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kaliha(This week it's two episodes in one. As such I've tried to be a little less rambly than usual. I don't think I succeeded). Oh and there's pictures.
The Empty Child
"There is a war on you know."
Back in London again, but this time back in the past (and given how good the last "in the proper past" episode was (The Unquiet Dead) I was quietly confident that I was going to enjoy this one. Please be aware that I have a pre-existing fear of a) gas masks b) creepy children. These episodes have done nothing to cure me of either of those fears, and I have to admit I did almost duck behind a cushion a couple of times during The Empty Child (I know, I'm such a baby).
"It's mauve and dangerous."
This line made me chuckle, a lot.
"You know, one day, just one day maybe, I'm gonna meet somebody who gets the whole 'don't wonder off' thing. 900 years of phone box travel, it's only thing left to surprise me."
He should put Rose on one of those kiddie leashes and tie her to him so she doesn't run off. (God, look at that, a mere four paragraphs in and I'm already making bondage comments). And look, the Doctor is good with animals too.
I may have had a little cushion break just about now, but it's so creepy. It's creepy in the way the Ring and all those Japanese horror films with girls with hair over their faces are scary. You can't see their eyes, it makes them look soulless and just downright evil.
Ringing? What's that about? Ringing? You're not even a real phone and you're ringing?
I like the fact the Empty Child could use anything with a speaker. Looking at it from a military point of view it's the perfect way to pass on orders without the need for bulky equipment and the whole shared mind thing would allow soldiers to work as a meshed unit. It's also very scary (particularly the bit with the tape in The Doctor Dances
"I want to find a blonde in a Union Jack. I mean a specific one, I didn't just wake up this morning with a craving."
I liked the uncomfortable laughter, although really kids that little shouldn't have got that.
Doctor: Mr Spock?
Rose: What else was I gonna say? You don't have a name! Don't you ever get tired of The Doctor? Doctor Who?
Doctor: Nine centuries, I'm coping.
I'm sure it's the ears.
Psychic paper
Is it more than mere coincidence that both Jack and The Doctor own psychic paper? A friend reckons they got it from the same place with picked up their Sonic Screwdriver/Gun. But what if it's more than that? Or are we reading too much into everything again and it's just a handy little plot device. (I still want one to replace my highly expensive weekly train ticket though). I liked the fact Jack's is a little bit too attuned to what he/Rose was thinking.
Bad Wolf reference:
Doctor: My nose has special powers
Nancy: Do your ears have special powers too?
Doctor: What are you trying to say?
It's not as blatant as in other weeks. My, my what big ears you have grandma… I like it in it's subtlety. I totally missed it the first time round. (Only caught it the second time round due to a snarky comment "All the better to hear you with.") It can be argued that this increases the case for the Doctor being the Bad Wolf, but I'm still not convinced.
The Doctor Dances
I'm glad that worked those would of been terrible last words
Obviously the Doctor wasn't brought up in a world dominated by Suppernany and Little Angels, you're not supposed to send your kids to their room anymore; you're supposed to give them a time out when they're going around scaring people and turning them into gas-masked zombies. Snarkiness aside, it was an excellent little scene, neatly showing the viewer how Jamie and the rest of the victims are linked together,
Jack: Continue whatever you were doing
Doctor: we were talking about dancing
Jack: Didn't look like talking
Rose: didnt feel like dancing either
Poor Doctor. He's been around 900 years, his dancing skills are probably a little bit rusty. I loved the fact he was trying to resonate the screws out the bars with his little screwdriver. Bless.
Jack: A sonic cannon? A sonic what?
Doctor: SCREWDRIVER
Remember, boys, it's not what you've got, it's how you use it and you can't use that big old blaster to knock up a bookcase from Ikea.
I feel a bit sorry for poor Jack (only a bit mind) because he take on the role of 'Mindless Yank who'll shoot first and ask questions later'.
It was lucky the Doctor has a banana to swop the blaster with. (Although it does beg the question: where on earth do you get a banana from during the war? (There wasn't much in the way of food imports while the U-boats blew up anything sailing towards Blighty). My guess is that he picked it up from the house when he joined in the kids dinner.) And there was Rose knocking the beam awry to save the Albion patients. Both non-violent ways of dealing with a potentially violent situation.
Rose: "First day I met him, he blew up my job. That's practically how he communicates."
Although it is a bit of a change in character for the Doctor from the early episodes. It's fine to blow up living plastic, trampolines and Daleks but don't mess with the humans. Then again he's always had a soft spot for us and I think he's still feeling the guilt from Dalek too.
There was a lot of nice animosity between the Doctor and Jack in this episode. And not just because Cap'n Jack let what a basically a futuristic plague loose across London. There was also a bit a jealous!Doctor in there too. He's definitely a little bit peeved that Rose's head was turned by the bloke off Live and Kicking. Rose is only supposed to have eyes for him, or had she forgotten?
Doctor: "EVERYBODY LIVES!"
Doctor: "Just this once everyone lives."
The Doctor's not a mean old sort after all. He was going to rescue Jack all along. (I think he likes a man in uniform, everyone loves an airman.) And we actually have a pair of episodes (and the first episodes in this series) where no one dies, no one sacrifices themselves for the greater good; no one gets squished by a big old German bomb. Everyone's a winner. And I think, what with all the death there's been over the last few weeks, they deserved it. Although I can't help but wonder if Rose is a bit peeved that all the Albion patients were allowed to live when her father had to die.
There's probably going to be some mutters over Cap'n Jack joining them. Yes he was out to make money; Yes he didn't admit the possibility it could have been all his fault; but unlike Adam he did take responsibility for his actions and atoned for them by willingly blasting off into space with the bomb. (Wouldn't it have been easier to detonate it the other side of the moon or in the upper atmosphere for something? Why do men always have to go with the grand gestures?) Plus Jack can get himself into a lot of trouble, the Doctor probably thinks this is the easiest way to keep an eye on him.
"Come on. The world doesn't end because the Doctor dances."
Someone really ought to mention to Rose that you really shouldn't say things like that. It really is a prelude to something *really bad*TM happening. And I'm guessing it will next week.
Has there always been a hat stand by the door in the TARDIS? How come I've not noticed it before?
Doctor: I've just remembered! I can dance!
Rose: Oh, I thought Jack might like this dance.
Doctor: I'm sure he will - but who with?
You know, I was waiting for them to laugh then freeze Police Squad style. It was a bit cheesy, but you know, I don't care.
Bad Wolf Watch: It's on the bomb! Well the word Wolf certainly is, but I couldn't make out if it said bad as well so I'm going to assume that it is.
Edit: Apparently it says Bad Wolf in German. (I did Spanish and French at school so I'd have no chance realising that).
And they managed a little homage to Dr Strangelove too. Ride 'em cowboy!!
God bless you Steven Moffat, and here's hoping you'll be back again next year.
The Empty Child 8.5/10
The Doctor Dances 9/10
"There is a war on you know."
Back in London again, but this time back in the past (and given how good the last "in the proper past" episode was (The Unquiet Dead) I was quietly confident that I was going to enjoy this one. Please be aware that I have a pre-existing fear of a) gas masks b) creepy children. These episodes have done nothing to cure me of either of those fears, and I have to admit I did almost duck behind a cushion a couple of times during The Empty Child (I know, I'm such a baby).
"It's mauve and dangerous."
This line made me chuckle, a lot.
"You know, one day, just one day maybe, I'm gonna meet somebody who gets the whole 'don't wonder off' thing. 900 years of phone box travel, it's only thing left to surprise me."
He should put Rose on one of those kiddie leashes and tie her to him so she doesn't run off. (God, look at that, a mere four paragraphs in and I'm already making bondage comments). And look, the Doctor is good with animals too.
I may have had a little cushion break just about now, but it's so creepy. It's creepy in the way the Ring and all those Japanese horror films with girls with hair over their faces are scary. You can't see their eyes, it makes them look soulless and just downright evil.
Ringing? What's that about? Ringing? You're not even a real phone and you're ringing?
I like the fact the Empty Child could use anything with a speaker. Looking at it from a military point of view it's the perfect way to pass on orders without the need for bulky equipment and the whole shared mind thing would allow soldiers to work as a meshed unit. It's also very scary (particularly the bit with the tape in The Doctor Dances
"I want to find a blonde in a Union Jack. I mean a specific one, I didn't just wake up this morning with a craving."
I liked the uncomfortable laughter, although really kids that little shouldn't have got that.
Doctor: Mr Spock?
Rose: What else was I gonna say? You don't have a name! Don't you ever get tired of The Doctor? Doctor Who?
Doctor: Nine centuries, I'm coping.
I'm sure it's the ears.
Psychic paper
Is it more than mere coincidence that both Jack and The Doctor own psychic paper? A friend reckons they got it from the same place with picked up their Sonic Screwdriver/Gun. But what if it's more than that? Or are we reading too much into everything again and it's just a handy little plot device. (I still want one to replace my highly expensive weekly train ticket though). I liked the fact Jack's is a little bit too attuned to what he/Rose was thinking.
Bad Wolf reference:
Doctor: My nose has special powers
Nancy: Do your ears have special powers too?
Doctor: What are you trying to say?
It's not as blatant as in other weeks. My, my what big ears you have grandma… I like it in it's subtlety. I totally missed it the first time round. (Only caught it the second time round due to a snarky comment "All the better to hear you with.") It can be argued that this increases the case for the Doctor being the Bad Wolf, but I'm still not convinced.
I'm glad that worked those would of been terrible last words
Obviously the Doctor wasn't brought up in a world dominated by Suppernany and Little Angels, you're not supposed to send your kids to their room anymore; you're supposed to give them a time out when they're going around scaring people and turning them into gas-masked zombies. Snarkiness aside, it was an excellent little scene, neatly showing the viewer how Jamie and the rest of the victims are linked together,
Jack: Continue whatever you were doing
Doctor: we were talking about dancing
Jack: Didn't look like talking
Rose: didnt feel like dancing either
Poor Doctor. He's been around 900 years, his dancing skills are probably a little bit rusty. I loved the fact he was trying to resonate the screws out the bars with his little screwdriver. Bless.
Jack: A sonic cannon? A sonic what?
Doctor: SCREWDRIVER
Remember, boys, it's not what you've got, it's how you use it and you can't use that big old blaster to knock up a bookcase from Ikea.
I feel a bit sorry for poor Jack (only a bit mind) because he take on the role of 'Mindless Yank who'll shoot first and ask questions later'.
It was lucky the Doctor has a banana to swop the blaster with. (Although it does beg the question: where on earth do you get a banana from during the war? (There wasn't much in the way of food imports while the U-boats blew up anything sailing towards Blighty). My guess is that he picked it up from the house when he joined in the kids dinner.) And there was Rose knocking the beam awry to save the Albion patients. Both non-violent ways of dealing with a potentially violent situation.
Rose: "First day I met him, he blew up my job. That's practically how he communicates."
Although it is a bit of a change in character for the Doctor from the early episodes. It's fine to blow up living plastic, trampolines and Daleks but don't mess with the humans. Then again he's always had a soft spot for us and I think he's still feeling the guilt from Dalek too.
There was a lot of nice animosity between the Doctor and Jack in this episode. And not just because Cap'n Jack let what a basically a futuristic plague loose across London. There was also a bit a jealous!Doctor in there too. He's definitely a little bit peeved that Rose's head was turned by the bloke off Live and Kicking. Rose is only supposed to have eyes for him, or had she forgotten?
Doctor: "EVERYBODY LIVES!"
Doctor: "Just this once everyone lives."
The Doctor's not a mean old sort after all. He was going to rescue Jack all along. (I think he likes a man in uniform, everyone loves an airman.) And we actually have a pair of episodes (and the first episodes in this series) where no one dies, no one sacrifices themselves for the greater good; no one gets squished by a big old German bomb. Everyone's a winner. And I think, what with all the death there's been over the last few weeks, they deserved it. Although I can't help but wonder if Rose is a bit peeved that all the Albion patients were allowed to live when her father had to die.
There's probably going to be some mutters over Cap'n Jack joining them. Yes he was out to make money; Yes he didn't admit the possibility it could have been all his fault; but unlike Adam he did take responsibility for his actions and atoned for them by willingly blasting off into space with the bomb. (Wouldn't it have been easier to detonate it the other side of the moon or in the upper atmosphere for something? Why do men always have to go with the grand gestures?) Plus Jack can get himself into a lot of trouble, the Doctor probably thinks this is the easiest way to keep an eye on him.
"Come on. The world doesn't end because the Doctor dances."
Someone really ought to mention to Rose that you really shouldn't say things like that. It really is a prelude to something *really bad*TM happening. And I'm guessing it will next week.
Has there always been a hat stand by the door in the TARDIS? How come I've not noticed it before?
Doctor: I've just remembered! I can dance!
Rose: Oh, I thought Jack might like this dance.
Doctor: I'm sure he will - but who with?
You know, I was waiting for them to laugh then freeze Police Squad style. It was a bit cheesy, but you know, I don't care.
Bad Wolf Watch: It's on the bomb! Well the word Wolf certainly is, but I couldn't make out if it said bad as well so I'm going to assume that it is.
Edit: Apparently it says Bad Wolf in German. (I did Spanish and French at school so I'd have no chance realising that).
And they managed a little homage to Dr Strangelove too. Ride 'em cowboy!!
God bless you Steven Moffat, and here's hoping you'll be back again next year.
The Empty Child 8.5/10
The Doctor Dances 9/10
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: Wednesday, June 1st, 2005 05:17 pm (UTC)On another note; It's mauve and dangerous is going to be my new name on MSN or on here!
(no subject)
Date: Thursday, June 2nd, 2005 01:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: Wednesday, June 1st, 2005 05:30 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: Wednesday, June 1st, 2005 05:53 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: Thursday, June 2nd, 2005 08:48 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: Wednesday, June 1st, 2005 05:33 pm (UTC)I like the little nods they've given to the old series without bogging the show down in fanwankery plots. The Cybermen nod was the best so far.
(no subject)
Date: Thursday, June 2nd, 2005 01:47 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: Thursday, June 2nd, 2005 02:07 pm (UTC)http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/gallery/11gallery/1024/05.jpg
http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/gallery/11gallery/1024/13.jpg
And heres two for the ladies:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/gallery/11gallery/1024/02.jpg
http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/gallery/11gallery/1024/06.jpg
(no subject)
Date: Wednesday, June 1st, 2005 05:35 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: Wednesday, June 1st, 2005 06:02 pm (UTC)I'd like to see the Doctor trying to hold a door handle shut against a Plaguebearer. It would be a good scene. Short, but good.
(no subject)
Date: Thursday, June 2nd, 2005 08:40 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: Wednesday, June 1st, 2005 06:20 pm (UTC)Yup. And not just with this Doctor, either. :)
(no subject)
Date: Wednesday, June 1st, 2005 06:33 pm (UTC)Yes, since Doctors and Doctors ago.
(no subject)
Date: Thursday, June 2nd, 2005 08:28 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: Wednesday, June 1st, 2005 09:41 pm (UTC)Google didn't bring up any info, but I found this site and grown men playing with Doctor Who dolls is always amusing:
http://sean.adventureteam.com/pages/dw-redemption/insidetardis.htm
(no subject)
Date: Friday, June 3rd, 2005 07:05 pm (UTC)My capacity for useless trivia still astounds me... :P
(no subject)
Date: Saturday, June 4th, 2005 10:03 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: Thursday, June 2nd, 2005 12:30 am (UTC)I think he carried it in his pocket from the Tardis. A well dressed Timelord always has a large firm object in his pants pocket.
(no subject)
Date: Thursday, June 2nd, 2005 07:49 am (UTC)