coming out lately isn't my cup of tea." Her: "Well, I understand your opinion and I'm glad that you were polite about it. A lot of people jumped down my throat about everything after The Last Jedi." Me: "Have you ever considered watching Babylon 5? That's a good way to write strong female characters." Her: "It's been a while. I should rewatch it."

And then I had a conversation with a Doctor Who fan:

Me: "10 was my favorite. 11 was really good. Capaldi did the best he could, but it was clear that Moffat was getting burnt out." Them: "What about 13?" Me: *sigh* "Honestly, I stopped watching after 12. But when you have 13th Doctor cosplayers saying that the writing isn't up to snuff, you have an issue." Them: "Yeah, I can see that."

See? No shouting or yelling like the Internet Angry People would have you believe is normal. There were no fistfights or shouting matches on the convention floor.

Wouldn't it be nice if people remembered that behind the keyboard?

--Doc

[oodlyenough]

Re:DW, I liked the final well enough but I agree with you that the shorter series really hurt the development of team Tardis. I wish they kept Ruby as the companion for two series, would have solved a lot of issues I had.

I also have so many questions still? I absolutely don't understand why it keeps snowing around Ruby? That's just...a normal thing that happens?

Also did the grandma not mention to the Doctor that their neighbour was acting real weird?

I'm also very intrigued by Roger ap Gwillam returning - is that going to be an ongoing thing or just a nice throwback to 73 yards?

Anyway. I've enjoyed reading your commentary because we feel very similar about this show in that the way RTD writes just works for us.

Yeah, I know we're getting some Ruby in the next season, but she's at least sharing the screentime as companion, so it doesn't quite solve it. I don't mind a break over the holiday special I suppose, lmfao esp because it's Moffat writing it so whatever he can write some one-off idc... but with how little development the team TARDIS got in s1 I worry that the problem will be compounded when you've got three people in s2. I don't want Ruby to finish an arc at the expense of Varada getting one y'know.

I'm not entirely sure what the scifi answer about snow etc was meant to be. I think something about the communal belief that the woman MUST be mysterious (incl. Sutekh) infusing it with godlike power or something... I mean... it's all a bit conjecturey lol. I like the idea of "surprise, it was just a normal woman" but I think they could've offered more explanations around the supernatural stuff like the snow or the "shifting memories" the Doctor mentioned. I've seen a number of fan answers and even RTD joking in commentary "time shrouded her" (re: her cloak) like, just pick any one of those and give a couple lines to Ncuti.

(Somewhat related -- an explanation (of sorts) for the pointing, to me, was that she didn't point in the original timeline and did point when the Doctor was there, bc he was the only other person around, she's pointing for him. (Whether or not pointing at the sign makes any sense is a different issue to "but no one was around anyway".) So I thought that basic fact (didn't point in timeline A; did in timeline B) works. But it wasn't explained in the show, it's just how my brain connected the dots, so.... ?)

Not sure about Roger! I didn't expect we'd see him after 73 Yards, or for 73 Yards to be relevant in the finale at all, which was a really nice touch I thought. I liked that this episode explains what happens to Roger in the regular universe (the Doctor being part of the "overthrow") VS in Ruby's universe where she did it, since that was a question people had. I also loved the idea that the 73 yards is the perception filter distance... I don't need an explicit explanation, just that connection (and the camera with the mother) works once you add in fae magic imo.

Overall, as a big RTD fan, not my fave finale. His scifi nonsense and handwaves are always saved for me by the great character stuff, and the character stuff in this season was only so-so. Moments of brilliance (Ruby and Louise in the cafe!) and some great performances (Millie is SO good) but... in a way this season felt to me like he tried to get out of his regular wheelhouse (huge emphasis on the mystery box stuff) and then the finale was like, a return to his roots (who cares about the mystery! ordinary people 4 ever, etc), but the two don't quite jive. And an extra four episodes would've done wonders.