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Doctor Who: Finale reaction post
There was neither the great love or hate of last season's ending, because I was far less invested, both because of Martha and the Master. I like Donna, but I was neither in love nor did I identify with her, as I was/did with Martha. And the build up of the Master (and John Simm being awesome) fueled my interest (and allowed the colossal stupid of JesusFairy!Doctor to affect me more than it should have).
That said, it was enjoyable, though there were a few rather upsetting developments.
The Rose/human!Ten thing smacked of fan service and something else I've noticed about this series: an inability (or unwillingness) to admit to the darker side of the solutions the writers come up with. (See: Owen the date-rapist.) Now, perhaps that is a fault of perception on my part, as they are finally addressing the Doctor's genocidal tendencies and a few times this season dared ask the question "Why should we listen to him?" But I'm never certain who's side we're supposed to be on: are the writers actually addressing those issues, or are we supposed to scoff at those raising them? That's a simplistic formulation, and I know it's more complicated than that. But I'm often not sure.
Anyway, the Rose ending seems like dessert for the Doctor/Rose shippers, which I'm against not in favor of another ship (I don't really have many OTPs in general) but because it seems so blatant. At the same time, as![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
tkp pointed out, it's okay that he thinks she's more important than any other companion ever. I was just always bothered by the feeling I had that the writers thought so, too. And while I don't dislike Rose, I often felt that the writers were biased. But then, so am I, obviously.
Combining everyone at the end, here, did mitigate some of that concern, in the sense that Rose and Martha had some mutual admiration (I so long for them to actually meet and talk) and Sarah Jane was there and thank goodness, Jackie and Mickey got some action. I missed them, and I was tickled to see them back. (Another longed-for meeting: the Doctor and Luke.)
But back to human!Doctor. Yes, they address the fact that this is Time War shellshock!Doctor, which is lovely. But it also, as I thought it would, absolves real!Doctor from having to deal with killing the Dalek race, while I don't know what his solution would have been. What alternative are we given? It seems to me that human!Doctor was created in order to pawn the guilt off on someone else, while still having the dirty work done. Yes, the Doctor creates killers, and it was invigorating to have that voiced. But how many of his plans depend on his companions and their oh-so-human impulses? What would he have done? Did he have a plan? What would he do next him the Dalek's invaded, which looked to be scheduled for the next day?
Rose will have to deal with him, and while at the time I was groaning inwardly at the fanservice element, I now feel like something fairly awesome could be done in fic. But that's just it--this feels like fanfic. And I am guessing that the majority of it is going to ignore the problems inherent in this aberrant creation, ignore the fact that no one asked Rose (or human!Doctor) what she wanted (though he seems willing enough, I suppose), ignore the way that "real life" is going to alter things for both of them and their relationship.
The other issue I had was with Donna's fate. Which, yes, I can excuse canonically if everything the Doctor says is true. But oh my god, it seems like the worst fate! Not materially, and not if I was her mum or grandfather or daughter or girlfriend. Obviously, I don't want people dead if the choice is amnesia. But in another sense, it seems crueler than death. Donna has had this amazing adventure, this life-changing experience that made her so much more than she was. That is to say, made her realize the gifts that she had. Which isn't to say I think they exploited her arc as well as they could have, but still. I get what they were going for. And she, of all of the (new) companions, needed that. The Donna on the phone at the end was... well, she was uninteresting. Maybe she'll make something of herself--maybe some residual adventure will be left that doesn't require chasing after an alien benefactor. And I'm still having trouble coming to terms with the Doctor doing that to her. It's horrifying, the power he has, and while the show has recently addressed some of that anxiety I have about him, there's still that element of him knowing best and doing best (unless, of course, doing requires killing, in which case he allows it to be done for him. He deposed Harriet Jones. He could stop UNIT, or Torchwood, if he really wanted.) that even when it's true should make one wonder.
This got more passionate than I intended, but I just got to thinking. Overall, none of the highs and lows last season put me through, despite the fact that Martha's fate is the "best" of all of them. That just goes to show what identification can do for your experience. I'm very much looking forward to Sarah Jane Adventures starting up again, so I'll have something consistently decent in the DW universe to watch.
That said, it was enjoyable, though there were a few rather upsetting developments.
The Rose/human!Ten thing smacked of fan service and something else I've noticed about this series: an inability (or unwillingness) to admit to the darker side of the solutions the writers come up with. (See: Owen the date-rapist.) Now, perhaps that is a fault of perception on my part, as they are finally addressing the Doctor's genocidal tendencies and a few times this season dared ask the question "Why should we listen to him?" But I'm never certain who's side we're supposed to be on: are the writers actually addressing those issues, or are we supposed to scoff at those raising them? That's a simplistic formulation, and I know it's more complicated than that. But I'm often not sure.
Anyway, the Rose ending seems like dessert for the Doctor/Rose shippers, which I'm against not in favor of another ship (I don't really have many OTPs in general) but because it seems so blatant. At the same time, as
tkp pointed out, it's okay that he thinks she's more important than any other companion ever. I was just always bothered by the feeling I had that the writers thought so, too. And while I don't dislike Rose, I often felt that the writers were biased. But then, so am I, obviously.Combining everyone at the end, here, did mitigate some of that concern, in the sense that Rose and Martha had some mutual admiration (I so long for them to actually meet and talk) and Sarah Jane was there and thank goodness, Jackie and Mickey got some action. I missed them, and I was tickled to see them back. (Another longed-for meeting: the Doctor and Luke.)
But back to human!Doctor. Yes, they address the fact that this is Time War shellshock!Doctor, which is lovely. But it also, as I thought it would, absolves real!Doctor from having to deal with killing the Dalek race, while I don't know what his solution would have been. What alternative are we given? It seems to me that human!Doctor was created in order to pawn the guilt off on someone else, while still having the dirty work done. Yes, the Doctor creates killers, and it was invigorating to have that voiced. But how many of his plans depend on his companions and their oh-so-human impulses? What would he have done? Did he have a plan? What would he do next him the Dalek's invaded, which looked to be scheduled for the next day?
Rose will have to deal with him, and while at the time I was groaning inwardly at the fanservice element, I now feel like something fairly awesome could be done in fic. But that's just it--this feels like fanfic. And I am guessing that the majority of it is going to ignore the problems inherent in this aberrant creation, ignore the fact that no one asked Rose (or human!Doctor) what she wanted (though he seems willing enough, I suppose), ignore the way that "real life" is going to alter things for both of them and their relationship.
The other issue I had was with Donna's fate. Which, yes, I can excuse canonically if everything the Doctor says is true. But oh my god, it seems like the worst fate! Not materially, and not if I was her mum or grandfather or daughter or girlfriend. Obviously, I don't want people dead if the choice is amnesia. But in another sense, it seems crueler than death. Donna has had this amazing adventure, this life-changing experience that made her so much more than she was. That is to say, made her realize the gifts that she had. Which isn't to say I think they exploited her arc as well as they could have, but still. I get what they were going for. And she, of all of the (new) companions, needed that. The Donna on the phone at the end was... well, she was uninteresting. Maybe she'll make something of herself--maybe some residual adventure will be left that doesn't require chasing after an alien benefactor. And I'm still having trouble coming to terms with the Doctor doing that to her. It's horrifying, the power he has, and while the show has recently addressed some of that anxiety I have about him, there's still that element of him knowing best and doing best (unless, of course, doing requires killing, in which case he allows it to be done for him. He deposed Harriet Jones. He could stop UNIT, or Torchwood, if he really wanted.) that even when it's true should make one wonder.
This got more passionate than I intended, but I just got to thinking. Overall, none of the highs and lows last season put me through, despite the fact that Martha's fate is the "best" of all of them. That just goes to show what identification can do for your experience. I'm very much looking forward to Sarah Jane Adventures starting up again, so I'll have something consistently decent in the DW universe to watch.
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That sounds really dramatic.