10 posts tagged “martha jones”
Doctor Who 4.11
Ever since I was little, I never liked the what-if episodes that show a very different path and life. I don't really know why, but they just leave me feeling very, very sad. So this episode essentially had several strikes against it before it began. But props to me for realizing it was a "what-if" ep from the promo.
So while I may not love the episode like many other people do, I liked it a lot, all things considered. Reasons: Rose and Donna. Donna and Rose. I love those two together! They just played so well off of each other. And Rose! Good to see Pete's World Torchwood taught her well. I was so proud watching her be all expository and technobabbling. She was still Rose, but she had bits of the Doctor worked in with her. The way she strutted around, knowing everything. The way she looked at the trouble and adventure. She had this smile on her face when she explained things to Donna when she ended up at U.N.I.T. Not to mention she did the whole saluting thing that the Doctor did. I love that they had that connection, even though they didn't know it. I think the most Doctory Rose moment was when she told Donna she was "the most important woman in the whole of creation". If that didn't come straight from the Doctor's playbook... I smiled with that line and the way Rose said it. Again, so much like the Doctor. I'm not going to lie, I love that she's adopted much of his personality, not that I blame her, the dude's kind of infectious with his clever words and strutting. Oh the strutting.
Oh lord, I missed Rose. I missed the way she took things on, I missed the way she talked, I missed chavtastic Rose! And what I love even more if that Billie loves being Rose. I watched the Confidential episode, which means this episode was pretty damn important to me, and she just seemed to happy to be back. David was giddy as can be about it, but Billie was so adorable. So this return was planned when she left, I thought RTD had just BSed that, but apparently Billie said the arrangements were made right as she decided to leave, which kind of makes me love Billie even more. Too bad I can't get through an episode of Secret Diary of a Call Girl without getting really skeeved out. I'd like to watch her every week, maybe I'll try to watch it more. But back to the cast, David is as adorable as ever. He kept pestering RTD to explain 'Bad Wolf', and the way that he talks about the show is like a fan. Actually, all the actors talk about it like fans, I love that. They just have this keen insight into the story and the characters, it's really impressive.
Oh Doctor Who, I love that you are a family friendly program that isn't afraid to nuke cities and imply genocide! That's what makes this show so brilliant, it doesn't dumb down reality to fit the younger demographic. It really is a show for everyone, adults and children. But not going to lie, this is the kind of episode that would have turned me off of a show for a long time if I saw it when I was 10. I think I had similar experiences when I watched shows that did this, I just got so sketched out that I had to walk away from the show. So... good thing more kids aren't nutty like me, right?
I see a few people wanting to rewatch "The Runaway Bride", because they can't remember why they hated Donna so. I'm more than a little curious myself, I hated her. I just could not stand the sight of her. But watching that little bit included in the episode, and eventually the scene that led to the Doctor's death, that sounded like the Donna we knew. And to be frank, the Donna we saw this week was the angry, shouty, kind of funny Donna that seemed straight out of "Runaway Bride". This week's Donna was very different from the compassionate and caring that makes her a great companion. I'm debating watching it again, maybe I hated that Donna because she was snippy with the Doctor, and nobody does that to our pretty boy. Back to Donna, I was dying seeing her go off on her boss after she got fired. That was so amazing, and stealing the stapler? Perfect.
So... is Donna special? She's got her own unique time signal thingy. Sorry, I didn't pay enough attention during the exposition to really get what that means. So, was Donna teleported to the parallel world? Was she physically in that tent, but her mind went elsewhere? To another Donna in another world? I'm still shakey on the details of how this worked, might just chalk this up to timey-wimey stuff. But back to Donna and her parallel worlds. What role will she play in the big finale? Maybe she's like they key to keeping the universes safe. I'm not going to lie, I wished that Davies seeded this in throughout the series. I understand that not everything is planned in advanced, but this felt distinctly tacked on in this episode. Lets see how this plays out. I'm still worried about Donna, I don't think she's still in the clear, safety wise. Remember, River Song acted like Donna had died when she met the Doctor.
4.12 Preview
OK, I just need to take a moment to flip the fuck out: Sarah Jane - Check. Martha Jones - Check. Jack Harkness - Check. Ianto and Gwen - Fuck Yes! How did I NOT KNOW GWEN AND IANTO WOULD BE IN THE SHOW? Like, that is just so incredible, having those two meet the Doctor (I hope anyway). After all the vagueness Jack gives them, they deserve some info straight from the horse's or Time Lord's mouth. And Martha! And Jack! OK, I am so pumped for Rose to see Jack again. I wonder if she knows she brought him back forever? The Rose we have now is very different from the Rose who absorbed the Time Vortex and saved Jack. I wonder how she'll react, I don't even think she remembers. And Jack's always had a little something for Rose, well to be fair Jack's got a little something for everyone, but Jack will be so thrilled to see her. I keep replaying this moment in my head from "Bad Wolf" when Jack realizes Rose hasn't been vaporized. "Rose could still be alive!" He's going to be happy to see her again.
I know this is a really big longshot, but Gwen/Gwyneth from "The Unquiet Dead"... Maybe it'll come up. Like a line that she looks familiar, or maybe the Doctor will see something very odd about her. Or... you know... it could just be let go.
Rose and Martha! I've been looking forward to this for some time. Mainly because Martha got sick of hearing about Rose. In "Utopia" she had this line when Jack mentioned Rose. "OH! She's blond!" We'll see if Martha's really over the Doctor when his old companion comes back.
Donna and Rose already met, sort of. Now that she knows, or will know, that it's Rose, I wonder if she'll react differently to her. I don't see why, Donna just knew that Rose was gone, so she'll probably be happy for her.
And Rose and the Doctor. Well, we've already seen him be terrified by her warning (loved it!), but I don't doubt that we'll see some incredible hugging. Oh there will be hugging. And tears. Lots and lots of tears, mostly mine. I've only been waiting two years for this, that's all. I wonder if Rose will notice a change in the Doctor. I wonder if the Doctor notices how much Rose has changed? All I know is I can't wait. Is it Saturday yet?
Thought I'd do an update on the Transformers 2 filming. I saw them setting up, and tomorrow and Tuesday will be the shooting days. There was a helicopter with a big round thing attached to its nose, which I'm guessing is the camera, and they were doing aerial shots. It was so cool, the helicopter was flying almost sideways so the camera was facing the college campus. It's looking like my sister, her friend, and I will be getting up super early and spending the day stalking the set. Rainn Wilson will be there, so I'm going to try to get him to sign my second season Office DVD set. Shia is apparently kind of a douche, the PA's described him as "inaccessible", I hope Rainn is much nicer, he seems nice. Check out my Twitter or Plurk pages for updates, I'll be checking in there.
I am so not used to seeing Billie Piper on a major US network. OK, so Showtime isn't your ABC, NBC, CBS, or Fox, but it's still bigger than Sci-fi or BBC America. All these commercials for Secret Diary of a Call Girl are making me feel both awkward and happy. I mean, awk because it's Rose Tyler in her skivvies, but excited because it's ROSE FUCKING TYLER. Oh I hate the fangirl in me.
In other news: new Doctor Who this week. I have some hope for "Midnight", and then... ROSE! Hurray! So here's what I'm wondering: We know that there will be those specials next year, so who will be the companion? Martha's got her own life, but she could pop up when the Doctor visits Earth. Donna may or may not be around for it. Billie's got her own show, though I don't know what's going to happen past the second series. I think she's filming it now, so ostensibly she could come back for a special, but don't hold your breath. So... new mini companions? Jack? I guess maybe it'll be more obvious after the finale, where I'm sure Davies will tack on a completely unnecessary "cliffhanger" which will interrupt the emotional end and my post-Rose crying.
Ugh, Sci-Fi: please stop putting BSG on giant hiatuses: No new BSG until 2009. OK, to be a little more fair, it seems this is because of the post production needed for each episodes, which are kind of CGI-heavy.
So, I think I'm going to get the iPhone. I just need to jump, get it over with, you know? Stop thinking, stop ruminating, just do it!
I love plurk! It's like twitter, but with more interacting with users. It's hard to meet people via Twitter, but with Plurk it's really easy.
Today was the last day of April, and there were flurries. Yup. SNOW. Gah. I'm trying to get this stupid research paper started, but the words just aren't happening. Grr.
Grey's Anatomy 4.12
You know what, I didn't hate this episode. It had all the hallmarks of a shitty ep, doctors acting like children, stupid subplots, overt metaphors... But... it worked? I would hate to think that my doctors have running contests involving my health, I mean, really? But what kept that plot grounded was Izzie and her patient, who reminded us how ridiculous and insensitive the entire concept is. I mean, Meredith shouted with glee upon discovering her patient had a brain tumor! That was just so hilarious, that I could imagine a young doctor getting caught up in the excitement of the game. That's the key to doing an absurd subplot, just include a few characters to ground the entire concept in reality. Side note: if this happened irl, the hospitals would be so liable, because having a context in live and death scenarios? That's a law suit waiting to happen.
Um, I thought there was more I had to say about this episode, but I guess not. Derek and his lady? Eh. Shonda already said MerDer 4 eva, so this is just unnecessary "drama". And the obnoxious animal theme... I just let the themes go. I mean, face it, Grey's is a guilty pleasure. There was a time when it was a great drama, probably around the second season, but ever since it never really got its groove back. So with my new standards for the show, this one wasn't half-bad. Shockingly, I liked it...
The Office 4.11
I know I've been pretty hard on The Office (US) lately, but I'm going to say it. I. LOVED. THIS. EPISODE! Maybe it was Ryan spending the entire episode high, or maybe it was Dwight getting it on with a college basketball player, or maybe it was Jim showing he would make a terrible leader, or maybe it was that the entire office hates Pam and Jim...
I'll start with the boys in the city! Ryan shows up to Scranton to tell the grunts they have to work Saturday because the Dunder Mifflin Infinity wasn't working and they need to enter stuff. Basically, the whole online thing is failing miserably. Ryan lets it slip that NY clubs have all the babes, so obvs Michael and Dwight drop in on him in NYC. Well, I should have known it would take more than alcohol to get Ryan hugging Michael. Ryan and his half-beard were enjoying the Columbian nose candy a little too much. The big bad city ate our boy up. I kind of miss old Ryan the temp, but I hope he bounces back (maybe he needs to get fired or demoted).
Dwight! I. LOVE. YOU. The ladies were throwing themselves at you, bro! I always loved Dwight, even if he is the most out there of the US character incarnations, but Rainn makes it work. I was dying when Michael snapped the picture and sent it to EVERYONE! Such a Michael thing (and a David Brent thing). And when Dwight was all, "I'm not calling her", oh you are so awesome. Only Dwight wouldn't appreciate a tall, leggy blond.
Back in Scranton, is was nice to see the minor characters. Lately it seems most of the action occurred outside the office, so I was happy to see everyone. Kelly, I wish you had more to do (but props to Mindy Kaling for writing this boss episode). Her few lines were so amazing. "I have a lot of questions. Number one, how dare you?" - Kelly to Ryan. But the real focus was Pam and Jim. Obviously. But this time, everyone hated both of them. I think the majority of the office hate them together, and that showed. Jim was portrayed in a much harsher light, making racial gaffes a la Michael (awkwardly asking the security guard if he was the African American, assuming the cleaning people only spoke Spanish). Jim really isn't all that slick, and I think this episode was from more of the coworkers perspective, showing the viewer that our hero is just another grunt.
Toby. Aw, poor fella. Side note: The dude has intense fence-hopping skills. I loved the awkward moment with his hand on Pam's knee. I mean, what were you trying to do there, Tobes? But I could totally see that happening, and if you think about it, Jim did similar things when Pam was with Roy. The difference is Toby doesn't have that kind of friendship with Pam to begin with. See you in Costa Rica, Toby.
So, yeah, Best. Night. Ever. I was legitimately concerned that I was losing touch with this show. I was indifferent to displeased with episodes everyone loved, and I couldn't help but utter the B-word, British. But this episode was simply delightful, and I'll be looking forward to next week and a continuation of some of the plots from this week.
30 Rock 2.13
I hate when this show has hilarious moments, and then it includes a kind of lame subplot. The whole porn-video game? Wasn't my cup of tea. Sure there were funny jokes involved, but some moments just didn't work, like Frank having his "NOOOOOO!!" moment. Fell flat for me, personally.
BUT! Dr. Spaceman! Yes! I love that continuity! Also? Will Arnett. He == awesome.
Like any 30 Rock episode, this one shined with its one liners
Liz - "Suck it monkeys! I'm going corporate!"
Liz to Frank - "You look like Gene Simmons had sex with a basset hound!"
Jack - "Hugging is so ethnic"
I will officially start calling flutes "music sticks"
Business drunk, which is clearly more dignified than drunk. Duh.
Um plot-wise... Geiss is in a diabetic coma (way to go Liz), and Jack doesn't get the promotion. Way to go Banks. I'm hoping awesomeness will ensue and maybe a confrontation when Geiss wakes up.
Battlestar Galactica 4.06
Baltar isn't really Jesus, right? I mean, BSG wouldn't turn Jesus into the insanely fucked up Baltar from this show, right? Because his whole, love yourself thing sounded vaguely biblical. I'm no theologian, so correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there this whole "love thyself" bit? But... nah, RDM wouldn't make Baltar Jesus.
I like evil Tory. I mean, she straight up went off the deep end after last week's Cally-killing. Going from crying during sex with Baltar to initiating the sex with Baltar... She even fed him some of her gospel. We're all perfect, so no guilt! I wonder if Roslin's noticed a difference. We haven't seen much of them together since the premiere, have we? I wonder if Tory's going to even try to hide it anymore.
Clearly Tigh became interested in turning off the pain. He's been pretty disturbed lately, and I think he actually wondered if it could be done. So enter Caprica Six/Ellen to really mess with Tigh's mind. It was probably more like Tigh's mind messing with him, but I digress. Yay Ellen! I wouldn't be shocked if she were the final Cylon, but it wouldn't be Ellen, because I doubt there was a Final 5 resurrection ship near New Caprica. But oh the drama that would bring. I can't imagine things would end well for Tigh if that happened.
I wonder what's going on with the Cylon fleet. Interesting there wasn't any sort of resolution. And barely a peep from Starbuck and her motley crew. Hopefully we get some development next week.
Tyrol's a mess. I think he's the most aware of how crappy it is that he's a Cylon. I don't think it's such a terrible idea to get away from Galactica. I mean, how sure are these 4 Cylons that they're not going to be triggered. They can't know. No matter how many times they repeat who they are, it wouldn't help them if some greater purpose turned them into killing machines. But then again, if the four were planted in the fleet to further the human cause, then Tyrol leaving is a bad thing. But as of now, he's just screwing up and putting lives in danger.
Interesting theory of the week. So I was in my comp sci lab, and one of my TA's said, "Cally's a Cylon." And I was like, "No. Cally and Tyrol have a child." His thought is that the Cylon - Cylon fertility problem is psychological (love), and since Cally and Tyrol had no clue what they were, they conceived and have a spawn. Now, I think this is highly unlikely, but it would be an amazing twist, and it would make that child the single most important thing for the Cylons. Think about the fertility problems, we've seen both a male and female Cylon become parents, so we know it isn't that one gender is deficient. Six went on and on about love and how that is why Cylons can't have babies... Or genetically, the Cylons' genes are too powerful and won't let them reproduce (like mules, but they're sterile). Just thought it was interesting.
Doctor Who 4.04
I was worried about this episode, I mean, it was a two part Martha story written by the woman who wrote "Daleks in Manhattan"... But it seems I didn't need to fear, the story and Martha got the proper treatment they deserved! I'll start with Martha. I was glad her call to the Doctor was business, I was worried it would come off as Martha being needy and just wanting to travel. It seems our gal's gotten settled! Engaged and working, I'm glad. I'm not sure if she's over the Doctor, but I'm glad she's moved past the pining, because with Rose returning, that could get ugly. Speaking of Rose, glad there were no Rose returning mentions, this episode needed to have a solid Martha focus, and to have another Rose reminder would have been unnecessary.
Oh Doctor, I loved that beat when he stepped out of the TARDIS and just looked at Martha. He just looked so conflicted, but then it was right back to fun Ten. But that moment was amazing, like acknowledging how badly he felt, if only for a second. But then there was that happy reunion hug, and then Donna. Ten was so funny with his, "please don't fight" and how he held his breath as Donna told Martha how much Ten said about her. I don't think he's ready for Martha to know how badly he feels. It wouldn't be in his character to acknowledge that to her. But Donna and Martha got along quite well, it wasn't like the Rose/Sarah Jane mini-bitchfest, which was good. The more Martha is separated from Rose the better, I think if the two will meet, the writers need to send her down her own path, with her own ideas and actions. I'm not suggesting she suddenly stops loving the Doctor, but she's matured enough to realize how much Rose meant to him, and how she's not Rose, so she can move on and be at peace with her choices. She made that clear to Jack on Torchwood when talking about her decision to leave the Doctor. Martha's really come into her own, I loved seeing her with her walkie-talkie giving commands and whatnot. Sure Donna was all "you turned her into a soldier!", but it was brilliant. That's the kind of take charge attitude I wanted from her last series.
So not only was Martha awesome, but Donna was lighter, too. After a few weeks of heavy moral conflict, we got some light moral conflict. Sure she had her piece about the rights of the workers and the raid on the factory, but it was a brief bit. Overall she was quite snippy, but to the point. I loved her she pwned the UNIT folks with the non-existent sick days. Donna's going to be the kind of companion to look for things no one else would think to check. Awesome. Of course, Martha warned her about putting her family in danger, so Donna took some time. I loved how the Doctor was all sad and upset, trying to keep her on board. Of course it took him longer to realize it was a temporary thing, to which Donna had a really funny bit about how dense he can be. So true, and hilarious. I love when she talks back, it really adds to their relationship.
I love Ten's problem with authority. His extreme dislike of UNIT was so amusing, like the Doctor doesn't do some of the thins they do. He may not use guns, but his weapons are so much deadlier. Nevertheless, he had funny moments about giving orders and saluting. Then he got his own UNIT boy (Ross!). Ten had some great lines concerning Ross, "we like Ross!" Hee!
OK, plot. Sure it's completely unreasonable that EVERY SINGLE CAR has this ATMOS thing. Do you realize how long it takes for technology to become this widespread? Years. But letting that go, the Sontarans were cool. I thought they were going to be cheesy and lame, but they were pretty badass. Little badass warriors who clone people. Yikes. So looks like the Doctor's got quite a bit to deal with next week: Donna's grandad, poison gas, cloned Martha, and an entire race bred for war. Let the Deus ex Machina commence!
OK, the following is speculation for the rest of the series, including spoilers for future episode titles. You've been warned.
So it looks like Davies has gone all out when it comes to seeding in references. We've got lost planets, Rose mentions, missing bees, the Shadow Proclamation (maybe?), and the Medusa Cascade. I'm going to bring up the Medusa Cascade. Apparently there was a rift there that the Doctor closed some time ago. It came up in "The Last of the Time Lords", but I didn't really pay attention (thanks Doctor Who Wiki!) Anyways, RD said that "[the Medusa Cascade] come back to haunt us." Hm... Well that sounds ominous, doesn't it? I wonder what he means. But I don't think it's a coincidence that the Medusa Cascade, with it's former rift, keeps coming up in the series that Rose returns. I wonder if the Cascade is the reason behind Rose's world hopping and the missing planets/bees. Following this trend, the Cascade is the only one of the recurring phrases that has a proper name. Think back, we've had Bad Wolf, Torchwood, and Mr. Saxon. There's really nothing that directly compares. Why bring it up? Well, the second to last episode this series is titleless as of now. The finale has a name ("Journey's End". which probably means I'll be bawling like a baby when it airs), as do all the episodes before the second to last. Interesting. I recall that back in the first series, the episode "Bad Wolf" was left unnamed and was the last of the titles to be revealed that series. Well, if there were an arc word, I would say that this episode would be named that. But there isn't, so all I have to go on is the mysterious Medusa Cascade. But then again, I could be completely wrong, for all I know the episode could be called "Bees" and Rose is coming back because there is a massive Bee infestation. Heh.
House 4.13
Oh House and Amber. Doesn't Wilson get a say in anything? I can't be the only person who kept thinking, "Why can't Wilson just choose when to hang out with House? Why does Amber get to choose?" The dude's a grown man, after all. I get the writers wanted to have a cute, funny subplot, but that's all they could do? Don't get me wrong, it was funny, just... poor Wilson.
HEY! DID YOU GUYS GET IT? THE NURSES WERE ON STRIKE! THAT'S LIKE SO REFERRING TO THE WRITER'S STRIKE! AHAHAH WOW! THAT WAS SO SLICK! I BET NO ONE GOT IT BECAUSE IT WAS SO SUBTLE! *eyeroll*
How much would it have sucked if House was angry and bitter because of syphilis? That's like throwing four seasons out the window. Of course, I remember how much less angry he was after that ketamine coma... I love how much of an asshole House can be, like why go through the trouble to put a fake blood sample and trick people into thinking you're mean because of an STD? I guess House is just that kind of douchebag, a very calculating one. Heh.
So how did everyone know 13 was bisexual? Am I the only one who doesn't get a bisexual vibe? Because apparently everyone else does. And she hasn't confirmed or denied it, so I guess House will just try to annoy it out of her. I wonder how many sly mentions he can get, I really liked his "31". Oh Greg.
Kutner (I'm tempted to start calling him Kumar again) wins my award for random diagnostic epiphany of the week. I mean, the dude jumped from point a to point z. It made me think of that time when Chase realized House was wrong and ended up getting punched. Kutner just got a "that should have been my epiphany". I could have used a good House smack down, too.
Oh and Chase? He's apparently House's bowling buddy. Bowling isn't one of the two things men do alone. Hee, awesome one liner. I wonder if their bowling relationship will be shortlived now that Chase is now convinced Cameron slept with House. I'm not sure if she did, but it's odd she didn't just deny it. Like no one would judge her if she said no, actually, I think that's what everyone expected. But she just pulls one of those "none of your business" things, which scream 'guilty'. Maybe she's embarrassed because part of her wanted to sleep with him, so she's keeping mum. As a result, everyone thinks she's knocked boots with House, which, let's be honest, wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.
I seem to have things relatively under control. Transfer apps in, Java project 95% done, packed and ready to go for my train at 6am (no sleep tonight).
And the no sleep part meant I got to watch this week's episode of Torchwood. I know I should step back and recap the events of the Martha arc, but I have so much to say about this week, that I'll just skip to it.
Torchwood 2.05, 6, 7, &8
Cold Open. My jaw was on the floor. I had no idea that Owen's words could be so passionate and beautiful. I was just floored during his voice over, which turned out to be talking to a suicidal woman. When he said "So are we going to jump or not?" and cue Torchwood theme, I just about died.
I never had strong feelings towards Owen, he was just sorta there. But then he died. Well, to be fair, first the show actually became amazing, which I guess led to the Owen renaissance. Never before have I fallen in love with a character so quickly and want him dead. Really dead, like of the at peace variety.
I saw the major undead (or incredible amusing Zombie) Owen problems. His !life sucks. The writer (Joseph Lidster, had to look it up) really drove that point home. Everything we take for granted: breathing, crying, touching, eating... they've been taken away from him. More specifically, they've been taken by Jack.
Oh I am in love with the Jack Owen parallels. Jack's basically the proper version of Owen. Rose wasn't an expert at resurrection, but at least she came close. Jack's living and breathing. Jack's glove was an idiot, OK technically it was means of providing a vessel for a big bad. But still, it was wrong. Owen's wrong. I don't know if John Barrowman was busy or stressed the week they filmed this, but he was distinctly stubbly in the last goodbye scene with Martha (more on that later). It seemed like Jack might not have really felt so badly at first. Owen's around, everyone's happy. But Jack also maybe sent Tosh over and kinda stalked Zombie!Owen down. I think we may see some major guilt coming around. I hope we still have this Owen, this broken, kinda angry, corpse Owen to spar with Jack. I don't think we've seen the last of bitterness.
Oh Owen. I want this weird life to kinda end. In a sick way, that's the happy ending. Kinda like how on Dead Like Me, the good ending is leaving Earth. I hope there's a payoff soon for Owen. This zombie thing could get old, fast. Like I'm talking Owen either needs to be gone for good or brought back to life by the end of the series (season). Any longer and this feeling of pity, sympathy, and general omg!tragic, is going to evaporate and when his time does come, it'll be too late for the viewer (read: me) to connect.
OK, now to Martha's goodbye. First off, she frickin' rocked. Like, I hoped we'd see an independent and strong Martha, and we sooo got it. Right off the bat, she was sent undercover. This was all I asked for when she was on Doctor Who, a big Martha on her own moment. To be fair, Martha spreading the gospel of Doctor did save them all. Jack sure believes that. I just adored them reconnecting. It was just perfect, a hint of Who. I still don't understand how people can watch Torchwood and not Doctor Who. It's like you're viewing the show in 2D instead of 3D.
Martha got her flirt on with Owen. Or more specifically, Owen got his flirt on with Martha. In 2.08, I was really feeling for Owen, who was grasping onto Martha for support and a connection. He looked kinda cute, kinda adorable, and totally sweet. I enjoyed the Martha/Owen dynamic, maybe not in a shippy way, but they played well off of each other. Then Martha and Ianto had a totally amazing moment in 2.06 (sorry for the ep jumping, I'm catching up on 3 weeks with 4 episodes), where Ianto mentioned Jack's bedroom skills as "inventive." I know Davies kept Martha to a PG level, but I'm glad we saw her in the Torchwood world.
OK, so the moment that may have woken up my roommate at 3am. Martha kissing Jack. And not your Doctor Who 2 seconding thing. This one lingered, and while there was no tongue, there was total technique. I was flailing and making generally shocked faces. I wanted Jack and Martha to have some Torchwood level relations, but those dreams were dashed when word of PG Martha came to light. That wouldn't have worked anyways, since Ianto and Jack are pretty serious. But back to Martha, taking the initiative with her Jack kissing moment. Dammit, that's taking charge! There was total lingering involved, too. I know Martha's still hung up on the Doctor, who called in a favor and got her this nice UNIT job, so she's not about to jump ship for Jack. But girl has her needs! LOVED the response that "everybody else has had a go", which is true, except Ten and Jack have never locked lips. That actually made me a little sad when he came back to Doctor Who. I could have handled with some Ten/Jack.
Now I'm jumping back to 2.05 "Adam". That was a really great story, with major exposition. I mean, did we not learn about Jack and Grey? It kinda makes you wonder how Jack kept his composure upon learning that John Hart found Grey. So, we're so having a Grey payoff soon, I'm hoping for Grey to be a clever, witty baddie, which leads to an emotional conflict or so.
It's weird, last series, all I did was whine about how dark and mopey the entire show was. Now, after really lightening things up, it's heading back down the dark road (the whole no-after life thing is a real downer). I'm totally on board, as long as we get some balance, and resolve this Owen bit, soon. Next week looks like it might be kinda light, but bordering on the stupid. Gwen, preggers with alien spawn... on her wedding day? Really? But I'm judging before watching, so I'll wait until then.
Word is this Arrested Development movie is actually moving ahead. Anybody else think the hint in the finale was just another one of their meta-jokes? I never actually thought it would happen. That's if Michael Cera hops on, because he's kinda exploding onto the scene...
Oh, and Jimmy Kimmel is fucking Ben Affleck.
Torchwood 2.01
What is your problem Davies? Why must you make Jack so a tool once he steps foot in Cardiff? Remember Jack on Who? Remember how cool and badass and charming and all together fucking awesome he was? Where's that Jack on Torchwood? I mean what IS HIS PROBLEM? I get the not-dying thing can upset a man, but I thought by the end of "The Last of the Time Lords" he had accepted his not-death thing. And Jack was back on point on Who. He dropped the dreary, dark, quasi-brood but not in an Angel-good way act. I thought you learned your lesson about annoying Jack.
WRONG. Granted Jack did have some moments (hot man-love with James Marsters was a high point), but he was back to mopey. To be fair, I did wipe "The Last of the Time Lords" from my mind, so I don't recall if he lost the spring in his step there, but I seem to recall him leaving on a high note. That scene with Jack melodramatically telling Gwen he "saw the end of the world" damn near made me gag. And Gwen/Jack is beyond lame. I mean, Gwen's got Rhys, and Jack should be flirting with everything. Maybe it's just the lame writing that makes it seem like they have 0 sexual chemistry.
I think Torchwood needs to go more for the funny. That part is working out, but Jack awkwardly asking out Ianto... no. NEWSFLASH: Jack is not an awkward high schooler.
Here's another thing: I know Jack isn't big on past sharing, but this is getting ridiculous. I mean, you dump part of Jack's past in Cardiff, and you don't reveal... jack? I hope this isn't another season of "Let's tease answers, then reveal all on Doctor Who as an afterthought!" Unfortunately, a big part of me thinks that's going to be the case.
Does anybody know WHY this is one of BBC America's highest rated show? Anybody?
Oh and if we ever learn who Gray is, I'm betting it is Jack's daughter or sister or son.
Martha needs to be on the show NOW, unless Davies plans on mope-ing up her character, too.
Ok, lots to talk about, mostly Doctor Who
I wrote that review a few days ago, and I'm still reeling from the finale. Then this morning I read that Kylie Minogue is going to costar in the "Voyage of the Damned." Ick. I've got nothing against her, per se, I just have trouble trusting musicians who want to act. I know Billie Piper sings and all that, but generally they suck. It's just such a random casting choice. So I was pissed about that this morning, then anythingbutgrey asks me if I know about the new companion. Turns out Martha's gone for the first half of the fourth series. She's off doing some Torchwood episodes, then back to Who. So who gets to fill Martha's shoes? Catherine Tate. Yup, she's back playing Donna, the bride who annoyed me to death. Since "The Runaway Bride" aggravated me so much, I won't be rewatching that when it airs this Friday on Sci Fi. Therefore I won't have an opportunity to decide if Donna was indeed as obnoxious as I thought she was. So I guess I should give her a chance, like I gave Martha, when I was prepared to despise her before "Smith and Jones." Morale of the story? Russell T. Davies fucking hates me.Doctor Who 3.13
I felt that this would suck. I wasn't looking forward to this like I was to "Utopia" or "The Sound of Drums." I just knew this would suck deep down. *sigh* I have several reasons for this, most of which lead down a path of Martha vs. Rose, which led to a fascinating conversation with anythingbutgrey. If I cared enough to rewatch every painful episode, I could formulate a solid case to argue. Unfortunately, I guess I'll just go with what I know, and have to defend myself. But, we'll save that nasty bit for the end. I had quite a few different problems with this episode aside from Martha Jones, the legend.-- The Doctor. You know, I know Davies wanted us to feel sorry for the Doctor, but I hated feeling sorry for him. It just made me feel uncomfortable. Once again, I know this is what he wanted. I just wasn't a fan of seeing Gollum in a cage. But the Doctor got better, which leads to my next point.
-- Deus Ex Machina. This was a horrible Deus Ex Machina, like on levels we haven't seen since Alias. I mean, "Think: Doctor" Fuck that. Hey, listen, they can be pulled off. Just because you're going to have a bunny out of a hat ending doesn't mean it has to suck. Let's just look to my second favorite episode ever, "The Parting of the Ways": That was a Deus ex Machina if I'd ever saw it. Rose absorbs the heart of the TARDIS and Jack is brought back and all the Daleks are turned to dust. See, problem solved. But it was amazingly executed and, yes, I cried. This was just bizarre. Destroy the Paradox Machine and then time reverses itself? REALLY? WOW, because that's ridiculous and makes no sense. Like, that's bullshit even for Sci Fi. And somehow everyone on the ship remembers. "Eye of the storm" my ass.
-- The Christmas special. I know it hasn't even started, but that teaser with the Titanic just sounds dumb. "Voyage of the Damned". A special worse than "Runaway Bride"? We might have a winner. You know, that's kinda mean of me, seeing as we did only see 3 seconds of ship, but I'm angry and bitter, so I'll react as I like.
-- JACK AS THE FUCKING FACE OF BOE. GRRRRRR. This pissed me off, one of those revelation where I was like "ABSOLUTELY NOT". Sorry, I just wanted to believe Jack will be like Jack forever, which would be a nice thought. I get that it makes sense, but the whole revelation bit was just stuck in there. I mean it was completely random. "Oh I used to be known as The Face of Boe." WHAT WAS THAT? Ugh, I don't even want to think how Jack became that. I also don't want to know how Jack ended up with the ability to have children (the Face of Boe was pregnant at one point in time). I mean, just... Ew. Although, Cassandra wasn't the last human, Jack/Boe was.
-- Utopia. Poop. I really wanted to have some sort of happy ending. I like those "Everybody lives," stories. Although, how can you avoid the end of the Universe? Pretty impossible. But I did say we'd have to see those last Humans again. But it was really sad to have them be the metal orbs.
-- Well, I've avoided it as long as I could, but alas, we've reached my Martha Jones rant. First, I like Martha, I do. But I've had problems with her, or rather, problems with Russell T. Davies handling of Martha. Most of my issues are with him, actually. But first, why I'm so disappointed. I've been used to Martha following and obeying the Doctor. We'd been seeing her do that all season. That's what she believed she had to do, as a companion. I don't blame her, I'd be doing the same. Then we had "Utopia." For the first time, Martha Jones had really heard about Rose. Prior to that, it had just been Rose this, Rose that, but never "Rose risked her life to save to save the world and did it against the Doctor's wishes." But in Utopia she did, and Martha had this look of understanding, like "That's why Rose is Rose to the Doctor." I thought that Russell was building up to some major Martha Jones climax. And at the end of "The Sound of Drums," we had seen Martha telling off the Doctor about her family and then at the end she was on her own. Or so we thought. I thought it was Martha Jones, saving the world. Turns out it was Martha Jones, Minion of the Doctor. Ugh. Her big adventure was to tell a story? Sorry, I expected her to do something on her own. And I expected it to take less than 1 year. What a let down, I thought this would be Russell's way of saying, "Martha Jones can now have the Doctor's respect." Maybe in a way she did, but certainly not in the way Rose did. I just wanted this to be Martha's moment, and it wasn't. After all, it was the Doctor's.
Maybe the Doctor and Martha will have a different relationship now. I mean, maybe Martha's big moment wasn't to save the world, maybe it was to leave the Doctor. The Doctor's a cocky character, and what a metaphorical slap in the face to have one of his ladies leave him. That was Martha having a mind of her own. But still, no big, huge, giant, Martha Jones-saving the world, which for me, was a letdown. Le sigh.
Doctor Who 3.11
I've now watched "Utopia" like 6 times plus the Confidential episode. That's a record, even for me. I'm now calling "Utopia" my favorite Doctor Who episode ever. It's just perfection. So after watching it for the billionth time, I have a lot of detail-oriented observations.
Let's start with Martha Jones. Poor girl, she had to listen about how great and amazing Rose was all episode long. But alas! Martha now knows why she's not as good as Rose. As far as she knew, Rose was just a favorite, not super special. The Doctor revealed everything anyone needs to know about Rose in order to see why Martha is no Rose. Rose risked her life and disobeyed the Doctor in order to save his life and eventually Jack's. It's something Martha never really considered. She just listened and followed the Doctor. We haven't had an incident with Martha like what happened in "Father's Day," no almost end of the world because of Martha. She's just been a stray dog with the Doctor. But Rose... she was so much more. She had these instincts and seemed to figure things out and she even managed to save the day once or twice. We all knew this, but now Martha does. That look on Martha's face when the Doctor reveals Rose is trapped is key. She has this dawning of understanding and pity. The Doctor and Rose were forced apart, and Martha gets it. She also gets the sacrifice that Rose made. That's why I think Martha is going to do something remarkable in the finale. I think she will save the world and earn not only the Doctor's respect, but ours. After the bit with Jack fixing the couplings, Martha commented: "I don't understand half the things he's saying." It just shows how much the Doctor is keeping from her. It's not unlike what Nine did with Rose. He was very guarded with her, actually he was pretty condescending. But after he regenerated, Ten kept Rose in the loop. He explained things, he even let her take the lead on occasion. I think if Martha does step up and risk her life, I think we'll see a much different relationship between Ten and Martha. I think they will be more like comrades than just the Doctor and his companion, not unlike with Rose. But I think Martha will always know she's living in the shadow of Rose.
I'm doing this next bit based on one line the Doctor said to Jack. He said if a Time Lord absorbed the vortex, he would become a vengeful god. Hmm... Just noting it, perhaps the Doctor or the Master will take that power. The Master certainly is crazy enough to do it, what with all the regeneration energy flowing through him.
How on Earth (or Malcassairo) will the Doctor, Martha, and Jack escape the Futurekind. Two words: Vortex Manipulator. That thing on Jack's wrist burnt out, but luckily, the Doctor's got his handy-dandy sonic screwdriver.
Final note: Jack said he arrived back on Earth in 1869. Another thing that took place in 1869: Gwyneth and the Gelth. That's right, it all comes back the "The Unquiet Dead" and Gwen/Gwyneth. I feel like a crazy conspiracy theorist with this, but Jack could have very well met up with Gwyneth in Cardiff. He did say he got shot at Ellis Island, which means that he could have come from Great Britain to the States. Maybe I do have a reason to watch Torchwood after all.
Doctor Who 3.11
I'm so happy right now. I'm calling this one of my favorite Doctor Who episodes, if not my favorite episode, ever. I'm just so elated at everything. Finally, a picture perfect episode. It's been so long, I forgot just how amazing this show can be. Amazing and brilliant. And I love how everything this season built up to this point, even seemingly mundane things.
First: As soon as the Professor started to look ill, I was like: Time Lord regeneration. But it soon became apparent that other things were going on, as the Professor seemed unaware of anything Time Lord-ey. I mean, he looked completely blank at the mention of it. Then, when he mentioned the drums, or maybe sooner, it hit me: He rewrote his biology! Exactly what the Doctor did in "Human Nature"!!!!!! How amazingly brilliant! Then everything fell into place and parallels started to form. The Professor was brilliant, far more intelligent than any creature (except maybe the Doctor) we'd met. Then he had this own Martha, who had her own little crush on her Time Lord. I'm just in complete awe of the setup! I guess each season had an mid-season episode that led up to the finale: Season 1 had "The Long Game" with Satellite 5 which led up to the Daleks in the finale, Season 2 had "Rise of the Cybermen"/"Age of Steel" which led up to the tearful finale, and now we have this. I'm just stunned by the brilliant subtlety of this plan.
Another thing: The last few episodes last season had mentions of Rose dying in battle, or leaving loved ones behind, which were major clues about her fate. This season we had "Blink". That amazing episode had one of the funniest sounding phrases: "a big ball of wibbly-wobbly...timey-wimey...stuff." I never thought it would lead up to this episode, in which Mr. Saxxon, whom Martha had previously seen and heard, turned out to be a newly regenerated Time Lord. See, timey-wimey stuff. The Master was there all along, just Martha and the Doctor weren't there to see him regenerated yet. Hee!!!!
So after that logical analysis, I'm going to get to the point: ROSE. Lots and lots of Rose nostalgia, but the good kind, not the mopey-Doctor, fan upsetting kind. Good old Jack and Doctor reminiscing about how the former got to be immortal. You know, standard chat. It was so nice to see the Doctor freely chat with someone. I mean, with Martha, he was guarded, even she knew that. "Good 'ole Rose," she quipped, knowing that she would never be let in like she was. Hell, even Jack knew it. Everyone knew the connection. The Doctor and Jack had some catching up to do, and both of them (esp. Jack, he basically revealed NOTHING during the entire first season of Torchwood, more on that later) needed to talk. Words cannot express the feeling of joy that filled me when Jack and the Doctor embraced after revealing Rose wasn't dead. It was so sweet, then of course, it was sad when the Doctor finally admitted that Rose was trapped. It was the first time I recall where the Doctor said it for what it was: Rose would much rather be by his side, and if she could she would. It was a revelation that needed to happen, and I'm glad Jack was there.
OMG JACK! Gah, he's back as the same old manwhore. God I missed that. He was just so...emo on Torchwood. The Jack we knew and loved was fun-loving, despite some dark things. Except Torchwood just went with the dark, and we got this stranger: Jack Harkness. But this is the Jack I wanted. I was so thrilled to see John Barrowman on the opening bill. So fitting, I was beaming. It was great to see the Doctor and Jack back together. On a side note, Tennant and Barrowman have great chemistry, wouldn't mind seeing Jack show up more with the Doctor, actually I wouldn't mind him leaving Torchwood, this was much better.
OK, I'm going to get to my one aggravating problem, but it's not about the episode, it's about Torchwood. I watched 13 episodes of a pretty bland, uninteresting show to learn what I learned in this episode in 60 seconds: How Jack got from Satellite 5 to Cardiff. You know, you'd think that because Jack worked at Torchwood, he could share more about himself. It's not like he's working at a paper company or something. They're dealing with giant rat-like things and Godzilla-esque monsters. Hearing about a 51st century 100-something year old bisexual time traveler wouldn't be too shocking... you know all things considered. Instead Jack just made vague references and allusions to his past, most of which we (the viewer) already knew from watching Season 1 of Doctor Who. Basically, Jack had a time-hopping thing that brought him back to the late 1800's, and he had to live until he could meet up with the Doctor in 2008. That explains Jack's flashback to WWI in a Torchwood episode. I never quite got that one until now. The point was, 13 episodes later, and the most we learned about Jack was in one line in a Doctor Who episode. Maybe I should just watch Doctor Who and wait for Jack to come back to get more answers, like about his time at the Time Agency, or any answer about the whole Gwyneth/Gwen confusion. Certainly sounds like a plan.
I'm just so thrilled with this episode, and there was so much I just adored about it. I'm actually going to watch it again. Yeah, I loved it that much. Definitely my favorite of the season, definitely one of my favorites of all time, and it could actually be my favorite episode of Doctor Who, and it had Martha in it!
Doctor Who 3.10 + preview for 3.11
"Blink" was definitely scary. I wasn't as scared as I was when I saw "Empty Child" or "Impossible Planet", but I definitely got creeped out. I've also decided Steven Moffat is a genius and should write many more terrifying episodes. Oh and Sally Sparrow is up there with throwaway characters who I'd love to be a companion. She joins Lynda with a Y and Elton with people who'd be effing awesome companions. Now, sure the Doctor can explain time paradoxes as "a big ball of wibbly-wobbly...timey-wimey...stuff," but I still hate stupid loop-ey time paradoxes. Like the Doctor would never have known to tell Sally these things had Sally not given it to the Doctor. But Sally would not have given this stuff to the Doctor had he not done those things. I know... timey-wimey stuff, but still doesn't make me feel better about it.
Oh and Martha, though only having like 3 lines, was pretty awesome. Looks like she's gotten some attitude after "Human Nature"/"Family of Blood". Good for her, I think that's what bugged me about Martha. She was just sorta there... along for the ride, not really questioning and taking everything as is. Since "Human Nature", Martha's gotten some balls and I love her for it.
Now, as amazing as that episode was, the best part for me was seeing Captain Jack in the previews. God I've been waiting for this a long while now. Finally! Oh, it's going to be fucking awesome. Jack and the Doctor, back again.
The Sopranos Finale
Now, I'm not a Sopranos fan, but I checked out the end just for kicks. I've never been a big fan of open endings as it is, but this one was open to a whole new level. Not only did we have minutes of suspense, but we didn't even get a tease as to what could happen. No one pulled a gun, we didn't see a known hitman enter. Just... Journey. What a bizarre song choice to end the Sopranos. It's not what I would have gone with to end a badass show. So... yeah... underwhelmed. I mean, it felt like just another episode. Nothing catastrophic happened that signaled end of show. Plus, if you're going to just end, have an end title card or something. Don't abruptly fade to black for 5 seconds making everyone think their cable went out. I guess I expected something more... Oh well, at least I didn't have anything invested in the show. Now that would have sucked.
Oh and I graduated.
Doctor Who 3.08
YES! YES! YES! Finally an episode I loved. So far the only other likeable episodes have been "Smith and Jones" and "Gridlock." Everything else I've found to be dull, boring, and/or frustrating. That's why I haven't talked about Doctor Who in a while. I just haven't had much to say about it. But for the first time this season, I can't wait until next week.
Let's start with the human Doctor. I loved his allusions to regeneration and how Martha still has no idea. I also loved how they were able to touch on real life 1913 issues, like Martha's race or gender issues. I think it really took the episode to another level. That and the Doctor's sketch book. Seeing that picture of Rose reminded me just how much I've missed her. I mean, I've always been aware that she's not there, and I've missed her, but this really made me feel what I imagine the Doctor feels. It was so funny/heartbreaking hearing how nonchalant John Smith (whose accent just made me swoon) was with that book. He was just looking over, scribbling down adventures from the past 3 seasons like it was no big deal. Which technically it wasn't. Technically, they were just dreams.
Oh Martha, I was feeling for you up until you went all "Why'd he have to fall for another human besides me." I'm getting really annoyed by this crush. But other than that I was totally excited to see her slap John Smith. Honestly, I would have done the same if I was burdened with protecting the most important man in the universe without him even being aware. How frustrating. Even I was getting aggravated, but in a good way.
Then there was that adorable blond boy who somehow is "good at guessing." I'm not sure what to think about him, but I sure want to kick his ass for taking the watch. Little alien/robot/clairvoyant thief. But life lesson children: if you're picking on someone, odds are they have super powers. Why can he hear the essence in the watch and how does he know all of this? (How creepy was it when he saw himself die. Yick)
At first those scarecrows didn't frighten me, but when that one popped up in the windows, I jumped. I haven't been that scared since I first saw "Empty Child" at 1 in the morning. Now that was scary.
iGoogle is taking over my life. Save me.
