Friday, 5 October 2012
"The Angels Take Manhattan"
The tale opens in a a kind of East-coast pastiche of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler- the excellent teaser has Sam Garner, the hard-boiled detective being given his assignment, his confident and florid voice-over on the soundtrack. However, his mission, though innocuous to him, will have far more significance to the viewer- Manhattan has been overrun with the most iconic monsters of the 21st century iteration of the series and Garner is walking into a trap. The Weeping Angels are as terrifying as they have ever been and Moffat explores new levels of their malevolence with the 'battery farm' they have built in Winter Quay. The baby angels are a chilling addition with their light-hearted, yet gleefully sadistic cackling. As "Blink" was the story to give us the phrase 'timey-wimey', it is fitting that Moffat manages to find new levels to take timey-wimeyness- too much of it and the effect on time travellers is like an erupting Icelandic volcano. For Moffat, as a writer, the idea of using a book to forge the timelines would have been irresistable, including a retort to the statement 'Time can be re-written'. Again, the story seems chaotic and yet it manages to work brilliantly. Of course, this is aided by the realisation of the story is first rate, with Nick Hurran again putting in outstanding work in the director's chair- his construction of the scenes with the Angels moving in for the kill are sublime and the little touches that only work on a second viewing- when Garner is approaching the house, he sees an old woman, a woman in her late thirties and a young girl looking out of the window. It becomes obvious only later, that they are the same person. The shooting in New York is refreshingly free of cliché, except for the greatest one of all, which is wickedly subverted- although the Statue of Liberty being an Angel doesn't make much sense (if there is one statue in the world that is constantly under at least one person's gaze, it's Lady Liberty) but it is such a fantastic image that I, for one, can forgive it.
Memorable as all this is, "The Angels Take Manhattan" is the Ponds' swan-song and it is this which drives the action and gives the story its heart and soul. The Doctor should not be alone. There have been many reasons given for this, all of which are valid. However, most of his companions have been human and, devoted as he is to them and vice versa, the time of parting is inevitable. There are palliatives, as River takes (literal) pains to demonstrate, but no cure. It is time, now, for the Ponds to bid farewell. We have followed the story of Rory and Amy like no other relationship in the history of the programme. Amy might have tried to seduce the Doctor, they might have been on the verge of divorce, but their love has remained nevertheless. They have had the Doctor in their lives since childhood and that has impacted them greatly- it is Rory who comes up with the solution and it is their courage and love that they share that defeats the Angels. When, in the midst of victory, Rory is cruelly snatched away, Amy knows instantly whom to choose. Rose will abandon her family for the Doctor, but Amy has always loved Rory more. Time cannot be re-written if it is read, and nothing sets the future in stone better than an epitaph. Whatever happens, Rory Williams and his wife Amelia will die in New York. The emotional ups and downs are brilliantly conveyed by Moffat, with outstanding performances by the regulars. Gillan and Darvill put in their best performances ever and Matt Smith's restrained sorrow with occasional bursts of anger and anguish is wonderful. Alex Kingston is as wonderful as ever as River, the psychopath, who, nevertheless performs yet another series of selfless acts.
As with Madame de Pompadour and Kathy Nightingale their last words are in writing, giving a bitter-sweet, yet satisfying ending to the story. The Doctor always rips out the last page as he doesn't like endings (bubbling under the emotion of the stories were thoughts of one of Tony Hancock's finest Half Hours!) but Moffat and Hurran leave us with a final memory that is a happy one- young Amelia hearing the sound she has most wanted to hear. "The Angels Take Manhattan" is wonderfully entertaining, genuinely moving and a great send-off to a pair of genuinely beloved characters.
NEXT: "The Snowmen"
Friday, 28 September 2012
"The Power of Three"
Chris Chibnall has written some of the least impressive stories produced for Doctor Who
this century, but I, like many others, was very pleasantly surprised by
"Dinosaurs on a Spaceship". However, it could be argued that such a
premise would be hard for anyone to dislike, so the question was, could
he pull it off again? "The Power of Three" contains some of the faults
of Chibnall's previous stories- ill thought out plot points and pulling a
rabbit out of the hat to compensate for the fact that he has written
himself into a corner- the one here is particularly egregious, which I
shall talk about later. Having said that, this is, nevertheless, a story
with moments of true greatness and contains some wonderful writing.
The 'slow invasion' of the cubes is an intriguing idea from the start and instantly iconic. The premise recalls Nicholas Fisk's children’s sci-fi novel Trillions and the look of the cubes are like nano-monoliths à la 2001: A Space Odyssey. The changing perception of the cubes from headline news, to novelty, to half-forgotten bric-a-brac is a well thought out part of the plot, as is the fact that every cube reacts differently.
However, it is the people in this story that makes it so compelling. Chibnall has never been subtle in his characterisation, but here, where he has to juxtapose the 'Doctor-life' with 'Pond-life' and he manages to create a believable domestic setting, as well as whisking the Ponds off to spend their anniversary at the Savoy, being waited on by a Zygon Escoffier. Again, we see the Doctor coping in an ordinary domestic setting, but in a completely different way to "The Lodger" and "Closing Time", as he has to live through the boring bits as well. In fact, if you look at it, the Doctor is in a kind of self-imposed exile for a year, shooting off in the TARDIS when the boredom gets too much. In what could be effectively read as a hyper-compressed Third Doctor season, it is fitting that this is the first proper UNIT story of the Eleventh Doctor era. UNIT has changed, led by a woman who has known of the Doctor all her life. The revelation of Kate as being the Brigadier's daughter is perfectly handled, helped in no small way, by an outstanding performance by Jemma Redgrave. The nature of the threat is not, as was thought, an invasion, but of sterilisation of 'the human contagion' by the Shakri, the 'pest-controllers of the universe'. The Shakri is played by none other than Steven Berkoff, who knows how to be menacing in fifty different ways. There is beautiful dialogue between the Doctor and the Ponds- the Doctor explaining to Brian what happens to his companions, the Doctor explaining to Amy why his bond with her is so strong, all of which is brilliantly conveyed by the regulars. Douglas Mackinnon returns to helm a very confident production that seems like a Hollywood blockbuster and a classic afternoon BBC children's drama at the same time- the Shakri porters will feature in a fair few nightmares from now on. In years to come, 'the one with the cubes' will be as much part of childhood memory as 'the one with the maggots'.
The ideas are intoxicating and the concepts are explored well. There is, however, some woolly plotting- why are people being abducted from the hospital and why does the Doctor leave most of them to die on the Shakri ship? Which brings us to the resolution. Restarting the stopped hearts is scientifically stupid on a Gerry Davis/Kit Pedler scale and cannot be ignored- I assume Chibnall is lucky enough not to have known anyone who has had a heart attack. The real tragedy is that it is in no way intrinsic to the plot. If the cubes had released a disease, or evil nanogenes or, indeed, anything plausibly reversible it would have elevated the story to fresh heights.
It is a real pity about the denouement, as it stops the story from being one of the best of the Eleventh Doctor era and a true classic. However, it doesn't spoil a story that has a great deal to offer in so many other areas and actually makes me not dread the next Chibnall script- so long as it goes through a few more drafts this time!
NEXT: "The Angels Take Manhattan"
The 'slow invasion' of the cubes is an intriguing idea from the start and instantly iconic. The premise recalls Nicholas Fisk's children’s sci-fi novel Trillions and the look of the cubes are like nano-monoliths à la 2001: A Space Odyssey. The changing perception of the cubes from headline news, to novelty, to half-forgotten bric-a-brac is a well thought out part of the plot, as is the fact that every cube reacts differently.
However, it is the people in this story that makes it so compelling. Chibnall has never been subtle in his characterisation, but here, where he has to juxtapose the 'Doctor-life' with 'Pond-life' and he manages to create a believable domestic setting, as well as whisking the Ponds off to spend their anniversary at the Savoy, being waited on by a Zygon Escoffier. Again, we see the Doctor coping in an ordinary domestic setting, but in a completely different way to "The Lodger" and "Closing Time", as he has to live through the boring bits as well. In fact, if you look at it, the Doctor is in a kind of self-imposed exile for a year, shooting off in the TARDIS when the boredom gets too much. In what could be effectively read as a hyper-compressed Third Doctor season, it is fitting that this is the first proper UNIT story of the Eleventh Doctor era. UNIT has changed, led by a woman who has known of the Doctor all her life. The revelation of Kate as being the Brigadier's daughter is perfectly handled, helped in no small way, by an outstanding performance by Jemma Redgrave. The nature of the threat is not, as was thought, an invasion, but of sterilisation of 'the human contagion' by the Shakri, the 'pest-controllers of the universe'. The Shakri is played by none other than Steven Berkoff, who knows how to be menacing in fifty different ways. There is beautiful dialogue between the Doctor and the Ponds- the Doctor explaining to Brian what happens to his companions, the Doctor explaining to Amy why his bond with her is so strong, all of which is brilliantly conveyed by the regulars. Douglas Mackinnon returns to helm a very confident production that seems like a Hollywood blockbuster and a classic afternoon BBC children's drama at the same time- the Shakri porters will feature in a fair few nightmares from now on. In years to come, 'the one with the cubes' will be as much part of childhood memory as 'the one with the maggots'.
The ideas are intoxicating and the concepts are explored well. There is, however, some woolly plotting- why are people being abducted from the hospital and why does the Doctor leave most of them to die on the Shakri ship? Which brings us to the resolution. Restarting the stopped hearts is scientifically stupid on a Gerry Davis/Kit Pedler scale and cannot be ignored- I assume Chibnall is lucky enough not to have known anyone who has had a heart attack. The real tragedy is that it is in no way intrinsic to the plot. If the cubes had released a disease, or evil nanogenes or, indeed, anything plausibly reversible it would have elevated the story to fresh heights.
It is a real pity about the denouement, as it stops the story from being one of the best of the Eleventh Doctor era and a true classic. However, it doesn't spoil a story that has a great deal to offer in so many other areas and actually makes me not dread the next Chibnall script- so long as it goes through a few more drafts this time!
NEXT: "The Angels Take Manhattan"
Friday, 21 September 2012
"A Town Called Mercy"
After 46 years, Doctor Who finally returns to the Western genre
in another fine offering from the pen of Toby Whithouse. This is a
tricky genre to pull off and the temptation is to resort to pastiche,
but although it initially seems to be heading that way (The Doctor's
order at the bar, the undertaker measuring the Doctor) it soon becomes
evident that much more is going on here. The finest Westerns use the
setting to explore themes of morality where law and order is fragile, of
the extreme personalities drawn to frontier outposts, of people running
from their past, running to their future and, frequently, both.
Notably, westerns usually feature a mysterious stranger, of whom there
is more than one...
One thing that the story gets right very early is making sense of the Western in a historical context. This is the Old West in the years following the American Civil War, where America is 'a land of second chances' and strangers with murky pasts can make a new start. Into the frontier town of Mercy comes Kahler Jex who is, by all appearances, a kindly doctor with a weird tattoo. However, he is actually an alien, coping with the after-effects of a war of his own, for he brings in his wake a cyborg gunslinger who is keen to pass judgement. It is made obvious from the start that the Gunslinger's motives are not dishonourable and Jex's crimes might be too horrible to forgive- hints of a more recent war with even fewer shades of grey. Into this is brought a more familiar alien Doctor, who, more than ever, has to figure out exactly what is the right thing to do.
The characterisation is intriguingly shaded and the performances have to be first rate. Adrian Scarborough is fully up to making Jex work- we can fully believe in him as the man who saved Mercy from a cholera outbreak and as a man who conducted horrific experiments is a war. Ben Browder, a sci-fi icon in his own right, brings a sense of decency and authority to the role of Marshal Isaac. As the Gunslinger, Andrew Brooke is imposing, but keeps a sense of pathos. The Doctor's role is more complex than usual- there is danger and, perhaps, real evil, but no one enemy for the Doctor to defeat. The Doctor is motivated to do some pretty extreme acts himself- in a town called Mercy, it seems he is running low of that particular commodity and it is his companions who must remind him of who he is. Matt Smith is electrifying and Gillan and Darvill manage to work brilliantly with him. As has been made clear before, the Doctor needs his companions to help him see the details of the Big Picture. Despite a bit of narrative wobbliness (repetitive scenes of people running around pretending to be Jex) Whithouse manages all this, whilst still maintaining his wit, with some sparkling bits of dialogue and some very funny lines- it takes a special sort of writer to include a horse that has finally come to terms with its confused gender issues!
Saul Metzstein helms a very assured production, helped by the use of iconic locations in the Almerian deserts, so beloved of the likes of Sergio Leone, meaning that the viewer is never less than convinced of the setting. The costumes and special effects are first rate, managing to integrate seamlessly with the setting. Metzstein gets the best out of the supporting cast and masters the tracking shots, low angles and canny editing that are typical of Westerns.
There was a film called Cowboys & Aliens recently that threw a colossal budget at attempting a western/sci-fi hybrid. On a fraction of the budget and in a fraction of the time, "A Town Called Mercy" manages to accomplish this fusion with far greater effect and remaining true to the tenets of Doctor Who. The Doctor saves the day by helping someone be a better person, and the monster, revealed to be a victim, becomes the champion of Mercy. Again, Doctor Who manages to make an outstanding Western episode that is completely different from the previous one. This is a real keeper, which will reward many repeat viewings and here's hoping we don't have to wait another 46 years for the Doctor's next trip to the Wild West!
NEXT: "The Power of Three"
One thing that the story gets right very early is making sense of the Western in a historical context. This is the Old West in the years following the American Civil War, where America is 'a land of second chances' and strangers with murky pasts can make a new start. Into the frontier town of Mercy comes Kahler Jex who is, by all appearances, a kindly doctor with a weird tattoo. However, he is actually an alien, coping with the after-effects of a war of his own, for he brings in his wake a cyborg gunslinger who is keen to pass judgement. It is made obvious from the start that the Gunslinger's motives are not dishonourable and Jex's crimes might be too horrible to forgive- hints of a more recent war with even fewer shades of grey. Into this is brought a more familiar alien Doctor, who, more than ever, has to figure out exactly what is the right thing to do.
The characterisation is intriguingly shaded and the performances have to be first rate. Adrian Scarborough is fully up to making Jex work- we can fully believe in him as the man who saved Mercy from a cholera outbreak and as a man who conducted horrific experiments is a war. Ben Browder, a sci-fi icon in his own right, brings a sense of decency and authority to the role of Marshal Isaac. As the Gunslinger, Andrew Brooke is imposing, but keeps a sense of pathos. The Doctor's role is more complex than usual- there is danger and, perhaps, real evil, but no one enemy for the Doctor to defeat. The Doctor is motivated to do some pretty extreme acts himself- in a town called Mercy, it seems he is running low of that particular commodity and it is his companions who must remind him of who he is. Matt Smith is electrifying and Gillan and Darvill manage to work brilliantly with him. As has been made clear before, the Doctor needs his companions to help him see the details of the Big Picture. Despite a bit of narrative wobbliness (repetitive scenes of people running around pretending to be Jex) Whithouse manages all this, whilst still maintaining his wit, with some sparkling bits of dialogue and some very funny lines- it takes a special sort of writer to include a horse that has finally come to terms with its confused gender issues!
Saul Metzstein helms a very assured production, helped by the use of iconic locations in the Almerian deserts, so beloved of the likes of Sergio Leone, meaning that the viewer is never less than convinced of the setting. The costumes and special effects are first rate, managing to integrate seamlessly with the setting. Metzstein gets the best out of the supporting cast and masters the tracking shots, low angles and canny editing that are typical of Westerns.
There was a film called Cowboys & Aliens recently that threw a colossal budget at attempting a western/sci-fi hybrid. On a fraction of the budget and in a fraction of the time, "A Town Called Mercy" manages to accomplish this fusion with far greater effect and remaining true to the tenets of Doctor Who. The Doctor saves the day by helping someone be a better person, and the monster, revealed to be a victim, becomes the champion of Mercy. Again, Doctor Who manages to make an outstanding Western episode that is completely different from the previous one. This is a real keeper, which will reward many repeat viewings and here's hoping we don't have to wait another 46 years for the Doctor's next trip to the Wild West!
NEXT: "The Power of Three"
Friday, 14 September 2012
"Dinosaurs on a Spaceship"
If I had been given the opportunity to write for Doctor Who
between 1980 and 1989, the story I would have written would have also
been called "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship", combining two things which I was
(and, lets be honest, still am) obsessed with. Which is why I felt a
tang of rage when I found out who the writer would be. The only time
Chris Chibnall has not provided the absolute worst script of the seasons
that he contributed to, was when he was beaten to it by Helen Raynor
writing the worst story of the revived programme by a clear margin- and
she, at least, redeemed herself with her next offering. However, whilst
"Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" contains some of the ill-thought-out
woolliness and cuniculae ex cappelum that his other scripts have
displayed, I must say that it is, nevertheless, a joy to watch and
tremendous fun, from beginning to end.
The story itself in simple but this is a relief, as Chibnall's other efforts have been blatant rewrites of older Doctor Who stories. I was afraid that this would be a rewrite of Snakes on a Plane, or an attempt to do a Doctor Who version of the enjoyable, but thoroughly second-rate, ITV/Watch drama Primeval, but, thankfully, neither is the case. The dinosaurs do not take up as much of the plot as in the average Primeval episode, which is initially a slight disappointment- we see only a sleeping juvenile T.rex, which is barely more mobile than the one in The Mark of the Rani (although far more realistic!) when what we want, of course, is a rampaging adult. In the long term, this is to the episode's advantage, as more time is spent on the actual human drama than creature peril- one of the reasons why Doctor Who is a far better programme than Primeval. The jokes are great- "Only my balls!" is very nearly inappropriate- but not quite, and therefore hilarious! Chibnall's plotting is a bit sloppy, but some of it actually works in the story's favour- he doesn't bother to explain how the hydro-powered engine room works, but this adds to the bold sense of the unknown: "It's a big universe; stars can burn cold, sofas can read." Some of the sloppiness isn't pulled off- if the Silurian ship has already entered the atmosphere, destroying it would be very little better than just letting it crash. I am always happy when we see that the future isn't full of just British, Americans and Russians, but I have to point out that India actually already has a space agency called the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) not the ISA. Still, the name could have changed...
However, the real reason for this success is the appealing array of supporting characters that populate the story- the big-game hunter Riddell is played by the always watchable Rupert Graves, who gives him a perfect balance of Allan Quatermain and Lord John Roxton to make him a thoroughly dashing rogue. Riann Steele is well up to portraying one of the most iconic figures in history and Nefertiti's disappearance from the historical record means that the programme can play fast and loose with the fate of the Lady of The Two Lands. Mark Williams is absolutely perfect as Rory's dad Brian, with his natural likeability being a great asset. Physically, he doesn't look much like Arthur Darvill, but the look of befuddlement on both their faces is uncannily similar, as is the shared body language. Solomon is a thoroughly odious villain, played by the brilliant David Bradley. Dispassionately killing all the Silurians on the spaceship, calmly ordering his robots to injure Brian and his horrible threats to 'break' Nefertiti, mean that his eventual fate is well deserved (and certainly not unprecedented or out-of-character for the Doctor). Speaking of those robots, the voices of Mitchell and Webb are perfect and they are a great comic creation by Chibnall, although the 'Daisy...Daisy' bit is, perhaps, a bit too arch. Rory is the heroic super-nurse and Amy finds her inner huntress in a set of performances by Darvill and Gillan that shows they were clearly having a plesiosaur of a time (sorry!) Whether calmly leaving Solomon to his fate or planting one on Rory's lips, the Doctor is as mercurial as he has ever been and Matt continues to impress.
Saul Metzstein makes an impressive début in the directors chair, making the excellent cast work wonders and creating some wonderful scenes- riding Tricey, the Pteranodons on the beach and, most wonderful of all Brian looking down at the Earth in space, whilst having a cup of tea. The production is excellent (apart from some dodgy CGI when the missiles finally hit their target) and, of course, finally, finally, the programme finally has some dinosaurs it can be proud of- angry ankylosaurs, demonic dromeosaurs and, of course, the doomed, but lovely Tricey the Triceratops. The young-to-teenage me would have been in heaven.
It may not be deep, nor particularly clever, but "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" is wonderful entertainment and Chris Chibnall finally has a story he can be proud of!
NEXT: "A Town Called Mercy"
The story itself in simple but this is a relief, as Chibnall's other efforts have been blatant rewrites of older Doctor Who stories. I was afraid that this would be a rewrite of Snakes on a Plane, or an attempt to do a Doctor Who version of the enjoyable, but thoroughly second-rate, ITV/Watch drama Primeval, but, thankfully, neither is the case. The dinosaurs do not take up as much of the plot as in the average Primeval episode, which is initially a slight disappointment- we see only a sleeping juvenile T.rex, which is barely more mobile than the one in The Mark of the Rani (although far more realistic!) when what we want, of course, is a rampaging adult. In the long term, this is to the episode's advantage, as more time is spent on the actual human drama than creature peril- one of the reasons why Doctor Who is a far better programme than Primeval. The jokes are great- "Only my balls!" is very nearly inappropriate- but not quite, and therefore hilarious! Chibnall's plotting is a bit sloppy, but some of it actually works in the story's favour- he doesn't bother to explain how the hydro-powered engine room works, but this adds to the bold sense of the unknown: "It's a big universe; stars can burn cold, sofas can read." Some of the sloppiness isn't pulled off- if the Silurian ship has already entered the atmosphere, destroying it would be very little better than just letting it crash. I am always happy when we see that the future isn't full of just British, Americans and Russians, but I have to point out that India actually already has a space agency called the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) not the ISA. Still, the name could have changed...
However, the real reason for this success is the appealing array of supporting characters that populate the story- the big-game hunter Riddell is played by the always watchable Rupert Graves, who gives him a perfect balance of Allan Quatermain and Lord John Roxton to make him a thoroughly dashing rogue. Riann Steele is well up to portraying one of the most iconic figures in history and Nefertiti's disappearance from the historical record means that the programme can play fast and loose with the fate of the Lady of The Two Lands. Mark Williams is absolutely perfect as Rory's dad Brian, with his natural likeability being a great asset. Physically, he doesn't look much like Arthur Darvill, but the look of befuddlement on both their faces is uncannily similar, as is the shared body language. Solomon is a thoroughly odious villain, played by the brilliant David Bradley. Dispassionately killing all the Silurians on the spaceship, calmly ordering his robots to injure Brian and his horrible threats to 'break' Nefertiti, mean that his eventual fate is well deserved (and certainly not unprecedented or out-of-character for the Doctor). Speaking of those robots, the voices of Mitchell and Webb are perfect and they are a great comic creation by Chibnall, although the 'Daisy...Daisy' bit is, perhaps, a bit too arch. Rory is the heroic super-nurse and Amy finds her inner huntress in a set of performances by Darvill and Gillan that shows they were clearly having a plesiosaur of a time (sorry!) Whether calmly leaving Solomon to his fate or planting one on Rory's lips, the Doctor is as mercurial as he has ever been and Matt continues to impress.
Saul Metzstein makes an impressive début in the directors chair, making the excellent cast work wonders and creating some wonderful scenes- riding Tricey, the Pteranodons on the beach and, most wonderful of all Brian looking down at the Earth in space, whilst having a cup of tea. The production is excellent (apart from some dodgy CGI when the missiles finally hit their target) and, of course, finally, finally, the programme finally has some dinosaurs it can be proud of- angry ankylosaurs, demonic dromeosaurs and, of course, the doomed, but lovely Tricey the Triceratops. The young-to-teenage me would have been in heaven.
It may not be deep, nor particularly clever, but "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" is wonderful entertainment and Chris Chibnall finally has a story he can be proud of!
NEXT: "A Town Called Mercy"
Friday, 7 September 2012
"Asylum of the Daleks"
...and we’re back, with the return of the Doctor’s arch enemies for
their first starring role in over two years. Since the return of the
show, the Daleks have featured in some of the best stories (“Dalek”,
"Army of Ghosts"/"Doomsday") and the absolute worst ("Daleks in
Manhattan"/ "Evolution of the Daleks"). This is, however, the first time
that Moffat has written a Dalek story and, it must be said at the
start, his run of excellent series openers remains unbroken.
The plot is simple- The titular Asylum is a planet, containing the insane survivors of the most brutal Dalek conflicts and has been absolutely secure- but a breach has occurred and these horrors could escape. Only the Doctor has what it takes to enter the Asylum and deactivate the force field, so that the Asylum may be destroyed. So far, so generic. However, other threads have been weaved in. The source of the breach is heralded by a voice of an incredibly bright young woman who can marshal Dalek technology like no-one has ever done before, but has a problem mastering the art of soufflé making. Also, as hinted at in the Pond Life shorts, the marriage of Rory and Amy has fallen apart, but it seems that the nightmare of the Asylum, with Amy in danger of succumbing to the Dalek nanogenes in the atmosphere, might be what will bring them together again. It is wonderful how Moffat can show how a relationship where two people are so completely in love can fall apart, but there is, of course, hope, as humanity is a hard thing to lose. Moffat's trademark sparkling dialogue never loses its soul. 'What can you do?' states Amy, regarding her split from Rory. 'What can I do?' says the Doctor. Oswin Oswald is fantastically appealing and ideal companion material, but it, emerges, she really is too good to be true and it emerges that eggs/exterminate joke is darker than initially thought. There is also the brilliant concept of the Dalek zombies which, I hope, will be brought back at some point. The script is so full of ideas and feelings and so tightly constructed that explanations are not needed, even when significant changes in the Whoniverse are intimated- the Daleks are back as a major force in the cosmos, but the Asylum is an artefact of the old, pre Time War, Dalek Empire that is regarded with a mixture of horror and admiration.
Nick Hurran returns to the director’s chair and his eye for a great shot is very welcome. It must be said that "Asylum of the Daleks" is a faster paced, more action packed episode that either of his other episodes, and Hurran seems to be a bit outside his comfort zone- he doesn’t quite pull off the Zombie Dalek attack for example. However, in slower, subtler moments, Hurran is masterful. The selling point for the episode was the fact that it had Daleks from every point in the programme’s history. This is true, but it would have been great to have had the Special Weapons Dalek fire at least one shot! Happily, the RDT era Daleks are the focus, with the bulky new Paradigm Daleks pushed to the background- hopefully it will stay that way and is a sign that Moffat has realised his mistake. As usual, Hurran manages to get the best from a very talented cast. Anamaria Marinca, a wonderfully soulful actress whom I have long been a fan of, is excellent as Darla, the lead Dalek ‘puppet’. The regulars are on fine form, especially one who is not a regular yet. Jenna-Louise Colman is utterly charming as Oswin and I look forward to seeing her join the Doctor on his travels- whatever character she plays. The regulars have to play their parts very carefully, as Amy and Rory's personal crises have to balance perfectly with the perils of the Asylum and Arthur and Karen are totally convincing in this regard. The Doctor has to take a more reactive role that he has ever had to this century, but Moffat knows who the star of the show is and just how good his leading man is. What we get is a very delicate, yet seemingly effortless synergy between the regulars and the writer that is pulled off perfectly.
There have been some comments about Moffat reusing themes. This is nothing new, to be honest- from The Arabian Nights to Dickens, themes have recurred, but to tell different stories. Yes, Oswin is a bit like CAL, the nanogenes cause humans to sprout horrendous alien appendages,¤ etc. The story is different and the effect is different and Moffat is in no way on auto-pilot, but is keen to make things uncertain, to pull us out of our comfort zone- most notably in the fact that the Daleks forget the Doctor, removing one of the oldest relationships in the programme. If the Doctor is the Daleks’ Devil, he has pulled his greatest trick...and I for one am delighted!
NEXT: "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship"
The plot is simple- The titular Asylum is a planet, containing the insane survivors of the most brutal Dalek conflicts and has been absolutely secure- but a breach has occurred and these horrors could escape. Only the Doctor has what it takes to enter the Asylum and deactivate the force field, so that the Asylum may be destroyed. So far, so generic. However, other threads have been weaved in. The source of the breach is heralded by a voice of an incredibly bright young woman who can marshal Dalek technology like no-one has ever done before, but has a problem mastering the art of soufflé making. Also, as hinted at in the Pond Life shorts, the marriage of Rory and Amy has fallen apart, but it seems that the nightmare of the Asylum, with Amy in danger of succumbing to the Dalek nanogenes in the atmosphere, might be what will bring them together again. It is wonderful how Moffat can show how a relationship where two people are so completely in love can fall apart, but there is, of course, hope, as humanity is a hard thing to lose. Moffat's trademark sparkling dialogue never loses its soul. 'What can you do?' states Amy, regarding her split from Rory. 'What can I do?' says the Doctor. Oswin Oswald is fantastically appealing and ideal companion material, but it, emerges, she really is too good to be true and it emerges that eggs/exterminate joke is darker than initially thought. There is also the brilliant concept of the Dalek zombies which, I hope, will be brought back at some point. The script is so full of ideas and feelings and so tightly constructed that explanations are not needed, even when significant changes in the Whoniverse are intimated- the Daleks are back as a major force in the cosmos, but the Asylum is an artefact of the old, pre Time War, Dalek Empire that is regarded with a mixture of horror and admiration.
Nick Hurran returns to the director’s chair and his eye for a great shot is very welcome. It must be said that "Asylum of the Daleks" is a faster paced, more action packed episode that either of his other episodes, and Hurran seems to be a bit outside his comfort zone- he doesn’t quite pull off the Zombie Dalek attack for example. However, in slower, subtler moments, Hurran is masterful. The selling point for the episode was the fact that it had Daleks from every point in the programme’s history. This is true, but it would have been great to have had the Special Weapons Dalek fire at least one shot! Happily, the RDT era Daleks are the focus, with the bulky new Paradigm Daleks pushed to the background- hopefully it will stay that way and is a sign that Moffat has realised his mistake. As usual, Hurran manages to get the best from a very talented cast. Anamaria Marinca, a wonderfully soulful actress whom I have long been a fan of, is excellent as Darla, the lead Dalek ‘puppet’. The regulars are on fine form, especially one who is not a regular yet. Jenna-Louise Colman is utterly charming as Oswin and I look forward to seeing her join the Doctor on his travels- whatever character she plays. The regulars have to play their parts very carefully, as Amy and Rory's personal crises have to balance perfectly with the perils of the Asylum and Arthur and Karen are totally convincing in this regard. The Doctor has to take a more reactive role that he has ever had to this century, but Moffat knows who the star of the show is and just how good his leading man is. What we get is a very delicate, yet seemingly effortless synergy between the regulars and the writer that is pulled off perfectly.
There have been some comments about Moffat reusing themes. This is nothing new, to be honest- from The Arabian Nights to Dickens, themes have recurred, but to tell different stories. Yes, Oswin is a bit like CAL, the nanogenes cause humans to sprout horrendous alien appendages,¤ etc. The story is different and the effect is different and Moffat is in no way on auto-pilot, but is keen to make things uncertain, to pull us out of our comfort zone- most notably in the fact that the Daleks forget the Doctor, removing one of the oldest relationships in the programme. If the Doctor is the Daleks’ Devil, he has pulled his greatest trick...and I for one am delighted!
NEXT: "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship"
Thursday, 2 February 2012
"The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe"
Another year and another Doctor Who special to lighten up Christmas Day and again, Steven Moffat’s takes a well-known Christmas story and reinterprets it. This time it’s C.S. Lewis’s beloved piece of High-Church Anglican propaganda, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Again the scene is set by an utterly awesome pre-titles sequence that manages to evoke the first scene of Star Wars and the first scene of a Bond film. This is, however, Doctor Who and the Doctor’s dashing escape is in a space suit that he has put on back to front, in which less than dignified situation, he is discovered in a crater by Madge Arwell, who immediately leaps to the rescue. She returns to her humdrum provincial life, but this is the eve of the greatest war the world has yet known and the lives of the Arwell family will be shaken forever. The father will be taken away from them and, it seems, Christmas will forever be the time that they lost him. However, the Doctor is determined to repay the debt and, as the ‘caretaker’ of the house they are staying at, he is determined to give the Arwells the best Christmas ever.
Moffat takes striking pieces of imagery from Narnia- the winter forest through a portal, the forbidding castle in the snow, but the resulting story is very much his own. It is a story without villains, but there is enough going on for the plot not to need them. We have a population of sentient trees trying to flee from deforestation, we have the peril of children lost in the snow and, above all, we have the love of a grieving mother. It is Madge’s grief and love which drives the story, which makes her the heroine, whether ensnaring the Androzani foresters with her tears or piloting their tripod to the castle. Some might baulk at the resolution of the story, but it makes perfect sense and leads the Doctor to an important conclusion- there are people closer to him who will have a grief-filled Christmas. All this is wrapped up in an irresistible package of Moffat’s imagination. The forest world is so inexplicably alien that it can only be understood in the way a child sees it- a world of Christmas trees and wooden kings and queens. The story is, as always, brimming with Moffat’s delicious dialogue ranging from the hilarious to the poignant.
Newcomer Farren Blackburn directs with great energy and the production is uniformally excellent, with a battle cruiser that makes a Star Destroyer look like a Trabant and the aforementioned tripod (I love tripods). The supporting cast is led by the wonderful Claire Skinner who is fantastic as Madge. The children are very well played by Maurice Cole and Lily Arwell. I was thrilled to find out that Bill Bailey, one of the finest stand up comedians in the world would be appearing and, although his role could have been bigger, his ageing puppydog-ish look is unmistakeable. Matt is wonderful as ever, especially in this new phase as a more carefree Doctor. He realises, however that he does have some responsibilities and the brief scene with Amy and Rory is very welcome.
"The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe" is fine yuletide entertainment and is worth revisiting- a good thing, as we are in for the longest wait since 2005...
NEXT: "Asylum of the Daleks"
Again the scene is set by an utterly awesome pre-titles sequence that manages to evoke the first scene of Star Wars and the first scene of a Bond film. This is, however, Doctor Who and the Doctor’s dashing escape is in a space suit that he has put on back to front, in which less than dignified situation, he is discovered in a crater by Madge Arwell, who immediately leaps to the rescue. She returns to her humdrum provincial life, but this is the eve of the greatest war the world has yet known and the lives of the Arwell family will be shaken forever. The father will be taken away from them and, it seems, Christmas will forever be the time that they lost him. However, the Doctor is determined to repay the debt and, as the ‘caretaker’ of the house they are staying at, he is determined to give the Arwells the best Christmas ever.
Moffat takes striking pieces of imagery from Narnia- the winter forest through a portal, the forbidding castle in the snow, but the resulting story is very much his own. It is a story without villains, but there is enough going on for the plot not to need them. We have a population of sentient trees trying to flee from deforestation, we have the peril of children lost in the snow and, above all, we have the love of a grieving mother. It is Madge’s grief and love which drives the story, which makes her the heroine, whether ensnaring the Androzani foresters with her tears or piloting their tripod to the castle. Some might baulk at the resolution of the story, but it makes perfect sense and leads the Doctor to an important conclusion- there are people closer to him who will have a grief-filled Christmas. All this is wrapped up in an irresistible package of Moffat’s imagination. The forest world is so inexplicably alien that it can only be understood in the way a child sees it- a world of Christmas trees and wooden kings and queens. The story is, as always, brimming with Moffat’s delicious dialogue ranging from the hilarious to the poignant.
Newcomer Farren Blackburn directs with great energy and the production is uniformally excellent, with a battle cruiser that makes a Star Destroyer look like a Trabant and the aforementioned tripod (I love tripods). The supporting cast is led by the wonderful Claire Skinner who is fantastic as Madge. The children are very well played by Maurice Cole and Lily Arwell. I was thrilled to find out that Bill Bailey, one of the finest stand up comedians in the world would be appearing and, although his role could have been bigger, his ageing puppydog-ish look is unmistakeable. Matt is wonderful as ever, especially in this new phase as a more carefree Doctor. He realises, however that he does have some responsibilities and the brief scene with Amy and Rory is very welcome.
"The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe" is fine yuletide entertainment and is worth revisiting- a good thing, as we are in for the longest wait since 2005...
NEXT: "Asylum of the Daleks"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)