Well, we've reached 1 in the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Countdown. Yesterday I reviewed the excellent Mini-Episode Night of the Doctor and made some top 2 lists. Today I'll review another mini-episode "The Last Day" and an interesting clip from the 50th which has been released. And I might sneak in some "best of" stuff at the end of the post.
SPOILERS AHEAD. (for Last day and Night of the Doctor)
You've been warned.
The phrase less is more comes to mind. RTD did an excellent job of showing us all the effects of the Time War on the Doctor's psyche without actually showing us the Time War or even giving us any details about it. So did Steven Moffat in the Night of the Doctor. We didn't see much of the actual Time War in terms of the combat parts, but we did get to see its effects through the Doctor's interaction with a person on a crashing ship. Now... we're on Gallifrey at the fall of Arcadia and it gets attacked by a zillion flying Daleks.
Like I said: less is more. In the case of Doctor Who and the Time War this phrase is even more pertinent because how can you possibly show an epic battle between two very powerful time-traveling races? How would the logistics of it work? You really just can't.
In my opinion this mini-episode was just three and a half minutes of nothing new that began the process of stripping away all the mystery RTD created about the Time War. And coming after the wonderful Night of the Doctor it was a disappointment.
But don't be too discouraged. Here's a preview clip from the 50th that's actually good:
If you chose not to watch that then don't proceed because there will be SPOILERS for the clip ahead.
SPOILERS
Now this was a much better bit of Doctor Who than that Last Day nonsense. No Time Lord science, no epic battles, no Daleks, no attempts to scare us, just a wolf.
Just a quiet moment with John Hurt's War Doctor - who seems a bit nervous - and Rose introducing herself as a wolf. Obviously there's a lot of fan speculation on what this means, with some people saying that Billie Piper won't really play Rose she'll play Bad Wolf. I think people are forgetting that the Bad Wolf is Rose. It only existed because of her character and her determination to do her part and help the Doctor. They're also forgetting the way Rose speaks. It could easily be actual Rose - with no Bad Wolf involvement - who has chosen to refer to herself as a wolf. Y'know for fun.
Knowing Moffat though he probably thinks the only reason Rose is cool is because of Bad Wolf. I mean, this is the man who gave us River Song and Mystery Girl (Clara), so we'll see.
I will say the difference between these two clips highlights the importance of characterization. One clip has almost no character to it and the second evokes so much of Rose's character and her story that it's intriguing and exciting.
To follow that vein I'll pick the episode that gives the best characterization for each of the New Who characters:
The Ninth Doctor - Dalek
This episode is the one that really shows us the Ninth Doctor's struggle with what he went through - and what he did - in the war. It has, at its heart, many questions about war and morality and violence and through it we learn a lot about the choices the Doctor makes.
Rose - Father's Day
Rose is quite well characterized overall, but for me this was the episode that did it. We really get to see her deep longing to know her father and her inability, despite the many warnings the Doctor gives her - to let go of the idea of getting to know her dad, spending time with him. It's the episode that shows us the depths of her emotion and makes her human and vulnerable and not just a woman on an adventure. By far one of the best characterization episodes on the show.
The Tenth Doctor - Christmas Invasion
I've said it before and I'll say it again: the best thing about this special is that it eases the doctor into his new skin and it takes Rose and the viewer along with it. The Doctor spends a lot of time unconscious or incompetent which helps us explore the relationship between the Doctor and Rose and eases us slowly into his new incarnation.
Martha - Smith and Jones
Her first episode was an excellent intro to Martha's character. It showed us she was competent and clever and she was helping the Doctor from the very start. Great work.
Donna - Turn Left
I was going to put down Partners in Crime, but then I remembered all the cringe-worthy stuff where she's talking about how she's looking for a man and the fact that she only investigates in that episode because she thinks it'll help her find the Doctor. No. Turn Left is a much deeper character episode for Donna where we see all her best characteristics and where she's put through a lot that she has to overcome.
Rory - The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People
Rory is a great character and he's much more well-written than Amy or any of the other Moffat era companions/characters. We got a small hint of his character earlier on - especially in The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood - but this episode is the one where he really acts on his instincts and defies both Amy and the Doctor to go and do his own thing, to help someone he believes needs his help.
Eighth Doctor - Night of the Doctor
Actually this mini-episode characterizes more than just the one incarnation of the doctor. We really get to understand the Eighth Doctor and his choices and we also get to understand a bit about the War Doctor and also the Ninth!
Aaaaand that's it. If you think I'm going to try to pretend there were episodes where Amy or River or Clara or even the Eleventh Doctor were well characterized you're kidding yourself. None of those characters are real. None of them have actually been put through emotional tests that have defined their character or thrown into situations that reveal who they really are on the inside. Characterization is a lot more than just one-liners and mystery and forced quirks.
I hope someone's been paying attention to what used to make good characterization on this show because we sorely need it in this 50th special. Let's hope we get more of what we saw in Night of the Doctor and in the clip between the War Doctor and Rose rather than the "epic battle" variety we were shown in the Last Day.
Only one day and then we'll find out!
Comment below if you really liked or hated any of what I said! :D
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