Dept. of Who

[kaffy_r]

I Finally Did It

I finally watched the first episode of 15's season, "Space Babies". And it did what some of Rusty's work has done for me before; roll my eyes. 

And smile.

I mean, it's clearly ridiculous, in a particular way that stands slightly apart from the ridiculousness that comprises much of Dr. Who's bedrock underpinnings. It's Rusty ridiculousness. I've only had half a cup of coffee this morning, so I can't yet characterize it more accurately than that. But I do think it proceeds from his love of the show (I almost typed "franchise" but from there it would be slippery slope to describing creations as content and creators as creatives. So, no). 

That love is hugely on display in "Space Babies," despite the lack of even Whoniverseian logic. And the way Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson commit to their characters, especially Gatwa, anchors the risibility in that love. The commitment also manages to make the plot hold together, if only barely. Love, spit, and bailing wire; Rusty, I hope you up the plot game in later eps, so that it doesn't fall completely on their shoulders. 

And plot? Wow; much silly, so plotless; wow.*

At the end of the episode Bob, who is normally reticent about making snap judgements about any show we watch together, especially Who, looked at me and said that he knew this Doctor was going to be fun, once he got his balance. Bob was smiling as he said it. As a snap judgement from him, this was extremely high praise. I smiled back at him. 

I missed the fact that the Doctor apparently did some sort of DNA scan on Ruby near the end. Come on, Doctor, can you please stop doing that without asking the target of your scans? Shades of Moffat and Amy's pregnancy ....

But yes, definitely a happy and hopeful entry to the season, at least for me. I should now hie me to other folks' journals to see what y'all thought of it.


Short bits:

Yuck!

What is it about bodily secretions? Rusty and the Moff seem to have a Frst Grade boy's love of icky stuff (Moffat - "Sleep No More" and eye gunk; Davies -  the booger monster of "Space Babies.")

Everybody lives!

Speaking of the bogeyman (should I capitalize that?), Ruby and the Doctor (the latter near the end)  - and most importantly, the babies who'd been terrorized by it - decide that a) it's the last one of its kind, and b) should be considered a child worth caring for as well. That's perfectly Moffatian, although Rusty's script kind of fails to convince me, tacked on at the very end as it is. Still, respect from an "Everybody Lives!" fan.

Wait, I know her!

Golda Rosheuvel is lovely, despite the lack of a towering powdered wig and air of exquisitely royal boredom. (I've only watched one season of Bridgerton, and probably won't watch further, but she often made me grin during that first season.)

Talking babies! On a spaceship! 

The way Ruby and the Doctor kept looking at each other and declaiming "Space Babies!" made me think of Eleven being happy as that aforementioned First Grade boy wrt dinosaurs being on, you know, a spaceship. Heh. 


* RIP Kabosu.

Comments

[thisbluespirit]

And the way Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson commit to their characters, especially Gatwa, anchors the risibility in that love.

They really do have such instant chemistry together, and are both really good, especially, as you say, Gatwa!

If you have only watched "Space Babies" then I will say that I think you will find the rest of the season so far really interesting and with that I must assume the "speak no evil" position and stop the comment.

I'm still unsure whether I can trust Rusty this time around, but so far it's been a ride, it's been exciting and different, and I love Fifteen and Ruby. I hope you also have fun. (Btw, while Steven Moffat allowed Sleep No More, he did not write it; I don't think he quite has the same tendency to that kind of thing as RTD and Steve whoever it is, whose name I have forgotten who actually wrote SLNM.)

[kaffy_r]

while Steven Moffat allowed Sleep No More, he did not write

I should have checked that out; thanks for the information. Still, he did allow it, so my "yuck" does obtain. Heh.

I think we're watching the second one later tonight, if we don't go out with a couple of our friends for dinner. I'm actually hoping we can do both things.

[thisbluespirit]

I think we're watching the second one later tonight, if we don't go out with a couple of our friends for dinner. I'm actually hoping we can do both things.

Good luck! The following 4 eps have definitely been highlights IMO (and none of the eps so far bad, our toleration for daftness and ick-factors allowing for Space Babies). I hope you have fun with both your meal and the rest, whenever you get to them.

[kaffy_r]

We got home too late to see the next Who; depending on the rest of today, we'll take a run at it tonight.

The meal was lovely, if messy; Korean barbecue with chopsticks, and lettuce pieces to roll up the meat and other spicy goodies is a recipe for stuff hitting the front of one's shirt. Heh.

[owlboy]

>>Rusty, I hope you up the plot game in later eps

it's a very solid season so far. space babies is the weakest ep by a mile, and it's not even bad.

[kaffy_r]

I've been happy to see people giving the season solid marks, and I'm looking forward to seeing more episodes. I liked Space Babies despite the silliness (or maybe because of it?)

[elisi]

Lovely lovely post, and more than I have posted about... anything this season.

Not that it isn't a good season, although it's hard to describe without spoiling anything. I'll say that the Christmas Special and Space Babies are by far the fluffiest stories. Like RTD lures you in with babies, and then gets down to business. It's a hell of a season.

* RIP Kabosu.
I saw. Rest in peace doge.

[kaffy_r]

more than I have posted about... anything this season.

It's been hard for me to restart my posting, and I was glad that Space Babies both made me grin and lured me into posting. (Also, thank you for the "lovely." it's good to know people don't always roll their eyes at what I write.*)

It's a hell of a season.

I think we're watching the second one tonight.

*as witness my two obsessively Stray Kids posts, complete with music videos and commentary. Dancing with K-pop into the void ....

[elisi]

It's been hard for me to restart my posting, and I was glad that Space Babies both made me grin and lured me into posting.
I've been posting, just not writing. But then I have just finished posting a 100k fic, so that might play into it.

Also the way I usually write is very meta-heavy and it's only now that I begin to feel like I have a grasp on what the season is doing. Maybe.

Also, thank you for the "lovely." it's good to know people don't always roll their eyes at what I write.*
Your posts are always lovely! <3

I think we're watching the second one tonight.
I am SO CURIOUS to see what you think of it.

*as witness my two obsessively Stray Kids posts, complete with music videos and commentary. Dancing with K-pop into the void ....
I have them open in a tab, and have listened to some...

[kaffy_r]

I have them open in a tab, and have listened to some...

I shouldn't have fished for comments. But I am incapable of controlling myself. Heh. Hope you like at least a couple of their songs. They are really different from, say, Dimash (who continues to impress the hell out of me), but I'm still overly fond of the young men, their singing, their dancing, and their discipline.

I am SO CURIOUS to see what you think of it.

I did watch it with Bob. I liked it, although the eye-rolling didn't stop (I mean, I'm down for anything with music at its heart, so the eye-rolling was minimal. Still ....) Bob's reaction was that it had "some upsides, and some downsides." We haven't spoken further about it, but I know we will.

[elisi]

I shouldn't have fished for comments. But I am incapable of controlling myself. Heh. Hope you like at least a couple of their songs.
That is normal! ^_^ I *will* get back to you, but time has not been my friend...

They are really different from, say, Dimash (who continues to impress the hell out of me)
And I haven't even posted about his recent releases, so... /o\

but I'm still overly fond of the young men, their singing, their dancing, and their discipline.
<3

I did watch it with Bob. I liked it, although the eye-rolling didn't stop (I mean, I'm down for anything with music at its heart, so the eye-rolling was minimal. Still ....) Bob's reaction was that it had "some upsides, and some downsides." We haven't spoken further about it, but I know we will.
I shall try to wait patiently for a post, although mostly I want you to carry on watching because... this season. *hands* Ye gods, this season. And the Doctor! 😭 Obviously the Specials were great, but so much of that could draw on nostalgia. But oh, Fifteen is amazing.

[beccadg]

I won't get into spoilers, just say I've mostly been meh at the season, outside of Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson's performances. Of the two Millie has had the harder job, since not only did I know and like Ncuti Gatwa before he got the role, but he's not the one playing the blonde female Companion who has a name that starts with R. We won't discuss how many episodes it's taken me to really remember her name is Ruby, not Rose 2.0.

[kaffy_r]

I finally saw "The Devil's Chord" the other night, and I enjoyed it, although perhaps a little less than the rambunctious "Space Babies." I was impressed with Jinx Monsoon, more so than I expected to be. I'll have to consider it further, but yeah ... weirdly enjoyable, not completely enjoyable.

[beccadg]

...weirdly enjoyable, not completely enjoyable.

Heh, that's a good way of putting it. I could've liked it more, but. *Shrugs.*

[kaffy_r]

I'm looking forward to *thinks* "73 Yards" and I hope to watch an episode that doesn't involve much eye-rolling. Heh.

[beccadg]

I'm not sure if it's spoilery to say I sooo didn't get "73 Yards" that I haven't even felt like looking for explanations from the internet, but I will say I hope it works much better for you.

[kaffy_r]

I've watched it, and posted about it; I definitely was confused by a lot of it - until I worked out how it might work, or at least how I think it worked. It has to do with nightmares, if you want to take a look. Warning for sophomoric meta, but you probably know that.

[beccadg]

Thanks. I'll be sure to head over and check it out. You know I like reading your posts. ;-)

[bibliofile]

The only thing I have to add is that I kept thinking about the people whose job it was to wear green suits and push the baby chairs around. Is this what the larger Disney budgets allow?

[kaffy_r]

I think some of the "baby carriages" were motorized, if they had the fake babies in them (the fakes apparently scared the real babies. Heh.) You're probably right that the real babies' carts were moved far more carefully, and probably with green-screened humans doing it. It's hard to say where Disney's money gets focused, but that was undoubtedly one of the areas.