Doctor Who and lots of food: A good evening...

[fajrdrako]

Last night I had a potluck fannish evening at my place with commodorified, iclysdale, auriaephiala and Rayne. I'd been really tired at work (due to having been wakened by budgie hysteria at 4 a.m.) and I'd been exceedingly dizzy - thanks to springtime allergies, I think, and the hot, humid weather wasn't helping. So I went home half an hour later, and napped, and felt better.

I also used the recipe that I got from commodorified (who got it from The Guardian), for Blue Cheese and Oat Biscuits - a Bujold reference if ever there was one. In Shards of Honour, Aral and Cordelia had to trek cross-country with nothing to eat but blue cheese salad dressing and oatmeal.

If it tasted anything like these biscuits, they didn't have much to complain about.

But all the food was terrific. auriaephiala brought a wonderful salad made with apples, pecans, red peppers, and romaine; commodorified brought several different kinds of delicious pate; iclysdale brought fresh, delicious, tender local asparagus; Rayne brought grapes and cheese and Indian take-out, and by the time the whole meal was assembled I was immensely cheered up.

First, we watched Doctor Who "The Lazarus Experiment", last week's episode. I loved it as before. Made the mistake, though, of putting a defective copy into the DVD player, and so we had to watch the last ten minutes on the computer monitor.

Then we tried to watch Sharpe's Somethingorother, but the DVDs auriaephiala brought wouldn't play in any of my equipment. We gave up on it and auriaephiala said she wanted to watch something from first series Doctor Who, with Nine.

Well. Twist my arm.

I suggested "Dalek", since it's an episode I love, and I hadn't seen it for a long time. I loved it even more - I think Eccleston's acting in this one is stunning, and I love the image of the Doctor with a big gun, looking like Cable vs Apocalypse, pursuing the Time War to the last surviving wounded Dalek. I also love Rose's role here, compassionate and smart, showing how much she thinks for herself. I'll put the rest of my comments under a cut, just in case anyone cares about spoilers for a show that aired several years ago.

It seemed to me this time that "Dalek" is a set-up for "The Parting of the Ways", or a foreshadowing of it - and not just because of the Bad Wolf helicopter. Because also in this episode, Daleks are involved, Rose does what she feels she must, against the Doctor's will; Rose essentially plays god in choosing to give the order to the Dalek to die. The Doctor's choice to kill Rose is an interesting parallel/contrast to his decision in "The Parting of the Ways" to save her.

And of course I love Van Statten's casual reference to Rose as "the woman you love" and the Doctor's acceptance of it.

Van Statten, I might add, is one of my favourite Doctor Who villains, along with Goddard. I'd rather see them than any number of CGI monsters. I loved his underground complex - 53 floors of - what? - something beneath the Nevada desert.

I couldn't help contrasting "Dalek" in my head with the recent "Daleks in Manhattan" and "Evolution of the Daleks", and thinking how I infinitely prefered "Dalek". It isn't that I don't love Ten, I do. It isn't that I didn't love the minor characters like Tallulah and Frank and Solomon, or the Musical Comedy, or individual scenes; it's that the whole thing was comparatively lurid and goofy - less integral somehow, and less integrated. It went all over the place.

And funny, too, that I felt much more empathy for, and understanding of, the Doctor and his state of mine in "Dalek", even though Ten was so full of suicidal rage in "Evolution" - a much more exterioralized performance, and certainly moving - well, I was moved, but I'm easy - but comparatively shallow.

We followed "Dalek" with "The Long Game", because it follows right on, the trailer was intriguing, and Rayne wanted to know what happened to Adam. She thought he would probably die, since he doesn't appear in later episodes. I'm not one to reveal any spoilers!

Now, "The Long Game" is not one of my favourite episodes, so I don't often watch it over, and I enjoyed it more this time that I remember usually enjoying it - perhaps by back-tracking from the set-up of "Bad Wolf" and seeing the resonances. I very much like Adam's role and the lesson in 'what it takes to get yourself thrown off the TARDIS'. I also liked the contrast in personality and talents, between Rose and Adam - he's supposed to be the genius, but she's the one with the understanding.

My wonderful friends even washed my dishes, so I didn't need to do it after they left.

Comments

[cupati.livejournal.com]

Since the end of the second series, I now look at the Adam episodes in a new light - as a two-parter. After all, both episodes did a bit of foreshadowing, as did the first Cybermen two parter last series. I'm holding out for a pattern, but I doubt they will do it again.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I now look at the Adam episodes in a new light - as a two-parter.

Yes. I initially saw series 1 out of order, but I always thought of those episodes as going together because of Adam. Now I see many more links. It's as if those two episodes are triangulated on "The Parting of the Ways" - two separate themes that don't connect until they come together on the Game Station. Very cool.

I'm holding out for a pattern, but I doubt they will do it again.

I think they're setting something up but we don't know enough about it to see where it will link up. Perhaps Mr Saxon will connect independently to something we've already seen this season?

[scarlettgirl.livejournal.com]

I adore Dalek as well. Nine really made you *feel* the horror. It's the first, last and only time I've been frightened by Daleks. (Cybermen, on the other hand...*shiver*)

And I still stand by my theory that Goddard was a Torchwood plant. Yes.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Nine really made you *feel* the horror.

Yes, and for me, at least, it was a triple-edged horror: the horror of what the Daleks were and what they had done; the horror of what had happened to the Doctor in the Time War; and (worst of all) the horror of what this had turned the Doctor into. A survivor, but so traumatized that he still reacted in panic and hatred. Even though he knew better.

Whoo. Brilliant stuff, brilliant writing. No offense to Helen Raynor, but her script had none of that power.

I still stand by my theory that Goddard was a Torchwood plant. Yes.

I love that idea!

I was playing with a similar idea for a story that - well, it doesn't quite link Goddard with Torchwood, but it does involve Jack. Still mulling over it.

I'd like to see something in Torchwood that features Van Statten - after all, in Jack's present time, Van Statten is collecting alien artifacts in the US just as Jack is collecting them in Wales.

I wonder if Nevada has its own Rift?

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

I loved Dalek. I haven't seen later episodes so can't comment but I totally want a Dalek icon now.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I totally want a Dalek icon now.

Do you want me to point you to a few?

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Yes please! And I like your icon too of the phone booth. :)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I like your icon too of the phone booth. :)

Police Box. It's by rabecka. I'm sure she woudln't mind you using it if you credit her. ferretwho has icons of the Dalek from 'Dalek' here (http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh18/ferretwho/juneicons2/dw22redemptionday.png") and here (http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh18/ferretwho/juneicons2/dw27redemptionday.png), where he's levitating.

You can also find nice icons from 'Dalek' here (http://community.livejournal.com/threepointsix/17295.html). I found it in dwicons. I wouldn't recommend browsing that site yet, though, unless you want scads of spoilers.

Another page of miscellaneous icons - featuring Daleks, and the TARDIS, and Jack - is at http://community.livejournal.com/dwicons/1544637.html.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Thank you :)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

You're welcome!

[cupati.livejournal.com]

Who's Goddard? *has forgotten too much*

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Goddard is the red-haired woman who replaces Van Statten's assistant in one of the early scenes, and then replaces Van Statten himself in the end, erasing his memory and sending him to San Francisco, Seattle, Sacramento, or some place starting with an S.

[cupati.livejournal.com]

Ah, I'm no good at names. Thank you!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Well, two days ago I wouldn't have remembered. But I just saw the episode again - and we had an interesting discussion of whether she was evil, and if so, how evil was she.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

(due to having been wakened by budgie hysteria at 4 a.m.)

LOL! I had forgotten what it was like to have an indoor dawn chorus, even of one bird!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Hee. I'll elaborate more on this one when I get a chance.