Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Closing Time



Well, the Cybermmen are back as primary vilians for the first time since The Next Doctor (only the fourth story of the revived series). Viewers also see Cybermats for the first time in 36 years. It works very well for the storyline, especially since Cybermen have a history with the Doctor that has not been overworked.
The return of Craig (but not Sophie) also worked well, especially since Craig and Sophie have a baby boy named Alfie, who prefers to be called "Stormageddon, Dark Lord of All." Craig is genre savvy enough by this point to realize that a visit from the Doctor means trouble, and decides the safest thing to do is to follow him.
My favorite part of this episode was all the scenes between the Doctor and Alfie. This Doctor, the baby-face Doctor, is the one who can't stand to watch children cry, and his conversation in Alfie's nursery is absolutely heartbreaking.

But I am old, Stormy. I am so old. So near the end. But you, Alfie Owens. You are so young, aren’t you? And you know, right now, everything’s ahead of you. You could be anything. Yes, I know. You could walk among the stars. They don’t actually look like that, you know — they are rather more impressive. [uses his sonic to make a starry sky appear on the ceiling] Yeah! You know, when I was little like you, I dreamt of the stars. I think it’s fair to say, in the language of your age, that I lived my dream. I owned the stage. Gave it a hundred and ten percent. I hope you have as much fun as I did, Alfie.


But the most surprising bit was the last five minutes. I was not expecting to see River, and the Silents...It was bad enough when I thought young River shot the Doctor, but for it to be the River we know and love, forced into the suit and unable to stop herself(as it heavily suggests)---oh man!

Friday, September 23, 2011

The Christian Zombie Killers Handbook: Slaying the Living Dead Within



"Fear no zombies. Wear long socks. Kill no albatrosses."--My Lit Theory Professor

This week, my college campus has been overrun with zombies. And people swinging moonkey-faced flails made of socks or Nerf swords. In other words, we have a Humans vs Zombie Game here. A perfect setting to read this book.
This book consists of two stories: a fictional zombie narrative and a nonfiction
guide to 'overcoming the zombie within.' The vivid image of a zombie is used to illustrate the sin nature we all struggle with. While this interweaving structure is difficult to follow at times, I think it's very helpful, especially to people who aren't used to theological books.

In accordance with Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, I am disclosing that I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. My opinions are my own, and I am not required to write a positive review.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

The God Complex

Since I've forgotten this the last few weeks, I might as well remind readers that this contains spoilers, yadda yadda yadda.



Look at you. Glorious Pond. The girl who waited for me. I'm not a hero. I really am just a mad man in a box. And it’s time we saw each other as we really are. Amy Williams, it’s time to stop waiting.
--The God Complex

While I was expecting this episode to be frightening, I wasn't expecting it to be sad. Last week's episode was bad enough, but...poor Doctor, poor, poor Doctor.How can you have the universe in your backyard and still be pitable? Because in the end,his only certianty is being alone. I mean, he left Amy and Rory because he realizes that this is his only way to end it without death. I don't cry at TV shows easily, but my eyes were seriously twitching when he was talking to Amy in her room. The camera work was just beautiful, allowing us to see that in his eyes, she's still the little girl he abandoned for fourteen years, Amelia Pond who shared fish fingers and custard. And he had to break her trust, the only thing that kept her alive and (reasonably) sane, because it could kill them all....

Offtopic: I want an Amelia Pond action figure. Not Amy, Amelia. And an Eleventh Doctor one too.

Sarah Jane Adventures Returns October 3rd!



Sky (1&2)
Alien investigator Sarah Jane Smith is back on CBBC with a fifth and final series of the award-winning The Sarah Jane Adventures, starring the late Elisabeth Sladen.

Created by Russell T Davies, the hugely successful Doctor Who spin-off returns for a brand-new, six-part series, featuring three stories, each told over two episodes. The first is the spectacular two-part story, Sky.

In today’s episode, Sarah Jane finds a baby girl on her doorstep and tries to find out who abandoned her.

At a nearby nuclear power station, a beautiful woman appears out of thin air and uses alien powers to take control. She’s looking for something – and realises that Sarah Jane may just have it…


Sky (Part 2)
Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures is back with the second part of the action-packed Sky story, starring the late Elisabeth Sladen.

Today, Sky has undergone an amazing transformation, but in doing so has triggered a countdown that no one can stop.

As Sarah Jane and Sky find themselves trapped between the alien war fought by Metalkind and Fleshkind, Clyde and Rani face a race against time to stop the biggest bang in history…

The Curse of Clyde Langer (3&4)
Alien investigator Sarah Jane Smith is back and in today’s episode some very unusual weather hits Bannerman Road.

It’s raining fish from the skies, and Sarah Jane’s investigations lead the gang to the Museum of Culture, where the ancient god Hetocumtek may offer answers.

But when Clyde acts the fool once too often, family and friends savagely turn against him, and he is thrown out of their lives!

The Curse of Clyde Langer (Part 2) synopsis:

The curse of Clyde Langer continues in the second part of this gripping story from the award-winning The Sarah Jane Adventures.

In today’s episode, Clyde is alone and abandoned on the streets of London, living rough, cold and hungry. One person reaches out to him, but as they become friends, he’s warned about the legendary Night Dragon.

In Bannerman Road, Sky knows something’s wrong – why do Sarah Jane and Rani suddenly hate Clyde?


No details have been released about "The Man Who Wasn't There," except that it was originally the final story of the season.

Episode summeries accessed via Doctor Who TV UK

Thursday, September 15, 2011

The Girl Who Waited


I originally expected this episode to be about Amy's intermedicuim period, but since that was covered in Let's Kill Hitler, I quickly picked up on the new plot quickly. Apparently simple: Amy is trapped in a quarantine facility with time compression. When the TARDIS locks onto the wrong timestream, Rory must chose which version of his wife to save.

First of all, kudos to Gillan for her performance. She quickly convinces us of the hatred that Amy-Now has been feeding for thirty-five years, as well as the pain of Amy-Then. Arthur Davrill also deserves high marks. This was his chance to shine, and he rose to the occasion. (Smith did well too, but this was techinically a Doctor-lite episode, although it doesn't come off as one at all).

It was also beautifully artistically, from the shots of the two Amys to the strange settings and small details, like the robot Rory and Amy-Now beginning to put on her lipstick before remembering that she's old. Another small tidbit that is great is the geek glasses the Doctor gives to Rory.

The strength of this episode was in the tearjerkers, though. Rory chose to become the Lone Centurian, with a hint of what he was in for history-wise, and a definate end in view, while Amy pushed the wrong button and was stranded alone with hostile Handbots for thirty-five years, always wondering if this was the day she would be rescued. A lot of her dialouge was heartbreaking, but her goodbye to Rory and last words nearly had me bawling. Not to mention when Amy woke up and asked "Where is she?"
Five of Five.

p.s. We also have a date for the season five Sarah Jane Adventures opener: October 3rd. with the second part airing the 4th! I'm looking forward to that weekend--after The Wedding of River Song, back to Bannerman Road for the last Sarah Jane Adventures...sniff

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Fanfiction Cover Images

I got inspired the other day and made some cover images for Doctor Who fanfics I'm working on....















The first three are for my crossover 'The Last and the Only,' in which Luke Smith and K9 join the 11th Doctor in the TARDIS













>

For my Official Whoniversity of Fanfiction, a self-mocking spoof of bad fanfiction







Originally a one-shot, this story focuses on a clone of River who joins her and the Doctor aboard the TARDIS. Offically AU after "Let's Kill Hitler," I hope to keep the characters fairly close to the original.

Monday, September 5, 2011

Night Terrors



From the historic depths of the Third Reich, the Doctor returns to our screens to visit an ordinary block of flats, where an ordinary boy named George is so scared that his cry for help reaches the TARDIS.
In my mind, the most frightening part of it all was when we WEREN'T seeing the monsters, because that meant they could be anywhere. Not to mention that uttely creepy rhyme.
Tick tock goes the clock
He cradled her and he rocked her
Tick tock goes the clock
Even for the Doctor…

Because this episode was originally meant to be part of 6A, which means it has no references to River Song/Melody. Even so, the rhyme has serious implications.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Sarah Jane Adventure Teaser



Let's Kill Hitler--Spoilers Included





"Mels, did you not understand the question? I'm asking why the Titantic sank."

"Because the Doctor didn't save it. Except you don't know about the Doctor because you're stupid. "



Well, that was worth waiting for. Although I am beginning to wonder how many times Moffat can fit a finale's worth of plot twists into one season.* From the opening shots of Rory and Amy creating a crop circle to the closing sequence, the episode is full of delicious lines and performances.



Viewers are introduced to Mels, an old friend of Rory and Amy that we've never met before--and there's a reason for that. In a series of flashbacks, we learn that Mels was even more obessesed with the Doctor than Amy was, and that Rory has had a crush on Amy for a very long time...absolutely adorable.

Another bittersweet moment was the scene with the emergancy hologram. It originally shows up as the Eleventh Doctor, to which he replies, "Oh, nononononono, give me someone I like!" It then preceded to switch through

Rose: Guit

Martha:More Guilt!

Donna: Is there anyone in the Universe I haven't messed up yet

Amelia Pond...who after a long repeatition of "I am not Amelia Pond" inspires him to keep going by saying 'Fish fingers and custard.'



The introduction of River's early character was very fun to watch--still the River we know, but much rawer and more insane...



* That's a compliment, by the way.