neadods | Doctor Who - Partners in Crime

Yes, it was cheap, tacky, cheesy, and a plot that has already been used twice in Torchwood and once in the Sarah Jane Adventures.

I still loved it; my standards are low.

Well, they have to be, because the logic side of the brain starts kicking in pretty fast. How can twiddling one master control activate only one set of critters instead of every one in signal range? Why does the Doctor need the screwdriver to operate the window washer, when it should have controls in the cart? If Donna has been out there investigating odd stories, why hasn't she smacked into Sarah Jane? (Fanfic ahoy!) If the Shadow Proclamation enforces the universal laws, as dialog suggests, why hasn't the Doctor run into them yet - and do they see him as an agent or a criminal? (Fanfic ahoy, part II!)

Also, the stereotypes are out in full force: the nagging, shallow mother; the cool, polished villainess; the cheap CGI (although they seem to have gone with their strength and created a cheap, easy character)

But the good stereotypes are out in full force too, most particularly the one that I've been missing in New Who - that to be Doctor-touched is to be made better. They've been wobbly about that one these days. I love that she traveled, and investigated, and that she had learned the empathy to give that moment to her grandfather. I'm still grinning about that scene, it was so sweet.

Another good bit is showing how much the Doctor hates being alone. I liked him talking to the empty console room and stopping, and talking about Martha to Donna. Hopefully he won't go on and on and on, but it puts the grief and repetitions of Rose back into the perspective of his long life: he loves them all, he misses them all, and now it's Martha's turn to be grieved over.

There's been some controversy over what he says about Martha. I'm fine with it. "She fancied me" was a statement of fact - and the Doctor has always had a gigantic ego (which had just taken a bit of a ding). "I destroyed her whole life" is, from the Doctor's point of view, exactly what happened - HE sees traveling with him as a gift that he can grant to those he likes, but for her, travel with him meant having to support him (1960s), servitude on his behalf (the school), and walking an post-apocalyptic world while her family was in danger (the year that never was). Hardly the joys he wishes to share. And I loved, loved, loved "That Martha must have done you good." She certainly did. At the end, right when you think they're playing his frozen reaction as a comic moment, he proves that he really has THOUGHT about what carrying people away does to them, and how it can hurt them. Yeah, they turned it right back into comedy and romance with the whole "mate" dialog (which I thought was hilarious), but in conjunction with the lines about how Martha was good for him and how much danger she had been in, I think the Doctor wasn't just meaning romance... he just couldn't bring himself to say "I'm afraid of hurting you." But he said *something* at least, and that's a good start.

I don't like the new opening theme. I was quite happy with the old one. On the other hand, I think I'm going to love the Doctor-Donna Team TARDIS. David and Catherine have amazing comic timing, and it was used to full effect, from the "missed each other by that much" scenes through the silent conversation to the full-body snark when they finally started interacting.

And I am so INTRIGUED by the "that bin there" scene! I suppose I'm supposed to be beside myself or horrified depending on which ship I'm supposed to sail, but, still secure in the belief that this is about all companions and not just one, and that at the end of the season Nos will owe me 500 words of porn and not the other way around, I'm absolutely fascinated to see how this will play out.

I have a history of squeeing over opening episodes and then sort of sniffing at them by the end of the season because they've been thoroughly surpassed. I look forward to being blown away.