Make Sense, Damn You.

Another thing that struck me while I was half-way watching "The Day of the Doctor" ... if 10 used up a regeneration and kept his old face out of vanity (becoming both 10 and 11), wouldn't that have meant that there should have been 2 David Tennants circling Gallifrey when the doctor was doing his bit of timey-whimey? Never mind the fact that the whole idea of 10 being both 10 and 11 wasn't anything that was even suggested until 11 said something about it at the end of "The Time of the Doctor".

And probably a better question is why do I keep trying to make sense of genre television, even when I know that all I'm going to accomplish is giving myself a headache (especially when the show is timey-whimey)? But damn it, I want stuff to make sense.

If, someday, you guys ever hear that my brain got broken ... you'll know why. Stuff like this made it go boom.

'The Time of the Doctor' -- DX 2013 Xmas Special

Warning: Spoiler Alert

I just saw the mini-episode "The Night of the Doctor" (which should be watched before the 50th anniversary special "The Day of the Doctor"). I don't know how I didn't hear from someone that it was out there. It's not really necessary to understand what is going on with "The Day of the Doctor," but adds a little bit of filler, and finally lets us see the death of the 8th doctor. And even if I don't count 8 as my doctor (since it was 10 that actually got me into the show), he was still my first doctor, and it was nice at least be able to have a visual to see what had happened to him.

This year's Xmas Special ...

I don't know if I have just gotten so used to the Uncle Rusty years and how 9 and 10 regenerated that I was expecting something long those lines, but ... I thought that this episode was rather disappointing. It felt like there was all kinds of build up and no real pay off. Sure, it was cool to see the Weeping Angels, the Silence, the crack in the wall, and Amy again, but ... it just didn't quite live up to what I thought that it could have been.

Also what didn't live up to what it could have been ... how the doctor got more regenerations. And I kind of wanted to scream at someone that they were counting the creation of Tinkerbell!10 as one of the regenerations (and having 11 say that 10 just kept his face, cuz he was vain). Turning 11 into 13 and having the Time Lords just send him some regeneration energy through the crack so that he could turn into 12 seemed far too much like deus ex machine. I wanted there to actually be something to him getting a new life that we might have bee sure that he wouldn't have been able to have gotten before without it feeling like the writers were cheating (and maybe hadn't really thought the whole thing through, or that they just couldn't figure out an answer for how he would have gotten more lives).

11 sending Clara away every chance that he got, I get that the writers were wanting us to see it as the doctor being selfless and wanting to help people, but also wanting to make sure that his companion didn't get hurt, but that isn't how it came off. It may have a bit to do with the fact that up to this point, we haven't really gotten to know Clara all that well (she's still relatively new to us), but the way that it was written felt much more like a bit of misogyny (making sure to keep the little woman away from the danger, cuz she wouldn't be able to handle it, and the big, strong man needed to protect her from it). I'll fully admit that I have a bit of an issue with Moffat's writing of women and that may be part of why I am completely dissatisfied with Clara in general, but she seemed a bit useless and helpless in this episode (which made me feel even more dissatisfied with her than I normally am).

I'm not sure if the Dalek's turning everybody into Dalek's was supposed to be a nod to the fact that when we first meet Clara, she's been turned into a Dalek (and doesn't realize it), or not, but it didn't quite work for me. It felt like a combination of overkill with the trying to make nods to other things that have happened in 11's tenure, and having something happen within the story that didn't quite make as much sense as it could have (if that particular ship was as powerful as 11 was making it out to be, I want more than an, "Oh, BTW ... psyche! Everyone's a Dalek!"

Also, what is with saying that every companion is the doctor's best friend? Ever since Donna (at least, that's when I first noticed it), the writers have some sort of comment made (whether it's in canon, or in blurbs about the episodes) about how the companion that he's with at the time is his best friend. Not every one is going to be bestie materiel. He might like some of them pretty well, but that doesn't mean that they are BFFs. Rose was BFF for 9 (even if neither of them said it), and she was true love always for 10. Martha was a good friend and someone that 10 could trust, but they weren't besties (partly cuz he was still trying to get over Rose). Donna was BFF. Period. End of sentence. If 10 could have grown old, Donna was the he would have shared a flat with, and the two of them would have grown old together (while driving each other crazy). Can you tell that Donna is my companion? Amy was very special to 11, but I don't know that I would have called them besties. The fact that he came into her life when she was a child changed the dynamic of their relationship, so that there was a paternal vibe there (or at the very least, he was that crazy uncle that she liked to spend time with). Clara is/was the mystery. Yes, 11 was fond of her (and I'm sure that 12 will be, too), but the mystery dominated too much of their relationship in the beginning (and they were together, as far as we have seen, too little for there to be any bestie feelings. They haven't known each other long enough, or have the connection that 10 and Donna had from almost the beginning).

ETA: I have to agree with the timey-whimey of what happens to the other incarnations of Clara that are put forth here, as well as some of the other things that were lacking in this episode.

The DW 50th Anniversary Special.

Warning: Spoiler Alert

I'm still trying to get all of my thoughts together about the 50th anniversary special, cuz it wasn't exactly what I was expecting ... at least as far as how they were going to bring in 10 and Rose (cuz I was kind of expecting that they would bring in Tinkerbell!10 and the real Bad Wolf, but that was probably a little bit too obvious, especially since they've already had Rose break through the barriers of the universes before, and it nearly cost them all everything ... even though Mickey also did it, and everything is fine ... but thinking too hard when it comes to wibbly-wobbly will only make your brain hurt).

I did appreciate the fact that they brought in 12, even if it was only a shot of his eyes and only for 2 seconds (long enough for us to realize that he was there, before they took him away again); it was still super nice to be able to have him acknowledged in the special. Also with the love? The fact that ... what are we calling John Hurt's doctor? I haven't been looking around at spoilers, or anybody's reviews of the episode, so I'm not sure what everyone is calling him ... so I'll just call him 8.5. Anyway, I thought that it was nice to be able to see 8.5 just start to turn into 9 (and do it right after he said that he hoped that he wouldn't have the goofy ears that time). From everything that I've seen or heard before, Christopher Eccleston was kind of stressed out by his time on DW had hasn't really wanted to join back in on it, but it was still nice for them to still be cool with him (even after he said no to being involved with the special) and giving him a bit of fan service.

It was so nice to be able to see 10 again!! How I've missed him (like whoa!!). I even was glad to see him when his hair was lying flat (and wasn't all crazy like it's supposed to be ... but it was still 10!). And when he said that he didn't want to go ... oh, the feels!! The feels nearly tore me apart! The writers should really not do those sorts of things to me, since it made me have to relive that whole series four finale, and 10 turning into 11. :(

But the fact that they counted 8.5 and 12 as part of the doctor's regenerations, that would make 12 his 13th incarnation. I'm sure that the writers are going to have a way around stopping him at 12 (or 13), but I'm still wondering how it is that they're going to do that. It's quite possible that he may have gained some of River's regenerations when she used up her regeneration energy to save him, or ... maybe the Moment could have changed something about him so that he will live past 13 (since she/it did say that he would have to live with what he had done to Gallifrey ... but maybe it won't work that way, since he didn't actually destroy Gallifrey, and it seemed implied that he would be forced to live if he killed them all. Still, that doesn't mean that she didn't so something to him. Maybe he will be forced to continue living, until he is able to figure out how to get Gallifrey out of the artwork that he put it inside).

I have the feeling that the finding of Gallifrey may be something that will be kind of big for the remainder of 11's time, and will carry over into 12's ... at least, I hope it is. I hope that it isn't something that's just solved in one series (but will last at least a couple), but the fact that each series seems to have its own theme may mean that it will only last through series eight ... but the fact that finding Gallifrey is something that is so huge could possibly mean that it might last a little bit longer. Oh, I hope that it does.

Also, it almost seems like they're kind of going plastic!Rory with Clara's memories (where she remembers things that she shouldn't be able to, since it was actually alternate versions of her that were making those memories, and not actually her; just like the centurion wasn't actually Rory, and there shouldn't have been any way that he remembered anything that the centurion did). But as long as it isn't played into a bunch (like they did with Rory), I think that I'll be able to ignore the fact that it was even made reference to. But what I would like an explanation to ... what happened with the kids that Clara was looking after. Did they just get too old for her? And are they going to tell anyone what happened with Clara and the doctor? Answers, please.