DW: Turn Left
Monday, 23 June 2008 15:39![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
usuallyhats
The short version: I did not care for most of it.
The long version:
- Oh Billie. Her enunciation did get better as the episode wore on but the first scene was not great. And I loved her outfit madly but I don't think that haircut is working for her.
- Rose was a bit exposition-gal this episode though she had some nice moments - I liked her reply to Donna's "And you're sure this will work?" in particular, plus there were lots of actingy bits that made me happy. And I also like to see her taking charge and sorting things out and stuff. (she said vaguely) Erm, that although being pulled between universes wasn't her doing (she did imply this, right?) she wasn't just letting it happen, she was finding out why and how to stop it, and reverse engineering the TARDIS and whatnot.
- The beginning, with the generic Asian marketplace as a short hand for exotic travel? Not pleased with that, though the Doctor 'n' Donna bits were cute. And as for the Italian family later on... I was cringing in my seat at the racist stereotypes there. Don't do that! And then to top it all off, our heroine calling the Italian guy Mussolini... ARGH. I think that the whole labour camp bit made it worse, in a way, 'cos it felt kinda hypocritical. I mean: I don't think I'm being recklessly optimistic by assuming that most people think that labour camps are a bad thing; we don't need to be told this. I think it's more important to question the line of thinking that leads to people thinking that they might not be such a hideous idea, and the show didn't do that. Instead it played into it, with the whole: "foreigners! They're not like us, y'know." When the Italian family are singing songs in the middle of the night, that's a cause for anger; when it turns out it's Wilf, it's fun for all the family.
- So the something Donna has on her back is a plastic beetle? Oh dear. I know mocking the effects is a cheap shot but I was distracted by its rubbishness.
- I am intrigued by the stars going out plot type stuff.
- Humans are a bit rubbish in the new-whoniverse, aren't they? What on earth does the Doctor see in them/us?
- DONNA. Stuff I loved: "You can't save the world by shouting at it!"/"No, but I can try!", also sacrificing herself for the promise of a better world, yes. Stuff I loved less: the return of comedy shouty Donna, especially in the leaving work scene. I think Catherine Tate's a great actress and that she's really proved it this year, but this was not her finest hour.
- The deaths of Martha and Sarah and the kids were pretty sad, usually I'd say that New Who has played the "everyone's dead! except not" card once too often, but it's pretty much de rigeur for altverse episodes and it was well handled, so that's a yay.
- Though I may have laughed a bit at the slow motion sonic screwdriver fall.
- And the shot of Donna and Rose in the TARDIS was gorgeous.
The long version:
- Oh Billie. Her enunciation did get better as the episode wore on but the first scene was not great. And I loved her outfit madly but I don't think that haircut is working for her.
- Rose was a bit exposition-gal this episode though she had some nice moments - I liked her reply to Donna's "And you're sure this will work?" in particular, plus there were lots of actingy bits that made me happy. And I also like to see her taking charge and sorting things out and stuff. (she said vaguely) Erm, that although being pulled between universes wasn't her doing (she did imply this, right?) she wasn't just letting it happen, she was finding out why and how to stop it, and reverse engineering the TARDIS and whatnot.
- The beginning, with the generic Asian marketplace as a short hand for exotic travel? Not pleased with that, though the Doctor 'n' Donna bits were cute. And as for the Italian family later on... I was cringing in my seat at the racist stereotypes there. Don't do that! And then to top it all off, our heroine calling the Italian guy Mussolini... ARGH. I think that the whole labour camp bit made it worse, in a way, 'cos it felt kinda hypocritical. I mean: I don't think I'm being recklessly optimistic by assuming that most people think that labour camps are a bad thing; we don't need to be told this. I think it's more important to question the line of thinking that leads to people thinking that they might not be such a hideous idea, and the show didn't do that. Instead it played into it, with the whole: "foreigners! They're not like us, y'know." When the Italian family are singing songs in the middle of the night, that's a cause for anger; when it turns out it's Wilf, it's fun for all the family.
- So the something Donna has on her back is a plastic beetle? Oh dear. I know mocking the effects is a cheap shot but I was distracted by its rubbishness.
- I am intrigued by the stars going out plot type stuff.
- Humans are a bit rubbish in the new-whoniverse, aren't they? What on earth does the Doctor see in them/us?
- DONNA. Stuff I loved: "You can't save the world by shouting at it!"/"No, but I can try!", also sacrificing herself for the promise of a better world, yes. Stuff I loved less: the return of comedy shouty Donna, especially in the leaving work scene. I think Catherine Tate's a great actress and that she's really proved it this year, but this was not her finest hour.
- The deaths of Martha and Sarah and the kids were pretty sad, usually I'd say that New Who has played the "everyone's dead! except not" card once too often, but it's pretty much de rigeur for altverse episodes and it was well handled, so that's a yay.
- Though I may have laughed a bit at the slow motion sonic screwdriver fall.
- And the shot of Donna and Rose in the TARDIS was gorgeous.
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no subject
Date: 23 Jun 2008 20:39 (UTC)Never mind, everyone except the Doctor, the Blessed Saint Rose and poor old Jack is going to die next week anyway.
I'm quietly convinced that the Beeb's money troubles means they're wrapping up the Whoniverse, between the DW 'specials' and the TW 'miniseries', it doesn't bode well.
no subject
Date: 23 Jun 2008 21:45 (UTC)I think you're right and the specials/miniseries is a money thing... though presumably Dr Who's making a huge amount of money in merchandise and stuff? So I'm not sure if they'd axe it altogether. And the Sarah Jane Adventures is getting a full season next year, so that's hopeful for the future of the whoniverse!
no subject
Date: 24 Jun 2008 06:25 (UTC)Despite my pessamism, the DW specials are as much to do with David Tennant going off to play with the RSC as anything (tangent: have you seen Neil Gaiman's take on Ten does Hamlet? it's hilarious), but why that affects TW I don't know.
And I still think they're all going to die.
no subject
Date: 24 Jun 2008 06:29 (UTC)"To be, or not to be, that is the question. Weeelll.... More of A question really. Not THE question. Because, well, I mean, there are billions and billions of questions out there, and well, when I say billions, I mean, when you add in the answers, not just the questions, weeelll, you're looking at numbers that are positively astronomical and... for that matter the other question is what you lot are doing on this planet in the first place, and er, did anyone try just pushing this little red button?"
no subject
Date: 25 Jun 2008 10:02 (UTC)no subject
Date: 25 Jun 2008 10:05 (UTC)