Starting to Catch Up.

[fangrrl_squees]

No, I haven't finished Torchwood, yet, but I just watched Partners in Crime.

It was... alright. There were some moments that were lovely and fun and everything I like about Doctor Who, and there were some moments that had my eyes rolling so hard, I'm surprised I didn't sprain something. Granted, a bit of eye-rolling goes with DW territory, in my opinion, but the line between traditional and too much was crossed more than once in this one.

It pains me to admit it, but the more RTD writes, the less I like what he's writing. The Mary-Sue thing? I accept that. The really treacly sentiment, the occasional fixation with baby-faced aliens and the handling (er, so to speak) of fat characters? Not so much. If nothing else, it's a bit bloody predictable.

I'm trying not to break out in a rash of political correctness, as the PC crowd are, forsooth, a dire and dreary bunch, but there's a point beyond which even I'm going to sigh and mutter, and I did it several times during this eps.

I want to say that Tennant's performance is getting predictable, but that's not quite correct. The pacing of The Doctor's reaction to whatever's going on in the story is getting predictable. 'Tain't the actor's fault. Methinks this is another one of those drawbacks of single-episode stories. Everything has to happen so quickly and certain things - emotional tropes or whathaveyou - tend to stick out.

Still, overall, the story was alright. Nothing ground-breaking, mind you, but alright. I liked the reference to the Shadow Proclamation, Donna's grandad, the concept of using another (sentient) species to perpetuate another and, oh yeah, Catherine Tate is remarkably bearable when she's not mugging at the camera. I'm going to make a point of rounding up all the DW/TW stories directed by James Strong because, if I remember aright, mugging is a common issue I've had with all of them - but I might just be feeling a bit uncharitable at the moment.

And, okay, yes, the Adipose were sort of cute, in a disturbing way. Points to Donna for "That's a change from last time" (reminds me of why my father gave up meat for a few years - the hypocrisy of not eating the cute animals - but that's another story)

I've got up through Planet of the Ood stored up on the DVR. I suppose I'll get around to catching up over the next few days, now that I've gotten started.

Comments

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

Methinks this is another one of those drawbacks of single-episode stories. Everything has to happen so quickly and certain things - emotional tropes or whathaveyou - tend to stick out.

Y'know?

I know what you're getting at. It's a little glaring for me in certain parts of the recently-aired "The [spoiler][spoiler]", but then again I don't know that expanding that story to a two-fer (the equivalent of a four-parter in the Classic Series) would've done it any favours.

[fangrrl-squees.livejournal.com]

*nod* That's a fair point. Dragging out the stories would not improve them.

But something's not going well when I nudge my husband and say "Ah, the Doctor has reached the quietly warning of dire consequences which he won't let happen portion of the story."

Okay, so maybe some of it is Tennant's performance. There are certain habits (physical and emotional) that an actor can fall into, for good and ill, and maybe his characterization has picked up a few. I wouldn't be terribly surprised, tho', if the no-doubt-breakneck pace of production doesn't give any of the talent much time to review and revise such things.

(meanwhile, I'm cheerfully wincing as I remember my old acting teacher threatening ot break my right arm if I didn't drop a physical habit I'd picked up during improv and could not quit. Oy... There's a reason I didn't act after college. ;))

[trystbat.livejournal.com]

It introduced Donna better than I thot it would, I'll give the ep. that. Let's face it, the first w/the new companion in the new era is All About Her, & Partners did a decent job of making Donna more agreeable than she was in Runaway Bride. The Doctor was kind of second banana.

Ditto on Adipose being cute/disturbing tho.

I think the pairing is building up well thru Pompeii & Ood. Of course, I have been thoroughly sick of the mushy lovestruck Rose & post-Rose matchup, so it's refreshing to see a good old-fashioned platonic Doctor/Companion relationship ;-)

[fangrrl-squees.livejournal.com]

Partners did a decent job of making Donna more agreeable than she was in Runaway Bride

v. true, that. I didn't warm up to her TRB until, oh, the last five minutes or so...

I've been noticing a lot of positive comments about the Doctor/Donna dynamic, and I'm quite pleased to see 'em. As for what I'll think about it as I catch up with the show... well, y'all will be the first to know. ;)

[praedestinatio.livejournal.com]

The adipose disgusted me the first time I saw it. Then I saw it again w/ my family and thought "Huh... they're kind of cute..." and after I watched it again w/ my friend.. I made one >.>

[fangrrl-squees.livejournal.com]

I saw all the crafty patterns for home-made adipose popping up (ahem) all over the place. I can't say I was surprised. :)

[praedestinatio.livejournal.com]

I don't follow Who comms other than dw_cosplay but I rather expected them to be everywhere by now 8D

It's just so... squishy 8D;;;;

[fangrrl-squees.livejournal.com]

*nods*

I fully expect licensed versions made out of some sort of memory foam to be released any day now...