DoctorDonna Friend!

[meddow]

Not a masterpiece, but a very well done and thoroughly enjoyable episode.

Alien Planet! Alien Planet! The Doctor helping in the liberation of an alien species on an alien planet! Yay for old school plots combined with a special effects budget! The Ood sphere was gorgeous, and the Ood masks and make up were really impressive, particularly the little brain things that looked like umbilical chords. Incredibly gross, but impressive.

The secondary character weren’t particularly well drawn, and Donna’s ‘do I look single?’ seemed entirely out of place. Solana and Ryder seemed to be particularly wasted ideas. I though it was a good touch having Halpen seem to genuinely like Ood Sigma, it lent him just a little bit of moral ambiguity instead of him being just plain evil.

I love the Ood. Can we have the Ood back of the show again? Particularly Ood Sigma, I really liked him – quietly scheming away, incredibly intelligent but also merciful. Ood Sigma is awesome.

Loved the ending, hopefully and happy without being at all cheesy. Also loved the references to TIP/TSP, particularly with the Doctor wanting to make up for leaving them. Though, really, the Doctor did very little in this episode other than volunteering to break the circle. The Ood did all the planning and legwork. DoctorDonna were just there.

Still seriously loving Series Four!Ten. The sudden mood swings seem to have stabilised, and this new found maturity has him critiquing himself now since he pointed out that he should have paid attention when he first met the Ood. I’m starting to believe that RTD really does have a master plan.

How much do I love Donna? Shall I count the ways? Not right now, but did love her disappearing in for a coat while the Doctor was waxing poetic about her. And anyone else notice that Donna’s yelling actually saved both their lives? It was only Donna’s ‘The circle must be broken!’ that was echoing with the unprocessed Ood and not the Doctor’s. Score one for shouty Donna!

Furthermore, the Time Lord mind-meld scene reminded me of last week’s capsule scene, but this time the Doctor offered to her the chance to listen, rather than just her deciding to be a part of his decision. He’s really opening up to her, it’s so sweet. And then Donna’s heartbreak at the song and making it want to go away and to go home – oh, Donna. Oh, and the slightly misplaced anger at the Doctor in the scene where he criticises her clothes, because nobody really wants to think that they’re perpetuating horrific practices. (Something tells me Donna’s going to be buying fair trade coffee from now on).

Love how the Ood view Doctor and Donna as a single entity: DoctorDonna. And, again, like last week they end up being in the legends of the Ood in equal standing. You know what this means? All that talk of the Doctor and Donna being equals is actually true and not just pre-season hype by the production team. Hurrah!

No mention of Venus, nor the Shadow Proclamation (which I’ve decided is some kind of intergalactic UN), or Rose, but there was a mention of the bees disappearing – so that’s not just a throwaway line. Plus the song may be ending. Most people seem to be speculating that the line refers to the Doctor, but if the Ood do in fact view DoctorDonna as a hive mind and the song is what connects them, surely they are suggesting that the Doctor and Donna’s time together will be ending.

Next Week: Martha!

Comments

[airie-fairy.livejournal.com]

"I though it was a good touch having Halpen seem to genuinely like Ood Sigma, it lent him just a little bit of moral ambiguity instead of him being just plain evil."

I really liked that. In the middle of a massacre, he sent him off to the Ood they were being massacred by. It was a little incredibly.

Ood Sigma, I wonder if it's a reference to Theta Sigma. *whistles* Anyway, Ood Sigma was awesome. Especially since his scheme against Halpen was in a way doing something merciful by him.

"(Something tells me Donna’s going to be buying fair trade coffee from now on)"

Hee, yeah, I got that feeling.

The names Doctor and Donna got put together a lot this episode. With a lot of attention on the fact that is was. Their names sound good together.

You know, I know the disappearing bee thing is probably a reference to something coming up, but I recently watched a documentary about how bees are diminishing. There's an area where they're literally gone and the pear farmers have to pollenate their trees themselves.

[meddow.livejournal.com]

DoctorDonna has the alliteration thing going on so they do sound really good together. But yeah, there is so much emphasis as the two of them as a pair How are we not supposed to ship them?

Global warming's causing a dwindling bee population, isn't it? I know frogs are disappearing as well. It's all very sad.

[airie-fairy.livejournal.com]

They didn't seem as shippy to me this week as they did last week. But then, they seemed heavily like Four/Sarah this week (who I personally think go no further than drunken makeout sessions) and that is even better that shippy.

The frogs too? Shit, I didn't know about that. :/

[meddow.livejournal.com]

Yeah, rainforests that used to be filled with frog croaks at night are now apparently near silent.

And I'm not sure if shipping is the greatest word for it, because I do ship Sarah/Four and view Ten/Donna the same way, but like you, I don't think they ever go very far and I don't think they ever would, and I can't image it lasting forever and such - but they seem to be soulmates. I dunno. It's kind of hard with Doctor Who, Doctor/Companion relationships don't fall into nice easy categories or conventions - which, I think, is why I enjoy shipping DW.

[airie-fairy.livejournal.com]

They do. "Soulmate," in the loose, non-sappy sense that just means they fit together so well and easily. Both those pairs, really.

[meddow.livejournal.com]

Exactly.

[artic-fox.livejournal.com]

I think there were giant bees in the S4 trailer, so no doubt we're going to get a 'oh, so that is where all the bees are!' episode :D

[meddow.livejournal.com]

Supposedly that is a wasp. But it seems a strange coincidence that a season containing disappearing bees also has a giant wasp in it.

[artic-fox.livejournal.com]

I don't know, but it does seem quite coincidental? Unless the DW team can't tell the difference between a wasp and a bee? LOL.

[snorkackcatcher]

Yes, I really liked the fact that they ended up somewhere other than Earth for once (that was what, three episodes last season?) -- that was one of the strengths of Old School. I was beginning to overdose on Alien Threats To 21st Century Earth, especially with Torchwood and SJA on as well.

Good solid episode.

[meddow.livejournal.com]

It is great seeing something happen off Earth. The show can't really keep up the idea that humans are unaware of aliens if they're constantly being attacked. Plus, they've never really managed to explain why it's always Earth being invaded (and London in particular).

[snorkackcatcher]

True ... Although come to think of it. the first few Pertwee series were much like that, Maybe that's RTD's era and what he thinks of as the right format for DW?