I'm here to complain about Doctor Who

[promethia_tenk]

Because I'm a fan, dammit!

So, the new season of Doctor Who has not been doing it for me. Bless Jodie Whittaker and her Doctor, they are blameless in this. She's delightful and perfectly cast.

And, hey, the plots have mostly been middling to rubbish, the dialogue is dull and frequently clunky, and the writing in general is uninspiring. But if you were unprepared for any of this then you didn't do your homework.

What's really getting to me, though, and the thing that I was definitely not prepared for is how little emotional investment I feel in any of it. If Chibbs can do anything, surely he does characters and their relationships, right?!?! I've been batting around reasons for why things aren't clicking. Do we just need more time? (Torchwood was solid dreck for a season and a half before erupting into brilliance.) Is three TARDIS companions one too many? (Quite possibly yes, I'm thinking.) Am I just bitter that somebody thought we still needed a white dude on the cast? (Yes.) But I recently read a review somewhere that really snapped things into perspective for me, which noted that Ryan and Graham are now the heart of the show. And, frickety-frak, the reviewer is right. Ryan and Graham's relationship has been the major emotional through-line of the whole thing, has born most of the emotional weight. And it has been rather nice to watch, for what it is. I don't have a problem with their relationship in and of itself. I rather love Ryan, who is so my favorite. (Graham is fine.) But in the meantime Yaz is still underdeveloped and the Doctor hasn't really established a meaningful bond with any of them yet.

So let me ask you: how is it that, in getting a female Doctor, the show has somehow become more male-centric?

Comments

[owlboy]

Graham is my favourite, but I've kind of been wondering if that's because the narrative is giving The White Guy all the depth. I feel like I don't really know anything about Yaz and Ryan other than that she's a police officer, and he's tremendously isolated/dyspraxic, which hasn't been dealt with since the first episode.

[promethia_tenk]

I feel like Graham is the new Rose.

[promethia_tenk]

I'm kind of like, look, plotlines, dialogue, whatever, they're all nice, but if these are make-or-break elements for you, you're watching the wrong show.

What I am here for, though, is the Doctor and the relationship between the Doctor and his/her companion(s). Not for the story of two dudes working out their issues while they tag along in a time machine. Where's it all gone wrong?

[ironymaiden]

I think it's the Team TARDIS approach. I have similar feelings about the Peter Davison era. Three companions is too many. I'm really feeling Yaz as superfluous and that makes me sad.

[promethia_tenk]

I've only seen one Five story, so I'll take your word on that one. I was looking forward to a crowded TARDIS though, and I've always felt that Chibnall writes amazing ensembles. Part of me is holding out hope that he just needs more time to really establish everybody and work out all their interactions.

But, like, this should have finally been the episode where Yaz comes into focus and . . . nope. She still feels sidelined. I want to like her! Please! Make her important!

[nostalgia]

Three companions is too many when you only have 10 45-minute episodes AND you're also introducing a new Doctor at the same time. It's not just coincidence that both RTD and Moffat tended to intro new characters one at a time.

[ironymaiden]

yes. they even had the opportunity to add slowly baked in with the return to Sheffield and Yaz's mum being involved in the hotel - if Yaz hadn't been along yet she could have been added here.

[nostalgia]

I think Chibnall just bit off more than anyone could chew.

[promethia_tenk]

That's a good point. Amy had five episodes before Moff brought Rory in for real.

The length of the season is worrying me. I know the episodes are longer, but they sure don't feel like they have more substance. Sunday we'll be halfway through the season and I don't actually feel like we've done anything?

[nostalgia]

Maybe he's building up to a really good episode?

[nostalgia]

She's a bit... Bland.

[promethia_tenk]

Who is? Thirteen?

[nostalgia]

Aye. Yaz too really.

[promethia_tenk]

Hmmmm. If she doesn't get at least a few stunner moments before the end of the season, I'll agree with you, but I'm pretty happy for now. I feel like the elements are there. The quirkiness is good. Not Matt Smith level but well ahead of Capaldi. The reunion with the TARDIS was epic and moving. That scene where she stomped the space racist's vortex manipulator and let him try to choke her was stone cold. I personally like the honesty. I just wish she'd have a bit more meaningful interaction with any of the rest of them. Hopefully now that she's stopped trying to not pick them up?

Agreed on Yaz. Which is doubly disappointing because her first scene telling of the two ladies having the parking fight was so promising.

[nostalgia]

I am still hoping, but... yeah. I am sad that I don't love her yet, she's probably my 3rd or 4th fave new Doctor on some levels? Even though obvs as a woman she is the best as well.

I had been expecting some quality Yaz content this week but no she didn't get to do that much. Graham feels pretty rounded but I suspect about half of that is just Walsh being good at acting. Ryan is my fave still.

[promethia_tenk]

Yeah, I'd have a hard time giving a definitive ranking of new Doctors. She's firmly behind 11 and 12, but she's only had four stories. I didn't really expect her to immediately jump to those levels. But when I have a brand new episode of Doctor Who that I've only watched the one time and I'm asking myself if I want to rewatch it or maybe just go find some Ten'n'Rose . . . that's not a good sign.

I had been expecting some quality Yaz content this week but no she didn't get to do that much.
I like that she's in it for the Doctor and a little bit tuned in and prying? I mean, she's no Amy Pond or Clara Oswald, but she did ask the Doctor if she has any family and if she wants to come to tea. You need that character who's willing to stick their nose in the Doctor's business.

I like Graham way more than I thought I would and that's probably mostly Bradley Walsh. Ryan is legit great, though.

[nostalgia]

Eleventy is the best, of course.

RYAN FTW

[elisi]

Torchwood was solid dreck for a season and a half before erupting into brilliance.
I thoroughly resent this statement. Torchwood was amazing from Kiss Kiss Bang Bang onwards.

[promethia_tenk]

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was good (well, parts were brilliant and parts were some real Chibnall plotting), but things kinda went back to status quo after that for several episodes . . .

The reality is probably more of an incredibly slow upwards trend over the course of the whole two seasons that finally seemed to gain its own momentum in the second half of season two.

But that isn't nearly as fun as saying 'unmitigated dreck.'

[elisi]

But that isn't nearly as fun as saying 'unmitigated dreck.'
I suspected as much. ;)

[promethia_tenk]

Style over substance when complaining, always. Style over substance.

[elisi]

Can't disagree with that. (See my use of gif...)

[promethia_tenk]

Yeah, I debated whether to just respond to the gif, but I just woke up. Snark protocols not fully online yet.

[nostalgia]

Excuse you what about the epic that was Cyberwoman? Two dudes kissing is not as AMAZING as a Cyberperson in a metal bikini fighting a dinosaur while covered in BBQ sauce.

[elisi]

You are 100% correct, Cyberwoman was something unparalleled (and there were ALSO two dudes kissing when Jack french kissed Ianto back to life).

However, the rest of the season was rather drab and it wasn't until S2 that the show as a whole got on board with the early show of promise.

[nostalgia]

I liked the fairies! PJ HAMMOND!!!!!!

[elisi]

I don't think I know anyone else who liked the fairies. Go you!! However it was depressing as hell. (S1 in general, not just the fairies. And Cyberwoman was terribly sad cause Ianto lost Lisa...)

[nostalgia]

But fairies make paedos choke on flowers! And then Jack saves the world by letting one child become a fairy and everyone hates him for it!

[elisi]

Oh I'm not saying it's a bad episode, but S1 was terribly bleak. POOR JACK!

[nostalgia]

But he did look pretty hot.

[elisi]

Oooh yes.

[sea_thoughts]

The changeling plotline was at least accurate to original folklore and I remember being impressed that they didn't rescue the girl at the last minute but it was very bleak.

[elisi]

Doctor Who so far at least isn't bleak, so that's good! :)

[promethia_tenk]

I can't believe I'm suggesting this, but if bleak is what Chibbs is good at, maybe we should be doing bleak.

[elisi]

S2 of TW was FINE and FUN. But he is good at painful stuff (see Owen's arc f.ex., and Grace's death & Graham's grief), so he just needs MOAR CHARACTER STUFF.

[promethia_tenk]

Let's be honest: Cyberwoman was a high which the show never reached again.

[nostalgia]

Nothing could!

[sea_thoughts]

I think three companions is too much when you're also introducing a new Doctor, sadly. I quite like the Team Confused dynamic but it doesn't feel like Ryan and Yaz are getting much focus. Jodie is still the highlight of the series for me. (What I wouldn't give for some of Moff's dialogue or visual gift, though.)

[promethia_tenk]

Yeah, I barely feel like I know any of them, and the season's nearly half over. I'm hoping they're going to be a two-season crew, because there's no way they're getting all these people someplace satisfying in the time we have left.

I saw some review say "I still can't tell if I'm enjoying these episodes or just enjoying Jodie Whittaker in these episodes" and I think that's pretty spot on. I think her delivery of what she's been given is amazing. With a good script she could easily be a favorite, but . . . I'm assuming the later half of the season will feature a few different writers (Chibbs is the only listed writer on 4 of the first 5 eps). Hopefully at least one of them will be a standout.

I thought I had prepared myself for the fact that it would not be Moff writing the show anymore, but I was not ready. I would do unspeakable things right now to have plot points and witticisms pelted at my head like an out of control tennis ball launcher.

[sea_thoughts]

I'm hoping they're going to be a two-season crew, because there's no way they're getting all these people someplace satisfying in the time we have left.

Haven't heard any news about them leaving so yeah, let's hope so.

I saw some review say "I still can't tell if I'm enjoying these episodes or just enjoying Jodie Whittaker in these episodes" and I think that's pretty spot on.

Accurate. Jodie is basically what keeps me watching because she's so good.

I thought I had prepared myself for the fact that it would not be Moff writing the show anymore, but I was not ready. I would do unspeakable things right now to have plot points and witticisms pelted at my head like an out of control tennis ball launcher.

*lol* We've all become Sherlock. "WHY IS NOTHING HAPPENING, WHY ISN'T MY BRAIN BEING TANTALISED AND TEASED?" I mean, it's fine, it works, it's just... missing that joie de vivre, that flair, that... Moffat touch. ._.