Doctor Who 2x01: The New Earth

[tocryabout]

So I got to see it (hooray for BitTorrent). I think this episode had its heart in the right place in the end, but it felt a bit perfunctory in other ways. I liked the Doctor's "Everybody lives!" joy better when it was Eccleston, and when the explanation was less stupid (nanobots beats "uh I'm touching the cure" any day), and when the menace was actually menacing.

I'm going to chalk this up to Russell T. Davies's usual problem of bad pacing + too many ideas. Everything was smushed together in the second half, making all the Moral Outrage speeches seem too glib. Davies does get some points from me because he was groping around for a good Kantian moral about treating people as an end rather than a means, sanctity of life, etc. etc. I do appreciate that. Something about Ten suggests that given a good script, he could be very moving--there's a tenderness to him that was lacking in Nine. His "I'm so sorry," when faced with the first plague victim came off as genuine; it wasn't clear how he knew what was happening, but the response was still one of recognising another person's suffering and dignity.

For the same reason, the scenes with the Face of Boe really worked, as did the final scene with Cassandra!Chip and Corporeal!Cassandra. And the Doctor offered this to Cassandra, who's done nothing but exploit other people and ass up the Doctor's own affairs at every opportunity. We didn't see that sort of generosity with Nine, and I like it. The actor playing Chip was wonderful in that scene, and Zoe Wanamaker wins no matter what she does, so I'll forgive this episode based on that alone.

Davies really needs to focus here and unpack his stories properly, to give Tennant the right amount of time to unwind from Boyish Glee to Mature Kindness to Dawning Comprehension to Growing Anger to Righteous Indignation to Doctorish Swashbuckling and back to Magnanimous Forgiveness. Because right now? You have Scottish English Robin Williams.

I'm sorry. I love Tennant too. But he's Robin fucking Williams.

Now, with a good director and a good script, Robin Williams is a damn fine actor. He can convey emotional depth and vulnerability, which is just what Tennant's good with. Ten could be a very good Doctor, but he won't turn straw into gold the way Eccleston did; he might turn straw into Pixy Stix, though.

My prescription for this season: one story at a time, no cocaine or jelly babies on the set, and let him use his own accent (I think that's what's causing the helium voice).

Also, I'm as shippy as the next hormone-fuelled fangirl, but TONE IT DOWN PLZ.

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[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Oooh! Is CBC going to run the series over the summer?