A cold day...

[fajrdrako]

Suddenly today it turned wintry. golden_hinde said she saw snowflakes falling. I can believe it. I don't think the temperature went above 0C all day.

So this evening I watched Numb3rs with maaseru. Watching it again (for the first time in a couple of years) reminded me both of what I did and didn't like about the show. First of all, it was very predictable. Less than five minutes into the show I said to maaseru, "Do you think the kidnap victim is behind it all?" "Looks that way," she said, and so it was.

Second, it was all very superficial. In the episode, one of the protagonists broke up with his girlfriend. A more... colourless scene I can't imagine. And they were the characters I liked. I found Larry Fleinhardt's speech patterns very annoying.

I still like the show's motif of using math to solve situational problems, but I'm just not convinced by it.

And then I watched "Time Crash", the Doctor Who mini-episode that just aired for the Children in Need special today. A nice surprise: it was written by Steven Moffat, my favourite Doctor Who writer by far.

An even nicer surprise is that I totally loved it. It revived my Doctor-love that had hiccupped after "The Last of the Time Lords". It made me smile. It made me all sentimental not only about the show but about eras of the show I never even watched. I never saw Peter Davison as the Doctor before, and here I was, loving him. And the celery. And the jokes. (Especially the 'beard' joke.) Wibbley wobbley timey-wimey. Crickety cricket stuff. Butterfingers. Desktop theme. Not to mention, "Big emergency, universe goes bang in five minutes, but - brilliant!"

And the cloister bell. I don't even get it and I loved it.

It did a lot - and I can't even explain why - to soothe my mixed feelings about Ten. It was Ten at his silliest - and why do I like that so much, when I don't like other heroes being silly? It's one of the mysteries of the time-space continuum.

Aaah, that happy feeling of fannishness being stoked.

Comments

[brashley46.livejournal.com]

So this evening I watched Numb3rs with maasersu. Watching it again (for the first time in a couple of years) reminded me both of what I did and didn't like about the show. First of all, it was very predictable. Less than five minutes into the show I said to maaseru, "Do you think the kidnap victim is behind it all?" "Looks that way," she said, and so it was.

Yup. Patty Hearst crossed with Paris Hilton, and where else could they take it?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Patty Hearst crossed with Paris Hilton

Exactly.

I kept hoping for a surprise twist, but by halfway through it was clear there wouldn't be one.

I also wondered how, if she was the blonde-mega-celebrity type, she could have a secret boyfriend and the paparazzi not notice.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

And the cloister bell. I don't even get it and I loved it.

Traditionally, the cloister bell rings when the TARDIS is being badly damaged. It's an alert sound.

Time Crash

[lauradi7.livejournal.com]

The bit I liked best was 10 being all fannish to 5. It was written to be plausible speaking from Doctor to Doctor, of course, but I suspect that it was literally true - DT was 10 when Peter Davison became the Doctor, a prime age for that incarnation to have been his favorite.

[auriaephiala.livejournal.com]

I was walking along Laurier Avenue E about 3:30 p.m., and there were little flakes gently drifting down: not a lot, but definite harbingers. It warmed up afterwards.

Time Crash: so cool! I'm glad to see Dr. Who is getting back to form.

[idiotgrrl.livejournal.com]

And the Numb3ers plot was 40 years out of date, to boot. The kid spouting all that stuff about oppression of the workers would have been dead on back in the day, but, come on, have the script writers SEEN today's young activists? Now, if her grandmother were behind it, I might buy it.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

And the Numb3ers plot was 40 years out of date, to boot

Also a good point!

Is Judd Hirsch still in the show? I was disappointed not to see him.

Re: Time Crash

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It was written to be plausible speaking from Doctor to Doctor, of course, but I suspect that it was literally true

Yes, the 'you're my Doctor' line sort of clinched that for me. And isn't that every young fan's dream - of meeting the Doctor, and being on the TARDIS?

Works for me, anyway!

Such a lovely snippet for us.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Traditionally, the cloister bell rings when the TARDIS is being badly damaged. It's an alert sound.

Like the annoying 'red alert' sirens in Star Trek?

So why don't we hear the cloister bells in the current series? Has the TARDIS not been damaged enough?

Come to think of it, I thought the TARDIS was invincible. Mongol hordes and all.

[chatona.livejournal.com]

... I want to see that Children in Need special, but it's not on youtube yet and it's not like I could have watched it *pouts*

[kittyfisher.livejournal.com]

awww i loved it! The 'my doctor' and, above all, the MAster's wife being his 'beard'.

I grinned at Moffat's effrontery for about an hour!

[msp-hacker.livejournal.com]

When the TARDIS was a Paradox machine it was ringing.

[fruitbat813.livejournal.com]

The cloister bell can be heard in The Sound of Drums in the scene when the Doctor, Jack and Martha enter the TARDIS on the Valiant.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Oh, how wonderful! I must watch it again to catch that. I'm sure I heard it, but didn't know what it was.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I must watch that again. Obviously I didn't know what I was listening to!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Little flakes. There will be more to come.

I'll show you "Time Crash" next time you're over.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Too bad you can't just drop by to see it! I'm sure there'll be a YouTube version up soon, though.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Moffat is wonderful. This has whetted my appetite for more. More! Christmas special, series 4, whatever...!

[chatona.livejournal.com]

Yeah, 's a pity. But I found it now and it's absolutely awesome *bounces happily* It made me very happy and enthusiastic and flaily and amused.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

So why don't we hear the cloister bells in the current series?

We do, in Boom Town and in the Children in Need special as he overworks its engines. It's pretty impervious to outside forces, but when it's being attacked from within, it can be vulnerable.

[cupati.livejournal.com]

Just found Time Crash on youtube, as realplayer hates me.

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Ten is a stark raving fanboy and no mistake, I love the little loop of time paradox they have there, and an explaination how a ship could get wedged into the tardis. Awesome.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I didn't know what I was hearing. How wonderful!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Isn't it wonderful? Made me feel much better about things.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes, isn't Ten fun sometimes? So loopy and smart. I love it when he just doesn't seem to need to stop for breath.

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

Patty Hearst meets Paris Hilton was the first phrase that ran through my mind, too. She even looked like Patty. William Atherton playing her father was worth the price of admission, though. I haven't seen him in anything in a long time, and while he's not aged all that well, he's still a terrific actor.

I confess, I mostly watch Numb3rs because I've had this little thing going for David Krumholtz ever since he played Mr. Universe in Serenity, but we won't go there [g].