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.

Summer Episodes (or, Surviving The Haituses)

First let me just say "haituses" is a strange word to type, let alone look at.

So far on the list of new shows to keep an eye on:

The Last Ship - I have not seen the 2nd episode, but the pilot looks quite interesting. Global pandemics, bioweapons, Adam Baldwin, what could possibly be bad about any of that? And did I mention ADAM FREAKING BALDWIN? Sure, you can go back and watch episodes of Firefly and Chuck and take care of that particular craving quite well, but it's great to see him back on television.

Crossbones - This one is well past the pilot episode, and who doesn't like a good pirate yarn? This one boasts John Malkovich as the daring Commodore Edward Teach, aka Blackbeard (though don't call him that, he doesn't like that). The storyline thus far is intriguing, for the history buff, the pirate afficionado, and the uneducated alike. You don't have to know the stories of Edward Teach in order to enjoy the show, and John Malkovich makes it ever so much more enjoyable.

The Leftovers - I sat here last night and watched this one. I somehow missed the little bit in the previews leading up to it saying it came from one of the creators of "Lost". Remember that one? How everything started out mysterious and vague, and then they led everyone on for six seasons, only to reveal in the finale (SPOILER ALERT... seriously is that even necessary) that everyone had died in the initial plane crash that started the whole mess? Excuse me if I'm a little leery of this show, expecting the proverbial rug to get pulled out from under me. The cast is a hodge podge of never-heard-of-them-before's and some well known actors/actresses, including Miss Jennifer Aniston's main squeeze (for now) Justin Theroux, Liv Tyler (who honestly doesn't quite look like herself, not sure what that's about), Christopher Eccleston (*fangirly squeeees*), Scott Glenn, Remy Auberjonois (yes yes, Odo's son, you trekkie!), and Chris Zylka (you probably know him as Flash Thompson, from The Amazing Spider Man). They reveal just enough of the storyline to hook you in and leave you scratching your head by the end of the pilot episode. I definitely will keep watching at least for a few more episodes before I make an official decision whether or not to keep watching. I don't need every episode to be a mindfuck, if I wanted mindfucks, I'd just go watch another M. Night movie and call it a day.

Returning shows.... Falling Skies is another mindfucker.. maybe to someone who's seen it all from the very beginning it may all make sense, but to me, where I missed most of season 3, it's rather confusing, but looks like they've got a good basis for the coming season. True Blood... ehh... I really just wasn't that impressed with the season opener, I'll be catching the 2nd episode later today, but seriously not holding my breath. At this point the only reason I'm bothering with it is it's an excuse to gawk at Alexander Skarsgard. I have no shame or regret!