That speech from Zygon Inversion was epic in its ambitions, was it not? It was a just denouement to the story that began with The Doctor and Queen Elizabeth, in that it returned to where it stopped last time, in the UNIT black vault with Osgood, Kate Stewart, The Doctor and Clara. I appreciated the aesthetic call back … Continue reading Doctor Who: Doubling Trouble and Inverting Expectations
Doctor Who
Ipso facto NaNoWriMo
I have put a lot of pressure on myself over a long to prove I am a writer, and to improve and to hone my craft while I sweat blood over the merest detail of a finely tuned short story. As my recent week full of rejected submissions demonstrates, this job is never done. Even … Continue reading Ipso facto NaNoWriMo
Doctor Who: Body Politic
Well isn't the Zygon Invasion right up to the minute with talk of radicalisation and kids, and strangers amongst us in the most urban and mundane of settings? Current but also old, old news, because it was ever thus. Regardless of the aliens, this is a cold war spy thriller invasion tale, where the paranoia … Continue reading Doctor Who: Body Politic
Doctor Who: Identity Stakes
Some writing groups I'm in often return to ideas about anthropomorphism and what it means for writers. Almost all aliens we see are humans with traits removed or magnified. Vulcans of Star Trek: basically human + heightened rationality. Daleks: remove empathy + hate & shove in metal box. Cybers: remove emotion and personal identifiers + … Continue reading Doctor Who: Identity Stakes
Doctor Who: Doctor Memorius
There was banter, gallows humour, fight scenes, there was highway robbery, and, there was a fire-breathing alien lion. All this was more than enough to satisfy from The Woman Who Lived, but it wasn't even the main course. The main course was the thread of conversation between The Doctor and The Knightmare/Ashildir/Lady Me. For once, Clara's … Continue reading Doctor Who: Doctor Memorius
Doctor Who: Adding Mire
River Song accused the Doctor of making such a legend of himself all his enemies wanted him in a box. She noted his title meant warrior in some languages, rather than learned or healer. Yet, Doctor Who (the program) does this all the time: makes legends and messes them up. The enemies become legendary in … Continue reading Doctor Who: Adding Mire
Doctor Who: Hybrid History
Some of the appeal of Doctor Who is that a single episode can unfold in unexpected directions. A straight Vikings vs Aliens episode was made more frustrating and then heart-felt by its twists. I know it's a family show, and I know it's story, not history, but if programs are going to have a play … Continue reading Doctor Who: Hybrid History
Fake Authenticity / Real Theatricality
Since seeing Justin Kurzel's MACBETH the other day, I've all these half-formed paragraphs and attempted poetic phrases turning in my mind in an effort to do it justice and properly sum up the experience. It was still and moody, and balletic and brutal in the depiction of war and bloodshed. There was theatrical cinematography with … Continue reading Fake Authenticity / Real Theatricality
Doctor Who: Listening Tour
'Hear' be spoilers... I like a bit of writing like this. It bats you around the head with its cleverness, it's self-referential, and even didactic. That's not a bad idea sometimes, as it means we get a lesson in time travel, and we know what's at stake, because we've dealt with The Doctor messing about … Continue reading Doctor Who: Listening Tour
Doctor Who: Talking Cure?
I started writing this before I saw Under the Lake and having seen it, the episode reinforces what I've been thinking for a while. Of course it will though, because confirmation bias. I was thinking regardless how big a fan you may may not be of Doctor Who under Steven Moffat, you can't deny he can write, or … Continue reading Doctor Who: Talking Cure?
Writing Bec 