Doctor Who 8.10 The Forests of the Night

[selenak]

Despite the title and the presence of a certain animal, I found this one much more C.S. Lewis in early Narnia mode than William Blake. A charming quiet fantasy interlude before the storm (since the season finale is approaching).



Tolkien would have liked it, too. I mean: the trees save the earth! Though he'd have groaned about them disappearing again, of course. Anyway: this is perhaps the most overt fairy tale in the Moffat seasons since s5, though unless I missed something, it was again a new writer and not the Moff who wrote the episode itself. And the visuals were there aplenty: Maeve in her little red riding hood, the wolves, the tiger, and above all the forest itself turning London land marks into magical places. Danny's and Clara's school class (why no Courtney, I wonder?) with their individualized children, the way they're written (Ruby interrogating Clara in the flashback, the Maeve-Doctor interactions) reminded me again of the RTD/Moffat quote/observation "Russell reckons it’s all about parenthood with me. It’s his view that every writer has one story that they go on re-telling and that being a father is mine". Moffat Who at its best often feels like he's written alter egos not for himself but for his kids into the tale, in a "your good night stoary tonight: adventures with the Doctor and the Companion and children like yourselves" manner, which, in a way, goes back to the start of the program, aimed at children.

In terms of regular character developments, I was somewhat disappointed at the start that Danny seemingly hadn figured out from the phonecall Clara had been lying, but was the more relieved when he figured it out later on because of the exercise books in the TARDIS and that it wasn't a big drama but him stating sensibly that he just wants to know the truth, whatever it is. Am still lost as to why this "Clara suddenly thinks it necessary to lie again" mini arc has been necessary. Anyway, Clara's reaction when she and the Doctor temporarily think the world is doomed is very much the result of her development so far, including her own Doctor interlude, and it also reminds me of Martin Luther's reported reply as to what he would do if he'd know the world would end tomorrow (plant an apple tree). And the Doctor's behaviour is a counterpoint to his highhandedly taking off mid Kill the Moon which Clara had been so angry with him about; they've both learned.

His figuring out that the trees were in fact protecting the world is both pure fairy tale and a very DW twist. It's even more scientific nonsense, if that's possible, than the moon-as-egg-instant-replacement stuff, but you know what: I don't care. I really don't.

In conclusion: Liked it, feel still charmed by it.

Comments

[percysowner]

I missed the first minute or two, but someone said they timestamped this as 2016, so Courtney has graduated. Although the idea of Clara dating Danny and lying to him for 2 years bothers me. I watched this one with my brain mostly switched off because it was obvious that there would be huge scientific and logical leaps. So it was pretty. I enjoyed it and I don't think about it too hard.

[selenak]

2016?!? That would be - weird. Huh. Must check. And yes, lying for two years is bad.

[jesuswasbatman]

I think it's the latest example of the mess that happens because of different people forgetting/remembering the one-year time skip for contemporary Earth between "Rose" and "Aliens of London".

[selenak]

Argh, right. :(

[percysowner]

I had totally forgotten that. However that time skip should only affect Rose and her travels. Even with Donna and Martha the fact that they were companions after Rose, doesn't mean The Doctor didn't pick them up while another version of he was also traveling with Rose. Once Amy reset the universe, I have no idea what date we are in, so I'm going with Clara is supposed to be in our timeline, because they haven's said differently.

[elisi]

Definitely no timestamp.

Also the kids were Year Eights (I'd have thought Year Seven, they were so SMALL), but Courtney is older - Year Ten at least.

Anyway, Clara has only been lying for a few weeks, maybe a couple of months.

[lonelywalker]

I really hope the Clara/Danny plot is going to pay off in some way, because although Danny started off quite cute and engaging, their relationship has been on a boring path for a while.

...although I hope it isn't about a mind-controlled Clara (or whatever) being redeemed by LOVE.

[selenak]

Good lord, I hope not. Mind you, I can think of an example where "mind controlled woman redeemed by love" really worked for me - in the original X-Men comic book version of the Dark Phoenix arc, where Scott broke Jean out of her being mind controlled by the Hellfire Club via refusing to fight her and going "I know you're in there, and I know you won't kill me, and I certainly won't kill you", and it worked. But in DW - the season is nearly over, and we don't really more about Danny than we did after two episodes in. He's an ex soldier, he's ethical, he's in love with Clara. Meanwhile, Clara has really come into her own this season, so if the pay off were Danny saving Clara, I'd feel cheated, and if it's Clara saving Danny, I've been not given more room to care than Clara saving any human being.

Otoh, though: really enjoyed both of them interacting with the kids. I do believe in them as fellow teachers!

[lonelywalker]

I was pretty positively disposed towards Danny when he was introduced, but huge swathes of his relationship with Clara have just been jumped over. I don't mind his antagonism towards the Doctor per se, but I wish it had taken the form of "I think you're putting Clara in massive danger, so I'll come along too". Which... I mean, if your gf was travelling through time and space saving worlds and being shot at by aliens, wouldn't you want to go along for some reason?

I agree that if Clara turns out to be being manipulated by Missy (or anyone) it'll be a disappointment regarding the development she's seen this season. I don't need her being saved by Danny (or the Doctor) - at least not without equal amounts of her saving them.

[elisi]

Am still lost as to why this "Clara suddenly thinks it necessary to lie again" mini arc has been necessary.
Lying is a useful survival skill. And a bad habit. (Rule One: The Doctor lies. And Clara's arc this season has been to become the Doctor.)

[selenak]

Yes, but his lies usually have a point. Clara's lies were unnecessary, both to the Doctor and to Danny - it's not like either of them would have stopped her continuing to travel with the Doctor if she'd simply continued with the truth.

[elisi]

I'd say it's her way of taking control? She has become used to lying, and this way she is in control (well, until they find out, which she clearly hopes won't happen...). All the Clara's we've seen have been good at lying - Victorian Clara kept a double life f.ex. so I think it comes naturally. With the Doctor's influence it becomes the default.