Dept, of Who

[kaffy_r]

Finally Getting Around to Who

"The Robot Revolution"

This was so Rusty that metal in close proximity to the TV screen started weakening. What follows is, obviously a YMMV situation; I haven't caught other folks' reactions to any of this season's shows, largely to keep myself unspoiled (huh, that always comes out sounding weird), so my f'list may side-eye me for my reactions. 

The writing needed a serious edit to tighten it up. If you really wanted to shoehorn everything into one episode, good pacing is absolutely crucial. I mean, it's absolutely crucial in any episode, but Rusty always wants to cram stuff into one episode instead of writing the story in two episodes, which makes the writing even more apt to fall in on itself - and apparently no one is trying to rein in his writing tics. There were some good ideas, but when you can figure out what's going on one minute into the episode, it feels as if he didn't bother to give his writing even a cursory review before pronouncing it done. 

Examples, at least as far as I'm concerned: we have Belinda reading the riot act to the baddie she once dated, telling him all the nasty, coercive things he did to her, but the opening scene didn't give us the slightest hint of that; he was just an overeager nerd. It was tell not show, which is just head-shakingly bad. As a villain, he was underwritten, to put it mildly. And turning him into a sperm and egg didn't strike me as funny, either, she grumbled.

The Doctor's relationship with Sasha 55 ... another tell not show.

In the department of trivial irritation: Why the hell did we need those damn robots with the hahaisn'tthis funny tamagotchi screen face that clumped around and looked like super bad Hallowe'en robot cosplay? They were neither funny nor scary. Do not want. Couldn't you at least put a robot out there that resembles Klaatu?

OK, "planet of the incels" was funny. And Varadha Sethu delivered a really likeable - and practical - Belinda Chandra. And Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor is still a winner. 

I hope the next one is better. 

*shuffles off in her carpet slippers, grumbling some more and yelling at kids to get off her lawn.*

Comments

[elisi]

LOL. This was not a great episode, but at least it didn't have a snot monster.

Also, always remember:



*g*

[kaffy_r]

If you'll recall, I actually liked the snot monster episode (the snot monster itself, yeah, not so much.) The feel in that episode was one of love and care for children, which I think I maundered on about at the time.

This one doesn't feel as if there's a cohesive center to it. It's all over the damned place.

And while I've often told people to relax and remember that this is a show about a shape-and-gender-changing alien who travels around in a phone box and fights monsters, with a side helping of "Hey, don't you remember the styrofoam sets of yore, which we all love despite those sets wobbling like gelatin desserts?" my attitude has evolved to a certain extent.

The artistic decision to reach original child viewers who were now adults, by at least trying to address adult emotional interests, started in 2005, something for which I bless Uncle Rusty. He also worked hard to balance that new attitude with what skeleton-squid-boy properly calls the joy and whimsy of 10-year-olds.

For the past 20 years, that has proved to be a difficult balancing act, but showrunners have tackled it more or less willingly.

One thing I've long believed (something Bob and I both believe) is that the best way to create art, including television, for kids and young people, is to treat them and their interests with respect. When the attitude starts slipping toward "Oh, let's do it this way; it's easy and kids will watch anything," the end product suffers. That's obviously not what that post refers to, but it's something that's a dangerous tendency.

tl;dr: I think it's possible to maintain crucial whimsy with equally crucial writing quality.

another tl;dr: I will always love Who with all my heart. To borrow from my Stray Kids nomenclature - I'll always STAY with this wonderful show - I'll never be one of those ridiculous people who've said, in every generation, "thiS iS ThE END oF Dr. wHo!!"

Wow ... prolix much, woman?

[elisi]

See I'm not disagreeing with anything you are saying.

However I am in a strange zen-like place of acknowledging all these things and yet not caring enough to write about it? Trying to explain it, it feels like we now have enough New Who for it to have distinct eras, the way Classic Who did? (Promethia and I did a whole spreadsheet.)

And I'm just sitting back going 'Disney Who isn't really quite my thing, but it's fun and colourful and it's certainly more engaging than Chibnall Who' and that's kinda it. It's weird.

Also my head is FULLY occupied by The Dead Boy Detectives, and Doctor Who is barely making a dent. (Which is nice. My brain couldn't cope otherwise.)

ETA: That said, I think the show is doing some interesting things. There is chewy stuff, and a vision, below the primary coloured surface.

[kaffy_r]

I am in a strange zen-like place of acknowledging all these things and yet not caring enough to write about it?

It's a very positive thing to be able to describe the feeling as zen-like. And I do agree that we now have enough New Who to have different epochs, a la Classic Who. That's a bit to get my head around, especially when I realize that it's 20 years since New Who was actually, you know, new<.

I just accessed your spread sheet. You two are ... well, an amazing force to be reckoned with. With projects that make me happy.

Also my head is FULLY occupied by The Dead Boy Detectives

Oh, how I understand one's head being eaten by something. In my case it appears to be KPop, and the community I've found in one small corner of that world. It's not fic worthy for me, largely because RPF is 9 times out of 10 too bloody creepy (I read one to say that I'd read one, and that's it, although someone could probably do an interesting monograph about the type of fics done by fans of various groups - but I digress.) But the sense of community is very important to me, as is my discovery of new groups (The latest is Ateez, about which I've posted giddily most recently.)

Also, it's good to know that the season is chewy. I look forward to that!

[elisi]

It's a very positive thing to be able to describe the feeling as zen-like.
I'm not sure that's the right word... It's maybe more like every new episode is a piece of a mosaic that I add to the overall, every-expanding image? So, an episode might be middling to mildly rubbish, but it's simply one piece of a huge picture, and it might lighten or darken things a little, but it's seldom that a single episode does anything major.

Also, the Chibnall years were this slough of mediocrity that slid off my brain like teflon, so having something substantial (even if it's brash and silly) is nice. RTD2 is very much its own thing, with its own distinctive feel, and that's fine. It's not my thing, but then nothing will ever quite be my thing as much as Moffat Who was. And for sure it's far more watchable than, say S21 of Classic Who (Five's last season) or late mid Fourth Doctor (which took me YEARS to watch, I was so exhausted).

And I do agree that we now have enough New Who to have different epochs, a la Classic Who. That's a bit to get my head around, especially when I realize that it's 20 years since New Who was actually, you know, new.
I KNOW. My children were LITTLE. Heck, my youngest wasn't even born when 'Rose' aired...

I just accessed your spread sheet. You two are ... well, an amazing force to be reckoned with. With projects that make me happy.
It's way too much fun. Although that one is mostly Promethia's, she can be fantastically pithy.

Oh, how I understand one's head being eaten by something. In my case it appears to be KPop, and the community I've found in one small corner of that world.
It's a lovely feeling to find proper community. <3

It's not fic worthy for me, largely because RPF is 9 times out of 10 too bloody creepy
Ah yeah, that's a downside and a half.

Also, it's good to know that the season is chewy. I look forward to that!
There is both a positive and a negative aspect to this. ^_^

[kaffy_r]

but then nothing will ever quite be my thing as much as Moffat Who was.

I know, right? *looks longingly to the past*

It's a lovely feeling to find proper community.

Yep. I've been extremely lucky to find more than one community. Who and dreamwidth is still a community I love. Years ago, it was Television Without Pity (rip), and some of the friends I made there found their way here. Even more ages ago, it was USENET (Yes, I am that old) and rec.arts.sf.fandom. I'm still in touch with some of the folks I met there, although Rasseff is truly only of blessed memory now.

And hey, my new obsession provides both community and music! In fact, the tiny community I found on Discord and Twitch, courtesy of a gentleman named Roscoe (at least that's his callsign), loves Dimash. So there you go!

[elisi]

I know, right? *looks longingly to the past*
Those were the days...

I'm still in touch with some of the folks I met there, although Rasseff is truly only of blessed memory now.
That's lovely. <3

And hey, my new obsession provides both community and music! In fact, the tiny community I found on Discord and Twitch, courtesy of a gentleman named Roscoe (at least that's his callsign), loves Dimash. So there you go!
I KNOW ROSCOE! (Well, I am subscribed to his youtube.) It's a small fannish world. :)

[kaffy_r]

I KNOW ROSCOE!

Woo-hoo! And yes, fandom is far smaller than we think. Heh.

He's fascinating all by himself, a former Marine who fell into being a dedicated BTS fan, and through them got into more of KPop. He loves learning about new groups within that genre, but he's also happy to devour non-KPop music, like Ren and others. He's a born raconteur, and is a pleasure to listen to. The community that grew around his reviews, The Big Comfy Couch crew, is the tiny community I've been welcomed into.

[elisi]

The community that grew around his reviews, The Big Comfy Couch crew, is the tiny community I've been welcomed into.
That is so lovely. <3 I am no more than a random watcher of his reactions, but he seems to have a really good community with good people.

Sidebar: omg get caught up on Doctor Who! The spoilers will get you. And it's worth being unspoiled, although I am unsure how you can hide... all the fans are yelling.

[kaffy_r]

I am no more than a random watcher

I was a random watcher ... until, somehow, I became more. I regret nothing ....

Sidebar: omg get caught up on Doctor Who!

Well, we watched the second episode last night, and we're watching the third tonight, so we're at least well on our way. As for being spoiled, I believe I'm quite spoiled, but I'm going to pretend I'm not. Particularly since Bob is watching with me, and I daren't spoil him. He gets cross.