Well, it was so obviously a *kid* thing - and SJA was all about the kiddie fears - freaky things that move, abandonment, etc.
As the "family" show it was a shallow plot with too many holes and handwaves. An alien out of nowhere? Who's beneficial except when he's wishing people into the cornfield dollhouse?
It started well, I thought, but then the middle went on for ages and didn't add any new twists, and then the ending (which needed all the time they spent on the middle part) was too rushed.
You just put your finger on it. Thank you--I was having trouble getting out what about it just didn't work for me. It was well-executed, but I feel absolutely no need to watch it again. I just don't need my points hammered home with that big a hammer.
Hrm. I still don't think Matt can really pull off dark and ancient. I really hope they go back to Shakespearean training for Twelve; it really shows in the performance.
I just don't need my points hammered home with that big a hammer.
I know some people feel that way about Matt Smith. I have to disagree. No I'm not going to debate it, I know better than to think I'm going to convince any of you. :-)
Definitely a bit juvenile - though I didn't hate it as much as last week's. However, it would have been better placed earlier in this season - or are they really trying to convince viewers that Amy and Rory simply don't care about their baby any more?
And did the plot, with the scared kid making weird things happen, remind anyone else of Fear Her?
Rather a choice between a stale sandwich and a moldy one, IMO. Neither of those episodes was much to write home about.
(I rather assume that the swap happened so they could use the space pirates in A Good Man Goes to War; a council kid and his daddy wouldn't have been able to kick ass the same way at Demon's Run.)
And did the plot, with the scared kid making weird things happen, remind anyone else of Fear Her?
And the Twilight Zone with the cornfield, and The Rocking Horse Winner, and... it's a really old storyline that's quite threadbare unless handled with more finesse than given. It could have had so much more power if aimed directly at children.
It could have had more power if Matt had the chops to really sound ancient and dark too, but even if he'd pulled off the "look into my eyes" speech to my satisfaction, it wouldn't have fixed the handwavy, poorly-paced plotting.
I notice that several other people - around my flist and the Daily - have drawn comparisons to Fear Her, so it's not just me thinking it's similar. But, yes, there were so many clichés in there.
And I do agree with you about Matt Smith, but you know that - and I've got to the point where I can barely watch him without wincing. I should really just stop, but I'm still a DW fan (just not a fan of the current incarnation, or of the accoutrements), and it's hard not to watch when new canon is being created. I'm just hoping Twelve comes along sooner rather than later, and that no current companions tag along at that point.
That would've worked better if Moffat had written it.
The old lady and the landlord were nothing more than stereotypes and filler. And it was obvious from the moment Amy spotted the not-copper pan where they were. And the Doctor took a bloody long time to spot the wife's lack of a bump - I noticed it and we barely saw the photos initially.
I don't know if Moffat could have done much. Helped the pacing, which needed it, but if the underlying message was still going to be A Boy Needs His Daddy's Unconditional Love (or he'll terrorize the neighborhood), then there wasn't much of a foundation to build on. The Twilight Zone did that plot better and scarier back in the 60s.
SJA, on the other hand, was all about families being broken up and childhood fears; it would have been perfect. Clyde could have told the boy that his father left him and things were (relatively) okay; Sarah Jane could have gotten in the lecture about how aliens are people too.
I do think that one thing Moffat would (likely) have contributed (which would have made a big difference for me, anyway) would have been a better connection between the Doctor and the little boy--because "hey look, I can make toys move" was disappointing. So can batteries.
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As the "family" show it was a shallow plot with too many holes and handwaves. An alien out of nowhere? Who's beneficial except when he's wishing people into the
cornfielddollhouse?no subject
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Yes, THIS! And the father got over the idea of housing a demonstrably dangerous alien pretty fast.
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Hrm. I still don't think Matt can really pull off dark and ancient. I really hope they go back to Shakespearean training for Twelve; it really shows in the performance.
I just don't need my points hammered home with that big a hammer.
YES!
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Gatiss does have his grasp on horror tropes, though, so I have hopes for his upcoming Sherlock story.
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And did the plot, with the scared kid making weird things happen, remind anyone else of Fear Her?
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(I rather assume that the swap happened so they could use the space pirates in A Good Man Goes to War; a council kid and his daddy wouldn't have been able to kick ass the same way at Demon's Run.)
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And the Twilight Zone with the cornfield, and The Rocking Horse Winner, and... it's a really old storyline that's quite threadbare unless handled with more finesse than given. It could have had so much more power if aimed directly at children.
It could have had more power if Matt had the chops to really sound ancient and dark too, but even if he'd pulled off the "look into my eyes" speech to my satisfaction, it wouldn't have fixed the handwavy, poorly-paced plotting.
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And I do agree with you about Matt Smith, but you know that - and I've got to the point where I can barely watch him without wincing. I should really just stop, but I'm still a DW fan (just not a fan of the current incarnation, or of the accoutrements), and it's hard not to watch when new canon is being created. I'm just hoping Twelve comes along sooner rather than later, and that no current companions tag along at that point.
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That is the thing about Who fandom - it's like trains, there'll be a new Doctor along any minute.
I'm hearing rumors that Amy and Rory leave the end of this season regardless. I'll miss Rory.
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The old lady and the landlord were nothing more than stereotypes and filler. And it was obvious from the moment Amy spotted the not-copper pan where they were. And the Doctor took a bloody long time to spot the wife's lack of a bump - I noticed it and we barely saw the photos initially.
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SJA, on the other hand, was all about families being broken up and childhood fears; it would have been perfect. Clyde could have told the boy that his father left him and things were (relatively) okay; Sarah Jane could have gotten in the lecture about how aliens are people too.
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*giggle*snort*
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