The last "meh whatever"

[avevale_intelligencer]

It's official. Day Of The Doctor was the only good Doctor Who script Steven Moffat had in him.

This entire season, series, whatever, has been building up to what I just watched. And I'm really glad we had a great band rehearsal weekend before it, because if I had been ordinarily depressed when I started watching that, who knows where I would have been by now.

The usual responses to "this is not Doctor Who as I knew it" range from "you were just a kid, your memory is deceiving you, it wasn't any good then either" through "of course it isn't, the world has changed, the old series wouldn't work now" to "why are you still watching it then?"

I've answered the last one, oh, many times. Call it love, addiction, Stockholm syndrome, gambler's fallacy, whatever the hell you like. The first one makes me wonder why we bother sending kids to school if we know they're not going to be able to remember even simple and important things right when they're grown up. And as for the second one...well, if the old series would not work in the present day and this does, all I can say is it's not exactly a ringing endorsement of the present day.

I have a foul taste in my mouth and in my brain. And I need to sleep.

Thank whatever gods there may be for my friends, and especially Cosmic Trifle.

Comments

[dickgloucester.livejournal.com]

I thought it was... okay. Not stellar, but okay. I haven't been impressed by this series in general, but keep watching - probably because I'm English, as much as anything. It's what we do. #1's assessment of the series was that it was somehow flat. Perhaps things will be better when we off-load Clara.

[michael cule (from livejournal.com)]

It was bad wasn't it?

If I had Steven Moffat in front of me now I would grasp him firmly by the lapels, back him into the wall and say:

1) You may dismiss people who question the logic of your stories as indulging in 'fridge logic' but while I will tolerate a certain amount of handwavium in a story you, sir, are abusing our patience. Given the TARDIS had landed inside St Pauls and you specifically stated that UNIT couldn't get inside, how did they retrieve the big blue box, eh? What the devil happened to the emotional climax of last week, Danny wavering about erasing himself? Did a scene get cut? Are you expecting us to wait for the director's version? Why didn't Danny a) fall subject to Cyber control in the first place and b) how did he resist it once he got his cyber switches turned on? Is he just super-special? Is it the Power of Lurve? And no-one in their right mind would give the Doctor supreme power over anything!

2) You really, really need to learn the proper place for killing off named characters (as opposed to third UNIT soldier on the left) especially those fans have affection for. And it is not to fill in screen time or bring a bit of cheap pathos. Cheap pathos is the only sort you seem to know how to do and speaking purely for myself I'm sick of the way you keep trying to jerk at my heartstrings.

3) Your version of the Doctor needs to learn the difference between moral dissent and letting someone else do your dirty work. If you agree that Missy must die, your moral responsibility isn't lightened one iota because someone else gets to her first. Who eats meat has no right to look down on butchers. Who is defended by soldiers has limited ground to disapprove of them.

4) Speaking of which, she's not permanently dead, is she? Some people have bitched that you didn't explain how she survived falling into the void the last time. Not me: I'm firmly convinced you won't explain how next time either.

5) And what the galloping Norah was supposed to be happening with the sudden ghostly apparition and the hint (utterly unprepared for) that Danny could have come back to life if he wasn't so damned noble. It makes next to no sense and came out of the blue.

6) Just because I'm a nice chap I am not prepared to condemn the upcoming Christmas special out of hand. But it had better not turn out to be SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE TIME LORDS. If I get a hint of the 'true meaning of Christmas' or that it really is Saint Nick I will have to arrange to found a revolutionary movement dedicated to your overthrow.

[zanda-myrande.livejournal.com]

It was terrible. Neither RTD nor Moffat have ever had any idea of the not very fine distinction between "impossible/implausible as far as we know but acceptable fantasy science" and "utterly nonsensical bilge." The old series crossed the line once or twice, but nuWho has never been back over it.

The bit at the end with Danny was a blatant attempt to rehash that bit at the seaside between Tennant's Doctor and Rose. As such it presumably wasn't supposed to make sense; just jerk a final tear. Cheap pathos, as you say.

On your point 6, I agree with you in principle. On the other hand, having presented us with an ostensible Santa, I would be inclined to demand that he honour that implied promise *and* make it believable and worthwhile. And when he fails in that, *then* overthrow him, with contumely.

But on the whole, well said!