Turn Away In Shame

This isn't directly relevant, but I felt it was interesting to mention as I wrap up my Who Review series.

Not everyone got into Torchwood, and to some degree I understand. That said, Children of Earth was quite possibly some of the best television produced in the past decade, and if anyone was skeptical or on the fence about Torchwood because of the previous two seasons, I implore them to watch Children and give it another shot.

I mention this because there's an interesting monologue by one of the lead characters, Gwen Cooper, that opens Part V. I won't give away too much, but suffice it to say that the world is going to hell in a handbasket- society is ripping itself apart, world governments have utterly failed them, and the last line of defense (ostensibly, the Torchwood Institute) has been effectively destroyed. In the opening minutes of Part V, Gwen bitterly remarks on the absence of this mysterious "Doctor" figure her teammate is always going on about, and why he doesn't always swoop in to save the day.



Out of context, it's fairly chilling, and in the context of the story it's bitter and depressing and... well, not completely incorrect.

Who Review Round 11: Vincent and the Doctor

In his previous incarnation, the Doctor was derisively referred to as "the man who makes everyone better." It's a fairly apt description- the best writers on the show understand that the Doctor's power isn't so much in what he can do, but rather in what he inspires the people around him to do. In Vincent and the Doctor, he doesn't save a life- but he does give someone a few fleeting moments of happiness.

Featuring the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) and Amy Pond, the story focuses on a rampaging monster that no one can see. No one, that is, except Vincent van Gogh.

The plot itself is a bit thin and ultimately forgettable. But that's beside the point. What this episode does is provide a context to show some absolutely beautiful, achingly human moments.



The Doctor and Amy find Vincent at the historical end of his life. (Of course, he has no idea, apart from feeling worn down from the excruciating emotional pain he carries with him.) The two of them realize that they're here to try to save Vincent's life literally (from the monster) and figuratively (from himself). They successfully repel the former threat. And, for a brief, wonderful moment, perhaps the latter, as the Doctor and Amy bring Vincent to the Louvre in 2010, where a van Gogh retrospective exhibit is being mounted, to show him first-hand what kind of impact his art had on the lives of others. At one point, the Doctor- with Vincent standing off to the side, eavesdropping- pulls aside an exhibit curator and asks what kind of impact van Gogh had, to which the curator replies that he was not only one of the greatest artists in history but also one of the greatest men who ever lived. Vincent, overcome with emotion, hugs the curator, and the three of them rush out of the museum. (Sadly, I can't show this clip, it's been removed from YouTube.)

Amy is convinced that this helps save Vincent's life- he can't possibly kill himself now. They drop him back home, then come back to the Louvre. Amy's despondent, however, when she realizes there are no new paintings. Vincent killed himself, just as history told. They didn't save him. But, as the Doctor notes, "everyone's life is made up of good things and bad things... the good things don't make the bad things go away, but the bad things don't spoil the good things either... and we definitely added to his pile of good things." It's an absolutely heartbreaking and wonderful scene (which, again, I can't share), and, while somewhat incongruous with the usual tone of the programme, does a superb job of telling a time travel story that's less about the time and the place and more about the people involved.

There are quite a few good Eleventh Doctor stories (and counting), but Vincent is unique, and strange, and beautiful, and unlike anything else you'll see on Doctor Who (or on television, period).

Who Review Round 10: Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead

I'm going to get my bias out front: the two-part story Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead represents everything great about the Tenth Doctor.

Bold, I realize. But hear me out.

This two-parter, featuring the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) and Donna Noble (and later, curiously, River Song), set in a library that takes up an entire planet, is Steven Moffat at his level best. It's scary, it's funny, it's touching, it's mysterious, and it leaves breadcrumbs backwards and forwards in the Doctor's personal history. And, critically, it explores some of the weird and incongruous side-effects that traveling in time leads to.

For the Doctor, this includes his first (though her last) meeting with River Song, a mysterious figure who holds a special place in the Doctor's heart- or will, someday. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to meet someone you were close to before you officially "met" them (say, meeting a boyfriend or girlfriend when they're a kid), this story gives an idea of what that would be like. For River, they've shared a whole life together and shared numerous adventures. But as far as the Doctor knows, she's just a stranger who happens to know a little too much personal information about him. This leads to a drastic measure on River's part to quickly gain the Doctor's trust:



One interesting thing is that the Doctor and Donna both meet someone that they become very close to- and subsequently lose them. Donna loses a man she marries while trapped in a virtual world after they're both liberated but fail to find each other in the real world. And the Doctor never finds out who River is before she sacrifices herself to save his life.

Which brings me to one particular moment. Several bloggers have talked about the importance of the "fuck yeah" moment. The Doctor has had more than his fair share over the years, especially since the 2005 relaunch. One of the distinctive qualities about this character is that he gives you "fuck yeah" moments that are just as likely to have you crying as well as pumping your fist and yelling "Go! Go! Go!". For me, the quintessential "fuck yeah" moment for the Tenth Doctor comes when he realizes that the future version of himself would have spent years trying to think of a way to save River- and then discovers how, when he sees that the sonic screwdriver he gave her in the future contains a neural relay device, which happens to contain the (weak and fading) last trace pattern of River's consciousness. He's found a way to save her- if he's quick, and clever. Which he is. (Watch both videos.)





This scene is the Doctor at his absolute best. By virtue of being clever, he's in a uniquely confident position of being able to save lives. It isn't always so, and plenty of people do die in spite of (or even because of) his best efforts. But every now and then, when it really, really matters. When the wind stands fair, and the Doctor comes to call. He's just quick enough, and just clever enough, and everybody lives.

Who Review Round 9: Father's Day

In some ways, the Ninth Doctor's run- which marked the return of Doctor Who to regular television after 16 years- represented some of the most deeply personal stories in the history of the show. This single season pivoted on the relationship between the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and Rose Tyler, which provided some of the most heartwrenching moments in recent television history.

Father's Day expands and deepens their relationship by stretching it to its near-limit. Rose, who lost her father when she was a baby, asks the Doctor to take her back to the day he died. When the moment comes, she's unable to stand by and watch her father die. She saves his life, but in the process causes a fatal wound in time (not to mention her relationship with the Doctor, who's absolutely livid with her recklessness- and attracted a swarm of creatures who consume temporal anomalies. Trapped in a church with a handful of survivors- including the Doctor, younger (and ill-tempered) versions of her parents, and her infant self- the episode becomes a thoughtful and touching meditation on family and loss, framed on both ends with the death of Rose's father:



In Father's Day, the Doctor and Rose are pulled far apart before coming back together, highlighting the strength and tenacity of their relationship. Rose herself also shows a great deal of growth, as she's finally forced to come to terms with the death of her father by taking an opportunity to say goodbye in a way no one ever does.

Who Review Round 8: Doctor Who- The Movie

Doctor Who was put on indefinite hiatus in 1989, due to falling ratings and a lack of leadership on set. While reduced at times to a low rumble, there were consistently efforts to bring the show back. In the mid-1990's, these efforts took the form of a collaboration between American producers and BBC Worldwide. The result was Doctor Who: The Movie, a two hour television movie which aired on Fox in May 1996.

Often abbreviated to TVM by American fans, the movie, featuring the Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann) and Grace Holloway, was intended as a backdoor pilot for an American co-produced television series. The movie tried to serve as a Doctor Who primer for an American audience- highlighting the Time Lords, the TARDIS, sonic screwdrivers, several key enemies, even regeneration (Sylvester McCoy makes a cameo as the Seventh Doctor before dying and regenerating into the Eighth)- while also trying to appeal to a stereotypically American taste- featuring guns, car chases, and, for the first time in the show's history, romance between the Doctor and his Companion.

While a solid success in the UK when it eventually aired, it flopped in the US. And understandably so- it was pretty ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, there was a lot to like- Paul McGann was a terrific Doctor; Daphne Ashbrooke portrayed an intelligent, independent, and delightfully sassy Companion in Grace Holloway; the TARDIS interior was absolutely gorgeous; Eric Roberts played a good Master (in that so-bad-it's-good sort of way); and the movie was written as a continuation of the classic series instead of a full reboot, lending it the credibility it needed to be taken seriously. But overall, it was campy in a bad way, the dialogue was downright awful in spots, and the continuity errors (in so much as Doctor Who even HAS continuity, which some have argued against) were big and distracting enough to mar the experience.



Unfortunately, picking an Eighth Doctor television story to review was easy, since this was the only one produced. Due to the low American ratings, there was no series pickup, and, except for novels and audio dramas, Doctor Who went back into limbo for another nine years (until the premiere of the BBC Wales restart in 2005). Which is unfortunate- for all of TVM's faults (and they are legion) it showed great potential for an Eighth Doctor run and a faithful continuation of the classic series. As it is, we're left with a teasingly-campy vision of what Doctor Who would have been in the 1990's- high production values, lots of action, and plots reminiscent of the syndicated science fiction programs popular in the late 90's and early 2000's.

Who Review Round 7: Remembrance of the Daleks

Remembrance of the Daleks originally aired near the 25th Anniversary of the show, in October 1988. The story, being one of the better Seventh Doctor adventures, is notable for several reasons. Featuring the Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and Ace, we're brought back to the locales of the very first adventure- Coal Hill School and Totters Lane- as the Daleks are digging around for a dangerous artifact the Doctor left behind long ago.

Remembrance is an absolutely thrilling adventure. The Daleks are menacing and unstoppable (as they should be), the Seventh Doctor is at his most Machiavellian, Ace has some great personal moments, and the resolution serves as one of the most chilling moments in the show's history, as the Doctor, almost gleefully, commits genocide.

But perhaps the most memorable scene comes at the end of Part I. The writers take this opportunity to dispel a long-running presumption about Daleks- you can evade or defeat them by just running up stairs, ha ha ha- resulting in one of the most thrilling cliffhangers in the history of the show:



This is a bit out of context, but the above scene was a HUGE DEAL when it aired originally. But it's just one of the reasons why Remembrance is probably the best story in the all-too-brief Seventh Doctor era.

Who Review Round 6: Attack of the Cybermen

There was a lot to dislike about the Sixth Doctor era. Exemplifying the worst excesses of both the 1980's and John Nathan-Turner, the brief yet tumultuous period was known for some of the worst stories in the history of Doctor Who (despite admirable work from the lead actor). Attack of the Cybermen, graciously, bucks this trend.

Featuring the Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker) and Peri, Attack has a lot going for it. You have the Doctor trying (successfully, for the most part) to repair the Chameleon Circuit on the TARDIS, causing it to materialize as something other than a big blue police box for the first time in the show's history. There's a nod to the past with a revisiting of the junkyard the First Doctor and Susan Foreman occupied at the beginning of the programme. A plot by the Cybermen to change the events of the First Doctor's final adventure in their favor. And, at the end of Part II, we see just how sneaky and manipulative the Time Lords can be, as the Doctor realizes that he was sent to deal with this crisis by the High Council without ever receiving the courtesy of being told what was going on.

Plus, there's the Doctor being a total BAMF:



If you want to give the Sixth Doctor a spin- but aren't terribly keen about seeing him on trial for several months- Attack is a good starting point.

Who Review Round 5: Earthshock

Earthshock represents a pivotal turning point in the history of Doctor Who.

Featuring the Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison), Nyssa, Tegan, and Adric, the TARDIS crew run afoul of a contingent of Cybermen who are plotting to destroy Earth in the future. After a tense and bitter struggle, which includes a rare physical confrontation inside the TARDIS, the Cybermen are foiled- though at a terrible cost.

Earthshock concludes with the death of Adric, the first time a Companion has died since the First Doctor story The Daleks' Master Plan.



One of the most powerful story elements throughout the history of Doctor Who has been the idea that nobody is safe- not even the Doctor. Adric's death at the end of Earthshock reminded a whole new generation of Whovians just how high the stakes can get.

Who Review Round 4: The Ark In Space

The Ark In Space, featuring the iconic Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker), Sarah Jane Smith, and Harry Sullivan, is arguably one of the definitive stories of that era. Part of a string of continuous adventures spanning from Robot to Terror of the Zygons, Ark is almost a self-contained highlight reel for the Fourth Doctor era.

The plot, set on a ship carrying the cryogenically-frozen last survivors of the Human Race in a far-flung future, is in line with the claustrophobic, gothic horror typical of stories from this period in the show's history. The tension, the creeping terror, the relative quiet, and the idea of the implacable alien menace among us was so effective that it later served as inspiration for the Alien series. It also featured, in my opinion, one of the best TARDIS team lineups in the history of the show- the chemistry between Four, Sarah Jane, and Harry made for some supurb and unforgettable moments.

The show is probably best known for this scene, where the discovery of the ship's purpose leads the Doctor to remark on the strength and tenacity of the human spirit:



I would go so far as to say, if you're interested at all in exploring Classic-era Who (which is to say, 1963-1989), I would suggest starting with The Ark In Space.

Who Review Round 3: The Sea Devils

Next up is The Sea Devils, featuring the Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee) and Jo Grant.

I've gotta be honest. I love the Third Doctor. He's pompous and well-dressed and utterly ridiculous. This story shows exactly why I love him.

Not because of the story itself- Sea Devils, as a whole, is good but not great. (Typical of a lot of his stories, actually.) It's an interesting meditation on colonialism and exploitation of native cultures, but it doesn't quite go anywhere beyond the same retreads common in sci-fi at the time. (At six episodes, it also drags a bit.) There's also an argument to be made that having to juggle two antagonists- the Sea Devils themselves, and the Master, who was the de facto antagonist for the season- made the plot a little clumsy.

But then, you have scenes like this.



Not only do we have a straight-up sword fight with the Master, the Doctor, clearly with the upper hand here, pauses the duel in the middle to eat a sandwich! His OPPONENT'S sandwich!

I mean. Damn.

THIS is what Third Doctor is all about!

Who Review Round 2: The Mind Robber

Next up in my Who Review series is The Mind Robber, featuring the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton), Jamie McCrimmon (who has a special place in my heart because of the kilt), and Zoe Heriot.

The Doctor isn't a tough guy. He generally eschews weapons and violence, and some of his incarnations have been straight-up pacifists. He doesn't use force or aggression to save the day (which puts him in stark contrast with many American sci-fi protagonists), but instead he expresses his heroism by being clever.

A criticism that some people make about the Doctor is that he's too powerful (and thus un-relatable from a story perspective). Further, his power comes from his tools- the sonic screwdriver, the psychic paper (in recent years), and, most notably, the TARDIS. The argument is that, even with advanced intelligence and de facto biological immortality, the Doctor is essentially useless without his toys.

Some of my favorite stories, then, are the stories where the Doctor saves the day without access to his stuff.

This is especially true with stories where the TARDIS is inaccessible, malfunctioning, or presumed to be destroyed. Mind Robber is a good early example of this trope. The cliffhanger at the end of Episode One shows the TARDIS being rent asunder, and the inhabitants thrown into the Void.



So here we have the Doctor in a sort of fantasy realm outside normal Time and Space. No TARDIS. No sonic screwdriver. His Companions are missing. Even his cleverness will only carry him so far, since the rules of the world he's operating in are in flux, and change specifically to thwart him! And he finds a way to prevail anyway!

There are a few stories where the Doctor loses everything and still manages to save the day (The Eleventh Hour being an excellent recent example). The Mind Robber is a classic example of that, and quite possibly my favorite Second Doctor story.

Who Review Round 1: The Dalek Invasion of Earth

I'm going to get this blog started proper by reviewing one story from each of the eleven Doctors.

First up is The Dalek Invasion Of Earth, the last serial to feature the original TARDIS ensemble of First Doctor (William Hartnell), Susan Foreman, Ian Chesterton, and Barbara Wright.

I'm not going into a full-fledged recap of the plot, since you can easily find that yourself online. Instead I want to talk about why this was story was significant, both for the character of the Doctor and for the show going forward.

First, we have a sort of coming of age of the Doctor's iconic enemies, the Daleks. Invasion was the first story to feature them since their debut a year earlier in the story titled, appropriately, The Daleks. Feeling pressure to make the Daleks a regular feature of the show due the sudden wild popularity of the creatures, the producers wanted to establish them as a significant threat to the Doctor and the universe he inhabits. Which they did, in a big way- The Doctor and company travel to Earth in the year 2150 to find humanity utterly subjugated by the Daleks, with the few survivors forced into hard labor building a massive doomsday machine. One of the best ways to establish an antagonist as a compelling threat is to show what the world would be like if they won, and Invasion exploits that trope to show the Daleks as menacing and unstoppable.

Second, we have a significant turning point in the development of the Doctor's character. Up until this story, he was portrayed mainly as cantankerous, self-absorbed, and morally dubious, with little regard for the well-being of bystanders he encountered in his travels (or even his Companions when they got in the way). Whereas in previous stories (such as An Unearthly Child/100,000 B.C.) he was prepared to let innocent people suffer or die so long as it didn't stop him from escaping, in Invasion we start seeing the Doctor take greater care for the well-being of bystanders he encounters. This concern for the innocent will, over the coming decades, come to define the character of the Doctor.

Finally, we see the departure of Susan Foreman, ostensibly the First Companion and the Doctor's granddaughter. With the exception of a brief appearance in the 20th Anniversary special The Five Doctors, Susan never returns to the TARDIS, and a major chapter of the Doctor's life closes. (This separation becomes even more poignant in the wake of the Time War.) Continuing the theme of the Doctor's growing compassion, we see the him going all soft on Susan during their parting and giving a speech (starting at 4:35) that is, quite possibly, the defining moment of the First Doctor era.



One of the best qualities of Doctor Who has been the poignant, heart-wrenching emotion behind the stories, and the unshakable bonds of affection between the Doctor and the Companions. The Dalek Invasion of Earth is one of the first examples of how the show can break your heart.

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