Series 9 - The Witch's Familiar

          Ooh, that was quite good, wasn’t it? Two parters in modern Who have often fallen into the trap of one part being big and brash, and the second being more low key. Following on from “The Magician’s Apprentice”, “The Witch’s Familiar” kept the story moving, offered explanations and genuinely felt like the continuation of the first part. If this is how this season of multi-part stories is going to play out, then I am all in.

The explanation for Missy and Clara’s escape wasn’t a cheat as far as I’m concerned, and framing it against a story about the Doctor (and wasn’t the black and white lovely?) helped add to its authenticity.  Missy and Clara are fantastic together. I’ve seen others notice a similarity between their “partnership” and the Delgado Master/Jo Grant relationship during the Pertwee era. I already feel that the Michelle Gomez incarnation is the closest we’ve gotten to the Roger Delgado Master, and I can absolutely see the parallels. The Missy and Clara scenes in the Dalek sewers were some fine examples of the two playing off of each other. Missy is insane and knows it, Clara knows it, but when Michelle Gomez plays it straight without the “bananas” front and center, you can almost see Clara trying to keep from respecting her. While I write this, I remembered the Sharaz Jek and Peri scene from “The Caves of Androzani”, “You think I’m mad?... I am mad”. You could give that line to Missy and she would knock it out of the park.

Michelle Gomez and Jenna Coleman would be enough to make this story great, but then we get to the Doctor and Davros. My God, but Capaldi and Julian Bleach are on fire in their scenes. Two ancient enemies, but more similar than I think either one would ever care to admit. Asking each other the questions that only lifelong enemies can raise. Davros “weakening” more than we have ever seen (or will ever see again, I’d wager) to get to the Doctor’s compassion, his mercy. Giving up some of his regeneration energy so that his archenemy can see one last sunrise? This is a Doctor who will sacrifice. He may just be an “idiot with a box,” but I don’t think there can be any doubt that the Doctor is a Good Man. The switch by Davros, switched again to the double bluff by the Doctor doesn’t lessen that. I really think that if Davros HAD been telling the truth the whole time (and part of me thinks there were moments where he was) the Doctor would have sacrificed that regeneration energy, let Davros die, and call it a day. He’s not stupid, our hero, but he is compassionate. Will he die of it, as Davros insinuates? Foreshadowing for Capaldi’s eventual regeneration (long may that day be postponed)? His “I wouldn’t die of anything else” echoes Chris Eccleston’s “Coward. Any day.” Frankly, how often has the Doctor died for his compassion already? At least 5 times, by my reckoning. Is it any wonder that this character is my hero?

A top notch conclusion to the opening two-parter, “The Witch’s Familiar” cements Missy as a Master who is every inch the Doctor’s equal and opposite. Davros became once again a silk tongued nemesis, without the ranting and insanity that other stories have made the default. As for our two leads, they are where they belong – the Doctor and Clara Oswald, in the TARDIS.

The Thing Is... (or) Burying the Lead?

          Good news on the kid front – both C2 AND C3 received “Student of the Month” for September. The school-wide theme for the month was “Responsibility” and apparently my girls are ULTRA responsible.  We found out from C3’s teacher last week at Back to School Night, but my ex-wife got a call yesterday from C2’s teacher that C2 would be getting recognized as well. Damn right I’m a proud poppa!

          C1 seems to be adapting to high school with ease. He still grumbles about having to actually, you know, GO to school, but he loves his art class and does fantastically well in his academic subjects. He’s just a typical teen I suppose.  He also has a girlfriend, which I’m still trying to wrap my head around. I told Wif ™ the other day that the trifecta was now complete – he started high school, has a girlfriend, and I have taught him how to shave. Egads, I’m old.

          Life at the Cat Ranch continues as it always does. I’ve not had much success in the English Teacher employment department, so there is frustration there. Combined with my depression and anxiety, September has been admittedly a little rough. On the nerdy side of things, Doctor Who returned last Saturday in fine form and that always gives me a boost. This coming weekend we’re going to the wedding reception for some friends of ours (they got married this week) (destination wedding thingy), but holding the reception on the weekend, so there is that to look forward to. We had talked about a trip to Vermont next month as an anniversary trip/vacation. Turns out we can’t really swing it this year. Blah.

          

Space being skipped here to get the meat of this entry. No Doctor Who stuff, I’m afraid!

I titled this blog post “The Thing Is…” since it’s one of those lead in phrases that can be useful in many situations. I’m using it here to get very personal for a minute.  Those of you who just read for the Doctor Who content, (99% of people who read me, I think) feel free to skip and wait for Saturday night’s episode. The thing is… even typing things with the knowledge I could delete it all in an instant doesn’t make it easier. Things are absolutely fine with me and the Wif ™, the kids, as I’ve noted are all good. This is just me. Frankly, don’t even know if I’ll post this to the blog.  But I’ll say it here – I am coming out as a bisexual man. It’s a little weird, since my wife knows, some friends know, I just don’t ever really talk about it.  I’m HAPPILY married (to a woman) and happily monogamous with said spouse. But as I write this, it’s International Bi Visibility Day, and even though I’ve admitted it to myself it felt right to come out in this somewhat public forum. Is this a cowardly way to do it?  Maybe. I also don’t really feel right in outing myself all over Facebook… I’m not so egotistical as to think that would cause a stir, and I really am a pretty private individual. Although I did do the “superimpose a flag over your profile pic” using the Bi flag, so maybe I’m just a bit more subtle?

My alternate title up there is true in a sense. I did bury the “bigger” news a bit further down. But to me it’s not huge, it’s been true forever and I just wanted to express it publicly.  Honestly, my stuff about the kids IS my bigger news, so in that sense, I didn’t bury the lead at all. I know this is a far cry from my yammering on about nerdy pursuits, but this is me too. Thanks to those who have read this far, I really appreciate it.  Next entry will have more Who content, I can assure you!

Series 9 - The Magician's Apprentice

          The latest series of Doctor Who began this past Saturday, and I thought it right and proper to review the newest episodes as they air. I will ABSOLUTELY be getting into spoiler territory so please watch the episodes FIRST! Part of “The Magician’s Apprentice” was spoiled for me and I don’t want to be the cause of that kind of disappointment. Spoilers ahead after some space…

          I’ll start by saying I flat out loved this story. Steven Moffatt has his haters out there (no! you don’t say!) but the man is a fan of the series, through and through. He can tell a story that’s full of fan service and appease the 13 year old in me any time. Davros, the Master, Daleks – I love it all! Not to mention incorporating the mythos of the newer stories. I don’t think I ever expected a revisit to the Shadow Proclamation, but putting it side by side with a return to Karn? I’m all in.

          Let’s get the big spoiler out of the way right off the bat – Davros! It has been too long since the creator of the Daleks has shown up in new Who, especially since Julian Bleach’s portrayal is just so damned good. The callbacks and references to “Genesis of the Daleks” come fast and furious, but the appearance of young Davros brings the events of that story full circle. There is even a video clip of Tom Baker’s “Do I have the right?” speech, which essentially is the setup for the entire plot. When Terry Nation created Davros, it was so that the Daleks had a mouthpiece, someone who was a bit more fully realized and could interact without being a monotone-Dalek-voiced-blah-blah… The new series has done well avoiding that trap in episodes like “Dalek” and “Into the Dalek” where there have been Daleks showing emotions. But having Davros back? Yes, please. The Daleks only speak with hate, whereas Davros has finesse. Insane finesse, but still.

          I never warmed to the John Simm Master, truth be told. It never quite seemed to get the characterization right. My first Master was Anthony Ainley, but my *favorite* is unquestionably Roger Delgado. Michelle Gomez returns as the “Missy” incarnation of the Master and has rapidly become my second favorite incarnation of the Time Lord. She is as bananas as ever, but watching her, there is a coldness behind the insanity. She can act crazy as all get out, but don’t for one second think that she’s not calculating the different ways to kill you if given half a chance. Her insistence that she and the Doctor are best friends – “a friendship older than [our] civilization” reminds me of the best of Pertwee/Delgado interactions.

          Last but by no means least, the Doctor and Clara. Goodness these two are strong together. They might not always be on the same page – hell they could be in different books – but the characterizations of both are just so strong. Clara has become kind of a badass, advising UNIT in the Doctor’s absence, and the English teacher/motorcycle leathers ensemble she wears really works. Yeah, I have kind of a crush on Ms. Coleman. The Doctor – still the same hard edges as he had in Season Eight, but now a bit more nuanced. The events of this story would fit easily in last season’s “Am I a good man” theme, and Capaldi plays it knowing what kind of man he is, but still not sure of the decisions he makes. Actually, scratch that. He IS sure of a certain decision, he just happens to think it was the wrong one, and he is ashamed. We’ve seen every emotion play across the Doctor’s faces over the regenerations, but there are few things as unnerving as a Doctor who’s ashamed.

          This new season is comprised of primarily two-parters, so it will still be a week before getting some explanations that we know are coming. I’m comfortable in saying that Clara and Missy aren’t dead, and the TARDIS hasn’t really been destroyed, but I can’t wait to figure out how. I want to see the Doctor and Davros face off like never before – Davros is dying while the Doctor is still starting out a whole new regeneration cycle with this incarnation. Yet both have lived so, so long that they surely must have more to say to each other in what could truly be their last meeting. I, for one, can’t wait.

          Some quick bullet point about things I just loved about this story:

•   Capaldi wailing the Doctor Who theme on his electric guitar was even more meta than “The Sound of Drums” being the theme’s baseline.
• The Sisterhood of Karn – just give us a full episode sequel to “The Brain of Morbius” already!
• Old school – seriously, I mean “Dead Planet” era – Daleks. They just need one with a radar dish on its back! 
•  “Say something nice” as a catchphrase. It could easily get overplayed, but Gomez makes it work. 
•  Hand mines. Proper creepy, those.

I love it when Doctor Who is back with new episodes, but wow, the weeks go by so slowly. Still, just five days until “The Witch’s Familiar”!

Time Stream #20 - The Myth Makers

          Back on familiar ground with the reconstruction of an historical adventure, “The Myth Makers” drops the TARDIS and crew into the middle of the Trojan War. Swordplay! Intrigue! Comedy! Well, after a fashion.

          I had watched a recon of this story years ago, 3^rd generation VHS and the quality was pretty poor. But hey, to me it was new Doctor Who, so I was excited about it. When it was done, I had almost immediately forgotten most of what I watched. I chalked it up to my lack of familiarity with recons and let it go. Watching this reconstruction, I’ve come to the conclusion that some lost stories don’t make for good recons, and sadly “The Myth Makers” is one of them. The story is *listenable* particularly when the TARDIS crew is in the thick of the action, I just didn’t find it particularly *good*.

          When Doctor Who is being played for comedy, as ostensibly happens here, it has to walk a fine line between over-the-top, winks to the audience kind of nonsense and genuine humor arising from the situation, particularly when it’s a situation which may be familiar to the audience at home. I found the attempts at humor to be so broad, so ridiculous, that it simply stopped being funny. One of my notes reminds me that I thought Paris was straight out of a lost series of Black Adder. This would be fine if I was watching Black Adder (which I do enjoy, FWIW), but it seemed wholly out of place in Doctor Who. The music was wrong throughout the story, many of the characters, even the ones whom we are supposed to like are tedious, Vicki gets a horrible exit, and Katarina is barely introduced as a replacement companion.

          As is probably clear after my 19 previous Time Stream entries, I love this program, and I hate to be negative about it, even when it’s deserved. So: Steven and Vicki are still a great companion team and it is a crime that they weren’t paired up longer. This isn’t Hartnell’s best performance, but he’s particularly enthusiastic when he’s masquerading as Zeus. It is such a far cry from the beginning of the series when he was so much of an anti-hero. Aaand… that’s all I’ve got.  Positivity can only go so far. The story is over-acted (Cassandra in particular – I know she’s a soothsayer, but I feel like they ignore her on general principle because she’s so annoying), weirdly paced and directed, and it needed at least one more pass on the script before shooting. The last minute addition of Katarina as a new companion isn’t going to make anyone forget Vicki (excuse me, “Cressida”) any time soon. So why bother? Knowing the fate in store for Katarina, ho w monumental a moment would that have been if it was Vicki in her place?? 

          I’ll admit to feeling discouraged about this entry as I was writing it. “Galaxy Four” recently became my “least favorite” story, but the problems with “The Myth Makers” blow that one out of the water. “Galaxy Four” is bad but perhaps salvageable.  I’d have a hard time seeing anything come out of “The Myth Makers” that would make me think it could be anything better. Two duds in a row, but coming up, an epic Dalek story – and one with some full episodes! Farewell, Ancient Greece. So far, you are the Achilles Heel of my favorite show.

NEXT EPISODE: The Daleks' Masterplan

"The Myth Makers" novelization cover, courtesy The TARDIS Data Core at tardis.wikia.com

Time Stream #19 - Mission to the Unknown

          I realize that *technically* this is part of “The Daleks’ Masterplan”. *Technically* I could have skipped right over this and gone right to “The Myth Makers”. But, dear reader, that would be wrong. When I set out on this little re-watch adventure, I wanted to do the stories in order. When I first started watching Doctor Who, my local PBS station would show them in order, but like so many others, it was Tom Baker, maybe some Davison, then some Pertwee, back to Tom Baker, ad infinitum.  Then when they finally got to the black and white stories they showed them in broadcast order, of course omitting any missing or partially missing stories. To my mind, I’ve seen the stories in order but it was literally decades ago. It was also with big gaping holes where the lost stories would be. Because of that, I wanted this re-watch to be as complete as possible. When I came to “Mission to the Unknown” (or “Dalek Cutaway” if you’re nasty) I considered watching it as a whole with “Masterplan” but, the pedantic part of my fannishness (oh like YOU don’t have a bit of it too!) wouldn’t let me.  Broadcast order prevailed and this one came before “The Myth Makers,” so I watched it first. Result? Allow me to continue…

          As a teaser episode, it actually works quite well.  There is no sign of the Doctor, the TARDIS, or anything the least bit familiar until we get a look at the Daleks towards the end of the episode. There are some unlikable space travelers, crash landed on a planet where one of them is slowly mutating. Yes I said unlikable. Even the nominal hero of the episode, Marc Cory is kind of a jerk. To be fair he’s a little less so when he reveals his true identity as a spy for the Space Security Agency. Then he kills the infected Lowery as he had already killed the earlier infected crewman. So, still kind of a hard chap to warm up to. 

          Terry Nation is writing pure Terry Nation here, even (especially?) with the absence of the TARDIS crew. I don’t expect Carl Sagan level science here, but the willy-nilly use of “galaxy” here is aggravatingly “Buck Rogers-y”. When the Daleks and their co-conspirators talk of “the Solar System”, meaning Earth’s, it is kind of grating. I’m pretty sure there is more than one solar system in our galaxy, let alone in all the other galaxies represented here. Nation can plot a story (OK, he can plot and re-use a plot) but his science is atrocious. 

          Visually, even with a reconstruction, the delegates are fascinating to watch. Like the Daleks, I wonder how much of their look was Nation’s description, and how much was the designer having fun.  I lean more towards the latter. Visually, great. Audibly? Well, according to my notes, “when the delegates all agree, they sound like Gumbies from Monty Python”. I’ll leave that at that.

          “Mission to the Unknown” is a teaser, and that’s all I can say about it.  It will be interesting for me to see how well it relates in two stories time when I reach “The Daleks’ Masterplan”. But before that happens, it’s time to rejoin the TARDIS and head to Ancient Greece…

NEXT EPISODE: The Myth Makers

"Mission to the Unknown" novelization cover, courtesy The TARDIS Data Core at tardis.wikia.com

 

Please leave comments if you could.  I'd really love some feedback.  Thanks!!