Doctor Who: The Vampires of Venice

[eve11]

Oh, I did like this one a lot. Watched it twice so far, and it definitely has an old school feeling to it, but except for a few miscues, really managed to tell the story with the right level of pacing this time. And it brings up some more questions too. Leadworth is the "town out of time". Also, note that Rosanna Calvierri (a) knew the Doctor's name even though she didn't know Isabella's and (b) said "make a new life on Earth, as so many others have. Ummmm... do you think maybe that Rory is an alien? Maybe Leadworth is another refugee town? The dream lord in the preview also calls Leadworth "the village that Time forgot". Oh my. Something is totally up with Leadworth. Anyway, point by point:

"Thought I'd burst out of the wrong cake. Again." Oh, Doctor. Also, LOVED the physicality of that entrance, ha! It was ridiculous but oh it was hilarious too.

"I like the bit when someone says 'it's bigger on the inside. I always look forward to that.'" *snerk* I love the goggles in this scene too, and the cloister bell and him saying "Don't worry, it's supposed to do that!"

"Don't want to run into him; I owe him a chicken"
"You owe Casanova a chicken?"
"Long story, we had a bet"

"Oh that's nice... see what you bring me? The plague!"

"Oh yeah, I'll explain later..." Shout out to Old School!

The look on the Doctor's face when he sees Guido in trouble. Like, he is living this guy's emotions, he can't help it.

Helen McRory is really wonderful in this. The "hydrating scene" is just so sinister and wrong.

"Oh, this is Christmas!" That line never gets old!

The way Rory inches away from the gunpowder after they find out what it is ... and then inches right into the dead whateveritis that will probably be supper... too funny.

"Your daughter!? You look about nine." HA!
"Brother, then."
"Too weird. Fiance."
"Ah... I'm not having him run around, telling people he's your fiance"
"No, no, you're right."
"Thank you."
"They've already seen the Doctor. You should do it."
"Me?"
"Yeah! You can be my brother."
"Why is him being your brother weird, but with me, it's okay?"
"Actually, I thought you were her fiance."
"Yeah, that's not helping."

OMFG the scene with Rory and Amy at the Calvierri School was fantastic. "So, basically, both our parents are dead from getting the plague. I'm a gondola... driver... so... money's a bit tight... so, having my sister go to your school for special people would be brilliant. cheers." LOL

"She was frightened. I was frightened. but we survived, you know, and the relief of it and so... she kissed me."
"And you kissed her back."
"No. I kissed her mouth."

"Can we go and see the vampires now, please."

"Ultraviolet. portable sunlight."
"Yours is bigger than mine."
"Let's not go there."

Rory and the Doctor is done very well, I think. The Doctor is very much NOT wanting to be the object of Amy's affection, and Rory just cannot believe how blithely they both run headlong into danger.

I guess Amy yells for the Doctor, so that's where Rosanna might know the name... but he never does tell her.

More about dreams. "Your humanity is a dream, now faded." And later, "dream about us." And still in next week's we have a dream lord, and in the time of Angels, "what if our dreams didn't need us anymore?" Hm.

"They're not vampires. they're aliens!"
"Classic. That's good news!"
"What is wrong with you people?"

Poor Doctor, got a shock from the door. Seemed to recover quickly enough though. Where is the recovery fic!?

"We can build a new society here, as others have." YEAH BIG HONKING CLUE ABOUT LEADWORTH! Says me. (Or is it stonehenge?)

"Deserters must be executed. Any general will tell you that. I need an answer, Doctor. A partnership. Any which way you choose."
"I don't think that's such a good idea, do you? I'm a Time Lord. You're a big fish. Think of the children."

How did he get back into the palace after being electrocuted from the door? It's a small thing because I absolutely love that scene, but I was also wondering if he was doing a "wesley on the bed" kind of thing from Princess Bride; he just totally got knocked out not a minute before. He is smug and kind of calculating in an offhand way, but it comes off not as TIME LORD VICTORIOUS but as something more subtle. First time Matt Smith's been given some weight to his words, without flippancy or humor to end on, and I think he does quite well.

"If they're fish people it explains why they hate the sun."
"Stop talking, brain thinking, hush."
I love Amy's delivery on that line. It is just so cute!

"Like I said, they're not vampires. Fish from space." I love this idea. Love how the vampire tropes all get explained by alien tech and brain patterns. Love the CGI on Rosanna Calvierri the Sister of the Water. Not sure why fish can fly though (second floor windows?), or how blood transfusions turn you into a fish.... am perfectly happy to handwave it though. Seriously.

"Blimey, fish from space have never been so... buxom."

Did you catch the fish sculpture when Rosanna was on the balcony? Nice touch.

"Your girls are gone, Rosanna."
"You're lying."
"Shouldn't I be dead? Hm?"
Loved this exchange to pieces.

The bell chiming reminds me of Caerdroia. this is not a bad thing. But how did he get to the tower? And when did he get to the tower? And now there's heights and scaling roofs, and a big clockwork fish thing, no time, no time, and..... it's got an off switch. HA!

Oh, Rosanna's last scene is kind of heartbreaking isn't it? She looks so lost.

"And no, Rosanna, I didn't." I didn't what? I don't understand that line. She said before, "one city to save a species, is that so much to ask?" ETA: Aha, folks more perceptive than I have suggested that the line is "I know, Rosanna; I did it." That makes much more sense!

"Hey look at this! Got my spaceship, got my boys, my work here is done."
"Ah, we are not her boys."
"Yeah we are."

More silence. More about cracks. I like that they explain how some of them were silence and ending, and others were new worlds, explains the difference between prisoner 0's crack in TEH and the erasing crack in FAS.

More about dreams, and (I think) clues about Leadworth. More next week? Is it Saturday yet? This next one looks very classic Sci-Fi. I am intrigued. Wondering though, if it will suffer from the fact that (due to the pregnancy thing) we the audience have a good idea already which is real and which isn't?

Comments

[aikea-guinea.livejournal.com]

I kept being reminded of Four in this one, which isn't a bad thing at all! And you definitely picked all of my favorite lines. (As an aside, I don't think my husband is going to want to watch these with me anymore, as just a few minutes in I yelled 'They're totally fish from space!')

Cannot freaking wait for next week's; it looks brilliant, and I'm a sucker for dream-type stories. I love all the interconnected bits and pieces, and will probably be watching this season multiple times just to find all the things I missed.

Gads. I love Matt Smith.

[eve11]

As an aside, I don't think my husband is going to want to watch these with me anymore, as just a few minutes in I yelled 'They're totally fish from space!'

Dang. Nice catch! (ba-dum-bum)

I suspected some kind of water creatures with the "hydrating" line but didn't quite go to "fish from space". Then again, I tend to turn off my analytical brain when watching Who for the first time.

[jenlev.livejournal.com]

Hee! Gondola Driver for the win. Seriously, I snorfled water all over myself while watching that scene. Great comic timing. Fabulous episode, despite the fact that those teeth scared the dren out of me. ;)

And yes indeedy to this: "Rory and the Doctor is done very well, I think. The Doctor is very much NOT wanting to be the object of Amy's affection, and Rory just cannot believe how blithely they both run headlong into danger.

He's got an intriguing perspective that might just give Amy and the Doctor something to think about soon.

So many great moments and quotes in this episode.

And now you've given me thinky thoughts about Leadworth. It's been reminding me of something and I've just realized it seems to be a bit like the town in the Prisoner. I have no idea why...it's not anything like it. Perhaps it's got that same walled off disconnected from the mainstream reality feel to it? Will ponder. But I think you're right, something about the town, the dreaming, the crack and the silence.

[eve11]

Oh yeah, I think something is definitely up with Leadworth. I wonder if the crack is there because the whole town escaped through it. It also makes me think about Amy's talking to the android Bracewell in VoTD: "Believe me, I know." when he's talking about the fact that he'd been living a lie and was really a creation of the Daleks. Just what is this town hiding? Now it's a village that time forgot, or it's a town out of time... intriguing...

[jenlev.livejournal.com]

There's a reason the TARDIS ended up there during the er, transition. Knowing that they're smart enough to write these layers into the show makes me very happy. More to be revealed as the season progress. Of course, I'm impatient, I want to see it all NOW.

[infiniteviking]

He is smug and kind of calculating in an offhand way, but it comes off not as TIME LORD VICTORIOUS but as something more subtle.

THIS.

and a big clockwork fish thing, no time, no time, and..... it's got an off switch. HA!

Also this. XDDDD Just the bit with his hands waving around above all the gears and things... heeee.

I was also sad when Roseanna took the plunge. Can't figure out why she did it, though. Just because her gadget was broken? Her children in the water were still safe (and ready to greedily eat anyone who tried to swim in Venice.... hang on a minute). Couldn't she have hidden away and restarted her plan later on?

But yeah. Loved Amy, Rory and the Doctor in this ep. And so glad Rory is a companion now. :D

[eve11]

Her children in the water were safe but her girl-children were gone. Maybe she figured that she wouldn't be able to find anywhere else to start again. Her reputation in Venice was shot, her son and new daughters were all dead, her gadget was broken but also how do you pick up 10,000 ravenous and rather stupid (if they can fall on their own mom) children and move somewhere else?

I'm more confused as to what "No Rosanna, I didn't" meant. Didn't kill his people? Didn't kill her people? Wanted to save both Venice and the Saturnine-ians?

[infiniteviking]

Hmm... yeah, the logistics are a bit scary. Still she could have gotten help from the Doctor, but was too proud.

I think the line was "I know, Roseanna, I did it" -- meaning he'd managed to put himself together again.

[eve11]

I think the line was "I know, Roseanna, I did it" -- meaning he'd managed to put himself together again.

Oh, yeah, well that makes a lot more sense. *headdesk*

[infiniteviking]

ICON LOVE. :D

Yeah, I had to listen to it a few times; he didn't say it clearly but I'm pretty sure that was it.

[thisbluespirit]

I was annoyed with myself for forgetting nearly all of the lines I really liked... and look! Almost all of them are here.

But the best moment - the library card! With William Hartnell being shoved right at my TV screen. :-)

I did very much like the rest, too. :-D

[eve11]

Ah, true! Since I've been seeing that scene for a few months now though, in the previews, I kind of glossed over it in the review, didn't I?

Love your icon! :D

[thisbluespirit]

Oh, I was v good and spoiler free, almost! :-)

Heh, I was sure someone must have icon-ed that moment, so waited impatiently round dwicons for someone to upload one, and they did! Heh.

[nicocoer.livejournal.com]

Love your icon. <3