The End of Time, pt. 2

[rm]

If given what we were given in part 1, this was pretty close to what I would have done with part 2. That's a little goddamn weird.

1. The redemption of the Master was AWESOME. I do have to confess I was disappointed we didn't get any Harold SAxon-esque musical numbers this time though. I LOVED that.

2. Also, yes, thank you for dialing back on the cracky.

3. The performances were great. Just people's eyes. The Doctor (more bondage for the win!) and the Master specifically.

4. The Doctor's utter love and admiration for the Master.

5. Rose, returned, again -- in a way that didn't suck or lessen the impact of the Rose narrative. Win.

6. Jesus fucking Christ the Weeping Angels reference. Oh god, they are something horrible related to the Time Lords. Oh god oh god oh god. These things get WORSE AND WORSE and I'm writing a story about them EATING JACK'S EYES.

7. So let's talk about this Jack thing.

I think it was adorable and interesting and thorny and I loved it. We don't know how long it's been since CoE. We don't know if he's still grieving or is having a bad night after he's mostly over it or what.

We don't know if the Doctor is getting Jack laid or if the Doctor is telling Jack something bigger with "His name is Alonso." What does the pronoun stand for? "The guy who's about to sit down next to you" or "the guy that's going to help you heal" or "the next person you're going to fall in love with"?

It's wonderfully open-ended, and because Alonso is young and has a lot of similar features to Ianto (personality and facial), it creates a lot of potential issues for the fannish mind to consider -- does Jack fuck him then freak out? Do they get into a several week fling and Alonso can see that Jack is broken about something and asks? Do they get into a relationship and Jack eventually explains and then hey have lots of fights because Jack isn't seeing Alonso but Ianto?

These are all MARVELOUS questions, but they also don't address the way this moment also speaks wonderfully to the Jack/Doctor relationship. Is this an apology from Ten? Or a recognition that Jack is in pain? Is he telling Jack to get on with things? Is he giving him permission? How much knowledge is this gesture made with? And look at Jack, after everything, taking it and latching on to it.

I know a lot of people don't like Barrowman's performance in this moment or the way the direction was handled, but I loved it -- it was like someone using muscles they are out of practice with -- look at Jack, nervous and overcompensating and unsure and a little queasy -- we haven't seen this since he asks Ianto on a date in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and those were different wounds.

Look, people, I thought it was AWESOME.

8. Time Lords blow.

9. Wilf! We all love Wilf, but I also love the function Wilf serves. Doctor Who does a lot of romanticizing of war, but it also spends a lot of time trying to de-romanticize it in various ways. Wilf is the quietest of these ways, the most ordinary, and I think the writing there is consistently spectacular.

10. Ten saying goodbye to all those companions. And them sensing it, somehow. Great great great.

11. Martha & Mickey -- WTF? I'm so WTF the on this. We liked Tom; Martha liked Tom, and I like Mickey (and he looks GREAT with the facial hair) but I'm Just Not Getting that. WHAT THE FUCK? WHAT THE FUCK? WHAT THE FUCK FUCK FUCK WAS THAT? Also what were they doing? Are they rogue Torchwood agents now? WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT? AAAAAAAARGH!!!

12. The Ood. The Ood may be one of the best things the new series has brought us. So lovely, so elegant. And the line about the story. ALL TIMES ARE NOW, MOTHERFUCKERS. Ood!

13. So, Matt Smith, eh? I don't even watch old Who and I feel like we're in for a real throwback with Eleven. Very mad and wacky. It could work. But it's the human interactions that make this show go for me, so until he's saving the world, until he's sad, until he's running from himself, I won't really have a verdict.

Comments

[rednwhiterose.livejournal.com]

Re: 11

I heard about that and I did a OMGWTFAREYOUSERIOUS?!!?!?! Then I realized that was RTD having his final "I'm going to make everything bright and cherry and sunshiny and happy for all the characters I created because this is my last hurrah so there :OP *ptttt*" Not sure how I feel about that completely (post-knee jerk reaction that is). I will say I'm tired of the RTD related drama and am so ready for Stephen Moffat and his band of awesome stories.

[logansrogue.livejournal.com]

Oh, Word in Word Pie with a side dish of Word with Word goulash.

I'm sick of my favourite tv shows ripping my heart out. That is not entertainment.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Oh hell, when Wilf knocked four times in the radiation booth - Elayna and I both gasped "Oh, Wilf!" Oh, Wilf. Oh, no. That's going to leave a mark.

And speaking of Wilf, oh, I love him so much. Love the Master's redemption, yes. But I had a running internal narrative of "oh, Wilf, I love you" the whole time.

I was tearing up from the moment poor Wilf knocked onward. (And that was so well-done, that feeling that the Doctor was going to get to live, and then the knocking and the oh-shit SILENCE.) But the tears hit when Ood Sigma said "We will sing to you." I kinda have a thing abut that - I want to be sung to when I go, if possible, and chances are high that it will be sudden and I won't get that. But if we know it's coming. That is actually in the instructions for the family, the singing.

I, too, was like "DUDE WEEPING ANGELS."

And I loved the Jack bar scene. Tipsy Adipose!

[laufeyette.livejournal.com]

4. OTP.

6. *shudders*

7. So cute! Also, the Doctor already knew Alonso (Voyage of the Damned).

11. I assume Martha hooked him up with a UNIT position, and that this scene was a healthy bit (possibly years) removed from where we left them in Journey's End.

All of my thoughts (and some pics) are here. Tl;dr: I LOVED IT!

*happy sigh*

[rm.livejournal.com]

I'm now going to have to re-watch Voyage of the Damned, which I don't like that much, just to get a better handle on Alonso. We can assume this was after that, because Alonso looks like he needs a drink -- but hadn't he been shot? I gotta figure out the recovery time of the future.

[dr-is-in.livejournal.com]

I was very WTF about Mickey & Martha. But after watching it? I can see it, especially if it was Journeys End that brought them together.

But it does almost have this undercurrent of RTD throwing together the girl he rejected for Rose's memory with the man Rose rejected for him.

[rm.livejournal.com]

See, and I saw it through the lens of Doctor Who and the Doomed Interracial Relationships.

[therealycats.livejournal.com]

I really dislike the Mickey/Martha pairing. I love both characters, and I'm glad they're both happy, because they deserve to be happy, but the implication is that Martha left her fiance for Mickey, and that...that makes her just like Rose, and I really, really hate that.

[bodlon.livejournal.com]

I have said a great many things about RTD and endings, and many of them are critical and/or unkind. I may have needed martinis after the end of Doctor Who S3. And I won't take any of those things back, but I'm going to say that he completely nailed it tonight. I'm...you know, I'm happy.

6. Not just the Weeping Angels, but gloves.

7. I loved it. LOVED IT. I mean, damn. I ship that all over the place, and near-instantaneously. I think it's a lot of things all at once, and I think Ten is looking out for both of them because they've got qualities that could make them each a good thing for the other.

7a. Also, how marvelous and significant is it to have two gay actors playing these characters, and for it to be awesome and acceptable?

9. I thought that was absolutely amazing. And fuck almighty, I love Bernard Cribbins. Superlative.

9a. I was joking a little while back (like, weeks ago) to someone about RTD's saying the knocking prophecy wasn't what people thought it would be, and was all, "It's Wilf!" Because, you know, he was the last person you'd think.

9b. And HOLY CRAP, TEN BORROWED A POUND FROM DONNA'S DEAD FATHER TO BUY A LOTTERY TICKET.

10. This was beautiful. Not just saying goodbye, but doing it at significant times, or in times of need. This was the closure I was fearing we wouldn't get, and it was brilliant.

11. I was dead surprised to see Noel Clarke in there. He'd been all "Oh, I'm not in the Christmas episode," and threw me off the scent. Tricksy. I have a theory on the Martha/Mickey thing, mainly that it all goes down after The Stolen Earth because of Jack, but I'm still pretty WTF about Tom Milligan. What did he do?! He was lovely, and Martha wanted to be normal and things! Also, Freema looks badass with braids.

12. Ood <3

13. Eleven's doing the "WHEEE! CRAZY REGENERATED TIME LORD!" thing, and I heard a rumor they're going a little bit Five with it (i.e. something's a bit off), but we'll see. We only get a glimpse of him, so yeah. No verdict. Also, I love how he's got more bulk than Tennant and it showed in the clothes.

[rm.livejournal.com]

7a. I HAD NO IDEA THAT IS SO AWESOME. I'd actually love for Jack and Alonso to be an ongoing story line for TW, S4 if they address some of the many issues that could be going on there.

[(Anonymous)]

ハネムーンに行って、お部屋で写真を撮ってもいいけど。
かなりファンキーなお部屋だけど、家族を招待して
結婚式する？

[darthhellokitty.livejournal.com]

Easy for YOU to say.

[wednesday]

I'm frustrated right now, because I'm doing my standard spoiler-gathering before watching the episode tomorrow? And after sifting through the post-first run British wave of "THE DETAILS! AND OH MY GOD THE OTHER DETAILS!" on fora, etc., finally getting to a detailed recap?

I'm seeing a lot of things which could be reffing G1 Transformers, and I can't decide whether those streams should cross.

Stupid geek brain, all cross-referencing the wrong things. I have no slash powers anymore. I just have robot-seeing powers.

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

6. The idea that the Weeping Angels are related to the Time Lords is squicky -- but I could see the Old Time (Rassillon era) Time Lords making biological weapons like that. The two dissidents' pose makes me think it's some sort of formal ritual of sorrow that they're enacting.

8. That the Doctor found his own people so monstrous that he would commit genocide against them is just so horrific and sad.

9. Wilf was awesome. A former soldier who never used his weapon but always remembered his service -- it makes sense that he's the Doctor's Companion for this.

12. The Ood are *lovely* -- pacifist, kind and full of compassion.

13. The Doctor is always bugfuck crazy right after his regeneration. He usually has a Companion or three to keep him from walking into heavy machinery.

[logansrogue.livejournal.com]

Dude, Four was a complete nutjob after his regeneration. The costume change scene alone was bizarre. Only Tom Baker could have pulled that off.

I just think it was weird in contrast with RTD's signature angst.

[tod-hollykim.livejournal.com]

Oh, gods, why do I gotta wait until tomorrow to see this??!??!?

It's worse cause I thought it was Saturday earlier today and we could see it tonight. Then it dawned on me it was Friday and I was bummed.

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

I loved the Alonso moment for similar reasons... it's so open-ended and a bit lovely! Not the least reason because the Doctor sent that note over. It was just, I don't know... I loved seeing Jack smile. &hearts.

Thoughts on the rest after I rewatch. I had a jumpy download!

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it was good to see him smile again -- and I loved how he looked shocked that he was smiling.

Ten always gave Jack grief about his fondness for sex and what not... it was nice to see him be all "go for it" especially after all their being sorta into each other but totally not at all people who could ever be together shit.

[elionwyr.livejournal.com]

Still watching but oh Jack and Weeping Angels - that makes the bit in the Doctor Who Adventure Calendar make much more sense.

(Watching the Who marathon today made me think that RTD really really needs to get over the glove fetish.)

ETA: Did you play Doctor Who Bingo?
http://io9.com/5436831/play-along-at-home-doctor-who-end-of-time-bingo-cards

[jigglykat.livejournal.com]

I thought Midshipman Frame (I can't call him Alonso... he'll always be MIDSHIPMAN FRAAAAAAAAAAAME <-- yes, said exactly like that) and Jack was sweet, especially since the Doctor was the one sending the note over. He's always been trying to keep Jack on a short leash with his flirting, so it was nice to see him be all somewhat gung-ho for once.

BTW, Russell Tovey is awesome in "Being Human", if you haven't seen that.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Can I just say.... how many minutes until a billion shitty fics where Jack calls Midshipman Frame "Al" -- five? six?

[kel-reiley.livejournal.com]

7. FUCK YES THIS!

11. i'm thinking it was several years in the future for those two, that's the only way it works for me

[logansrogue.livejournal.com]

Oh dude, you're not the only one. I grieved Tom Baker for years and years and I'm afraid I'll be the same with Tennant.

[thunderemerald.livejournal.com]

7. I also wondered how far into the future Jack was. I mean, the Doctor traveled back for Rose, so why couldn't he have found Jack several hundred years into the future, as easily as a few months? Either way, I thought it was awesome too.

13. No verdict here either, but when we first saw Ten, he was off his nut too, so hey!

[aviv-b.livejournal.com]

Weren't Tom and Martha on their Honeymoon during Coe?? WTF - did he die or did RTD just decide to hell with cannon, let's put the two black characters togehter, that'll be nice.

[lawsontl.livejournal.com]

They don't actually say. Jack just says she's on holiday, and Gwen simply says she's on her honeymoon. Everyone assumed it was Tom because the last time we all knew anything about her relationship status, she was ENGAGED to Tom. Safe assumption, apparently wrong. Ginormous plot problems, FTW!

[tommx.livejournal.com]

With regard to Martha and Mickey,

The only thing I can think, and I have to hope this is the reason...they couldn't get the actor who played Tom Milligan back maybe?

Either way, it's nice to see Mickey getting properly laid finally.

[moljn.livejournal.com]

I don't know anything about the actor, but somehow I doubt he was all that busy, you know? (checks IMDB) Okay, he seems to have had a nice bit of work for 2009, so it's possible there were scheduling conflicts.

Even so, I imagine they threw Martha and Mickey together in part to save time (and maybe get Mickey in there at all) and I wouldn't have minded that, but the married thing was really superfluous.

But the thing that pissed me off about Martha/Mickey was the credits, in which Martha is Smith-Jones, but Mickey is plain Smith. Frankly, if they had to go there, I'd have prefered just Smith; the other feels like a token effort, and a half-assed one at that.

Uhm, sorry for the novel.

[tree00faery.livejournal.com]

Gah. I just finished it. My main thoughts are mostly "argh, so good!" and "Ten you are so wonderful". I also really liked the Jack/Alonso thing. And Ten borrowing money from Donna's dad! To buy a lottery ticket! And oh man, the weeping angels. I paused it and had a moment of "WHAT?" when I heard that. I was kind of confused when we first saw Martha and Mickey. Actually, I am still kind of confused. Not sure what is up with that...

But mostly, I'm just really happy. I actually really enjoyed it - mostly because of Ten and the Master. So much slash potential! And the Master being finally redeemed was gorgeous and lovely.

Also, I think I am in love with David Tennant's eyes. Just saying.

[elionwyr.livejournal.com]

Allow me to crack my virtual knuckles for juuuust a second.

The woman in white - one of the aforementioned Time Lords - is not credited with a character name beyond 'the woman.'

However.

The ever lovely ysobelle posted a link to this article months ago.

And I quote:

"This week it was revealed that veteran actress Claire Bloom will appear in a cameo role as The Doctor's mother.

BOOYA! Fear our geekiness!

Now, if somehow the Doctor's mum ends up being connected to the Weeping Angels? Oh Moffat, you *are* an evil son of a gun..

ETA: Also? I feel like this gives us more of a clue stick as to why Barrowman narrated this.

[laufeyette.livejournal.com]

This week it was revealed that veteran actress Claire Bloom will appear in a cameo role as The Doctor's mother.

WOW. My fiance's guess was that these were the Doctor's parents. Wonder if we'll ever get back to that.

[darthhellokitty.livejournal.com]

I loved it!

Among many other things - so, so glad to see Jack sitting in the Star Wars cantina, as the Doctor sets him up with his friend. Fuck mourning the Janto forever. Jack's living forever. Let him have a life.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

7. My take on this was that if Jack's is going to be forever, he needs to learn how to move on after horrific losses. And who better to teach him how to do that than this Doctor?

[chaos-by-design.livejournal.com]

Quite true!

[lefaym.livejournal.com]

I think I really loved the Alonso thing too, for all the reasons you mentioned, but FUCK, IT HURTS SO MUCH.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Good Lord you get a lot of comments...! However, hope you don't mind me adding mine!

I found it amusing that the Doctor bothered to send Jack a note about that. It's not like Harkness would ever need help with his chat up lines!

I missed the weeping angel thing, will have to watch it again now.

Wilf was brilliant. What they could have done - seeing as how Cribbins played a companion in The Doctor Who Does Not Exist film (Peter Cushing) was to have some fun with it, and have Wilf suddenly realise he'd met the doctor before, perhaps lost his memory, changed his name - and then the Doctor said "Yes - but no. That wasn't actually me. Bit of a timey-wimey mix up. We don't talk about it."

I think Smith will be superb - he already (as you pointed out) reminds me of previous doctors, Peter Davison and Sylvester McCoy, particuarly - just in that small piece.

I was vastly OMG with Martha and Mickey too. I thought Martha was engaged, but didn't think it was to Mickey - and wasn't Mickey on a parallel world?

[yendi]

I found it amusing that the Doctor bothered to send Jack a note about that. It's not like Harkness would ever need help with his chat up lines!

The Doctor wasn't just doing it for Jack; he wanted to make sure that Jack specifically chatted up Alonso, as he was also looking out for him.

[pocketmouse]

DOCTORS THAT MOSTLY DIE FROM RADIATION.

I'M JUST SAYIN'.

*cough*

Also, I think we're meant to infer that we're seeing Jack recently after he's left Earth in CoE, because of his clothing. I'm not sure how recently, but I feel that if he was going out there for good, he'd be running, and he'd therefore change his look. I could see him being in a fit of melancholy and pulling the old gear out, but I think we're supposed to think that it's relatively soon after. And I love that he didn't move towards the Doctor at all. But I don't like that he started up his conversation with Alonso with, essentially, a lie.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Actually the radiation thing really struck me too, because it's just more evidence of a the sort of cold-war scar that runs through RTD's work. It interests me, as it's both the central horror of my childhood and a forgotten one.

Eh, a lie but a pick up line tends to go like that... and it's a long story to explain and Jack's never been forthcoming. And, honestly, though it's not terrible relevant here, despite the statement, Jack _does_ arguably have some limited psychic skill because dude, why was his mind the only one the pendant didn't work on in GBG? So that's always been out there.