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Mummy on the Orient Express
Oh, that was better. I enjoyed that! What a difference it makes when both leads are given a perspective!
I mean, I could grumble at length about having wasted half a season building up to Clara's little meltdown, only for her to realise at last that the Doctor is...the Doctor, same guy he's always been, making hard choices and trying to save lives, he just doesn't have the patience for social niceties any more. Is that seriously the arc? Clara slowly learns something she already knew. I mean, seriously, haven't we been told that she supposedly understands him better than anyone? Clearly she doesn't, and she's also rather a slow learner - any one of his previous companions would have made this breakthrough weeks ago. I could also talk how she has been projecting totally unrealistic expectations onto him (because she's a control freak who wishes to control situations that are fundamentally uncontrollable) and then punishing him for being fallible...but I'm always so much less inclined to pick nits when I enjoyed an episode.
It just makes such a difference being given insight into the Doctor's point of view. Pretty much the whole season so far has been told from Clara's point of view, and Clara is extremely self-important, she always believes she is right, so she's been as blinkered in her own way as the Doctor is when he's too focused on problem solving to be nice. He wasn't reacting or behaving as she wanted him to behave, she couldn't control him, and she reacted badly to that - and her negative reaction has clouded the whole season, because it's all we've been shown. Now we get to see the Doctor's perspective at last - he's still abrasive, still painfully blunt, still lacking social niceties, but we're allowed to see what drives him, his focus and intent...and Clara's little meltdown comes off poorly in comparison with his ancient wisdom and expertise. "Sometimes the only choices you have are bad ones, but you still have to choose."
Both flawed characters, but each with a point of view that's valid to them, and portrayed as such, plus open lines of communication to help them understand one another. And a cracking good story with fleshed out supporting characters. Great stuff.
This episode was written by Jamie Mathieson, a newbie to Doctor Who - an excellent start, he can come again!
I mean, I could grumble at length about having wasted half a season building up to Clara's little meltdown, only for her to realise at last that the Doctor is...the Doctor, same guy he's always been, making hard choices and trying to save lives, he just doesn't have the patience for social niceties any more. Is that seriously the arc? Clara slowly learns something she already knew. I mean, seriously, haven't we been told that she supposedly understands him better than anyone? Clearly she doesn't, and she's also rather a slow learner - any one of his previous companions would have made this breakthrough weeks ago. I could also talk how she has been projecting totally unrealistic expectations onto him (because she's a control freak who wishes to control situations that are fundamentally uncontrollable) and then punishing him for being fallible...but I'm always so much less inclined to pick nits when I enjoyed an episode.
It just makes such a difference being given insight into the Doctor's point of view. Pretty much the whole season so far has been told from Clara's point of view, and Clara is extremely self-important, she always believes she is right, so she's been as blinkered in her own way as the Doctor is when he's too focused on problem solving to be nice. He wasn't reacting or behaving as she wanted him to behave, she couldn't control him, and she reacted badly to that - and her negative reaction has clouded the whole season, because it's all we've been shown. Now we get to see the Doctor's perspective at last - he's still abrasive, still painfully blunt, still lacking social niceties, but we're allowed to see what drives him, his focus and intent...and Clara's little meltdown comes off poorly in comparison with his ancient wisdom and expertise. "Sometimes the only choices you have are bad ones, but you still have to choose."
Both flawed characters, but each with a point of view that's valid to them, and portrayed as such, plus open lines of communication to help them understand one another. And a cracking good story with fleshed out supporting characters. Great stuff.
This episode was written by Jamie Mathieson, a newbie to Doctor Who - an excellent start, he can come again!
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It was a much better episode and the Doctor seems magical this series or am I just picking up on something that has always been there.
Sylvester's BATTLEFIELD episode he is called Merlin and probably this is at the forefront on my mind now. You can keep your Doctor Donna ... it is Doctor Merlin for me.
Must check ... was the woman who was saved Martin Freeman's real life wife ... she reminded me of her.
http://www.framecaplib.com/index.htm
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Good afternoon.
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(Anonymous) 2014-10-12 10:11 am (UTC)(link)Rachel
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The older lady played MRS BALE in As Time Goes By.
Next episode has BILLY from a Professionals Episode ... think it was Billy ... might be the Patricia Hodge episode ... pimple scarred skin.
The Captain ... DAVID BAMBER ... was in an episode of The Chief.
IMDb website is my external hard drive ;)
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I am rather fond of Battlefield, however.
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If rumours of her leaving at Christmas are true then hopefully the replacement will be a better match.