Jesus Christ

[andrewducker]

Can we _please_ have some competent direction for more than one episode in a row of Dr Who?

I mean, there were some nice ideas, and the script was generally fine(few clunkers,but not many), but the actors were clearly being asked to camp it up completely and frankly it was all a bit of a mess.

Comments

[johanna-alice.livejournal.com]

Only if some public-spirited person removes RTD from the frame somehow. I did have some hope after last weeks excellent episode, but alas said hopes were well and truly dashed...

[andrewducker]

To be honest, I don't blame RTD for this one - the script wasn't the problem - it was the director, who seemed to think that Dr Who is aimed at largely at 12-year-olds.

[helen-keeble.livejournal.com]

I admit, my inner 12-year-old has been greatly entertained by the campiness...

(but I'm not an old-skool Who fan; I like watching Tennant & co chew the scenery with relish)

[andrewducker]

I've enjoyed bits of it. But, for instance, when the music kicked in as the skies opened it took a moment that should have been genuinely shocking and made it silly instead. Also - I think RTD intended us to take The Master's madness as somewhat pitiable, as opposed to just plain silly, but that's largely failing to come across.

And I've liked lots of the campness in the past - I just think this one went past the levels I enjoyed to the point where it was preventing any other kind of emotion from coming through.

[helen-keeble.livejournal.com]

Interesting - I _liked_ the silly music undercutting the dramatic moment, because it was music the Master was actually playing, rather than Ye Dramatic Unseen Orchestra. It put me in the POV of the Master - "Hee! I can destroy the world! GLEE!" - rather than leaving me outside the scene, watching the rift open and thinking "Eh. Seen better special effects."

But I'm a sucker for silly musical/visual riffs - I fell in love with Supernatural when they set a dramatic chase scene with an evil 'Reaper' beastie to, yes, you guessed it, "Don't Fear The Reaper". *grin*

The Master's madness seemed scary to me... though not as scary as his apparently-totally-sane-and-supportive wife.

[pennski.livejournal.com]

Ooh yes - bookzombie kept saying "Who is she? What is she?" everytime she appeared on screen.

And Supernatural - a fantastic switch-off brain, enjoy the eye-candy kind of show.

[hfnuala.livejournal.com]

I'll be really pissed off if she just turns out to be a dumb wife with no back story at all.

[robhu.livejournal.com]

Prepare to be pissed.

[surliminal.livejournal.com]

Wouldn't it be fabulous if she was a regenerated Romana hiding out to destroy his schemes!!!

[robhu.livejournal.com]

I know I should think of her as a bad person, but for some reason I don't.

[surliminal.livejournal.com]

I think I know what he was going for with the silly music - that kind of subersive thing you get with inapropriate music, a trend since Trainspotting - cf the music everyone gets killed to in Face/Off over headphones, a very Woo moment ; it didn't quite come off here but it was a brave try.

I didn't actually find it that camp, possibly because I was mentally grinning and bearing it from seeing your post first. What it was NOT, as i just said on my own L was either TENSE or SCAREY. Sadly, and unlike last week's ep.

And I think RTD was going for pathos in the Master/Dr relationship - the Doctor's desperation to save the Master and find someone to relate to came through; whatever is drving the Master other than madness and cartoon villainy did not. And that was a big psychological gap.

My theory on the wife is that she is a subtle joke on The Time Traveller's Wife. But yes I do hope she turns out to have a plot point. I doubt she was up for the decimation and she's NOT under mind control, so I expect she'll end up working for the good guys.

[johanna-alice.livejournal.com]

Having checked, there doesn't seem to be a director at all...

[a-pawson.livejournal.com]

Directed by Colin Teague - who has never directed Dr Who before. One wonders why then he is given the job of directing both parts of the season finale.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0853535/

[johnbobshaun.livejournal.com]

1) I agree. The most glaring thing for me was the control room on the Cloudbase thingy. It looked like a *real* cheap set.

2) Haven't we kind of *done* massive fleets of aliens invading Earth now?

[andrewducker]

Bring back the Silurians!

[qatsi.livejournal.com]

Ooh, yes please! Enemies with an IQ!

[laserboy.livejournal.com]

Especially flying swarms with lasers. zzzz

[opusfluke.livejournal.com]

JELLY BABIES!How very dare they!

[pennski.livejournal.com]

Absolutely!

Hurrah!

[surliminal.livejournal.com]

Yes why is everyone mentioning the Clangers tribute and no one mentioning the Baker/Adams tribute!!

[cx650.livejournal.com]

See my reply to cookwitch

[andrewducker]

Her journal is friends-locked...

[cx650.livejournal.com]

Sorry!

Her post was more to do with the writer than the direction, but I feel the same opinion applies even thought the pun doesn't work.

*quotes self*

Twee by name and.....

Now you know why I have not bothered watching series two despite how excellent Tennant has proved to be.

[recycled-sales.livejournal.com]

I think I want to be the master.

Bugger, I thought I'd grown out of that.

[drjon.livejournal.com]

Damn.

I recall reading that Ainsley could turn in a damned fine, measured performance, but that the direction always pushed his performance into badtown.

Ah well.

[ginjabadja.livejournal.com]

Not seen this episode - have given up.
Any possibility that Mr Master's much commented apon scary wife is actually his TARDIS?

Maybe her/its chameleon circuit works....

[opusfluke.livejournal.com]

As I recall that was a running gag. The only TARDIS that didn't have a working chameleon circuit was The Doctor's. Hang on a minute, since when did Time Lords have families? I though the regeneration thing was because they couldn't breed? Munckinstein will know.

[robhu.livejournal.com]

That would be kinda cool, but how would he have had time to grow her?

[ginjabadja.livejournal.com]

Probably parked away somewhere for emergencies. I'm fairely sure he had one that looked like a statue and could move about in one story. I think he also had a backup one there as well. A grandfather clock or something.

Was a mere badja cub at the time, so details are hazy.

[robhu.livejournal.com]

Yeah but it probably wasn't parked on earth. I don't think they'd try something like that. He would probably have left Earth already if he had his own TARDIS.

It also would be quite a leap given that that reporter said his wife had a real history.

Yes they could make it work somehow but it would be even more awful than the mangling they've tried in the past by at least an order of magnitude.

[a-pawson.livejournal.com]

Oh dear and the same chap is directing the second part. I can't help but wonder why someone who has never before directed Dr Who is given the job of directing both parts of the season finale.