Doctor Who 3.11: Utopia
Jun. 17th, 2007 04:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenayAfter three truly excellent episodes in a row, it was possibly inevitable that we'd have a slightly awkward one but it was still definitely one that needed seeing. The episode plot was more of a backdrop for the really important stuff: the return of Captain Jack and the final ten minutes.
Have I mentioned lately that Captain Jack is fantastic? Well, he is :-) And it was nice to see him forgetting the angst and being flirty, excited Captain Jack. The explanation for why he can't die works for me and is really interesting.
The idea that the Doctor can't cope with seeing something that shouldn't exist is a fascinating look at the Doctor's psyche. It makes sense of his leaving (I was sure that the Doctor knew Jack was there when he left the Game Station) and of why he didn't hunt Jack down. I have a feeling that it could also add an interesting aspect to the relationship between Captain Jack and the Doctor over the next couple of episodes.
Am I a bad person for seeing slashy vibes between Ten and Captain Jack?
I loved that Captain Jack was flirting with everything. I loved that he knew he's been "kissed" when he revived. I loved that Martha got caught by the Captain Jack Thing (not that thing, minds out of gutters please) so quickly. And it's so fun for her to see something that's impossible, after all the other impossible things she's seen, and still be surprised.
The idea of the TARDIS trying to run away from Jack because of what he is, and that's why they ended up at the end of the universe, is also fascinating. Is the TARDIS going to let Jack travel with them? It's another indication that, while the TARDIS isn't sentient, she's not quite an inanimate object either. For some reason, that's an aspect I've always liked even in the classic series. It's just that RTD sometimes makes it a little more obvious now.
Will the TARDIS now be working with the Doctor and against her new, hopefully temporary, operator?
And speaking of...
I am so glad that I came to this episode completely unspoiled. Seriously, I had no idea. It meant that I got to slowly work out who Yana was along with Martha and the Doctor. It's always much more fun to have these huge, stonkingly massive twists happen without warning. Yup, I'd been hearing people speculate that it was the Master that RTD was bringing back but I'd been dismissing that idea. I mean, he counts the TV movie as canon so how could he manage it?
Can't wait to see whether (and how) he explains it over the next two episodes :-)
When Yana was having his little drums moments, my thoughts had been that he was actually starting evolve (or de-evolve?) into the Futurekind. I'm not sure why now, but it seemed like a logical assumption. After all, if the Futurekind are possibly what humans are going to become then why shouldn't the smartest human become one? On reflection, the fact that he was so damned brilliant should have made me think but I didn't. I had no idea that this would be a two-parter, either, so I was assuming that whatever our big bad was going to be would be revealed in next week's show.
Huh. How wrong I can sometimes be :-)
It was only when he showed Martha the pocket watch that I started to realise he was another Time Lord, disguised as human. My first thought was that possible he was a future incarnation of the Doctor and for some reason he'd needed to hide, but didn't have a companion like Martha by that stage. It wouldn't be the first time we've seen a possible future incarnation - I still remember the Valeyard very well.
It was when he was staring at the watch, with the voices surrounding him, and I heard that familiar chuckle that I sort of went, "Oh no. Oh crap."
I loved that they put in that quiet, subtle chuckle that is so iconically the Master. Beautiful shout-out to us old fans and it still gives me shivers. I wonder whether new fans, who haven't seen the Master before, picked up on that? I wonder what they thought of that? Would they have known what that meant?
After that, I knew it was only a matter of time before the Yana opened the pocket-watch. He wasn't an evil character, but he was curious. Possibly the reason that I didn't suspect Yana until he produced the watch is because he seemed so innocent and eager to help his people. The Master would never have sacrificed himself to give someone else the chance to live. John Smith was a very different character from the Doctor, yet at the same time he had a lot of the core of the Doctor. The core of the Master is selfish and evil. I wonder why his human self was essentially a good man?
Is Yana lurking in the back of the Master's mind, screaming at the knowledge of what he's become?
Watching the Doctor work out what the pocket watch was and who it might be was fascinating. I'm not entirely sure that the Yana = "You Are Not Alone" thing works for me, but I'm willing to let it slide.
The final really huge surprise for me was the regeneration. Did the chameleon arch re-set the Master's ability to regenerate? Is that going to be the explanation for why there will probably be more than thirteen Doctors?
Or was it because the Master had taken the hand? Is there potential regenerative energy in the hand that allowed it to happen?
Um, and why is the lovely John Simm playing the ultimate in evil Time Lords? I'm not saying that he won't be good. In fact, that's the problem. John Simm is probably going to be stunningly good as the Master. But...but...damn, one of my favourite actors is playing one of the most evil characters that Doctor Who has ever produced *pout* I'd heard that he was guest-starring, but assumed it would be one of those roles where he was some kind of good guy.
Oh, well. I'm very glad that I got to see that regeneration with no preparation :-)
The atmosphere of the episode was very dark and disturbing. I can still feel it now. Although some elements of the background plot felt a bit clunky, it more than paid off in terms of what the episode was really for. RTD has suddenly changed the focused of the season and did it with some pretty nimble footwork. The look on the Doctor's face as he realised what was happening was amazing. David Tennant did a fantastic job with this episode.
And we're left on an unexpected (for me) cliffhanger with dozens of questions still to be answered. Is it next week yet?
As a warning, I've deliberately not watched the trailers for next week's episode or the Confidential. I'm determined to get to the final two episodes spoiler-free. Help me out, guys, by not spoiling in comments except if it's your own speculation in answer to some of the questions I raised. Thank you :-)
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Date: 2007-06-17 04:29 pm (UTC)Its simply the fact that Jack has a huge broken plot device strapped to his wrist ... Looks like the DOc taking a SPace Hopper to the past then ;) ...
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Date: 2007-06-17 04:31 pm (UTC)I really hope we get an answer, theres plaenty of valid ways he could explain it.
In other news I'm still rather annoyed about the seeming lack of continuity from the end of the last torchwood ...
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Date: 2007-06-17 05:07 pm (UTC)That kind of makes sense. Except that the Futurekind look rather as though they're not going to give the Doctor time to fix the broken plot device. Still, it's an idea I'd not thought of yet :-)
In other news I'm still rather annoyed about the seeming lack of continuity from the end of the last torchwood ...
I'm handwaving it. It's the only way to work with Doctor Who's internal consistency sometimes :-))
I really hope we get an answer, theres plaenty of valid ways he could explain it.
There are indeed. But I really want there to be one because there's a limit to how much handwaving I can do before I get a sore wrist :-)
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Date: 2007-06-17 04:46 pm (UTC)Oh, puh-leeze--it's friggin' Captain Jack, the guy who groped an android! If it's sentient and male, it'll slash with him.
John Simm is an actor I'm unfamiliar with except for adverts for Life on Mars on BBC America. Given his gleeful performance in the last few minutes of the episode, though, I think I'm gonna love to hate this guy. He seriously rocked that megalomaniac.
Had the Master already run through all his incarnations? My understanding is that only four actors played him, save for the TV Movie of Doom.
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Date: 2007-06-17 05:04 pm (UTC)John Simm is a seriously good actor and I have this feeling that he's going to be brilliant as the Master. Both megalomaniac and evil, without chewing scenery too much. And dastardly. Can't forget the dastardly.
Is it next week yet?
Had the Master already run through all his incarnations?
When the first actor, Roger Delgado, played him the Master was already on his last regeneration. Later on, he started body snatching to sustain himself - that's how he became Anthony Ainley. He took over the body of Tremas, the father of Nyssa who was one of the Doctor's companions. He seemed to keep that body going pretty well for a long time (it helped that Anthony Ainley avoided dying in any car crashes), but when the TV movie came he'd been caught, reduced to icky goo and his remains were going back to Gallifrey. Except the goo escaped and took over a new body. There were, I think, a couple of episodes between the Roger Delgado and Anthony Ainley eras, in which other actors played a degraded and deformed version of the Master, before AA arrived and they wrote the Tremas-Master plot.
One of the speculations is that the Master could be the Doctor's final regeneration, turned mad and evil in his desperation to escape death. Another speculation has been that the Doctor and the Master are brothers. It's rather an interesting question that :-)
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Date: 2007-06-17 05:10 pm (UTC)If it's sentient and male, it'll slash with him.
Ah, yes, I'd forgotten that for a second. Bad Sel ;-) Although I think it's rather more of an if it's sentient, never mind the gender or species thing :-))
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Date: 2007-06-17 05:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-18 07:14 pm (UTC)It totally set up Jack and who he is :-) I loved the expression on Martha's face when he was flirting with the random dude and Chantha. Priceless ;-)
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Date: 2007-06-18 07:29 am (UTC)And we should be more than a little smug after our convo last time I was down at T's.
Last week, I was having a similar convo with Saz when I found out that Derek J was going to be in the ep. We even said that he'd make a good Master.
Like you I've been keeping well clear of spoilers, and I mean to keep that way.
I hope there's some explanation about the Masters re-gen, it'd throw mw out if there wasn't.
The way RTD scripted the ep was good (a few minor niggles, but it wouldn't be me if there wasn't. )
I've not seen John Simm in much, but I did like the look on his face at the end, quite mad.
AS for Cpt. Jack, it's anything with a pulse, and I mean anything.
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Date: 2007-06-18 07:21 pm (UTC)*bfg*
We even said that he'd make a good Master.
Oh, he would have done. His five minutes were excellent. But then, Derek Jacobi can make any role look good!
a few minor niggles, but it wouldn't be me if there wasn't
Same here, but the niggles weren't enough to spoil the episode so I'm happy with that :-)
Like you I've been keeping well clear of spoilers, and I mean to keep that way.
I just don't understand why people don't want it to be a complete surprise when they get there. I find that I can be more absorbed by the episode, more affected by it, if I'm not expecting things or waiting for things to happen.
I hope there's some explanation about the Masters re-gen, it'd throw mw out if there wasn't.
I'm thinking that there will have to be. RTD knows the fans and knows that we're all pretty hot on continuity. I'm hoping that he has the sense to work with that. It doesn't even need to be a big thing - possibly a couple of throwaway lines could manage it if they're the right lines. But it does have to be done.
I've not seen John Simm in much, but I did like the look on his face at the end, quite mad.
John Simm is a fantastic actor so I'm really looking forward to watching his Master. That expression of manic glee at the end (and I adored that he wasn't going to hang around to explain his dastardly plan! As someone else said, he's obviously been reading the Evil Overlord List *g*) was great. I have very high hopes for him :-)
AS for Cpt. Jack, it's anything with a pulse, and I mean anything.
Oh, good grief, yes. Although wasn't there an android at one point? I'm thinking it's just anything sentient and alive by the species' standard ;-)
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Date: 2007-06-18 02:22 pm (UTC)However, I'm guessing Jack didn't know that he was being kissed. He just says that everytime he gets up from the dead.
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Date: 2007-06-18 07:23 pm (UTC)I think it was the only real week point for me, but it didn't throw me too off so I'm willing to let it slide. RTD was, I think, trying to hard with that one.
He just says that everytime he gets up from the dead.
Quite possibly. Maybe he hopes that someone was just in case - wouldn't want to miss an opportunity! ;-)
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Date: 2007-06-19 07:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-19 10:06 am (UTC)"Master." I was trying not to notice the slashiness in that scene :-)
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Date: 2007-06-19 10:24 am (UTC)And the TARDIS prefers the Master to Jack? There's some funky stuff going on, sure enough!
Oh I could go on about this for hours!
Tx