Come along, Ponds

Sometimes I do things I really shouldn't, and one of those things is go read journals of people that I know perfectly well I disagree with.

( It's been said a million times before, but... )

Anyway, the actual thing I wanted to talk about (and anything daft I might say can be blamed on the fact that, no, I haven't slept) was why, though I prefer series two to series one overall, I much prefer Rose's relationship to the Doctor in series one. Mainly, I think, this is because I see her relationship with Nine as being a far, far healthier one than her relationship with Ten.

Because the main problem that I have with series two is Rose's almost worshipful attitude towards the Doctor: she seems to imitate his attitudes, she doesn't question him any more, and she has complete faith that the Doctor will Find A Way. And that's a bit creepy, and unusual, because most every other companion that the Doctor has had will challenge him when they feel that he's done something stupid/gone too far/missing the point, no matter how good and comfortable their relationship with him has become. I assume the fact that Rose doesn't do this is meant to signal their relationship Developing, but to me, it's gone from a relationship of equals (um, sort of) to one of hero worship and the Doctor really keen to protect his worshipper from harm.

There is, however, one particular old skool companion who, I feel, does have a very similar relationship to the Doctor (though it doesn't Concern Me half so much): Jo Grant who, incidently, has one of the best (albeit, I imagine, not intentional) character arcs in the old series. She comes in inexperienced, naive and incompetant, managing to get herself caught and hypnotised into trying to blow up the Doctor within her first episode, but we see her gain confidence over her three years in the show, and some sense. We see her frightened first steps on an alien world develop into her traipsing about the universe with the Doctor without a word of complaint. And her skills? Lock-picking and being able to untie ropes when the plot calls for it. And that's it. But she is very lovable. (Though she did save the universe once [on purpose], and the Earth once [accidently])

But Jo starts out a bit useless, and ends up a bit less useless. Rose starts out as an independant, determined, questioning young woman and ends up following the Doctor's lead on everything, more or less. And that's why one character arc, I'm okay with, and the other, I'm not so much.

And there's a lot of similarities between Jo and Rose: Jo pretty much goes along with whatever the Doctor says and has complete faith that he's right and that he knows what he's doing. The few times Rose does challenge the Doctor in series two, it's regarding his rudeness, and the only times Jo challenges the Doctor is to point out when he's been abrupt or dismissive of others (both directly, and more subtly - she takes over when she feels he's getting nowhere asking questions of difficult people.) Rose makes the decision to stay in the real world, cutting herself off from her family, so she can stay with the Doctor, and Jo makes a similiar choice when she says she wants to stay with the Doctor, trapped in an antimatter universe, rather than go back home to Earth. The Doctor actually has to think about whether he'd rather save the Earth and maybe have Rose die, than forget about the Earth and, still, Rose probably dies (or, he doesn't want to be the one responsible for her death) and the Doctor, faced with Universal Armageddon or Having to Kill Jo, picks the former and it's up to Jo to try and kill herself and thus save the universe.

And Jo gets some of the shippiest old skool stuff from the Doctor, with him offering her all the time and space in the world, cause, yeah, if that'd been in the new show, there's no way it wouldn't be seen as an Incredibly Shippy moment, and Jo turning him down to go marry a man who reminds her of a younger Doctor.

So, yes, Rose, to me, is like Jo with a Tragic Ending (Jo grows and learns from her experiences, Rose seems to at first and then it becomes less about The Universe and more about The Doctor - this, btw, is why I think the Doctor asked her how long she was going to stay with him, and because she said "forever" he knew he was going to have to leave her for her own good.) And given that Jo was, kinda deliberately, meant to be rubbish after the brilliant and competent Liz, that's not exactly a ringing endorsement of Rose having the qualities the Production Team want us to think she had. Because I'm pretty sure the writers weren't setting out to make her seem kinda useless, but she does get locked up/get her face eaten/get taken over/get rescued by someone else kind of often. And her Specialness doesn't come across objectively, but from people around her not acknowledging that She's A Bit Useless and, instead, declaring how much they love her. Jo was loved in much the same way, but her incompetence was also pointed out (frequently).

Yes, right, so what I'm saying is, out of the old skool companions, the one I think is most like series 2 Rose is Jo Grant. Which I find a bit strange really.

Thing is, none of this is meant as a condemnation of Rose. I like her (like Jo too), she's a good character, but I'm finding the notorious She Are So Special arguments becoming ever less convincing the more I think about this. (Not that I ever thought they were convincing, but now I'm finding them just plain daft.)

In conclusion, Jo is great and I should have an icon of her.

And in other parts of the Whoniverse, dwicons has just gone over 1000 members. Dude. That's scary.

Cut due to spoilers. And by spoilers, I mean predictions I am making based on nothing save What I Think, The Series So Far and The Trailer That's Been On. And That Spoiler. I don't know about anything else, as have cunningly avoided spoilers, yes.

( Mad Predictions )

Despite my instincts against such a thing, I've had to concede that since the contents of my flat have to fit in here by Wednesday something has got to go and the choice is pretty much between books, Doctor Who stuff and furniture. Since I know what will happen if I suggest the latter to parent, it's books. So far I've excised old statutes, parts of fantasy trilogies that I picked up in charity shops that I thought "oh, right, yes, of course I'll get the next/previous part" and I'm pretty sure that since it's now several years later that ain't gonna happen, and my somewhat excessive collection of art books. Mostly Impressionism stuff, since I'm pretty sure I'm never going to have much enthusiasm for it ever again.

And I've still got three boxes of books sitting on the floor and about another hundred or so sitting along the walls and really, really I can't get rid of anything else. That's 'can't' as in 'won't,' in the petty and stubborn sense.

And then there's stuff like piles of old DWMs and Galaxies that I quite like, but they do just sit there and I haven't read them for years. And dozens of atrocious DVDs I've accumulated because I happened to like the actors in them. And my Hammer movies (WHY DID THEY MAKE SO MANY?) and *flails*. I should have spent more money on getting drunk at uni and less being a bloody magpie.

Also Ilya is fixed, hurrah! I get him and all his shiny back tomorrow. I am going to miss Word though. I forgot how much I love it over Works.

Had a strange moment wandering about the Beeb DW site earlier as was looking for a new background for this computer (ancient gallfrey now; shiny, shiny drawing done by someone for the Lungbarrow e-book). ( Cut for That Spoiler )

Ah, and I found a half-eaten Easter egg in a box. Chocolate does not go out of date does it?

In which I refuse to engage any critical faculties that may or may not exist and say stuff about tonight's episode of Doctor Who. Which I liked, big surprise there, I know.

( Love & Monsters )

I wonder what the more hardcore shipper will say...for now, off to the OG, yes.

It is late. I may be having thoughts. Or, really, I've had these thoughts for a while but now am putting them into writing form because the notion of sleep is currently a wee bit terrifying. Yes. Cause that's what I need. A fear of sleep.

Anyway, yes, this is mainly thoughts of mine own after reading nostalgia_lj's words about Companions and Hierarchy. In way of summary, I sort of agree, but not really. (I think that's a good indication of how well-structured this ramble's going to be, oh yes.)

( Companion Heirarchy )

On another note, I had a horrible, horrible thought about the Doctor and how he is Stalin. Because he is very keen on Rose Not Dying, and sometimes thinks of her before the world/universe/other large group of faceless people. Because one death is a tragedy and a million is a statistic. I hate myself for that.

(I have to stop using this icon, but I am currently loving it far too much and can't really stop because it makes me very happy even though it scares me a bit, yes.)

Oh, well, ah...I didn't dislike it, persay, but it wasn't particularly great, no.

( Review Type List Thing )

And so we're well over halfway through the series. How is that possible? It was just starting yesterday, was it not?

[Poll #737580]

So, yes, regeneration, that is pretty much the reason that Doctor Who has managed to last this long. Lead actor bored? Ill? Dying? Wanting tons more cash stuff? Change him and have a shiny new renewal of series where you Get To Keep Your Main Character. Dude! So, yes, there was that risk each time and at the end it apparently went a bit wrong and people did not like the Shiny New Doctors, but since 1966, it has been one of the big sticks in the stick tower of Doctor Who, yes.

And when they came up with the (totally arbitary) twelve regenerations, and thus thirteen lives, I bet they never thought they'd actually get that far. And now it's, y'know, kind of almost there, they seem to be quietly forgetting that they ever said anything of the sort (so suggests the Beeb website). New series, in fact, implies that there is no limit to regeneration what with the "I don't die; I regenerate" thing and the "it's a way we have of chaeating death," without any sort of mention of "yeah, but only for so long, then Death gets pissed off and says ENOUGH YOU WEE CHEATERS" and drags them off to Hades, yes.

( Time Lords and Regeneration )

( And this thing about Romana )

Those are my thoughts. Such as they are.

So that last entry, bit of a lie. I am, in fact, unable to prioritise. What d'you know? Also DOCTOR WHO, YAY.

In summary: I am in love with this episode. It's right up there with School Reunion for me.

( Comments What May Be A Review-ish Type Thing )

Right. I want the telly back so I can watch that again.

Oh, so tired. But rather gleeful. For, y'see, I had rather a lot of photocopying from Old College and No Idea what to do with it due to the fact I just had a wee bag with self. So I Accidently Stumbled into Forbidden Planet (very, very easy in Edinburgh, tis just opposite the Law School, heh) and I Accidently Stumbled towards Toys and I Accidently Bought a Wee David Tennat in Coat with Sonic Screwdriver Accessory. And a plastic bag. For the photocopying. Yes. It was a Great Plan.

And, because, at heart, I am a ten-year-old, I present:

Doctor Who Loses His TARDIS
An Exciting Adventure in Time And Space
(not at all dial-up friendly)


( Part One of One )

So I find all this darkness with Ten, hrrm, I don't know. I don't really agree with it. So far it's mostly fanon, and there have only been two stories and even if we do know pretty much where they're going with it... It feels a bit like we're watching series 25/26 Seven and then creating NA!Seven based on that. And telly!Seven is Quite Good Really, while NA!Seven is an utter bastard that I mostly pretend doesn't ever exist.

Actually what I think is that Nine and Ten seem like throwbacks to the earliest Doctors, to Hartnell and Troughton, rather than later years. Oh, there's stuff that's more later!Doctor: Three onwards were generally concerned about their companions first, saving the universe second (random examples: Doctor pretty much willing to sacrifice universe in The Time Monster because he can't bring himself to kill Jo; Doctor gives up all his future!knowledge about the Daleks to Davros to stop him hurting Sarah and Harry in Genesis). But those first two were a wee bit different. And I don't really think there was any real consideration of the Doctor's 'darker' side after Two until Six.

But Hartnell played really a very dark character to begin with, only really caring for Susan and wanting to get away from danger rather than trying to help. And, yes, he mellowed, but really, what about Two? He's a nice chap, isn't he?

He's the nice chap, who in The Evil of the Daleks managed to almost destroy Jamie's trust in him: "Anyone would think it's a little game, and it's not. People have died. The Daleks are all over, fit to murder the lot of us, and all you can say is that you've had a good night's work. Well, I'm telling you this; we're finished. You're just too callous for me. Anything goes by the board, anything at all. You don't give that much for a living soul except yourself. Just whose side are you on?"

He's also the nice chap who, in The Wheel in Space, was willing to sacrifice his companions lives in order to stop the Cybermen. He was the one who declared that he was going to go out and fight those evil things in the universe because it had to be done. So, um, yeah, what I'm saying is the Doctor has always, in some degree had that darkness there, even my beloved Two. It's not really a new thing and just, hmm, it just seems to be all that's being seen at the moment. OMG! HE IS NICE TOO!

Oh, and now Totally Doctor Who is on. There were some lovely cartoon figures at the beginning. Oooh, David Tennant is on it, yay! Though it is doing that thing I no like - there's some sort of 'companion academy' with kids competing to prove they would be The Best Companion, which is, um, fine, I suppose. But add this to "I only take the best" and the Attack of the Graske "prove you're good enough to travel with me" thing and I really, just, no, don't like the message there. THE DOCTOR DOESN'T CHOOSE THE COMPANY HE KEEPS. Hmph.

And while I was looking for the Evil of the Daleks quote, I found this one, which reminded me of why I love Sarah. Cause I do:

The Doctor: Listen, there are no measurements in infinity. You humans have got such limited little minds. I don't know why I like you so much.
Sarah: Because you have such good taste.
The Doctor: That's true. That's very true.

OMG! OMG! Clips of Tooth and Claw and OMG!!! WHY IS IT NOT SATURDAY?