Hello Dreamers,
I know. I'm so far behind. Don't worry. I'll catch up... eventually.
Yes, you're seeing correctly. That is the Doctor, Danny and Clara in the same scene... (Finally!)
Summary:
At the start of this episode, we see the Doctor and Clara embarking on many different adventures all of which lead to awkward (somewhat dishonest) conversations with Danny. We see that Clara not telling Danny about the Doctor is starting to create problems and awkward situations. She's starting to doubt whether she can keep up her travels with the Doctor a secret anymore. Meanwhile, there's an alien thing going on (when is there not an alien thing going on?) at the school that Clara and Danny work at... So the Doctor goes undercover as the school caretaker (Or 'janitor' for us American folks). Clara is unaware of this till he shows up at the school (which makes for some awesome conversation). And, as you might have guessed, the Doctor meets Danny...
Acting:
Okay, so I had never really met a character that was just so... flat. Until I met Danny.
Among most Whovians, Danny is a favorite, so please don't take this personally, but to me, there's just... nothing. I don't hate him, but I don't really love him either. I mean I don't really want him to die or anything because Clara loves him, but otherwise... I don't know. The love I felt for him in his first episode hasn't resurfaced yet... It's inexplicable to me, I honestly don't understand why I feel this way. So... call me crazy and we'll just... live peacefully together.
Also, I like the character of Courtney. A little annoying, but very... I don't know. maybe it helped that she only stuck around for a few episodes. But I liked her.
Overall Quality:
This was a good episode. I liked it.
The bickering between the Doctor and Danny made me extremely uncomfortable. But I guess it was supposed to... It just made me more unsure about Danny though. To have a character complain so heavily about the Doctor and then be supposed to like that character seems like kinda a contradiction. Then again, I feel like we've had things like this before, I mean there have been characters that don't like the Doctor before.
But anyway, the episode was good.
The Rant Bit:
Classic Doctor. We got some seriously sweet banter between the Doctor and Clara, the Doctor and Courtney, and maybe some cool stuff between Danny and the Doctor... (if you want to call it that...)The Doctor referenced River!!!! Loved that bit!
We also got some Eleven/Clara!!!!
The Doctor also spends part of his time assuming he knows who Clara is dating - partly because he seems to think it would make sense for her to date someone who looks/acts like Eleven. So... he sees her talking to this guy named Adrian who well...
looks like Eleven. Needless to say, he's wrong. :'(
Come to think of it, that kinda makes it a Twelve/Clara moment too. The Doctor assumed she cared for him and hadn't moved on...
The Doctor ships it.
We got quite a bit of Doctor/Danny friction... If you remember from before, Twelve REALLY has a problem with soldiers (I don't really remember this trait being as prominent in the other regenerations). And Danny is a soldier. End of story, you get the picture.
Danny did have a fairly awesome moment, but it still failed to make me love him. I wish I liked this character... I really do.
Courtney also became an official companion (Which involved barfing in the TARDIS after seeing outer space...)
4 Fandom Points. I know he wasn't there for very long but... what did you guys think of Adrian? Anybody love Danny a bunch? Make me love him. Tell me how awesome he is.Courtney: "You're weird."
Doctor: "Yes, I am. What about you?"
Courtney: "I'm a disruptive influence."
Doctor: "Good to meet you."
Courtney: "And you."
Doctor: "Now get lost."
I wish I could make you love Danny. I wish I could make myself love Danny. But I can't. I'm sorry.
ReplyDeleteActually, since the finale my feelings on Danny have shifted slightly, from the dead center "I don't care either way" over to "Ugh, I think I genuinely dislike you", mainly because of that one line where he scoffs at the idea of The Doctor feeling guilt. It's the same thing you touch briefly on here: Danny doesn't like The Doctor, and it makes me more inclined to dislike Danny.
It makes me question Moffat a bit. Here he's created a character that fans are clearly supposed to relate to and admire and root for...... who dislikes, distrusts, and mocks the beloved main character. Like, Moff, if you hate the Doc so much, why are you the head writer of this show?
So, yeah, I now officially dislike Danny. Which is preferable to feeling apathetic towards Danny. I just won't be telling many of my fellow Who fans.
Well that is the accomplishment. I think it'll take a re-watch of season 8 and the upcoming Christmas episode for me to make my decision.
DeleteYou are right though, I do remember that line of his. It was way off. And sorta annoying.
Oh, whoops, I forgot the other bit.
ReplyDeleteIn retrospect, Adrian makes me mad. It's like, we *could* have had a love interest for Clara who was a floppy-haired English teacher in a bowtie who went around quoting Shakespeare and got along great with The Doctor and maybe even travelled with them a few times, and maybe sometimes said exact Eleven quotes that made Clara and Twelve give each other "Did that really just happen?" looks. And we *could* have had a love interest who was nerdy and goofy but became unexpectedly heroic in the finale to save Clara. And we *could* have had a pairing that The Doctor shipped. And the dramatic subplot *could* have involved Adrian somehow figuring out about Eleven and then worrying that Clara didn't love him for him and was instead using him as a replacement for Eleven..... a worry that helped lead to that aforementioned finale heroism. We *could* have had Clarian.
Instead, we got Danny. Instead, we got Ospink (which is the awful ship name the fandom seems to be using).
Yay.
Yes. We could have. Unfortunately, it seems Moffat had other plans. But for the record, I like your version better.
DeleteMaybe that's why I have sorta been unsure about this season... is Danny Pink. IDK, it just feels... not as good... or something. Because I LOVE 12. But that love can't carry the whole season can it? Especially if the supporting cast sorta bugs me.
I adored the Doctor's shipping moment. It cracked me up, and how he just stood there, grinning insanely happily at them.
ReplyDeleteI only have one thing to...say? Complain about? Question? With this episode...What is with that shirt? It is like some moths got into his clothes and ate it but he has yet to notice or something. I can't figure out if it is full of holes or something else. it is annoying me and I've been staring at it so hard every time he wears it, trying to figure it out.
Oh my goodness!!! I'm so glad I'm not the only one who was bothered by that. It's like a freaky emo shirt covered in sequins or something... Weirdness.
Delete