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First of all, yes, this is up a bit later than in previous weeks. I was busy Saturday night and so did not get a chance to watch the episode until now. In fact, I almost didn't have time to watch it now!
So, five episodes in and already I think this season is leaps and bounds better than last year. There hasn't yet been an episode I didn't think was anywhere from quite good to excellent and "Evolution" just continued the trend. I went in a bit trepeditious, as readers of last week's spoiler section know, but I was more than pleasantly surprised by a script that kept me guessing and kept me excited. Not that there might not have been one or two little missteps, maybe, but "Evolution" was just tremendous and exciting fun.
Ok, time for the spoiler section.
The script avoided every trap I was worried about last week. Every one. The Human Dalek character was fantastic...I sort of expected that he'd be hamstrung by his new human emotions (like the Troughton-era "human factor" Daleks), but I had no idea he'd welcome it and realize he needed to perpetuate it! I suppose the criticism could be that he wasn't acting like a Dalek, but that's the point. He got out of the trap Davros (who was almost namechecked) unwittingly set for his creations--if they can't change, then they can't progress and they'll simply die. But...I wasn't quite expecting Sec's full conversion and I have to admit it hit me just perfectly. His actual plan: build the new race and then take them elsewhere to thrive....Like Lazlo, I figured he was simply using the Doctor and when the inevitable double cross happened....well, ok, some of it might have been predictable, but it all worked so well for me.
Yes, the "Time Lord DNA" thing was fishy; if the Daleks had to do it chemically, how did the Doctor's DNA get transmitted electrically? I was willing to wave it away, but yeah, it was the one part of the script that made me go, "but....."
The lovely speech of peace followed by death is a cliché, true, but kind of necessary for this sort of episode and I was impressed that Raynor actually used it to advance the evolution of Sec.
Was it just me or was there a moment when Tallulah looked out and it was implied she was looking from the ESB to a skyline...that had the ESB in it? I mean, the other times, you could say, "Oh, it's an arial view, not what the characters are seeing," but that time....still, great use of the NYC footage the team managed to get when they were there filming.
And the confrontation between the Doctor and the last Dalek....fantastic. Although why he thinks this one is absolutely the last...in fact, hasn't he said that pretty much every time? Still, I think I've figured out where these four came from. They're not directly from the Time War; they're directly from the end of "Parting of the Ways." Which means we have two groups: the ones from PotW and the refugees who took refuge in the interdimensional limbo. Well, and whoever else shows up.
Martha was...less interesting this week, but still a fun character. To be honest, although they tried, there wasn't much for her to do; her contribution was to read architectural plans and to tell the Doctor something he kind of knew already. Still, she's tops and I really like her!
But damnit, freaking let go of Rose already. Jeeze. I can dig it being appropriate for a bit, but the show is wallowing in the Doctor's deep and forever emotional connection to one companion. To the detriment of his relationship with his new one. That point right at the end where he gives her the sharp look when she laughs about there being someone for everyone...was a point where I wanted to poke RTD and say, "We know you loved Rose, Russell. But freaking move on! Jeeze, this is a family SF fantasy show, not freaking Eastenders." Sigh. Sorry, sorry. Just me, I know....
But yeah, I loved it. :-) Much more than I thought I would, too!
Next week: Back to present-day London and Martha's family! Grand galas! Reversing the aging process (apparently)! Mark Gatiss! All in "The Lazarus Experiment" by Stephen Greenhorn!
Click here for my previous Doctor Who reviews.
So, five episodes in and already I think this season is leaps and bounds better than last year. There hasn't yet been an episode I didn't think was anywhere from quite good to excellent and "Evolution" just continued the trend. I went in a bit trepeditious, as readers of last week's spoiler section know, but I was more than pleasantly surprised by a script that kept me guessing and kept me excited. Not that there might not have been one or two little missteps, maybe, but "Evolution" was just tremendous and exciting fun.
Ok, time for the spoiler section.
The script avoided every trap I was worried about last week. Every one. The Human Dalek character was fantastic...I sort of expected that he'd be hamstrung by his new human emotions (like the Troughton-era "human factor" Daleks), but I had no idea he'd welcome it and realize he needed to perpetuate it! I suppose the criticism could be that he wasn't acting like a Dalek, but that's the point. He got out of the trap Davros (who was almost namechecked) unwittingly set for his creations--if they can't change, then they can't progress and they'll simply die. But...I wasn't quite expecting Sec's full conversion and I have to admit it hit me just perfectly. His actual plan: build the new race and then take them elsewhere to thrive....Like Lazlo, I figured he was simply using the Doctor and when the inevitable double cross happened....well, ok, some of it might have been predictable, but it all worked so well for me.
Yes, the "Time Lord DNA" thing was fishy; if the Daleks had to do it chemically, how did the Doctor's DNA get transmitted electrically? I was willing to wave it away, but yeah, it was the one part of the script that made me go, "but....."
The lovely speech of peace followed by death is a cliché, true, but kind of necessary for this sort of episode and I was impressed that Raynor actually used it to advance the evolution of Sec.
Was it just me or was there a moment when Tallulah looked out and it was implied she was looking from the ESB to a skyline...that had the ESB in it? I mean, the other times, you could say, "Oh, it's an arial view, not what the characters are seeing," but that time....still, great use of the NYC footage the team managed to get when they were there filming.
And the confrontation between the Doctor and the last Dalek....fantastic. Although why he thinks this one is absolutely the last...in fact, hasn't he said that pretty much every time? Still, I think I've figured out where these four came from. They're not directly from the Time War; they're directly from the end of "Parting of the Ways." Which means we have two groups: the ones from PotW and the refugees who took refuge in the interdimensional limbo. Well, and whoever else shows up.
Martha was...less interesting this week, but still a fun character. To be honest, although they tried, there wasn't much for her to do; her contribution was to read architectural plans and to tell the Doctor something he kind of knew already. Still, she's tops and I really like her!
But damnit, freaking let go of Rose already. Jeeze. I can dig it being appropriate for a bit, but the show is wallowing in the Doctor's deep and forever emotional connection to one companion. To the detriment of his relationship with his new one. That point right at the end where he gives her the sharp look when she laughs about there being someone for everyone...was a point where I wanted to poke RTD and say, "We know you loved Rose, Russell. But freaking move on! Jeeze, this is a family SF fantasy show, not freaking Eastenders." Sigh. Sorry, sorry. Just me, I know....
But yeah, I loved it. :-) Much more than I thought I would, too!
Next week: Back to present-day London and Martha's family! Grand galas! Reversing the aging process (apparently)! Mark Gatiss! All in "The Lazarus Experiment" by Stephen Greenhorn!
Click here for my previous Doctor Who reviews.
no subject
Date: 2007-04-30 07:36 pm (UTC)I could also see a very tall building in the NYC skyline shown from the ESB. I figured it was just another tall building in NYC.
Martha did get to patch folks up after the fight. I wanted to see her using her medical skills more.
I agree about the letting Rose go problem. Unless they're planning on reintroducing Rose at some point, they should just drop it. But I think something they are trying to do is build up a sort of romantic tension between the Doctor and Martha, where she likes him a bit romantically, but he refuses to see her that way all at or even recognize that she would have any interest in him that way. Don't know.
I liked the comment about the Dalek at the end where the Doctor is sure that he will see him again. Nice.
Who were the Dalek's shown in Doomsday then, since they apparently weren't the Cult of Skaro?
no subject
Date: 2007-04-30 07:48 pm (UTC)The ESB is very distinctive--that tall, lit-up building in the skyline shots was it. :-) As I said, those were apparently part of the location filming, though presumably doctored by the Mill.
RTD has described Martha's relationship with the Doctor as "unrequited love"; she likes him and he just doesn't think of her that way. So you've read it exactly right. :-) Personally, I'll be happy when the Doc and his companions can just be, y'know, best friends again. But I guess that's a big enough subject for a whole 'nother post. :-)
Martha got to patch people up, but ignored a BG voice saying, "My child is hurt, can somebody help me?" as she ran off with Tallulah. Sure, she was running to help the Doctor, but I thought that was an odd note to strike, given she'd been told to stay and do what she's trained to do. (I put that down to a bad sound editing decision; that line shouldn't have been in among the BG chatter, I think.) But it was nice to see her being a doctor; in fact, that's been nice in all the episodes thus far. I really do like her.
Y'know, the Zygons are the baddies in one of the new Doctor Who novels, which is selling well. Maybe, now that it's been seen that elements of the old series aren't a turn-off for new viewers, we might see more of them....(besides the obvious ones, anyway...)
no subject
Date: 2007-04-30 07:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-08-19 06:15 am (UTC)As many as the plot requires. ;-)
It's funny, I enjoyed this story, but the fan consensus is very much the other way. Yet another reason why organized Doctor Who fandom and I don't see anywhere near eye-to-eye these days....