Werewolves of Scotland, Aroooooo!

[drakyndra]

So, it's the obligatory post on Tooth and Claw. I can't be stuffed doing my dot-point thing of last week, mainly because I think I have more discussy type things to say, rather than just considering lots of little things.

(This may be added to as I think of other things to say)

That said ...

He licked the door. He licked the door. Ten LICKED the gorram DOOR.

There will never be anything on television quite so cool as that again.

Anyways, it some ways, this episode was almost a triumph of style over substance. Because even if it was not the most plot heavy episode, not the most unique plot, not a deep character study, what plot there was filled the space perfectly.

And the style could not have been any more perfect.

Perhaps it's just the fact that I saw V for Vendetta last night, and am thus feeling the appeal of immaculately styled, spectacularly beautiful viewing, but I adored this episode for it's style.

The atmosphere was perfect, chilling and frightening - that werewolf was genuinely freaky, and when it attacked that soldier bloke, with the editing and teeth. *shudders* The sound artists did a great job. The sets were beautiful, and I loved the contrast of the gray, gloomy house with the scarlet of the monks and soldiers. And the blue TARDIS in the green fields was lovely.

Actually, I might just go on a directing tangent here. I am firmly convinced this episode had the best directing so far. All those beautiful, gorgeous shots, the wolf POV shots, the wonderful editing in that extraordinary opening fight, when the Doctor had his epiphany in the library, and the shot of the Doctor and wolf either side of the door. (That's going to be remembered, that shot)

Now, onto character stuff:

This wasn't a huge Doctor and Rose character developing thing - the next two look to be more that type - and as such, I expect the fic rate to be rather lower this week. But considering what we have coming, I expect them to shoot back again after that.

That said: "It's beautiful!" And the look on the Doctor's face there - that will stay with me. Because that moment just says "the Doctor" to me like nothing else. It's a wondeful moment.

His "books are weapons" thing was brilliant as well.

I also loved his epiphany just after this, with pacing and great editing and hair rufflage, and yay, glasses! But seriously, I loved the way he reasoned out the trap within a trap, and worked out everything (it was a little predictable, and not exactly high science, but no-one could possibly accuse it of Deus Ex Machina). But I like me a brainy Doctor.

The stuff in the TARDIS at the start was quite brilliant - the punk, rockabilly Doctor, eh? I like this description muchly. And not just I rather like punk. The Doctor is a bit of a punk, really, rebelling against the authorities and all.

Rose never knew how right she was there.

Also, he likes the Muppet Movie. Hehe!

Also, on the accent issue - although his Scottish accent was lovely, of course, I genuinely didn't really notice when it slipped back into that Mockney thing later on. Which...was rather impressive, actually, as it made it seem so much more natural.

On a shallow level: Tennant has never been this pretty before. Never. Also, door licking. *wibble*

Oh, and he did distant and emo in a very lovely sad way when the Queen did her speech about the dead that you cannot hear.

Rose bugged me a bit (that "We are not amused" thing was a rather appalling, so I was gleeful when Queen V called her on it). And her outfit was hideous.

Then again, Rose has never been a favourite character of mine - I liked her okay, but that was it. The whole conversation with the wolf was very interesting, mind, and she tried to get free, which showed a bit of smarts, but otherwise she was just silly jokes and not much else. I suspect the big character stuff is all for the next two weeks.

But how the hell did she know about the Koh-I-Noor(sp?)?

As for the Doctor/Rose thing - there was... very little of it, actually. Like I said, not a big ep for character development, so what we got here was a bit of these two being silly and injoky, and rather sweet, actually. I think fandoms problem is that they are forgetting that there is supposed to be plot. And before you bring up The Unquiet Dead, as last years analogy to this, I personally felt that the shipping in that episode was the most forced thing ever. I think I much preferred this take on historicals, rather.

Anyway, last season was all about Nine getting over his emo, PTSD Time War issues, and Rose played a major part in grounding him in reality. My feeling for this season is the hubris thing that everyone is on about, and I am wondering how Rose will actually play in this. Grounding him again, victim of consequences or what? According to the commentary, by the end of this season we should have an idea of where things are going with Rose. So it oughta be interesting.

As for our minor characters:

Queen Victoria - she was done well. You go, Queen! Dude, she has a pistol in her purse, and then went and smacked down the Doctor and Rose for bringing on the silly, and then gave them the uber-smackdown at the end. And then she went and set up Torchwood, and she was strong but still sort of nice, and I liked her for not just being your cliche snooty queen, but real.

Father Angelo (the head monk)- genuinely creepy. He has a creepy face, as teh Tennant pointed out on the commentary.

Sir Robert - A bit dopey (I like the Doctor being snarky and pointing out his father got all the brains), but he made up for it in the end.

Lady Isobel - clever girl, wasn't she? Seemed a bit weepy and useless to start with, but once her husband was in danger, she got to work.

The Host - Creepy as fuck. And, according to the commentary, went to drama school with DT. Nice. Not much to do except be creepy and expositiony, but he did well.

Werewolf = a million times better than PoA. Doctor Who for the win!

On plot stuff: Unlike last week, I wasn't spoiled liek whoa for this episode. So I genuinely didn't see what was going to happen (apart from the prefectly normally predicted mid episode stuff). I mean, I knew that the Doctor and Rose would be knighted, but I didn't know that immediately afterwards they'd be banished. I knew there was that telescope, but I didn't know what for. I knew a meteor fell to Earth and produced a werewolf, but I didn't know how the monks fitted into all this.

And it was a damn site better for this, really.

That said - the banishing thing rocked my socks, because it was just like the snow = ash thing in TCI. It took what could have been a sappy cliche, and turned it on it's head. And the reaction that the Doctor and Rose had to it. Yeah, afterwards they were a bit light and silly, but according to the commentary, there was a scene in between that was cut, with the two at the doors of Torchwood House just completely in disbelief. (This scene now lives on in my personal fanon)

There were also some very classic lines there, though I can't be bothered acnning through it all just to transcribe them. But the one about Sir Robert's wife being away, so the Doctor thought he was "happy," and that one about legging it out the window, and Sir Robert's final lines. Oh, and Queen V's smackdown. And the Torchwood stuff at the end, which was rather overdone, but very forboding.

Oh, and "Doctor James McCrimmon?" For the win!

Also, something I just had pointed out to me over on the OG forums: In TCI, the Doctor told the Sycorax to "Leave this planet, and never return." And what then does Queen V say in this episode? "Now leave my world, and never return."

And RTD can't do subtlety, eh?

There is definitely something worth pondering there.

Oh, and for all those people whining about how all that Torchwood stuff is just like a big trailer for the spinoff? Listen to the bloody commentary. David Tennant confirms what us spoiler hunters have known for ages - Torchwood has a part to play in the series finale double episode. That's what's being set up now. Not subtle, but some context, please?


The non-spoiler version: Perfectly presented, gorgeously atmospheric, and it genuinely scared me in parts. Fitted the 45 minutes perfectly, and if not particularly deep in developing character, there are definitely some subtle - and not so subtle - set ups for where this season might be heading.

Also, next week = squee liek whoa!

Oh, on another note: Shippers, you are bugging me. All of you. Not just the whingey Nine/Rose fans who complain that the episode would have been so much better with Nine, but also the Ten/Rose fans complaining about lack of shippiness so far in the canon, and (for some bizarre reason) all the Doctor/Romana fans who seem to have grown like mushrooms and look down on the OTPing Doctor/Rose fans as being so immature despite doing the same bloody things yourself.

All of you: SHUT THE FUCK UP PLZ AND LET ME ENJOY MY PRETTY, PRETTY EPISODE. Or at least put your energy into fic, where I may actually enjoy hearing your thoughts.

Thank you.

Comments

[lotus79.livejournal.com]

Nothing to add but this icon.

*melts into a puddle of licky door goodness*

Well, maybe a little. I am still turning this one over in my head, despite having posted a reviewish thing to my LJ already. Each time I think I have got to a conclusion, the prism shifts and I see it from a different angle. (See, I was trying to be all intellectual and referential there. Did it work?)

Oh there was something, where was it again? Oh yes.

I am wondering how Rose will actually play in this. Grounding him again, victim of consequences or what?

to go by this one, and New Earth to the extent we saw her, I reckon she's going to do the exact opposite of ground him. Seems to me they're getting carried away and egging each other on leik whoa.

Also, I do not think the PTSD thing is quite as gone as we think. More like evolved new symptoms. ;)

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

I am in awe of your icon. I cannot... stop... watching it.

But turning it over in your head is a good thing. A good episode makes you think, makes you wonder. There is nothing worse than an episode that you just instantly forget.

Egging him on, eh? That could be an interesting way to play it out, but I think if that happens there would be some seriously nasty consequences at the end. They are getting on too well right now - perhaps it'sjust my familiarity with Joss Whedon, but when things are going well, that when you should suspect some personal catastrophe.

And point about the PTSD. He's better at hiding it, and I think that it isn't as heavily effecting him, but it's still there. God knows you can't get over having wiped out your entire race overnight.

[cedara]

OMG your icon!

*stands in line*

[lotus79.livejournal.com]

This is my new favourite icon. I am using it everywhere today. DT does "orally fixated" a little too well, doesn't he?

Actually, my theory (for today, anyway) about the PTSD is that it's worse now. Nine had the righteous indignation thing going, and sometimes the pain overwhelmed him a bit. My Ten theory is that he's gotten to that breaking point and actually snapped a little bit.

Nine was furious and frustrated for every single person he couldn't save, but Ten seems to not notice or not care. He does in practice, but the flippancy is just overwhelming and I reckon it's a huge smokescreen defence system he's building.

Well, that's my crackpot theory of the day, anyway. Slightly more sane than "Rose is the lonely god", I hope. ;)

[lotus79.livejournal.com]

'tisn't mine, was done by telephonophobic. She posted it in dwicons, I think. I saw it and glomped it immediately, because OMG, he licks the door!!!!!eleventyone!

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

He's a hot guy with an oral fixation, what's not to love?

Interesting theory. I am not quite sure I entirely agree with it - I am actually leaning more towards a sort of he's healed up a bit, but not nearly as much as he seems, and he will reach a breaking point and just snap and out emo us all later this season, but we shall see.

How this fits in with all the ongoing Torchwood, and Hubris-tastic and whatever other ongoing themes that are coming up (stories and myth seems a big one in certain circle, but who knows what else might pop up), I have no idea.

Perhaps the hubris is just covering up for the non-healed PTSD. Or something. It'd make for interesting watching, certainly.

And there are JFK conspiracy theories more sane than "Rose is the Lonely God."

[cedara]

Hee.. good to know. Thanks for the heads-up. *still stands in line for licking*

[lotus79.livejournal.com]

Absolutely nothing. Lick more stuff, DT, right now.

Honestly, I'm not sure I explained that right. (Not because you didn't necessarily agree, but because I'm reading it back and huh?)

The snapping and emoing out is exactly what I think will happen too, I just think it will be because he hasn't got better (instead burying it all even deeper than before and covering it with humour and flippancy)

Rose, I think, is being seduced by this new flippancy. So when I say she's egging him on, really they're egging each other on and getting carried right away; her because she's young and still inexperienced, and him because of the aforementioned flippancy-as-defence-mechanism thing.

And I'm going to stop Ten-theorising now, because I'm supposed to be writing Ninefic. Oops.

But the man behind the grassy knoll was the Doctor, wasn't he?

[misscam.livejournal.com]

*looks all hurt*

Heeey, I'm not being an annoying shipper! And I am writing fic.

I do hope there'll be one ep with a bit more Rose/Doctor character stuff, but it might be a bit interesting not to have it so early on, actually. I'm fine with how it is so far, but I'll want something meaty from the whole run. Mmm.

But only been two eps. Bit early to whinge still.

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

It's not you sweetie, it's a lot of other people - more over on T&C, or linked to from who_daily. I probably shouldn't have read that many of them, but I genuinely wanted to find out what other people thought, and was vaguely pissy it was all about the shipping.

Bit stupid for a shipper comm, but you know...

Also, there were far too many going on about how much better it would have been with Nine in it, which is always a great way to piss me off.

And as I said, I think the next two should be big on character stuff. Meeting an old companion? The Doctor falls in love? How could that not be character heavy?

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Yes, David, lick on.

Now that you have re-explaned it, I think I see where you are going, and it does make a certain amount of sense. But, as always, we shall have to wait and see.

Dude, you can't be a time-traveller and not end up on that grassy knoll

[days-of-yore.livejournal.com]

PoA werewolf? PWNED.

Know exactly what you mean about teh pretty. The sets and lighting and general style were so very lickable, as Ten clearly thought himself.

Ha, that shot of the wolf and Ten on either side of the door made me think of Harry and 'mione in GoF. *brain splodey*

[misscam.livejournal.com]

I know, I was just poking you since you were so general and whined about all shippers :P

Mmm. Shipper comm will be shipper comm, I guess, though I do feel the fangirls have come out in force of late.

For real? Where? Oh, I want to kill all this Nine versus Ten blahdida. Makes me want to go through season one and point out how Ten might've done it better just to be contrary.

Hmm-hmm. Well, Mickey is around as well, it seems, so dunno how Doctor-centric it will all be. We'll see.

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Our werewolf brings all the boys to the yard. Damn right, it's better than yours.

Ten: Licking the sets because they were just. That. Pretty.

That is... a really bizarre comparison. This was a better shot, though.

[mittendorfer.livejournal.com]

I'm just being shallow and occupying a space on the lowest level of shallow for a minute.

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

I was whining about talkie shippers who won't shut up.

And yes, we have fangirls liek whoa right now. Which means Stupidity Factor Rising. (Also, keep an eye on Rose Pearse's lot. At least one reckons RTD has been reading her fics, and suggested Ms Pearse is a better writer than RTD)

So, for Nine vs Ten stuff, check out the reactions post at T&C, or go through the reactions on the latest who_daily, and a few should turn up. And I would so laugh if you did that.

And we shall see, we shall see. School Reunion seems to be a pretty big one for a lot of people, characte wise.

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

On a shallow level, that episode wins the universe.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

*points up* Shippers, you are bugging me. All of you. :P

OMG, I went over to their place and looked at the threads and... If Rose Pearse was writing DW, I would weep. There's a reason RTD is a sucessful TV writer and Miss Pearse is pretending to a published writer, yo.

If I do that, I might end up writing "First Season As Done by Ten: Slutboi Alien Tease On the Loose" or something. Oi.

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Ooops. I sort of meant that as more of "batshit shippers of all ships". But you get the sanity loophole.

Yes, Ms Pearse is scary like that. Especially if they are saying it after the visual wonder of Tooth and Claw.

If I do that, I might end up writing "First Season As Done by Ten: Slutboi Alien Tease On the Loose" or something.

OMG IF YOU WRITE THAT I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER!

[lotus79.livejournal.com]

And this would be a bad thing... why?

Just don't have it published and put up for sale at Amazon. ;)

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Hehehehe. That's certainly a powerful incentive. I shall think about it. Oh yes.

The batshit certainly is strong in Pearse and Minions. And they group together and increase it in each other and it all gives me great urges to headdesk, then point and mock.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Do I look like I'm that seriously, serious dumb?

It would be a bad thing if rapid Nine lot got all wanky. Or not, because I'd laugh.

[mittendorfer.livejournal.com]

"If I do that, I might end up writing "First Season As Done by Ten: Slutboi Alien Tease On the Loose" or something. Oi."

I'd pay for that!

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

It would be a bad thing if rapid Nine lot got all wanky. Or not, because I'd laugh.

I would quite possibly die laughing.

[lotus79.livejournal.com]

Lolz are good.

Also, you do not look that dumb, but had to be sure. :P

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Yes, think about it, plz.

And it's like the crazy gets all focused together. Like the moonlight. Think if we got a big honking diamond we could like focus it into a ray of concentrated fatal batshittery and turn it on them?

[jalendavi-lady.livejournal.com]

Am I the only person who sees no problem with liking and squeeing about Doctor/Romana, Nine/Rose, and Ten/Rose at the same time? (Then again, I do have 4 different Full Metal Alchemist OTPs, depending on the point in the series one is talking about, so I might just be really really weird.)

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Oh, I see no problem with multi-shipping, or even ship squee. (Dude, I have Ten/anyone listed as an interest, what do you expect?)

It's just ship related complaining I am having issues with - with every new episode, there seems to be a small but distinct (and vocal) minority who will without fail either complain about how they want Nine back, because the Nine/Rose chemistry was more intense, whinge about how Ten/Rose isn't getting enough, and a few that go and a few Doctor/Romana types that roll their eyes at the silly young Doctor/Rose shippers, and then act in the exact same manner.

I like shipping, hence my membership of certain comms. But I never forget this is a story based series, and I much prefer keeping my shipping fanon and canon to be subtexty. And complaining about the shipping in canon just bugs me. If you don't like it, isn't that what fandom and fanfic is for?

Also, as I point out, we have what appear to be two fairly heavily character based plots coming up. And they are always good for fanon fodder and possible subtext.

[--kali--.livejournal.com]

We are actually taught about the crown jewels and Queen Victoria and stuff at school. And with Rose being a London girl she would have had at least one school trip to go and see it.

[jalendavi-lady.livejournal.com]

how they want Nine back, because the Nine/Rose chemistry was more intense, whinge about how Ten/Rose isn't getting enough

The dynamics are different. They're supposed to be different. Granted, I haven't seen more than 5 minutes of Ten in action, but Nine/Rose and Ten/Rose are going to be different. He's a new regeneration, not a clone with a different haircut. Besides, relationships change over time anyway within a series. Season 2 Sheridan/Delenn and Season 5 Sheridan/Delenn in Babylon 5 are vastly different at times even with both of them still wearing the same faces, but the basic level of the relationship is still there.

I much prefer keeping my shipping fanon and canon to be subtexty. And complaining about the shipping in canon just bugs me. If you don't like it, isn't that what fandom and fanfic is for?

And again, word. I seriously write for one couple that is usually considered crack and for another couple who are completely canon but who weren't even seen from the front until the most recent manga chapter. Gaps in canon are my playground.

Searching for subtext can be fun, and makes a good excuse for becoming otherwise familiar with the general canon of a fandom. I really wish I had access to more of the old Doctor Who canon, because I would very much like to explore how the past history he had with Gallifrey might be affecting him in his post-Time War reality. They may have been his people, but it hadn't exactly been home in a while from what I can gather. How does that affect his relationships with humans now?

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

You did? Not so plot-holeish as I had wondered.

The mistakes us overseas types make, eh? (I mean, I knew about the Koh-I-Noor, but that's only because I read far, far too much as a child. And I used to collect gemstones. Shut up, shut up, shut up!

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

The dynamics are different. They're supposed to be different.

Exactamundo. The problem is, certain people seem to have some weird issues with this fact. I mean, I can understand liking one set of dynamics more than another, but acting if the fact they have changed is a show flaw rather than just a necessary development is frankly ridiculous. Also, one need not bash a ship to prefer another one.

Searching for subtext can be fun, and makes a good excuse for becoming otherwise familiar with the general canon of a fandom.

Also true. Hell, reading far too much into things and reinterpreting them is pretty much what fandom is for. (Then again, I come from Harry Potter, where subtext is a big fucking deal)

I really wish I had access to more of the old Doctor Who canon, because I would very much like to explore how the past history he had with Gallifrey might be affecting him in his post-Time War reality.

I'm not entirely familair with it, either, but I have read up liek whoa (try old episode guides, or that sort of thing), but basically, the Doctor was a rebel on the run from a society he didn't like much (though there were a few people within said society he didn't get on badly). He disagree with the whole "Look, but don't interfere" thing, and so he wnet and did his thing, and occasionally he did missions for them, or was punished by them, or was elected President (!!).

The relationship was a lot more complex than a lot of the fanbrats seem to realise, and it makes the whole "my people are no more" thing a whole lot more interesting.

reposted properly, erm

[livii.livejournal.com]

Ah, but I don't think people should have to watch the commentaries - I haven't seen it yet because I'm generally meh on episode commentaries and have only had time to watch it once anyway - and I avoid spoilers so I don't know anything about what role Torchwood is going to play (though I could have guessed it would come up somehow). So if you only have the actual text - the episode - in front of you, then yeah, I call really lame advertising for your other show - or if you've never heard of it, really baffling, heavy-handed speechifying by Queen Vicky. Even if it is important, eh, they got the bad wolf stuff in there in much more subtle fashion.

Re: reposted properly, erm

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

But Bad Wolf was supposed to be subtle - it was supposed to be this mystery that got more and more obvious as you went through the series. I think people were expecting much the same from Torchwood, but I think it's something very different - more integral to the actual plot. I mean, it's first mention involved a ruddy great laser blowing up a spaceship, it's hardly subtle.

So, taking just what we know from the show, what facts have we about Torchwood?

- Top secret group, something to do with aliens, that even milarity types like UNIT are edgy and not informed of.
- Posessing a big honking laser, all around London, based on alien tech that fell to Earth in the mid-90s and is capable of blowing up large spaceships.
- Started in Scotland in 1879 by Queen Victoria, to study the mysterious and supernatural (read: alien) dangers to the UK. Oh, and the Doctor should be wary of them.

Take that information, and interpret it as you will, but I think Torchwood info is being treated more like last year's Time War plotline than the Bad Wolf one. That is to say, a major player in the series, but (at least to start with) we are only really getting bits of the exposition so far.

Re: reposted properly, erm

[livii.livejournal.com]

If it's a bigger plotline, then that's alright (though I do wince at making a spinoff such a part of the main show, sigh). Still, the speech was really over the top, especially since it's hard for viewers who just watch the show to know that there's going to be this big Torchwood plotline - until all of a sudden Vicky starts speechifying and 'it shall be called TORCHWOOD'! Meh.

[--kali--.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, we did a whole term on the Victorian Era. We only got as far as the Black Country museum (which is a lot less fun than shiny jewellery)

[jalendavi-lady.livejournal.com]

The relationship was a lot more complex than a lot of the fanbrats seem to realise, and it makes the whole "my people are no more" thing a whole lot more interesting.

Yep. I may know just about nothing, but he was exiled and forced to go through his second regeneration by his own people because he was meddling too much. That has to mean something to him, even though he's experienced hundreds of years of personal time since then. That in and of itself may mean he dwells on the banishing thing now; he's now gotten kicked out of both worlds he has really had a reason to care about, and while the TARDIS may make a pretty neat house, it isn't a home. I almost feel like all the running around on Earth he's done since the Time War is a sort of falling back and regrouping; Gallifrey isn't there, and the last time Gallifrey wasn't there for him was when he was exiled to Earth. Even if the world has forgotten through the centuries, he's going to know from now on that whenever he's in Britain, he's someplace he's not at all supposed to be.

The Doctor has been exiled from his place of exile.

How does one deal with the death of a people who killed you (effectively that's what a forced regeneration would be, even if you are still breathing at the end of the process), cast you out alone to a world you cared about but didn't quite fit in, expunged your name from your family's records (read that today, need to check on the source), then accepted you back and saddled you with being their President twice?

Is the maniac energy of Ten really some sort of an attempt to not let himself slow down and think? He's got some space between himself and the Time War now, so the gut reactions should just about be in the process of getting replaced by brain reactions.

It makes the Romana interactions even more interesting, because everything I've seen says she hadn't been born/loomed/whatevered until after he returned from exile. He was already nameless and displaced by then.

Does what happened on Gallifrey long ago mean that the Doctor himself might not remember his own name? Is he 'the Doctor' even to himself? What sort of wrench would that throw into his recovery from the loss of his people and his world?

Re: reposted properly, erm

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

That was sort ofthe point of the speechifying here, I suspected - clueing in the non-fan watchers that there is an ongoing Torchwood plotline. Making them aware of this. Yeah, it wasn't particularly subtle or anything...

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Whoa, deep. ;)

But yeah, this is the sort of thing that fanbrats just don't think about. Which is a pity, because it's very interesting.

I do like your thoughts on Ten, mind.

[jalendavi-lady.livejournal.com]

COngratulations, this discussion has spawned fic. (http://jlady-fics.livejournal.com/6108.html)