Revenge of the Slitheen
Sep. 26th, 2007 11:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meddowYou know what’s scary? When you discover that at some point you’ve apparently entered ‘Slitheen’ into your word processor’s custom dictionary.
Spoiler warning: This is for part two as well as one.
First of all the Slitheen: None of the bad guys ever hit Annette Badland’s menace from Boom Town. But let’s face it, it’s a kids show. There’s no way they’re going to make the Slitheen creepier than that. Though I wish the actors hadn’t hammed it up as much. But the baby Slitheen was so cute. I know it’d try to kill me (and probably succeed), but I still want one.
Love how the Slitheen were trying to destroy the earth. That’s two global plots in two stories and it’s brilliant they haven’t lowered the threat just because it’s kids TV.
Luke and Clyde pretty much stole the show with these two episodes, though the entire cast is terrific. Both of those characters have the potential to be incredibly annoying – one a clueless super genius and the other the street-smart and arrogant – but they don’t. In fact they’re really likable. I do worry about Luke’s character direction, if he ever does clue up to human behaviour, he’d be unstoppable, and then why would you need the other characters? Clyde, meanwhile, with his lack of a moral quandary about killing and constant suggestions of violence as a solution, seems destined for a career at Torchwood.
Maria is a character that should be kept around the Whoniverse for a long time, and it’s not just because she’s mini-Sarah. The actress is a great find and the character has that air of complete believability about her which would make her a great companion. I do love how they’ve emphasised the Maria and Sarah similarity, for example in IotB it’s Sarah telling Maria to go home and keep out of it, in RotS, Maria’s telling Clyde nearly the exact same thing in nearly the exact same place. Luke may be SJS’s son, but Maria’s clearly her successor.
I absolutely adore the scenes with Alan and Chrissie (and not just because Alan’s hot), and that the show has decided to spend some time on their post-divorce issues. There’s going to be an explosion regarding Maria between the adult characters before the end of the series, it’s pretty obvious Chrissie’s going to figure out that it’s actually Sarah Jane that’s the common factor. It’d be interesting to see whether Alan sides with Chrissie or Sarah. And can I be a disappointed they don’t seem to be going down the Alan/Sarah route like they seemed to be in IotB? It was always a long shot they’d go that route with the fact it’s a kids show and with the age difference, but their scenes are rather sweet. But hell, this is a kids show with a woman in her fifties as a lead, it’s already breaking barriers, why not one more and have an older woman with a younger man?
I’ve decided Mr. Smith is evil or he is hiding a dark secret, or he and Sarah are hiding a dark secret (I think the later would be the best, imagine the kids running to Sarah about Mr. Smith and she just looks at them nonchalantly and tells them she knows). And I hope the deliberate resemblance to the classic TARIS console is because Mr. Smith is actually Time Lord technology.
And finally the woman of the hour herself, Sarah Jane makes a quite excellent Doctor substitute, because lets face it, she has stepped into the Doctor’s shoes. The thing about the Doctor is that you want to meet him and you want to go travelling with him - that’s the appeal. And watching SJA, it’s the same thing with her. You want to have someone like Sarah Jane living across the street and you want to help her defend the earth. The character’s got the same appeal, which I think makes the show work and have the same wonderful charm as Doctor Who.
And I do adore the way they’re writing Sarah, aware of the morality of her actions, often unsure, but brave and determined enough to pull everyone around her together to save the day, grumpy and cold when put upon and with interpersonal relationships (particularly with her son) as her Achilles heel. And a mention that she wishes to see the Doctor again, oh please please please Uncle Rusty let that happen, and it is on Doctor Who and not SJA and that it not be a cameo.
Speaking of morality, I’m not sure where they’re going with the killing thing, particularly with it being a kids show, since part of RotS were quite dark, and there’s quite a bit of contrast between the characters. Maria’s reluctant kill and then celebrates when she did as if she’s realised it’s okay and Clyde is in unable to find a moral dilemma in killing aliens. But Sarah’s clearly upset when she can’t save a Slitheen child from (seemingly) dying and uncomfortable when Clyde’s talking about such things. It looks like they’re all going to come to a head, but isn’t that a bit too dark for a kids show? Unless it’s going down the JKR/60s Who route of not assuming that kids can’t handle the dark stuff, in that case: awesome!
And finally, completely adored the references to both classic and new Doctor Who. Particularly since THE BRIGADIER LIVES. I demand that he shows up on Doctor Who! And while mentions of Rose by the Doctor make me want to tear my eyes out; mentions by Sarah Jane are wonderful, particularly a reference to the monster-off.
Spoiler warning: This is for part two as well as one.
First of all the Slitheen: None of the bad guys ever hit Annette Badland’s menace from Boom Town. But let’s face it, it’s a kids show. There’s no way they’re going to make the Slitheen creepier than that. Though I wish the actors hadn’t hammed it up as much. But the baby Slitheen was so cute. I know it’d try to kill me (and probably succeed), but I still want one.
Love how the Slitheen were trying to destroy the earth. That’s two global plots in two stories and it’s brilliant they haven’t lowered the threat just because it’s kids TV.
Luke and Clyde pretty much stole the show with these two episodes, though the entire cast is terrific. Both of those characters have the potential to be incredibly annoying – one a clueless super genius and the other the street-smart and arrogant – but they don’t. In fact they’re really likable. I do worry about Luke’s character direction, if he ever does clue up to human behaviour, he’d be unstoppable, and then why would you need the other characters? Clyde, meanwhile, with his lack of a moral quandary about killing and constant suggestions of violence as a solution, seems destined for a career at Torchwood.
Maria is a character that should be kept around the Whoniverse for a long time, and it’s not just because she’s mini-Sarah. The actress is a great find and the character has that air of complete believability about her which would make her a great companion. I do love how they’ve emphasised the Maria and Sarah similarity, for example in IotB it’s Sarah telling Maria to go home and keep out of it, in RotS, Maria’s telling Clyde nearly the exact same thing in nearly the exact same place. Luke may be SJS’s son, but Maria’s clearly her successor.
I absolutely adore the scenes with Alan and Chrissie (and not just because Alan’s hot), and that the show has decided to spend some time on their post-divorce issues. There’s going to be an explosion regarding Maria between the adult characters before the end of the series, it’s pretty obvious Chrissie’s going to figure out that it’s actually Sarah Jane that’s the common factor. It’d be interesting to see whether Alan sides with Chrissie or Sarah. And can I be a disappointed they don’t seem to be going down the Alan/Sarah route like they seemed to be in IotB? It was always a long shot they’d go that route with the fact it’s a kids show and with the age difference, but their scenes are rather sweet. But hell, this is a kids show with a woman in her fifties as a lead, it’s already breaking barriers, why not one more and have an older woman with a younger man?
I’ve decided Mr. Smith is evil or he is hiding a dark secret, or he and Sarah are hiding a dark secret (I think the later would be the best, imagine the kids running to Sarah about Mr. Smith and she just looks at them nonchalantly and tells them she knows). And I hope the deliberate resemblance to the classic TARIS console is because Mr. Smith is actually Time Lord technology.
And finally the woman of the hour herself, Sarah Jane makes a quite excellent Doctor substitute, because lets face it, she has stepped into the Doctor’s shoes. The thing about the Doctor is that you want to meet him and you want to go travelling with him - that’s the appeal. And watching SJA, it’s the same thing with her. You want to have someone like Sarah Jane living across the street and you want to help her defend the earth. The character’s got the same appeal, which I think makes the show work and have the same wonderful charm as Doctor Who.
And I do adore the way they’re writing Sarah, aware of the morality of her actions, often unsure, but brave and determined enough to pull everyone around her together to save the day, grumpy and cold when put upon and with interpersonal relationships (particularly with her son) as her Achilles heel. And a mention that she wishes to see the Doctor again, oh please please please Uncle Rusty let that happen, and it is on Doctor Who and not SJA and that it not be a cameo.
Speaking of morality, I’m not sure where they’re going with the killing thing, particularly with it being a kids show, since part of RotS were quite dark, and there’s quite a bit of contrast between the characters. Maria’s reluctant kill and then celebrates when she did as if she’s realised it’s okay and Clyde is in unable to find a moral dilemma in killing aliens. But Sarah’s clearly upset when she can’t save a Slitheen child from (seemingly) dying and uncomfortable when Clyde’s talking about such things. It looks like they’re all going to come to a head, but isn’t that a bit too dark for a kids show? Unless it’s going down the JKR/60s Who route of not assuming that kids can’t handle the dark stuff, in that case: awesome!
And finally, completely adored the references to both classic and new Doctor Who. Particularly since THE BRIGADIER LIVES. I demand that he shows up on Doctor Who! And while mentions of Rose by the Doctor make me want to tear my eyes out; mentions by Sarah Jane are wonderful, particularly a reference to the monster-off.
