selenak | Doctor Who ?.06

Sad news about William Russell, aka Ian Chesterton this week, though of course we were fortunate to have him this long. Perhaps it's appropriate this week we got a historical, a genre the First Doctor's era was especially good at.

First episode this season not to be written by either RTD or Moffat, but by two (female) new-to-me writers. For the most part an enjoyable romp, though given the shapechanger twists, it occurs to me neither the Doctor nor Ruby interacted with someone from the actual era or planet (save for the original Duchess, who died). The ongoing socially critical themes are here, too, albeit in more subdued form (snobbish rich people exploiting the poor become prey of intergalactic cosplayers); mainly, though, it felt like a DW version of that Torchwood s1 episode wherein Jack travels back to encounter Original Captain Jack Harkness, fall for him, scandalize everyone by a dance and a kiss and lose him tragically again to the inevitable timeline.

Dare I say I thought the TW version (written by Catherine Tregenna) worked just a wee bit better for me? I think it's because of one thing - the Doctor not being able to press the button in a Ruby vs lots of other people scenario (not the world, because presumably had the shapeshifters escaped he'd have managed to hunt them down again, though not before a lot of other people died - just not the planet) followed by Rogue sacrificing himself with the switch smacked of the show first presenting its main character with an ethical dilemma and then cheating, which I don't like. This said, of course I enjoyed all the flirting, and the acting throughout - for all of this Doctor's flamboyance, it was the quiet moments that especially struck for me, as when Rogue presents the ring and the Doctor looks at it - and in my headcanon thinks of the last time he exchanged rings, which was River -, stops playing and just softly says "I'm sorry, but I can't". Ditto for Ruby - her face when she tells the Doctor it is really her, and that she tricked the shapeshifters, knowing full well the implication, not overplayed and all the more devastating - bravo, Millie.

(On the other end of the emotional scale, the Doctor annoying Rogue via the soundtrack was freaking hilarious earlier.)

I'm wavering as to whether Ruby bonding with the seeming Emily and giving her the "you don't need a guy to have a good life" speech that marks a bad Regency fic ignoring most women's social circumstances only to find that Emily has been plaing her all the time is meant as a critique of this trope. Could be, giving that this episode with all the Bridgerton nods is very genre savvy.

Lastly: I see the Doctor in his current regeneration is still able to do the Tenth Doctor thing of sending his enemies to a horrible fate that's horrible precisely because it's not death but long life if angry enough, only for said action to immediately bite him.

In conclusion: enjoyable romp mixed with ten serious character minutes at the end. Not the best ever but certainly a promising start for these two writers on the tv show, and I look forward to more from them.

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I loved it and need Rogue to be back for more episodes. <3

Dare I say I thought the TW version (written by Catherine Tregenna) worked just a wee bit better for me?
It's funny, because I also thought of that episode, but this one worked better for me? Partly because the dance had a reason, in that they deliberately set out to scandalise people. Whereas Jack danced with OG Harkness, kissed him, and then just fucked off back to the future leaving his namesake to deal with the fallout. It's somehow romantic AND supremely shitty and selfish at the same time.

Whereas this time the dance was a calculated move, they were both in on it, and it then became something more.

smacked of the show first presenting its main character with an ethical dilemma and then cheating, which I don't like.
I was FULLY expecting something like this (which you probably also did, the plot was not hard to guess), so it didn't bother me? The show ~~never~~ very very rarely lets the Doctor keep the 'perfect companions'. I presumed Rogue would end up dead by the end (switching places after the Doctor said he couldn't do it was the least surprising thing ever *g*), so I was just happy that he ended up 'somewhere' so the show can bring him back if needs be, but doesn't have to. Perfectly done. Literally textbook. ^_^

Also it echoed Nine in Parting of the Ways? He is called a coward, can't sacrifice the few for the many, then gets bailed out. (And yes, there he dies for the privilege, but here he loses his fiancé. There was a price.)

In conclusion: enjoyable romp mixed with ten serious character minutes at the end. Not the best ever but certainly a promising start for these two writers on the tv show, and I look forward to more from them.
I legit forgot this wasn't a RTD script. Excellent effort, especially after the serious tone of last week. :)

Kate Herron was the executive producer and director of the first season of Loki.

I heard!

...there will be a tie-in novel, it seems!

Oh, both of them deciding to scandalize people with a gay dance but regardless also expressing real feelings was great. But, and of course this is highly subjective, I bought Jack falling for Real Jack in the equivalent short time more, and I thought him returning to the future/present regardless was entirely ic for Jack, whereas here I thought, hang on, why doesn't the Doctor at least try to search for the guy after specifically being asked to? Doesn't have to be on screen, can happen between episodes, with a dialogue reference. That, and the first set up and then cheating of the moral dilemma. Re: Nine in Parting of the Ways, you know, it occurs to me that if the Doctor had tried himself to switch with Ruby and Rogue had incapacitated him and completed the switch substituting himself, I would not have a problem! As it is, I don't have much of one, I really enjoyed the episode, I just liked Captain Jack Harkness just the tiniest bit more.

re: knowing Rogue would not end up travelling with the Doctor at the end of the episode, well, yes. Basically he was the male equivalent of Reinette in that way. I was a bit afraid he would die but was mostly certain he wouldn't, because I don't see RTD starting his Disney tenure with immediately killing off the first guy the Doctor hits on on screen. (With Jack, it was Jack who started the flirting, hence the phrasing.)

I will need to know more about that before buying it. I have the Vastra/Jenny tie-in novel and it's like they're just good friends. I also have the three Class tie-in novels and they take place before the two guys get together. So I am wary of any DW-verse tie-in novels.

" followed by Rogue sacrificing himself with the switch smacked of the show first presenting its main character with an ethical dilemma and then cheating, which I don't like."
Yeah. That's the thing that pisses me off most about Star Trek in all it's incarnations.
It's happening way too often in Discovery (I'm up to season 4 now, and it's actually starting to put me off the show)

IF you risk everything to save a friend's life, the universe will always reward you by solving the problem magically.

I was hoping that the Doctor was going to hunt for Rogue...

Oh, both of them deciding to scandalize people with a gay dance but regardless also expressing real feelings was great.
I went to look up the Torchwood ep, and my memory was faulty, because it's the Captain who initiates the dance, not Jack. Anyway, it's not done for outrage, but for the emotional connection. Whereas the dance in Rogue was very much done for the outrage, but then became about the emotions.

whereas here I thought, hang on, why doesn't the Doctor at least try to search for the guy after specifically being asked to? Doesn't have to be on screen, can happen between episodes, with a dialogue reference.
As many dimensions as atoms in the universe... besides, I'm not sure he CAN? Post-Time War travelling between dimensions is very dangerous. Ten didn't go rescue Rose from Pete's World, and he knew where she was. If there was any chance, I think he'd go, but I believe that it is suitably impossible to even try.

then cheating of the moral dilemma.
I don't think it was a cheat. I think it was (partly) a lovely demonstration of simple honesty. He can't not punish the Chuldur, and he also can't kill Ruby. It's a catch-22. And he has had to make that call so many many times, i don't begrudge him getting a break now and again. Plus, this is where Rogue being Rogue made all the difference. Not so much in the switching places, but in being somewhat on the Doctor's level, an independent operator. Being a love-interest, not a companion. Oh!

DOCTOR: Clara, all I'm doing is not letting you kill her. I never said I was letting her live.
MISSY: Seriously. Oh, Doctor. To save her soul? But who, my dear, will save yours? Say something nice. Please?

The Doctor would never ask a Companion to kill. But Rogue is clearly no stranger to killing. I don't think he is *asking*, but the Doctor is hoping for the decision to be taken out of his hands. /rambling

I don't see RTD starting his Disney tenure with immediately killing off the first guy the Doctor hits on on screen.
LOL. Yes, that wouldn't look good. Also, it's always best to seal them away, ready to bring back if/when needed.

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