Doctor Who - Family of Blood
Jun. 3rd, 2007 12:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
caz963Another good episode, nicely tying up the story from last week. But then we knew it would - it's Doctor Who, after all!
I started to jot down a recap, but then I started to think about the things that had really stood out for me in this episode, and wanted to say something about those instead. So, as far as the plot goes, like I just said, it's DW - everything worked out okay in the end.
I think this two-parter was probably the highlight of the season for me, so far. The writing was excellent, and the themes addressed were adult and complex, whilst the show remained accessible and entertaining for children.
So - firstly, the poignancy of the boys at the boarding school, in 1913, hauling out guns and ammunition to fend off the "army" of scarecrows unleased on them by "the family." The looks on their faces - fear, uncertainty - some of them in tears as they repeatedly fired at the enemy. Because of course, the following year some of them (and yes, I'm aware these were fictional characters) would be doing this for real - some, never to return. I thought it was a wonderfully drawn parallel, underscored beautifully by a hymn - "To Be a Pilgrim" sung by a boy's choir. Beautifully done.
But the real meat of the episode was the Doctor's conflict - between his desire to remain human and his desire to stop "the family" from flattening the village and killing everyone around them. He couldn't do the latter without relinquishing the former, and this is where David Tennant got the chance to remind us that there's more to him than just a manic grin. His desperation as he insisted that his journal was nothing more than a collection of stories, as he repeatedly asked "why can't I stay?", "why can't I be him?" (John Smith). But he knew, you could tell he knew he was really the Doctor, and he was clinging to the last hope that he could turn his back on that and have a "normal" life - as we saw in the flash-forward he and Joan saw when they were both holding the watch - all the things he could never have as the Doctor, all the things he wanted to have and could have had as John Smith.
But of course, he's a hero, and does the right thing in the end - well, the right thing for everyone else, anyway, changed back into a Time Lord and saves the universe.
But that wasn't the end of it. In a voice over, Baines explains that "the family" now knew why it was that the Doctor chose to hide from them. It wasn't because he was scared of them - he did it to be kind. Those scenes where we see him disposing of the individual members, "mother of mine" into a vortex in space, "sister" into a mirror, every mirror - she's the thing you catch moving out of the corner of your eye when you glance into a mirror - setting up Baines as a scarecrow, forever guarding the fields of England - all very chilling and reminding us again that there's a brutal side to the Doctor, one who will stop at nothing when he has to. It's the first time we've seen that side of him in a long while - possibly back as far as the Season 1 finale.
These episodes showed us again just how good this show can be. They seem to do about three two part stories per season - maybe they should think about doing more and fewer one-offs. After all, Doctor Who began life as a weekly serial, and there's certainly time for more story and plot and character development in an hour and a half than in forty-five minutes. And the one-offs this season, with the exception of "Shakespeare Code" haven't really been all that great.
Oh, and by the way - best line of the night went to Martha.
God, you're rubbish as a human!
I started to jot down a recap, but then I started to think about the things that had really stood out for me in this episode, and wanted to say something about those instead. So, as far as the plot goes, like I just said, it's DW - everything worked out okay in the end.
I think this two-parter was probably the highlight of the season for me, so far. The writing was excellent, and the themes addressed were adult and complex, whilst the show remained accessible and entertaining for children.
So - firstly, the poignancy of the boys at the boarding school, in 1913, hauling out guns and ammunition to fend off the "army" of scarecrows unleased on them by "the family." The looks on their faces - fear, uncertainty - some of them in tears as they repeatedly fired at the enemy. Because of course, the following year some of them (and yes, I'm aware these were fictional characters) would be doing this for real - some, never to return. I thought it was a wonderfully drawn parallel, underscored beautifully by a hymn - "To Be a Pilgrim" sung by a boy's choir. Beautifully done.
But the real meat of the episode was the Doctor's conflict - between his desire to remain human and his desire to stop "the family" from flattening the village and killing everyone around them. He couldn't do the latter without relinquishing the former, and this is where David Tennant got the chance to remind us that there's more to him than just a manic grin. His desperation as he insisted that his journal was nothing more than a collection of stories, as he repeatedly asked "why can't I stay?", "why can't I be him?" (John Smith). But he knew, you could tell he knew he was really the Doctor, and he was clinging to the last hope that he could turn his back on that and have a "normal" life - as we saw in the flash-forward he and Joan saw when they were both holding the watch - all the things he could never have as the Doctor, all the things he wanted to have and could have had as John Smith.
But of course, he's a hero, and does the right thing in the end - well, the right thing for everyone else, anyway, changed back into a Time Lord and saves the universe.
But that wasn't the end of it. In a voice over, Baines explains that "the family" now knew why it was that the Doctor chose to hide from them. It wasn't because he was scared of them - he did it to be kind. Those scenes where we see him disposing of the individual members, "mother of mine" into a vortex in space, "sister" into a mirror, every mirror - she's the thing you catch moving out of the corner of your eye when you glance into a mirror - setting up Baines as a scarecrow, forever guarding the fields of England - all very chilling and reminding us again that there's a brutal side to the Doctor, one who will stop at nothing when he has to. It's the first time we've seen that side of him in a long while - possibly back as far as the Season 1 finale.
These episodes showed us again just how good this show can be. They seem to do about three two part stories per season - maybe they should think about doing more and fewer one-offs. After all, Doctor Who began life as a weekly serial, and there's certainly time for more story and plot and character development in an hour and a half than in forty-five minutes. And the one-offs this season, with the exception of "Shakespeare Code" haven't really been all that great.
Oh, and by the way - best line of the night went to Martha.
God, you're rubbish as a human!
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no subject
Date: 2007-06-03 02:37 pm (UTC)I've always thought that they should've done a complete 180 with the companion this season and either made her older or went with a guy. It just starts to get a bit samey after a while.
Looking forward to the future eps with Jack and positively drooling over the thought of John Simm as the Master. My squee shall know no bounds!
no subject
Date: 2007-06-03 02:40 pm (UTC)Yup - you read my mind! Actually, you know who I thought would have been good, 'cause she'd have slapped him around a bit? The woman in the 2 part finale last year who was in charge of wherever it all went down... I think she was played by Tracy-Ann Oberman (?) but she was a bit of a cow and it would have been fun!
And yes - JB! John Simm! Can't wait!