Doctor Who 4.10 - Midnight

[caz963]

Hm. Despite the fact that this seemed to be a sort of "placeholder" episode - you know, the "not-quite-so-good-one-that-comes-before-the-end-of-season-awesomeness", it rapidly turned into something else - and I rather liked it!

Like the last couple of episodes, it managed to be creepy while not being special effects heavy - well, not visually, although I'd imagine all the sound-work was difficult to pull off, with so many people speaking at the same time, or in quick succession and the viewer needing to be able to make out and process what they were all saying.

The down-side was that we were Donna-light this week, but the bit at the beginning, where the Doc is trying to get her to go with him - and ends up by saying "I'll be back for dinner - we can try out that anti-gravity restaurant" was cute :)

Midnight started out as a standard "stuck-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-with-no-escape-route-being- threatened-by-external-forces" story, but it took a sharp turn somewhere and became claustrophobic and full of paranoia and fear of the unknown; the Doc goes from being the guy in charge to the chief suspect, each for the same reason - he's "clever." I thought both DT and Lesley Sharp were outstanding. The utter creepiness of the repeating... then the moment where she "caught up" was fantastic. The way the wife swore blind she'd seen something happen that really hadn't was a wonderful way of conveying how panic and fear can affect some people, and I loved that the Doctor's arrogance - which is mostly tempered with truth, because let's face it, he usually is the cleverest person in the room - really worked against him. His statement that for the creature to take hold of him would be far worse than for it to take anyone else, while true in the grander scheme of things for the safety of the known universe, was probably not the right thing to have said at that precise moment!

I could pontificate here about how cleverness/intelligence/knowledge is often regarded with suspicion and go on about the fickleness of the mob mentality - but I'm trying to write some pr0n and I'm sure there are those on my f-list who'd rather I did that instead! ;-)

Oh, nice to see David Troughton in DW (again) - I hope Dad would have approved :-)

So the season's down to the final three. I'm unspoiled, although of course I know about Rose coming back, and I'm still in denial about the fact that Donna's on her way out :(

Comments

[lilachigh.livejournal.com]

I loved it and will cry when Donna goes. I take it as I haven't heard from you, that my last 2 e mails never got through either!

[caz963.livejournal.com]

No, they didn't! What on earth is going on?? Try sending them to my LJ email - caz963@livejournal.com, because this comment came through via that. I did send you a message via LJ the other day to say I hadn't received anything from you...

[hooloovoo_42]

To me, David Troughton will always be Black Bob from "A Very Peculiar Practice". But nice that he's back again.

Did someone mention pr0n? :-)

[caz963.livejournal.com]

Yes! I loved that show.

And it's amazing how the merest mention of the word porn brings all sorts out of the woodwork! ;-)

[hooloovoo_42]

I've got the DVDs of VPP somewhere, if you want a copy. It's still Top Telly.