Doctor Who: A Good Man Goes to War Review
Jun. 15th, 2011 06:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dweomeroflightIt seems pretty dead on lj at the moment (probably due to exams) but I am overseas in two days with no internet acess for a month so I will write this review now while I remember it and whoever sees it sees it :)
Overall I liked the episode. Nitpicks and quibbles and meta and general thoughts under the cut.
I thought that the people whom The Doctor called in for favours was pretty random, but it did give lots of timey wimey room for both future stories and fan fic. Moffat has given himself a lot of room this series and I do have to say that one of the things I am really liking about his era, is how he is slowly expanding the stories out so that it actually does feel like we are travelling through both time and space with The Doctor. A lot of RTD Who did feel very earth bound and relatively linear. Though I feel that the space part could be improved upon still, the time component definitely is far more inventive now and more adventurous.
River's timeline is now so confusing I have given up on trying to follow it. I think I will be waiting till everything is "revealed" (dear God please don't regenerate or I will cry and get EVEN more confused. Also, no one but Alex can be River) and then watching the episodes from River's perspective of time if I can.
I'm not sure how I feel about Amy Pond this series. I loved her in series five but this series has given her a bit of a backseat (admitedly to give room to Rory's developement as well as an expanding role to River). I think that is the downside to multiple companions in this day and age; everyone wants them to be developed relatively equally but that can be difficult with 45 minute time constraints. I do hope Amy is developed further in the series as I can see the potential for both Amy to be angry and hurt at The Doctor (the beginning of the end for her and him on the TARDIS?) and also difficulties over reconciling River with Melody Pond. I think it was![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
bendingwind who was uncomfortable about Amy and Rory being used as plot points to create River and at first I admit I felt the same. However, upon a good rethink I do think this has the potential to work out, assuming that Amy and Rory have reactions to both River and The Doctor as shaped by the events at Demon's Run and by Melody as a weapon and these are explored properly in the next half of the series. Others questioned the use of pregnancy as a plot device but I didn't think this was the case and to be honest it is really impossible to judge until we see the whole story ie part two The Death of Hitler
I spent most of this story yelling at the Tv "WHAT?WHAT?WHAT?" In terms of the war itself, The Demon's Run rhyme has alot of possibilities especially in terms of River (there was something about love in there which makes me wonder if River uses The Doctor's love/lust for her in some way. How do we know she isn't a con woman who has been bad all along. Just because she is Melody Pond doesn't mean that is her whole identity.) This series The Doctor has been quite brutal to his enemies and I have felt, and my Mum has commented on this too, that The Doctor this series has felt rather different to the series five one. Is there something on top of everything else that he already knows and is making him so angry?
The River reveal was pretty cool I thought, even though most had already guessed it. As I said, I like this reveal because it does not reveal River's whole identity to us- there is still room for plenty of storytelling there. "The only water in the forest is the river" appropriation of the TARDIS quote makes me wonder if River can somehow communicate with the TARDIS or has done in the past, or indeed if she is somehow an extension of it on top of everything else that she is. I have no idea but I suppose it is possible. I hope that Rory and Amy's reaction to this reveal is delved into next part because otherwise I will be a bit annoyed at Moffat. River is great and I love her, but I also want to hear from Rory and Amy too.
The ultimate question I had about this episode was whose weapon is Melody really? Creepy eye patch lady or The Silent's (who may or may not be behind The Silence) and why was that army predisposed to see The Doctor as an enemy? Also what were the real implications of the innuendo at the end? Is River leading The Doctor on or is she telling the truth?
And other than that I loved Rory turning up in Roman attire demanding his wife and Amy's quote "Melody Williams is a geography teacher, Melody Pond is a super hero."
I think that's me done for now, though I could possibly go on about the potential for an entire family out of time on the TARDIS forever and the coolness involved with that but I think I'll quit while I'm ahead.
Also forsquint13 I have created some silly tags to match hers (well not quite).
Overall I liked the episode. Nitpicks and quibbles and meta and general thoughts under the cut.
I thought that the people whom The Doctor called in for favours was pretty random, but it did give lots of timey wimey room for both future stories and fan fic. Moffat has given himself a lot of room this series and I do have to say that one of the things I am really liking about his era, is how he is slowly expanding the stories out so that it actually does feel like we are travelling through both time and space with The Doctor. A lot of RTD Who did feel very earth bound and relatively linear. Though I feel that the space part could be improved upon still, the time component definitely is far more inventive now and more adventurous.
River's timeline is now so confusing I have given up on trying to follow it. I think I will be waiting till everything is "revealed" (dear God please don't regenerate or I will cry and get EVEN more confused. Also, no one but Alex can be River) and then watching the episodes from River's perspective of time if I can.
I'm not sure how I feel about Amy Pond this series. I loved her in series five but this series has given her a bit of a backseat (admitedly to give room to Rory's developement as well as an expanding role to River). I think that is the downside to multiple companions in this day and age; everyone wants them to be developed relatively equally but that can be difficult with 45 minute time constraints. I do hope Amy is developed further in the series as I can see the potential for both Amy to be angry and hurt at The Doctor (the beginning of the end for her and him on the TARDIS?) and also difficulties over reconciling River with Melody Pond. I think it was
bendingwind who was uncomfortable about Amy and Rory being used as plot points to create River and at first I admit I felt the same. However, upon a good rethink I do think this has the potential to work out, assuming that Amy and Rory have reactions to both River and The Doctor as shaped by the events at Demon's Run and by Melody as a weapon and these are explored properly in the next half of the series. Others questioned the use of pregnancy as a plot device but I didn't think this was the case and to be honest it is really impossible to judge until we see the whole story ie part two The Death of HitlerI spent most of this story yelling at the Tv "WHAT?WHAT?WHAT?" In terms of the war itself, The Demon's Run rhyme has alot of possibilities especially in terms of River (there was something about love in there which makes me wonder if River uses The Doctor's love/lust for her in some way. How do we know she isn't a con woman who has been bad all along. Just because she is Melody Pond doesn't mean that is her whole identity.) This series The Doctor has been quite brutal to his enemies and I have felt, and my Mum has commented on this too, that The Doctor this series has felt rather different to the series five one. Is there something on top of everything else that he already knows and is making him so angry?
The River reveal was pretty cool I thought, even though most had already guessed it. As I said, I like this reveal because it does not reveal River's whole identity to us- there is still room for plenty of storytelling there. "The only water in the forest is the river" appropriation of the TARDIS quote makes me wonder if River can somehow communicate with the TARDIS or has done in the past, or indeed if she is somehow an extension of it on top of everything else that she is. I have no idea but I suppose it is possible. I hope that Rory and Amy's reaction to this reveal is delved into next part because otherwise I will be a bit annoyed at Moffat. River is great and I love her, but I also want to hear from Rory and Amy too.
The ultimate question I had about this episode was whose weapon is Melody really? Creepy eye patch lady or The Silent's (who may or may not be behind The Silence) and why was that army predisposed to see The Doctor as an enemy? Also what were the real implications of the innuendo at the end? Is River leading The Doctor on or is she telling the truth?
And other than that I loved Rory turning up in Roman attire demanding his wife and Amy's quote "Melody Williams is a geography teacher, Melody Pond is a super hero."
I think that's me done for now, though I could possibly go on about the potential for an entire family out of time on the TARDIS forever and the coolness involved with that but I think I'll quit while I'm ahead.
Also for
squint13 I have created some silly tags to match hers (well not quite).![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-06-15 09:58 am (UTC)I think there's more to River still, too. I mean, of course there must be, because there's more to her than just being their daughter. That's just one thing. And your conwoman theory is one I like very much, because who says she can't be?
I really hope she can't regenerate though - I just, I don't want any other River than the one played by Alex *pouts* :P
Other than that, I think my brain is still a bit broken and I don't know what to think. I suppose it'll be a bit better when I go back and rewatch it all later, in a month or so.
Not sure how I'm gonna do about my River rewatch though - I thought I had it all figured out, but then I read things online and now I'm confused and not sure at all. The only thing I'm fairly certain of is that her meeting Rory in the prison is the youngest. ...wait. No? Maybe? Argh, now I'm not even sure about that *flails* I guess I'll just do a general backwards rewatch, with her death last, and see what I make of it. *shrug* :D
no subject
Date: 2011-06-15 10:52 am (UTC)I like the idea of both conwoman and lover. Either way I am happy :) I just am happy that there is still stuff left ambiguous. I agree, I love Alex in the part and would have a hard time accepting a regeneration. I'm not saying its not possible, but it would be difficult imo.
I have no frakking idea. I've COMPLETELY given up on River's timeline.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-16 03:24 am (UTC)It fits in with her talk with Rory in Ep 1 when she talks of being a girl swept off her feet by what he can do. Normally the word Girl is synonymous with Woman(sadly) but what if she really was a young girl when she first meets him?
no subject
Date: 2011-06-16 08:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-19 08:13 pm (UTC)That is exactly how I felt! This series gives a lot of room for asking that question. Sometimes I feel like I have fallen down the rabbit hole. I just hope that the reveals are satisfying.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-19 08:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-19 11:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-19 11:37 pm (UTC)Also, I have some Who fic listed under the fan fic and doctor who tags if you like that kind of thing (and yes I know I need to do a master list post but I spent all day today trying to customise my comm lol)
no subject
Date: 2011-07-20 02:13 am (UTC)I would love to read some of your fics, thanks!