Big Post of Who

[meddow]

Arc of Infinity

I'd been looking forward to watching this serial for a while, since it's the only time Five and Nyssa are together without Tegan, and thanks to Big Finish, the two of them alone are one of my favourite TARDIS teams. I was not disappointed, since I really enjoyed this serial – I watched it in two days. I didn’t know it was partially filmed in Amsterdam before watching it (but how could I not know now after the gratuitous 'look, we're on location, in AMSTERDAM!' chase scene). Also besides The Five Doctors (which I don't think counts because I was too busy squeeing at all the Doctors and companions), this was my first major exposure to Gallifrey and all is political machinations.

I can't help but wonder if RTD had been watching this serial before writing Journey's End. First of all, there's the whole two Fives (sort of) with the Brown Suited!Five (well, beige) and a Blue Suited!Omega!Five, which made me wonder if anything in the new series is original.

And then there's poor Nyssa. She one of the nicest people on a planet of pacifists where you can really think evil thoughts without being turned into a statue and just over a season winds up shooting people and pointing a gun at the Lord High President of the Time Lords in an attempt to save the Doctor. If any companion exemplifies the Doctor turning them into weapons thing, it's her. Though, that's hardly a fair call since that was pretty much entirely the Master's doing – what with him killing her father, step-mother and then destroying her entire planet. You'd expect her to react the way she does after that; the Doctor's the only person she's got. She's so tragic.

Although, RTD would hardly be playing up the unusualness of the Doctor and Donna's second meeting if he had been watching it. Five running into Tegan for the second time was far more unlikely than Ten and Donna's second meeting when you consider that, unlike Donna, Tegan wasn't looking for trouble.

I remember not thinking very highly of Five after the first couple of serials I watched of him, and I really can't believe that since I adore him to pieces now. Anyway, he's adorable throughout this serial. And there was Six. Sort of. A psychiatrist would have a field day with the Doctor ("So your fifth self regenerated into your executioner?")

My Nyssa love continues, so much so I just had to get a Nyssa icon and currently have plot bunnies in my head in which Nyssa and Donna hang out. Spend this serial shipping her with everyone. Five/Nyssa, Tegan/Nyssa, Damon/Nyssa. And then wondering how massively screwed up and whacky Nyssa/Six or Nyssa/Maxil would be with the whole one-actor-two-roles thing.

Omega's a villain I'd like to see again. I just loved that scene with the puppet show. It wasn't so much that he wanted to kill people or rule the universe or anything, it was just that he was incompatible with the universe. He's so tragic. (Five!Omega/Nyssa, yes?)

Lost Souls

I would have been so much more impressed with this if not for the painful scene of LHC exposition. We're supposed to believe that people who scavenge alien technology and defend the Earth for a living have never heard of the LHC? Either it's unimaginative writing (they could have had Gwen explain it to PC Andy or Rhys) or Torchwood really is incompetent. Being me, I'm inclined towards the latter, so Torchwood for the fail.

Other than that, it was quite alright. Just another episode of Torchwood really - even down to Ianto crying - just without the visuals. It's good in that it's really the first full cast audio play of the new series. I'm really hoping that once day Big Finish will get the licence to play around with the new series characters and get access to the actors, because I would love to hear new adventure of the new series TARDIS crews, and if it ever happen, Lost Souls illustrated the possibilities. It's really quite a shame that since former regulars David Tennant and Lis Sladen are on contract with the BBC they don't seem to be able to do any BF audios anymore.

Speaking of audios, how excited am I that Catherine Tate's doing an audiobook, The Forever Trap. After David Tennant's Donna voice in Pest Control, which was endearingly bad, I can't wait to hear Catherine Tate's Tenth Doctor voice.

And finally . I was ignoring them, because even though I was wrong about the return of Rose, and Sarah and Jack and Jackie, Mickey, Harriet, Ianto, Gwen, Luke etc etc, if these new ones turned out to be untrue I'd be very disappointed and as soon as Paul McGann's name is thrown about, I stop believing things (I think we have about the same chances of having a Paul McGann Time War episode as we do of finding out the Doctor's name). But the fact that the BBC denied the Paul McGann casting rumour without denying the casting of the other three involved makes me wonder if there isn't an ounce of truth to it. Why not deny all four at once if they're all untrue?

Comments

[ragdoll.livejournal.com]

The stuff re: casting rumours on DWF is making my head spin. Several of the people who have been spot on in terms of spoilers are swearing it's truer than true. Several other people with sources in high places are swearing it's not true at all. I'm all about the wait and see attitude re: Paul McGann. I would be the happiest girl in the world if we got a bit more of Eight on screen as I've been a Paul McGann fan girl ever since I first saw Withnail & I in the 80s, but I'm not holding my breath.

As for the other three, there's been a lot of talk about one of them since they started filming S4, including the fact that a small cameo got taken out of "Journey's End" in order to expand the role to something bigger in the specials. I've even heard proposed titles for one of the specials which make me giggle, even if they're not true.

As for the other two, I know there's been a lot of talk there too and even if they're not back for a special (or more), then it sounds like the Moff might actually want to rectify things. I'm fine with that as long as it ends happily for one/both of 'em. And yes, the lack of denials is a bit interesting.

Although even the McGann stuff is oddly phrased (like "He won't be in the Dr Who series"). I dunno. People are parsing it so badly that it's actually funny.

[meddow.livejournal.com]

I adore Paul McGann. It was Hornblower that made me fall for him (although he's never cuter than he is in Withnail). Still, I think that drawing of Eight in Human Nature is the only time we're ever going to see him in the new series (and now I've said that, he's probably going to be in it just to prove me wrong).

I heard that read that cameo rumor back in S4, didn't believe it at all then, even if I'm willing to believe it just a little now. What was the proposed title?

And I'm hesitant about the other two. Seems like nearly everyone in the production, including the Moff and the actors want it to happen so it really could. But while on the one hand things could be made a whole lot better, on the other it could be Rose in TSE/JE all over again and we'll all be wishing it had never happened. I really don't know whether to hope for it to happen or not.

[ragdoll.livejournal.com]

Paul's brilliant in Hornblower too, even if Busch did sort of take over for my beloved Archie *pets Jamie because she can* later on. He's also been in a few other series and never disappoints. I do love Eight even if the TVM is kind of silly and most of the audios I've heard so far are kind of meh.

The proposed title is "At Home With The Saxons" or "Meet the Saxons". I cannot tell you how much those make me laugh (which just proves how weird I am!).

I know Catherine has told fans directly (or so they claim) that there's at least been discussions about it and I think her comments about how she'd have stayed on if there had been an immediate S5 and all the awards/adulation she's getting might be having an effect. Here's hoping. Anything's possible with SM -- he's being very closed mouth about his plans (which is good!) so it'll be a big surprise in 18 months or so (although knowing the DWF set reporters, maybe not such a surprise to some of us. ;))

I am hoping that if CT comes back, that it will be for an expressed purpose rather than just a pointless one like Rose's return. I was always a bit iffy about that one so feel kind of vindicated when it turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. On the other hand, I'd have welcomed it if it HAD been brilliant. I just love the other person too much to have things end on such a depressing note. Part of me hopes that RTD was jerking us around again, and perhaps because he's not insanely in love with HER, things might make more sense. I dunno.

[meddow.livejournal.com]

I love those titles.

I suppose it is a good thing that SM is keeping close mouthed. I can't imagine how boring it would be to have spoilers 18 months in advance. Although it would be nice to know if there'll be a new Doctor and a new companion.

Since CT seems willing to do another series, she could be back with purpose and for more than an episode. At least it can't be any worse than what happened with Rose. I would have loved Rose to have gotten over the Doctor and established for herself a new life without him. That would have been a much better ending to the whole saga of Rose and the Doctor.

[airie-fairy.livejournal.com]

So, what you said about Amsterdam: you know how a big deal is made of Four and Romana II running around Paris all the time? WHAT I WOULDN'T GIVE for Five and Nyssa running around Amsterdam icons. I know Paris is the city of love, blah blah blah, but AMSTERDAM. QUIRKINESS. <3

Also, what you said about Nyssa: I love her story SO. VERY. MUCH. She's unbelievable. Raised by a single dad, just when her family is entering a great new beginning EVERYONE DIES and she ends up travelling with a guy sort of accountable for not stopping it (though she tries not to blame him for that) because...a future version of him wanted her there (um, ship?), and she goes through loss upon loss and her idyllic existence is countered with horror after horror and she faces down the guy who killed her father wearing her father's body and she's stoic about all of it and she takes on this unassuming ability to turn on the badass when necessary and it's a little heartbreaking even while it's impressive...and she carries on a relationship with this guy she's travelling that's really intense and on level while simultaneously distanced because of the unspoken things and the different things they know the other wants...and in the end she chooses for herself a life of isolation to take care of a lot of abandoned people virtually by herself. I...pretty much don't get how Nyssa wouldn't be thought of as a headtrip of an awesome companion.

I can believe Paul McGann might show up in a two-doctors sort of scenario from while Eight was travelling, but for them to actually show bits of the Time War? I am HIGHLY SKEPTICAL.

[meddow.livejournal.com]

Yes to the Five/Nyssa Amsterdam icons. Amsterdam is so delightfully weird (I loved how they kept on accidentally crashing into the people and attempted to be polite and help them up while also trying to rush away to stop the end of the world - Five and Nyssa in a nutshell).

And YES to everything you said there about Nyssa. There really needs to be more Nyssa love about fandom. I had completely forgotten that it was the Watcher who was responsible for Nyssa travelling with the Doctor and also for her leaving her planet thereby saving her life. That's really quite epic.

I think everyone needs to accept we're never going to the full story of the Time War. It's just going to be one of those things, like the Doctor's family, that gets mentioned in passing.

[airie-fairy.livejournal.com]

"I loved how they kept on accidentally crashing into the people and attempted to be polite and help them up while also trying to rush away to stop the end of the world - Five and Nyssa in a nutshell"

XD and yes.

[iblis-kukl.livejournal.com]