the clock strikes Twelve
Aug. 23rd, 2014 06:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
llywelaDoctor Who is back tonight!
And with that in mind, I am very struck by this quote from the Coronation Street Blog (which, yes, I do like to browse, don't judge me). Says the editor over there: "Watching Corrie is a lot like supporting a football club. You take the season as it comes, hoping that the new manager can knock the team into shape.There's always the hope it'll work out alright."
That's pretty much how I feel about Doctor Who. I grew up watching the show. It's been part of my life, in one form or another, for as long as I can remember. I'm never going to not watch it, for as long as it remains on the air. But it doesn't always turn out quite the way I'd like it to. In that sense, it really is like supporting a football club - you take each new series as it comes and hope for the best. You win some and you lose some, and you grumble and you groan when things don't quite work out, but at the end of the day you know that you're never going to give it up, because the whole is so much greater than the sum of its parts.
I haven't much enjoyed the Steven Moffat era of the show. I don't much like his storytelling style, I've not warmed to any of his companions, and although I thought Matt Smith did a great job, the 11th Doctor was probably my least favourite so far. I don't particularly like the current companion, Clara. Yet in spite of all that I'm looking forward to meeting Peter Capaldi's Doctor. It's a new season, we've got a new lead and there's always the hope it'll work out all right.
Welcome back, Doctor Who.
And with that in mind, I am very struck by this quote from the Coronation Street Blog (which, yes, I do like to browse, don't judge me). Says the editor over there: "Watching Corrie is a lot like supporting a football club. You take the season as it comes, hoping that the new manager can knock the team into shape.There's always the hope it'll work out alright."
That's pretty much how I feel about Doctor Who. I grew up watching the show. It's been part of my life, in one form or another, for as long as I can remember. I'm never going to not watch it, for as long as it remains on the air. But it doesn't always turn out quite the way I'd like it to. In that sense, it really is like supporting a football club - you take each new series as it comes and hope for the best. You win some and you lose some, and you grumble and you groan when things don't quite work out, but at the end of the day you know that you're never going to give it up, because the whole is so much greater than the sum of its parts.
I haven't much enjoyed the Steven Moffat era of the show. I don't much like his storytelling style, I've not warmed to any of his companions, and although I thought Matt Smith did a great job, the 11th Doctor was probably my least favourite so far. I don't particularly like the current companion, Clara. Yet in spite of all that I'm looking forward to meeting Peter Capaldi's Doctor. It's a new season, we've got a new lead and there's always the hope it'll work out all right.
Welcome back, Doctor Who.
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Date: 2014-08-23 06:51 pm (UTC)I've liked the series well enough so far - there's always been episodes or companions that I wasn't keen on, and I can't warm to Clara. I want to like her, but... I just don't feel her. I don't know who she's supposed to be, as such. I don't particularly see a speed and wit and an unimpressed quality (Moffat on wiki) that's any different to that of Amy, or even Donna or Rose. She's had her impressed moments just as they have, and when she doesn't it's not really made sense to me. Why isn't she impressed by travelling through time and space - what's wrong with her?! *g* I also can't particularly see her as a teacher, and I can only just see her as a nanny... where's she going in life? And yet I don't get a definite "lost" sense from her either, just... random floating or something. I re-watched a couple of S7 eps last night, but... still no. Don't get her.
I saw the Deep Breath trailer earlier today, and though I've been looking forward to Capaldi, I was less sure when I saw it - eeep! But like you, it won't stop me watching... *g*
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Date: 2014-08-23 08:23 pm (UTC)I loathed Clara through most of her half of season 7 - I wanted so much to like her, but have never been so disappointed by a companion (and I say that as someone who is acquainted with every companion the Doctor has ever had and has seen something like 85% of every episode ever made, including quite a number that don't exist any more). The Clara we were shown in season 7 had a few personality traits grafted onto her, but those traits rarely informed her actions or reactions. There were only a handful of moments when I felt we were seeing Clara. Most of the time, she was just 'The Companion' - I felt as if instead of asking themselves 'what would Clara do/say here', the writers were instead asking 'what would be a cool thing for the companion to do/say here' and as a result the character was all over the place. They tried too hard to make her the perfect companion but forgot that she also needed to be a person, and ruined the character in the process. It was an awful series!
I'm hoping season 8 will be better. I've heard promising things about it. Keeping my fingers crossed.