"Delta and the Bannermen"

[usuallyhats]

...in bulletpoints! BULLETPOINTS OF LOVE. (NB I did not get much sleep last night, since all the dust I stirred up in my clearing out binge yesterday settled in my lungs and impeded my ability to breathe, so I don't know how much sense this is all going to make.)

• I was mentally classing this story as "delightful", and then I hit the end of part two and it got upgraded to AMAZING. Just... Mel's grief and defiance, the Doctor's anger, and then "I think I may have gone a little too far"... well, my main reaction was "I MUST NOW WATCH ALL THE SEVEN, IMMEDIATELY". I am slightly unsure how I feel about the bus being atomised; usually I would be v. unhappy about casually killing off all those people, but what came after it was SO GREAT it rather justified it.


• The tone shift from season 23 is brilliant; it all feels so fresh and lively. (Not that I hated season 23 or anything, but there's definitely been a change and to me it's for the better.) "Delta" makes "Paradise Towers" seem so much like a transitional episode between the old and the new styles.


• The first bit with Mel and the Doctor was great, I especially loved them holding hands; they're really on the same wavelength at that point. Again, they didn't get much time together in the rest of the story, but that little moment at the beginning made it OK: Mel's clearly at that stage of companioning where the Doctor trusts her to go off and solve bits of the plot on her own while he's keeping an eye on the newbies.


• Ray I liked a lot; I was a bit thrown at first that she wasn't more in your face, all "grr see me kick against restrictive gender norms", but I actually grew to like that about her, that she didn't need to fit that stereotype to justify her skills as a mechanic. And I loved that she didn't get a boy at the end, she got a MOTORBIKE hurray. She and the Doctor were lovely together, especially when he gets distracted from the plot to go and comfort her. And the dancing! Yay. (Also, I hadn't realised she was Welsh! ♥)


• A 1950s holiday camp is such a great setting for a Doctor Who story, because it's sort of weird and banal at the same time, so it both complements and contrasts with all the alien shenanigans and whatnot.


• Loved the little bait and switch with the real police box! ♥

Comments

[eponymous_rose]

Eee, this post makes me want to do a rewatch right this very minute. It's been ages since I saw it, and I can barely remember it, but I do remember enjoying it quite a lot.

[usuallyhats]

:D I definitely recommend rewatching; it's really great and only three episodes! *tempts*

[fly_to_dawn]

Ahh, I LOVE Delta and the Bannermen. I feel like I should rewatch it!

[usuallyhats]

Rewatch! Rewatch! It's only short and it's so great! :D

[ravenskyewalker.livejournal.com]

It's strange -- I used to hate this and find it embarrassing, and I really didn't want to spend good money on the DVD, but... I rewatched it with a relaxed attitude, and though I still can't stand Mel with her screaming, I know that Bonnie Langford can act on audio (without the screams and with a less squeaky voice), so that helps, oddly. Anyway, it was kind of fun... although the stupid American agents don't help. I much prefer S25 and 26 to S24, but S24 is a little better than I used to give it credit for being. It's as if people suddenly remembered how to make DW (which they'd forgotten how to do during Colin's, and a good chunk of Peter's, time), and decided to toss old rules out and go experimental.

[usuallyhats]

*nods* The writing definitely feels a lot freer, somehow.

Mel's screaming is one of those things that I'd heard so much about that by the time I actually got to her episodes it didn't seem that bad! And yes, she is brilliant in the audios. ♥

[cosmic-llin.livejournal.com]

Mel's grief and defiance YES. Love her so much in this episode, Bonnie does a great job. And yeah, it interests me that quite often in the Seven episodes Mel just goes off and does her own thing.

I wasn't that keen on Ray, but I think the actress just didn't do it for me, I liked the idea of the character fine.

[usuallyhats]

Yes! That scene in particular is fantastic.

And yeah, it interests me that quite often in the Seven episodes Mel just goes off and does her own thing.
I'm assuming that at this point they've had lots of adventures that we haven't seen - more than most companions (except possibly Romana, just because of the Time Lord lifespan issue). They seem so settled together by the beginning of "Delta". Plus the fact that he met her before he met her might influence things?

[thisbluespirit]

I landed here via who_daily and have nothing much that is sensible to say, except that it made me smile widely to see someone else loving Delta. It's so sunny, and Seven really seems to find his feet! And everything you say here. Except I also love Mr Burton a lot; the way he's sort of a comic figure and then genuinely heroic... and yes. And Ray. I ship Seven/Ray just a bit.

...And this isn't the first time I've ended up on your LJ (whether or not I commented) either through a comm or a mutual friend, only to go "This person likes so many of the same things as me!" Plus, I like your fic... and would it be okay if I friend you? Hopefully you are also reocognising my name from elsewhere. I am crazy, I waffle a lot, but I am mostly harmless and can be ignored at need.

:-)

[usuallyhats]

I love Mr Burton too! The comic and heroic aspects of his character worked together beautifully.

Friend away! I am going to do likewise - I keep seeing you around and thinking that I should friend you. :D

[thisbluespirit]

I'm glad to hear it. I love his rescuing of Mel. Generally I approve of companions rescuing themselves, but it's such a lovely character moment.

And, hurrah! :-)