Doctor Who Interlude -- Series 6

I could not possibly be more excited for the next series (and series-point-five) of Doctor Who.

The Monsters

Have you SEEN the previews? Fucking stellar. Creepy life-size dolls and space suits with no one in them. Moff's Vashta Nerada worked because everyone is innately afraid of the dark. They're afraid of Silence, who seems to be the Big Bad of series 6. I love that we're already set up for a big mystery.

Can't wait to draw monster/horror parallels between The X-Files and series 6!

Hopefully scarier monsters means a darker tone, as well. We've been introduced to Eleven, and he's been introduced to himself. Now he can be thrown around and tested a bit.

The Companions

They're the species the Doctor loves most, and any viewer knows they're the heart of the show, a reminder of what the Doctor fights for, why he does what he does.

It was interesting to me that through series 5, Amy seemed to be separate from us, the viewers. Rose Tyler was our eyes and heart, close to home, but Amy is fiery and distant. She's likable, and relatable to an extent, but there seems to be more to her, whereas Rose laid everything on the table from the first ten minutes of series 1. Moff revealed that there's more to her too, and I wonder if her specialness is different than the RTD brand of the same: Donna Noble, the most important person in the universe; Rose, the Bad Wolf; Amy Pond... I hope the reveal will be darker. Nothing Bad Wolf or DoctorDonna. Maybe something Judas. A betrayal would be quite twisted. We've had Amy's Choice and she chose the Roman soldier. But how about a variation on the theme, with a darker edge?

The cliffhanger to 6.5 will hinge on Amy, and maybe Rory, if Arthur's role as a companion expands (did he get opening title billing in the Christmas Special?). Series 5 was about Eleven finding himself, reconciling his past selves and his dark and light sides (and duplicity via the Dream Lord, Pandorica vs. TARDIS, etc.). Series 6 must be more external, more about his human sidekicks.

Also can't wait to find out who River really is. Astounding that in a fandom as huge as Doctor Who's, no one can agree on one theory. I think that's good story telling on the Moff's part. She is a great mystery. I personally hope she's the daughter of Mel and Glitz (hey, it fits) because I won't buy her as a Time Lord.

The Guest Stars / Spoilers

David Walliams (I resist the urge to insert a "Fucking" before his surname. I'm constantly repressing the urge to be more colloquial here. It's not in my nature to talk about TV formally, but I try). James Corden in episode 12 (THE LODGER IS ENDGAME. I knew it, knew it, knew it!!). Lynda Baron (AKA Captain Wrack in Enlightenment, one of the absolute best one-off characters this series has ever, ever had, in one of my favorite serials. She blew it out of the water. She is one of the reasons that story is as good as it is. If only she were back playing that character, though! What if.)

Walliams is an apt comic actor and he'll do fine with drama, or whatever the role calls for -- Corden's Craig was played for comedy though I'm sure he too can add weight if needed. What a thrilling casting, though. Surprising, at least to me, and warmly welcomed -- I find that comedic actors (especially ones as versatile as Walliams) often turn out to be fantastic in dramatic roles, perhaps because of their timing.

Also exciting is the return of Craig from series 5's "The Lodger." Something as big as another TARDIS had to have gargantuan implications. No way around it. TARDISes are of the Time Lords, and I am exhilarated hearing all the rumors and buzz about a possible return of John Simm as the Master (to regenerate soon after; who else is vouching for Colin Firth? Or Cumberbatch? Too exciting), or a female character with "a new face" (quoth Moff) immediately calling to mind the Doctor's extinct people... specifically the female ones. The Rani? Romana? President Flavia? I'm a huge nerd. I might be too excited about this. But Moff is a fan of the old, and my fingers are crossed. And, Gaiman's episode does claim to be influenced by The War Games, an absolutely stupendous, epic, Two-era serial -- has the War Chief reincarnated female? Is the Doctor a pawn, being ushered around a chess board (sounds more like The Five Doctors) by an invisible hand? Or hands? Time Lords, Silents, or other enigmatic being?

Rumors point to the reemergence of Time Lords, at least, if not Gallifrey. And that's huge.

And lest we forget: the ubiquitous Mark Sheppard! Lily Cole! Cybermen! Cybermats!

The Moff

I'd trust him with my life, basically.

My Top 10 Shows of 2010

Honorable Mentions

Terriers, Psychoville, and Dollhouse didn’t quite make the cut, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t brilliant this year. Terriers (RIP) was a well-written, wonderfully acted, witty buddy-cop mystery drama that also happened to be very funny. It was compelling, at times extremely affecting, and shot just gorgeously.

I may be biased where Psychoville (which I am counting as 2010 because of the Halloween special, he he) is concerned because I am absolutely enamored of Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith. I will adore anything they create. However, their current project is stupendous on its own, from its Rope-inspired fourth episode (guest starring standout newcomer ♥~Sam Kisgart~♥) to the Modus Operandi musical sequence featuring wax serial killers come to life singing about everything from poisoning to strangles.

Dollhouse started off rough, admittedly. But shit got real the second season, the second part of which aired in 2010. Joss and co. stepped it up plot-wise, and the result was a beautiful and nightmarish The Attic, a heart-pounding The Hollow Men, and the reflective post-apocalyptic Epitaph Two: Return — a fitting, if not wholly satisfying, end to a fantastic and daring series.

#10 Modern Family

Modern Family is getting the critical recognition it deserves. It’s not only one of the funniest comedies on network TV, it’s also the one with the biggest heart. Wonderful writing, amazing cast, just a well-executed show in every way.

#9 Fringe

Sci fi shows are few and far between these days, especially on network television. But never fear, Fringe has got your bases covered: it’s the most disturbingly gory, thought-provoking, visually stunning, perplexing, exciting show on TV. And it is so fun.

#8 Party Down

Party Down is the funniest show I have ever seen. It is the funniest show you’ve never heard of. It is a show that I believe, from the bottom of my heart, is compulsory viewing for everyone that likes comedy, even a little bit. It is a master class in what good humor should be.

#7 Parks and Recreation

Fact: This is the funniest show on television right now. (And that isn’t up for debate.) The cast is an all-star dream team — give Amy Poehler or Aziz Ansari room to improvise, tell Nick Offerman to pratfall or throw a hamburger at his face, and you’ll see what I mean. When you’ve got a tremendous cast, sharp writing, and the most likable lead on TV in Leslie Knope, everything just clicks.

#6 Louie

Louie C.K.’s unique brand of sad, dark humor permeates his eponymous show, and the result is a brilliantly melancholy tone unlike anything else on television. Superb direction, cinematography, episode format, and score (not to mention ace acting and writing) are all integral to conveying the show’s feel — one part stand-up, one part narrative sketch show, two parts midlife crisis, and 100% of the very real, relatable, self-deprecating Louie C.K. telling stories and jokes in the unforgiving city of New York.

#5 Doctor Who

Steven Moffat’s sharp wit and penchant for non-linear narrative characterized the fantastic series 5. His themes of identity, storytelling, and, of course, time — being rewritten, moving too slowly, saying “five minutes” but showing up a decade later — complemented by visual motifs like red against blue and the ubiquitous crack, made for compelling, engaging viewing. Series 5 is what good Doctor Who should be: a romp in space, the tragedy of an old man who’s loved and lost, an exploration of (THE UNIVERSE! and) humanity and compassion, and at its heart, a fairytale about a mad man and his blue box.

#4 Sherlock

This was certainly a triumphant year for Steven Moffat. One of his shows is a British institution, and the other features one: Sherlock Holmes (this time, sans deerstalker and pipe), the world’s only consulting detective and London’s resident high-functioning sociopath. Benedict Cumberbatch is a revelation. Martin Freeman plays his Watson wonderfully. The scripts are funny, complex, suspenseful; the direction masterful; the cinematography tilt-shiftingly brilliant. All three episodes were some of the most compelling viewing of the year.

#3 Mad Men

What can I say about Mad Men that hasn’t already been lauded and gushed about through every media outlet? With one of its strongest seasons yet, Mad Men lived up to its universally high expectations. In particular, “The Suitcase” was the most superb forty minutes of television I watched this year. Elisabeth Moss and Jon Hamm blew the rest of the cast out of the water with their flawless performances that showcased their tremendous dramatic chops. I laughed and cried and remembered why I love television: because when it’s well done (and this was light years beyond “well done”) it can be emotional and compelling, and when you identify with these very real characters it can hit close to home.

#2 Community

Community is smart. Its self-awareness, meta references, and in-jokes strengthen the connection between show and viewer. It’s a young show, and its willingness to experiment is its greatest strength; I think its unpredictability of style and tone (the fantastic “Mixology Certification” arguably tonally at odds with the rest of the season), grounded in its strong and familiar cast, makes it all the better. The cast’s chemistry and comedic timing are impeccable. But the most compelling aspect of Community, for me, is the fact that it never forgets where its heart is.

#1 Breaking Bad

Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul earned their Emmys in “Fly.” (Esposito, Norris, Banks, even Odenkirk should ALL have been nom’d for Best Supporting Actor.) I almost had a heart attack during “One Minute,” which featured one of the most heart-pounding (and -stopping) sequences I’ve ever seen. “Half Measures” and “Full Measure” drew the impeccable third season to a stupendous close. Breaking Bad is the best written, best acted, best looking series on the air. When I set out to make this list, there was no debate about who should take the top spot. Breaking Bad was, simply, the best show of 2010.

BBC Drama Autumn/Winter 2010/2011 Trailer

So the past two days I've been freaking out over this trailer:

The ones I'm particularly excited about:

• Christopher and His Kind (BBC Two) -- "The hedonistic Berlin cabaret scene is in full swing when a young and wide-eyed Christopher Isherwood arrives in the city, unable to speak a word of German, to stay with his close friend, Auden. To Isherwood's reserved English sensibility, the city's thriving gay subculture is thrilling and intoxicating. But Christopher soon finds himself heartbroken after the failure of a hopeless love affair, and so sets out on a process of self-discovery." + Matt Smith.

• The Song of Lunch (BBC Two) -- Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson!

• The Crimson Petal & The White (BBC Two) -- Gillian Anderson! Romola Garai, Chris O'Dowd, Mark Gatiss.

• Single Father (BBC One) -- David Tennant.

• Accused (BBC One) -- "Christopher Eccleston and Mackenzie Crook play the leading characters in the first two episodes of Accused; separate stories which open as an ordinary individual is led to the dock to hear his or her fate. As each hour-long episode unravels viewers learn how each person came to be there. But on reflection should they be the accused? Are they innocent or guilty or somewhere in between? And will the jury make the right judgement?"

• The First Men in the Moon (BBC Four) -- Mark Gatiss!

• Upstairs Downstairs (BBC One)

• The Shadow Line (BBC Two) -- Chiwetel Ejiofor, Christopher Eccleston, Lesley Sharp.

• Doctor Who Christmas Special (BBC One)

• Outcasts (BBC One) -- "Outcasts is set on a recently-discovered planet and tells of the dilemmas, loves and lives of a group of people setting up a new world. This life-sustaining planet is now home to the surviving population from Earth. Here there is a chance to start again, to bring the lessons learnt from Earth and to put them into action on a new planet." + Jamie Bamber.

• Toast (BBC One) -- Helena Bonham Carter.

Doctor Who - Resurrection of the Daleks

Oooh, that was good. The last few minutes especially.

I like Classic Who a lot, but I'm a student of RTD at heart. That is, it's the Doctor/Companion relationship that really gets me, and any configuration of meddling Cybermen/Daleks/the Master is secondary. Davros did some interesting stuff here, but I was blown away by Tegan Jovanka's parting scene. A triumph by Janet Fielding, I think. Just brilliant all around. I'd transcribe, but here's the scene in full instead:

My heart sunk when I saw her face and realized what she was going to say. "I'm tired... it's stopped being fun, Doctor." And the Doctor's, "No, don't leave, not like this!" broke my heart too. Five saw a lot of deaths, and Tegan doesn't want to see any more. But that's in the job description of an assistant to the Oncoming Storm, whose only constant companion is death. Human (and alien) companions come and go, and so, brought to tears by the revelation, Tegan takes her leave. Poignant, excellent television!

I mean, the first three and nine-tenths parts are good, too. The idea of a different "breed" of Daleks isn't a new one (Remembrance, Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways, etc) but this time Davros was involved, changing it up a bit. Interesting that in both this serial and Stolen Earth/Journey's End, Davros is kind of a loser who eventually is turned on by his creation. I feel sorry for the guy. The Doctor is such an ass to him, too. Not without reason, but still.

Non-Dalek-related: Five wields a gun! Did he fire at all? I don't recall. But it was pretty bad ass, Ten take note.

And so, "Brave heart, Tegan. Doctor, I will miss you" enters the archives as yet another heartbreaking Farewell, Companion! parting phrase. I haven't watched a ton of Five, but I know he did encourage her with those words in Earthshock.

Sci Fi Marathon Day 1

So I didn't make it all the way through my marathon. It was tougher than I'd thought. I got about a third of the way through. Next time I'll start up with Ghost Light Pt. 2.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "Band Candy"

Being Human, "Episode 1"

Battlestar Galactica, "33"

The X-Files, "Field Trip"

Doctor Who, "Ghost Light" Pt. 1

· 12:15 Starting Band Candy now.

· So this episode was written by Jane Espenson. Of course it was.

· 12:26 “You’re a good mom.” “I’m the best.” YES SHE IS :’(

· 12:30 Angel doing tai chi in the moonlight. Buffy brings him butcher blood. Angel’s about 200, isn’t he? How old is Edward? Which one is creepier? The answer is: The Doctor, because he’s fucking 900 years old and preys on teenagers.

· 12:35 Xander and Willow are awkwardly playing footsie under the lab table. This makes me sad. And nostalgic.

· 12:54 Ethan was such a good character we could have gotten a lot more mileage out of. His dynamic with Giles was excellent. “You’re my slayer! Hit him!”

· Vampires in Buffy are bumpy, strong, gothic, often clad in black and deep red and leather, sardonic, pale. They go poof when they’re staked.

· 1:03 “I’ve got the SATs tomorrow.” “Oh, blow them off. I’ll write you a note.” “No, it’s okay.” Obligatory lesson learned. Seasons 1-3 were really incredible with the whole using demons as metaphors for growing up thing.

· 1:09 Now watching Being Human Episode 1. “Everyone dies” is the first sentence of this series.

· Vampires have sex too! How True Blood.

· 1:12 Alonso ass! Though I guess his name isn’t Alonso in this series, is it. Bad wolf mention, also. Cool.

· Cheery, Friends-y music over title screen. Establishing tone, weird contrast with the darker opening sequence with blood and sex and ass and death.

· Created by Toby Whithouse. Why does that sound so familiar?

· Oh yeah, because he wrote for DW.

· 1:26 Ooh, interesting werewolf design. Less wolf-y, more feral furry creature thing. Also established: Annie can walk through walls because she is a ghost.

· This is a pretty comedic show, it just happens to feature a werewolf, a vampire, and a ghost. Already excitedly anticipating the dark humor and dark/light contrast to come.

· These vampires are immortal, or maybe immortal until staked/killed? Or something. And they can be in sunlight because they can vampirize themselves whenever they want, it looks like. Similar to Buffy vamps in that they have pitch black eyes.

· 2:13 Beginning 33 now. This might be my favorite episode of the entire series.

· This episode is an interesting, if not kind, introduction into the world of BSG. First of all, there are a LOT of characters, all on different ships, all doing different things. Gaius isn’t even mentally present on the ship half the time. Oh, and Six isn’t real. And there’s another Six and another Sharon on a rainy planet with Helo. It was pretty hard to grasp at first. The guiding element that tied it all together was the jump every 33 minutes.

· 2:22 Seconds of the clock ticking away is the only sound you hear, and then jump to the amazing title sequence.

· 2:52 Since Being Human is 60 minutes long versus a typical 42, give or take, pacing is different. Build up and exposition of 33 is brilliant. Climax with the Olympic Carrier happening now. Gorgeous.

· 2:57 This ending is incredible. And backed by a McCreary score, it’s perfect. Billy tells Roslin she can add one to the population count, because a baby was born.

· 3:00 Starting Field Trip. Hey Roy Anderson. I think I’ve only seen this episode twice, which is unusual because it’s one of my favorites.

· Teleplay by Gilligan and Shiban, directed by Manners = instant win.

· 3:19 “Everything she’s said is textbook, down to the last detail.” When details are too perfect, too typical like that, it’s easy to call bullshit. The Fourth Kind movie, for one.

· Oh Mark Snow. How I’ve missed you.

· 3:39 I love this ending. M Night-esque for sure. I really dig the reality/unreality (which is real?!) theme that’s rather prevalent recently, a la Inception and Amy’s Choice. Are there more? Common for sci fi fantasy anyhow.

· 3:47 I’ve decided on the Seventh Doctor’s Ghost Light for the next hour. Companion is Ace.

· Victorian-era man mentions Ace’s state of “undress,” like how Rose was a wee naked child in Tooth and Claw. ”She comes from a less civilized time.”

· I predict much humor will come of a butler named Nimrod.

Stopping now in favor of watching Dead Like Me.

Doctor Who Interlude

I love the fairytale feeling of series 5, but it occurred to me that it would've worked even better in series 1. Bad Wolf? Huge missed opportunity. Could've used a red/scarlet palette (which incidentally was used in series 5 to good effect), the "wolf in sheep's clothing" idea, and a whole load of "the better to ____ you with" references. That would have been awesome. Moffat perpetuated this so well, but RTD definitely missed the boat. Oh well.

More ideas for the fairytale-series-1-that-will-never-be:

• Jack as the woodcutter
• Misdirection for the audience; insinuate that the Doctor is the big, bad wolf
• Innocence, growing up motif
• Forests! Creepy shadows, etc. (Moffat wins.)
• My, what large ears you have. (Because he does. Have enormous ears. But we also don't want to beat the audience over the head with Lil' Red, so freely omit.)
• He also has a big nose. Just saying.

(In related news, I really need to stop rewatching series 1 and move on with my life.)

Doctor Who - Earthshock

I didn't watch much new television this week, just a bunch of Doctor Who series 2 for my rewatch endeavor and some Secret Diary. Treme has been impossible to find online, so I don't know what I'm going to do about that. I started Bored to Death, but I'm not impressed so far (though I love the cast and the awesome music choices. Schwartzman/Galafianakis interactions are worth watching for alone). Might drop those two for the time being.

However, I did watch Doctor Who's Earthshock. Out of the classic Who serials I've seen so far*, I think it's my favorite. I prefer the Doctor with an entourage, and the Fifth Doctor had quite a few companions. Adric, Nyssa, and Tegan accompanied him on this particular adventure.

Classic Who companions have been criticized of getting kidnapped and being generally helpless. Though there is some of that, it isn't to say they don't help the Doctor in their own ways. Some are braver than others, and some are better at math; some aren't there by choice but trek on with the crew good-naturedly anyway, some fall down more than others. Companions are like a box of chocolates. I like the strong-willed ones that aren't afraid to talk back to the Doctor, like Sarah Jane. I also like Leela and Adric. In Earthshock, Tegan ventured out to help look for the Doctor while Nyssa stayed behind to hold down the fort. Not helpless at all.

But the companion that proved himself as righteous and self-sacrificing as the Doctor was Adric. Part 1 of Earthshock set up the frustration Adric felt toward the Doctor's sometimes condescending manner. He wants to return to his home planet, but the Doctor isn't having it, seeing as they'd have to journey through E-space to get there. Adric and the Doctor quarrel, and before Nyssa and Tegan can adequately encourage repair, the two are cornered by Cybermen. What's interesting about Adric and the Doctor's argument is that the Doctor is extremely hotheaded, at first, and dismissive of the accusation. What it eventually boils down to is the core of the Doctor/companion relationship -- the question of what exactly the Doctor's role is in a companion's life. There is a balance between affection (which the Cybermen consider the Doctor's greatest weakness, as they use it against him when they threaten Tegan's life) and mentorship (Adric complains the Doctor never explains things to him). In the end, Adric, the mathematician prodigy, gives his life just as the Doctor would have done to save the Earth. Unfortunately, a Cyberman destroys the console before Adric can solve the code, and Adric laments that he will "never know if he was right" as his final words.

(In The Caves of Androzani, The Fifth Doctor's last word is "Adric"; he dies feeling overwhelming guilt, a sure theme in the Doctor's life.)

* I've watched Pyramids of Mars (4th Doctor), City of Death (4th), Robots of Death (4th), The Caves of Androzani (5th Doctor), Earthshock (5th), The Three Doctors, and The Five Doctors. The Doctor Who movie kind of sits in the void between classic and new Who, but I've seen that too. Talons of Weng-Chiang next, yay racism!

Doctor Who Series 5 Observations

I will keep a list, by episode, of possibly significant details in series 5 of Doctor Who.

The Eleventh Hour, 5.01

• Amelia Pond. In a way she is meant to be seen separate from Amy; is possibly the most important character in this series; the Doctor's and her timeline are intertwined, the Doctor has influenced every bit of her life, she is completely obsessed with him.
• The crack in Amelia's bedroom wall. Opens to the Atraxi prison from which Prisoner Zero has escaped, this means travel from one side to the other is possible? "The cracks in the skin of the universe, don't you know where they came from? You don't, do you?" - Prisoner Zero to the Doctor; the Doctor clearly plays some sort of part, but he is unaware of it
• "The universe is cracked. The Pandorica will open. Silence will fall." - Prisoner Zero; the crack is already notably important; the Pandorica opens in the aptly titled twelfth episode; "silence will fall" is the mystery, repeated in this episode
• The shadowy human-like figure in Amelia's house, unexplained in this episode.
• Series theme: fairy tales.

The Beast Below, 5.02

• Series theme: children. Amelia Pond; the Doctor and the star whale's affection for children; their innocence and openness
• "A horse and a man, above, below,
  One has a plan, but both must go,
  Mile after mile, above, beneath,
  One has a smile, and one has teeth.
  Though the man above might say 'Hello,'
  Expect no love from the Beast Below!
  
  In bed above we're deep asleep,
  While greater love lies further deep,
  This dream must end, this world must know:
  We all depend on the beast below." -- Could this rhyme be a metaphor for more than the episode? The series, perhaps?
• The crack is on Spaceship UK.

Victory of the Daleks, 5.03

• Amy doesn't remember Earth's Dalek invasion.
• The crack makes its appearance on the wall behind the TARDIS.

The Time of Angels, 5.04

• The ubiquitous, wonderful, River Song.

Flesh and Stone, 5.05

• The Doctor w/ jacket is INTENTIONAL. There's no way that should be attributed to lazy direction/editing/costuming. The Doctor leaves, but returns with a close-up shot of his hands covering Amy's, as if introducing a new character onto the scene, and then up to his face. His tone (and yeah, jacket) is completely different, more serious with a bit of anguish, which totally fits his mysterious message:

"Amy, you need to start trusting me. It's never been more important."

"But you don't always tell me the truth."

"If I always told you the truth I wouldn't need you to trust me."

"Doctor, the crack in my wall, how could it be here?"

"I don't know yet, but I'm working it out. Now, listen. Remember what I told you when you were seven?"

"What did you tell me?"

"No... no, that's not the point. You have to remember."

"Remember what? Doctor? Doctor?"

Amy's faulty memory is clearly creating some problems on a universal scale. But why her?

• The Doctor rambles about how Amy didn't remember the Daleks and questions why she knew the duck pond was a duck pond if there weren't any ducks, then asks, What if time could be rewritten? Then, he realizes (I hypothesize), that he can rewrite history.
• "The Pandorica... that's a fairy tale." "Aren't we all?"
• "What are you thinking?" "Time can be rewritten."

Vampires of Venice, 5.06

• The Doctor and Rory hear silence as they step into the TARDIS.

Amy's Choice, 5.07

• "We have to grow up eventually." "Says who?"
• Dreams/false realities.
• "You save everyone." "Not always." "Then what is the point of you?"
• The Dream Lord. The Doctor sees the Dream Lord as his reflection in the TARDIS console a few seconds before the episode ends; this is likely not anything with real repercussions (like the psychic pollen is still there), but a self-reflective-Doctor-thing
• Series theme: Amy's choice. Amy's choice, the angel in Amy's eyes/mind, Amy's memories; Amy is extremely important.

The Hungry Earth, 5.08

• Amy and Rory see themselves 10 years in the future

Cold Blood, 5.09

• The crack has gotten wider, the Doctor sticks his hand in and pulls out a piece of TARDIS shrapnel, Rory is engulfed in time energy light and is erased from time; an explosion is causing the crack, could it be the TARDIS exploding?
• "Rory still lives in your mind."
• Amy waves to another Amy on top of a hill

Vincent and the Doctor, 5.10

• "Time can be rewritten, I know it can." - Amy

The Lodger, 5.11

• The crack makes an appearance behind Craig's refrigerator. Amy also sees it when she opens her engagement ring box.

The Pandorica Opens, 5.12

• Is there a reason van Gogh has heightened psychic ability (i.e. he can see invisible monsters and paint the future)?
• "Vortex manipulator -- fresh off the wrist of a handsome Time Agent." Jack?
• First words ever written: "Hello Sweetie." Just to give us even more perspective on exactly how incredibly necessary River Song is to the entire universe.
• The Doctor is wearing a red bowtie and his jacket has deep red buttons. Red-haired Amy has on her usual bright red scarf and red gloves. Her engagement ring box is red. Roman-Rory's cape is red. Red-robed queen is back. Red is both important and foreboding.
• The painting "might not be that literal," according to River.
• "A box, a cage, a prison... it was built to contain the most feared thing in all the universe." "It's a fairytale, a legend. It can't be real."
• I think this is the earliest we have seen River -- the last two times (Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone and Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead) were further in her timeline.
• "The Pandorica." "More than just a fairy tale."
• "You know fairy tales... a good wizard tricked it." "I hate good wizards in fairy tales, they always turn out to be him."
• Pandora's Box is Amy's favorite book when she was a kid. "Never ignore coincidence."
• The large stones transmit the warning to everyone that the Pandorica is opening. But why doesn't the Doctor know?
• "Nothing is ever forgotten, not completely. And if something can be remembered, it can come back."
• "Does it ever bother you, Amy, that your life doesn't make any sense?" Her house has too many rooms
• "A whole 'nother life, just like I woke up from a dream." - Rory, on what physically happened to him between death and waking up as a Roman
• Strange markings on the grass in front of Amy's house
• Amy owns a book on Roman soldiers and one on Pandora's Box
• The Nestene Consciousness is using Amy's memories to construct the Roman soldiers -- but Roman Rory still remembers dying, as if his subconscious remained intact, as if he weren't a construct out of Amy's memory. Somehow the Autons obtained the real Rory's memories?
• "Someone else is flying it." "But why? How?"
• Amy finally remembers Rory.
• The Nestene Consciousness! Daleks! Cybermen, Sontarans, the Judoon, Silurians.
• "Only the Doctor can pilot the TARDIS." Not true. There's River, and didn't even Donna fly it once?
• Amy dies.
• "Silence will fall." And it does.

The Big Bang, 5.13

• The fairy tale identity crisis ends with a box (the TARDIS, or the hero part of Eleven) flying into another box (the Pandorica, possibly the "beast below" facet of Eleven's identity). Yin meets yang, and the universe explodes! More importantly, the two sides of Eleven's personality meet, which he's grappled with the entire series. Is he the beast or the angel? More than once, his past selves have shown up on screen (library card in Vampires of Venice, identifier gadget in Vincent and the Doctor, blue light in The Eleventh Hour, sparknotes of his life in The Lodger). Series 5 dealt with the two warring sides of the Doctor, and more specifically, who Eleven is. Is he rude and not ginger? Not this time -- the good wizard in fairy tales "always turn out to be him." He's a wizard, and a fairy tale, with a "beast below," which is reconciled in The Big Bang with the collision of the TARDIS and the Pandorica. PRAISE MOFFAT!

Doctor Who - The Beast Below, 5.02

Once upon a time...

Amelia Pond is a child with a big imagination and a fairy tale name. Amy Pond is a self-proclaimed grown-up. The Doctor instigated her belief in the impossible, and twelve long years contributed to her subsequent disillusionment. Rose Tyler was the big, bad, wolf, and Amy Pond is Alice down the rabbit hole. A strange man in your house at night who promises you the universe is a fairy tale. A crack in time and space that happens to be in your bedroom wall, of all places (and you, of all people!), is a fairy tale. Monsters, and hidden doors out of sight unless you turn your head just so, are the makings of a fairy tale. And the fairy tale of the Raggedy Doctor with a Box happens to Amy Pond, who is Amelia Pond, who is a Scottish girl in an English village yet never relinquished her accent (and the Doctor knows how that feels).

I started the fifth season of Doctor Who today. Steven Moffat took the reigns from Russell T Davies, and I have high expectations.* Moffat's episodes in the last four seasons of New Who have been my favorites -- he is an incredibly creative writer. I could write tons about what exactly I like about his stories, but I expect I'll be covering a lot of those points as I write about this new season. I will definitely note parallels and common themes introduced in The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances, The Girl in the Fireplace, Blink, and Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead, that return here. I've already noticed a couple:

• What's not seen is scarier than an in-your-face monster. Blink's Weeping Angels, SitL/FotD's Vashta Nerada, a door in your house you can't see unless you look in the corner of your eye...
• Tons of creepiness. TEC/TDD's gas masks, TGitL's ticking baddies, The Beast Below's Smilers.
• Repeated phrases for maximum creep factor. "Are you my mummy?" "Don't blink." "Count the shadows." -- none yet in s5, but I'm confident!

The Eleventh Hour is directed and acted sharper, crisper than RTD's Who; the better direction is perhaps a testament more to the times than the showrunner (any Old Who serial elicits a giggle -- the times, they are a-changin'), but the acting, I think, is a conscious decision by Moffat to distinguish his characters from Ten's incredibly emotive face and hyperactive personality (not to mention the Rose Tyler's big eyes and Martha Jones's pining after the Doctor and Donna Noble's loud voice and at times abrasive demeanor). Smith and Gillan are Moffat's toys. While RTD made his Doctor shed tears or fall in love, Moffat's Doctor might quip a non-sequitur with a steady expression (so I theorize, from what I've seen so far!).** RTD would up the ante by adding more Daleks; Moffat excels at creating villains out of shadows and silence.*** And to be honest, I don't know which tone I prefer. I like theatrics and big emotion, but I'm also completely enamored of the simple creepiness and organic intrigue that gets under your skin as you watch a Moffat story unfold.

Observations specifically about The Beast Below:

• The Queen is royally dressed in a velvet-like material, but most interestingly, it's a deep red hood and cape. (Rebel/defiant Queen itself an archetype of sorts). She is deceptively old, and has told herself the greatest lie every ten years; she has deceived herself.
• Two choices: Protest vs. Forget -- very red pill/blue pill, very fork-in-the-road, very fairy tale.
• Spaceship UK has the interior of a medieval castle, complete with a dungeon that houses a beast
• I cannot express how much I LOVED Amy's revelation about the parallel between the star whale and the Doctor -- both lonely, the last of their kind, hundreds of years old, can't stand to see children cry, their misery and solitude and age have made them kind
• Astounding episode, already one of my favorites!
• Plus, nursery rhymes! How haunting, and fitting for an episode (and likely, series) set around the innocence of children.

* I am going to analyze the SHIT out of this series. It's Moffat. Nothing is coincidence. It has to be done.

** Smith's Doctor gets angry, but it's focused inward, and released in bursts.

*** Exceptions abound. RTD's Midnight was terrifying without a visible monster. Moffat's clockwork monsters from The Girl in the Fireplace. Etc.

Doctor Who - The Five Doctors

"I'm definitely not the man I was. And thank goodness." - the Fifth Doctor

The concept of regeneration has kept the Doctor Who legacy alive. New actors in the role of the Doctor breathe life into the series so it never becomes tired (in theory; I haven't watched enough Old Who to definitively say). Despite changing his face, stature (Troughton's "little fellow" to Tennant's 6-ish-foot frame), wardrobe (question mark motifs come and go; celery was a one-off), hair (regrettably not a ginger, yet), and even personality, the Doctor is still the Doctor: he is quirky and alien, brave and righteous, a little bit cocky, and always the smartest person in the room.

Having only watched RTD's New Who, "The Five Doctors" 1983 serial was a new experience, and it was tons of fun to watch.

I knew Sarah Jane from "School Reunion" and Tennant's swan song episodes; I knew Peter Davison's Doctor (Five) from "Time Crash" and the first twenty or so minutes of "The Caves of Androzani" serial that I never finished; I knew Doctors One (Hartnell replaced by Richard Hurndall in this special), Two, Three, and Four from the few snippets I'd seen in RTD-Season-One's Doctor Who Confidential episodes (also super fun, and all on YouTube!). It was interesting to identify idiosyncrasies and compare performances among the Doctors. I was disappointed Tom Baker (Four) was hardly in it -- explained by being "trapped in the time vortex" for all but a few minutes in the beginning -- because I'm a fan of the wacky, strange Doctor (I think, as opposed to a romantic like Eight?). And I like the scarf.

But the other four Doctors were absolutely wonderful. I particularly liked Two and Three. And I think Five is better looking than Ten; that's not blasphemous, is it? I didn't really enjoy the companions, though, and it may have been because the writing didn't give them much to do other than follow their Doctors around and fall down a lot. Sarah Jane was cute, and I kind of liked Turlough. I found Tegan annoying, but Wikipedia tells me she didn't want to be there in the first place, so I understand that.

Thoughts:

• I laughed the hardest at the "perfect killing machine" Three and Sarah encountered. I'll probably rewatch that part when I'm having a bad day.
• When Sarah Jane and Tegan introduced themselves, they said: "Tegan." "Sarah." Coincidence! One of my favorite bands.
• I don't like John Simm's Master, and I don't like Anthony Ainley's Master, either. Maybe I just don't like the character, and it doesn't have anything to do with the portrayal.
• Having both Cybermen and Daleks in one serial was unusual, wasn't it? RTD kind of made it feel like it happened all the time, but I don't think it actually did.
• I wonder what happened with the Doctor-as-President after this.

"You mean you're deliberately choosing to go on the run from your own people, in a raggedy old TARDIS?" - Tegan

"Why not? After all, that's how it all started." - the Fifth Doctor

Doctor Who - Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead, 4.09/4.10

I love Doctor Who. Luckily I've already written about it, so I don't have to praise and gush about the show in an introduction here; that's already done. I haven't talked about Tennant as the Doctor, but I don't have much to say about him other than I think he's brilliant and perfect. Simple.

I was excited for the Moffat-penned "Silence in the Library" and "Forest of the Dead," his first two-parter since series 1's "The Empty Child"/"The Doctor Dances" (my favorite episodes so far), for numerous reasons: 1) I wanted to see how he would write my favorite companion, Donna, 2) I love libraries and forests and the fairytale-like happenings that often populate them, 3) I absolutely adore the never-corny emotional poignancy of his stories, 4) I think his villains are consistently fantastic, and 5) the caliber of his episodes is (arguably) higher than anyone else's.

"Silence in the Library" didn't quite live up to all my expectations, but I wasn't disappointed, either. Awesome monsters: check (reminded me of Crichton's Prey nanobots). Quippy Doctor/Donna lines: check. Intriguing world/universe/setting: check. Sufficiently creepy plot: check. Etc.

Wonderfully nightmarish details (that I always love to see in Who) include:

• Donna stuck in a world that progresses like a dream -- I loved this bit.
• The Vashta Nerada disintegrating meat on bones in less than a second
• Miss Evangelista appearing to Donna dressed in black/the quick flashback-like sequence that accompanied Donna remembering her
• Donna/Doctor in the Library events appearing on the little girl's television screen
• Dr. Moon/the "Doctor Moon" above the Library
• Miss Evangelista's warped face
• Donna's husband stuttering her name

I'm not sure of the mechanics behind River Song saving everybody in the end, but I'm not complaining. What a wonderful scene with her and the Doctor.

"Everybody knows that everybody dies. But not every day. Not today... Some days, nobody dies at all." - River Song

Like "The Doctor Dances" -- everyone lived! Moffat likes this theme: the Doctor faced with so much inevitable death that he often can't bear, sometimes there are small victories in which everybody lives. And at the end of each chapter, the Doctor is "all right," which very well may be Time Lord-speak for "not all right at all." Small victories are a reason to live; there are "always things to live for" ("The Doctor's Daughter"). Part of the reason I love this show is because beneath the quips and general wackiness of individual episodes, there is a lot of melancholy in the life of a near-immortal time traveler (who must part ways with everyone he loves because everyone dies), and the show never forgets that.

(Tennant wears this well when his voice cracks when he briefly mentions Rose to Martha, or when he is visibly anguished at the supposed death of a woman he knows he will love in the future.* Eccleston did a similarly spectacular job as the Doctor's even more heavily burdened ninth regeneration, the only survivor of the Time War.)

So, which Doctor did River know? I assume it's his final regeneration, because I also assume he would only tell her his name if he were about to die. Or, future-Doctor (Thirteen?) knew the only way Ten would trust River, which was integral to solving the Library, would be to tell her his name to pass on to his past self. Right now I'm leaning toward the former, because Time Lord names are pretty serious business.

Wow, these episodes were good.

* Future love, you say? Yeah. I went there.

What I'm Watching This Summer

Watching Now:

• Skins (Just a few more episodes left in series 4)
• Doctor Who (On series 4)
• Torchwood (On series 1)
• Heroes s1 (Regarded as the best season, so why not? Also, Christopher Eccleston. So there's that.)

Watching Soon:

• Treme (Need to catch up from episode 3)
• FlashForward (Need to catch up from episode 18)
• Secret Diary of a Call Girl (Not sure where I can watch this...)

Watching... Sometime:

• The Wire (Regrettably, not on Netflix, so I don't know what I'm going to do... Megavideo will be the death of me. Maybe I'll buy the DVDs, dunno.)
• Angel (Saw the first season, hated it. But I feel like I need to tough it out for Joss, the Buffster, and Cordy. So one day I will.)
• Six Feet Under
• Pushing Daisies s2

Watching Intermittently:

• The State

Doctor Who - Series 1 (the Ninth Doctor)

I watched the whole 13 (I think) episodes in a day, because that's how good it is.

I don't know why it took me so long to start this series (well, yes I do - I was watching too much else) but I'm glad I finally did. I decided to start with the Ninth Doctor instead of with Tennant, because I figured it was just a few episodes. And I'm so glad I did. I knew everyone fawned over Tennant so I didn't have high hopes for Eccleston, but I was so impressed. I adore him. Granted, he's my first "Doctor" experience, so I don't know how well he fits in the lineup, but I love all his quirks and mannerisms. Plus, he's totally good looking.

It's just overall a fun, solid sci-fi/fantasy series that can manage laughs as well as tears ("The Parting of the Ways," anyone?). And, most significantly, it contains the type of adventure (through time and space with an attractive companion, what's better?) that is compelling for anybody. While watching I didn't keep an eye out for any overarching message, and nothing was preached outright, which I appreciated, there was some inevitable, understated "take care of your planet" talk. However, I chose to take to heart the more specific and wild, "make sure your planet's satellite station is not actually controlled by an alien with many teeth" lesson.

As far as villain originality/awesomeness is concerned, Daleks rank near the middle. Okay, they're mutant-like entities created to only feel hate. I do think it's cool they are concealed by the metal shell, and that they're all gooey and stuff; the contradicting physicalities idea is intriguing. However, the "we can't feel emotion, because it makes us weak" thing is tired because it's always always always effective for fashioning a villain.

I miss Eccleston already, but I look forward to the Tenth Doctor, which I'll start next week.