Doctor WOW!!

[Picture: Billie Piper's back on Doctor Who - as a character in the Doc's journal! How unbearably (bitter-)sweet!]

...first; pardon my inconsistent babble, but I am now completely taken aback after having watched this week's Doctor Who-episode, which was in a word extraordinary! So...different, and original; shocking (Doctor snogging someone that is neither Rose nor Martha, and we can accept it?!...gosh) and funny, yet absolutely gripping; entertaining, scary, silly, magnificent! I must confess, I had almost given up on the whole series after 4 very poor episodes in a row, worst occurence of writing-trouble since the 70's, including the wobbly sets, and last week's massive blunder in particular - the previously mentioned, aggrievating Impossible Planet-spoof that was "42". It almost made me as angry as "Love and Monsters", and that's saying a little - especially because the Impossible Planet and its second half, the Satan Pit, were two of my favourite Ten/Rose-episodes with my definitive favourite Ten/Rose-moments...*sob*...of well. But then, yesterday they chose to give us this amazing treat - episode 8, "Human nature", beautiful storyline, Martha showing off some skills, AND a long-awaited new Rose-reference. A pretty sweet one, too. [See picture above.] Guess who was just in tears; frantically rewinding the clip, repeating it over and over again, and basically...sniffing and smiling over a simple drawing of a severely missed time travelling shop girl. The only companion worthy of a special mentioning - yess! - and next, the look on Martha's face as the Doctor spoke of Rose...precious...Go Billie! but look what you're doing to me! The episode, as a whole, left me with an almost new-found love for this Season of Doctor Who; the numerous flashbacks, these paintings - recollecting old episodes, brilliant! - Murray Gold's superb music (love that man), these prophecies, the sadness, the whole...philosophy; Time Lords and Gallifrey (he said it! again!) and mystery and Time Travel and nicey clockwork, nicey symbols, even Paul McGann (!!!) was in it, and everything else that we (I) adore...Man, what a start of the day. (Ok, I didn't watch it on TV. I don't have any bleeding access. Frustrating. And suspicious...? Njeee....) Did I mention it was beautiful? And Jessica Stevenson, too, what a woman. She can act! Her, and that darling boy from Love Actually; Thomas Sangster, Liam Neeson's "son" - who gets to play a hero. Whoo-ray! A bit far out, perhaps, to be so emotionally atatched to a television show. But that's what WHO is for, getting us all engaged and jumping. Back behind the sofa! - and back to the old traditions and qualities. That's my favourite show - that's more like it, yeah! ;) Good work, Paul Cornell... And David Tennant - never thought I'd say this, again - luvya, Doc!

OK, calm and collected, let's be more sensible. Here's a very sense...full summary of the plot. Well, almost. It does have some personal comments.

The episode as such is about The Doctor's attempt to escape from the villaneous Family of Blood through taking on a human form - literally becoming human; removing one of his two hearts and worse - with Martha bound to improvise her way through working as his maid. Of course, being Tennant's servant isn't a walk in the park - after all, he can be pretty rude and unpredictable; difficult to handle the sudden ideas that man might come up with. Like falling in love with a human, more specifically a school nurse. Soon, problems abound, and the future of the future is at stake. Martha is watching from the side in desapir as The Doctor becomes school teacher John Smith and blacks out his memory, in a very painfull process that must have been incredibly frightening to watch for small children; parents, hereafter beware! Consequently, the Doctor's true identity only features in his dreams - which he, again, cannot really comprehend as a convincing, unsuspecting John Smith. He is a "normal guy", leading a perfectly average life in the English country side, except terror is lurking - in the shape of this horrid family of THREAT! - and Martha is now the only one left to save the world, by reminding Mr. Smith of who he actually is and having him return to his old self. Her only asset is a list of instructions from the Doc, and the TARDIS, which both prove somewhat insufficient. For what are the consequences to such decisions, made by a man like him, due to trying to save himself and his friend - won't there always be some traces in the wake of a human life, some loose ends left to be tied up? Things get awfully complicated as the Doc gets much more than he bargained for, and the human mind takes some new turns of its own - which neither of the two travellers had predicted... And the creepy family discovers who he is, then aim for the core of his human emotions; the two women he is supposed to protect from all harm. I look forward to the newxt episode - with nail-biting eagerness - and rejoice in the restoration of great cliffhangers to the greatest sci-fi show on earth. And now, we'll be pleased to see Captain Jack reappear - cos he's got promising prospects! Whoooohooo!

And by the by-way; went to bed rather early last night, and naturally I then couldn't sleep, so I turned on the TV and what did I see? Well, David Tennant! As "Casanova"! So, for once, I'll actually thank Norwegian TV-channels for their crazy conclusion that broadcasting the créme de la créme of BBC-programmes is best done in the late hours of the night. Thus, the bored and not-tired-enough Scara can waste some time in bed watching Tennant making a charmeur out of his clumsy self in RTD's writing, together with the entire Who-cast, to the tunes of Murray Gold, isn't it just wonderful, and in addition - with wide-screen quality! Unlike my first viewing of this series, which was on blurry youtube...!

And a P.S. - which is just a thought...showing the Doctor getting married and having babies; isn't that kind of controversial, in a Doctor Who-context? Considering the show's history of the Time Lord's being almost asexual? Seems he's been falling in love quite often during these "new series", and it has never been taken further than in yesterday's adventure. On the other hand, come to think about it, Susan was a close relative, Romana was (presumably) his girlfriend, there was the offspring-remark in "Fear Her", et cetera, and - the classic story of Madame the Pompadour... Oh, but I can't say anything about her without making witty remarks at the expense of one Sophia Myles, so I'd rather drop it...hoho...talking about mixing business with pleasure...okey, that's enough, anyway! Rose was of course the Love of his Life and Martha's a flirtatious little Devil he apparently can't reject, so why can't his human version fall for a lovable, middle-aged earthling named Joan? Hmmm... Still, I won't be surprised if it causes some voices to cry in upset, for it IS a bit of a radical twist. Funny thing is, I like it - despite being a Rose+Ten-shipper who'll hate anyone daring enough to challenge that relationship. Maybe it's because I was so blinded by the Rose-reference, I didn't really notice what came after that. Or maybe I simply realized that this teacher man is NOT the Doctor, he is John Smith, and however much he dates and dances and doodles around, it's all on false premises and he won't remember shite afterwards. Poor man, it isn't easy being a hero. And poor Joan, for that matter, I wonder how this can possibly end. NOT very happily, I guess. "They always survive, while I lose everything" - too true - cos any relationship he enters into seems to be doomed. After all, the Doctor only has one constant companion, and that is Death. (Quotes 3.4 and 1.1) Aaaargh, another soppy finalé! Can't be healthy...and who am I to be wanting Rose back, I'd be crying even more! Torture...self-inflicted...and I do enjoy it!