Whovian link salad

[neadods]

HUGE S4 finale spoilers
Big Finish 2008 release schedule Also big spoilers if you haven't heard The Condemned yet.
A fun thread on doctorwho about what the Gallifreyan writing on the fob watch from Human Nature means

And I'm echoing two fic recs from calufrax:
Miles from Aberdeen Ouch, this one hurts. But in a good way. A School Reunion fic from Sarah Jane's POV, possibly the start of a series, but the first chapter stands alone. There were too many emotions running through her to catalog them all. But she decided to try anyway, as a method of getting herself back under control.

Anger, yes, that was one. Anger that he had left her and not come back.

Argumentum Ad Metam, a Three & Jo UNIT adventure. Flagging here because I don't have time to read it all, but it looks promising.

And now some spoilery commentary on the first couple of links. I'm glad to see that the Six-Charley teamup is going to be a long-lasting one. I'm looking forward to seeing how Charley deals with someone who is and isn't the man she's in love with, and the fact that she isn't allowed to talk about that at all. (My copy of The Condemned arrived yesterday; I prefer hardcopy audio, so I haven't pursued my unanswered questions about subscription downloads.) If Six can't be with Evelyn (my favorite companion for him and my favorite audio companion) then I think Charley will do well, and I'm looking forward to a clean slate with her Doctor interactions.

As for the confirmation that we're having a "kitchen sink" season finale for S4, I have very mixed feelings. With even *more* characters they're loading into the story, it's becoming more and more likely that everyone will have 1 line, at best. On the other hand, it's going to be excellent visual proof of just how many companions the Doctor has had just in the very short run of New Who, and throwing them all together is going to put paid to the notion that all companions are equal but some are more equal than others. (In the end, Rusty created every single one of those companions. And they are all awesomesauce in their own ways. Including Jackie. The chemistry between David and Camille is so wonderful, I'd totally be behind Jackie as long-term companion.)

The theme of S3 was "everyone leaves." At the end, the Doctor had lost every single one of his NewWho companions, and that was continued through the Christmas special. I guess the theme of S4 is "... and they all return." Which I'm very cool with because, if any one comes back, they all should. (Except maybe Adam. Although it would be utterly hilarious if he gets mentioned.)

However, I have one wish that tops them all, and I will be utterly crushed if it is not fulfilled:

Please, please, PLEASE let Mickey have a scene with Martha talking about the Doctor. PLEASE!

ETA: The more I think it and say it in comments, the more I ought to top-post it. There are three ways the return of *everyone* from zepplinverse can be played:

1) Doomsday is "reset" and somehow never happened, except for the part where Pete's alive. Wibbly wobbly, timey-wimey...

2) The big bad opened the breach. Rose et al choose which side they want to stay on when the breach is sealed again.

3) None of this is actually real and we're seeing the filming of a memory/fever dream/hallucination sequence.

Without more data, it's impossible to choose which of the three is the actual plot, or if there's something I haven't thought of.

Comments

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Huh. Think my positive Marthatude just took a bit of a nosedive because this is starting to look very silly. I totally agree with reinforcing the idea that Rose is NOT the only companion worth thinking or talking about, but I have a horrible feeling that's going to get lost amongst the batchippery squee (which is already building up to ridiculous levels and we don't even have an airdate yet). And if Doomsday's going to get reset then really WTF was the point of Season 3 except to pi$$ off anyone who doesn't adore Rose?

Please note this is my off-the-top-of-my-head reaction. I daresay I'll be less annoyed once I've had some lunch and calmed down a bit so feel free to talk me into a more positive frame of mind if you feel so inclined !

[neadods.livejournal.com]

the batchippery squee (which is already building up to ridiculous levels and we don't even have an airdate yet

It built up to ridiculous levels over "The Stowaway," and how did that play out in the episode? As a minute of music which all of the principles ignored. Batchippery and squee - and I've done my fair share of both - will always be in fandom, but they don't define it.

Doomsday being "reset" isn't even fanon at this point. I'm working on the assumption that there's another breach between universes, as has already been established (particularly with that entire group of people coming on), and that it will have to be shut, as has already been established. Which way Rose swings is as yet unknown. For all we know, Rusty has dusted off "Rose Tyler, Defender of Earth" and plans on going with it this time.

My hope, and I doubt I'm alone or even in the minority on this - is that Rose has moved from being the girl on the beach with a broken heart and will have the chance to calmly decide her own fate.

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

My hope, and I doubt I'm alone or even in the minority on this - is that Rose has moved from being the girl on the beach with a broken heart and will have the chance to calmly decide her own fate.

I don't much care for Rose, but that's an outcome I can definitely get behind. I want her to have moved on and got a life of her own, not to have spent the intervening time moping over the Doctor because that's an utterly lame portrayal of women (I just wish I trusted RTD to actually carry that off)...

[neadods.livejournal.com]

A thought suddenly occurs to me. What we see being filmed does not necessarily mean objective reality in the Whoniverse. For all we know, it's some Zagreus-like fever dream of the Doctor's.

But I still want to see Mickey meet Martha!

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

But I still want to see Mickey meet Martha!

I can live with that - although I'm keener on Martha and Sarah Jane meeting up !

A thought suddenly occurs to me. What we see being filmed does not necessarily mean objective reality in the Whoniverse. For all we know, it's some Zagreus-like fever dream of the Doctor's.

Which would be clever - but if the tabloid rumour from the Star yesterday is anything to go by (which OK, it may not be since it's from a tabloid rag), then the breach in the walls between the universes probably is real.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

the breach in the walls between the universes probably is real

It could easily be; they've already established that the breach would destroy two universes, and what better way for a big bad to prove how big a bad he is? I'm just saying that we have no data for exactly how this is going to play out, or who ends up where when it's over.

My hope is that if Martha meets Sarah Jane, she'll be allowed to then appear on the SJA, giving Freema a triple-play.

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

My hope is that if Martha meets Sarah Jane, she'll be allowed to then appear on the SJA, giving Freema a triple-play.

I'd probably explode with squee ! Doesn't mean I don't want it though !

[doyle_sb4.livejournal.com]

There's no way that the finale will be long enough to have all the interactions I'd like to see - I suspect there'll be several companion 'teams' who won't necessarily meet up - but I'm so gleeful at the prospect of it. Donna and Jackie! Martha and Mickey! Sarah and Jack! And the spoilers do give me hope of a Jack/Rose reunion, which I didn't think would happen.

ETA: I'm psyched about the new Six and Charley audios, too, because I think there's a huge amount of potential there. I love the riff on School Reunion - that Charley really believes 'her' Doctor must have died because he never came looking for her - and the idea that the Doctor doesn't quite trust her (he must be wondering if a certain duck-hatted gentleman is at work behind the scenes again). I'm so looking forward to the new audios, and I wonder when they'll start showing up in Short Trips.

[stoplookingup.livejournal.com]

Either this is going to be a series of glancing blows across the bows of all these characters, with no satisfying time spent with any of them, or some will be up front and some will be in the background. The former would be really unsatisfying; the latter would probably mean Rose. But here's hoping there's a third option.

[--kali--.livejournal.com]

You don't die if you fall in the Void do you? I can't remember off the top of my head what the Doctor had to say about the matter. But if you don't die as soon as you fall into the Void then you've got millions of very annoyed Cybermen and Daleks trying to figure a way back out and 'lo you end up with a rift between the universes and 3lots of Cybermen and Daleks wondering about.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

No, apparently the void is "hell," so there is that. But I thought the deal with Terry Nation's estate was for only 3 years of daleks?

[--kali--.livejournal.com]

They could have been 'changed' and therefore not subject to Nation's copyright. Bit like Dalek Sec.

[ionlylurkhere.livejournal.com]

*mad spec*

Ten's regenerating after all, and it's an Androzani-style floating heads effort? (And hence all that stuff about specials so Tennant can go and do his Srs Bsns Acting is a huge smokescreen.)

[neadods.livejournal.com]

That could be fun!