Despite the extremely negative reaction to "The Rings of Akhaten" in
fandom (which is as hilariously exaggerated as these things tend to be)
Neil Cross is clearly a writer to watch and we are given a chance to see
what else he could conjure with "Hide". The story is obviously
influenced by the work of Nigel Kneale, especially The Stone Tape (a comparison made more obvious by the early 70s setting). Cross immaculately gives his own Doctor Who
spin on pseudo-scientific haunting – the journey to ‘always’ is a three
minute sequence that could only work on this programme. The way the
basic plot unfolds is believable (more on some of the details later) and
meshes in beautifully with the concepts. The cast of characters is tiny
and, although they are hardly complex, Cross manages to make them
archetypal without making them clichéd and they are given a bit of
originality – Emma is the sort of character that becomes the Doctor's
ally, yet she never fully trusts the Doctor, even at the end. There are a
few nitpicks I have concerning the finer details of plotting, however. I
presume that the reason the TARDIS is able to survive in the pocket
universe is Emma’s intervention, as that is when the TARDIS grants Clara
access. However, this type of construction is in the fuzzy grey area
between not spelling everything out and relying on fan theory. Also, I
feel that the Crooked Man/Woman should have been just a threat in the
pocket universe and the fact that there was another Crooked Woman/Man in
Caliburn was not fully explored. Had it recently appeared? (which would
make the most sense, otherwise it would have been just as much a part
of Caliburn’s legend as the Ghast). The ending does work, but I can see
how others might be disappointed.
Jamie Payne helms a flawless production. He has a real sense of getting
scares for a teatime audience, which is good as, if any story this
series cried out for dark skies outside, it is this one. His handling of
the journey to ‘always’ is very low key, which is a brave, but hugely
effective choice. The production team evokes the seventies very well,
without making it look as garish as the real decade was. The realisation
of the Crooked Man/Woman and the Ghast will cause nightmares even after
the true nature of the Ghast is revealed. The supporting cast, as said,
is tiny, but what it lacks in quantity is more than made up for in
quality. Dougray Scott is a hugely talented actor and Jessica Raine has
it in her to become a true superstar and they make the clumsy, but
heartfelt budding romance between Alec and Emma truly convincing.
Kemi-Bo Jacobs doesn’t have much to do as Hila Tukurian, but she is
effective enough. Matt Smith is as wonderful as ever and Jenna continues
to work wonders, what with her failed efforts to make friends with the
other woman in the Doctor’s life.
A few nitpicks aside, "Hide" is totally effective in what it sets out to do, a wonderful evocation of BBC Ghost Stories For Christmas of the 1970s, with a dash of Sapphire and Steel. And, as far as I am concerned, so long as he does the job, Matt Smith can pronounce Metebelis however the hell he likes!
NEXT: "Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS"
Showing posts with label Neil Cross. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Neil Cross. Show all posts
Friday, 26 April 2013
Friday, 12 April 2013
"The Rings of Akhaten"
"The Rings of Akhaten" is one of those stories that justify my decision
not to have a ratings system. It is disorganised and scrappy and is one
of the very few stories made this century that cries out for a few more
drafts. However what it certainly is not, is boring or clichéd. Whatever
else one may say about the story, Neil Cross is clearly a writer of
great ability and possesses a great imagination. How he channels that
ability into producing a workable script for a 45-minute episode of Doctor Who is a more complex issue.
The story contains a number of intriguing concepts – the god that must be propitiated by song and the religious rite that has become a tourist attraction. Living stars. The nature of memory and story. Cross is attempting to reach the imaginative heights of Olaf Stapledon or David Lindsay for a Saturday teatime audience and has more success than most. The skeleton of the plot is sound, as are the basic revelations. Beyond that, however, things start to get messy. This occurs with smaller details – the 'secret song' to open the secret passage that Merry suddenly remembers is a blatant cheat by the writer. However, this messiness becomes more serious when it affects the entire resolution of the plot. The use of the 'most important leaf in the universe' should have capped the Doctor's use of his memories and tied up well with the (apparently disconnected) teaser. However, such is the lack of tightness, it could seem that the Doctor's stand-off with grandfather was clumsily patched in to bulk up the episode. The meaning of the leaf and the infinite potential it represents, the stories told and untold, is not properly explored, so that makes the leaf feel like it was clumsily patched in, even though it blatantly wasn't. Characterisation also suffers somewhat - the story of Clara's parents aims for an Up style impact, but fails. However, this does not affect the story disastrously.
The realisation of the story, however, is nothing short of spectacular. From the moment Clara opens her eyes to view the titular rings, we are treated to one gorgeous image after the next. Monster fans are in for a field day with enough bizarre alien species to put the Mos Eisley Cantina to shame (including a namecheck for everone's favourite super-intelligent shade of the colour blue). There is the terrifying threat of the Vigil and the utterly intoxicating operatic section where Merry and the Chorister sing to 'Grandfather' – who, it turns out is the star at the centre of the system, with a terrifyingly evil grin. Farren Blackburn outdoes himself in making this story a visual feast from beginning to end – note the subdued, almost desaturated colours in the flashback scenes contrasting with the vibrant colours of Akhaten (great work from cinematographer Dale McCready). Character, as I said before, is not the episode's string point, but Blackburn makes sure every performer gives his or her all. The regulars are as good as ever and we are given our first peek at what makes Ms Oswald tick, which is very welcome.
"The Rings of Akhaten" is well worth watching, despite its many flaws, which are all due to the writing. The story does work on a basic level, so the plot doesn't completely fall apart – it is, however, frustrating to imagine just how great story it could have been, had the script been given a few more drafts.
NEXT: "Cold War"
The story contains a number of intriguing concepts – the god that must be propitiated by song and the religious rite that has become a tourist attraction. Living stars. The nature of memory and story. Cross is attempting to reach the imaginative heights of Olaf Stapledon or David Lindsay for a Saturday teatime audience and has more success than most. The skeleton of the plot is sound, as are the basic revelations. Beyond that, however, things start to get messy. This occurs with smaller details – the 'secret song' to open the secret passage that Merry suddenly remembers is a blatant cheat by the writer. However, this messiness becomes more serious when it affects the entire resolution of the plot. The use of the 'most important leaf in the universe' should have capped the Doctor's use of his memories and tied up well with the (apparently disconnected) teaser. However, such is the lack of tightness, it could seem that the Doctor's stand-off with grandfather was clumsily patched in to bulk up the episode. The meaning of the leaf and the infinite potential it represents, the stories told and untold, is not properly explored, so that makes the leaf feel like it was clumsily patched in, even though it blatantly wasn't. Characterisation also suffers somewhat - the story of Clara's parents aims for an Up style impact, but fails. However, this does not affect the story disastrously.
The realisation of the story, however, is nothing short of spectacular. From the moment Clara opens her eyes to view the titular rings, we are treated to one gorgeous image after the next. Monster fans are in for a field day with enough bizarre alien species to put the Mos Eisley Cantina to shame (including a namecheck for everone's favourite super-intelligent shade of the colour blue). There is the terrifying threat of the Vigil and the utterly intoxicating operatic section where Merry and the Chorister sing to 'Grandfather' – who, it turns out is the star at the centre of the system, with a terrifyingly evil grin. Farren Blackburn outdoes himself in making this story a visual feast from beginning to end – note the subdued, almost desaturated colours in the flashback scenes contrasting with the vibrant colours of Akhaten (great work from cinematographer Dale McCready). Character, as I said before, is not the episode's string point, but Blackburn makes sure every performer gives his or her all. The regulars are as good as ever and we are given our first peek at what makes Ms Oswald tick, which is very welcome.
"The Rings of Akhaten" is well worth watching, despite its many flaws, which are all due to the writing. The story does work on a basic level, so the plot doesn't completely fall apart – it is, however, frustrating to imagine just how great story it could have been, had the script been given a few more drafts.
NEXT: "Cold War"
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