Who-Views: The Tenth Doctor

It's hard to explain my feelings about the Tenth Doctor. Let me say before I dive into the negative that I do like the character. I think my problems with the character have nothing to do with David Tennant himself, it's more along the lines of not liking how Russel T. Davies handled the stories.

Tennant does have some really great moments as the Doctor, but I just don't think Davies has that 'bigger picture' writing style that I've grown to love from the series. On top of that, my favorite Tenth Doctor moments were written by the man who took over once Davies stepped down, Steven Moffat.

Davies' stories always seem to revolve around the same ideas, over and over. The Doctor is lonely, the Doctor is sorry, the Doctor destroys worlds. We get it. These ideas are fine and dandy, but when you beat them into our heads every chance you get the audience will get tired of it. He also seems really love putting London at risk, and not being subtle about it. Driving a whole major city into a panic is a pretty cool visual, but when it's done every couple of episodes it kinda gets old.

On the other hand, The Moff can cause world ending tension and never have the characters leave a library, which in turn makes the story completely about the characters and lets them shine properly. But that's not what I love about his stories; he just seems to have this vision of the Doctor that I just love. Moffat's Doctor is, in short, humble and quirky, yet a total bad ass. And it's kinda the way I envision the character. Faithful whovians are probably thinking that I'm describing the Eleventh Doctor, but I'm not. Go back and watch Blink, or Forest Of The Dead, look at the Doctor and try and tell me that you don't see it. This isn't a Tenth or Eleventh thing... It's just Moffat's Doctor. And he's amazing.

Also, fans of the Eleventh will back me up when I say that Moff writes with a bigger picture in mind. He plants seeds for his stories whole seasons in advance and scatters tiny references to the main story even when other writers take the helm for their episodes. This is where Davies' stories are really lacking to me. Simply placing the words Bad Wolf doesn't really do much for the plot, it doesn't really even mean anything unless you explain what you mean by it. And as far as storytelling goes, it's pretty lazy.

With all I've said, I need to point out that the Tenth is a great Doctor. His mannerisms and wit come across wonderfully, I just think the quirks written in by Davies take away from the Doctor as a whole. While he shares a lot of traits with my beloved Eleventh, the way the character is written just makes him look like an arrogant prick. You have these moments where he tries to show how awesome he is, and Tennant comes off generally cocky and kind of rude. When the Eleventh does it, he just seems quirky and lovable. It has a lot to do with the situations he's placed in, but most of all it's all about the wording of the famed 'bad ass' speeches.

The companions are a bit more complicated, because there's a shitload of them. Over 36 stories Tennant has around eleven companions. Some last more than others, some are around for less than an episode. And unfortunately for me, miss blandness herself, Rose Tyler is back. And once again the world revolves around her. She is the companion for Tennant's first series.

For his second season she is replaced by Martha Jones, a doctor in training (actual Earth medicine doctor). This leads to some interesting dynamic, because she actually helps out at times instead of just standing there, causing trouble. I actually liked Martha, she has a certain spunk to her that makes her a pretty good companion. Unfortunately her whole character is built around Rose and how much the Doctor misses her. They can't go one episode without referencing how much the Doctor misses Rose and how Martha feels like she's just a replacement, and that just hinders her character growth and makes her seem like she's of lesser importance, even if she's much better.

Martha is fine, but without a doubt the Tenth's best companion is Donna Noble. The Doctor first meets Donna between series two and three in the special The Runaway Bride. She doesn't come back until series four when she becomes his third prominent companion. She is by far the most helpful of the bunch, even astounding the Doctor himself with her numerous skills, all of which she attributes to the numerous jobs she's had in her life. She just seems like the only companion who actually has a reason to be with the Doctor.

The rest of the companions (there's quite a few of them) come and go. None of them are really all that noteworthy. Captain Jack Harkness comes back for a bit, not long though. And he's about as memorable as it gets. It kinda wears down how special companions need to be when there are this many of them. And this comes after the concept is watered down by the omnipotent importance of Rose above everyone else.

I've enjoyed watching these two Doctors. But I was even happier when I saw those last minutes of End Of Time (which really sucked as a finale) and Matt Smith finally pops up as the Eleventh, after what might be the most bloated, over drawn, and cliched death sequence in recent TV history (it basically lasts four specials and three episodes). If I had to compare it to something, I'd say it's almost as bad as when Trinity dies in The Matrix Revolutions. Remember how long that went? Remember how you tried to feel sad but just ended up kinda wishing she would just die already? Well this is longer, and slightly more annoying because of how many times he points out how awesome he is and why he would never want to change. Just kinda ridiculous. Especially considering how awesome Matt Smith turned out to be.

So yeah, I'm glad I've reached the Eleventh. I will gladly watch it all again. But in closing, the Tenth is enjoyable. But those moments when he becomes irritating, he is really, really irritating. I'd like to think it's not Tennant's fault, because I do like him as the Doctor, but he just pisses me off way to often. So yes, he is the fan favorite, but oddly enough everyone who has told me that they love David Tennant haven't given Matt Smith a chance yet. I encourage you to do so. You won't be disappointed.

Doctor Who - 'The Doctor's Wife' review

I’ve been a fan of Neil Gaiman’s work since I came upon DC Comic’s ‘The Sandman’ back in High School.

Since then, I’ve devoured ‘American Gods,’ delighted in the Douglas Adams-inspired madness he created with Terry Pratchett in ‘Good Omens,’ giggled my way through the pages of ‘Anansi Boys,’ fell in love with a falling star named Yvaine in ‘Stardust’ (twice), bid a fond farewell to my Batman in ‘Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?’ and sat through ‘Beowulf’ solely on the basis of his name being attached to that project.

I even became a fan of The Dresden Dolls because of his romantic attachment to lead-singer Amanda Palmer led to some hilarious tweets being exchanged between the two of them back in the day when Twitter still wasn’t Twitter.

So, yes, I believe saying I’m a fan of the man’s work would be a fair assessment.

Which is all the more reason why this particular episode of Doctor Who has been incredibly high on my list of expectations for a good long while now.

Originally intended to be filmed as part of last year’s series (i.e. “season” in real English), Gaiman’s ‘The Doctor’s Wife’ finally aired last Saturday: a “love letter” of sorts for a show and a character that have become such an iconic and indelible figure in British popular culture since their debut way, way back in 1963.

Now, I can’t claim to have known and loved the exploits of The Doctor and his continually interchangeable slew of Companions during my childhood as much as I’d love to, seeing how a great deal of those older, classic stories are truly FANTASTIC, but since coming into the show during Matt Smith’s initial outing last year as the latest incarnation of The Doctor in ‘The Eleventh Hour,’ I’ve completely immersed myself into the vast mythology of this utter gem of a show.

In the span of a year, I’ve consumed classic story after classic story after classic story, audio plays, movies and every single episode and special of the series since its revival in 2005, starring Christopher Eccleston (from '28 Days Later' and 'G.I. Joe') as the Ninth Doctor.

Yet, no matter how great those stories were or how brilliant were each and every one of the previous ten interpretations of the character, it’s still Matt Smith’s wide-eyed, whimsically mercurial take on the 909 year-old Time Lord that stands out for me the most.

A great deal has to do with his incredible skill as an actor but, mostly, and it shouldn’t really be much of a surprise to anyone that’s a fan of the show, it has to do with the fact that no matter how objective you try to be, you always love your first Doctor a bit more than the others, simply because he was your first. And Matt Smith, thankfully, just happens to be that Doctor for me.

So, when I found out that Neil Gaiman was going to be writing an episode this series, my head went from wibbly-wobbly to explodey-wodey in the span of a second.

And my stars and garters, what an episode it was!

Not since 2006’s ‘The Girl in the Fireplace,’ written by current Head Writer and show-runner, Steven Moffat, has there been a more beautiful, funny, emotional, frightening, mildly disturbing, sad and loving story on the show. Nor a stand-alone episode that’s as perfect a jumping-on point for new viewers as this one.

In 45 minutes, Neil Gaiman, aided by Richard Clark’s darkly wonderful and moody direction, encapsulates everything that makes Doctor Who such a brilliant show.

The episode features a number of tropes from the show’s monumental history, while still making it accessible. It has sentient asteroids (played to great effect by Michael Sheen of ‘Frost/Nixon’ and those ‘Twilight’ movies), patchwork people, Time Lords, running up and down corridors in true Classic Who fashion, Companions in mortal danger, monsters and a love story at the center of it all.

Coming from Gaiman, one can’t be too surprised to notice how much like a fairy tale this story really is yet it’s unequivocally Doctor Who-ish at its very core. It’s written by a fan for the fans, all the while remaining simple and straightforward enough for anyone not versed in the show and its mythos to come in and discover the many wonders it offers.

The story of Idris, played by the lovely and fantastic Suranne Jones to perfection (which, once you consider the part in its complete context, you’ll realize just how fast it could’ve gone South in the hands of a lesser performer), is sure to melt the heart of even the most cynical and jaded viewer. You simply can’t help but fall in love with her and smile at every word that comes out of her mouth.

Matt Smith, as per usual, brings his absolute best to the role he’s inhabited so perfectly since those first five minutes of ‘The Eleventh Hour,’ adding even more layers of nuance to his performance. Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill as Amy and Rory Pond, the Doctor’s current Companions, also continue to shine, albeit briefly, as they’re relegated to the role of hostages for a great part of the story. Even so, their chemistry together with that of Matt is always a joy to watch onscreen and it carries through on this story.

All in all, this was an absolute joy of an episode; one that has already garnered several repeat viewings, with one happening in the background right now as I write this quote/unquote review.

Neil has said on several occasions that he’s an avowed Whovian, with Patrick Troughton (the Second Doctor) being his Doctor, and judging from his script, it shows. His love for The Doctor and everything about this wonderfully madcap alien shows in every single scene.

Even if he never writes another episode for the show, I’ll be forever grateful for this one.

Truly magical television!

Ray’s Belated Reviews: Sherlock - ‘A Study in Pink’

This is a story about love at first viewing so, please, bear with me.

I can’t remember how old I was exactly when I first read ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I know that it was either in second or third grade and that it was the first novel I ever read but I can’t quite remember exactly when. All I remember was that this particular novel was solely responsible for turning me into a f---ing Anglophile and I’ll never even begin to forgive it for doing so.

Many years after the fact, I still go back to it every once in a while. Sometimes purely for referential reasons. Sometimes for the thrill of the story. But mostly out of nostalgia.

Now, I don’t profess to be a Sherlock aficionado or connoisseur. I love the characters and I love the world that Doyle created but out of all the books and stories that I’ve read over the years, I can count on one hand how many of those are Sherlock Holmes stories. That said, every time a new adaptation comes along, I always look forward to it eagerly.

Which brings me to this little gem of a show: Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss’ Sherlock. And for the purposes of this review, its first episode: ‘A Study in Pink,’ written by The Moff himself and directed by Paul McGuigan.

Back in July of last year I was suffering from a very peculiar ailment known as “Doctor Who withdrawal syndrome.” The cause of this sickness was simple: Doctor Who had gone off the air a mere couple of weeks before after a quite literally "explosive" series finale and the wait for the annual Christmas special had only just begun.

With two or three more months till Fringe and Supernatural came back to TV screens, I was looking for the next quick fix.

One day, in lieu of having nothing else to do, I decided to go on Twitter to see what everybody was talking about in the vague hopes of finding something to capture my attention for more than five minutes, when I noticed that a ridiculous amount of the people I was following were talking about this thing called #Sherlock.

A quick Google search, minus the grammatical correctness-impeding hash-tag, prompted a few hits about this little show from across the pond about the modern day adventures of one Sherlock Holmes and his trusty companion, John Watson. What really caught my usually wandering eye was that the series was created by one Steven Moffat, current head-writer and show-runner of Doctor Who, along with Mark Gatiss, who wrote a couple of episodes of the show that are best left forgotten (although, as an aside, I’m really looking forward to his creepy dolls episode this series). More so, the series was three episodes long, in a 90-minute format each.

I figured, “what’s the worse that can happen…?” and decided to check it out.

After “acquiring” the first episode through means best left unsaid, though if you have ample use of your imagination you might guess as to how, I sat down to watch it.

An hour and a half later, I was a convert.

Starring (mostly) unknown actor (unless you happen to remember him from ‘Atonement’, which I didn’t) Benedict Cumberbatch as the eponymous consulting detective and Martin Freeman (best known as Arthur Dent from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Tim from The Office) as Dr. John Watson, what unfolded upon my screen was one of the most faithful, loving and beautifully put together adaptations of the characters I’ve ever seen, filled with all the thrills, twists, quips and witty retorts you’d expect from an Arthur Conan Doyle written Sherlock story. In 21^st century London.

Just ‘cause it’d be cheaper to produce. And, possibly, more fun and/or relatable (I guessed).

Loosely based on the 1887 novel of a slightly different name, ‘A Study in Scarlet’, the series starts off with John visiting a therapist after being discharged from the military due to an injury suffered during the war in Afghanistan (same as in the original story). Nigh ten minutes into the episode and he’s meeting the enigmatic Mr. Holmes as they set out on the trail of a serial killer together whilst, unbeknownst to them, setting the foundation stones of a uniquely transcendental friendship that has been at the core of every single one of their stories since they were created oh so many years ago.

This is a careful character study of Sherlock, through John Watson, and of Watson himself as he’s thrust into a world that he feels he no longer fits into with a man that certainly doesn’t. That particular disassociation from everything else around them, whether involuntary or otherwise, is what initially brings them together. And, as the series progresses, that relationship is cultivated into something more.

These are not the older, wise-cracking bro’s from Guy Ritchie’s film. Sherlock is not the benevolent hero. And John is not the bumbling sidekick. These two are not best friends (yet).

What we have, instead, is the beginning of what will eventually become that relationship. Sherlock is a brilliant, smug sociopath that “gets off” on solving crime-related mysteries, whereas John is a bitter ex-soldier who’s looking for a reason to simply be. Who, in a way, has never left the war and longs for it constantly.

Like Lestrade more or less says, “Sherlock Holmes is a great man and […] one day […] he might even be a good one.” This is the story of how, through his friendship with John Watson, Sherlock became that great man that we all know he eventually becomes.

The episode itself, while long, never lingers too much. It’s always moving and the character interactions are always so compelling that you simply cannot stop watching. McGuigan’s direction ranges from highly kinetic to thoughtful and calm at the drop of a hat, never missing a single beat. There’s not a single shot that‘s out of place, nor a single line spoken whose inflection feels wrong.

To call the actors merely fantastic is to do a disservice to the quality of their work. Cumberbatch’s Sherlock is wonderfully snide and slightly mercurial in his disposition. He never misses an opportunity to show off his considerable intellectual prowess and what results is a character that, while polarizing at times, never fails to command your attention. You simply can't take your eyes off him whenever he's onscreen.

That said, Freeman’s Watson is just as much the star of the show.

He fully embodies a soldier that has gone through Hell and back and is now lost, looking for his place in the world. He wants to be optimistic and believe in people once more but, at every turn, he sees the ugliness behind humanity’s façade and it makes him question his place in the grand scheme of things.

In Sherlock, he sees a man with almost super-human deductive skills, who can read entire histories out of the smallest details and who doesn’t shy away from that ugliness, instead facing it head-on. That gives him something to hold on to and it’s the true catalyst for his overall story-arc throughout the series.

At times funny and thrilling, yet always entertaining, Sherlock became an overnight sensation in the U.K., earning a mere 9.23 million viewers for the first episode alone, and with very good reason: it’s brilliant television!

Steven Moffat had already won me over with his wonderful take on Doctor Who, so it was very likely that I was going to enjoy this regardless. What surprised me, however, was just how much I did. And with a second series of three more 90-minute episodes slated to air in the Autumn, I think it’s fair to say that I’ll stick around giddier than a kid hopped-up on too much sugar with anticipation for this odd couple return.

Go watch it. No excuses!