#look all the doctors companions have that sense of adventure

[cactiaintracist]

Meanwhile Martha Jones;

Why Martha Jones was perfect for him

Space Babies (2024) // Smith and Jones (2007)

[aq2003]

i saw a post saying boom was good bc it feels like it could be done with any doctor/companion duo and honestly that was one of the things i felt was wrong with it

[lizardsfromspace]

Ben Chatham was too niche to ever become known outside one forum but it's the My Immortal of Doctor Who. It was a series starring the writer's self-insert companion, Ben Chatham, and I guess it started with his fanfic version of series 2 (not sure if it's still online anywhere, but there's a summary), where Jackie dies of cancer bc the author thought chavs shouldn't be allowed on Doctor Who & the Doctor murders a hamster. His stories are full of random grim moments, and no one is ever heroic, since everyone just dies until UNIT can save the day. Ben Chatham is gay and a military-loving Tory. He reintroduced Adam and Jack over the course of the season bc he didn't like writing women doing or saying things and bc he felt Rose was too lower class to be allowed on television

I think I first learned about him when he posted his pitch for Matt Smith's first story:

"Martha Jones is walking down the cobbled street of the Cornish village of Little Bampton towards the local Inn, pondering why UNIT had sent her to investigate the strange sightings nearby and disappearances. Since entering into full time investigative work for UNIT in the UK following the events of Journey’s End she had never been so bored by a case. Nothing has happened in the three weeks that she had been in the village and she found the locals distasteful and she suspected some of the older ones were rather prejudiced.

Suddenly there is a familiar sound and she sees the TARDIS materialise in front of her. She grins excitedly as the door is flung open: “DOCTOR……….OH” she shouts as instead of the Doctor, a slip youth with floppy hair emerges, dressed in jeans and a casual jacket. “Who are you? Wheres the Doctor” she exclaims. “Hey babe, I’m like the Doctor. I’ve regenerated like. Wow its great to see you again. Wicked!”Martha is perturbed:

“But you’re so….. So much younger.” “Yay its great to be a kid again. I’m like so gonna get a myspace page. You look great in that jacket babe, I’ve like SO got the hots for you. Hows about we get up close and personal on the TARDIS double bed.” The Doctor coyly lets his floppy hair descend over his eyes."

There's a lot going on here, but my fave parts are picturing Matt Smith saying "Hey babe, I'm like the Doctor" and the fact that Martha internally refers to the events of Journey's End as the events of Journey's End. I've accepted ever since that Martha Jones can sense episode titles; she was just out there living her life until she suddenly sees a vortex and the words "THE STOLEN EARTH" floating in the air and groans at having to do this again

Also, in the Chatham canon, Martha hates going on adventures and loves to whine and do nothing. Just like everyone else. Meanwhile the Eleventh Doctor is a horny freak who wants to fuck and post to MySpace. Both of them despise poor people

This story also features the Russian mob whose leader, named Ivan, has henchmen named Ivan, bc he could only think of one Russian name.

Was the writer of this serious or a troll? We will never know. Certainly he was surrounded by trolls. He got an entire subforum quarantining promoting his stories, and there were fanfics of his fanfic, made by trolls whose sincerity was also, for many years, in doubt (they were trolls)

What we do know is that the writer repeatedly insisted it was canon, and wrote a letter to Doctor Who Magazine demanding more coverage of his OC. They sent him a lengthier letter he posted on forum but in the magazine all they said was

"Er…who?"

Which just about sums it up

[jupiter049]

Rewatching 'The Bells Of Saint John' because Russel recommended doing it before seeing the finale,

some thoughts as I watch it:

"If he truly is mad, then this is his madness" when talking about Clara so true <3

Now that it's been pointed out to me, I can't unsee that the book Clara loves is written by Amy, and that Amy specifically intended to make the eleventh chapter the saddest one.

I love the borderline randomness of 11 choosing to go with the monks. Sometimes The Doctor just goes to random places and periods of time, he just likes doing that.

I like how casual the mystery of "the woman from the shop" is set-up, you probably wouldn't even notice the weirdness from it and even if you do then you won't remember it like 20 episodes ater once the reveal happens.

Now with 'The Devil's Chord' I very much believe that every time "I Am The Doctor" started playing 11 could hear it and got a boost of energy from it lmao.

The Doctor sending a message stating Clara is under his protection is a nice reminder that 12's "duty of care" didn't start with him lol.

11's own duty of care is extremely underrated imo. Literally getting Clara to bed, doing all the chores, guarding her house, etc. He is a complete fucking freak and the worst part is that Clara likes it and enables him on it.

It's funny how the joke about twitter aged perfectly but the reason Clara makes the joke aged quite poorly.

Clara thinking The Tardis was a kissing booth, oh they're so teenage romance coded.

I adore when they get into The Tardis and it's meant to look like one continuos shot showing as they go from ground into the plane. Great way to show how The Tardis going from one place to another must look from the perspective of the companions.

The Doctor talking about "the long way round" while Clara is sat in front of him drinking a milkshake, these two can't do anything without making it a parallel.

Love the little moment of both of them fighting for the computer and then Clara telling him to go get coffee. Nice showcase of their dynamic in a small and casual way to later contrast it by showing how it works in a bigger and more extreme scenario.

"No, no, I didn't, I- Shut up!" you can see 12 slowly being shaped inside of him.

I honestly completely forgot The Great Intelligence was in this. Never really got the hype for it (or at least the hype the show has for it as I've never seen people talk about it that much), I guess it will make more sense once I inevitably watch 'The Abominable Snowmen'.

"Where's my mommy and daddy?" JESUS

I like how they establish Clara always had a natural sense for adventure, the only reason she didn't travel was that she doesn't try to escape from the people she cares about as she knows she has a responsability/devotion to them. It's a good way to explain both her natural liking for The Doctor but also to show why she doesn't instantly get completely addicted and sucked in into having adventures lol.

"You know, the thing about a time machine is that you can run away all you like and still be at home in time for tea" yeah no shit Clara developed an addiction, The Doctor borderline encouraged it. This really highlights what makes Clara stand-out from other companions which is that from the get go she tries to balance her 'normal' life with her life on the Tardis and doesn't try to drop one for the other, as long as she is back for tea time she has everything under control and can live both lives without worrying of sacrificing anything. Two lives, two halves, almost like she is some sort of Hybrid- [GUNSHOTS]

[thedreamwraptwriter]

Halloween Special

Tenth Doctor x Reader

Prompt: For a Halloween fest, you chose the Doctor as your costume! He’s not impressed.

Lowkey inspired by the fact I decided to throw together a last-minute 10th Doctor costume. And Happy Halloweekend!

Word Count: 687

Warnings: none.

Note: [Y/N] = Your Name

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Come on, let’s go [Y/N]! This festival is one for the ages. I really think you’ll enjoy it!”

 I heard the Doctor calling me as I got ready for the Halloween festival in my room. He’d been raving about it for quite a while, and we finally had time between adventuring to head over and check it out. The Doctor told me that most humans would dress up, which led me to a brilliant idea. 

I quickly put the finishing touches on my costume as I called back, “Coming!” 

“There you are! Why so slow today -”

The Doctor stopped short when he saw me. His eyebrow, which seemed to be eternally raised, somehow went even higher on his forehead.  

 “Do you like my costume?” I exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear, giving him a little spin to show it off. 

I had snagged the costume items over the course of a couple weeks as we travelled, sneaking them past the Doctor as we went about our adventures. I found the blue suit jacket and pants as we ran through the streets of modern-day London last week. The brown trench coat I managed to grab on a completely alien planet (who would have guessed alien fashion would work so well for me?). The white shirt and red tie were quickly purchased while sneaking around twentieth century Victorian England. And, to finish the look, a delivery of red converse right to the Tardis door (not even sure how I managed that) while we were hanging out in a futuristic Manhattan. I had even managed to make a little sonic screwdriver replica using a tiny flash light and some craft materials.

“I, um, what…” the Doctor stuttered.

 “You said this festival was full of costumes! And what better costume than a time traveling alien?” I laughed, grinning. 

The Doctor frowned, looking a mix of utter bemusement and concern. “Is that really…do I wear this outfit too much?” he gestured to himself weakly, his clothing almost identical to mine. “Good lord my fashion sense must be dying if you can copy me so exactly.”

 I rolled my eyes good-naturedly and walked over to him. “You’re a drama king. Just because you cycle through two or three outfits every couple of seasons doesn’t mean you’ve lost your fashion sense. Just means you’re old and like what you like.”

 The Doctor let out a snort as I linked arms with him. “Did I ever tell you that you are my favorite companion?”

 “I bet you say that to every companion.”

 “Mm, no I’ve had a couple of not-so-great companions. Like the ones who dress up as me.”

“Hold on, now, which is it?! Make up your mind!”

 The Doctor laughed. “Kidding! Kidding. So then, now that you are ‘me’, what are your plans?”

 “I need to choose a companion I think,” I said. “And perhaps also start making my hair stick up everywhere.”

 I pushed my hair up to mimic him and he laughed out loud. “You look ridiculous.”

“I am simply your mirror, Doctor!” I exclaimed. “Oh! I almost forgot. Look…”

I whipped out my little sonic screwdriver and turned it on. “Haha! I’m the Doctor!”

The Doctor let out the biggest snort, doubling over in laughter as I swung my flashlight around, pretending to scan various items in the Tardis. 

“St-stop that’s ridiculous,” he said between gasps. “What on earth even is that?”

 “My sonic screwdriver, obviously! See?” I clicked the flashlight, making it flash on and off. “Created by my own hand, might I add.”

“A work of art, [Y/N]!” he exclaimed.

After the Doctor collected himself, he straightened up and grinned. “Well then, since you are all ready now, I suppose we should be off, Doctor,” he winked at me.

 “Allons-y!” I yelled, pointing my sonic screwdriver toward the Tardis doors and marching forward.

I heard the Doctor groan. “I’m never taking you to another Halloween festival again.”

I turned to him and smirked. “Come along, my little companion, let’s go on an adventure!”

 Shaking his head, amused, the Doctor took my hand. “I’d follow you anywhere, Doctor.”

Happy Halloween!

[ghostingssdeadlinee]

PLATONIC ALPHABET - THE TENTH DOCTOR

AN: so sorry for being away for so long!! Hopefully this is not out of character <3

Adventures (what kind of crazy shit would you get into together?)

I mean, time and space? But especially likes places a like earth, I mean like places with cafes and parks where you can sit and chat but also tourist places, loves going on a tour just to sneak of and search the place for your own.

Bond (what kind of - platonic, obviously - relationship do you have with each other?)

Companion :3

Cuddling (do you ever cuddle? how physically affectionate are you?)

Definitely, I mean he definitely loves hugs.

All the time, sometimes for no reason.

Dance (do you ever dance together? how?)

He’s the kind of timelord too take you to a 80s club ^^

in a very 80s fashion outfit** “ready to go, doll?”

“Okey queen wannabe”

“You don’t like it?” He frowns.

“I love it, are we going to like a club??”

“Yep!-“

Enemies (were you ever enemies? Do you share the same enemies?)

You probably do, I mean, the cyber men probably tried to upgrade you, the darleks used you a leverage/just tried to kill you.

You know, the normal stuff.

Fight (how often do you fight? how do you resolve conflict?)

You probably fight about who/how he decides to safe people. Like you’d disagree if the monster of the week deserves to get killed off or relocate or if you should just let it be.

You’ll eventually get to agreement, ether that being from time sake or just something happening that makes you on the same side.

After everything’s done, even if it ends badly, he’ll give you a hug and apologize. Doesn’t matter if he was right in the end or not, he just wants too make sure you’re both on the same side.

Gain (how have you helped each other improve as people?)

I think you help him with his sadness after a adventure doesn’t go right, like if he’s really upset just giving him a hug and talking to him until he feels better would make him love you.

As for you, he helped you with whatever you need. He just wants you to be happy, so if he can help you with literally anything he’s happy too.

Help (how do they ask you for help? how do they help you when you need it?)

He ether just does it verbally or if it’s something deeper, he’ll look at you a lot until you ask.

Stares*

“… yeah? Doctor?”

“You know that time we went to that planet with the massive sunflowers?”

“Yeah?-“

“Oh-“ proceedes taking about random thing for 30 minutes.

“Point is, dolphins. Yeah, that’s my point.”

Injured/Ill (how would they act if you got hurt or sick?)

Pissed, at the thing that hurt you of course.

Like doesn’t care if you just stubbed your toe, he’s fixing whatever you stubbed it on so you can’t do that anymore.

Or if it’s like the bad guy for the adventure. Their getting trapped in a mirror asp.

And now if your just sick, he gets you the best medicine in time and space and then also the best soup, followed by cuddling.

“Doctor, you're going to get sick.”

“Oh, me? Nahh, I’ll be fineeeee”

He did get sick. And now it’s your turn to have to take care of him.

Jokes (what’s their sense of humor like? how do you joke about things together?)

Very silly and probably Sciencey humor.

Kisses (do you ever kiss? how? Kisses not on the lips count)

Forehead kisses <33

Love (how do they show you they care?)

Remember small of handed things you said, mentioned you liked a singer/band? You’re going to their concert.

Mentioned you thought something looked cool? He got you it.

Also if you say you want to go to a planet with like a no people? He’ll try and find the best place.

Meeting (how did you meet? how did you become friends?)

Probably helped him from some aliens.

Nesting (do you co-habitate at all? how?)

I mean you definitely have your own room, but he’d probably really like too sleep with you on the couch and have like a nap ^^

Oasis (is there a specific place that is “your place”? what is it?)

You probably have like an apartment from whatever place/time you’re from that you stay at whenever you don’t travel with him. And with that I really think he’d like your room. It’s just so you.

Protection (how protective are they over you?)

I mean he’ll let you wonder off and do stuff on your own, like if you want to go home for a little he’s definitely fine with that, he’s not over bearing.

But if you get hurt he’s immediately ready to fight for you.

If he has history with something/someone and they try to get near you he won’t even let them look at you.

Query (how inquisitive are they when it comes to getting to know you?)

He’s a very extroverted, but definitely won’t push you to answer something you don’t want to.

Record (what’s something you’ll never let them live down?)

Marrying “the virgin queen”

Support (how would they show their support for you? how far would that support go?)

You do art? Art room in the tardis. Will also go to see whatever artist you look up too (cough* Van Gogh cough*)

You like books? You have your own part of the library with all your favorite books. Will also take you to bookshops whenever you want new books

You like cosplay? Whole closet full of stuff and will go to cons with you (also will cosplay with you) ((I think the thought of the doctor in cosplay is amazing))

Trust (how much do they trust you? how do they show you that?)

Oh after you become his companion 100%

If you come up with a plan he’ll immediately start doing it, no questions asked, well until he’s already started.

Uplift (how do you bring each other up?)

Long speeches. Especially from him.

Vacation (do you ever travel together? what’s that like?)

… I meannnnn, that’s like all what you do.

Worry (do they worry about you? how often?)

Oh definitely. Immediately when he realizes you wondered of he starts looking for you, if he can’t find you he sends you a text message.

“Helloo where you wonder of now then?”

And if you don’t answer he’ll start to get really worried.

Only to find you have befriended the town folk and is now getting married to the queen.

Xerox (are there any traits or habits of theirs that you’ve picked up by accident?)

“Ah- welll-“

That hands in pocket thing he does.

Yahoo (what’s an inside joke you share?)

“You’re being such a darlek/cyber man/crying angel right now”

Zany (do they have a weird side onlyyou get to see? what’s it like?)

He’s Always weird but I guess more emotional side if that makes sense??

[finalpam8000]

How I think Charley would get on with all of the other 8th Doctor Companions I’m familiar with

Grace: They’d get along great! A bit of a Steven and Vicki situation where the slightly older Grace would be a bit more protective and cautious, where as Charley “I’m Gonna Stowaway on a Dirigible” Pollard throws caution to the wind to explore! But they still look out for eachother!

Benny: Charley has a Bisexual Awakening.m4a

Stacy and Ssard: This season on Doctor Who, the TARDIS becomes the vehicle for double dates! She would be a bit intimidated by Ssard and try to befriend Stacy, but I think once Ssard shows his sense of humor they’d get along quite well!

Izzy: They’d get along great. I think Charley would really respect Izzy’s enthusiasm about scifi and comics (even if she doesn’t really get it) and Izzy would love Charley’s spirit of adventure. They’d probably kiss about it.

Feyde: Charley would be really intimidated by Fade being a super spy and all, especially if this after the transition for Sade to Feyde. But I think they would respect eachother and make a good team.

Kroton: She would be like “Woah Big Metal Man” and Kroton would be like “Woah Edwardian Adventuress” and then they’d be besties. :]

Destrii: Charley would very much not be a fan of the whole body swapping thing and would not want her on board. However she would help the Doctor carry Destrii into to the TARDIS after she got mortally wounded that one time and begrudgingly accept her onto the team.

Sam: Very much depends how they were introduced. Either their meeting goes well, they see how similar they are and become fast friends. Or Charley says something dated, Sam starts an argument about it, and it just escalates, until the Doctor breaks them up. In that timeline they wouldn’t really see eye to eye for a long time because they’re both so similar. Narcissism of small differences and all. But in the long run they would be friends.

Fitz: Oh they’d HATE eachother. Everything about one drives the other bonkers. And then they would sense they’re both in love with the Doctor and as such would fight to the death about it. Charley would win. Two utterly incompatible beings, I wish they would meet in a Big Finish boxset.

Compassion: Charley: “Doctor! That’s fucked up! That’s a fucked up thing you did to a person!!!”

Romana II (She was in the Shada audio, it counts): I think if they met while Romana was a regular companion they’d get on swimmingly. Charley would really admire how Romana can just so effortlessly understand what’s happening and take charge of a situation. And Romana would really admire Charley’s boldness and spontaneity. Maybe they’d kiss about it.

Mary: I think Charley would be a bit star struck by having THE Mary Shelly on board! (Finally, she can do some name dropping herself!) But would be a bit, excitable for Mary. They’d still get along well but I’m not sure how close they would get.

Lucie: The levels of biting comments at the Doctor’s expense would be the an all time high since Peri left. 8 would not survive both of them at peak sass.

River (She’s been in quite a few audios with 8 she counts.): Charley has a Bisexual Awakening (2).m4a

[capybaraonabicycle]

You know something I am really sad about is how the TARDIS interior changed for tenteen. It would have been a whole different story if the clothes had been normal but like this? Everthing the Doctor was just vanished and got replaced. The screwdriver coming out of nothing? The outfit? A new fancy TARDIS?

10 kept the TARDIS from 9 and 12 from 11. 13 had to fight to get her TARDIS back and built herself a new screwdriver in the meantime. 11 had to let her recalibrate until she was usable again and gave him a new screwdriver (? I think ? Don't quite remember where he got the sonic) All of them CHOSE their new outfit and had a whole thing where they searched for it.

And tenteen just gets all those things like this, appearing in his lap. Which is convenient, sure, but I feel like he really lost the identification process on the way. Maybe not as important for him as he knows the body and mind and companion already (in theory) but like, I am not surprised he is going through it like this. He just wanted to hang on to Yaz, wasn't allowed that, lost her, decided she was gonna be excited for change, didn't really get change either and then everything they could hold onto as part of their last identity, everything that was theirs to let go off, just got ripped out of his hands replaced with a weird mixture of 'look how new and nice and shiny' and 'isn't that lovely reminiscent of 4 bodies ago'. No wonder they are running on their gingiva*, I would be so lost and disoriented in his place.

And then obviously from a meta pov I dislike that 15 is apparently copying tenteen's TARDIS now. We got a scene of tenteen exploring the new TARDIS and being excited but for 15 he has already had 1.5 adventures with her. And while we couldn't put tenteen into the old clothes it was okay to put 15 in underwear? Wouldn't it have made much more sense to have the weird clothes' thing happen with the mitosis regeneration? (like, I wouldn't have liked that either but it is a little weird how tenteen got a full suit and 15 got the bare minimum)

And I hate how it feels like every part that made the Doctor 13 got erased as quickly as possible. Luckily, there were a few references at least - if no one got me I know the psychic paper got me <3 - and I GET why the fam didn't show up in the puppet show but like, couldn't you have left tenteen the TARDIS interior at least? I am sure Donna would have liked the crystal columns <3

It feels very rtd to have tenteen showered with gifts he can't even want and that are way too much while others are erased or overshadowed by him and get the leftovers.

On a similar note, I was also direly missing post-regeneration haze for both of them. Who knows (well people who have watched the Christmas special, I guess), maybe that's yet to come for 15? But like how are they supposed to function without running about without a clue and passing out every 5s for a day or two?

*German expression, means to be on one's last legs

[cringecompanionapologist]

Cradle of the Snake Part 2: Adventures of the Mara!Doctor

So, I took a fuckton of screenshots for this and I had to cut it to just fifteen, most of them being Turlough and the Mara!Doctor. Time to overanalyze some dialogue!

When last we left our heroes, the Doctor was fully taken over by the Mara and is now trying to spread its influence to some of the locals. The script directions try to explain what the Mara is actually doing when it possesses someone:

So, Mara!Doctor is supposed to be the dark side of the Doctor? Mara!Doctor is mostly just Obviously Evil in general, so I don't really know what this means here. Hopefully, we'll find out as we go.

Mara!Doctor tries to turn Tegan against Nyssa. This has no strategic benefit for it. The Mara is Chaotic Evil and just wants to cause more problems.

Mara!Doctor shoos Tegan away and then uses the Mark of the Snake to traumatize the cab driver. But, the cab driver's not important, so he doesn't get possessed.

The Mara specifically wants this entertainer/mad scientist named Rick to join him, but he has to get through the boy working for him, Baala. It doesn't work because Baala is special, as we'll learn later.

The Mara looks for some Darkest Dreams to close in on, but he's got nothing and has to take a break from recruiting the locals.

Meanwhile, Dadda, a sort of snakecharmer priest, uses his evil-detecting snake on the Doctor's companions to clarify that none of them are under the Mara's influence at this moment in time. Something was up with Tegan, but it's gone now, Nyssa is fine, and Turlough apparently gave Dadda some bad vibes but the snake is cool with him.

Turlough is sent to look for the Doctor, giving me something better to do than just recap the plot with a few screenshots thrown in. There's no particular reason Turlough had to be the one that left. It could've just as easily have been Tegan or Nyssa who left to search for the Doctor, so the Mara would've had to have been ready for any of them. Mara!Doctor was watching the whole snake thing at a safe distance, since the snake would sense evil on him.

I must once again emphasize that Mara!Doctor is Obviously Evil. There is something obviously wrong here. His voice and speech patterns are different. There's something really obviously "off" about him, that none of his companions seem able to immediately identify. Tegan thought he was acting weird earlier, but in a "in a bit of a bad mood" sense that was easy to dismiss. Turlough doesn't even notice that.

This leads into the reoccurring theme of temptation with the Mara. Mara!Doctor suggests that Turlough forget about Nyssa and Tegan and go have some fun at the fair instead. It's a very "Sunday School PSA" sort of temptation. "Ditch your responsibilities and go have fun instead".

The Mara!Doctor, while still being Obviously Evil and Not the Doctor, actually does manipulate Turlough here by singling him out. The Doctor's being secretive and Only Turlough Knows, because he can keep a secret, right? Turlough's not usually the trusted confidant, so this is a positive change. The Doctor trusts him. After all the Black Guardian stuff, Turlough wants to be trusted.

So, Turlough is worn down by this special attention he's getting. The Doctor wants him to be involved in Secret Business that the girls aren't in on and now they're going to spend some quality time together at the fair.

So, we're off to the fair! The Doctor wins a carnival game, but he still believes the game was rigged against him and gets upset, even though he won.

As for the Doctor's Dark Side, this feels like a petty version of the Doctor's sense of justice. This is unfair so it has to be stopped. He also brags about how clever he is. Five's one of the less arrogant Doctors, but the Doctor commenting on his own intelligence isn't exactly uncommon.

I would love to know what kind of Giant Cuddly alien animal that toy is. For some reason my own mental image of it is off an octopus. It can cuddle you back, I guess. I'm weird.

Mara!Doctor casually hands the prize off to Turlough, who doesn't act like he's carrying a giant stuffed animal throughout the rest of the story, so he most likely abandoned it somewhere. I would be mad about the stuffed animal neglect, but there's too much going on here to stop for that. I hope someone gave it a home.

Mara!Doctor looks for more problems to cause and Turlough tries to keep up. He goes on a bit of an evil rant.

Turlough's response to just being asked what he wants is interesting. "I thought this was our night on the town". Mara!Doctor asking Turlough what he wants isn't a contradiction of it being their night on the town. It could even be interpreted as "What do you want to do next?" or "Want me to buy you something?". From Mara!Doctor's tone, he clearly means it in a more "tell me all your hopes and dreams" sense, but it's still an odd response. What Turlough wants and this being their night out are correlated.

This night out, this quality time with the Doctor, was what Turlough wanted. Now he has it, but it's all wrong, because it's not really the Doctor he's out with.

Turlough falls back on having learned to accept things. And the words in context with his last line feel like "It turns out that what I want is impossible, but I'm settling for what you'll give me."

The Doctor, as himself, taught Turlough to be thankful for what he has, but this whole experience being such a let down means that the Mara!Doctor has also taught him that he's never going to get what he wants, the Doctor's trust and undivided attention, and he just accept that. At least the Doctor is part of his life.

Mara!Doctor is still in Evil Rant Mode, but the script directions here are kind of funny:

Turlough is embarrassed. You'd think he'd be scared by how obviously wrong this is, or concerned because there's something wrong with the Doctor, but he's embarrassed. The Doctor's antics are ruining their date and attracting attention from strangers.

By this point, Tegan and Nyssa, with Dadda's help, have figured out that the Doctor is possessed and Turlough's alone with him. It's quickly assumed that Turlough's been possessed too, which isn't surprising. It's not even an unfair assumption. The Mara has been going around possessing everyone with a name. Why wouldn't it possess Turlough, especially if it's already possessed the Doctor, someone Turlough would be easily persuaded by and comfortable getting close to.

The Mara hasn't possessed Turlough yet because it would actually break a pattern. The attempt to possess Nyssa through Tegan was when they were alone in their bedroom. Kerrem was possessed while alone with the Doctor in his office. The Mara doesn't seem to strike in public places. Kerrem screamed when he was possessed, so it would obviously attract attention. The entire time Mara!Doctor's been with Turlough, they've been at a crowded fairground. The Mara is waiting until they're alone...

This happens at the abandoned studio where the Mara hopes to continue its plan for world domination, just bringing Turlough along for the ride. By this point, Turlough has either realized that something's very wrong or is just done with all this bullshit and wants out.

But, in the abandoned studio, they're alone now. So the Mara can actually try to possess Turlough, which would definitely prevent him from leaving.

Turlough saw the Mark of the Snake on Tegan's arm and should know that it's associated with the Mara, but he probably never expected to see the Doctor be possessed. He's the Big Good of the universe in Turlough's mind. He protected him for the Black Guardian, basically the Devil. The Mara couldn't possibly be more powerful than that!

Turlough's "I don't know" is similar to his "well" before deciding to go to the fair. He's actually being convinced, more by the Hypnotic Evil Power of the Mara than by anything that's being said. But, it's also the Doctor offering Wealth and Power here...

But, they get interrupted and the Mara!Doctor pulls Turlough into a nearby warehouse.

Turlough is sort of tempted by the Mara's offer, even after everything else that's happened. We're also back to the double entendre with Nyssa and Tegan in part 1. They're alone together, one of them removes some of their clothing and offers the other basically whatever they want. It stood out with Nyssa and Tegan because it happened in a bedroom. It stands out here because Mara!Doctor took Turlough on a date first. So, if this was a sexual offering, Turlough would totally be up for it, but Mara!Doctor is being too rough with him. Not being a gentleman, just leading him to an abandoned building and grabbing him like that! In his "darkest dreams" it was way more romantic. Worst. Date. Ever.

Okay, I've had my fun.

Anyway, Mara!Doctor locks Turlough in a stall. He has to meet with Rick now, so he doesn't have time to possess Turlough. He can't bring non-possessed Turlough along to the meeting, because he might hinder his plans in some way. But, he can't risk Turlough escaping and tattling to Nyssa and Tegan either. So, he has to lock him up somewhere.

The Mara!Doctor hurt Turlough. Turlough thought the Doctor would never hurt him. He trusted him. This is when he starts to get really scared.

[denimbex1986]

'Finally watching the first of the three 60th anniversary Doctor Who specials may have left you feeling transformed – like you've regenerated into a new you, even. One that now exists in a world where David Tennant is the Converse-kicking Doctor and his best friend Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) is his no-nonsense sidekick in a newly refurbished minimalist TARDIS. Better yet, she has her memories back.

'The Star Beast' gave us flashes of that infamous moment, which first aired in 2008, when the Doctor did a Men in Black-style memory wipe on Donna to prevent her human brain from frying to a cinder under the weight of all that Time Lord knowledge.

Despite portentous warnings that if Donna ever remembered anything at all of her time with the Doctor she would – imagine this bit in some scary cursive font, surrounded by exclamation marks – be deader than the deadest dead that ever did die, she gets it all back ahead of a TARDIS tootle for old time's sake in the two specials to come.

How so then? Let's not get too bogged down in the details, because in classic Whovian fashion, it was a bit of a marvellous timey-wimey fandangle. This is still a world where perils can be done and undone at the turn of a sonic screwdriver.

Donna has her memories flood back into her consciousness in a way that doesn't harm her and, with her daughter Rose (Yasmin Finney), saves London from the dastardly havoc of the Furby-with-fangs Meep (Miriam Margolyes).

It may even now feel a bit harebrained looking back on the Doctor's fearmongering to Donna's grandfather Wilf, played by the legendary late Bernard Cribbins, about what might befall her if she ever spied an Ood or the like. But when it first aired in 'Journey's End', the fate of such a beloved character was one that essentially felt worse than death.

Few enjoyed watching Donna manically repeat the word "binary" like a DVD with a scratch on it, and barely anyone liked seeing her reduced to tears, begging the Doctor not to do what he then did. In those final moments, Donna said she thought they would travel space and time "forever"; to lose that is one thing, but then to not even know you had lost it felt like an additional cruelty.

There's a reason it was described as "the saddest end for a companion ever" at the time.

Rose (Billie Piper) got her own Xerox copy of the Doctor as a parting gift, while Donna got some lottery winnings – which we now know she gave away to charity anyway – and a forever-gap in her memories.

That heartbreaking conclusion to mighty Donna has rankled with many fans since, after her character had been shaped into someone with a profound sense of self over those adventures with the Doctor, only for that all to be stripped away, leaving her much as the same as when we first met her, chattering away on the phone.

When the Doctor returned to visit Wilf and get that £1 to buy the winning lottery ticket, he confided how challenging his time travelling had been without her, while Donna had been left knowing something was amiss. "Sometimes I see this look on her face," Wilf told the Doctor. "Like she's so sad. And she can't remember why."

'The Star Beast' rewrites an ending Russell T Davies may have since sensed was a foot stepped wrong – perhaps the juiciness of Donna's tragedy, and the impact it would inevitably have on the Doctor, was a storytelling move too tempting to pass up.

While Rose or Martha (Freema Agyeman) might dominate fans' affections, Donna marked a refreshing change in Tennant's companions, moving away from the starry romantic eyes of the two before her to a relationship based on friendship.

Bringing her back and undoing the wipe allows Davies to do more with her character, but also more importantly to do more with her and Tennant's Doctor as he wrestles with what it means to be the apparently softer Fourteenth Time Lord, but back with the face of the Tenth.

It's an absolute thrill to see him back, and it's all the better having her there. From the moment they first run into each other near the shops, the quips are back.

"Word of advice," she tells him. "You can wear a suit that tight up to the age of 35. And no further." In many ways, Donna's lack of romantic interest in the Doctor often allowed her to see him clearest. Even if we will always love the pin-striped suit.

The broad comedy is paired with real soulful warmth. When Donna's reunited with her memories in the Meep's space shuttle, it's moving enough to forgive the memory wipe. "It's like the good old days," Donna tells us.

The Disney cash injection oozes from this special – particularly if you have any recollection of moments like the Slitheen unzipping foreheads and peeling skin suits off in Christopher Ecclestone's reboot season. But underneath the swish new money special effects is a bedrock of humanity, with that friendship now firmly at the heart of this sci-fi story.

Wilf said it best way back when, as the Doctor wrestled with what he had done without a companion at his side. "Don't you see? You need her, Doctor. Wouldn't she make you laugh again? Good ol' Donna."'

[dapper-nahrwhale]

Been rewatching doctor who again and I've been thinking, so the 9th doctor mentions at one point hes been around for 900 years, and the 11th doctor says at one point hes around 1103, and now I'm thinking about how old each regeneration is, now it would make send for each to be around 100 years or so, what with the math of that making sense in the surface for each doctor to have around 100 years per regeneration, but that doesnt really work, because 11 was with the ponds pretty consistantly even if he did go off on his own adventures without them for a few years he never did go too long without popping in with them, and I've always sort of assumed 9 was only around for a for a few years or so seeing as when he meets rose it's the first time hes seen his face, although who knows how long the time war went on for with the war doctor and how he had aged significantly, and how how the doctor had not considered the war doctor apart of him, he probably didn't count those years either, and of course there are specific discrepancies too, like the time war could have gone on for a very long time throughout both war and 9, and I haven't rewatched classic who recently enough to remember exactly when the doctor mentions his age, because he has had to in the past at some point although I'm sure i could just look it up somewheres, but seeing as how most of the doctors adventures had a steady stream a revolving door of companions with quite a bit of overlap in them there were very rarely stories involving the doctor alone and out of time and his companions had rarely aged too significantly, even being not all that strictly chronological ther just aren't enough times for each regeneration to have 100 years per one, but the 1st doctor, now I cant recall exactly what his age was, but that might have been most of it and the war doctor would have had a big portion of the remaining years if we count that, which seeing as it's not too likely that 100 years really did go by with each regeneration, that would make sense to do, but yeah I had a point what was the point, I don't remember the point I had anymore now, oh yeah it was about how old each regeneration is and the answer is I dont know

[theajaheira]

if this makes no sense I'm sorry, tired and trying to indulge: how do you imagine a Husbands Of River Song type deal (in-universe fun cute bittersweet, out of universe we owe this character an apology) for Jenny going?

OH i had to drag out my laptop for this one!!! so many thoughts!

my initial thing is like -- there is a real crucial difference btwn jenny and river that i think would make it super difficult to write anything husbands of river song-esque. river is mishandled at times but she's always clearly presented as a character we should root for and enjoy, even if we don't 100 percent know her motives -- because she's all but stated to be the doctor's wife, we know that at some point in time the doctor will love and trust her, which means that we as viewers have room to love and trust her too even without full info! her retconned backstory is intended to give us that info and show us exactly why we should treasure her, and imo i think that while i take issue with some of the details/execution, the concept is so fucking sweet??? like holy shit, the daughter of two of the doctor's companions, who we have gotten to know over the course of a season and we've watched fall in love? her superpowers and her alien-ness coming from an act of love in the tardis on their wedding night? she's literally a born traveler. she was conceived in space.

my absolute worship and adoration of amy/rory is possibly jumping out here, but i personally love seeing their baby and getting to go "that's their baby :)" so no issue at all with melody pond. it's hard (for me at least!) not to love river when you look at her as amy and rory's daughter!! so much anger and bitey rage and impulsivity and adventure (amy) and so much unwavering devotion to a partner who is not verbally demonstrative but who shows their love through awkwardly expressed physical affection & grand romantic gestures of devotion (rory)!!! and i am getting SO off track i just. am back in the sauce. my POINT is that we are given a billion reasons to love river, and the show loves river, and you can feel that.

conversely, jenny.... the show is kinda built to ice her out? she's giles's girlfriend, which gives her a pass to exist, and her retconned backstory is essentially constructed to make it sadder when she eventually dies. like, if we think about it, ALL of the weight of her death comes from the fact that she's trying to redeem herself -- for this backstory that was made up in the eleventh hour. jenny is essentially given depth to make her murder a cool storytelling moment, which is fundamentally horrendous, and not at all something i can ever see this show doing to river. (i think there are similarities, but river's death is sorta retroactively given weight through later episodes that turn her into a person, which feels in many ways like the inverse of what happens to jenny. both of their deaths bring them narrative interiority in different ways.)

soooo all of this to say that i have A LOT of trouble constructing a husbands of river song situation for jenny, because i think that would require the buffyverse to have even the slightest iota of awareness as to the scope of how wrong they did jenny! dw i think was very aware of what was done to river, more so as the years went on -- we see that in the name of the doctor, when we're given post-library river who is clearly heartbroken and feels abandoned! and the husbands of river song was such a beautiful way to try and give river a storyline that shows us the rich life she's led outside of the doctor -- to make it feel less like she revolves around him and stops existing when he's not in the picture. it reinforces this dynamic where she and the doctor are travelers in each other's lives. they're both having fun with it, even if there's always grief woven in.

i feel very strongly that the show itself fundamentally believes jenny's death to be a Good Smart Thing, an Important Thing, and so any attempt to apologize for doing it would go against that fundamental belief -- that we so often see repeated verbatim in the fandom! so many people going "i'm so sad for giles but this was such an amazing moment!" which is HORRENDOUS. and which is also probably why i am so "this is my specialest girl" about jenny. she should live.

but if i was to come up with something, i think it would actually be in the form of a post-canon tie-in novel, or maybe some kind of extended special episode -- not the show itself! i would want jenny to be removed from this specific narrative that thinks her death was righteous -- that she exists instead in a story that's for her. and the plot that follows is actually very loosely the plot of a fic i kind of wanna write but have never knuckled down and written. someday!!!

when i was working on figuring out what you make, i gave jenny a cousin (nora) who has awe-inspiring magical powers but who absolutely refuses to use them for anything constructive. she's a very no-nonsense judgy fighty weird-about-her-emotions type, and she's got the world's softest husband & their three babies. i've always liked the idea of writing something where she finds out about jenny's death, goes, "well! FUCK that, actually," and just, like, casually resurrects jenny in a way that (let's throw in some doctor who lmao) is maybe a little time-bendy? like maybe she scoops jenny's consciousness out of her the moment before death, and then manages to revive the body? lots of weirdness so that jenny's not being snatched out of the afterlife. nora's methodical like that. but BECAUSE this is a very weird and roundabout process, jenny's memories are a little scrambled, and that means she really doesn't remember anything about sunnydale in a way that's super coherent!

and all of this coalesces into giles, in some random ass colorado town for no reason, getting rung up at an adorable little family grocery store By Jenny and nearly having a fucking heart attack. so essentially the whole plot is just giles trying to first come to terms with SEEING jenny, then kinda clawing at the walls about the whole thing, THEN trying to figure out what the fuck is going on and maybe restore jenny's memories in the process, while meanwhile nora has snapped into full-on protective mom mode because she doesn't think he deserves any kind of contact with jenny ever. the implicit narrative suggestion would be -- maybe it's better if jenny DOESN'T remember him, yk?

i think it would make the most emotional sense for this to happen over the summer between s2 and s3, because it would be able to be this cute one-off where it also feels believable that giles and jenny's relationship could eventually recover from this. this of course systemically destroys giles's arc in the entire rest of the show and sends the whole thing crashing down like dominoes, because, like i said, show fundamentally believes that jenny should be dead. i can't speak for how the rest of canon would look after that, which sorta defeats the purpose of "adorable little one-off tribute" -- but if jenny does get her memories back, it's always possible that she and giles sequester herself away from canon somehow?

but also, if it's a one-off, it could end in some awfully bittersweet way where giles actually decides to let jenny go, or to let nora keep his memories of the summer, or something. like jenny's memories actually don't come back, even though she and giles are of course spending time together and she is shown to be still very clearly in love with him. i feel like that would probably be the ending that would most hammer home the fact that canon is a cesspool, giles is returning to it, and maybe jenny would do better away from a narrative that thinks she's most compelling when she's dead. (this is the ending i personally feel would be most truthful and make the most sense.)

THOUGH i just actually thought about it for a moment and. if we're being real here? jenny would choose to stay. so that's probably also important. i think there could be something really compelling about giles trying to Make This Choice on her behalf that we as the viewers have been shown is actually a pretty damn good choice, and she knuckles down and goes "counterpoint: i love you enough to want to die all over again." which is insane and deranged and i don't know whether i actually would want them to end this together or not. but that does reflect my general feelings about g/j, on occasion.

[tummytumbly]

a vampire who choose to sleep in the last hundred year, walks down the road of modern city all regal and pristine. three piece suit, shiny shoes, cool sunglasses, hat, the whole shabang. suddenly saw a homeless women beside the street and without thinking just toss a coin.

"excuse me, sir! have we met before?"

"well, yes if you ever been to venice."

"no, i know you. three centuries ago, with a young doctor by your side"

he looks at the woman carefully, but not remember her face. and come on, 300 years is a long time ago. but, she's right about the young doctor.

and they suddenly on adventure together, idk. he thinks she's a valuable member of immortal creature that knows the information for the last century. she thinks he at least in the know on why she become immortal.

-

the vampire and the woman in serious heated argument. i mean, what kind of companion are they if they don't argue.

"you put garlic on my bread!"

"chill, the rash will disappear in few hours. the most important is the flavor. this shit so good!"

"it will kill me!"

"so?"

"you vile woman! i will kill you!!", he shouted with real intent to kill.

she shuddered, suddenly the air felt prickly against her skin and her guts told her to flee. the vampire was angry and and ready to kill, she can sensed it. she thought, "this is it, then. this is my end after three centuries. fucking finally!" and awkwardly step forward.

he silently looked at her.

"please, go on"

"what?!!"

"you said you'll kill me"

"yes"

"you may proceed"

the vampire looked at her. she just stand there, waiting patiently.

"i..have a knife if that will help"

"you know what? just eat those damn bread!"

"where are you going?"

"out! to get some fresh air"

"are we continuing later?"

"ejsjhskarkk"

"well, that doesn't sound promising", she grumbled and returned to her garlic bread.

-

another day, another argument.

"you dirty wench! i will k-", he stopped his word, " i will torture you!"

"pfft, please..like that will faze me? bitch, i'm a witch hunt survivor!"

she goes silent for a second and say, "huh, i should put that on a t-shirt"

cue to the next frame, she walk the street with "witch hunt survivor" t-shirt

[sesamie]

i would like to hear about the aubreyad 👍

okay so!!!! the aubreyad is our affectionate fandom term for the aubrey/maturin series by patrick o'brian - a 20.5-book series about the adventures of captain jack aubrey and doctor stephen maturin who are two best friends in the napoleonic wars. it's pretty critically acclaimed in terms of being like A+ historical fiction and beloved by napoleonic nerds worldwide, well-researched and well-written and all around Technically Good! i'm only on the fourth book (i took a huge break to get into house md sjdfhsdf) but it's my favorite series of all time and i hope in my life to own all 21 books (as well as every companion glossary, directory, map, and thinkpiece i can find!!) (also my goal is to own all the books with the same series of covers (the newest ones) cause they're GORGEOUS and i like them to be all the same)

so basically the story is - jack aubrey is an english navy captain (or rather, becomes one, over the course of the first two books) and another guy nearly fights him because he was being an annoying audience member during a concert and tapping his hands offtime and everything. the next day he and this other guy meet up and discover they have a lot in common (particularly the music they like to play!) and jack, after learning this guy is a physician, invites him to be his ship's surgeon on his new ship!! the physician is one stephen maturin, extremely Character Of All Time. he's a naturalist and a doctor, he's addicted to laudanum, he's so autistic, he's bisexual-coded, he knows absolutely nothing about sailing or being in the navy. he was a revolutionary and is extremely political and frequently gets into fights with jack about the nature of authority and the way he runs his ship! ALSO HE IS LITERALLY AN INTELLIGENCE SPY.

jack aubrey himself is a force of nature, he's universally beloved by almost everybody, he's tall and fat and strong and red-faced and blond and makes the most horrible puns and thinks they are so funny. they call him goldilocks, or lucky jack. he's the love of my life. way smarter than he gives himself credit for, extremely lucky, and also a dolt in the most endearing moments. jack and stephen are, for all intents and purposes, smart when apart and stupid when together. they also love eachother very very much and are best friends - pretty sure you have to be best friends to travel on foot across spain with one of you inside the skinned hide of a bear and the other pretending to be his bear-leader. in order to get away from the people to whom you owe money that you definitely can't pay.

also, in the second book, while taking some time away from war (cause they thought it was over sdjfhsdf), stephen and jack spend some time in the countryside and meet cousins sophia williams and diana villiers and they all four become friends then!! and jack ends up marrying sophie and from where i'm standing i still can't see any horizon end to diana and stephen's messiness. he tried to duel her husband. among other things.

that's kind of where i'm at at the moment - each book is technically able to be read standalone but i would never.

OH ALSO THE FILM!!!! in 2003 they released a peter weir (my fav director) film called master and commander: the far side of the world, starring russell crowe as jack and paul bettany as stephen. the film tosses together a couple elements from a few of the books but it is widely regarded as a loving if not faithful adaptation and a lot of care was put into it!!! if you're ever into film production i highly recommend looking into the making of m&c cause it's REALLY interesting. they kept the officers and crewmen in separate places so the actors would naturally develop a sense of separation. the film is also widely regarded as an example of great use of musical score and sound in film!! we watched it in my junior year film class when we were studying score. even if you don't care about the napoleonic wars or about naval battle or even about the blorboable stephen maturin i HIGHLY recommend giving it a watch - it's just a really damn well-made film, and i'm grateful that they did us such justice with the adaptation.

any more questions i'd be happy to answer :)

[variousqueerthings]

okay I didn't go into Victory of the Daleks whilst watching cos I think it's trash, but let's do the Measurement on it!

sexism rank objectification (female character is ogled/harassed/turned into a sex joke by the doctor and/or a lead we’re supposed to root for and/or the camera): 9/10

sexism rank plot-point (lead female character is only there to serve plot, not to have her emotional interiority explored): 3/10

interesting complex or pointlessly complex (does the complexity serve the narrative or does it just serve to be confusing as a stand-in for smart, this includes visually): 6/10

furthers character and/or lore and/or plot development (broader question that ties into the previous ones, at least two of these, ideally three should be fulfilled): 5/10

companion matters (the companion doesn’t always have to be there, but if the companion is there, can they function without the doctor– and overall per season how often is the companion the focus or POV of the story): 5/10

the doctor is more than just “godlike” (examines the doctor’s flaws and limitations, doesn’t solve a plot by having it revolve entirely around the doctor’s existence): 6/10

doesn’t look down on previous doctor who (by erasing or mocking its importance, by redoing and “bettering” previous beloved plotpoints or characters, etc.): 7/10

isn’t trying to insert hamfisted sexiness (m*ffat famously talked a lot about how dw should be sexier multiple times, he sucks at writing it): 8/10

internal world has consistency (characters have backgrounds, feel rooted in a place with other people, generally feel like they have Lives): 3/10

Politics (how conservative is the story): 1/10

FULL RATING: 53/100 (if I can count….)

Christopher Eccleston I hope you never watched the last two episodes, in which the Doctor was personal friends with various members of the royal family and supports its structures, and the Doctor is personal friends with Winston Churchill....

also I've gotta be honest, Matt Smith's acting isn't giving it in this in terms of the Dalek Trauma, but then none of the episode is

I liked the Doctor going "Amy- Amelia!" when worried for her safety

OBJECTIFICATION: At least there's none of that really. Second miniskirt, but youknow. that's Amy's wardrobe most of the time.

PLOT-POINT: nothing is really explored about Amy in this episode, but I guess not every episode needs to be doing that. I think her relationship with the Doctor continues to be written a bit to the left of what makes sense for them, considering the past, but I'm willing to consider that she just wants the adventure and not to think too much about things

COMPLEXITY: I mean, it's not complicated at all. if anything it's a bit simple. bringing the Daleks back like this, in a way that previously was reserved for Very Special Episodes. marks the beginning of the end of the Daleks as serious villains....

CHARACTERS/LORE/PLOT: because the Daleks make very little sense in this, it's kind of dumb lore, but way more interesting is the tidbit that Amy doesn't remember the events of previous seasons

now I've previously disliked this plotpoint, because I feel like it never properly gets resolved despite the cracks in time later on being... uncracked. however it is cool when it's first mentioned!

COMPANIONS MATTER: Amy does mostly one thing, which is remind the guy who's actually a robot what it is to be human, so he doesn't blow up, and she does it by reminding him... that he was in love once.....

“hey Paisley… ever fancied someone you know you shouldn’t… hurts doesn’t it… but kind of a good hurt…” <- look I’m biased but I’d just explode if I were a secret Dalek bomb RIP to all of us aros, but we're not really human

this wouldn't needle so much, if I didn't know that this is so much of M*ffat's thesis. romantic love is better than any other forms of connection

“GODLIKE” DOCTOR: the Doctor is kind of the point of this episode in that they needed his voice to make the plot work, and then he's badass, and then it ends. it's not "godlike," but it's just. not a good episode. the end.

PREVIOUS DOCTOR WHO: So this also ties into the lore -- I kind of like right now how it definitely does acknowledge the previous narratives and it's weird that Amy doesn't know that it happened... highly suspect

“SEXINESS”: we're fine on the sexiness overall. minimum trying to be sexy outside of the general weirdness of the miniskirts as a Choice

INTERNAL WORLD: it's not good folks. it's trying to be so big and impressive and so we've got random planes in space and Churchill is Personal Friends With The Doctor and it's got this whole wink wink we know we're going to beat the Germans, because we know the Future

vs, say, M*ffat's last foray into WWII (which, granted he didn't write this episode, but this is his show now) in which you really got a sense of the fear and the unknown and the Deeply Human, because we're not just hanging out with the Most important people

it's just not recognisable as a Place and Time, beyond the need for some kind of coolness factor

and speaking of The Most Important People--

POLITICS: uuuuuuurghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh okay

I have seen someone say that this episode is actually a critique of Churchill, and honestly I was this close to skipping it, and then that dragged me in to actually give it a go and

no it is not. I mean, yes, Churchill is characterised as someone who will try to win however he can, but he's actually trying his best in a difficult situation and as the Doctor says: “the world doesn’t need me. The world’s got Winston Spencer Churchill.”

UUUUUUURGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH OKAY

the doctor personal friends with winston churchill

the fucking. Hey-Ho Britain Propaganda! We'll Beat The Bally Germans Ey Lads!

FULL RATING: 53/100 (if I can count….)

It loses on the politics of course, and on the internal world-building (again related to the politics), and Amy isn't really much of anything in this episode beyond... there

it does well on... not doing the sexy sexism I guess. and it's not terrible towards other Doctor Who stories, although maybe it deserves less on that because fuuuck the shit it does with the Daleks is an insult in and of itself

it's just not a good episode

[brilliantfantasticgeronimo]

dw rewatch - takes from "rose"

companion watch:

Rose kinda plays the role of Ian in this episode. Action man. Etc

When Nine exits the frame in the Famous Walking Single Shot and Rose is left befuddled, after a second, she runs back- but it’s too late. The TARDIS is gone. It’s OK though because she’ll get a second chance. This moment is then repeated again at the end, giving us an expectation for Rose’s choices and specially, their timing. And... Rose takes a while to take the plunge… but gets there in the end. This is the emotional arc of the episode. If there’s an "appeal" to this story, beyond aliens, comedy, and its weight.. on its own, the pull of "Rose" is inspiring bravery. As Rose will say later, it’s not about the adventures or the aliens or the wonder... “it’s about taking a stance and doing what’s right, when everyone else just runs away”.

And it’s true: no one wants to solve the issues at hand: Jackie is more concerned with compensation, Mickey says “leave him!” when Nine is about to be slurped in physchic plastic lava, and no one on earth seems to know what is going on. But Rose is there to show that we all have a part to play in history, we all have a call at some point to do what’s right and to act. Even if we’re afraid or widely out of our depths. This is what makes the first adventure click, it's a universal story.

- “I got the bronze” even at "most condecorated" stage, Rose's archivement are very mundane and down-to-earth.

- Jimmy Stone / The Doctor parallels? Perhaps...? She definitely swore off pursuing her A-levels after this adventure.

- With just a few pointed lines, we learn that Rose’s relationship with her mom has some friction. It’s not a day after she almost died and Jackie is already pushing Rose to look for another job. She won’t coddle her and will make that loud and clear. There’s also a bit of… resentment? envy? In how she says it’s good Rose lost her job at the shop because it was giving her “airs and graces” (!!). It seems she wants her succeed but not in a way that makes her leaver her (oh hello, Jackie’s arc, nice to meet you). Also this line: “ Honestly, it's aged her. Skin like an old bible. Walking in now you'd think I was her daughter.”

- At the same time, we get from this episode’s climax (with Rose’s moment being intercut with Jackie’s almost dying, almost as if the editing is suggesting she can feel her mom’s in danger) that... at this moment, she’s the most important person for Rose. Which is sweet, it's a complicated, real relationship.

Themes: - Bodies used and discarded, separation of physical bodies and consciousness. The Doctor inspiring people to do brave actions. Mundanity and the extraordinary. Internet Culture and Fandom. Environmental crisis (blink and you'll miss it). London as a cosmo-politan city. Diplomacy vs violence. - vigilante justice and underground wars. conspiracies. "Well, who else is there? I mean, you lot, all you do is eat chips, go to bed, and watch telly, while all the time, underneath you, there's a war going on." A clear tension between the (relatively) comfy lives the Tylers live and the "world out there" that's burning in flames.

- Nine rumages over Rose’s living room, and this is how he finds her last name. Is this awkwardness? Or is this trying to “figure her out” in advance like Auton mystery? How much of this adventure was The Doctor inadvertly trying to impress her?. The Doctor as the maligned “shoot the messenger” trope.

Timeless Child Retroactive Continuity Bonus:

- Nine answers Rose by saying what he can do, not really who he is… or does he? what is the doctor but a title for someone whose entire identity is built around what they do (and not their memories, personalities or physicalities, as these are in constant flux)? Axiom 2 from this: the doctor's sense of self is only defined in the present moment. their sense of identity holds no permanence.

- The closest we get in the answer is the “I’m in despair” with a “if we let go…” what does it mean? We fall into the vacuum? We fall to existential despair, like Nine is right now after the Time War? Or perhaps that, like in Torchwood… “we’re moths clinging to the flame”, in the cosmic scale, all life is really, really small and really, really fragile.

- Could this space/time sixth-sens be a unique ability of the Doctor’s OG species? The mythology used to be that all time lords developed this sensibility to time, and that’s what allowed them to time travel. However, all other time lord characters dont seem to care very much about the universe around them. We know now that The Doctor has a special relationship to “Time”. Maybe, The Doctor’s gone so long assuming this is something every TL could do, when really is just something they could do.

Blorbos:

- Nine’s little “ok” when Rose’s turns him down TOT. Imagine taking a chance of being attached and vulnerable after being so traumatized and war-scarred and then. REJECTION. headcanon that that little eu gap is mostly him just processing this and getting the urge to ask the girl out again lol

- Nine and Rose hold hands so much here omg - Nine says he knew Mickey could survive but doesn’t confide this information to Rose. Was he trying to protect her feelings, in case it turned out Mickey was indeed dead? / - “Oh, I didn’t think about that”

Colonialism / Hegemony:

- The doctor shows a lot of prejudice to humans in this. And honestly, this gives me a lot of conflicting feelings. One thing I'm trying to do in this rewatch is keep a firm eye on the "white savior/colonialist fiction aesthetic/neoliberal power fantasy" spectrum of things and see what sort of things pop out. I think Nine's immediate "I'm so much Smarter and Intellectual THEREFORE I know what's best in Every situation" is a very good (bad) fuel to this strand of critique.

- but, it is narrative effective. it’s effective at showing us he’s quite full of himself, and humbling the viewer by telling them that hey, you don’t know everything that will happen in this show! - It also makes sense for Nine in particular to be this cynical, given what we know he's lived. But there’s also something a bit … grossly Victorian Intellectual about it. It feels like the pulpy DNA ethos, the one that comes from white “humanists” and “rationalists”, is very loud in those moments.

- In Dramatic Justice terms, The Doctor’s decision to seek a diplomatic solution comes at the cost Clive his life. Although we’re clearly meant to admire 9’s diplomacy, it is ultimately proven useless materially. But although there's an interest in reading the moment as virtuous, there's an ambiguity by Clive’s meta that in some ways The Doctor is a cause of destruction (which is a beat the series has never quite connected and I'll get to in s2... the timelords, and by extension, the doctor, were the cause of all these messes, but much like irl brittish imperialism and usa neoimperialism, the narrative is blind to their responsibility on the current mess).

- We learn the Nestene consciousness has high tech but not as high as the Time Lord’s (it gets scared by the TARDIS).

You cannot reason with an Invading force. That Nine attempts to do so without offering the Nastene any kind of deal, when he’s aware that they’re doing out of a need for Survival, for basic resources, seems almost like self-sabotage.

- Obviously, the implication is that humanity has caused this by being so damn contaminating. But The Nastene could’ve just eaten all the plastic and toxins honestly, would’ve done us a favor. Possibility for a symbiotic episode one day in the future?