Fandom things

[eve11]

Suddenly I don't have a huge project with a hard deadline, go me! That means I might be able to start thinking about other fannish things like... *gasp*... writing or something! I have been putting so much of my fannish energy into my Nefertiti outfit I had to set aside just about everything else. But no more! I have snippets I can work on, or even pick up the WIP-o-Doom again after not opening it for quite a while.

I even watched the New Who episodes last night before my hockey game. Small reactions here:


Deep Breath
============

I liked this one quite a lot. Even the gross parts and the mumbly parts. I say mumbly: sometimes Clara or Twelve talk so fast I haven't a clue what they are saying. But I liked it nonetheless. I think my favorite scene was the restaurant scene ("Wait, were you saying I am all those things??"); and the scene below with Clara holding her breath, and talking down the cyber-broom. That bad guy was creepy! I don't know what it was about his expression that was downright skin-crawly but yeah. Oh yeah and the skin balloon... O_O SO GROSS. But anyway, he kind of reminded me of a borg from Star Trek. Particularly Hugh the Borg from those season 6 episodes. Not sure exactly why.

I liked that the mystery was rather straightforward but also epic with the ship being around since dinosaur days. I liked that we got character development for Clara especially, and time for Twelve to settle in a bit. The part at the end with the whole "one of us is lying" bit and of course not knowing which it was, was well done. And Twelve's dislike of his face, knowing somehow that his face is a reminder or a message... that is intriguing. I like that he was both strong and vulnerable, and alien too. Liked the "I may not be a hugger" line and Clara telling him he didn't have a say in it. I am curious why she would be so resistant to regeneration being as she knows (and saved) all of his lives. But I guess she is the entry point for the viewer and so the story needs trumped the known history.

The crazy lady in the garden was out of the blue but setting something up for the season, I suppose. Is she the woman in the shop? It appears that she has some way of rescuing the people that the Doctor kills (or the people that die for him). Perhaps she's growing some kind of army? Or she's a computer program that's saving them like he "saved" River. IDK.



Into the Dalek
==============

This one seemed to me like an episode built around a theme that couldn't quite support it. The theme was one that was explored in s1's "Dalek" and better than in this episode too. It was all right but seemed like there was too much crammed into the one story. Daleks! Shrink rays! Soldiers! Random maths teachers who let students ask awful questions!

Of course, of course repairing the Dalek was going to make it mean again! Why did no one think of this? And the body count was really high (poor Ross). And the resolution of Clara connecting lights was kind of silly. The theme of course is the Doctor's pure hatred of the Daleks being a very Dalek-like thing. The "You are a good Dalek" is an interesting line because of the two ways one can take it: "You would make a good Dalek" (killing and hating) like telling someone "You would make a good lawyer," or the more likely one of "You are what one gets when a Dalek turns good" which is more complex. But I feel we've been over this duality before. Oh, I did like Journey Blue though. I am also wondering if maybe Danny Pink is some kind of temporal refugee--seems strange that they are both soldiers with color names. Maybe we will have to keep an eye out for more of these names in future episodes.

Comments

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

I liked both episodes but definitely Deep Breath much more.

I find the 'Heaven' lady very creepy. She's manipulating the Doctor and Clara for some purpose but whether that will be beneficial or harmful to them in the long run remains to be seen. And since I'm a pessimistic cynic, I suspect it will be harmful.

I like Twelve quite a lot. He makes considerably less effort to conceal the inner darkness that has shown at times throughout the new series. His body is older, but in some ways he seems more child-like - in that "I want it, gimme it" kind of way we see while he's finding himself in Deep Breath. I don't think it will be as obvious in later episodes, but I bet it will follow throughout his character arc.

[eve11]

I like Twelve too. He's weird and looks older, but also as you say he has more of that "want. take. have." kind of id.

Mad Missy is quite interesting, and I'm guessing evil or malevolent for some reason. But hey maybe she's just misunderstood.

[ladymercury-10.livejournal.com]

and the scene below with Clara holding her breath, and talking down the cyber-broom
That part was my favorite. Go Clara!

I am curious why she would be so resistant to regeneration
I'm wondering if maybe she's seen his other regenerations, but she's never actually seen him change? Because getting used to a different face and personality, semi-permanently, as well as dealing with his disoriented state seems like it would be more stressful than just running into other versions of him, helping them briefly, and then moving on.

[eve11]

I'm wondering if maybe she's seen his other regenerations, but she's never actually seen him change?

That's a good point. She did just also see him age like 600 years in a few hours to her perceptions as well.

[kaffy_r]

"You are what one gets when a Dalek turns good"

I like this interpretation a great deal. It looks the Doctor in the eye and says "Yeah, I know what you think of me; I was in your brain. But I know you hate my kind, and I know you are moral; therefore, to be moral one must hate Daleks. And to hate Daleks means one must be good. Is my logic not correct? So stop thinking that way about me."

Yeah, the poor Dalek is probably going to be that confused. And any bets on whether he shows up again?

[eve11]

Oh, good question. I should think that Dalek might end up in the Asylum. But he might show up again. A Dalek spy for the Doctor, sabotaging other Daleks could be quite an asset.

[kaffy_r]

I'm not sure it would end up in the asylum, because other Daleks might not be afraid of it ... although, yeah, now that I think of it, I'm changing my mind. But I think perhaps they'd have to catch this Dalek, and it might be very, very good at eluding them.

[clocketpatch]

It was all right but seemed like there was too much crammed into the one story. Daleks! Shrink rays! Soldiers! Random maths teachers who let students ask awful questions!

Thanks for the giggle


"You are what one gets when a Dalek turns good"

I didn't get this while watching the episode, but like kaffy_r above me, I like it. Did a little, "Oh." when I read it, because with that interpretation the episode makes a lot more sense and the bits which I found irksome are still a irksome (do we really have to go over all this angst again?!) but not so much as before.

It also ties in so well with, "The Doctor is not the Daleks."

I am also wondering if maybe Danny Pink is some kind of temporal refugee

I've heard pre-series theories that he might be the Master, but my bets on that count are currently running towards Missy. I like the idea of him being a temporal refuge, though, and am VERY curious to see what his part with be in the up-coming arc.

[eve11]

Maybe Missy is the Rani, salvaging genetic material from the people who die in the company of the Doctor and recreating them elsewhere.

[livii.livejournal.com]

I have no spoilers, but we all (4 of us watching) thought Danny Pink was Journey Blue's brother - the one dead or maybe mostly-dead in the spaceship with her at the beginning - somehow removed in time and space. Whether the Doctor somehow saved him, or Missy did, or what - I don't know - but it seems too coincidental to introduce a random handsome black man with a colour name who used to be a soldier, and then also have a handsome black woman with a colour name who is also a soldier!

[eve11]

I am actually pretty well unspoiled too. I think maybe Danny being Journey's brother is a bit too much of a coincidence but he does seem to be out of time a bit, to me.

[a-phoenixdragon.livejournal.com]

YAY for time!! Whoot!! (Though the Nefertiti outfit seems totally worth it...omfg, so Gorgeous!)

I love your assessments here...looking forward to your thoughts on the future episodes!

*HUGS*

[eve11]

Yes! Time! Very exciting. I am hoping to pick up the WIP-o-Doom and see about finishing chapter 11.

Thanks :) I am looking forward to more of this season. I missed new Who. I still desperately miss Eleven but Twelve is turning out well so far.

Except I am not sure about the TARDIS--the inside is okay, but it looks different on the outside.

[a-phoenixdragon.livejournal.com]

She does look different...wow. Never really thought about that.

*HUGS*

[liadt]

Maybe if a human is exposed to multiple Drs it effects their memory? Clara hasn't experienced regeneration before (? feel free to correct me if my memory is defective) so the craziness confused her? I'm trying to rationalise the message to the audience. Hmm, well, hugging someone all the time won't turn them into a hugger necessarily!

I agree skin balloon = mega gross. (Too much time spent with the League of Gents memebers I fear).

I was ho-hum with Into the Dalek (great title) too. I thought the message was the Dr would be a good dalek ie moral than good dalek = usual kill & destroy dalek too. Is the human factor coming back?

Really love twelve so far.

[eve11]

I thought the message was the Dr would be a good dalek ie moral than good dalek = usual kill & destroy dalek too.

Yeah that was my thought too. And yeah, skin balloon, EW EW EW.

[flowsoffire.livejournal.com]

Yessss, writing! :D *hugs*

sometimes Clara or Twelve talk so fast I haven't a clue what they are saying. But I liked it nonetheless.
THANK YOU. That season is messing up with my confidence about watching things in English XD Good to hear a native also feels this way. (I've seriously considered subtitles. Was using transcripts as it was but it damaged the experience a bit.)

YES for character development for Clara! And Twelve is great ♥