Doctor Who - Opinions

I saw a day or two ago, an article that begged the question "Is Doctor Who becoming unfit for children?" There were many comments on the article, and on the post that showed up on Facebook. Since then, it has lurked in the back of my mind and so I feel now is just as good a time as any to weigh in on things.

First of all, let me say that I allow my children to watch the show. But then, I also have teenagers, not small ones, so I don't limit what they watch as much as I might if they were below the age of 10. Even if they were, I highly doubt that Doctor Who would go on the list of things I didn't let them watch. This is a show where there are monsters, there are things that could cause nightmares, but on a scale of Doctor Who to things like Sons of Anarchy, Game of Thrones, or The Walking Dead, Doctor Who is a walk in the park by comparison. I think that ultimately, parents need to exercise their rights as parents and know their children well enough to know what their kids can handle and what they can't. If you're not sure, watch through the episode beforehand, and then let your kids watch it on demand or something, if it passes the test. Don't bitch and moan on a website of an article written to draw negative attention to a show that has been around longer than you've been alive just because it offends your delicate sensibilities. All that does is gives the people who are responsible for such articles that much more wood for the fire, and ends up ruining a show. If you really want something to bitch and complain about, I could list off some that could use ruining. (I won't list them here, I don't want to go off on a tangent rant about reality shows).

Next I'd like to touch on the subject of the "darker" tone that this season seems to be taking on. Let's go back to the 50th anniversary episode: War Doctor, 10th Doctor, and 11th Doctor respectively. The result of that episode had the War Doctor and 10 forgetting what they had done that had saved Gallifrey. They would continue on, believing that instead of being a hero, that they had been responsible for the genocide of an entire race, and that their own race of people would be obliterated. The end of the episode shows the War Doctor entering his TARDIS, at which point he regenerates into the 9th Doctor. The 9th Doctor's run was littered with all things dark, he carried about him the weight of what had taken place, but until the 50th anniversary, we never really got the full gist of what it was that weighed on him so heavily, only glimpses. With 10, he began to be a bit more upbeat, but underneath it all, there was still that hint of sadness. He was never afraid to face his battles, and he would do whatever he had to do to protect those he cared for. But in protecting those he loved, he still made a valiant effort not to be unfair in how he handled his enemies. Then along comes the 11th Doctor, who I have always believed was essentially a little boy trapped in a man's body. He brought with him a boyish innocence that was not seen with 9 or 10, and that is what endeared him to me. But he too, never failed to face his enemies. Sure, he had a more grandiose way of doing it than 9 or 10, but that was part of his charm. Now we have a new Doctor, with presumably an entirely new set of regenerations in front of him, but with the knowledge (brought with him from the 11th Doctor) that his people actually survived, but are unreachable at least for the moment. He knows that he saved millions of lives that day, but he has lost much along the way. It's rather hard sometimes to read our new Doctor, and I won't even begin to profess that I have any clue at this point as to what sort of Doctor he's going to be. What I see now, is someone who is capable of shutting off his emotions when things get too hurtful to imagine, because those emotions can alter the course of what needs to be accomplished. Does that make him "Darth Doctor"? Probably not. Does that make him "the worst Doctor ever"? Absolutely not, at least not in my opinion.

Next topic: Hanky Panky In The TARDIS. I know alot of people are not fans of the romance story arcs, such as we had with Rose/10, then Amy/Rory, and apparently now with Clara and Danny Pink, but I suppose those are necessary to an extent just to round out the sideline stories. The point there (and this is my best guess) is to show that the Doctor's companions are not merely a tool that he uses to get through an episode, they are real people, with real lives and real problems. It humanizes the whole thing so that we, the audience, can relate. I personally loved the romance storylines, but I don't think they should ever overshadow the main plot of an episode, or the ongoing plotline as a whole. The romance aspect during the Amy/Rory storyline pushed things along a track where 11 ends up meeting Clara at the best possible moment, then obsessing over who she is and what her importance is, which leads to Trenzalore, and ultimately the place where they are now. I absolutely adore the idea of "No hanky panky in the TARDIS" now, because I think that would be really awkward. Not because of the age difference, but simply because that dynamic isn't necessary between Clara and 12. Letting Clara seek a life outside of the TARDIS is really a stroke of genius, and probably will ease the transition when/if Jenna Louise Coleman leaves the show. **RUMOR UPDATE** They're not confirming one way or another when or if she is leaving, so I'm going to just operate under premise that "she's there now and that's what counts".

Finally.. I'd like to touch on "Listen", and then the most recent episode "Time Heist". Listen was quite possibly one of the most creepy episodes for me, ranking right up there with every Weeping Angel episode so far, and The Empty Child. Seriously it goes in that order: Weeping Angels, Empty Child, Listen. Because lets face it, the scariest thing in the known real world, is that you're not alone when you think you are. But....... I was a bit let down that it didn't take just one little tiny leap to make it into the area of "full blown soil your pants scary". It was like right there on the very edge of it, without tipping over. And still, I loved it. Time Heist, on the other hand, was more or less a rehashing of Oceans Eleven meets Jason Bourne meets Shadowrun. (Seriously, google Shadowrun if you don't know what it is.. you're welcome). It felt really more like a filler episode, to get us from point A to point B in a plotline, so I really hope that what took place will be interlaced in the overall storyline at some point. I know that Peter Capaldi is getting mixed reviews as the Doctor, and alot of people want a younger one, but really, think about it, haven't we had enough of that? A break, for however long he remains the Doctor, is always a good thing. A palate-cleanser if you will. I'd love to have seen Eccleston, Tennant, or Matt Smith carry off the "Shut up, shut up, shutity up up up" line any better. It simply wouldn't have worked.

Don't Fear the Reaper: SoA Season 7 Premiere

**PREFACE** I feel the need to say here, that I am NOT divulging all the details of this episode, I'm aiming more for "opinions after the show", but there COULD BE SPOILERS.

The premiere of the final season of Sons of Anarchy started off much more grim than I thought it would have. Jax is of course, in jail while Tara's murder is investigated. We get our first glimpse of Marilyn Manson as the 3rd man in line for leadership of the Aryan Brotherhood. He has to do a "favor" in order to get a sit-down with Tully (Manson) who is soon to be sent to the prison in Stockton. This favor is intended to give us, the audience, the preview of what Tara's murder has done to Jax. It was rather strange seeing Marilyn Manson actually acting on the show, and he played his part well. I really don't have too much to say on the subject just yet, because the short amount of screen time he got didn't really give alot of insight into who his character is, but I'm looking forward to how that storyline develops. Kurt Sutter is nothing if not a master weaver of obscure story arcs, and he has managed many times to catch me in the "Ah HAH! So THAT'S why that happened" moment.

Ultimately things are pretty tame (as far as this show goes anyway), until the Grim Bastards and the Sons go to question about the blue Impala that ran some Sons off the road last season. Of course when questions are asked, there has to be the obligatory "We ain't tellin you a motherfuckin thing" scenario, just to annoy and stretch it out. In the middle of it all, the Sons get the call from Rat telling them that Jax is being released and wants them at the table. Chibs, in hopes of pushing things along, ends up having the dude's wheelchair chained to the back of Bobby's bike, at which point Bobby proceeds to drag the guy screaming down the street...and not entirely dragging him with the wheelchair upright. I'm almost ashamed to admit that I actually laughed. A normal, well-adjusted person with a conscience should not laugh at that. I'm sure I wouldn't if it were real life, so I'm going with it. 

Juice has been hiding in Wendy's apartment, but SURPRISE, Wendy's back like a case of herpes, having signed herself out of rehab. So Juice has to find somewhere else to go. It gets worked out that he can stay a couple more days, and Wendy will stay at Gemma's, so yay... Wendy gets to prove whether or not she'll be of any good to the boys who now *gasp* need a mom. I'm not a fan of Wendy, but she's gotten the short end more times than I can count. I sincerely hope that the infection that is Gemma's influence won't get to Wendy again. 

And speaking of Gemma.. her guilt (or lack thereof) is astounding. She can look Jax right in the eye like she didn't do a damn thing, and ultimately, point fingers at innocent people, and justify it as "doing the right thing for Jax and his boys". I have NEVER in the entire time of watching movies and tv shows, seen such a strong Oedipus-In-Reverse situation like this. It's borderline (if not over the borderline) psychosis at this point, to need to be the Queen Bee, and keep Jax close and keep the grandbabies close, and feel needed, loved, and relevant. 

Because of Gemma pointing the finger at an innocent man, and the resulting torment the poor guy endured at Jax's hand, I truly pity Gemma if he ever finds out she was really the one responsible for killing Tara. It literally boggles the mind after seeing all the things he has been capable of doing throughout the course of the show, and with it being his own mother responsible for killing the love of his life? I don't think I even possess the imagination to conjure up mental imagery that would do that revenge any justice. It would probably have been in her best interest to just tell the truth from the beginning, perhaps Jax might have understood her motives a little better, but instead, AGAIN, her bullshit interfering has caused him to slide further down the Dark Path, and I don't see him coming back from it. He tried the redemption track before, that's what led up to Tara's murder, and he very much seems to see things in a different light.. "Well, I've tried to make things better, it didn't work, so lets just do this instead" seems to be the thinking now. It's heartbreaking to see, but it also makes Jax Teller a more compelling character to watch.