(no subject)

[graculus]

Well, this is probably going to be an unpopular opinion but I thought this was the weakest of the three episodes. I guess, for me, 'Utopia' was such a tough act to follow that it was always going to be unlikely that RTD could cap it - though the following episodes demonstrated some flashes of brilliance, as a whole I found them disappointing.

The high point for me was John Simm's performance in both episodes; he was all sorts of awesome, managing to combine manic energy with an undercurrent of malevolence.

The use of Jack as a character was pretty poor, other than the throwaway line with which RTD is clearly challenging JK Rowling for the title of Queen of Foreshadowing. That one line, about the Face of Bo, distracted me so much from the rest of the episode. ;) Apart from that, why was he there? It felt as though they needed him back for 'Utopia' but then didn't really know what to do with him after that... And are we going to see a new, shinier Jack in Torchwood next season?

And hey, we managed to get through an entire RTD episode without mentioning Rose! Woohoo! \o/

Comments

[rhade-rad.livejournal.com]

I keep feeling the dice are overweighted towards the Doctor winning: I haven't really been convinced by any of the threats. In this case of course Martha was going to come through but " I tuned myself into the telepathic matrix and won because everyone prayed to me. Oh and suddenly everything you've done to me is reversed." Oh please. Another series ends by use of the deus ex machina, that's cheating in sci-fi. [though I suppose we could debate where this is now sci-fi or fantasy. Personally, I think fantasy is when you are explicit that you are using magic.]

I'm also not convinced by the reliance on the Companion to save the day: I prefer more teamwork like Leila *?sp* and particularly Ace [I liked Ace] who brought their skills at fighting and blowing things up to the party, and were prepared to act independently to rescue the Doctor, which occasionally got them all into more trouble. Still aside from those two most of the doctors' companions were mostly annoying so Martha is an improvement.

Much as I like John Simms I do remember Roger Delgado as being darker and having more gravitas: much more of a contrast with the Doctor. I want my Master to be a lot nastier, colder and controlled in person. If you saw Antony threatening Cicero in Rome, that's more what I like.

[blktauna.livejournal.com]

*sigh* Roger Delgado...

[graculus.livejournal.com]

Deus ex machina is cheating in any genre. And it's all a little bit like over-compensation for the 'oh Rose is the bestest ever!' torch RTD has been carrying all this season (and bashing us over the head with) going to MarySue Martha singlehandedly saving the world. Okay then.

There were elements of the more sinister Master peeking through, I think, but I wonder how well the gravitas works with David Tennant careering about all over the place himself.