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strange_complexWell, I really think that was one of the best things I have ever seen on television. The twists, the turns, the tension, the emotional impact. Every single person in it was brilliant, every character fully fleshed out, every development of the plot meaningful and logical. Seriously - WOW. I am genuinely sorry that I will never be able to have the experience of watching it fresh, and gasping and squealing with each new discovery, ever again.
The one worry tonight was that RTD would bring out the Total Bollocks Overdrive. Yes, the solution was arrived at surprisingly rapidly, and it was also extremely neat, as it rather has to be if the conventions of the Whoniverse (viz, that at the end of the story it could still conceivably be our universe) are to be left intact. But the Earth wasn't dragged halfway across the universe; gruelling experiences which the characters had been through were not totally wiped out; there was no deus ex machina, no magic fairy dust and no need to resort to a parallel universe in order to have things both ways. In short, someone was obviously exercising a restraining hand on the greater excesses of Rusty's imagination - and good for them.
The only other thing I'll pause to note is how much Jack's decision about Steven (his grandson) reminded me of Agamemnon's decision about Iphigeneia in the mythology of the Trojan War (and especially Euripides' Iphigeneia at Aulis. Agamemnon must choose between public duty and private affection when the gods ask him to sacrifice his daughter, Iphigeneia, in order to placate Artemis and allow the Greek army to set sail on their war against Troy. Jack doesn't take long to make the decision once it is forced upon him, but the same agony is clearly there, and I found it extremely compelling.
As for the future - the door is still open, I suppose, at the very least for Jack to turn up on Doctor Who at some time. Given the enormous success this mini-series has had in terms of audience ratings, there have got to be pressures in favour of a repeat. But tonight felt to me a very great deal like a final act of closure. And although I'm sad about that - WHAT a closure.
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The one worry tonight was that RTD would bring out the Total Bollocks Overdrive. Yes, the solution was arrived at surprisingly rapidly, and it was also extremely neat, as it rather has to be if the conventions of the Whoniverse (viz, that at the end of the story it could still conceivably be our universe) are to be left intact. But the Earth wasn't dragged halfway across the universe; gruelling experiences which the characters had been through were not totally wiped out; there was no deus ex machina, no magic fairy dust and no need to resort to a parallel universe in order to have things both ways. In short, someone was obviously exercising a restraining hand on the greater excesses of Rusty's imagination - and good for them.
The only other thing I'll pause to note is how much Jack's decision about Steven (his grandson) reminded me of Agamemnon's decision about Iphigeneia in the mythology of the Trojan War (and especially Euripides' Iphigeneia at Aulis. Agamemnon must choose between public duty and private affection when the gods ask him to sacrifice his daughter, Iphigeneia, in order to placate Artemis and allow the Greek army to set sail on their war against Troy. Jack doesn't take long to make the decision once it is forced upon him, but the same agony is clearly there, and I found it extremely compelling.
As for the future - the door is still open, I suppose, at the very least for Jack to turn up on Doctor Who at some time. Given the enormous success this mini-series has had in terms of audience ratings, there have got to be pressures in favour of a repeat. But tonight felt to me a very great deal like a final act of closure. And although I'm sad about that - WHAT a closure.
Click here to view this entry with minimal formatting.
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Date: Friday, 10 July 2009 21:48 (UTC)