Doctor Who 3x11 "Utopia"

[reflectedeve]

Some very brief and incoherent spoilers, but spoilers nonetheless.

John Barrowman. John Simm. I am dead of the pretty.

Captain Jack is himself again! The flirting, it was back! And he totally wasn't letting the Doctor get away with the abandonment . . . and wow, did I ever love the Doctor's (assholish) treatment of the whole subject. Spot-on. And how long have we been waiting for those explanations? (The conversation through the door was fucking amazing.) Jack bonding with Martha a little over being ignored? Beginning of a beautiful friendship, here's hoping. They're both so fabulous, and the Doctor could use not being revered all the time (so damn full of himself).

It occurs to me that maybe they're going to do something with the whole Rose subject, instead of just having the Doctor inexplicably whine about her in every episode (just to make Martha wince). I'm glad that the Doctor didn't just forget her or anything, but seriously, it's felt so random. I certainly don't want her back at this point--Martha's awesome, and Rose and Ten had terrible chemistry--but I'd like to see it wrapped up at last.

I didn't figure out who the Professor was at first; probably because I was expecting John Simm to be the "human" Master, and also because I don't have the familiarity with the character that so many classic Who fans do. But as soon as the watch came out . . . and there was such amazing buildup there. And ye gods and little fishes, John Simm is amazing already in that role.

I should probably try and watch some old episodes. I mean, I need to do that anyway (I love that this show has a history, though I'm not sure I can get through all of it), but just specifically, some Master episodes. So I can get a little of the context. Hrm.

The thing that bugs me the most, I think, is that the Doctor can't sense "Mr. Saxon" as a Time Lord . . . he's supposed to be able to "feel" them anywhere, anywhen, and he was right there in the same year/planet with him several times ("Smith and Jones," "The Lazarus Experiment," etc). That was why I assumed Mr. Saxon was "human" (and thus undetectable). Although . . . I guess the concept doesn't make sense in the first place. How could the camoflauge watch thing work at all if the Family could sense the Doctor in some other time, and go for him there instead?

Maybe it's one of those "personal timeline" things (which also make little enough sense), with the Doctor not being able to "feel" the Master before the Master emerges from hiding in the Doctor's own timeline. I guess that sort of thing is a suspension of disbelief necessary to being able to watch a show about time travel in the first place (such a paradoxical notion).

Okay, I know that this post probably made no sense . . . I really have to sleep, it's ridiculously late.

I'm not going to get to see the next episode for nearly a week after it airs, because I'm going to be on the other side of the country. Augh.

Comments

[sharon28.livejournal.com]

And how long have we been waiting for those explanations?

Here via ds_noticeboard. I was really expecting to hear Jack giving some explanations in Torchwood. But then I suppose he couldn't really talk to any of his old crew about those things. I'm glad they finally explained everything and didn't leave us hanging. Though the way they left things at the end of Torchwood, I always assumed the tardis had come into the building to pick him up, not that he'd run outside because he'd heard it.

I didn't figure out who the Professor was at first

Neither did I, not until the watch came out. I started suspecting then that he could be the master and then I wasn't expecting to see the regeneration into John Simm, I thought they'd leave us guessing as to whether John Simm was the Master or not.

but just specifically, some Master episodes.

I don't recall there being that many Master episodes, I think he mainly appeared with the third doctor.

The thing that bugs me the most, I think, is that the Doctor can't sense "Mr. Saxon" as a Time Lord . . . he's supposed to be able to "feel" them anywhere, anywhen, and he was right there in the same year/planet with him several times ("Smith and Jones," "The Lazarus Experiment," etc).

Has Mr Saxon been mentioned before then? I really can't remember the name being mentioned. If we get into the whole Timelord sense thing, he'd be sensing other versions of himself as well as other versions of the Master, etc, so it'd get really confusing.

How could the camoflauge watch thing work at all if the Family could sense the Doctor in some other time, and go for him there instead?

I think they must have followed him to 1913, so that's where they were looking for him.

I'm not going to get to see the next episode for nearly a week after it airs

I'm a little suspicious as to why Mr Saxon was the only one in next weeks trailer, but then I suppose if we saw the Doctor, Jack and Martha we'd know whether they'd managed to escape from the end of the universe or not.

[reflectedeve.livejournal.com]

Hm, didn't even think about Torchwood. Well, but I really didn't like Torchwood the show, so I'm pretty happy to have it kept out; plus, I think the Doctor actually has a decent idea of the organization from last season.

I thought the Tardis had come into Torchwood to pick him up, also, but I think this worked just fine.

Has Mr Saxon been mentioned before then?
Oh yes, several times. He's the one who has been sending people to convince Martha's mother that the Doctor is bad news.

As for next week's trailer, well, I think you've got it--they don't want us to know if/how the Tardis crew escape. Plus, this is the Master's shining moment . . . he's been working behind the scenes, as Mr. Saxon, the whole season (though of course, for his timeline, it's all happened after "Utopia"), and now they're finally letting us see what he's doing, and it's a whole lot of spectacle.

I can't wait. I love this plotline and I also love John Simm a whole lot. Whee.

[uncanny-rman.livejournal.com]

I loved this episode too. The Master is back! Glee!

Still not liking Martha, mind. For once, Jack didn't annoy me. I thought that him flirting with everybody that he met was kind of funny.

The cannibals didn't really do much, did they? They seemed kind of redundant to me.

[reflectedeve.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I need to find some third Doctor episodes . . . I know who he is, of course, but only from reading summaries.

But it's an awesome plot, and also, John Simm. Glee.

You don't like Martha? Jack annoys you? Meep. (Which characterization of Jack--Doctor Who series one, or Torchwood? Because they were so weirdly different.)

They didn't, but . . . red herrings are a perfectly respectable plot device. Though it's possible we might see more of them, particularly since the Doctor and friends are still stuck out there with them. (I'd imagine they're going to escape via Jack's much-maligned little time-travel device, which I'm sure the Doctor can fix, but not instantaneously.)

[uncanny-rman.livejournal.com]

I don't like any version of Jack. But if I had to choose which one annoys me the most, it would have to be Torchwood!Jack. Mostly because of the gratuitous gayness.

[sweetvalleyslut.livejournal.com]

Why are you trying to make DW make sense? That way madness lies! Since I knew nothing about the whole watch thing, I just enjoyed it without caring about the plot, which was nice, because yeah, that Jack/Doctor conversation was awesome. And hot.

[sweetvalleyslut.livejournal.com]

P.S. Why do I not have a Vince/Stuart/K-9 icon for occasions like this one? Remind me to get on that.

[reflectedeve.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you enjoyed it, though your lack of interest in Ten continues to puzzle me. :p (I mean, he pisses me off a lot, but I definitely care.) Ah, but it's going to be so fun slashing him with Jack . .. and the Master! (I'm really going to die of the sheer hotness of this cast.)

Clearly I need to watch the episode again tonight. Mmmmm.

And yes, Derek Jacobi was awesome. But you told me not to tell you anything! :p