#when moffat left i was just glad i could try the show out again

[ssaalexblake]

also lol @ the chirping crickets from the ‘the dw showrunner shouldn’t be a white man we’ve moved past this’ crowd from the past 5 years suddenly going radio silence. 

[takaraphoenix]

Dr who for the ask game

Thanks for playing! This is also a big, fun one! :O (I do love that the majority of these asks hit target on my own biggest obsessions x3 We checked off like all the live action shows at this point, I think, the only things left are anime/animated xDDD)

Again with a cut due to the sheer size. ^^°°°

Top 5 favourite characters: CAPTAIN JACK HARKNESS, Martha Jones, Donna Noble, The Doctor, Yasmin Kahn

Other characters you like: Rory Williams Pond, Graham O’Brien, Mickey Smith, Bill Potts, Sarah Jane Smith, Craig Owens

Least favourite characters: Rose Tyler by a landslide

Otps: not realy any actual OTPs but ships I guess I’m fond of would be Vasta/Jenny and Rory/Amy

Notps: every ship involving the Doctor, because I just honestly find it weird and uncomfortable to look at the Doctor as a romantic or even worse yet sexual being, but most of all Doctor/Rose and Doctor/River, also Jack/Ianto

Favourite friendships: I am living for the current team dynamic, 13-Yaz-Graham-Ryan are really good but my forever favorite is the Doctor and Jack, also the best team-up was the Doctor with Donna and Martha, that was perfect

Favourite family: THE FAM! 13′s team

Favourite episodes:oooh mmh, I do have multiple favorites, so let’s do this!

Blink: it is such a good episode, there was a time I just popped that one in when I had 40 minutes to waste

Utopia/The Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords: for me personally, this is where Doctor Who peaked. My absolute favorite storyline and episodes and team-up - my favorite Doctor with BOTH my favorite companions in an episode with my favorite Master as the enemy. Amazing. There was a time when I would regularly rewatch this, just these three

Turn Left/The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End:Suuuch a satisfying conclusion for a four series plotline, all of the companions coming together like that? It was so good

The Lodger & Closing Time: I love Craig and I love how these two episodes switch things up!

Favourite season/book/movie: Rather obviously, series 3 - the return of Jack, the series where Martha is the companion, a series with my favorite Doctor and four of my favorite episodes in it!

Favourite quotes:THE ANGELS HAVE THE PHONE BOX! xD And the wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff! I got that one on a necklace even! *laughs*

Best musical moment: uuurgh the soundtrack of this show is actually so good? I listened to it on a loop for years. Series 3 and 4 being my favorites, they make you feel things, man.

Moment that made you fangirl/boy the hardest: Just this series when Jack returned. And let me elaborate to just convey how hard I fangirled at that, because it wasn’t just “oh a fave!”.

You see, Jack is... kind of why I’m here? I watched the first series with my mother back when it started airing in Germany. But they kind of... stopped dubbing it and it stopped airing in Germany and eh, I was okay with it because this show seemed weird like they just switched out the actor of the MAIN CHARACTER who does that what the fuck and I really liked Jack but he was gone now too so oh well.

However, then I read online about how Jack was in series 3. So... I went online and Doctor Who is genuinely the first TV show I ever watched in English, because I wanted to see Jack but there was no dub.

Then series 3 ended and both Jack and Martha left and I was very meh because I remembered that this is the show that constantly replaces its whole cast.

You can probably guess what happened next, but Jack was in the finale of series 4. So I went back into Doctor Who, rewatched what there has been so far all the way up to the series 4 finale - and that was when I was sold, because holy shit even with the switching of companions, they just bring them back! They just brought them all back! That was such a good pay-off.

Ironically, that was when I actually stuck around and started watching the show in real time instead of waiting for the next Jack appearance to bring me back from hibernation. Ironically because - well, that was the last we saw of anyone. (Aside from 10 in the 50 year special.)

That hard, hard cut from 10 to 11, no return of any companions...

Needless to say that when 12 came and went with no care for anything pre-11, I kind of... came to accept that this was it. Especially when they announced yet another hard cut - as in Moffat would finally be replaced and with the new era, both a new Doctor and new companions - I was so sure we’d never get to see anyone from the old crew again.

So when, after literally ten years, Jack Harkness returned and was so... so... Jack, I made the loudest, most unholy sound and the excitement of them actually acknowledging that he would be back for more and he would be there when the Doctor needs him? Tears of joy.

(but aso pls #LetMarthaMeet13 okay? Okay)

When it really disappointed you:YOU’RE MAKING A 50 YEAR ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL. YOU HAVE SOOO MANY GOOD COMPANIONS. BUT. BUT YOU BRING NONE OF THEM BACK. ONLY ROSE TYLER’S FACE. OF ALL OF THE FACES. OF EVERYONE I COULD HAVE SEEN AGAIN IN THAT SPECIAL, IT HAD TO BE BILLIE PIPER’S MEDIOCRE ACTING. REALLY? REALLY??

Saddest moment: When 10 regenerated

Most well done character death: Surprisingly enough, this show makes me care even about the one episode characters to the degree that I find their deaths frustrating. It’s pretty good at character deaths overall

Favourite guest star: Does Craig Owens count? Because he only had two appearances in total. And the second one was genuinely a surprise to me; I was sure that The Lodger would be a stand-alone, never to be seen again kind of deal

Favourite cast member: John Barrowman! David Tennant! Freema Agyeman! I love all three of them and seeing them in other things always makes me really happy!

Character you wish was still alive: I mean, Bill. Can you imagine if the lesbian companion had gotten to meet 13?? Death :D

One thing you hope really happens: Martha. I mean, come on. Jack is back, Jack warned the Doctor, promised to be there when needed. There’s no way Jack lost contact with Martha and Mickey, even with those two off in space fighting aliens alone. I’d love for this... very, very big plotline that is currently happening to include the Doctor’s old friends coming back once more to help.

Most shocking twist: I mean... I mean it’s gotta be this series’ Surprise Origin Story. Like, I still can’t quite comprehend that one.

When did you start watching/reading?: As mentioned above, when it first started airing in Germany

Best animal/creature: Does the TARDIS count as a creature? Because then Sexy wins!

Favourite location: THE TARDIS. I wish they’d show it more often just casually. I wanna see the companions hang out in there, I wanna see their rooms, see that indoor pool and stuff

Trope you wish they would stop using: "OH NO THE DALEKS ARE STILL ALIVE AFTER THE LAST TIME I TRIED GENOCIDE ON THEM *gasp*”... Like. The very first time they brought them “back from the dead”, it was really cool because as a newbie you never met them before but you get they are important. Then they were wiped out. And then they returned again. And okay, sure. So they were wiped out again. And miraculously survied again.

Look, I get it. Doctor Who has three recurring entities in the villain gallery who are like... obligatory - the Master, the Daleks and the Cybermen. But for the love of everything, stop trying to show it as a “surprise twist” that the bad guy is a Dalek like we all knew they’re coming they’re the cockroaches of the universe, they ALWAYS surprise, stop acting like we should be shocked that they’re back again.

Every time, the Doctor goes Pikachu meme but with sad eyes and like just... have the Doctor groan, kick a Dalek and go “not you again”, instead of “how did you POSSIBLY survive THIS? :O” because after the sixth miracuous survival of a genocide, it stops being a surprise twist... -_-

One thing this show/book/film does better than others: Clearly something, because it has me come back for more like a masochist despite me being a character-driven viewer - me, abandoning the show after the first series was very in character, because I’m attached to characters and if you routinely replace all the characters, that’s... not really my thing. Somehow, this show defies the odds there

Funniest moments: JACK FLIRTING WITH PEOPLE AND THE DOCTOR GOING “NO STOP THAT!” xDDD

Couple you would like to see: NONE. NO ROMANCE. KEEP THAT SHIT OUT OF MY DW!!! Urgh. Just give me fun found family space adventures. I swear ever since the cast announcement I have had a twitchy eyebrow waiting if they’ll push for Ryan/Yaz and so far I am sooo glad they are NOT. I just... want friendship and space adventures, no fucking romance. At all. Not with the Doctor, not between companions. No drama

Actor/Actress you want to join the cast: ...to stay in character, I have to say Dominic Sherwood. Partially because I am obsessed with him, but also because I WANNA HEAR HIS BRITISH ACCENT FOR A WHOLE ASS SERIES PLEASE

I would also like to see the return of James Marsters though. Time Heist teased by showing his face and acknowledging his existence in Doctor Who (it’s not like DW has acknowledged a whole lot of Torchwood canon so far, considering the catastrophic events TW has dealt with without the Doctor...), so that had me kind of hopeful he may at least cameo for an episode...

Favourite outfit: I looove Martha’s red leather jacket and Jack’s coat

Favourite item: The chameleon device

Do you own anything related to this show/book/film?: *clears throat awkwardly* ...Yes?

a metro card holder thingy with the TARDIS on it,

an I pin I have on my pencil case,

a necklace with a miniature TARDIS,

a necklace with the wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey quote in a swirl on it,

a necklace with a Weeping Angel pendant,

a mug with the 10th Doctor as a cat on it,

a lanyard with Police Call Box written all over and a miniature TARDIS dangling on it

a TARDIS dress,

a whoosh-sound making door opening TARDIS with size-fitting figures of the 10th Doctor, Jack, Martha, K9, Idris, 11, Rory and John Hart (it’s James Marsters’ pretty face, okay?),

a Funko Pop 10th Doctor,

another TARDIS but this one is smaller and can’t open,

a larger TARDIS that can open (and is the right size for my Doctor Whooves),

a Doctor Whooves (if that counts since he’s technically My Little Pony but also he’s the Doctor so like...),

a TARDIS-blue stuffed owl with Police Owl written on it,

the first four series on DVD,

a poster from the 50th Anniversary with the War Doctor walking away from an explosion and 10 and 11 on either side of him,

a pocket watch that is the chameleon device

What house/team/group/friendship group/family/race etc would you be in?: Mmmh I would like to be on the current team the most, I think? Generally speaking, their adventures were less intense than most others and I dig the family vibe

Most boring plotline: Boring, huh? There are always a couple stinkers, at least one in each series, but a really boring plotline was... Clara’s post-Impossible-Girl one. I LOVED her as the Impossible Girl, she was so interesting and I think that after she went into the Doctor’s timeline, the character should have been retired. Have her, I don’t know, dissolve there, since she is spread out through time. But that she stuck around was... not good, for her character? Her love drama with Danny was incredibly boring and not fun to watch (especially when she tried to kill the Doctor :D)

Most laughably bad moment: THAT FUCKING MOON EPISODE. THE FUCKING EPISODE WHERE THE FUCKING MOON TURNED INTO A FUCKING EGG AND AN ALIEN HATCHED TO THEN LAY A NEW MOON EGG IMMEDIATELY AFTER BEING BORN AND HUMANS JUST FUCKING SHRUGGED THAT SHIT OFF. Urgh. There are a lot of cringey things happening on this show, but this takes by far the crown. It was so stupid, so dumb, so ridiculous

Best flashback/flashfoward if any: Every time we learn more about the Doctor’s past *^*

Most layered character: I... I mean the Doctor. So many layers, so many lives, so many years

Most one dimensional character:Mh, this is harder... Among the not one-episode-off characters? I guess Nardole. Like, sure, good guy, but... not really all that deep that one

Scariest moment: Blink with the Weeping Angels. They lost A LOT of their scariness the more they were used - Moffat really overused them, in my opinion; they would have done better only appearing very rarely. But that first episode with them was just daaamn

Grossest moment: Cassandra?? Woman only made of skin?

Best looking male: CAPTAIN JACK HARKNESS

Best looking female: MARTHA JONES

Who you’re crushing on (if any): Martha Jones

Favourite cast moment: John and David being cute behind the scenes is always amazing, but the bes moment is definitely the 500 Miles video!

Favourite transportation: The TARDIS, that’s not even a question!

Most beautiful scene (scenery/shot wise): Whenever we get to see (not destroyed) Gallifrey? It’s so gorgeous??

Unanswered question/continuity issue/plot error that bugs you:SO MANY AFTER THAT LAST SERIES. But also things like: Where did Clara fuck off to in her flying diner? What exactly is Jack doing now that there is no Torchwood anymore? How in the world did Torchwood ever even work like how was the Doctor just never around during these gigantic problems?? WHO WAS THE DOCTOR’S FIRST WIFE? And what was the Doctor’s child like? Because the only one ever even mentioned is the Doctor’s granddaughter Susan, but a granddaughter implies one more generation between. WHERE IS JENNY? Since she is also the Doctor’s daughter but also just fucked off into space and like why is she not trying to track her parent down??

Best promo: I mean, it clearly works when they show me Jack’s face so that’d be it for me :D”

At what point did you fall in love with this show/book: At the series 4 finale, as above more elaborately explained

IN DEPTH FANDOM QUESTIONS

[grassangel]

Spyfall part 2

Once again more liveblogish than my yeah nah format. Starts out bullet points but quickly devolves into ranting paragraphs.

Ryan is indeed the best. Glad he got to have a hero moment, especially since there was focus on Graham and Yaz in the previous one. (Also, he’s my favourite, can you tell?)

The video like that in Blink/Family of Blood/etc was a nice reference, though it did feel a bit like copying RTD’s homework.

News from home? I was so excited for that and was really hoping the Time Lords were wanting some favours.

“You can have me” “I’ve got you anyway” Those two lines were certainly something.  I want a hundred smut fics about it. And definitely primed me for what came next.

Because wow. That kneel scene was certainly something. Especially how quickly the Master then goes down to the Doctor’s level once he’s gotten what he thinks he needs (emotionally) from her. Like I love it because it's very them and very very shippy and Whittaker absolutely kills it with her expression of 'this again? fine, you asshole' but also? 😬😬😬😬😬 Did you have to be horny on main Chibnall? Did you have to make your female Doctor kneel and say 'Master' three times when asked to? Was it absolutely necessary?

Then again, post-Fleabag (which Chibnall COULD NOT have seen coming), the scene definitely reads more horny than degrading. And if you’re a Doctor Who fan and are familiar with the Doctor and the Master’s relationship... well. You were probably reading it as horny to begin with.

I like the implication later in the conversation that yes, this is basically extreme hide and seek.

Contact! Heartbeats! I’d really like to see Chibnall give an explanation for doing this double dose of fanservice that’s a) platonic, b) heterosexual and c) has the Doctor and Master being intelligent around each other.

Their Paris indeed.  So like I hope that’s Chibnall acknowledging Missy happened. Almost don’t care if it’s supposed to be a hint that Dhawan comes before Gomez, just I NEED him to recognise that hey, there’s a dude who ran the show for eight years before he did and that his episodes exist and Chibnall can reference them.

"That's a low." Indeed, so why did you do it Chibs. Why? It's like the thing about female characters dressing in skimpy outfits - unless there's very, very good character reasons for them to do so, that's just the author/artist/director wanting them to be so. And you are the writer. That paints you in a very bad light, especially with the knowledge that Noor’s death was filmed, even if it was wisely left on the cutting room floor. (Also wtf were the script editor/Strevens & Wilson doing? Or the director? Or the costume department? Maybe the script editor didn’t know Dhawan was going to be asked for the role, but Strevens and Wilson would have! The director and costume department knew too, and if the script merely said [the Master walks in, leading a squad of Ges**po] and didn’t specify Na** officer, then they’re the ones to blame and are an extremely good reason why Chibnall should be on set for his stories rather than staying the fuck in London.)

Also fascists, that's more the Daleks. The Master is more of a dictator. They are different.

And er... like... we know Thirteen (and you Chibnall) have a thing for choking and bondage, but really? That happened but you didn't make the Master grab the Doctor's face? At least Moffat made them kiss. Never mind either that choking is a very common form of domestic violence and highly triggering for some people. Like I can tell Jodie and Sacha were staging it safely (her hand is placed over his and she’s in charge of it’s position and selling that she’s trying to stop him) but it is so very much not a good look. (And I only know they’re staging it safely because I did drama in highschool and it’s really just a variation on being dragged by the hair. Not everyone has that same experience!)

And wow... did you mean to make the Doctor so cruel? Make her DIRECTLY responsible for sending the Master to a concentration camp, to a firing squad? Because yeah, back to what I said about very good character reasons? That’s not a good light you’re painting yourself in Chibnall. You could’ve left it at the whole Twenty Committee gambit, but nope, you had to make the Doctor cruel and have her strip away the second to last ounce of protection the Master has.

3 masters in the 20th century? That’ll be fun for fans and the EU to fill in.

😟 So 13 is back to the erasing memories bullshit? Is Chibnall purposefully ignoring 12's entire era and all the lessons learned from it? (Like I mean... I suspected that Capaldi decided to decline to continue with Chibnall after meeting him and presumably talking about where Chibnall wanted to take the series, but uh... this makes me think even more so. All that work he put into Twelve learning that it’s wrong to violate someone’s memories like that, especially without consent? If they discussed any specific details about episodes I can see why he bailed.)

Chibnall. Mr Lee Haven Jones. You are both cowards. Let the Doctor kiss a girl, even if only on the forehead.

😡 Destroying Gallifrey again? Again? However I will admit I like the Doctor and the Master being the last two Time Lords again. 😍 They HAVE to be together now.

😡 Fuck Lungbarrow and anything derived from it or even remotely resembling it though. The Doctor does not, in any way, shape or form, need to be more special that the weird, nigh-immortal, super intelligent alien they already are. They do not need to be a god in the shape of an alien. (I’m okay with Time Lords being glowing squid aliens in meat suits though, but I doubt that’s what the Timeless Child is all about.)

That post-Gallifrey sequence was nice though, lots of good stuff for Whittaker and Dhawan to work with, and I am glad my suspicion this Master would be recurring is probably true. Hopefully. (Some of the comments Jodie made about Chibnall’s plans seem like this will be stretched on for far too long (until the 60th) and, though that also makes it sound like she’ll be sticking around until then too, it may mean that Dhawan’s Master only pops up once a series whenever the Timeless Child mystery is brought up again. Which I sincerely hope isn’t the case because the fandom loves him a lot and wants to see plenty more of him. And it’s not too late to insert him into more scripts for series 13 either!)

Also like... really liked that Dhawan and Whittaker got to do so much across from each other. Lots of stuff I'll interpret shippily, though a decent chunk will also get ignored or reinterpreted because it's stupid and ouch and fuck you Chibnall.

Vor subplot was basically there for a little bit of padding this episode. Which feels useless and pointless, especially the way it sort of literally fizzled out at the end. (Chibnall's not great at sticking the landing)

Also I’m very disgruntled that the BBC Voices audience response surveys haven’t been sent out yet. I hope it’s just because they’re still on holiday, because I don’t like the options why I haven’t received one. 

They could not have received an order to run the surveys this series. Which uh... cocky much about your writing Chibnall?

There’s no money to run them for this series, which is a whole bunch of whelp in regards to the BBC being bled dry by the Tory government.

For some reason I’ve been kicked off the panel/no longer qualify. Which would suck. I like giving them what for.

[avidbeader]

Okay, time to prattle about “Doctor Who” for a bit.

I started watching in 2005 with my husband, because he was a longtime fan and was super-excited for the reboot. I enjoyed it a lot, enough to become a fierce shipper of Ten and Rose and a strong supporter of Russell T. Davies. I also started watching “Torchwood” and liked it a lot overall.

When both Davies and David Tennant left, I wasn’t sure about the show anymore. Steven Moffat was not my favorite “Who” writer and I thought they’d missed an opportunity not casting an actor of color in the role. “The Eleventh Hour” was a good romp, however, and enough to keep me going for a while.

But again, my favorite episodes were ones written by other people than Steven Moffat: Toby Whithouse, Richard Curtis, Neil Gaiman. And while I tended to enjoy the slowly-unfolding season-long storyarcs, I got tired pretty quickly of Moffat’s concentration on super-intricate plots over character development and interaction. And about halfway through Smith’s second season, I had an epiphany and just stopped watching. I tried again with the Christmas special involving Clara, but that quickly became another puzzle-box-instead-of-character situation and I dropped it again.

When Chris Chibnall was hired, I sat up and paid attention. I liked what he did on “Torchwood”. I liked “Broadchurch”. And then he cast Jodie Whittaker and I was absolutely going to try it again.

Spoilers for Episode 1 under the cut:

I loved “The Woman Who Fell to Earth”. I loved meeting Ryan first and getting to know him, then his gran and step-grandpa. I loved the introduction of Yaz with her Rose-like outlook of wanting to do more with herself. And then the Doctor came crashing into a crisis and the very first thing she did, no hesitation, was to grab a live cable and electrocute the alien thing.

One of the things that worked for me so well, that felt a bit “Torchwood”, is Chibnall’s ability to handle multiple characters/personalities and their dialogue in a scene without losing sight of anyone unless he wants you to “forget” them for a bit. So many scenes were full of 4, 5, 6 characters and yet it never felt crowded, conversations never felt clunky.

And again, I want to know more about these characters. I want to see Yaz stretch her wings and find a path she can forge for herself without having to fight through a system or plodding superiors. I want to see Ryan gain confidence and not let his condition define limits for him. I want to see Graham find a new place for himself both as a cancer survivor and a widower.

Which is the one sour note for me, that Grace (an older woman of color) ended up being the redshirt of the episode. I knew an exit for the character was almost certainly coming, since the actress was not part of the media blitz, and that tainted my viewing a bit. While I am glad that she died in an active way, actually fighting the alien threat and not just getting killed because wrong-place-wrong-time, I don’t like that she had to die at all. She was too full of life and determination and I think her being part of the new “fam” would have been a good balance to Graham and Ryan’s fears. However, I’m not going to yell “fridging” yet because the actress is listed as “recurring” this season and could possibly come back in a timey-wimey way that isn’t limited to flashbacks.

The villain also had a “Torchwood” sort of feel to him, especially the hilarious scene with the drunk guy...before it turned into not hilarious. He was kind of one-note, but this was a regeneration/new Doctor and companions episode and the villain was always going to be a supporting note. I did love the “Tim Shaw” running gag and how the Doctor called him out for being a cheat (I will happily take the allusion to a certain orange cheeto).

Which brings me to Jodie Whittaker. She IS the Doctor. The brain running a hundred miles faster than anyone else. The fearless reliance on improvisation because it keeps working. The un-selfconscious embracing of herself and those around her. The only thing I might point to that is feeling more Jodie/Thirteen is the empathy being right there on the surface, not something that the companion has to prod for. She tells the others a little about herself and her losses. She is there for the funeral - I’ve seen the Doctor hang around for the occasional celebration but at the moment can’t remember them staying for the fallout when things went south. And Jodie carried it all off beautifully.

I think I’m back for the long haul. And I encourage anyone else who might be curious to try it out, even if you’ve never watched before. You don’t need a lot of context to enjoy this.

[the-fandom-newsletter]

Fandom Newsletter #4

Today is Friday, the 26th of October, and Welcome back to another Fandom Newsletter! 

Writers: Atlas, Blackpurrl, Fyne, YoursTruly Editors: Fyne and YoursTruly 

“Oh my God, Karen! You can’t just ask people why they’re white.” ~Mean Girls

Let’s get started! 

First to YoursTruly with the Horror, Hannibal, Tim Burton, Animation, and Gaming fandoms--

Horror: Horror fans love the new Halloween movie! The movie has been a massive success among fans young and old! The movie gives off a nostalgic vibe, even referencing the older movies several times throughout the film. However, if you’re going to see this movie, stay until after the credits, there’s a little surprise at the end. 

Hannibal: The Fannibals have began trying to bargain with show runner and producer Bryan Fuller for another season. The show left off on a not so satisfying conclusion, and many fans want more. Bryan Fuller has even teased the idea himself quite a few times. Will we get another season one day? Guess we’ll have to wait and see. 

Tim Burton: Disney is offering, throughout the month of October, Halloween themed cruises. They even offer an onboard show featuring Jack Skellington and Sally. And you can even meet these characters for pictures! Now that’s a cruise! Also- The Nightmare Before Christmas celebrates its 25th anniversary this year! 

YouTube: YouTube recently crashed worldwide for two hours. YouTube hasn’t said much about the incident, but problems like this are becoming more and more common on YouTube. Many people are wondering what the causes of these issues are. 

Animation: Goretober is in full swing! Many animators have been uploading their daily Goretober art. 

Gaming: The season of scary game releases is upon us! October is the month where many creators on platforms like Steam and Gamejolt are releasing their horror games in anticipation for Halloween. 

Now to Blackpurrl with the Harry Potter and Bands fandoms, along with World News--

Harry Potter: Countdown to Fantastic Beasts: 27 days!

Bands: Did you know, about twelve hours of songs are uploaded to SoundCloud every minute? Insane!

World News: Denmark Shooting for the Digital Stars

Next to Fyne with the Sherlock, Supernatural, and Spooptober fandoms, as well as the weekly positive news--

Sherlock - Ever wonder how our beloved show even came to be? Apparently, for years, writers Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss took a train to and from Cardiff while working on Doctor Who, and discussed various projects they were interested in doing. One that kept coming up repeatedly was a modern-day adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. This reportedly went on for some time (with neither man making any particular effort to get it up and going) until Moffat’s wife, Sue, invited both men out for lunch. Her place of choice just so happened to be the Criterion, a watering hole and eatery in London’s Piccadilly Circus. It just so happens to be the same place where the fictional John Watson (Sherlock’s best friend) first hears of the famed detective. The two men got the hint and began working on the series, bringing us our show that we have today. I think we all owe Sue a little bit of a thank you, don’t you?

Supernatural - Did you notice that (according to Archangel Michael in the episode The Song Remains the Same) Dean and Sam come from the bloodline of Cain and Abel? So is this important? Or is this just another coincidence?

Spooptober - This year is the year that Halloween movie Hocus Pocus reaches its 25th anniversary. The premise of the movie is this: After moving to Salem, Massachusetts, teenager Max Dennison explores an abandoned house with his sister Dani and their new friend, Allison. After dismissing a story Allison says is superstitious, Max accidentally frees a coven of evil witches who used to live in the house. Now, with the help of a magical cat, the kids must steal the witches' book of spells to stop them from becoming immortal.A family favorite movie that almost everyone has seen and that is playing on at least one channel nearly every night of October. If you haven’t seen this iconic movie, you definitely should go channel surfing at some point this month.

Positive News - The words we use to talk about mental health can perpetuate stigmas. A new portrait project featuring people who have mental health issues aims to make us think again about the language we choose.

Lastly to Atlas with the Voltron, Musicals, and Movie fandoms--

Voltron: This fandom is a ticking time bomb set for December 14th. We are all going to die.

Musicals: George Salazar ships Boyf-riends! 

Movies: Who else wants a live action Corpse Bride?

Now back to Blackpurrl with the weekly movie review--

Movie Review: Hannibal Rising

This movie relays the story of Hannibal Lecter’s childhood. Although most of the especially gory parts are not on camera, the viewer eventually knows exactly what became of the victim. It provides an interesting plot, and explains why the famous cannibal does what he does. I would not recommend this movie to anyone under thirteen or anyone who cannot handle tragic stories. Overall, I’d give it a 10/10.

And back to Fyne with the weekly trivia fact and quiz--

Trivia Fact - Did you know that the inventor of liquid soap became paralyzed after he slipped in the shower?

Are you an optimist, a pessimist, or a realist?

1. You fail a test. What is your reaction?

A. I'm stupid. I’m going to fail my exams.

B. This was just a blip. I’ll do better next time. 

C. The questions were too hard. This is where my abilities stand.

2. You have quit smoking, but you accidentally have a cigarette. Which of the following is your reaction?

A. You have been set back, so you just go right back into the addiction.

B. You have been set back, but you believe you can quit again.

C. You have been set back, so you come up with ways to avoid similar circumstances that led you to the set back.

3. You are shown a picture of a man who isn’t smiling. What do you think this man is feeling/doing?

A. The man is plotting, rude, or experiencing something unpleasant.

B. The man is relaxing, thinking, or did not have enough time to smile. 

C. The man is posing for the picture.

4. A close friend of yours sets you up on a blind date. How do you feel about this?

A. You have no clue what your date is like and you are afraid they’re going to set you up with a complete loser.

B. You have faith in their opinion and want to see for yourself what your date is going to be like. 

C. You decide to see what your date is like and decide for yourself how well your friend did. 

5. You’re a business owner who goes bankrupt. How do you proceed?

A. You see this failure as a sign that you are not meant to be in this business and pursue other options.

B. You see this failure as a lesson and use it to help you further your business in future reference.

C. You see this failure as a sign and choose to make plans to pull yourself out of bankruptcy.

6. You get a raise. How do you feel about it?

A. You don’t understand why you got the raise and you wonder if there is an ulterior motive.

B. You accept the raise happily, glad that your hard work has finally been recognized.

C. Yay! More money!

7. You’re an accountant and today you made a mistake with a number. What is your reaction?

A. You figure out where you went wrong, and then feel horrible about it for a long time afterward, questioning your abilities and worthiness as an accountant.

B. You figure out where you went wrong, fix it, and move forward.

C. You recognize the mistake and move on. 

8. You have a bad day. Which of these is you after the day is over?

A. You believe that your life has been full of hardship and negative experiences.

B. You see the bad days as part of your life that help you grow or benefit you in some way.

C. Recognize that you had a bad day, and resolve to try again tomorrow. 

9. You are struggling with groceries and someone comes to help you. How do you respond? 

A. You become suspicious, tell them that you have nothing to give them, and maybe even yell at them to leave you alone.

B. You thank them and talk about their day or ask them about themselves.

C. You politely say thank you and either accept or decline their help. 

10. You go on a vacation. Which of these is you?

A. Complain about everything you do and could potentially do, and eventually wind up not wanting to do anything at all but watch TV in the hotel room.

B. You want to experience as much as the location has to offer, even though you had no plans about what to do.

C. You enjoy the vacation and plan extensively about what you want to do and when.

Mostly A’s: You appear to be a pessimist. Always seeing the bad and negative in everything probably isn’t helping you be any happier or lead a happier life. Try and maybe appreciate things more often.

Mostly B’s: You appear to be an optimist. Always seeing the good and positive is probably helping you be fairly happy, and even leading to a happier life style. Though try not to be too optimistic all the time because it may end up hurting you in the long run.

Mostly C’s: You appear to be a realist. I guess you’re sort of a neutral character. Good for you.

(This isn’t physiologically proven, its literally just a test I made up in my free time so don’t take the results to heart and please do not be offended)

And finally, back to YoursTruly with the weekly book review--

Book Review- The Life Of P.T. Barnum is a fantastic book for anyone who loves a good biography. The book is a wildly entertaining autobiography by P.T. Barnum about his own life, starting from his childhood and following him through all his adventures. All in all, a fantastic book. 10/10 

Wish our illustrator and writer Blackpurrl a happy birthday today! Comic is brought to you by our very talented artist, Blackpurrl. That’s all for this week, we’ll see you next week with another Fandom Newsletter! 

Signing off, 

Atlas, Blackpurrl, Fyne, and YoursTruly 

[allhailthemightyquattro]

Twice Upon a Time

And now we say goodbye to Peter Capaldi, Pearl MacKie, Steven Moffat, and apparently Murray Gold (I’m still not quite sure how accurate that one is) and I find I am conflicted. I’m going to miss Peter, Pearl and Murray so much but, on the other hand, we have finally gotten rid of Moffat. And this episode reminded me of why I feel that way about each of those people.

As always, here be spoilers.

The Good:

Peter Capaldi was brilliant. He is always brilliant and I am going to miss him so much. He made such a brilliant Doctor even when he had such shit scripts to work with and I will always be grateful for him for keeping the show alive.

David Bradley is a brilliant actor and makes a remarkable First Doctor. It was just a pity the First Doctor was written so poorly in this episode.

Featuring the clips from The Tenth Planet was a nice touch and added a bit of respect to the show’s history that the rest of the episode lacked.

The scene when the First Doctor enters the Twelfth Doctor’s TARDIS was brilliant. It was funny and yet you still had that stab of emotion in there when the Captan asked the Doctor why he said World War One.

It was good to see Rusty again.

The Captain asking the Doctor to keep an eye on his family was great. It almost brought a tear to my eye.

In fact, pretty much everything after that point was highly emotional. The Christmas truce, the goodbye to Bill, everything!

The hugs. All the hugs!

I can’t believe I’m saying this but I’m glad the Doctor got to remember Clara. I figured she would show up for this episode and although I don’t like her (and yes, I am going to have a little gripe about her in the next section), it was still a sweet moment.

The music was beautiful and it was great to hear The Doctor’s Theme from 2005 again. It has always been my favourite Murray Gold piece. And Clara’s theme made her little scene that little bit better too.

I actually liked the Doctor and Nardole’s banter.

The Doctor’s (almost) final words. “Be kind.”

The Bad:

The First Doctor was written so poorly. Yes, they got the general grumpy demeanour right but he was never that sexist and it is quite frankly disgraceful to to suggest that he was. Classic Who, for its era, was actually quite progressive in terms of sexism and female characters. You had Barbara Wright, Anne Travers, and Sarah Jane Smith, just to name a few that were particularly helpful in proving this. The First Doctor in this episode was not the First Doctor I remember. This First Doctor was just Moffat trying to make his Doctors look better because of criticism against his own sexist writing.

They changed the events of the first regeneration. It was only slightly so I am willing to overlook it but it was still different. Where were Ben and Polly?

“Don’t go forgetting me again because it was kind of offensive.” YOU WERE THE FUCKING REASON HE FORGOT YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE! Yes, I realise that he was trying to do the same thing to her in Hell Bent, and yes I understood why she did it but that line was just very hypocritical. At least it was true to Clara’s character I suppose. See, I told you I was gonna have a whinge.

The Doctor’s regeneration scene was nice but it was a bit long winded. That bit about his name could have been left out. And what the fuck was going on with the lighting? It looked like a fucking disco.

“You’re the first Dalek that’s ever got naked for me.” That line was just disturbing.

When I saw Jodie’s first scene, I instantly thought, great, here comes all the female driver jokes.

So that’s my lot for Peter’s last episode. I really wish I could have liked it better but at least I didn’t hate it. I will miss Peter but I must try and look forward to the future. I don’t particularly like Jodie Whittaker but I have been proven wrong before so I just have to hope that I will be proven wrong again.

[nirah10]

[Heads up: Infinity War spoilers ahead! I’ll mark where the spoilers are so that you can skip those parts if you want]

From Abby,

Six thousand, eight hundred and twenty-six Americans have died while serving in Afghanistan and Iraq since 2001. My dad was one of them, he died in 2007 while serving in Iraq. About two hundred thousand civilians and eighty thousand fighters from Afghanistan and Iraq have also died. War is ugly, brutal and there will always be losers on both sides, no side and no man walks away unscratched from war.

Two of my brothers are currently serving overseas as well, they followed in our father’s footsteps. My twenty-five-year-old brother is currently on the ground in Iraq, where our dad died eleven years ago. Our other brother, who is twenty-three, is currently in Syria. I’m seventeen and still in high school but worry about them both every day.

Comic book superheroes annoy me. As a lot seem to glorify being a solider and the action and endurance that is needed for that kind of life- but don’t really show the other side of it.

They show the bravery and the battles and the superheroes walk about making sacrifice, but no one ever actually dies. Small side characters that don’t get more than a couple of minutes screen time, people killed in the first five minutes of the movie that the main character loves but the audience doesn’t have time to get attached to for character building purposes and villains die, but the death of central characters in these movies are very rare- despite a brutal enemy, the soldiers often being reckless, and very low odds, they always seem to get through out much damage.

Which I find problematic for several seasons.

Life is valuable. So, so valuable. But bad things do happen and people die. My dad died. He was brave and he died. My brothers joined up to the army, and they know they might die. Yet they did it anyway. One of my brothers will often write me letters, and sometimes he will describe to me what music he wants at his funeral if he died- there is a joking tone to the letter, but there is a deepness behind them as well. My other brother is less open with talking about it, they both have different coping mechanisms to cope with that anxiety.

War and violence is not light- there is always pain and death on other sides. Unlike the wars in the superhero movies, the death and pain is never just on one side. The sacrifices are real.

That’s what I find so troubling about the Marvel movies. They talk up the sacrifices, show bravery, take crazy risks but we never see the reality of those sacrifices. They are always insanely violent films, but despite all the heroes walking about sacrifice, they still always manage to walk away. Even in movies like Captain American: Civil War, all the Iron Man movies, the Superman movies and the other eighteen or so Marvel movies, no one really central to the story or the team really get hurt. And if they do die, there seems to be a ‘reset button’ to bring them back. I hate the re-set, bring them back to life button.

Maybe I just sound like a bitter teenager. But I really hope they don’t just re-set the whole Infinity War film series. I feel like they can’t just all walk away. 

[Spoilers begin here!]

A lot of my friends are critical of Avengers 3 and think they will let everyone come back, in Avengers 4, but I don’t think so though.

I’m guessing they will have to bring certain heroes, like Spiderman back, because he has another Spiderman movie coming up. But I don’t think it will be as easy as stealing the stones back and turning back the clock.

Film theory here:

They really built up the idea of an Iron Man/Spiderman father and son like relationship in the last three movies: Civil War, Homecoming and Avengers.

Iron Man has been active since 2008, has had three of his own films, three Avengers films and has appeared in about five other Marvel universe films.  

I think they might retire Iron Man in the next film, and they might have been why they have been pushing his bond with the fifteen year old Peter Parker so much. Most of the other Avengers are not really on speaking terms with Tony, but he has that loyal little kid.

I think Iron Man is going to scarifie himself to bring Spiderman back.

I’m sure Spidey is coming back, because of Homecoming 2. I don’t think it is going to be as easy as it is in other Marvel Films though. I think Iron Man, the most famous Avenger of all, who has had the most screen time out of all of them, might permanently die, and I think it will be tied into his relationship with Peter.

And it might not just be Tony. The young Avengers, like Black Panther, were killed off while the originals, like Captain American survived. I think they might do a swap in the next movie.

Marvel has been accused of having a ‘problem with death’ as they keep on binging people back. I think they know this and know everyone is expecting all the Avengers to come back. I think there will be real death and sacrifice in part 4 though, I don’t think they will just ‘re-set’ it like some of my friends do.

[Spoilers are done! ^_^]

What do you think will happen?

Any theories? 

Also, with the way you have talked about not liking Moffat’s re-set button, I have a feeling unlike Marvel you are not afraid to kill characters, and I am nervous but kinda excited (but mainly nervous), because I think you might be the type of kill of main characters as well as side characters like Dex (RIP).

 I always talk up a big game about wanting more central characters to be killed off, but I am really, really nervous as well. Because I have kind of fallen in love with some characters; Harry, Nista and Kel in particular. Just please don’t hurt my three babies. Those three will be okay right?

Also, this is my last year of high school and I started reading your story when I was in grade ten- wow how time passes. I love this series so much. I used to hate Kel and now I really kind of love him.

Dear Abby,

I’m so sorry to har about you dad. Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us.

I’m not a fan at all of how popular it is these days to just “un-do” death. I get it in some situations, especially sci-fis, where it makes sense but it seems like I see resurrections on TV now more than I see legitimate deaths. I think authors are robbing themselves by doing that as well as doing a disservice to their fans. By constantly bringing characters back, their decisions and the risks they take have no real value. Nothing is really a sacrifice and nothing is really a risk. The fear and grief associated with death is completely swept away because audiences are just thinking to themselves “they’ll be back”.

I believe in consequences. I believe in characters, hero or villain, being held accountable for the choices they make and for facing the consequences of the things that they do.

With the characters I have, there are obviously some resurrections that happen. The Time Lords can regenerate or heal others and Jack is immortal. Because of this, I sometimes use “death” as a way to cause a change or reveal information and, when I do so, I don’t try to present it as a real death. The characters expect the Time Lords to regenerate, everyone knows that Jack is immortal, and when Kel “died”, he was immediately healed (conveniently wiping out Harry’s ability to regenerate or heal again for a while). None of those were meant to be death scenes; they are scenes that are there to bring about change in either the characters or the plot. If I ever give you guys a scene in which a character dies and it isn’t immediately made clear that they’re coming back somehow, they’re dead. Declan is dead. He is not coming back. When the time comes for other characters, they’ll be dead too.

To me, the return-to-life thing started as a cool twist that could be used to bring a surprise happy ending but now it seems to be a cheat code for writers to have their characters do whatever they want, have a big dramatic scene, and then immediately erase the consequences. Most of the time, I see it as lazy rather than clever. The constant deaths of Amy and Rory meant that their final episode, in which Rory “died” three times and Amy “died” twice and their final “death” was really them just living their lives out away from the Doctor like normal people, didn’t stir any emotion in me whatsoever. Watching The Princess and the Frog made me cry so hard I had to use my inhaler and I still can’t talk about the ending without tearing up but I did not care in the slightest when Amy and Rory left the show.

I don’t think Marvel has been lazy so far. I think focusing on individual Marvel movies is missing the big picture. They’ve been setting up a very long story and there wasn’t a point in introducing heroes that died before the “finale” of that story. I do think (and hope) that there will be very real consequences for the characters by the time it’s done.

Thank you for sticking with me for so long and I’m so glad that you’re still enjoying the story. I’m also glad to hear that you’ve come to enjoy the characters so much, especially Kel!

I won’t tell you who lives and who dies but I would like to remind you that there are definitely things out there that are worse than death. “Alive at the end” doesn’t necessarily mean “Safe”.

[thenotoriousscuttlecliff]

Moffat Era Rewatch: Deep Breath

Still struggling with his regeneration, the new Doctor investigates a series of mysterious murders in Victorian London...

Warning: Spoilers Sweetie

Usually you find the dinosaurs inside parliament, not outside it. 

Unless there’s some last minute secret cameo in ‘Twice Upon a Time’, this is the last episode with the Paternosters. Why’d you retire them, Moffat? Why? 

“It's dropped a blue box marked Police out of its mouth. Your grasp of biology troubles me.”

It didn’t at the time, but Twelve with short hair just looks so wrong now. Like a caged beast, it should be allowed to roam free. 

Peter looks so good in Matt’s outfit. Why do new Doctors always look so good in their predecessors outfits? 

“Oh, you've got a dinosaur too.”

“He's not Clara. I'm Clara.” "Well, you're very similar heights.”

New titles with added eyebrows. This was based on a concept by a fan.

“You all sound all English. Now you've all developed a fault.” 

Neve gets to use her normal accent for once. 

“People are apes. Men are monkeys.”

“How do we change him back?” Clara gets a lot of flack for this, because Clara gets flack for simply existing. People argue that she should be more except of regeneration since she knows about it and has met previous Doctors. But I think there’s a big difference between being aware of regeneration and actually experiencing it first hand. Eleven was the first Doctor she knew and as far as she was concerned he was her Doctor. Even when she met other Doctors he was still there at her side. But now he’s gone and there’s this complete stranger in his place. So I can forgive her for being a little selfish here and wanting her Doctor back. 

“I don't like her, ma'am. I love her. And as to different? Well, she's a lizard.”  

Clara says like because she doesn’t want to admit that she feels the same way about the Doctor that Jenny does about Vastra. She doesn’t want to admit that she loves the Doctor. 

“I am alone. The world which shook at my feet, and the trees and the sky, have gone. And I am alone now. Alone.” That is one poetic dinosaur. 

Peter Capaldi is one of those actors who could recite washing machine instructions and make it sound like Shakespeare. 

“He looked like your dashing young gentleman friend. Your lover, even.” Clara’s blushing. 

“Jenny and I are married. Yet for appearance's sake, we maintain a pretence, in public, that she is my maid.” "Doesn't exactly explain why I'm pouring tea in private.”

I feel for set decorators when they have to do stuff like this. 

“Door. Boring. Not me.”

“I am not sure who you think you're talking to right now, Madam Vastra, but I have never had the slightest interest in pretty young men. And for the record, if there ever was anybody who could flirt with a mountain range, she's probably standing in front of you right now. Just because my pretty face has turned your head, do not assume that I am so easily distracted.” I’m not sure who is enjoying this tongue-lashing more, Jenny or Vastra.    

“She was scared. She was scared and alone. I brought her here and look what they did.” 20 minutes in and Twelve is already breaking my heart. 

“What do you all have for brains, pudding? Look at you. Why can't I meet a decent species? Planet of the pudding brains.” 

Couldn’t just walk away, he had to leap into the river. The Doctor is so extra. 

“Military tactics. The Doctor is still missing, but he will always come looking for his box. By bringing it here, he will be lured from the dangers of London to this place of safety, and we will melt him with acid.”

Jenna Coleman was just born to wear period outfits. 

How many of Britain’s most notorious killers has Vastra had for dinner? 

Did Strax get his medical training from the same school as Doctor Zoidberg? 

If this episode was the regular length, this scene, delightful as it is, would’ve been the first to get cut.     

“Deflected narcissism. Traces of passive aggressive. And a lot of muscular young men doing sport.” Since Strax has trouble telling genders apart I’m going to assume that those weren’t all men.    

This tramp is played by Elisabeth Sladen’s husband, Brian Miller.  

“It's good I'm Scottish. I'm Scottish. I am Scottish. I can complain about things, I can really complain about things.” 

“What devilry is this, sir?” "I don't know, but I probably blame the English.”

“Oh, I don't understand why I'm doing this.” "Art?” Jenny is 110% done with your bullshit, Vastra. 

“Advertisements, yes. So many. It's a distressing modern trend.” If she thinks it is bad now wait until television comes along. 

“It doesn't makes sense. He doesn't do puzzles. He isn't complicated. Really doesn't have the attention span.” Clara obviously hasn’t spent much time with Seven. 

This is the first real scene that Peter and Jenna get to have together and our first chance to see just how amazingly they play off each other. They really bring out the best in each other as actors. 

“Well, I would say that that person would be an egomaniac, needy, game-player sort of person.” Probably the most accurate description of the Master ever. 

“Nothing is more important than my egomania.” 

“If I got new hair and it was grey, I would have a problem.” Clara is so vain, it’s one of the things I love about her. 

I doubt this place has any Michelin stars.   

“Do you have a children's menu?” I really don’t want to know what is on the children’s menu. 

“Oh, it's at times like this I miss Amy.” 

I know that he doesn’t actually leave her, but it is still a shock to see the Doctor so casually abandon Clara. 

“Go on, then. Do it. I'm not going to answer any of your questions, so you have to do it. You have to kill me. Threats don't work unless you deliver.” This is one of Clara’s finest moments. Even though she is clearly terrified, she manages to turn the tables on her interrogator and get him to spill the beans instead. 

“Are you trying to scare me? Well, cos I'm already bloody terrified of dying. And I'll endure a lot of pain for a very long time before I give up the information that's keeping me alive. How long have you got?”

“I don't know. But I know where he will be. Where he will always be. If the Doctor is still the Doctor, he will have my back. I'm right, aren't I? Go on. Please, please, go on, say I'm right.” You were right, Clara. 

Twelve’s Theme kicks in at full blast. As much as I love it, it just doesn’t have quite the same blood pumping effect as ‘I Am the Doctor’.  

“Yeah, sorry. Well no, actually, I'm not. You're brilliant on adrenaline.”

“I hate being wrong in public. Everybody forget that happened.”

The squad is here. 

“Your friend is intelligent. He'll know better than to follow me.” You sure about that? 

“I've got the horrible feeling I'm going to have to kill you. I thought you might appreciate a drink first. I know I would.”

Doctor Who is the only show that could get away with having a hot air balloon made of human skin on prime time BBC One.

“Sister ship of the Madame De Pompadour. No, not getting it.” Understandable considering, from his perspective, it has been nearly a millennium since season two. 

“No, it isn't. It's just far away. Everything looks too small. I prefer it down there. Everything is huge. Everything is so important. Every detail, every moment, every life clung to.”

“Question. You take a broom, you replace the handle, and then later you replace the brush, and you do that over and over again. Is it still the same broom?” Better known as the Trigger conundrum. 

“There's not a trace of the original you left. You probably can't even remember where you got that face from.” Moments like this are why I think Peter Capaldi is the best actor who has ever played the Doctor. 

“Self-destruction is against my basic programme.” "And murder is against mine.”

It’s not a proper kiss, but I’ll take it. 

Strax was willing to kill himself just so he would’t reveal his friends. 

That glare still sends a chill down my spine. 

“I don't think I know who the Doctor is any more.”

He’s redecorated and I do like it, especially the bookshelves. Place looks so homely now. 

“I'm the Doctor. I've lived for over two thousand years, and not all of them were good. I've made many mistakes, and it's about time that I did something about that.”

By admitting that he thought he was Clara’s boyfriend he is pretty much admitting that he’s in love with her.    

She doesn’t say it, but she clearly likes the new look.

“You'd better get that. It might be your boyfriend.”

And now we know why the phone was left hanging. 

“...and I think you might be scared. And however scared you are, Clara, the man you are with right now, the man I hope you are with, believe me, he is more scared than anything you can imagine right now and he, he needs you.” Glad I didn’t watch this right after ‘Time of the Doctor’. I would not have been able to go through saying goodbye to Matt again twice in one day.  

“You can't see me, can you? You look at me, and you can't see me. Have you any idea what that's like? I'm not on the phone, I'm right here, standing in front of you. Please, just, just see me.”

The first of many awkward hugs. 

They go for coffee, not chips, so relax Doctor/Rose shippers. No one is stepping on your moment. 

Oh Missy, you're so fine. You're so fine you blow my mind, hey Missy! Hey Missy!

Next Time: Into the Dalek

[brokenmusicboxwolfe]

I saw:

Sherlock: The Final Problem- SPOILERS! That isn’t me playing River Song (though I had the hair for it today! LOL), just me giving fair warning. I’m not kidding, if you don’t want to know look away now! SPOILERS!!!!! 

So here we are at the end, where the missing Holmes sibling shows up. The sister Sherlock had conviently blocked the memory of fits a standard type. She’s your typical supervillian level genius with the cliched inability to understand human emotions. This is the usual assumption that the higher the intellegence the more likely you are to be emotionally detached, which frankly irritates me. Her activities as a very young child got her locked up for life in one of those secret facilities with Hannibal Lector level cells. Because that’s a sensible way to handle a tiny troubled child. 

 And proving the series has left the real world far behind, she also has the ability to hypnotize anyone after a few seconds, meaning she actually controls the prison and can go a wandering. You know, like Moffat’s other morally questionable woman in (yeah, sure, tell yourself that) lockup River Song. Also, Mycroft the utter, completely, insanely  brain dead Holmes bro, actually had let her have a private chat with Moriarty a few years back. That’s an excuse to give the dead, annoying baddie screen time for the last round and, sure, try to make everything seem all connected in the series. I was having a bit of trouble buying things by this point.

 So the isolated gal has a thing about her little brother, most likely because he’s the one she felt connected to as a child. Envy of his sharing attention with someone else, being left out while he was able to form a bond with another, triggered the act that got her locked up to begin with. And so sis gets to work, a bomb at 221B to get his attention and lure him into her lair. It’s all about Sherlock, so if the dummy had just gotten that obvious sooner point maybe the death toll would have been lower. Still, he gets there in the end.

First though, the bulk of the story is Sherlock, Watson, and Mycroft all trapped by our  super villain** and being run through a bunch of cruel but obvious tests set out to muck with their emotions. Or really Sherlock’s. They are rather predictable sadistic senarios, like saying Sherlock has to get either Mycroft or Watson has had to execute a man or sis will kill the man’s wife. Astoundingly they were actually shocked when after the man commits suicide instead the sis kills the wife. I mean, duh! She told you the terms and you know her nature! She’s playing an emotional  game of “tell me when it hurts”, including homicide, with a secret background cry for help. 

It’s a mean, messy, muddle .....and ultimate boring. 

Have you ever imagined really angsty moments for your favorite fictional heroes, and then needed to create a senario for the villian to cause these bits? And have you been too lazy to come up with something clever, so it’s the baddies forcing them to do things out of either some attempt to understand them or just simple sadisim? You really just want to get to those moments, those spikes of emotional intensity. Shakey excuses, lack of long term reprocussions and even the nature of those incidents being stock torments don’t matter when you are entertaining yourself, but when you have an audience those other elements might be nice, ya know? What I’m saying is, I think Sis displayed a surprising lack of imagination for a super genius. Well, unless you consider her main contact with the outside world was the internet and she could have gotten addicted to lower quality fan fiction. In which case I guess we have to be glad she wasn’t interested in the porn end of things....

Not to say that in isolation things didn’t work. It was packed with bits that seemed powerful or amusing. But their very isolation hurts their impact.  

For instance, the Molly scene was wonderfully agonizing to watch, forcing of Sherlock to face the emotions he has not been willing to acknowledge until now. Whether you think that’s Molly’s unrequited love or you think he reciprocates is yours to judge, but the fact he can’t pretend that there aren’t emotions at play beyond what he has admited is excellently dealt with in a deeply upsetting way. And then it is never mentioned again. At all. We see Molly briefly in a future cases montage, seemingly happily bounding in to help, but that’s it. It tells us they are still friends, but does not at all deal with what happened in that call. 

Actually, the ending had me rolling my eyes. I get they were going for “the adventure continues!” but Mary conviently leaving yet another video where she tries to go full fangirl cheesy gushing about Holmes and Watson forevah just...Well, I would have prefered a bit less over the top and a bit more down to earth dealing with the aftermath of those last three stories, a second to go “Are we good? Yep.” at least. Not just with Molly, but Watson’s grief  and Sherlock himself having that whole “I had a sis I never knew who is a homicidal psychopath that murdered my childhood best friend” business, maybe with Mrs Hudson tossing in a bit of humor over the blown up flat. You know, give a quick referencing that this stuff happened but we are all moving forward in a slightly shifted but still familiar emotional space. And you still end with them running off on a case, ‘cause their adventures go on, but it all just feels more emotionally anchored.

You know, I started to keep my thoughts short and just write “Silly, overblown, trite and disappointing”, but that discounted  all the really good bits. Instead I have bored you (and stayed up later than I meant!) trying inadequately to explain why I came away dissatisfied. If you loved it I’m really glad for you. I didn’t hate it really, I just wish it had been better.....

**So what costume does the villainous East Wind need? I figure something that frames the face and focuses your attention on it for her credibility straining hypno power. And a cape to catch the air , what with the wind bit don’t ya know. Before you point out capes being a hazard, her little brother seems to have a thing for billowy coats. And the Holmes clan can be less that geniuses some of the time!

[galaxys-child]

On Sherlock’s behavior

Be warned, this is not a nice text. I have had my issues with the characterization of Sherlock Holmes since the beginning of the third season. The text contains a lot of anger but I am still trying to explain my points. I believe it is not that well-structured because I have written it down all at once and the text became longer than I have expected. Also, english is not my mother tongue. Feel free to correct my mistakes – and feel free to comment, of course. I am interested in your opinions.

 ~~O~~

I have watched the first 10 minutes of the “The Six Thatchers” and was already disgusted by Sherlock’s behavior and the fact that there were basically no consequences regarding the killing of Magnussen. Sherlock is a murderer but is allowed to come back just because he is Sherlock Holmes (and I always was of the opinion that people are equal in the eyes of law; but no, just because someone is “intelligent” he is allowed to be free; that doesn’t show England in a very positive light)

Okay, even if I do accept that a murderer is released. Couldn’t they have done it with a bit more dignity? No, Gatiss went for comedy – which wasn’t funny at all. Sherlock is completely disrespectful towards the whole thing. Sitting there in his armchair eating a ginger nut while watching the fake clip of his confrontation with Magnussen with such a disrespect that I just wanted to throw a set of screws into his face.

And then, those lines:

“You’re off the hook, Mister Holmes. You’re home and dry.”

“Ok, cheers.”

God, I just wanted to punch him.

And it turns out that the Fake-Moriarty-Clip is just a red herring. Sherlock is pardoned and everything is back to normal. He is back in Baker Street to solve cases. Being his usual arrogant self, insulting and disrespectful towards his clients and friends.  

“All people are stupid.”, he says.

God, I have lost every respect for this character.

In the first two seasons Sherlock was called out on his shit by John Watson and his colleagues (“No, that wasn’t nice!” “Go after her and apologize!”) and there were a few scenes, rarely but there were, in which he seems to be a bit thoughtful and remorseful.

But since “The Empty Hearse”… God, no.

Sherlock Holmes manipulates John in the carriage, makes him believe that they are about to die just because he wants to be forgiven then and there to continue solving crimes with John and to pretend that nothing has happened - instead of giving a proper explanation to John why he jumped, trying to make amends with his best friend and waiting for John coming to him to forgive him on his own accord.

But no. John gets manipulated and they have a good laugh afterwards. If I would have been in John’s position I would have shown Sherlock the middle finger, I would have left the carriage to go home and continue to refuse to see him again.

Okay, in “The Sign of Three” he was really likeable. I was surprised that he was so aware of himself. He openly says that he is “the most unpleasant, rude, ignorant, and all-around obnoxious arsehole that anyone could possibly have the misfortune to meet.” I have hoped that this confession would lead to a gradual consideration of others, maybe an admittance of wrong-doings he did in his past and he now regrets. I liked it that, in the end of the episode, he was capable of not taking himself too seriously (”Now you have a real baby on the way.”) I liked it that he said that to John and Mary just to cheer them up. I was glad to see the character finally with more traits of humanity. Although there were still indications of his nasty behavior towards his friends (“I once drugged John. He missed a whole Wednesday and never realized it.”)

But no. Every character trait which was developed in “The Sign of Three” was thrown out the window in “His last vow”. Sherlock is worse than ever. He faked a relationship with Janine, played her like a puppet on strings. I could have lived with that (I am aware that he did it in the original stories) if he would have had the decency to apologize to her afterwards. But no, he called her a whore and somehow they’re even because of her revenge.

He drugged his whole family and was willing to betray his brother, willing to hand him over to Magnussen just because he wanted to protect Mary although it is said that she is not a good person (“What a bad woman. So many dead people.” “The stuff Magnussen has on me, I would go to prison for the rest of my life.” not to mention that she shot the protagonist who flatlined and was on the edge of dying)

Sherlock becomes a murderer to … protect a murderer?

And he never lets John Watson in on his plans. John is shocked when he learned that Sherlock has drugged the whole family, including the pregnant Mary - and Sherlock still expects him to accompany him to confront Magnussen, to do what Sherlock wants.

I bitterly laughed when Sherlock told John that he could trust him when he said that Mary “saved his life” because she had phoned the ambulance. Trust Sherlock? After he lied to John about his fake suicide for two years, after he played him in the bomb scene in “The Empty Hearse”, after he drugged his friend so that he missed “a whole Wednesday”, after he paraded Janine in front of him, making him believe he has a girlfriend. After all this Sherlock expects John to trust his deductions about Mary? Expects John to trust him?

I don’t know, but John Watson has to pay a high price (being lied to, drugged, manipulated, never being involved in any of Sherlock’s plans) to be Sherlock’s friend and feel the adrenaline rush from time to time when he is in a dangerous situation. I really ask myself if John Watson has masochistic tendencies.

And then the drugs. “I am not an addict. I am a user.” Yeah, right. The plane lands and Sherlock is allowed to be free to solve the Moriarty-Case. Instead of being grateful, he snarls: “Could you all just shut up for five minutes? I have to go back. I was nearly there before you stepped on and starting yapping away.” because he was high and wanted to continue his drug trip.

And after he betrayed his brother, after he drugged him and gave his Laptop to Magnussen, Mycroft continues to worry about him and to be there for him. I hope this is just because Mycroft feels an obligation towards him because he is, unfortunately, related to him.

It seems to me that Sherlock‘s inner workings are only ruled by the question “Where is the next high?” whether it’s a case or drugs. Mostly, he is worried about himself, worried that one day he could die of boredom.

Okay, he literally gave up his life when he killed Magnussen to protect John and Mary. He was willing to take the consequences of his murder, willing to be sent away on a mission without any hope of return. I was surprised by that act and I have to give him credit for that.

But all that is thrown out the window again because of the following scenes in “The Abominable bride”. Every trait of responsibility is gone and he is blaming Mycroft for not “getting (…) [him] a pardon or something, like a proper big brother?” Maybe the drugs were a reason for this behavior.

I don’t know but since “His last Vow” I have really begun to hate him.

And then his behavior in the beginning of the “The Six Thatchers” …

It gives the impression that Sherlock is incapable of any feeling of remorse or regret, incapable of being grateful towards his brother because he cleaned up his mess – again. He seems to be incapable of any form of self-reflection whatsoever.

God, why Molly Hooper ist in love with him is beyond me.

I don’t know but somehow I am pleased that he is tossed off his throne of arrogance at the end of “The Six Thatchers”.

Why not sooner?

I have to admit, a part of me enjoys seeing him suffering.

 ~~O~~

This was a very long text and I needed to get all that off my chest. I only concentrated on Sherlock’s behavior although I have my issues with a few other characters from the show, too. Maybe I will write another text about that. But nothing makes me cringe more than the characterization of Sherlock – especially since “His Last Vow”. And Moffat and Gatiss continue that path.

Strangely, after “The Abominable Bride” my expectations for the next episode were very low and somehow the writers managed to make me disappointed with “The Six Thatchers”.

I will watch the next episode, maybe the last one, too. But only because I am curious about the scenes with Louise Brealey and Andrew Scott at the beach. Apart from that, the show “Sherlock” is dead for me.

[youremyonlyhope]

The End of Time Part 1

Yay for once, in all these years of rewatching, I was wrong when I assumed it wouldn’t be until 3 months from now that I’d watch the next episode! Only like 2 days!

Honestly, at this point, I’m almost ready to see Ten go. I’ve been stuck watching Ten’s episodes for 5 years now. Longer than his actual run. Because I’m so lazy. So I’ve almost been itching to getting around to Eleven’s era. Especially since I’ve only seen the vast majority of those episodes once, the first time I ever watched them.

And in true Amazon Prime fashion, it freezes 27 seconds in. It’s almost fitting that I’m watching the Christmas episode on Halloween. Since the moment it hits midnight I’m gonna probably be in Christmas mode. OK. AFTER ALL THESE YEARS. I still don’t understand who this lady is supposed to be. Some say the Doctor’s mother. Some say a future weeping angel. I just don’t understand who she is. Awww yay Wilf gets a opening credit!

“Got married! That was a mistake. Good Queen Bess. And let me tell you, her nickname is no longer... Anyway!” God I love the 50th anniversary special if only because it resolves the Queen Elizabeth mystery behind this line and the Shakespeare Code.

See, they have to give this Master recap since it’s been 2 years since the season 3 finale. Or, in my case, 4 years. Literally, the Master had a Horcrux. And it was a ring. A ring that was green and silver... just like Slytherin’s colors... Doctor Who stole from Harry Potter confirmed!! Opening the TARDIS like a car door while he ran to it was cute. Ok I just gotta take a moment to appreciate that they brought back Lucy. This is probably the first time I’m thinking of this, but they really brought back EVERYONE for this episode. I’m glad they brought back Lucy. She was a small part, but still, I always wondered why she went along with the Master, especially since she killed him in the end. I’m glad we got to have some sort of closure to her character, where she ended up after it all, redeeming her a bit more by having her try to kill him again. Ok but why would Lucy be wearing lipstick if she had been in prison all this time?

OK. Gotta take a moment. Because it’s kind of just hitting me. WHERE THE HELL DOES WORLD AND ENOUGH TIME TAKE PLACE IN THE MASTER’S TIMELINE? Because I’m thinking about the “Out of the way” moment that’s coming in the next part, and would he really be that angry and evil after that, and create Mondasian Cybermen? He’d saved the Doctor, then the next time we see that version of him he hates him? But also, that’s the only place where it can really be timeline wise since he went straight from Utopia to being Harold Saxon and then died. He was on Mondas a long time, so resentment? I don’t know.

OH. AND HOW DID HE ESCAPE GALLIFREY? MOFFAT EXPLAIN.

I mean. Of course that potion wouldn’t completely work. Humans aren’t smart enough to really be that successful in reverse engineering a time lord potion... elixir... thing. He’s wearing 2 sets of antlers. On top of a beanie. I love Wilf. Awww. Obama. I miss him. I’ve always wanted to know more about this Ginger kid. Why did Tommo take him under his wing? Why doesn’t he talk much? Why does he have to spend his Christmas Eve in this worksite, with burgers from a food truck as his dinner? What is his story? I really really want to know more. Ugh I hate watching the Master scarf the burger down. Those two did no deserve that fate at all. There’s a little wire on the metal beam that Ten runs on and he steps on it. I’ve always wondered if Tennant tripped on in during a take. WOW. I was so busy thinking “You can see that he dented it in previous takes during the shot before he hits it” and “why would he even want the Doctor to find him when 2 seconds ago he didn’t want to be smelled?” and “is he just teasing him?” to realize that he’s hitting the barrel 4 times. I am slow. The captions says the guy who was handed the camera phone said “V nice.” but to me it sounds like “Me next.” So either he’s an older gay guy (in which case, cool representation) or he’s from the future using our slang since I didn’t hear anyone say “V” instead of “very” before 2015. “People have waited hundreds of years to find me and you did it in a couple of hours.” Yep. Well, they didn’t have The Silver Cloak on their side. That moment when a bunch of old people are better at finding the Doctor than a Doctor locator literally made from the Doctor’s severed hand... “I’m going to die.” “Well, so am I, one day.” “Don’t you dare.” I love that line. I’m the same. Wilf can never die. OK SO WHAT I HATE. Is that the Doctor told Wilf “He will knock 4 times.” and then it’s Wilf who knocks. If Wilf had remembered the whole “4 times thing,” would he have knocked 3 times? Or 5? It wouldn’t have prevented Ten from dying, but still... “Some new man goes sauntering away.” Never forget that Ten not only brushed off Martha’s worries of racism, but he also didn’t even consider that he could become a woman. I’m aware reading too much into this but I’m a little salty about Martha. Also, my Monthly Martha Spam’s coming up so I’m getting antsy, I need more Martha. I love the way they both laughed so lovingly at Donna. Oh I miss Donna. I’m glad the Doctor regrets Mars now. I’m glad he’s finally realizing he’s not in a good place. I mean... it’s not cannibalism... but it’s not right. See, part of the reason why I don’t love this episode is because of the Master’s jumping/flying and his electrical powers that came out of no where. Doctor Who has added some random powers, but never anything as ridiculous as this. And those electrical powers didn’t kill the Doctor because.... why? I love the kind of... muted... subtle version of This is Gallifrey that’s playing as the Master describes his father’s estate. Things I literally never noticed before. I miss Murray Gold... Remember when I said “What would Doctor Who do without Murray Gold?” and then he left the show... yeah... Aaaaaand now he’s Iron Man. “Fighting the Future”?? Ugh. Too similar to this administration. Even though Abigail’s evil and crazy, I DO love that she wears her hair in a natural TWA and that it’s shown as professional and beautiful and elegant and ugh I love it. “Only you stand at the heart of coincidence.” Girl, didn’t you literally just say that there’s no such thing as coincidence? “You never killed a man.” “No. No I didn’t. No. But don’t say that like it’s shameful!” I love Wilf. I love that Donna’s mom took a second to say “Merry Christmas” before going back to telling him to leave. “You’re not coming with me.” “Well you’re not leaving me with her.” “Fair enough.” Oh my god. Donna matched her necklace to her cardigan perfectly. I love her. I like that the Doctor was insulted and felt the need to come back and add “I could take you back home right now.” “Understand?” “Not a word.” “Welcome aboard.” I love Wilf as a companion. Ok wait. I thought that this guy who ends up being a cactus thing was whats-his-face from Sherlock... but now that I’m watching this it does not look like him... Ok, it’s not him. I’ve spent like 6 years thinking it was him. Why did I think it was him? Heeeyyyyy Torchwood shoutout!

Master: I like you. Naismith: Thank you 🙂 Master: You’d taste great. Naismith 🙂...😐

It felt like a good time to use emojis. I can’t tell if it’s supposed to be pronounced “schimmer” or if it’s Tennant’s accent making it sound more like sch than sh, but I love it. I do love the Master’s little satisfied smirk as he’s being tied back up again. I love that throughout this entire scene, Wilf’s just staring at the Vivocci in awe. I wish we had something that could mend the entire population... cure all diseases... stop plagues before they kill half the population... yeah. I like the little kick off the wall and he turns the corner. HEEEEYYYY IT’S MY GIRL TRINITY WELLS. I SEE YOU GIRL. I SEE YOU. Love her. Oh how I miss Obama. I DON’T THINK I EVER NOTICED WILF TAKE OUT HIS GUN THINKING IT WAS HIS PHONE. Or maybe I forgot. It must have been fun for Simm to film all these characters. “Now, there is no human race. There is only the Master race.” Choice of words, Master. Choice. Of. Words. Never noticed that he was in heels when dressed as Abigail. All that spit from Rassilon always makes me cringe.

Welp. That’s Part 1 out of the way. Yay.

[ovenproofowl]

The Doctor Falls Review

Tonight’s finale was... hard to put into words.

I’m not saying it was bad. I’m also not saying that it was free from criticism, because boy howdy was there a lot of that going around a couple of hours ago. Aaand still is. And honestly? I’m glad.

The thing is, what I’ve been seeing is a 50/50 split of reactions. You’ve got the “Oh My God That Was The Best Thing Ever-er’s’ and the simple ‘Moffat Sucks...er’s.’ 

Don’t get me wrong, there were a few mixed reviewers hanging about and I gotta stick my hand right on in there and say I’m one of ‘em. I’m a mixed. Total mixer.

Thing is, the episode was... exactly what I would expect of Moffat. That isn’t to say I hate his writing style, I don’t. Sometimes, his writing is absolutely amazing. Empty Child, anyone? Then of course, you have the absolutely terrible episodes that you wish never happened. *cough*The Time of the Doctor*cough* 

Moffat has a tendency to go overboard with plot to the point of absurdity. He throws so many references in, so many different characters or bad guys or just crazy plot lines that it just can’t hope to be followed by a casual viewer. Then he calls it ‘the best thing ever’ and goes home - it’s also something he has a tendency to do with Sherlock. But let’s not mention Sherlock. Ever. Seriously.

Moffat likes crazy; and I mean, what’s wrong with crazy? The problem is his crazy is usually just... a mess. And that’s what this finale felt like. Messy. A bit squiggly - kind of like the time wasn’t quite used the way it should have been.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Simm and I’m so glad that he returned to the show. I loved Missy and the Master interacting and Capaldi was on fucking point this episode. His acting skill really shone through and his speeches were fucking incredible. There was some good comedy relief there too; good ol’ Matt Lucas bringing in the laughs with Nardole and also having this odd dark competency that I really like in his choice of portraying the character. Then of course there’s Bill and Heather getting together and fucking kissing and oh my god I really could just reblog twenty million gifs of that scene and pretend nothing else happened because yes girl, get some. 

Buut I can’t, because I���m petty. 

Let’s start with what really irked me. Bill and the whole Cyberman thing.

There are a lot of choices Moffat could have had when addressing the season finale. One of such I really hope was not killing Bill. Again.

That’s the thing. Honestly? I really don’t think it was necessary to kill Bill. It just seemed... I don’t know, there for the sake of it? Another reason to make a character suffer? 

A lot of people have been saying stuff I agree with about the whole Bill thing. It seemed kind of cruel for Moffat to take the gay black girl and just sort of relentlessly torture her. She’s already gone through Hell in previous episodes, so what was the point of doing it again? The Master’s evil plan? To turn Bill into a Cyberman? Which by the way was really poorly explained. Like, who was even in control of that whole operation? The Doctor pointed out that the Master once ruled that ship and then had to take on a disguise, but then how did the Cybermen fit into it all? Why were they flying into a black hole? Why was that one random nurse seemingly in charge of the whole fucking hospital and yet she wasn’t being upgraded?? Like?? WHAT?

Needless to say, I think that Bill being a Cyberman wasn’t necessary. Moffat just wanted to put her in a position where Heather could become relevant. But it just came off as kind of messy. Surely Bill crying over supposedly losing her best friend and mentor would be enough to attract Heather’s attention? Are you meaning to say the only reason for the Cyberman thing was that awkwardly placed line about Bill having human tears? Surely that wasn’t really needed? Honestly, I just assumed the human tears meant that what had been done to her could be undone. I mean she was a primitive design of a Cyberman after all. Anyway, that’s just me throwing around ideas.

Then you’ve got the Master himself. Simm did an excellent job as being the Master, it was like he never left. And shooting himself in the back? Amazing. The scene with he and Missy both dying and laughing in the woods sent chills down my spine. BUT, he seemed kind of... underused.

We get all of this build-up, we know Simm is returning and we see the signs, but then when he does get there he spends about two minutes being in charge before the Cybermen come to chase him and then he’s really just there for exposition. I mean if you took the Master out of that episode entirely all that would have changed was that Missy would still be alive and Bill would hopefully not have been turned into a Cyberman. Two things I could totally live with, just sayin’. 

I think Moffat spent so much time hyping it up, that in the end he never really thought of a way to kind of make the Master worth showing up. All he really did was apply eyeliner and lie on a brick wall before getting stabbed in the back by himself. All things he pulled off flawlessly but that’s not the point. 

Finally, we have the PLAN. The big ol’ plan that the Doctor devises to save the kids and blow up the world. Sort of. Kind of. Not really.

I mean he’s already dying, like, a lot. He got electrocuted by a Cyberman and then he just got fucking laid into a gazillion times by Cyber lasers and jesus Doc that had to hurt. But then he saves the world *cough*notreallyjustsortofsavingabitoftimeIguesswhatever*cough* and blows up everything along with Cyber-Bill. I guess it would make sense for her to be a Cyberman to survive to cry over the Doctor’s corpse but... actually you know what, HOW did she survive? HOW did the Doctor not turn into ash? You’re telling me EVERY SINGLE FUCKING CYBERMAN got blown to smithereens but somehow those two fuckers are still kicking? Sort of? In Bill’s case at least? Ugh. Moffat. 

I get what he was trying to do and you could pull it off to an artistic decision if you want, but it still could have been dealt with in a more realistic easy-to-follow manner. Let’s face it.

Then you have Heather showing up and the whole tear thing which was hard to follow but honestly I kind of stopped caring after the kiss and the gays in space and Heather promising Bill the world and stuff and just... I dunno man I transcended time and space myself there at that point.

Capaldi stole the show once again when he woke up and refused to regenerate. That whole sequence was beautiful and you could see him seeing the world through his past regenerations at that moment. Seeing all his companions was beautiful and tear jerking as always. Don’t fix what ain’t broke after all.

And then suddenly we’re faced with a Hartnell look-a-like and time itself stops to gasp. In other words I paused my TV to scream at it.

That moment was astounding. If One is back to talk some sense into Twelve about regeneration and we get a whole fucking episode about it? Twelve’s final episode!? Well, let’s just say it’s gonna be five long months ‘til Christmas. 

All in all, the episode had its faults and it had its pretty good moments. I think the episode could have been structured differently, I don’t think Bill had to suffer like she did and I don’t think the Master was used appropriately for the hype we’d been given; but I also think that Heather and Bill being happy together and the Doctor proving to the audience once again just how much he cares made up for that in some ways. Not in all the ways. It could have been improved SO MUCH. Like, seriously, so much, I kinda wanna pitch some of my own ideas to BBC and see if they get picked up if it’s that easy to throw some of that shit at the scene, y’know? 

But. I enjoyed it. I did. For all its faults, it didn’t make me cringe or angry. It just made me happy. It made me smile, it made me feel emotions that were right for the episode. And that’s good, I’m glad it that it did that and I hope it did that for a lot of you, too.

All I’m saying is, Moffat handing the writing and directing over to someone new is a good call. He’s exhausted his resources, he’s been getting shoddy for a while and we’ve been trying not to notice it but it’s been pretty clear. I hope Doctor Who gets a new breath of life without getting rid of the downright amazing things Moffat has brought to the show in his run. 

Also, I hope Bill comes back because I am in love with her. And if she doesn’t, she better get a spin-off because I still think ‘Gays in Space’ is a great title for a show.

I’m glad I’ve been on this journey, and I’m gonna keep with it. I’ve followed this show for 12 long years, and I hope it’ll go on for a lot longer. Cheers, Moffat. Cheers to everyone who brought Who to life. And good luck to all the actors who won’t be returning after the Christmas special (even though I wish they were).