(no subject)

[rynne]

*CLINGS TO RTD*

This? Was awesome.

The cast was brilliant. They had more personality in 45 minutes than the cast of SitL/FotD got in an hour and a half. They were just...so utterly real. And this was far more scary than Moffat's. PWNED.

Also, the pacing! That was some seriously awesome pacing, starting out slow and all and then just gradually getting faster and faster until the sudden stop and slowing down. I got so caught up in everything that it felt like the episode just flew by, and I was seriously surprised when everything stopped and I realized the episode was about to end.

Seriously, I loved the cast. Though more for how real and utterly human they were than for anything they did. This episode reminded me of a mix of The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit and 42. The Doctor wants to believe the best of humanity, like in TIP/TSP, but he gets proven wrong, like in 42. Also, the baddy here was this intangible sort of thing that possessed people, like in both of those episodes.

When everyone turned on the Doctor, that was...wow. Oh, Doctor. Normally you're so good at inspiring trust, and getting people to think things through...that part must have been torture. Plus that it was once again humans ganging up on the alien, and then him getting sort-of possessed...this was NOT a good episode for him.

And it was actually creepy. It takes a lot to scare me--Moffat's never actually managed it--but all the repeating? Starting from the knocking, going on through saying it at the same time, then to stealing the Doctor's voice...wow. Creepy. Like it was stealing them. And what it did to the Doctor, both in how it nearly got him thrown out and just how he reacted when he was finally freed...OMG.

I am very curious about that thing. I wonder if we're going to see it again, if it ties into the ending...

The Medusa Cascade pops up again! And more preoccupation with the Doctor's name, though here it was...less grating than in FotD. Maybe because it made more sense for these people to be less willing to trust him if he wouldn't even tell them his real name, and Moffat's felt more like a tease. Here it felt like the Doctor was frustrated with how preoccupied everyone was with something as unimportant as his name, which is how I rather think he'd be.

And finally, ROSE. Two mentions, plus another appearance-on-a-monitor! (I want to know how she's DOING that!)

For the appearance--awwww, they just missed each other! If only he'd turned around...

About the first mention--I really liked it. It shows that she's still on his mind, and the context was very significant-other. Mrs Sylvestria (sp?) was talking about how her ex went to another galaxy, and his mind jumped to Rose as an equivalent. Not quite, since Rose wasn't voluntary, but close enough.

The trailer is really making me anticipate next week's ep. ROSE! *bounces*

Comments

[shinyopals.livejournal.com]

When everyone turned on the Doctor, that was...wow. Oh, Doctor. Normally you're so good at inspiring trust, and getting people to think things through...that part must have been torture. Plus that it was once again humans ganging up on the alien, and then him getting sort-of possessed...this was NOT a good episode for him.

It's kind of odd, when you compare this to TIP/TSP that both the Doctor and Rose were able to inspire the trust of that crew whereas here the Doctor just couldn't. Clearly Rose's awesome powers of awesome have an effect on the Doctor's awesome.

[rynne.livejournal.com]

Clearly. :D Rose exponentially increases the Doctor's power of awesome, as well as his level of trustworthiness. :p

[shinyopals.livejournal.com]

*Considers writing an equation*

*Remembers it is quarter past one in the morning*

[rynne.livejournal.com]

Or: She's his plus one! In multiple ways! *g*

[lalaithlockhart.livejournal.com]

Heeeee :-D
Donna would have kicked their asses as well, of course. Doctor needs strength in numbers.

[sensiblecat.livejournal.com]

I think she just very gently nudges him when he's screwing up on his people skills ("do NOT put fingers in jam, okay?) You could tell from that little scene in FH that it was very much part of their relationship by then. To some extent every companion fulfills that role but he let her correct him more than most.

[rynne.livejournal.com]

Yes, and the "Am I being rude?" in Tooth and Claw. They have such complimentary skills, and he both recognized and relied on that.

[elanne.livejournal.com]

It's kind of odd, when you compare this to TIP/TSP that both the Doctor and Rose were able to inspire the trust of that crew whereas here the Doctor just couldn't. Clearly Rose's awesome powers of awesome have an effect on the Doctor's awesome.

Oh, this is fascinating. I actually saw this whole episode as an exploration of the Doctor sans companion; it's interesting that he who is usually so good at taking charge and bending others to his will completely fails this time. The implication seems almost to be that he requires the mediating influence of a companion in order to successfully communicate with the people around him. I'm reminded of last episode, in the library, where the entire crew seemed rather distrustful, but was encouraged to follow him by River. Here, on his own, communications fail, to the point that he actually loses his words.

Really a great episode. And I agree with you completely on the subject of Rose.