(no subject)

[charliesmum]

Television recommendation:

For those in the US, watch Castle this Monday at 10pm. It is a really good show and needs to be seen by more people. Alyssia Milano is guest-starring if anyone cares. Nathan Fillion stars. It's got great chemistry, a fantastic cast, and good writing. It isn't breaking any new ground or anything, but it's sort of old-fashioned Remingington Steele type charm is worth tuning in for. Trust me.

One thing I keep thinking I want to discuss with Doctor Who fans, nothing major, really, just a sweet little moment that I haven't seen remarked upon: It happened druing the whole 'Doctor saying good-bye to practially every character RTD created.

The Doctor is talking about going back in time and borrowing a quid, and says he got it off a sweet bloke called Geoffery Noble. That bit particularly got to me because the actor who played Donna's dad was supposed to reprise his role when Donna came on board but he passed away in the middle of filming. I thought the fact that his character was mentioned was a really niceway to include that actor in the good-bye.

And in-universe, it meant the lottery ticket was, in part, a gift to Donna from her dad, which is really touching.

In other entertainment news, Neil Patrick Harris beat John Barrowman in the poll. I just hope their 'people' have the wit to see that both actors have passionate fans who would love to see them do a project together. *fingers crossed*

The Collingswood Shakespeare Company is heading into its final stretch with our epic Wars of the Roses. It really is going to be fantastic, I just hope we get an audience to prove that to. Anyone want to take a trip to the Philadelphia area in February to see it? Anyone? No? Okay.

I'm bored today. Entertain me please.

ETA: Spoilers for End of Time in comments. Be told

Comments

[pinguthegreek.livejournal.com]

I liked that bit of EOT too. Not so sure about it overall, but there were scenes I liked.

[charliesmum.livejournal.com]

I think EOT is hard simply because it is DT's last performance. Really CE only had the one series, so as much as we loved him, DT really was The Doctor for the new series, and it was hard to see him go, because now we're heading into points unknown.

I'll always be disappointed Donna didn't find Lee again.

[pinguthegreek.livejournal.com]

Now, it didn't get me because it was DT's last. I could explain more but it would mean a certain amount of spoilage for anyone who sees this. Is that OK ?

[charliesmum.livejournal.com]

I'd say so. I'll edit the post to warn for spoilers in the comments.

[pinguthegreek.livejournal.com]

Ok, so my beef isn't with the acting. My problem is with RTD himself. The whole thing felt like a series of set piece scenes designed purely to show off actos and SFX and to make himself happy, especially with those final scenes.

The plot was so secondary as to make Love and Monsters look like a brilliant script and goodness knows how many of us think it was poor. Yes, I love the scene in the Cafe, the Master's darkness, June Whitfield's saucy cameo ( she's known here for sedate roles in Seventies sit coms ), Ten's angst on the Hesperus and his final rant after the prophecy actually is fulfilled. But the Time Lord thing was so random, the same with the Naismiths.

I think RTD let himself and the fans down badly.

[charliesmum.livejournal.com]

Gods, Love and Monsters...really, what was that ending? I will never understand why the people couldn't have just been brought back alive. For such a silly episode, there was quite the body count.

I'm actually thinking of skipping that one when my friends and I get to that one.

Anyway, I totally see your point. And you're right, there were many random things in there.

I do think RTD was waving good-bye in those final scenes, but I don't begrudge him that.

I do feel the Naismeths were totally tacked on as a plot device because really? What exactly were they trying to do? Take over the world? Save the world? Save the daughter? Was she dying? What was that book about?

[pinguthegreek.livejournal.com]

The actor playing the father is quite a good actor, who is capbable of far more. He must have been offered a lot of money or been quite desperate.

[pinguthegreek.livejournal.com]

Oh and I could have been happy with the goodbye scenes had he given us a decent plot leading up to the end. Oh and gratuitous use of Donna or what ?

[charliesmum.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes. I'm trying to ignore that whole lack of Donna thing. I wonder what RTD has against her. The mind-wipe; was that REALLY necessary? There are a million other reasons they could have come up with for her to leave the Doctor without sabotaging her entire character.

Like, for example, have her find Lee again and decide she wants to stay and live a normal life with him. He could have been willing to go live in the 21st Century for her. I guess there wasn't enough time, but really - mind wiping? And then I was sure she'd get her mind back in the specials and nothing. Grr.

[pinguthegreek.livejournal.com]

I do actually admire RTD for getting us to love Donna so much that her fate can be devastating for us.

But it would have been kinder in the long term to not have her in EOT, have her off somewhere else. The classic pre Doctor Donna thing of not being aware that stuff was happening. That trick with the brain and the Master clones was just stupid.

[chavvah.livejournal.com]

I love Nathan Fillion and Castle, but I will be working late that evening, sadly.