Shortcuts & slogans This Doctor Who episode, Last Christmas wore many of its influences overtly. Within a few minutes they could be identified as a formula: Alien + Inception + Christmas X 2 = Doctor Who. It's fine I guess. We can all rest and consider that we 'get' the episode. Any dream within a dream … Continue reading Doctor Who: Last Christmas Analysis
Danny
Doctor Who: Role Play
Upon watching the 2014 finale of Doctor Who I've never been so happy to have Nick Frost appear. He was the ray of weird that lifted Death in Heaven from being one of helluva Halloweeen-ish downer episode to something a tiny bit hopeful. Character assassin If previous series were about fairy tales, this series was solid SF ideas and … Continue reading Doctor Who: Role Play
Doctor Who: Master of our fate?
Soldier Man Some characters are too good to live. In Tess of the D'Ubervilles, Thomas Hardy created a character he loved, and mourned that the story he created killed his Tess. Hardy, though, didn't change the ending. He let it stand. Tess died and he didn't diminish her sacrifice with her ghost in some saccharine sequel. … Continue reading Doctor Who: Master of our fate?
Doctor Who: Wood for the Trees
From the previews I thought this would go down a spooky girl fairy tale path, influenced by William Blake (Tyger Tyger!). Easy to assume with the kid in the red coat running around through the woods, and with the wolves, and the deliberate spoken references to Hansel and Gretel. This current series does like making … Continue reading Doctor Who: Wood for the Trees
Doctor Who: Strangers on a Train
After the wrongness of Kill the Moon, Mummy on the Orient Express is back on track (ah, I make me laugh), but a bit odd. It's like every episode Clara or The Doctor have to work each other out, even though they have all their combined history: for instance, Clara only now realises he lies. It is … Continue reading Doctor Who: Strangers on a Train
Doctor Who: Goddesses, Captains & Parables
In space no one hears the countdown If Earth is Mostly Harmless, then Space is Mainly Lethal. Lack of air. Un-earth-like physics. People on the edge. In Doctor Who, space is dangerous because of 'grey area' moral dilemmas and countdowns. Seriously, they had an episode called 42 with a living Sun and 42 minutes until a … Continue reading Doctor Who: Goddesses, Captains & Parables
Doctor Who: the boy friend code
Steven Moffat has gone on about how The Caretaker is a return to the ideas of The Lodger, because The Doctor. Whatevs. This episode had more likenesses with Vampires of Venice, Amy's Choice, The Big Bang and A Good Man Goes to War with Amy and Rory and with Rose and Mickey with Rose, Father's Day … Continue reading Doctor Who: the boy friend code
